Characters: Chosen Undead/Dragon Slayer Ornstein
Word Count: 6.923
Summary: Ornstein and Tempest are going on an adventure, visiting a place neither of them has seen before.
(Author's note: Ash Lake is such a hidden location, I had to find a reason for Tempest wanting to go there and the Siegmeyer quest line is my excuse. This pretty much is the last optional location you can visit, so... there isn't much left. Expect for the story to be finished in early 2022. And please wish me luck in New Londo!)
"So, Blighttown today?", Ornstein asked, looking at Tempest who had rested in his arms, like every night, simply staring at Ornstein when sleep eluded him.
"Yes.", Tempest said, "Like I said, I want to follow Siegmeyer. I just want to make sure he stays out of trouble."
Though, Siegmeyer had always been in a pickle because of inactivity. Still, after he had just jumped down and challenged the chaos eaters, Tempest didn't want to risk anything.
"Then I'll better eat something light for breakfast.", Ornstein said, lightly squeezing Tempest, "And make sure that it tastes fine when coming back up the other way."
"Alright.", Tempest said and Ornstein released him from his grip, staying in bed. Tempest knew his habits by now. Ornstein would probably loiter around in bed for a few more minutes and then get up to do his morning toilet. Which probably wouldn't involve brushing. He never brushed his hair.
It gave Tempest ample time to prepare both breakfast and his portable lunch, so he trekked to the pantry to gather ingredients and then into the kitchen. He settled for herb soup for breakfast (but not with every herb this time) and two sandwiches for lunch, one with vegetables and one with fish.
Ornstein came in just when he took the soup off the stove, already in armour, carrying his helmet under his arm and of course his hair was not brushed.
"Do you know anything about this area that Sieglinde told me about?", Tempest asked. "A hollow tree that leads down..."
"No, I haven't ever heard of this place.", Ornstein said as he stirred the soup with his spoon, waiting for it to cool off. "I have been down there a few times in the past, even before the land there became Blighttown, to visit Izalith. Nobody in Izalith ever mentioned a hollow tree that was traversable. It must be a very hidden place."
"An adventure.", Tempest smiled. Ornstein frowned at him.
"Little Storm, take this a bit more seriously. There still could be many creatures that can and will kill you. Lordran is a very dangerous place."
"Well, maybe, but it's nice to think about a place where even you have never been.", Tempest said, dangling his legs under the table. This was getting so exciting.
"Well, we first have to traverse Blighttown, so pray with me that my stomach keeps this soup. It would be a shame to not be able to keep it down."
Tempest smiled at Ornstein's words. He clearly liked the soup, even though he complimented it through loops today. Sometimes he just went back into his aloof old self that didn't allow himself any feelings towards Tempest.
"I made sure that it was as light as possible.", Tempest said.
Soon, the both of them found themselves at the Blighttown bonfire, where Ornstein already was struggling with not losing the herb soup, because of his warping sickness. He composed himself rather quickly and once he wasn't dry heaving anymore, he stared at the swamp and just murmured: "Let's get this over with..."
Tempest had equipped the ring that allowed better footing on unstable grounds and with it, it was so much easier to walk through the swamp, he could even run. Ornstein was still faster, but he managed to catch up soon, always getting on dry ground before the poison could take root. It was rather fascinating.
Ornstein kept his breakfast down as well and so the duo made their way through Blighttown towards the spot that Sieglinde had described. Tempest stopped when he saw a human shape though.
"Ornstein, wait, there is someone...", he said. The dragon slayer raised his spear right away, but lowered it again once he saw the figure.
"Huh, little Storm, that is just your friend from the shrine. The pyromancer. I recognize his garb."
"Laurentius?", Tempest took a closer look and indeed, it was the pyromancer from Fire Link Shrine. Right, Tempest had told him about Quelana. But why was he wandering through the swamp instead of... talking to her?
"Laurentius, are you lost?", Tempest called out to him, waving with both of his hands. He shrieked in surprise when a fireball was hurled in his direction and exploded mere inches in front of him. "Laurentius, what are you doing?! It's me, Tempest!", he screamed before he was pushed to the side by Ornstein.
"Look at his eyes.", Ornstein said as Tempest got up, already feeling how the poison got hold. It was a good thing he had enough moss with him. At Ornstein's prompt, he took a closer look at Laurentius, who already had the next fireball prepared, which illuminated his face.
