Important thing: The contents of this chapter were originally going to be different, but people commenting on the CU having no character or character development have pushed this forward. Truth be told I didn't know when I should place this, so I'll show this now and hope it placates some of the complaints that he's completely flat.
And so I present to you the first flashback chapter!
"Ugh, I can't believe her!"
The Familiar followed quietly as his master smashed open her door and bounded into the room, making sure to keep a distance from the raging pinkette so as to not incite her wrath. She might send him back to the Kiln if he peeved her too much.
"That-That Germanian reject dares to insult me! Me, the 3rd daughter of the Valliere family!" Well she obviously did, considering the Undead quite easily saw her doing it just a few minutes ago, "She's been doing it before too, but not to this point! She's just-argh!" The Undead almost flinched when she rounded and kicked the wall next to her. Not to any significant degree mind you, given that it showed no cracks or deformity's from her attacks. At least she didn't end up hurting herself again like she did last time; that would've been embarrassing.
Louise huffed once again and threw open her closet, grabbing the closest sleepwear she could find and throwing it towards the bed haphazardly. She certainly didn't care about being seen as graceful or noble by her Familiar at this point. Given how alien and stupid he was acting, he'd probably think being graceful meant she had to do backflips while nibbling on a salamander's severed head.
...
She really needed to get her imagination under control. Next thing she knew she would be imagining her fiancee being some kind of traitorous despot.
"...Master...?" The Familiar glanced at his small master with a minor degree of curiosity and more than a little exhaustion. He was beginning to feel tired already, and yet the reason for it escaped him, "...Dressed...soon?" He angled his head in the direction of the flung sleepwear. No doubt he'd need to help her and then get on with finding something to occupy himself till morning came again.
"Hm? Oh, yes," Louise made her way to the bed and started removing her clothing before pausing, "I'll do it myself, so don't strain yourself!" She pointed at him with her right hand as if to emphasize her point.
She told herself that it was because she was concerned about his health, but that wasn't the only thing on her mind. She didn't want her touching him, not after what she saw him do. After his hands nearly strangled Guiche and choked the life out of him, she shuddered at the thought of being touched by him so closely and unguarded. She wasn't afraid of him - because what kind of noble was scared of their own Familiar - but she needed some time before she could deal with what she'd seen.
He could do nothing but glance around the room listlessly as his master removed her uniform and put on her sleepwear, sans her undergarments for whatever reason, 'What's that?' He didn't really notice it before, but on one of the sides of the room there was a rather large bookcase containing multitudes of ancient tomes and and scrolls. Idly he found himself walking towards the thing and picking up one of the thinner books.
"...Can't...read..." He let out a disappointed sigh. The book contained even more runes and symbols that made no sense to him. He couldn't even read the title of the book, as pathetic as that sounded. He was pretty sure that he wasn't illiterate given the fact that he had no problems reading the scriptures on the various spell scrolls he found. This place most likely had another language altogether.
He placed the tome back into the shelf and picked up another one; a scroll this time. This was met with no more luck than his previous attempt, though he did find it interesting to note that the spell - and he knew it was a spell given the small illustration at the top - was something he'd never seen before. It looked similar to the soul arrow, only more crystalline and less ethereal.
"Hey, what are you doing?" The Undead quickly folded the scroll and shoved it back into the bookcase, "If you're tying to learn magic then you're out of luck. Only those born with the ability can do it." He heard a sigh from his master, "Still, it should be fine if you want to read. I have a few books there that could help pass the time if you're interested. Brimir knows I don't have time to read them anymore."
Magic? He wondered why they called it that. The one time he called it that Seeker Logan quite literally smacked him with his catalyst and said that only amateurs called it that. Magic implied that it was based on trickery or other forms of illusion. Sorcery, as he and Griggs called it, was power. Power of the soul, power to control life and death, power to take the elements of an individual and use it against others. That was true power.
"Hmm..." He turned back to the book-case and picked up the thinnest book he could find. Immediately he could tell that the parchment on it was older than the rest and that it needed to be handled with care.
The Undead flipped the book open slowly before he felt himself freeze. The book had images on it, fine drawings made from ink and pencil. Nothing that couldn't be seen from any children's fairy tale book. But the images that were drawn here...they weren't suppose to be there.
The first page contained the image of a knight coated in black armor. He stood tall and proud, brandishing a greatsword in his right hand and a sturdy shield in his left. Around his neck and parts of his leg were dark blue and stylish pieces of cloth; short but very practical and graceful in appearance. Under the image were more letters that he didn't understand, but he got the feeling he already knew what they said.
The second page was different. Rather than a human, it held the image of a graceful wolf carrying a sword between its teeth and a stance indicating that it wanted to fight. The same letters decorated the underside of it, and again he guessed he didn't need to read it to understand what it said.
"...Artorias..." The Undead's hands shook as he turned the page. More and more images followed: The Knight from the first page looking more gaunt and weakened, his left arm was broken and the ground was stained in a deep black liquid. The same wolf from before, but this time it was larger and standing on a field of blades facing a shadowed foe.
