Event 17: Alter Of Sunlight
"Will she be alright?" asked Kama.
"She still breathes, and we aren't dead, so I'd say so," said Jinta, kneeling.
Seiko had pushed herself too far again, this time in a fight with Seath The Scaleless, and was now unconscious next to a dim bonfire. Seath's body, oddly free of stench, lay in the same chamber.
"We aren't... You mean the Abyss?" said Kama, looking more mournful than worried.
"Yes. She always keeps it inside somehow. I've never known her without it, but I still don't know how she managed to force it to obey her. They say the Abyss has a will of its own, growing and spreading in ways no one can understand. Even Manus, known to be the Father of the Abyss, was consumed by it. Her own father was the hero who stopped its spread once, known for walking the Abyss unharmed. I assume she found his help somehow, and with their powers together within her, she overcame the will of the Abyss."
"And this is your traveling partner? Impressive..."
"Impressive? Yes, she is indeed. I, however, am quite ordinary. Anyone with enough will to believe like I do can be just like me. Practice with my weapons, wear my same armor, even cast the same miracles. But no one will be like her. Even her clothes are like I've never seen before, let alone her powers. Her bloodline alone makes her a walking legend..."
Kama smiled, noticing Jinta's admiration. "'Show me your friends, and I will show you who you are,'" she quoted.
Jinta looked up at Kama from where he knelt beside Seiko.
"What do you intend to do now?" asked Kama.
"Wait for her to awaken, then retrieve someone and face Gwyn. And you? What of Seath's blood?"
Kama held up her black bone hands, leaning her scythe on her shoulder, looking at the pointed tips of her fingers and turning her hands over.
"Not a single thing has changed, inside or out. It seems we traded some of what made us human to live through our trial," said Kama.
"So you came for nothing? I'm sorry," said Jinta.
"Not for nothing," said Kama. "I met with you two, and in fact, Seiko saved my life. I would have been trapped and ended up a Pisaca if not for her."
"How will you meet your friends?" asked Jinta.
"Depending on when we leave, they may still be investigating the Hydra, or following the rumor of a large drake near the Alter of Sunlight."
"Well, we need to go there next, so when Seiko wakes, we can take you. If your friends are not there yet, we can wait with you if you like."
"I wouldn't ask that. I may instead go to meet with them halfway."
"Up to you," said Jinta, sitting fully and relaxing.
Seiko woke, drowsy and exhausted still, hours later. Once she could move, Seiko used her Estus Flask to get properly revitalized. Once she was lucid and ready to go, Jinta stepped up to the bonfire, holding out a hand to Seiko and Kama. Kama was confused, but took his hand as she saw Seiko do. The three vanished into the fire with a rushing of flame and light, reappearing seconds later in front of a statue of a woman holding a baby. They were inside a stone brick tower, attached to another section by a bridge. Seiko recognized it from when she had emerged from the Depths, but she had been across the bridge and hadn't had to come this way.
"I don't see anyone else here, so I assume your friends are not finished," said Jinta. "I'll go and talk to Solaire, since he and I must head to the Kiln together. I'll return shortly."
As Jinta went through a doorway, removing his helmet, Seiko decided on going out into the sun. She took off her coat and gloves, leaving them near the door Jinta had gone through, and walked out onto the bridge. As Kama watched, there was still no sign of the Abyss on Seiko. From the outside, aside from her naturally pale skin and piercing blue eyes, she looked rather normal. But Kama had seen her strength, both physical and not, and Seiko was far from normal, even in Lordran. Kama leaned her scythe next to Seiko's coat and walked out to join her. The two stood in silence for a while until Kama said something.
"I feel like we've met before... Somewhere..." said Kama, shifting her bright green eyes to meet Seiko's bright blue ones. Seiko nodded, confused, but feeling the same.
"Before Hollowing?" asked Seiko.
"I suppose that's possible. But I recovered from that state a long time ago... I wish I could remember my life before it..."
Seiko nodded in agreement and the two went back to looking at the distant scene. After a while, Jinta approached with Solaire, carrying Seiko's coat and gloves and holding Kama's scythe.
"Well, this is where we part, I suppose," said Jinta, handing Kama her scythe. He walked over to return Seiko's coat when all four heard something. Seiko took her coat and gloves, putting the gloves on and looking around.
"Was that a...?" said Jinta, reaching for his swords.
"The rumors are true," said Kama. "That was a drake. A big one."
Seiko threw on her coat, putting on her hood and hiding her hair in case the drake decided to show up... Which it then did. Rising from under the bridge and flying around to land on the opposite side, the red scaled drake seemed to have specific hatred for Kama.
"It knows," said Kama, tightening her grip on her black bone scythe.
"The foul thing stands between us and our goal. I suggest defeating it before moving forward. One less thing to worry about," said Solaire.