Tempest gasped when the fire revealed the truth. These were the eyes of a hollow. "Oh no, Laurentius...", Tempest just stood in the swamp, shivering, not from the poison, but from the realization, "I told you... I told you to not go hollow..."
"Little Storm, watch out!", Ornstein shouted and another time Tempest was flung out of the reach of a fireball. Instead, he saw how Ornstein's left gauntlet had a scorch mark on it and how the dragon slayer himself started to falter. Tempest's eyes grew wide. Ornstein was absolutely not good with fire and normally would have to fight to not throw a lightning spear at whatever caused it, but here he was, protecting Tempest from a pyromancer while not fighting back.
"Laurentius, stop!", Tempest shouted, picking up his weapons and moving in front of Ornstein, "I know you can't hear me anymore, but... I am going to have to stop you!"
Tempest rushed into the fight. He didn't care about the poison of the swamp anymore, he could just heal the damage with Estus. Who cared that he was a bit dizzy from it, even the hollowed out Laurentius had to suffer the effects. When Laurentius threw his next attack, Tempest rolled through the swamp and once he was up again, directly in front of Laurentius, his sword found the chest of the pyromancer and drove right through it, coming out at the back.
Blood seeped out from Laurentius' mouth when the flame on his hand died and once Tempest removed the sword, rivulets of blood gushed out from the wound before Laurentius stumbled upon the ground and dissolved into ash.
Tempest limped back to dry ground, where Ornstein was waiting, nursing the burn on his left hand. Tempest practically collapsed next to him and took some Estus and ate a moss. "Do you need one as well?", he asked and offered it to Ornstein.
"No, I am fine, I didn't get poisoned.", Ornstein said, "Little Storm, that was very brave of you. Standing up to your friend after he...", Ornstein cleared his throat and then continued, "Let's hope that he found his peace and will stay in the bonfire."
"I... I sent him down here.", Tempest said, the reality of the situation crashing on him like Smough's hammer, "He saw my new pyromancy and got interested. If I wouldn't have told him about Quelana, then... then he wouldn't...!" Tempest buried his face in his hands and started to sob.
"Little Storm, stop this!", Ornstein shouted, making Tempest wince, drying his tears at once, "Wasn't it you who taught me that it wasn't my fault that my friends died? You trusted him, right? When you told him where to find the pyromancies, you trusted him that he would make it. Isn't that why you didn't lie to him?"
The tight feeling in Tempest's chest loosened a little, his thoughts going back to an Ornstein who had been so sure that the death of his friends had been his fault, that he had their blood on his hands, that it had eaten him alive. "You.. you are right.", Tempest choked out. "But Laurentius... I told him to not go hollow... Why did it happen? Did Quelana reject him? I... just want to know why..."
"Then let's see Quelana.", Ornstein said, putting his gauntlet back on and picking Tempest up to put him on his feet. "She'll be able to tell you."
"Yeah... you are right.", Tempest said, voice still toneless, as he followed Ornstein. A short while later, they stood in front of Quelana.
"Ah, whelp, are you back for more pyromancies?", she asked upon seeing him.
"Actually not this time, I am out of souls.", Tempest admitted, having used up the last bits to buy moss. "I wanted to ask you a question. Has another pyromancer come to you? He wore the garb of the Great Swamp and always stuttered."
"Oh, yes, I remember him.", Quelana said. Tempest looked at Ornstein, who stood next to him, having a hand on his shoulder. It was also Ornstein, who spoke next.
"Have you taught him your pyromancies?", he asked.
"I couldn't.", Quelana said, "I have seen him, but he couldn't see me. I can't reveal myself to anyone who is unable to see me. It is out of my power. Only pyromancers who reached a certain level can notice my presence, like your little puppy here."
"She called me a puppy, Ornstein.", Tempest said, the tight feeling in his chest feeling a little bit better because of the kind of affectionate nickname. "But that means..."
"Yes, the flame of the pyromancer wasn't powerful enough.", Quelana said. "Are you satisfied now? If you don't want to buy pyromancies, please leave me alone."
"Thank you for your time, Lady Quelana.", Ornstein said and bowed in front of her, pretty much forcing Tempest into a bow too. Then, the both of them left Quelana be.
