Chapter 4:
Hellkite, Havel, and Glimpses of the Past ˊ
It is difficult to keep track of time when the sun refuses to set. It is a maddening thing when you have no means of measuring your progress upon dying. It is for this very reason that Oscar and I concocted an idea, moreso his creativity with minor feedback from myself to finalize the decision, to count down the minutes and hours by carving lines into wood and stone. One line for one day, a V for five days, an X for ten. Best to keep it simple that way instead of creating a complicated system.
The comical thing about the process of creating this system began with Oscar bringing up Astorian Mathematics as a solution to our difficulty getting through the hundreds of undead. In his own words, "We're bound to go mad before we even ring the first Bell of Awakening at the rate we're going. A dozen deaths thus far with no progress to show for our efforts thanks to these damnable ambushes. It may just be an idea that came to mind when my head was cleaved in twain by that Black Knight… Why don't we attempt to keep track of time? Certainly the effort put into such an endeavor will help keep our mind occupied when we meet an insurmountable challenge."
This was two weeks ago.
As of right now, I'm currently sitting beside a sullen Oscar and Larius, the knight with the sunny disposition of a child who witnessed the death of his entire family and country. To be fair, I had no knowledge of his past to ascertain why he's crestfallen. However, the dour mood the two are in only worsens my own.
I may have lost track of time being polite, leaving them to themselves as they converse.
At some point, I find myself snapping at them.
"Alright, I'm tired of this defeatist attitude of yours! We're going, and this includes you," I emphasize the word 'you' when poking Larius' chest with my index finger. "to ring the Bell of Awakening up above. With three pairs of eyes, we should be able to avoid the ambushes that await."
"What's the point? With the horrors that await further in the swamp below or the the foes above in the Undead Burg, attempting to fight our way through these hordes of foes will result in deaths too many to count. Is it not better to wait until we go Hollow?" The laughter that followed his statement grated my nerves. I refused to accommodate this. Not when such depression could lead to an end that made me feel unease. No one deserves to go Hollow.
I refuse to go Hollow. I refuse to allow Oscar to go Hollow. And if I had to, I'll drag Larius along as well. If they needed a more tangible goal than being "Chosen" then I'll give it to them.
"Oi! Let me go you foul Witch!" Larius, so caught off guard by the sudden force I used, tugging at his chainmail, I lifted the man from his place of seating and onto his feet where he stumbled into me. That didn't stop me from pulling him towards the stairs that lead to the waterways above.
"Let me go, you wench! You're going to get me killed!" Larius cried out, trying to pull out of my grasp. To his credit, he almost did. Given that I have no intention of letting him run away, however, I decided to lift him overhead and throw him into one of the Hollows that had yet to look in our direction.
The result was Instantaneous: the makeshift ranged weaponry that was Larius served to down the enemy. With a flourish of my straight sword, I sliced through the Hollow's throat and killed it on the spot.
Catching a firebomb mid flight and throwing it back to the Hollow who threw it, the poor thing died the second the bomb detonated against his skull. The third and forth Hollows were taken down with clinical precision, split between Oscar and myself as we each took down one foe.
With no more foes to kill, Oscar immediately turned and approached. I knew I was in for a verbal lashing.
"That is uncalled for, Láng, and you know it. Larius has no intention to continue. Respect his decision. Don't drag a man who has given up for your own selfish gain." His words sounded wrong in my ears. Oscar is wrong. He had to see that. Couldn't he? How was I selfish?
Glaring at the man, which to my disappointment is wearing his helmet... A shame since I wouldn't be able to study his expressive face... But I wasn't going to take such accusations without speaking my mind.
"Selfish gain? What sort of gain would that be? Did you think I'm going to use him as a human battering ram for the entire journey? By the Gods, Oscar, I'd think you'd know me just a little better than that with how many times we've died so far." My attempt to hide the hurt I felt failed. I cringe at the sound of my own voice cracking, clenching my hands to suppress the feeling with pain. It had helped so far. Maybe pain will help here?
Oscar immediately refuted my comment with the practiced ease of one already accustomed to debates. "Two weeks is enough to know someone? To truly know them? Láng, we're still relative strangers! Don't get me wrong, I appreciate you having saved my life. I owe you a debt I can never repay. I would treasure the potential friendship we may have if our bond continues to develop naturally. However, you can't force people to commit deeds they have no wish to fulfill."
