Flynn

SL59 - 24 VIT - 15 ATT - 23 END - 36 STR - 12 DEX - 10 RES - 9 INT - 11 FTH

Resa

SL59 - 20 VIT - 23 ATT - 15 END - 12 STR - 21 DEX - 11 RES - 8 INT - 31 FTH

Flynn

We'd finally claimed our first soul...Gravelord Nito's. The faint flicker of the soul dimly illuminated the room, doing scarce more than casting our shadows across the back walls of the cavern. Resa pocketed the soul away, and the two of us began searching for a way out. The slope we fell down to get here was far too steep to ascend...perhaps we were trapped?

Thankfully, that wasn't the case. I circled about the cavern, until finally stumbling upon a bonfire, positioned right near one of the largest crypts we'd seen yet. It had to be Nito's...it only made sense. Unlike many of the others, it was completely ajar, and equally empty inside due to the recent death of its tenant.

I called my sister over, the two of us taking a rest at the bonfire, calming down after the fight we'd just gone through. "So, what now? I for one would like to get this slab off my back, but we're going to need a few more materials before we can adequately use it. What's on your agenda?"

"Well, I intend to visit Rhea, obviously. I'm sure she's waiting for me up there, and I'd like to not keep her waiting. After that, I figure we'd visit Andre, for the same reasons as you. After that...we'll see where we're taken."

I nodded. We had three more souls to collect: Izalith, New Londo, and the Duke's Archives. We knew where all three were located, it was simply a matter of reaching them. Personally, I wanted to find Izalith, in hopes that we'd be able to save Quelaan and her kin. However, we'd just recently spent quite a while hunting down Lautrec, and chasing him through half of Lordran to do so...I didn't want to impose my agenda on my sister again. "I'll spend some time gathering white titanite, and I can meet you at Andre's once you're finished. Assuming we can split up, of course." We hadn't yet tested whether we could use the Lordvessel's power to go separate ways, but I had a hope that we could.

"Are you sure, Flynn? I'm more than willing to help you if you want it."

I lit my pyromancy flame, letting the ember dance around in my hand. I wanted it larger...stronger. To do that, I needed souls, and plenty of them. "I'll handle myself, don't worry. If worse becomes worst, I can use my Estus Flask for a change."

Resa smiled. "Alright. Well, I'll head to to the church. Stay safe."

"Send my greetings to Anastacia if you see her."

She shook her head, grinning. "Of course, brother."

I took a few steps back from the bonfire as my sister closed her eyes, focusing on where she wanted to go. I felt a tugging in my gut, as if my very being was telling me to follow her, but I fought it, distancing myself even further from the bonfire. Eventually, in the blink of an eye, she vanished.

With great effort, I climbed back out the way we'd came, my axe and sword carrying me up the steep slope we'd fallen through. The previous chamber was highly dangerous...whatever masked figure inhabited the place making it thus, but I was confident. In the Iron Golem's armor, I felt invincible...no, I was invincible. I was growing stronger, quickly. In fact, the Golem's axe felt comfortable enough to grip in one hand, and still swing about effectively. I decided to give it a try, keeping my claymore at my back for when I might need it.

I fought the masked figures alone, being far more careful than I would be if my sister was around. What I found was that, occasionally, they were carrying white titanite, making my search far easier than I'd imagined. What I also found though, was far more valuable. At the bottom of the cavern was a small pool of water...we'd both seen small skeletons moving about. What I found, though, was they carried humanity...and they never seemed to stop coming. Just as I thought I'd cleared them all out, five more would come rushing at my feet, an endless font of humanity ripe for the picking. I had to force myself to return to the bonfire on occasion, focusing on the true reason of why I was down here.

Eventually, I'd collected enough of the titanite, having terrorized the area for long enough. However, I'd also collected plenty of humanity, far more than I could ever have hoped to...possibly enough to finally save Quelaan. Satisfied, I slid down the ramp one last time, returning to the bonfire.

