Thanks for reading and to Dud-chan for the review! I'm really happy you are enjoying the fic!
"Link… the fire."
"What are you saying, little Hollow?"
"Gwyn's fire... I... must link it."
"How do you know about that? Who told you about it? Was it Frampt? No, it cannot be. That traitor has been sleeping for far too long. The only legacy he left behind before his slumber was that fraudulent prophecy... but it does not mention the linking of the fire. "
Kaathe rubbed his head against the puny being.
"Who was it, little Hollow? You can tell me."
The restless Hollow shuddered at the contact at first, but the soothing effects did not take long to appear.
Pathetic creature. Are you so deprived of tenderness that you would find comfort in and old snake such as me? Did no one in life showed you affection? Were you really so miserable?
"I promised him." The Hollow answered, caressing Kaathe's brow with their only hand. "Oscar."
"Ah, so it was your beloved Astoran elite knight. I should have known." Kaathe lifted his head, leaving the Hollow cozily resting in the wraps of his neck. "But how was he aware of this?"
Kaathe's meditative growl resonated across the abyss.
He had not thought much of the knight. Kaathe was fully aware of how powerful his memory was for the Hollow, but he had not considered that the knight himself was anything remarkable.
Not until then.
As if sensing his need for an answer, Frampt offered him another taste of his blabbering sleep-talk.
"Link Gwyn's fire." Frampt sung amidst dreams. "Chosen Undead, ring the bell... Link Gwyn's fire."
"Link Gwyn's fire." The Hollow echoed in harmony with the primordial serpent.
"Ah... so that's how it happened. I should have known." Kaathe's disappointment was overwhelming, though it was proper of Frampt to make such a stupid mistake. "You should have learned to keep your mouth silent while you sleep, Frampt. I can only wonder how many of your sad potential Chosen Ones you've driven to insanity with your ethereal whispers."
Still... why did it not drive you mad, Astoran?
Kaathe, unconsciously, wrapped the Hollow in a tighter embrace.
How could you listen to the whispers of a primordial serpent and not lose your mind in the process?
"Oscar, elite knight of Astora." Kaathe mused to the everlasting darkness. He felt the rush of peace the mere mention of the name sent through the Hollow's body. "Had fate unfolded in a different way... could you have become the Dark Lord that I for so long have waited?"
Kaathe played with the possibility, but only for a moment.
He had a sentient Hollow in his hold, the descendant of the Fourth Lord. The creature had achieved nothing in life and had no outstanding abilities other than their immunity to the madness cause by the Hollowing.
Yet, there was potential in them, no matter how hidden.
Rightly guided, the Hollow may prove to be a greater asset than Kaathe himself could even foresee.
"You are not my Dark Lord." Kaathe muttered to the Hollow, lowering his head to their level. "But you could be. And you will."
The ringing of a bell, intrusive and deafening, infiltrated the Abyss. It shattered Kaathe's undisturbed peace and made him lose his hold on the Hollow. He caught them with his teeth and returned them to the safety of his mouth before they drifted too far away and became forever lost in the unending darkness.
The Hollow said something, as did Frampt.
They spoke it in unison, neither aware of how much the phrase disgusted Kaathe.
"Link Gwyn's fire."
"Now!" Oscar gave the order just as the gargoyle was about to breathe a wave of fire.
He aimed his straight sword at the monster's throat. The blade cut through stone and fur, forcing the gargoyle to choke on its own not-expelled heat. The wound was crippling, but not deathly, just as Oscar had expected.
The gargoyle tried to counterattack by impaling Oscar's chest with its giant halberd. Oscar did not panic, for he knew the attack would never reach him.
He knew Solaire would do his part and do it well.
His friend did not disappoint him.
The gargoyle cried out an agonizing and deafening shriek as its arm and halberd fell to the floor, severed cleanly from its body with a single slash of Solaire's sunlight sword.
With both of its attacking methods neutralized, all that was needed was the killing blow. It was then that Oscar began to doubt the success of his strategy, not because it was intrinsically flawed, rather because he did not trust the man he had put in charge of the final maneuver.
The man from Carim, the prisoner Solaire had freed.
Solaire had trusted him instantly, but Oscar had yet to feel comfortable in the presence of the Carim knight.