"So... he probably searched her in the whole swamp.", Tempest concluded, "And because she wasn't appearing anywhere, he lost his mind.. that is why he got hollow. Oh Laurentius..."
"Little Storm, he could have given up his search anytime and returned to the surface.", Ornstein said, "Don't beat yourself up over it. Don't... don't end up like me."
Tempest stared at Ornstein, openly admitting how poisonous his past mindset had been. As poisonous as the toxic blow darts from some of the hollows in Blighttown probably.
"Yes... of course..", he said, "Just... it's not easy to lose a friend like this. It isn't even a death, that already happened to all of us... it's the losing of one's mind. It's just.. really hard to see it happen again and again."
"Of course, this stuff takes time.", Ornstein said, "For now, you need a distraction. Didn't you want to go on an adventure? To follow your other friend, the onion knight?"
"Oh yeah, Siegmeyer!", Tempest exclaimed and started to run, the tight feeling in his chest worsening again. Hopefully Siegmeyer would be alright.
"Slow down, little Storm!", Ornstein called, but Tempest was already on his way, gasping in pain and surprise when he was assaulted by several slugs. Ornstein saved him with a few strokes of his spear, then they walked up a branch.
"Finally out of the swamp.", Ornstein said, "I have to admit, it was hard keeping the nausea at bay."
"But you did it, Ornstein.", Tempest said, stopping at the end of the branch, where a little cave waited for them as well as a corpse clutching a shield.
"Huh, dead end.", he said, picking the shield from the corpse, "What a crude shield, I think I'll pass." Tempest let the shield fall and watched as Ornstein just strode past him and kicked the wall behind the corpse, revealing another part of the cave where a chest waited.
"An illusion.", he said, then blinked in confusion, "But wait... there is only a chest..."
"Wait!", Tempest said, running to the chest, "I remember that Sieglinde told me that it is hidden behind two fake walls, that means..." Tempest hit the wall with his sword and it disappeared as well. "Woah, this place is hidden."
"Even I didn't know about it.", Ornstein said. "Aren't you going to loot the chest? It isn't a mimic."
"How do you know that?", Tempest asked, still giving the chest a good hit before opening and taking the twin humanities that were inside.
"It's easy once you know what you are looking for.", Ornstein said, "Come, little Storm, let's move and check this place out."
Tempest nodded and followed Ornstein. "Hm, the more I look at this cave, the more it looks like a tree...", Tempest said as he looked at the wooden walls around him.
"Have you ever heard of the arch trees? Giant trees that were around before even dragons existed.", Ornstein said, "I think this could be one of them... just a bit hollowed out."
"Oh, that must really be the place that Sieglinde talked about then.", Tempest said, "She talked about a hollow tree that led to it."
"I know, little Storm, you told me this morning. Let's start to descend it.", Ornstein said. Tempest walked in front of Ornstein and soon saw a bonfire. "Oh, this will make things easier.", he said and refilled his Estus. As he sat down next to the bonfire, Ornstein joined him.
"Little Storm, are you alright?"
"Huh?", Tempest looked up to see the snarling helmet of the dragon slayer, but he knew the eyes underneath it were full of concern. Which was rare. Ornstein almost never asked about his emotional wellbeing.
It struck Tempest that Ornstein probably started to see himself in him.
"I am.", he said, and then he added, a bit quieter: "I have to be..." He stood up and fixed his Estus Flask on his belt, then turned around to Ornstein with the biggest smile he could muster. "Don't worry about me, Ornstein, I won't turn hollow. Not as long as you are at my side."
Ornstein smiled at the open affection of Tempest. He had said this sentence quite a few times already, and back then, Ornstein hadn't known that it was basically a love confession, one that he didn't get. At the same time, every time Tempest talked about not going hollow, something in his chest tightened. It felt like... it basically felt like Tempest's way of keeping it together. It was his mantra to keep on and not... give up.
Knowing what awaited Tempest made the feeling so much worse. Ornstein knew that he would go against his mission, but... the desire in him grew more and more to tell Tempest the truth. He just knew that he wasn't allowed to. That would be betraying Gwyndolin and that was the one thing he couldn't do.
So for now, Ornstein kept silent. He was just setting himself up for more heart break, he had known it the moment he got attached, but he also couldn't betray his own feelings. iLet's at least make this an unforgettable adventure for him./i, Ornstein thought to himself as Tempest walked down a big branch, big enough to comfortably walk on.
