Deserter`s Redemption
Chapter 1.
fall old and rise anew.
"GUHA!... Ugh..."
Drip... Drop... Drip... Drop...
Blood... The crimson red liquid fell to the ground. Joining in the pools of the rest of its kind...
The sound of choking and struggling to breathe was heard inside a stone-like room, that looked more like an arena. Bodies laid out on the ground all around it, all of them wearing the same clothing. All of them dead jet their bodies never withering away... Such is their fate...
The fate of the former lords of cinder...
The watchdogs of Farron...
A pack of wolves...
The undead legion...
The Abyss Watchers...
Named and inspired by the late great knight Artorius the Abysswalker. The undead legion of Farron were a caravan of the undead, who swore to fight the Abyss whenever it may appear.
They would kill thousands... Kill their allies... Kill each other even... Just to stop the darkness from spreading... They would burn down a kingdom at the first signs of exposure...
Such was their way...
Hawkwood knew this all too well...
He had seen what the legion is capable of when he was still with them. He watched as his brothers and sisters dismembered the hollowed and lost souls, how they decapitated man, woman, and children and how they fought against each other till death, just to rise again.
Even tho he himself has done the same. He wasn`t like them. He cared about his well-being... His health... and he wanted to stay alive no matter what.
In other words, Hawkwood feared his mortality... Even in his undeath. He proved that by clutching his shield close to himself in the hope it would protect him from any fatal blows. Because of this, he was often shunned by his fellow Abyss Watchers for he chose not to use the standard greatsword and dagger combination that the legion`s rules stated they have to. The weapons that symbolized a brave knight and his great wolf united as one.
So... When the time came for the Abyss Watchers to go into another battle Hawkwood`s fear got the batter of him... He fled in the midst of the battle, leaving his brother`s and sister`s to battle their enemies without him.
On that day... Hawkwood... Became a coward... A craven... A deserter...
As he traveled his mind panged him with guilt and regret. Guilt for abandoning his fellow Abyss Watchers and regret for not being there when he should have. Yet he tried not to let that bother him he chose this... This was the path he had chosen...
So for days, he had traveled until he did not find something interesting. A tale of how if an undead links the fire, he or she will become the next lord. A lord of cinder. Something akin to the kings and gods themselves. Hope and determination built up inside his chest as he set off to find a way to linking the fire.
For you see even through his cowardly act, even though he had betrayed the only family he had left and left them to their own fate.
Hawkwood... Still believed he could be a hero. A new bright light to shine away all the darkness in the world. Hawkwood... The next lord of cinder...
But again... He failed and the fire scared him. Proclaiming him to not even be worth becoming a cinder...
Instead... He became ash. The remains of those who failed to link the fire. The ones who are not even worth licking the lord's boots... And so after his failure. He rose from the said ashes and traveled around the kingdom of Lothric for quite some time until he did not come to a place called the Fire link shrine.
The name made him chuckle sarcastically at how ironic it was. The woman there, who was wearing a black dress, had ash-colored long hair and had a black crown covering her eyes introduced herself as the Firekeeper. She told him that she was put here to help the unkindled find their way so that they may return the lords of cinder to their rightful thrones. For once the great lords of cinder rose, they were said to return to their thrones in order to once again link the fire.
But they refused. Thus giving the task to the unkindled to return them back.
She tells him that if he ever needs anything to please be sure to let her know.
Hawkwood simply ignored her and set down on one of many stairs, hunching over in a crestfallen fashion. There he sat for god knows how long, going over everything he has been through in his head. Becoming even more crestfallen as he realized just how pathetic his existence really is.
That was when he came... The Ashen One...
The one Firekeeper seemed to have a lot of fate in. Believing him to be the one to bring all of the lords back to their molded thrones.
He chuckled grimly at that. All of the lord. Yhorm, Aldrich, Abyss Watchers, Ludleth, and Loterich. Were all lords of cinder, beings that some would say are like gods. He believed that there was no human, unkindled or hollow who could stand up to them.
At least Ludlith was already on his throne. The pigmy seemed to have chosen to come willingly back to his throne. At least he had one less lord to deal with.
The time went by and every time the so-called Ashen One kept coming back. Hawkwood became more and more surprised. It wasn`t long before he had killed the first lord of cinder and put its embers on one of the thrones.
And Hawkwood couldn`t believe it when he saw who it was or rather who they were. The Abyss Watchers... He... He was shocked... His former brothers and sisters... Were defeated... And dead...
