This crossover was not created for monetary gain. Dark Souls 3 is made by FromSoftware and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. Diablo 3 is made and published by Blizzard Entertainment. I own neither franchise. For a proper understanding of both narratives, please view these stories separately.
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Chapter 1: A Different Cycle
With the usurpation of the First Flame, an Age of Dark began. The Ashen One became the Lord of Hollows, leading a people relying on their new master. Yet, this new ruler was a puppet sovereign for the Sable Church, an organization of Hollows. While its founder Elfriede was slain by the Ashen One, two major individuals remained; Yuria and Liliane. Unfortunately, that was all he could remember from that time. Perhaps the bad memories were left out. Nonetheless, the world continues to move on.
Uriel sliced another risen in half with his heavy long sword, easily killing it. The pale, rotted body fell onto wet earth, as souls flowed into their new vessel. Like the others, this was not a Hollow, just another undead creature. With this area cleared, Uriel walked back to the Bonfire away from a broken wagon. He sat down once it was lit. Warm liquid light poured itself into his estus flask, refilling it. The knight wondered what this new world held in its history.
There was no Darksign eclipse in the sky. This meant at the very least, traces of his world did not exist here, other than himself and the bonfire Uriel sat next to. Yet, he was still able to absorb souls of the undead he killed. Uriel stood up, walking away from the bonfire. He concluded that was just how his body reacted as an undead being. The knight continued down the path, slaying more risen. Uriel had to investigate that bright, falling meteor.
More undead were put to rest on the downward sloping path. Some would die through a backstab, while others were killed with deep slices in their torso. While they too only gave little in the way of souls, Uriel was not going to complain about gaining more. Up ahead, he could see many corpses of undead. They were covered in burns and slash marks, all caused by a group of knights Uriel also spotted. These soldiers were protecting the entrance to a town, of which the Ashen One saw at Overlook Road. At least, that is what the bonfire whispers had called this checkpoint. Uriel went into a full sprint, moving towards a newly risen group of undead.
Rumford decapitated the risen standing in front of him. Archers behind him continued firing flaming arrows at more undead further ahead, rising from the ground. He wondered if there would be any end to these consecutive waves. Rumford told his archers to keep up their volleys, mitigating the amount moving closer to the gate. After running an undead through with his blade, he looked to his right. Rumford only saw one knight, sprinting down the dirt road. Their armor had no insignia on cloth or by etching.
The Ashen One moved to stab a risen in the neck, bringing his heavy long sword out of its right jugular. Uriel continued the momentum, spinning to cut the left side. Its head spun in the air, rolling for a moment before stopping on the foot of another undead. That risen was shot in the head by a flaming arrow, then another one to the chest. When combat had settled, a tall figure walked towards the Ashen One. He wore leather boots with an orange knight's overcoat, hiding most of the chainmail on his body. Matching gauntlets, pauldrons and poleyns went with his armor, along with a helmet he wore with no bevor. Instead, blue cloth covers this individual's neck. The two moved to speak.
"I have not seen any other militia besides my own. Thanks for the assist, stranger." The taller man said.
The Ashen One nodded in agreement, then responded. "I would have helped you anyways. Your men were being attacked by the undead." He motioned his heavy long sword to the charred, cut bodies of the risen.
There was a slight rumble in the ground, hinting at another wave. Uriel heard an archer from behind say to their superior, "Captain! More dead are approaching!" Rumford sighed, muttering, "What's new…" in response. He stood next to the Ashen One, watching more undead slowly digging themselves out of the dirt. Most of the risen in this group were skinny as always, while others were just crawling torsos. The Captain and the Ashen One chose their targets.
Rumford charged at the risen in front of him, killing it with a left horizontal strike. Uriel on the other hand grabbed an undead by the throat. His sword pierced through pale flesh. Its body was then forced backwards as Uriel straightened his arm, releasing the hold. A heavy long sword left the risen's body, covered in rotten blood. Then, one crawling torso grasped Uriel's leg, intending to break it. He simply brought his sword down as a stab to its wrist, then severed it. While souls were absorbed as a foot crushed flesh and bone, Uriel looked towards Rumford.