"Can't be..." More images. One of a giant wielding a greatbow, another of a woman brandishing two blades and standing in front of a grave like a protector. Each page contained an image, and each image was too familiar to be a coincidence, "...How..."
He flipped to the last page and instantly grimaced. The two pages were connected by one drawing, the image it contained needing both pages to convey the subject within. Unlike the last few pages, the image was neither animal or human. It was a monster, standing on two hind legs in a background that was even darker than its leathery skin. Its left hand was large and deformed, curled into a fist as if ready to smite something into paste. Its right hand was smaller and more human in appearance, though it held a gnarled black staff that it brandished like a weapon. The legs it stood on were stumpy and would have been comical if not for the rest of its body.
Mostly what garnered it's attention was its middle body. Rather than flesh, the ribs of the torso were exposed and wrapped around him like armor. On its back were numerous blank spikes dotted with reddish-orange dots that resembled eyes. Speaking of eyes, the part of the body that was supposed to have it - the face - was completely lacking; instead it sported the same bone like protrusions it had on its back. Overall it was a pretty nightmarish and intimidating figure.
"...Manus..." His grip on the book tightened. Memories flooded in again: Falling into the abyss, the spells of Manus lapping at his skin when he fought against the monster, seeing princess Dusk and feeling rage overtake him at the sound of her cries. Manus grabbed him again and again, growling in his face and smacking him around the walls like a broken toy. It was only Artorias armor that continued to protect him from dying.
"Oh, you're interested in that book?" Louise glanced at the book he held in his hands, though still keeping her distance from him, "It's a pretty popular story for both children and adults. It tells the story of a knight called Artorias and his battles to save a foreign land from a monster that spreads darkness and corruption. There are actually two versions of the story, but which one is better is frequently up for debate."
The Undead didn't respond, only continuing to flick the pages back and forth over and over again. 'Artorias, Sif, Gough, Ciaran, Elizabeth, Dusk...Manus,' Each name popped into his head every time he saw an image. These were undoubtedly images of both friends and enemies. The details were far too similar for it to be mere coincidence.
"...Master," He closed the book quickly and thrust it somewhat forcefully against the girl, much to her surprise,"Read...please..." He was curious. He felt the need to understand and see what was going on, but he couldn't read their language. He needed to know if this was simple coincidence or fate once again mocking him. He'd had enough of the latter.
"Read?" She looked down at the book before realizing what he meant, "Wait, you want me to read this for you?"
The Familiar nodded, once again thrusting the book upon her. Louise was tempted to bark a refusal at him. She was a noble, why should she spend her time reading to her Familiar? "...Fine," Instead, she grabbed the book and plopped down on the bed, "But I'm only going to read it once. After that I'm not going to do so or answer any questions, got it?" He nodded greatly and sat against the side wall, leaning back onto it.
Her mother's words rang at her again, 'Nobility must lead by example. How do you expect to earn the respect of those who serve you when you do not prove yourself their better?'. If she wanted her Familiar to follow her, the least she could do was grant him some minor requests now and again. Besides, it wasn't as if it was uncommon for this to happen. Cattleya frequently read to various children on the rare times she went out and even Eleanor had a soft spot for new apprentices and helped them sharpen their reading and writing skills. Many commoner's were illiterate due to lack of education and so had to rely on either nobles and superiors to help them with matters of the document.
And so she started to read.
"Long ago, there was a land in the far east, before even the elves came. The people there practiced a magic of a different sort; they focused on light and healing rather than destruction and war. They were an enlightened bunch. They felt no need for war and power, feeling that the path best taken in life was peace and prosperity with others. Their land was called-"
"Oolacile..." He blurted out without thinking. Louise looked slightly annoyed at the interruption but brushed it off as excitement.
"Yes, the land of Oolacile. They lived in peace due to their beliefs and no other lands dared to bother them. Their young ruler, Princess Dusk, was considered a true beauty both inside and out. Her physically beauty was surpassed only by her kindness and her fire to defend her kingdom. Under her, the land of Oolacile prospered and all was well."
"...Not forever..."
"That's right," Louise nodded, turning another page of the book, "Soon, the land of Oolacile was swallowed by a great darkness. A 'toothy' serpent tempted the people of Oolacile with power beyond their wildest dreams if they simply dug up and searched the ruins under their great city. Princess Dusk objected, but many of her people did so in secret, believing that the power would help advance their people."
"..." This time he didn't interrupt her.
"The 'toothy serpent' had evidently lied. There was a great power there, but it was not for them. What they found instead was darkness and corruption. What they dug up was not an ancient ruin, but a grave. A grave that belonged to Manus, the Primeval man and progenitor of all mankind."
His fist unconsciously tightened at the sound of the name. Manus, Father of the Abyss. A monster beyond compare that spread corruption with his every step and did nothing but make others suffer. All for his futile search of his pendant, half of which the Undead had found and what had forced him into that entire debacle.
"Immediately, destruction was wrought. Manus spread his darkness, corrupting the entire land for an unknown reason. Many said he was simply malevolent and wanted to see others suffer, but others said it was an unintended consequence and all he was doing was looking for something precious."
