Heysel stood in front of the Abyss Watchers' throne, the hood covering her eyes from the gaze of her superiors. Arthur of Farron, leader of the Undead Legion of Farron, leaned forward so he could better see the acolyte.
"You have found Xavier." the Lord of Cinder stated.
"Yes." the sorceress replied quietly but loud enough to be heard.
"What did he teach you?" the watcher inquired.
The acolyte gulped, her chest ached and her heart felt empty, but nonetheless she mustered strength to answer her superior's request.
"The javelins of the followers are meant to protect the honor and memory of the Legion, for it is their victim's wish to destroy what they..." the sorceress stopped to regain her composure. "...have become." Heysel finished and then lowered her head.
Arthur nodded, "Do you still wish to be part of the Legion?" he asked.
Heysel was surprised with the question and quickly looked upwards, revealing teary eyes. "Why would I abandon my allies, my friends, my family? They're everything I have!" she told her superior in a burst of emotion. After a moment of catching her breath she extended her right arm forward and put her left hand over her right shoulder. "I will always be an acolyte of Farron, not matter what happens, no matter how many ages passes." she said.
"Very good, we wish the best for you." the Arthur of Farron said.
A yellow mist appeared behind the acolyte of Farron, signaling the arrival of those who braved the Deep Cathedral's corruption.
"I see your rescue mission was successful." the younger Lord of Cinder said leaning back on his throne.
Anri looked around for the source of the unknown voice, but only manage to pinpoint its source when Horace placed a hand on his shoulder and pointed to the occupied throne.
"Is that…?" Anri hesitated, he didn't want to sound rude by mistaking the Lord's name.
The Yellow Wolf cleaned her tears and cleaned her nose. "Arthur of Farron, Abyss Watcher and leader of the Undead Legion." Heysel stated proudly, putting aside her grief in order to show respect to her superior.
"Weren't you suppose to kill him?" Horace asked aloud as he looked at his teacher.
"My task is to bring the Lords of Cinder back to their thrones and link the First Flame." Marcus answered as he approached Heysel, whose eyes were sharp like daggers and reflected the young astorian's image. "He can be quite observant, but he didn't mean to offend." he told the acolyte. "I'm sorry for your loss." the knight whispered looking down. "You lost your master while I saved my friends..." the warrior thought.
The acolyte's gaze shifted from the duo to the knight in front of her. "You don't need to, both of us wanted this." Heysel replied, the bonfire's light exalting the almost dry tears on her face. "I've learned my lesson." she admitted.
The knight lifted his head and looked at the sorceress for a moment before nodding. Meanwhile Horace spotted a familiar figure sitting on one of the stair's steps. She had her head down in rumination, the hood hiding her face from the stares of others. Anri followed his friend's gaze and felt guilty upon seeing their savior's state. He knew they would need to face her sooner or later, but the actual task seemed much more difficult now that they were standing so closely. The older astorian noticed the impasse and so decided to step in. He passed by the duo and stopped in front of his old friend.
"They're safe, for now." Marcus said.
"I was mistaken." Mildred replied while still looking at the ash-covered ground.
"Yes, you were, otherwise I would not be standing here." the knight of Astora nodded.
Anri leaned towards his friend, "What are they talking about?" he whispered to Horace.
Horace narrowed his eyes. "Aldrich, I think." he replied in the same tone and then glanced at the empty throne of the man eater.
"Do you have anything else to tell them?" Marcus inquired tilting his head to the side.
Mildred put her hands over her knees and then stood up slowly. She went towards the young astorians while removing her hood to reveal a passive face which held no anger or fury, but sadness and remorse.
"Forgive us, Miss Mildred." Anri was the first to apologize with a bow and was soon followed by his best friend.
The survivors' of Aldrich's hunger expected to be reprimanded, scolded or even punished, but when no words came from their savior they rose their heads in confusion. Anri gave a step back, his mouth gaping at the sight in front of them. Horace's eyes were wide open, and the vision reflected on them was something he was not expecting to see. Mildred held a great bow in her hands, the weapon made of white bone and twin animal skulls. It was potent enough to rival or even surpass the legendary bows of the silver knights of Anor Londo, whose weapons were capable of slaying dragons.
Marcus cuckled, "I suppose this is enough." he said before walking towards the handmaid of the shrine.
"I…! I thought you were asleep!" Anri said shocked.
"She...she wasn't!" Horace realized. "The maggot inside the cathedral...You were following us the entire time!" he stated. "But then...why didn't you save us from the red phantom?" he asked confused.
"I had my arrow aimed at them but the blue phantom took care of the situation." Mildred answered. "It seems I'm not as useful as I thought." the cannibal said with a gentle smile and closed eyes, even though such words covered an inner grief.
"That is not true!" Anri exclaimed as he clenched his hands into fists. "You're very knowledgeable, kind and strong! You help strangers even without promise of reward and fights without fear. The world needs more people like you!" the blonde said.
Mildred's smile dissipated, "I'm not the perfect person you think I am." she admitted. "But...I will do everything I can to help you, until the end of your journey." she promised.
Meanwhile Marcus offered a decayed hand to the cloaked maid of the shrine. It was covered by leather tatters, which partially revealed the decrepit and gray fingers beneath.
The old woman accepted the offering, her own hands warming at the touch of such young ash. She pressed her lips against each other, and a nasty itching spread through her neck, prompting her to scratch it with her left hand.
"Anything wrong with it?" Marcus asked suspicious.
"I see you were busy as well." Heysel said.
"Found a grave robber?" Marcus asked without looking at the sorceress which stood by his side.
"A sorcerer tried to steal my master's scrolls." the acolyte turned her wolf eyes towards the old woman. "I have ashes, but I lack souls to spare." she told the handmaid.
"Hm? If it wasn't Heysel, then what happened here?" Marcus thought looking back at the main room of the shrine. "It couldn't be Greirat or Ludleth. Maybe Eygon, although I don't see reason why he would talk with her. The only one who...ah, Arthur. Judging by how she is behaving I guess she was caught on the act." he thought. "Anyway, what can you get from this ash?" he asked.
The old handmaid performed her usual ritual to convert the ash into usable items, but this time her gaze focused only on the task at hand.
"Red bug pellets, black firebombs, rope black firebombs, human pine resins, alluring skulls, rusted coins, rubbish, a parrying dagger, a pair of shotels, winged spear, poison arrows and a set of black leather armor." the old woman revealed.
"I HIGHLY advise you to discard these human pine resins. You won't need them, and those who desire it are not welcomed here." Heysel warned, her hand over the golden catalyst.
"I know there are resins that give fire, poison and lighting properties. These ones are made from human residues, therefore it is likely that they are related to the Abyss." the astorian thought and then crossed his arms. "Do as she says." he demanded.
The handmaid was about to protest, but ultimately separated the resins from the rest of her wares, and summoned a large leather sack to gather the foul black resin. She handed it to the acolyte, who promptly accepted it.
"Will you burn it?" Marcus questioned curious.
The acolyte carefully put down the sack and tied it before storing in her soul. "Of course, but later. The rest is fine." she answered.
"Does a rusted coin have any special effect or value?" Marcus asked as he remembered the coins he got from mimics in Anor Londo, coins which had no apparent effects.
"Some adventurers believe they bring luck to those who carry them, however, no kingdom of my knowledge uses them as currency." the old lady informed.
"I received a copper coin from Petrus and he doomed his friends. Five silver coins and a gold one from mimics in Anor Londo and I had to kill Solaire, although I did find Lautrec, but that's not the case. Found a golden one from the Painted World and was pecked to death by humane crows; and one from Oolacile but was too late to save Artorias." he thought. "Luck coins? Coins never gave me any kind of luck." the Lord of Cinder admitted and then stepped aside. "Your turn." he looked at the sorceress and pointed at the handmaid.
Heysel offered a hand covered with a leather glove and the remains of a black sleeve. The lifeless fingers still gripped around a small scroll, suggesting the owner was a sorcerer.
The merchant mumbled under her breath. "This ash is filled to the brim with scrolls: Great soul arrow, heavy soul arrow, great heavy soul arrow, soul greatsword, farron flashsword, magic weapon, magic shield, spook and aural decoy. There's also an old book, although it has seen better days." she informed the sorceress.
