Ah, hello. :3

Back for another update. I've reworked the first chapter, making the Chosen Undead somewhat less, uh, faceless. The author's note there explains why, and you can feel free to skim the chapter if you want, though the changes are minor and shouldn't hinder anything. The story is still about Solaire, I just didn't want the narrator to be vague and boring. The Chosen Undead's name is Kiani, and she's a pyromancer from Astora, albeit a different part of Astora than Solaire. (Yes, that might be a strange choice of location considering her fighting style, but remember that the Elite Armor, suggested to be Astoran, speaks of fire-warding! Plus, most Astorans seem to be familiar with the Undead prophecy, as evidenced by Oscar speaking of it, Anastacia being a firekeeper, and Solaire himself following the same journey as the Chosen Undead.) Anyway, the story itself will make more sense of this later, so bear with me. :)

For now, here's more of the story!

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The first time I met Solaire was a memorable moment indeed. Having just trudged my way through the Undead Burg for the first time, I could see someone off in the distance from the curved bridge, on a balcony of sorts. I wasn't sure if he was friendly or hostile, but he was simply standing there yonder, peering out at the sky calmly, so I was inclined to think he was friendly. Hopeful, I had sped up along the bridge, keeping to the right since it had crumbled in a few spots along the left.

That was when the Taurus Demon sprung down from the watchtower.

The fight was a rough one, and I managed to sprain an ankle trying to attack it by jumping from the ladder. I had no idea how to fight the intimidating creature and didn't want to stay within its range long enough to find out how it would fight me, so I threw my fire at it from a distance, strafing back around when it got too close. All the while, I was doubting my judgment of the still man beyond the bridge – surely if he was a friendly face, he would come to help me!

When I defeated the monster, I limped my way through the door under the watchtower. To my right was another bridge, a wider one. I could see what looked like a bonfire at the other side of it, but there were armed Hollows between here and there. To my left, of course, was the area I had seen from the bridge.

I glanced back and forth between my two options for a moment, leaning on the wall for support and keeping the weight off my sore ankle. Dead end balcony. Hollows. Strange man. Bonfire.

I wouldn't be able to outrun the Hollows this way, but surely I could take them out. They were clumsy and they tended to behave similarly. There were only three and I had just repaired my equipment. Certainly they would fall at my axe, and I would be able to rest at the fire… then I could find out who this person was, and whether his intents were of good or ill.

It was a struggle not to groan or grimace when I forced myself forward. Making noise would make things more difficult, and I was hoping to sneak up on at least one or two of the Hollows before they knew what hit them.

Before I could even make it within their range, I became aware of an unusual sound coming from above. A whooshing of sorts…

The shadow passed over me just as I looked up, seeming to sap the light out of the sky for an instant. A massive, red drake.

"Oh bloody hell…" I murmured, heart racing. Had it seen me? Or just the Hollows? Sprained ankle be damned, I backtracked much faster and hid under the tower again, pressing myself against the wall inside the door. I prayed to any and all lords that it would not be able to reach me somehow… that its fire wouldn't burn me to a crisp, that it wasn't strong enough to destroy the wall between it and me, which really, when you thought about it, was not all that thick…

When I peered out again, the Hollows were dead, their charred, blackened bodies decorating the bridge and still smoking. The red drake was at the other end of the bridge, just perched there, as if on guard.

Well, I certainly didn't want that bonfire enough to risk the blistering heat of that dragon's fire. With new perspective, I turned the other way.

The man was still standing there, gazing off at nothing. How had he not heard all that? Perhaps it was only loud to me – I was on edge, hyperaware of everything right now. Cautiously, I limped my way down the steps towards him. The wind was blowing out here. Maybe it had disguised the noise. Maybe he was simply lost in thought. Lordran, evidently, was a chaotic place. The sounds of battle might not be new to his ears, so perhaps it didn't startle him.

I was almost there when he heard me and glanced over his shoulder. I went rigid. When he didn't pull a weapon on me, I hobbled forward another few steps, keeping his gaze.

"Ah, hello," he said, eying me up and down briefly. "You're no Hollow… far from it!"

"Yes," I confirmed as I approached. He gestured to the raised ledge of the balcony, apparently noticing my injury. Smiling gratefully, I sat down, relieved that he did not mind my presence here.

"I am Solaire of Astora, adherent of the Lord of Sunlight. And you are?"

Out of respect, I nodded my head in a slight bow. "My name is Kiani. I'm also from Astora, though many mistake me as being from the Great Swamp. 'Tis a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Solaire. It is a relief to meet a friendly face in between these beasts."

"Ah yes, did you encounter a Taurus Demon as well? I thought I had finished him off."

"Perhaps you did and it simply revived as we do. This land, it is strange that way…" I caught myself. "Apologies, I shouldn't just assume your status because you're in Lordran."

"Not to worry, friend, I am also cursed with the Darksign. Now that I am Undead, I have come to this great land, the birthplace of Lord Gwyn… to seek my very own sun."

In the middle of massaging my ankle, I frowned and met his eyes, wondering if he would elaborate. We were from the same land, but I wasn't sure I had heard someone say such a thing before.

