Chapter 35:

Grave Robbing

Dark souls is owned by From Software.

"Talking"

"Thoughts"

"Powerful Beings"

"Whatever the Daughters of Chaos speak"

Line Break

Garret groaned as he sat up from the stone coffin, "How did Havel fit in this thing?" he muttered, rubbing his back. Benito hopped out from his place at Garret's feet, cawing lightly and flying out into the cavern.

Garret pulled himself out the coffin, wondering just how it worked. He went from a literal hole-in-the-wall to a cave a few miles underground. He decided that would be one of the questions he'd have to ask Nito. Not the first question, but definitely top fifty.

He began the short walk to Nito's coffin, reaching into his satchel and palming a homeward bone. He was hoping he wouldn't have to use it—Havel made the Gravelord sound agreeable—but it couldn't hurt to be careful. Briefly, Garret considered actually fighting the Lord of the Dead, should the need arise. He then discarded such thoughts with a scoff; without any Divine weapons, he'd be fighting a grossly uphill battle. No, best to pray for peace.

He came to a stop at Nito's open casket. He suppressed a shiver, the Lord was much more intimidating in the flesh. His bones looked like they were mashed and melded together. Not even a good job of it either, like a child that managed to shove a square block in a round hole, all cracked and discolored. A strong breeze could break it all apart. What bones weren't mushed together were connected by some sort of black…mush, that shrunk and expanded as if it were flesh.

CRAW

Garret lifted his gaze to Benito, who was perched atop the coffin. Then, the tiny bird hopped down, landing on Nito's main skull. In a deft move, the crow jabbed its beak downward, a hollow knock echoing out into the cavern. After the sound dissipated, Benito did it again, this time repeating the action a second before it petered off. Again, and again, Benito hit the skull, drumming faster and louder.

When the noise became almost too much to bear, Garret shouted, "Hey! I like theatrics as much as the next guy, but I've got a busy schedule ahead of me, can we get to the point!"

Benito stopped mid-peck.

Then, a hiss of air. "Fair enough," rasped the Gravelord.

Nito shot his one good arm out, grasping the edge of his coffin. He pulled himself forward, allowing his Grave Sword—and even worse looking fusion of bones—to come free, planting it in the ground. Then came his feet, if you could even call them that. Garret wasn't sure what they were made of, but they certainly weren't made up of regular foot bones.

When Nito fully exited his resting place, he arched his body back, jaw clacking open as he sighed, "Garret," the Gravelord said, "we finally meet."

Garret blinked, staring up at mass of bones, "Yes…Under much better circumstances that I could have ever dreamed."

A harsh bark of laughter, "Oh?" Nito leaned down, bones rattling as Garret found himself staring into an endless chasm of darkness, "And tell me, Seer, what have you dreamed?"

Garret gulped, "O-Oh, nothing really."

"Please," several of Nito's smaller skulls rattled, cracking apart to form misshapen smiles, "I insist."

Garret pursed his lips, "Well, uh, I, erm, saw…me…killing…you. Here. In this cave."

"…What?"

Garret chuckled nervously, "Don't worry, you got more than your fair share of licks in!"

The Gravelord hissed. "What do you mean you kill me?"

"Eh…isn't it obvious?"

"Why," Nito ground out, "would you kill me?"

"Wait, you're serious?" At Nito's low growl, Garret held his arm's up defensively, "It's all part of Gwnydolin's plot to keep the Fire going. You know, kill off powerful beings—you, the Four Kings down in New Londo, Seath, and what's left of Quela—and feed them to the Lordsvessel to open the way to the First Flame. I," Garret scrunched his nose, "I thought you knew this."

Nito was silent for a moment. Then, he suddenly leaned back, "HeHeHe! Ha! HAHAHAHAHA!" he boomed.

Bits of rock fell from the ceiling, and Garret gazed worryingly at the stalactites dotting it as the Gravelord showed no sign of stopping.

"So," Nito said as he laughter eventually died off, "that's what his plan is! He always was cleverer than anyone gave him credit."

