Greetings Reader, My name is CheesyCheeseSticks! I appreciate the fact that you have taken the time out of your day to read my very first story, and I ask you to please leave some constructive criticism so that I may improve, and help you readers by making my story more enjoyable to read, now before we begin, the disclaimer!
Copyright Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to the Fire Emblem or DarkSouls franchise as they belong to their respective owners. Any other elements that I may have referenced to in this story also belongs to their respective owners.
Chapter 1: One Story Ends Another Begins
The Kiln of the First Flame
How long had it been? How long had it been since I vanquished lord Gwyn and taken his place in the kiln of the first flame? How many friends of mine had perished as I journeyed through this accursed land to fulfil the prophecy of the chosen undead? I will never forget their names, and their sacrifices. The sting of the flames that licked the soot covered plates of the warped remains of my armour, had long since disappeared. My steadfast Crest Shield and Sturdy Astoran Straight Sword nowhere to be found. Any lesser undead would of hollowed long ago, but I will endure. I cannot, and will not allow the sacrifices of my comrades go down in vain.
Before I continue wallowing in my thoughts further, I hear the unmistakable sound of a fog gate dispersing, and I see him. Is this what Lord Gwyn had seen when I entered the kiln? Because there In front of me was a knight, sword and shield in hand, a simple iron helmet, leggings, breastplate, and gauntlets that might of looked simple but the mistakable shine of titanite shows that the armour was well taken care of, and with a leather shoulder pad and dirty green scarf around the neck. He was unassuming, someone that you would never really look twice at, but if he made it here then he must be strong.
Determined to stop who ever would defy me of my final resting place in the kiln I grab the first thing In front of me. I pull out the coiled sword that I had rested In front of for so many years and held it at my side. My opponent isn't caught off guard, raises his shield awaiting my first attack. If he's letting me have the first move then I'll take it, spreading my feet I thrust forward with my coiled sword leaves my opponent buckling, not giving him a chance to recover I take a swing at him only for it to slice the air as he rolls out of the way, and counter attacks by stabbing his long sword into my side. I register the hit, but I don't let it affect me as I sweep the area around me with my sword, slashing my opponent on the chest, and knocking him backwards. As I prepare to finish him off before he recovers I notice a feeling at my wound, it feels as a thousand tiny insects were gnawing out my insides, I look at it to see the exent of the damage
'His sword is infused with the powers of the dark?!'
'If I am not careful I will die from the inside,'
Taking my deduction of the element of his weapon as a distraction he does a running slash at me slicing my abdomen and following with another 2 strikes across my chest, I howl in pain as the feeling of the dark destroying me from the inside intensifies, letting my instinct take over I stab at him with my coiled sword, once again sending him flying backwards, before I am to capitalise at his downed form he recovers by rolling with momentum and standing up strait, and taking a gulp from his estus flask, healing him of his wounds. I growl in annoyance as I charge forward with a overhead strike to which my opponent dodges out of the way, the coiled sword in my hand slams down into the ground, sending ash upwards in the air obscuring my vision. I immediately raise my guard up, looking for any sign of my enemy. I hear the sound of footsteps running through the ash too late as I feel his sword plunge through my armour and into my back.
A warped howl escaped the confines of my own helm as I feel the pain of the dark consuming my life force from the inside, battered, bruised, and on the verge of defeat I fall to my knees and stab the coiled sword In front of me
'Solaire, Oscar, Logan, Reah, Everyone…' The names of my fallen come to my mind as I lean on the coiled sword
'Please, forgive my weakness, my weakness to save all of you, any of you, and my weakness to fulfil my purpose…' I plead pathetically within my mind.
Something within me snaps, 'But if I am to fall on this day, then I shall fight with the fury of fire!' I bellow to my long gone companions
With a fire of determination ignited and burning within me, hotter than the flames of Izalith itself, I raise to my feet, startling my opponent who had thought that he had won the battle, with a guttural growl I raise my sword from the ground with a mighty swing that ignites the air itself! Long gone is the coiled sword from the numerous bonfires of that dotted the lands of Lodran, in it's place was a massive and twisted great sword that was as tall as I. Raising my hand into the air I clench my fist as a bolt of sunlight comes into existence in my very hands as throw it will all my might at my enemy who only has time to block the incoming projectile. It hits his shield and he buckled almost instantly as he is pushed back by my attack. With speed even I had not known myself I rushed towards him, and broke his guard with a diagonal slash and slash downwards with a crushing swing of my blade, not missing a beat I slash upwards sending my opponent into the air as I crush him with a flurry of blows and fire that trailed behind my blade, before I ended it by stabbing downwards.