The Captain had given an identical motion to another crawling torso, stepping on its head just like the Ashen One. Rumford nodded to Uriel, who held his own better than himself. Both men went back towards killing risen, while archers covered what they could not focus on. With the Ashen One at the militia's side, they destroyed an advancing wave of undead in several seconds. Even though Captain Rumford had been present, he was nowhere near Uriel's level of prowess. They walked back towards the wooden gate together, with Rumford beginning the conversation once more.
"I have never seen anyone fight like that before." The Captain said.
"Well, you did see me step on someone." The Ashen One replied. "Got some inspiration, I take it."
Rumford almost smiled at the response, then said something to his militia. "Guards! Open the gate for this one. Unless, you have other travel plans?" He turned to the Ashen One, waiting for a response.
"Do you happen to know anything about that bright, falling object from the sky?" The knight asked.
"The Fallen Star? It fell on an old cathedral in this region." Rumford responded, "There were people in attendance, yet only one survivor."
"That is…unfortunate." The Ashen One said. "Where are they now?"
Rumford replied. "They're at an inn, not too far from this entrance. You will see a sign titled, 'The Slaughtered Calf.' If there is anyone who has seen the Fallen Star's crater up close, it would be them."
The knight thanked Rumford. Yet before he could pass the gates, the Captain asked a question.
"Stranger, do you have a name?" The Captain said.
The Ashen One stopped, then said, "Uriel. No surname." He kept walking.
Ah, that's an angel's name. Rumford thought. Anyone would recognize that. He looked towards what rotted bodies were added to their latest massacre. Considering how that knight cut them down so easily…At this point, I'm willing to bet that he is.
Rumford looked at one of his archers and ordered him to burn the unmoving bodies. "You there, light your torch and burn what has not tasted flame." The archer nodded, while another one joined seconds later. Archers on both towers covered their fellow militia on the ground as it happened. The Captain watched as well, making sure his people were safe. Away from Rumford, Uriel stopped walking.
The Ashen One halted near a wagon, filled with slain risen. Beside it was a soldier, carrying each body to a large bonfire of burning corpses. He heard one man with a shield remind the other about those bodies.
"Burn those corpses before they rise again!" The militiaman said.
Yet right after, a risen woke from the wagon. Uriel moved to grab it, then dragged them onto mossy pathway. One foot on its chest, while his heavy long sword went through skull and brain tissue. Souls entered the Ashen One's form as it died. He then hauled its body by the leg, bringing it over to the ignited corpse pile. The militiaman near this fire nodded to him, then moved to grab another risen from their stationed wagon. As Uriel tossed his kill into the flame, bodies crumpled.
The Ashen One turned to look at what happened. Moving closer, he spotted a useful item that can be applied later. It was an undead bone shard, meant to be cast into a fire. This would increase complexity within a bonfire's light, allowing for greater physical recovery. While the shard is from a different world, it was still found through an undead creature. Therefore, it should be applicable for use. The Ashen One grabbed the undead bone shard, then continued walking to find the Slaughtered Calf inn.
First, Uriel passed a wandering scholar who said very little to him. Then, another man he saw told the Lord of Hollows briefly about his religion.
"Zakarum has fallen to disgrace…" Brother Malachi said. "What faith can save us now? It is the end of the world; can't you see that?"
Uriel simply said in return, "It is only the end, when your faith is gone."
After ending his conversation with Malachi, he saw another individual with a shovel. Uriel only waved at him, while the other person gave this same gesture. He understood this was a merchant, yet had no currency to give. The Ashen One traded souls instead of coins. Uriel had no gold on him.
He continued walking, then spotted a post with two signs. One had the shape of a building, while the other had a door. 'The Slaughtered Calf' was written on the bigger sign. To Uriel's right was a closed chest. His left had covered wagons and an old summoning circle. The Ashen One would worry about those later.