"You are rather quiet, Ornstein.", Tempest noticed after they had walked for a few minutes, "It is because you don't know this place, right?"
"Among other things.", Ornstein admitted, still thinking about his complicated feelings, torn between his duty and his affection for Tempest.
"Oh, what other things? Are you thinking about awful dishes to torture me into the kitchen again?", Tempest said, his tone joyful and a bit mocking. It was the much needed diversion that made Ornstein's thoughts go back to focusing on Tempest and not on his future.
"Maybe.", he said, "I have never tried pickled vegetables on a salmon sandwich."
"Hmmm.", Tempest said, "Actually, some of them could even taste good? It sounds awful at first, but you never know when you don't try."
"Come on, little Storm, that isn't fun when you don't cringe in horror."
"Then come up with a truly awful dish.", Tempest teased, looking back at Ornstein with a big grin.
"Basil cookies.", Ornstein said without hesitation and now Tempest cringed.
"Basil is for savoury food, not sweet! There are much better herbs to bake cookies with and-", Tempest went on a tangent and Ornstein was much too happy to listen to him. The tangent only ended when they stood in front of a small hollowing inside of the hollow tree. Tempest was growing rather pale.
"That sound... do you hear it?", he asked, gripping his sword with both hands.
Ornstein listened and heard a faint croaking. Oh, that wasn't a good sign. It meant... "Basilisks.", he said. If he would be cursed by them, he would be gone for good, forever a stone statue. Tempest could come back, but... even the Undead didn't get out of the curse unscathed, making it impossible for them to reverse their hollowing, speeding up the whole process.
"We are going in there and kill them as quickly as possible.", Tempest said, "Hopefully this time I won't get hunted by the knight of thorns."
"I think after the last invasion he had enough.", Ornstein said and gripped his spear with both hands as well. Basilisks looked so harmless, but were some of the most dangerous creatures in Lordran.
"Ready, Ornstein?", Tempest asked and then counted to three. On three, the both of them ambushed the hollowing, both of their weapons finding a basilisk to impale. Unfortunately, a third one was present and both Ornstein and Tempest jumped (or rolled in Tempest's case) out of the smoke cloud that it exhaled.
"Never stand in the cloud.", Ornstein said, with his back pressed to the wall.
"You don't have to tell me!", Tempest cried, running around the smoke cloud and stabbing the basilisk in the back. After it collapsed, the croaking ceased.
"It appears these were all of them.", Tempest said.
"Be careful on the rest of the way down. Basilisks always come in large groups.", Ornstein said, stepping into the centre of the hollowing after the smoke cloud had passed. "It is very likely that we will encounter more of them."
"Understood.", Tempest said, grabbing his sword tighter before he continued to walk down the branches that were like a pathway through the tree.
"There are quite a few shiny things.", Tempest mentioned on their continued way down. "And crystal lizards. But it looks like a death sentence trying to get them. I think I'll pass."
Ornstein saw them too, the materials the tree was littered with. He wondered if these had been victims of the basilisks once? Having been around long enough for their bodies to turn into titanite.
"I doubt that you need it anyway, your weapons are already as strong as they can get.", Ornstein said.
"Yeah, it isn't worth it.", Tempest said and stopped on a platform that seemed to be a dead end. After looking around for a bit, he noticed a ladder.
"Huh, I wonder who built ladders into this tree?", he asked. "That means that someone must have lived here once, doesn't it?"
"Or maybe it was an explorer who wanted to have an easier time coming back.", Ornstein assumed as Tempest slid down the ladder. Ornstein followed him and they found a second ladder, which led into a large nest made of branches. Ornstein frowned when he saw the basilisk down there.
"It appears we have found their nest.", he said, "Little Storm, be careful, it could be that you get attacked right away once you are down."
"Hmmm.", Tempest stared down the ladder, "Hey, I have an idea. I act as bait! I slide down the ladder and then, when the basilisk notices me, you impale it from above."
"That... actually is a good idea.", Ornstein said, "I am just not used to you telling me your plans instead of acting on them, little Storm.", Ornstein put the emphasis on the word storm to underline his point.
"It's basilisks, Ornstein, I can't come out unscathed when they overwhelm me.", Tempest said, "Estus won't save me, a bonfire won't save me. Even I need to be cautious with them."
