Summary: Ornstein and Tempest are visiting the Undead Asylum where Tempest hopes to find an old friend.
(Author's note: Honestly, I was thinking a short area like the asylum would be shorter, but I still managed to pump out around 5k words. Ornstein and Tempest are talking too much ^^)
"Are you alright with fighting these guys? They use fire...", Tempest said, how Ornstein had reacted to the wyvern breathing fire was still embedded into his mind.
"They would have wished they hadn't lighted this torches.", Ornstein said and Tempest could hear the telltale sizzling of the dragon slayer spear getting charged up. Tempest decided to put his own sword in both of his hands and as Ornstein stormed up to impale the first torch hollow, he ran behind him and stabbed the second of them through the chest.
As they still were busied with pulling their weapons out the other two torch hollows had noticed them and started to shuffle to their position. As one was jumping towards Ornstein, Tempest threw himself between the hollow and the dragon slayer, blocking the blow with his sword, a low hiss coming out when he felt the burning sensation around his shoulder. "Oh no, you won't.", he yelled and slashed his sword right through the torch hollow who soon collapsed in a pool of its own blood. As Tempest still stood there panting from the adrenaline rush, Ornstein had stabbed his spear through the fourth one.
"That should have been all.", he said. "Let's move on."
"Ah, wait Ornstein.", Tempest said and tried to catch up to the big strides of the dragon slayer with his short legs, though he got distracted when he spotted something at the edge of the cliff. "Huh, is that a crow nest? Is this how we come back?"
Ornstein turned his head and once he saw the crow nest, he shook it. "This is far too small. That crow won't be able to carry you. But try going nearer."
Tempest crept nearer to the nest, holding his sword just in front of his chest and nearly jumped in surprise when he heard a caw and a voice, prompting him to give them something warm. Or soft.
"What is the meaning of this?", he asked Ornstein.
"Crows like to collect things. And some of them are willing to trade stuff they don't want in exchange for something they do want. So do you have anything soft or warm with you?", Ornstein explained.
"Hmmm..", Tempest rummaged through his bag until he found something suitable. "Ah, that should do. It is soft. And once has been warm."
He saw Ornstein wince as he dropped the dung pie into the nest. "Why are you carrying this around with you?!", the dragon slayer yelled.
"Huh? I found it in Blighttown.", Tempest asked, not aware that this wasn't the problem.
"That makes it even WORSE!", Ornstein said and turned his back to Tempest, murmuring something like "Wash your hands before you even think about touching me again."
While the crow was busy picking up the item or more they didn't seem to want to pick it up while they watched, Tempest washed his hands in the snow around the asylum and when he put his attention back to the crow's nest, there was a new thing lying there. He picked it up.
"It's a demon titanite.", Ornstein said. "It's used to strengthen special weapons. Like mine."
"Do you want it then?", Tempest asked, already dropping the material into Ornstein's hands.
"No, keep it. My weapon doesn't need improvement anymore.", Ornstein said, giving the item back to Tempest. "Besides, maybe you want to transform one of these souls you must have. Then you need the titanite."
"I didn't plan to.", Tempest said. "But good to know where I can get it should the need arise."
"You can also get it from the titanite demons.", Ornstein said. "That big, headless ones with the long pole weapon. Like we fought in the catacombs."
"...That was the only one of them that I fought.", Tempest admitted.
"Why am I not surprised?"
"Let's just move on, alright, Ornstein?", Tempest's face felt a bit flushed. He had of course tried to fight these big demons, but after the tenth death or so had decided that it wasn't worth it and had just ran.
Once they had arrived at the large door that once had marked the beginning of Tempest's journey into Lordran, Tempest strode through it and said: "That's were it all began. This is where I fought this big demon. I didn't really had a clue what to do at first and not even a weapon and after I got brutally smashed I noticed there was a door I could leave to and..."
Tempest stopped when he saw a few hollows in this room. "This is new.", he said and drew his sword. "However, I can take care of this hollows just fine."