Before I left, though, I wanted to try something. The Iron Golem's axe felt comfortable - not once in my search did I have to resort to my claymore. I wanted to see what else I had grown to accommodate. I pulled out the demon blade that I'd taken from the goat demon so long ago, as well as the greatshield I'd taken from the massive knights in Anor Londo.

I tried the shield first, hoping that I'd finally be able to rid myself of the black knight's shield. It had served me well...but I had outgrown it. This new shield, however, was positively massive, and exactly what I needed. I held it up, getting a feel for the weight. I could use this, if needed to. It covered nearly three-quarters of my body, giving me an impenetrable wall of defense to hid behind. I was ready for it.

Next was the demon blade. It, unfortunately, was still too heavy to be used with one hand. My swings felt slow, and only the slowest of opponents would ever be caught by them. Two-handed, however, I still felt plenty comfortable, as I always had. I'd finally outgrown the claymore, as well...it had served me magnificently, but its time had come to an end. I put both the shield and the blade into the bottomless box, finalizing my metamorphosis. I was far different from the man that had entered Lordran, at least physically. In Thorolund, nobody could possibly wear armor like this, carry a shield this massive, or wield blades of this size. Perhaps that was an effect of the undead curse...nearly limitless potential. Whatever it was, I couldn't complain. Being this indestructible felt good.

Resa

I emerged at the bonfire at Firelink shrine, standing up to move towards the pit, near the Lordvessel. I didn't want to run the risk of losing the souls that we had...I didn't know what could happen then. There was no harm in depositing the one we'd picked up as soon as we got it.

I stood at the edge of the pit, looking down. Every bone in my body told me to turn back, that only a fool would leap into the unknown...but it was known. I'd done it once before, and I'd do it again. With a single step forward, I plunged myself into darkness, the feel of the wind rushing through my hair being the only sensation for quite a while, until I began to slow down again. A short while later, and I was on the ground again, standing before the massive alter.

I didn't want to waste any time...there were other pressing matters to attend to. I took Nito's soul, placing it into the Lordvessel. As soon as I did so, the Lordvessel practically swallowed it from my hand, sucking the soul into the deepest recesses of the bowl. A gout of fire burst forth, settling down to a small flame, though emitting no heat.

The door also seemed to react to the presence of such a powerful soul. I heard it shudder, as if trying to open. However, it wasn't enough...we only had a fraction of the souls that we needed, after all.

Finished, I knelt before the altar, this time visualizing Andre's tower, until I could feel myself being whisked away by the Lordvessel. When I opened my eyes, I was precisely there, sitting not too far from Anastacia. "Greetings, Resa. There's someone here that wished to meet you."

I turned towards the firekeeper, curious. Before I could ask a question, she continued. "A woman, a follower of the Way of White. She introduced herself as Rhea, and said she was expecting you." Anastacia pointed up, towards the exit to the tower. "She said she'd meet you inside the church. I don't know more than that."

I stood up, nodding gratefully. "Thank you, Anastacia. Flynn sends his regards...he should be here soon."

I could see her cheeks redden, and she folded herself up slightly more. "I-is he doing well?"

Internally, I rolled my eyes, shook my head...everything. The two of them were hopeless. "He's fine, yes. The two of us just split up to accomplish what we each needed to do."

The firekeeper nodded as I walked off, towards the church. Flynn and Anastacia...I wasn't about to give my brother help on this. Truthfully, it was entertaining enough simply watching him fawn over her, and now that I knew she felt the same, that made it that much more amusing. If it was meant to be, one of them would make the move.

I climbed up the stairs, exiting the tower to walk towards the church proper. I had an idea of where Rhea would be - there was an altar, after all. I wasn't surprised when I found her there, on her knees, deep in the midst of prayer. I paused, standing by the entrance to the church, allowing her to finish her worship.

After a few minutes, she opened her eyes, looking up towards the statue adorning the far wall. It was of a woman, draped in flowing cloth, clutching a child close to her face. I could only assume it was a goddess, based on its location...perhaps the very goddess Rhea worshipped. Rhea turned her head to me, a slight smile forming across her lips. "You've made it. Pray tell, have you quelled Gravelord Nito?"