"Nice that you admit that you are normally not cautious.", Ornstein said, earning a tiny glare from Tempest who had mounted the ladder. He slid it down and as predicted, the basilisk jumped near him. Ornstein jumped down the hole and landed on the back of the basilisk, impaling it with precision.
"That worked like intended.", Tempest said and then twirled around, hitting another basilisk that had tried to sneak up on them. "Damn, how many of them are there?", he snarled and Ornstein replied with "Four more.", having seen the rest of them gathering to gang up on them.
Tempest shrieked and after a very chaotic battle, in which he stood in the smoke cloud almost too long for once, all four basilisks were gone.
"That must have been the last of them.", Ornstein said.
"Hopefully they won't come back.", Tempest said, kicking the corpses down the various holes inside the nest. It surprised Ornstein that none of the basilisks had fallen through them.
"Little Storm, there is another branch.", Ornstein called to him, having investigated the nest while Tempest was busy enacting revenge on the basilisks.
Tempest came over and looked down. "It appears we are close to the end, I think I can see the bottom."
It turned out that the bottom actually wasn't a bottom, but a cluster of extremely large mushrooms. It was easily able to comfortably walk on their heads. "I have never seen mushrooms this big before.", Tempest said.
"Neither have I.", Ornstein admitted. He wondered briefly how the mushrooms tasted, but with their size and age and the fact that he was able to walk on them, they probably were hard as stone.
"I would love to cook something out of them, but I doubt they are still edible.", Tempest mentioned as if having read his thoughts. "Let's just collect some mushrooms in the forest again."
"Fine with me.", Ornstein said. There were still lots of mushroom dishes to eat. Ornstein had to take the opportunity and eat as much of Tempest's cooking as possible before it was too late.
It felt like they had walked for hours on the mushrooms when they finally reached what must be the bottom of the tree. In the corner, there were a lot of living mushrooms, the same ones as in Dark Root Garden. As Tempest saw them, he backed into a corner.
"Oh no, not these again. I don't want to get hit by them again."
Ornstein looked from Tempest to the mushrooms and noticed that they were completely docile. "Don't worry, little Storm, they don't seem to be aggressive.", he said. In fact, the mushrooms turned and looked at them, but stayed in their corner.
"Ah good.", Tempest said, still a bit weary of them. He only relaxed once they went through a tunnel, which almost was too small for Ornstein, he had to duck down and squeeze himself through it. At the end, they stood in front of a breathtaking environment.
It was a lake with water so deep it appeared black and sand as white as ash. Even Ornstein's breath was taken away by the beauty of that place. Though, he kinda felt uneasy being here...
"It's the place! We have seen it form the tomb!", Tempest shouted. "I remember this lake! Oh, it's even more beautiful up close! And you really didn't know about this place, Ornstein?"
"No.", Ornstein said. "It's my first time being here. I didn't lie to you this morning, little Storm." Ornstein shuddered all of a sudden. "Though... something doesn't feel... right. I feel like I shouldn't be here."
"Are you alright, Ornstein?", Tempest narrowed his eyes, directing Ornstein's earlier question back at him.
"I... I am, sorry for that, little Storm.", Ornstein said, hoping that the feeling of unease would go away. "Now, didn't you want to look for your friend? We should look around for him."
"Yes, I guess he should be somewhere down here, if we haven't missed him.", Tempest said, hopping off the branch and looking in every direction. To the left he could see a massive hydra. "Woah, Ornstein, apparently there exists another one of them.", he said and slowly moved to the right, walking backwards, hoping that the hydra hadn't noticed him.
"Hmmm... this could be a nice challenge for later.", Ornstein said. A good fight would distract him from his feeling of unease, but they weren't here to fight the hydra, so he followed Tempest, still having his gaze on the hydra, should it attack.
Thankfully the hydra didn't notice them and so Tempest felt comfortable enough to turn around. He continued walking to the right and his face lit up when he noticed a bonfire and fell a second later when he saw the scene in front of it.
Two knights in catarinian armour were fighting each other and he had just appeared when one of them had been impaled by the other's massive sword. This had to be Siegmeyer and Sieglinde, but... Sieglinde had never mentioned that her locating her father would end in a fight. Tempest ran over to them, not listening to Ornstein who warned him to not interfere.
