XxXxX
The Undead Burg, a land of many Hollows and, recently, two Chaos Demons. As well as five interesting characters, if the Chosen Undead's memories serves him right. It hadn't failed him yet, and if everything was correct, it would not fail him for the foreseeable future.
He had snorted at the irony of the statement.
So it was that the Undead and Unkindled had journeyed through Lower Burg, taking down quite the assortment of Hollows along the way, that they'd eventually find one of the interesting characters the memories showed.
Locked behind a door.
"Please! Anyone, help me!" Griggs of Vinheim, apprentice to Big Hat Logan and one of the Chosen Undead's earlier mentors regarding sorceries, cry out in distress from inside the room. Desperate knocks and bangs rattled the door before them, and the Ashen One suppresses a sad smile as he and Oscars stands before the room.
Feeling a pair of eyes staring at him, he shifts his gaze to his left to see Oscar eyeing him and the door, a rather incredulous pace signifying that he is highly confused.
Finally, he settles his gaze towards the door and calls out, "He-Hello? Is someone in there?"
There was a sharp intake of breath, some muttered words of disbelief, and then the man inside calls out in reply, "Hello? Hello?! Yes?! I mean, yes! Hi! Please, I beg you! Can you help me get out of this room?"
Oscar did not move at first, his visor facing the door with apprehension in his stance, before he speaks, "Who are you? And why are you locked inside?"
The man sounded quite panicked when he replies, a hint of desperation causing his words to stumble out instead of being clear, but the honesty within could not be faked, "O-oh! My- I am Vinheim of Griggs- I mean-! Griggs of Vinheim! I had thought it wise to hide here from the Capra Demon, but in a blunder found myself locked within. So please, can you release me?"
The Ashen One tries to stifle his amused chuckles by biting his lip, yet still sniggers manages to escape through, and it illicit a pointed stare from his companion. He turns his helm away from him in vain, and tries to calm himself down before he gestures Oscar towards the door.
Not everyday you get to see blunders such as this.
The Astoran glares unamused at the man beside him, finding him in disbelief and annoyance when the man had decided to find amusement in another man's plight, and just shook his head before stepping forward to inspect the door.
A simple wooden door, sturdy and strong, reinforced with metal bars to avoid people prying the individual planks off. The hinges themselves are set inwards, and an ordinary latch keeps the door closed whenever anyone was done with the room. The lock itself is just as simple, with a keyhole to unlock it and formidable steel to keep the latch locked.
Finishing his inspections, Oscar calls out to Griggs with a question, "Do you happen to know where the key would be?"
"I-I'm afraid not…," the sorcerer pitifully answers, sounding disappointed in himself.
Oscar huffs in irritation, but was interrupted in his thoughts when the Ashen One pulls him back kindly. He turns to the knight in red and brown, for that is the only color visible on the man, and watches with raised brows when he grabs the lock. He twists and turns the lock carefully, inspecting casually, and Oscar was about to ask what he intends to do before he gasps in surprise.
Metal creaked and crunched, then something snapped off, and the Ashen One was now simply pulling the remains of a lock off the latch and casts the useless metal away. Undoing the latch, he gives the door a slight nudge with his boot, and the door lazily swings open to reveal a man staring at them in shock.
"Wh-how-," Griggs was stuttering in shock at him, clearly surprised he was
The Ashen One splays his arms wide, as if to either welcome or show off, and exclaims with a smile that was surely wide,"Your freedom has arrived!"
He can feel Oscar shaking his head in exasperation.
XxXxX
Oscar grunts in pain when he feels his back smashing against the wall, but pushes through it swiftly when he spots the grey club gunning for his body in a blur and leaps to the side to escape it, feeling before hearing the club hitting the wall with a meaty thunk as it cracks the wall. He rolls to break his fall, and the Astoran rights himself just in time to see his assailant tank a heavy soul arrow to the shoulder, a hoarse grunt coming from them before they turned to face the source.