"But… I don't want him to turn Hollow. I thought that I would be helpful if I could push him into feeling.. Better for himself. Even if I drag him along, surely it must be better than awaiting an awful end." Hearing my own words, I knew I was wrong in my methods. But surely that can't be the case. Right? If I'm saving a life, it shouldn't matter that I'm forcing the individual to continue living.
Surely the means used to achieve a goal are irrelevant as long as someone is helped out along the way…
I was snapped back into reality when Larius placed a hand on my shoulder. "And I appreciate the gesture. What I don't appreciate is that I have been used as a toy to throw at a Hollow."
"I'm sorry for that… Maybe I wouldn't have.."
Larius cut me off with a 'tsk'. "What rude manners. You shouldn't interrupt someone when they're speaking." He chided.
"That said, I do hate seeing a cute lass like yourself crying. If it eases your mind, I'll join you both. At least until you witness the futility of this mission."
It's only when he brought it to my attention that I noticed that I had been crying. Wiping away the tears, I quickly pull the crestfallen warrior and Oscar into a hug. Ignoring their complaints, which eventually died down, I hugged them tighter.
"Thank you. But you'll see, it isn't futile at all. We'll make it!"
The progress that followed had been remarkable. With three combatants, ambushes were easier to deal with. By the time we reached the bonfire, we had already killed hundreds of undead. Reaching the Taurus demon and killing it had been a new form of challenge. With another horde of undead leading up to the demon, simply reaching the foul thing left us haggard. If it hadn't been for Larius' keen sight, we would have missed the ladder to our right upon reaching the battlements.
With Oscar and Larius jumping from the tower after dispatching the Hollows, both plunging into the Taurus demon back to back while I served the role as bait, the demon fell relatively quickly with a few more attacks after that.
The victory is a huge accomplishment. We actually made it this far! Surely the dragon Oscar and I saw weeks ago isn't around any longer.
We continued onwards, stopping only to consider our next destination. From an obvious standpoint, crossing the bridge would be imperative. That is, if it weren't for the numerous burnt corpses and what seemed to be fifty Hollows currently blockading our path.
Not wishing to push our luck with our current haggard state, we instead took a right and walked down the stairs. My eyes immediately locked on to the beautiful sun above and the man with the bucket helmet and a red feather adorning it.
The armor he wears looks to be of an above average chainmail with white cloth over it. I must concede that I'm unfamiliar with armor or how to describe it, yet that's how it stands out to me.
When we approach the knight, he turns towards us. I swear, it felt as if his eyes were staring through me. Appraising. Kind. Calculating.
He greeted us first when we were a few steps away from him. "Ah, hello. I see none of you are Hollow. Far from it. I am Solaire of Astora, an adherent of the Lord of Sunlight. I have come to this great land, the birthplace of Lord Gwyn, to seek my very own sun."
"Your… Sun?" Oscar hesitated to ask the man.
It seemed that he noticed my own perplexed expression since the man laughed. "You find that strange? Well, you should. I get that reaction all the time."
I glance over to Larius, finding him staring at me with confusion evident in his face before shrugging his shoulders.
I looked at Oscar to see that he, too, shrugged although he was less lackadaisical about it.
It would seem that they were deferring to me this time since I'm the one who brought them here in the first place.
I took a hesitant step forward, placing a hand on Solaire's shoulder. I could feel his body tensing underneath my grasp. The reaction was short-lived, his body relaxing almost as quickly as when he went on the defensive.
"I… Guess I can wish you the best of luck on attaining your goal." I knew I had offered the most half-assed compliment, unable to think of something better to say. But I did at least make the attempt to make this comment as genuine as possible.
Seems that it worked well given his eyes softened. "Thank you, that is a mighty kind of you to say. I am pleased that I didn't scare you. I have a proposition if you all have a moment to spare."
"We have the time. Let's hear it."
"The way I see it, our fates appear to be intertwined. In this land brimming with Hollows, could our meeting really be mere chance? Why not help one another on this lonely journey?"
Out of any request, I did not expect this one. Looking back to my companions, the decision was an obvious one. Given the ease which came from having a third ally, a fourth would make our journey to the bells all the more simpler.
With the nods of agreement from my two companions, I provided Solaire his answer.
