Characters: Chosen Undead/Dragon Slayer Ornstein
Word Count: 8.199
Summary: Ornstein and Tempest decide to relax a bit after Lost Izalith. Tempest also visits Fire Link Shrine.
(Author's note: I have a few more plot points planned before the last chapter, and I thought about writing a little fluff chapter and then add a bit more into the start of the next chapter, but I quickly realized that it wouldn't work out well and also I wanted mote fluff. So what originally were 3.8k words of fluff turned into double the amount... Fluff chapter incoming! I hope you enjoy!)
After the fight, Tempest had warped the both of them to the Darkroot Basin, where they both now stood in the cool water and poured it over themselves with the help of Tempest's cooking pot. Finally they were out of Lost Izalith and away from all the lava. Tempest felt like he could never get enough of getting doused by cold water, his whole body felt like it wanted to ablaze at any given minute.
And when he, an Undead, felt like this, he couldn't imagine how bad it must have been for Ornstein. The dragon slayer must have felt hot enough to not only get rid of his armour, but also of his leather garb he wore underneath. He was only wearing his underwear at the moment. It surprised Tempest that Ornstein decided to show so much skin in a rather public place, but it wasn't like anyone was around here and Tempest actually had stripped himself of all his clothes. So it wasn't like anyone present would stare at Ornstein first, though Tempest didn't think he was such a nice motive to look at with the dragon slayer present. He was tall, muscular and handsome. In fact, Tempest had stopped cooling himself off for quite a while now and stared at Ornstein instead. Once he felt a certain body part get heated though, he quickly cooled himself off again.
"Finally out of the lava.", he said, feeling like it were the first words he had said once they had jumped into the water.
"I am rather glad about this as well.", Ornstein said, wringing out his ponytail, letting a myriad of water droplets rain into the basin. "It was starting to get really uncomfortable."
"You did well.", Tempest said, wading out of the water and to his luggage, searching for anything he could use to dry off, he hadn't packed any towels.
"Well, you took good care of me.", Ornstein said, "You made sure I had food and water. If I would have gone down there myself, I would have forgotten the basics and would have needed to go back soon."
"Of course.", Tempest smiled, drying himself off with a wizard's robe or something, it wasn't as good as a towel, but it got the job done. "I am not a good fighter, but at least I can make sure that you are fed and watered sufficiently."
"You can give yourself a little more credit, little Storm.", Ornstein said, slowly coming out of the water as well, "You did pretty well down there. Your fight against that sunlight warrior, Solaire... you held your own well."
Tempest got quiet for a little while when Ornstein mentioned Solaire. He had tried not to think about it, but the most optimistic and friendly person he had ever met in this land had nearly ended up being a madman. All because he couldn't find his own sun.
"Do you think he's alright?", Tempest asked. "Solaire, I mean."
Ornstein, who had kneeled down to get to his own luggage, crossed his arms at the question and seemed to think for a while.
"To tell the truth, I don't know.", Ornstein said. "It's on him. But... I gave him some words he needed to hear. It is on him to interpret and use them."
"...I just hope he manages to apologize for you.", Tempest whispered and then playfully tackled Ornstein when he got a towel out of his luggage, screaming about why he didn't think about sharing.
After the both of them were dried up, they put their armour back on and warped to Anor Londo. There, Ornstein said: "I know we just got wet and all, but we still need a proper bath. And our equipment needs cleaning too. Wait in the bathroom, little Storm, I'll organize a few clothes for us."
Tempest nodded and once Ornstein was out of sight, he left his equipment in the bonfire (that normally was enough to sterilize it) and made his way to the bathroom. Ornstein didn't take long to come, carrying a set of large clothes for him and small clothes for Tempest (Tempest assumed that it had been Ciaran's once, like the last time Ornstein had lent him clothes).
They spent a nice time in the hot bath together, getting rid of all the filth of Blighttown and the smell of the slightly murky water from the basin. Tempest felt a bit guilty when he saw how red Ornstein's soles were, that was from walking on the lava... even with the ring, some damage went through.
"It will heal.", was all that Ornstein had to say about it and then proceeded to rub Tempest clean, not unlike the first time he had done it, but with a lot more love and care and a lot less disgust and annoyance. Tempest felt like a freshly cleaned baby once Ornstein was finished and he was putting on a rather fluffy looking vest with some matching pants.
When Tempest looked at himself in the mirror, he looked oddly close to a sheep with these clothes. If these really were Ciaran's clothes? For some reason, he doubted that she would wear clothes like this, but he only had met her once and briefly. Maybe he should ask Ornstein about the story of the clothes later, but still... the guy who likes sheep giving his boyfriend clothes that make him look like a sheep...
Tempest shook his head. Where should Ornstein even have organized those? There weren't any tailors around anymore and his boyfriends from the past had been much larger. It must have been a pure coincidence.
