-Tomb of The Giants-

Jinta set Seiko down next to the wall of the cave. She was unconscious as expected from all her efforts. Jinta faced the problem before him: two glowing white eyes in the darkness. Someone had laid prism stones to mark the path, but aside from their light, Jinta couldn't see further than the tip of his falchion in the smothering black. But those eyes pierced through.

Jinta approached, closer and closer, estoc and falchion at the ready. Just as he could make out a rib cage and lower jaw, the figure lurched forward, blade like a guillotine swinging down. Jinta took a quick step back, just out of reach, and the blade slammed into the stone floor. Rock chips pinged off Jinta's helmet as he stepped in and crossed his swords through the giant skeleton wielding the blade. Like before, bones shattered like they were made of porcelain and the skeleton fell to pieces.

Jinta went back to retrieve Seiko.

After a lot of stop and go, Jinta found himself struggling to push on. There was one more prism stone ahead. Jinta approached it and nearly pitched over a cliff. He looked down and saw a necromancer's lantern lighting the ground somewhere in the neighborhood of five meters down.

A boot was planted firmly in Jinta's back and he was sent sailing down to that same floor, Seiko still over his shoulder. He heard familiar and derisive laughter from up above.

"Ya know," said Tetsuro, from right next to Patches in the pitch dark.

Patches shrieked and held up his shield, hopping back and nearly falling off a cliff in the process. Tetsuro had come out of nowhere, silent even in his heavy armor.

"Skulking around in a place like this with the path so clearly marked will make people think you're up to something."

"You! You're the one from before. You tried to kill me!"

"Sorry about that, friend. This time I'll succeed."

Patches took a stab at Tetsuro, but found that Tetsuro's iron shield wasn't for show. Tetsuro parried the stab, stepped in, and yanked Patches' shield forward to bring the baldheaded trickster into a full-on headbutt. Metal Elite Knight Helmet to bare forehead and Patches was nearly out cold in one move. In the next move, Tetsuro slamming the lip of his shield into Patches' throat, Patches couldn't breathe. And in the next, a Black Iron boot to his chest, Patches was sent sailing over the cliff to his death.

"I've fought skeletons down here more fearsome than you," said Tetsuro to the empty air.

He turned and went on his way.

"-here. Don't move, and make sure she stays put too."

It was Jinta's voice. Everything was dark, but there was a warm light nearby. Very warm…

Wait, how long has it been…?

Clashing metal rang out. So dark. But there's that warmth.

If I'm so strong, why is it so hard to open my eyes?

A blistering wave of magic sent goosebumps over Seiko's body, and a chill down her spine. She opened heavy-lidded eyes, to find herself in a dark cave slumped across from a maiden in white. The woman had her hands over her ears and was trembling in fear. Seiko struggled to lift her head, but only succeeded in lulling it to the left. In the black, she could make out dizzying movement. Three people, probably men.

"Jinta…?"

Suddenly the scene in the dark was clear, and Seiko could see Jinta fighting a two on one battle against Hollows. Well equipped, armored Hollows who knew what they were doing with their weapons. As she watched, Jinta dodged a few strikes before a coordinated attack ended in him taking a back-handed swing from the mace of one Hollow. Jinta stumbled back, closer to Seiko, and she was able to make out more detail. He was soaked in blood, and he'd lost his Estus Flask in the fight. Seiko had doubts it was all his blood, but given the dents in his armor and the slashed fabric revealing some of his mail underneath, it was safe to assume he wasn't winning.

Jinta held his ground, weapons out to the sides, angled up and toward his enemies. He was heaving great breaths. The Hollow with the mace stepped in and swung high. Jinta deflected the blow with his estoc, stepped in, slashed with his falchion while spinning, and kicked the Hollow in the head. It fell over backwards, but in the opening Jinta barely had time to bring up his estoc to block another attack. The other Hollow used an axe with a very long handle, almost a halberd, and the blade bit into Jinta's right shoulder.

Jinta's right arm went limp and dropped his falchion, but he kicked his attacker in the chest and stumbled away before any worse happened. Closer still to Seiko and the priestess. Seiko couldn't move a muscle. Her body felt like it was made of stone and fused with the wall behind her. All she could do was watch, and she was so tired she couldn't even muster recognizable emotion at what she saw.

