Summary: Tempest and Ornstein are venturing into the Oolacile Township in search of the key that opens the path to Gough.
(Author's note: It feels like it has been a while. Simply put, I was finishing up some requests and couldn't write as much on Storm as well as I was a bit uninspired, because I had to play through the game again and take notes. I now finally managed to do it (had to put the game offline because of all the invaders) and could write out the next chapter. Please enjoy!)
"It looks like the town has been swallowed by an earthquake.", Tempest murmured, walking behind Ornstein.
"In a sense, this is what happened.", Ornstein said as he went down the stairs right in front of them. "The township got swallowed by the abyss. It won't take long anymore and no living being will be able to even walk here anymore. We are only able because the abyss hasn't spread too far yet."
Right after Ornstein had finished his explanation, he turned around and stabbed a dark coloured creature with too long limbs and too many eyes. It looked identical to the one that Artorias had killed before they had fought him, Tempest noticed.
"How did you know it was there?", Tempest asked.
"I still remember a lot about this place. I have ventured into it after everything had been over. Back then, Sif was at my side. Or more, this will still happen. Speaking about Sif, we should look out for her. She hasn't been at Artorias' or Ciaran's side."
"Sif..", Tempest said and then clapped his hands. "Oh, Artorias' wolf companion! I guess something like a wolf isn't too easy to overlook."
"Still, keep an eye out for her.", Ornstein said and stopped in front of a few stairs. On their left was a roof of a sunken house. "Little Storm, step up on there.", Ornstein said, pointing at it.
"Why?", Tempest said and climbed on the roof. Right as he was on top of it, he learned just why Ornstein wanted him up there. Down there were a full four of these creatures with the awful bloated head. Bloathead! That would be the name Tempest would give them from now on.
"I lure them in and take the ones in the front and then you plunge on the ones in the back.", Ornstein said. "Luckily they aren't very intelligent, having gone completely mad."
The bloatheads only felt the need to confirm Ornstein's word by pointing and snickering at each other. Tempest didn't question Ornstein's choice of words... it was pretty obvious that these bloatheads once must have been the population of Oolacile, having been corrupted by the abyss. Technically, they were like hollows, there was no way for them to ever come back.
"I am ready, Ornstein.", Tempest whispered and ducked down on the roof, sword in both hands.
"Good.", Ornstein whispered back and then headed down the stairs with wide strides, readying his spear. As soon as the bloatheads heard his steps, all four of them charged. Ornstein impaled the two on the front on his spear and Tempest dropped down, sinking his sword in one of the bloathead's head... but missing the other! Damn, he should have taken this in account, Tempest and his weapon were far smaller, even the bloatheads towered over him. As Tempest still was busy trying to get his sword out of the swollen head, the last bloathead raised its claws to swipe at him. Tempest gasped and freed his sword by sheer force, only to stumble and crash against the wall behind him. As Tempest waited for the claws to come down, hands already on his Estus, the bloathead suddenly stopped moving and looked down in confusion, screaming in pain once it noticed the tip of a spear through his chest.
"That was dangerous, little Storm.", Ornstein said. "My apologies, I should have known that you wouldn't have been big enough to plunge attack two of them."
Tempest, still sitting there with his sword clutched in one hand and the other on his Estus, slowly stood up. "Thank you, Ornstein.", he said.
"Don't mention it.", Ornstein said. "Let's move on. And keep an eye out for the key and Sif."
Tempest nodded and followed Ornstein who turned to the left. He stopped briefly in front of a dome with a tile, stepped on it and when nothing happened, he mumbled: "Inactive, of course..."
"Oh, is that an elevator like in the gardens?", Tempest asked and Ornstein nodded his head, a nearly unnoticeable shift in his posture, but Tempest had spend enough time at Ornstein's side now to know that it was a nod.
As they went down more stairs, Tempest said: "Isn't it strange that the town sunk in a way that the stairs perfectly line up? How great is the chance of that happening?"
"We don't have to agonize our brains about this fact.", Ornstein said. "Just be grateful for this coincidence. If not for the stairs, we would have been forced to climb down. That would have been very difficult with my arm."
"How is it, by the way?", Tempest asked, eyeing Ornstein's left arm. He knew that Ornstein was able to move it, so it was not broken, but Tempest had seen the wound and it was a bad one. It must hurt a lot and Ornstein was keeping a straight face. Or maybe he was clenching his teeth under this helmet of his and was merely keeping it together. For Tempest's sake.
