Thanks for readin and to deityoftheuniverse for the review! Btw, I know that the Fair Lady cannot be heard without the Witch Ring, but getting that ring is a bit of a mess, so I just kinda ignored it altogether lol.
Enjoy!
Kirk remembered.
His misery had started with the appearance of the serpent.
That demonic creature had corrupted the four kings' hearts and those of their knights, Kirk's included. The serpent had changed them with its vile teachings and its forbidden magic.
It had transformed them into Darkwraiths.
Kirk had failed in his duty.
He had infused his soul with dark arts.
He had killed many of the Undeads he had sworn to protect.
He had done so with pride, convinced by the serpent that he was serving a bigger purpose.
Then, New Londo had fallen, and with it, all that Kirk had ever known and loved.
None of it had been his fault. He, along with the kings and his fellow knights, had been victims too, just the pawns of the wicked machinations of an ancient monster.
Kirk had spent an eternity convincing himself of his innocence, but he couldn't escape from the truth.
The serpent had not forced them to accept its offer, nor it had ever threatened to take vengeance on them or the inhabitants of New Londo.
In the end, Kirk and the others had always had the power to say no.
I shouldn't have survived the massacre, but I did. It was then I realized that fate has a cruel sense of humor. I see no other reason why it would allow someone like me to continue existing, when death and destruction are everything I've ever brought to the world.
How long had he remained alone with his sins?
How many others had he killed in his mindless lust for Humanities he had no real need for?
Kirk couldn't tell, but he remembered the moment when he had been freed from his personal hell.
It was the moment I met you.
The Fair Lady had touched his helmet, making her hands bleed as the metal thorns prickled her skin.
Eingyi had been hysterical about it, but neither Kirk nor the Fair Lady had paid him attention.
"Quelaag." She had said to Kirk as he stood before her for the first time. "Where does it hurt, sister? Let me help you, please."
My lady, you showed me the light again. To me, you are a beacon in this abyss.
A fist embedded with lighting power crashed against Kirk's shield.
The attack shattered the shield as if it was made of glass. It had served Kirk well, but it could no longer endure more direct impacts of the Astoran's miracles.
The savage attack hadn't left the rageful Astoran unharmed. His fist became covered in blood, his skin and knuckles broken where the metal thorns had pierced him.
The pain should have brought the Astoran to his knees, but he didn't cry or screamed; he didn't even flinch.
Instead, he lunged his sword downwards. The blade cut the air as threads of lighting danced all around, hitting and scarring the walls.
Kirk blocked the attack with his sword. The Astoran's blade, showered in lighting, cut Kirk's weapon in half. The blade continued plunging down until it crashed on the metal plate of Kirk's shoulder.
This time, after resisting dozens of previous direct hits, Kirk's armor suffered the same fate of his sword and his shield.
The blade sunk into his flesh, cleanly and without resistance.
The sharp edge tore apart his muscles until it reached his shoulder's bone and cracked it. The pain blinded Kirk and took the breath away from his lungs.
He opened his mouth in a silent scream as his blood spurted from his sliced flesh, hitting the Astoran in the chest and painting his torn tunic red.
The Astoran accepted Kirk's blood with stoic silence. He punished him further by removing his sword with a violent upward swing, making sure he destroyed as much of Kirk's tendons in the process.
Enduring the pain and barely able to keep himself from fainting, Kirk tried to crouch down and grab one of the broken pieces of his sword, but the Astoran gave him no quarter.
The Astoran grabbed Kirk by the top of his helmet, completely ignoring the injuries the metal thrones created on his palm.
He then pushed Kirk down.
Kirk felt how his several of his bones snapped at the force of the violent lunge.
His neck cracked, almost snapping from his backbone. Kirk had no time to register the dozens of new injuries the Astoran had caused on him. Before he could realize it, his head was slammed against the floor.
His helmet kept him from crashing directly against the stone tiles underneath him, but his face still hit the inner confines of the helmet. His nose was broken, and many of his teeth cracked and loosened.
