"I wish we had more time in our hands. I would have liked to pick some flowers for the fire keeper."
"We've got a lady to save, and you're lamenting your lost chance to woo the fire keeper? This is far from being acceptable knightly behavior, Solaire."
"Oh dear, it's not like that at all! I just think she deserves a small token of our appreciation. When we left Firelink Shrine, we never thanked her for all the Estus we extracted from the bonfire, we didn't even said farewell to her. I feel we were unjustly rude to her... I wanted to let her know we are thankful for all her efforts."
The elevator from the old church descended at a glacial pace, but it was the best and fastest route to get back to Firelink Shrine.
Oscar pondered for a moment on what Solaire had said.
The duty of a fire keeper was not a gentle one, and the hearts of those poor women promptly became jaded and withdrawn. It was a common place for poems and tales to depict them as merciful maidens desperate to find a chivalrous knight to fall in love with, but reality couldn't be any more different than its fictitious counterpart.
Oscar knew the fire keeper at Firelink Shrine would find no amusement nor comfort in any gift Solaire presented to her.
To give her a bouquet of picked flowers would not make her weep or swoon of gratefulness; and more than a well-intentioned gift, the gesture could pass as cruel, disrespectful mockery.
"Very well. We'll thank her, Solaire." Oscar said, still not accustomed to the sound of his normal voice. "But it would be best to leave any sort of gift out of this. I know you mean well, but her duty is heavy and difficult, and the least she needs or deserves is for us to upset her with unwanted presents. A simple 'thank you' should be sufficient. I promise you we'll do this, but right now, you need to focus on our duty."
"I... I suppose that makes sense. Perhaps I was too naïve in my thinking." Solaire sighed. "You are right, Oscar. This is not the time to be thinking about this. We have a lady to save. I just hope we aren't too late."
"We will save her." Oscar stated with unyielding determination as his impatience with the slow elevator grew. "I promise."
Slowly, the shrine once again became visible.
Only a couple of minutes more before they touched ground again.
But it could take only a couple of minutes for Petrus to harm her.
Oscar knew Petrus was a vile man, but Oswald had confirmed and worsened his perception of the wicked cleric.
The pardoner had mentioned him in a carefree statement that had never intended to send Oscar and Solaire in an urgent quest to rescue a lady from his claws.
"It's nice to see that good people and honorable knights can exist in this land." Oswald had said while Solaire was still baffled by Oscar's presumed healing. "I must admit that when the first person I saw on my arrival was none other than Petrus of Thorolund, my hopes faltered. Though I suppose a man as drenched in sin as him must feel at home in this place, wouldn't you agree?"
Oswald hadn't had the chance to laugh, for as soon as he had finished talking, Oscar threw endless questions at him about the cleric.
Oswald, in a forced attempt to act like a professional pardoner that thoroughly respected the privacy of his clients' confessions, had said nothing to Oscar about Petrus' faults.
"If you are so interested in his sins, you should go ask him yourself, ringer of the bell." Oswald had stated with authority, clearly letting Oscar know his insistence was starting to annoy him. "He should still be at Firelink Shrine, in the company of his two fellow clerics and his beloved lady. But I must warn you that to incite the fury of that man would not be a wise move on your behalf. Who knows what he could do to that poor girl in a fit of madness if— Oh my, did I say that out loud?"
Oscar had thanked Oswald half-heartedly; then, he had grabbed Solaire by the arm, urging him to make haste. He had explained everything to him on their way to the elevator. Solaire had not understood everything Oscar had told him, but the fact an innocent lady was in danger was all he needed to know to accept the unexpected quest without questions.
Oscar had also set everything else on his mind aside. All that mattered to him at that moment was rescuing the woman before Petrus dared to put a finger on her.
The memory of Petrus' disgusting expression when he had talked about the punishment Oscar should have inflicted on the fire keeper made the knight's anxious heart race against his ribs.
He would not allow Petrus to bring any harm to the innocent woman that was under his false protection; a woman that surely trusted him without knowing of his true nature.
"Our priority is to keep the lady safe." Oscar told Solaire just as the elevator's gate began to slide open. "Let's avoid needless violence for as long as we can, but if at any moment you see Petrus threatens her wellbeing—"
"I know, Oscar." Solaire replied with absolute seriousness, with a hand resting on the handle of his sunlight sword. His protected face met with Oscar's, which was also concealed underneath his helmet. "I will not hold back."