And with that, Tempest stormed forwards and yelped when he felt the ground under his feet crumble, the gravity of the situation not only dawned on his mind but also on his body as he felt himself fall a rather long distance and landed on the ground, hearing a sickening crunch and feeling a sharp pain in his leg.
Only a few seconds later he heard Ornstein landing next to him with a metallic clunk, but he was too distracted by the giant demon in front of him to properly react.
"A... another one?", he gasped out and searched for his Estus flask, before he could even think about fighting this thing he had to heal the broken leg.
"This only happened because you had to storm off again.", Ornstein hissed and Tempest felt himself lifted off the ground and getting brought into safety from being crushed by a giant wooden staff. After Tempest had recovered from the shock, he lifted his hand to take a sip from the Estus only to realize that it was gone.
"Where's my Estus?", he yelled, in a half panic. Without this thing he was screwed. Especially because the fall had pretty much rendered him unable to even move.
"Don't panic.", Ornstein hissed, hiding behind a pillar, scanning the room. "There, it fell down a few meters from here."
"Great, can you bring me near it, I kind of need it to heal my leg.", Tempest said, holding on to Ornstein, who had shouldered him over his left, his spear ready in his right.
"I try.", Ornstein said, jumping to the left as the demon swung downwards, "but...", he jumped to the right and narrowly avoided another hit. "That isn't so easy when this guy tries to kill us!" He ducked as a wave of fiery hot magic flew over their head.
"It can use magic?", Tempest cried. "The other one couldn't do that!"
"See that weapon it wields? It is also a catalyst.", Ornstein said. He had managed to jump behind the demon, but he gasped as he saw it holding the staff in front of it and jumped back just in time as an explosion engulfed the demon. "With you in my arms I am not fast enough to get the flask.", he said. "I need to set you down."
"Oh dear...", Tempest said, feeling not very secure about getting left alone with a leg that wouldn't carry him and no Estus to heal his wounds.
"There isn't another choice.", Ornstein said and put Tempest down near a pillar, out of sight of the demon. Before Tempest could say anything, the dragon slayer had zigzagged back to the demon. Tempest watched how Ornstein tried to confuse the demon but got distracted by a sharp pain in his back.
When he turned around, he had to notice that one of the hollows had fallen down with them and just used its sword to slash open Tempest's back.
"As if the leg didn't hurt enough...", Tempest winced and blocked the next blow with his shield before picking up his own sword and thrusting it right through the hollow's chest, seeing it collapse next to the pillar.
He was lucky that it only had been a hollow. Another more well trained enemy would have made short work of him.
"Damn, this hurts...", Tempest groaned, feeling how blood seeped out of his back. "What is Ornstein doing?"
Ornstein, in the meantime, did his best to avoid the constant magic attacks of the demon and tried to get it to move its fat ass away from the Estus. He just needed an opening, a tiny little opening so that he could grab it and toss it to Tempest.
Luckily, his opening came as the demon suddenly grunted and rubbed its head. Ornstein didn't waste any time to collect the Estus from the floor and toss it to Tempest who he could see sitting there with his bow drawn, aiming at the demon.
Ornstein smiled under his helmet. The little Storm had become competent.
With both of his hands busy holding the bow, Tempest couldn't react to actually catch the Estus and so it clanked against his helmet, which led a little "Ow" escape him. He was glad that this thing was made out of emerald glass or otherwise it would have easily shattered while falling.
Tempest didn't waste anymore time to uncork the flask and took a few sips from it, feeling how his broken leg mended and the cut in his back vanished along with the pain. He took a deep breath and scrambled on his feet.
"I am coming, Ornstein!", he yelled, put his sword in both hands and stormed right at the demon.
"Idiot!", Ornstein hissed and jumped on Tempest rolling with him on the ground for a bit narrowly evading a shock wave. "Did you forget it can use magic?!"
"Sorry...", Tempest said, getting up and rolling away right as the next smash of the demon crashed on the floor.
"Try to get behind it. These demons are usually not very smart.", Ornstein had been on his feet again in an instant and stabbed the demon in the rear which roared with pain and annoyance.