"What are you guys doing?! Stop!", he shouted, coming to a skidding halt in front of them, his foot twirling up the bright sand. The still standing catarinian knight turned to him, the voice female, it was clearly Sieglinde who had just... killed Siegmeyer.
"My father…all Hollow now…has been subdued. He will cause no more trouble.", she said. In an instance, Tempest understood. Sieglinde didn't have another choice. Just like he had been forced to deal the killing blow to Laurentius... or the Crestfallen Warrior... or Oscar...
"I... I am so sorry.", Tempest started, knowing that this wasn't any comfort. Sieglinde must have come to Lordran with the clear goal to take care of her father should he turn hollow from the very start. What a cruel fate for the family... Sieglinde barely acknowledged his words and spoke again.
"It's finally over…I will return to Catarina. You assisted us both greatly. I can hardly return the favour, but please accept this. It's of no use to me now."
She pressed something into Tempest's hands. He looked at it for one second, determining that it was some smithing material and then looked at Sieglinde again, only to see her break down sobbing, mourning her father.
He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up at Ornstein. "Come, little Storm, let's leave them alone.", he said. Without a word, Tempest followed Ornstein, who led him to the edge of the lake and sat down in the sand. Tempest did the same, leaning at Ornstein's legs.
Ornstein didn't start a conversation. For Tempest, it was clear that he waited for Tempest to speak. He knew that Ornstein would listen. Tempest cleared his throat and then started talking: "I... I had the feeling that it could happen. That he would turn hollow. He always had waited for others to solve his problems. Someone with so little determination in his life, it was bound to happen, you know?"
Tempest let out a long sigh and then cuddled into Ornstein's arm, which had found its way around him while he talked.
"But I didn't want for it to end like this. Why did it have to be his own daughter that did the deed? I wish it would have been me. I wouldn't have minded taking the blame on me, I am responsible for enough deaths already. It would have been hard, yes, but... I know that the hollowing is the end and in the end, it's a mercy to crush them one last time, so that they hopefully will never emerge from the bonfire again. It's just... seeing her break down like this is the worst part, Ornstein."
Ornstein gently stroked Tempest's back while he was starting to sob into his armour, all the pain of losing the friends he made on the way coming back to him. His earlier thoughts came back to him. If he wouldn't have made the way for Siegmeyer, this would have never happened. At the same time, Ornstein's words came back to him. It wasn't his fault that they hollowed. They all made their own decisions and Tempest had decided to trust them to make the right decisions.
They stayed like this for a while and even after Tempest's tears had dried, Ornstein didn't move from his position, simply staring at the lake, without uttering a single word. Only when Tempest stood up, did he speak: "Are you alright now, little Storm?"
Tempest considered his question a little bit before he decided. "Yes, I am alright.", he said. "Ornstein... Siegmeyer always wanted to have an adventure. Let's... finish his last adventure for him. Let's find out what lies at the end of that lake."
Ornstein stood up as well, nodded and then followed Tempest to the bonfire. Sieglinde was gone in the meantime, probably to leave this accursed land for good. Tempest didn't need new Estus, but he really didn't want to travel down the whole tree again, especially not with Ornstein stuck down here. He decided to feed the flames some humanity though, so that his Estus would get some more fills.
"Are you still feeling strange, Ornstein?", Tempest asked.
Ornstein cringed at the question. The feeling hadn't gotten away and he knew that he shouldn't lie to the little Storm. "I would lie if I would say that the feeling has gone away.", he admitted. "I will tell you when it gets too much though, so please don't worry about me."
The both of them walked back to the left from the bonfire and while Tempest turned to the right, to follow the sandbank they currently found themselves onto, he had to duck down to avoid the high pressure water beam of the hydra.
"Crap, it noticed us!", he hissed.
"Leave it to me.", Ornstein said, already turning to the hydra, "A good fight is just what I need to distract myself."
"I won't let you fight alone.", Tempest said and raised his shield, "I will run forward and get its attention! Then you can attack once it is at the shore."
"Just don't die, little Storm.", Ornstein murmured as Tempest rushed off, having his shield raised in front of him. The bait worked, once he stood at the shore, the hydra stopped shooting water and moved forwards. All of its heads were focused on Tempest. Ornstein used his opportunity and started running, jumping right on the outermost left head, while hearing a loud clanging sound. He hoped that Tempest managed to stand his ground, that hit had sounded rather brutal and Tempest was rather small.