Petrus had always considered himself a patient man, but Vince and Nico never failed to test the limits of his tolerance.
As if waiting for the useless wench to finish her prayers wasn't infuriating enough, the two jesters she had for bodyguards offered little amusement for Petrus.
Vince was simple, and his dull conversations were as entertaining as watching a windmill's wheel spin.
Nico was worse; he was too stupid to speak correctly, but also too eager to share his mindless and endless blabbering with the world.
Reah, the pious lady, the irritable witch, the useless harlot, was no better than her two idiotic guards. Petrus knew of some men that would find her pretentious innocence charming, perhaps even exciting, but to him, it was nothing but repulsive. And not unlike her beloved and braindead friends, she was stupid to the point where it was insulting.
This is all your fault.
Petrus thought, resting his back against a wall of stone as Nico and Vince were immersed in one of their meaningless conversations, one Petrus had refused to join with a gentle smile, under the excuse he was a little tired and needed time on his own to rest.
And tired he was, but not of body.
His mind always paid the price for the disgust the company of those fools caused him, as if their mere existences drained him of what little joy he still harbored inside his soul.
And seeing them happy and hopeful, as if they were heroes of legend about to embark on a quest worthy of poems and songs, further rooted Petrus' hatred for the three dolts.
I am here because of you.
Petrus glared at Reah and rested a hand on his chest, right above where the darksign was branded on his flesh. The girl could not see his stare, trapped in prayer as she was.
Petrus only changed the piercing expression on his eyes when Reah finished with her parting rituals and got back on her feet. When she turned around, she did not see a man whose hatred for her was as deep as it was poisonous, but the kindhearted and noble cleric she had known since she was a child.
And Petrus, too used to his role, played his part well.
"Are you ready to depart, my lady?"
"Indeed. Let us part to the Catacombs at once."
Reah smiled at Petrus, and he returned the gesture, with a gentleness so convincing that it would have deceived even a god.
"But before we go, I want to thank you all for being here with me. Petrus, Vince, Nico... without your help, my duty would be doomed to failure. It is only because of your support and loyalty that I am able to carry out my holy mission in the first place. You've sacrificed so much for me, and even now, you continue to risk your lives to protect mine. My trusted guardians, my beloved friends. Together, we will recover the rite of Kindling and bring some hope to this dark world and honor to our homeland and covenant. No matter what happens, I will not fail you. I give you my word."
How amusing. As if a woman's word had any value. Fickle, capricious, and unreliable creatures you are, not unlike the goddesses. And yet, here I am... slavishly serving you, as if I was a damned knight of Carim. I am a high cleric of Thorolund! Unlike those deluded Carim brutes, I was not meant to waste my life away in the service of an ungrateful wench. But still, here I am. And it's all your fault.
"My precious lady." Petrus approached Reah before the crying Vince and the sniffling Nico could do the same. He knelt before her and offered her his palm; Reah accepted the gesture and extended her hand to Petrus.
He grabbed it with delicacy, as if he was handling a freshly bloomed rose, and planted a kiss on the smooth surface of her skin.
"We are not worthy of your kind words. I know I speak for Vince and Nico when I say that none of us could ask for a greater honor than being your faithful protectors. Our lives belong to you, my sweet lady Reah. We shall always be by your side, no matter what horrors and dangers we may encounter."
Vince and Nico echoed his words with their own clumsy promises and oaths to Reah. The idiot girl, always hungry for flattery, rejoiced in the attention.
Petrus stood up and let go of her hand. How he would have enjoyed crushing those slender fingers in his grip, but the small gratification he would have obtained from the act was not worth the inevitable bloody encounter it would have sparked between him and Reah's buffoons.
You'll pay for what you did to me.
"Let's get going, my lady." Petrus said.
Nico and Vince, already dutifully standing behind Reah, readied their stances to embark on their perilous journey.
Their obvious affection for the wench was sickening.
It would get them killed for sure, but that wasn't Petrus' problem. If they were so eager to die for the sake of a woman as useless as Reah, he would not stop them.
But I will not share their fate. My life, cursed as it is, belongs only to me. I shall live, but first, I'll make you pay. This is the only vow I'll ever make to you, my lady.
