Event 5: Souls Of Lords
In Anor Londo there exists a prison. Unassuming and well guarded, it is The Painted World of Ariamis. The Chosen Undead had found the entrance before fighting the knights who guarded Anor Londo, Executioner Smough and Dragonslayer Ornstein. After defeating them, and placing the Lordvessel under the care of Kingseeker Frampt, the Chosen Undead set out to explore The Painted World, putting the ability to warp between bonfires he'd gained from the Lordvessel to good use. He would be gone weeks, the return trip to the Undead Asylum alone taking three days. But while the Chosen Undead was busy, our heroine did not sit idle herself for long...
Seiko sat at the dimly lit bonfire, now quite alone in the city of the ancient Lords. At first she had wept, crying silently into her gloved hands for all her wasted effort. She'd come this far, further than hundreds or even thousands of Undead before her, only to have her goal slip into the bonfire like smoke through her fingers. Seiko was far too strong to let that be the end of her, however, and she quickly drained her tears and looked around as she thought of her next step. In the room where the Chosen Undead had come from, Seiko thought she saw movement. Assuming it was not hostile, since the Chosen Undead had seemed at peace just outside the door, Seiko entered with only basic caution. She was greeted by the sight of the of a stunningly beautiful woman, wrapped in white cloth, just enough to maintain modesty.
"Ahh, yes," said the woman in a voice as warm and far-reaching as the sun. "I have seen thou, fair Undead. Thou, like the he whom thy seek, have journeyed far. I am sure thou shall ask to follow the Chosen one, so I shall extend an apology from the start; I cannot send thy to his side, for the power of The Lordvessel is mimicked by no one. I may, instead, give thee rest before thy journey continues. And, if it be thy wish, form a covenant with thee, for our mutual benefit..."
Seiko recognized her from her statues in the city. Surely, she was someone who could be of aid. Though, if Seiko was honest, she didn't know how the benefit would be mutual. Still, she bowed, wishing to hear more.
"If thy desireth covenant with I, Queen Of Sunlight, then I ask in return that you give aid to the Chosen Undead. Currently, he is far from either of our reach, but I trust he shall return to Lordran in only a matter of days. While he doth strengthen himself and his resolve, I task you with the retrieval of one of four Lord Souls; the shard of my great father's soul he entrusted to The Four Kings of New Londo. I shall strengthen thee for thy journey, and bestow upon thee knowledge that will surely aid thee in such a trial. Before thy should delve into the darkness of the Abyss, thou must possess several things. Firstly, knowledge of the Pyromancy called Power Within. Second, a means to survive the smothering Abyss, in the form of honored Knight Artorias The Abysswalker's covenant. Only by his blood or ring shall thy withstand the Abyss and meet The Four Kings in battle. Do this, and I shall see to it that the bountiful sunlight always smile upon thee in thy time of need."
Seiko bowed again, and she felt something welling up within her. Her pale skin seemed to glow with warm light and she felt rejuvenated. This wasn't the rest of a bonfire, and in fact Seiko felt even stronger than before. Now Seiko knew what she had to do. Surely Siegmeyer would know about New Londo, and Quelaana would be able to tell her about Power Within. Without any means of travel, Seiko knew it would take her a long time to accomplish her task. But she was immortal, and in going about as she had been told, Seiko would help the Chosen Undead and finally meet with him. With new found purpose and strength, Seiko excused herself from the Queen Of Sunlight's chambers, making her way out of Anor Londo.