With a cry, Oscar pushes himself to stand and brings his shield up, intending to knock the titan of rock off-balance with a bash, but instead only manages to make them step forward while he feels air pushing out as he gasps. It had been a worthy endeavor, but the jarring feeling of smashing against them, his shoulder most certainly popping out if the crack he heard was anything to regard, feels more like he had smashed against a sturdy wall than a man in dragonscale armor.
Predictably, Oscar stumbles back, and he just barely manages to avoid the greatshield swinging towards him before the club followed behind it.
Whereas shield bashing the man felt like hitting a rock wall, getting hit by his club felt like a boulder had been thrown and smashed against his chest. He was familiar with the feeling, considering this is his second time being hit by a club wielding enemy, but it didn't mean he enjoys it.
So with a hoarse gasp that further knocks his air out of his lungs, Oscar was sent flying when Havel hit him dead center.
Which was a recurring thought process within his mind, if he thinks about it.
I am fighting Havel the Rock!
As his surroundings twists and shifts through his vision, the Astoran couldn't contain the excitement and dread within him regarding the prospect of fighting a literal legend of a man. He did facepalm mentally when he realizes he was essentially gawking over one of his childhood heroes beating his body away, but it feels completely insignificant in-comparison to the fact that he is fighting the man himself.
Something smashes against his back, and Oscar wheezes in pain when he feels his spine and ribcage nearly breaking when he hits the wall of the tower they were in hard. With a pained groan, he lands onto his side, sending more shockwaves of pain to his brain, and lays on the ground for a bit, watching the legendary archbishop chase down Griggs after the man had sent another heavy soul arrow towards him.
A foot lands in front of his head, and Oscar lifts his head with a teeth-clenched groan to see the Ashen One kneeling before him. His shield hand gently lifts the Astoran's head high while his sword hand tips an estus flask down his visor, wordlessly feeding him the healing liquid down his mouth. Oscar just opens his mouth and lets the liquid run down his throat, drinking the miraculous liquid. Before long, he feels his bones beginning to right themselves, his muscles being torn by the unnatural movement of the bones, before it numbs down. In its place, his body begins responding to his will, and he raises a hand to push the flask away before giving a thumbs up to the burned knight.
"I-I am well enough," he manages to cough out.
The Ashen One nods his head in affirmation, stows his flask away, and picks his sword up before swiftly turning to the battle, leaving the Astoran to pick himself up.
With a grunt, Oscar lifts himself up with a bit of stiffness in his limbs and picks his own blade up and assesses the situation.
Havel is still standing, and is still going strong, if his momentous swings were of any indication, and had been chasing down Griggs relentlessly before the Ashen One had joined in and presented another a target for him to attack. And the burned knight, impressively, was standing his ground quite well, dodging the heaving swings and earthshaking blows the Rock was dishing out. His own blade keeps hitting the man's armor, but if the sparks was of anything to note, he was doing negligible damage to him.
Which means they weren't doing enough.
Another stifled groan, and Oscar was back up to his feet and charges straight in, intending to ease the Ashen One's fight. He joins in right on time when the burned knight hastily dodges a not-insignificant swing from Havel's greatshield, and uses the opening presented from such swing to thrust his sword straight at the Rock's visor.
Unfortunately, he fails to consider the follow up club, and just barely raises his shield to deflect the mighty swing. His shoulder jars from the hefty swing as his shield clang loudly from impact, and his sword misses the slits of his visor and instead hits the stone mohawk above.
Then, to his horror, Havel spins around and uses the momentum of his initial swing to follow up with another mighty strike, the stone greatshield coming in fast and outright smacking the Astoran away from the fight as if he was a mere nuisance. His vision once again was filled with the speeding scene, and it only stops when the wall once again meets his body.
This is getting annoying he thought with a pained grunt, body aching once more when he hit the wall again. Shakily, he takes his flask from his hip and tips it briefly, feeling the ache subsiding and his body stops screaming.
Something comes into view, and Oscar blinks in surprise when the sorcerer, Griggs, holds out a hand to him.
He hadn't realized he'd fallen unto his bum after the resounding smack against the wall.
Taking the offered hand, Griggs grunts but stays still as Oscar pulls him up and gives the Astoran a grim smile before quipping, "No luck?"
