-Lost Bastille-
A heavy door swung open and Lucatiel looked up, resting inside one of the turrets while the moonlit night passed. She was put at ease to find people she recognized. Two Undead who had helped her previously, one in black plate armor and the other in white medium armor.
"Oh, it's you two. I didn't get the chance before we parted to thank you for your help. Please, I think this has some value. It's all I have to give, but it was well guarded when I found it."
Lucatiel held out a strange idol of twisted metal or solid carved wood - it was hard to tell which. The white knight accepted it with slight hesitation.
"Where did you get this?" he asked, his voice muffled by his aged silvery helmet.
"I was attacked a while back and my attacker seemed to take extra care of it. It was well protected, in a bag, surrounded by cloth and carried under his clothes. I have no idea what it is."
"Was your attacker Undead?" asked the black knight, her voice slightly muffled like her traveling partner's.
"So you've heard of them? Yes, I think he was. Not any Undead, though. I believe he was… He was a Hollow. I can only imagine he was here for the same reason as I…"
Lucatiel removed the ornate mask she wore to reveal an encroaching rot on her face.
"Hollows can never be human again," said Lucatiel. "But they say the souls to be found in this kingdom can stave off the curse. It is my only hope that the stories are true."
The two knights looked at each other, then back to Lucatiel.
"For now, use this," said the white knight, returning the idol. "It's called a Human Effigy. It cannot truly cure you, but it can treat the symptoms. Like madness and memory loss?"
Lucatiel slowly reached for it.
"Are… You're sure? That… It sounds more valuable than I could have imagined before."
"We can teach you a much better way. If you're Undead, and you're here in this kingdom, you might be able to help us, too."
Lucatiel accepted the effigy. "If what you've said is true, and you also know another, more permanent way to remove the curse, I owe you my life. I will help in any way I can."
"There is no cure," said the black knight. "And if you make that offer, it may cost you your life. Even your soul."
"If that is how it happens, so be it… But I have business here first that I yet remember. It is a grave calling I cannot entrust to anyone else."
"Then," said the white knight, "We can at least help you prepare for that. Whatever it is."
"I… Why? Why help me? I'm no one. I carved out a place for myself in my homeland, and yes, I was well known there, but… You two hardly know me. I don't even know your names."
"We have our own grave calling," said the white knight. "And unfortunately, it's one we don't have a choice but to entrust to others. We've searched many kingdoms for many lifetimes to find a way to keep the First Flame lit, but in order for us to have more time to find a permanent answer, the Flame needs to stay lit anyway."
"That requires the sacrifice of powerful Undead souls," said the black knight. "Heroes who surpass heroes. And Lords."
"And you think my soul can do that? How could you know?"
"The both of us are well versed in a form of magic," said the white knight. "Between us, we can tell fairly accurately who has true strength and potential, and those who were destined to fail from the start… Or never try at all. You seem like a mundane fighter, though one of the best if your performance earlier is anything to go by. I don't imagine you can sense the power of another, or if you can you think of it as a gut feeling that someone is a threat to you."
Lucatiel didn't have a response. The two knights took off their helmets. The white knight had olive skin, a full but well-kept black beard, and a bald head. He had sharp features and piercing black eyes. The black knight had long black hair and was pale. Her features were softer, but her eyes visibly glowed in the color of a clear summer sky.
"I am Jinta, of an old kingdom, Astora."
"I am Seiko. I lost my homeland to the curse, but was reborn in Izalith as the Blue Child I am now."
"You two," said Lucatiel, "I think I've heard your names somewhere before. You must be old, indeed. If you truly think I can help, that my soul will be enough, I find it hard to refuse. I know I won't be missed… And I'm not sure I can even finish my own task on my own, but…"
"There are some things," said Jinta, "That we just can't help you with or do for you. You need to overcome what the world throws at you on your own, or your soul won't be strong enough soon enough. But we can travel with you, and show you things you ought to know."
"I can fight my own battles," said Lucatiel. "But this blasted curse eats away at me so… If you can help me overcome my curse, then the rest of the world will kneel to my sword. I will face my trials alone, as I intended, only now with a greater purpose in mind. I only hope… I only hope that my original purpose does not do me in before I can aid the two of you."