Jinta sheathed his estoc and pulled out his talisman. He dodged another slash from the short halberd, stepped in and to the right, hoping to draw attention away from Seiko and the priestess. Seiko couldn't help but remember watching Tetsuro do something similar. The other Hollow had gotten up, and the two watched Jinta with caution, slowly inching forward. The second they heard him utter a single word, they flew into a frenzy to interrupt him. Jinta dodged their swings and slid a foot into one of theirs. One Hollow fell into the other and they tumbled to the ground.

Jinta took a few quick steps to get between the Hollows and his charges again, then recited Medium Heal. From there, he recited Tranquil Walk of Peace, anchoring his foes just as they got up. Next, he raised a hand, pointing his right index finger to the sky. As quick as his other prayers, he said one more, but louder, and with much more confidence.

"Remember The Warrior of a foreign land and foreign God, chased by Death, who looked into the face of Valor.

Remember The Warrior who faced legends before legends, who drowned in wolf's blood, wretched and weak.

And beware The Warrior yet to come, born in Fire and Dark, who peers into the Unknown!

For He will Smite!"

A spark of light blinked into existence above Jinta where he pointed. From that light a ray of white magic shined down on the two Hollows. All at once, the light went out and Jinta sagged. The two Hollows had been scorched by the light and fell over dead. Jinta picked up his falchion to sheath it and staggered over, collapsing into a slumped seated position next to Seiko. He was out of breath, and had a hand on the side of his helmet, like he was trying to hold it together.

"What miracle was that?" asked the priestess.

Seiko heard her, but Jinta just groaned. To him, it was all muffled noise. His head felt like it would split open, and most of his wounds were still present. Without Estus, and after using so many miracles, he'd just have to live with his new scars. It wasn't long before he passed out.

It took a few hours, but eventually both Seiko and Jinta recovered enough to hold a conversation.

"Paladin," said the priestess.

"Jinta, please. And you are?"

"My name is Rhea. My deepest thanks for… For saving me and laying Vince and Nico to rest. I'm sure they are grateful, as I am. But what miracle was it that you used? I've never heard it before."

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Sir, our lives revolve around faith with less to go on than the power you displayed."

"Fair enough. An angel taught it to me in my travels."

Rhea was quiet a moment.

"It is difficult to believe that, yes," she said after a while. "What does it mean?"

"I'm not sure. Obviously the middle warrior is Knight Artorias - 'faced legends,' 'drowned in wolf's blood?' - but I have no clue who the other two could be. And obviously the 'He' at the end is the first warrior's foreign god."

"Can you say it again?" asked Seiko.

Jinta repeated the lines.

"I think you're wrong," she said confidently.

"How so?"

"I think the He at the end ties it all together. The lines all refer to the same person. What does the miracle do?"

"It's meant to be used against Hollows, and it's extremely powerful, but it's also just as taxing as Wrath of the Gods or Soothing Sunlight."

"A miracle for smiting the Undead? About a great warrior? That's odd."

"It's not so unusual," said Rhea. "Many miracles have stories that are hard to interpret, but their effects are readily visible."

"She's right," said Jinta. "In any case, whatever it means, use caution if you intend to teach it to others. A miracle like it in the wrong hands can be very dangerous."

"Of course. I won't be teaching it to anyone who isn't at least on your level of status."

"I told you before, I was only named Paladin for coming down here after you. Judge based on character, not title. Please."

"I'll take your advice, then, Jinta. I will stay behind to give Vince and Nico their last rites, then I will return to Firelink. Thank you again."

Jinta stood, with difficulty, and had to help Seiko up.

"I'm sorry we couldn't speak more, Pyromancer Seiko. You must be very important to Paladin Jinta."

Seiko looked at Jinta as she leaned on him, still too weak to walk on her own.

Am I? I thought we were just working together…

"I wouldn't have made it in time without her," admitted Jinta. "Now we need to find our way out of here. If only there were a bonfire nearby."

"Your Estus flask…" said Seiko.

"Right," said Jinta. He let Seiko down near the wall again and went to retrieve it. When he turned to help her up again she was on her feet, uneasy, but standing.