"I'll live.", Ornstein said. "I had more severe injuries, little Storm. It is a nuisance, nothing more."
Tempest had the feeling that Ornstein wasn't telling the truth, but he didn't had any time to think more about it, because two more bloatheads came their way. Ornstein was taking down one of them and Tempest put himself in the way of the other, managing to take it down without taking a hit of its claws. It appeared that he truly was getting better at his whole fighting stuff.
"How comes it that you managed to take them down with one hit?", Tempest asked as Ornstein removed his spear from the bloathead. The tip was more then coated in blood by now. Tempest had the feeling he could see tiny little abyssal sludge drip down from it too.
"I have been a knight for long enough to be able to attack the vital points with ease.", Ornstein said. "You are still a bit more clumsy. You manage to hurt your foe, but you need to wound them several times until their wounds are life threatening. If you learn to strike at the vital points, you can end them far more quickly and easier and less painful."
"I am impressed, Ornstein.", Tempest smiled. "Even in your state and at this place, you still care about giving your adversary a clean death. You have to teach me how to do it."
"Not really easy when there isn't anything to practice on.", Ornstein murmured. "We can't just borrow the hollows from the archives... or could we..."
"Don't tell my you are considering it.", Tempest laughed and then gasped as a ball of dark missed him by a beat, followed by snickering.
"A sorcerer.", Ornstein said and readied his spear. "Leave it to me. Take out its friend."
Tempest slowly nodded and crept closer to his target as Ornstein was approaching the sorcerer. It was using a catalyst that Tempest had never seen before as well as the magic, he also never had seen it before. Sorceries were blue, pyromancy was red, but it was never dark purple.
As Ornstein was confronting the sorcerer, Tempest fought with his foe and tried to copy Ornstein by boring his sword right into a vital point, but he must have missed, because the bloathead only screeched and seemed to get angry. While his sword was stuck, Tempest quickly summoned a fireball and ended the sorry existence of the bloathead by burning its head off. Then he pulled his sword out and turned around, eyes falling onto something in a nearby building.
"Hey, Ornstein, there is something. Let me check it out.", Tempest said.
"Little Storm, be careful.", Ornstein said. "It could be a..."
Before Ornstein could finish his sentence, a hidden bloathead had charged at Tempest and dug its claws deep in his arm.
"...trap.", Ornstein finished and then ran over to take care of the bloathead while Tempest was busy fiddling with his Estus.
"Oh, ouch.", Tempest said as the claw marks closed, sometimes the closing of the wounds was hurting more than actually receiving them. "I should have known better, Ornstein. Once again you saved me."
"Has getting injured at least been worth it?", Ornstein asked.
Tempest looked at the corpse next to him and determined that the shining thing he had seen was a floating soul. "Poor guy.", Tempest said. "Probably has been lured into the trap." He then put the soul into his dark sign and stood up.
"...I will never get used seeing that.", Ornstein said. Tempest looked at him with wide eyes before realization dawned.
"Oh, putting or removing souls in the dark sign? Believe me, Ornstein, it feels a lot worse than it looks like. It tries so desperately to cling onto anything you put in there, that removing souls is downright painful. If Undead are comfortable enough with each other, they can trade souls by touching each other, but letting your dark sign be touched feels super awkward, so I normally prefer to get them out, even though it hurts.", Tempest rambled.
"I didn't need such a detailed explanation, little Storm.", Ornstein said and then headed to the stairs leading down, but Tempest stopped him.
"Wait, Ornstein, there leads a path around that building!", he said. "We are searching for Sif and the key, right? Shouldn't we search it off the beaten path?"
"You have a point.", Ornstein said and followed Tempest. "Even though I haven't been here back then, please let me go first."
"Of course.", Tempest stepped to the side and let Ornstein take the lead.
The path was narrow and just wide enough for Ornstein to barely fit there. Tempest felt a bit of nausea as he looked down, that would be a deadly fall for sure. Of course he would just come back, but the impact would still hurt. Dying from falling of great heights was one of the most awful ways to die. He practically could feel how every bone in his body shattered and his organs ruptured. Alone the thought made Tempest gag and he put a hand in front of his mouth. He might only be able to vomit up the little Estus he had, but nonetheless, it would be uncomfortable.
On their way around the building only one other bloathead waited which Ornstein disposed off quickly and then the path ended.