The Astoran lifted Kirk's head and repeated the same process, time after time, until he finally succeeded in breaking the front part of the helmet.
Even then, he continued with his punishment.
By the time he stopped, Kirk's face was swollen and destroyed beyond recognition. His nose was smashed, blood leaked endlessly from his mouth, his inner cheeks pulsated with fresh cuts and slices.
My lady.
Kirk took advantage of the small moment of pause the Astoran had given him. His trembling hand managed to find the upper broken half of his sword.
His eyes were so swollen he could hardly see, but Kirk could still hear and sense the Astoran.
He could hear his ragged panting, he could smell his acrid sweat, he could feel his ice-cold glare.
This man... he shall not hurt you!
It all was Kirk's fault. He had killed this man's companion; he had unleashed a grief within him that had driven him mad.
And Kirk did not regret it. He had done so to allow the Fair Lady a moment of rest and peace in her abhorrent reality.
He would do it again.
He would kill and steal the Humanity of every Undead that stood in his way.
He would do it for her.
He would never stop trying to help an innocent and atone for his past sins.
That was his duty.
Kirk launched a swift stab directed at the Astoran's chest. The thorns of his broken sword would pierce his chest and shred his merciless heart.
This is my reason to exist.
The Astoran grabbed Kirk's wrist before the blade could reach his body. Casually, as if Kirk was made of dry wood, he broke his arm by pulling it backwards until his elbow snapped.
Kirk screamed.
He had vowed never to disturb the Fair Lady with his pain or injuries. He had always remained strong in her presence, but the agony of his body shattered the fortitude of his mind.
"No!"
Muffled under Kirk's cries, Eingyi's voice passed unheard by Kirk. As a result, Kirk had no idea of why the Astoran suddenly let go of him.
His head and torso fell to the floor. His two broken arms lay limply against his sides.
Kirk's mind went blank. He couldn't think of anything that wasn't the waves of pain that blazed across his whole being.
"Leave him alone!" Eingyi exclaimed, his body scratching the floor as he crawled toward Astoran at a slow but determined pace. "Leave this place! You... you monster! I won't allow you to cause any more suffering!"
Eingyi screamed as if he was a warrior about to charge at his opponent. It was his pitiful but respectful war cry which helped Kirk wake up.
His injuries still hurt, but his former pain was only an echo. Either his body had become numb from shock, or the blood loss was about to claim his life.
My lady.
"This is a holy place!" Eingyi continued, his tone infused with convincing and fearless bravery. "It is a sanctuary! How dare you tarnish it with your violence? I'll make you pay for your transgression and your sins!"
Judging by the sounds he made, Eingyi was now dangerously close to the Astoran.
"I am a servant of Chaos!" Eingyi exclaimed. "I too am her guardian!"
A thumping, horrible sound silenced him in the middle of his proud claim. Eingyi shouted as he was propelled backwards with a single but powerful kick of the Astoran.
When nothing but silence came from Eingyi, Kirk realized the Astoran had not injured him.
He had killed him.
A fuming feeling of desperation and anger stripped a feral cry from Kirk. He shook away the pain and began to raise his torso up.
Without the aid of his arms and weighed down by his armor, Kirk could only raise his chin from the ground.
It didn't matter.
He didn't need to stand on his feet to kill the Astoran.
He could crawl to him like a serpent and kill him with his teeth if he had too, broken and loosened as they had become after his beating.
"Your dirty coward." Kirk hissed as he struggled to turn his face around. "He is not your enemy, I am! Don't you dare turn your back on me! I am not dead yet! Fight me, Astoran!"
Kill me. Unleash your fury upon me, not upon them.
Kirk looked over his slashed shoulder. He stared at the Astoran right in the eye.
Not upon her.
The Astoran's heaume was crimson with blood and filthy with the swamp's mud. It was dented and dull, accentuating the blue shine of his gaze as he looked at Kirk.