"Let's get moving," she said. "We have a job to do, after all."

"There may be more enemies ahead. Let's follow the wall. Stay close, but stay behind me so I can deal with the Undead in the way."

"I can't use my torch. No Pyromancy until we can find a bonfire. Sorry."

"It wouldn't make a difference down here anyway. This is Nito's light-swallowing domain."

"Be careful on your way," said Rhea.

"Is that a bonfire?" said Seiko, pointing.

"No doubt!" said Jinta, quietly. "That explains why I didn't see it before. I had tunnel vision by the time I got here the first time… But keep quiet. Patches might still be nearby. He's how we ended up down there."

In the dark, Seiko's glowing eyes allowed Jinta to see the look of contempt on Seiko's face, almost appearing unamused.

The two dropped down to the ledge with the bonfire and rested a while at last.

"The fire looks strange down here, without the usual halo of light," said Seiko.

"Now that we're in this darkness, Nito shouldn't be far. We need to keep an eye out for Patches first, then Nito. The skeletons in the way won't be an issue as long as I'm here."

Seiko just regained her look of contempt and reached out to the fire. Jinta watched a silvery stream of souls move from her to the flame, and watched the flame reward her with strength in return.

I suppose even she can use soul infusion. To think that she can grow more powerful… Is terrifying after all I've seen…

Seiko stood when she was done, fist clenched. She lit it aflame and swept it aside, putting the fire out.

"I'm good to go, ready when you are."

"Of course. Try not to push yourself so hard next time."

"This coming from the guy who nearly drove himself mad using miracles? How about you leave my tactics to me?"

"I'm just concerned a-"

Seiko jumped up to the ledge above and leaned down, offering a hand to help Jinta up. She yanked him up easily and the two moved forward. Jinta walked beside her until she held her hand in his way. The same hand then touched an index finger to her temple and pointed into the dark. A pained groan sounded and something hobbled forward. It was Patches.

"You!" said Jinta, weapons out.

But Patches didn't have his weapons drawn. His spear and shield were on his back, and he looked like he were in great pain, a grimace plastered on his face. His steps were shaky, his fists were clenched, and he was starting to sweat.

"What…" started Jinta, before he looked at Seiko, who was still pointing.

"What are you doing to him? Is this still Pyromancy?"

Seiko herself had a pained expression, but it was one more of mild discomfort, like walking with a rock in your boot.

"S-sh-she's a… Witch! A C-c-c-chaos Witch!" struggled Patches. He had stopped walking forward, but his legs were shaking.

"So you are doing this… And I'm guessing it's not easy. Well, you can stop. I'm not going to kill a helpless man."

"Oh, th-thank you! P-please, please f-f-f-forgive me! I-if you let me g-go, I p-promise I can reward… You…"

Seiko yanked her hand back and Patches lurched forward, but appeared to be released. The man had no sooner breathed a sigh of relief than coughed blood onto the floor. With difficulty, Jinta spotted the Abyss jutting from the gaps in her gauntlet and into Patches' chest. She recalled the Abyss and walked over to Patches, who collapsed to the floor. She bent down and made sure all the Abyss had returned, then straightened and looked at Jinta.

"Let's go."

Jinta was speechless. He could still heal Patches, who had technically apologized. It was the right thing to do. Patches hadn't even had the chance to fight back, after all.

"Stop turning the gears in your head and let's go. Leave him. Or did you forget about the bodies down there? And your friends from the Way of White? And us?"

"We could have at least talked to him."

"Why? Because he apologized? If I used Rapport on you, provided it even worked on you, wouldn't you do anything you could to get control of your body back? If he were sorry, he wouldn't have consistently killed or tried to kill people. If you heal him, I'll trap you, and next time I'll make sure he suffers a lot more than just bleeding out in the dark. Let's. Go."

Jinta followed after her as she walked along the wall to find the way forward.

"So that was Pyromancy."

"It's called Rapport, and it's supposed to impose the user's will on the target. With Hollows and the like, they can be made into allies, since they are broken. Anyone else and I'd be lucky to get them to take a step. It helped that I got the drop on him and that he was horrified."

"So someone with a strong will can ignore it?"