"Dead end.", Ornstein said, but Tempest nudged on Ornstein's thumb and pointed down.
"We can fall down and investigate there.", he said.
"We won't come back that easily anymore then.", Ornstein said.
"Nonsense, Ornstein, you can just jump back up.", Tempest said with a smile.
"True...", Ornstein said and dropped down. Or more, Tempest dropped down, for Ornstein it was more like climbing down a layer.
They continued to round another building until some wooden planks leading into a building to the right came to view. Tempest opened his mouth to inform Ornstein about it, but the knight just kept walking. Confused, Tempest followed him.
"Where are you going?", Tempest asked.
"I want to check if there is an entrance to the building we are currently orbiting.", Ornstein said.
They soon had to stop, no entrance in sight, but an orange soap stone message. Tempest rolled his eyes as he said: "That is better not another one of these 'try jumping' messages."
"You Undead surely have a sense of humour.", Ornstein chuckled.
"What is funny about sending people to their death?", Tempest yelled. "What is written on the message?"
"Let there be light...", Ornstein said.
"Huh, never had one of these before.", Tempest shrugged. "Must be some new code or something." Tempest already had turned around and was about to leave, but got hindered by Ornstein applying a slight pressure on his shoulder.
"Little Storm, you still have the skull lantern, right?", he asked.
"The one from the catacombs? Sure.", Tempest said and searched in his bag until he found the desired item. "Aha, there it is! But why do you need it, Ornstein? It's bright enough."
"Shine it on that wall.", Ornstein prompted.
Tempest shrugged again, but stepped forward to shine the light on the wall, gasping as an entrance appeared. "Well, that's new!"
"I knew it.", Ornstein said with a hint of triumph in his voice. "This kind of illusion could only be made by an Oolacile sorcerer or someone who knows how to wield their sorceries. They have quite a repertoire of spells like this."
"That's all fine and good, Ornstein, but now I want to know just what was so important to have been hidden behind an illusionary wall that can only be broken by light." Without awaiting Ornstein's answer, Tempest went into the room. He could only spot a single chest and gave it a careful nudge with his sword before opening it, finding only a small silver pendant inside of it.
"That's all?", Tempest said. "Just a pendant? Hm, this shape looks familiar..."
"But...", Ornstein said, voice quivering. "Why is it here?!"
"Ornstein, you know what that is?", Tempest said, turning around to Ornstein, dangling the pendant in front of his face.
"That pendant... was given to Artorias.", Ornstein said. "It has a special power. It can ward off the dark sorceries, the ones we have seen earlier. It is protection against the sorceries of the abyss. Why is it here? Artorias should have had it."
"Maybe he lost it?", Tempest suggested. "And one of the Oolacile sorcerers picked it up and hid it to sell later? You said the illusion was Oolacile magic, right?"
"I want to believe that, little Storm, I really want, but...", Ornstein took a deep breath. "Artorias was able to use rudimentary Oolacile sorceries too. That illusion wasn't very complicated... but why... just why should Artorias leave the thing behind that should protect him? Unless..."
Tempest looked at Ornstein in anticipation. He was right, it didn't make sense. Also, even if Artorias had lost the pendant, would he have just given up the search for it?
"...unless he never intended to fight.", Ornstein finished.
"But... why shouldn't Artorias want to fight?", Tempest said, looking from the pendant to Ornstein. "He was tasked with slaying the beast of the abyss, wasn't he? And even if he didn't want to fight, bringing the pendant with him wouldn't have been a sign of ill will. It was for protection, not offense."
"Yes... you are right, little Storm, this doesn't make any sense.", Ornstein said, raising his left arm to rest a hand on his helmet only to carefully remove it and let it dangle loosely at his side again. "I am reading too much in this. It probably got stolen from him and he couldn't find it, then decided that he could take on the beast without help."
"Shall we take it with us?", Tempest asked.
"Yes, it will help against the dark sorceries. Hold it in both hands and concentrate on the magic within, then you can summon forth a barrier for one or two seconds, even if you haven't an affinity for the sorceries."
"So, no key, but a pendant.", Tempest said and hung the pendant onto his belt, next to his Estus flask. "Where to now?"
"There was an entrance earlier into another building.", Ornstein said. "Let's go there."
