-Undead Parish-

Tetsuro found a golden summon sign near the way outside, bending to touch it, assuming it was Jinta. When Knight Solaire appeared instead, Tetsuro was a bit surprised.

"Oh, hello, there," said Solaire. "Ready to ring that bell, I see. Have you left a sign to help others?"

"I have, thank you," said Tetsuro. "We have another to help us, but she is weary. I doubt she will do much in the fight, but I won't stop her from trying either."

"And where is this other? Catching up, I assume?"

"Any second now."

Seiko climbed the ladder shortly after, a cold sweat shining on her skin, out of breath.

"Oh, my. I see what you mean. The bonfire isn't far, you know. Perhaps we should wait and let her rest before facing the coming challenge."

"That's not a bad idea, but more Hollows could approach while we wait."

"I think we can handle a few Hollows. And having an extra hand will be very helpful. It may be better if you withdraw as well. That heavy armor won't help you much here. They breathe fire, you see."

"Good to know," said Tetsuro,"But I'll stick to what I have. I have my ways. Though, I want nothing more than to catch up to you and Jinta."

"Of course. A knight ought to return favors, after all. But haste will only lead to failure, and in the long run you could actually fall further behind that way."

They descended the ladders and began walking back through the parish when Tetsuro huffed.

"It's becoming more tempting to me to make my own way, to be honest. I can accept failure because of ignorance, and I dislike having victory handed to me. I'm curious as to the truth, yes, but even more than that I want more souls and strength. I had to leave much behind in accepting to be taken to the Asylum, but the only reason I'm here at all is to seek combat."

"Forgive my being blunt, but that sounds foolish. I've never heard of a person who has made their goal in life to battle. Which is not to say that I dislike or avoid battle myself, but I much prefer to fight for a purpose."

"My purpose is to fight. I'm a simple man. I seek great and memorable battles with anyone and anything I can, though it has led me to some immoral choices."

"You make it sound as if you might attack even myself."

"Jinta got the same feeling. It's understandable. I know how I sound. But please believe that I will not instigate a fight or strike without warning. I'm not without honor, at least, but I can't say I dislike dueling others."

They reached the bonfire, but Tetsuro noticed something wrong.

"I don't feel any warmth," he said, confused.

"Of course you don't," said Solaire, "You've bound yourself to a phantom, to me. As soon as we part, you will be able to receive the bonfire's power again."

"These soapstones are curious items," said Tetsuro, pulling his out of a pocket to turn it over in his hand. "Do you feel any better, Seiko."

"Much better," she said, eyes closed, resting.

"When you're ready, let's move on."

"I'm ready," said Seiko.

"I see. In that case, we should have no problem against the Gargoyles. Jinta said he was able to win on his first try with help from Solaire."

"This battle is certainly not without risk," said Solaire, "but I admit that having someone around who has previously attained victory makes it much easier."

Tetsuro just shook his head.

"Which of them do we fight?" said Tetsuro, his sword and shield drawn, shield up. They were on the roof, surrounded by Gargoyle statues.

"None of these," said Solaire. "Your foes are above."

Seiko was behind both of them, following a few steps away, hands glowing dully.

When they are about halfway across the roof, toward the parish belfry, a statue larger than the others leapt from the tower to the roof with a roar. It carried a large stone shield and halberd. Right away it swiped the halberd horizontally over the slant of the roof. Both Solaire and Tetsuro absorbed the hit on their shields. Tetsuro was pushed back, but Solaire simply bent to one knee and let the halberd slide over his shield and over his head. The second the halberd was off his shield, Solaire sheathed his sword and took a bundle of cloth from his belt. From the surrounding air, lightning formed a spear in his fist, which he threw like a javelin at the Gargoyle. The creature shivered from the strike, jumping over the two Undead and almost landing on Seiko, swinging its halberd horizontally again. Its tail, Seiko noticed, had an axe carved onto the end. Just as she wondered if it functioned, the tail whipped at her, forcing her to dodge aside. She hurled a fireball at its back, but the flames did little but scorch it.

"Remember that they breathe fire!" yelled Solaire. He was raising another Lightning Spear when a second Gargoyle, smaller and tailless, landed right behind him and opened its mouth. Solaire let the spear fade, whirling to block with his shield. Behind him, the larger Gargoyle raised its halberd to strike, only to have Tetsuro slash across its chest and neck. Blood sprayed from the wounds, but they were shallow.

"They just have thick skin! I thought they were made of stone," said Tetsuro. He felt an intense heat behind him, peeking over his shoulder to see Solaire deflecting a stream of flame with his shield, the spray flowering around him.