Right, Manus was looking for his pendant. One half held by him, the other by 'Marvelous' Chester. He went insane looking for it and he went through both time and space to find it. He himself was grabbed from his adventures simply because he had found one half of it during his exploration on Seath's archives. He had found himself involved through a complete accident.
"Chaos spread throughout the land. Princess Dusk tried her best to maintain order, but it wasn't enough. Her people turned against one another. They were corrupted by Manus' darkness and turned into monsters; demons from the abyss who stole the Humanity of those who held them, turning them into monsters like him. Soon the entire kingdom of Oolacile fell, with only remnants remaining."
Louise paused and waited for the expected interruption. The Familiar continued to look down on his knees and stayed quiet.
"But then a hero came. Knight Artorias with three of his trusted allies; Hawkeye Gough, unmatched with the greatbow. Ciaran the Assassin, who laid waste to her foes with both grace and elegance. And the Great gray wolf Sif, Artorias' loyal friend and most stalwart ally. Together these four met the abyss building in Oolacile and did their very best to halt its advance."
'But they failed,' He didn't need to say it aloud. Any child who was used to tragic stories would've seen it coming.
"Knight Artorias came to stop this, but such a hero has nary a murmur of dark. Without doubt he will be swallowed by Abyss, overcome by its utter blackness. Indeed, the abyss may be unstoppable." These were Elizabeth's words when she told him about what had happened to the honorable knight. She was right.
"Hawkeye Gough was the first to fall. The creatures of the abyss were too much for even him and he was blinded shortly before being killed. His hreatbow as lost alongside his body and consumed by the abyss. Artorias regretted that he couldn't give his friend a proper burial." Louise continued the story.
Lies, all of it. Gough was alive until after Artorias' fall. The people of Oolacile called him a brute and locked him in the tower, unbeknownst to both his allies. His helmet was stuck with tree resin and he thought himself both blind and worthless, when the truth was that he was neither. Gough was the reason The Undead was able to destroy Kalameet and prevent any of his further destruction.
"With heavy hearts, Artorias and Ciaren continued forward to the abyss. Deep inside the lair they fought against both the creatures of the Abyss and the corrupted people of Oolacile. After many battles, Ciaran got injured deeply and was forced by Artorias to retreat. The brave knight had already lost one friend and he wasn't about to lose another."
And Ciaran loved him for it. She tended to his grave like a lover would and begged him for the Soul of Artorias when she met him again, even if she knew that it wasn't truly his soul. Souls were energy and, though many would've liked to believe otherwise, they were not sentient. Many of the more powerful beings had unique souls, but it contained nothing of their identity nor their minds. It was a vain hope, but hope nonetheless.
"With only Sif and Artorias left, the two companions made their way to the center of the Abyss until they were finally overwhelmed. Artorias, in a last act of sacrifice, left his shield to his companion Sif, for his arm was broken and he could no longer bear the burden. Alone, injured, and most likely dying, the heroic knight braved the abyss alone and faced Manus himself. With only only his fond memories to guide him, he faced Manus and absolute death with nary any hesitation and succeeded against his foe despite his numerous injuries."
Yes, that was how it 'officially' went down. Artorias ventured into the abyss, he fought Manus alone, and he triumphed despite the odds. The legend states that the land of Oolacile was freed from Manus' grip, but the brave knight Artorias was never seen again after his defeat of him. There were many guesses to what happened to him; it was either he died fighting Manus after he saved everyone, or he ventured even further into the abyss to continue to fight till his end of days.
Neither of these were true.
"Well, there you have it," Louise sighed in relief and closed the book, "This is the first version of the story that most parents tell their children. A tale of heroics, honor, and sacrifice. There's another version here, but it's not as well known to kids due to its rather bleak nature."
"Another version?" Did his voice just avoid pausing right there? His master seemed to notice it too since she paused and stared at him before nodding again.
"Yes, another version," She stood up and quickly made her way to the bookcase. She searched through it for a few seconds before pulling out another book, "This one is more recent and came from some sort of traveler from the far east. No one knows his name and he reportedly said he made it because 'It would be treacherous' if he didn't."
"That sounds...familiar," Ah, here was the pausing again. Oh well, at least it wasn't as bad as before, "Can't be...the same person," The only person who talked like that would be- No, the idea of it was too much and too ridiculous. The Carim aristocrat was a selfish bastard who only cared for himself. Why would he journey to some far off land just to tell a different version of an age old legend? It made no sense.
"He refused to divulge his name, though," Louise picked up the book and plopped back down onto the bed, "He just said 'I want the truth to be known' and wrote down everything he said. People apparently looked at him like a madman but they printed it anyway, mostly because the tale was so popular," She opened the first page and smiled slightly, "It is pretty popular with an older audience and many commoners since they find the heroic knight tale too cliche for their tastes."
"What happened?" Okay, so he could speak two to three words without pausing now. That was an improvement, at least.
"This version of the story is even more tragic than the last," Louise pointed at the first picture shown; Artorias, with his left arm broken and hunched over like he was about to die. The same image from before, "It says here instead that Artorias didn't even make it to Manus and that he was beaten even beforehand and was forced to flee from him."