Reah cocked her head slightly, signaling Petrus she was now completely ready to depart. Petrus nodded in response. He turned his back on the three fools and began to guide them onward to the cursed tombs, the place where the rite of Kindling had been lost.
The place where his vengeance would take place.
Their peaceful pilgrimage met an abrupt end before it could properly start when two strangers blocked their way.
A couple of knights.
An elite knight from Astora and a Warrior of Sunlight.
"You." Petrus said under his breath, recognizing the meddlers instantly.
Vince and Nico quickly put themselves in front of Reah, shielding her with their swords and shields, completely protecting her body from any impeding attack.
Petrus reacted with more subtlety, his morning star firm in his hand and his shield raised in front of his chest.
He inspected the two Astorans movements and stances. Their swords were sheathed, but their hands were stiffly resting on the handles.
The elite knight, the hideous half-Hollow, was composed and calm.
The sunlight warrior, though more tense than his companion, still managed to keep himself in check, but Petrus knew his violence would know no limits if he was provoked.
The memory of his hateful glare sent shivers down Petrus' spine. For the first time, he felt grateful for Reah's presence.
The sunlight warrior would not unleash his true strength, not in the presence of an innocent maiden that could get injured in the violent mayhem.
And he was sure that the half-Hollow would be no different.
Such is the price of chivalry and courtly manners you knights so much value.
Petrus had to bite his lower lip to stop his mouth from twisting into a cruel and satisfied smirk.
Let us see how much good either does to you in battle, you meddlesome Astorans!
"What's the meaning of this?" He asked the question with palpable offense, like a king that had been spoken to rudely by one of his servants. "Nico, Vince! Protect lady Reah at all costs! Do no worry, my lady, I'll deal with this vile scum!"
"We do not wish to fight you."
Petrus gasped.
It couldn't be true.
The half-Hollow's voice had been monstrous and horrific, like the distorted growl of a demon. But now, it sounded like that of a normal man.
What treachery is this? Did he manage to heal his Hollowing?
Petrus stunned his surprised before it could show on his face.
No, impossible. It was too advanced... it's must be just a dirty trick. Is his helmet rigged with some sort of enchantment that filters the ugliness of his voice?
"Is that so?" Petrus said, lowering his guard, as if accepting the initial peaceful terms the Astorans had proposed. "Then explain yourselves at once! My lady Reah has an important mission to fulfill, and your sole presence is an insult to her honor and virtue! Were we in Thorolund, you would be hanged for your impertinence, and the crows would feast on your exposed entrails!"
"My lady." The half-Hollow, completely ignoring Petrus' energetic threats, put an arm across his chest and bowed his head to Reah, who was barely visible behind the unfaltering protection of Vince and Nico.
The sunlight warrior reacted the same way.
Petrus seethed with rage at their indifference, and his fury reached its boiling point when the half-Hollow spoke again.
"We humbly apologize for our rude intervention, but we had no choice. This man, Petrus, is a threat for your wellbeing. As long as you remain in his presence, your life is in great danger."
"Preposterous!" Vince exclaimed, and Nico echoed his offense with a series of stuttering mumblings that evidenced his indignation.
"How dare you speak such blasphemy about my most trusted guardian?"
It was lady Reah's turn to voice her anger.
Petrus, far from being moved by her support and her total disbelief at the accusation thrown at him, stood tall before the Astorans, his features completely undisturbed by their claim.
"You impudent knights! Rogues! Such crime cannot go unpunished!"
"My lady, please, do not fret." Petrus said, relaxing his body. "Do not let the empty words of this pathetic man reach you. His offense is great indeed, but he knows not what he is saying. I ask of you to be merciful, for you cannot ask logical thought and sensible behavior from a man whose mind is half rotten with the Hollowing."
Petrus' listened to Reah's horrified gasp. Vince and Nico doubled their efforts of keeping her safe, and their flared tempers radiated a violent energy that filled the air with brittle, explosive tension.
"What are you saying, Petrus? Do you know these men?" Reah demanded after recovering her breath.
"I do. At first, I judged them as noble and brave Astoran knights, but alas, I soon discovered I had been too merciful with them. The elite knight and I shared a small moment of conversation by the bonfire when I first arrived here, while his companion, this Warrior of Sunlight, recovered from a failed Hollowing."
Petrus watched in delight how the sunlight warrior recoiled at the mention of his pathetic moment of weakness.