Tempest nodded and followed Ornstein, cursing as another dark ball almost hit the two of them. Or more, Ornstein dodged out of the way in the last second, dragging Tempest with him and then stabbing the bloathead sorcerer into one of its too many eyes. Ornstein then sunk down, breathing heavily.
"You alright, Ornstein?", Tempest asked as he scurried back to his feet.
"I am... fine.", Ornstein said. "Just need a moment. That hurt."
Tempest nodded in understanding, that must have been quite a strain on Ornstein's injured arm. Tempest decided to scout out the area. He had hold onto the pendant just in case, but he was more than glad that he did, because a row of orbs was about to rain down on him. He had enough finesse to activate the pendant's powers which let a silver shiver appear around him and indeed cancel out all the dark magic.
"Amazing!", Tempest said, backing away, staring at the pendant. Such a powerful tool and Artorias had either locked it away or lost it? It was hardly believable.
"What have you seen down there?", Ornstein asked, standing up.
"Two more sorcerer.", Tempest said. "Are you sure you can move on, Ornstein?"
"Yes.", Ornstein said, stepping nearer to the stairs. "Little Storm, I could need your help... Go first and use the pendant to cancel out their attacks, so that I can use an opening to attack."
"I will try my best.", Tempest said and clutched the pendant, slowly moving forwards, trying not to think how much it would hurt when he messed up the timing.
To his surprise, everything went well. When exactly had he become competent? Though, Tempest didn't want to imagine how hard it would have been to traverse the township without Ornstein at his side. Then he probably would have died at least ten times already. He also would never had discovered the pendant. Tempest asked himself if it would have been possible to take on this duo of sorcerers without the pendant.
"Three chests are here.", Ornstein said. "But only one of them is still closed."
"Maybe it's a mimic?", Tempest asked.
"No, not this one.", Ornstein said. "Can you take a look inside, little Storm?"
"Sure...", Tempest came closer and even though Ornstein had sounded sincere about it not being a mimic, he nudged it with his sword before opening the lid. He then produced a single scroll from the chest and unfolded.
"Woah.", Tempest said.
"What is written on it?", Ornstein asked.
"It's a sorcery. It is called Dark Orb and it looks like the thing that sorcerers have thrown at us. It is explained in full detail how to use it.", Tempest shuddered. "Alone holding that scroll feels wrong."
"Damn, so that is how the dark sorceries managed to escape into the world.", Ornstein sighed.
"Ornstein, what is the dark sorcery?", Tempest asked, sitting down next to the chest.
"It's the magic of the abyss.", Ornstein said. "It's hard to put, but... little Storm, you know about the four souls, right?"
"Of course!", Tempest said. "Everyone does! Life and death, light and dark!"
"The dark soul it is... the source of the abyss.", Ornstein said. "You use humanity sprites to reverse your hollowing, little Storm. Now imagine what would happen when you would use ten of them at once."
"Uh...", Tempest said. "I don't think I would appear human anymore..."
"That is what happened to Oolacile.", Ornstein sighed. "The abyss is the dark, but in such a potency that not even bearers of the dark soul are save against corruption. The monsters we have fought against... all of them were once citizens of this city."
"I know.", Tempest said in a whisper. "I already knew that they were hollow..."
"You are taking this surprisingly lightly.", Ornstein said.
"All this stuff has already happened, right?", Tempest said, standing up, pocketing the scroll. "There is no need to dwell in the past. I just hope that we learned from it."
Ornstein whispered something that Tempest couldn't hear.
"What was that, Ornstein?", he asked.
"Oh, uh, nothing.", Ornstein said. "Little Storm, we haven't found anything important here. Let's head back."
"Wait.", Tempest said. "I want to take a look at this corpse!"
"Why?", Ornstein said.
"I am interested if they have anything valuable with them.", Tempest said. "Besides, who knows if one of them has the key we are searching for?"
"You have a point.", Ornstein said and leaned against the wall as Tempest was checking out the pockets of the dead sorcerer and thoroughly investigated their catalyst.
"Look at their heads.", Tempest said and put both hands around it, lifting it from the ground. "They are so swollen, it wouldn't surprise me when they have put stuff in their heads."
"Now I doubt that, little Storm.", Ornstein said.
"Haha, true, I was just kidding.", Tempest said and wanted to let the head fall back onto the ground, but before he could open his hands, the body fell away on its own, leaving Tempest standing there with only the head.
"Oh, ew!", he screeched and yanked the head on the ground.