Garret frowned, "He's got a very good grasp on Sorceries; that, at least, implies a fair bit of intelligence."

A soft scoff, "Gwyndolin? Please, that child could barely dress himself without looking to another for approval. No, Seer, I speak of Gwyn."

Garret crossed his arms, "Wait, you think Gwyn planned all this? That he set this whole thing up just before he started burning himself alive?"

Nito stared down at Garret, "Oh, I guarantee it." He traced a bony finger along the edge of his blade, "Yes…I can see it now." His voice softened a touch, "Foolish Gwyn, always allowing yourself to be ruled by fears and insecurities."

"Come again?" Garret then sucked in a breath, "Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. But…but that," he shook his head, "I mean, the Four Kings, Quela—currenlty the Bed of Chaos—and Seath are definitely problems, but why would Gwyn be afraid of you?"

Nito sighed, "Why, simply because I'm the last of the last Bearer of a Great Soul that has kept their wits."

"What about the Furtive Pygmy?"

"Oh!" Nito pulled back, surprised, "I'd thought they were beyond even your sight; they put great effort into keeping their existence a secret."

"Yeah, no kidding."

"Regardless, they died a long time ago."

"Died? Like, of old age?"

"Well, I suppose it would be more accurate to say they killed themselves."

Garret blinked, "Why would they do that?"

Nito flippantly waved his hand, "Who knows? Well, Gwyn might have—they were close, oddly enough. As well as the Primordial Serpents; bottom-feeders, always hanging on their every word."

The Undead shook his head, "We're getting off topic." He held his hands out in front of him, "What you're trying to tell me, is that Gwyn somehow got it into his head that you'd, what? Take over the world after he sacrificed himself?"

A harsh scoff, "More or less."

"But…that's—"

"Insane? Paranoid?" the Gravelord chortled, "Apt descriptors for the former Lord of Light."

Garret sighed, rubbing his temples, "Okay, this…changes things. He looked up at the last Lord, "I suppose this means I can't use your Soul to open the way to the First Flame."

"Oh, no. By all means, it's yours."

Garret slumped his shoulders, "Well now I'm just befuddled."

"Unlike my contemporaries, I've never feared the end." A chuckle, "What kind of Lord of Death would I be if I tried to subvert my own?" His laughter tapered off, ending with a sad sigh, "Of course, this is not an ideal end. I'd always imagined—hoped, really—that my death would herald a new age, not the continuation of a meaningless cycle."

Garret stared sadly at the stone floor, "You know about the Cycle?"

Nito sneered, "Even Flann could see that Gwyn's sacrifice—and yours—was a temporary solution."

"Flann?" Garret repeated, "The Fire god?"

"The God of Flame, yes."

Garret scoffed, "Load of good he was."

A scoff, "The man is an imbecile, through and through. Did you know that he somehow weaseled his way into marrying Gywnevere?"

"Yeah," Garret folded his arms, scowling, "after she and everyone else jumped ship and abandoned Anor Londo. And Gwyndolin."

The Gravelord chuckled darkly, "You want to know something funny? The new land they settled in? It was among the first to be afflicted with the new Curse!" Garret guffawed, "Yes," Nito laughed along with the human, "A delicious irony!" His laughter tapered off, "Of course, they all fled once more, dooming the land and its citizens."

Garret sighed, "Figures. Gywnevere, at least, has—or, will have—a habit of abandoning her home at the first sign of trouble."

"Ah," Nito breathed, "She does, does she? It makes sense, I suppose. Of all Gwyn's children, she was always the most…fickle." At Garret's inquisitive stare, he said, "That is to say, she lacked conviction. For all his faults," a hint of fondness creeped into Nito's voice, "Gwyn stood by what he believed in, what he built. Something the rest of his children inherited, at least."

The Seer grunted, "His first-born especially. What's his name, by the way?"

Nito paused, "What?"

"Gwyn's first-born. What's his name?"

"D—Do you really not know?"

"Would I be asking otherwise?"