Knowing that fire wouldn't work, Seiko took advantage of the larger Gargoyle staggering to run forward and grab the base of its tail. She put a bare foot on its back and pulled with all her might. The stone skin on it cracked, one of the gaps in the vertebrae gave way, and the tail pulled free. The Gargoyle let out a horrid, pained howl and tried to scramble away. It jumped, leaping over Tetsuro and Solaire, crashing into the other Gargoyle. It had stopped breathing fire and was in the middle of swinging its own halberd. The two were briefly tangled, giving Tetsuro time drink Estus. Solaire, whose phantom had become dull and dim after taking so much damage from the Gargoyle's fire, was suddenly revitalized from his use of Estus.

"We need to finish that big one!" said Tetsuro, rushing forward.

The Gargoyles had broken away from each other and the larger one was furious. It looped forward on its legs and one arm, smashing its halberd down several times as it advanced, less control and more power than usual. Tetsuro saw one strike coming right at him and he raised his shield, putting both arms behind it, the flat of his blade blocking his view with his right eye. The strike slammed him into the shingles of the roof, but got him out of the way of Solaire's next Lightning Spear. The smaller Gargoyle opened its mouth to breath fire again while the two were wide open. Seiko sprinted forward, got between the flames and her two companions, and opened her hands to release a jet of blue flames to match the Gargoyle. The streams met each other and fanned out, Seiko's gaining ground quickly until it washed over the Gargoyle. It didn't have Seiko's desired effect, as she'd seen Quelaana kill a bug in Blighttown with a similar technique, but it did stop the Gargoyle from breathing fire.

As Seiko distracted the smaller one, Solaire and Tetsuro focused on the larger one, whittling it down with slashes all over its body. When it finally fell, Tetsuro only had enough Estus for one more drink. The three Undead now focused on the smaller Gargoyle, bringing it down quickly by flanking it with Seiko managing its flames. As soon as the final blow was struck and the Gargoyle fell to the floor, Solaire vanished and the combined power of the Gargoyles dispersed. Seiko and Tetsuro each received half of their souls.

"Here," said Tetsuro, holding out a hand. "Take my half and go back to the bonfire. Speak with Andre, just downstairs, and get yourself some real armor. I'm going to ring the bell before we continue. We will advance toward Blighttown via the streets below the Burg."

Seiko nodded and reached back, accepting the souls. The two walked in opposite directions off the roof.

Before the two set off, Seiko used the souls they had earned to have her robes converted into leather armor. Instead of thin and worn plates over the fire-retardant gold-hemmed robes, black leather pads were fixed to straps which she affixed over the robes. They covered more of her body and would move with her easier. She also now had black leather boots and gloves. Until she had enough souls for some real armor, it would have to do.

-Undead Burg-

Tetsuro shook the bars on the gate, frustrated.

"This has got to lead to the streets!... Wait, isn't the bridge above us? Maybe one of the keys I found will unlock the other door up there…"

Tetsuro rubbed the light stubble on his chin, thinking. Seiko walked past him, looking at the hinges of the gate. Like in the Asylum, they were set into the bricks. Before she tried forcing it, Seiko tried to thread her thin arm through the bars but they were too closely set. She grabbed the bars, bracing, and pulled with slowly increasing force. She set her jaw in effort, her boots slipping as the door began to give way. Tetsuro heard the cracking bricks and bending metal and turned quickly. Where Seiko gripped the bars, the gate was bending out toward her. The bricks were shifting and cracking.

"Are you mad?! What if you bring down the ceiling?! Stop!"

Seiko slowly relaxed and let go, stepping away from the door.

"You really don't think things through, do you?"

"I didn't think shifting a few bricks would make it all collapse."

"I might be too anxious, you have a point, but I really think I have another way. Let's at least try my idea before doing something risky like that."

Seiko nodded her agreement. Tetsuro looked at the door again.

"You don't suppose you could get even stronger, do you?"

"I feel weak, and I think I was stronger once."

"You realize that you can infuse souls into your body, right? The souls I've captured have been going to my equipment because of my varied tastes, but soon I'll be using them to empower myself. Since you don't need equipment as much, I suggest you start restoring the strength you think you lost. Making your body more durable might not hurt, either."

"I know. But it will take many souls to make a difference."

"So I see. Now let's go."

The two ascended to the bridge. Tetsuro knew the Hellkite had made its home at the other end, but Seiko jumped when she saw it watching them.

"Relax. It's guarding that side of the bridge for some reason. As long as we don't try to cross, it should leave us be."

Tetsuro approached the door just opposite where they'd come out of a stairwell. He took out his keyring and started trying the lock. Eventually one worked and the door eased open. Inside was a short set of stairs and a very long ladder.

"There, see? This should take us to the streets. Let's go."

They climbed down the ladder and found themselves on a small landing with two sets of stairs, one going up and around a corner and the other going down to the street.

"I bet the way up leads to that gate you tried to open. Will you go check? I'll scope out the street while you do, just be sure to catch up."