I nodded, advancing further into the church. "We did, yes. Did you return safely?"

She nodded. "I found little resistance returning to the shrine. I must thank you again for rescuing me in the Tomb...I would be lost without your assistance." She paused, moving behind the altar to pull out a collection of scrolls. "However, onto the matter at hand. You wish to be taught...I can teach you. What is it you desire to learn, Resa?"

"What was the miracle you used in the Tomb? Whatever it was, it was a powerful healing miracle. I have no doubt that would be useful to us in the future."

She nodded, reaching for a particularly decorated scroll. "It is known as Great Heal, and does what you would assume. You will find that you can use it less than the healing you are familiar with, but each cast is far more potent. If you only came here for one miracle, this would be what I would suggest."

I nodded along, enraptured by her wares. This must have been what Flynn felt like when he spoke with Laurentius or Quelaana...so many options at my fingertips. "Is there another you would suggest?"

At this, she reached for two different scrolls, one somewhat rugged, while the other looked very well maintained. "That depends on what you desire." She opened up the dingy scroll first. "This will not aid you in combat, but perhaps you would find use for it elsewhere. It is called Homeward...a rather curious miracle. Casting it will send you back to the bonfire you were most recently at, instantaneously."

She reached for the other scroll, moving to stand up. "For this...I believe a demonstration would provide more than words ever could. It is known as the Wrath of the Gods...for good reason. You might wish to hold onto something" She moved over towards some of the pews that still remained intact, clutching her talisman close to her chest. I could hear her begin muttering words - likely the miracle. As she did, it seemed as if a bubble began forming around her, one made of pure energy. As she spoke the final word, a loud blast rang out through the entire church as the bubble blasted outwards. The two pews closest to her were thrown several feet back, breaking them partially in the process. I, too, was slightly buffeted, managing to keep myself standing as I gripped onto the wall.

Rhea walked back to just in front of the altar, taking a seat. "As you can see, it is one of very few combat miracles the Way of White possesses. Again, it is not something you can use liberally, or you will find yourself tiring far faster than you would like. However, if you are ever cornered…" A smirk played across her lips. "It has never failed me."

So this was how she made it through the Catacombs safely...alone. Rhea was far from the defenseless maiden I had thought I was coming to meet, not that that was a problem for me. "I'd like all three, if you would."

"Very well, Resa. I pray that they will aid you in the future." As she held out her hand, the transaction was made, and Rhea handed over the three scrolls.

"Stay safe, Rhea. I know that Vince and Nico succumbed to the darkness…"

"I am here, in a church to the Gods of Lordran. Whatever may happen to me, the Gods will not abandon an acolyte such as myself. Please, go be with your brother. You have saved me once, I would feel guilty if you worried about me further."

I nodded, taking my leave. "Thank you for the teachings, Rhea. I will put them to good use." With that, I returned to Andre's tower, walking down the stairs to the bonfire. Flynn had not returned yet...I could only assume it would take him quite a while until he was finished. I took some time, sitting by the bonfire, reading the three new scrolls that I had just acquired. None of them were particularly complicated...in fact, the wrath of the gods was the simplest of all, due to its necessity to be performed quickly.

Flynn still wasn't back...perhaps white titanite was far harder to acquire than I had assumed. I looked at my falchion...was this what I wanted? I reached for the blade I'd acquired in Anor Londo. It felt wrong, not granting divine strength to a weapon obtained in a holy place. By comparison, we found the falchion at the base of Blighttown, far from any sign of the Gods.

I turned to Anastacia. "If Flynn arrives before I return, will you tell him to wait for me?"

She nodded. With that, I knelt by the bonfire, envisioning my destination.

Flynn

I knelt by the bonfire, envisioning Andre's tower, and the bonfire just above his shop. It had been quite a while since I'd even been close to there...walking through Firelink shrine might have been it. Since then, we'd picked up another ember, one that would hopefully allow Resa's falchion to become as powerful as possible. We'd also acquired all of the titanite necessary to do so, or so I hoped. All that was left now was to meet up, and we could see if our efforts were successful.

