In the middle of the balcony was a large arch which led indoors. Walking inside, a hallway lay before them with a spiral staircase in the room beyond. Lex wasted no time in heading to the end of the hall and opening the closed door on the left. Inside was the room Oscar had viewed from the ledge. There was some miscellaneous furniture lying about and a dead fireplace.
At the other end of the room was a bonfire in the middle of the tile floor, standing amidst overturned benches. A knight was seated cross-legged before it, lost in thought.
"Captain!" Oscar shouted, waving.
"Oh, there you are," Solaire said pleasantly.
As Priscilla ducked under the door and then rose to her full height, the warrior of sunlight watched in awe.
"Amazing! You never fail to find interesting companions, do you Oscar? I must confess my own journey has been dull in comparison."
He chuckled a bit and pat the floor beside him.
"Come, there is plenty of room around the bonfire."
"Afraid we can't, Captain," Oscar said quietly. "The witch goddess is out for our blood."
"Why didn't you say so?" Solaire shouted suddenly, rising. "I would relish the chance of fighting such a foe alongside you!"
He looked at them, to the door, then back at them.
"Have you had a falling out with Witch Beatrice? After seeing her strength for myself, I would dread to face her in combat."
"We're not sure what happened to her," Oscar said as he and the others approached the bonfire to refresh. "Apparently, Velka already got her. We don't know if she's still on our side, Velka's side, or hollow."
"Dark news indeed," Solaire said grimly. "I can see your need to hurry."
He approached Priscilla, who was standing near the door since the bonfire would have no effect on her. As he drew close, he tucked his helm under his arm and extended a hand.
"We have not been acquainted, lady goddess. Though I wish we could have met under kinder circumstances, I am Solaire of Astora, an adherent of the Lord of Sunlight."
"I am Priscilla," the crossbreed said nervously, extending a fluffy sleeve. "I am no goddess. I am half-demigod by blood, but my other half is monstrous as thou canst see."
"You are nothing of the sort," Solaire said politely as he tried to find her hand in the folds of the fur.
She quickly withdrew the sleeve before he could make any progress.
"Seek not contact with my flesh! My first victim was my nursemaid when I was a mere babe. This form is a vessel for the power of Lifehunt and little more."
"I see," the knight said grimly. "But no matter how grave this power may be, do not think it is all you are. The circumstances of one's birth are but the beginning. The rest of the story is for you to tell."
"I will…try to keep that in mind," Priscilla said weakly. "I thank thee."
Solaire nodded and turned back to the returning Undead.
"Prophet Lex, what challenges lie ahead? I would prefer to explore the keep through summoning, but if we must hurry, I would appreciate not going in blind."
"Well, I think we can probably bypass most of it thanks to Siegmeyer. The main issue's going to be the boss fight against the Dragonslayer and Executioner. Priscilla wants to try talking first. If we're lucky, we won't have to fight at all. Odds are, though, Ornstein's going to be too much of a stickler for the letter of the Prophecy to listen to us without beating him first.
If that's the case, I need you and Oscar to try and hold him at bay while the rest of us fight Sm- Smoe…Smoff…Smoo…Smao…the fat one. Once he's down, Ornstein will become more powerful, but with five going at him at once, it won't be that big an issue. If you need healing, hide behind one of the pillars and shout for Estus. Oscar, you'll need to keep tabs on that and fight defensively. Solaire, obviously your lightning spears won't hurt Gwyn's Knight-Captain a whole lot, but they'll still be a good distraction if the need arises.
The main threats are usually pretty telegraphed. If either of them jumps, obviously you'll want to get out of the way before they land. Pretty basic stuff since the main difficulty of this test is usually the pressure of fighting the two of them at once. They might break out better moves since there are a lot of us, but maybe they can't because they're old at this point. I don't know how aging works for whatever species they are."
"They are demigods," Priscilla interrupted nervously. "Those who doth command power like the Lords and holdeth mastry o'er souls are considered true gods."
"That seems a little backwards, but okay," Lex said, shrugging. "In any case, I think I've said more or less everything. Don't get impaled – pretty obvious stuff. Let's go ahead and get a move on."