Sure enough, Siegmeyer knew where New Londo was. After he and Seiko cleared some of the castle in Anor Londo, he told her where to find it and the two decided to return to Firelink Shrine. Once there, having returned far more quickly than when they had left, Siegmeyer led Seiko to the elevator under Firelink Shrine. The elevator took quite a while to descend, and once it reached the bottom, Seiko got her first glimpse of New Londo. Siegmeyer told her of the way to Blighttown through New Londo, just to the right of the elevator. The two followed the path down to the base of Blighttown, passed ogres and the insects with fire in their bellies that Seiko remembered from her first days in Lordran. Siegmeyer made quite a pitiful display when he found out he had no way to cure himself if he were to be poisoned, and had to ask Seiko, a woman, for help. She decided not to take offense, giving him some moss clumps that would absorb poison if swallowed. Siegmeyer went on his way, leaving Seiko to seek Quelaana. It didn't take long for one Pyromancer to find the other, and soon Seiko discovered that Quelaana could not teach her Power Within; she had no knowledge of it herself. Quelaana did, however, know that somewhere in Blighttown someone with knowledge of it had died. Seiko thanked her and left to explore, searching for a sign of such an individual.
Over rickety bridges, dodging toxic darts, and fighting ghouls all the way, Seiko found the body of a dead adventurer not too for up in Blighttown. A few well placed Flame Arrows did away with the odd worm guarding the body, and Seiko found what she had sought. The dead adventurer, all his possessions intact, lay dead below the worm. From the looks of him, the worm had latched onto him and bored holes in him to feed. In his bag, Seiko found several diaries, some filled with writings of things he'd learned in The Great Swamp from Pyromancers there. He wrote of ways to summon toxic and acid from within the body using Pyromancy, and had an entire notebook dedicated to his study of Power Within. Seiko sat in the dark, flames dancing on her gloves for reading light, studying his knowledge of Power Within. At first, Seiko believed she had once used it without knowing, in her fight with the Iron Golem. She was proven quite wrong the instant she attempted the technique. Holding her own flame in her hand and pressing it to her chest, and releasing it within herself, she felt intense strength and focus wash over her. She saw in greater detail and time began to slow. With just her will alone she could amplify the effects, though the moment she tried she felt her body grow ever hotter. Quickly, she released the technique and read more. Just as she feared, overuse of Power Within could be fatal. Initially, it would not be as powerful, but if Seiko practiced it, its intensity and duration could be prolonged. As a result, her body would grow more powerful even without Power Within active. Seiko took the dairies back to Quelaana, reading over the rest carefully before leaving again, this time out where Siegmeyer had shown her...
Before Seiko could traverse New Londo properly, she would have to drain the water somehow. Giant floodgates could be seen on the way back from Blighttown, but it was too dark underground in New Londo to spot them. The massive cavern where the crumbling city sat only had a large hole in the ceiling far away, letting in minimal sunlight. Seiko heard someone yelling from below her, and after little searching, she found a staircase down. She was confused to find that it led nowhere, but went down to the crumbling edge anyway. It was here she found the source of the yelling. Caged up behind the wall beside the stairs, a man sat, his chamber lit by magic from within.
"Finally, someone else who's not looney. I'm Rickert, master smith from Vinheim. If you're looking to go walking around down here, I should warn you of two things. There's ghosts down here which only the cursed can touch, and you don't look cursed to me. Second, even if you did drain the water, there's no way you're going into the Abyss without the secret Artorias discovered."
"I'm Seiko... What secret? Where is Artorias?"
Rickert scoffed, surprised. "You don't know the legend of Artorias the Abysswalker? I'll tell it to you another time if you wish, but the bottom line is that he's been dead quite a while. His grave's in the forest near Sen's Fortress, guarded by his companion, Sif. Sif's a great wolf, and thanks to him, no one's touched Artorias' grave since Ciaran, The Lord's Blade. The only reason she got in was because she'd been one of Gywn's four knights, just like Artorias and Sif let her. Rumors even say they were lovers. She was never seen coming back from his grave, so my guess is she's helping Sif now. Good luck ever getting at his secrets."
Seiko considered all this. She took off her hood, her long black hair bothering her, and sat down on the steps. She'd been told to kill The Four Kings. Killing them meant helping the Chosen Undead. It also meant draining the water in New Londo and discovering how Artorias survived the Abyss. Seiko stood to consult Rickert.
"Who else might help me? This is something I must do..." she said. Her bright blue eyes showed no sign of giving up.