Lautrec had given Oscar no real reasons to earn his distrust.
He had remained willingly by their side, even when running away back to the safety of Firelink Shrine would have been the smartest option.
He was reserved, mysterious even, but he had treated Oscar and Solaire with the respect and camaraderie expected among knights of all nations.
And he was a skilled warrior, a valuable fighting partner that had made their journey through the unexplored parts of the parish more bearable.
And yet, Oscar couldn't trust him.
"Lautrec!" Oscar exclaimed suddenly, feeling how the gargoyle was trying to free itself from the sword stuck in its throat.
Oscar did not want to think of what would happen if it managed to break free.
Though nowhere as lethal as that of a dragon's, a gargoyle's fire was not to be underestimated. Oscar had managed to keep the creature and its long-defeated partner from spitting fire at them, but now, Lautrec was about to make all his efforts go to waste with his inactivity.
"Oscar!" Solaire tried to attack the gargoyle again, but the monster kicked him out of the way and sent him flying.
Oscar could only see how Solaire made a precipitated attempt to parry the attack and failed.
The gargoyle moved after Solaire's unsuccessful attack, hiding with its body whatever fate had fallen upon Solaire.
There was no time for Oscar to rationalize his fury. He could only feel it, burning inside him and turning his sight red.
He hated the creature, but not as much as he hated the cowardly and treacherous Carim knight.
"Curse you!" Oscar hissed, holding the straight sword with a hand, and jolting the other directly towards the handle of the coiled sword on his belt.
"Perfect!" Lautrec cried victoriously from behind the gargoyle. The scratchy murmur of his shotel swords slashing the monster's rocky back filled Oscar's ears.
The gargoyle gasped a hoarse and frothy breath. The fire in its throat finally faded from existence. The entirety of its colossal weight rested too abruptly on Oscar's arm, and he barely had time to free his sword from the corpse and jump out of its way before it crushed him.
The gargoyle hit the ground like a fallen idol, the echo of its collapse being the last thing it ever offered to the world before fading away into nothingness.
"At last. Took you long enough to get that thing into place." Lautrec snapped at Oscar. He looked at him, his face concealed underneath the golden plates of his helmet, but even so, Oscar swore he could see his mocking glare and satisfied grin.
There was no time to get aggravated by senseless taunts. Completely ignoring Lautrec's extended hand, Oscar got up on his own and went directly to the spot where Solaire should have landed after the gargoyle's attack.
Oscar found his shield and sword, but there was no trace of Solaire.
He kept his fears at bay and immediately inspected the edge of the roof. His patience was rewarded, and he found Solaire hanging from a tile with one hand.
"Solaire!" Oscar immediately held Solaire's hand before his fingers could slip an inch more. "I've got you. Hang on!"
Solaire, though surely overcome with vertigo, instantly reacted to Oscar's aid and began to pull his body upwards.
"A knight of Carim saving two Astorans." Lautrec said after clicking his tongue. Oscar looked at him from the corner of his eye. He was kneeling next to him, catching Solaire's other hand as soon as possible and helping him back up to the roof. With his help, Solaire made it back to the surface in one piece. "Given the history between our nations, it's not the most likely of scenarios, eh? Yet, here we are. I guess Lordran really is a place where anything can happen."
He laughed.
Oscar paid no attention to him, and instead focused on making sure Solaire was alright. He was injured, but only with the expected wounds of battle; nothing some Estus wouldn't heal.
When he felt Oscar's stare on him, Solaire removed his helmet.
"We did it." Solaire said, putting a hand on Oscar's shoulder. "Oscar, we did it!"
"Is he always like this, or did the gargoyle hit him hard in the head?" Lautrec asked.
His only answer was one of Solaire's arms around his neck. Oscar shared the same fate, and before either could protest, Solaire had already trapped them both in an embrace.
"My friends... we are victorious!" Solaire laughed. "This is the true power of camaraderie! A might only achievable through jolly cooperation!"
Unlike Lautrec, Oscar found satisfaction in Solaire's enthusiasm and he reciprocated the gesture. If Solaire noticed Lautrec's insistent attempts to break free from his grasp, he either didn't care or was too absorbed in their moment of shared victory.
When he finally let them go, Lautrec pulled himself away from Solaire with so much impetus that he hit the floor with his back. Visible embarrassed by the whole display, Lautrec immediately got up.