Louise turned to the next page, "Battered and beaten, with the corruption slowly overtaking him, Artorias gave his shield to Sif and was forced to flee from the abyss and its monstrosities. Here he could do nothing but escape and find solace in his memories, till the corruption overtook him completely and he was reduced to no more than a monster like Manus. A creature that spread only darkness and decay."
"Keep going," Another headache and a flood of memories barraged his head.
"Soon after, the spread of the Abyss was halted and the deeds of another human were accredited to Artorias, the hero who gave his life to repel the abyss," Louise flipped the book and showed another image: A knight who looked almost the opposite of Artorias. His armor was plain in comparison to the dark knight's, though it had a certain aura of nobility around it based on the mantle around his shoulders and chest. In his hands he held a plain longsword and a decorative shield with some unknown symbol.
It was his armor. The Knight armor that he wore when he was dragged back into the past and forced to go through his journey. The shield and sword both held the mark of Astora and so did parts of the mantle that dotted his armor.
"Within this glimpse of the Abyss lies a tormented soul. A savior turned demon, hidden from the eyes of his lord and comrades. As if only for his soul to find peace at long last, a warrior came; a hero from a time long distant yet near. The warrior fought against Artorias, severing his bond with the Darkness so that his honor may remain intact."
"Mankind is...more than dark," The Undead whispered it to himself so Louise couldn't hear it. Artorias whispered these words to him as well during their fight against one another.
"Living with the knowledge that his master protected him with his last, uncorrupted breath. Watching him become a husk, only capable of tormented screams. Sif keeps the last relic of his master and friend and defends his master's grave, knowing many would use it to traverse the abyss again. For it was only through his corruption that he was able to traverse the abyss, a skill many an individual coveted."
Sif, the reluctant warrior.
"The hero saved Sif on his way to fight Manus and the two had worked together in order to beat the Father of the Abyss. And yet, years later, the hero comes for the ring that debilitated his friend. Imagine what he was feeling when the hero came for the ring that debilitated his friend," The question was a rhetorical one and not meant to be answered, "He was trying to protect him. One of them had to die because Sif would not give up his master's memento willingly. Maybe in death, he could see Artorias again."
"Ah, Sif, there you are! I was worried about you! Could you tell the others that I'm sorry, that I failed them?" In his death, Artorias believed that Sif was at his side. The Undead remained quiet out of respect for the great warrior and let him die in peace.
"Thank you," His hands shook as the memories began to fade. The headache and dizziness had stopped, and yet his eyelids felt heavier than ever. It was odd. He'd never felt like this before. Perhaps he should close his eyes and rest for a moment.
"What for?" Louise huffed and placed the book back into the shelf, "Reading something isn't a complicated action and it should be obvious that-"
Louise stopped. Her Familiar was asleep, his head on his knees as he sat up and his arms wrapped around his legs so they wouldn't spill out. Louise let a tired smile filter into her lips before making her way to her own bed. Though she felt a slight fear whenever she looked at him, she couldn't deny that he wasn't as monstrous as his peers no doubt thought of him.
And for the first time in his life, the Undead dreamed.
"Whoa, look at that view!"
Gough let out a hearty chuckle as The Undead pointed at the large trees dotting Oolacile. The setting sun was going down over the horizon and it gave the entire area a sort of painting like feel to it. The last time the Undead saw something like this was when he was forcefully dragged to Anor Londo by those demons. The beauty of the image was still fresh in his mind.
Gough would have enjoyed it too, if not for his lack of sight.
"I thought the land was completely corrupted by Manus?" The Undead turned towards the hulking giant, "Why hasn't the surrounding area turned into something like the abyss?"
"Like how, my friend?" Gough asked, not looking up from his wood carvings. He found talking with the pygmy like human to be extremely entertaining given his long solitude and blindness. It was always interesting to hear another person's voice, especially when it wasn't simply grim solemnity.
"You know, full of horrible monsters that want to bite my face off and then chew on my severed arm for good measure," He gave a wry smile and an ironic laugh when Gough paused from his carving, "Well, it's not like this place is any different!" He shook his head with a laugh, "At least the views look pretty, even if the monsters felt like they needed to compensate by being twice as ugly as before."
"I would not know. Blindness does have its advantages I suppose," Gough laughed when he felt leg get lightly smacked by the smaller man's fist, "But did thou truly come from a land as destroyed as thou claims? I shudder to think of seeing it again, if my eyesight were to return."
"Yeah? Well it might be closer than you think," The Undead grabbed the battered knight gauntlet in his hand and pried it loose. Immediately he could feel the crisp Oolacile air hit against his skin and he gave a sigh of relief, "God's, it's been too long since I've been somewhere that isn't too hot, too cold, or too toxic to go without armor. Dark corruption or not, this place is one of the nicest I've been to in a while!"
"What does't thou mean?" The Undead found Gough's way of speaking to be quite amusing, especially given how used he'd gotten to Solaire and Siegmeyer's way of speaking, "Are thou saying that thou comes from a land not too distant from here?"