Oscar replies with a strained smile beneath his helm, "None."
Just then, they heard a meaty thunk and sharply turn to see the Ashen One flying towards them. Acting fast, Oscar pushes the sorcerer away, eliciting a surprised yelp from him, and just barely manages to avoid the flying knight by leaping the opposite direction.
The Ashen One bodily hits the wall, forcing a strained grunt from him, but manages to catch his footing, stumbling awkwardly before he takes his flask out tips it back.
Once he was no longer disoriented, the Ashen One eyes Havel critically before stating, "This is going no where."
Oscar stands with his shield up, not taking his eyes from the heavily armored archbishop before him, and asks with a strained tone, "Do you have a plan then, Ashen One?"
"One," said knight answers curtly, surprising the two men.
"Will it work?" Griggs asks, his staff readily held with two hands, mind already conjuring the necessary spells to cast.
"Unsure," was the reply, and Oscar laughs rather sardonically.
"Good enough," Oscar finally decides, "What do we do?"
"Distract him, give me time. And when I am ready, pull back and let me handle him," the Ashen One curtly replies, sheathes his sword away, and pulls his magical box out before searching within it.
Oscar nods, gives the incredulously staring Griggs a polite tilt of his head towards Havel, and then slams his sword against his shield. It has the intended effect of catching the archbishop's attention, his helmet snapping to him quickly, before the Astoran charges forth and begins his distraction.
Just before Oscar comes into battle with the formidable knight, the archbishop blocks a soul arrow with his stone shield and takes a step back when the Astoran gets far too close for him to effectively use his club. The blue knight swings his sword twice, sparks flying over the Rock's armor from where he hit him, and his opponent swings his club horizontally to scare him off.
But Oscar rolls to the side in a series of clanks, raises his shield arm and punches with the upper tip of his shield against the bishop's shoulderplate, jarring his arm when his blow met. But he ignored the pain, and leaps back to avoid the reactionary swing of the club.
Before Havel could do anything else, a heavy souls arrow strikes his shield, distracting the man from further attacks, and Oscar uses the time to attempt another bash.
He didn't put his whole body into it, learning from before on how that particular move would work out, and instead settled upon giving the Rock a brief but still strong push. Oscar grimaces when the man remained unmoved, suppressing the want to smile widely in awe, but knows that he need not to do much.
Just distract him.
So it was that Oscar leaps back once again after his failed assault, and was about to give a thrust of his sword when he spots the archbishop bringing down his club down upon.
In a panic, or maybe instinct, Oscar knows not, he leaps back farther, ending in a roll that sends him far away from the hammer-blow, and grits his teeth with wide eyes when he feels the ground quake from the weapon.
But when he stumbles into a crouch, a blur appeared from the side and Oscar blinks in surprise when his mind processes the foot of the Ashen One kicking Havel's arm off his weapon.
"Get back!" the Astoran's ears catches the warning, and he complies as he backs away from the two combatants.
So he watches transfixed as the Ashen One, bearing no other weapons but his shield, fights back against Havel the Rock in a game of fisticuffs. And the archbishop realizes this as well when he lets go of his stone greatshield, bringing his armored fists to meet the Ashen One's own.
The burned knight sends forth a sharp jab at Havel's head with his free hand, and gritted his teeth in pain when it was caught. He grits his teeth and groans when his hand was twisted away, but manages a strained smile when the archbishop sent his own punch at him.
Oscar watches enraptured when the Ashen One catches the archbishop's fist, and, though it was only a glimpse, caught the sight of something dark when he opens his fist to catch it.
It took him a moment to figure out the Ashen One's plan.
XxXxX
"A narrow path with a demon that charges and rams his victims? Sounds intentional," the Astoran, Oscar he'd introduced himself, states after the strange knight, Ashen One he'd called himself, explains the situation.
Though much has changed during the centuries he was trapped, few remained the same. Camaraderie being one of them.
He watches the two exchange a glance, then the other knight turns to the sorcerer, giving the man a considering tilt downward of his helmet, before he turns to him, tilting upwards to see through his visor.