"Apologies by my more than obvious lack of spirit about this whole celebration," he said, dusting off his armor, "but we Carim knights do not share Astora's tendency for these... sugary demonstrations of affection. In fact, we find the whole thing rather improper. How about we keep this heartwarming moment of collaboration between us a secret? Surely your Astoran hearts can't deny a friend this small kindness."
"Oh dear... I didn't make things awkward, did I?"
"Don't worry about it, Solaire. Cultural differences between kingdoms are always bound to create some tension among commoners and knights. I know you meant well." Lautrec took a step forwards and offered his hands to Oscar and Solaire. "And I must say... you both left me with quite a good impression. Yes, it seems the rumors are true; Astoran knights are as deathly as they are sensitive. I'm glad I'm on your good side."
"And I'm glad all I've heard about the knights of Carim is wrong." Solaire added, readily accepting Lautrec's help. "You're not cruel or untrustworthy, Lautrec."
"Well, what can I say? There's much more to a person than his homeland and rank." Lautrec said, moving his head directly towards Oscar. "Don't you agree?"
They kept staring at each other for a moment, their eyes equally concealed by their respective helmets.
Andre had crafted for Oscar a replica of the elite knight helmet. Oscar had been most grateful for the blacksmith for his thoughtfulness.
While Oscar had missed the protection it offered, what he had truly longed for was the privacy that only a helmet could offer.
He no longer had to fear his face would scare other Undead; and what was better, he needn't worry anymore about how his expressions could betray his every feeling and thought.
In the company of friends like Solaire, Oscar knew he could dispose of the helmet without worries; but in the presence of strangers, he knew it was best to keep it always on.
Lautrec fitted in the latter category.
The knight of Carim couldn't see the ingrained suspicion in Oscar's eyes as he finally accepted his help.
A part of Oscar wished he could trust Lautrec as blindly as Solaire did, but Oscar still couldn't find it in his heart to do so.
Whether it was the result of his sharp intuition or merely a misjudgment born from a past prejudice, he did not know, nor did he dwell on it.
"Well, it's been an honor fighting by your side." Lautrec said, making a small bow. "But this is where we part ways. I have a duty to fulfill, and I must tend to it right away. I thank you again for rescuing me from that cell... I don't know what would have become of me if you had left me to my fate."
"Don't think about it. What matters now is that you are free, friend." Solaire replied. He snapped his fingers and searched inside his bag. "Oh, I almost forgot. Here, take this."
He gave Lautrec a small golden medal. Lautrec accepted it, but not without a silence that demanded an explanation.
"It's a tradition among Warriors of Sunlight." Solaire said. "To give these to the knights and warriors with whom we share a great victory."
"Is that so?" Lautrec said, moving his head towards Oscar again.
Oscar replied by taking an identical medal out of his bag, the same Solaire had gifted to him after their victory against the Taurus Demon, while also accepting a new medal for their most recent success.
"How interesting." Lautrec nodded and continued inspecting the medal. "And what exactly does it do?"
"You offer them to the Lord of Sunlight at one of his altars. Of course, you'll have to become a Warrior of Sunlight first for it to work."
"Very useful indeed."
At first, Oscar thought Lautrec would toss away the medal into the distance with disdain, but he was pleasantly surprised to see him actually accepting Solaire's gift.
"I appreciate it, I really do. Well, now I must depart. Take care, friends. I'll be staying at Firelink Shrine for a while; be sure to look for me whenever you're around."
"We will." Solaire said immediately, a wide smile on his face.
Lautrec gave them a last wave of his hand before he went to the entrance that gave access to the parish.
"Thank you." Oscar said before Lautrec was gone. "For all your help."
Lautrec did not stop walking. Oscar thought he had not heard him or had outrightly ignored him, and given how he had treated him, the latter seemed like the most likely option.
"How strange it is, to hear such kind words being spoken by a voice as awful as yours." Lautrec sneered without turning around. "You are welcome, Oscar."
Lautrec said nothing else, and neither did Oscar nor Solaire.
Once he was gone, Oscar felt Solaire's arm resting around his shoulders.