Ornstein didn't have time to be worried about Tempest though, as soon as he was on the head, he drove his spear into the head, making the hydra scream in pain as the head went limp. All remaining heads were staring at him, the intruder, and he could see how the hydra prepared to knock him off.
Ornstein jumped off the hydra and landed on the shore next to Tempest, who had his shield still up and was absolutely soaked with water.
"One.", Tempest shouted, "Six more to go!"
"It's aware of both of us now.", Ornstein said, noticing how the remaining six head focused on one of them each. "Your strategy of using yourself as bait might not work anymore."
"I know.", Tempest said, raising his shield, "That's why I-", he gasped and shouted, "Here they come!"
Ornstein barely managed to avoid the three hydra heads coming his way, noticing that Tempest actually stood his ground next to him. The heads were now buried in the sand which... Tempest used it as opportunity to hack and slash at one of them next to him. Ornstein understood what he wanted to say earlier and drove his spear deep into the neck of a head next to him. His attack was strong enough to cut down another head.
"Not bad, Ornstein.", Tempest said as the hydra withdrew and... left the shore. "Aw damn, it will use projectiles again!"
"Actually...", Ornstein said, looking at all the water around him, "I can use that to my advantage. Little Storm, stay out of the water." Ornstein prepared a lighting spear in his hand and threw it at the hydra, but didn't intend for it to actually hit the hydra. Instead, it landed in the water right in front of it and the lightning travelling through it managed to stun the hydra.
"Perfect.", Ornstein murmured and started to run, practically flying over to the stunned hydra. He landed on its back and used this opportunity to kill off a third head. Of course, the stun didn't last long enough and the hydra put his attention back at him. Now that Ornstein was a lot further away from the shore, he actually put himself in danger. He prepared to dodge and try to land on the other side of the hydra, when one of the heads was suddenly hit by an arrow. Ornstein, along with the hydra, stared at the shore, where Tempest stood with his bow, already sending a second arrow and a third. They hydra screeched in pain and annoyance and Ornstein noticed the tell for the water attack.
With the hydra not fighting him at all, Ornstein swung his spear in a wide motion and cut off the remaining heads of the hydra all at once. Blood shot out of the fresh wounds as the hydra was thrashing around for a while longer before collapsing and sinking into the swallow water.
Ornstein hopped off its back and slowly waded back to the shore, where Tempest was awaiting.
"Ornstein, that was AWESOME! You cut off FOUR heads at once!"
"I only could do it because you gave me an opening, little Storm.", Ornstein said, taking some time to wash blood off his armour and spear. Tempest looked at the dead hydra in the meantime and came back with a few scales.
"They fell off the hydra.", he said.
"Huh? But these look like dragon scales...", Ornstein said upon closer inspection. They were not as smooth as the scales of the hydra, which was a waterbound creature and Ornstein would recognize dragon scales anywhere.
"Hmmm, but the hydra had them.", Tempest just said. "Regardless of what they are, they can be used to strengthen weapons, right?"
"Yes, the dragon weapons...", Ornstein said, "Weapons made from part of a dragon. Not very good weapons though, titanite is superior."
"Well, you are the dragon slayer, I guess I can take your word on that.", Tempest said, looking at his silver knight sword. "My sword was made mostly with twinkling titanite, right? The one that the crystal lizards have. And your spear?"
"Demon titanite.", Ornstein said, "The one that falls off the prowling demons."
"Ugh.", Tempest said and turned around, "Let's move on, I don't want to think about them. There are still four or so of them in Sen's Fortress. I didn't bother with them."
"I am not surprised.", Ornstein said, wondering if he should ask Tempest to go there and take care of them. Fighting powerful enemies took his mind off stuff. Sadly, fighting the hydra didn't make his uneasy feeling go away. He followed Tempest, who walked on the path that the sandbank allowed.
Outside of the hydra, the lake was surprisingly calm. Only a few giant clams tried to attack, which were easily enough stunned by Ornstein's spear. On the way, Tempest picked up quite a few more dragon scales, which only made the uneasiness in Ornstein grow.
After walking for ten minutes or so, they reached another hollow tree, but much smaller than the one they had descended to come here.
