AN: Forgive the delay. My laptop had all sorts of technical errors going on. I'm lucky to have managed to salvaged what I could, but I'm pretty sure this chapter suffered because of it.

13
Divergence in the Depths

The cleric watched as Thomas saw off the knights of Astora, and together, the two watched as they headed for the shortcut to Firelink Shrine. "Wilt they be all right, Prophet?"

Thomas frowned slightly. "I think I forgot to mention something... Ah well. It'll come to me eventually. For now we have a demon of our own to face."

Rhea gripped her Twinblade Staff tightly. "A demon! Here? What is such an abomination doing so far up from the bowels of the earth?"

Thomas sighed. "Rhea, remind me to lecture you about how demons are not mindless, evil monsters. Usually. This one's gone mad thogh, and I feel no shame in attempting to slay it. But wait a couple moments before you enter the fog. I want to make things a little easier." Thomas pulled out his shield, and then entered the boss fog for the Capra Demon.

The demon roared, which was a strange yell between a man's scream and a goat's bleat, and then charged forward. The dogs didn't waste time, and instead directly charged. Thomas thrust his blade, stabbing a dog. The claymore had been well reinforced, and so easily killed it in the single strike. He then whirled around, blocking the second dog's strike. He prepared to swing...

only to find his sword stuck in the first mongrel. "Oh, fuck." He rolled to the side, abandoning his sword while he drew his catalyst and narrowly dodged one of the Capra Demon's great machete swings. Backpedaling to the stairs , Thomas kept his shield up while charging his catalyst. He blocked a biting attack of the dog and, when it tried to bite again, he caught it's jaws with his catalyst. "Euthanized." He fired the catalyst, and the dog's head exploded from the point blank shot. gods, I feel like such a badass. A thought occured to the sorcerer. I just jinxed myself, didn't I?

WHUMP!

A great machete slammed on top of him, driving him to the ground. The pain. The excruiating pain. Thomas couldn't get up immediately, so he stayed down. The Capra Demon looked down at him, knowing he was finished, and raised it's blades for the kill when -plock-

A stone bounced off of it's skull helm. The Capra Demon gave a quizzical bleat, and then turned toward the source of the thrown projectile, and received an Emit Force miracle head on. Thomas got up, not really looking a gift horse in the mouth, even if it came in the form of Rhea Ex Machina, and dashed for the first dog, needing to get to his sword. Reaching the dog, he pushed the undead canine off the blade as the Capra demon ran forward. Rolling to the side, Thomas cut at it's leg, hamstringing the Capra Demon, which fell forward. Rhea stabbed her spearblade in the base of it's neck, finishing it off. As he watched, the Capra Demon dissolved into souls, dropping a key. "Where," Rhea began, "Was the demon keeping that?"

Thomas though about it for a brief second, and then shuddered. "Let's not open that train of discussion, Rhea." He took a quick swig of estus, and then embraced the cleric of Thorolund. "Also, I appreciate you stepping in like that. My goose would have been carved if you hadn't."

Rhea gave a slight blush, thankful to be of use. "twas nothing, milord. Thou would'st have done the same."

Of that, Thomas had no doubt. If she had been under the knife, or Oscar, Solaire, he wouldn't hesitate. He patted her shoulder thankfully. "Come on, we should keep moving. With this key, the Depths are now open to us. Let's get there before the Dark Sun comes down upon us like Majora's moon."

"What dost thou-?"

"Never mind," Thomas interrupted, waving Rhea along. "We have to go."

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"Gods, that woman creeped me out."

So spoke Oscar as he and Solaire passed through an iron gate. Upon closer inspection, Oscar recognized this gate. "Tis as he said..." Sure enough, this was the same gate Thomas and he passed by on their way to the burg. "That way leads to the Shrine. We should consider resting there before making the journey to the Asylum."

Solaire grunted, cheery as ever. "You know, I've been thinking about our friend, brother. Remember Father's court? There was a Seer there, as well." Oscar nodded, remembering. The foolish old bat of a woman claimed the Undead Curse would end in a mere few days. "I'm just saying... Thomas is different from that old soothsayer. His predictions are correct, for one."

At this, Oscar couldn't help himself, and he started laughing at the fact. "Aye. And he's much less cryptic about it, as well. He sees the future, my brother. Not garbled hints at what could be. He has seen our paths as clearly as I see that ugly rat ahead." The rat in question continued nibbling on the corpse at the end of the waterway as Oscar drew his bow. One arrow, and the rat was dead. The knight smiled as he silently thanked Thomas for reinforcing it. He always preferred the bow to his family sword and shield. To rain down death upon an enemy before they even reached him had a certain appeal. His brother, by contrast, adored swordplay, and took great pride in his skill at arms. Together, there was little they could not face.