The half-Hollow tensed at the jab he had thrown at his dear friend.
Yes, that's it. Get angry, lose control. Show this harlot the monster you truly are.
"I thought we were getting along well, but this elite knight, this half-Hollow... he began to act in strange ways. He put words in my mouth, claiming I had vile intentions on mind for the fire keeper, and when his companion finally woke up, they both accused me of trying to kill them. They became hostile and irrational against me, even when I did nothing more than trying to help them and offer them comfort from their curse. I was forced to flee from the scene, confused and regretful that a potential friendship had met an end so abrupt."
"Liar!" The sunlight warrior exclaimed. "Not once did we try to kill you! It was you who tried to dispose of us! You tricked my friend with your farce about the kindling of bonfires... you tried to take his Humanity as you did mine."
"I ignore how you came to know of the kindling of bonfires, but I had nothing to do with it... And take your Humanity?"
Petrus laughed heartily.
"Are you seriously accusing me of being a dirty Darkwraith? Me? A high cleric of Thorolund? Oh, my esteemed Warrior of Sunlight, I'm afraid the Hollowing damaged your mind, just as it did with your friend's. Leady Reah, please share some of your indulgence with this man too. He is kind of heart, but his soul is too clouded by the toxic mists of his failed Hollowing. Forgive him, for he does not know what he is saying."
"I saw you conjure it." The half-Hollow claimed mercilessly. "The crimson energy, a dark magic that would give you access to our Humanities. You claimed it was a benevolent spell, one developed by generations of Thorolund clerics. I know what I saw, Petrus. My memories are clear and true, unlike your lying tongue."
The grave accusation did not infuriate Petrus.
True as it was, it was also ridiculous and blasphemous.
Petrus took a light peek over his shoulder.
"Behold! It is I, Petrus, a real Darkwraith in the flesh!" he exclaimed as he looked at his fellow clerics.
Their baffled faces became joyful smiles at the same time.
Vince and Nico laughed out loud, while Reah joined them with a relieved smile, completely incredulous of the foolish accusation thrown at her guardian.
The two Astorans, now reduced to a couple of insane clowns and no longer taken as a serious threat by the warrior clerics and the maiden, endure the ridicule in stoic silence.
Petrus looked at them, his chest puffed with victorious satisfaction.
"I think we need no further proof of the decayed state of mind of these poor souls." Petrus exclaimed, feigning to feel extreme pity for the two knights. "Thanks for the involuntary amusement, gentlemen. You really have brought some joy to my lady's heart, as well of that of her companions. Lady Reah, I think we can forget this distasteful incident ever happened and completely disregard the awful accusations of these two morons, can't we?"
"Of course. These men did offend me, but I cannot blame them for their actions. They meant no harm, and they have done us no harm. I forgive them, and I shall pray they find peace and happiness despite their madness."
"You are as wise as you are merciful, my lady. And if you forgive them, then so will I."
Petrus walked towards the Astorans, expecting them to move out of their way now that their credibility had been destroyed.
They didn't.
"You heard my lady. She harbors no ill will against you. Now move."
Swiftly, Petrus pushed the Warrior of Sunlight out of the way with a strong slam of his shoulder. The fanatic idiot fell on his back and crashed his head badly against the wall. Had it not been for his helmet, his neck would have likely snapped from his spine like a twig broken in half.
The elite knight rushed to his side. He helped his useless friend sit down, and Petrus felt the urgent need to finish the work and killed them both at that very moment, but the act would only agitate Reah.
The dirty wench, despite her continuous demands for respect and her imposing threats, had a feeble heart that made her weak to real displays of violence. She was all bark and no bite, and if he disobeyed her now and killed the Astorans in cold blood before her eyes, she would take a long time to recover her senses from her hysteria.
Nico and Vince would hate Petrus for putting their beloved lady in such state, as amusing as it would be for the high cleric to see the wench lose control of her emotions.
The push Petrus had given to the sunlight warrior surely had upset her more than necessary already.
She would probably cry in regret about the whole matter later, and Petrus would be forced to apologize and comfort her, all while claiming he'd had no choice, and that he would try to never act the same again.
He brought it upon himself.
Petrus thought as he looked disdainfully at the Astorans, as if they were mangy dogs about to attack.
This is what happens when you defy me. If you are smart, you won't bother me again.