"On it.", Tempest said and joined Ornstein, giving the demon another nice wound in its butt.
Tempest expected the demon to turn around and crush them but instead it lifted its heavy catalyst. "Huh, what is it doing?", Tempest whispered to Ornstein. "We aren't in front of it."
Ornstein had froze and as Tempest wanted to nudge him to see if he was still there, Ornstein whispered back: "Little Storm, run." Only a second later an explosion engulfed the demon and when Ornstein hadn't warned him Tempest would have been in the centre of the explosion.
"Woah.", Tempest said. "It apparently isn't that dumb after all."
He didn't knew if Ornstein had heard him because the dragon slayer had rushed forwards and stabbed the demon into the rear again. And it tried the same attack as earlier. "Or it is...", Tempest said, getting up and joining Ornstein in the "strategy".
"So are we just going to attack its butt until it bleeds out?", Tempest asked as they hid once again from the explosion.
"You see the thick skin this demon has? You have to wear these kind out until they collapse and then you can deal the finish blow."
Tempest nodded, that kind of made sense. He had beaten the Asylum Demon in a similar kind, though that one had been FAR weaker than the demon they faced at the moment. Tempest sometimes had the feeling his weapon barely could damage the rough skin.
And then the demon broke the cycle. It apparently had recognized that the tactic didn't do anything and so it jumped and tried to crush them with its big rear. Tempest winced as he heard the demon crush, considering all the wounds they had give the demon that must have hurt. A lot.
"Still not the smartest one.", Ornstein mumbled as the demon roared in pain from the action. "Little Storm, attack its left leg, I attack its right and once it falls we can deal the finishing blow."
"Got it.", Tempest said and once Ornstein had counted to three they stroke at the same time, both of their blades leaving a nasty gash in the demon's legs.
That was enough for the demon to fall over and give Ornstein the opportunity to blow its head into bits with a fully charged dragon slayer spear.
"Ugh, I shouldn't have done that.", Ornstein said as unavoidable some blood and gore landed on his armour. Tempest waited behind a pillar until the shower of blood was over and then came out.
"Alright, why was there another one?", he asked. "And why was it so hidden?"
"See all the bones we are standing on?", Ornstein pointed down. "It probably was used for executions before this place became the Undead Asylum. And it simply still was there."
Tempest stared down and jumped once he saw that they indeed stood on a pile of bones. "Argh, I haven't even noticed...", he jumped off the pile and scraped his feet on the floor as if trying to get some dirt off.
"Don't you want to look if there is something useful in there?", Ornstein pointed at the corpse of the demon.
"I don't know... I don't want to touch it.", Tempest flatly said but that problem got solved when a few items just fell on the ground. Tempest walked over to pick them up. "A humanity, a homeward bone and a titanite slab.", he said. "No soul."
"Demon's don't have souls.", Ornstein explained. "There is a reason why they are here and it isn't a good one. It has to do with Lost Izalith."
"Oh yes, where we wanted to go next.", Tempest's eye sparkled at the thought of finding out more mysteries about Lordran. Luckily Ornstein was with him or it would be really hard to recollect all the tales he had heard and find out what happened himself. "So how do we get out of here?"
Ornstein pointed at a ladder and Tempest's hand flew to his face. "We could have left all this time?!"
"I don't think the stray demon here would have left us.", Ornstein said and ascended the ladder.
"I guess...", Tempest said and followed Ornstein up the ladder involuntarily staring at the dragon slayer's rear in front of him. Even in armour it was most certainly more attractive than that of the demon. Tempest quickly averted his gaze as he felt the familiar tingling in his nose and could just so avoid the nosebleed.
As Ornstein reached the end of the ladder, he dropped off a small ledge. Once Tempest had caught up to him, the dragon slayer asked: "Which way out?"
They were in a long narrow hallway which Tempest had the feeling he remembered. "Oh, this is the hallway to my old cell!", he excitedly said. "Is it fine when I take a quick look?"
"I don't have a clue why you want to reminiscent in such a place but go on.", Ornstein said. Tempest turned left and stopped. A short while later he glanced through some binoculars.
