New Event 18: Kiln Of The First Flame

With eight people in total now in the group, it was impossible for Jinta and Solaire to warp everyone in one trip. Walking seemed more natural, and allowed more time to talk. The walk was uneventful enough, only a few Hollows senseless enough to attack standing in their way. When at last they all reached Firelink Shrine, the odd procession of different armor, weapons, and afflictions drawing the eye of every other visitor, Solaire and Jinta went to talk with Frampt. When they returned, the two began making trips back and forth through the flames, warping everyone down to the Lordvessel and preparing to offer the final soul.

"Solaire, shouldn't you be returning to your world at some point? If you need help, you can summon us to go with you. We both need to go through this before it's all over," said Jinta.

"No. I see now that there is only one way to end this. When the time is right, it will be clear to you as well," said Solaire, his voice resolved to some unknown fate.

"Then I trust you'll be coming with me all the way?" said Jinta, ready to offer Seath's soul to the Lordvessel's flame.

"Indeed I will, by my honor," said Solaire.

Jinta looked back, seeing Seiko just behind him and the other women waiting at the ready. Seiko had a serious look on her face, staring into the raging fire of the Lordvessel. The orange flames reflected in her stark blue eyes, making for quite the captivating sight. When she noticed Jinta look back at her, she looked up at him and nodded, more than ready to follow him anywhere. Jinta looked back, holding out his hand. Seath's Lord Soul shard rushed up his arm, congealing in his hand and leaping into the flames. For a moment nothing happened... Then a blinding light spilled out of the massive stone doors as they swung open at last. Beyond the doors was a short and wide staircase leading down into a massive sealed chamber. Even looking from where they stood, the warriors ready to brave the Kiln could see the many enemies waiting for them within the chamber. Jinta and Solaire lead the way down the stairs through the white light. Once at the bottom of the stairs, standing on a solid platform, it could be noted that there were dunes of ash as far as the eye could see with only a crumbling coliseum in the distance.

"There. It must be where Gwyn and The Flame await us," said Solaire, meaning the coliseum.

"No doubt. But look below us..." said Jinta.

In the dunes, standing at regular intervals, were knights long dead, their black armor moving with the power of their trapped souls. They each held different weapons, from halberds to great-axes, from greatswords to sword-and-shield sets. None had noticed the invading party of eight yet. Ryuuko spoke up.

"Let us lead the way from here. We can give you the opening you need. If you can pass the Knights, all that will remain is Lord Gwyn," said Ryuuko. The other women afflicted by an Undead Dragon showed no objection.

Jinta felt someone tap his arm, and he looked to see Seiko holding out her Estus Flask to him. Jinta opened his mouth to say something, but Seiko interrupted him by shoving the flask into his chest. Jinta sighed and took hold of it, hanging it from his belt. Seiko stepped back, away from everyone, and ready to climb a hill of ashes.

"What are you doing?" asked Jinta, confused.

"Go," said Seiko, taking off her hood and turning away.

"You're going to do something stupid again, aren't you?" said Jinta, walking over to her.

Seiko didn't answer. She had a plan to guarantee victory, but it would require stealth. Black Knights were stronger than any other enemy, save the Lords, but that was alone. Five Black Knights guarded the way. If it came down to it, Seiko was ready to give Jinta and Solaire their chance, even if it meant sacrificing herself.

"Aren't you?" repeated Jinta, getting very close to Seiko.

All she did was look at him.

Jinta whipped off his helmet and kissed her, taking what may be his last chance to do so. Seiko was surprised at first, but she kissed back after she realized what he'd done. The two parted and Jinta replaced his helmet, ignoring the surprised looks he was getting.

"Lead the way," said Jinta, drawing his swords. Solaire drew his Sunlight straight-sword and shield.

Ryuuko wrapped her single tainted hand around the handle of her black greatsword, drawing it and stepping forward. By her side, Rii readied her fists, Kama spun her scythe in her flashy style, Kuronoko inspected her curved greatsword, and Rinne made sure the wheels that replaced her feet would work in the ash.