"You did well, my friend. We Astorans have never been in the best of terms with Carim, but we shouldn't burden ourselves with past prejudices and resentments. I know it was not easy for you, so I'm glad you gave Lautrec a chance."
Was that truly the reason of his mistrust after all?
Had Oscar only been reacting to an old animosity from his past life?
The possibility was not farfetched, no matter how much Oscar wanted to believe his caution had originated from his intuition instead.
"Do you really think we can trust him, Solaire?"
"I do. Everyone deserves a chance to show their true character before we thrust our judgement upon them." Solaire removed his arm and looked down at the floor. "You find this naïve... don't worry, Oscar. I know how childish all of this sounds."
"It's not naïve or childish." Oscar removed his own helmet and smiled at Solaire. "You are right, Solaire. And if you trust Lautrec, then so will I. You know, at times like this, I start to think you are much wiser than me."
"Oh, no. No!" Solaire stuttered as he scratched an ear. "I'm just—"
"Why are you turning red?" Oscar said, not able to resists the taunt. "Is the sunlight too strong for you up here?"
"Of course not! We Warriors of Sunlight thrive under the power of the sun!" Solaire quickly put on his helmet again and gestured the famous praising position proper of the members of his covenant. "I do not fear the sun, I praise the sun! Come, praise it together with me, Oscar!"
"I..." Oscar thought fervently of denying the offer, but he felt he owed it to Solaire after the little jab he had thrown at him.
Glad that there were no witnesses around, Oscar stood next to Solaire and joined him in his praising.
It was now his turn to turn red.
"Ah, I had almost forgotten the clarirty of mind some praising gives to the mind." Solaire sighed after a long moment had passed. "Do you not feel rejuvenated as well, Oscar? The power of the sun does not work only for members of the covenant, after all."
"Yes." Oscar answered, feeling no real change in his body or spirit other than the warmth the ray lights had left behind on his armor. "It's a shame it was all so brief."
"Don't you worry, we can praise the sun for as long as you—"
"How about we leave that for later?" Oscar quickly suggested. "I would rather we focused on the matters that are now at hand."
"Oh, of course!" Solaire agreed, putting down his arms. "Sorry, I can get a bit carried away at times. You're right... at the moment, there's something much more important for you to do, my friend."
They looked at the bell, standing tall at the top of the tower, safely guarded behind columns of stone. To Oscar, it all felt like an illusion, a dream from which he would wake up at any moment. The magnitude of his reality had not settled until that moment; it weighed him down and kept his feet glued to the tiles of the roof.
He clenched his hands, if only to keep his fingers from trembling. His heartbeat quickened to the point where his pulse became painful.
I'm here.
Oscar considered putting his helmet back on to keep his expression concealed from Solaire, but the act would be too unnatural and suspicious to trick anyone.
I really am.
"Are you alright?" Solaire asked him. "Oscar?"
"Yes." Oscar managed to keep the tears at bay. It was not that crying in front of Solaire would shame him, but to shed tears without a clear reason felt too foolish. "I'm just a little overwhelmed. To be standing here, after all that's happened... it makes me feel like I'm not worthy of this, as if none of this was ever mine to achieve; and yet, here I am."
"And you deserve it." Solaire's hand was back on his shoulder. "You've earned it. You did not steal it from anybody and neither it's something fate threw freely at you. I know there are plenty of doubts still lingering in your heart, but please believe me when I tell you that you are worthy of being here, Oscar."
"That's the strange thing." Oscar confessed, looking at Solaire, who had again removed his helmet. "Despite everything, I also think this fate is mine to claim. My heart is divided. It doesn't let me forget my faults nor it lets me forgive myself; yet, it swells with pride at how close I am to starting the fate I always coveted for myself. Solaire, it's not that I'm not happy to be here nor that I still wish I had Hollowed at the Asylum. To be honest, nothing compares to the joy I'm feeling right now. It's just that..."
He knew what he meant to say next. Oscar had long learned that knowing what to say was seldom the problem; it was the how which always proved to be an obstacle.
"Is it alright?" he finished before he got tangled in the webs of indecision. He looked away from Solaire's kindly gaze. "Do I have the right to find pride in my actions? Is it alright for me to be contented with my fate, even after all I've done? Is it alright, Solaire?"
"It is." Solaire answered, resting his other hand on Oscar's free shoulder. "It is, Oscar. It truly is."