"I offer 500 souls for the book." Marcus said suddenly.
"What?!" Heysel said baffled at the purchase. "This is my master's property!" she exclaimed.
"Very well." the handmaid spoke quite satisfied as she conjured a book from its soul form.
The cover was a rough and shriveled leather, the tip rolling back like the tongue of a chameleon. The book was relatively small, no bigger than 20cm in height, and the surviving pages were few, easily fitting in one's grasp. Marcus frowned at the state of the book, for it either meant that the owner was old or that the book itself predated its last owner.
"Marcus! Give it to me!" Heysel ordered exalted.
The astorian looked at the acolyte, the damaged book and then back at the sorceress, who had her arm extended to receive her master's property. After a final glance he handed it to the acolyte, who passed her left hand over the cover and then transformed it into a soul to safeguard it.
"Regardless of ownership she deserves some payment for her services, although I wonder the difficulty of the task." Marcus glared at the old lady for an instant. "Perhaps you can restore it with a bright idea." he said looking at the catalyst on her belt.
The acolyte of Farron tilted her head at the statement, but the answer dawned upon her like a flash of light in the darkness of the abyss. "I see." she replied with a nod and then turned back to the cloaked maid. "Another ash." the sorceress said offering a second hand, this one grasping an old and mundane green pendant with an iron chain.
The maid's skinny fingers grasped the dismembered hand. She chuckled at the sight of the modest jewelry. "Ashen One, what woeful umbral ash is this? This barren dust, stuff of a fool, on't yield aught. Where did thou happen upon the stuff? Tell me, for the sport." she spoke disdainful of the ash.
"Farron." the acolyte said replied quietly, only loud enough for the trio to hear.
"Oh, yes, I see..." the handmaid looked down at the pendant. "Clinging to lofty dreams in this dying world...more's the pity. It must come from one most foolish indeed. Woulds't thou not agree?" she asked the duo.
"I used to have a pendant like that one." Marcus pointed out.
The researcher of Oolacile turned towards her ally, "You did? Could it be that..." she hesitated.
"May I take a look?" Marcus asked.
The merchant's eyes were hidden by her hood, and her lips were tightly pressed against each other. She handed the old pendant to the warrior without even glancing at him. Marcus grabbed the iron chain and lifted it in front of his face. He used his free hand to turn the decoration around and brought it closer to his face for better inspection.
"No, it isn't mine." the knight sighed and then handed the pendant back to the seller.
"I reckon it was special." Heysel said with pity.
"It has no special properties or significant value to a merchant, but yes, it is special to me." the astorian said looking at the roof of the tunnel. "Mine has my name engraved into it, and that's how I know I'm Marcus of Astora." he thought.
"Don't you long for it?" the acolyte asked.
"Hm? No, not one bit. I'm sure the current owner has more use for it than I." the knight said truthfully turning his head towards the sorceress. "So? What can you get from this ash?" he asked the merchant, however, the old lady remained still, ignoring the warrior's request. "Are you listening?" he leaned forward.
"Oh, no need to worry about an old woman like me. I was just absorbed in thought. "Hm… The items are:1 hidden blessing, green blossoms, black bug pellets, 3 gold pine resins, 6 Gold Pine Bundle, rotten pine resins, titanite shards, 1 composite bow, feather arrows and 1 life ring." the merchant listed the new wares.
"Hidden blessing?" Marcus tilted his head to the sides.
"My master told me it is a holy water which fully restores the focus of a sorcerer. A very rare thing indeed, for only the Queen of Lothric is able to produce them." Heysel explained.
"It only restores focus?" Marcus asked the sorceress.
"Unfortunately, but I heard there are a variant called divine blessing, which fully heal even the most lethal of wounds, and cures ailments like poison and bleeding." the acolyte said.
"I'm familiar with them." Marcus told his friend. "I have to kill Aldrich, saint of the Deep, and this ash provides me with titanite shards, black bug pellets and gold pine resins, which are useful against the Abyss. I have 55, 235 souls, but the cost to empower myself is 12,384 souls, and the next upgrades will be more expensive. I can't wield Sif with one hand, and my intelligence and miracle affinity are not at peak condition yet. The Cathedral knights' weapons hurt quite a bit, so I will probably need some investment in my vigor too. I better get stronger first before thinking about equipment and items, after all I still have my original weapons." the astorian pondered over his resources. "I will come back after I talk with Aurora." he informed the women and then return to the main chamber of the shrine.
The blind guardian of the Fire turned towards her master with uncanny timing, bowing to him just as he reached her.
"Welcome back, Marcus of Astora. Speak thine heart's desire." the blonde fire keeper said respectfully.
"Did Siegward of Catarina come back to the shrine yet? He sounds very jovial and proud." the astorian questioned.
"Yes, my sir. He asked me to inform thee of his safety and gratitude, but he left not long ago." Aurora replied.
"It's fine, I'm glad he managed to come back." Marcus sighed. "He really did escape with the armor, very impressive." he thought. "I need you to empower me. I require improvements on vigor, strength and faith." the astorian requested.
"Very well. Then touch the darkness within me. Take nourishment from these sovereignless souls." Aurora nodded and then offered her hand to her knight.
The younger astorians observed their master get stronger through the power of the blonde maiden, their adoptive guardian rolling her eyes at her friend's last choice. Once the task was completed the knight from Astora got up from his kneeling and rubbed his chin.
"Hm...how many souls are required for the next improvement?" Marcus asked Aurora.
"13,436 souls, my sir." the fire keeper answered.
"I have 16,511 souls left, but if I get stronger I will have barely anything for the rest. I still don't know much about Irithyll so I should ask around. Heysel knows about Aldrich's abyss, so maybe she has an idea." Marcus thought and then turned his head towards the tunnel that leads to Andre. "I wonder what kind of path Anri and Horace chose for themselves, they don't seem to rely on spells or miracles, but that would aid them greatly. Maybe I can teach them the basics? Hm, maybe Heysel can lend me a hand." he turned towards the duo.
"Is something wrong?" Anri asked worried.
"No, I was just thinking about you both. Can you use any kind of magic or miracle?" the Lord of Cinder asked fully turning towards them.
"No." Horace said rather quickly, but otherwise remained stoic.
"I...I have never tried." Anri replied hesitant.
"Do you wish to learn sorcery?" Marcus suggested.
"Will you teach us?!" Anri asked excitedly at the idea of being taught by his idol.
"I do know sorcery but I have never tried teaching anyone. I was thinking about asking Heysel for help, she's a sorceress from Farron and the one who guided me to the cathedral." Marcus explained.
"Can we, miss Mildred?" Anri asked the huntress for approval.
"I don't see the problem." the cannibal smiled.
"It is the only type of spell you will allow them to learn, though." Marcus though. "Alright, ask Aurora to fortify your soul." he ordered.
"Who?" the astorians and cannibal asked in unison.
"The fire keeper, her name is Aurora of Firelink Shrine." the Lord of Cinder gestured to the woman by his side, prompting a proper bow from the blind watcher of flames and a surprised exclamation from the trio.
Marcus waited patiently for the fire keeper to do her part. Both astorians managed to save enough souls to get two improvements each, but Mildred denied the service, much to Anri's worry.
"I don't need it." the huntress waved her hand in front of her. "Besides, it would be too costly. We might need to buy some equipment for you both, don't we?" the cannibal explained.
"Actually, I have two spare catalysts you can use. We only need to buy the scrolls, which should be about 2000 souls in total." Marcus said lifting three fingers.
"Now that I think about it, I have never seen you cast magic." Anri realized.
"I usually use it when I need to target a faraway enemy I can't reach or as a supplement in combat." Marcus told his student.
"But why two spare ones? Isn't one enough? Or...are they special?" Horace inquired curious.
"No, the staffs are pretty standard. It just...happened. I got them throughout my life for many reasons and then ended up with copies." the older astorian answered. "I bought a spare one from Griggs and collected his catalyst after killing him in Sen's Fortress." he thought.
With preparations ready the group went through the main tunnel of the shrine and past the merchant lady, but the sorceress was nowhere to be seen. Marcus stopped in front of Andre, who interrupted his task to look at his old client.
"Oh, I wasn't expecting ye here so soon. Need anything?" the bearded smith asked.