"Well, if you must know, there's an old sealer further in who'd know more than I would. But you'd need to get passed the ghosts first. If you've got the souls, I know a curse that'll wear off after a few hours. But I can't go helping everyone for free. It's hard making a living down here, you know."
Seiko had just come from Anor Londo, killing many Silver Knights, and Blighttown. Unless Rickert needed unheard of power from her, Seiko believed she could pay the price. She reached to the bars and Rickert reached back, pulling a portion of the souls she'd gathered from her.
"That'll more than do it, thanks. Now hold still, and remember: this will wear off in just an hour or two, so do what you need to and get out of here before it does. Without the curse, you can't so much as block those ghosts..."
Seiko nodded and saw magic rush from Rickert's hands. A white or green film seemed to wrap around her and almost fade from view.
"That'll do it. Now hurry. And do come back sometime. You're an interesting one, to be sure..."
Seiko bowed her head in thanks and rushed off, as instructed. Just as Rickert had warned, the moment Seiko crossed a wooden bridge over the water, she was beset by banshees with daggers for hands. And, also as Rickert had said, she was able to deflect and hit the ghosts with no trouble. They were frail, crumbling after just one mighty punch. Journeying ever deeper into the ruins of New Londo, Seiko came across a collapsing temple of sorts. In it she found a ladder leading to the roof, where she'd thought she'd seen someone standing. Sure enough, keeping watch over the cursed city, there was the sealer Rickert had referred to. The moment Seiko got within ten feet of the red-robed figure, they turned with a start.
"By the Lords! Ciaran...?! No... And you are obviously not Knight Artorias. Name yourself, if you please!"
"I was named Seiko by Quelaana of Izalith. I don't know my real name..."
"Ahh, a name of the East. Tell me, Blue Child, from where did you come to this, the land of ancient Lords?"
"My first memory is of the Undead Asylum."
"Is it, then? Well, I know not how you came to be Undead, but I can feel in your very essence the blood of Artorias. His clan is not one to be mistaken, especially by one with the pleasure of having met him. And yet, I also sense Ciaran in you. Come here, let me examine you. I'm just an old man, but my experience in magic is one I doubt you'll find rivaled in a long time."
Seiko approached him, confident she could fend off any attack at close range. After all, her light punches could snap bones. The old man put his gloved hand on Seiko's head, and she felt his magic invade her body. Flashes of what she assumed were lost memories appeared before her eyes, but nothing she recognized. Before long, the old man released her and sought a large brick to sit on. Through his metal mask he sounded exhausted.
"Let me make this official," he began. "I, Ingward, the last sealer of New Londo, pronounce you daughter of Knight Artorias The Abysswalker and Lord's Blade Ciaran. In you flows the last blood of Artorias' clan, and the blood of a legendary assassin. The natural strength you possess made Artorias the greatest master of greatswords ever to walk Lordran, and your agility made Ciaran the assassin who laid waste to the enemies of Lord Gwyn. If you intend on facing The Four Kings as Gwynevere instructed, you would survive now, even without Artorias' secrets. His very blood allowed he and his clan to survive the Abyss. However, you would be severely weakened, and surely killed by the Kings. As Rickert instructed, Artorias' secrets may lie with him in his grave, near Sen's Fortress."
"And my name...?"
Ingward breathed in and out, still out of breath. "My dear, your name is but a label. Even if I told you your name, it would not be the name of she who stands before me. When you Hollowed, you lost your previous self. When you regained yourself, you were given a new name. Honor your name, and honor yourself. After all, being named by Quelaana, a Sister of Chaos, on top of your heritage, is more than enough to make a legend of you."
Seiko considered his words, finding the wisdom in them.
"Take this," said the old man, handing Seiko a large key. "This will allow you to drain the water from New Londo, as well as open a shortcut to the forest. If you ever need my help, I am more than willing. Good luck on your quest, Blue Child."