Ornstein emerged later than him from the bathroom, having spent some time to wash his long hair, as much as he disliked it. Brushing seemed to be out of the question though, because when Tempest stared at his ponytail, getting this glint in his eyes, Ornstein backed off and looked like he was about to bail.
"Alright, so what do we do now?", Tempest asked.
"Rest.", Ornstein replied, "It was a long day."
"Wrong answer.", Tempest grinned. "You'll rest, l'm gonna cook a cheese omelette!"
"Oh right, that has been a thing...", Ornstein said. "But still, little Storm, you need rest as-" Ornstein was interrupted by a loud gurgle of his stomach and his cheeks flushed when he laid a hand on it.
"Don't worry, cooking is like resting for me.", Tempest said and practically ran to the pantry to collect all the ingredients he needed for a cheese omelette. Eggs of course, an onion and, of course, cheese. There was quite a selection in the pantry and Tempest stayed in it for ten minutes until he decided on a strongly smelling hard cheese. That would melt nicely. Now he only needed to get some herbs from the herbal garden. He decided on parley and brought all the ingredients to the kitchen.
Ornstein was present, having a book in front of him. He looked up when Tempest entered. "I already thought that you got lost in the pantry, little Storm.", he joked, a smile on his face.
"I couldn't decide on a cheese.", Tempest said, "You have so many good ingredients here." Tempest put all the ingredients on the counter and started the cooking process. Cutting the onion, cracking the eggs, preparing the herbs and grating the cheese. Thankfully the kitchen was stacked with all kinds of tools, so that the preparations were made with ease.
Tempest was so caught up in his cooking, that he didn't notice at first that Ornstein had abandoned his book and looked at him instead. He only noticed it when he hopped down from the stool he had to stand on to get a pan and some butter.
"Isn't your book exciting enough?", he asked.
"I simply have read it a dozen times already.", Ornstein said. Tempest was about to open his mouth and suggest for Ornstein to read a different book, he could hardly believe that he already had read all the books in the cathedral library, when he got a reminder that Ornstein was hundreds and hundreds of years old. He surely had read every book in the library a dozen times already.
Still, a day was still a day. He had to fill it from start to finish. How did it feel like someone for him? Would he remember stuff that happened ten years ago like it had been yesterday?
"How do you perceive time, Ornstein?" The question was out before Tempest could even think about it.
"Huh?", Ornstein let out a small confused noise.
"Like, you lived for hundreds of years. How is it for you? How does it feel for you? Do you still remember things from a hundred years ago? Is it like stuff that I remember from ten years ago?"
"Hmmm...", Ornstein started while Tempest lit the stove, waiting for it to be hot enough so that the butter could melt in the pan, "I remember some things as clear as if they had happened yesterday. The first time I slayed a dragon for example. Or how I met Artorias. Or... the day when the Master was banished."
Tempest looked towards Ornstein right at this moment and could see the pain on his face. Even though Tempest knew that Ornstein wasn't chasing his old love anymore, he couldn't help but feel a sting in his chest.
"Other than this... I can't remember too much about what happened between these events. I remember that I lived my days... I got up, I had breakfast, I made the silver knight roll call, I went on patrol... but I couldn't tell you how many days it has been. I have never counted them. I just... I only noticed that time passed when people around me aged and some died from old age..."
In the meantime, the stove had heated up and Tempest had put a piece of butter in the pan, waiting for it to melt. The melting butter was already emitting an appetizing smell.
"The days after Artorias died though, I remember them almost too well. The pain I felt and how much I tried to not show it. Several people had to call me out, because I made myself sick. I couldn't keep food down for so long..."
The moment Tempest put the omelette mix into the pan, Ornstein changed the subject, probably not wanting to talk about not keeping his food down while a mouthwatering smell was spreading in the kitchen.
"And then my time with Smough... it wasn't as long as my time without him, but... I can't say how long it was and what we did on which day. Each day just blurred together, so that I only remember bits and pieces of it. I think some days I would lie in bed the whole day, only getting up when absolutely necessary. I remember having leaned on him, reading a book, I remember having fought at his side, I remember having taken walks next to him, but I don't remember how long ago it was. It could have been three weeks ago, or thirty years ago."
Ornstein shook his head. "I can't remember. I hope I could answer your question."
Tempest didn't reply and concentrated on the omelette, thinking about Ornstein's explanation. The way he talked about days that had blurred together... he knew this feeling. From being in the Asylum. He didn't have a clue if he had been in there for days, weeks, months or literal years. It could have been ten years and he wouldn't know, because he was an Undead and didn't age anymore, all he did was start to rot when the hollowing threatened to grab him.
"You answered it.", he finally said, flipping the omelette and putting the pan back on the stove. "Thank you, Ornstein."
A few minutes later, Tempest put the omelette on a plate and carried it over to Ornstein. The smell was delicious, the fried eggs harmonized with the melted cheese and the added parley gave the omelette a certain spice. Tempest was jealous that Ornstein actually could taste this, but at the same time, he looked very forward to seeing him taste it.