"I'm looking for Heysel of Farron, she's a sorceress with a leather cloak and hood." the Lord of Cinder asked his old friend.
"To the right." the smith said extending his arm towards the same direction. "Anything else? I suppose yer friends need stronger armor and arms for their journey." the experienced astorian said looking past the warrior's shoulders.
"Not yet. I might come back very soon, though." Marcus told his master and then turned to the right to descend through a set of stairs, which lead to a lower dark area.
Mildred grunted quietly behind the astorians, making both look behind to see their caretaker.
"Is something wrong, miss Mildred?" Anri asked worried.
The cannibal waved her hand dismissively. "No, nothing. I just choked on my on saliva, you don't need to worry about it. Let's not keep him waiting, shall we?" she walked down the stone steps without looking back.
The Lord of Cinder found the sorceress sitting on the right corner of the path not too far deep into the tunnel. A few small candles burned over an old rock, providing light and clarity to the acolyte of Farron, who used the flames to read an old scroll.
"Heysel?" Marcus asked to get the woman's attention.
The yellow wolf lowered her scroll and lifted her head to face the knight. "Hm? Still here? I was expecting you to be on your way to Aldrich." the acolyte admitted.
"I will be leaving soon." the knight from Astora said.
The Lord of Cinder sat cross-legged in front of the sorceress, ignoring the small puddle of water underneath him and the cold sensation which assaulted his muscles. The younger astorians and the demon huntress arrived shortly after, and Horace couldn't help but notice the familiar garments of the acolyte, clothes wore by hollows slayed by his hand.
"Heysel, this is Anri and Horace, both from Astora, and Mildred." Marcus presented his friends to the sorceress, gesturing to each one as he named them.
Anri gave a proper bow out of respect, while Horace gave only a slight bow. Mildred, on the other hand, remained still as the oldest of mountains.
"Ah...the ones who braved the Cathedral of the Deep by themselves, and had to be saved." Heysel said uncaring, making said individuals look away in shame.
"To be fair, they reached the main chamber mostly by themselves." the older astorian defended his friends' merit.
"Some people believe the Legion attacks with reckless abandon, but that's not true at all! We spend years training and stocking our supplies for our inevitable battles." the spell caster shook her head in disapproval, then the yellow's wolf gaze shifted to the cannibal for a moment, but then returned her attention to the knight. "Anyway, what is the matter?" she asked.
"I need a favor, Heysel. Could you teach these two the fundamentals of sorcery? A basic spell like soul arrow? Yes, I have two spare catalysts and we are willing to pay for the classes." the older astorian requested.
Heysel crossed her arms and closed her eyes in profound contemplation. "Very well, I'm willing to teach Farron Dart, an elementary spell, which is easy to learn and use. The lesson will cost you 900 souls in total." the acolyte explained.
"Thanks. By the way, is Farron Dart easier than Soul Arrow? How does it compare to it?" the Lord of Cinder asked as he searched for the catalysts within his soul.
"Slight easier to learn, although not by a large margin. It barely creates an impact, and the arcane energy is about 60% weaker; but the cost is equally lower and has a faster casting speed." the leader of the acolytes explained as she grabbed a scroll from within her soul.
"I wish to learn it as well." the older astorian requested as he handed the catalysts to his apprentices.
The young astorians inspected the staves with wonder and curiosity, as it was a gift from their master. Anri slid his index finger across the catalysts, feeling the well-preserved catalyst despite its age. They were made of wood and were only a bit over 1m in length. The round shape allowed a firm grip, and the leather straps on the middle gave a certain degree of comfort. The tip had an oval shape, but otherwise the tool had no other distinguishable aspects.
"I will take good care of it." the blonde astorian promised.
"I know you will." Marcus smiled kindly and then extended his hand towards the acolyte. "1,350 souls for 3 Farron Dart scrolls." he said summoning the souls onto the palm of his hand.
"Let us pay for the spells, you already provided the staves." Horace requested.
"I'm only paying this time. Besides, we still need to talk with Andre, so you both can pay your reinforcements if you wish." the knight from Astora offered.
"Hm...fine." the black knight agreed but sounded reluctant.
"That will actually cost more souls than the scrolls, though. On the other hand, they still feel guilty of rushing to the cathedral, so I suppose this is some kind of repayment." the Lord of Cinder pondered.
"I accept the offer." Heysel said absorbing the adequate amount of souls. She handed the knight a scroll and then leaned back.
"We need two more scrolls." Marcus remarked.
"Yes, I'm fully aware. You two will need to wait for a moment, because I only have one spare copy of Farron Dart. I will need to inscribe two more for yourselves. It won't take long, five minutes at most." the yellow wolf spoke.
The acolyte summoned a pair of blank blueish scrolls from her soul, which she put on the rock by her side, then she retrieved an ink pot and feather and put both on a dry spot by her right side. Meanwhile Marcus stood up and stretched his legs.
"I need to talk with some friends in the shrine, I will come back once I'm done." the Lord of Cinder warned.
"But won't you learn with us?" Anri asked saddened by the sudden departure.
"Sorry, Anri, but I really need to do this. We don't have much light, do we, Heysel?" the sorcerer looked at the sitting acolyte.
"No, we don't." Heysel answered without looking away from the unfinished scroll.
"It is indeed quite dark in here." Anri noted as he looked around, unaware of the true meaning of the comment.
Mildred watched her old friend walk away with firm and determined steps as he passed underneath the smith's bridge and beyond, until his shade couldn't be distinguished from the shadows of the temple.
The students waited patiently for the sorceress to finish her task. The shrine which was once so full of life and sound returned to a more serene state, for even Andre had finished his latest task and was currently resting his muscles and hammer. It was a comfortable silence, peaceful and calm like the night on a forgotten hill far away from civilization. Finally after a short pause the acolyte of Farron rolled up the scrolls and offered them to her students, who accepted it with a nod. However, before they could begin reading the instructions the sound of footsteps echoed from their left, attracting their attention to the unknown source.
"Ah, just in time." Marcus said making long steps towards Heysel. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I believe you should check this scroll again." he said rubbing the back of his head with his free hand.
Heysel frowned at the returned scroll. "What's the problem?" she asked as she unrolled the piece of paper.
The yellow wolf began reading the instructions in silence. The title was correct and so were the fundamentals and steps. However, there were extra lines written underneath the last step, and while the guide itself was written carefully and masterfully with ink in thin lines, the added words were of a minor quality, with thicker lines and small black dots adorning the nearby area, indicating the usage of charcoal. The extra words were few, but they shook her to the core of her soul, but fortunately the scroll itself blocked her reaction from the group in front of her.
"I believe Aldrich went to Irithyll. I need a path and information.
My friends were attacked by a Pale Shade of Londor. I need information."
"So?" Marcus asked as he expected a response.
Heysel lowered the paper as she placed her free hand on her chin. "What a blunder. It seems I gave you the scroll for 'Great Farron Dart'. You will have to wait for another copy." she warned.
"You don't need to rush it." the Lord of Cinder sat at the same spot as before, drenching his armor once again. "So there is a stronger variant." he thought.
"Uh, doesn't the cold water bother you?" Anri asked worried for his master's health.
The older astorian looked over his shoulder. "Not that much to be honest. I sat on some very dirty places in the past, so I learned how to tolerate it." he explained.
"But you don't have to." Horace argued.
Marcus shook his head, "Horace, just because you can do something don't mean you should. In fact, we can do a lot of things, but we must be aware of the results. I insist on sitting here not because I'm stubborn or stupid, but because I want to train and keep my tolerance to cold water. Likewise I braved Farron's poisoned swamp without moss because I wanted to increase my resistance to poison." he said with conviction.
"And yet you used magical rings to rescue your friends." Heysel pointed out as she continued to write.
"I only use them to help friends in need or to face something like the Abyss. Otherwise if I have to die a dozen times then so be it." he justified.
"Very reasonable." the sorceress nodded. "It is done." she handed the new scroll to the knight.
"Thanks for the help." Marcus said as he rose from the ground.
"You may come back for more scrolls in the future." the acolyte warned as the knight departed once again.