"Stay close behind us, or you might get left behind!" said Rii, looking back. Her face began to betray her dragon transformation.

Rinne bolted out ahead, her large wheel shield held out, leading the charge...

The Abyss has a will of it's own...
Even Manus, The Father Of The Abyss, couldn't control it...

Knight Artorias, The Abysswalker...

You are the child of Artorias and Ciaran...

Even her blood makes her a walking legend...

M'Lady controls the Abyss quite masterfully...

That's no dark magic...

Please, free their poor souls...

This is your traveling partner...

Not a soul is meant to pass...

Blue Child...

What are you...

…

I've heard a great deal about someone with long black hair and a black coat. Some say she is a Pyromancer trained and named by Quelaana of Izalith herself. Others have told me that she's braved Sen's Fortress and Anor Londo in pursuit of someone. She's saved knights, defeated giants and an Iron Golem, invented and rediscovered Pyromancies, and has even become one of the Princess Guard. But, the last anyone knew, this woman had disappeared from Anor Londo with the grave task of retrieving a Lord Soul in my stead... Would that person happen to be you?...

Seiko could feel her head throbbing. Her whole body seemed to pulse with her heartbeat. With every beat, she could feel the blood rush through her veins, down her arms and legs, through her face and eyes. The Abyss was in her every fiber, and with it she became more sensitive to her body's functions. With every ash-softened step, Seiko ran wider in her semi-circle. She stayed out of range of the Knights, waiting for the right moment. Abyss began to mist from her closed eyes, puff out with her breath, and wafted from her body as if it were evaporating from her like sweat. And all the while her comrades fought...

Black sword on black wheel shield, Rinne held her ground against the savage strike of a Knight. Kama jumped over Rinne, slashing at the Black Knight while traveling over its head. The two had to get the Knight off the path, then hold it back from chasing down the rest of the group. The Knight kicked a leg back, catching Kama perfectly in her stomach as she fell behind it. She slammed into a steep hill of ashes, the impact softened enough not to kill her. Rinne bashed with her shield, slashing with her broadsword. She cut clean through the Black Knight's armor, causing white energy to spray out of the hole until it sealed itself.

"These one's-!" she began before cutting off to block the next massive strike from the Black Knight. It was holding its ground, the only orders in its head keeping it from allowing any to pass. Kama, recovered at last, rushed up behind the Knight and slashed through it over and over, mercilessly spinning her scythe and seeming to rip the Knight to shreds. But it stayed standing, the armor fixing itself as fast as she could break it. With a single swing, the Black Knight pushed Rinne away and kept spinning, slamming the huge sword into Kama, who blocked with her sturdy scythe. Kama flew back, rolled to her feet, and charged again. Rinne, the wheels of her feet spraying ash, charged as well, holding her massive shield in front of her like a battering ram. Rinne hit first, forcing the Knight to block with its charred shield and dig his heels in. As he did, Kama slashed through his ankles. The Knight toppled over onto its back.

"Go!" yelled Rinne and Kama together. The rest of the group, Rii, Ryuuko, Kuronoko, Jinta, and Solaire, sprinted around them, rushing ahead and toward the next Knight. Ryuuko and Jinta glanced back, watching as the Knight sprang to its feet and struck overhead, making the ash around Rinne jump as she blocked. The Knight continued to fight them, its undying strength evident in every motion.