Ornstein always showed a side of him that Tempest so seldom got to see when he tried his food. Of course today it was like it again, Ornstein looked so much happier and at peace when he tried the omelette, his eyes sparkling once he took the first bite and then slowly and calculatedly ate the rest, not leaving a single bite on the plate.
Like always, Tempest just sat opposite him and watched him eat, taking in every change of expression and every little movement. It became something like a silent ritual between them, because Tempest couldn't eat with him.
After Ornstein was finished, he laid his silverware down and said: "This was wonderful, little Storm, thanks for always taking care of my meals."
"Of course.", was all that Tempest said, with a big smile on his face. Then he got up and started to clean up. Ornstein joined him not much later, helping him out. Before they had become a couple, Tempest probably would have told him he got it, but now he enjoyed that they worked together in silence. Unless cooking, Ornstein was decent in cleaning up and the work was done so much quicker.
"We should go rest now.", Ornstein said, glancing out of the window, looking at the full moon. It was always a full moon in Anor Londo. "We have another long day tomorrow."
"New Londo, right?", Tempest said, displeasure spreading in his stomach. That was where the last lord soul was. Their journey was nearing an end... and when Tempest once had been eager to be done with this accursed land for good, now he only feared what might happen in the end.
"Yes. We both need our rest, so you should go to sleep as well, little Storm."
Tempest nodded and went to Ornstein's bedroom, undressing himself and then waiting for the dragon slayer to come. The both of them then went into bed together and Ornstein was cuddling him, soon falling asleep. The day in Lost Izalith had been exhausting for him.
Tempest knew he should rest too, but sleep didn't come to him. His head was full of things and it was impossible for an undead to fall asleep when they thought too much. It was not only that their journey was nearly over or what would happen to their relationship once the flame got linked. His thoughts were with Solaire.
He had almost gotten mad in Lost Izalith and maybe he would have even hollowed shortly after. They had found him just in time. But, others he hadn't found in time. The Crestfallen Warrior had gone down to New Londo and all Tempest had found was a hollowed out shell. Oscar, the knight of the Asylum; Tempest had left him behind. Tempest knew it had been his wish, but maybe if he just had stayed with him for a while longer... And of course there had been Lautrec, a knight that hadn't gone hollow, but needed to atone for his sins and Tempest had been his executioner for some strange reason.
All these events had made Tempest start to doubt everything for the first time, that was why he even had met Ornstein and why the second part of his adventure had been so much fun. When had he even started to see it as an adventure instead of a mission? Siegmeyer's influence probably.
However, how was it for all the others that were still around? Were they struggling? Maybe they would need help? He didn't want for them to end like Rhea, the poor girl. If only he had taken care of Petrus before the despicable crime had happened...
Ornstein was breathing slowly and peacefully next to him, but Tempest couldn't sleep. With a sigh, he wiggled himself out of Ornstein's grasp, which wasn't an easy task. After he had replaced himself with a pillow, Tempest went to the bonfire. He put on his armour and then concentrated on Fire Link Shrine.
Tempest appeared at the bonfire not much later. His first glance went to the empty place where the sarcastic crestfallen warrior once had been sitting. Tempest kind of missed his snarky comments now, having had a quip on his lips whenever the small Undead had been reborn from the bonfire, clearly not ready for the challenges of the land.
But, other than him, Tempest had adapted. He had perseverated and rang both bells, while the Crestfallen had just sit in Fire Link not going anywhere.
Thinking about it, that such a sorry excuse for an Undead managed to ring the bell probably was what had made the Crestfallen Warrior break.
"I would have never made it if I wouldn't have been able to come back from death.", Tempest murmured, starting to walk without really having a goal.
"Oh, it's y-you.", the stuttering voice that broke Tempest out of his thoughts, that was Laurentius. "H-have you come to strengthen your fl-flame...?"
The pyromancer was on his own as usual and he looked like he was very much in need of some company. Besides, Tempest had quite a few souls from Lost Izalith, he could afford to strengthen his flame.
"Yes, please, if you would be so kind.", Tempest came over and searched for his pyromancy flame, cursing a bit when he spilled all his pyromancy scrolls on the floor. "Ah crap, sorry, I pick them up right away.", he said as he handed his pyromancy flame to Laurentius. Laurentius, however, had other plans.
"I-I'll help you g-gathering them.", he said and was on his knees as well, picking up scrolls. Tempest had just picked up Fireball and Flash Sweat when Laurentius suddenly gasped. He picked up a scroll from the ground which Tempest recognized as Fire Whip.
"Why, what spectacular pyromancy.", Laurentius shouted out, his usual stutter absent, "Tell me about it. I have never seen anything like it."