I looked down onto my opponent, and to my utter surprise he had gotten back up retreated a distance away to heal. Despite all that I had thrown at the knight he had still lived. If there was one thing to be admired about my enemy was that we was that he had the survivability of a cockroach. We circled around the each other, like predators over a fresh kill, and this time he was the one that struck first, he had sheathed his sword and raised his hand into a throwing motion as a ball of fiery darkness came into existence, he proceeds to throw it at me, it comes into contact with my armor and instead of the burning that one would feel when being hit with a fire ball all that was to be felt was an empty coldness, before the feeling of being burned from the inside out made me scream in pain, not only was the dark destroying my body, but it was eating away at my sanity and soul as well. Exhausted from the continuous fighting and the destruction that the power of the dark had wrecked on my body, and soul I fall to my knees for one final time.
SOUL OF CINDER DEFEATED
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"In the age of ancients…"
"Thou who art undead, thou art chosen…"
"…I am Solaire of Astora, an adherent of the Lord of Sunlight,"
"I am the primordial serpent, Kingseeker Frampt, close friend of the Great Lord Gwyn,"
"Hmm… A mere Undead, yet you can see me? Fascinating..."
"Thou hast journey'd far, and overcome much, chosen Undead,"
"Magnificent… You are the righteous successor to Gwyn, the new Great Lord,"
"When The link of fire is threatened, the bell tolls…"
"Ashen One, thou'st hearest my voice still?"
Centuries Later, The Halidom of Ylisse
How long had It been? How long had it been since I was defeated by the knight in the Kiln of the First Flame? How long had it been since I had been freed from my prison? How long had it been since I had awoken to this land of humans? I continue to ponder about this line of thought as the sounds of my Elite Knight armor clicks and clacks as I walk down this lonely road, Astoran Straight Sword sheathed at my side, and my Crest Shield resides on my back, My travelling items stored in the bottomless box I had received from that estranged merchant in a kingdom full of hollows.
After my release from the Kiln in the first flame I had found myself in a place unfamiliar to where I once lived in, magic was different, relying on this source called mana instead of relying on the power of the soul, and to which where it was channelled though books of all things called tomes, instead of channelling the power of one's soul through a staff. I journey along, alone and armed as I make my way to the nearest town down the south of Ylisse, aptly named South Town, as I journey through the country side with my thoughts changing from one subject to another to idly pass the time, I noticed a figure laying down on the grass. Worried that they may be injured I dismiss any stray thoughts and make my way to the unconscious and possibly wounded individual.
The person, or should I say woman is a pale young lady around 19 to 23-ish years old, silver hair kept out of by her twin tails, she has a dark and large coat around her clothes underneath, the large cloak does well to obscure her form, but if one looks closely enough her figure has a feminine shape to it. Looking her at form for any injuries she might of sustained, and after being satisfied that there were none I attempt to wake her.
"Excuse me? Hello?"
"Please wake up, it is unsafe to sleep in such a place," I try again, and this time I succeed in receiving a reaction.
"Nngh…." She groaned out as her eyes fluttered open,
"Hey, easy there friend, best to take it slow, you might've hit your head," I say, worrying for her,
"Wha…? Who are you?" She groans out groggily,
"My name is Hades, what about yours?" I respond,
"My name is… My name… I-I I don't know…"She trails off, a look of worry spreads across her features,
"Memory loss then, strange I don't see signs of head trauma," I deduct,
"Robin…"She mutters,
"Hm? Robin?" I ask,
"I think Robin might be my name…"
"Well then, nice to meet you Robin!" I say extending my hand out to her to help her up,
"Thank you, Hades was it?" The now named Robin says as I help her up,
"Well do we do now?" Robin questions me,
"Well before I found you taking a nap in the dirt I was heading in that direction over there, If you follow me we might reach the town before it gets too dark," I say to her,
"That sounds reasonable, I guess," Robin replies, unsure what to make of her own situation.