"There is a black knight. With a regular sword.", he murmured. "Though even their regular swords are looking really big and heavy..."
"What is a black knight doing here?", Ornstein asked and turned his attention to the left, he had intended to wait while Tempest went into the cell alone. After all, he wasn't needed there.
Tempest only shrugged at Ornstein but the sparkle in his eyes told Ornstein that he was eager to try on the black knight. "Alright, alright, I'll help.", Ornstein sighed. "Don't forget the art of parrying."
"I will try my best.", Tempest said and snuck towards the black knight which did nothing because the little Undead was in plain sight. The black knight moved and thrust its sword towards Tempest once he had done only a few step. Tempest managed to avoid with a hasty backwards roll.
"They surely are aggressive...", he murmured.
"These were some of Gwyn's elite knights, of course they are.", Ornstein said. "Or they would have never been able to pick up the fight against the demons."
All while Ornstein had talked Tempest had managed to block three strikes of the black knight with his shield and he recognized a pattern. The next time the sword came down he parried the blow and dug his sword deep into the black knight. Ornstein stepped behind the black knight and once it had pulled itself up, his spear bored through the back and it soon faded with that unholy scream.
"Hey!", Tempest said, picking off something of the ground. "It left the sword behind!"
"I doubt you will be able to use it.", Ornstein said at Tempest. "They were made specifically for large warriors and not for small fries like you."
"Hey.", Tempest said again, but then grinned at Ornstein. "Don't forget that this small fry managed to beat you."
Ornstein gave Tempest a glare and a low: "Too soon." before stepping into the cell, taking a look around. "So, this is where you have spent the last few years? At least there is some light shining in."
"I don't know if it were years, but certainly a long enough time to make me nearly hollow out.", Tempest groaned, sitting in the corner in which he always would had sit. "Feels strange..."
He got up again and pace through the cell. "There wasn't much room in here. And I hadn't a weapon, only a sword hilt. Don't even know from where, I pretty much woke up with it in here."
Ornstein had leaned against the wall and stared up. "There is a hole in the ceiling."
"Yeah, but the walls were too steep to climb.", Tempest said and his face fell a bit. "That is where the knight tossed me the key... without him I would have rotted in this cell..."
"Then let's not waste any time and find him.", Ornstein said and turned around to leave the cell. Tempest hurried to follow him but tripped over something and fell.
"Oh, ow.", he groaned. "What was that?" Tempest picked up the thing which had made him trip and said: "A doll?"
"What is a doll doing in your old cell?", Ornstein asked, turning around but once he saw the doll he gasped. "I can't believe it..."
"Can't believe what?", Tempest stared at Ornstein with big eyes.
"That doll... how does it even get here? Yet alone in your old cell...", Ornstein bend down to give the doll in Tempest's hands a closer look. "I am certain about it... We need to go back to Anor Londo."
"Now?!", Tempest yelled out.
"No, not now.", Ornstein sighed. "But soon. I have... business there. You don't have to come with me, that is my own matter."
"Ornstein, we have gone everywhere together now, of course I will come with you.", Tempest said. "Besides, I want to know the secret of this doll."
"It isn't a happy secret...", Ornstein said with a deep sigh. "Come, let's find your knight friend."
"Alright.", Tempest said, slowly walking out of the cell. "Hm, let me think... where have I last seen him..."
Ornstein followed Tempest quietly as he walked down the hallway and climbed the latter and then sat down at the bonfire, filling up his Estus.
"Ah, I know.", Tempest shot up and ran to the room of the Asylum Demon, Ornstein following him closely. "When I fought the first demon I could run down a path to get away.", he said and pointed to the left where the door still was. "Back then the grid shut down, but now it is open again, even though I don't have a clue why."
As Tempest proceeded to run towards the door, he heard a groan behind him and shot around just in time to block a hit from one of the hollows. "Totally forgot about these guys...", he said as he slashed his sword through its chest only now noticing that Ornstein was missing.
"Ornstein?", he asked, scanning the room.