Tempest had to grin about his excitement. He had been quite excited himself when he found Quelana. "Oh, better sit down, because you might feel the need to faint. Down in Blighttown, there is still a living daughter of Izalith!" Tempest then told the tale of how he had encountered her and even though he left the part out where she had called him whelp, told Laurentius all about the pyromancies she had taught him.
Laurentius listened intently and after having helped Tempest gather his scrolls, he took a look at his flame, a small smile on his obscured face: "Ah, I am afraid I won't be able to enhance this anymore, this flame is already stronger than what I can do. My services are not needed here anymore, so thank you for sharing. I am still an able pyromancer and should be able to locate the daughter of Izalith myself. I am in your debt, once again."
"You have done more than enough, Laurentius.", Tempest said, watching as the pyromancer got up and gathered his belongings. He had a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach, but he decided to ignore it. Still, it felt strange to just part ways like this, so Tempest said one last thing to him: "Don't you dare go hollow."
It was the same thing that Laurentius had always said to him as a goodbye. Tempest always took it as his cue that Laurentius expected to see him again. Seeing the pyromancer leave now, after having been a constant at Fire Link Shrine, felt weird.
"You as well.", Laurentius said and then left. Tempest looked after him until he couldn't be seen anymore and then went back to the flame, intending to warp back to Anor Londo and trying to get at least a little bit of sleep.
Once he was near the flame though, a knight in catarinian armour stood before him. Siegmeyer? Or Sieglinde? Only one way to find out.
"You are already back from your adventure, Siegmeyer?", Tempest asked, but was proven wrong when a female voice rang out.
"You have met my father once again?"
"Well...", Tempest thought about how to best break the news to her that Siegmeyer was currently sleeping in a very hot land, when he remembered what Sieglinde had said during their last talk. "Wait, didn't you want to join him?"
"Indeed.", Sieglinde said, "But as soon as I went searching for him, he had switched places again. However, I now finally have located him for good. I came here to collect myself and... I was hoping to meet you."
"Me?", Tempest cocked his head. What could Sieglinde want from anyone like him?
"Yes, you are a friend of my father, right?"
"Hm, well, something like that I suppose...", Tempest mused. It was true that Siegmeyer called him friend quite often, but he always thought it was more friendliness. Still, the catarinian knight normally was nice company to have, Tempest guessed he could call him something like a friend.
"I want to thank you on his behalf for being his friend and having joined him on his adventure." Sieglinde bowed in front of Tempest. "Father... well, he always has been rather.. passive, so I am sure that you had something to do with him being able to run all over this place."
"Well, there isn't a lie in that.", Tempest said, thinking at all the times he had helped Siegmeyer out somehow.
"I am sure he was happy during his last adventure...", Sieglinde said, a certain melancholy in her voice. Tempest got a very bad feeling when he heard Sieglinde talking about him as if he was already dead. Which he kind of was, but still...
"Sieglinde, may I ask you where Siegmeyer went?"
Sieglinde apparently stared at him for around thirty seconds and Tempest already wanted to withdraw his question when she spoke: "In Blighttown, there is an entrance to a great hollow tree. It is supposedly hidden by two walls that aren't real, far away from the place where Blighttown leads to Izalith. It is a beautiful and haunting place, or so I heard... I will head down there soon. Thank you again for your help, both on my and my father's behalf."
"No, thank you for the directions.", Tempest said and then watched as Sieglinde left Firelink Shrine. Now two people headed for Blighttown... one undead and the other one not undead, but in search of one.
Tempest doubted that he would be able to concentrate on New Londo tomorrow.
He warped back to Anor Londo and cuddled himself back in Ornstein's arms, staying awake the whole night.
Once the dragon slayer would wake, he would tell him his request.
Tempest just had to check on them. He couldn't just sit idle anymore when there was something he could do.
He didn't want to let them go hollow.
When Ornstein awoke, he startled a bit when Tempest stared directly into his eyes. Tempest had waited the whole night for him to wake up and now that Ornstein finally was awake, he started to babble right away.
"Ornstein, I have a request! There is a place I want to go, but in order to reach it we have to go to Blighttown again and I would like to do this as soon as possible, so before we leave for New Londo."
"Woah, little Storm, slow down...", Ornstein blinked, still sleepy, he didn't have any chance to really wake yet, "Why do you want to go back to Blighttown...?"
Tempest told Ornstein about his encounter with Sieglinde in Fire Link Shrine and what she had said about her father, especially how she had talked as if Siegmeyer was already dead. Which, again, wasn't even wrong, but rubbed him the wrong way anyway.
"I am worried about him, you know.", Tempest said.
"I get your worry, little Storm, I really do, but we had a long day yesterday. And to tell the truth, I was thinking about taking one more day off before we leave." Also because Ornstein just couldn't go to Blighttown two days in a row, it was just too much for him. "What do you say, can we relax today and then tomorrow I promise you that we'll go wherever you want?"
