A midnight blanket painted the sky as if it had been struck for daring to shed light on such a place. Clouds filled what remained save for how they fled from the glorious sight of a shattered moon, a place eternally coveting dark to bend shadows in frightening shapes yet allowing just enough light for any unfortunate soul to view the nightmarish creatures that called the darkness home.

An environment perfect for one such as I

Now, what to do…?

I stared at my gloved hands, dissatisfied with the unflinching steel, before removing the gauntlets to admire the clean skin beneath. How long had it been since I had seen such a fair sight? Rich sanguine fluid pulsing steadily through healthy veins of blue, a patchwork of lines across an expanse of pale skin common to one of noble blood.

How long had it been since I rid myself of the shackled nature of hollowing, had the clarity of mind to organise my thoughts?

As if answering the question, the skin of my palms seemed to crumble before my very eyes like a disturbed log in a cold fire pit finally being pushed past the brink of its stability. Every single piece of it flaked to the ground and revealed the scarred and rotting flesh beneath, then that too crumbled to arthritic bone appeared only to finally be replaced by ghastly nothingness floating in vague forms.

So sudden and potent was the illusion I nary realised it was just that.

An illusion I had created.

I shook my head and things returned to normalcy, unwilling to risk another look, I reequipped the gloves. I stared vacantly at the ground for some moments before raising my eyes to meet the vast expanse of land that was now my kingdom.

An enormous yet uninhabitable wasteland…

Such a cruel joke it must have been hand-crafted by the Gods themselves.

Humble beginnings be damned…

But it was no use ruling over an estate such as this without the power to protect it; as such I would need to become a warrior-king. A person cannot convince someone of a cause unless they have the power to pursue their ideal and give credence to their conviction, and so I would need to absorb an absurd amount of souls to achieve such a state that allowed me enough power to defeat any opponent.

Unfortunately, there was no prey in sight.

I searched from my vantage and even spied looks through the binocular, but I saw nothing save stone and disappointment. It was clear that I would have to look elsewhere for my hunting grounds.

That Witch had stated that the fabric of reality had torn to allow the demons of my world to pass over. So, one could infer that the place where the tear occurred would contain the greatest concentration of demons, that all the wayward creatures were birthed from the same broken barrier. Though a problem presented itself in that I knew not which direction I should go to reach that forest where it all began, it had been perhaps a few months since then (no more than half a year though I could not be sure) but it felt like centuries had passed so to try and remember any of the directions was futile. I had been transported here upon death after all and the only other time I had managed to reach that area was as a dull beast acting upon instincts lost to me in my state burdened by intellect.

I looked down at my pouch and reached in to retrieve the stone within, its chipped surface engraved with the body of a broad-winged dragon standing atop some precipice in all its forgotten majesty. The stone could reportedly allow one to achieve immortality but the human mind was never meant to dwell within such a primordial body (the insanity that followed the transformation was proof enough of that).

I stashed it away quickly before it could tempt me further and thought for a moment before deciding it no longer worth the effort to think about which direction to go.

A flood of nostalgia warmed my spirit, memories of traversing lands with naught but my instincts and curiosity to guide me. Simpler times for sure, unburdened by some grand destiny, travelling freely and yet they were so devoid of direction that I shudder to call them better times.

A grim-set smile spread weakly across my features, struggling with the sickening sweetness of the past, I marched ahead on purple plains of stone with no idea where I would end up.

Only the comfort that (no matter where I arrived) it would not be wasted followed me.

/

Days passed spent jogging along to the rhythm of my rising and falling chest with little else for company (save, perhaps, the occasional chirping of songbirds). The terrain never seemed to shift except in drastic ways, such as the border that I stood at now. It was as if by divine intervention that the world split in two neat sectors, cleanly cut as the mason's stonework.

On one side was a sea of crimson leaves with the scent of sweet sap thick in the air yet never cloying, the other was familiar to me with its aroma of loamy soil and…smoke?

No, not just smoke…this is something far more potent than that…

Eager to confirm my suspicions I sped up my pace to cross the few steps I had left to be clear of the vermilion detritus that littered the floor yet refused to mingle with its verdant counterpart. As soon as I took that final step over the unseen line separating the two I felt a great influx of souls steadily pouring into the only vessel that could accept them.

1,000, 5,000, 10,000…What in the world?

The stream never stopped even though I could not even hear the sounds of battle, save, for the distant collapse of trees and fleeing avian creatures that seemed far too unlike birds.

And then it roared.

Like a beacon, a pillar of flame erupted in the distant and it was then that I knew that I had found my quarry.

I hurried cautiously towards the sputtering flames and when that failed me I was not short of smoke to trace. A path of shattered and charred wood soon made itself apparent as the bestial roars that echoed throughout the area, I could feel every howl and cry vibrate deep in my bones (their bloodlust giving rise to my own).

