Author's Note
Sorry that took so long, but I'm still trucking away at this. I've got so many other stories I'm working on, and I think they are worth a read.
Uploaded
04/09/2023
LEGEND BELOW
"Greetings! I am Oscar of Astora!" = Normal speech.
''Doth thee find my appearance unpleasant?''= Normal thoughts.
Chapter 4
Teamwork/Making a decision
Rated-M
The Black Knight never saw it coming, the spear of blazing sunlight stabbing into its side with intense force. The attack was strong, but wasn't strong enough to topple the dark foe, as it stood its ground, head turning to find the source of its attacker.
Only, what it was met with was the hefty weight of a Zweihander slamming into its chest with the force of a demon hammer, Clemente appearing before it, blade held in both hands.
The black knight snarled in defiance, raising its large burned black shield to thwart any more attempted attacks on its person.
Only to recoil in shock as it was stabbed in the back, the pain of a holy short sword burning its flesh from where the blade made contact. Oscar had used the halfbreed's main attack as a distraction, rushing in to get behind the towering black knight.
The hollow roared in anger, spinning around, raising its mighty chaos demon slaying black great sword up with one hand, ready to cut Oscar down in a fascinating display of strength.
Oscar dropped his sword, grasping his shield with two hands to allow himself to suffer the blow without caving. The attack sent the holy blade wielding knight of Astora sliding back from the force, sparks kicked up from his metal boots grinding on the ground.
Seeing as it had left it's backside exposed to its first attacker, it use the momentum of its first swing to fuel its second, spinning on its heel as it turned the blade on Clemente, great sword slamming into the dragon knight's hastily raised shield with enough power that it sent the half man flying backwards, taking him off of his feet.
"Solaire!" Oscar called out quickly.
Solaire, who had stayed behind as the two knights ran in, suddenly appeared from his hiding place, a second blazing sunlight spear in hand. He tossed it without delay, the attack slamming into the black knight's midsection as it tried to rush the downed Clemente.
At this point the knight of the sunlight covenant ran in, picking Clemente up quickly before the black knight had a chance to recover.
With all three members of the party still standing, the wounded hollow had suddenly found itself surrounded on all sides by armored foes.
Unfortunately for it, although it's body was strong, and it dawned durable armor, it's mind was weak from hollowing. And with a weak mind, it was unable to defend itself from three who had kept their wits about them.
The moment the black knight lunged for one of them, the other two rushed in to capitalize on the opening it made. Within moments, the black knight, a dangerous foe to all hollows and undead alike, fell.
With the most dangerous threat within the immediate vicinity removed, the knights took a moment to breathe.
Solaire stepped forward, glancing down at the downed enemy with his hands on his hips. "Well, I dare say. I hadn't quite expected it to go that smoothly." He said with a tone of pleasant surprise. "You two sure do carry yourselves well in battle. I believe we'll have little trouble from here on out, should we stick together." He said decidedly.
"Indeed." Clemente sighed, turning his attention upward, toward the church entrance that lay not far ahead. They were so close to the first clue of his secret dragon lover's whereabouts, he couldn't help but feel a burning passion welling up within his chest, urging him to continue pushing on forever forward without pause.
It took Solaire and Oscar a moment to realize that a sudden eagerness had overtaken their companion, as they noticed that Clemente had indeed gone forward without them, the knight proudly rushing up the stairs to the church entrance.
"Oh!? Good sir, wait for us!" Solaire exclaimed, picking up his gear as he ran to play catch-up, Oscar following close behind.
When they finally caught up the the knight, they found him standing at the church entrance. A few lower ranking hollows had stood in his path, but they were no match for his elevated skills and power.
Now all he had to do was find the person he was looking for, the one that may know of the whereabouts of the one he sought so desperately. More so, he was also searching for the missing maiden of the cleric knight that accosted him in Firelink Shrine.
If, at the very least, something would be learned today, and information would be gathered, if nothing else.
"Sir, please do not run off without us! I know you're determined to complete your quest, but you can't do that if you were to expire too soon!" Solaire exclaimed as he finally caught up to the knight.
Clemente stopped, turning around to face the knight of the sun. "We art undead, sir Solaire. Thyself is prepared to die as many times as it shall taketh thee. Thyself shalt not be stopped, not now!" He exclaimed with a burning conviction, instead turning his attention to the doorway of the church.
"Be that as it may, good sir, it doesn't have to be that way." Solaire said, stepping forward, placing his hand on the dragon knight's shoulder. With a firm grip to show his support, he too turned his attention towards the gaping entrance to the undead church.
Soon Oscar too joined them, all three standing side by side, facing the second large wall that stood before them. The first had been the surprise visit by the Demon atop the castle wall where both knights had almost met their ends. And now, they were faced with the church and whatever monstrosities lay within.
And yet, they felt less hesitation about charging in. Because, unlike before, they were ready for a battle. And more than that, their numbers had grown to three.