"You wanted to take a look at them, little Storm.", Ornstein said, completely unfazed.
"I didn't had a clue they would lose their heads.", Tempest said and then curiosity hit and he went nearer to the severed head, expecting to see nothing but blood and gore inside, but to his surprise, the head indeed was hollow.
"Woah.", Tempest said. "You could even stick your own head into there. Of course, I don't have a clue who ever would want to do that. You need to be a special kind of crazy to even consider that."
"Let me guess, there are no keys in there.", Ornstein said.
"No keys.", Tempest confirmed. "Let's head back."
As Ornstein already went up the stairs, Tempest saw an exit to the house he hadn't seen earlier. He stepped out only to see a jump that wasn't doable for him. For Ornstein it might have been possible, but in case he would fail, there was a really deep drop, so Tempest decided to save this place for later, should they even need to check it.
"Don't dawdle, little Storm.", Ornstein said, waiting in the middle of the house, next to another exit.
"Huh, should we check that out?", Tempest asked.
"It won't hurt.", Ornstein said.
"Speaking of hurt, how is your arm?", Tempest asked as the stepped out on another small ledge and started to surround the building.
"I'll live.", Ornstein once again said.
"Alright, but tell me when it gets worse, yes?", Tempest said, not expecting any reply and he also didn't get any. They reached the end of the narrow pathway in silence with a bloathead sorcerer turning their back to them. "Oh, perfect...", Tempest whispered and drove his sword deep into its back, the sorcerer going out without ever knowing what hit it.
"See, if you aim for the vital points, it is so much more effective.", Ornstein said.
"Well, that was easy.", Tempest said. "That one wasn't moving." His gaze then fell on something in the hand of the bloathead. He bend down and picked up a piece of wood, it looked like someone had processed it. "What's that?", he said, staring into the patterns of the mask, yeah, it looked like a mask.
"Oh, one of Gough's carvings.", Ornstein said. "I guess some of the citizens bought them from him. Hmm... what was it again? Throw it on the ground, then we know."
"Why should I do that?", Tempest asked but complied and threw the mask on the ground, flinching when a low but gentle voice called out "I'm sorry".
"Ah, the one for apologies.", Ornstein said, seemingly satisfied with himself. "Gough loved to occupy his hands with whittling, he would always pour a bit of himself in every piece."
"But... how...", Tempest said, trying to get back his composure. "It did talk, Ornstein.", he said, giving the dragon slayer a side glance. He was talking about this mask as if it was the most normal thing in the world.
"It's Gough's feeling that went into that mask.", Ornstein said. "That is why we can hear his voice."
Ornstein then averted his gaze and went back into the building without saying another word. Tempest only assumed that he dragon slayer had to face his feelings regarding Gough, another one of those that he lost and would be forced to see again, knowing that he couldn't change his inevitable fate.
"...Do you mind when I hold onto that?", Tempest asked once he had hurried after Ornstein.
"No...", Ornstein said. "I always wished I had taken some of them with me back then..."
Knowing that this conversation would only open up wounds, Tempest let the subject rest and followed Ornstein until they were back at the beginning. Ornstein kneeled down and let Tempest climb him to get back up, the small Undead paid extra attention to not jostle Ornstein's left arm, and then Ornstein jumped up himself.
After they were back at their original location, Tempest squinted at a chest at the end of some stairs, it was sitting in the middle of a round platform, wide open. Tempest immediately didn't trust this chest. At least there was only one bloathead on the stairs which Ornstein took care of without trouble, but then Tempest heard the sound of another Undead arriving.
"Wait.", he said and then whispered. "I haven't touched a white soapstone sign..."
"Then it can only mean that we get attacked.", Ornstein whispered back. Tempest turned around to look at the one who was so dumb to invade him while Ornstein protected him and gasped as he recognized the silhouette.
"Chester!", he blurted out.
"Someone you know?", Ornstein asked.
"He was hanging around the coliseum.", Tempest said, ducking as Chester used a crossbow to fire three bolts in rapid succession. "He was kinda awkward to talk to, so I didn't do it much..."
Ornstein sighed and charged at Chester, his spear ready, but Chester simply lowered his crossbow and evaded the attack with ease, leaving Ornstein surprised. Seldom had he seen someone who could keep up with his speed. Tempest used the opportunity that Ornstein had given him and tried to cut down Chester with a two handed slash, but before he could even reach him, Tempest lost the ground under his feet and fell. Chester apparently had tripped him up.