"I suppose not," Nito sighed, "Just seems odd. You know so much already, and yet a simple name eludes you."

Garret rolled his eyes, "How do you think I feel?"

Nito's skulls cracked into a light grin, then quickly repaired themselves. "Gwyn." He stated.

Garret blinked, "Hm?"

"Gwyn's first-born. His name is Gwyn. Gwyn the Second, technically."

"Gwyn named his firstborn son…Gwyn?" Garret stated slowly. At Nito's nod, Garret grinned, "At least he was consistent. As were Quela and yourself—c'mon man, Fenito, Milfanito, Benito," he added when Nito tilted his main head in confusion.

Nito laughed, "Yes. I suppose we all were…creatively sterile."

There was a long silence, after that. Garret moved to speak, only for Nito to first say, "You mentioned that Gywnevere will have gained a habit of running at the first sign of trouble in a kingdom. Does that mean that the Curse shall return?"

Garret nodded sadly, "Yeah. It…pops back up every few millennia."

"I see…Tell me this, Seer," Nito leaned down closer, voice softening, "Do you see an end to this…Cycle?"

The young Undead crossed his arms, sadly shaking his head, "Not for a long…long time."

"How long?"

Garret considered the question, then answered truthfully, "Long enough that nations basically start rotating who produces the next unlucky victim." He chuckled ruefully, "Long enough that everyone gets sick of the endless cycle of 'Light' and 'Dark'." A scoff, "Which really should be called the endless cycle 'Light' and 'Less Light'." Nito grunted quizzically, and Garret elaborated, "The world, despite popular belief, never falls to Darkness. Granted, nations which don't Link the Flame in a timely manner partially fall, but the Fire always gets re-Linked in the end, keeping the rest of the world 'safe'."

"Really now?" Nito snorted derisively, "So Gwyn lit himself ablaze for nothing?"

"Well, to be honest he ran himself into a corner after branding Humanity with the Darksign."

"…The Darksign is the cause of all this?" The Lord of Death and Decay asked breathlessly.

Garret froze, a pit forming in his stomach. "Oh, no," he whispered, "No, no, no." He eyed the Gravelord suspiciously, fearfully, "…You all were implicit in that little scheme, weren't you?"

Nito was silent for a long moment. Still. Then, he said, "It needed to be done."

Garret threw his head back, shouting furiously, "Dammit! So, you were all assholes!"

At that, Nito slammed his blade against his coffin. His bones rattled incessantly, and the ground started to shake and shift. "You dare judge us so?!" he hissed, "You, with your knowledge?!" He leaned down, inky black mist pouring out his main skull, "Your ancestors were feral! Their mastery of the Dark Soul was grand, far greater than their Pygmy forefathers, I will admit. But they lost control of themselves more often than not, killing friend and foe alike! We could not allow them to spread unchecked, destroying an already broken world!"

The seer scoffed, "World seemed to be doing fine until you all came along and started killing Dragons!"

Nito jaw opened wider, and loud, raucous groan echoing from within. Then, suddenly, he stopped. The mist stopped pouring, the groans coming to an abrupt stop. "Your eyes…" the Gravelord whispered.

"If you're trying to change the subject, you're doing a really shitty job of it!" Garret spat.

"They are glowing. Red."

Garret sucked in a breath, jerking backwards. That couldn't be true! He reached into his satchel, fumbling for a bit before pulling out a sword. He held it aloft, barely catching the reflection his glowing, red, eyes cast, before returning to their previous blue hue. The sorcerer gasped, dropping the blade. "I—I—I," he stammered, "I had no idea. Do they always do that when I get mad?" he whispered to himself.

"I never thought I'd see those eyes again." Nito said numbly.

"Well, stick around," Garret said, "I'm sure Gwyndolin will do something that'll trigger it."

"Not like that, fool." Nito grunted, "Those eyes look more akin to a Pygmy's than a Human's."

Garret furrowed his brow, "What, you mean they look less…feral, you called it?"