It was almost comical how they immediately centred upon my person as I broke the clearing and came to an area of uprooted trees and burning shrubbery. A group of wolf-Grimm had locked themselves in mortal combat with a screeching flock of displaced Drakes, both were unwilling to share their territory (the selfish mongrels that they were), with a few mangled corpses littering the ground. A silent agreement was reached between the two groups once my presence was known, namely that I would now be on the receiving end of their talons and teeth.

The first lycanthrope made his way to my position with startling speed and clamped firmly down on my shoulder.

Pitiful.

The density of the Humanity easily stopped its attack from ever going deeper than skin and the poise of my armour was more than enough to stop more than a slight stagger. I reached around and pressed the Dark Hand to its throat before sucking out all that was within it.

The creature struggled weakly before seeming to dry and shrivel like a prune before my eyes. The corpse that it left behind (and I tossed aside) was not unlike what you would imagine a hollow Grimm to look like. The rest were unfazed by my display and simply charged forward with their feeble minds working feverishly simply to maintain their balance, the simple creatures they were, they hardly realised that the Drakes would rain down their lightning regardless of who resided on the path to their target.

Blinding light and screeching consumed the area; the flowing currents of lightning that coursed through me were trivial compared to the instant destruction of the Grimm.

All that remained was their disgruntled cooing and the smell of storm.

I readied a volley of Chaos Flame to end them but they foolishly trusted their instincts and charged ahead anyway. Unlike most dragon-kind they were resistant to holy lightning but for that wonderful boon they traded a supreme weakness to fire which I was all too willing to exploit.

The dense mass of magma swelled and released its flames in a consuming wave that left naught but an influx of souls in its wake.

5,000…more than I was expecting but not enough…

As if anticipating my thoughts, a sound like rending steel echoed across the valley. Another flock of Blue Drakes flew high on unfelt winds (though more likely still air) to my position with outstretched claws and gaping jaws. All of them seemed eager to tear away at my flesh or cook me from within with their lightning however they were mere drakes and hardly worth their weight in souls.

But (as I had failed to realise previously), their scales on the other hand were far more valuable.

What a shame I could not pluck them from their living body.

"Come then!" I couldn't help the grin that spread from beneath my helm; it had been far too long since I had been caught in a battle I with no stakes, a battle that could only end in my victory.

Their talons caught nothing but air as I rolled out of their reach before countering with a thrust from a Demon's Spear. The thunder inherent to the spear coursed through its body before it collapsed ungracefully in a rolling pile of flailing wings. The others kept their distance and attacked in turns while their comrade recovered, executing swift strikes before attempting a coordinated strike (though calling their attack 'coordinated' is far from accurate). I tore from the Otherworld two massive slabs of steel (masquerading as some foolish parody of blades) and anticipated their attacks by crossing my swords.

Too soon and I'll miss them entirely.

Too late and, well…

Time seemed to slow to a crawl, their hungry eyes reflecting a primal fire within them. Their faces now displaying clearly how much they longed for death, not their own of course, no, they wished for blood if only to sate a desire long known as insatiable and yet not entirely for that reason. They feared something beyond them, an ungodly thing; they feared what it meant to deny their instinct, to not kill that which lied defenceless before them. What would it mean for the most ancient of beings to go against their nature? Could they even be coaxed into doing so?

Somehow I doubted it…

Even the best among you returned to its fiendish origin when left to his devices, so what hope have you for retribution…?

They lacked that spark, that ember that could burn all the brighter with the knowledge it consumed, they were merely brutish beasts. But it did not matter anymore than my many deaths did.

Their lives inconsequential as my sudden burst of speed that tore across the air in an attack that dyed the packed earth in viscera and frightening humours (laying bare their revolting nature for all to see). The swords disappeared to quicken my dive from the remaining trio whose coordination (or lack thereof) allowed a brief window for me to slip between their teeth, the entire affair bringing with it a wrenching nostalgia.

Memories of achievement, of easily dispatching creatures that had once dominated me so completely.

And all too soon they disappeared…

A scowl replaced my grin and I turned to lop off the heads of the remaining two with the Golem Axe. The cry of the deadly wind replaced their own death throes as the thump of their skulls striking the earth never sounded, almost instantly they had disappeared in a cloud of souls.

Too weak…far too weak…

At this rate it would take a day to gain even a single level.

And I simply did not have the time.

The resounding silence of the forest seemed to agree.

I looked towards their place of rest only to find that one had survived. The one I had struck first had a grievous wound split its chest open, with its azure body stained with blood and halfway disembowelled a single idea came to my mind.

I stalked towards the downed animal and grasped its neck before forcing it to the ground. It cried out weakly from the mistreatment but I needed something greater from it.

"Go on then, scream" It whimpered and sluggishly shut its eyes; it was being embraced by the eternal slumber as its lifeblood created a small pool beneath it.

"Oh no you don't. I need you alive" I placed my hand over the wound and let out a blast of flame to sear it closed. It jolted awake and let out a deafening scream followed by a torrent of lightning blasted from its maw.

"Scream damn you!"

"GNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" I looked to the skies for the source of the distant call as the world dipped into darkness. An enormous set of wings spread across the sky and I could not help the fear that seized my heart. It was something primal and all the stronger for it, a desire built from centuries of slaughter at their hands. It screamed from within for shelter, anywhere it could bury itself and never be seen again, anywhere that would allow it to be safe from the gaping jaws of death that waited to devour those careless enough to be caught in their presence.

Twas' the beacon that had lead me here now come to claim its prey.

I left the drake to its fate and readied myself for the wave of flame building itself in the beastly furnace of its gullet. Without warning the fire billowed out as a torrential downpour of oppressive heat, I barely managed to surround myself with a shelter of shields to mitigate the damage (nothing could stop it entirely). Small jets of heat managed to squeeze through innumerable places left uncovered, it struck my armour and blackened the steel but left me skin untouched but for a few chance burns piercing through with a sharpness greater than any arrow.

The drake was not as lucky as the sparks licked at its hide and stripped it of scales like the lioncats strips cattle of fur with rough tongues, though this was far faster and soon nothing was left but ash shifting form to souls and shooting towards the nearest vessel capable of harbouring them.

I breathed I sigh of relief once it had ended but only the taste of dust, ash and charcoal filled my lungs which I quickly hacked up as thick black mucus.

The casual descent of the Hellkite had created a wave of debris that clouded the area with dust.

Removing myself from my shelter, I forced out a roar of defiance and charged straight for the pale outline of its head. It arched its neck and reared back for another attack whilst I made sure it was trained upon my position with my own guttural shouts.

Time it correctly, you have nothing to fear…

Once I saw the light flare in its throat I thrust myself to the side and remained safe from its greedy flames.

I ran fast as my legs would carry me and moved to its tail to grasp part of it and ready the downward blow of my axe, however in my impatience to act I had forgotten to think that the tail itself was yet another weapon of the dragon. It swung the limb with surprising agility and flung my hapless body to the side before descending upon me with sharpened teeth I had seen so often impaling my form. It clutched me in its maw and sunk its teeth to the gums with that characteristic hunger flaring in its eyes and dictating its every movement.

Despite the pain I reached for its vulnerable points but its eyes were out of reach, instead I looked for anything open and soft such as a slitted nostril. I shoved around blindly with my fingers until I reached its snout before roughly forcing my fist into its nose. It flailed its head and struck my body against the ground, luckily my armour held and my vitality was still strong however if this was a battle of endurance then I was sadly outmatched. With my other hand I fingered the loop of my belt in between the deliberate spasms until I could just reach the contents of my satchel; my plan involving some not-quite-deadly moss that I always held on my person (it's surface littered with tiny irritating fibres which would hopefully work well for its intended purpose).

With my other hand I stuffed the remaining nostril with as much of the moss as I could; it instantly took effect and thrashed wildly. I was almost blown to smithereens as it shuddered quickly and reflexively let out a blast of deathly hot flame in its own twisted version of a sneeze. I clambered out of its mouth less than a second before it let out its gout of flame. Instead of falling I hung tightly by my right fist still lodged in its slit, utilising my momentum to hook my leg over its side and climb atop its back just before my hand was released with a sickening squelch and I could finally begin my assault.

Stupidly, absolutely foolishly, I thought it would be unable to defend itself whilst I sticking it with reckless abandon.

If there was one lesson I had learned throughout my time in Lordran it was to never underestimate an enemy, I was living proof of that.

And yet, I could not foresee that the drake would take to the skies with great flaps of its wings, skim the canopies of the tallest trees and go even beyond that to reach the garment-soiling heights above even that of the cliff I recalled as the pathway that began this entire journey. All while I screamed to the heavens in surprise and (admittedly) fear.

It spun and shifted its back to rid itself of the parasite that clung to it but to no avail as I had dug twin daggers deep into its hide and prayed to a god I hoped had not abandoned me that I would not fall.

In between the rattling and jostling I had brief glances as to which direction my flight was headed, the alien architecture and single castle standing proudly over the rest.

All of it a place I had escaped from.

And all of it up in flames.

Smoke blanketed the area in a grey haze and I swore upon all that I held dear that if I the damned beast had quietened its cries I would have heard distant screams.

Just as I had rid the taste of ash from my mouth I could taste it again in the air, knowing every beat of its wings brought us closer to the chaos if only by the increasing strength of war's scent.

/

The ride would almost be pleasant, a lovely evening sunset dying the sky a most vibrant shade of pink. But I could not settle and enjoy nature's beauty for my work never seemed to stop.

My stillness seemed to have lead this simple creature to believe that I no longer rode it and so he flew steadily towards the sounds of combat it was no doubt better adapted to hearing.

I peeked out over its gliding wings and saw how quickly I we had travelled in such a short time, if I were to risk using my binoculars then I would have been able to see the blood that pooled beneath the numerous corpses still being fed on by all manner of demons and Grimm (their faces dyed in shadow by the dancing flames around them).

Do I save them? How will I benefit from this? Of course I it would drum up support for my kingdom and perhaps convince them to settle in its borders…

In between my indecision, the Drake decided for me when it too was cast in shadow by wings equal in size to its own, though once I glanced up it was clear that its wings eclipsed the beast I rode now.