When I arrived at the bonfire, however...Resa wasn't there. In front of me sat Anastacia, curled up in the far corner. "Your sister left not long ago. She said to wait for her to return."

Odd...that wasn't part of what we'd planned. "Did she say where she was headed?" It was odd that Anastacia had immediately recognized me...since we'd last seen each other, I was using different armor, weapons, and a shield. And yet, there was no hesitation in her voice...she knew who I was.

The firekeeper shook her head. "If I knew, I would have told you."

I moved to sit beside Anastacia, taking off my helmet, and setting my armaments aside. Still, I was incredibly bulky, the Iron Golem's armor immensely top-heavy by design, with extremely broad shoulders. When I hit the floor, I felt her head come to rest on my right shoulder, barely perceptible through the thick armor. "Have you been safe?"

I felt her nod a response. "Andre comes to make sure I'm safe from time to time...I can tell he truly cares. Other than that, there haven't been many other travelers. Still, it's nice to be released from the cage I'd been left in. I don't think I've ever thanked you for that, at least verbally. So, thank you." I heard a soft chuckle flee her lips afterward.

"I...I couldn't leave you I think you know that. I just wish...Lautrec - "

She rolled across my shoulder, turning to directly face me. She pressed her index finger against my mouth, silencing me. "You can't hold yourself responsible for something you couldn't control. The only way you could have saved me would have been to slay him, and we both know you wouldn't do that. However, you risked so much for me, and for that I can never fully repay you. Please, let the past stay in the past." With that, she leaned closer, her arms coming to wrap around my waist. Her head now rested above my actual shoulder, not the one portrayed by the armor.

"I...okay." I'd never been in this situation before. I'd spent so long slaying everything I'd come across, and not looking back. But now, in this moment - one of complete tenderness...I didn't know what to do. I did the only thing I could think of, moving to wrap my arms around her, pulling her closer to me.

The silence that followed was beyond awkward. It was clear that neither of us were use this situation, and had no idea what to do about it now that we were in it. I simply sat there, holding her close to me, the two of us scarcely moving as we enjoyed the other's company.

"Well...ye two certainly make for an odd pair."

I hadn't noticed the din of Andre's forge dying down, nor did I hear the sound of footsteps coming up from below. The gruff voice startled both of us, throwing our arms back to ourselves, and Anastacia swiftly rolled away from me, returning to her usual corner.

The smith chuckled, bouncing his hammer in his hand. "Don't ye be getting the wrong idea. Ye don't see something like that too often in Lordran, so ye'd be a fool to push it away. Anyways, Flynn, what can I do ye for? Or did ye simply come by to say hello, and meet with yer lady friend?"

I blushed, furiously...for once, I didn't have the helmet on to guard myself. I quickly rectified that, standing up and donning the headpiece. "Resa should be here soon...apparently she left for somewhere. We've found several things I think you'd like. Another ember, and by the looks of it, divine. To go along with it, we found a white titanite slab, as well as - "

"Did ye say a slab?" I nodded my affirmation, and the smith continued. "Well...I can't remember the last time somebody brought me one of those. Tell yer sister to get back here so we can put it to use!"

As if on cue, Resa appeared next to the bonfire, turning to the group. She held out the sword she'd acquired in Anor Londo, from the strange white-garbed foes. "Change of plans...I'd like to use this one instead of the falchion. I had a visit to Anor Londo to buy the components we still needed." She held out a few pieces of green titanite...the blacksmith there must have sold them.

Andre waved us towards the stairs, beckoning us to his forge. "Well then, let's not waste this. I'm itching to get to work."

I retrieved the slab from the bottomless box, as well as all of the other white titanite I'd collected. The three of us descended the stairs, down towards the smithery. Once there, Resa handed over the sword, the ember, and the green titanite, while I gave Andre the white.

I turned to look at Resa. She seemed just as enraptured as I had been when Andre had first started talking about titanite. And yet, now...my mind was elsewhere. "I'll wait for you two to finish. I need to get something off my chest." I didn't give them a chance to say anything, I simply ascended the staircase once again, returning to the bonfire...and Anastacia.