Nito nodded, drawing up to his full height, "The red eyes of early men were…impossibly bright. They shone beyond the eye, and the glow ebbed and flowed erratically. The eyes of Pygmies, however," he paused slightly, "They were refined, in a sense. Controlled." He stared down at the human, puzzled, "What makes you different, I wonder? Have the corrupting effects of the Dark Soul faded with time?"

Garret shook his head, thinking on the Darkwraiths, on Kirk's warning. "I don't think that's it," he said. He turned his thoughts to the future, to Hexes and Dark Magic. The people that used them. He pursed his lips, "I think…I think I'm fine because I know I'll be fine."

Nito hummed, "You know, as in you believe in yourself? Or you know, as in you've seen it?"

"Dark Magic—known as 'Hexes' to some—becomes…" Garret paused, thinking of what to say. "…It takes over Pyromancy's place as the 'outcast' magic. Pyromancy actually becomes an accepted type of magic, in the future," he added.

"Interesting," the Gravelord replied.

Garret nodded, "Yes, very. Now, remember what I said about a schedule? Well, I'd like to move on the next few items on my agenda." At that moment, Benito cawed, flying down to perch on Garret's shoulder.

Nito nodded, "Of course."

"So, I guess I'll get you later, when I'm ready to," Garret gulped, "take over for Gwyn."

"Actually," Nito grunted, "I'm leaving the Catacombs."

"Uh, what?"

"I grow tired of this place," the Gravelord said, "And it sounds like things are starting to get lively again in Anor Londo. It will be…nice to visit the city once more."

Garret hummed; he honestly hadn't expected this. "Okay then. Uh, see you there, I suppose."

"Nonsense," Nito said, "We leave together."

Garret pursed his lips, looking back at the stone coffin, "…It'll be a tight squeeze." Nito chuckled, wordlessly. He then gestured for Garret to step back. The young man did so hesitantly.

The Gravelord smiled widely, standing up to his full height. He tilted his main head upward, planting his blade in the ground. He stayed like that for a moment, long enough for Garret to step forward, a question on his lips. Then, the ground around the blade glowed red.

Garret quickly jumped back as the red light lanced up the Gravelord's blade. It travelled upwards, thin, pulsing, crimson lines spreading all throughout Nito's body. Then, black mist started to seep from his body. Slowly, like a fine mist, then gradually increasing until it was a torrent of black fog, crimson light somehow shining through. Then, the fog faded, revealing a lone skull, held up by a skeletal arm sticking out from the ground, with a rope-like series of bones sticking out from the top of it.

The skull's jaw clacked twice, "Oof, that always feels weird."

Garret's jaw dropped. He hesitantly stepped forward, "What just happened?"

Nito grunted, "I cast off the majority of my body; left something for you to carry around."

"For me to…carry."

Nito's skull wiggled in place, "Obviously."

Garret reached out, grabbing the bone-rope. "Sure," he laughed, "why not?" He lifted Nito up, running his hand along the bone-rope. He then lowered the Gravelord.

"Surely you don't plan on placing me near your backside?" the Lord of Death deadpanned.

Garret rolled his eyes but brought the skull back up regardless. He looked down at his body, before deciding on a buckle on his chest-piece. He carefully looped the Gravelord into place. He moved in place, the Lord's skull bouncing on his chest, "Comfy?"

"Relatively."

"Great. Now le—oh!" Garret snapped his fingers, lifting Nito up to speak-face-to-face, "What about Leeroy?"

Nito hummed lightly, "One moment," he said. Then, he moaned lowly, black mist seeping from his mouth and eyeholes. Then, as abruptly as it began, it stopped. Nito's jaw clacked a couple times, "He shall meet us on the other side."

Garret nodded, setting Nito back down, "Great. Also, should I be worried about getting poisoned?" Benito squawked worriedly.

"Eh," Nito replied, "it'd take a lot more than that to cause any lasting damage."

Garret smiled weakly, "Great…"

Line Break

True to his word, Paladin Leeroy awaited the three of them just outside the Stone Coffin. The man kneeled, "My Lord, I am at your command."