Fear and anticipation gripped my heart before I calmed considerably once I saw the crimson gleam of the Giant Raven's six eyes and bleached mask.

Of course the beast was nothing to scoff at but at least it was not about to whisk me away on some grand adventure, right into the heart of my enemies' base of operations.

"Caw!" And then it picked me up and whisked me away.

/

Downtown Vale…

Like a stone I was held tightly between talons longer than I was tall, perhaps it would not have been so frightening were it not for the complete nonchalance of the trade. It was as if I was merely payment to a dangerous highwayman or a fare at a toll. That and the realisation that were the avian demon to land it would either have to let me drop or land atop me.

Neither of which was a pleasing proposition.

We flew closer and closer towards the flat rooftops in an abandoned part of the city (devoid of both man and beast) before opportunity presented itself in the form of its relaxed grip. Seizing the chance, I removed my armour and wriggling out of its talons before dropping like a pebble onto the waiting stone of the rooftop.

I bent my legs and crouched into a roll that did little to save the damage to my vitality (which rested at a worrying half of its capacity), but my decision to remain seated on the floor was for the better as great gusts of air would have toppled me over should I have been standing. The Raven rested its enormous body beside mine and nestled as if it were finally able to roost. I made to move away however it instead brought its massive wing aside in a motion that pushed me into the coarse feathers of its breast.

My naked skin against its feathers revealed that they exuded no heat, even when I dared to search deeper there was simply nothing to absorb and make my own. I looked up into its eyes, seeing the complacency that settled in its form as it set its mind in a trance and looked absently around to watch for anything that would penetrate its uncertain peace. I watched with it, seeing the burning fires lighting the city where the setting sun could not. The scent of iron and collapsed rubble thick in the air alongside something else I could only describe as sharp and clear.

Why would it bring me here? What does it want? Why in the world did it take me…perhaps I am a waiting meal…or a tidy trinket…

I reequipped my Thief's armour with a thought, pushed past its wing and out from behind it. Unfortunately this upset the beast.

"Caw!" with surprising swiftness it struck my head with its beak and picked me up by the cloth of my hood.

"Stop!" and to my surprise it did. I hovered there for minutes perhaps as neither of us looked away from one another. Why it would choose to obey the orders of something as weak and pitiful as a human I did knew not but, I thought, perhaps it would work again.

"Down" instantly it relaxed and placed me on the floor before its face shook in discomfort and it cawed. Silently at first but soon it grew into something I could almost understand.

"S-Ske-, Scent"

"Scent?"

"Shshe-nt"

"You were sent here?"

"K-K-Kreen"

"Keen? No, Queen? Did she send you?" but the creature only stared dumbly and tried to repeat words alien to it, words it obviously did not understand the meaning of.

"Stop, I understand…that witch…just what, no, how is she doing this" But the stupid bird had no answers for me.

I captured her, did she escape? Did my own creation betray me? Damn you!

Rage bubbled from within and I glared beneath my hood at her creation. This thing was yet another extension of her, no matter how mindless it was I could not discount the idea that it was monitoring me. Acting as her eyes even if she was leagues away.

"Perhaps you could help me…" I moved towards its lowered beak and reached out to stroke the feathers just beneath its eyes. Between strokes I equipped the Dark Hand.

"After all…" Seizing a portion of its mask, I began draining with all my might.

"I need to heal" Euphoria flooded my body and I settled into my old habits. When it began to struggle I brought forth my other hand to pierce its eyes at random with a worn dagger.

"Keen! Keen! Sckee-"

"Don't Struggle! I'll make this quick! Your aid has not been forgotten!" Despite my anger at the Witch and despite my previous thoughts I felt that this mindless being held none of the blame; it was an act of mercy to kill it when the alternative was enslavement to her.

In between its cries it toppled over from the sudden drain on its energy and writhed weakly on its back.

The Beowulf had been drained in seconds but this was slow and gradual, while the former was like crushing a grape this was more akin to slowly applying weight to the skull of a prisoner and waiting for the moment it would 'pop'.

"That'll teach you! I don't need your help! You think I can't do this on my own!?" The rush of pleasure clouded my mind to a state somewhere betwixt old bloodlust and new rage.

I did not stop even when my wounds had all healed and the creature lied dead and drained.

I struck its head a few more times for good measure and found that I was disappointed that there was no blood, only whispers of abyssal smoke.

I turned away from my handiwork (considerably calmer) and slid down a convenient pile of rubble to the cracked paving of the streets below, walking down towards the far-off sounds of cannons and death.

/

By the time I arrived upon my first daemon it was too late to save most of the townsfolk caught amongst the carnage. None of it was old, there was no rotting or even flies buzzing around the dead (except for a few who were little more than red paste mixed with bits of pink and white), though there were fewer than I expected (less than a dozen dead in total and all spread out over the area).