Tempest crossed his arms and thought long and hard about Ornstein's words. It wouldn't... it wouldn't be too bad when they took another day off, right? He doubted that much could happen in a single day, especially in a land that had seen a millennia.
"Alright.", he said, "We can relax today." Tempest hopped out of the bed. "Also, I still owe you two dishes."
"Now you are talking.", Ornstein smiled and got up from the bed, walking over to his chair where he had put his clothes and got dressed. Tempest did the same, frowning a bit at the state of Ornstein's room. It was a bit of a mess. He wondered when he had cleaned it the last time... Tempest had the feeling it was a while ago.
"I will go and prepare breakfast while you get ready.", Tempest said, leaving Ornstein to his morning routine. As someone who wasn't Undead, Ornstein had a few more steps to take care of outside of getting dressed and from experience, Tempest knew he preferred to be left alone during his morning routine. He would show up in the kitchen and end his morning routine with Tempest's breakfast.
"Let's see... I wanted to make something refreshing for him...", Tempest murmured to himself while he was on his way to the pantry. "Refreshing, so it should be something cold... I could make sandwiches, but they aren't normally refreshing, hmmm..." Tempest clapped his hands once he got an idea. "Oh, I know! I am making fruit salad for him! All the fruits are getting cut in small pieces so it shouldn't be too hard for him to eat them with his teeth and the dressing should soften the fruit up as well!"
Eager to prepare his idea, Tempest entered the pantry, amazed at all the fruit in it. He really wanted to know how Gwyndolin managed to keep all these ingredients fresh, it never felt like they were lying around for days or months, or centuries, they always felt as if they had picked from the field this very morning. It probably was some kind of sorcery...
Tempest scoured the pantry and picked out an apple, a pear, several strawberries, a watermelon (what a rare fruit!) and some grapes. Then he picked up some yoghurt to make sauce from. Now he only needed to get the whole lot into the kitchen.
Ornstein wasn't present when Tempest entered the kitchen, surprised that he hadn't let anything fall down on his way to it. Tempest assumed that he maybe tried to brush his hair, he had washed it yesterday. He didn't let Tempest anywhere near a brush though, even though the small Undead died to brush Ornstein's long beautiful curls. Brushing his hair would take Ornstein a while, so Tempest simply started with the dish. Ornstein appeared not too much later though and his hair looked very much not brushed. He probably had given up on it.
"What are you preparing, little Storm?", Ornstein asked, sitting down in the corner seat.
"Fruit salad.", Tempest replied without missing a beat, looking at Ornstein, "I promised something refreshing, remember?"
Ornstein frowned a tiny little bit, but his features softened when he saw the knife in Tempest's hand and that the fruit was cut in small pieces. Tempest put his attention back on the meal again and after cutting every fruit and preparing the dressing, he put the fruit salad in front of Ornstein, who started to eat, his face lightening up at the fresh treat.
"What have you planned for today, Ornstein?", Tempest asked. "Or is your plan staying in bed and loafing around?"
"No, I planned to go outside a bit.", Ornstein said, "I haven't patrolled through Anor Londo in quite some time now. I planned to go for a walk. Do you want to join me?"
These last few words were something that the past Ornstein never would have said, so Tempest trembled with excitement. Ornstein really wanted to have him with him, in his free time, during an activity he had picked. If Tempest still had doubts about Ornstein's feelings being genuine for him, they were all blown away simply by this request.
"Of course I want to! I barely could admire the town, I was too busy...", Tempest trailed off and looked at the wall, blushing.
Ornstein finished the sentence for him: "Too busy running away screaming?"
"Yes.", Tempest laid his face in both hands, his blush taking a similar tone to his hair colour. He still wondered how he had even made it to the fight with Ornstein and Smough.
"Well, you don't have any reason to run away screaming anymore.", Ornstein said, "Besides, when you are with me, the illusions won't attack you. And even if, they are no match for me."
"They probably shouldn't be a match for me as well...", Tempest fidgeted, "But they are. Thanks, Ornstein, I appreciate it."
"Well, we were expecting for someone more knightley being the Chosen Undead.", Ornstein said, pushing the emptied bowl away from him. Then, he stood up. "But fate is a finicky thing. I, for once, am pretty glad that it was you, little Storm."
That made Tempest blush again, this time not out of embarrassment. "I will clean up and then we can meet up for the walk.", Tempest stood up and brought the bowl over to sink, which was already filled with water. He liked to clean all his supplies right away.
"I'll await you in the room where we first met.", Ornstein said and then left.
Tempest cleaned the kitchen supplies and then put on his usual equipment at the bonfire. When he met up with Ornstein, the dragon slayer was in full armour as well, his spear carried over his shoulder.
"Ready?", Ornstein asked and Tempest nodded, walking near Ornstein and then taking his hand. Even though the gauntlet was cold, Tempest felt how Ornstein reciprocated the gesture and gently squeezed Tempest's hand.
