By the Bonfire: Twisted mind

The Chaldean staff - what few remained alive - steered clear of him as he wandered through the hallways. He took special care to avoid senseless interactions with the Servants here and they seemed to take notice of his aversion to them and steer clear as well.

He could feel their judging looks out of the corner of their eyes though. It wasn't like he had made an effort to hide it, however he had a specific intention in mind as he marched towards his specific target location. His pace remained at a steady walk, neither seen to be in a rush nor dawdling in the hallways needlessly.

He was moving at a perfectly acceptable pace as he approached the entrance to the room.

Rumours had been circulating since his arrival, a few choice whispers here and there and mentions of a previous Singularity on the ocean eventually reached his ears. He cared nothing for some relic which could bleach the world if some Lordkin was sacrificed to it, it frankly seemed to be a waste of good resources. He was more puzzled as to why it was even something that existed in the first place.

Unless it was for when the world became the equivalent of Ariandel. He supposed that was a time when it would be acceptable to reduce the world to nothing. What purpose did a land of no hope truly serve?

No. His interest lay with something else.

Talk of a second Grail they had recovered, however this one was different to the others. Something which had been summoned in much the same way as this 'ark'.

What little information he had overheard had them refer to it as a 'Divine Basin' but the imagery was similar to something he had once read in the archives of Lothric when studying the history of the flame. A relic which dated back to the First Age of Fire and was lost to time as the Ages went on.

If they truly had discovered the Lordvessel, then it was hardly something he could overlook.

His shadow fell upon the door, his wooden hand rose up towards the metallic entrance before he tapped his knuckles three times against the surface, producing a poltile knock. He remained silent for a few moments as he awaited a response of any sort, eventually he heard the hiss of the door and watched as it rose up into the frame.

Da Vinci stepped out and promptly blinked as she stared at her arrival, raising a single eyebrow at the Servant in clear surprise at his presence.

"...Can I help you with something?" She eventually asked.

Sulyvahn tilted his head slightly "Does the concept of wishing someone a 'good morning' not translate between worlds?" he asked with a hidden smirk.

Da Vinci rolled her eyes ``Ah yes, where are my manners." she tapped herself on the forehead before giving an exaggerated smile "Buongiorno!" her voice was equally exaggerated before her expression cooled down into a casual one "Now what can I help you with, Sulyvahn?"

"Hmph." He grunted, then leaned over her and peered into the room "Rumour has it you have come into the possession of a Lordvessel." he idly remarked as he continued to scan the room, he paused when Da Vinci stood on her tiptoes and blocked off his view with an unimpressed expression.

"Does the concept of privacy not translate between worlds?"

Sulyvahn responded with a simple huff and leaned backwards "Amusing." he drawled out "A Lordvessel, do you have one?"

She narrowed her eyes slightly, then leaned back and crossed her arms in front of her chest "Maybe…why?"

"A relic from the First Age of Fire that has been lost to time for an era uncountable shows up…" His smile went unseen but not unheard. "And you don't think that might attract some harmless curiosity?"

"Oh no. I am fully aware that most of what I do in my workshop attracts harmless curiosity." Da Vinci smiled and flicked her hair back "I am a genius after all." her smile died "But I have sneaking suspicions that your curiosity is far from harmless."

"And what has led you to this conclusion?" Sulyvahn amusedly asked "I have been summoned - in much the same way as yourself - to lend my assistance to Chaldea." giving a small shrug, he leaned back and spread his arms wide "I am simply here to lend my expertise."

"Uh huh." She gave him a flat look in response, prompting him to scoff and lower his arms.

"Whatever else you seem to believe, I should point out that our last encounter involved my aiding your group of disorganised thugs and woodland witches on a hunt across a continent to ensure a mad man didn't flood the world with a primordial force of destruction." Scoffing, he gestured to himself "I have yet to do anything to earn any level of suspicion or ill-treatment."

"And yet everyone else who has ever met you has said such colourful things." Da Vinci smiled back "Namely about your lovely treatment of the innocent-"

"Please." Sulyvahn scoffed "The innocent? You must be joking. They were enablers and delusional fools and the world is better off without them in it." crossing his arms, his face creaked in a semblance of a raised eyebrow "Besides, do you think my actions of ensuring the survival of the world are any different from those knights in the floors above who presumably killed just as many on the battlefield in the same of some glorious kingdom?" he paused "Or do you perhaps refer to Havel, who participated in the near genocide of an entire race of beings?"