The Lord of Cinder walked rather casually as he went through the tunnel of the temple. He went past Andre and then Greirat, going a little further and then turning to the left towards a small annex part situated at the right part of the shrine and roughly behind Yhorm's throne. The area was small and rectangular, with broken tiles covered by a foot-deep water, stone walls and high roof. The left wall was about 3 metes high, and could be accessed by going through a small archway by the giant's throne, although one would need to perform a small jump if they wished to access such a place, for there were no stairs or ladders.
Marcus leaned on the right wall and then unrolled the scroll. His eyes went directly to the bottom of the paper. The information was shorter than he had expected but despite the urgency of the matter the quality of the words were equal to the previous parchment.
"Irithyll: City of the eternal Moon and gods. Covered in snow.
Path: Unknown.
Best guess: Catacombs of Carthus. Hidden lever on the altar in Farron's Mausoleum.
Carthus: skeletons and traps. Sharp curved swords. Don't touch the crown."
"City of the gods covered in snow...Anor Londo? Did the painting break, releasing the ice? Or is it another city? Could it be the source of those ice beasts, or are they from the painting too? Speaking of which, could there be more than one painted world?" the Chosen Undead ruminated. "And another place filled with traps, just what I needed. My mace should be able to prevent the resurrection of the skeletons, and I still have a few other holy weapons just in case. Maybe I should hand them to Anri, Horace and Mildred, although Mildred will not like it. And the crown, why shouldn't I touch it? Is it sacred? A trap? Cursed? Could it be...the Abyss Watchers hid the entrance to Carthus, which means they don't want people to find it. If this is their desire then it means that those fools unleashed the Abyss, and the crown is a seal." he deduced.
"Londor: Inheritors of the darkwraiths. Promises salvation to hollows. Creators of dark sigils.
Current goal: unknown.
Leaders: Three swordwomen sisters"
The knight from Astora shifted his attention to the instructions of Farron Dart, the spell engraved on the paper. The steps were simple and easy to follow and boiled down to 3 main steps: channel the energy from within the core of your soul, transmit it through your arm as you move it forward and then pass through the catalyst so it can manifest in the physical plane. The energy had to be sent quickly and in short bursts, so a swift forward movement of the arm was used to increase the velocity of the projectile. Marcus stored the parchment in his soul and then grabbed the Ivory branch catalyst from his belt.
"Darkwraiths?!" Marcus thought sending a tiny dart of magic across the decrepit hall, the projectile dissipating in the darkness of the shrine. "And what do you mean by current goal unknown? Isn't their purpose to spread the Abyss for their own selfish reasons and steal humanity, sacrificing innocents just to live a little longer?" he thought sending three more darts in quick succession. "Could they be aiming for something more ambitious?" the knight rolled forward and then fired a quick soul dart as soon as he recovered.
The Lord of Cinder looked at his white catalyst, a relic of Oolacile, and a memento of the destructive nature of the Abyss. He grasped the silver pendant, which remained hidden under his blue vest, and took a deep breath. The lord seeker needed more information, but Heysel's compliance in being discreet warned him of the possibility of the shrine being watched. The knight also noticed that Arthur of Farron was unusually quiet, and refrained from asking about Aldrich. His only solace was that Arthur of Farron and Heysel were keeping a constant watch over the shrine, for he knew he could trust both of them, unlike…
"I better talk with Irina." Marcus thought as he put the white branch on his belt. "And check Greirat again." he thought walking out of the small annex room.
The knight found the thief on his usual spot tying a brown bag which was certainly full of wares.
"Oh, hello. I see you are back in one piece." Greirat said.
"I'm glad to see you're fine too. Anything new?" the astorian asked looking at the recently touched bag.
"No, I haven't gone on a prowl yet. Say, do you have any place in mind?" the thief asked.
"Don't go to the Cathedral of the Deep, that place is too dangerous, and whatever you may find I will most likely reject anyway." the warrior told.
"I-I see." the smaller man stuttered.
"Are you still selling common spears?" Marcus asked.
The thief lifted his head at the request. "Y-yes, I am! In fact, I have two in stock, 600 souls each." he said as he retrieved said weapons from a pile at his side. "Here, take your time, no need to rush." the vendor said offering his wares to the knight.
Marcus grabbed both spears and placed them on the ground in front of him. He aligned both so they were side by side with the sharp edge pointing to the right. The astorian grasped the first one, moved it closer to his ear and then tapped the wooden handle with his gauntlet, humming satisfied before returning it to its place. Marcus extended his left arm forward to half of its reach with a closed fist and then moved his right hand over the left one, going upwards until he reached a distance of about 30cm between each hand.
"Uh, If you don't mind me asking..." Greirat hesitated.
"I'm measuring the size of a torch." Marcus answered the unspoken question as he carefully moved his hands over the wooden shaft of the weapons, always keeping the same distance between them.
"But these are spears." the thief replied clueless.
The knight leaned back after finishing his measurement. "A torch is a piece of wood with a burning tip, preferably with cloth covered in pine resin or similar substance to add longevity or to facilitate the flame. A spear is usually a long wooden handle with a sharp piece of metal attached to the edge. If you removed the tip you have a piece of wood, except that the spear was made for an easy grip, unlike some makeshift torches." the astorian explained. "To make a 'spear torch' I just need to remove the iron tip, cut the handle in half, unwrap the leather around the middle section because leather is quite resistant to fire, add a small bundle of charcoal pine resin on the red cloth and wrap it around the tip." The Lord of Cinder explained.
"It seems to be a lot of work." the vendor commented.
"Perhaps, but the handle shape alone makes it worth it, and although the shaft is tinnier than a usual torch, it is considerably longer, and therefore compensates. Besides, the maiden is selling a torch for 300 souls, while I can buy a spear from you for 600 and make two with each. I can also use the edge as a makeshift dagger, which covers the cost of a small amount of pine resin." the knight explained. "Here, 1200 souls." he offered said payment.
"Are you really buying them? N-no, nothing against it. I'm just...surprised a warrior such as you is willing to break a fine weapon so easily." the thief argued as he accepted the souls.
"Greirat." Marcus said in a warning tone as he collected the spears, prompting the smaller man to shiver at the strength of the voice. "A spear is good for many things, but sometimes is unfit for the task at hand. And at the end of the day, it has much in common with a torch, for both are majorly pieces of wood, except each has its own purposes." the knight said gently. "A spear might kill great dragons, but a torch lights the way in moments of darkness, and guides you home. See you later." the astorian got on his feet and then waved the prowler goodbye.
The Lord of Cinder went back to the central area of the shrine, passed by the guardian of the flames and then straight to Irina, who sat at the base of Lothric's throne. The gargoyle knight stood by her side with crossed arms, his monumental hammer on the back and ready to use against any assailant. The astorian sat in front of the blind maiden and rubbed his chin as he reflected on what to say.
"The only miracle I'm unfamiliar with is Med Heal. I know the tale of Great Heal but couldn't cast it even at my prime. Perhaps it is a good choice to learn it. I taught her Soothing Sunlight to motivate her, but I don't think I should be skipping steps like this. She knows Force and I have the full story, but there's also..." the knight thought. "Hello Irina, I hope everything is alright." he said warmly.
"Ahh, Marcus, welcome back. I'm doing quite well." the former nun said smiling tenderly. "Did you come to hear more tales?" she asked hopeful.
"Yes, could you teach me Med Heal?" the knight requested.
"It would be an honor." Irina nodded.
Meanwhile Horace brought the wooden staff closer to his chest, channeled the arcane energy, extended his arm forward and then fired a small soul dart through the dark tunnel of the shrine. The bolt traveled for a considerable distance before dissipating in the air.
"You did it!" Anri clapped his hands.
"Well done, the timing and posture are good. Now you just need to practice it to further decrease the preparation time. Anri, it is your turn now." Heysel demanded looking at the blonde astorian.
Horace stepped aside to give room to his friend. Anri breathed deeply and then brought the catalyst closer to his chest. A light blue glow emanated from the wooden staff, increasing in intensity until it formed a stable sphere in the mid section.
"Now, release it." Heysel instructed.
"No, I'm still gathering energy." the astorian argued as he continued the channeling.
"You have to fire!" the acolyte insisted, raising her voice.
"Fire it!" Horace encouraged.
"Listen to her, Anri!" Mildred said worried.
"No!" the younger astorian said, the glow covering his entire hand.
"CAST IT!" Heysel shouted.
"No...I can...agh!" Anri shouted.