"I need its blood after all. I would appreciate the help, if you don-" said Kama. She cut off when the scene changed drastically. As the four watched, a woman with an outfit similar to Seiko's and black horns dropped out of the sky. She had a huge, curved black bone sword, which she aimed to drive into the drake's head. The drake noticed her and moved its snake-like neck stepping back as well. The woman had straight, long black hair, black curved horns on top of her head, and her hands looked like Kama's.
"Kuronoko!" said Kama, obviously recognizing the woman.
Rii, in her partial dragon transformation, glided toward the group after dropping Kuronoko.
"The others are coming!" she yelled as she landed.
Kama looked back at Jinta, Seiko, and Solaire.
"Let us handle this. Please. For saving me and helping me with Seath," said Kama.
Before anyone else could answer, Seiko dipped her head in agreement and tilted her head to watch.
"We'll talk after!" said Rii, turning and spreading her clawed fingers.
The red drake, bare meters from the one called Kuronoko, opened its mouth to breathe fire. From behind it, as it opened its mouth, another newcomer chopped off its tail. The attack made the concentrated fire it was about to breathe collapse into something like napalm, which dribbled out of the drake's mouth as it screamed in pain. The attacker, a short woman with long blonde hair and a massive black crown, sped from behind the drake on feet that looked like golden wheels. She had a heavy black sword with a gold stripe up the center and a huge black shield like a black wheel.
"Rinne, hit the wings!" yelled Kuronoko, pulling her black sword from the ground and distracting the huge drake. Rii and Kama charged forward to help as the newcomer, Rinne, sped forward on her odd feet and sliced one of the drake's wings to ribbons. As three of the women, Kuronoko, Rii, and Kama, tried to get at the drake's face and avoid being killed, Rinne came around again with her huge shield. The drake breathed fire, frustrated and wounded, but Rinne arrived in time to block the entire stream of flame with her huge shield. From behind, it looked like a wave of fire crashing against a black stone cliff. Rinne held her ground, her wheel-feet turned perpendicular to the bridge to keep her from rolling back.
"Almost! Split its attention!" yelled Kuronoko, moving to Rinne's right as the flames died. Kama moved left, and Rii jumped over Rinne's shield to punch the drake in the mouth. As the drake reeled from the blow, Rinne retreated with her shield trailing smoke. With her unable to block another gout of flame, the drake began shaking its head and breathing fire everywhere, repelling the three attacking it. They retreated behind Rinne and her shield. The drake stepped forward, shaking the huge stone bridge, its jaws brimming with more flame. As it opened its mouth, a long and black greatsword speared right through the top of its jaws and into the bridge. A fifth woman, with a smaller black crown than Rinne, an outfit similar to Kama's, and only one black bone hand, had jumped from above and pinned the drake to the bridge by its maw. The drake tried to move, painful as it was, but it was useless.
"Kuro! Rinne! Kill this thing, would you?" said the woman standing on the drake's head. She kept her bone hand on the sword, ready to pull it out. Kuronoko and Rinne approached either side of the drake's neck. Kuronoko raised her black, curved greatsword and Rinne raised her black and gold long sword, then the two sliced off the drake's head. Kuronoko reached one of her bone hands forward into the spray of blood, watching it for something. When nothing she expected happened, she and Rinne retreated and the new woman pulled her straight greatsword out of the drake's mouth. The five, now reunited, had a short conversation, then approached Jinta, Seiko, and Solaire.
"So, two of you are Chosen Undead and the third is the daughter of Knight Artorias?" said the woman with the small black crown and greatsword.
"I am Ryuuko," she said, then motioning to the others.
"This is Rinne," said Ryuuko, motioning to the woman with wheel-feet, the straight sword, and black wheel shield.
"This is Kuronoko," said Ryuuko, now gesturing to the woman with the black horns and curved greatsword.
"And you've already met Kama and Rii," she said, finished.
"Thank you for your help with Seath," said Kama, bowing with her scythe to the side.
"And thanks for the dragon scale!" said Rii, pumping a fist.
"We understand you're going to the Kiln, but we have some questions for you three first," said Ryuuko.
"I will answer to the best of my ability, though don't expect much from Seiko. She's naturally quiet," explained Jinta. Solaire stood silent.
"So I've heard," said Ryuuko. "Then, to business. First question. Who told you you were Chosen?"
"Kingseeker Frampt, the Primordial Serpent," answered Jinta.
"How were you Chosen?"
"I escaped the Undead Asylum, was brought here, and rang the two Bells of Awakening."
"And the man behind you, he has done this as well?"
"He has acted in his own world, but yes, he's done everything I have."
"Then there are two Chosen? How can that be?" said Ryuuko, not surprised, as if waiting for something.
"I... Couldn't tell you," said Jinta.
"But you are to succeed Lord Gwyn, correct? Give your very soul to continue his legacy?"
"As I understand it."
"Then what need is there for another Chosen Undead?"
Jinta stood silent. Seiko tilted her head, confused and curious.
"You already know, don't you," said Solaire, speaking up.