Da Vinci held up her hand while the other pinched the bridge of her nose "Lets not get into ethical debates as to whether one mode of killing is comparable to another, we'll be here all day otherwise." she looked back at him "So you want to help?"

"That is the sole purpose for my being here, else I would not have answered the call for summoning." Sulyvahn replied in a tone of faint irritation "Unless you have another sorcerer who studied the magic of the Gods hiding somewhere in Chaldea…and I doubt in his current pseudo-hollow state that the exiled Bishop Havel is of any use to you."

Staring at him for a few moments longer, Da Vinci eventually let out an exasperated sigh and turned around, raising her hand and beckoning the Pontiff into the room. "Just be sure not to touch anything, a lot of my projects are delicate."

"Is that treatment reserved purely for myself?"

"No." She answered quickly "I would ask the same of all visitors, if only because I would rather place the safety of my own projects in my own hands."

Sulyvahn hummed in amusement at her statement "You trust no one else with your work but yourself is it?" nodding his head, he took a single step into the room "I can respect that way of thinking. I would behave much the same if someone were to step inside my own private study."

"I understand one of the old rooms has been cleared out for you in regards to that?" The genius idly commented as she walked towards the centre of the room and the table where the Lordvessel was resting.

"Yes, however a study without anything to research is rather pointless." He replied, gazing around the room with his eyeless face "...I suppose I shall simply have to wait until something emerges where my help is…" he trailed off, coming to a stop near one of the work benches and stared at one of the papers on the desk. His brows creaked as they furrowed in interest before he reached out and straightened the paper.

"Oi." Da Vinci called out, earning his attention and drawing it away from the schematics "No sneaking a peak at my projects! You'll ruin the big reveal!"

"Your projects?" He parroted before looking back towards the paper and giving it a more discerning eye "It holds remarkable likeness to a wyvern and yet…" he paused, looking down at the notes lining the design even as Da Vinci rolled her eyes at his blatant decision to ignore her request "...This is a transportation for flight?" he voiced aloud, the genius felt some sense of satisfaction at the way his voice took on a slight hint of awe.

"Only a single seater." The woman crossed her arms and leaned back with a smirk. "And that's just with what materials I have on hand…I'm sure I could make something better with enough time." she straightened out her expression "Now stop looking through-Oi!" she called out again as he gently moved the papers to one side and looked through the others.

"A self powered cart…" His voice became more amazed as his head moved from one to another "And this…a boat which grows once it touches water?"

"Huh?" Da Vinci blinked "Oh, that's just an inflatable raft." she waved her hand "It's impressive but not quite as good as your making it out to be-"

"I disagree…these ideas…" He muttered out, then looked towards her "They're all so…new." he spoke with that tone still filled with awe before he shook his head "The Lordvessel-"

"Amazed by my idea's are you?" Da Vinci teased with a grin, she could feel Sulyvahn deadpan at her "Oh don't be like that!" she placed a hand on her chest and smiled wider "It's only natural to be awed in the presence of a genius!"

"...At the very least, your boasts have merit." Sulyvahn muttered, then looked back at the schematics and made sure to gently return them to their original order "...I wonder if there was ever one like you in the world of fire?" he quietly asked before he shook his head "No…I suspect there wasn't."

"There's only one universal genius." Da Vinci boasted "And you're looking at her."

"Hmmm." Sulyvahn merely hummed in response as he stared at the designs for a few moments longer "The skies were always seen as the domain of the dragons." he spoke after a few moments "Only those who rode upon Wyverns ever reached such places and they were few and far between, even in Lothric."

"As interesting as dragon riding is." Da Vinci shrugged, "I prefer to build my own transportation." she paused "If only to show that I can."

"Hmph." Grunting, Sulyvahn shook his head "Yes…If only to show you can." he let out a long breath before turning back to the Lordvessel "Now then, this is a container designed to hold the power of Lord Souls-"

"Yes, we devised as much." Da Vinci's tone and posture shifted to something equivalent to 'work mode' as she leaned over the table and stared at it "It works in a similar fashion to the Holy Grail in that it is designed to hold large quantities of magical energy."

"Hm." Sulyvahn nodded "Yes, but these were to be the Souls of Lords, no ordinary metal would suffice…" he moved to the table "During my time in the grand libraries of Anor Londo, much of the information described it as both the greatest and final work of Trahaearn before his death." he reached out and tapped the rim of the basin "The Titanite used is the purest quality that has ever been used by the Gods, infused with the strength of the Smith God's own soul as well…or so the archives tell you."