"Of course! We would be more than happy to have you join us."
The practiced ease Solaire has in dismantling our opposition is frightening. In mere moments, he took down twenty Hollows before a second had even registered in my mind. The man was akin to a god of war with the efficiency of his kills. Until we catch up, he's beyond us.
At this moment, I couldn't help but be grateful for having a powerful ally such as him. At this rate, we'll ring both Bells of Awakening in record time.
The enemies on the bridge were dispatched uniformly once the original trio of this party joined in on the conflict.
With no enemies to kill, it was easy enough to simply cross the rest of the bridge and sit at the bonfire with my friends. It was quiet, no one had anything to say, but the atmosphere was pleasant at least.
That is until we fell over when the rumblings began, stonework from the very walls falling right outside of the entrance to either side of the bridge. An ear piercing screech nearly deafens me as I cover my ears to block out the sound.
"Is it that dragon?!" I cried out.
What I didn't expect was Oscar correcting me. "Láng, that's a drake. Not a dragon! It may not be as dangerous, but it's still too strong for us!"
"This isn't the time for a lesson, Oscar!" I snapped back.
The crash that followed was worse than the one prior, the drake falling off of the battlements with its skull caved in. Atop of the draconic creature, a figure of heavy stone in a vaguely humanoid shape leapt off of the dissipating drake, it's soul split between the five of us.
The figure, a ridiculous club in hand that suspiciously looked like a fang, began to walk towards us. His posture was telling enough: he intends to kill us.
"Oh Gods, that's Havel the Rock!" Larius identified what I can now assume to be a rock covered man.
Looking down at my own sword, I grimace. This blade of mine will not work well against armor like that. It's more likely my sword will break.
Sheathing my blade, I channeled my unease. My fear. Every ounce of my whirlwind of emotions and my desire to help my allies take down this foe served to fuel my Pyromancy as I conjure a flame powerful enough to leave my armor and the very walls charred within moments.
Throwing it at my enemy, I expected my flames to consume him entirely. If it's hot enough to begin melting the stone around me and warp my very armor prior to its launch, surely it should be enough to win this battle.
Contrary to my hopes, my Pyromancy splashed harmlessly against his raised shield.
Havel was no longer taking a leisurely stroll towards us. The man broke into a full-blown sprint. It's not difficult to know what will happen if we underestimate him.
The last thing I want is to be crushed under that absurd weapon.
This is when the sound of crackling greets my ears. Looking back, I'm greeted by Solaire conjuring a bolt of lightning. Letting it soar, it hits Havel directly in the chest. This seemed to have an effect as I could see a noticeable hole in the stone armor. But, much to our dismay, the damage did nothing to slow him down.
"Solaire, we'll give you the opening you need to use more lightning!" Drawing my sword, I made the decision to charge towards Havel first before the rest of my company. When he brought the tooth down, I dove to the side to avoid being crushed.
Stumbling to my feet, I had only seconds to dive out of the way a second time. Then a third. Then a fourth.
For some inexplicable reason, Havel was prioritizing me over my allies. He ignored the swords and lightning, making steady damage to both armor and body.
But luck wouldn't be in my favor forever. At some point, when I was in the middle of dodging again, a cry of pain erupted from my lips as I crash into the earth with my vision going white briefly because of the sheer pain alone.
When my vision returned, I look down. The sight of my legs reduced to a fine paste filled me with a fear I didn't know I had. Even if I did try crawling away, what would that accomplish?
The knowledge that I would come back from death is worse. What if he waited at the bonfire, ready to execute us over and over every time we resurrect?
I don't want to die. I can't die just yet. Not like this. I can't run the risk of allowing such a possibility to have a chance of happening.
Instinctively, I lob multiple Pyromancy orbs at him. Neither this nor my companion's efforts bore fruit from what I can tell. And when he raised his weapon overhead, I close my eyes and wait for the inevitable.
When I heard a heavy collision, I knew I was still alive when no pain greeted me. Opening my eyes, I'm welcomed to the sight of Oscar's straightsword stuck within the gap of Havel's armor, the latter's elbow nearly cleaved in two. With no means of holding his tooth, the large weapon had fallen to the side.
With this opening, the others pressed their advantage. The fight that followed was no less easier even if he only had a shield. That block of stone and chains proved to be just as efficient as a powerful blunt force when used to bash my allies aside.