Petrus must have jinxed his fortune, for the half-Hollow sprung back on his feet as soon as he made sure his companion was out of danger.
Petrus took a step back, surprised by his continuous defiance.
Why did he insist?
Why did he antagonize him so?
Did the half-Hollow really hate him so much only because of the few raunchy jokes Petrus had made at the expense of the fire keeper?
He had done them no wrong.
Sure, Petrus had indeed tried to take their Humanities... so what?
It hadn't been anything personal, and had either of the Astorans been in his place, they would have done the same thing.
"I won't let you get away with this."
The half-Hollow stated, loud enough for everyone in the shrine to hear.
"You are a vile man, Petrus, and I won't let you hurt this woman and her guards, not if I can expose your lies! Twist the truth as much as you want, that won't make you any less free or innocent of the sins you are drenched with. My lady, if you can't believe me or my companion, then trust the word of a pardoner! The same pardoner that knows of Petrus' faults and warned us of what fate could befall you if you continued to trust him! Oswald of Carim supports my accusations; he lingers nearby, at the old church. Talk to him; expose Petrus as a threat to your safety and he will be free to tell you all about Petrus' confessions and sins. Please, my lady... trust me in this. Please."
Time stopped for Petrus. The weight of the accusations fell heavily on his shoulders, so real and tangible that he swore a statue had crushed him.
He did not dare to look over his shoulder to confirm the effect the half-hollow's claim had had on Reah, Nico and Vince.
Pardoners, regardless of their origin, were deeply respected by all nations and kingdoms, and their word held a powerful influence that was not easily ignored.
Oswald.
That treacherous snake!
Could it be true?
Was he there in Lordran?
Petrus had caught not a single glance of any pardoner passing through Firelink Shrine; then again, Oswald was known for his guile and slippery movements. He was more shadow than he was a man.
The Warrior of Sunlight stood up and remained by the half-Hollow's side, but if he thought that was enough to intimidate Petrus, then the cleric had a nasty surprise for them both.
"I am a high cleric. I confess my few sins directly to Allfather Lloyd." Petrus said, not a single trace of fear or nervousness in his voice. "And even if your encounter with said pardoner was true, it would not surprise me that a pardoner of Carim would try to mud my reputation. We all know how apprehensive people from Carim are of their goddesses and religion, and how little tolerance they show to those who do not share their beliefs. We clerics of Thorolund are no strangers to their petty treatment. I guess it was only a matter of time before some of their venom finally reached me."
"Death to Velka, the fraudulent goddess!" Vince exclaimed, spitting to the ground. "Hail Allfather Lloyd, brother of lord Gwyn!"
Nico applauded his claim. Reah begged them both to remain quiet and be respectful, but her approval and favoritism for the acclaimed god was obvious.
"It pains me to see that Astora would show more trust in Carim, their sworn enemy, than they would in Thorolund, their trusted ally." Petrus proceeded after feeling the growing approval he was getting from his stupid companions. "Aren't our homelands joined by generations of friendship and goodwill? Do we not share the same religion and traditions? You'd do well to remember who your true allies are, Astoran knights. You wouldn't want to tarnish a bond as pure and strong as that which ties our kingdoms together, would you?"
"A man's sins are his alone." The bloody half-Hollow retorted. "Our places of birth have nothing to do with this."
"The next time a Carim bastard stabs you in the back, I dare you repeat those same words aloud, you half-baked monster." Petrus couldn't stop himself and violently rested his morning star on the lower part of the half-Hollow's helmet. "Then we'll see how strong this ideal of yours still stands."
The Warrior of Sunlight immediately reacted by unsheathing his sunlight sword. With a swift but powerful swing, he repelled the morning star away from the half-Hollow. The force of the attack made Petrus lose his balance, but he recovered after one miscalculated step and faced the Warrior of Sunlight.
Petrus felt his face and neck burning with furious blood.
"Petrus!" Reah's voice, though touched with trembling anxiety, remained authoritative. "Enough! Please, do no ignite in needless bloodshed. If you are worried that the claims of these knights have changed or distorted my opinion of you, I assure you they have not. Nothing they say could make me think of you as something else other than my loyal guardian. These men are not well, they don't know any better, but we do! Please, Petrus. Do not harm them. No one here needs to die."
That's not true. You do.