"We always did make a good team, didn't we, Oscar?" The Sunlight Warrior clearly had been having the same thoughts as he. "Anyways," he continued. As he did, he shifted to point, to take on the hollows just outside the aquaduct. "My point was this; he does not strike me like any other prophet I have ever met." He bashed his shield into the face of the Hollow atop the stairs, and then stabbed his blade into it's gut.

Oscar casually fired his arrows into the firebomb chucking hollow before it could start it's flame-throwing. "And?"

A parry, and then Solaire slit the axe throwing hollow's throat before kicking it to the ground. "It's the way he talks about our futures. Have you ever heard someone have so much certainty about what will be?"

"Solaire... The future is not set in stone. Thomas said so himself." Oscar's voice held a creeping unease as he shot the armored hollow. The path to the Shrine was now clear.

"And yet, what if it is? Thomas' words hold so much certainty, it's like the future IS set in stone. He knew Petrus would betray Rhea. He knew, without even meeting her, the name of the Firekeeper, Anastacia, and that her tongue was cut out. He knew the secret mission of the Way of the White. He knows the beast we go to slay bears an entire slab of titanite! And somehow, he even knows that the cell he was in, which was empty when he left, wouldst now bearest a doll which can take us to a hidden realm! A prophet would not have so many details. How does Thomas know it without it being set in stone?"

"Solaire," Oscar turned to his brother, resting a hand on it's shoulder. "Are you worried you won't find your sun?"

The knight took a breath and, when he released, it was shaky. Nervous. Even scared. "Yes."

Oscar took off his helmet, and smiled at his brother. "Trust in Thomas. You will find your sun, even if you were destined not to. My quest was to ring the Bells. And we are well on our way to do so, even though I was destined to die in the Asylum." Solaire looked surprised at him. "Aye, I was supposed to die there. But Thomas has helped me to defy fate itself. If the future is set in stone, let me stand before you as proof that the stone can be broken."

"The stone can be broken," Solaire echoed. The more he thought on it, the calmer he felt. The stone can be broken. The knight repeated the phrase in his head, and the darkness in his mind was banished. "Come, my brother. We have a demon to slay, a doll to retrieve, and Knights to put to rest."

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"Th-Thank you," Laurentius stammered. He picked himself up from the barrel's remains, dusting himself off as he did so. "I would have-"

"Been her supper. Yeah. Let's not enter that realm of thought." Thomas smiled warmly at the pyromancer. He was Thomas' first favorite npc (after Solaire, of course). His pyromancies were absolutely bombass, no pun intended. And he had a heart of gold, as well. "Now, I know you want to go back to Firelink Shrine to rest up, but I have an alternative proposal."

The pyromancer of the Great Swamp looked at him curiously. "How did you know...?"

"I'm a prophet of Ormagöden, the Eternal Fire Beast. He revealed to me many things about this land, you included. I also know you seek the Witch of Izalith," at this Laurentius' mouth dropped open.

"I told nobody of my quest. Not even my teacher. How did you..."

"Again, Prophet. I will lead you to find the witch, as well as teach you how to see her. But we can't do that here. Or at the Shrine. I know a bonfire that we can rest at. You can teach me Pyromancy, and I will bring you to Quelana of Izalith."

Laurentius looked absolutely pleased with the prospect. "Very well, friend. Please, let's shake on it." He offered his hand. Thomas suspected what he was trying to do, and decided that it was worth it, and shook.

Laurentius's hand lit on fire, engulfing Thomas' own. The sorcerer expected painfully high heat to overwhelm him, but instead felt a warmth, not from the fire covering his hand, but in his heart. "There you are," Laurentius said kindly. "A Flame from the Great Swamp. Now you are a fully fledged pyromancer." Thomas beamed in response.

"Come, friend. Let's get you to the bonfire. Rhea's scouting, ahead."

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They found Rhea at the passageway to the bonfire. The one with like fifty slimes covering the ceiling. "Prophet," she exlaimed nervously. "I had to stop. These fiends wouldst devour me if I came'st too close. Forgivest me for my failings."

Thomas waved it aside. "Nonsense. These guys pose a challenge to many new people. Thankfully, you have me and Laurentius for this. Stand back." At this, Thomas pulled out his catalyst.

"Excuse me, milady," Laurentius stammered mildly as he prepared a ball of fire in his hand.