"It's not just us you will help," said Seiko. "With your death, the curse can be lifted for a time, and many Undead can die a mortal death on their own terms."
Lucatiel looked awed by the concept.
"I have no choice but to take your word for it I suppose. But if true, it may be my greatest source of hope. I cannot thank you enough."
"You can thank us," said Jinta, "After you've been through it all and made it out sane. What we're presenting to you isn't easy. And it isn't something you should thank us for."
"Perhaps not to you," said Lucatiel. "Sending those with powerful souls to their deaths over lifetimes can't be easy, that I can imagine. But I assure you, in my case, this… Conversation. It is certainly something I needed to hear. I won't fail you."
-Huntsman's Copse-
A/N: Nightmare (Bleach, Diamond Dust Rebellion), composed by Shiro Sagisu
Lucatiel left the bonfire beneath the bridge that she'd found and drew her sword, prepared to continue into the dreary forest she found herself in. Before long, she recognized the sounds of clashing metal in the distance. She proceeded with her usual caution, slaying a few haphazard Hollows on her way, until she came upon the source of the sound.
A black knight, one she recognized as a Forlorn Knight, and another clad in steel were fighting. The Forlorn was wielding a greatsword with a long handle, while the knight in steel used a long, featureless curved greatsword - a curved, sharp piece of metal with some wraps for a handle. At first, the fight seemed furious, but as Lucatiel truly watched, the Forlorn was being led in a dance of death by the steel knight.
The two displayed what appeared to be equal strength, but the steel knight was not concerned with footing or position yet still blocked and repelled any attack from the Forlorn. While the Forlorn fought directly, the steel knight whirled and moved as he pleased, guarding behind his back, dodging a hair's breadth from deadly swings, and only swinging at his enemy when he knew the Forlorn could block.
As Lucatiel watched, the steel knight coaxed out every possible opportunity for the Forlorn to show something new or escape a new kind of death. Then, only once, the steel knight struck. He deflected an overhead swing from the Forlorn and slashed upward, cleaving his enemy cleanly in two, through armor, from groin to head. Grass and dirt flew into the air after the swing, and his enemy faded to ash.
Lucatiel heard the sound of more swords being drawn, from either side of her. She stepped back and glanced at the sources to find Seiko and Jinta stepping in front of her, defensive.
"Y-You two?!"
"Stay away from him," they both said at the same time.
Their voices drew the attention of the steel knight, who looked over… And suddenly carried no weapon. Faster than Lucatiel could realize, his curved greatsword was simply not in his hands anymore.
"Well… As I live and breathe," said the steel knight. "I thought I'd never see you two again!"
He started forward, and sounded friendly enough to Lucatiel. Still, Seiko and Jinta kept their weapons up, ready to strike. The steel knight noticed as well and stopped.
"Step aside," said Seiko.
"Look, I'm not here to-" started the knight.
"Move or I move you," said Seiko. She didn't sound like she was making a simple threat.
The steel knight relaxed further, taken aback, by his body language appeared to say. He held up his hands and moved out of the way, leaving the clear path in the forest open for them.
"Are your memories of me that bad?"
Seiko stayed facing him while Jinta motioned Lucatiel forward and followed her, staying between her and this new knight.
"To be honest," said Seiko, "I hardly remember you anymore. But I've never forgotten how I felt about you or what you did to me. Until I heard your voice and saw that armor, I don't think I could have recalled them. But I know of you, still. And I can imagine how you must have changed in all this time. That's plenty for me."
The knight dropped his hands, looking rather defeated.
"Who is that?" asked Lucatiel, only to Jinta as they got further away.
"By now you've heard of Weaponmaster Tetsuro?" replied Jinta.
"The immortal Mundane Knight? That Tetsuro?"
"Is that what they call him now? Either way, if you've heard of him, you should know he's not someone you want to pick a fight with."
"To the contrary," said Lucatiel, "I've always wanted to test his swordsmanship in a duel. One death will not do either of us in. Why are you so afraid of us interacting?"
"It's less about us fearing him and more about preventing him from getting involved in any way. We've actively avoided him whenever we learned he was near, but there was no word of him coming to Drangleic."