"Very well, my lady." After a long moment of brittle silence, Petrus' recollected enough pieces of his common sense to cool down his flaring battle instincts. "I shall do as you command and—"
"Reah, listen to me!" The half-Hollow exclaimed, his desperation no longer hidden behind knightly stoicism. "Your trust is misplaced! I beg of you, do not continue your pilgrimage with this man. He is not who he claims to be. He is not the man you think he is."
"You dare to address our lady by her name, as if she was a peasant's daughter?" Vince spat, and Petrus approved of his disdain for the Astoran. "The gall!"
"Vince, not you too." Reah lamented, exhausted of the confrontation, horrified at the growing possibility of it becoming a gory encounter.
Obviously, the pampered and weak child has not what it takes to deal with reality. Though to be honest, I am tired of this too.
"It jumps to the eye these knights will not stop with their fraudulent and relentless claims." Petrus announced, bringing forth a feign but convincing sense of order for everyone involved. "My lady, I respect your decision and I will do as you command me, but as a high cleric, I cannot allow my reputation to remain tarnished by the accusations of these men. Therefore, I shall clear my name in front all of you and prove I am innocent of all sin. I'll go to the old church and bring here this pardoner, Oswald of Carim, and he will have my permission to recite out loud all the supposed sins he knows me guilty of."
"Petrus! There's no need for that. Nico, Vince and I have not been persuaded by the lies of these wicked knights!"
"I know, my dear lady. You have a strong heart, immune to the gossip of lowly scum. If I want to bring this pardoner here, it's not because I fear you have been poisoned by Astoran lies."
Petrus pointed his morning star at the Warrior of Sunlight and the half-Hollow.
"My only intent is to prove these snakes that their cruel defamation of me is as false as it is futile, and that I will not be intimated by fabricated scenarios, not now and not ever. Take me then to this pardoner, knights! But first, let me expose the level of deceit and treachery of my accuser, this hideous half-Hollow"
Petrus raised his chin, his defiant eyes not once losing sight of the elite knight.
"Take off your helmet, knight. Let my lady and fellow clerics see your deformed face. Let them hear your real voice; your enchanted helmet may keep your true self concealed, but I know what you really are, just a manipulative half-Hollow! Take off your helmet, look at lady Reah in the eye and dare to accuse me again. Then we'll see how evident your tricks are, and how foul and dishonest the heart of a Hollow truly is."
Oscar had never intended the illusion of his falsely healed Hollowing to go on for so long. He had tried to confess to Solaire the truth behind his appearance, but his friend had been so overjoyed about his recovery that Oscar hadn't had the heart to shatter his hopes.
He had then decided to tell him the truth once they left behind the old church, but their sudden mission to rescue the lady cleric from Petrus' hands had changed everything.
Oscar had foreseen Petrus' tactics. He knew he would bring up his incomplete Hollowing and use it against him to rest credibility to his claims.
Thus, the lie couldn't be broken, not yet. There had been a brief moment of doubt while he and Solaire were on the elevator. Oscar had almost confessed everything to him, but he had refused the idea in the last second.
Solaire was an amazing knight, but Oscar knew he would be an awful liar, even more so if said lie was intended to persuade a cunning man like Petrus.
Solaire would only convince the cleric if he too believed with all his heart that Oscar's recovery was true.
Solaire did not deserve to be a tool of his deception, but Oscar knew he'd had no choice.
Yet, as much as he liked to believe he had only remained quiet about the ring for the sake of their mission to save lady Reah, the more Oscar thought about it, the thinner his conviction in this belief became.
Deep down, he did not want Solaire to know the truth. Oscar knew how much against the idea Solaire would be of him wearing a cursed ring.
A ring Oscar no longer wanted to take off, even less discard.
Even if it was only an illusion, the feeling of normalcy the ring offered him was real.
No longer was he a distrustful half-Hollow for others.
He was a normal Undead.
He was a trustworthy knight.
He was Oscar.
To give up all of it and return to being a half-Hollow, with his corrupted face and demonic voice, was an unfathomable thought, and it became more undesirable the longer he enjoyed of the ring's benefits.
His thinking had also been pertinent, no matter how deceitful.
And he was about to prove it to Petrus.
"Take off your helmet, knight."
The cleric spoke to Oscar the same way he had done when they had first met.
Oscar had been too weak back then, with an injured Solaire to look after and a heart that was still tender and bleeding because of the Chosen Undead's death.