The Astoran began to approach him. Every step he took echoed across the hallway.
A crooked smile appeared on Kirk's face, barely distinguishable underneath his swollen lips. He didn't know how, but he was sure of one thing.
He would kill the Astoran and keep the Fair Lady safe.
The promise I made to you the day we met. The vow I pronounced as you held my face with your blood-soaked hands.
The Astoran stopped once he was standing next to Kirk's head. In silence, he removed Kirk's broken helmet and discarded it as if it was trash.
Then, he lifted his metal boot.
One way or another, I will always keep you safe. Just like your sister did before me; just like I should have done with the people I was meant to protect.
The Astoran's sole landed on Kirk's nape.
By the time Kirk hit the floor again, he was already unconscious.
"Why are you not fighting him yourself?"
Lautrec remained quiet.
"Are you afraid? Have you lost so much confidence in your skills, that you would allow an Astoran to finish off the work in your stead?"
"I have not recovered totally from our previous encounter." Lautrec admitted. "For me to fight that knight of thorns on my own would be a death sentence. Besides, why not let the Astoran do the dirty work for me? Why not let him have his small moment of fun before I kill him too?"
"Such confidence. I just hope you show this same ruthless determination when your time comes to kill that infected fire keeper."
Fina laughed softly in his ear. For Lautrec, her voice was a like blizzard that chilled his body, despite the overwhelming heat that surrounded him.
He was hidden in a dreadful corridor that led to what felt was Hell itself.
Once he had recovered some of his strength thanks to Fina's blessing and some Estus, Lautrec had obeyed his goddess' commands and had followed after Solaire.
He had found only death and destruction along his path. When Lautrec had passed near the corpse of a strange abomination, half-spider and half-woman, Fina had expressed her amusement with a scoff.
"What a sad end her daughter met." She had whispered to Lautrec after commanding him to continue moving forward. "Pity her not, my knight. For creatures like her, death is a gift."
Lautrec hadn't pitied the dead woman at all.
Shortly after, a bell had begun to toll. Its melody was identical to the bell at the Undead church.
The same Oscar had rung.
"Use the bell's toll to your advantage, my knight. Use it to hide your steps so you can pass unnoticed by the Astoran knight."
Lautrec had obeyed Fina without questioning her. Once he had entered the bell's chamber, his gaze had immediately become fixed on Solaire.
The fool had been kneeling in front of the lever that caused the bell to tool, as if he was before a pardoner confessing his sins.
The temptation of killing him right there had flashed before Lautrec's mind, but his Lady had other plans.
Dutifully, Lautrec had done as she had told him.
Aided by the loud bell, he had managed to sneak his way to the circular stairs of the chamber without Solaire noticing him.
Once he had reached the lower floor, Lautrec had begun to wonder what Fina truly expected him to find in that place.
Lautrec had expected to find a fire keeper, but he had found nothing but an empty room with the entrance of a corridor at the other side.
"At your left."
"My lady, there is nothing there."
"There is, even if you can't see it. Don't tell me you are so easily fooled by a simple wall of illusion, my knight."
Lautrec had then approached the spot Fina had helped him find.
"Do not touch it just yet, my knight. Wait for the Astoran to leave this place. Once he is gone, then you will be free to break this pathetic charm and kill the abomination whose soul I desire. She is always guarded by her adoring fools, but do not be afraid. One of them is crippled by infection, and the other is a knight who is not half as threatening as his armor could imply."
"The knight of thorns?" Lautrec had guessed, reaching his hand closer to the wall of illusion before him.
"Indeed." Fina had replied.
Then, the tolling of the bell begun to disappear.
To Lautrec, every fading chime had felt like a countdown.
Once the bell stopped, he would have to follow Fina's orders and kill the fire keeper that was waiting form him behind the illusory wall.
He wouldn't back down on his promise.
He would fulfill his duty and break the chains of his former honor once and for all.
He should have been excited and grateful, but Lautrec had been nothing but scared and anxious.