"That guy is fast.", Tempest said as he scrambled back on his legs, seeing how Ornstein avoided another flurry of bolts.
"Little Storm, let's try a pincer attack.", Ornstein said. Tempest gave Ornstein a nod and made space between them, intending to attack Chester from the left while Ornstein was coming from the right. It was more than a surprise for the both of them when Chester jumped up and landed behind them, both of them struggling to stop their attacks to not accidentally hurt each other (or kill, Tempest doubted that he would have survived that blow of Ornstein's spear). As Tempest turned around, he saw that Chester had his crossbow loaded again, aimed at Ornstein who currently was standing there, holding his arm, having jostled it when he tried to not kill Tempest.
Tempest didn't think, he just ran and put himself between the bolts and Ornstein. Getting impaled by three of them hurt like hell, one landed in his shoulder, one in his upper arm and one in his chest, but gladly seemed to miss the most vital organs. Tempest still felt a cough coming and tasted blood, his lung was pierced for sure.
"Little Storm.", Ornstein cried and then charged at Chester, driving his spear deep into his chest, red smoke billowing from him. Chester tried to fire his crossbow again, but Ornstein put his whole weight on Chester and stepped on him once he was down, pulling the weapon out of the phantom and slashing over his face. After that, the phantom vanished.
In the meantime, Tempest had found his Estus and after taking two sips of it, the bolts had fallen out of his body and the wounds were closed. Still, Tempest never wanted to have the experience of being impaled by three bolts ever again.
"We don't even have time for this.", Ornstein grumbled. "Are you alright, little Storm?"
Tempest raised both his hands and gave Ornstein a thumbs up with a wide smile. "Yes, I am fine. Let's move on."
"Why did you protect me, little Storm?", Ornstein asked as they went down the stairs.
"Isn't that obvious, Ornstein?", Tempest said, his eyes going wide. "I can't die."
"But... every death is eating at your humanity.", Ornstein said. "Aren't you afraid? What happens when one day you come back hollow...?"
Tempest couldn't help but smile at Ornstein. He was worried about him. The dragon slayer didn't admit it, but they had become friends. Tempest surely would have loved for it to be something more, but just knowing that he cared... that was enough. It should be enough. It had to be enough.
"I won't go hollow as long as you are with me, Ornstein.", Tempest said. The dragon slayer fell quiet for quite some time before he suddenly spoke again.
"So, do you know why that... Chester was invading you? Did you say something to upset him?"
Tempest shrugged. "I don't know.", he said. "Maybe he was pissed because I didn't buy much? His stuff was totally overpriced. I just didn't want to make him mad. Guess I did. Or he was bored. Or frustrated. He said that he also was coming from another time..."
"Huh, another one who got brought here...", Ornstein said. "Anyway, he doesn't seem to be important. Back then, Ciaran and Gough told me that the Undead they encountered wasn't wearing a mask." Ornstein glanced down at Tempest. "Because they probably spoke about you, that matches up."
"It's so wild to think about that Ciaran and Gough have met me before I have met you, Ornstein.", Tempest said. "Getting thrown back in time sure is weird."
"At least you don't have to worry for anyone recognizing you.", Ornstein sighed. They had arrived down at the platform and Tempest was heading over to the chest to give it a good hit. Of course it stood up and started to snicker.
"Oh, have you learned to spot mimics now?", Ornstein said, coming nearer to help Tempest with the fight, who was currently dodging a flurry of kicks.
"Come on, Ornstein, that was obvious.", Tempest said, cutting the mimic into the arm. "A chest in plain sight in the middle of a very alluring looking platform? That had to be a fake."
"Very well observed.", Ornstein cut one of the mimic's legs with his spear while Tempest was driving his sword deep into the mimic's tongue as it had tried to grab him. "This mimic surely chose a poor spot waiting for travellers."
Once the mimic laid on the ground, it coughed up another mask. Without hesitating, Tempest threw the mask on the ground, to hear "very good" ringing out.
"Aw, thank you.", he said and bowed. "Wait, why am I talking to a mask?!", he yelled and picked it up. "These things are strangely endearing.", he said as he glanced to Ornstein.
"I know. If you want more of them, Gough sells them."