Things were different now.
His body was strong, Solaire was conscious and healthy, and the Chosen Undead, though still a difficult memory, was more a source of inspiration and courage than of grief.
"As you wish."
Oscar took of the helmet Andre had crafted for him.
Petrus' expression would have been comical if Oscar's own guilt for his lie hadn't dampened his mood.
Still, he stood tall and confident, his face fully exposed to the Thorolund clerics.
Reah stared at him, her hands resting on her chest and her suspicious eyes changing into a dreamy expression that almost succeeded in distracting Oscar.
Vince looked at Reah and grew furious at the noticeable effect Oscar was having on her. In the blink of an eye, he became no less confrontational than Petrus.
"Oh no! He is trying to hypnotize lady Reah with his eyes!" Vince announced, exalting Nico into anger as well. "He is an evil sorcerer!"
"Quiet!"
Vince and Nico cowered in fear of Petrus' order. Reah comforted her two bodyguards, but Oscar could see that she was no less scared of the high cleric's temper.
Judging by her expression, Petrus had seldom, if ever, acted in such aggressive manner in her presence.
"Explain yourself, half-Hollow knight." Petrus demanded, his frown so deeply marked that it looked as if the skin of his temples would tear apart. "How did you heal a Hollowing as severe as yours? How many Humanities did it took? Or are you going to tell me you kindled a bonfire so hard and well that its fire purified you? Lie to me, go on. Trick yourself out of this. It's all bastards as heavily touched by the Hollowing like you know how to do."
"I've had enough of your slander!" Solaire intervened and spread an arm in front of Oscar. Petrus took a step back, almost tripping over his own feet. "Oscar is a good man, and I will not let you talk to him in this manner any longer. He is a true and worthy elite knight of Astora, the ringer of the bell of Awakening... the Undead of the prophecy! He deserves your respect, cleric, and you will give it to him."
"Is it true?" Reah ventured. "Astoran knight... Sir Oscar, was it you who rang the bell of Awakening?"
Nico, and even Vince, were in as much awe as her.
"Lady Reah, do not fall for this scoundrel's trickery!" Petrus intervened before Oscar could even think of what answer he could give to Reah and her companions. "They are trying to distract you from the true subject at hand! Whether this man rang the bell or not, it's irrelevant to my question. Well then... sir Oscar of Astora, the one and only Chosen Undead of the prophecy, would you kindly tell me how you healed your Hollowing?"
Petrus' false courtesy did not offend Oscar.
But the title he had called him did.
Chosen Undead.
He became agitated, and though he managed to keep his nervousness from showing on his body, he found not the strength to pronounce words.
Don't call me that.
I am not.
Or am I?
"What's the matter?" Petrus insisted with a cruel smirk. "Are you counting all the Undead you turned into Hollows when you robbed them of their Humanity? How many of them suffered so you could be healed of your Hollowing, Oscar? How many innocents did you condemn only to fulfill your selfish means?"
Many.
Northern Asylum summoned him back to the rotten confines of its walls of stone
It was now an empty place; its only residents were a demon and the few Hollows that had survived Oscar's first and only visit.
The ring on his finger burned his skin.
Too many.
"Oscar?" Solaire put an arm behind his shoulders.
Had it not been for his support, Oscar did not know what he would have done. The weight of his friend's arm helped him find his place in reality again. Slowly but surely, his arrhythmic breathing and heartbeat regained a gentler pace.
"The weight of your sins is heavy indeed." Petrus continued. "Just like your lies. Did you see, lady Reah? Only a half-Hollow would lose control of his emotions so easily. Do not be deceived by his appearance or by his friend's exaggerated claims. This knight's mind is still afflicted by the Hollowing. What you see on his face is nothing but an illusion, a trick of some sort."
"You know not what Oscar has been through!" Solaire snapped. "His reaction is not that of weakness or caused by the Hollowing! It's that of a man that is still healing, of a knight that keeps fighting regardless of his fresh scars. He is—"
"Astoran. Just like you." Petrus finished for Solaire. "That only makes his Hollowing worse. You Astorans have never been in proper control of your emotions. There's too much dark inside you... too much darkness in your souls. It is no coincidence the Dark beast attacked your homeland. I've never understood why Astorans are so proud of their sentimentality. Just look at what it does to you. No wonder you always make the most horrible and dangerous of Hollows."