Havel narrows his eyes behind his helmet, gauging just what the man was thinking in that head of his, and shifts his dragontooth club a bit to, if not intimidate, at least give the meaning of him being a capable man in whatever plan he's cooking up within his mind.
The knight clearly is not a man of weak will, considering he'd gone toe-to-toe with him in a fistfight, a move he has to applaud him for. He wonders if the man had faced enemies larger than he wasz
Then again, the unexpected strength his nigh-hollowed mind had noted coming from the knight's strikes did plant a seed of respect despite his insanity-induced Hollowing beforehand, but he digress.
So with an upward tilt of his head, Havel decides to voice his assurance, voice gruff and baritone, "Whatever you have planned, Ashen One. Be sure of my abilities to conduct my own part well."
The knight was silent, considering his words carefully, and eventually gives voice to his own thoughts, "If the legends are true, then I think a simple Taurus Demon wouldn't be too much of a problem." He then turns to the Astoran, a smile in his voice as he remarks, "I'm surprised you survived his strikes, Oscar."
Turning to the Astoran, Havel sees the man crossing his arms in exasperation, clearly annoyed at the reminder of the beating he'd endured against him, and deadpans with a bit of venom within his words, "I'm an Undead."
Havel smirks, sets his shield down beside him, then pats the knight-in-blue on the shoulder as light as he could manage, thought the man still stumbles much to his amusement, "You did your best, Sir Oscar."
And much to the amusement of everyone, the Astoran just sighs in defeat before turning his visor upwards to him and deadpans, "Thank you, Sir Havel."
He just chuckles heartedly at the reply.
"As much as this is an amusing moment, I think we should keep our focus on the task at hand," Havel turns to the third man that had fought him, and regarded the sorcerer with a raised brow. Compared to the two knights who'd fought him hand-to-hand, the sorcerer, if he remembered correctly, had thrown his spells at opportune times. Though his spells were quite potent, Havel remembered how they struck his armor and failed to penetrate. But it hadn't been to kill anyway.
The sorcerer had thrown his spells every time he'd been ready to strike the knights, distracting his near-hollowed mind to instead focus on him.
So he regards the man with respect befitting a sorcerer who knows when he is out of his element.
"Griggs is right, the Fire does not wait for us," the Ashen One concedes, his mirth fading into one of seriousness. Havel loses his smirk and nods in agreement, his hand on Oscar's shoulder letting go to instead grab his shield back.
Another thing he will need to ask of the man before him.
"You had a plan forming within you, correct?" Havel asks the Ashen One, garnering a nod from the burned knight, and gestures with his shield for him to explain.
If the plan was to be of note, much like how he'd saved him, Havel would like to know his way of thinking. Another warrior's mind is often dissimilar than another's, even as the experience they have are essentially the same, the development of their way of thinking does not.
The Ashen One was clearly a man of many battles, judging from their recent battle, and Havel has immense interest in the well of lessons this man would most definitely have.
The Ashen One gives the three of them a final appraisal, his head nodding softly but shifting to assuredly by the time his gaze reaches Griggs, "In strength, only Sir Havel possesses the necessary might to meet the Demon head-on."
Havel shifts his club again, feeling pride welling within him from the Ashen One's praise, before pushing it down gently. No need to let it dictate his thinking now.
"Sir Havel will battle the Demon," the knight decides with finality, a decision said man agrees with, and turns to the sorcerer.
"Griggs, your spell will be needed to deal consistent blows to it," Havel shifts his gaze to the sorcerer, who looked a bit tired but then grimacing in distaste before he nods hesitantly. The archbishop feels a bit of sympathy for the man; the spells are taking their toll on his mind. But the strange knight did not remove his gaze away from him, and instead reaches down to his hip.
Havel watches with interest when the man takes out an estus flask, but instead of the warm amber color that was familiar, the flask contains a bright blue liquid. He notes how the sorcerer looks at it with interest, and smirked when his visage turn into surprise when the flask was handed to him.