"Clemente, I believe we can move forward. Thyself shalt be thee's shield, while good sir Solaire shall offer us aid with his powerful lightning. Doth thou find this plan sufficient?" Oscar proposed his idea, before glancing to the dragon knight to gage his reaction.
Clemente seemed to dwell on it for a moment, before nodding. "Indeed, this sounds like a wonderful plan." He commented lowly, readjusting his grip on his mighty blade. "Let us make this plan a reality!" He declared, ready to rush into the church.
Oscar was quick to follow, sheathing his blade as he instead held up his shield with two hands. He ran in, throwing his arms up to block the attack from a Balder Knight who had been hidden around a corner.
Clemente was quick to back his fellow knight up, as he came around the side of Oscar, two hands holding up his mighty great sword as he cut the opposing undead knight down with but a single strike.
A bolt of pure magic suddenly slammed into Clemente's back, sending him spiraling to the floor. Oscar turned around in surprise to block a second magic blast from a previously hidden magic caster hidden atop the second floor of the church.
"Oscar, distract that mage!" Solaire exclaimed from somewhere behind him, his voice blurred by the high pitched screech of the magic bolts the caster continued to fire.
Thankfully, Oscar was well equipped for a variety of scenarios, and although his armor was not too magic resistant, his shield could put a stop to the caster's bolts without him suffering any physical harm whatsoever.
This was something the foolish magic user seemed to realize, but just a moment too late, as Solaire finally finished his short prayer, and sent a blinding bolt of lightning straight through the magic user at blinding speeds.
The caster fell from the second story, landing at the feet of two more Balder Knights. Upon seeing that enemies had encroached upon their territory, the undead warriors rushed into battle to fight off the attackers.
By this point Clemente had stood back up, having recovered from the damage through use of his limited Estus Flask. He appeared behind the Balder Knight, cutting it down with a mighty bone crushing swing of his blade.
Clemente planted his feet, switched the position of his hands on the handle of his sword before spinning at the hips, using the weight behind his first swing to spin his entire body around to carry the momentum of the first attack right into an even more powerful second strike.
The last Balder Knight was quite literally thrown from his feet and into the wall of the church, before collapsing into a crumbling pile of bones.
"Hahahah! We are victorious!" Solaire exclaimed in jolly exuberance, throwing his arms up in victory. "Come! We must continue forward with this brilliant shining progress, make our foes cower in fear of our combined light!" Solaire exclaimed, drawing his sword as he charged deeper into the church, roaring a jolly battle cry.
"Thou art eager, this pleases thee greatly!" Clemente commented, filled with determination at the sight of Solaire so filled with a blazing light. "Oscar, chase after thy companion! We shalt not stop here!" He roared as well, chasing after the jolly knight of sunlight.
Solaire and Clemente charged into the church, roaring out their battle cries. Oscar was quick to follow, not necessarily sharing in their blinding enthusiasm, but more then willing to stick by their side as they threw themselves into danger all for the sake of their goals.
The two knights encountered another Balder Knight, but cut him down immediately, not even stopping in their forward momentum. Running into a room full of unarmored hollows, they both sprung into action to cut them all down.
The undead zombies stood no chance, and could only swing their broken swords blindly, as if that would pose any significant threat to the three, so heavily and effectively armored as they were.
Then, finally, the church was silent. The knights all sighed, taking a moment to check their surroundings and inspect their arms and armor before moving forward to their next destination. And, for them all, they had suffered some minor damages to their armor, but it wouldn't prove an issue unless this damage continued for long enough.
Another goal to seek in the future would be that of tracking down a blacksmith to repair their gear.
"I do believe up that ladder is our destination. Sir Clemente, lead the way." Solaire said, holding his hand out towards the ladder leading to the roof of the church. Clemente nodded, slinging his hefty blade over his back so he could use his hands to climb the ladder.
It only took but a few long moments for the trio to arrive at the top.
There was but a single doorway now, funneling them into a large and expansive opening atop the church rooftop. No guard rails lined the edge of the roof, and with the slight slant of the roof, it would make any situation atop it a precarious one indeed.
Yet, even then, nowhere in sight was this man they had been looking for. However, across the way of the church was a tower built atop its roof, and atop that tower was a grand bell.
"That… That bell, could it be the bell of awakening thine legends spoke of?" Oscar breathed, eyes wide behind his helmet.
After hearing of the legends for so long, to actually see the bell was something of a different experience than he expected. However, he knew that he'd need to ring it in order to truly find out whether or not it was the thing he'd sought.
"Indeed, it may very well be. And, atop that tower could be where your person of interest is hiding, good sir Clemente." Solaire spoke up knowingly. "I dare say that we go and investigate this matter immediately." He added. Without waiting for a response, he began walking towards the tower.
However, he didn't get far before something happened.