"Petrus!"
"What I say is true, lady Reah. I know you've been infatuated with tales of Astoran knights all your life, but you need to see them for what they really are. They are not sensitive, they are unstable. They are not loyal, they are obsessive. They are not noble, they are pretentious... and today, I've learned they are dishonest as well, for this elite knight continues to lie to his friend even now. Yes, Warrior of Sunlight. I'm afraid you are another victim of this half-Hollow's tricks."
Petrus took a step closer to them.
Solaire's support in Oscar never wavered.
Oscar knew he would defend him to the death.
Solaire was willing to die for him, to die for a lie.
My friend... I'm so sorry.
"This is your last chance to save what little specks of honor remain in your corrupted heart, elite knight." Petrus threatened. "I know you are not healed of your Hollowing and that this is all an elaborated trick. You may have deceived your simple-minded companion, but it won't work on me or my fellow clerics. Confess your lie, half-Hollow. It's the only decent thing you can do at this point."
"I am not lying." Oscar lied, fully aware that accepting his fault would gain him nothing. He couldn't look at Reah and her bodyguards in the eye as he spoke, and Solaire's reassuring arm was now a stinging weight on his shoulders. "I am free of the Hollowing that once plagued me."
"Then tell us how you did it."
"Pardoner Oswald helped us." Solaire finished for Oscar. "We made our confessions and he granted us peace of mind. Oscar never stole Humanity from a living Undead, Petrus. Perhaps it's time you stopped projecting your own sins on Oscar and accepted he is telling the truth, whether you like it or not."
"Pardoners cannot possibly heal the curse of Hollowing, you hopeless idiot!"
Petrus gained confidence after Solaire's well-intentioned but careless words.
"By Allfather Lloyd, I cannot believe all this nonsense! Is that what he told you? Oscar, I understand that this fool fell for the scam... but you couldn't possibly believe none of this was true. Now I am sure this is all false. To be honest, I was just testing my ground before, but now, I am free of doubt. You've been tricked, Warrior of Sunlight! By that charlatan of Carim, and by your treacherous friend."
"The only liar here is you!" Oscar exclaimed, breaking free of Solaire's protective support.
He had heard enough of Petrus' manipulative retorts and insults.
Oscar had only one mission: to save Reah.
There was no time to doubt himself or let regret cloud his better judgment. Oscar knew he had to remain strong and confident; otherwise, Petrus would come out victorious with his cheap fallacies and disingenuous claims.
"Lady Reah, for my honor as an elite knight of Astora, for my duty to you as a warrior, I now reaffirm all that I have said about this man, with hope in my heart that you and your brave guards believe my words."
Reah, Vince and Nico looked at Oscar, a small glimmer of conviction shinning in their eyes.
They were listening to him.
For the first time, they were looking at him and regarding him as an honorable man, not as the insane half-Hollow Petrus had presented to them.
A familiar satisfaction warmed Oscar's soul, and for a brief but joyful second, a clear memory of his past transported him back to Astora, to the times when utter respect and acknowledgement had been granted to him as naturally and constantly as the air he breathed.
It felt good.
He felt proud.
"Beautiful words. Indeed, proper of an educated and worthy elite knight."
Petrus' hand clashed against Oscar's chest. He had been so drowned in his memory of his past life he had not noticed the moment the cleric had moved his arm.
"Let us prove how much truth there is behind them once and for all!"
A white light blinded Oscar.
The last he heard before darkness swallowed his world were the distant cries of Reah and the anguished voice of Solaire as he screamed his name.
"You did well, Yoel. Without your help, the sword and helmet would have not been retrieved. You are an example of excellence for all Hollows and pilgrims. If only more were half as competent and loyal as you..."
"My lady Yuria, it was an honor to be of service to you and our cause. If there's anything else I can do for you, by all means, tell me. Nothing brings more joy and fulfillment to this old pilgrim than to do the will of his lady."
"You flatter me, but Yoel, my dearest friend, I'm afraid there's indeed one more favor I must ask of you. A duty I would not entrust to anyone else other than you... a sacrifice only a loyal pilgrim can make."
Yoel clung to his withered staff.
Honor and fear clashed inside his rotten heart.
Lady Yuria, always so merciful and kind, came to him and embraced him.
"My friend." Yoel whispered as the tears of his lady touched his tattered tunic. "My lady."