The silver clad warriors stood attentively as Lord Gwyn gave a rallying speech, as per usual. I was not too fond on those speeches, it, if anything, put me off. It made me lose my focus, so normally I sat out of them. Ornstein stood by our Lord however, standing proud and just as attentive as the silver knights, not taking notice of my stares.
He… he couldn't be seeing Ciaran, could he?
You saw it. I voice in my head answered. That so called 'brother' of yours is making you look like a fool.
Yes, I saw it. And I hated him for it. I wanted to hurt him, make him suffer, make him…
No Artorias! It's a trick, just like the voices! Stop falling for them, and open your eyes! A sane part of my mind called out. Perhaps they were tricks, only there to torment me and turn me away from my friends.
'Ah, there you are.' A sweet voice interrupted my thoughts. 'How are you now?' Ciaran asked as she sat next to me.
'Much better.' I replied.
'Good, we're going to need you ready for the…well, when we get there.' Ciaran said. I didn't turn to face her, and kept my gaze on the golden knight. 'Hm, Ornstein sure looks proud up there. Just typical of him.' Ciaran remarked, noticing my line of sight.
'Yes, he always has been conscious of his stance.' I add, finally turning away from him, and noticing Ciaran's inquisitive face.
'Are you sure you are alright?' Ciaran asked, placing a hand on my shoulder.
'I'm just very hot.' I answer, only half the truth in it.
'Yes, I hate this place.' Ciaran agreed while nodding her head. 'When we get out of here, I want me and you to go somewhere nice again.'
I turned my head towards her again, and saw that beautiful smile again cross her face.
'Hmm, somewhere cold would be a nice change.' I add.
'Alright then.' Ciaran said, and kissed me quickly on the cheek before leaving to join the other knights, leaving me alone again.
Before I could return to my previous thoughts, the cheers and roars of the silver knights drowned my own voice.
'Thee had better stay with us, this time.' Ornstein laughed as he walked up to me. I shook my head and took the hand he had offered. 'We are going to march on the witches home in a moment.'
'I guessed as much.' I replied.
Strange.
I could see no dishonesty in his eyes. It's either he is very good at hiding his thoughts, or the dream was nothing but a lie.
'Come along, the others are waiting.' Ornstein told me before beckoning me to follow him.
'Ah, here they are.' Gough said while standing up, Ciaran at the side of him. 'Try not to 'tumble' again! Haha!'
Shaking my head, I folded my arms impatiently. 'So, we are all together again?' I asked.
'Yes, well, you three are together. I shalt be watching from afar, with my archers.' He pointed his great bow at the rocky outcrop where he would station his archers. 'Besides, with the weak ground, I wouldst probably be more of a hindrance then a help.'
'Well, we should get going now.' Ornstein announced.
'We will see you later, Gough.' Ciaran said while nodding her head.
'Of course, look after each other now.' Gough asked us, and with a wave, we parted ways.
'Now, we should move quickly, lest we attract more demons.' Ornstein commanded. Looking across the great chasm, Lord Gwyn and his army where making haste, and had a good distance ahead of us.
'What do think is going to happen?' Ciaran asked, a slight hint of nervousness in her voice.
The lion paused before answering. 'I…I am not exactly sure.' Turning around, Ornstein and Ciaran looked at me for an answer.
'Let's just get this over with. I hate this gods-forsaken-'
A roar in the earth drowned out my voice, the ground shook, and far more violent then before. My instinct forced me to grip the handle of my blade.
'Oh my…' Ciaran gasped, her eyes wide with fear. Looking across the chasm, the ground gave way, with the army of silver knights following the falling earth into the chasm of lava beneath them.
Suddenly, the three of us where running towards the end of the path extremely quickly, hoping to help them.
Alas, by the time we arrived at our original meeting point, only Lord Gwyn and three knights where left.
'My Lord! Are thee safe?' Ornstein said as we where running up to him.
'Damn that Witch!' the lord spat, breath haggard and deep. 'I shalt see her head fly for this!'
Before another word could be said, the growl from behind alerted us to take arms… and come face to face with countless, deformed monsters. Some had three heads, others had wings, some even had weapons of sorts.
'T-T-There's too many!' One of the silver knights cried.
'Stand and fight, knave!' Lord Gwyn boomed, although he was backing away. 'Let us work this out…'
I was in no mood to 'work this out.' And I stared down each and every demon in front of me.
'Artorias, back away.' Ornstein shouted.
And give them the upper hand? Ha, I refused too let these demons see me as weak!
'Artorias?' I heard Ciaran speak up, voice shaking with fright. She wasn't used to fighting creatures of this size. They made her afraid.
And I hated them for it.
'You bloody demons…' I seethed, blade ready for blood shed.
'GO BACK TO HELL!'
I am not exactly sure what happened after I screamed that. As far as I was aware, blood and gore flew where ever I struck. Screams and roars of the beasts rang in my ears, but they where all immediately cut short by either my shouts of anger or by my blade hacking them into pieces.
My vision had turned a horrifying shade of crimson, nothing but pure rage filled my body, my limbs where out of control, swinging here and there, every time it stopped was signalled by a meaty squelch or a sharp crack of bone breaking.
The sudden outburst of rage seemed to last more no longer then a few seconds. Perhaps it did, I cannot say for sure, but after my rage subsided, only pools of blood and mounds of corpses surrounded me. This time, it was my own will that caused this carnage, and I regretted nothing about my actions.
Unfortunately, despite my efforts, many of those vile monsters were still standing, and fatigue had crept up on me after my adrenaline died down.
'For Lord Gwyn!' A voice boomed from behind. Looking over my shoulder, an entire army of knights had appeared on the shore. But these were not silver knights. Their armour was as black as night, and so where their weapons.