Gods,Thomas thought. Sorcery can never hold a candle to how awesome pyromancy looks. Charging his bolt, Thomas fired, knocking a slime to the ground, which Laurentius then fried. Repeating this process, the pair kept going, and eventually reached the door. Thomas tried to unlock it, but failed. "Wierd. Master Key worked on it for me in my games..." Then he had an idea. "Hey, Laurentius. Think you can burn this door down?"

"Not a problem at all," Laurentius responded, a ball of fire already filling his hand. Chucking the ball of flame at the wood, the door easily caught flame. "And now, we wait for the flame to do it's work. In the meantime, I could take this moment to teach you some of my spells."

Thomas smiled amicably. "I'd like that."

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"YAH!" Solaire shoved his blade into the chest of the Black Knight, killing it. Kicking it off, he watched as it dissolved into Souls. "That was quite the entertaining fight," Solaire breathed, and stood up straight. "Thomas said it would be this way, right?"

Oscar nodded, and entered the cell. "This was Thomas' cell. I remember that distinctly. It's strange that this body is here. There wasn't one before, apart from Thomas, and the one I dropped for him..." Solaire merely shrugged as Oscar searched the body. Sure enough, the body bore a strange doll. It was a wooden little thing, in a peculiarly styled dress. Any color had long since been lost to the ravages of time, and the entire thing held a dullish tone. Thomas had indicated that he knew what it was for, but he didn't go into detail at the time. He'd have to ask him, later. "Brother?"

"Yes, Oscar?" Solaire perked up, picking up a shield from the black knight.

"I think we should go to the bonfire before taking on the demon. Rest up a bit."

Solaire breathed a sigh of relief. "Praise the sun. That's a brilliant idea."

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Laurentius, with his boots being thicker than either Thomas' or Rhea's footwear, was the one to kick the burning door down. After they had rested at the bonfire, the same Pyromancer decided to address his saviors. "Well. I believe that you know all about me. But I don't really know you, friends. Care to enlighten me?"

Thomas smiled back at him. "Well, my name is Thomas, Prophet of Ormagöden. I'll admit that I don't know why he sent me to Lordran, but he gifted me with an incredible gift of Forsight concerning the futures of many people I would meet in my travels. Most of them are... less than pleasant, and so I have used my gifts to change them. And my friend here is Rhea, a cleric of Thorolund." Rhea meekly waved at Laurentius. "We are on a quest to ring the bells of Awakening. Quelana of Izalith happens to be on the way. But as things are, you won't be able to see her."

Laurentius jumped up. "Please, tell me what you mean. Why can't I see her?"

Thomas waved him down. "Quite simple, really. Your flame isn't stronk enough. But I have an idea." Thomas gave a brief pause, and then continued. "Do you need another pyromancer in order to strengthen your own flame?"

"Yes," Laurentius replied. "One cannot do so on their own."

"Perfect. Then we strengthen each other's flame in a sort of feedback loop."

At this, the exile of the swamp looked at Thomas. "That's... Actually not a bad idea. Get over here, let's try it." Thomas moved closer, and they clasped the hands that bore the pyromancy gloves, as though they were about to arm wrestle. The flames increased, soon engulfing their entire arms, but still they held.

Come on... Thomas thought. Come on... Grow stronger... Grow stronger...

And it was. It felt like the flame grew stronger, indeed. As it grew, it enveloped more than just their arms. It covered their bodies, and started to spread outward. "Shit, RHEA, GET BACK!" Thomas shouted last second, just before he and Laurentius exploded, flames engulfing the entire room.

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The Stray Demon plunged it's spear into the ground, and a ball of energy exploded outward, knocking the two knights of Astora back. Expertly rolling backwards with the blow, they came up kneeling, shields raised to catch any further attacks, before charging for a final attack. Solaire, on Oscar's right, went around to the left side of the demon as he ran around it's right. Rolling, the pair ducked underneath a slash, and came up to slice their blades into it's sides, finally slaying it. The beast fell to the ground, and perished, dissolving into souls as it did.

Moving forward, Solaire sheathed his weapons, and hefted the slab of titanite. "Do you have any ideas where that foul creature was keeping this? I didn't see any pockets on it."

Understanding flooded Oscar as he remembered when he asked this same question about a key once. "Brother, don't ask questions to that which you don't want the answer to," he responded simply. "Let us go."

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AN BLEEEEEGGGHHHHHH I don't like this chapter for whatever reason. I don't feel like it's as great as it can be, but IDK how to make it better. Next up, Solaire and Oscar return, and we go slay some pussy. After that, maybe I'll do Blighttown in the same chapter. I definitely have some interesting plans for that place.