With my new, and most likely temporary travelling companion Robin, we set off on the dirt road to South Town, unfortunately for what I had hoped for a peaceful trip and place for Robin to get back on her get her head around the whole amnesia thing, fate had other plans, up ahead was our destination, South Town, with smoke billowing to horizon and the screams of townsfolk as everything they knew and loved burned around them.
"That doesn't look very good," Robin comments as I unsheathe my weapons,
"Bandits," I growl out
"Robin Stay here, and look for any help, I'm going in," I order her,
"Hades wait you can't go In their alone, you'll die!" Robin shouts after me as I head towards the burning town,
"So will the innocents in there If I don't do something!" I shout back as I go into a full sprint, leaving her behind.
South Town, Halidom of Ylisse
It was just as I had feared, burning screams echoed around me as buildings burned, I encountered my first bandit who stood atop the corpses of two townsfolk, burning with rage I rushed forward and decked him across the face with my Crest Shield, knocking him the ground, he looked up into my helmet, terror in his eyes as I plunged by blade into his heart.
"Pathetic," I spat as I pulled out my blade, flicking off any blood that dared stain its shine,
Seeing his comrade perish, a bigger bandit looked at me with anger, before hefting his axe on his shoulder and rushing towards me, as I look at the fighter, completely unimpressed by his fury. The brute reached my position and lifted his axe into the air to crush me, before I dodged to the side and sliced the back of his knees making him kneel, he cried out in pain before a quick slice of my sword relieved him of his head as the corpse fell down into a pathetic heap.
"Weak," I insulted the now dead bandit
Making my way through the burning town cutting down any bandits, and saving any townsfolk in my path, I arrived at it's centre where the main force remained, they looked at me before looking at each other, and nodding. A lancer charge right at with his lance aimed at me chest, with my shield I parried the lance knocking it off course and making the Lancer stumble straight into my sword in a devastating riposte, taking his friend's sacrifice as his chance another fighter charged forward with an overhead smash with his axe. Using the corpse of the Lancer still impaled on my blade I blocked the attack, taking a moment to register that he had hit the corpse of his friend was the mistake that costed the bandit his life before I slid my sword out of the Lancer and stabbed the fighter through the throat. Leaving him to choke on his own blood, I looked at another bandit advancing towards me, the myrmidon readied his blade as I charged forward with a shield bash knocking him back, raising my blade to finish him with a overhead swing only to be cut off as three arrows had struck me, one in my shoulder of my sword arm stopping my swing and two others piercing through the chain mail of the Elite Knights set and stabbed into my side.
I cursed at my own foolishness as I neglected to remember about the fact that these bandits didn't fight fair and would use any opportunity to gain the upper hand, upon seeing his chance the bandit myrmidon charged straight at me, I only had the time to raise my shield to block the attack, his sword struck my crest shield and bounced off the titanite infused metal, unable to counterattack due to the arrow in my arm I retreated back blocking more arrows that came my way before another had pierced the gap in my leggings, hitting my knee, I stumbled back putting my weight into my other leg as my shield rose to meet the bandit myrmidon once again who tried to find a way around my impenetrable defence. As I was forced to block more incoming arrows the bandit took the chance to dash to my side where I was undefended, I steeled myself for the blow that would weaken me further.
But to my surprise it never came, instead the loud clap of thunder greeted my ears as the myrmidon was basted back into a smoking heap as I turned to my saviours.
"Hades! I told you going in alone was suicide!" Robin shouts at me as shoot takes another Elthunder spell from her tome and releases it into the group of archers that had fired at me, forcing them to abandon formation and scatter she then turns to the group that she brought with her,
"Sir Fredrick please keep those archers off us! Chrom go and secure our flanks, I don't want anyone sneaking up on us, and Lissa please go and heal up that armoured idiot!" She orders the trio and is met with their respective replies.