"You offed the lords of cinder... The undead legion..." He said to Ashen One while never taking his eyes of cinders that were once Abyss Watchers. Ashen One stopped in front of him at his words, nodding his head in confirmation. Hawkwood let out another short and dry laugh before saying. "So that`s how they're delivered to their thrones. (Raspy laughter...) I pity the sorry souls... Is that really lordship`s last reward?"
His words left him in a sad and sorrowful tone. He thanked Ashen One for putting his former brethren down and gave him a Farron`s ring to show his gratitude. The Ashen One thanked him with a bow and proceeded to go towards the bonfire onto the next area.
When he was gone Hawkwood looked back towards the cinders of Abyss Watchers and still couldn`t believe it. They were really dead... He guessed that even kings and gods alike are not spared from their fates.
"The poor wretched souls..." His voice rang throughout the Fire link shrine making the Firekeeper look over to him. "Be they lord or legend... The curse shows no mercy... What a shame."
He finally realized... The absurdity of it all. If gods and kings were able to fall, then what good does linking the fire do? Was there really anything to gain out of it? If the kings couldn`t escape their fate. Then they were no lesser than him. So what did he have to fear?
Nothing...
So with newfound strength and determination. He once again ventured out in search of life beyond the cursed lands. A place where no god, king or legend could ever hope to reach. A place where no one holds any chains over them and where fate`s hand couldn`t reach any of its inhabitants.
The realm of the dragons...
He wanted to become like them...
But could a human/unkindled truly become a dragon? Hawkwood believed that it was possible.
But in reality... It wasn`t...
Hawkwood after reaching his destination acquired what he thought was the only piece that allowed him to become a dragon. Only to find out that the Ashen One had the other piece in his possession. He believed that he needed both pieces for him to truly transform into a dragon and thus he needed the one Ashen One possessed. But he was sure he wouldn`t part with it willingly.
So they will settle this through a duel...
He warped back to the fire link shrine and gave Andre the blacksmith, his swordgrass which held a message for a duel engraved in it. The elderly Astorian said he will make sure the Ashen One receives it.
Hawkwood thanked him and walks to the bonfire once more. Intending to warp to an all too familiar place.
"You are leaving again?" The soft feminine voice said making his head turn towards it. The Firekeeper was walking towards him at a steady pace, stopping when she was beside him near the bonfire.
"Yes." He answered her shortly. For there was no need for empty words to be thrown.
Firekeeper had her hands clapped together in front of her, her head bowed as if rethinking about something before lifting her head. Her head seemingly rising to the direction of his face even tho she couldn`t see it.
"Will you be returning again." She asked in a worried voice just like she had with every other unkindled before him.
"... No." He was right. Be it victory or defeat, he was not coming back to this place ever again.
He extended his hand in order to command the bonfire to warp him away. But then a smaller and gentler hand grabs him by the forearm. He looks at the owner of the said hand and saw her move her other hand to his. She turned it so that his palm was facing up and the back of his hand down before placing something in it, making Hawkwood close his fingers around the small object securing it in his grasp.
"Take this with you... For good luck on your journey." The firekeeper said softly before taking a few steps back. Hawkwood looked at her for a second before opening his right hand and looked at what she gave him.
It was a small pendant with a wolf head engraved into it, that looked very similar to the old wolf of Farron. Hehehe... Guess even now his past still follows him. He puts the small pendant safely into one of his pockets and turned to the Firekeeper one last time.
"Thank you... For everything Firekeeper... May the flames guide your way." He said before he warped out of the fire link shrine. Never to be seen again.
However, if he had stayed a little longer he would have a chance to see Firekeeper giving a warm smile to the place where he once stood.
"Goodbye Hawkwood... May the flames guide thee..."
...
"Ugh..." And we come to an end... A man who was once a member of Farron`s undead legion. A man who deserted his own brothers and sisters, because of his cowardness. A man who wished to become a cinder but failed to do so. And a man who found the strength to pursue a new goal. Was now laying on the blood soaked ground with a bleeding hole in his stomach left by Ashen One`s weapon.
His olive-green eyes meet the blue ones of his opponent, which we're looking down at him with pity and sorrow. He let a small satisfied grin spread across his lips, as his vision started to blacken.
"You are a dragon... More dragon than I..." He managed to say through the pain and hard breaths. Letting his head fall, he moved what little gaze he had left to look at the bodies of his fallen brethren and taking in one last sight of his last family.
"A deserter... Could hope for no better place to die..." His eyes closed and his body went limp as it exploded in a mist of souls.
Hawkwood... The Deserter... Has finally found his resting place...
...
...
Or so he thought...
He felt something bright and warm hit the side of his right face making him try and move away from it but got the same treatment where ever he turned. He finally opened his eyes and winced when his right one was caught in the bright beams of the sun.