"You don't appear to have a very good history with him."
"It's a long story, and one I don't remember very well anymore, anyway. The bottom line is that we met with him back when he was still on a mortal level, still learning and training himself, and using others to do it. He's long past that point now, if any of the stories we've heard are true. Forget him and move ahead. If we have to hold him off, we will."
"Can you?"
Jinta stopped walking to let Lucatiel continue ahead. He turned away from her to guard the path.
"I don't know anymore. Long ago, we could have, fairly easily. But I don't really know what he's capable of, and I'd rather not find out. Now go. Trust me."
Lucatiel continued ahead without another word, deciding to seek Tetsuro out on her own later, if possible.
Seiko and Jinta returned to the bonfire beneath the bridge and sat down.
"We need to keep up with her. We can't stay long," said Jinta.
"I know, but I need to write this down," said Seiko.
She reached behind her back into a large pouch, almost big enough to fit her head into, and pulled out a huge book. The book was terrifically clean, obviously enchanted in some way, and had a feather barely sticking out from the top of the spine. Seiko drew the feather out to use as a pen and wrote without any ink. Black ink formed letters, the alphabet from Izalith, as she recorded what had happened.
Seiko flipped absentmindedly through the book after she finished, more to give herself time to consider how to feel about the brief reunion with Tetsuro and what it meant for him to be in the area. There were many pages filled with her handwriting, tables and rows of listed kingdoms, all crossed out. Names of people with two pages dedicated to them each, Tetsuro included.
"You know we'll have to really confront him soon, don't you?" said Jinta. "He won't just let this go."
Seiko closed the book, stowed the feather, and put the book away. She put her hand on the hilt of her katana and stood up before she drew it out of the scabbard.
"I know… Now let's catch up to Lucatiel."
-Shaded Woods-
Weeks later, Tetsuro was wandering Drangleic, now in search of Seiko and Jinta, as well as the one they'd seemed desperate to keep from him. He suspected it was one of two people, but he was unsure. Either way, he found some enjoyment fighting the mist warriors in the Shaded Woods and searching for new treasures until he finally came upon a small shrine of some sort. It had fallen to ruin some time ago, but something out of place caught his eye.
An ornate helmet, carved in the shape of some fanged beast, made of a purple-pink metal or painted to look that way. As he reached out to pick it up, he heard a voice.
"Curse your curiosity," came the voice, from the helmet, surely.
"Leave me in peace," it continued. "You're disturbing the quiet."
"You'll have much time for quiet, sir," said Tetsuro, "But I'd be a fool not to at least try to hear your story. How could you end up like this?"
"Hmph," said the voice. "'Sir,' is a bit much. I hardly deserve a name anymore, but you may yet call me Vengarl."
A/N: Terrible Fate by Theophany
"You want to know my story, is that it?"
"Simple curiosity, yes. If you don't mind."
"I haven't spoken in… A very long time, I think. It certainly feels that way, anymore. But, what is time, I suppose, to the Undead or any like me? Very well."
This hushed, thoughtful voice began a long story of his origins. As Tetsuro guessed, it was indeed Vengarl of Forossa, a famous mercenary from the last great wars. Vengarl told Tetsuro about a life lived in battle, a story Tetsuro could easily tell as well. After a time, Tetsuro sat to keep listening, and removed his own helmet.
Vengarl continued, and Tetsuro stayed quiet to hear him out. When Vengarl reached the present, he talked of deeper thought, his weariness of the battles he had always known. Instead, he spoke of things he'd learned only in his quiet solitude, but offered a warning to Tetsuro. Vengarl believed his body still lived, went on murdering innocents without him. When Vengarl finished, Tetsuro thanked him for his time and got up to leave.
Vengarl returned to silence, but before he knew it, Tetsuro had returned. Vengarl noticed Tetsuro now wore the armor of his old body.
"You… It was you who slayed my body, then?"
"I have a habit of carrying artifacts of great warriors I face. I'll return to my own gauntlets and boots, I think, but your pelts and chest armor are excellently made. Your body was… An interesting fighter. I have claimed your weapons as well, but if you object to their further use, I'll see to it they are never used again."