"Are they reliable?"

"They were meticulous." Sulyvahn replied "As the only source of information which remained untouched by the cycles, they were the greatest reservoir of knowledge to be found in any land. The building itself was under the same manner of spell as the Bottomless Boxes."

Da Vinci blinked "Bigger on the inside then?" she hummed as Sulyvahn nodded. "I've been able to determine that they touched upon some form of spatial alteration, shifting the volume of the interior to be greater than the exterior…however I haven't worked out how the weight was dealt with."

"It's a localised breach into a differing plain of existence." Sulyvahn explained "I suppose an example would be the Painted Worlds being a different world altogether but I myself rarely had the motivation to study my old home." The grimace was audible "Regardless, the space within the Bottomless Box shifted in accordance with what was placed within it."

Da Vinci tilted her head "Shifted?"

"Akin to filling up a waterskin." Sulyvahn explained "The bag expands as water is poured into it, however unlike the waterskin it will continually expand."

"You're simply causing the boundary of the dimensional pocket to expand as it fills it." She hummed "I see…quite clever. You were saying?"

"Ah, yes." Sulyvahn nodded "A normal vessel of Titanite was ill suited to contain the power of a Lord Soul, even one which had been split as Gwyn's had. Most suspect that his infusion of his own soul is what led to Trahaearn's death. That aside, the Lord Vessel could hold the strength of the Lord Souls of every ancient ruler…with the notable exception of one."

"One?"

"Hmm." Sulyvahn nodded "However, whether the Dark Soul was a Lord Soul to begin with or just a product of Humanity is not something I ever discovered…" he let out a hollow laugh "The Gods were apparently unwilling to discuss the origins of humanity within their grand archives…That aside, this will hold a tremendous deal of magical energy within it that far exceeds that of your…" he gestured towards her "Holy Grails?"

"We figured as much as well." Da Vinci nodded "...Apparently it could also be used to transport between Bonfires."

Sulyvahn stared at her in silence for a few moments "That was one of its recorded uses, yes…the bonfires were Avatars of the First Flame and the Lord Vessel was supposed to be used to grant access to the sight where the Flame manifested at the dawn of time so it is understandable it would be linked with the bonfires in some way."

"Can it be used outside of that purpose?"

"Transportation between Bonfires became possible without it." Sulyvahn admitted "They are anchor points in the world, centred upon Ley Lines." he turned to the woman "The spellwork lay within the Bonfires themselves and creating one…requires something we lack. The First Flame."

Da Vinci clicked her tongue "That sounds like a predicament."

"I would phrase it as a blessing." Sulyvahn remarked "However, transportation spells were not unusual. Princes Lothric and Lorian were both skilled in the art, however their's was more…short range."

"I was thinking of something from Chaldea to the Singularity once a connection had been established." Da Vinci remarked "I've already been modifying the summoning stones for a connection-"

"Ah yes, that would work." Sulyvahn nodded "From what I understand, the 'Singularities' are points in time experiencing distortion from the regular flow of History? An ideal location for the summoning stones to perform."

"The connection was stable but it only lasted a few minutes."

"They were only designed to last until the Heir of Fire or Host of Embers had been slain." Sulyvahn shrugged "Such an individual was usually the focus of the summoning and without it they were no longer needed."

"True, but it wouldn't do for a Servant to vanish in the middle of a fight."

"No. That would be unfortunate." The Pontiff rumbled in agreement "The summoning stones linked themselves to the Host of Embers in the event of an invasion or a call for aid. They would remain as long as the anchor point remained active."

"In this case, that would be Fujimaru."

"But he is already supporting Servants within the actual summoning…" Sulyvahn nodded, then paused and stared at the Lord Vessel "How were you able to power the summonings the first time around?"

"I used the Chaldean Generator as the anchor point but I didn't want to risk overloading it." The genius admitted "We're already running with less power than we'd like and even with the Holy Grails to act as a battery, I don't want to risk overloading and destroying one of the generators when we don't have the parts to repair it."

"As you say…" Sulyvahn nodded "...Perhaps using the Lord Vessel as an anchor."

"That would require you to take it into the Singularity." Da Vinci pointed out "If what you said was true…"

"Yes, but I was able to modify the summoning crystals for communication, provided a receiving crystal was present." The Pontiff explained "If he were to have a summoning Crystal, all he would need do is have it in his possession and call down the Servant he needed." he pointed at the Lordvessel "We could offset the magical cost by utilising the power which remains within this, or any one of the other Holy Grails you have recovered."