The arcane energy which Anri was channeling exploded violently, pushing him back and onto the ground. The blonde grunted in pain as he contorted. Mildred quickly crouched by the astorian's side and offered a sip from her own estus flask.
"Anri! Say something!" Horace urged.
"Chest and...hand...hurt." the blonde complained.
"Here, drink it." Mildred lifted the visor of the helm and placed the golden flask on the astorian's lips.
The young warrior squinted his eyes as he fought back the pain, but gathered enough strength to force a sip. The small amount of estus wasn't enough, but it allowed him to take more of the magical substance more easily. Meanwhile Heysel had her arms crossed but her gaze was devoid of ire, instead being filled with what one could call empathy.
(A few minutes ago)
Irina made a sonorous and long sound with her voice, ending the tale of Med Heal. Marcus placed the final dot on his scroll and then rolled it up to store in his soul.
"Did you like it, Marcus?" the blind maiden asked hopeful.
"Yes, I did. Hm...out of curiosity. Is there a shorter tale than the miracle 'Heal'?" the Lord of Cinder asked.
The maiden's face paled at the request. "Did I speak too quickly? Do I need to speak more clearly? I should have know I wasn't suited for the task!" she began to panic.
"Relax Irina." Marcus placed a hand on his teacher's shoulder. "You read the tale pretty well and I understood every word perfectly. I'm just asking if you are aware of a shorter miracle, nothing more." he said reassuring the maiden.
"Ah...forgive my misunderstanding." Irina gave a bow from her sitting position. "I was just...please, pardon me." she begged.
"It didn't bother me, really. Anyway, do you know?" the knight waved his hand dismissively despite his teacher's blindness.
The maiden sighed relieved, but her fear wasn't completely erased. "I...I have heard the church imparts a short miracle called 'Heal aid' to those of little faith, but I was never taught the tale." Irina said regretfully.
"Ah, so there is one." Marcus nodded, "Speaking of ease to use, Fire Surge is the easiest pyromancy I'm aware of and I don't think it can get more simple than that or Combustion." he thought. "I have been thinking about what miracle I should share with you, and I..." the warrior stopped mid sentence when he heard a faint noise from far away. "Excuse me for a moment." the Lord of Cinder stood up swiftly and turned his back to the faithful duo.
"I heard someone." Irina commented.
The gargoyle knight stepped forward and grabbed his round large shield and hammer with uncanny speed. Both knights looked around for the source of the sound, despite the hostility from their first misunderstanding. They formed a half circle around the blind maiden, keenly aware of her frailty and incapability of defending herself.
"CAST IT!" a woman shouted from across the other side of the shrine, the inner chambers facilitating the spread of the voice.
Marcus lowered his shield, which made Eygon look at him suspiciously.
"What is going on?" the gargoyle knight demanded while still maintaining his fighting stance.
"Heysel of Farron. She's training..." the Lord of Cinder interrupted himself when he heard a small explosion on the distance. "...she's training Anri and Horace, my friends, in sorcery." he explained.
"Are you certain of that?" the black gargoyle paladin asked skeptic while looking at the knight, but still lowered his shield.
Marcus sighed, "Fine, I will take a look. You both stay here." he told the duo before jogging towards the inner tunnel of the temple.
The Lord of Cinder found Mildred helping Anri stand up. Horace was the first to notice his arrival and so turned to greet him.
"Oh, Marcus, you're here." the young astorian said matter of fact.
"I see my voice has reached you." Heysel said turning her head to face the knight. "It was just a minor accident. There's nothing to worry about." she reported.
The older astorian put the shield on his back, turned away from the group, brought both hands to his face and took a deep breath. "I WAS CORRECT!" Marcus shouted and then turned to the others. "Sorry, I was just warning Eygon that you were just training, he thought it was an intruder." he explained.
The Lord of Cinder glanced at the now fully recovered blonde, which was quickly dusting off his armor with both hands to be more presentable to his master.
"Let me guess, Anri tried to channel too much energy on the catalyst and it blew on his chest." Marcus pointed to the catalyst which laid on the ground half submerged in the cold water of the shrine.
Upon noticing the magic tool the blonde apprentice hastily snatched it and began frantically drying it up on his blue vest. "I'm sorry! I should have listened to them. I just thought..." he hesitated.
"...you could impress me by casting Great Farron Dart?" the veteran warrior asked.
Anri looked down, "Yes..." he whispered.
"This reminds me of that time I tried to speed up the casting time of Heavy Soul Arrow. Unfortunately I wasn't smart enough to pull it off, and got my arm wrecked." Marcus told his pupil as he shook his right arm. "I can't prohibit experimentation, but let's learn the basics first, shall we?" he asked.
"Besides, even if you had managed to release it, it wouldn't be Great Farron Dart, for the spell is only negligibly slower but stronger." Heysel noted shaking her head to the sides.
"I understand..." Anri looked at his masters to see their reactions.
The blonde was confused, there was no disappointment or any traces of anger on Heysel's eyes, and even though the metal visor hid Marcus's face, his body language was surprisingly calm, almost relaxed. He didn't understand, they should be furious by his mistake and lack of proficiency. Marcus had scolded them for going to the Cathedral by themselves, it made no sense to not punish him for such lackluster performance.
"Anri, try casting it again." Marcus suggested.
The student blinked, "W-what?" the student stuttered.
"You heard me, try again. It isn't uncommon to fail on your first attempt, but doesn't mean you shouldn't keep trying." Marcus grabbed the catalyst on his belt. "Come here, let's try again." he gestured with his left hand for the apprentice to come closer.
Anri glanced at Mildred, who nodded in approval. The apprentice sighed and then walked forward slowly but surely. Marcus smiled faintly under his helm, recognizing the young astorian's determination despite his doubts.
"Alright, before we start I will ask you a question: What is the purpose of this sorcery?" the master asked the student.
"To...defeat an adversary?" Anri answered timidly.
"Yes, but you may have realized that it is quite inefficient at that." Marcus stated.
"Yes...that's why I tried to gather more power..." the blonde admitted.
"Anri, brace yourself, I'm going to hit you lightly. Mildred! I don't want to hurt him too bad." the Lord of Cinder warned.
Mildred frowned but remained quiet, Horace lifted a brow and Heysel nodded.
"Why?" Anri asked confused and a moment later received a light punch to the chest.
The blow was barely more than a push, and the only sound heard was the chainmail clanking with the impact.
"Did that hurt?" Marcus asked.
"Uh...no, but I don't get it." the blonde stated looking down at his vest.
"Tell me when it starts to get uncomfortable." Marcus requested.
The astorian veteran punched three more times at regular intervals using the same amount of strength. He stopped to glance at Anri but his apprentice shook his head in denial. Marcus jabbed five more times and managed to get a grunt from the younger warrior.
"The last punch hurt me a bit." the apprentice admitted.
"Good, hold on for a little longer." the Lord of Cinder said.
Marcus reeled back both arms and began punching at the same steady pace. Anri grunted with each strike and after a dozen hits he stepped back and bent forward in pain.
"Ouch! The last one hurt!" the apprentice complained.
"And why did it hurt?" Marcus asked crossing his arms.
The blonde held his chest with the left hand. "Because you..." Anri stopped mid sentence as an idea crossed his mind. "...I...I think I get it!" he exclaimed lowering his arm. "The punches, they weren't getting stronger! It is just that you were constantly attacking me. They were weak individually, but by doing it several times you managed to hurt me." Anri looked at his catalyst with newfound enthusiasm. "Farron Dart follows the same principle. It isn't a powerful spell, but its strength lies in speed and frequency of attack!" he said excited.
Marcus clapped his hands, happy that his student manage to grasp the lesson. "He's starting to sound like me." he thought amused. "Do you wish to send another shot?" he asked.
"Yes!" the blonde said eagerly as he stood by his mentor's side.
The student followed the same steps as his first attempt, but this time refrained from gathering too much energy. He extended his arm forward, sending a light blue dart of soul energy from the catalyst, which dissipated in the darkness of the hall. Horace and Mildred clapped in unison at the display but Heysel remained still and uncaring, which Mildred noticed.
"Care to explain your apathy?" the huntress asked with piercing eyes.
"Both still haven't mastered the spell." the acolyte revealed.
"Huh?" Horace looked confused at the sorceress.