Nito grunted, "Arise, my Servant." When Leeroy rose to his full height, he continued, "The time has come; my end is nigh. This man before you shall lead me to Anor Londo. To my end." The Gravelord hummed lightly, "You have served me loyally. Should you wish it, I shall absolve you of your vows."

The Paladin was silent for a long moment, giving Garret time to look him over. His armor looked aged—a few missing chinks in the chainmail here and there—but it was well-kept regardless. It then occurred to Garret that Paladin Leeroy was old. He was described as the first ever Undead to come from the Way of White, the first one to undertake a 'quest' to Lordran. Briefly, he wondered if Leeroy's 'quest' was an actual, sanctioned mission to try and find a cure, and the whole 'dump our problems in Lordran' thing was something the Church developed later, or if it was all a lie to start? He supposed it would be something to talk about as they traversed the rest of the Catacombs.

"My Lord," Leeroy said, bringing Garret back to the matter at hand, "I wish to stay bound to you." The ancient Paladin pressed his right hand to his chest, bowing slightly, "You have kept me safe and sane throughout my long, long life. The least I can do is stay by your side, until the very end."

Nito hummed, "I see…As you wish, then."

Garret took that as his cue. He stepped forward, extending an arm, "Hey. Name's Garret, don't think I told you that before. This is Benito," he added, gesturing to the bird perched on his shoulder. Benito cawed in greeting.

Leeroy shook the offered limb, staring at Benito, then looking back at Garret, "Yes…You struck a deal with Pinwheel."

"Yup, that was me!" Garret said with a smile. He then gasped, "Oh, Nito! Gotta ask, you think you can help them?"

Nito hummed lightly, "You're asking me to assist you in your endeavor to heal the creature that tried to subvert death and steal from me?"

Garret blinked, "…Is that a no?"

A sigh, "…I can think of one way. It's a bit of an involved process, however, and requires Pinwheel's complete cooperation."

"Wait, really?" Garret asked, bewildered.

"Really?" Leeroy parroted incredulously.

CRAWK, Benito crowed.

"You doubt my words?"

Garret scratched his chin, "Well, to be honest I was expecting some more resistance."

"You have expressed a fair amount of irritation towards it," Leeroy added.

Benito trilled lightly.

"Oh, I'm still furious at their past actions," Nito said voice gaining a hard edge. "That fire will not fade so long as I live—which, admittedly, won't be much longer." He then sighed, his anger giving way to weariness, "But they have suffered long enough; their punishment has been dealt far beyond the scope of their crime."

Leeroy hummed lowly, "As you command, my Lord."

Garret smiled, "Hey, works for me! C'mon boys, let's get moving!" Garret led them outside, then stopped as he saw the skeletons in the distance. He groaned in disgust, "Right, these guys."

"Ah, yes," Nito growled, "Another thing to blame Pinwheel for."

Garret frowned, "How do you figure?"

Leeroy answered, "Do you remember the necromancers you and your allies fought?" Garret nodded. "Well, they rose up with Pinwheel to steal from Lord Nito. Used their magic to raise the bodies that lay in the tombs, to keep the Gravelord himself from raising them in retaliation."

"I see…wait, all the necromancers are gone, though."

"Are they?" Nito asked, "You killed all of them?"

Garret shrugged, "Not personally, but yeah."

The Gravelord chuckled, "Well, that makes this easier. Hold me up," he commanded before Garret could say anything. The Undead hesitantly did so. "Brace yourself," Nito briefly offered in warning.

Then, his bony jaw clacked open, and black mist seeped out from Nito's mouth with a low groan. Which grew louder, and louder. The mist had grown into a steady stream, pooling on the ground and, to Garret's slight alarm, covering his feet. Then, Nito roared. So loud and hard that Garret's arm shook from the force of it. Soon after, the whole of the Catacombs began to rumble. Next, the skeletons before them started to convulse. They shook and shook, rattling until they started to fall apart into haphazard piles. White light rose up from the piles of bones, and after hovering in the air for a moment, shot towards Nito's gaping maw. More lights followed the first few, dozens and dozens of white wisps flying from all over the catacombs.