"I am here.", Ornstein came into view from behind a pillar. "I thought you might forget about the hollows so I took care of one of them." The tip of his spear was in fact covered in blood.
"...", Tempest somehow managed to make his speechlessness audible. "Let's... let's just move.", he said and went through the door.
"There is another bonfire here.", Ornstein pointed out.
"Yeah, but I doubt we will need it.", Tempest said as he walked forwards, his head turned to Ornstein. He regretted his words when he felt a sharp pain through his chest and woke up at the bonfire in front of the large gates.
"What the...", Tempest got up and hurried back to the room of the Asylum Demon, taking an unnecessary hit from one of the hollows which he healed with a sip of Estus real quick before finding Ornstein locked in a battle with another black knight.
"Oh, there you are, little Storm, I kept it in check for you.", Ornstein said and his voice sounded strangely cheerful.
"Why didn't you just kill it?", Tempest groaned.
"I hadn't sparred with a black knight in some time.", Ornstein's spear parried a blow of the black knight's sword. "I guess I was feeling nostalgic. Even though normally the black knight's didn't try to kill me."
"You just want for me to get the job done...", Tempest sighed.
"Exactly.", Ornstein said and Tempest knew that he had this grin on his face. Ornstein thrust his spear which the black knight blocked with its shield and jumped back, making room for Tempest. "Remember your training.", he said.
And Tempest did remember. Having to fight all this hours against Ornstein he asked himself why he ever had struggled with the black knights, why he was so afraid of them. His shield effortlessly bashed the weapon of the knight away and his sword found its way deep into the black knight's chest... in an ideal world it would have been, but because of Tempest's small size it went more through its crotch, which made him cringe a little bit.
Once the black knight had fallen Tempest danced behind it and the moment it had picked itself up on its feet his sword found the back... the rear... of the black knight and in the next moment the black knight puffed into smoke.
"That was fantastic, little Storm.", Ornstein gave a tiny applause why Tempest stared at his sword. "Very elegant."
"It... it would have looked more elegant when I would have been bigger...", he said. "I mean, that must have hurt."
"They aren't made of flesh anyway anymore.", Ornstein said. "I doubt it hurt them very much."
"The thought certainly hurt me.", Tempest said, putting his sword back but changed his mind and drew it again as he moved on.
"So when I was here first there wasn't a black knight but an archer and I was lucky to find a shield in this broken cell to the left.", Tempest told. "And luckily I found a weapon near the shield, so that I could finally properly fight."
"I doubt that you could properly fight, you probably just slashed your way through while running away screaming.", Ornstein said.
"I hate how true this statement is.", Tempest groaned and went up the stairs. At their end, he stopped and extended his sword to stop Ornstein too. "There." His sword wandered from blocking Ornstein to point at the cell in front of them.
"That is an elite knight, in fact.", Ornstein said. "It seems like he is still there. Do you want to talk to him?"
"Yes.", Tempest nodded his head. "I should have taken him with me. He said that I should leave, he didn't want to hurt me after his death, but... he is still there. There is still hope." Tempest put his weapons away and took a few steps forward but stopped when the elite knight started to walk, vanished from sight and then reappeared from a hole in the wall, having his own sword drawn.
"Shit, he's hollow.", Ornstein said, stepping in front of the frozen Tempest to stop the incoming blow. "I am sorry, little Storm, but there is no hope anymore for your friend."
Tempest saw how the nameless knight pulled back, taking his sword in both hands and how Ornstein moved his spear for a wide swing. He didn't even knew why he did it, but his hand flew up and touched Ornstein's arm, making the dragon slayer stop.
"Ornstein, please...", Tempest said, gaze averted to the side. "Let me handle this on my own..."
"Understood.", Ornstein said, stepping aside to watch the battle.
The battle was short but intense. Tempest decided to drop the defense and two hand his sword just like the nameless knight in front of him. Their swords changed a few blows and once Tempest had the upper hand the elite knight rolled away, but because of his heavy armour at a slow pace so that Tempest got the upper hand and could deal a good blow. The elite knight countered this in an instant which Tempest dodged with a roll of his own and once he stood up again his sword found the joints in between the elite knight's armour and he fell, the tell tale sound of an Undead being transported to the bonfire in the air.