"Please someone! Help us!" A great Taurus demon loomed over them preparing for another strike to clear the rubble the living hid under. I switched into my knightly attire and crept quietly behind the beast, admiring the several shallow cuts laced the body of the bull demon and a simple lightening spear poked through its chest once I thrust it through. It roared (annoyingly enough) before disappearing in a cloud of light that helpfully illuminated the anticipant faces of the survivors (five, if I saw correctly). Unfortunately the roar attracted a trio of other demons whose first act was to step atop the rubble which housed the survivors and crush all those who hid within. Their screams stopped after the third made its way over them to join its fellows in their mad dash towards my position, judging from the pitch, one of them must have been a child (though it had been so long since I had met one that I couldn't be sure). The first fell easily enough, a few choice jabs with the lightening spear made sure of it. The others unintentionally forced me into a melee by surrounding me however much like me they did not expect to be suddenly caught by a constant stream of unrelenting tiny arrows. They lacked the strength to pierce their hide but worked well enough to distract them whilst I made short work of one, turned to roll behind the second and away from the crushing blow it delivered to the pavement. Out of the corner of my eye I spied the assailant fiddling with their handheld cannon of a weapon that shimmered gold across the rim but was jet black everywhere else. Despite the ease of the task, my thrust did not hold the full weight behind it and glanced across its shoulder, the coursing energy enraged the beast (which I had not thought possible, given its general disposition).

"Have at thee!" I roared in an attempt to boost my own morale enough that it would overcome the boredom of facing such a dull and brutish creature, and while it allowed for me to score another strike against its chest I decided that perhaps it would be better to lead it on a chase (peppered by projectiles all the while). From that point a dangerous plan brewed in my head, one that would require more than a few dead demons. The mystery aid would act as a witness to my selflessness which would restore some of my lost credibility.

Perfect…

/

Soon enough my light jog turned into a mad dash as several bolts of lightning struck the ground near my feet and thundering footsteps shook the world around me. The young maiden who fired upon us had stopped now and simply followed with an expression I could not parse from my position, more interesting was the fact that her cannon was now only a solid brick of black iron (the complexity of design needed to allow such an absurd transformation I could not even begin to fathom). A half-dozen Asylum, Taurus demons and armoured Gargoyles all clambered over (and sometimes through) buildings to reach me first which caused them to hinder each other's movements and allow me the small headway I made in my run.

With the first step of my plan in motion I turned suddenly and forced my hands to the ground to cast Chaos Storm. Pillars of molten stone flooded the immediate area to leave a river of magma quickly hardening.

Those that survived the initial blast now found themselves trapped by the hardened lava but lacked the creativity to escape in any way except slamming away at their own feet.

While it was not part of my plan it worked well enough as the Asylum Demons crushed their smaller kin beneath them however the resulting noise of a group of building sized demons beating the ground with blunt instruments brought visitors of the nightmarish variety.

'Twas then that she finally saw fit to join the battle and swaggered confidently towards me whilst dipping her head to look over her blackened spectacles. She reeked of self-assuredness

I turned away to face the Grimm before I further indulged her bloated self-worth.

At this point the Grimm were weaklings, only when I was unarmed did they pose any tangible threat but now they did little more than tickle my sense of danger. They stalked around the rubble and dug away at a specific pile with vigour, my lax approach only alerted them once I struck the ground with a newly equipped Cursed Greatsword. They growled a low song of threat before charging in a way that seemed more irritated than aggressive, yet she saw fit to steal my prey with a steady stream of lightning bolts. I was well out of her range but chose to move towards it and deliver the final blow by cleaving their skulls in two with a downward strike. The hefty weight of the Greatsword was more than enough to crush any resistance instantly and soon enough I was caught in a mist of rising humanity.

I toyed with the wisps in a rare moment of whimsy, using the Dark Hand to twist and shape the smoke into meaningless patterns, all the while forgetting the existence of the maiden who stood a few paces.

It is like playing with a babe…so small and weak that it remains incorruptible…

"Nice moves there. I don't think I've seen you around Beacon before, you must be from outside Vale right?"

How…charming…

"I suppose you might say that…" Still entranced, I responded absently.

"Don't think I've seen a semblance like that before. Can you bring in anything or is it just weapons?"

"I can change my clothing too, if I so wish…"

Why can I not absorb you? Are you too thin or simply lacking in solidity? I have no issues when absorbing it from you while you live and I still possess room for more Humanity…

"That sounds amazing, I'd trade mine for yours in heartbeat. Finding the perfect outfit would be so much easier"

"Yes, quite…"

"Are you, are you ignoring me?" My trance dissipated upon her final question and frustratingly the smoke escaped too quickly for me to grasp it again. I turned to face her and answer her questions properly when the gravity of the situation dawned upon me.

She probed me for information, now that is yet another person who knows of your abilities…'twould be best to reveal no more…would not wish to announce my presence before I arrive…

"Oh? My sincerest apologies, I was…lost in thought. Please go on"

"Well we're finished here, from what I can see that's the last of them and I'm low on ammo so I'll be heading back to base"

"Would you allow me to accompany you?" That cocky smile resurfaces but it was more controlled than something an inexperienced warrior would give, it came from a place of understanding and self-indulgence rather than illusions of grandeur.