Uriel opened the door, walking into the building. It was the inn that the captain had talked about. Within there were available seats, sacks of grain, food, drinks and other patrons. However, what he couldn't ignore was nine individuals all in one section, groaning of sickness. Four on the ground, while five held their heads in pain. The healthier patrons whispered their gossip to each other, judging the unknown knight. Uriel ignored them and looked towards the bar to see a woman near the stools. Her focus on the sick had broken once she saw the knight. He moved to speak with her.
The woman had short brown hair, held together with an orange cloth hair band. She wore a red long-sleeve with a white undershirt, with the sleeves moved back to reveal her forearms. Belts, a satchel, an orange sash, and an animal pelt covered the woman's hips. Brown pants and worn leather boots completed the outfit. As for any weapons, she only appeared to have a bow.
"What do you want with me?" The woman asked.
The Ashen One replied, "I am here to investigate the Falling Star, as your people call it. The captain out front told me there is a survivor in this place." He waited for her to reply.
"That, would be me." The woman said hesitantly. "How much do you know about it?"
"Only that it had awoken the undead." Uriel replied. Yet, he knew better. A celestial body falling from the heavens, only to awaken dead people? That couldn't possibly be something benevolent. The Ashen One waited for her response.
"Then you only know what I've been trying to understand." The woman said. "You would think that a star from the heavens would be a great boon. Yet, it's the opposite."
Uriel was in agreement with her. Ever since the First Flame brought him to this land, it had been fairly quiet. He would kill wildlife for their meat, along with absorbing whatever smidgen of souls they had. This would only be interrupted by what he used to call a meteor. Then, Uriel was once again slaying undead. He waited for the woman to continue speaking.
"The impact separated my grandfather and I. He fell into the depths of the old cathedral." She said. "I went searching for him, only to be stopped by the dead."
"What did you do next?" The Ashen One asked.
"I ran back here to rally the militia, but then-"
She was cut off. The sick patrons yelled in pain. Their bodies burst with a dark green corruption. As the people died painfully while standing, each body had become animate. It seems that their wounds were horribly infectious.
"The wounded are turning!" The woman said.
As she armed herself with her bow, Uriel dashed forward. The woman didn't even have time to shoot an arrow. Bodies of risen fell to the floor, sliced open with a heavy longsword. Souls entered the Ashen One's body with each kill. He heard the bartender speak.
"This is killing business…" He said. The man grabbed a wet towel, ready to clean up the mess.
The Ashen One said nothing as he flicked his sword, then sheathed the weapon. Patrons who stayed looked in fear, while others just outright left the inn. The woman stared at him in surprise. She didn't know what to say toward him. Instead, they spoke to themselves internally.
He killed them so easily… She thought. If only there were more like him, people in this town could feel safer. The militia would have greater morale. Yet, the closest things we have to that level of skill were the captains…
"Are you alright?" Uriel said, breaking the silence.
"I…Yes, I'm ok." The woman said. How long was I staring?
She looked toward the dead bodies, now rotted and bleeding. The scent of death was already in the air near them. Her eyes moved back toward the knight. He acted as if this had been something normal for him. The woman moved back to the original topic, beginning with an exhale.
"The dead will overwhelm us if nothing is done. Have you spoken with Captain Rumford about what to do?" She asked.
"Other than look for you? No." Uriel replied.
"Ok…" She said. "I'll clean up these bodies with the bartender. You go back to Rumford. Maybe he knows how to move forward about this." She gestures to the slain risen as an implication to stop the undead.
Uriel nodded at her. "This town is not lost yet. It would be unwise to do nothing."
He already knew the context. If the Falling Star is what caused the dead to awaken, then perhaps they will slumber when it dies. The Ashen One thought to himself. He walked away from the woman to speak with Captain Rumford, only to be stopped by a voice.
"Hey." The woman said. Uriel turned around to face her. "My name's Leah, by the way."
The Ashen One was silent, then told Leah his name.
"Uriel." He walked out of the inn.