Da Vinci blinked, then slowly nodded her head "It could work…but that doesn't change the time requirements, the summoning system is still much shorter than what we would prefer."

"From my understanding, the Holy Grail within the Singularity is the focal point of the temporal distortion?" At her nod, he continued on "In that case-"

"We would classify it as the equivalent of a 'Host of Embers' and until it was recovered the summoning would remain stable." She nodded "And the durability of the summons?"

"It was a calling of Spirits from across time, however the spirits themselves were only partially stabilised within the world, which is why they required an anchor point. Even then, they would experience some manner of restriction upon them."

"Like shadow Servants." Da Vinci murmured "Still. The ability to summon a Servant - even if weakened - at any given moment is certainly something not to be overlooked."

"There were other restrictions." Sulyvahn pointed out "The summons usually could not stray far from the Host…perhaps less than a hundred metres or so."

"Hmmm. Not good for scouting but good if you're in a pinch." Da Vinci muttered out "Anything else?"

"He would still need their name." Sulyvahn pointed out "It is a call across worlds…and one he himself cannot make. It must be a voluntary action and Red Eye orbs will not suffice." he warned "Else your Servants will be unable to leave until they slay the boy or are killed."

"Charming." Da Vinci muttered "So we need some sort of tablet for him to use where he can call Servants with?" the woman cupped her chin "Some manner of summoning programme where he can just open up a list and click on whichever Servant he needs at a time-"

"Again, a summoner could only call upon two spirits to aid him." He paused, "Whether or not you can achieve more than that, I do not know."

"Two sounds like plenty." The woman replied "And I already have some ideas…" she chuckled, rubbing her hands together "Yes…some idea's indeed."

"Hmm." Sulyvahn grunted and leaned back "In any event…you seem more knowledgeable about the Lordvessel than I would have assumed." his face creaked into a frown "I doubt the unkindled was very informative, considering this had been destroyed in ages before he was likely ever born."

Da Vinci remained silent as Sulyvahn stared at her.

"So…I have to wonder who had the intellect to speak of this to you…I suppose Havel is a likely candidate." He muttered "Although he was exiled following the Occult rebellions…and the Lordvessel came into existence shortly before the fall of Izalith. So he is no longer a candidate."

"You seem to already have your answer."

"I know…what I don't have is the motive." He growled "Why is Gwyndolin here?"

She shrugged "I'm not sure. For the same reason as the other Servants, I assume-"

"Don't be stupid." Sulyvahn cut her off "Gwyndolin cares not one iota for humans or the world of man. He's a God and if there is one thing that has proven true throughout all of history, it is that the Gods care nothing for the woes of man."

"Well…I can't speak about his reason for being here." Da Vinci shrugged her shoulders and looked back at the Lordvessel "He hasn't spoken much to anyone although he informed me on some of the Lordvessels characteristics, so he has at least proven helpful."

"And he asked for nothing in return? No tribute? No demands for thanks?"

"Nope."

Sulyvahn frowned, turning away from her and swiftly departing the room. The genius watched him leave before she sighed and shook her head.

"Never a boring moment around here…I probably should inform someone about that though."

It's cold outside.

Terribly cold.

It's always cold though. It's always cold…and it's always lonely.

"Child…where have you gone to now?"

His head turns as his mothers voice drifts through the icy winds, turning towards the voice he can hear her calls turn more desperate.

"Child! It's awfully cold out, come back!"

He takes a deep breath and walks back through the snow, its bites at his skin. So cold it burns him, every step feels like agony. The icy chill which clings to his body and never leaves, he can't remember the last time he ever - or if he ever - touched anything warm.

Warm…

What is warmth? He's heard about it but it's about fire-

Mustn't think about fire.

Fire is bad…mother always said so. Fire is evil…but he doesn't know what evil is. Mother does though.

'Evil is everything that isn't here.'

But…does that mean that there is a place that isn't here?

Mother never answers that part. There's always been here. All that is present is here. There's never been anything but here.

So…why does he know what the cold is? Shouldn't he be like the others?

He can feel his sight drift to the husks as he drags himself through the snow, it takes effort as his legs sink to the knees with every step. The husks don't mind. However he's smaller than they are.

He's a sapling and they're…

Mother calls them undead but doesn't say anything more.

Those figures look more like him than mother does but mother never talks about it.

Those figures dressed in dark clothing with the pointed metal helms.