"I...didn't?" Anri asked disheartened.
The older astorian sighed as he grabbed his ivory catalyst. He quickly charged his own energy and fired a farron dart at the acolyte, hitting her on the head. He flexed his arm upwards and then fired a second time, repeating the sequence twice and hitting his target on the chest. Despite the apparent affront the sorceress barely flinched and only grunted with each impact.
"Marcus!" Anri exclaimed surprised.
"That's for hitting my head and saying such a thing." the astorian knight stated annoyed. He rolled forward and then fired a fourth dart at the sorceress as soon as he recovered. "And this is for hitting me with a bolt." he said before finally hanging up the catalyst on his belt.
The young astorians looked at their master, the acolyte and then back at Marcus. Heysel huffed, yet her semblance was calm and serene.
"Are you okay, miss Heysel?" Anri asked worried sick.
The Yellow Wolf simply mumbled. "I suppose I deserved most of it." she admitted. "And I see you mastered the spell, Marcus." the sorceress said unfazed.
"First you attack your student, and then your own teacher. What is your next method? Allow them to attack you?" Mildred sneered.
"It is an option." Marcus answered bluntly.
"Why do I even ask?" Mildred rolled her eyes.
"Because you care." Marcus smiled. "Can you do the spell, Horace?" he asked and the student nodded. "Alright, come here then, it is time for the second step: quick fire." he gestured for the astorian to approach him.
Mildred watched as the young astorians took their positions for their new lesson. The acolyte of Farron appoached the cannibal and leaned sideways to talk to the huntress:
"Have you ever been to Farron?" the Yellow Wolf whispered.
"There was a chaos demon in the bridge." the demon huntress whispered back without even looking at the sorceress.
"And you killed..." the acolyte began speaking but was interrupted.
"Who are you to judge me?" the demon slayer turned her head to face the acolyte, her eyes ferocious as the demons of Izalith.
Heysel felt her soul get colder under such imposing gaze. She instinctively backed off, unable to resist such pressure for much longer. The cannibal's posture relaxed, and her eyes softened in an instant.
"I understand your feelings, you treasure your people above all else. I treasured mine, too..." the demon slayer whispered before looking back forward.
Heysel followed the cannibal's gaze, the younger astorians were firing a steady sequence of soul darts. Their form was adequate and speed reasonable, she knew there was room for improvement, but refrained from stating her opinion. After another shot Anri lowered his catalyst and held his helm with the left hand, while Horace fired 3 more before grunting in discomfort.
"Feeling dizzy?" Marcus asked and his pupils shook their heads. "Is that a 'no' or just to clear your minds?" he asked amused.
"Dizzy." Horace mumbled.
"I...hard...to think." Anri managed to say after a moment.
"You will get used to it. While fighting leaves you physically exhausted, spells put a strain in your mind and soul. With enough experience you will learn to fight even when you can't cast anymore." Marcus explained. "Now rest at the bonfire and then go to Andre. I still have something to do here." he advised.
"Ugh..." Anri mumbled before turning his back to his master.
"Understood." Horace managed to say and then went back to the center of the shrine.
The older trio watched the students stumble away, their steps unfocused but the direction firm. Once they entered the hall leading to the handmaid the sorceress turned to the Lord of Cinder.
"Any more questions?" Heysel asked.
"That's the same as asking if he's still breathing." Mildred joked.
Marcus smiled, "I do, but time is precious. Just try not to kill each other." he told the duo and then went back to the central chamber of the shrine.
"I forgot about his good hearing." Heysel whispered surprised.
"He certainly figure out a long time ago." Mildred sighed.
The Lord of Cinder found his students waiting by the blacksmith's small workshop. He crossed his arms as he pondered over their next destination.
"Where is Mildred?" Horace asked noticing the absence of their caretaker.
"Probably talking with Heysel. How many souls do you each have?" the veteran asked.
"2430 souls." Horace stated.
"2150 souls." Anri said soon after.
"Did you ask Andre to reinforce your weapons?" Marcus asked. "They may reject using my weapons, and they will most likely go back to their usual equipment once we finish our journey through the catacombs." he thought.
"We did before meeting you, but he could only reinforce my equipment. He told us that Anri's needed a special type of titanite, the name was..." Horace rubbed his chin.
"I think it was Shinning Titanite? Sparkling Titanite?" Anri suggested.
"Twinkling Titanite." Marcus and Andre said at the same time. "One of the rarer types of stone." the Lord of Cinder added.
"I see..." Anri muttered.
"That means that your gear is quite unique. Can I take a look at your sword?" the knight asked.
"Special?" Anri asked hopeful as he handed the straight sword.
Marcus inspected the sword with mild curiosity. It was remarkably similar to one of his swords, one made from Astora. It had a rather dull blade made of a dark silver metal with a very faint blue tint. The dull golden cross-guard was slightly pointed at the edges, almost like small fangs of a predator. The handle was an azure blue and the pommel was significantly long. The knight retrieved his own straight sword from him soul and held both side by side for comparison. Marcus's sword was almost identical in design, but his blade had a lighter tone, and the handle was a more vibrant gold.
"There's something off about this sword...it feels...wrong, heavier..." Marcus though. "Andre. What is the difference between them?" he asked his old friend.
The old astorian stopped his current work and looked at Anri's sword. "Ah, this one. It is certainly made of a different alloy, although the exact nature even I don't know. Both can prevent those bony skeletons from resurrecting, but yours is enchanted with magic, although the lad's has a faint blessing that restore one's health." the smith explained.
"There's something else, I can feel it." the god slayer stated.
"Feel it? What do you mean?" Anri asked curious.
"When you practice a lot of sorcery and pyromancy, you learn how to feel magic energies and the like." the teacher explained.
"Ah...so ya can tell?" Andre said serious as he looked at his anvil. "Yes, something they melded into the metal. The sword is a genuine blade from Astora, but my guess is that it was modified." he said looking back at his friend with wary eyes.
"Anri, where did you find this sword?" Marcus whispered as he looked back at his student.
"I found it inside my coffin, but I do not recall having it before..." the blonde confessed uneasy. "Is something wrong with it?" he asked.
"Someone put this sword on his coffin, which means it was either a friend or someone with a personal reason...Someone knew Anri was from Astora, even though he isn't a particularly noteworthy person. I mean, why else would they give this sword? Besides the blessing it isn't sharp or special. No, it is special, it is a sword from Astora given to an astorian. I can tell he misses our homeland, and probably uses the blade to honor and remember it, after all, I still have Oscar's..." the Lord of Cinder thought.
"Marcus?" Anri asked worried at the lack of reaction from his master.
"Could someone from Londor have done it? Perhaps. Then what is this strange feeling? A heavy weight, no, a pull. A pull? I felt something similar before, it is not so different from Logan's crystal catalyst, but heavier. Where did I feel it…The darkwraiths' broad swords!" Marcus thought staring at the tainted blade with dread. "Anri, I'm sorry to tell you, but you can't use this sword any longer." he told his apprentice calmly despite the urge to throw the sword away.
"Is something wrong with it? Is it the modification Andre spoke about?" the blonde asked.
"Yes. How do I put it...The modification they did impairs the wielder. It makes you weaker and therefore your performance is affected." the master explained. "It saps the wielder's soul for energy, most likely humanity. It differs significantly from the darkwraith's blade, but it is too similar to not be related. For a common warrior this may feel like a weight upon the soul as the drain happens." he thought.
"But...why would someone do such change? It can't be only detrimental, right?" the apprentice argued, hoping to prevent the loss of such relic of Astora.
"I suppose to empower the sword itself. But honestly such alteration is a double edged sword, for a weapon's strength is also measured by the wielder's." the teacher explained.
"I see..." Anri said crestfallen as he looked down. "Can...can I at least keep it? As a memento?" he begged clasping his hands.
"I think just possessing it will affect you, so I wouldn't recommend. However, I can't just leave you empty handed, can I? So you can have mine." Marcus offered his own straight sword.
Anri's heart skipped a beat, "Y-you. No, no, I can't accept it. It's your sword, an astorian sword no less!" he argued shaking his head.
"I'm not the original owner, though. I got it from a corpse, which owner I unfortunately know very little besides the fact they were likely another astorian. I used it for a while in the past, but not so much anymore. May you make better use of it." the Lord of Cinder turned the sword so the hilt was facing the roof.