"Face me, cowards! You will rue the day you harmed the people of Ylisse!," Bellowed the armoured knight of the horse
as he charged at the enemy archers, I assumed this one was Fredrick
"You got it Robin!" From the blue haired man with the sword, from where he guarded our flank from more of the bandits that came in after I defeated their comrades I believe this on to be Chrom,
"Oh my gosh your hurt!" Is the reply I hear from the blonde girl in the yellow dress as she runs up to me with a staff in hand, from her concern and the process of elimination I deduct that the blonde one is Lissa,
"I noticed," I quipped wryly as I pulled out the last arrow in my side with a grunt,
I felt the sensation of my flesh being knitted back together by Lissa's staff, after taking a practice swing with my sword I'm about to join Fredrick and Chrom in the front before the blonde girl pulls me back.
"Hold your horses there mister that knee of yours is going to be a problem if you aren't careful with it," Lissa warns me, eyes filled with concern,
"I'll be fine I've been through tougher scrapes than this without a healer," I brush off her worries before entering the fray once again,
"Agh fine! But if you trip and fall on your face I'll be the first person to say 'I told ya so!'" She shouts after me,
As Fredrick continues to terrorise the archers it allows for the rest of us to deal with the rest of the bandits with worrying about being turned into a pin cushion, Robin is launching Elthunder spells left and right, blowing bandits up into bits and Chrom is proving himself to be a monster on the battlefield as he continues to destroy one bandit after another with massive swings of his blade, I take another Fighter on as I parry his axe swing and cleave him in two before I block a stab from a myrmidon and slash him across the chest and kicking him down onto the ground, taking the moment to finish him off I stab him at the heart ending his miserable existence. Before we know it the last of the Bandit grunts have been dealt with thanks to Robins sound tactical genius, I may have under estimated her because I'm impressed, but before I could mentally praise he longer what could of only been the last bandit in the town introduces themselves.
Exiting a burning building was a bigger bandit than the rest, even burlier than the brute I had fought earlier,
"Ah I let the friggin Idiots run around and what do they do? They all end up gettin' killed! I'll give em a piece of my mind after dis, but first I'm gonna kill you lot and sell those two pretty little lasses to the market!" He bellows, this one must be their leader I muse to myself.
Not missing a beat, he charges forward at Chrom who dodges back, taking this chance the Bandit Barbarian takes out his hand axe and throws it at the Blue Haired man, before it has the chance to hit, I dash In front of Chrom and block the thrown weapon with my shield.
"Thanks friend! That one almost got me,"
"Were even now, you saved my life, I'll save yours" I reply to the man,
Taking his chance Fredrick charges forward with his lance, it proved to be the wrong move however as the axe wielding barbarian dodges to the side and grabs his lance, by the shaft and prepares his own counter attack before he is forced to roll back as Robin's elthunder blast scorches the ground on where he once stood,
'we have him on the back foot but he is undoubtedly skilled and one wrong move can spell my companions early demise' I think to myself,
Rather risking it for him to make a move and harm my new comrades I charge forward with my shield raised and sword at my side, I run up to him and swing, but before it hits I transition my momentum into a shield bash instead, surprised by my feint he takes the full brunt of my bash but is unmoved and grabs my shield to open me up, I surprise him by letting go of my shield, and uppercut him with a gauntlet clad fist which sends stumbling back, taking this chance I charge forward, gripping my blade with both hands as I slice him from his left hip to his right shoulder, splitting the leader in two.
VICTORY ACHIEVED!
I stand victorious over my fallen foe as his soul and the souls of those that he had killed in the past flow into me, interrupting my post victory pose was none other than the blonde ball of energy, Lissa
"That was soooo cool! You were like blam! Wacha! and ka-pow!" Lissa gushed as she crudely copied my moves and just as fast as she rushed over to me she rushed over to the silver haired woman,
"And Robin! You were like zam! Zoom and pew pew pew! You know swordsmanship, magic and tactics!? Is there anything you can't do?" Lissa just doesn't seem to be running out of energy soon so ignore leave Robin's pleading look for help and just sigh in relief that Lissa isn't all over me,
"Yes indeed, claiming to have no memory of who you are and yet still being able to direct us in such a manner should warrant some attention as a tactician yet I've never heard of one named 'Robin'," Fredrick says eyeing the woman up and down,
"Don't mind Fredrick he's just over protective like that, we don't call him 'Fredrick the Wary' for nothing after all," Chrom brushes off Fredricks unspoken accusations and continues,
"Robin, Hades today you have both saved Ylissian lives and for that I cannot thank you both enough, and for that I have an offer for both of you, Robin, Hades, the country men of Ylisse face the danger of Brigands and unruly neighbours alike, and because of this we need every able bodied men and women to join us and protect out people, and so will you join us to protect the innocent?" Chrom's speech left floored, this man had all what it took to be a leader in droves, strength on the battlefield and the charisma to rally people against those who would oppose them, it reminded me of my time as an Elite Knight of Astora, before the undead plague ravished all that I knew and loved.