'ATTACK!' The one in front shouted, and with that, the black knights descended upon the demons foolish enough to remain standing. The lava bubbled before revealing more of their numbers come forth to join the fray.
The black knights swarmed the demons in their way, leaving bodies in their wake. Fire meant nothing to their armour, weapons bounced of their hardened shields, and their blades pierced flesh and bone. Soon, the entire area was covered with blood and gore, and no demons where left breathing.
'Victory!' Lord Gwyn spoke up, in awe at the loyalty of his knights. 'Let us march upon the Witches keep!' With that, the knights cheered and roared, and followed their lord down into the city of Izalith.
'Artorias?'
Whipping my head around to find the source, Ciaran froze when she saw my face. Neither of us spoke a word when we met each others eyes. In fact, the only movement was Ciaran reached out to give me something. Without a word, she slipped past me to join the others, leaving me to stare at the pure white cloth in my hands.
'Knights! The time hath come!' The Lord began with another speech. 'Through these doors, that Witch is conspiring against Anor Londo! I ask thee to remain vigilant, and remember what I have said before!'
'Praise the Sun!' The knights chanted, and with that, we stormed the keep where the Witch had taken as her home.
'The demons will most likely be thickest here.' Ornstein said while brandishing his spear. 'Best remain vigilant.'
Nodding an affirmative, we continued through the great corridors that led the great temple. Various demons stood in our way, but as we got closer, there was something about them that got more and more prominent as we went on.
'These demons look…young.' Ciaran noticed while pulling one of her tracers free from a body.
'You don't suppose…' I began
'…The witch is the mother of them all?' Ornstein finished for me. The three of us shared a look of disgusted shock. 'If that is the truth, we must stop the Witch quickly, before more hell spawn are created.'
With nods of agreement, we charged through the temple, slaying any demon that dares approach us.
'Keep pushing, knights!' Gwyn's voice could be heard above the shouts and roars of the battle. 'Do not back down now!' He boomed again as we where nearing the grand doors that led to the chamber of the witch. 'My knights, come!'
The three of us approached him as instructed, and with a beckon of his hand, we followed him into the chamber. My stomach felt light with excitement. Finally, we were about to finish this battle, and return to our home.
The chamber grew more and more oppressive as we delved further in. The darkness became thicker, as if it was stopping us to delve deeper in, but thankfully the Lord of Sunlight guided us. I always found it rather comforting how he seemed to literally glow, lighting the way.
'This is it.' The Lord said as he approached the giant, stone doors. The grinding of the stone were making my stomach do back flips.
It's nearly over. I thought, sword at the ready.
Finally, the tension was over, and the door was fully open, but what lied in the chamber shocked us all.
'A…tree?' Ciaran asked. Craning our necks, we could the truck reach the ceiling, in fact, it went through the ceiling.
'This must be the cause of the roots!' Ornstein exclaimed while snapping his fingers.
'If so, we must destroy this, for the good of us all!' Gwyn said proudly while readying a lightning bolt.
'And hurt me, my dear Lord Gwyn?' A voice crooned. Peering up, I attempted to find the source of that voice.
'Lies drip from thine forked tongue, Witch!' Gwyn retorted, pointing his sword at a face in the tree.
'And what of thine tongue, O 'Great Lord'? I pity those who die for thee.' The face mocked.
'Silence wench! Knights, tear this abomination apart!' Gwyn spat. The face only laughed in response.
'I shalt tear thee into pieces!' The Witch screeched, and swung a great, wooden arm at the four of us.
'DUCK!' Ornstein shouted as his stomach hit the floor. Following his lead, the rest of us avoided the giant limb, the air rushing above us.
'Feel my wrath, Traitor!' Lord Gwyn shouted as he threw a massive bolt of lightning directly at the witches face. Much to our intense dismay, the bolt fizzed and was otherwise ineffective.
'Thine power is fading quickly; soon you shalt be naught but cinder.' The witch mocked again.
'Silence!' The Great Lord retorted, hurling another bolt at her.
'Children! Thine feast is prepared!' The witch screeched as another lightning bolt hit her. The her flanks, humungous spiders came forth, each spewing flames out of their mouths. The witches children could be see on top of them… no, they were the spiders, only the top half of their naked bodies was preserved.
'Retreat! There are too many!' Gwyn commanded us. It was an agreeable order, I did not want to tempt fate again with giant demonic spiders. Sheathing our weapons, the four of us ran back the way we came.
'NO! GET BACK HERE!' The Witch screeched, swinging another wooden arm at us. I could feel the wind on the back on my neck as her hand swooped past.
'Knights, go forth, I shalt join you in a moment!' Gwyn shouted before stopping and turning around to face the monsters. Doing as he wished, we continued running down the corridor. The sudden change in lighting confirmed our exit out of the temple.
Turning on our heels, we all looked down the corridor, hoping to see our Lord emerge from the shadows.
A horrible silence hung heavily in the air for seemed an eternity.
The three of us gave each other pensive looks. What was our Lord up to?
Before any of us could ask, an ear piercing screech followed by a forceful wave knocked us of our feet. The stone architect around us crumbled and shattered, the great wooden roots cracked and splintered, and the whole city of Izalith came down around us.
When the last stone hit the earth, when the splintering of wood ceased, the world fell silent, only our shuddering breathing could be heard. Ornstein stepped forward slowly, hoping to spot something, until,
'My Lord!' he shouted as he ran towards Gwyn, who was limping towards us, clutching his chest.
'I am fine.' He assured us. 'Come my Knights, let us be rid of this place.'
A.N. Hooray! Izalith is done and dusted. I felt like I was drawing it out to much, so I've decided to end this mini-arc here. Next Chapter, Rage, Fear and one angry Bishop, stay tuned! BTW, see if any of you can spot the 'Berserk' reference.