"Let me take the next one!" yelled Kuronoko, as the next Knight came within sight over the ashes. It had a shield on its back and a Black Knight Greatsword dug into the ground at its feet. As it saw the group of warriors draw close, it pulled the greatsword from the ground and readied it with both hands. Kuronoko, only her curved greatsword in hand, rushed right in swinging. The Knight tried to parry, only to find Kuronoko pulling her sword back and spinning, slashing through it at waist height. While it was still open, Kuronoko jumped forward, impaling the Knight on her sword. She kicked off its chest, leaving her sword behind. As she hit the ash she charged forward, jumping and kicking the pommel of her sword, sending it clean through the Knight. It stumbled back, but did not fall. Drawing its shield in its left hand, the Knight tried using the weight of its sword to power its swings, but found them too slow to catch Kuronoko. She dodged a few times, trying to get behind it to recover her weapon. The hole in the Knight's chest was closing fast. Kuronoko's luck ran out when she tried to dash passed the Knight, getting bashed with its shield, a blow that covered from her head to her hips. She crashed flat to the floor, mouth and nose bleeding. So she did the last thing she could think of. The horns on her head weren't just for show; they were just as sturdy as her weapon, if not even more. Kuronoko rolled, gaining her feet, and closed in again. The Knight swung, opening its guard, and Kuronoko ducked, coiling her legs for her plan. As soon as the sword was passed, Kuronoko slammed the top of her head into the Knight's stomach, just under the healing hole her sword had gone through. The Knight stepped back, stumbled over the fallen curved greatsword, and hit the ash. This time, it took no shout to get the others moving, each rushing passed in seconds, leaving Kuronoko to keep the Black Knight at bay.

Up ahead, much of the ground had fallen away, leaving a series of narrow pillars as walkways. On a particularly long stretch, the next Black Knight stood, sword and shield in hand. With only Ryuuko and Rii left to face the Knights, Ryuuko stepped up first.

"I'll handle this one. I might be able to get him off the walkway. I wasn't a Dragon Slayer for nothing..." she said, holding her greatsword away from her body with her tainted arm. She walked alone toward the Knight. It raised its shield, taking measured steps out to meet her halfway. Both watched the other, but the Knight struck first, cautiously from behind its shield. Ryuuko deftly deflected the attack, hammering the Knight's shield. Its armored feet scraped over the stone pillar from the force of her swing. Not offering mercy, Ryuuko stepped in, slashing again and pushing the Knight back further. This time, it also slid slightly to Ryuuko's left. She took a warriors step right, beginning to rotate the fight so the Knight could be shoved over the edge.

Solaire drew his talisman, ready to heave thunderbolts if Ryuuko could move the Knight a bit further to the side. He didn't want to risk hitting her.

The Knight, on the offensive, attacked with the bottom of its shield in a punching motion, trying to reverse Ryuuko's tactic. Ryuuko stepped to the right to avoid it, getting closer and rotating the fight even more. The Knight slashed horizontally, stepping forward, only to have Ryuuko jump over the attack and swing down. The Knight hit the stone pillar face-first, the tips of its feet over the edge. It dug in its fingers and got to one knee, swiping its shield wide to buy time and gain its feet again. Ryuuko, not expecting the move, had been swinging at the Knight, and had her sword smacked from her hand. As the Knight stood, swordless, a lightning bolt struck it. The Knight shivered from the shock, and Ryuuko acted on the split second advantage. An Undead who would die for a cause fears not Hollowing. Ryuuko and the Knight tumbled into the darkness together, clearing the path for Rii, Jinta, and Solaire. Rii gritted her teeth, now sharpened by her dragon traits. Scales began to fleck out of her skin, turning her a moss green.

"The next one... Is mine..." she hissed in anger, strutting out onto the pillar in a hurry.

The next Knight didn't appear until the group was running down a spiral staircase outside where Gwyn himself waited. The Knight waited, great-axe in hand, on a landing. Rii, in a rage, ripped her wings through her black outfit, using them to dive down the remaining stairs and aim a punch right at the Knight's head. It tried to side-step, thinking she couldn't control where she was going, but was surprised to find that her wings functioned well enough to direct the blow to its target. The Knight stumbled a step, but used the rotation to swing its axe before Rii could recover. Even with her scales, the axe drew blood across her back, slamming her into the stairs' guard rail. Wind dashed from her lungs, Rii turned and spat fire at the Knight. Blinded by the green jet, the Knight swung blindly. Rii came from under the strike with a savage uppercut, lifting the Knight bodily from its feet. It landed, barely keeping its balance, and swung its axe wide at Jinta, who'd drawn close to try and help. Rii landed after, punching the Knight in the ribs and forcing it to slump toward her. As it did, Rii slammed a fist into the face of its helmet, pounding it into the railing of the staircase. She jumped on the shaft of its axe and began firing off blow after blow, cracking the stairs with every punch.