I took a seat beside the firekeeper once again, taking off my helmet. Almost instinctively, I wrapped my arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer to me. "What are we going to do...about this? I can't stay here with you, and you can't come with me."

"I can, Flynn...you just wouldn't let me."

"You're right, I wouldn't. I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you while you were with me - I barely can even when you weren't."

"I understand, Flynn. I'm no fool to the feelings stirring inside of me...though they are foreign, I have no misunderstanding as to what they mean. I don't expect you to give up your journey for me. Just...visit when you can spare the time. Being around you makes me feel safe, and that's another concept that's foreign to me." As she said that, she leaned over, planting her lips on my cheek. "I know you're not willing to lose me again...I'm not willing to lose you either."

My head was practically swimming right now, a river of thoughts all flowing through me at once, only a few of them intelligible. I plucked one from the void, hoping for the best. "So...I take that as we feel the same way towards each other?"

She chuckled, nodding. "It certainly appears that way. Now please, go be with your sister. Andre told me how fascinated you are with titanite. I can't imagine not being there is easy for you."

At the same time, I heard my sister calling out from downstairs. "Flynn, get down here! This is important."

I looked towards Anastacia, letting out a sigh. "I guess that means I should be on my way."

The firekeeper nodded, leaning towards me again to plant a second kiss on my cheek. "Stay safe, my knight."

I stood up, donning my helmet, grabbing my armaments as I descended the stairs yet again. As I wrapped around the outer wall, I caught a glimpse of Resa's sword. It wasn't glowing...that wasn't an apt enough description. It was positively radiant, far brighter than any torch or flame I'd ever seen - even my own. As she was holding it, I saw the light fluctuate, displaying her mastery of this new blade. I couldn't see the slab anywhere around, suggesting that they'd finished.

In Andre's calloused hands was a large disk, slightly smaller than his chest. I could see that it was decorated with very intricate designs, but the dark color of the stone made it hard to see just what was depicted. Once I reached the floor, Andre spoke up. "Resa told me what ye've been tasked with...that's no small job, kids. Ye'll need this if ye wish to complete it, though. Deep in the Garden, ye'll find a door ye can't open. Beyond it, I don't know what all ye'll find, but I can say that there's a wolf...a wolf named Sif. She has something ye'll need...something to walk the Abyss like her old master. Please, treat her with respect, but I understand what ye have to do."

Andre walked over and handed the disk to me, the suprising weight dragging me down before I was accustomed to it. "Now please, don't be shy. If ye find any more slabs or embers, I'll be happy to take them of yer hands."

My sister spoke up. "And where is the Abyss now, exactly?"

The smith shrugged. "I wish I knew...all I know about is this tower, and a bit of the garden. What I do know, is that it's utter darkness. Ye'd get lost forever there, and that's assuming ye'd even be able to survive. What Sif has, however, prevents that."

A place of utter darkness...it sounded like the fall towards the Lordvessel's altar, but it couldn't be...that was simply a long fall. From what little the smith had said, it sounded like this was an infinite plane of darkness, not some part of Lordran. Whatever resided there had to be dangerous and powerful...something we'd probably have to slay anyways.

I turned to Resa. "We're here. There's no reason to put this off any longer than we need to."

She nodded, turning to the blacksmith. "Thank you, Andre. I know this must not be easy for you."

"Just...don't tell me how it ends. I've been keeping her a secret for so long, I'd rather not be told ye've slain her."

The two of us nodded, descending the staircase that led towards the garden. With the stone in my hand, I was more or less deadweight, unable to hold my weapons without letting it roll to the floor. For that reason, Resa led for the time being, her holy blade illuminating the path forward. The first chamber we came to was the one with the titanite demon, and yet again, we circumvented it. Even though I was in obnoxiously heavy armor, I had no problem sprinting past the beast, getting the two of us safely to the other side. From there, we pressed forward, Resa easily cutting down any and all of the plant life that tried to ambush us on our way to the door. I knew which one he was talking about...I'd noticed it when we came through and fought the butterfly.