He led them out of the room and into the rectangular chamber to the left. As they walked around the spiral staircase, a Silver Knight rushed them, sword raised high. Solaire and Oscar were quick to action, rushing to the front with shields raised. The Knight's gleaming blade bounced harmlessly off the steel wall, and Priscilla's scythe silently flew over their heads to decapitate the taller demigod. As usual, no blood spilled from the wound, and the Knight's body erupted into souls.
On the other side of the stairwell was a hallway with two doors, much like the previous. Instead of a decorative archway above, there was a second-storey walkway supported by a large pillar. Lex turned to the door on the right and extended his hand invitingly.
"Siegmeyer, if you would."
"I would hate to seem a vandal. Surely, there is another way."
"It's fine. Jekyll and Hyde always Shrek the room they fight in, so there's probably some sort of divine reconstruction team lurking around. Just be careful. There's another Knight on the other side."
"Hm. If a prophet insists…"
The old knight took a few steps back and then rushed the door with his shoulder. Though it was made of strong, magical wood from Oolacile and was more than enough to deflect the blows of impatient Undead, the bolt locking it was mere steel, and it groaned and gave way under the weight of a charging bull. As Siegmeyer stumbled and tried to regain his balance, the spear-wielding Silver Knight directly ahead stepped forward and began to sweep its flanged spear. Lex had bolted through the door as soon as it was clear, and now he sidestepped around Siegmeyer and swung his claymore with both hands, blocking the spear with a dreadful clang. The demigod recovered quickly and backed into the corner with its shield raised.
"For reference," Lex said, cracking his neck as the others entered, "since my usual spell selection wouldn't be useful for this particular fight, I went with something different."
He sheathed his sword and clenched his left hand. It twitched and sparked before bursting outward in a clawing motion. A writhing scarlet flame danced along his palm, and he quickly tossed it into the corner. As the ball of fire flew through the air, it wobbled like a water balloon, and when it struck the Knight, it burst into lava. The molten stone poured over the demigod as it shuddered in agony, giving off a metallic shriek before collapsing and erupting into souls.
"Oh my god, that was way more gruesome than I was expecting."
"What is all this?" Priscilla said faintly.
"I swear I didn't-!"
Lex stopped when he saw she wasn't talking about the Knight-shaped chunk of smoldering rock in the corner but rather was glancing about the room itself. The walls were covered in mounted drake heads in countless colors. They grew in size as they neared the ceiling, with the largest being comparable to the imitation dragon outside the Undead Burg. Priscilla was naturally pale, but now she seemed a little whiter than usual.
"Right," Lex said awkwardly. "This is probably Ornstein's trophy room. I'm guessing this is before the Valley of Drakes was a thing."
He smirked.
"I USE ANTLERS IN ALL OF MY DEEEEE-COOOR-AAAA-TIIIIIING!"
Oscar jabbed him in the ribs.
"I…knew of Sir Ornstein's title," the half-dragon said, swallowing, "but I never had seen such as this. It is…terrifying."
"You knew him, right?" Oscar said cautiously. "He may fight us because of the Prophecy, but he would not treat you as mere game."
"Relax," Lex chimed in. "I mean, I'd think it was a little tacky if I met someone who had a bunch of mounted monkey heads, but…"
"Not helping, Lex," Oscar interjected, removing his helmet and glaring at the cleric.
"Ohhh!" Siegmeyer cried melodramatically. "Knocking over that door threw out my back! I'm afraid I'll have to stay behind! Come along, Priscilla, won't you help an old man back to the bonfire?"
She smiled faintly at the effort but was still ill-at-ease.
"Well," Solaire chuckled, "I don't know about that injury, but there is no reason for you to force yourself to fight the Dragonslayer. I'm sure the three of us can manage! We'll come back to get you when it's all over."
She nodded weakly before following Siegmeyer back out of the door. With the panic over, Oscar turned to look at the other Silver Knight in the room, standing on guard in front of some chests. Throughout the uproar, it had remained stock still.
"Well, that one is certainly disciplined."
"Yeah, he won't come after us unless it's obvious we're going for the crap behind him."
"Impressive, if foolish."
"I should get him one of those ridiculous British guard hats."
"I'm not going to ask."
Oscar put his helmet back on to punctuate the end to the banter.
"Well, this does change things," Solaire said curiously. "How should we adapt our strategy, Lex?"
"We don't," the cleric said, shrugging. "Pornstain is still the biggest danger, so it's safest if the two of you hold him off while I take out Smut. Like I said before, it just becomes a matter of not dying once he's alone. Play it safe, and we don't have anything to worry about. Incidentally, between his legs is a safe place to stand, if a bit awkward."