If he truly went through with it and he tainted his hands with a fire keeper's blood, there would be no going back.
Lautrec would be burning a bridge he could never rebuild.
For us knights of Carim, to harm a fire keeper is the biggest sin we can commit. It goes against all our beliefs; it is a blasphemy against our code of knighthood.
The bell had fallen quiet, and Lautrec had made his fateful choice.
Without consulting Fina, he had taken out from his bag a sunlight medal, the same Solaire had gifted to him after their battle against the Belfry gargoyles.
Fighting by his and Oscar's side had been more amusing than Lautrec could have fathomed.
Perhaps, if Oscar and Solaire had been born in Carim, and if the Undead curse had never plagued the world—
Lautrec had cut off the sentimentalities before they could take root on his mind.
"What are you doing?" Fina had asked him as Lautrec raised the medal before his eyes. "My knight?"
Then, he had let go of it. He let the medal hit the floor twice before picking it up again.
"What are you doing?" Fina had asked him again, angry and resentful. "You clumsy man! The Astoran was already on his way out of here! After this little stupidity of yours, there's no doubt you have caught his attention! He'll find you here, and this time, he'll make sure you die and go Hollow for good."
"That's why I'll hide before he gets here." Lautrec had replied, placing the medal at the center of the illusory wall. "And I'll watch him murder that knight of thorns that killed his beloved friend. I'm sure it'll be a show worthy of you, my lady."
Walls of illusion, while not real, had some tension and mass to them. They could endure some hits and shockwaves, and they could also hold objects in place to make their camouflage more convincing, like paintings and vases.
Or medals.
"Is someone there?"
As soon as he had heard Solaire's voice, Lautrec had slowly and carefully taken refuge inside the corridor at the other side of the chamber.
He had remained there ever since, quiet and breathing gently, listening to Solaire as he had discovered the wall of illusion and his deathly fight with the knight of thorns had taken place.
"It is done." Fina announced, pulling Lautrec back to reality. "The Astoran has prevailed. The knight of thorns still lives, but it is only a matter of time before he dies. He injured the Astoran severely, too. Now it's your chance to kill them both; quickly, before the Astoran heals himself with Estus."
Lautrec didn't move.
His plan was going well, but it remained incomplete. He couldn't kill Solaire just yet, not until he eliminated the fire keeper in his stead.
Lautrec knew he was putting too much faith in Solaire's rage and grief, but he knew that Oscar's death had changed Solaire deeply.
All Solaire needed to do was to surrender himself to his darkest instincts, and allow his Astoran passion to evolve into a blind need for revenge.
A part of Lautrec wished he could be by his side.
Do it, Solaire.
He would tell him.
Kill this bastard's loved one before his eyes. Show him what it feels like to witness the death of the person you care about the most. Show him the same cruelty he showed to Oscar. Fulfill your duty as his friend.
Lautrec stood up.
Fulfill your duty as a man and a knight.
He went to the entrance of the hidden corridor.
He wanted to witness it.
He wanted to see how Solaire got the deed done.
Once it was over, Lautrec would take him by surprise and finish Solaire by severing his head from his shoulders.
It would be a swift death.
Then, Lautrec would take the fire keeper's soul all for himself, just like Fina commanded him to do.
"I will not fail you this time, my lady." He whispered, standing at the entrance of the corridor.
He looked at Solaire and watched him approach an abomination stuck in the wall.
She resembled the woman Lautrec had found dead in the first chamber, killed by none other than Solaire.
Lautrec smiled.
"Stay away." The deformed creature hissed at him through his bleeding mouth. "STAY AWAY!"
Solaire ignored him. He continued his march towards the bonfire at the middle of the chamber. He was dragging along the knight of thorns by one of his legs.
Solaire made a small pause just before he reached the bonfire. He grabbed his Estus flask and drank it whole.
After his fight with the woman-spider abomination, he had only half a dose of the elixir left.
It was more than enough to heal his most grievous wounds.