He chuckled lightly. "Do you find that strange? Well, you should! No need to hide your reaction. I get that look all the time."

Feeling a little sheepish, I looked away. Solaire still seemed comfortable enough, continuing to stare off at the sky. Taking a breath, I slid off the ledge and gently set myself on my feet, testing my ankle. For a few minutes I paced about the area in slow steps, seeing if I could tolerate my injury now that the rush of battle had died down. It was painful, but I knew I could still move quickly if I absolutely needed to. Really, I had only to make it to the bonfire across the bridge; it wasn't that far. The drake might make that a more arduous task, however…

Perhaps Solaire knew of a way to go about this. I did not want to dishonor myself by relying on another, but if he had any ideas to share, I could fight or evade the dragon myself as necessary. He seemed a nice enough fellow.

He heard my uneven approach and turned to face me. "Oh… ah hah, so I didn't scare you! I thought you had made to leave."

"No sir," I smiled. "There are much more unsettling things in Lordran. I've my own mysteries as well."

"In that case, I've a proposition, if you have a moment."

"Of course."

He met my eyes; it was the first time I had actually made eye contact with him, his face being mostly concealed by an iron helm. His eyes were a vivid blue, gentle and focused. "The way I see it, our fates appear to be intertwined. We are Undead but intact with ourselves, both headed in the same direction. In this land brimming with Hollows, could that really be mere chance? I hardly think so."

We were also both Astoran. I wondered how he had wound up here. Considering the prophecy, was there a chance it could have been the same as my own experience? "Solaire, pardon my asking… but did you come here of your own accord?"

"Well, yes and no," he said. "Being marked with the Darksign, I knew there was a possibility I could find myself here eventually. There must be a purpose to it all, so I wanted it, you see. When they came to take me to the Undead Asylum, I did not resist as many do; I allowed it."

The way he worded that, as if he could have not allowed it, had that been his choice. Suddenly I got the impression that this man was very able.

"So – what do you say?" Solaire gestured to me. "Why not help one another on this lonely journey?"

"Well… yes, absolutely," I said graciously. "I was thinking of suggesting the same."

"Oh, wonderful. This pleases me greatly! Well then, take this." He handed something to me; I reached out and took it. It was a vivid, white stone. "As you've no doubt seen, we are amidst strange beings in a strange land. The flow of time itself is convoluted, with heroes centuries old phasing in and out. The very fabric wavers… and relations shift and obscure."

He glanced over at me, as if to make sure we hadn't phased apart and he wasn't talking to mere air. Then he gestured to the stone that was now resting in my palms. "There's no telling how much longer your world and mine will remain in contact. But use this to summon one another as spirits, cross the gaps between worlds, and engage in jolly cooperation! Of course, we will not be the only ones engaged in this; you will find others as well. But I am a warrior of the sun; spot my summon signature easily by its brilliant gold aura. If you miss it, you must be blind!" He chuckled a hearty, good-natured chuckle. It was contagious and I found myself smiling too.

"Shall we continue onward together?" I asked. Why not?

"Forgive me, but I'd prefer to meet up later. If our destinies be tied, I will see you in the flesh again." Solaire leaned forward on the ledge, eyes fixated toward the horizon once again. "For now, I will stay behind to gaze at the sun. The sun is a wondrous body… like a magnificent father." His voice took a tone of fondness, of longing, and I wondered if he was talking to me anymore or just to himself. "If only I could be so grossly incandescent."

The curiosity was on the tip of my tongue. I wanted to ask, but not to pry. On one hand it felt like we were firm companions already. On the other… we had just met, and things such as trust and disclosure were not yet justified. So I held my tongue and peered at the sun with him, becoming aware of the light and warmth it brought to the day, and to this grim land, too. Whatever this man's vague purpose, it surely was a noble one.

"Have you a flask?" Solaire asked me.

"Uh, I do…"

"You don't sound so sure," he said gently, sounding amused.

I took out the flask, revealing to him the reason for my hesitation. "'Tis empty."

"Ah, that would explain why you are still limping! Don't fret, friend – you hide it well enough," he added quickly, seeing what must have been an ashamed expression on my face. "But bravado is unnecessary, Kiani. As Undead warriors here in Lordran, we can hardly fault one another the occasional injury. May I see your flask?"

I handed it to him – he took out his own and poured half of the sizzling orange fluid into the container. When he was done, I looked up at him with sincerity. "Thank you."

"The drake tends to take a very large breath before expelling its fire," Solaire said. "If you make haste, you can make it halfway across the bridge, where there is a stairwell to your right. Duck down into it, and when the drake's fire dwindles, go straight to the bonfire under that structure. The old beast won't pursue you into such a small area."

"Your assistance has already been invaluable." I took a large gulp of Estus, its sizzling warmth traversing my body and revitalizing it. My ankle painlessly stabilized, and only a shadow of the former soreness remained. There was still enough remaining in the flask to tide me over should I get licked by the dragon's flames.

I gave Solaire a final look and made my way onward. I hoped he was right about us meeting again soon. Already I was fond of him. Perhaps I could assist him sometime and repay this debt.

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Hope you enjoyed. Again, if you've any thoughts, comments, suggestions, etc. please leave a review! I'd appreciate any feedback.