"Yeah, but telling you more might not be a good idea," The Undead smirked under his knight helm, "Solaire told me that knowledge of the future making its way to the past always leads to disaster. Then again, this is the same guy who says he loves the sun like it's his father or something. So maybe he's not the best guy to talk to when it comes to stuff like this."
"I see," Gough had no idea what in the abyss he was talking about.
"Or maybe he is. I mean, whatever I can say about the guy, he's definitely a better fighter than I could ever be. You should see him, Gough, the man wields lighting like it's his own personal weapon and I've seen him take on giant's with barely a flinch. I wish I could so something like that!" He paused again, "Or Black Iron Tarkus. Man takes a 15 foot sword doesn't even flinch!"
"Indeed,"
The Undead sighed at the taciturn response, "You know, it's really hard to talk to you when all you reply with is one word sentences," He started unclasping his helmet since the heat was begging to bear down on him, "When you're talking with someone, isn't it better if you talk as much as you can? I can't imagine myself talking like you do. I think I'd force myself to talk even if my throat tried to give out on me."
He never really talked much, truth be told. Lordran, and Oolacile by extension, was a desolate place filled with barely any people. So the rare times he did talk to someone, he talked with much gusto, trying to find any topic to discuss before he went on his weeks long solitary journeys again. It was always interesting to talk about the different lands the various people he met came from. Solaire and Siegmeyer in particular.
"Forgive my, my friend, I am simply unused to talking with someone so foreign." Gough apologized.
The Undead nodded briefly before throwing off the battered helm from his head. What came from under the helm was the face of a man barely out of his twenties. Chocolate brown hair framed his face, ending in various spiky intervals around his eyes and cheeks. On his back his hair was cut short, except for a singular ponytail that extended from the top of his neck and extending to the base of his spine wrapped with a thin cloth. Very far from Artorias' supposed killer.
"So Gough, what are you doing up here anyway?" The Undead relaxed when the sound of his voice echoing around the helmet didn't happen again, "I mean, far be it for me to question one of the great knight's of Gwyn, but what's a giant with a really big greatbow doing up in a lone tower carving wood? I thought you'd be hunting dragons or leading the charge into the abyss." He fixed a curious stare at the giant, brown eyes glistening with curiosity..
"I could ask thee the same question," The Undead rolled his eyes at the blatant side-step and picked up one of the carved woods, playing with it in his hands, "I thought thine purpose here was to destroy Manus and halt the advance of the-"
"I'm sorry!" Gough paused. That was his own voice that undoubtedly interrupted him. The Undead gave a small smirk as the voice echoed from the destroyed carving. Many books in the Oolacile township mentioned that the wood could be used to record your own voice into it. Gough had evidently been experimenting on his carvings.
"Whoa, I didn't think it would actually do that!" The Undead picked up another carving and smashed it against the wall. A chorus of 'Thank you's' immediately resounded again, "Hey, you've really got to teach me how to do that. I want to show it to Siegmeyer the next time I see him. It would make a great present for his daughter too."
Gough grunted under his helmet at the crazy Undead, "What, don't tell me you're upset now." Gough once again continued to carve and ignore him, "Alright, say what you gotta say! I'm listening!" He dropped all the carvings he held in his hands and turned back to his place on the tower, sitting down with a 'hmph', "I just wanted to take a break from being sent on a bunch of impossible quests all the time. But I guess it's unavoidable."
"I suspect thou hast taken a gander at it," He gestured to the city of Oolacile, "The dark of the Abyss, which swallowed Poor Artorias, threatens to devour our entire land of Oolacile."
"Which sounds really bad, I know." The Undead replied cheekily.
"It seems this dire fate is unavoidable," Gough continued, ignoring the interruption, "But, seduced by a dark serpent or no, they awoke that thing themselves, and drove it mad. One's demise is always one's own making."
"Not always. I mean, what if someone was just taking a nap and someone decided to cut his head off? Is that from his own making too?" He could practically feel Gough glaring at him from under his helmet, "What? It was a simple comment."
He disagreed with Gough and Chester on this. The actions of a few renegades should not have doomed an entire kingdom to ruin. He'd seen some of the monsters there, and he still shuddered to think that these were once people.
"If thine wish is to succeed poor Artorias, and challenge the spread of the dark, then thou must face Manus, Father of the Abyss. The dark emanates from Manus himself. Even if this land shall expire, thou may be able to prevent further corrosion. But even so, one day the flames will fade, and only Dark will remain. And even a legend such as thineself can do nothing to stop that."
"So it's all up to me again? Figures," He gave a weary sigh, "I never got why I have to be the one to do all these things. Why not Solaire or Siegmeyer? Those two would jump at the chance to fight the embodiment of darkness and corruption. I just want to get out of here and avoid going Hollow."
"Fate chooses us, it seems," Gough smiled and picked up another chunk of wood, "We make out own path in life, Raziel. It is your choice on whether your path shall take you to Manus, or away from him."
"I guess so. Well, I don't really believe in fate. I make my own- Hey, what did you just call me?"