"I..." Anri hesitated, but a burning desire filled his heart and it spoke louder than his fears. "Words cannot express how honored I am. To receive such a gift...thank you." he bowed before accepting the gift.
Anri analyzed the sword with wonder, the blade was much clearer than his previous sword, and seemed even to emit a very faint glow of its own. There were small runes inscribed across the metal, although the meaning behind them was unknown to the astorian.
"What about his shield, Andre? Is it similar to my Crest Shield?" Marcus asked the blacksmith showing his blue Crest Shield.
"Hm..." Andre rubbed his beard. "Despite their looks the designs are different. Yours is more stable, so it won't require as much vigor to block. The lad's has moderate resistance against magic, although not to the same degree as yours, but it was made to be very resistant to the dark. Nothing abnormal as far as I'm concerned." he explained.
"Good to know. They could have used a different design for the crest, like the dragon one." the Lord of Cinder told his old friend. "Horace, may I take a look at your halberd?" he asked storing his shield in his own soul.
The stoic astorian handed the polearm to his master, who nodded his head as he grasped it with his left hand. The knight passed his finger across the shaft with his free hand and then stroke the metal part with his finger, producing a short resonating sound.
"Seems pretty standard with no special traits, but it is well-made and kept." the older astorian revealed and then returned the polearm.
"Normal..." Horace mumbled as he took his weapon.
"Don't think about it too much, even common equipment may take you far." Marcus smiled. "Isn't that right, Solaire?" he thought remembering the valiant knight.
"Speak from experience?" Horace inquired.
"Yes, I do. Maybe I will tell you one day. Can I look at your shield too?" the older astorian asked.
"Andre told me it is made of geisteel, and that it has good resistances against elements, although less against lighting." Horace informed giving the shield to his teacher.
"Is that so?" the Lord of Cinder said examining the metal shield.
The shield was circular and relatively small in size. Several circular bumps adorned the borders of the shield, acting as reinforcement against strikes. There was a crest on the center, formed by long and twisted lines in the bottom and top, but the origin was unknown to the astorian. Marcus knocked lightly the shield with his fist, and grunted in suspicion by the peculiar sound it made. It was certainly metal, but the echo was more faint when compared to regular steel.
"Horace, can you do me a favor? Hit the shield with your halberd. I want to test the resistance." Marcus said lifting the shield in front of him.
"Very well." Horace said taking a step back.
The scarred astorian held the halberd with both hands, lifted it over his head and then struck the small metal shield in the center. The experienced knight raised the shield to intercept the strike, and bent his knees to better absorb the impact. Horace pulled back the polearm, allowing his teacher to recover.
"So?" Horace asked curious for the results.
Marcus swiftly moved the shield to the side, as if to parry the blow of an invisible foe. He shook his head disappointed.
"This shield may be good against the elements and parrying, but it is very lacking against physical attacks. I used wooden and leather shields better than this. You may keep it for use against spell casters, but against your regular hollow you may want to user another one if you are still inexperienced with parries. " Marcus warned giving the shield back.
"I don't have another." Horace admitted.
"And yet you didn't take one from the hollow knights in the high wall of Lothric?" the teacher asked indignated, but the younger warrior remained quiet. "I guess I will have to give you one, just a moment." he placed his hand on his chest.
Marcus retrieved a relatively small heater shield, being smaller than the Crest Shield but marginally larger than a buckler. The lower half was painted light blue while the upper half was a faded white. The metal had several scars across its surface, although none of them were deep enough to compromise the stability and resistance of the shield. The astorian checked for any major damages on the old gear, and after a quick inspection offered it to Horace.
"This is a heater shield. It is surprisingly good against physical attacks and stable for its size. It fares poorly against magic and has only a moderate resistant to lighting, but it can hold its own against fire to some extent." Marcus explained.
The student stored his own shield in his soul and readily accepted the gift. "It is so light!" he said surprised as he tested the weight. "But won't you miss it? From your explanation this shield should be valuable to you." he asked concerned.
"I still have two more. It was a pretty ordinary shield at the time, and I bought two from a merchant." the experienced knight shook his head.
"I see your generosity has not faded, Marcus." Mildred said from behind.
"And I hear your steps remain light." Marcus admitted without looking back.
"Look, Miss Mildred! Marcus gave me one of his swords!" Anri said excited to his caretaker as he lifted said blade.
"I see it, Anri." the cannibal said smiling. "Was there something wrong with yours?" Mildred asked curious as she tilted her head.
"His sword is enchanted to be deadlier but it impairs the user." Marcus explained.
"So what are you going to do with it? Throw it away?" Mildred questioned with an accusing gaze.
"I would hate if that were to happen to me." Marcus thought. "Are you fine with it, Anri?" he asked the previous owner.
The blonde looked at his newly gifted sword, the white steel almost shinning with divine power, and then to his blueish blade. Both blades of Astora, but the newest carried much more significance to him, while the older meant a heavier burden on him, for it would make it more difficult to impress his master.
"I…I think I'm fine with it, the sword was never truly mine to begin with, right? I just found it." Anri justified.
"Don't throw such fine work away!" Andre said with authority as he closed his eyes in indignation at the idea of destroying such relic.
"Do you have a better idea, Andre?" the Lord of Cinder inquired as he approached the smith.
"Perhaps." the old astorian said scratching his beard. "There's a special titanite called 'shriving stone'. This gem has the power of undoing infusions, whatever they might be. With one of those I will be able to get rid of such harmful effects. It is likely that it will lose the other properties, though." he revealed.
"So it means I would be able to use it!" Anri said eagerly as he walked up to the smith. "What does it look like?" he asked.
The veteran smith turned away from the duo and then walked over to a small altar behind him, which was filled with burning candles. He grabbed an old book with a hard brown cover that laid in the corner and then returned to his chair. The astorian flipped some pages until he found what he wanted and then turned the book around to show it to the younger generations.
"This is a shriving stone, it looks like a white open cocoon." Andre told the other astorians as they observed the drawing.
"How ironic. A cocoon is used by some creatures to progress to a new form, and yet this one reverts to the previous stage." Marcus thought. "Alright, maybe we will find one in our journey. I still have to talk to Irina, so you may rest at the bonfire in the meantime." the teacher advised.
"We will do as you say." Anri nodded.
"Could you take care of it in the meantime?" Marcus offered the sword to the smith.
"Just don't forget about it, or I will smack ya in the head!" Andre warned as he accepted the wicked blade.
The group returned to the main chamber of the shrine and everyone but the Lord of Cinder sat around the beacon of light. Marcus sat instead in front of the blind maiden of Carim, and pulled a scroll from within his soul.
"I have been thinking about the next miracle, and I have a particular one in mind. Does the Way of White approve this one?" the astorian handed the parchment to the gargoyle knight.
Eygon read the title at the top of the paper and folded the scroll without a second thought.
"So you're friends with those onion knights? I should have expect this from the beginning." the guardian scoffed.
"Says the gargoyle knight, and yes I am. Any problems with it?" Marcus argued, trying his best to prevent an outburst of emotions, in other words, not cast said miracle.
"Carim is very strict in its recognition of miracles, for there are profane tales forged by the wicked who dare indulge in dark arts." Eygon said with disgust. "This petty little story may not be made by such cesspool, but I won't allow it." he handed the parchment back to the owner.
"Understandable." the Lord of Cinder sighed as he stored the scroll. "Emit Force is not a petty story, you narrow minded knight! Not everything needs to be an epic tale." he thought. "If you are so keen in traditional miracles then I suppose this one is fine." he handed a second paper to the dogmatic knight.
The gargoyle knight unrolled the scroll with some skepticism despite previous inspections. The parchment was filled with several lines, and although there were fewer than Soothing Sunlight, the tale was nonetheless an epic story. Few knight and priestess knew the tale, and those who did were of high rank, or…
"Where did you get this one?" Eygon asked suspicious.
"He believes I stole it, doesn't he?" Marcus thought. "Once I saved a priestess from a cavern full of skeletons, and in return she taught me miracles." he admitted. "And then I failed to save her from Seath's prison." he though crestfallen.
The Carim knight chuckled. "I assume they are the result of your previous chivalrous acts as well." he jerked his head towards the trio sitting on the bonfire.