Eventually, we neared the door, the bonfire to the left still happily burning away. I reached up, holding the disk towards the door, just barely having enough height to place it into the obvious socket. As soon as I did so, the entire door rumbled, slowly opening inwards until it came to a halt.

Inside, even more lush forest spread out before me, practically limitless. However, I also noticed ephemeral beings, roughly humanoid in shape, standing amidst the trees. They were hard to see, given the low light and their lack of a physical body, but I could tell there was something there.

"Let's take a break at the bonfire, reset our position. I'd rather not have to hike all the way back here should things go south." Resa moved towards the alcove, taking a seat by the fire.

As I moved to join her, I could see a playful expression plastered across her features. "So...I want to know."

I feigned a mixture of disinterest and ambivalence, both of which were mostly true. "Want to know what?"

"Don't play dumb, Flynn. You skipped out on Andre forging with a titanite slab to talk to Anastacia. We might not even find another one of those...ever. You're head over heels for her and I'm fully supportive of this. This is just...it's so unlike you. I want to know why she's so special to you."

"Sister...we ran through the church, the sewers, Blighttown, Sen's Fortress, and Anor Londo. All because of her. I watched her be brought back to life with my own eyes. I don't have a reason for why I love her...I just don't have a reason why I don't." I'd said it, unknowingly. 'Love'. I'd owned it now, whether I was ready to or not.

"That's...I didn't know you had it in you, brother." With that, we were silent, washing away the woes of the land by the bonfire. Eventually, after we were rested, we departed, through the door, and even deeper into the Garden.

As we stepped through the door, the ephemeral figures seemed to take notice, drawing closer to the staircase we were descending to reach the floor of the garden. As they drew nearer, I could make out more of them...warriors, from all different walks of life. Some carried staves, others carried swords, all of them almost blending in amidst the foggy ground of the Garden. Their weapons were drawn, however, and the first thing to attack us was one of the sorcerers. A beam of magical energy soared through the air towards me, and I held up my greatshield, easily diffusing the energy. Dozens more ephemeral warriors began closing in on us, clearly eager not to let us leave.

Resa looked at me. "We've got to go. We can't take on them all."

I nodded. For once, the correct way out didn't involve hacking through everything in our way. I broke out into a run, Resa easily being able to sprint ahead of me, as we blindly ran further into the garden. We didn't know where to go, where Sif would be hiding...but we would find out.

As I ran, some of the more nimble ghosts caught up, lunging at me with daggers, rapiers, or scimitars. I could feel my back being cut, blades cleaving straight through my armor, and into the flesh beneath. It was tolerable, somehow...but I was well aware that I couldn't keep this up forever. As I ran, I spun about, swiping at the air with my axe in one fluid motion, knocking back the adversaries currently on me. It bought me a little time, but not much, as they quickly ran to regain the distance.

I chased after Resa, hoping that she was running in the right direction. A few seconds later, she changed direction, angling more towards the right. She'd seen something...that would explain it. She looked back, seeing me running after her, and the mob of ghosts running after me. She stopped in her tracks, holding up her talisman, crossing both arms across her chest. "Run past me! There's a bridge."

Confusing...but I didn't want to question her. After a few more seconds, I finally caught up to her, finding the bridge she spoke of. It was a dilapidated thing, one of the two walls guarding it nearly completely broken down. I altered my course, starting to run out of breath from moving not only myself, but my armor.

As I passed my sister, I turned around, curious what she had planned. She waited another second until the phantoms were nearly on top of her, and I could see a strange sphere begin to encircle her...this was new. The sphere grew more defined as time went on, until it almost appeared to be a physical shell around her - but of course it wasn't. As soon as the ghosts were within slashing distance of her, she released the orb, violently expanding outwards.

Trees shook. A thunderclap ripped through my ears a second later as the miracle made its way to me. Bodies flew back from the sheer power that had just been unleashed. She'd bought us time, though it was hard to tell how much. As soon as the miracle had been cast, she spun about, immediately breaking out into a sprint to catch up to me.

