Freezing winds cracked and howled along the jagged rocks of the mountainside, two cloaked figures trekked across, arms raised in a feeble attempt to shield from violent sands and rocks hurled at them by the winds. One stood tall her now dirtied white cloak bound tightly around to conceal warmth, the smaller of the lead the way up the mountain his black attire half-heartedly tucked into the belts to prevent it from being ripped away by the wind. Hours passed before the duo were able to see the now decaying asylum, its structure weakened and weathered cracks could be seen all along the hardly constraint walls, sections of it had separated with the mountain forming tiny plateau's where nature and mans creation now stood apart from the once magnificent mountain top. Sections of the asylum had fallen decades prior tumbling down the mountainside leaving only disjointed bricks that threatened to soon fall themselves.
The duo of vagabonds had reached the end of their trail greeted with the sight (or lack thereof) of an entrance stuffed with the debris of the collapsing asylum. "Such a dreary and unwelcoming place, do you think we followed the path right sir Witcher?" the woman in white rushed out her breath lost to the hike up. The young man in black stood silent for a moment is cat-like eyes twitching across the no more entrance and decrepit asylum, "it's the only structure in sight from these mountains." He spoke voice dry and lacking in exhaustion.
"Then Sir Witcher how do you suppose we get inside?"
"Working through the options now" a few moments passed before the Witcher responded again, "We might try climbing"
"Yes and those loose bricks would make for great footholds, honestly you'd need to be a complete fool or desperate to try that." Immediately following the women in white remark, the Witcher's sword was drawn too fast for the eye to see appearing as if he had it in hand the entire time.
"Pardon my interjection" a gentle voice sprang out from above on one of the asylums unnaturally formed balconies "I believe I might be of some assistance" The women's attention snapped from the Witcher to the newly appeared knight, the Witcher kept his sword at the ready.
"My companion does not seem to accept your pardon, so perhaps sharing thy name would help with this predicament." The Knight nodded his head toward the woman, "I mean you no ill, I am Oscar of Astora, you are undead aren't you?" "Yes, I am cleric Eawyn of Thorolund and my companion is accompanying me is- "the Witcher cut in, "We shouldn't be forthcoming with supposed knights who crawls out of asylums."
"Come now Sir Witcher he is neatly presented and of elegant speech, and if Sir Oscar whished use harm he would've attacked not greet us" "hrn" was all the Witcher mumbled out before resting his sword and stance if only a bit.
"Your companion speaks true, and though coincidence it's perfect that we meet for I am about freeing these undead so that they might make journey with me to Lordran, and seeing how ye are undead and on a pilgrimage, I can only assume that you seek this land as well, I would be more than willing to lend assistance."
"That is a most perfect coincidence, don't thy agree" Eawyn let out excitedly to the Witcher. "I see no better solution" was all he said, "Great then allow me to assist" and with that Oscar disappeared for but a moment before a line of rope was thrown. The Duo with slight hesitation tested the rope before ascending to where Oscar was waiting. Eawyn dusted herself off before turning towards Oscar,
"We are very much grateful for the assistance Sir, but I must ask-" "that you point us to where the path to Lordran is and stay out of our way, the directions are vague" the Witcher blurted out his hood being tossed aside revealing a youthful face tainted by the image of a scar reaching down from his nose to mouth.
"Witcher have also your manners also been taken; Sir Oscar has helped us and that should be enough for you to show at least some tolerance," Eawyn said scolding the Witcher.
"Tis fine lady Eawyn I would expect nothing less from a mutant such as his self" Eawyn gazed disappointedly at the way the knight spoke so plane about the Witcher as if it were fact. The Witcher merely glared.
Eawyn decided to quickly changed topics, "Let's not lingerie her forever, Oscar if you please show us the way to Lordran."
"Very well follow me I need only to check one last spot before so" and with that, the three set off across the asylum ruins careful in their steps as every brick seemed like it could give any second. The Witcher stalked behind Oscar following him like a shadow careful to never let him fall behind, while Eawyn remained lax. It was only a few minutes before the three came across a hole in the ceiling that peeked into a tiny cell where a tiny frail creature perhaps once a human lay curled up in a corner, features hidden. With a sigh of frustration, Oscar collapsed to his knees the words dam it is all that could be heard over the cold winds. "Sir Oscar is there something wrong?" Eawyn said approaching concerned (the Witcher frowned at this)
"I have searched high and low of this asylum and all I have been able to find is hollows left behind by the undead" Eawyn nodded, "a most cruel fate I agree but why are you concerned about them, I understand you are trying to free the undead but why?"
"My family has as saying Thou who art Undead, art chosen In thine exodus from the Undead Asylum, maketh pilgrimage to the land of Ancient Lords… When thou ringeth the Bell of Awakening, the fate of the Undead thou shalt know."
The Witcher began chuckled "you're here because of some prophecy" Eawyn shot a scornful glance at the Witcher who understood the message clearly, stopping himself and moving back. "It's true I came here hoping to…..force the hand of fate, but I guess you Lady Eawyn and I are-"
"shhh" the Witcher blurted in once more attempting to silence the conversation, "why you dirty little-" Oscar said his frustration rising with himself only to be once again interrupted by the Witcher "Quiet I hear something." The knight and cleric obliged him remaining silent, all that could be heard and felt was the swirling wind dancing across the mountains and into the long abandon asylum, all was still.