Oscar kept his eyes fixed on the bell, and he only made contact with Solaire once he was sure he would be able to keep his composure. He nodded at his friend and held one of his arms.
Solaire gave Oscar a soft smile before letting him go. He did not insist further on the subject, and Oscar was grateful to him for it.
"Are you ready?" Solaire ventured after a moment of repose. "Take all the time you need, Oscar. The bell is not going anywhere."
"That would be awfully inconvenient." Oscar commented dryly but not without good humor. He took a deep breath one last time before putting his helmet back on. Then, he sheathed his straight sword on his belt and secured his crest shield on his back. "Let's go."
"Go ahead, my friend. I'll be waiting for you here."
"What?"
"The prophecy says only one Undead will ring the bell, doesn't it? It would be foolish for us to put everything at risk with my interference. Now, now, I can endure a moment of solitude just fine! I'm more used to it than you believe. Oh dear, that didn't sound too pathetic, did it?" Solaire laughed as he put his own helmet back on and looked at the distant sun. "This is a fine place for a moment of praising. I think I shall continue with it in the meantime. I would not want the Lord of Sunlight to think I have become negligent in my duties as his warrior!"
"Solaire..."
"I will be fine, Oscar." Solaire told him with a soft voice. "Ring the bell. Once you're done, I will be here to meet you again so we can continue our journey."
He turned his back to Oscar and spread his arms up in the praising gesture.
Warriors of Sunlight were similar to the knights of Catarina in how much mockery they received from other knights. Their skills were widely respected, and it was foolish to ignite their anger, but that didn't stop others from ridiculing them because of their quirks.
Onion knights and sun-praising maniacs.
Oscar had always found both titles tasteless and disrespectful; this he remembered clearly, and he was glad of it, though that hadn't stopped him from considering both the Catarina armor set and the praising gesture of the Sunlight covenant ridiculous beyond belief.
Despite its many advantages, he would never consider wearing the Catarina armor set, and had it not been for Solaire, he doubted he would have ever praised the sun at all.
But at that moment, when he looked at Solaire so deeply immersed in his praising, Oscar did not find him ridiculous at all. There was nothing foolish nor laughable in the sight of a knight fulfilling his duty with such earnest devotion.
It was admirable.
Oscar could only wish he had half the dedication and passion Solaire exhibited so naturally.
"Go, my friend." Solaire told Oscar. He wasn't urging him; he was encouraging him. "Your fate is waiting for you just at the top of that tower."
"Hmm..."
"Siegmeyer, you're moping again."
"Hmm? Oh! I'm so sorry, I can't stop thinking about those lads. Do you really think they will be fine, Andre?"
"I don't see why they shouldn't be. I made sure to leave their armor and weapons in optimal condition; trust me, they could endure the power of a giant without breaking. And the small toolboxes I gifted to both of them should help them keep their equipment in good state."
"But will that be enough? Don't get me wrong, it's not that I doubt their skills. Oscar is an elite knight and Solaire is a Warrior of Sunlight, and I'm sure both of their ranks are well earned... but I worry about them still."
"Of course you do. After all, you onion knights are prone to be protective of others, even of those who mock you."
"How dare you? Were you not my friend, I would make you pay dearly for insulting my honor as a knight of Catarina!"
"Yes, yes, keep talking."
"Enough of your insolence! Now we fight! Astora and Catarina are allies no longer!"
Andre took a sip of his pint as he watched how Siegmeyer made a failed attempt at standing up.
Siegmeyer fell to his back and trashed his arms around in an imaginary fight, all while cursing at his poor balance.
"Curses, I have been defeated!" Siegmeyer lamented once he managed to straighten his back again. "Take my life then, Andre, and allow me to die with honor."
"Yes." Andre laughed, taking Siegmeyer's pint away from his hand. "I think you've had enough Siegbräu for now."
"You're no fun at all, old man."
"Old man? You... you dare? I mean it's true, but— Oh, why do I bother? You're too drunk to even remember my words for more than five seconds. I'll be sure to let you know what I think of you once you've sobered up."
"You sounded just like my beloved wife. You remind me of her."
"Hey, it's not proper of a knight to insult a lady in such manner, even less if said lady is one's wife!"