Finally, the stream of lights ended, and the black fog was sucked back up into Nito's skull. Suddenly, the Gravelord twisted around, and Benito cawed, flapping his wings and rising in the air. Before Garret could get a word in, Nito's jaw snapped open, and a torrent of light burst forth from the Lord of Death's maw, enveloping both Garret and Leeroy in white. But, despite his fears, Garret was not in pain. If anything, he felt empowered. Stronger. As if he'd slain a Boss.

When the light slowly vanished, the Undead Seer lifted the Gravelord higher, "Did…did you just blast us with the Souls of every skeleton here?"

Nito bobbed in place, "Yes. Mind you, I could have kept it all for myself, but you need all the help you can get, and you, Leeroy…consider it a reward for your service."

Leeroy stood still for a moment. He then hastily dropped to his knees, "You are too kind, my Lord."

Nito hummed warmly, "Think nothing of it."

Garret grinned, "Hey, free Souls are always welcome. Gives us a good excuse to drop by a Bonfire." Before Garret took another step, however, a pit formed in his stomach, "Wait…you took the Souls of every skeleton here?"

Nito grunted, "I may have missed the ones in the Tombs further below, but none remain here that can accost you."

"No, not that." Garret cursed, "There's a skeleton here that's sane; a blacksmith named Vamos."

"A sane skeleton, you say?" Nito turned to Leeroy, "Did you know of this, Leeroy?"

The Paladin shook his head, "No, my Lord."

"He managed to hide himself away," Garret said, "In a hallway that, until he broke open a wall, could only be accessed by dropping down a pit."

Nito clacked his teeth, "I am afraid he was most likely consumed."

Garret sighed, "Can you bring him back to life?"

Leeroy grunted, "Whatever he was, it wasn't living?"

"Can you?" Garret pressed on, ignoring the Paladin.

"Perhaps," Nito said, "It will depend of the state of his bones." At Garret's furrowed brow, he added, "The only thing keeping those things together was the Souls trapped within them. I fully expect most of them to have crumbled to dust by the time you deem your tasks finished."

Garret nodded, "Then I guess the Bonfire's going to have to wait." That said, he reattached Nito to his chest piece, sprinting forward. He slid to a stop at the drop leading to the bottom of the Catacombs.

"Please tell me you're not—of course you are," Nito cut himself off as Garret jumped down the ledge. The Undead did his best to slid down the cliff but lost his footing and ended up tumbling down halfway through. He landed in a dizzy heap, clutching his head. "Ugh," he groaned, "I don't know if that was better or worse than just jumping off and landing on my feet."

"Worse," Nito ground out, "Did you forget that I am with you?"

Garret shakily rose to his feet, "Oh, quit your whining. It'll take a lot more than that to kill you."

"Hm…I suppose you, of all, people can make such a claim."

Garret smirked, "No kidding."

"You're a very rash man," came Leeroy's smooth timbre from behind him, "I hope you realize that."

"Gah!" Garret screeched, jumping back. He then screamed further as he found himself on the edge of the small outcrop he was standing on. Leeroy quickly reached out, pulling him to safety. Garret panted heavily, clutching his heart, "Don't do that? Wait," he frowned, "How did you get down so quickly? And quietly?"

"The tunnels," Leeroy gestured behind him to a slowly closing opening in the cliffside.

Garret slapped his forehead, groaning, "I forgot about those."

"To be fair," Nito spoke up, "So did I."

A sharp trill sounded overhead, and Benito glided down, settling back on Garret's shoulder. Garret rubbed the bird's head, "Did you remember the tunnels?" The bird stayed silent, but the gleam in his eyes told Garret all he needed to know.

A/N: I considered having Nito form an actual body but having him just be a skull seemed funnier. Also, I ended up splitting this into two chapters because it was getting a little long. Be sure to leave a review. Later.