Anri noticed the gesture but was too distracted by his own thoughts and missed the commentary. "Excuse me, sir. May I help you?" he asked politely from his sitting position.
"Don't mind him, Anri. Those Carim 'knights' are not worth your time." Mildred warned.
"I suppose Mildred has very bad experiences with them. But is it just because of faith or something else? I hate Lautrec, but I won't condemn his entire country for the bad souls." Marcus thought. "They're my friends, Eygon. Can I read the scroll?" he asked.
The Carim knight looked down at the astorian beneath him with a raised brow, and with a nod he handed the parchment back to its owner.
"Irina, are you ready? This one is quite long." Marcus asked.
"Tales of greater miracles can be quite the epics, I wonder what kind of story this one has." the blind maiden replied with a timid smile. "I'm ready." she stated with a mix of eagerness and happiness.
"This one is called 'Great Heal'". Marcus read the first line of the scroll.
Anri and Horace couldn't help but listen with curiosity the story being told. They both had listened the tales of simple miracles when they were children, but those could barely be considered bedtime stories of recurring events. The one being told by Marcus was more majestic and unique, with more memorable characters. Mildred, on the other hand, tried her best to ignore the history. Instead she focused on the flame in front of her, and the one who burned so dangerously inside her heart.
"It is as I feared. Even though I know, even though I hate it, this chaotic feeling, this urge, still burns inside me. No! I need to get a hold of myself for their sake."she glanced at the young astorian which were watching their master read the miracle. "I won't eat, for the sake of my...Do I even have the right? Who would wish a mother who ate her own child?" the cannibal thought.
Marcus rolled up the scroll and stashed it in his soul. "Did you like it?" he asked the former nun.
"It was a marvelous tale!" Irina stated clasping her hands, but there was a small twitch on the edge of her lips.
"Speak your mind, Irina." the astorian requested.
"It's nothing, Marcus." the priestess shook her head in denial.
"Irina..." Marcus insisted.
The maiden turned her head away in shame, but obeyed her savior's order nonetheless. "You asked me to teach you 'Med Heal', but you already know the tale of 'Great Heal'." she explained with eyes closed, expecting to be reprimanded.
The Lord of Cinder turned his gaze towards the gargoyle knight. "Irina, a church is a place where one can pray and perform their daily duties, and it is the origin of many holy knights and high priests. But who built such a place? Most likely normal workers who never did anything grand in their lives, no journey to become a lord, nor anything remarkable enough to be put in a history book. Their stones were also mined by regular people, and their tools forged by a blacksmith whose renown may vary. My life is made and forged by those who I met during my journey, even the ones whose contribution can be told in its entirety in 1 page and summarized in 5 lines." he said. "I would not be here without Oscar's help." the astorian thought.
"Am I being helpful to your journey, Marcus? Are the miracles we shared aiding you in your battles?" Irina asked hopeful.
"I actually didn't use any of the miracles she taught me..." Marcus noted in his mind. "Our time together really helps my journey." he told his teacher. "...but I appreciate some company." he thought.
"I'm glad I can be of use to a champion such as you." the blind maiden said relieved.
"Thanks. I'm sorry, but I need to go. I have to find Aldrich." the astorian stated as he stood up.
"So you are going after the old gluttonous slime?" Eygon asked for confirmation.
"Yes, but I don't think he will be able to talk with Arthur of Farron once I set him aflame." the Lord of Cinder ignited a small fireball on his left palm.
"Heh, I look forward to that." the gargoyle knight smirked.
Marcus stopped in front of the bonfire and then looked at Aurora. "I have 13,161 souls and I need 13,456 for her to empower me. I think I still have a few stored souls in me. One large soul should be enough." he thought searching his own soul for the specific soul of a deserted corpse he found on his journey. "13.561 souls. Great, just barely enough." he thought after crushing the nameless soul.
The knight walked up to the caretaker of the shrine, who greeted him with a proper bow.
"What I can do for thee, my sir?" the blonde woman asked respectfully.
"Please, increase my vitality so I can carry more weight." Marcus requested kneeling.
"Understood." Aurora spoke solemn as she began the conversion of souls into strength.
The astorian raised from the ground after the process was done, "I will be going then. Goodbye Aurora." he waved to the blind maiden before turning towards the trio who waited at the bonfire. "Is everyone ready?" he asked.
"I'm ready!" Anri said eager to put his new sword in use.
Horace glanced at his best friend, "Yes." he said.
"Do you even know where we are going?" Mildred asked cautious.
"Yes, I asked around. First we need to go to the first bonfire of Lothric's wall." the older astorian informed.
The demon huntress lifted a brow, "Why would he go there?" she asked.
"Food, and I fought some creatures that might be related to him, so there's a chance he went there after leaving the Cathedral of the Deep." Marcus stated. "This is not the true reason, but it is true that he could eat the hollows there and there were some abyssal snake creatures infesting some hollows." he thought.
The cannibal looked at the bonfire, "I guess it makes sense." she rubbed her chin.
Without further delay the quartet departed from the haven of ashes into the decayed wall of Lothric.
Notes:
It seems that Heysel got hold of her master's diary, who knows what kind of knowledge it may give her?
Marcus's pendant is the one from Dark Souls 1, and the Dreamchaser's ashes holds the same type of pendant. However, it isn't unique because Rhea of Thorolund possess one even if you choose it as a starting gift.
Heysel sold the scrolls at a discounted price because she knows they will use them against Aldrich, which is part of her duty as an acolyte of Farron. Orbeck sells the spell for 500 souls, while Heysel offers for 450 each.
Marcus's tendency to raise his poison and cold resistances through self training instead of "leveling" is a nod to the "resistance" stat in Dark souls 1, which is mostly ignored due to not giving enough benefits for a common build.
The comment about not much light and bright idea is referencing the fact that the Repair sorcery in DS3 states that "Light is time". Although the DS1 version doesn't contain this line, Marcus reached the correct conclusion by observing how the spell works (it winds back time of affected equipment). He is telling Heysel to restore the diary with "Repair" and that "There's not enough time".
Heysel knows about Londor because it is one of the Legion's main enemies. However, their secrecy and tendency to lies and misdirection prevents her from fully trusting any information from captured members or possible rebels, so she isn't sure who are the leaders of the Sable Church, only that they are three swordwomen sisters.
I always found very odd that Anri's sword behaves as if it had a blessing and hollow infusion. It is also strange that it is the only astorian equipment in the entire franchise besides the "Ring of the Evil Eye" with a negative or evil aspect to it, although the latter is actually related to a beast that assaulted Astora, which was killed by a noble astorian. It is different from the DS1 version and even the regular astora straight sword of DS3. Considering that Londor is interested in Anri, it would make sense they would infuse a blessed astorian sword with a hollow gem and put it on Anri's coffin for their plan.
The "draining effect" described by Marcus is referencing the effects of a hollow infusion. The hollow gem states that hollow weapons "peer into the essence of its wielder, whose luck boosts attack.". This sounds similar to Chaos Weapons in DS1, which use humanity to boost the attack. My conclusion is that hollow weapons use humanity, "luck", to boost attacks, which makes sense considering that Londor uses the gems for their weapons.
Horace's Llewellyn Shield is mostly inferior to the DS2 version, with the only saving grace being a slightly higher stability once fully upgraded. It is good against spells and for parrying, but underwhelming if you are going to block several melee attacks. Marcus's Heater Shield is a good complement, because it also has a fast parry window, more stable, lighter and offers a much better protection against physical attacks.
Speaking of versions. For all intents and purposes Marcus has the DS1 version of equipment, and DS3 characters have their own versions. This means that his Crest Shield weights only 3.0 while Anri's is 5.0. This is due to them being created with different qualities. In the case of the darkwraiths' dark sword, which is lighter in DS3, you could say it has eroded with time, since their own armor says their equipment is falling apart. If there are any other cases of difference in statsbut no reasonable lore explanation, consider that Fromsoft had to rebalance them for DS3, in which case I might point out which version I'm using in the story.
In DS3 Emit Force's description states that "The people of lands known for festivity and drink are typically outspoken. One can be sure that they will not bottle their emotions, instead venting anger and the like with confidence.", which is why Eygon says it is a "petty story".