Tempest briefly asked himself, if Gough had a mask that would say "I love you", but he probably wouldn't get it anyway. He knew that Ornstein wasn't liking him back in that way. Besides, they had other stuff to worry about. Getting back to their own time for example. And treating Ornstein's wound. His mental state probably also wasn't the best, but the dragon slayer was moving on as if he hadn't had to witness the death of his best friend by the hands of the one he had to protect. Tempest could only imagine what kind of whirlwind of emotions was brewing in Ornstein right now. By acting as the leader and captain of their venture, Ornstein probably tried to distract himself from everything.
The duo moved on and after a few more foes and one sorcerer who was mean enough to stand at the end of a narrow pathway and even had the guts to laugh when Tempest managed to get hit by their magic. One bloathead later, they stood in front of a rather large building.
"It seems like we are pretty deep now.", Tempest said.
"Still no key in sight.", Ornstein murmured. "Just where is it hidden?"
"Why are you so sure that it is here, Ornstein?", Tempest asked.
"Gough said that the Oolacile citizens had locked that door. He simply was fine with it, because... you probably know that giants were mocked and feared because of their brutish behaviour... Gough was never one of them, but they still hurt him horribly. He told me that he cherished the solitude without the fear of being wronged again."
"But we are going to open up that door.", Tempest said.
"That is why I want to find the key. So we can lock it again when we leave."
Tempest nodded and moved on, closely behind Ornstein, who peeked around the corner in the building. "That reeks like a trap.", Ornstein whispered. "Let us enter it and be prepared for the worst."
Tempest nodded and once they were in, they were attacked instantly by a bloathead. Tempest rushed forward to help Ornstein, who for a change, seemed to struggle, but had to turn around and engage in combat with another bloathead that dropped down from the upper level to not let Ornstein been caught in a pincer attack.
Once Tempest's foe was down, he looked at Ornstein, who held his left arm and panted.
"Does it hurt?", Tempest asked, worry shining in his big, blue eyes.
"It's fine.", Ornstein said. "Just accidentally tried to take my spear in both hands. I am fine."
Are you?, Tempest asked himself, wandering around the building in search of more bloatheads, but he only found some rubbish.
"Where to now?", Tempest asked. Ornstein had already moved to the left of the room, looking down some stairs.
"Well, that is the trap I was anticipating.", Ornstein said and Tempest knew instantly what he meant. The room down there was full of bloatheads.
"I guess I use my bow...", Tempest said. "I may not be able to take them out, but I can at least lure them out."
"Good idea, but don't alert the sorcerers.", Ornstein said. Tempest nodded and found a spot at the top of the stairs, couching there, fiddling with his arrows and then shooting two in quick succession, one of them hitting a bloathead in the arm and the other one missing, falling onto the ground with a clank.
"Now they definitely know we are there.", Tempest said and hold his breath, anticipating if their plan worked or if they would get rained down by dark sorceries. They seemed to be in luck, because the two bloatheads started running up the stairs and apparently that they were gone, didn't seem to interest the others.
"Here they come.", Tempest said after he released his breath and Ornstein waited on top of the stairs, shoving his spear through the heads of both bloatheads at once, blood and goo coming out of them.
"Disgusting.", Ornstein said, working on removing his spear as Tempest felt the air flicker around him and didn't move out of the way fast enough, his left arm got a nasty dark burn once the sorcery had hit him.
"Ow.", Tempest growled. "Why does this burn? It isn't even a pyromancy."
"It seems like you alerted one of the sorcerers.", Ornstein said, coming over and looking down next to Tempest, where indeed a sorcerer was laughing and preparing a new spell.
"Out of the way, little Storm!", Ornstein yelled and yanked Tempest out of the danger zone, a dark fog which looked extremely uncomfortable.
"What is that?!", Tempest said, eyes wide. He never had seen a sorcery like that before.
"Nothing good, that is for sure.", Ornstein said and then barely avoided another dark orb that got shot at them from the right. "What the..."
"The other one noticed us!", Tempest gasped and fumbled for his bow, ignoring the pain in his arm, he could heal it later. Loading an arrow into the bow and spraining it, aiming, Tempest murmured: "Please hit." as he let go. The arrow turned out to be a bullseye, because the sorcerer fell down the beam they had been standing on. "Success!", Tempest jumped up, but Ornstein was fixated on the stairs.
"Little Storm, the others have seen us. Quick, let's go down and take them out. Take care of the sorcerer that is trying to end us from behind the stairs."