They carry fire…

But mother says fire is bad and evil.

Does that make them evil?

But the evil men never once look at him, they just wander without any purpose.

Everyone is like that. No one speaks to him except mother…

And Sister Friede.

Sister Friede says fire is evil too. That all they need is the cold and the cold is the only thing that will ever keep them safe.

…

He doesn't like the cold.

But he doesn't want to tell them that, because they like the cold. The cold is good and he doesn't want to be seen as evil.

He's a good boy. He'll get used to the cold, he doesn't want to be evil. He doesn't want to be evil.

He winces as he feels another chill bite at his skin, a strong breeze pushes him over. The snow wraps around his body as he falls forwards.

It hurts but he doesn't want to scream out. If he screams out they'll know he doesn't like the cold.

He holds in his scream, pushing himself back up and staring at his arms. He can see the cold clinging to them. His skin has turned a hard, the specks of green on his body are withering away.

Mother says that's normal for saplings like him.

All their green will eventually die.

…It hurts. The cold hurts but he won't complain.

He pushes onwards, ignoring the pain in his body as he continues his advance. It's the same journey every single day. He always travels through the woods and past the wolves to the cliff.

He's done it since he could learn to walk.

He wants to go beyond the cliffs but he's not allowed yet. When he's bigger, at least that's what his mother says.

He stops, something else is new.

He remembers every single person in this journey, they all remain the same.

Ten wolves and fifteen of the pointy men. They've remained that way ever since he started this journey.

So…

Who is this man with the strange cloak on his head? It's a different colour to the others, brighter than theirs but different. His attire is different too with a long wisp of white hair coming down his face.

He's new.

The man walks through as if searching for something…he pauses and turns in the direction of the boy.

"...A child?" His voice croaks, it's old, much older than mothers. "I wonder…what did you lose to come here?" there's something in the old voice. The armoured figure turns to him.

He takes a step back causing the old voice to pause.

"Fear not, child…I am not here to bring harm to you." The old voice calls out, its caring…It's like mothers but different.

Truth.

He doesn't know how he knows it…but the old voice doesn't mean him harm.

He stops, staring back at the old voice.

"Hmmm…" The old voice hums "Best be on your way boy…It's cold out here…it would not do for you to succumb to this chill." the old voice pauses, as if staring closer "You are not lost, are you?"

"N-no." He calls back, his voice shakes although whether that's from the cold or fear he can't tell.

"Good." The old voice croaks back, turning away from him and wandering back into the blizzard.

He almost doesn't want the old voice to go. He's new…he doesn't want this to slip through his fingers. The old voice is new…

"Child!" His mothers wails cut through the air and drag his attention back towards the direction of his home. He looks between the two of them, the old voice has vanished into the blizzard.

But…he wants to follow the voice.

He lets out a shaky breath, turning towards the cries of his mother and beginning his trek up the hill. He can find the old voice tomorrow.

He pauses, a sense of purpose fills him.

He has something to do tomorrow. The thought excites him that for just a moment - just a brief moment - he forgets about the chill in the air.

He climbs to the stop of the hill, he can see his mother in the distance, her body turns towards him with her branch like arms extended out as if to embrace him.

"There you are child!" Her voice contains relief, he approaches her as she stares down. "I'm glad you're safe."

Truth.

Her arms lean down, entangling around his body and drawing him into a hug.

"I'm fine, Mother." He responds back with as much affection as he can muster for her. He hasn't the heart to tell her that her hugs hurt. He can feel her limbs dig into his barky skin already peeling from time in the cold.

"Thank goodness…" She whispers "I'm nothing without you."

Lie.

He spent much of his time wandering the halls of Chaldea - taking special care to avoid the areas which he knew Havel frequented - without much in the way of success. The Pontiff eventually came to a halt in the hallway, letting out an annoyed growl before continuing on his way.

Who would have thought that finding the God would prove so irritable?

He continued to wander the hallway until he came upon another junction, he knew for a fact that the right one led towards the simulator, the left one led to the-

"Bwah!?"

He mechanically turned his head towards the noise, finding himself staring down at a boy with bright pink hair wearing some manner of knightly armour staring up at him with wide surprised eyes.