"I didn't even knew his name...", Tempest said, bloody sword in both hands, pointed to the ground, as well as his gaze. He felt how Ornstein stepped next to him.
"I once heard that a Hollow finds piece when it's slayed by someone with a pure soul.", he said and laid a hand on Tempest's back.
"Is this true?", Tempest said, his eyeholes eyes focused on Ornstein. The dragon slayer gave a shrug. "You are awful.", he said but a tiny smile crept in his face. Before they moved on, Tempest noticed something on the ground. "Wait a moment...", he picked it up and his eyes grew wide. "His shield..."
"It looks like he left it there for you.", Ornstein said.
"...I will use it. In his honour.", Tempest said and put the shield on his back, replacing the knight's shield he had used earlier.
"Wait a moment.", Ornstein said. "Let's take a look at this shield again."
"Huh, why?", Tempest asked, already strapping it off.
"When it was the shield of the knight maybe he has written his name on it.", Ornstein mentioned.
"Why should someone do this? I don't see your name at your weapon."
"My weapon is unique. But believe me, the silver knights used to label their weapons because they all used the same but they still got used to a certain piece of equipment. This knight must have been part of a group, the elite knights of Astora. Surely they had the habit to label their equipment too.", Ornstein explained.
"This... actually makes sense...", Tempest looked at the shield and then turned it around to indeed see a name written on there. "Oscar...", he said. "That was his name." Tempest then walked into the cell where Oscar once had sat, telling him about the mission and giving him his Estus Flask. "Thank you, Oscar. Without you I would have never been able to go on this journey. And... to meet Ornstein.", he added the last sentence in a whisper. "I am so sorry that I couldn't help you..."
Tempest stayed there in silence for a minute before he turned around and returned to Ornstein.
"Finished giving your respects?", the dragon slayer asked, leaned against the wall.
"Yes. We pretty much have no business here anymore. We should go to the bonfire and leave. You wanted to go to Anor Londo, right?"
"Wait a minute, little Storm, let's check out the key."
"Which key?"
"The one I picked off the roof."
"Oh!", Tempest produced the key. "Completely forgot about this... I think I have an idea where it would fit..."
Tempest turned around to head to some stairs but loudly cursed and lunged to the side as big stone rolled down. "Damn, they made a new trap.", he hissed.
"Sounds like the first one got you real hard.", Ornstein said.
"Knocked me right into Oscar's cell.", Tempest grumbled.
The way back up didn't had any surprises. The hollows up there had broken swords and only one was a moderate danger with a bow. As they passed the door which led back to the Asylum Demon, Tempest pointed to it and said: "I went through the fog that was there and saw the Demon and the demon saw me and I swear would I have waited one second longer it would have jumped."
"I think in this instant your habit to always storm off was a good one.", Ornstein pointed out.
"There, see the two infantry hollows?", Tempest said, bringing the dragon slayer's attention to a door in front of them. "I was really curious what was behind them, but I had trouble fighting them back then, so I decided to try the demon instead. And then I forgot to go back."
"Well, let's dispatch them quick and see if the key fits.", Ornstein said and as soon as his words were out of his mouth the hollow closest to them had a spear through its body. Tempest took are of the other one and fumbled with the key. Once it was in the lock it clicked and it opened.
"Hey, it worked!", he shouted out and ran through the door. He looked around a bit and felt a bit of disappointment. "That's it? There doesn't seem to be anything... this only leads back to the central room." He walked a few more steps and stepped on something hard. "Wait, there is something.", he picked it up only to be met with more disappointed. "It's just a rusty ring..."
"Oh, I remember these ones.", Ornstein said. "It's a bit rusty but they were made to help you find your footing in deep water or swamps and such."
Tempest stared from the rusty ring to Ornstein and back to the rusty ring before he blurted out:
"That would have been useful in Blighttown!"