Girolduses Journey

Chapter: 11

"Forgive me friend." Ornstein said as he sat down, turning to Giroldus. "I was so overcome with emotion that I acted out of impulse." As he said this Giroldus saw the genuine look of sadness that overcame the knights face.

"You're fine Ornstein. If I lost as much time guarding a false idol, I would have acted the same." Giroldus replied.

At this the knight smiled but after a brief time the smile disintegrated into a look of worry.

"What is it?" Mildred asked noticing the look on the knights' face.

"I have endangered us all more than we know. The dark moon will have our hides for this."

"Maybe they won't find out?" Giroldus wondered aloud.

After the knights remark, the sound of a large group could be heard, their marching echoing in the hall that loomed outside the sunlight chamber. As the three approached the balcony where they had originally met; they found a group of at least twenty dark moons standing in the hall that stood below. One member stood out, and as she approached the front it became more apparent whom it was.

"Sir Ornstein of Anor Londo, you are accused of the crime of treason for the murder of the Prince Gwyndolin." The Fire Keeper who had led them there spoke in a voice that seemed to throw knives causing Giroldus to flinch.

"He was a liar and he deserved a liars death." Ornstein replied simply, causing the group the shift.

"I will give you this chance to die honorably alongside your friends. Do not deny it." As the fire keeper replied Giroldus realized the severity of their crime, causing him to laugh.

"I will have you know-," Ornstein paused "Giroldus why do you laugh in such a dire time?"

"Yes why do you laugh?" the fire keeper asked

"Because you speak to us as if we are the ones in danger, when it is you and your comrades who will be lucky to crawl out of this room." Giroldus yelled, "Now if you would like to accompany me my friends, I will have out blades do the talking."

At that Giroldus jumped over the balcony and with a thud, landed in front of the group, facing the fire keeper. As he and the fire keeper made eye contact, though her helmet blocked her eyes, the air was electric. At this the other two landed behind him Ornstein donning his helmet and Mildred unsheathing her butcher knife. A moment passed where the room was silent, but almost immediately Giroldus began his charge. As he ran towards the Fire keeper, the Dark Moon gave a war cry that was soon interrupted by their screams as Ornstein impaled two of them on his spear. As Girolduses great sword and the Fire keepers sword clashed, Mildred chopped into two of the dark moon sending them sprawling, painting the floor crimson red. The duel between the Fire keeper was difficult as she was able to jab him with her off hand, but as she went to stab at him once more, he grabbed the knife and threw it away causing them to be on level ground.

"No matter the outcome of this battle," the Fire keeper said as she twirled and repositioned her sword, locking the two weapons and causing Girolduses face to be surprisingly close to hers. "You will be hunted until your death."

At that Giroldus clenched his teeth and uttered the last words she would hear.

"If you think we can be hunted like the vermin you assume we are," and at this he leaned as close as he could without being in danger. "You are sorely mistaken."

After that he jumped back and readying himself he jumped forward, bringing his sword down with a might so great it practically cut the air itself. The sword broke through hers as it came down, the sword slamming into her shoulder and cutting deep, the sword sticking into her shoulder as she reeled back.

As the Fire keeper backed up, a dark moon charged Giroldus, slicing his broadsword down and nicking the knight on the arm. As the opposing dark moon brought his sword back up for an upward swing, Giroldus caught the blade between his hands, and with a swift motion bent the blade rendering it useless. As the dark moon looked up in horror Giroldus threw a punch that, when coupled with his steel gauntlets, gave an audible crunch as it hit the man in the face, his unconscious body flying. As he looked up from his punch Giroldus saw that the group had thinned considerably, only five or so dark moon remaining. As he noticed this Ornstein who laid a hand on his shoulder, asked him a peculiar question.

"Is she always like that in battle?" Ornstein asked

"What do you mean?" Giroldus asked turning to face where Mildred had gone.

The sight was peculiar, the remaining four dark moon had surrounded the woman who body checked on of the men and using her momentum, turned and swung with enough speed to decapitated the second; as she was slashed by the third she jumped up and drop kicked him back grabbing his sword as it flew out of his hand and throwing down into his stomach, impaling him to the floor. The fourth dark moon seemed scared and as he went to run away, Mildred ran after him, jumping and, oddly, biting into his neck.

The man screamed and as his blood sprayed Mildred she laughed and bit once more, the man gurgling and then falling silent. As he went over to stop her Mildred stood up and turned to him with a wild look in her eyes, her face in an odd smile. The look made him stop and as she wiped her blood spattered forehead she ran up to him and unexpectedly kissed him, causing blood to smear onto his mouth.

This kiss was unlike the other that they had shared it was wild, crazed, and sloppy. This caused him to sit in a shocked state as she pulled away from his face, but he noticed something in her eyes, they were discolored and like those of the people from the town she had left days ago.

"Isn't it great?" she asked

"What?" Giroldus replied sounding worried

"That we decimated these fools and gave this room quite the paint job, the blood just looks so beautiful." As she said this she looked into his eyes "I think we should take our relationship to the next level. Right in the middle of all this chaos." As she said this Girolduses mouth practically fell off, and as he stood trying to formulate his words, Ornstein stepped in.