"Everyone, be on guard! We have new foes approaching!" The knight of sunlight declared loudly, holding up his large round shield to protect himself. The other two knights did the same, flanking him as a large gargoyle made of clay and bronze appeared from the tower, wielding a might great axe.
If that was not bad enough, a second and even deadlier gargoyle appeared, flanking its brother in battle. From their frothing mouths spewed fire, like the demons of the world below.
The trio of knights all prepared themselves for a deadly battle atop the church roof, wondering if this would be the last hurdle in the way of their goals, or if there would be many, many more.
But, for one such halfbreed, this wall that was placed here before him was nothing but another hurdle he needed to cross before reaching his destination. He wouldn't stop here, he would not allow himself to be toppled by this force.
And, in the case that he did, he would rise back up, take up arms once more, and go forth and fight until he eventually tore that wall down.
For, even hollowing and the baleful curse of the undead would not stop him from seeking the one he loved.
These gargoyles, too, would fall to his might. And, he had company to help him accomplish such a task…
She was sure now, yes, she had to be.
She could feel it, as if he was there personally, reaching out to caress the swell of her bosom with his strong hands.
She could feel his gaze roaming her body, even though he had not lain his eyes upon her. But, even without seeing, without having been blessed with her presence, he could see her.
She could feel it, his desire to meet her, his desire to reach out to her, to comfort her like she so desperately sought, to give her everything she had ever wanted in her sad and lonely life.
Her dreams, the dreams she carried in her cold heart of one day taking a consort just as father had done with mother, felt like they may no longer be mere dreams.
It was a dream of hers for as long as she could remember, but it was not one she had ever fed the feeling of reaching. She'd known none would desire her flesh, tainted as it was with the blood of the dragons. It mattered not her beauty, her strength and her body which many would consider desirable and more then pleasing to the eyes. Because she was a monster, and monsters were not to be bed with.
She knew this to be true, which was why she'd never catered to the idea of a future with a lovable consort of her own.
And yet, somehow, somewhere she knew there was one that did want just that. Out there in the world, lost in the sea of undead and vile monsters, was a man who desired her with his entire being.
And, even though thee had not known her, he sought after her. She could feel it, his presence drawing ever nearer with each passing hour.
That vision she had in her head, the impression of two vibrant green glowing eyes had slowly begun to become clearer to her as time passed on. What was once a tickling sensation at the deepest reaches of her mind, was now there before her, as if he was kneeling at her feet.
She could almost reach out and grab him, his determination so powerful that he'd willed his desire for her through the void and into her world.
It touched her frozen heart, that a being out there, out in the detestable and dangerous outside world actively sought her, and with no less than everything that they had.
She wanted to meet him, to speak to one such as he, one that would go so far, contain determination so powerful that she could feel it from here, on her isolated land outside of the world.
She found herself at the edge of her castle, looking at the sea of endless darkness that surrounded her floating castle in the void. Beyond the void was more land, stretched onwards for as far as she could see, but, without wings of her own, she could never go beyond her castle.
The only place she could go from here was down, down into the dark abyss below her castle in the air. If she fell into that abyss, if she allowed herself to be swallowed up by that terrible darkness, then she would be returned.
If she were to fall, here and now, she would be thrown from the sacred safety of her very own painted world, tossed back into the world of man.
It had been so very long since she had seen that world, for she had been but a little girl at the time. For the duration of time she had spent in the painted world, she had grown from childhood and matured into a towering and yet, beautiful woman of dragon's blood.
She felt, in that moment, a small wave of confidence rush over her, a heat of desire swell within her bosom.
She wanted him. She wanted to find the one that had desired her, the one that's desire for her supple flesh burned so brightly in this darkness that she could feel its touch even from beyond the pale horizon.
She…
She desired him.
She wanted to pick him up and hold him to her bosom, to caress him like she'd always wanted someone to do to her.
And, more then that, she wanted him to do the same to her. She had grown so terribly weary of being so alone, that her desire for companionship was enough to urge her to break the one rule she was told, the one rule that had hung over her head for so many years.
She was not to leave the Painted World. She had been placed here for her safety, and as such, had been ordered to stay there until stated otherwise.
But her father, her poor father, he had become lost.
She could feel it, even from beyond this world. The madness had taken him, and the one she called father was gone, likely to never return.
His word no longer had any control over her wishes, loath as she was to go against him originally, he was gone now.
Now it was just her, and she wanted something. She wanted this man in her hands, she wanted to do everything to him, and expect the same in return.
And she was going to get it.
She looked over the edge of the abyss, the darkness staring right back at her.
She closed her eyes.
"Please forgive thee, dear father, but thyself shalt not be imprisoned hither any further…" She whispered, knowing he could not hear her.
She clenched her hands to her breasts, before taking the plunge into the abyss…
End Notes
My newest little side project is a story between Sasuke and Anko from Naruto. It's called falling for his Senpai. It's something I've just recently been working on, that and a story between the Spider mother demon and Tanjiro from Demon Slayer. It's worth a read, at least I think so.