"Just stay close to me, and don't make too much noise" I scoffed at her words (though it was obvious that they were meant to tease).

"Spare me your teasing, I have been sneaking around towns before you could walk" I searched my psyche for the Theif's armour and wrapped the shawl neatly around my mouth to mask even my breathing. If only to further prove her wrong (however childish it may seem) I equipped the Slumbering Dragoncrest Ring. She seemed to hold my gaze for a moment while I replaced my helmet but quickly attempted to continue the conversation and not draw attention to her curious glances.

"What? No way, how old are you?"

"We are not too far apart in age. It is simply that where I hail from, one learns that skill young or not at all…" Memories of spilt ale and drunken shouting flashed so vividly that I stopped in my tracks momentarily, not that my guide noticed of course (my footsteps long since stopped being a reminder of my movement).

Give them back…my memories…please…

No…I do not need them anymore…they will only distract me when my focus is needed elsewhere…

But I cannot simply forget the past…do I even want to know more?

Of course…but what good would knowing do me?

"Wait! Please, don't leave us here!" Simultaneously, we spun around and moved towards the rubble they had been clawing away at. In between the cracks I could just about spy the frightened faces of four children and one elderly woman still attempting to shield them with one arm whilst crying for help. I rushed to their side and knelt to one side while wondering how best to remove them from their precarious refuge, frustrated with the lack of options I tore off the shawl for greater sight.

"Is there an exit? Any way for you to leave?"

"Are any of you hurt?" Finally caught up to me, she began coddling the survivors despite the danger of it all.

"No, we're all fine thanks to you but I'm afraid those awful Grimm have locked us in here. Not that I should be complaining, it's what bought us time enough for you both to arrive" She spoke wearily yet with wide eyes, the adrenaline remaining in her system still flowing steadily while her manners demanded her speak slowly and clearly leaving her more breathless than should she have spoken quickly. Finally I found a small stone I could remove that would make it safe to remove the others.

It was slow but steady progress, careful consideration given to each movement and the strength behind it until a sufficient opening was created.

"Thank you" Six in all and none in rough shape beyond scrapes and bruises, which meant they were all thankfully able to walk. So innocent and youthful, it was a state of being I had forgotten until moments ago. They were not unlike the wisps I played with earlier, both held that agreeable personality unwilling to do anything that it did not want-

You can admire them later, for now you must bring them back safely…

"We should hurry; I do not fancy my chances protecting all of you at once. Remain close and remain quiet. But you-" I turned to face my cohort "carry the woman"

"You're gonna make me do it? Whatever happened to chivalry?"

"You are strong enough to carry her and I need to be able to respond to any attack at any time. I am better equipped to fight these monsters than you are despite what you may think. Besides, you are a hunter are you not? Could a defender of the people not bring herself carry an elderly maiden to safety? Perhaps it was foolish of me to believe that you held even a fraction of the strength of a true hunter, and even less of their bravery…"

"I get it, I get it. You don't have to ramble" She knelt down and lifted the woman onto her back with a word and began moving ahead (all the while having her quarry acting bashfully at being carried by someone a quarter of her age).

"Come now children, we must be swift if we wish to reach shelter before midnight"

"Are you real hunters?" one of the young girls piped up and challenged my authority directly with no fear at all. I paused momentarily to recall exactly what a child is and how to respond to one.

"She is, but I am not" I continued walking even as I heard three distinct voices.

"What?" One from my acquaintance, another from the older woman and the final from the child.

"I am no hunter, not in the way you think of it. I used to be a knight and so I have come to this city to aid its people in their time of need" My own silent footsteps were now followed by the patter of several smaller ones.

"If you're a knight then why aren't you wearing a helmet? Or armour" I pondered on it for a moment and thought to indulge her childish fancies. My clothing seamlessly changed from blackened leather to the armour of an Elite Knight of Astora.

"Will this do?" The adults among them reared back at the sudden change while the children were conversely drawn in.

"How did you do that!?" Their volume was problematic so I had to remedy it. My first ideas were threats of violence or the horrors that would descend upon them should I be unable to protect them from their own carelessness. But those were the tactics of those who knew not that children were but half-people, containing their emotion but lacking their logic beyond the immediate.

"How about a bargain then? If you all can remain quiet until we arrive to safety then I will tell you all how I achieved this and I shall gift you magic of your own. So…what say you?" Mumbled assent followed my question.

"You're not lying are you?" She puffed out her cheeks and placed me under her adorable scrutiny.

"Well if I am being perfectly honest then I must say that I do not know if I am lying or not. I am not sure if my gift acts the way it does because of magic or because that is simply the way it forms regardless of any magical influences" She turned contemplative for a while and I was rewarded with silence for my sufficiently complex answer (just difficult enough that a child could not understand but tried to anyway). It did not last long though for soon she found something new to ask about.

"I've never seen a hunter before"

"I am no mere hunter"

"But don't you fight monsters?"