I passed through the opening to the bridge first, still running for my life. Even with a miracle as powerful as that, I didn't sense the usual influx of souls from eliminating a foe, which meant that she hadn't killed a single one with that. This was an army, one that I had no intention of fighting. I continued across the bridge, going through the doorway on the opposite side. Ahead of me was even more garden, partially obscured by the ruins of the staircase leading down to them. I simply vaulted over the edge, raising up my shield to support me as I careened into the far wall. I hit the ground a moment later, continuing my sprint forward into the Garden.

This area seemed empty...unnaturally so. After a few seconds, I settled down into a walk, waiting for Resa to catch up. I heard her footsteps moving across the bridge, eventually quickening as she descended the staircase. A few moments later, and we were reunited again.

"What...what was that?"

She shook her head, still clutching her talisman. "I don't know. They don't seem to be hurt easily, whatever they are. I've got a way to get us out of here without walking through them, courtesy of Rhea."

"I'll take you up on that." I kept watch behind us, waiting to see if we'd have to break out into a run again. However, it seemed like the phantoms were willing to let us walk...perhaps they stopped at the bridge. We kept moving forward, catching our breath with a slow walk, still somewhat aimlessly exploring the Garden. Eventually, we clearly stumbled upon our target - deeper into the garden, I could see a massive door, even larger than the one we'd come through.

We moved faster now, straight towards the door, taking the slope down to the bridge that led directly to it.

"So...this must be where we'll find Sif. Did Andre tell you what she was?"

Resa shook her head. "I know nothing more than you do, brother. However, it sounds like she guards something we need. We...don't have a choice."

"We always have a choice. Damn Gwynevere and her father...nothing's telling us to do this. I know I said I'd go hollow without a quest to pursue, but if we have to slay old friends...is it worth it?"

"Flynn...we gave Gwynevere our word. We said we'd fill the Lordvessel. I'm not backing down on that promise I made to her. I don't like what we're doing either...understand that."

I did. I knew exactly where she was coming from, that we told Gwynevere we'd fulfill her request...but I didn't want to break bonds I already had. Still, if Resa was intent on going in there, I wouldn't let her go alone. Once we got to the door, I pushed it open, finding it to be immeasurably heavy. Still, it creaked open, eventually admitting us to the other side before it slammed shut under its own weight.

On the other side, a single grave stood before us, indecipherable writing etched upon it. In front of it sat a single sword, partially submerged in the ground, and yet still multiple times longer than I was tall. From behind the grave, I heard the cry of a wolf...a cry that shook the trees and rustled the grass at my feet. The beast that issued it slinked out from behind the grave...Sif. It had to be.

She wrapped around the grave, tilting her head such that she could bite the handle of the sword. With little effort, she pried it from the ground, swinging it around so that it flanked the left side of her body. She was guarding the tomb, that much was clear. But we weren't here for the tomb...or were we?" I drew forth my axe and shield, rushing to meet our opponent. I didn't get a choice now. The door was shut tight, and there was little hope I'd be able to open it in time while under attack.

The beast charged forward, thunderous footsteps shaking the ground beneath my feet with each step, even though the wolf moved with a level of grace and dexterity. As it neared, the sword clutched in its mouth swiveled around, the blade lunging forward to meet me. I held up my greatshield, standing fast as I awaited the blow.

The sheer strength that collided into me caught me off guard - but I held my ground. The sword slammed to a halt right at my side, Sif actually managing to convey a look of surprise.

From behind me, I heard the familiar crackling of lightning roaring to life behind me, a break in the battle giving me a chance to see it soar over my shoulder, straight into the wolf's. It recoiled from the strike, lifting its injured leg up off the ground as if it we'd gravely injured it.

I bought the act...my sister didn't. Another spear caming soaring past me, and then another, as the wolf and I dueled it out in close range. It was extremely nimble, capable of leaping a massive distance away, preventing me from staying safe underneath its torso. Resa was putting out most of the pain against it, the seemingly endless stream of spears peppering its flanks.