"Raziel. It is a word in my tongue that I believe is appropriate for thou," Another bonk to the leg met the comment, "Oh, I meant no offense for it. The name comes from a combination of two different words. 'Ra' is short for 'Risen' and 'ziel' is our way of saying 'Soul'. Together the two words mean 'Risen Soul', an appropriate namesake is it not?"
"Well it's better than being called 'The Chosen Undead'," He put his hands up in air-quotes, not that Gough could see the gesture, "I suppose I wouldn't mind being called that for now. It's certainly more convenient than anything else I've been called so far." He shrugged. It was nice to be called something that didn't have the word "Undead" in it. He was just glad Gough didn't hate him for being Undead.
"It also has another meaning in thine tongue: Secret Keeper, or 'God is my Secret'," Raziel cocked an eyebrow at the term, "Thou seems to hold many secrets with thee, some deeper than any possible. Thou jovial act is merely a front for these secrets, is it not? Even someone as blind as me can see that."
"Maybe you're right," Another smile found its way to Raziel's face, though it lacked the cheerfulness and warmth from before. It was the first time he'd shown an expression like that in his entire time in Oolacile, "Tell me: What does the spread of the Abyss mean for the world? Wouldn't it be a good thing for humans?"
"That is the same thing the toothy serpent promised the people of Oolacile," Gough sighed, "They were promised that the Abyss would save them and that the power of it would lead to salvation. But does thou see salvation here? Artorias and Ciaran saw only monsters, and I fought only corruption when I still had my sight. The abyss is corruption given form. The serpent's words were honeyed, but false. There is nothing but corruption that awaits thee."
"So Kaathe lied. It shouldn't surprise me, I guess." Raziel closed his eyes and leaned back into the wall. He should've figured that Kaathe was lying. Both serpents accused one another of deception, when the truth of it was that they were both guilty of lying. Frampt wanted power for himself and used Gwyndolin as a puppet. Kaathe wanted power for himself and wanted to use him as a tool for his own ends. In either case he was meant to be a sacrifice, "I guess it says a lot about human nature doesn't it? Our soul is so black we corrode whatever we touch."
"Many believe that," Gough agreed neutrally, "Ciaran herself believes that humans are as you said, but Artorias always believed in humanity. The reason he accepted this task was because he believed in Humanity and hoped to give them a second chance."
"And what do you think about Humanity?" Raziel asked glumly.
"I believe it our own choice what defines our nature. We can say that humanity is evil and that the God's are good, but such a broad saying cannot truly apply to every individual. I will be the first to admit that many in my kind are the savage brutes they claim us as, and I hope that I am not the same."
The Undead nodded numbly before another question popped into his mind, "Hey, you never answered why you were up here. Is it because you're blind?"
"Me? There is very little to be said. What good is a dog, with no hares to hunt? I am lucky to be alive, I suppose," Gough picked up his greatbow and gestured to the distance, "My sight was the only thing that was valuable about me to the Knight's. Without it I am not important to anyone."
"Hey, that's not true!" Raziel grabbed another carving, "See these things? Wait, what am I saying, of course you don't. Anyway, I've never seen anything like them and you were the one who made them. You shot down Kalameet even when you were blind, so don't say you're worthless. And you were the guy that gave me a name, don't forget. When people ask me where my name came from, you'll know who I'm going to tell them about."
"Hahahaha, it appears so," He put down the bow and picked up another slab of wood, "Now, do not mistake my words. I cherish my work. Wood carving is a nuanced art. I would have much to talk about with that blacksmith. In truth, how is the old chap, I wonder? Still hammering away, I should hope."
"If you're talking about who I think you're talking about, then he's fine," Raziel answered with a smile, "Sure he's surrounded by demon's and silver knight's, but they don't seem to bother him or anything. The big guy's pretty well-off I should say."
"Hmm, that is good then," Gough nodded, "I had worried myself because I could not say goodbye before we left."
"How did you lose your eyesight? Was it from battle?" Raziel's curiosity once again gnawed at him.
"The cause is unknown to me," Gough answered, "One day I simply awoke with nothing but absolute darkness to meet me. I could not fight as effectively as before, and so I now reside in this tower."
"That can't be right," Raziel thought aloud, "You don't simply go blind, at least not without reason. Are you sure that- Hold on."
Raziel looked up and focused on Gough's helmet; specifically, on the eyeslit. He hadn't seen it before, but it was absolutely covered in a deep brown substance and it blocked every possible space the hole occupied. At first glance it seemed to be mud or the giant's own fluids, but a closer look revealed otherwise.
"Hey Gough, can you bend your head for a bit?" The giant paused from his carving and stared at the human, Just lean your head down, alright? I'm not going to kill you while you're not looking."
Gough hesitated for a moment before complying with the request. Raziel stepped closer and touched the helmet with a gloved hand, "Tree resin?" He winced at the sticky substance. Someone had placed tree resin on the helmet, "Gough, have you ever removed your helmet before or after you got blinded?"
"Only once, when Lord Gwyn demanded to see my face. Other than that I have been honor-bound to never remove the helmet."
"Thought so," Raziel sighed and picked up his sword, "Well, I have some good news for you, my large friend!" He announced cheerfully.