Even now, he's still prioritizing me despite my crippling inefficiency at the moment. It's great that the others could push him back multiple times.
I couldn't help but give voice to my frustration. "Why?! WHY are you trying so hard to kill me?!?! What did I do to you?!"
I didn't expect to hear a response. Havel has clearly gone Hollow given his janky, delayed motions. Yet respond he did when he ceased his assault.
"You don't remember the foul deeds you have committed with your family? The chaos your mother and siblings have created?" His voice, a deep whisper with a heavy tone, posed his question.
At this point, the three males in my company ceased attacking the man when they noticed his cessation of hostility. Of course, I'm glad they remained weary.
If Havel so much as tried to go hostile again, they were ready to continue the fight.
I wasted no time in responding. Better to push for a peaceful solution even after what had happened. I did not wish to prolong my pain after all and I did not wish to know how long it would take to put down one man the likes of him. "No, I don't know. I only have brief glimpses of my past before my time at the Undead Asylum. Nothing more. The only memories I do have with clear recollection is the monotony of the Asylum."
A heavy sigh from the large man carried with it an air of melancholy. "Of course you don't remember anything. By the Flame, why couldn't this be easier?"
The Rock glances over to my companions. "You can put away your blades. I no longer have any intention of fighting any of you."
They hesitated to comply at first, but eventually relented.
This earned a depreciating chuckle out of Havel.
"Of course you would find such steadfast protectors." He muttered as he dropped his shield.
Whatever I intended to say in response to that was cut off immediately when Havel wasted no time in lifting me off the ground and carrying me over his shoulder as one would a sack of potatoes.
The action occurred so suddenly I couldn't prevent the squeak that escaped my lips. "T-That's no way to treat a lady!"
"I don't see any ladies here. Oh, my apologies. Did you mean yourself? You're no lady." I'm left speechless by his comment. That Larius would find such a reply to be the height of hilarity didn't help with his uproarious laughter.
I pout, crossing my arms as I glare at Solaire and Oscar. Daring them to join Larius in his laughter with my challenging gaze.
To their credit, if they were laughing, they did a splendid job to avoid me hearing it. Oscar even went so far as to raise his hands on supplication. How noble.
By this point, Havel had brought me to the bonfire and placed me beside it. Before I knew it, my wounds were gone and the damage sustained in combat was negated as if they never occurred.
With my legs no longer broken, I got up from the ground just enough to switch from laying down to sitting. It's when I am sitting that I decide to address the biggest elephant in the room.
"Can you tell us why you were Hollow not so long ago, Havel? Or can you tell me anything about myself?" These were personal questions to be sure, but I wanted answers.
"I will not deign an explanation to either of these questions since they have no importance in the immediate future."
His refusal to answer left me gaping like a fish.
For a moment, I really believed he would at least leave me with something about myself. His continued silent treatment left me miffed.
"What do you mean you won't answer? Don't I deserve to know who I was before becoming undead? That sort of information could help us in the future. It might help me understand how some of my impulses during a fight had become ingrained into my instincts." I had prepared to go off on a larger tangent, trying to convince the man to comply.
He did not wait for my attempt at persuasion. Instead, the resounding boom that he created with a simple clap cut me off mid sentence. A reminder of his strength flashed before me, in turn causing me to flinch.
"No. You are not the same woman you once were. That you, of all people, have changed is a miracle only Gwyn himself could have possibly created. Even if he were still present, I would have had my doubts to your transformation. Girl, this metamorphosis of yours is a genuine boon. Don't ruin who you are by looking back." The rock in human form, who I pegged as a man of few words, provided his reasoning. No attempt at a rebuttal, no attempt of acceptance escaped my lips even if I wished to do either.
I was left speechless with my mouth gaping akin to a fish out of water… Havel did have a point. Do I really wish to go back when I have a unknowable future ahead of me? Maybe I should embrace who I am now rather than seek answers. At least, this way, I can choose who I will become rather than allowing myself to be changed to an equally suspicious past.
The rest of our journey together through what seemed like a fortress remained in silence minus the sound of combat, every one of us lost in our own thoughts.
That is until we reached a cell.
"What do we have here? A circus in the making?" If it were not for the second I took to consider the tone in which the greeting was made, I would have mistaken it for an insult. But, upon contemplation, I took note of the tease hidden underneath a gruff voice. A jest of sorts.