As easily as it could have been for me to simply hurl a fireball at it, I couldn't bring myself to. Perhaps it was because we were in the same place we'd tried to show the butterfly mercy, or perhaps it was simply what Andre had told us...but I couldn't convince myself to give the fight my all. I held my ground when I could, lashing out defensively whenever the opportunity arose. As bad as it was, I was hoping that Resa would finish it off before I had to.

Eventually, the torrent of spears came to a halt, as I feared they would. "I...I can't do any more!"

Without her spears, she was reduced to her blade, forcing her into melee range. After a few seconds, she joined me beneath Sif, the two of us taking on different legs. Once again, the wolf dashed backwards, granting itself plenty of distance to wait for our reaction. We didn't get much of a choice, though...if we didn't run to catch up to her, Sif's sword would make quick work of us.

I rushed forward to meet her, Resa moving past me, her lighter armor affording her the mobility to do so. Once again, Sif reared her head back, swinging the sword about in a wide arc in front of her. This time, however, she kept spinning, blade slowly lowering to the ground, the massive beast spinning in place as the sword continued to ground level. Resa was safe...for the blade to hit her, the tip would have to dig into the ground. I, however, was far from safe. The beast was smart...it knew that momentum would help it to counteract my heft, and fought accordingly.

I had only one option - fight back harder. The next rotation of the arc would hit me, regardless of whether I ran forward, backward, or stayed put. I planted myself on the ground, reaching for the demon blade on my back, momentarily gripping it with two hands as I thrust it into the ground. My sheer strength, combined with the heavy blade, dug it several feet into the ground, wedging it firmly in place. Just as Sif's blade was about to come back around, I regripped my shield and the blade, curious to see who would win out.

The force of the blade rattled my entire body as it slammed into me, my shield bashing into the demon blade, as both were drug through the ground, leaving a gash across the dirt from my weapon. With all my might, I managed to hold on, however, moving with it instead of being sent flying off like I had expected. Slowly, I came to a stop, a pile of dirt dug up at my feet from the crevice I'd formed.

I had to end this...I had all the capabilities to, and yet I wasn't giving this fight my all. Resa was right...we'd made a promise to Gwynevere, and I couldn't back out on that now.

I plucked my blade from the earth, loose dirt flying into the air, as I rushed towards my sister. "I'll vault you up. Get ready!" We'd pulled something like this off before, in the Tomb, but now she could use my shield as a foothold, not the tip of my blade. As I neared Sif's legs, Resa came rushing out from underneath her, taking a leap into the air. I dove to the ground, holding my shield out above me, waiting until I felt my sister firmly plant herself on it. As she crouched down, I pushed forward, propelling her upwards and forwards, Resa compounding this by leaping from my shield. She soared through the air perfectly on target, holding her blade forward in one hand to assist her landing.

She struck the beast with her falchion, hilting it immediately into the wolf's hide, her other hand grabbing a fistful of fur. She'd almost perfectly landing on the beast's back, using her falchion as a sort of climber's axe to drag herself up the rest of the way. With each punch of her blade, I could see Sif shudder, the wounds cutting far deeper than they did against her legs.

I brought myself back to my feet, rushing towards Sif, throwing my entire weight behind my shield as I slammed into one of her legs. I heard the crunch of broken bones, her leg instinctively rising up, avoiding putting any pressure on it at all. For a moment, guilt welled up inside me, watching the elegant beast gingerly hop about on three legs. However, Sif had tried that already...I wasn't giving her a second chance. I could hear whimpers coming from the dog now, Resa surely doing a number on her back with her falchion, likely going to finally slay the beast in a few moments.

I kept up the fight, bashing into another one of her legs, not quite crumpling it like I did the last one. Just as I swung my axe, the leg disappeared right in front of me, my swing throwing my entire balance off as my target dissolved before my eyes.

A second later, and I heard Resa slam into the ground, her position atop the beast not quite as forgiving for when it perished. I turned about, finding her dusting herself off. In one hand, she held up a small green band, a single blue gem pressed into its surface. "I think this may be what we were looking for."