"Hunters hunt while I conquer. A hunter stops fighting Grimm once their job has finished but I do not, I do set my goal as something any man could achieve in a day. I fight until there is nothing left to fight"

"And then what do you do?"

"Pardon?"

"When there is nothing left to fight then what do you do?"

"…I…"

….There is always something left to fight, something to disturb my peace…nothing so good can last without the eternal vigilance of an unflinching Guardian…

"Then I'll find something else to do…"

"But…what will you do after that?"

"For one so young you think too far into the future"

And for you the future has no end…I will never be able to rest….

"I shall tell you once I know. But for now you must be patient, and, if I my memory serves me right, quiet"

Silence…

"So where are you from?" I let out a sigh of exasperation. It was clear I could not simply silence her with answers so I was effectively trapped in a prison of my own making, one that I could only leave once we arrived at our destination.

"I am from the Grimmlands, well that is where I came to here from. I am its king actually" Both of the adults looked to me with a face somewhere between confusion and disbelief before settling on amusement (perhaps believing that it was no more than a false moniker to entertain the most sociable of the children).

"Wow! A king?!"

"Yes, now please try to keep your bargain I shall be forced to revoke my end of the deal"

"No! I mean, no. I'll be quiet but just one more question" I looked to her for any deception and found far too much. "Please…" But, I was desperate and I thought we were close to our destination.

"Go on. But only one more"

"If you're the king of the Grimmlands then do you have a Queen?"

White thighs...

"No! I mean…no, no. I rule alone, I do not need a Queen"

"But that's boring, don't you get lonely all by yourself?"

"I manage just fine, in fact it gives me something I never seem to find in the company of others"

"What's that?"

"Silence…" The finality in my tone was well executed. It was so perfect that even if one spoke not the same tongue as I they would have understood completely the meaning.

But not her.

The sheer inanity of her questions and their quantity alone were enough to drive any man insane. Age, name, favourite food, favourite colour, least favourite food and so on and so forth. If I had not been so absorbed in trying to shield my mind from her hollowing attacks I would have been surprised at how easily I could answer each question, as if the barrier of memory never locked these memories away from me and that if I had only cared more about the mundane I would not have thought it lost.

Such is life, I suppose, to forget the importance of the familiar until you are stripped bare of all else.

The irritation switched to comfort and I found myself almost enjoying our little walk.

/

The remainder of our stroll was uneventful, occasionally a distant cry or roar of cannon would cause her to flinch and grip her weapon more tightly but (discounting those few moments) nothing else of note occurred. She fiddled once with a luminous device which I withheld from asking the purpose of.

The entrance to Beacon had been transformed from a beautiful stretch of grass and neat pathways to an area flooded with makeshift tents and campfires. Many sat huddled in groups around the quiet flames of the area, some had the vacant look of one who had never seen death experiencing it in droves and others merely looked uncomfortable. Several men in pristine white and blue uniforms patrolled the area and aided those in need while watching the skies with nervous vigilance, perhaps shaken by something earlier in the day. Plenty wore rags and few were clean, it looked more the aftermath of a tragedy than the beginnings of an invasion.

"Hey you over there! We've got some more civilians here!" A duo of kindly young women in green uniforms came over to tend to the small abrasions that remained on the children and ask questions of the older woman but they would not let me forget the deal I had made, they pulled away from the nurses and looked expectantly at me.

"Ah yes…what was I going to give you again?"

"Magic stuff!"

"Was I not also going to tell you how I managed to change my clothing so quickly?"

"Yeah! That too!" They all answered in their own way but she managed to eclipse them in sheer excitement.

"Then close your eyes and hold out your palms" Mostly obedient (but for a few who dared spy through half-shut eyes), I gave them something expendable yet charming in its own way. To each I granted a Prism Stone without thought to colour and its connection to them.

"Now open them" The Stones held no powers beyond that of casting light but it was enough to satisfy them. They 'awed' and 'ooed' and compared colours (a few looked tentatively towards me while exchanging stones to receive the colour they desired).

"So how did you do it?" She had managed to sneak behind me while I was absorbed in their reactions.

"That I shall keep a secret. I would have told you but for how talkative you were all along our walk. Yes I believe that I will keep that to myself for now"

"Aww, bu-"

"But. For all our chatting I don't believe I've asked your name yet"

"You first"

"Oscar"

"Sarcoline" It was then that I took a moment of time to truly analyse her features. A child of no more than eight summers (judging by how she did not pass my waist), hair the hue of blushing clouds dyed lightly by the rising sun flowing wildly down her back and sharp features similar to my own. Bright hazel eyes that hid an immense cunning behind their bright exterior, her body clothed by dull woollen trousers and a sweater that both were littered with sown on patches of mismatched cloth that betrayed a worn nature beyond that of the immediate catastrophe.

"Good luck to you, may fortune favour you. If you should meet me again then do not hesitate to call upon me" A nurse came beside her and lead her away by the hand.