"You are losing focus I'm assuming. Take this," the Ashen One implores, holding the blue liquid filled flask to the sorcerer, who eyes it with interest before he takes it. Havel notes the slight flinch when he took the flask, and wonders just what the blue liquid does.
The knight was becoming more and more mysterious with each second.
His interest turns into curiosity when Griggs takes a sip of the flask, and his expression turning bright in surprise. The archbishop raises an eyebrow at the star-stricken sorcerer, who was staring intently at the flask once he finished, and finds himself becoming increasingly curious at what the liquid does.
Before he asks, the Ashen One explains with an almost unnoticeable, but still present, smug tone in his voice, "You should not lose your ashen estus, comrade. The mind gets tired as much as the body is."
Havel eyes the knight with curious confusion at the man when he spoke of what the liquid was, but finds his question stolen by the sorcerer, who immediately notes the same oddity as he did, "Ashen estus? I do not think I've heard of this type of estus."
And for the first time since he met the Ashen One, the knight freezes at the question, head cocked the slightest in confusion, before he asks in a rather low voice, "Do you not use ashen estus to keep your mind sharp?"
Havel furrows his brows in confused suspicion at the Ashen One, wondering why he implied the blue estus was a normal thing. He shifts his helmet to the Astoran, and sees the Undead staring intently at the burned knight as if a secret was exposed.
He didn't see the sorcerer shaking his head, his vision now locked onto the burned knight who was becoming more odd by the second, but did hear the befuddled wonder in the man's voice when he replies, "No. We usually have a set amount fixed within our minds. We never had this… ashen estus before."
Unexpectedly, the Ashen One stutters in his response, "I-I thought…" Havel watches the knight tilt his helm downwards a bit, as if suddenly in thought.
Then, under his breath, Havel hears a strange sentence that has him widening his eyes in surprise, "…when was the ashen flask created?"
The ex-archbishop's mind goes into a flurry of theories and thoughts as he dissects the Undead's strange words, wondering within himself regarding the meaning behind the knight's words. He studies the burned knight for anymore clues to his words, who is in deep thought.
There were many implications to the Ashen One's words, each becoming more outlandish by the minute. But Havel could tell something.
The land he hails from, Lothric, was either an advanced country with deep research regarding Undead, or it hails from another time. Possibly from the future.
Havel keeps his stare even towards the Ashen One, but his mouth makes no effort to speak, and he keeps his thoughts to himself.
After years of spending time with Lord Gwyn himself, specifically during his later years before his imprisonment, Havel could tell when a man lies. But this man wasn't, not entirely.
But he wasn't being fully truthful as well.
So Havel keeps his words to himself, but he makes a promise to ask the Ashen One. For he has many questions, some filled with bitter memories and painful moments, and he intends to get his answer.
And if the truth hurts? Well…
Minutely, he shakes his head from the lamentation and grim feelings for the future, noting the way the Ashen One cocks his head towards him for it, and just huffs his concerns away.
Havel has respect for the man's skill in combat. But whether that respect extends to the person itself, it would be decided later.
The Ashen One was unfazed for a few moments, but then shrugs the slightest and instead turns to Griggs with a placating tilt downwards of his helm, "I will explain further after the bell is rung, Griggs."
Griggs just stares at the strange flask and nods.
With the two heavy-hitters set, the Ashen One turns to Oscar and meets the man's eyes through their visor. Though none could tell but the two men, the burned knight has a smile behind his visor, becoming visible when he explains their role, "Oscar, you and I are going to cripple the Demon."
Already, Oscar was sighing, yet he could not suppress the smile on his lips, and gives the man a baleful stare that was equal parts amused and exasperated, "Joy."
As the three Undead and single Unkindled began approaching the Taurus Demon, Havel reiterates, then and there as he strides confidently towards the Demon with his club and shield, to ask the strange knight of his time.
For too many questions still linger in the back of his head, and he needs to know.
But for now, Havel stares at the Demon that bellowed to the sky, and takes his club off his shoulders in a ready stance, holding the immensely weighty weapon like a simple short sword.