The knight of thorns, on more than one occasion, had almost succeeded in killing him. Had it not been for his miracles and his unquenchable anger, Solaire doubted he would have come victorious from the encounter.
But I did.
Solaire thought as he entered the bonfire's domain.
The deformed creature that had tried to interfere before rushed at him again. Solaire defeated him once more with a single kick that send him crashing against a distant wall.
Solaire felt no pity for him. For all he knew, that deformed creature was an accomplice of Oscar's murderer.
No doubt he was just as cruel and merciless.
"Quelaag?"
The voice of the woman filled Solaire's ears. He looked at her.
She was a smaller version of the abomination he had killed, but she looked fragile and weak.
The sight of the porous, bleeding eggs that surrounded her was sickening.
The dead spider that was her lower body was covered in a blight that resembled the infectious growth of poisonous fungus.
Solaire's skin itched in disgust. The stench she emitted was also overwhelming, a fact Solaire had not noticed during his fight with the knight of thorns.
His thoughts were interrupted when the knight's leg began to move on his hand. They were not the gentle movements of someone waking up; they were the violent lunges of someone trying to escape their captor.
"Stay...away."
Solaire looked at the murderer. His back and head were glued to the floor, just like his destroyed arms. His armor was broken around his shoulder and chest.
He glared at Solaire with murderous intent, baring his broken, crimson teeth at him like a rabid dog.
Solaire remained unfazed even as Oscar's murderer continued moving his leg, trying to injure Solaire's palms with the metal thorns of his greave.
"Stay away from her." The knight of thorns stuttered before he choked on his own blood.
Solaire looked over his shoulder.
He was standing too close to the bonfire, and if the healing effect of its flames could reach him, then it could also reach the murderer.
"I'll kill you if you hurt her. You...monster."
Solaire threw the murderer towards the wall in front of them before he had finished speaking. The bastard hit the wall with his back. The impact caused blood to gush out of his mouth and sliced shoulder.
He screamed, and so did the deformed creature at the other side of the chamber.
Solaire's ears were deaf to their laments.
He thought he heard the woman say something too.
Solaire ignored her.
His pulse was racing, his head hurt with muffled emotions he couldn't express. It was as if his body had become disconnected from his mind and heart.
Silently, he walked towards the moribund knight of thorns. Then, he grabbed him by his hair an pulled his head up. He forced him to sit down.
There was no gentleness in Solaire's actions. His hands were shaking as if he was freezing; it was as if he could barely control his need to kill the man.
I'm not done with you. You will die by my hand.
But there was still something Solaire needed to do, answers he needed to discover.
Without previous warning, he stomped his foot against the knight of thorn's chest.
He screamed again.
Had he wanted to, Solaire could have pushed his sole against him and squash his heart.
The murderer breathed heavily, but not once did his stare leave Solaire's.
"You caused all this. All of this is your fault." Solare removed his own helmet. He wanted to face Oscar's murderer directly. He wanted him to see his face as he talked. "You killed yourself the moment you murdered Oscar."
The knight of thorns answered with a coughing fit as Solaire pushed his boot deeper against his chest.
Why?
The thought was like a drop of water that fell into the ocean of Solaire's mind. Soon, it spread all over his being.
Why?
He didn't understand.
He had avenged Oscar by defeating his murderer. He was making the bastard pay for his cruelty.
He was fulfilling his duty as a true knight.
Then, why?
Why does it all feel like nothing?
What was he doing wrong?
What was missing?
Solaire redirected the anger he felt towards himself and poured it all into the knight. He moved his foot away from his chest and began crushing his throat instead.
"Why?" Solaire said, letting go of the knight so that he could answer. "Why did you do it?"
The knight's wheezing breaths were the only thing that filled the room. The abomination in the wall spoke again.
Solaire heard her, but she ignored her again, in the same way he ignored the babblering of the deformed creature with lumps growing on his back.
He only cared about the fallen knight that had ruined his life.
"Why did you kill my friend?"