Seiko took the key and headed to release the flood-waters from New Londo. On the way she thought about all she had learned of herself. Were she more excitable, she may have been exceedingly glad to learn she had such prestigious genes. As she was, however, she was simply thankful and felt fortunate. Her introduction had grown, though, and since she wasn't much for words she disliked having to add to it. Her odd mixed feelings churning in her head, Seiko opened the massive floodgates and jumped down when the water was drained. Across a stone bridge near a collapsed passage was another elevator. Seiko rode it up into a cave overgrown with grass and weeds. An abandoned bonfire lay dark just before the mouth of the cave, offering little respite for Seiko as she continued into the forest. She looked up to see Sen's Fortress on the cliff high above, so she knew she was close. Exploring near a waterfall, Seiko found a shaky wooden ladder, which she climbed with care, ever closer to the thick forest just below Sen's Fortress. Living mushrooms and ghosts of lost Undead stood in her way, but without a doubt she could see a massive grave in the distance. Nothing in her way could stop her, not even walking mushrooms as large as the ogres of Blighttown. With Power Within, Seiko was even able to lift one over her head and hurl it at a shattered tree stump, impaling it.
Finally, Seiko stood under the crumbling arch leading to the grave that must belong to Knight Artorias, her father. Approaching, no great wolf in sight, Seiko made her way to the front of the large headstone. From behind it, a flash of white leapt over and crashed into Seiko, pinning her to the ground. A giant gray wolf, its paw larger than Seiko's chest, stood over her. It sniffed her with huge breaths, whining faintly and releasing her. Seiko stood, confused, and reached out to the wolf. It moved its head out of her reach, backing up and approaching a greatsword in the ground, perfectly sized for him. Sif looked from the sword to Seiko and back, obviously debating whether or not to try and stop her from inspecting the grave. Seiko stood still, awaiting his decision. After hearing from Ingward that Sif had been Artorias' companion, Seiko would prefer not to fight and kill him, but she needed to learn Artorias' secret, no matter the cost. Sif began pacing, his mind still not made up, and the current situation obviously causing him great stress. He began whimpering, pacing over and over, looking from Seiko to the sword and back continuously. Seiko made no movement, fearing he would attack and leave her no choice. Finally, Sif howled in sorrow and frustration with himself and thundered to the ground, laying down and conceding at last.
Seiko approached the headstone and the greatsword sticking out of the ground. The handle alone was as tall as she was. Hanging from the guard, on a necklace, was a thin ring with a black gem set in it. Seiko jumped up to stand on the guard, carefully taking the necklace and removing the ring from it. She jumped back down to the ground, removing her gloves. She put on the ring but put her gloves in her pocket for the moment. Seiko approached Sif now, who sat tall and proud, if mournful. Seiko bowed before getting close enough to touch him, paying him as much respect as possible. She resolved herself. Before leaving, if Sif would permit her, she felt she needed to acknowledge him for his loyalty. She had the depressing feeling that if she didn't, no one ever would. Sif brought his nose down right in front of her, waiting. Seiko straightened and placed her hand on top of his nose, careful to avoid the dark end of his muzzle and only touch his white fur. She smiled, shedding a few tears for the undying faithfulness Sif had shown. She knew Sif could tell she had Artorias' blood, and she wanted nothing more at the moment than to show Sif how much she appreciated his service. Sif closed his eyes, accepting her acknowledgment and keeping still for the moment. After a few seconds, though, he moved his nose away. His pride would allow him no more.
Seiko left the grave of her father, never finding the body of her mother curled in death behind it. Sif would continue to watch over the grave of his partner, while Seiko returned to New Londo and descended to face The Four Kings...
Event 6: Patience Pays Off coming soon...
Author Note: This event in particular draws from fan speculation. I realize revealing Seiko to be the child of Artorias and Ciaran may be a bit much, but it explains how she has the strength to fight The Four Kings without any help. It also let me get away with not having Sif die, since I just love him WAY too much. I stuffed a lot into this one, exceeded my self-imposed 4 page limit AGAIN (Events 2 and 3 were also 5 pages). But, hey, this fic is worth it. Hope you enjoyed it, and as always, feel free to PM me with suggestions or opinions if you don't feel comfortable reviewing...