"See you later Mister King!" She waved energetically with her free hand and I returned the gesture slowly, she continued her rapid waving until she disappeared around the corner of a tent.

"You have earned my favour…" I whispered the quite promise beneath my breath but vowed to keep it regardless.

I was no longer a man of chivalry or knighthood. My honour was for myself and the promises I made.

It made for a refreshing change.

But there was yet another thing I must do should I wish to clear my conscience completely. I spied the older woman finishing her account of events that unfolded before sitting down near one of the fires like a waiting mother hen.

I reached her quickly and knelt to proffer a palm-sized item.

"Take this; I know not which currency is accepted here but I this should suffice. It is solid gold, I hope, unless the men who made it lacked the mettle to do so. Hopefully it will be of use to you and them" I closed her arthritic fingers around the coin before she could refuse and moved away with a soft smile. "Good luck to you" Admittedly it was hard to part with however it was a necessary sacrifice for word of my good deed would spread and eventually reach him. It was all part of a plan that built itself towards greater magnificence the further along it was.

It was also easier to no longer have to look upon the face of Gwyn's uncle every time I spent coin.

I did not move aimlessly, instead I stood now beside my travelling companion pocketing her spectacles.

"How goes the efforts?"

"They keep coming in from the Emerald Forest and we've barely managed to push them to a standstill at downtown Vale. It was a lot worse a few days ago…we couldn't even stop them…"

"I see…" Truthfully I was distracted; I had caught sight of the Headmaster speaking animatedly with a tall well-dressed man. The conversation seemed heated and while the frustration of the taller man rose like steam off his body (visible for all to see) while the other hid it behind a façade of calm yet cracks in it showed in small gestures (the tightened grip on his cane and the creeping tells of irritation at the edges of face). In a rare moment of amusement, the lack of hair on his head and face were evidence enough that he had not fully escaped the Hellkite Drake's flames, that alone was worthy of a light chuckle.

While you may not be quite mortal Ozpin you are far from undying…that title belongs only to me and as befitting it I shall enter your conversation as I choose…and you will provide me the respect I deserve…

My silent steps went unnoticed until I was within sight of both whereupon the Man in White turned and looked impatiently at me while the Headmaster's response was far more measured, a simple turn and crease of his eyebrows and small sneer which I would carve from his face one day.

"And who are you?"

"He's the one we've been looking for James"

"What? Put your hands where-"

"No, James. If he so much as breathes threateningly then you drill him full of holes"-His was dumbstruck at his associates comment, perhaps unused to such brazen threats from his cohort's mouth-"Now, if you'd be so kind. Tell me why on Remnant you thought it would be a good idea to return here…"

I raised my hands to my chest in mock surrender at his pitiful attempt at intimidation; truly, it was difficult to restrict the loathing in my voice as I spoke.

"I assure you that I come with no ill intent"

I won't kill you…

"I simply wish to speak"

Not yet…

"I have information that could be of use to you"

But your turn shall come…

"And I am more than willing to share it"

And when it does…

"But if you would prefer to attack me then be ready for a fight"

You shall know despair as I did…

AN:

For those confused by the name let me explain. He's essentially now in a pit of snakes, which is ironic considering the serpent is the symbol of the undead (imperfect dragons due to how their immortality comes at a cost, basically the lack of wings 'grounds' them and prevents them from 'ascending' to the rank of 'true immortal')

I'd also like to clear something up. I understand that Oscar seems to act irrationally but this is not because I intended for him to come across as flat or one note. If you haven't noticed, he is halfway insane. In the end Oscar is a human and people can go insane quite easily, the average death total for a souls player in DS1 is ~720 so imagine what kind of strain that would have on one man. I contemplated not making him insane, letting his control over humanity be an all-healing elixir but that'd just feel like cheating. I mean, I've taken you across these chapters with subtle hints and not so subtle hints that Oscar is traumatised by his time in Lordran (and even before it) so to throw away something that would be so integral to any human being would seem even more flat and one-note.

I hope I got my point across because I tend to ramble a lot and my writing is quite easy to misunderstand because I am ruthless when it comes to revealing things (seriously half the stuff I've foreshadowed won't come into play until I write in the rest of it or outright explain it)

But forget about that (and please do not look up a map of Vale because I've completely fucked the geography but I'm too lazy to change it. I've dug the hole too deep to climb out of now),

A very scary and inevitable problem has reared its head. That being I am running out of names of places in DS1 that make sense to title each chapter as. It is a grave issue, so grave in fact that I have considered importing names from DS2 and 3. Nothing else in this chapter matters, I just need your opinion on this, should I continue stretching your imagination in how the title is connected to the contents of the chapters or should I bring in more names. I know there's a third option where I just title them by number but that I say is heresy of the highest order and any to suggest such treason will be cast from society, coated in cheap syrup and fed to the nearest colony of ants to reflect in death their stupidity in life.

Oh, and sorry about this being 3 months late (probably should have started off with that). The chapter went through like 30 different versions until I settled on this one so that's my excuse.

Until next time my patient audience (which won't be more than a month I hope).