Ryuuko looked at him, her bright yellow eyes smiling.
"Indeed I do," said Ryuuko. "Shall I explain it to you, then?"
"Please do," said Jinta.
"I gather you must have found many corpses in your travels, even in places that only open with the placing of the Lordvessel. If I am to be honest, I, too, was once 'Chosen.' But I noticed things were a bit off. For example, how can there be more than one Chosen Undead at a time? If one were truly 'chosen,' would that one not be enough? So I watched one near me, as you two now are, go forth and complete the journey... And do you know that not a thing changed? This was many years ago. This Undead, who I barely knew, 'defeated' Lord Gwyn and gave his soul to The First Flame. Yet here we are, two more Chosen before me."
Jinta and Solaire's expressions were hidden in their helmets, but each did not deny what Ryuuko was saying.
"Now, if you believe me, you must now wonder why. From all that I have seen, it is simple. There is a system set up. A loop. Time is convoluted in Lordran, after all. Use a white soap-stone and Undead across time may summon your spirit for aid. Write a message and Undead both before your time and after will see it. With all these individual worlds, and individual Undead completing their quest, it has simply become a way to feed powerful souls to the Flame. Gwyn, attached to the Flame still, is unable to die until one with a soul stronger than his can attach to the Flame. As of yet, Undead have killed him temporarily and rekindled the flame, feeding it for a time, and vanishing from the cycle of rebirth. Yet no one has ended the cycle and time has not moved forward."
"Then one with a greater soul than Lord Gwyn is needed?" asked Solaire.
"Precisely," said Ryuuko. "If one is to allow time to continue forward even a day beyond the cycle, it is necessary to attach oneself to the First Flame in place of Lord Gwyn. This can only happen if someone stronger than Gwyn in soul can be accepted by the First Flame. The Flame will reject and simply feed on a soul too weak."
"Then the system is failing," said Solaire.
"Oh, no, it's working. Undead are throwing themselves into the fire, feeding it and keeping Gwyn's legacy and the land of ancient Lords from falling to darkness. But it is a temporary fix. One full of despair, death, and without future. We can't move forward without someone truly succeeding Gwyn, and we can't move back without making all those brave warriors die for nothing. We need a way to not only move forward, but break the cycle completely. It is not enough to simply stop feeding the Flame or replace Gwyn. Lord Gwyn himself set this in motion. It was to preserve his power and his legacy. To preserve the world as he envisioned it."
"So, to return the world to the way it should be, and remove it from Gwyn's ideals, we need someone stronger than he is in soul to replace him and we need a way to break the cycle of time he started?" asked Jinta.
"Again, correct," said Ryuuko.
"You weren't here just for that drake, were you?" asked Jinta.
"No," said Ryuuko. "We would all like to return to being fully human, but it was also a personal matter of mine to meet you two before you started the cycle over."
"Then, if what you say is true, how are we to know if a soul is greater than Gwyn's?" asked Solaire.
"You can't," said Ryuuko. "For all the sciences, magics, miracles, and other ways of understanding, the soul is immeasurable. How does one say that one soul is greater than another until that soul's power is felt? One cannot measure emotion. Cannot measure the self. And therefore, cannot measure the soul. You must simply try, and either succeed or fail."
"So, in the end our objective doesn't change at all. Nor do any after us. We must fight to the end and feed the Flame. If, by some act of God, a soul emerges and makes it to the flame that is stronger than Gwyn's, they will succeed him automatically," said Jinta.
"I suppose, when you put it that way, yes, exactly," said Ryuuko.
"And how do we know if someone has succeeded Gwyn?" asked Jinta.
"Have you ever seen it rain here? Have you ever seen the seasons change? The world will know when someone succeeds Gwyn when the next dawn is different from this one. When time moves again."
"Then we'd best be going," said Solaire.
"I can't speak for my friends, but I would like to help you reach Lord Gwyn. His knights guard the way, and many die before ever reaching him. It is a futile and unfair final test."
"If you want to help us, by all means, please do. But don't regret it," said Jinta.
"I'll come," said Rii.
Kama nodded in agreement.
Kuronoko and Rinne looked at each other, then nodded as well.
"Very well, then we shall accompany you to The First Flame," said Ryuuko.
"No reason to stay here, then..." said Jinta, motioning a hand forward.
Seiko walked right through the tiny crowd before her, toward the drake on the bridge, and toward Firelink Shrine.
Jinta sighed. "Not even an 'excuse me,'" he said, smiling in his helmet...
Event 18: Kiln Of The First Flame coming soon...
Author Note: Apologies for the three day delay. Personal issues you guys don't wanna hear about. Check my profile for character reference pictures for the women tainted by the Undead Dragon. I realize it's a lot to take in, and I personally don't like stories that introduce too many characters at once. But I did, and I'm not undoing it. They won't be around long, they're just minor characters, so bear with me. Til next time, hopefully sooner than a week, like I want...