"Dead end?", Tempest asked. While Ornstein had the feeling that he should just turn around and leave, he remembered that they wanted to find out what was at the end of the lake and this didn't feel like the end.
"Let's look inside.", he prompted. "But go in carefully. No rushing in this time."
"Gee, Ornstein, can you read my thoughts?", Tempest grinned, but fell back behind Ornstein, letting the dragon slayer take the lead. It turned out to be a good thing, because more basilisks awaited inside it. To make things even worse, a giant mushroom joined the fight, this one far more aggressive than the docile ones earlier.
Ornstein and Tempest managed to dispatch the basilisks easily enough, but Tempest took a good hit from the mushroom and almost was sent back to the bonfire. Ornstein locked the giant shroom into combat so that Tempest could heal. Once the little Storm was back on his feet, he hacked and slashed at the mushroom from the back until it collapsed.
"I hope that was the last time I was punched by them.", Tempest said as Ornstein took a look around. It turned out that there was a path through the tree and they found themselves on a branch that led over the lake and ended back at the sandbank. Another basilisk stood in their way, which Tempest easily dispatched with a well aimed sword strike.
Now Ornstein was staring at a slalom that the sandbank formed. It was narrow and it looked like it might end soon. "This might be the end of the lake.", he said. Tempest came close to him and looked at the sandbank as well.
"Well, only one way to find out.", Tempest started walking and after a few seconds, Ornstein followed him, feeling the water pool around his feet, all while the uneasy feeling in Ornstein's stomach grew and ended up in a downright stomach ache. He loosely laid a hand on his stomach while he followed Tempest, hoping for the ache to get away, when Tempest stopped and looked up.
Instantly, Ornstein knew why he had a stomach ache.
"A dragon... a real dragon...", Tempest whispered. The dragon currently had its wings in front of its face, but once Tempest took another step forward, it unfolded the wings. Ornstein could basically feel its piercing stare on him. His feet didn't move.
Tempest turned around and called out to him: "Ornstein?"
Ornstein shook his head and then turned around, not being able to stare at the dragon any longer. "I am not welcome here.", he said and left Tempest alone.
Tempest found Ornstein later, sitting at the shore next to the first bonfire. Tempest sat down next to him and asked: "How are you feeling?"
"Weird.", Ornstein admitted, "I used to kill these things. Countless of them. I never thought of them to be more than monsters. But now... after all this time... and seeing the way this dragon stared at me... I can't help but think that..."
iThat the Master was right./i
Ornstein couldn't bring himself to say these last words. If the Master had been right, if slaying every last dragon really had been the wrong thing to do, for what had he even lived? He couldn't let the little purpose in his life that he still found had been the right one, to just vanish into thin air. Even worse, the existence of this dragon.. might be a legacy of the Master and that could explain why Ornstein had never known about this place and why it was so well hidden. If Ornstein had found it centuries ago, then this dragon wouldn't have lived...
"Has the dragon said anything to you?", Ornstein instead asked Tempest, not wanting to dwell on his thoughts.
"No, it hasn't. I think it's the firekeeper of that place though, the bonfire in front of it was burning brightly. I had no clue dragons could be firekeepers."
"Neither had I...", Ornstein replied.
"I think it offered me to join its covenant, but I declined. I am a Gravelord Servant, remember?!"
"Yes, one that I forbid to ever go gravelording.", Ornstein let out an amusing chuckle, it was the first time he felt a little bit at ease down here.
"I think we should get out of this place.", Tempest murmured. "We have another lord soul to get."
It had been an innocent enough line, but Ornstein was reminded of the fact that their journey would be over soon. Still, he knew that he couldn't procrastinate their main task forever. They had to travel to New Londo tomorrow.
"Alright.", Ornstein said and stood up, walking towards the bonfire.
"Ornstein?", Tempest said as he followed the dragon slayer, "Thanks for not slaying that dragon."
Ornstein had to think a little bit about this sentence when he kneeled down at the bonfire, waiting for Tempest to warp them. Then, he slowly spoke: "I think I might have changed..."
(Author's note: Oh, I wanted to write this line about Ornstein not being welcome in Ash Lake for so LONG!
The mushrooms in Great Hollow are actually not docile, but for the sake of the story, they were. It wouldn't have been very exciting to write this battle out anyway.
I hope you enjoyed and please tell me your favourite part ^^)