"Oscar and Solaire. They reminded me of my daughter too. My dear and brave Sieglinde. She is not cursed, but... It's one thing for an old fool like me to be branded by the Darksign, but to know the curse can affect them as well—"
"Such is the Undead curse, my friend. We cannot keep the young ones safe from it... but we can help them by being there for them, and guiding them in any way we can. They are not innocent children, they are knights; capable of much more than we can imagine. I'm sure of it."
Siegmeyer hid his eyes behind his hand.
Andre was about to offer more hopeful thoughts to him when the echo of a bell tolling in the distance filled the old church with its song.
Lady Reah had finally arrived, together with her always loyal companions Vince and Nico.
Petrus received them all with a warm welcome he had spent a long time perfecting.
His smile however, broke apart when the toll of the bell reached his ears, exposing for a moment the disgust and frustration he so desperately always tried to conceal when in presence of Reah and her two buffoons.
Who is responsible for this intrusion?
Petrus snarled as he turned his head at the direction of the bell's tolling.
His frown disappeared and his eyes widened at the answer.
Astorans... how meddling they are!
"I guess he is Oscar no more. I think I should call him Chosen One from now on."
Lautrec said, tossing the sunlight medal into the air. He caught it and looked at the fire keeper, his grin exposed by his lack of a helmet.
"Don't you agree?"
The fire keeper gave him no answer.
"You deserve to follow your own fate."
Solaire did not stop his praising, not even as the tolling of the bell and his own tears made it almost impossible to concentrate.
"And to discover your own sun, Oscar."
The deed was done.
He had rung the bell.
The prophecy and the dream stopped being promises and became his reality.
Oscar had done it.
He had reached a point of not return, he had taken his first real step into the life and destiny he had always believed would be his to claim.
"I did it." Oscar collapsed on his knees, his hands firmly holding the old lever. The bell continued to toll above his head, its thunderous chimes resonating in his body and soul. "Chosen Undead."
He began to cry, his sobs muffled by the tolling bell, his face hidden behind his helmet.
His tears were not born from happiness or grief; their origin was not something Oscar could define down to a single term. After a brief moment, he stopped trying to understand his tears and merely allowed them to flow.
The bell slowly returned to its fixed quietness.
Oscar remained in the same place, the same position.
He would go back to Solaire.
He would continue his journey together with his friend.
He would accept his fate and make sure he was worthy of being its bearer.
He would link Gwyn's fire.
He would succeed and become the man he wanted to be; a man worthy of all the kindness others had showed to him.
All of that Oscar was determined to achieve; but at that moment, he needed to let go of all the pent-up emotions inside him. It was not a gentle process, specially not for someone like him, so used to always doing the opposite, but he let it happen.
"Thank you." The words came out broken by his sobs and disrupted by his voice. "Thank you so much."
He repeated them until their sound no longer conveyed any meaning to his ears.
But to his soul, they always did.
He saw them walking along the path.
A young Hollow and their loyal companion.
The former was puny and feeble, the latter was big and strong.
They were common, vulgar, completely unimpressive.
"Really? Is this the best candidate you could find? By the Lords..." Patches asked himself as he waited for the two travelers to get a little closer. "Well, I'm here to follow orders. I just hope you know what you're doing, Yuria."
He snickered loudly, forcing the two Hollows to notice his presence and acknowledge his existence.
"Good day!" Patches greeted them, his body rigid in a squat. "What are you doing wandering around this dangerous road all by yourselves, so poorly equipped? Are you seeking death? No, of course you aren't! It jumps to the eye you are both of a different sort. I sense great courage in you, such noble determination, but none of that will keep you safe from the attacks of others, will they? The correct answer is... no! Well, lucky you that you happened to crossways with none other than me, Patches! The world-renowned travelling merchant! No, no, please, hold your applause. Oh, but enough about me!"
He sprung back to his feet and jumped directly in front of the smaller of the Hollows, earning a threatening grunt from their brutish companion.
"What is your name, young traveler?" Patches asked to the confused Hollow, extending his hand towards them. "Come now, don't be shy! I think we can become good friends... if we give each other a chance."
He dedicated to the two Hollows the best of his smiles.
Oh, right, they are Unkindled now. Oh, who cares? Hollow, Unkindled, Undead... different name, same thing.