The tour started with the route that Tempest had taken to reach the cathedral, well, they didn't have to balance on the rafters, because the elevator was still there. Ornstein was rather quiet during the trip. When they arrived at the big place where the firekeeper and her bonfire were, Tempest had to break the silence.
"This is where you trained me, Ornstein. Back when we just came from the Duke's Archives."
"Oh yes, how could I forget that?", Ornstein's face was obscured, but Tempest just knew he was rolling his eyes, "You listened to nothing I said, always stormed at everything you saw, got eaten by a mimic and you hadn't taken a bath in months."
"...Not my best moments for sure.", Tempest rubbed his head with his hand sheepishly, a forced grin on his face. He had been a handful for sure.
"This place... I used to train the silver knights here.", Ornstein suddenly said, prompting Tempest to look over the empty place. "They would train with sword, spear and shield here. They would either train their strikes or duel each other. It was good to see which one of them would be fit to fight a dragon and which one of them would be more fit for different work. We did this training daily, with different silver knights, but all of them had a regular session. I knew all of them by name."
As Tempest looked over the place, he tried to imagine how it was filled with silver knights who trained with each other, with Ornstein watching over them, maybe walking among them and correcting stances or showing strikes. He totally could imagine Ornstein in his role. When Ornstein had trained Tempest, it had been obvious he was used to this.
"But they either died or left... some of them died in battles, some of old age. The rest left once Lord Gwyn headed out to link the flame. Only a few stayed and they... they also left. They didn't see anything in this town anymore for them, so they searched for another life. I remember... the moment the last two of them left, they asked me why I stayed."
It was unusual for Ornstein to get out of himself so much, so Tempest simply looked at him, waiting for him to continue.
"They were called Amira and Terrick. Cousins, the both of them. Amira was one of my commanders when I was absent. She would have made a great dragon slayer if dragons would still have roamed during that time. They stayed the longest... I think they wanted to try to make me leave, but..."
"You didn't leave. And you would never have, correct?", Tempest finished Ornstein's thoughts for him.
"Correct.", Ornstein said, "Nothing back then could have changed my mind. Maybe I would have acted differently when I knew what would happen next... or maybe not. I was happy with Smough. It was the most at ease I have felt in centuries."
Ornstein looked to the right, where the statue of Smough was. Tempest knew that it still hurt him. The pain would probably never go away.
"And I wouldn't have met you as well.", Ornstein finished. "What would have happened if I left? I don't know and I don't know if I want to know. In the end, I think I made the right choice."
Was that the same Ornstein that once had told Tempest that he wanted to leave and search for his old love? It was certainly the same armour, the same voice, but not the same demeanour. Ornstein truly felt a lot more at ease with himself. When did it happen? After they have come back from the past, Tempest assumed. When he had given Ornstein the apple pie.
"Let's move on.", Ornstein said and moved to the left. It was the room with Ornstein's statue. He looked at it and then said: "When they chiselled this statue, I had to stand in the same pose for hours. You can imagine how exhausting this was. I was cramped all over and so thirsty in the end, I couldn't even take a break and drink something. I was more than happy when it was over and I could finally move."
"I can imagine.", Tempest said. He probably wouldn't have managed to stand still for hours, he was too antsy. They would have needed to correct him all the time. What a good thing that nobody chiselled a Tempest statue, even though he was a bit interested in how it would look.
"There is actually another statue with all four knights.", Ornstein said.
"What, where?!", Tempest swirled around to look at Ornstein, "I haven't seen it."
"It's off the beaten path.", Ornstein chuckled, "Come, little Storm, let's walk there together."
This time Ornstein took Tempest's hand on his own behalf. Tempest looked around in wondrous amazement when Ornstein led him through small alleyways and over rafters, he was finding his own personal route through Anor Londo with ease. Figured, Ornstein had been here for a thousand years.
When they arrived at the statue, Tempest was surprised in what good shape it was. It depicted all four of the knights in a pose, ready to battle a dragon together.
"Me and Gwyndolin would make sure to keep it cleaned.", Ornstein said, "Smough never helped, he didn't like the other knights. He only liked me."
"I never had a chance to meet them... well, I had, but... that wasn't really enough to get to know them, especially...", Tempest's gaze lingered on Artorias.
"I can only repeat that Artorias would have liked you.", Ornstein said, "He would have shared all his cookie recipes with you. I bet the two of you wouldn't have been able to leave the kitchen at all. I wonder who would have eaten all the cookies."
"You, obviously.", Tempest grinned, but then his face changed into one of forlorn. Once again he got reminded of the fact that Anor Londo was empty now...
"How did you manage to stay this long in an empty town?", Tempest asked. He felt how Ornstein laid his hand on his shoulder.
"Without Smough, I wouldn't have managed it.", he said, "You can thank him at his grave later, little Storm." Ornstein looked up at the statue and then spoke: "Smough... I never made him into a knight, but I regret it now... he would have made a fine knight. I was too arrogant to even consider him, simply because of his ways... and I only made him a knight after his death... I wronged him so much..."