Solaire laughed heartily, "Well, if you're so inclined, I won't say anything."
"Well, actually, I'm arachnisexual," Lex said as he started up the stairs.
The second storey was more of a viewing platform than a real floor, so the cleric continued through the door, which was directly above the one below it. Now, they were on the walkway they'd seen from below, and Lex turned right and continued up a tall stairway that connected this building to the main one. At the end was a balcony overlooking a truly massive great hall. Lex approached the rail and pointed below, to much larger giant sentinels.
"Right, so these guys are a pain, but they're slow, as expected. There's also a Silver Knight archer on the other side. Basically, we just need to make a mad dash to the fog off to the right. Got it?"
"Understood."
"Loud and clear!"
Lex turned and followed the railing down to a landing before turning about and finishing the stairs. By then, one of the massive guards was plodding toward him. It raised its massive halberd and swung at the base of the stairs, but he hopped over it and rolled past the giant. He rounded a column and rushed up one final massive staircase to an elaborately-carved wooden arch. Seeing Oscar and Solaire close behind him, he pushed through the fog.
Immediately, he hit the ground and rolled out of the way of Ornstein's opening lunge, but the attack never came. He looked up casually.
"Oh, right, the cutscene."
Rather than reacting too early, he was much, much too late. The cathedral was already in ruins. Boulder-sized chunks of pillar and the limbs of Silver Knight statues were scattered across the shattered tile floor, and window glass provided an additional hazard along the sides of the room. The immense figure of Executioner Smough lay broken over the stump of one of the columns, a warrior with hair falling into his eyes standing atop him and twisting a pike through his chest. Nearby, one of the crimson-robed Sealers of New Londo stood frowning, arms crossed.
At the far end of the room was a display where three pedestals were set into the wall. On the center was a statue of the Great Lord himself, and to his left, the Princess. The statue at his right hand was conspicuously absent, though not as a result of the battle. It was before this display that lay the battered form of Dragonslayer Ornstein, sole survivor of the Four Knights who had served the Great Lord. He dragged his broken body toward the statue even as soul energy flowed from the breaks in his lion-headed armor like steam.
Greaves clanked as a figure walked alongside him, eventually overtaking him. Though normally demigods loomed over humans, the opposite happened as the small figure stood between the dying Knight and his Lord.
"Oh? My apologies," the human said, his gravelly voice resonating with the shattered glass.
He stepped aside and then straddled the demigod, grabbing the scarlet plume rising from Ornstein's helmet and jerking his head back. He slung a wicked sickle low with his free hand and slid it under the Dragonslayer's neck.
"Goodnight, kitty-cat," Lautrec hummed.
"Holy-!"
The three Undead immediately turned to face the newcomer.
"We meet again!" Lautrec said, chuckling in the back of his throat.
"You know," Lex began nervously, "I can appreciate killing them at around the same time to avoid the stupid power-up, but this is kind of sadistic. And not in the hot way, like with Quelaag."
While he was speaking, Oscar and Solaire passed through the fog behind him.
"You!" Oscar hissed.
"Me!" Lautrec teased. His tone became serious as he continued, "Out of consideration for the Prophet and that Warrior of Sunlight with whom I so frequently join in, ahem, 'jolly cooperation', I offer you the chance to walk away. The goddess' will be done. If you stand in our way, we will not hesitate to snuff you out like this Age of Fire."
"No bueno."
"I'm afraid I must refuse that offer, Knight Lautrec."
Lautrec said nothing as he stared at them over his shoulder for a few moments.
"So be it!"
He set one foot on Ornstein's back and moved to slice through the demigod's neck, but he snapped to attention as a loud crack echoed through the chamber. The statue of the Great Lord loomed closer and closer. The Knight of Carim was forced to abandon his prey as it toppled over and crushed the Dragonslayer beneath it.
"Just as well!" he snarled. "Hanser! Arnalt! The blue one is mine! Do as you please with the other two!"
He slung his paired shotels to the ready and stomped down the center of the room while the spearman and the sorcerer moved to his wings.
"I will kill him this time, Lex," Oscar said.
"Well, that doesn't help us with learning Fina's agenda, but just so you know, this is where he's supposed to die."