"Whoah!" He pointed at them "Were you also cursed to become a tree as well?" he asked with an excited expression "Same!" he moved closer and grabbed his arms, shaking him lightly "I spent some time trapped as a tree as well, trust me it was very boring but then it got a little peaceful…then back to be boring and then back to-"

"Unhand me." Sulyvahn growled as he pulled his arms free and stepped away from the eccentric Servant "What is wrong with-"

"Ah, right!" The boy tapped himself on the forehead "No introductions from me! How rude? I am Astolfo, one of the Paladins of Charlemagne and the cutest Servant in Chaldea!" he spread his arms wide, grinning from ear to ear.

"...Pontiff Sulyvahn." He replied slowly "What is-"

"Whoah! You're a tree pope! That's awesome!" He laughed "Oh, oh! What type of religion do the tree's have? Because I never asked the tree's when I was alive if they had a religion even when I was trapped as one which really seems odd-"

"I'm not a tree. I'm a spirit-"

"Ah, a fae! That makes a lot more sense." Astolfo nodded his head "Although now I'm wondering if tree's do have religions or not…ah, well! So…" he paused, then narrowed his eyes at the Pontiff "Wait a second…you feel like a bad dude."

"...What?"

"A bad guy!" Astolfo pointed an accusing finger at him "Like the sort who does a lot of shady stuff! No offense, but you've even got the look nailed down for a generic villain."

Sulyvahn stared at him in silence.

"Trust me, I've got a nose for this sort of thing." Astolfo grinned as he tapped the sensory organ for reference "Although Bradamante was waaay better at that sort of thing but let me guess…you're a Caster!"

"..."

"Nope! Don't bother answering, I already know! Call it a gut feeling or something and-hey! Don't walk away, we were just getting started and-Hey! Don't speed up!"

"So then that ended up with Roland stripping down to nothing and sprinting around the countryside." Astolfo rattled on without showing any signs of stopping.

Sulyvahn glared at the boy out of the corner of his eye, briefly considering if he could get away with killing him.

"Then there was what started it all my journey to the moon to save Orlando's brain…now that was a story and a half, let me tell you!"

"Shut. Up." Sulyvahn growled out, turning to the boy "What do you want and why are you following me?"

"Huh?" Astolfo blinked, then scratched his head "Um…I think I was meant to do something about you but I can't remember what…ehm…I think it involved Linny?"

"Linny?" Sulyvahn frowned "What sort of name is Linny?"

"Gwyinny? Was that it? No…Gwynlin?"

"Gwyndolin." Sulyvahn corrected him, raising an eyebrow "Your mission came in regards to Gwyndolin?"

"Yeah! I was supposed to keep you away from the library to avoid…causing…a…oh…" The boy trailed off as he realised what he said "Eh…oops? Don't suppose you could forget that?"

"Quite the contrary." Sulyvahn span on his heel and moved back through the hallways "You have been most helpful."

Astolfo remained behind, cringing as he watched the spirit wander through the hallways in the direction of the elevator which would take him to the same floor as the library.

"Ah…oops." The Paladin bit his lip before scratching his head "Who was I supposed to call if this happened again?" he paused before shrugging "I'm sure Master will know." He spoke aloud, skipping through the hallway in the opposite direction.

Gwyndolin skipped through another page in silence, the God could feel Medusa occasionally glance at him out of the corner of his eyes.

If he was being honest, being in the same room as her right now was more than a little uncomfortable. In fact, being in the same room as anyone who had seen that display was downright agonizing. Something he would rather erase from the minds of everyone present.

What was worse was when he caught them staring at him with a look of pity. That was something he absolutely didn't want nor desire in any way shape or form.

He was a child of Gwyn.

He should have won that match and instead he was treated like some common Silver knight-

No…it was worse than that.

Then there was the matter of being humiliated in front of the exile and the deserter Flann. Apparently in whichever life he lived, he was forever destined to be the object of suffering. He was more used to that than he imagined however.

He paused in his reading as a familiar feeling flooded across his body, his heightened senses picked up the approach of a Servant. One who was making absolutely no effort to cloak themselves. Not that Gwyndolin imagined they would want to.

He already knew which Servant was approaching, he had long since been expecting this since he learned they had also been summoned. He supposed they must only just have been made aware of his presence here otherwise they would have come earlier.

Closing his book shut with a gentle thump, he placed it on the table at his side before he rested his hands upon his lap and fixed his attention straight onwards. Not bothering to look towards the door, even as he heard it hiss open and the footsteps of his visitor closed in.

He saw Medusa look up from her book and tracked something moving across the room towards him, he felt the presence come to a halt behind him which was corroborated by Medusa seemingly staring at something behind him.