Tempest looked at Ornstein and then said: "I don't think he resents you for it anymore, Ornstein. That soul felt pure. It didn't feel like it wanted to linger on. It just had to because I am undead and souls are forced into the darksign..."
"You did the right thing by giving the soul back.", Ornstein said. "Come, little Storm, let's visit his grave."
"Alright...", Tempest followed Ornstein into the room with Smough's statue, where they had done the burial rites. While Tempest was wondering a bit why and how a grave had been present there, Gwyndolin was a god and could do a lot of things.
Ornstein kneeled in front of the grave in silent prayer. Tempest did the same, thinking about what kind of person Smough had been. Ornstein rarely talked about him. Figured, the loss of him probably was still a bit too fresh... it was hard to believe that only a few weeks had passed since his and Ornstein's battle.
Tempest decided to just tell Smough that he would make sure that Ornstein was always well fed and never had to hunger. For some reason, he had the feeling that the executioner would like that. If only everything could have been solved differently, he could have had a cooking contest with Smough... and Ornstein would be the judge.
However, it wasn't possible anymore... Tempest stood up once Ornstein finished his prayer and started to head back to the cathedral.
"Time for lunch.", Tempest said.
"You promised me applesauce with peas.", Ornstein said, which made Tempest scowl a little bit. Did he have to remind him that he had to cook such a weird dish?
"Yes... but for dinner, you get something that I can choose!"
"Works for me", Ornstein said with just such a confident tone and no matter from which angle Tempest looked at it, Ornstein was always the winner in this situation.
"Well...", Tempest said, just wanting to show it Ornstein somehow and he had a good idea, "You chose the activity for the morning, I will choose the activity for the afternoon. And I choose that we will clean your room. It's such a mess!"
Tempest could practically hear the annoyance in Ornstein's tone: "Come on, little Storm, that isn't fair."
"And making me cook applesauce with peas is fair? Or kicking me down ledges? Or not saying anything to me until you break down crying?"
Tempest had the feeling that he physically had stabbed Ornstein with each word, because the dragon slayer cringed more and more. "Fine.", he then said, "Alright, we can clean my room. If that makes you happy."
"It does.", Tempest beamed, relishing in the grumpy tone of Ornstein.
After Tempest had cooked for Ornstein and he had eaten the meal, they relaxed for a little while longer. Or more, Ornstein relaxed and Tempest went to take care of the herbal garden. Ornstein looked a tiny bit miffed when Tempest said where he was heading, but didn't follow him.
After Tempest was done with the herbal garden, Ornstein felt fine enough to tackle their task for the afternoon. When Tempest entered the room, he gestured around.
"Ornstein, look, your armour is put neatly in the corner, but the rest is a mess! Your clothes are strewn everywhere, I see ten different books stacked on your night stand, the bed isn't made and there is dust everywhere!"
"I... might have neglected cleaning this place since... we first started our journey.", Ornstein admitted. Tempest tapped his foot and had his hips in his hand.
"Really, Ornstein, you feel fine living like this?! Well, I don't. I might be undead, but I have some standards! Start putting your stuff away, I get some water and a bucket."
When Tempest returned, Ornstein had picked up the clothes and sniffed at them, clearly determining which were still wearable. "Ornstein, let me just wash all of them.", Tempest sighed and snatched them out of his arms, or more, he tried, but Ornstein held them out of his reach.
"No, little Storm, I like it when they are a bit worn. Only wash the ones that smell really bad."
"Everything you wore while in Blighttown for sure.", Tempest said, looking at the chest in which Ornstein crumpled the clothes he wanted to keep for now. With a sigh, Tempest went there and started to fold them, having a bit of trouble because Ornstein's clothes were so big.
"You really don't have a sense for tidiness.", he grumbled.
"No, you are just a clean freak. Like Smough.", Ornstein grumbled back. "Why does everything always have to be so clean for you guys? It's just a little sweat and dust. That is all."
"Oh, I am used to dirt.", Tempest said, struggling to fold a particularly large shirt. That was too large even for Ornstein. "I worked in a tavern. I got all kinds of fluids on me. It wasn't always food."
"Gross.", Ornstein said, getting the hint, then, he looked at the chest in which Tempest put the clothes, "This chest... one day it was replaced with a mimic. It stood in the room I shared with Smough back then. I woke up and usually I get dressed first. I opened the chest, saw the sharp teeth and... I couldn't withdraw my arm fast enough. Smough woke up from my scream and killed the mimic..."
Tempest had stopped folding clothes and listened intently to Ornstein's story. "And... what happened then?"
"Well, my arm was free again, but I had quite a nasty wound. Gwyndolin took care of it." Ornstein showed Tempest his right arm, where quite a few scars, clearly from teeth, could be seen. "But it left some scars as you can see. We then noticed that quite a few mimics had wandered in the cathedral, but we left some of them there for strategic reasons."