Solaire feared his treacherous, embarrassing tears would betray him. They didn't.
Yet, his voice broke. He remained with his mouth agape and quivering.
For a moment, he felt as if his lungs had forgotten how to draw breath.
The murderer looked at him without emotion.
For the first time, Solaire noticed how much he had destroyed the man's body.
What was he supposed to feel by gazing at the results of his violence?
Pride, satisfaction, joy?
How Solaire wished Lautrec was there to guide him in this time of doubt, but he had killed him.
Solaire had defeated him and had made him go Hollow.
"Answer me!" he roared, plunging his sword forwards in a riposte. The blade cut the murderer's ear in half.
He could only scream again as his newest injury bled.
"Answer me, or I swear I'll kill everyone in this room." Solaire's voice rumbled in his chest. It sounded more like the growl of an animal. Lighting magic embedded his free hand. "Even her."
Solaire felt how his mouth went bitter.
The knight of thorns lost his defiant glare so quickly that it was almost comical.
The other deformed creature whimpered into the distance as the knight of thorns' face, disfigured at it was, twisted in dread and fear.
Solaire had believed that seeing the murderer as he was now, defeated powerless before him, would finally heal the scar that Oscar's death had left in him.
He couldn't have been more wrong.
Why am I so weak?
Solaire's lighting Spear glowed bigger and brighter, its end threads dancing wildly as if it was a small sun about to explode.
The woman cried as one of the threads landed dangerously close to her.
"Stop!" the deformed creature exclaimed. "You're scaring her!"
"Answer me." Solaire said to the knight of thorns. "I won't tell you again."
"Please- please. Warrior of Sunlight... don't hurt the Fair Lady. Don't hurt her knight. Kill me instead. Unleash your fury and frustration upon me." The deformed creature pleaded as he crawled towards Solaire very slowly. He was crying. "I'll bear the sins of my comrade. I'll accept any punishment you see fit... but I beg of you, stop this madness. Please."
"Shut up!" Solaire pointed his contained Lighting Spear at the creature. He flinched and cowered as a thread of lighting landed in front of him, almost pulverizing one of his arms.
Solaire steeled his soul.
There was no time for regrets or doubts. There was no going back from this path he had chosen.
"I killed him because I had to."
The response he had waited for so long took Solaire off guard. He looked at the knight of thorns; Solaire's heart was so heavy that he thought it would drop from his chest.
"I killed him," the knight of thorns continued, "because I needed his Humanity. That was my only reason."
Was that the reason Oscar had died for?
Solaire wouldn't accept it.
"How could you be so cruel?" Solaire's fury made it almost impossible for him to speak. "Why us? What did we ever do to you? You heartless coward!"
"What reason did you two have to kill the sisters of the man-eating woman?" the knight of thorns countered. "Did you do it to cause her pain? Was it all a scheme to drive her to absolute madness? Or did her sisters simply get in your way?"
Sisters? Did he mean those monstrous butchers?
Solaire forged his heart. None of that mattered.
"They were demented killers. They hurt and killed innocents." Solaire slammed his foot against the knight's throat. "They were murderers, just like you. Oscar and I did nothing wrong. We made the world a favor by getting rid of them!"
"What about my lady's sister?" the murdered gasped with what little air he could muster. "What reasons did you have to kill the only family my lady had left? What did either of them ever did to you, Astoran?"
"She was an abomination." Solaire replied. He hated how insecure he sounded. He hated the knight of thorns for sparking so many doubts within him. "It was my duty as a knight."
"She was a woman whose only wish in the world was to keep her ill sister safe. You didn't know this... but even if you had, even if I had never taken your friend's life, you would have still killed her. All because she stood in the way of your ambitions."
The knight of thorns dedicated a hateful glare to Solaire.