...
...
"WAIT! WHAT!" His brain screamed at him after registration what was just shining down upon him. He got up and looked at the glowing orb of warmth and brightness. Not believing his eyes.
He couldn`t even remember the last time he had seen a sun... The only thing he ever saw in the skies in his time as a unkindled was a dark sign.
...
...
His eyes soon started to hurt from staring into it. Forcing him to blink and rub them with the back of his hand. Once his vision was back he noticed another thing about both the place he was at and himself.
First of all things... HE WAS A HUMAN AGAIN! He could feel it. His lungs no longer felt tired and decaying, his muscles and skin felt tight and strong on his body, his sense of smell and sight wasn`t fuzzy or clocked as it used to when he was unkindled. He had truly regained his humanity.
Next, he saw that he was in a forest. The trees around him looked healthy and well grown, as well as the grass around him. He saw no sign of dead bodies or hallowed grounds, so... This forest was not plagued by the curse like the rest?
He looked around some more, seeing nothing but trees and grass. Occasionally few flowers here and there.
"Where am I? Is this paradise? If it is so... How am I alive?" Question after question came to his mind. However, no answer came no matter how hard he tried to ask himself. He focused his gaze back around him but then noticed something... Weird.
The world around him... Seemed bigger... Like way bigger.
He reached out to rub his eyes again in case he was hallucinating but one look at his hand made him stop doing what he was going to. His hand was smaller, smoother, and more... Childish looking.
"What in bloody hell..."
He raised his other hand and saw the same thing. Moving his gaze down his body. He saw that he no longer wore his undead legions chest piece and leggings. They were replaced by a brown long-sleeved shirt that looked like something knights squire would wear, as well pair of light blue pants and black boots. He had metal elbow and knee pads on, while his pants were held up by a basic brown belt.
He looked like a squire!
Hawkwood was panicking more and more. His brain was unable to comprehend what he was seeing now. He felt around his head and realized that his chainmail headpiece was gone too, only feeling the soft skin of his cheeks and an ear light brown hair.
"What kind of sorcery is this."
He let his hands fall as his mind raced with million questions. He took a step back but stopped once his left leg hit something. He turned around and saw his last two weapons he used before he died.
The Farron`s greatsword and its parry dagger.
Hawkwood looked at the two weapons in surprise and confusion. Of all the things that he had with him. Why were they the only ones that came with him? And what`s more the sword and the dagger looked brand new. Like they were never used before.
Hawkwood grabbed a hold of the hilt of the greatsword and slowly raised it with a little difficulty, of course, he let most of its weight be put on the tip of the blade that was still touching the ground.
He looked into the crystal clear body of the sword and saw an 8-year-old version of himself steering back at him. He recoiled back in surprise at the sight, letting the sword fall back to the ground. He took quick breaths in and out to stop his fast-beating heart before once again picking the sword up and looking once more into his reflection.
"How... How is this possible..." He said in disbelief while running his hand over his smooth chin. He let the sword go as his hands went up to his face, rubbing it before running through his hair in frustration and confusion.
"WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME!? I WAS DEAD! I WAS GOING TO JOIN THE REST OF THE PATHETIC SOULS IN HELL!? WHY AM I HERE AND... WHY IN THE GODS NAME AM I A CHILD!"
Grrrrrr...
A sound of growling was heard coming from behind him, making him stop his inner tantrum and slowly turn towards where the sound came from.
Moving between the trees was a pitch black-furred beast, with bone-like spikes on his shoulders, arms, and thigs. Its hands possessed really sharp-looking claws. On its head, it had a skull mask that had razor-sharp teeth in it and look outright monsters. Its red eyes bore down at Hawkwood with anger and hunger.
Hawkwood`s eyes widen at the sight of the beast. His mind going over everything he had to fight before and the only thing that came to this thing was the puss of man he fought in consumed King's garden.
"What in the hell are you... A creature of Abyss?" He asked in anger while slowly moving his hand to the hilt of the greatsword.
ROOOOOAAAAAAARRRRRRRR!
Was his only response before the creature pounced towards him. Seeing this Hawkwood quickly put both hands on the hilt of the greatsword and with the help of adrenalin coursing through his veins, he swung the sword horizontally at the beast. Aiming for its neck.
The beast however seemingly did not care for his strike as it swung its claws at him, aiming to slash at his face. Thankfully Hawkwood had enough space to move his head downwards while not losing power in his swing. Effectively avoiding the swipe.