"Oh? And what may that be?"
Raziel didn't answer. Instead he gripped the sword with both hands and did a horizontal quick horizontal slice, surprising the giant, "The good news, my friend, is that you are no longer blind!" He announced with a great smile, throwing the sword back onto where he took it, "I do believe I have performed a miracle right here."
Gough blinked in surprise before realizing his friend was right. No longer did eternal darkness meet him, but the sun of Oolacile's setting sun. He could see the view that Raziel admired just a few minutes ago, the bountiful forests that he had glimpsed earlier during his adventures, and even some of the carving he had set aside. He had missed how everything looked like.
But he could also see the corruption. Dark patches of earth were visible even here and the numerous dead were scattered across the land, his keen eyesight allowing him to see them. It was a true mix of both beauty and sadness.
"My friend, how did thou-"
"Somebody covered your helm with tree resin," He gave a cheerful laugh and sat back down, "You know, I thought you were eloquent and smart. Guess I was wrong about that." He teased.
"Haha, yes, it appears so. Friend, I cannot thank you enough for helping me."
"Then don't," Raziel shrugged nonchalantly, "Once you see some of the ugly things Manus has done to Oolacile, you'll be wishing that you were blind. I know I did when I saw a close up of that sorcerer's head."
The two of them maintained a comfortable silence after that. The sounds of carving wood was the only thing that broke the calming silence, something Raziel found extremely relaxing given his current predicament. He'd gone too long without rest, and he didn't mean recuperating at a bonfire. Being up here was extremely calming and he found talking with someone as traveled as Gough to be a very enjoyable experience-
What was that?
"Someone's coming," Gough paused from his carving at Raziel's warning. The swordsman stood up warily and grabbed his sword and shield, "I can hear only one pair of footsteps, so just let me handle it. A big guy like you fighting in a small space like this just asking for trouble."
Raziel made his way to the adjacent side of the ladder and waited, sword drawn and combat-ready. There was only one way to get to the top of the tower and it was through that extremely narrow ladder. If anybody hostile tried to get to the top then it wouldn't take much for him to decapitate the thing where it stood. That is if it even had a head in the first place.
"Gough, are you there?" That didn't sound like the voice of a mindless monster, "It is I, Ciaran. I need to speak with thee."
Raziel visibly relaxed at the voice. While he could not claim to call Ciaran a friend, she was far from being his enemy. Giving her the 'Soul' of Artorias should've also stopped any hostility's she might have had against him, if only a little.
Or it might have made her even more hostile. Really, he didn't care as long as she didn't attack him. He already had to kill two knights of Gwyn, he didn't want to take on another two. Especially with such an affable man as Gough.
"I am here," Gough called out, "What is the problem, Ciaran?"
"The abyss spreads more than ever before," Ciaran sighed in relief as she managed to make her way to the top, "I fear that it may be too late to do anything now. Manus grows too strong and, as much as I hate to admit it, we may have to leave now without fulfilling our mission-"
The assassin stopped when she saw Raziel, "Oh, it appears you have company," Well, that sounded noticeably more hostile than he expected. Ciaran glared (though Raziel didn't know that) from underneath her mask, "What is the human doing here? I was under the assumption that you were alone." The way she emphasized alone made him wonder if she didn't like him being here.
"Why? Is it because the door was locked behind him and he couldn't get out?" If she was going to be nasty, then so was he, "The way you treat your friends like prisoners makes me glad that we're not particularly close." He followed the statement by making a mock bow. Something he'd learned from Oswald, "And I have a name, you know. It's Raziel."
"He was not placed here as prisoner, but for his own protection. Gough himself admitted that he wanted to find solace and a place where he could focus on his craft." Ciaran glared harder when Raziel rolled his eyes at her explanation, "And what is your explanation for being here? Was killing poor Artorias not enough for you? Do you feel the need to sate your thirst for souls with Gough as well?"
"Well now, that's a surprise. I didn't see you complaining when you asked for Artorias soul," He saw her hands make way to her hips, grabbing at her silver and golden daggers. He grasped at his sword hilt in response, "Artorias turned into a monster. Leaving him to run amok was even more of a suffering than simply killing him. Oh, Gough's not blind," He pointed to the giant's helm, "Somebody covered it with tree resin, though I thought someone as observant as you would know that already."
She didn't even deign to acknowledge his second complaint, "Do not talk about Artorias that way," Though her voice was deathly calm, the killing intent that exuded from her body was almost visible for him. Well, if she wanted a fight, then he was going to-
"Enough!" Both human and demigod nearly fell over at the sound of the loud voice, "Ciaran, the human did Artorias a great service by releasing him from his punishment," Gough practically boomed at the woman before turning to the Undead, "Raziel, I thank thee for thy concern, but Ciaran is right. I had asked to be placed here for my own safety for I did not know the truth of my blindness. Do not fight, we are not each others enemy."
Both warrior and assassin looked up at Gough before turning to glare at one another again. When Gough gave another annoyed grunt, both fighters reluctantly sheathed their weapons before making their way to opposite ends of the tower. They didn't want to be any closer than needed, especially now that they both had weapons in their hands.