The speaker himself is a man situated within a cell, sitting upon the ground with a confidence one wouldn't find from a prisoner. Ordinarily, I wouldn't think more about this if it were not for the unease I felt. I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck standing, goosebumps quickly forming upon my flesh.
This man is dangerous, my instincts practically forcing me to take a step away from the cell. Of course, every single one of my companions elicited a similar response from my body to lesser or greater extent: Havel being the prime example of unadulterated fear still running through my veins after having witnessed the man's capacity for violence prior to regaining his sanity.
But this man is different. I couldn't place a finger on it, but he has a certain air about him… His appearance didn't help the curiosity that soon overshadows my weariness;
An armor of what appeared to be solid gold covered the man from head to toe. His helmet is adorned with multiple prongs which popped up above his head, chest plate etched with what looked to be feminine arms embracing him. His shoulder plates also have prongs similar to the ones on his helmet. The face plate of his helmet is adorned with multiple holes, probably to grant more vision than a single window in the form of a visi—
"I know I am appealing, yet your stare is rather unnerving. We could simply wait here until the world finally ends, or maybe we can begin moving. Hm? Whichever you choose, I request that you release me from my prison." The man cut my analysis short, his right index finger drumming his right knee as if timing how long it would take to be released.
"Why were you imprisoned?" Oscar questioned before I could, his right hand hovering over the hilt of his sword.
"That is a loaded question if ever I heard one." Came the sudden retort, executed to near flawlessness. Nothing in his tone of voice gave away what his intent may be or how he felt. And with this retort came the counter. He did not give Oscar a chance to respond.
"I could have been imprisoned because of malicious acts I may have committed. I could also be a mere traveler who was caught unawares, unjustly imprisoned. You have no means of ascertaining whether I speak the truth or not. I am inclined to believe you would dismiss anything I say regardless of honesty." The man in gold killed any line of questioning Oscar may have had, the latter hanging his head with an uttered sigh.
"You have a point. I apologize for being quick to make assumptions on matters I know nothing of." Oscar conceded.
"It is good to know when to accept your own mistakes, lad. Learn from them and you will go far. As we are now, as long as we do not lose sight of our goals, we will succeed in our endeavors sooner or later." The prisoner provided good, motivational advice. I couldn't deny that it had its effect.
It may not be a visible thing with the naked eye, but the very ambience feels lighter… Hope may very well be palpable for our group. That our end goals differ means nothing as our silent agreement was made:
We will put everything into success. We will put our all into aiding one another should one falter. That we are strangers in this strange land means little since more capable combatants will increase our chances of victory.
With the key I had found earlier prior to speaking to the man embraced in gold, I opened his cell.
"We would be more than happy to have your arms added to our company. My name is Láng." I placed a hand to my chest to place a little more emphasis in my introduction. "What is your name?"
"Láng? I see. It is a pleasure to meet you. A sentiment I hope is echoed by the rest of you. I am Lautrec of Carim."
Stirring from my slumber, unresponsive to my wishes, my lethargy left me in darkness. The comforting warmth around me, the soft mattress below and the cool air on my face only urged me to return to my slumber.
A mewling moan coincided with a heavy yawn, both of which escaped from my parted lips. I could feel my awareness fading, the beginnings of a new dream taking form.
That is until my serendipitous respite is shattered by the shattered remains of my dream… And the shattered remnants of my door.
I sigh, the explosive energy of the young tyrant bringing dread. Today is going to be tiresome. And in five seconds, easy as can be to predict, she will begin her ear piercing screech.
Five.
Four.
Three.
Two.
One…
"BIG SISTER, Q̴̢̖̳̈́̍͑u̵̿̒̈́͜ḛ̶̛̍̀ĺ̶̢̚ͅĩ̸̜͈̩ȉ̶̢͕͚́ṋ̴̖̋ IS BULLYING ME! "
Reluctantly opening my eyes, the freckled face of a girl no older than twelve summers occupied the entirety of my field of vision. This close, I quickly noted that she lost most of her baby fat. While slimmer and a little more defined from other families from all the training my younger siblings would put her through, a notable smidge of chubbiness remained on her cheeks. The red locks atop her head are unruly and out of control with blue paint staining a decent chunk.