His blade meets the dark flesh of the beast and cuts through it, going all the way to the center of its neck. Blood flew from the open wound like rain, spraying around and painting the green grass red.
Hawkwood got some on his face as well, but over the years of killing beasts, hollows, monsters, and humans alike. It no longer bothered him. He pulled his greatsword from the creature's neck and moved quickly so that he was positioned in front of the bleeding wound. He used the momentum he had to hurl the big sword over his head and with a yell, bring it down on the beast's exposed neck.
That cut decapitated the creature`s head clean off. Its head rolled on the ground before stopping a short distance from where its body dropped on the ground unmoving.
Hawkwood let out a couple of hard breaths in exhaustion, he used the sword to help him stay balanced as he felt like he had just run a mile from those two swings. His arms twitched and spasmed every few seconds from the strain.
"Ahg... gods... My arms will be killing me for days now." He said, shaking his left forearm in an attempt to try and relieve the strain he was feeling from it, before doing it with the other arm. The decomposing of the beast`s body however made him stop as he watched it slowly decay away. Bones, flesh, meat, even the head itself. All of it was vanishing in front of Hawkwood`s eyes, soon there was nothing left of it.
Hawkwood however wasn`t that surprised. He had seen monsters and beast, dissolved into nothingness before. So he didn`t pay too much mind to it. What he was interested in was what it was...
"Pich black fur... Razor-sharp claws and teeth... Attacked in a way a wild dog would. Could it be that it was like a dog-type beast from Abyss..." Hawkwood thought while looking at the area where the body was. He heard a similar roar come from the west, making him turn towards it only to see a path of trees leading there.
"Must be another one... Should I go and find it? It might be a creature of the abyss but... It is no longer my duty to fight them. I am no longer the Abyss Watcher so... Should I even bother..." Hawkwood thought while looking at the way the roar came from. He looks down at Farron`s great sword which was now clean once more, as if it didn`t even kill anything just a few moments ago.
He took it by the hilt and slowly raised it to hold it in front of him, its tip burying into the ground. Making sure it wasn`t too heavy for him to hold. His eyes traced over the wolf knight-like design of the Farron`s greatsword, feeling him with a sense of comfort as well as familiarity.
At those feelings, his mind went back in time when he had first joined the Abyss Watchers. The time he had taken an oath.
(Flashback)
"Upon your own life... Do you swear to fight against the darkness... Where ever it may arrive. For the rest of your existence..."
The deep voice echoed throughout the darkness of the room. Hawkwood stood in only light that was emanating through the hole in the ceiling. He was on his knees with his head bowed, wearing his undead legion sett without his chainmail headpiece. Leaving his shoulder-length brown hair-free.
His olive-green eyes looked up in the direction of the voice in determination and all the pride in his body. He said...
"Yes..."
A hand wearing the glove of the undead legion pushed a silver cup into the light in front of Hawkwood and retreated into the darkness once it was done. Hawkwood stared into the content of the cup.
The crimson color...
A substance... thicker than water...
And more deadly than any other liquid...
The blood of the wolf...
Hawkwood took the cup with a shaky hand. His eyes bore into it like it was going to jump out and attack him. He swallowed a giant lump in his throat. Took one last look around the darkness before drinking the blood.
...
...
His own blood burned.
(End of flashback)
...
...
"Grr! Damn it all to hell!" He exclaimed in frustration before running towards the direction where he heard the roar come from. He was quick in picking his parrying knife before rushing off. While he was running he adjusted his grip of the greatsword to balance the weight out.
Even tho the sword was lighter than most greatswords. It was still pretty heavy. Thankful it came with its sheath as well so Hawkwood could carry it in both arms.
"Damn whatever sorcery put me here... Damn whatever God chose this to give me this fate... AND DAMN ME! FOR TAKING THAT FUCKING OUTH. DEAR GODS I`M ABOUT TO MAKE THOSE THINGS WISH THEY STAYED IN THAT BOTTOMLESS PIT OF THEIRS!"
He yelled out in anger as he continued to march towards the west, not noticing a black crow flying after him.
A/N: Made this cuz I was bored and had no inspiration to do any of my other stories.
Plus I wanted to make a Hawkwood fanfic for quite some time. Giving how there are none really based around him. I only hope that I will manage to write everyone's personalities right. My knowledge about RWBY all comes from fanfics, so the canon story will be changed a little bit. However, I am a DS3 veteran who has played the game many times before.
At least I got that going for me.
Well, I will give this a try and see how it goes.
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And for everyone new to my work. Welcome, I hope you are ready for some bad grammar and maybe decent storytelling. Hope you all enjoyed I will be seeing you in the next one.