Solaire looked at Oscar but said nothing.
"Right, so let's get this started. Solaire, I have some questions for the sorcerer. Mind if I take him?" Lex said, gesturing with his sword.
"Be my guest," the knight said grimly as he stared down the pikeman.
The cleric nodded in thanks and clawed at the air as he channeled his borrowed soul into Chaos flame. He threw the ball side-armed, and it landed short of the approaching trio, splashing at their feet and forcing them to split up. Lautrec came around one side and the pikeman, Arnalt, the other. The Sealer, Hanser, remained where he was and brandished his spear-like catalyst. Solaire and Oscar approached their respective opponents while Lex likewise stayed where he was and stared at the sorcerer.
"Just FYI, man, Yulva is dead, and Ingward kind of hates you," Lex said apologetically.
The Sealer grimaced.
"How did she pass?"
"Can't say. Blighttown's full of nightmares."
"Ah. She did go, then. I hope she found meaning in it."
"I could ask the Chaos sisters if they know anything."
"If we both survive this, I would appreciate that."
Lex drummed his fingers in the air. Hanser gripped his staff tighter.
"Well, I guess I'll start then," Lex said awkwardly as he took a step forward.
Meanwhile, Lautrec took a step forward onto Oscar's chest. The Astoran's ribs cracked under the pressure, but he was too furious to notice.
"What's the matter? Going hollow?" Lautrec jeered as he pressed harder.
Trying to fight the agile dual-wielder with a massive slab of steel designed to cleave demon flesh wasn't the best decision Oscar had made lately. Lex must have rubbed off on him. He let the Black Knight sword clatter to the ground and grabbed Lautrec's leg with both hands before the other knight could react. With a terrible crash, he threw the Carimin to the ground and spun to his feet, hands grabbing at his belt. In a flash, he had whipped Ricard's rapier to the fore. As Lautrec rose, he fumbled to open his visor and took a swig of Estus, the flame filling his broken chest and making breathing easier.
"You know," Lautrec began, chuckling, "when I saw how much larger your new sword was, I was wondering if you were compensating for something. I'm glad to see you have another that more accurately represents your size."
Oscar inhaled sharply but didn't let the Carimin get to him.
"Not very talkative this time, are you?" Lautrec continued. "Did I hit a sore spot? Don't worry, I'm sure you're a grower and not a shower. Honestly, I doubt anyone could be overcompensating as much as these so-called 'gods.' How insecure must one be to use their souls to outgrow giants?"
"Do you not serve a goddess?" Oscar said at last.
"Oh, yes, but she's the modest type. B-cup. None of that 'my cup runneth over' nonsense."
Oscar lunged forward, but Lautrec batted the blade down and closed the distance, smashing his elbow into Oscar's exposed face.
"Ah ah ah! Safety first! Let's get that visor closed."
Oscar snarled and slammed it shut with his free hand as he unleashed a flurry of strikes. Lautrec was pushed back and nearly stumbled on some rubble.
"You see this ruin, don't you? These gods can't even defend their dead king's palace without tearing it to pieces. And we're supposed to restore their power? No, my friend, the Age of Man has come!"
"Man is no better!" Oscar roared as he slung his shield from his back and onto his arm.
Lautrec's hooked blade reached to rip it away, but the Astoran came with it, smashing into him. Before he could get away, Oscar had stabbed the sword cleanly through his gut.
"I'll be keeping this, then," the rogue knight snarled as he kicked Oscar away, taking the rapier with him.
Oscar slung his shield back onto his back and took a low, wide stance.
"A knight must excel in all forms of combat," he said calmly.
"An unarmed combatant must be many times more skilled than an armed one."
"Try me."
Lautrec rushed in for a quick sideswipe, but Oscar caught the blade on his forearm and grabbed his wrist. Before the Astoran could act, the other sickle whisked through the air. Oscar blocked this one as well, the twin blades slowly digging into his vambraces.
"Many times more skilled than a goddess' champion. I like the sound of that."
"Careful, friend. The goddess doesn't like it when someone else sets hands on her man."
The crossed arms on Lautrec's breastplate creaked as they loosed themselves from their long-held positions. In a flash, they unlocked from their embrace and shot forward, gripping instead around Oscar's throat. His coif provided some protection, but the divinely-enchanted armor was bending the chain and would soon strangle him. Instead of trying to escape and returning the advantage, he pressed forward, trying to take Lautrec to the ground. Suddenly, he got his wish.
