A/N: This chapter is the last one of the flashback, I didn't intend for it to be over 5k words but somehow it is, even though I tried everything to make it as fast as possible. So apart from that, enjoy.
Somber entered the dimly lit workshop, where Andre hammered a longsword. The air smelled of freshly cut wood, and curiosity filled Somber as he approached.
"Well, hello again. You seem to be doing all right. Need anything forged?" Andre's words took Somber by surprise. He had assumed the blacksmith was deeply focused on his work.
"I do," Somber said as he unsheathed his Drake sword and gave it to Andre. "This hunk of junk keeps dulling without me using it that much."
"Huh, the nice thing about weapons...they never betray you. So pay them a little respect, eh?" Andre replied.
"Oh sorry, well it has saved me a bunch. Even from that 6 headed creature." Somber said, catching the Blacksmith's attention.
"You killed the Hydra? Nice work!" The blacksmith replied enthusiastically.
"So that's what it was named, well it wasn't too difficult with this shield." He pointed to the grass crest shield on his arm. "Without it, I wouldn't have made it for sure!" Somber said enthusiastically, realizing he would have been dead if he hadn't slain it.
"Well, here's your weapon, good as new," Andre said, handing the sword to Somber. "If you want anything more, just tell me."
"Hmm... Oh! I found this from the demon thing right outside your room." He handed Andre the Demon Titanite.
"Ahh, why, that's a Demon Titanite, it is used to upgrade powerful weapons," Andre said, Somber appearing to be slightly surprised.
"Well, I don't have any use for it, so you can have it if you want," Somber said.
"I'd gladly take it, thank you," Andre replied, pleased with the offer.
"Well, I better get going now. Farewell!" Somber said as he began to walk away from Andre, giving him a small wave and smiling a bit under his helmet.
"I'll be seeing you then. Be careful out there." Andre replied, waving back at Somber.
Somber climbed the wooden stairs, sat by the bonfire, and contemplated his next move. Recalling Frampt's words, he decided to journey to Anor Londo in search of the Duke's archives, where he aimed to confront and defeat Seath for the lord soul.
After Somber had made up his mind, he reached his hand over the flame and pictured the bonfire with the firekeeper in Anor Londo.
Once Somber had overcome the initial nausea from the teleportation, he climbed the stairs that led out of the room containing the bonfire. Upon reaching the top, he turned left, aiming to enter the building, swiftly passing the stone sentinels before coming to a stop inside the building.
Somber paused, taking a moment to survey his surroundings before ultimately opting to turn to the right. Somber stood before a staircase and decided to ascend its steps. When he reached the balcony at the top, a stone sentinel wielding a halberd unexpectedly struck him, catching him off guard.
Somber took a quick sip from his Estus flask and retaliated against the sentinel. He used the special ability of his weapon and charged towards it, delivering two slashing strikes before the sentinel fell.
After dispatching the sentinel, Somber climbed more stairs and discovered a path leading to a tunnel.
As Somber entered the tunnel, the sound of his footsteps reverberated off the walls. He moved cautiously, keeping his guard up. Rounding a corner, he suddenly came face to face with a sizable hog on the opposite end of the tunnel. The hog immediately noticed him and charged straight at him.
After dealing with the two hogs in the tunnel, Somber found himself in an exceptionally tall chamber. In its center, a bonfire flickered, casting an eerie glow. Across from the entrance stood an elevator.
Somber approached the bonfire, igniting it, and took a moment to rest, allowing his estus to replenish. Once replenished, he stood and made his way onto the waiting elevator, riding it upward.
After stepping off the elevator, Somber was ambushed by crystal hollows. They swung their weapons at him, but he expertly parried their attacks. Somber quickly dispatched them. As he did, he raised his shield to protect himself from the arrows fired by the archer hollows.
After dealing with all the crystal creatures in the room, Somber examined his weapon, which had become extremely dulled to the point where it could no longer cut. With a sigh, he cast his eyes downward, spotting a pendant on the floor. Although it appeared broken, he felt an inexplicable attraction to it. After picking it up, Somber carefully stowed it in his pocket and returned to the elevator, riding it back down.
After another visit to Andre, Somber had all but abandoned the idea of navigating the Archives. If just three crystal hollows could render his weapon as dull as a butter knife, he figured he'd rather face them with his bare hands. He decided to seek out one of the other four lords and collect their lord soul instead. He reasoned that he could always return for Seath's later.
Somber resolved to face the Bed of Chaos, as it appeared to be the most promising option for some reason. Now, the only challenge was locating it. He opted to test his luck by using bonfires to warp around.
After promptly vomiting on his second warp, Somber collected himself before taking in his surroundings. He discovered he was in the fiery expanse known as the Demon Ruins, situated just beyond the Bell of Awakening.
Somber didn't have a clue about this place, but it was uncharted territory for him, which piqued his interest.
As he navigated the scorching terrain, he came across numerous dilapidated structures that seemed to lead somewhere. After following the path for a while, he reached a cliff edge with a sweeping view of the ruins, now submerged in a sea of molten lava. Turning to his right, Somber was taken aback as he beheld the colossal creature perched just off the cliff. It appeared to be oozing lava from its form, inundating the ruins in its fiery wake.
The creature, while initially non-hostile, gave Somber an uneasy feeling. He proceeded cautiously, maintaining his guard as he moved past it. Upon reaching the path's end, he stumbled upon an ancient stone altar. Resting atop it was a set of enigmatic armor, a voluminous black robe adorned with delicate golden accents at the hem of its fabric. Somber felt a magnetic pull towards it, and his curiosity got the better of him. He carefully picked up the robe, a sense of foreboding creeping over him.