"I suspect thee would wish to depart, Lady Medusa." Gwyndolin spoke out in a calm - perhaps subtly amused voice - as he still did not turn around "For this will likely disturb thy reading."

The woman continued to stare at the pair in silence before a gentle sky escaped her and she rose to her feet "...Don't start a fight in here." she warned the pair "Master will be displeased."

Gwyndolin merely hummed in response, prompting the former Goddess to stare at the individual behind him before she shook her head and walked towards the door, not before placing her book upon one of the coffee tables. The door once again hissed open before shutting behind her with a thud which may as well have been a roar.

"I was beginning to wonder what kept you." Gwyndolin began, looking down at his hands "You always were punctual…although perhaps you were simply afraid to stand before your better once again."

"Prince Gwyndolin." Sulyvahn replied as he stepped around from behind the God, moving into his field of vision and staring down at him. "Well…I suppose the title of prince might be in limbo." the Pontiff continued on with a hint of venomous amusement "Considering the result of your unfortunate encounter with your lunar counterpart."

Gwyndolin's eyebrows twitched behind his helm.

"Still…I assume if your family were still alive they would be quite pleased they finally had the princess of the night they longed for." He chortled on, stepping towards the seat Medusa had been sitting in and placing himself down within it, directly opposite the God. "So a victory of some variety."

"Ah, Sulyvahn…" Gwyndolin mused with an utterly hollow smile "That biting wit of yours remains as sharp as ever."

"I recall my wit was quite popular among the knights." He replied with a smug voice "They were quite taken with my humour."

"Yes. Perhaps you missed your true calling as a jester."

"Hmhmhm." Sulyvahn rumbled a low chuckle "How generous of you to offer advice to my career…I'm glad you found my personality so warm as to even think of me as an entertainer to the masses."

"I suppose most insects are capable of surviving in the strangest of environments." Gwyndolin remarked before he assumed an expression of faux realisation "It also occurs to me that mold is also a hardy form of life. Perhaps you did have relatives back in Anor Londo…in the damp corners of the wine cellar."

"Perhaps it was not me who missed his true calling as a jester?" Sulyvahn remarked "I imagine the role would have suited you better than that of a ruler. Your deformity would have served you well…perhaps your legs might have been able to juggle for the children. I've read that travelling circus acts used to have a wide variety of animals…you have the advantage that your pet beasts are always with you."

"Such sincere praise…" Gwyndolin smiled back, even as his snake legs hissed towards the Pontiff.

"I try." Sulyvahn chuckled in response "Still…you appear to have made yourself at home here…secluded away in some dark corner and out of the sight of everyone else." he mused as he scanned his surroundings "How fitting. We all seem to fall back onto what brings us comfort."

"Yes, such as worms using their wiles to infiltrate their betters." Gwyndolin replied back "I suppose this is better suited for you as well, given your past experience of espionage."

"Hardly an achievement." Sulyvahn remarked with a shrug "Between your apathy and the delusional belief of the others that no one would dare to question the mighty words of the Gods it was simple to infiltrate your rankas and easier still to deal with you."

"You have always been talented at dancing around the true goal, Sulyvahn." Gwyndolin looked towards him "So - just this once - as proof of my magnaminty, I shall answer whatever question you have with complete honesty."

"...Really?" Sulyvahn gave an incredulous scoff.

"It is hardly a surprise my word might be worth more than a base cur like yourself." Gwyndolin smiled back at him "I am a God, after all."

"In much the same way the runt of the litter is still a wolf, perhaps." Sulyvahn bit back before he leaned into his chair "But I shall humour you. Why are you here?"

"Why?" Gwyndolin tilted his head ever so innocently "What do you mean? I am here for the same reason the other Servants are present. Called forth to lend our hand for the survival of humanity-"

"Don't." Sulyvahn cut him off sharply "Don't think to mock me with that pitiful act. You couldn't deceive me on your best day and those have long since passed you by."

"Then I confess." Gwyndolin raised his hands while his lip danced with a knowing smile "I have not the knowledge of what you refer to."

"You don't care in any way about the survival of humanity." Sulyvahn spat "You and your entire accursed bloodline, all your fanatical cultists and sympathisers. You all thought of humans as nothing more than servants to your grand and glorious fire. More than willing to doom them just so long as your little campfire kept sputtering on."

"Is this where you confess your undying love for humans, Sulyvahn?" Gwyndolin mocked, earning a growl from the Pontiff.