"Ciaran, what was it thou tried to say earlier?" Gough managed to voice out.
"Yes, as I was saying," She coughed politely, "The Abyss has begun to spread once again. Despite our best efforts, it is impossible to contain. We must leave now and fortify Anor Londo's defenses to combat its eventual spread."
"Hmm, is there truly no other option?" Gough replied.
"No, not unless we manage to stop Manus himself."
"Then that shouldn't be too much of a problem, right?" Raziel interrupted, much to Ciaran's annoyance, "Gough's the best man to ever wield a bow and you're the great assassin of Gwyn," He didn't voice out how ironic a so called benevolent dictator was for having an assassin, "With the two of you it should be quite easy to defeat Manus."
"Artorias could not do it, we have no chance," She admitted bitterly, "The Abyss would corrupt us before we manage to reach Manus. We cannot do anything."
Raziel sighed. As much as he wanted to disagree with her, she had a point there, "Then I'll do it," Ciaran gave him a look of suspicion at the blunt suggestion, "Neither of you can do it, right? Much as you might not like to admit, being human does have its advantages," He stood up and grabbed for his helm and discarded gauntlet, "If I can stop Manus, that will stop the spread of the Abyss, right?"
"Ye-"
"Yes, but it is impossible for thee," Ciaran interjected nastily, cutting Gough off, "If Artorias could not do it, what makes thy think thou art any more capable? Does thou claim to have more power than even those blessed by the God's themselves?"
"No, that's not what I'm saying," He packed a few of the carvings into his bottomless pack. It didn't hurt to get a souvenir, "But I have something no one else has: I never give up. Even death cannot hold me for long, as the many I have triumphed against can attest. Can you claim the same?"
Raziel smiled underneath his helmet at her silence. Being Undead was considered a curse, but even it had its advantages. So long as he didn't lose all hope and Hollow, he was essentially an unstoppable foe.
"Are thou not afraid?"
"Of course I am," He made one last check for all his equipment before nodding to himself, "I'm scared of what Manus is capable of, I'm scared that I won't be good enough to stop him and the abyss will spread," A wry smile made its way to his face, "But if I don't do it, then who else will? I don't want to do this, but I'm not going let Manus run amok simply because I was too afraid to at least try and stop him. If I die doing so, then at least it'll be for something worthwhile."
He'd been afraid all this time. He was afraid when he faced the Asylum demon, he was afraid when he saw Nito for the first time, he was afraid when he figured out the truth about linking the fires, and he was afraid even now when he had nothing left to lose. That fear never left him.
But what was the other option? Laying down to die? Waiting for others to solve his problems for him? No, neither of these were an option for him. He would not Hollow, not when he still had something to fight for. If he had to suffer for it then let him suffer.
"Wait," Ciaran grabbed his shoulder, "Thou shalt need this."
Raziel glanced down at her hand and nearly backpedaled in shock. Artorias soul, the very energy he gave to her, was being offered to him, "I thought you wanted to pay respect to him?" He asked cautiously.
"I do. But...Artorias would want Manus to be destroyed more than anything so the people of Oolacile can be saved. I entrust his soul to thee, so that you may use its power to cast Manus back into the abyss."
Raziel looked up at Gough and the giant gave him an encouraging nod. Hesitantly, he reached out and took the warm soul into his own hand. He didn't know what he could do with this, but he had a feeling it was going to save him when the time came.
With one last look at Oolacile's setting sun, he nodded to the two and made his way out of the tower.
Raziel awoke with nary a sound. Slowly he blinked his tired eyes and looked around him. He was in a tower, but not the same one as from his dream. He was in his master's bedroom. The only source of light that could be seen were the glow from the twin moons, making it hard for him to see beyond a few feet in front of him.
"Right, I'm with...master," He suddenly found the word distasteful in mouth, "Raziel," He repeated the name in his mouth. Was that his real name? He couldn't remember too much, even now.
The person he'd seen in that dream was alien to him. He was confident, cheerful, and willing all too willing to keep fighting despite the odds shifted against him. He wasn't any of that, he was simply a corpse waiting to die. Blankly he stared down at his left hand. The burns from before had appeared again, the familiar redness causing a stir of uncomfortableness to spread through him.
He didn't remember any of that. Sure he could recall how people Siegmeyer and Logan acted, but he could not remember his interactions with them or what eventually happened to them. It was as if he read a book and stopped midway; he was disconnected and had no idea how it ended.
Raziel sighed. He needed to go for a walk and clear his head. As quietly as he could, he opened the door and made his way out of his master's room.
"Headmaster Osmond, I have it."
"Oh, what do you have, Professor Colbert?"
"Yes, I examined the marking from Ms. Valliere's Familiar and found only one match."
"Oh, how interesting! What did you find about them?"
"Gandalfr."
Firstflashback chapter done. Nothing much to say really, just read, comment, criticize, and review. And hopefully it's better than before. Oh, and lets stop discussing romance for now, since I'm far more interested in world building and merging. If anybody can enlighten me on the politics of Halgakenia, then please leave a review. I'm always interested.