"Rii! Calm down! Rii!" yelled Solaire, pulling Jinta back just in time. The section of stairs Rii and the Black Knight had been on fell away, the Knight plunging to its death. Rii made use of her wings and managed to cling to the wall of ashes, beginning to struggle to climb up and out. She had no way to return to the stairs for a few hours.

With just Jinta and Solaire left, the two faithful knights ran further down the stairs, avoiding the crumbling spot where Rii had fought the Black Knight. Further down, another Black Knight could be seen, this one with a black halberd. What they didn't see was the extra Black Knight pressed into a crack in the wall, greatsword pointed down and held to its chest. As Jinta and Solaire stepped up, Solaire blocking the swinging halberd and Jinta swerving passed to attack, the hidden Knight quietly stepped from its hiding place. As it raised the huge sword with one hand, ready to split Solaire, a black streak passed through its arm. Before the sword could fall, a black-gloved hand took hold of it. Seiko, her coat billowing from her fall, landed close behind Solaire, the stolen Black Knight Greatsword in her hand. Solaire saw the look in her eye and understood just in time.

"Duck!" he yelled to Jinta, who instantly did so.

Seiko sliced over both their heads, the sharp tip of her greatsword slicing through the chest of the Black Knight with the halberd. It stumbled, but held the halberd and its footing. As her sword came around, Seiko turned it flat, hammering it into its original owner. The Black Knight, missing its right arm, flew to the side, slamming into the wall.

"Go!" yelled Seiko, turning back to project her meek voice.

As the two watched, strands of her hair fell out. Abyss was leaking from the corners of her mouth. She was using it for the increased speed and strength, and apparently wanted them to ignore the Black Knights and run in to face Gwyn. Solaire looked at Jinta, who made the on-the-spot decision to listen to Seiko and side-step the halberd-wielding Black Knight. Solaire quickly followed, both of them looking back for a moment...

As the two watched, Seiko would have time for one more amazing technique. A chain of Abyss wrenched from her back and struck the Black Knight just behind Solaire and Jinta. Abyss sprayed from the gaps in its armor, and as it fell over, the Abyss flew back to Seiko, further inundating her. The result was her skin visibly darkening several shades, her eyes going completely black, and more of her hair falling out. The other Knight had recovered, lowering a shoulder and charging Seiko. It slammed into her, bowling her over the guard rail.

"Seiko!" said Jinta, skidding to a halt.

"Go..." sounded Seiko's voice, sounding distorted and oddly clear from so far away. Chains of Abyss, like the legs of a spider, reached over the railing, and Seiko rose back onto the stairs, over the Black Knight's head. She had the higher ground now, but harboring so much Abyss was beginning to take its toll. So she extended her time the only way that made sense. In her free hand, Seiko summoned her Pyromancy, a purple flame this time instead of blue, evidence of the corruption in her body. She pressed it to her chest, letting it spread. Under the influence of Power Within, she quickly raised her stolen greatsword and blocked a savage punch from the remaining Black Knight. Solaire ran passed Jinta, yelling for him to follow. Jinta turned, sparing just one more look back... The woman he loved was giving her life, and far worse, for him to have a chance to go on. He could see her frail body giving out with every motion. It was obvious she had bare seconds left of life. He could even see her skin starting to flake off in patches. Jinta ignored the chills pulsing through him and the tears forcing pressure against the sides of his head, steeled himself, and turned away...

New Event 19: Dark Souls coming soon...

Author Note: Well, the ball stopped rolling. And it's a pretty huge ball. I'm trying to start it up again, so I can finish the story in the winter, but no promises. Here's the first major edit to the story, tuning Seiko to be a bit more true to Dark Souls. I'll pick out what I can from here to continue making edits. I'll also be taking down the old Event 18 soon, replacing it with this. Because of that, I'll also be making a minor edit to the opening of Event 19. "Stay tuned..."