"Now, now, you shouldn't be bothering your older sister this early in the morning. And if I'm not mistaken, aren't you complaining as a means of escape from your studies?" The other voice commanded from behind the youngling.
"Go on, find mother. We will join you for breakfast." Her admonishing tone did wonders as the small girl nodded her head enthusiastically, fleeing from the room with an energy I can only envy.
Left alone with the second oldest of the family immediately after myself, another sigh emerged from my lips. I had a rough idea of what she wanted to speak about and had no intention of humoring her interest in idle gossip.
" "Q̶̶̴̸̴̴̴̷̶̵̵̷̴̸̵̴̵̴̸̵̵̶̵̷̸̸̴̶̶̴̶̷̷̸̷̸̵̶̛̗̲̹̹̙͇̮̯̒͊̈́͒̇̉͛͛͗͑̂̊͐͛́̔̈́͑͌̒̽͋̈́̕̕͝Ʉ̷̶̸̷̶̶̵̶̵̵̴̸̶̷̴̴̵̶̴̵̶̵̷̷̴̵̸̵̶̷̶̴̵̵̸̸̴̸̴̶̵̶̴̸̶̶̴̴̶̷̵̶̷̶̴̶̵̸̷̷̶̴̷̵̸̨̨̢̢̼̝̝̜̦̯̘̭͍͇̪̘̣͙̟̺̞̺̪̬̱̦̬͇͙̪̪̮̝͚̯̘͈̯̩͙̐̿́͌̿͐͛̌̑̄͆́͆̄̊̿̏̕͜͝ͅͅɆ̵̶̸̸̶̸̷̶̴̵̵̴̶̷̶̶̵̶̴̶̸̷̸̷̸̵̷̴̷̶̷̵̸̴̷̴̶̶̵̵̸̷̷̵̶̶̸̷̷̷̵̵̵̶̶̴̴̴̶̴̷̷̛͔͇͎̺̣͚̖̺̗̰͖̫͚͕͓̈́̈̀̉̾̽̔̏̈́͆͗̍̇̾̆̈̈́́̓̂̓̀̓͆̒͑͆͆́̌̈͌̓̅̇̚̕̕͝͝͝͝͠Ⱡ̴̴̷̸̷̶̵̴̸̷̶̶̶̶̷̵̴̶̷̸̴̵̸̴̷̷̵̵̴̵̴̸̷̶̸̶̴̷̶̸̴̸̴̸̴̴̴̷̵̴̸̷̷̶̶̴̵̷̷̶̷̸̷̵̷̸̵̷̵̷̴̴̴̵̵̴̴̵̷̸̸̵̶̴̷̵̶̷̵̶̶̵̸̵̸̵̷̶̵̸̡̧̛̝͓͕͚͕̖͖͖͇̖̼̝̤̹̼̼̲̱̘̜̼̥̰͈̙͇̹̹̳̭̰̲̙̗̹̦͙̳͖̠̺̣͙̗͎̮̤̬͗͛͐̿̊̎̈͒̇̇͑̃̐̒̇̀̐͑̍̍̔̅̋̈́̊̊̅̑̒̀͊͛̊̊͐̂͘̚̚͜͝͝͝Ɽ̵̶̷̵̸̵̶̵̸̵̵̷̸̵̴̴̶̶̷̵̴̴̶̴̴̴̴̶̶̶̴̸̴̴̵̷̷̷̸̶̸̸̶̴̷̵̴̷̴̸̴̷̸̶̶̸̶̵̸̵̵̵̷̵̷̸̴̵̷̸̶̴̷̸̵̸̶̸̵̶̵̸̴̴̸̷̵̶̶̵̴̸̶̷̴̶̸̶̵̵̵̵̶̴̵̷̸̶̷̴̵̸̷̷̴̶̶̷̴̷̸̶̸̢̧̡̢̧̡̨̢̛̛̰̜͕̳̮̮̣̣̭̻̳̫̘̝̼̼̮̲̤̼͕̺̠̳̮̲͚̭̝̪̹͉̻̬͎̘͍͙̥̭̏̐̀̉͋̃̃̆̀̏̉́̎̈́́̌̋̇̀͆̑̇́̈́̆̈́͗̀̃͛̎̓̈̆̈̿̽̈̅͆̇͋͊̈́̿̾̑̒͑͗͛͆̒̒͘̚̚̚͘͘͜͜͜͝͝͝͝. , you returned home rather late. Any excuses?"