I kneel down onto the ground, "With a speech like that sir Chrom how could I refuse? I Hades, pledge my blade to you, sir Chrom," I say as I raise my blade to him
"Ha… you don't have to kneel, Hades," He says as he gently pushes my blade back to me as I once again rise,
Robin on the other hand replied with a simple, "I would be honoured Chrom,"
Both now serving under Chrom he smiles as says, "Welcome to the shepherds!"
While I find the name of Chrom's little band of heroes a tad odd I remain quite until Robin asks my unspoken question,
"Shepherds? As in sheep? What kind of herd do you look after to be wielding weapons like that?" She asks the trio,
"Hahahah! Not in a literal sense, we are called shepherds because we protect the innocent from the wolves that would dare harm them," Chrom says,
Deciding it was his moment to speak up Fredrick talks to Chrom regarding the bandits that had attacked the town, "Did you notice their accents milord? They were Plegians,"
"Confused on the matter Robin asks the two a question, "Plegians? Who or what are Plegians?"
After remembering that Robin had amnesia Chrom answered her, "Plegia is Ylisse's neighbouring nation, and after the war Plegia sends bandits after Ylisse's towns instead of fight us in open warfare like the cowards they are!" Chrom growls out.
It seems that something happened in the last war between the Ylisseans and the Plegians for Plegia to bear a grudge so strong that they'd still send bandits or soldiers disguised as after Ylisse.
"War? What happened last time? Are they just sore losers or something?" Robin asks,
At her question Fredrick's face turns into a scowl as Chrom bears a grimace on his face while Lissa's energy dissipates and her cheerful attitude is replaced with sadness, it does seems that something really really bad happened in the last war.
"We will tell you on the way to Ylisse," Chrom states before he is interrupted by the cheering townspeople, an elder walks up the blue haired man and says,
"Thank you sir Chrom, because of you my people will live and we can rebuild, we would like to invite you for a feast in celebration of your victory!" The elder offers to my new leader,
"While me and I allies appreciate your offer we must go to Ylisse post haste," replies Chrom as he denies the offer,
"Why thank I you! I would like mine- Wait what!? Why aren't we staying!? My feet are aching after all this fighting and walking!" Yells Lissa, my word, for such a diminutive girl she certainly has a good pair of lungs,
"Fear not Lady Lissa, for hardships build character," Says Fredrick as trots along with his horse,
"Says you Fredrick you're on a horse!" Lissa shouts once again,
I sigh as the two go back and forth as we travel along the dirt road, these are the people I'm going to be fighting alongside in the foreseeable future. And after a moment of thought, my gut says that I'm going to be enjoying these moments for a while, I look around and see Robin as we make eye contact, she smiles and I nod at her when she Extends her hand out.
"Looks like we both got dragged into this mess, but hey I say this turned out for the better!" she says
as I shake her hand
"Mhm, oh, and sorry for ditching you earlier," I apologised for my actions earlier in the day,
"That? Nah it's fine I get it you were concerned for the people that couldn't help them selves, I like that," She brushes off my apology and compliments me further,
"Oh, ok," I look back at Fredrick and Lissa as they continue to bicker,
"Hey since your person I've known the most since I've woken up I'm going to suggest a little something," She starts,
"And that is?" I ask, quite intrigued by her offer,
"We'll become partners of course! You have my back and I'll have yours," She answers me with a smile that rivalled the incandescence of the sun,
"So what do you say? Partners?"
"Yeah, Partners,"
CHAPTER END!
End Note:
Thank you for reading the very first chapter of my very first story! Please leave some constructive criticism so that I may improve
ChesseyCheeseSticks signing out!