The Carimin relaxed suddenly and rolled backward. He kicked and threw all four arms back, tossing the Astoran overhead. Oscar hit the ground hard and had the wind knocked out of him. Lautrec took his feet calmly and finally removed the rapier from his side, shuddering a bit as he pulled it free. He tossed it over his shoulder and relaxed as the embracing arms returned to their resting positions.
"It's over," he hissed. "Leave now, and I will refrain from gutting you like the lifeless fish you are."
Oscar rose unsteadily and reached for his Estus.
"No."
Lautrec lunged forward with a wicked overhand slash, but Oscar waved his finger tauntingly. As the blade came down, he parried with the back of his hand. As Lautrec was thrown off-balance, Oscar grabbed him and spun, throwing him into the window. The glass sprayed over the rogue knight, but he held onto the stone muntin bars on either side. Desperate, Oscar fell into a dead sprint and tried to shoulder Lautrec to his death.
Again, the armor's arms acted over their own volition and dragged the Astoran along as the Embraced tumbled through the air. The fall was rather short, as they landed on yet another buttress. They bounced and then rolled a short distance, sending a shower of shattered tiles to the streets below. Oscar struggled to get free, but Fina's armor just wasn't having it. With nowhere to go, he turned to the offensive, rolling on top and punching Lautrec in the visor repeatedly.
At last, the Carimin got his legs untangled and kicked Oscar away. Oscar scuttled backward a few paces, careful not to slip on the broken tiles. Both knights took their feet uneasily.
"I have the high ground," Oscar said raggedly as he readied his shield again. "Since Lex seems so interested in your motive, I'll let you live if you'll allow yourself to be bound."
Lautrec was surprisingly calm, all things considered.
"The high ground and a higher horse. I'll relish unseating you."
The knight of Carim swept with both his shotels, trying to hook Oscar's feet, but he jumped forward, bashing Lautrec off the narrow ramp with his shield. As the rogue fell, the arm clutching his shoulder grabbed Oscar's wrist. The Astoran grabbed at the side of the buttress frantically, but the smooth tiles provided no purchase.
"I hope you're happy!" he shouted down at Lautrec as his fingers slipped.
The rogue knight simply laughed. Above, there was the sound of feet clattering along the tiles. They skidded to a stop, then started again on some hard surface.
"Looks like your ride's here" Lautrec grumbled.
A fair-skinned demigod with long silver hair tied behind him was rushing down one of the support beams as fast as they were falling. He wore winter clothes in a deep blue trimmed with fur and a long scarf that trailed behind him as he ran. His left sleeve was pinned for lack of an arm, and his left eye was white like he was about to go hollow. He leapt off the beam and grabbed hold of Lautrec, who swore in surprise and struggled to get free. The stranger's hit the side of the keep and dug his feet in, gradually slowing their fall.
The sound of the Silver Knights' arrows shattering the masonry caused Oscar to wince reflexively. Abruptly, his fall was stopped with a sensation like being slammed into a steel cage. He swallowed to avoid screaming from the mass fracturing of his bones and reached for his Estus flask. He was in far too much pain to bother with the visor, so he simply rolled upright and flooded his helmet, coughing and sputtering as it ran up his nose. He stared up into the evening sky absently while he waited for his shattered body to mend.
The knight really wished there was a breeze, but that would be asking for too much in Lordran's frozen time. At last, he sighed and rose to a sitting position as he checked for any injuries that might have lingered. It seemed that he was sitting in a net suspended between two spears that would be large even for demigod use. The man that had grabbed Lautrec was long gone, and there was no sign of the net's origin. He flinched as he heard the sound again.
After a moment, something else seemed to fall in front of him. He quickly ducked as it swung toward him instead. Once it bounced off the wall and lost most of its momentum, he grabbed hold of it. It was a long, knotted rope. He looked up and gave it a tug.
It was affixed to one of the massive spears like the ones suspending the net, and the spear itself seemed firmly embedded in the wall of the keep. Oscar shrugged. This wasn't the strangest thing that had happened since he met Lex, and if it meant he didn't have to fight his way back from the bonfire to the cathedral, he wasn't going to question it. He sighed and grabbed hold of it.
"I should have known someone would make me climb something after all those times Lex said it…"