And as the demon charges forth, axe ready to swing, Havel smiles.
It is time to do battle.
XxXxX
He really should be paying more attention to his surroundings, Solaire muses whilst he speeds down from the ledge he'd been standing on, praising the sun all the while, with his sword and shield raised.
So engrossed in the bright orb above was he that he failed to notice the sounds of battle nearby, his mind occupied by the gentle warmth of the celestial body above, and only when an enraged bellow reached his ears did the Sunlight warrior pulled his thoughts together and quickly made his way to the battle.
Solaire thanked his fortune when the dragon failed to show its red hide on his way to the battle, and simply weaved around the Hollows that tried to stand in his way.
When the sounds of battle became louder, he shouted at the top of his lungs, "WORRY NOT BROTHERS! I AM ON MY WAY!"
There were no replies, predictably for they were in battle, but he had not expected one. They were in battle of course.
And the teachings of his covenant states to never expect a reply from men in battle, for they are fighting for their very lives.
By the time he finally sees the Demon, it had raised its immense axe high to bring it down upon a stone-clad knight, who seemed to be having trouble with his shield. Solaire widens his eyes in urgency and quickly replaces his sword for his talisman and recites quickly but clearly the miracle his covenant had taught him.
Electricity began crackling along and around the talisman in his hand, and soon enough it becomes a singular bolt of lightning. Once formed, the Sunlight warrior wastes no time in flinging the bolt forward, and with a speed true to its name, hits the Demon's back.
Said Demon stiffens as electricity overloaded its body, and the pause in its attack gives time for the stone-clad knight to build up momentum for his own strike. With a spin, the knight heaves the grey club in his hand and strikes the Demon on its belly, to which it stumbles back with a surprised grunt and drops its axe in the process.
Stunned and in pain, the Demon fails to avoid the heavy soul arrow aiming for its head and roars in growing pain when the right side of its cranium was hit, the horn flying off with the base exploding from the formidable spell.
Solaire recites another lightning spear when it starts to reach for its fallen weapon, and flings the miracle without a second thought and stuns the Demon again.
Just then did he see two knights rolling behind it, and with their shields bashes the back of its knees and sends the Demon down unto its knees. The knight in blue, an elite knight from his homeland, rolls away from a desperate swing of its meaty arm, whilst the knight in red slashes a wound unto its side before punching with his shield on it.
The Demon, finding itself becoming overwhelmed, begins to swing its fist wildly to catch the annoying burned knight, but in doing so fails to avoid another heavy soul arrow that broke its other horn off.
It reels in shock and pain, and would've gone for its weapon if Solaire hadn't thrown another lightning spear at it.
Weakened considerably, the Demon growls lowly in pain and could only watch as the stone knight before it prepares another momentous swing of his club. Solaire watches the stone knight strike the Demon with a vicious and weighty upper swing, and gapes in awe when the head of the beast simply flies off into the air when the swing connects, the sound of flesh tearing off audible for a brief moment.
And just like that, another battle was won, and Solaire smiles with glee at the cooperative victory of the fight.
He didn't think twice as he swiftly sends his hands high into a 'V' shape, proudly proclaiming his constant prayer into the sky when the head lands behind him with a sickening squelch.
"Praise the Sun!"
XxXxX
Griggs takes one last sip of the cold fire from the flask the Ashen One had lent to him and sighs when his head feels much less strained. His thoughts, particularly his spells, became far less jumbled and messy and instead turns clear after the sip, and he laments for not owning one of said flask.
It could have been quite the useful thing.
But he relents, and takes a final glance at the increasingly grey flask with its blue fire, before handing it back to the Ashen One.
"Ashen One," he calls towards the burned knight, who was rather animatedly talking with the Sunlight warrior that had saved them from a long battle, and simply raises the flask in his hand when he turns to the sorcerer.
"My thanks for the flask, Ashen One. It has helped me greatly," he thanks the burned knight as he takes it, and smiles in gratitude at him. Not many would be willing to extend a helping hand in this end of an age, but Griggs learns to treasure the ones that did.
Like this Ashen One, or so he proclaims himself.