It wasn't long before the stillness shattered with the emergence of an ungentle beast, it sprang up from the courtyard from where it usually lay in waiting for foolish or brave undead to meet one of many deaths. How the creature stood was a marvel its grotesque belly looked overstuffed and ready to burst, its legs why still tall compared to a human appeared as tiny stumps, it's skin jagged and rough as the mountains it resided in. The creature bared it's rotting and rigged teeth drool sloshing out onto itself. The Witcher once more had sword in hand faster than either of his companions could follow, Oscar followed suit sword drawn and shield raised as he took a stance by the Witcher, all the while Eawyn stood back clutching her chime as if clutching onto the deity she worshiped themselves.
None were ready for the speed at which the creature moved, it's comedically tiny wings assisting in its short leap closer towards the three vagabonds. The creature landed with a thunderous boom that defend ears and shook the asylum. Eawyn had only a moment to gaze at the creature up close before the Witcher was shoving her down into the tiny hole leading into the jail cell hitting her head in the fall.
Through her blurry vision and shaky mind, Eawyn could make out the sounds of the battle above. The creature's massive barbaric hammer moves through the air with such force that strong winds like those of a hurricane could be heard, the fighting lasted only a few moments before it stopped the smashing of stone and a faint cry was all Eawyn could make out before there was silence. After spending a few seconds to collect herself the smell of this place finally hit her. It was putrid it burned her throat and brought tears to her eyes, the collection of decaying bodies fumes and other unpleasantries swarmed around her breath. Only once she begun to adapt to the smell did Eawyn notice she had fallen in something wet and slimly, she madly crawled out of the blackened goo her cloak now stained with human excrement. Eawyn furiously tore it off herself and threw it over at the curled-up hollow who didn't care its desires long since vanished.
Eawyn frantically stumbled to the iron doors and shook them when they refused to budge. She continued for a moment until exhaustion hit and she slumped against the wall her unkempt blonde hair covering her eyes. "oh gods, I beg please please please don't let me be stuck in this rotten jail celli don't want to be forced to go hollo-" and like that Eawyn's senses came back to her, looking around she saw that her chime was still in one piece and had survived the fall with her. Eawyn swiftly snatched it up and approached the locked iron bars, she begun to recite the tales of gods, soft words flowed from her mouth as she felt a pull from with her chest, a glowing light enveloped her right for but a moment before the incantation was finished and then with a single swing and corresponding chime the iron-barred door was thrown back as an unseen force ripped out from the cleric in all directions tearing up the ground and cracking the walls.
Eawyn sighed relief as she entered the hall, but it was quickly extinguished when from her right side she could make out through barred windows a second creature almost identical to the one that had ambushed her and the others on the roof. Eawyn froze up, paralyzed with fear and while she stood there still as a tree she began to realize that that the Creature had no interest in her it merely stalked back and forth within its confined domain. Slowly Eawyn begun to move again until her normal pace returned. "I must find that Witcher and knight," she thought to herself as she moved carefully around the docile hollows "I do hope that boy is all right, such a young face shouldn't have been so cold." Eawyn and seen it several times on their travels it was such a cynical look, but it was the Witcher's lot in life to be so and Eawyn knew why all too well.
It wasn't long before Eawyn ran into the Witcher again as what was left of the asylum was small. It had been after she arose from a ladder (the only path Eawyn could take) did the two met again. His sword came down swiftly and stopped just as fast when the Witcher saw that it was his client. "Good to see that you know at least the proper manners of greeting a lady, Jad" Eawyn light-heartedly complained/joked to the Witcher
Jad merely grumbled, "my skill with a blade is sharp and precise you have nothing to fear."
"Other than the sharp sword precisely next to my neck you're right I had nothing to fear" Eawyn teased while Jad rolled his eyes, "so what happened once you pushed me down that hole and where is Sir Oscar?" Eawyn said as Jad walked forward towards a set of giant wooden doors
"no idea we were separated after I was knocked down here by the Demon."
"Well then we'll need be careful when looking for Sir Oscar if that demon is still prowling around," Eawyn said watching as Jad begun to push open the doors.
"I'm not completely sure we should trust him" Eawyn walked up to Jad, "We are faced with very limited options, Sir Oscar is our only lead on how to get to Lordran, which means he's the only way you'll be able to receive payment"
"unless we end up dead" Jad mumbled as he slowly pried open the doors grunting in pain as he did.
"Your enthusiasm is most reassuring…. would you like me to heal your wounds their Sir Witcher?" Eawyn said already reaching for her chime at the sound of Jad's pain-filled grunts.
"No" the Witcher grunted out and with a final push the doors swung open, "I took a potion after I fell the wounds I received will be fully healed in a minute or so," the Witcher said before moving forward into the courtyard.
"but that might change here in an instant." Jad said slowly drawing his silver sword.
"why will you need me to heal thy later and not now?" In that instance the demon from before leaped down into the courtyard it's hideous face glued onto them and its monstrous hammer poised to strike.
"ahh, I now see what you meant," Eawyn said
and the Witcher charged the demon.