Seiko nodded and started up the stairs. Tetsuro waited until she was around the corner, put up his shield and started down. There was a pile of charred corpses to the left of the stairs and some dogs picking at the pile. The second Tetsuro showed his face, the dogs left the pile to come up the stairs and attack him. He started backing away up the stairs to try and force them to attack one at a time, bashing the first with his shield as it jumped at him and stabbing it at the base of the neck into the chest. He kicked it off his sword, slowing the next one, and cleared the stairs back onto the landing. His foot caught on the top step as the second dog leapt at him. Tetsuro had his shield between himself and the dog, pushing it back and slashing at its neck. A fireball hit the third in the shoulder as Seiko came back down the stairs.

"Thanks," said Tetsuro, getting up.

"You were right. It was the same door."

"Then we have a shortcut we can use later if we have to. For now, we should move forward and look for a way further down."

They headed down the stairs, into the street where a cart sat abandoned. Down the street the path went around a corner, cutting off the view of where it led, up the street appeared to be part of the Burg, but there were clearly bars grating off something.

"Maybe there's a door up there?" offered Seiko.

"Worth a try, I guess," said Tetsuro.

They went up the street, passing some residences while going around the stairs, when a cry went out from inside one.

"Hello?! Please, if you are not another Hollow, let me out of here!" came the voice.

"We aren't Hollow. Let me try some of my keys, I may have one that will work. Calm down and sit tight."

Tetsuro took out his key ring but Seiko stepped in front of him. She put her fist through the door near the lock, twisted her arm around, and yanked the lock right off the door. Without a latch, the door swung open, swinging lazily on its hinges. Tetsuro and the man, who appeared to be a mage, looked at each other for a brief moment, stunned to silence. Tetsuro put his key ring away.

"That's… One way to solve the issue," said Tetsuro.

"My thanks, M'lady. I am Griggs of Vinheim."

"How'd you get locked in there? And why not use magic to escape?"

"If I am truthful, it was a simple accident. I sensed some magic, something old and dying, so I entered the ajar door. While I was inside, the door swung shut. I assume a passing Hollow or other creature pushed it closed, seeing it as a disturbance. As for magic, I was exhausted when I reached this point, and so I've been resting and calling for help when I heard anything outside. Only a small amount of my magic has returned; I could surely use a rest at a bonfire."

"Luckily for you, as a nice turn from your previous misfortune, there's a bonfire nearby. Up the stairs behind us, then another set to your left. There may be a few Hollows above the second set of stairs, but just over the bridge is a bonfire."

"I thank you. I'm certainly in your debt. I shall return to Firelink Shrine to rest properly and decide my next move. Perhaps we will meet there."

"Sure. Careful on your way."

Seiko bowed lightly as she and Tetsuro left to continue up the street. There were no doors, but a group of Hollows was gathered around a broken down and burning crate. When they heard the two Undead approaching, they all snatched up boards from the crate, walking forward. Some flailed their makeshift brands, but they were all haphazard and without real intent to strike. Tetsuro stepped forward, deflecting the brands with his shield with a bored expression, riposting with ease until the Hollows all lay dead or dying at his feet. Seiko and Tetsuro looked around a bit more, Seiko finding a pair of humanity sprites in a nearby body, but otherwise there was nothing of note. They turned back, heading down the street toward the turn.

"I've gotta say," said Tetsuro while they walked, "When you get some proper equipment, I'd love to duel you. You lack finesse, but your strength and pyromancy would make it interesting."

"You like to fight? You said you were looking for memorable battles."

"I am. I don't just like to fight, it is my reason for living. 'I seek memorable battles' is what I say, but what that means probably doesn't reach people very often. What I mean is that I seek combat that is even. Equal. A fight so close it seems like it may never end, or that even those in the fight can't tell if they will win until they do. It doesn't have to be with a knight like myself, someone with armor and weapon in hand, mundane as can be. Mages, pyromancers, rogues, warriors, clerics, paladins; it doesn't matter to me who or what the opponent is, even if it's a beast or a demon, what matters is the feeling. Combat is communion, fighting is a language unto itself. I speak much more loudly in combat than in conversation."

Tetsuro looked up, remembering.

"I've already had a few great battles. I've noticed a lot of potential since I've come here, but that potential has yet to ripen. It's exciting, in a way. A few times, such as with an Undead merchant I fought, I grew too eager and hoped he was stronger than he appeared. He was, but not as much as I'd hoped. That was when I met Jinta."

Tetsuro wasn't looking at Seiko, but she responded.

"You've met him? I'd l-" She cut off in a choking sound.

Tetsuro's head snapped to look and he saw an Undead thief slicing her throat open. It kicked her over and she bled out on the street. There was another approaching from the right who threw a knife at Tetsuro.

"Damn!"

He ducked the knife, blocking a strike from the first thief and lashing out with his broadsword and cutting across its abdomen. He turned to face the other thief when a wasp's sting lanced through his neck. He struggled to look down and saw the knife of a third thief sticking out of his throat. His vision darkened quickly and he fell to his knees, then to the bricks...

A/N: I only noticed after the fact but... Tetsuro shakes his head a lot...