Tempest only nodded and followed Ornstein, arrow already in his bow, aiming and once they were down, Ornstein charged into the bloatheads that just wanted to come up the stairs and Tempest narrowly avoided another dark orb before planting an arrow directly into the chest of the sorcerer. Unfortunately it wasn't a deadly wound, so he dropped his bow in favour of his sword and went into close combat, getting another painful wound as he slashed the sorcerer into bits.
Once Tempest was done, he looked for Ornstein who was leaning against a pillar, two more bloatheads were laying dead a few feet away from him and his spear was coated with blood. Ornstein seemed to be short of breath, so Tempest went over and asked: "Ornstein, do you need a break?"
"No.", Ornstein said without hesitating. "Let's move on."
It wouldn't surprise Tempest when Ornstein would manage to get sick once they were done. He was already hurt, he was pushing himself too hard. However, Tempest knew two things. Once, Ornstein would keep to his duty and follow him to the world's end and second, Tempest would be unable to slay the beast of the Abyss on his own. Well, maybe after hundred deaths, but without Ornstein at his side hollowing would await him sooner or later...
Tempest didn't want to think about this and instead searched the room. He found several exits, one led up some stairs farther into the building and two let back outside, the township even more garbled and full of abyss sludge than before. He even found a sorcery scroll, which read Dark Fog and as Tempest read the description about the spell, he was more than glad that it hadn't hit him.
"So, there are several paths.", Tempest said once he came back to Ornstein, who had straightened himself up. "I would advise to go into the door right to the stairs next. It seems to lead to the rest of the house."
Ornstein nodded and started walking without saying another word. Tempest silently followed him. The both of them landed in some kind of attic and Tempest was a bit disappointed, because the path led outside again, but it turned out, that it was simply a balcony. A bloathead was hidden there which Ornstein for once didn't manage to kill in one hit, so Tempest ran over and finished the job.
"You are sure you don't need a break, Ornstein?", Tempest tried once again, only for the stubborn dragon slayer to shake his head. Tempest sighed and leaned against he wall, spotting a treasure chest from the corner of his eyes. "Hey, Ornstein, there is another chest. Maybe this one finally has the key we search. But... I don't think we will get to it from here."
"Think about this logically, little Storm.", Ornstein said and his breath was definitely coming shorter. "There is another entrance a little up. From there, we should be able to reach the room."
"Makes sense...", Tempest said and just as Ornstein said, they could drop down easily from the room higher up. Tempest went to the chest straight away, but stopped in front of it, frowning.
"Just to be sure.", he said and gave it a smack with his sword. How Ornstein actually could find out if a chest was a mimic or not by sight alone, he didn't knew, but he was glad that he tested it, because the chest actually turned out to be a mimic!
"Oh, that just had to be true.", Tempest sighed and prepared himself to fight he chest, getting kicked directly into the face once and one time almost eaten, he only managed to prevent this fate by slashing the tongue of the mimic, which made it howl in pain and splattered hot blood down on Tempest. Only when he had worn the mimic down by cutting at its legs constantly and the moment that Ornstein's spear came out between its teeth, did Tempest notice, that he mostly had fought on his own.
The mimic dropped down and coughed out... a key!
"Ornstein, is that it?!", Tempest held the key up, eyes glowing in excitement. He would be able to meet Gough. ...He also would be forced to kill a dragon though, so Tempest's excitement went a bit away.
"Yes, that is the key.", Ornstein said. "Who would have thought a mimic had stolen it?! And so far in. Let's head back."
The duo went back to the big room which was still littered with bloathead corpses. Ornstein was heading to the stairs, but Tempest nudged him and pointed to the exit.
"...I have scouted this area earlier and there was a shortcut.", he murmured.
"Oh, of course, I completely forgot about this.", Ornstein said, a hand at his forehead which he quickly lowered down again, because it was his injured arm.
A few minutes later they both stood in front of the door to Gough's tower, Tempest looking at the key in his hands. "So, I go up there, introduce myself and ask him if he shoots the dragon for me?", he asked.
"Yes, pretty much.", Ornstein said. "As with Ciaran, I will stay out of side. They can't know that I am here. Don't mention me."
Tempest nodded and the key creaked in the lock. He took a deep breath and strode through it, bracing himself to meet even the last knight of Gwyn.
(Author's note: I hope you are all ready for Gough and Kalameet in the next chapter!
Please write me your thoughts about this chapter into the comments.)