Said Ashen One gives his own nod as a response, "And my gratitude as well, Griggs. Your sorceries did their part well."
He hears a scoff, contains his anxiety and fear, and turns nervously towards the other anomaly of the group.
Havel the Rock sits menacingly menacingly near the bonfire they circled on a rock, his club resting on its tip while his shield lay beside him, and seems to have been in thought before he heard the Ashen One. As much as it excites him to be with a legend, Griggs only has fear and uncertainty within him whenever he stands next to the stone knight.
Maybe it was because Havel the Rock does not favor sorcery that well, considering just who founded it.
So the Vinheim-native stays a good distance away from him most of the time.
"Come now, Sir Havel. Griggs does not have any connection with the father of sorceries, be polite," the Ashen One placates the stone knight softly, garnering another scoff from the ex-archbishop and fortunately nothing else.
With the immediate danger to his sanity calm, Griggs turns to the Ashen One again for a question that has been burning within him, yet instead finds the burned knight talking to the Sunlight warrior yet again.
"You are a follower of the covenant?" Solaire, for that is the name of Sunlight warrior, asks eagerly towards the Ashen One, catching the attention of Havel yet again when the red knight nods a bit uncertain.
"Well, yes and no," the Undead answers with a bashful cock of his head, "Though I practice the Sunlight warriors' ways, I never did swear their oath."
"Really? Fascinating! To think our way appeals to warriors of far lands, hah! I am truly grateful!" the knight with a sun emblazoned upon his tabard exclaimed jubilantly before throwing his hands up high yet again, though he didn't say his prayer this time.
Once he calms down, Solaire simply turns to the knight with a fondness that was familiar to Griggs; one of brotherhood, "I am thankful to meet another warrior of the sun, friend. Lords knows how difficult it is to find another adherent of the Sunlight covenant."
The Ashen One seems to be surprised by the statement, his bashful tilt of his head turning into one of confusion, "Truly? I would think the covenant would have more adherents."
But before Solaire could answer, Havel interrupts them with his own answer, an answer Griggs sensed were heavy with emotion within them, "Because Lord Gwyn himself forbade the covenant's growth. He had declared it an affront."
All eyes shifts to Havel, Griggs included, for the man spoke with repressed emotions and clear clarity with his words. The sorcerer, and even the three knights, seems to have forgotten they were with a man from an age long past.
Solaire was the first one to speak after the hefty pause, excitement clearly within his tone, "You were there when it was created?!"
The Rock straightens his back from the attention he garners and gave the Sunlight warrior a good and long stare before answering, straining the slightest with his words, as if it was difficult for him to speak of the subject, "Yes, I was there when it was conceptualized, and was there when the Sunlight Lord banned it."
Solaire was giddy with excitement, but the Ashen One was reserved, as if sensing the Rock's own hesitance with his words, and instead switches the topic slightly as aid, "While I am familiar with the covenant's ways, I am quite unsure with its codes and rules. Do you, by chance, remember them?"
Havel seems to relax after the topic change, gazes into the bonfire for a while, before nodding with relent, "Indeed I do. The covenant of Sunlight was created for warriors in mind, and specifically emphasizes brotherhood, a warrior's spirit and-"
Havel was cut off by Solaire's proud exclamation, "And jolly cooperation!"
Instead of a reprimand or anything, the other three men gave varying degrees of looks towards the inabashedly courageous knight; the ashen knight has a sense of amusement at the turn of his helm, while Oscar just gives him a long stare, though Griggs could sense exasperation behind his helm, and Griggs himself just stares in awe at the sheer balls of the knight in interrupting Havel himself.
Havel just gives a huff of amusement, clearly finding the knight's optimism endearing, and just nods at the Sunlight warrior's interruption before continuing, "As the knight had so eloquently proclaims, cooperation amongst warriors." The ex-archbishop pauses, as if remembering something, "Now that I think of it, the covenant was a relatively simple one. Engage in cooperation amongst other warriors, respect your fellow battle-brothers and remain strong despite the odds. It was a covenant for warriors, and simplicity was its strongest principle."