"What has come over you Mildred?" The captain asked

"Is a simple blood lust too much for a knight of Gwyn to handle?" The woman laughed

"This is not you. Sleep child." Ornstein replied

"What?" As Mildred replied Ornstein placed his two forefingers on her forehead causing her to struggle and then fall over asleep, the captain catching her as she fell.

As Ornstein and Giroldus went to return to the chamber, a knife penetrated Girolduses shoulder, and as he turned he saw it was a dark moon who stood in the wings. As he took out the knife he threw it back, and hitting the dark moon in the knee he approached him, finding out he guarded the panting and bleeding Fire keeper.

"Oh how far we fall." Giroldus chuckled as he approached the Fire keeper.

"Keep away traitor filth." The incapacitated dark moon said as he approached the woman, causing Giroldus to turn to him as he clutched his knee. Without saying a word, Giroldus gently shoved the knife farther in and pushed the man back, returning to the woman. As the man screamed Giroldus began to speak again.

"It is sad really, how far you have fallen." Giroldus laughed "But then you didn't really have a chance."

"You will never sleep well again you slime, we will hunt you down and kill you." The woman removed her helmet and spat blood in his face, irritating the knight.

"Look wench, you are dead and you know it, so do me a favor and say some last words that will look good on your grave." As the knight took hold of his sword and placing his foot on her shoulder, ripped back out. After the woman stopped screaming she looked up and through her pain and anguish she told him her last words.

"Though I may have failed in life, may my spirit forever haunt those I have failed to kill."

With that she spit once more.

"Nice and morbid, and for Gwyn sake stop spitting." With that the knight picked the woman up, tossing her through one of the many windows that lined the room.

After the brief moment of silence he gave the woman, he returned to the man who was still rolling on the ground and screaming due to pain. He knelt down, removed the knife, and told the man to get out and spread the message. After the man hobbled away, Giroldus returned to the sunlight chamber and found Ornstein kneeling over Mildred praying.

"What happened to her?" Giroldus asked as he approached Ornstein.

"She was overcome by a deep sickness, it came back up when her bloodlust was activated due to all the chaos." The captain stood up and lifted up a large bowl, handing it to Giroldus, who expecting a ton of weight braced his body. But the weight never came and the bowl shrunk in his hands, placing the bowl in his pack.

"What is this?" He asked Ornstein

"That is the lord vessel, I'm giving it to you for two reasons. One, you shall safeguard it well and I know it. Two, I hope you will you use it to save this land and purge it of the dark." Ornstein said as he laid his hand on his shoulder.

"I see." As Giroldus sat in thought as to why he was considered

"What happened?" Mildred said as she groggily sat up

"We won." Giroldus replied frankly, and smiling he approached her "You got a little crazy and blacked out."

"Oh. Well I would've liked to see the end at least." Mildred said standing up

"Let us get going, this city has nothing left for us and it will be fine with the silver knights and sentinels left to guard it." Ornstein said

"I guess you're right." Giroldus said "But what of the executioner?"

"Oh lords. You do have a point." Ornstein said, "Let us just hope we don't run into him."

As they continued out and down back into the bloodstained hall, they noticed that the silver knights made quick work of disposing of the bodies.

"Didn't you make quite the mess." A familiar voice boomed as they attempted to leave.

"Shut it Smough." Ornstein called "We are departing from the city, you are in control of the guard now." This was Ornstein's attempt to defuse the situation and leave in peace.

"Oh well finally." The executioner laughed, "Then my first act as captain is disposing of you." As he spoke his laughing stopped and he took on a deathly tone.

"Don't do this Smough." Ornstein said over his shoulder.

"You can either leave a coward or you can come back and fight me like you know you've wanted to do for years." The executioner said readying his hammer.

"If you do this you won't come out of it." Ornstein warned

"Let us see if you are right." Smough replied

Almost as if lightning had struck Ornstein dashed back and punched Smough back into the wall containing the statues of Gwyn and his daughter, cracking the wall.

"Last chance Smough." Ornstein said as he watched the Executioner peel himself off the wall.

"You'll burn with your witch in Izalith before I lose this fight." Smough replied

"Surely you jest Smough, it would take an army of iron to force such a thing." The captain laughed.

Before he finished his laugh the executioner had smacked him with the hammer, shattering a support pillar with the captain's body. At this Ornstein shot his lightning at the executioner, the shock giving him time to dash and smack the executioner with his spear, sending him flying through a pillar and into the wall, shattering the windows near where he impacted. The executioner stood up to retaliate but was again grabbed and his helmet was taken off, his head getting slammed through the remaining windows. As the bloody executioner sat on the ground where the captain dropped him he began to cry as the captain walked back to Giroldus.

"Why?" The executioner screamed "Why can't even beat an old captain! I try to drown my failures in blood and booze but I can't even do that! My love life was never meant to be along with my knighthood, and now I am nothing more than an executioner with no purpose! Just end me!"

"I refuse Smough." Ornstein said

"Why not?" The executioner screamed through his rueful tears

"Because I want you to find your purpose." the captain said over his shoulder

After the group left the large cathedral, they found their way back to the bonfire at the balcony of Anor Londo, it's keeper absent and as they sat in the room they all wondered a little bit about what their purpose was.