"Oh! I can thank you and your partner for these deaths then!", Tempest crossed his arms and looked at the wall, then started folding clothes again.
"Really, little Storm, you fell for it?", Ornstein chuckled, but stopped when Tempest glared at him. Instead, he got up and picked up the books from the nightstand. "I am going to put these away. At least the ones I don't want to read right now."
"That is how you keep stuff organized.", Tempest said, continuing to fold Ornstein's clothes while the dragon slayer went through his books. Once he had picked out two he wanted to keep around and put the rest away, Tempest had finished with the clothes and retrieved the bucket, starting to clean the dust of all the furniture.
"Did you often have guests in your room, Ornstein?", Tempest asked, when he cleaned the small table, which had three chairs around it.
"Mostly the other knights.", Ornstein replied. "Sometimes the Master or Gwyndolin. I seldom left anyone else in my room. Artorias and Ciaran were in here regularly. Gough was a bit too big, when we met with him, it had to be outside or in the conference room."
"What did you use to talk about it?", Tempest asked while he wiped over the backrest of one of the chairs.
"Depended.", Ornstein replied, "Missions. Rumours. The silver knights. Ciaran had probably to listen to me pining over the Master for hours. Artorias often would help me with the paperwork. He usually brought cookies and tea. I often didn't talk too much. When Ciaran and Artorias were here together, I often would prefer to listen to them talking. One day we played truth or dare..."
Tempest felt himself smiling once Ornstein started to tell about his experiences. It was kind of wholesome. Ornstein had stopped once he talked about truth or dare though, he wondered what happened.
"What, did Ciaran make you kiss Artorias or what?!", he jested, but Ornstein blushed and only muttered: "How did you know?!"
"What, really?!", Tempest made big eyes at Ornstein. "This is kind of adorable."
"She probably thought I wouldn't do it...", Ornstein admitted. "But she really teased me about my crush back then and well... we all knew who her crush was and..." He trailed off and Tempest didn't ask further. They had reached the bad memories.
"You don't need to say anything.", he said, wanting to change the topic a tiny bit, "So, uh, you drank tea, you said? What kind of tea did you drink?"
"Herbal tea mostly, Artorias had a lot of different blends he liked to try out.", Ornstein said and then went to a cupboard, "Speaking of tea, I used to not have my own tea service and loaned one of Gwyndolin. One day, they got really fed up with it and well... because it was my birthday, the Master went to get me my own."
Ornstein opened the cupboard and put the tea service on the now clean table, each and every single part of it shaped like a dragon. "I am amazed it still is fine.", he said, staring at it. Tempest looked in amazement. "Oh, that one is so cute! And what irony, giving the dragon slayer a dragon shaped tea service." Tempest picked up one of the cups, hadn't he seen that somewhere before?
"Yes, that was the joke.", Ornstein sighed, " Everyone gave me a dragon related gift this birthday. It totally had been the idea of the Master and he was so pleased about it."
"Ornstein, that cup.", Tempest interrupted him, "I have seen this in your luggage before. It was the exact same."
"Oh, that, yes...", Ornstein said, "I put all their gifts into my luggage as a good luck charm..."
Tempest's eyes glistened as he looked at Ornstein. "Ornstein, that is so adorable."
"Hey, don't call me that, you are the adorable one.", Ornstein said and blushed deeply once he had said it out aloud, then ran towards the balcony that connected to his room.
Tempest finished cleaning the chairs and then went to Ornstein on the balcony, who had his hands on the handrail and looked into the sky.
"The Master often would pick me up from here.", he said. "On his drake. The Storm Drake, it was called. He would pick me up or let me jump down. We didn't have to fear that someone would question us then. Nobody had seen me leave my room after all."
"I am glad we don't have to hide our relationship.", Tempest took Ornstein's hand and squeezed it, "Also because I wouldn't have managed to pick you up with a drake. All the drakes I met liked me dead a lot more than alive."
"What a good thing that I am with you now.", Ornstein said, stopping looking at the sky and at Tempest instead. "Little Storm... I don't know how to say it, but... thank you, I guess. It.. it became a lot easier to talk about them, about my memories. Thanks for not letting me live in my past anymore."
"You are welcome, Ornstein.", Tempest smiled. "After all, the present is here with us right now. And.. there is so much the future holds!", Tempest rushed back into the room and picked up a broom. "But first, we should sweep your room."
Ornstein rolled his eyes and followed Tempest into his room. "But only when you cook something without eggs this evening, little Storm, lately I got a bit tired of them."
"Deal."
(Author's note: Ornstein was quite chatty in this one! Anyway, the next chapter will deal with the Great Hollow, so make sure to bring your purging stones along!
As always, I am eager to see your feedback. Please write your favourite part in the comments ^^)