"Good riddance to my body," said Vengarl. "And my weapons, yes. Please. If you can, see they are destroyed, not simply lost. They've done enough evil."
"Fair enough," said Tetsuro.
Vengarl was silent for a moment before sighing, obviously angry.
"What a fool I was," he said, with clear spite and regret. "Thank you, kind warrior, for all you've done… For your time. It's because of you I've recalled how pleasant dialogue can be."
"If you believe yourself to have been a fool... Then I am completely lacking any intelligence or wisdom at all. Don't thank me for listening, thank YOU for speaking to me. I needed to hear this. I know it. I am in your debt. Much more than you know."
There was a moment of silence between them before Vengarl spoke up.
"Normally… I would avoid asking, but… What could cause you to say such a thing?"
"If you were a warrior, you must know my name. I was Weaponmaster Tetsuro. I've been given many names over these lifetimes, and battle is all I've ever sought."
"Are you, really? Hmm… This… Form of mine. It becomes a greater blessing every day. I never thought to meet you, and in my days as a sellsword, I wished to slay you for the honor it would bring my name. Now… Now, I am even more curious. You asked, humbly to hear my story, but now I must do the same. Please."
Tetsuro sat down, and he started. He told Vengarl what he could remember of his homeland in Catarina, the proud knights he trained, throwing down his rank and country and journeying to Lordran. He told Vengarl of his journeys there, battles with keepers of Lord Souls… And the Undead he spurned.
Tetsuro told Vengarl of a lifetime of battle, could name every single person who ever killed him by memory alone, and produced weapons and armor out of thin air to illustrate his stories. There were artifacts from all over the world, across many lifetimes, and all were possessions of different warriors he had respected or defeated.
But then he told Vengarl of how he came to realize that battle could be summarized. Each person was simply a permutation of humanity, and their moves in battle were limited and predictable. Each battle was simply a game of figuring out which moves would come in which order, then reading the enemy and countering them perfectly.
He told Vengarl of his recent months, beginning to lose hope that battle could sustain him forever. He longed for deeper meaning, and no longer found it in battle. He found himself unable to properly appreciate the powerful foes he defeated, because he'd seen all their moves before.
"Your body was the first interesting fight I've had in what must be years now," said Tetsuro.
"But your story… Your philosophy is something I've never heard before. I can't be like you and throw down the fight and be still… But you've inspired me in a way I've never been inspired before. It will be some time before I can decide how this will impact me, but regardless of the long term effects… I cannot thank you enough. I will carry your name with me as well, now. Not for your body's prowess, but for your wisdom."
Vengarl was silent for a time after Tetsuro finished. Tetsuro began to wonder if Vengarl had somehow died or at least ceased existing somehow. But Vengarl did speak up after a time.
"I, too, am grateful. Your story could have been much longer, I'm sure, but I understand how you've lived. If you would spread my words, and save the souls of others like us, I could not thank you enough. But I am curious… What will you do with my words?"
Tetsuro stood up and stretched, stiff from sitting so long.
"I think first I'll try giving up killing. Killing Undead may only set them back a little, but it can trigger a chain reaction that makes them Hollow. Killing mortals… Though, I think I won't count Darkwraiths or other invaders. Their malice is more than enough reason to at least banish them. Beyond that, though, I'll just have to do more thinking."
"I see… Well, I wish you good luck in your journey for wisdom. I'm glad I was able to make a positive impact… For once."
"I'll see to it that it's more than once. Are you sure you won't come with me?"
"Actually… I have a favor to ask."
Tetsuro waited, but his heart sank.
"Please. Take this helmet. And kill me."
Tetsuro was quiet, and didn't move.
"Are you sure?" he asked Vengarl after almost a minute.
"I am. If you've found me, surely others will. I'll become a story. A spectacle. A legend that will draw people from around the world, I'm sure. I'd rather this life end with our conversation. My heart is full, my body is slain, and my mind is truly at peace at last… Not to mention I got to meet, listen to, and influence a legend I myself once looked up to. If it's you… Then, yes, I am sure."
Tetsuro approached and took up the helmet. He held it under his arm and produced an ornate silver sword from thin air. He raised the sword…