As soon as he lifted the robe from its resting place, the once-docile creature's demeanor shifted dramatically. It let out an otherworldly roar and flung its molten arms in Somber's direction. Instinctively, he rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the creature's fiery grasp. Panic surged through him as he scrambled to his feet and sprinted back along the path from which he had come, the creature in relentless pursuit.
As Somber fled, each step sent tremors through the ground, matching the creature's furious roars that reverberated in his ears. He darted through an opening in the cliff, a narrow path that offered a precarious escape. Just as he thought he might have gained some distance, the creature made a desperate lunge. It missed him by mere meters, its bulk hurtling past and barely catching hold of the cliff's edge with one massive hand.
Seeing the creature's desperate grip on the cliff's edge, Somber seized the moment. He sprinted back, summoning all his strength for a powerful strike at its hand. Again, and then once more, relentless in his assault until the creature's grasp weakened and it plummeted from the edge of the cliff. As the colossal being turned to ash, a transformation swept over the terrain. The once-raging sea of lava receded, unveiling the entirety of the ruins.
Somber approached the edge of the cliff and looked down in awe. The molten tide that had once threatened to consume everything now flowed away, revealing the ruins below.
After reaching the entrance bonfire of the ruins again, Somber noticed a new path had opened up. Despite being infested with demons, he decided to press on in the hope of finding one of the lords below.
As Somber descended the slope, he couldn't help but notice the increasing number of egg-ridden hollows. He chose to avoid them, not wanting to disturb their eerie stillness. The further he went, the more the searing heat of the ruins pressed in around him, making each step feel like a struggle against an invisible force.
After a while, he reached the point where the once-molten lava had solidified into jagged rock formations. Carefully, he made his way across the expanse, the ground still radiating a residual warmth that seemed to seep through the soles of his boots.
Finally, he ascended a weathered ledge, and there, before him, loomed the imposing figure of a Capra demon. The heat from the surrounding ruins seemed to intensify in response to the demon's presence, creating an oppressive atmosphere that hung heavily in the air. Somber's heart pounded in his chest, the combined effect of the scorching environment and the menacing foe that stood before him.
"I have a very bad feeling about this..." Somber muttered, before rushing in to battle the demon.
With a ferocious roar, the Capra demon lunged forward, its blades slicing through the air in an attempt to strike Somber. Quick as ever, Somber skillfully dodged the lethal assault, narrowly avoiding the demon's deadly blades. As the demon attempted to withdraw its weapons from the ground, Somber seized the opportunity, striking with precision.
His blade cut through the demon's skin, causing it to howl in agony. Somber followed up with two more quick slashes, leaving deep gashes in the demon's flesh. The creature staggered, its strength waning, and moments later, it collapsed to the ground, defeated. The heat of the ruins seemed to abate slightly as the life left the demon, leaving Somber standing victorious, though still immersed in the sweltering heat of the accursed place.
Despite his lingering unease, Somber pressed onward, carefully descending the path that the Capra Demon had previously guarded. The relentless heat caused him to sweat profusely, making each step a laborious effort. His senses were on high alert as he scanned the path ahead.
Then, as he gazed into the sweltering distance, his eyes widened in disbelief. Before him lay a scene that sent a shiver down his spine—a group of four Capra Demons, all lined up within what appeared to be a dilapidated hall of ruins. The sheer number of them left Somber momentarily stunned, causing him to drop his guard for a fleeting moment.
He felt an explosion of pain in his abdomen as he was kicked to the ground, causing everything in his vision to go black. He now found himself in a state of near-death, he assumed.
All of a sudden, he was hit by a strong wave of nausea, just like the one he experienced when teleporting with the Lordvessel. However, this time it was much more intense. He felt as if his entire being and the concept of time were being torn apart while he lay there in complete darkness.
"That's enough for today," said the dragonslayer as he finished training the new batch of silver knights. He thought they were a strong group. Some of the knights looked at him confusedly, especially the ones without their helmets on. Others just stared at him. Suddenly, he noticed a black vortex opening behind him, but it vanished quickly, leaving behind the body of an Elite Knight of Astora.
The body quickly turned to ash and left the whole group confused as ever.
The Dragonslayer was in disbelief as he exclaimed, "Did anyone else witness that?" However, his suspicions were validated when the majority of the silver knights responded with a resounding "Yes, sir!" After dismissing them, he made his way back to his chambers.
As he walked, the dragonslayer pondered over the strange occurrence at the end of their training session. He wondered if it was an illusion or some sort of vision. However, upon further reflection, he realized that all of the Knights had witnessed it, ruling out the possibility of it being a mere vision. He also dismissed the idea of it being an illusion, as it seemed unlikely that someone would play such a joke on one of the four knights of Gwyn. Ornstein shook his head, trying to make sense of the situation.
Ornstein entered his chambers and removed his armor before collapsing onto the bed, attributing his exhaustion.
Somber was taken aback as he slowly opened his eyes and muttered, "Wait, I'm not dead?" He realized that he was back in Anor Londo, the same place where he had first arrived. However, something was different this time around. The city looked vibrant and full of life, unlike the deserted place he had seen before. The sun was shining brightly and he could hear the sound of people talking below him.
"Wow," were the only words that escaped his mouth as he leaned against the railing of the small balcony.
A/N: Wow, finally this introduction is done, we can get onto the main story. Also to address one thing, I know that for the pendant to work you have to rescue the Dusk of Oolacile, but for the sake of this story let's say the pendant works without her, also about the sudden transportation to Anor Londo, I don't think that the demon ruins were established at this time since there was no need to recreate the first flame. Also, do you like this style more than the rougher but easier for me to write one in the previous chapters, this one took a while as I had to fight my keyboard to write it. Well, all of that aside get ready for some action in the next chapters!