Solaire is obviously captivated by this recounting of an actual witness to his covenant, something Griggs can understand to a degree, and he seemed even more brighter than before.
In contrast, the burned knight seems more subdued in his enthusiasm, a studying feeling on his visor that Griggs was beginning to describe the ashen man as.
Oscar, the Astoran who'd been quiet the entire time, pipes up for the first time, and seems a bit confused when he speaks his mind, "Are the teachings truly exclusive for warriors?"
Solaire, hearing his fellow Astoran ask, could not contain his own excited question, "Indeed, are the teachings limited to warriors only? I remember little, but mine own family used to practice the teachings well."
Havel becomes quiet at the questions, seemingly frozen in place, and just leans forward a bit, "You mean to tell me the teachings of the Sunlight covenant became a general practice in your daily lives?" He sounds stunned, surprised and amazed in that one question, as if this something new.
But Griggs could understand, if only by theory, at how new this must have been.
Havel the Rock was imprisoned for far too long.
Both Oscar and Solaire nods, and the sorcerer distinctly remember hearing a low rumble that slowly rises in pitch before he realizes it was the ex-archbishop himself.
He was laughing, heartedly and proudly, his helmet tilting up to the sky as he laughs by his stomach. The three Undead all stare at the laughing knight, confused with his amusement, and waits patiently for the Rock to calm down.
The Ashen One was the first to voice his thoughts when Havel's laughter finally subsides, a bemused tone to his words, "Though I am happy to see you happy, Sir Havel, I fail to see amusement in this."
Griggs nods in agreement, wondering what had tickled the Rock quite well.
But Havel just waves their bemusement away, and instead answers the previous question before, an attempt to either change the topic, or to show that it was of no concern, Griggs knows not, "Back then, the Sunlight teachings were exclusive to those of combatants. Whether they were silver or black knights, giants or even ring knights, the covenant's codes are open to warriors all."
There was a reverent, almost worshipping tone to Havel's voice, something that Griggs raises an eyebrow at, that has him wondering just what makes the Sunlight covenant so respected by the man. And he wasn't the only one that notices when the Ashen One speaks, "It seems like you hold the Sunlight covenant rather highly, Sir Havel."
A wistful laugh escapes the Rock's helmet, and Griggs realizes that the man is in a completely different time period.
A man far beyond his time.
Griggs shivers slightly at the thought of being flung far into the future.
The Vinheim-native was snapped out of his thoughts when Havel responds with much respect, though he hears a slight bitterness within it as well, "I hold the faith as high as its creator."
Solaire perks up at the mention of his faith's creator and was about to ask before the Ashen One holds him back with a hand. He turns to the ashen knight in confusion, but meets a shaking helm as his answer.
It seems as if the knight knows more than he lets on. How curious.
Griggs has many questions piling up regarding the odd knight.
Solaire broke the rather sombre mood with a turn to the burned knight, and is very obviously optimistic when he regards the knight, "Since you know the teachings of my covenant, do you perchance would like to officially join it?"
The Ashen One perks up considerably at the offer, "I may as well, yes? I know and practice the teachings already, I might as well be a sunlight warrior."
Before long, the two knights were kneeling before a ruinned altar, with Solaire guiding the Ashen One along with the oath.
Griggs sighs at the missed opportunity, knowing it will take quite the time for him to even get another chance at the peculiar knight. So he goes back to what he does in the meanwhile; pulling out the journal of his master, and trying to figure out where next he should search.
XxXxX
As you can tell, not a lot of action scenes with the way I write, simply because I don't have personal experience with the game layout and enemies to write it in. But I feel like almost everyone would know what happens by this point, and I instead will be focusing on progressing the story through the eyes of the characters our Ashen One and Oscar will meet on the way. I feel like this style of writing for me is a massive fit; complex enough for me to write extensively, but simple enough that I have no need to expend on too much details. And especially for fandoms I have no personal experience with other than lore like DS.
If you don't like it, then find other fictions to your liking. This is just a taste of my own to the many other tastes.
Enjoy the story!