"I couldn't care either way." He snapped back "But what I cared about - more than anything else - was the World Logic. Everything that begins, must end and you…you all trod upon that basic fact with the belief you were somehow greater than the most basic principle of the planet." he stabbed a finger at the God "With arrogance incomprehensible, you would drown the world in stagnation and ruin…just so you could claim you were still at the top of the wastes."

Gwyndolin leaned back into his chair further, tilting his head in obvious boredom at the rant.

"I devoted everything. To undo your damage." Sulyvahn went on "It was my life's work…I crawled out of their infernal frozen pit of desolation to a new world on the verge of the same. I spent every moment I could planning to drag the world forwards into the next age…so we could reach this moment."

"Where we are both dead?"

"No!" Sulyvahn snapped "Where something new could emerge. That woman in the study has plans that I could never dream of…a sense of fresh perspective untainted by the influence of you or your fire." he laid his hand back on his armrest "And you think you can come here and just fight for everything you stood against for Ages?"

Gwyndolin let out a tired breath as Sulyvahn continued on.

"You think that upholding world logic is some mere hobby? That you might just take up the goal as if it doesn't fly in the face of everything you believed?" He growled out and leaned forwards "So why? Why are you here? Where does this arrogance of yours birth itself that you think you can just steal away what I-"

"I have nothing left because of you." Gwyndolin cut him off, similarly leaning forwards in his chair "Everything I worked for. Everything I believed in for…" he shrugged "Who knows how many hundreds of thousands of years anymore. All rendered nothing because of you. Anor Londo…was my life." he admitted "Without it…I am nothing."

The God's lip twitched slightly "So when I was summoned back to life…I had nothing to use to push myself onwards. I just considered ending it and returning to the nothing from whence I came…until you showed up at the island." his smile turned sharp. Bitter. "I truly thought about killing you, then and there and being done with it…but that isn't revenge, Sulyvahn. You hadn't lost everything yet."

Sulyvahn stared back at him in silence.

"I knew there would have to be something that motivated you. The distortion in History was proof enough that there was indeed something wrong with the world." A cold chuckle parted from his lips "But when I heard that all of humanity had been burned away to nothing? That was indeed something that birthed an idea in my mind."

He slowly rose from his chair "You are right. I don't care about humans. Whether they live or die is really no concern of mine. I know you don't really care about them either but what you care about - more than anything - is the 'World Logic'." he stared down at Sulyvahn "And before I knew it…the perfect revenge fell right into my hands without me even needing to do anything."

He leaned down "Because it's hardly a natural passing for them all to be burned away in an instant. Not when there is still so much possibility within them…these petty little creatures. So I knew that if you were summoned, you'd devote your life to seeing them restored if only to fulfil your desire this time."

"So what is it you intend to do?" Sulyvahn asked quietly, then gave an amused huff "Kill the boy? Prevent them from restoring humanity?"

"What?" Gwyndolin blinked at him behind his helm, then shook his head "Oh no Sulyvahn. I'm not going to kill him." he leaned down to the Pontiff, his voice dropping into a whisper "I'm going to help him."

"...What?"

"Yes. I'm going to help them restore their humanity." He leaned back, smiling venomously "I'm going to ensure that their World Logic is upheld and they continue on with their petty little lives…and do you know why?"

"..."

"I'm going to do it…just to overshadow you." Gwyndolin's smile vanished "Everything you think of achieving, I will do better. Everything you try to accomplish. I will do it first. Any aid you try to provide…I will have already given freely. Not because I care for these humans in any way." he shrugged "But just so you can't."

"..."

"Do you understand, Sulyvahn? I'm going to steal your reason for living…Piece by piece until you have nothing left for you. I'm going to fulfil your dream for you. I'm going to make sure that your name is nothing more than a footnote by the time this story reaches its conclusion. The actions, the second life of Sulyvahn…will amount to nothing."

Turning away from Sulyvahn, he slowly made his way towards the door "That is my revenge, Sulyvahn. I will leave you, just as you left me. With nothing left to your name but word of mouth passed by those who remain behind, if they ever think to remember you."

"You should relax, Sulyvahn." Gwyndolin called back to him as the door opened up, the God turning around to stare at the Pontiff as he remained seated in his chair "I'm going to fulfill that request you made so long ago. I'm going to save the world. So you should smile at least…you're finally going to get your wish."

The door closed behind him, leaving the Pontiff alone in the room with no one but himself.

Sulyvahn's head thudded against the back of his chair as he rested against it, staring blankly at the room.