"None." I respond to her query sharply, hoping it will deter further questioning as I push aside the velvet sheets and emerge from my bed.
My hopes were dashed right away. It felt as if a carpet had been pulled from under me with my sister's smug retort.
"Is that so? Then I guess mother won't be upset to learn of your…. Liaison with a certain handsome knight of Gwyn."
Whirling around to face her, indignant at the blatant blackmail, I couldn't help blurt out the first response to form in my head.
"Don't you dare, Que-!"
"-aag!" I react with urgency, reaching out with a cry. When awareness returned, I found that I am warm. Looking down, I idly noted Oscar's family surcoat covering me.
I blink, realization slowly dawning in equal measure as my embarrassment. My cheeks flushed, I became acutely aware that I was wearing different clothing underneath. Who among my group had changed me off my clothing and armor? And what's that odd ringing from below?
"Your beloved is awake." A voice — Lautrec's, my mind helpfully reminded within a beat — caught my attention from somewhere to my left. Turning my gaze in his direction, I found my companions rushing up some stairs and circling around me. I was glad to see them care about my wellbeing, but it was impossible to keep up with the barrage of questions and admonishes.
Luckily, it was Havel who came to my rescue when his deep voice cut through the indecipherable chatter.
"Quiet. Can't you see that the girl is in a daze? It is of no surprise after such a fall. If you are to speak to the poor wretch, don't overwhelm her."
I winced, memories of my burning body returning full force as I plummet from the roof of the chapel. Fighting those gargoyles had been a challenge…
"Thank you, Havel. May I start by asking what happened-"
"After you were cooked like a fowl and slipped off the roof not unlike a clumsy drunk rolling over the edge?" Lautrec interjected, to which I sent a sharp glare his way.
Ignoring his chuckle, I continued with my question as if he never interrupted. "When I was taken out of commission?"
Solaire took the opportunity to describe the continuation of the battle. No one allowed their momentary alarm to interrupt the flow of battle. Without my being there, that meant less bodies in the field to worry about harming an ally. If anything, it did help them make a stronger push to finish the fight sooner rather than later. The ringing of the bell came after.
They also mentioned finding an odd fellow garbed in black, but they didn't bother with anything aside from introductions.
"We found your body outside, opposite to the elevator. In a way, it was easier to simply pick you up and continue moving onwards across the bridge. It is quite fortuitous that a bonfire and a blacksmith are both located so close." Solaire concluded with a chuckle.
"Blacksmith?"
"Ah, yes, you never had the pleasure of meeting the man. He is currently working on repairing your armor." The knight of Sunlight answered my question.
"I'll have to offer him my thanks. But where do we go from here? We still have one more Bell to ring." With the difficulty I had with my recent fight, I had to admit to myself that I am NOT looking forward to the obstacles we'll face on the path to the renaming Bell of Awakening.
"Did you forget that I have been there before? It should have been a given with the information I possess." Larius finally broke his silence since our earlier encounter with a particular Black Knight a few hours back. That is, I think it had been a few hours..
Regardless of the tangent my thoughts had turned in regards to fire breathing lizards, I felt giddy. Mostly from what the crestfallen had told me and most definitely not the idea of riding fire breathing lizards.
Only now as my mental state is returning to the norm so I remember my initial confusion. "Oh, before I forget, I have to ask. Who was it that changed me out of my gear?"
"That would be me." Solaire answered my question.
"In that case, thank you." I respond in earnest.
"Not ashamed your lover here didn't change you? I'm surprised. Good to know you don't mind others changing you out of your attire." Lautrec teased, surely to get a reaction out of me. Poor Oscar sputters in indignation when the golden armored man gestures to him.
"He isn't my lover. While he is rather handsome, as are those of you whose faces I've seen, I really doubt this is the sort of adventure where romance blooms." I attempt to give him the most bland expression I can muster.
"And if romance does indeed happen, I would rather keep my options open and see where things lead naturally."
"If you're all done wasting time..." Havel cut into the conversation, his tone conveying his exasperation. It was impossible not to imagine how his face must look at this moment and giggle.
"Fair point, Havel. In that case, let's get going! First stop, the blacksmith below."
We were actually making progress. It was impossible to contain my growing happiness.