"All Quelaag ever did was to keep her sister safe from people like you. Safe from fools that come to this cursed land, with the sole purpose of fulfilling your selfish desires. You bastards are all the same. You come to Lordran claiming to be heroes or adventurers, but all you leave along your path is death, suffering and destruction. For people like you, this land is nothing but a playground where you can unleash your most wicked instincts, like animals. The man-eating woman and her sisters knew this all too well. Those who came before you made sure of that."
"Shut up! I won't let you do this! I won't let you try to excuse your awful actions!"
Solaire wished he could unhear the words of the other man, but he knew they would stay with him forever.
"That's why I have no regrets when I deprive any you of your Humanities and I offer them to my lady to easer her pain." The murderer continued. "Because I know that's the only way people like us can offer something of good to the world."
Solaire silenced him with a kick in the face. Pieces of broken teeth and bloody spittle splattered all over the floor.
"I am not like you, and neither was Oscar." Solaire said as he wrapped his fingers around the knight's throat. "Do you think that any of what you said will make me sympathize with you?"
Solaire tightened his grip, almost crushing the knight of thorns' neck.
"Do you think it will make me forget all the pain and death you've caused? May whatever god you believe in forgive you, because I won't."
"I don't want anyone's forgiveness, not yours or that of a god." The knight barely managed to speak. "I am not asking you to spare me, nor I am asking you to forgive me for killing that half-Hollow knight."
Solaire lost his strength. The knight of thorns must have noticed, but he was too injured and weak to take advantage of the situation.
"I am a murderer. I am a cruel, ruthless man." He said. "You are right, Astoran. I am guilty of your friend's death and all the pain I've caused you. All that has gone wrong here is my responsibility."
Very slowly, the knight of thorns raised an arm and clumsily rested his hand on one of Solaire's metal bracelets.
"Not hers." He finished. He spoke so pathetically that Solaire could have mistaken him for a completely different man. "I beg of you, do not hurt my lady. None of this is her fault. She is ill... she is barely aware of her surroundings. She is innocent of all the sins I've committed in her name. Kill me as you see fit. Torture me until I go Hollow. I'll accept any punishment, but please, spare my lady and her guardian."
Solaire recoiled from the knight as if his hand had burned him.
"Please." The knight of thorns continued. It was only then that Solaire noticed the knight was crying.
His tears infuriated Solaire and fueled the fire of his hatred.
How dared he?
How dared he beg for mercy when he had showed none to Oscar?
Solaire was tired of being kind and merciful. He was tired of always being understanding.
He was sick of always being the one who turned the other cheek.
Not this time. Not ever again.
The time had come to complete his transformation and become the man Lordran needed him to be.
"I've made my choice."
It was time for him to kill his weaker self.
"I will do as you did," Solaire said, picking up his sword from the floor, "and make you witness how I take away from you the person you hold dear the most."
"Wait." The knight of thorns pleaded as Solaire began to march directly towards the woman stuck in the wall. "No, no! NO!"
"MY LADY!" The deformed creature, the other guardian, let out a piercing cry of frustration.
The voices of the two men stripped Solaire from his indifference, but they didn't change his mind or make him stop.
"Quelaag?" The sick woman panted in exhaustion. Her joined hands separated. She spread her arms towards Solaire. "My dear sister... what is this? What is happening?"
Solaire couldn't stop his arms from trembling out of his control. Even as he raised his sword, his body refused to calm down and cooperate.
He wanted to scream.
He wanted to cry.
He wanted escape that place.
He wanted to die.
But he couldn't. He was alive, and he had a duty to fulfill.
"Quelaag?"
Solaire aimed his blade directly at the woman's heart.
"Quelaag?"
Quelaag.
Don't do this, sister.
Please, no more.
Don't harm them.
You promised.
You promised me you would never hurt anyone else.
Not for me.
I don't want this.
Quelaag.
It hurts.
But I'll be fine.
I'll endure it, I'll get better on my own.
I promise.
So please, stop this.
All this death, all this suffering.
I don't want it.
Not for me.
Quelaag.
My dear sister.
I'm sorry for being a burden.
I'm sorry for being so weak.