"Completely."

Two heavy footsteps sounded in front of them before a deformed skeleton came into view, about to attack. Jinta stepped up, put a hand on his talisman while it was still on his belt, and used Force to repel it, then drew his blades while the enemy was down. A few swift strikes and it fell apart, but not before displaying erratic movements.

"I don't know what that is, but I hope there aren't more of them," said Jinta. He kept his swords drawn as the continued, and he took the fore. Another of the deformed skeletons was nearby, in the way. At the twang of a large bow-string, the thing flailed forward. Jinta dodged back, cleaving an arm off his foe as he did so. A huge arrow hit the ground where he'd been standing and bounced off the stone, clattering away.

Seiko threw a Fireball in the direction of the arrow. She missed, but the attack passed close enough to briefly reveal a skeleton archer. She dashed away into the dark, leaving Jinta to finish off the deformed skeleton.

Jinta slashed back-handed with his falchion at the enemy's other arm just as it attacked, stepped in, and stabbed it through the head with his estoc. He looked around for Seiko, but didn't see her. He heard bones snapping and some clattering, so he walked slowly in that direction. When he came upon Seiko, she had just started looking for him.

The two continued downward and came to a fork in the path that took them along the cliff in either direction.

"The right looks like it slants down. And there's noise to the left. I vote right," said Jinta.

"Agreed," said Seiko.

They took a few steps to the right and suddenly heard rushing metal footsteps.

"Back! Back!" said Jinta, already backing away and trying to return to the incline they'd come from. When he saw Seiko turn to follow, he turned as well. They both ran back up to the previous level where there was more space to fight. In trying to find a clear area, however, they ran right into another deformed skeleton. It attacked immediately, drawing Jinta's attention.

Seiko turned and swept a brief Fire Whip out, letting the fan of flames light the ground ahead. Something stepped through the flames without fear, large and clad in black. Seiko recognized it as a Black Knight as it swung its halberd down at her. She dashed aside, then dashed in and punched the Knight under the ribs. It staggered and swung its halberd back-handed at Seiko, then punched with its shield. The shield connected, bowling Seiko over and knocking the wind out of her.

In a storm of blades, Jinta was able to defeat the skeleton by then. He turned to look for the new enemy and Seiko, but saw neither. He held his ground in the sudden silence, straining his eyes. Suddenly he didn't need to strain, as a flash of blue and black flames showed him everything. Seiko snapped out a Great Combustion in the way of a strike to block it, the physical flame blowing back the Knight's guard but doing little in the way of harm.

Jinta ran forward and stabbed the Knight in the back with both blades, then ripped them out to the sides. The Black Knight let out an ethereal scream, relatively low in pitch, and turned on Jinta with a swipe of its shield. Jinta jumped back out of the way and spun his estoc in his hand as a taunt. The Black Knight spun its halberd over its head, then slashed with it toward Jinta's neck. Jinta ducked and deflected the blow with his estoc, slashing at the Knight's arm with his falchion.

The black halberd thunked to the ground, but the Knight was still fighting. It lashed out a kick behind it as it heard Seiko move in, hitting her full in the face and knocking her over. It spun quickly and moved to slam its shield down on her. Jinta quickly lopped off the other arm and the shield fell over the cliff nearby. The Knight paused a second, a bit uneven on its feet, then fell forward onto its knees, roared out its life, and vanished into a white mist.

Seiko rolled over onto her hands and knees, then put one hand over her face, blood flowing freely through her fingers.

"Here, Estus," said Jinta, holding it out.

Seiko pushed herself to her feet, dizzy, and took the flask. She took a quick drink and handed it back. She regrew some teeth and her nose snapped back into place. She coughed after the sudden changes, scrunching up her face.

"What was that thing even doing down here?" she asked, rhetorically.

She might want its weapon. It's pretty heavy and probably requires some skill to use. Sounds right up her alley, for once.

Jinta paused, looking for it.

I… Could have sworn it fell right here. Did I kick it?

"Let's not waste time trying to look for a black weapon in the dark," said Seiko, noticing.

"Right…"

They continued on their way…

A/N: This was done on Monday, but I saved it while I started working on the next one. Like I said, trying to get back into the weekly posting.