Alright, I did it. I finally re-wrote this freaking chapter. I only have one thing to say… WHAT THE HECK, GUYS? As soon as I decided to re-write the chapter, I start getting a bunch of positive comments and reviews. (Not that I don't like positive feedback or anything.) But because of all those positive things, I was incredibly nervous that I would mess up or make a mistake entire time I was writing this.
*Groan* I probably should have just left it how it was, but too late for that now. Now I did use a bit from the chapter I replaced, but not too much.
Comments that caught my eye. (Whoa, some of these are pretty well thought out reviews.)
Freezee- So first of all: I think the idea of using some sort of petrification is a reasonable way of "stopping" and undead, assuming that its soul is still trapped within the body - or stone I guess - and the process could possibly be reversed. (And I kinda got that you meant to show it like he was turning to stone and not that strange black curse stuff but you probably should have explained it a bit)
Second: Don't know if it's just me, but I thought it a bit too soon to get rid of one of the group members ( Siegmeyer joined like half a chapter before you killed Solaire for Christs sake, at least give him some time to get to know Solaire and then grieve for a lost friend. Now he could be like "eh, whatever, someone died... again... )
It was especially strange since you made Kayle (Btw, wasn't that originally a Girl?) hold that short speech about not letting anyone die and then like five minutes later she fails it already? If I was Siegmeyer, I wouldn't trust someone like that ...
Third: Hand Cannon? Really? Man, you can really do better than that!
I mean, I don't dislike the whole idea of inventing new spells (especially it's the god forsaken CHOSEN UNDEAD... ) but... meh that was just too much for me I guess.
Fourth: Yeah, I don't know if you are following the whole "Solaire is the banished son of Lord Gwyn" thing but if you do, than that is like REALLY messed up there, my, my...
And if not ... it's still Solaire, god damn it, he was like one of the only characters I really liked back in the old Dark Soul days (Well there is still Andre of Astora and Hawkeye Gough and not to forget Quelaan and of course Laurentius and ... Never mind. Pretty much Everyone is like awesome and has a sad story if you get to know them. Except Lautrec. He is an Asshole.)
So in the end you're still writing an amazing story there and I'm gonna keep watching and reading as long as you will keep going and don't go too crazy about rules of physics and possibilities of extreme strange conversations! (Well, if something happens to me - again - then it might take some time) But I'll be there, you can count on me!
Keep it up!
Supreme Gamer- Grrr, GODDAMIT, MAN! WHY MUST YOU MAKE SUCH A VALID AND COMPELLING ARGUMENT?! WHY, I ASK YOU, WHY?!
*ahem*
Sorry 'bout that. I'll try and answer your questions in the order they were given.
Firstly, I know I probably didn't explain the whole petrification thing that well, but I'm glad you liked it. Unless I can come up with something better, I plan to keep that idea and try to explain it better in the future. And to the question of whether or not the spell can be reversed, I wouldn't want to spoil any surprises.
To your second question, I can't help but agree, they haven't really bonded too much as comrades. Maybe I did bring the death scene a bit too soon.
Thirdly, I wanted to introduce the spell creation thing early on and hand cannon seemed like the only spell I could think of that could happen by accident.
Fourthly, I have thought about the whole Solaire being a banished god thing, but I decided that, even though it's supported by a mountain of evidence, that it's still just fan canon, so I won't be including that in the story. Sorry to those who was hoping I would.
Thanks for the review, bro.
TheEzyGuy00-W-What? Solaire's... dead?...
*Darth Vader's Nooooooooooo!*
*grabs a 15 Zweihander* DAMN YOU VELKA! IMMA GONNA STAB YO IN DA ASS AND BITCH-SLAP YO ALL THA WAY TA DRANGLEIC FER KILLING SOLAIRE! A-AND-...
*ahem*
Before I'm continuing, I saw that you took an element from Dark Souls 2, am I correct? Now, if someone's petrified, there has to be a way to cure them! Yes, like... ah! Fragant Branch of Yore! The thing's probably didn't exist in Lordran, but... hey! Anything's possible in a fic right?
Heh.
But... you're the author mate, feel free to do anything. Solaire's death is quite painful for any Sunbros to read out there (is a 3 on Sunlight Covenant yo~) and... sparked quite an anger out there. But - again, you're the author, decisions are in your hands mate.
AND... after reading the story for about one and a half hour (giggling and squealing included), everything pretty much sums up of what any Dark Souls fans would do if they're in the game, myself included. Everything is absolutely great! Save for some minor grammatical errors, but I could ignore those
The plot is good, the humor is great (Kaylen's derpiness and fanboying? LOVED it.), and something about changing the fate of DS characters is what I loved the most. I mean, who doesn't want to see the Chosen Undead to finish his quest with all of the lovable and awesome DS characters?! Anyone would love to see it p
This story really deserves a fav and follow, and a good review is a perfect way to say how awesome this story is! Keep up the good work! And I'll stay tuned for more
(Oh, and that Sunlight Covenant thing? I lied, didn't even get pass 1 member, lol p)
Supreme Gamer- *Gasp* a level 3 Sunbro. Thank you for your praise, senpai. It is truly an honor to-
*Reads last part of review.*
What? You're not really a Sunbro?
*Darth Vader's Nooooooooo!*
TS879- Well this chapter was unexpected to say the least. While its not perfect its has some flaws, but I like it and also the fact that you created a spell that is actually a treat to undead. Now Kaylen and his group have something to be afraid of as any danger they could have faced in the future they could just attack time and time again until they overcome it but now something can kill them. Which adds makes you feel like not everyone is going to survive.
Sorry i commented so late, I kind of lost it when Solaire died. (even more so than before I accidentally make him agro in anor londo before the ornestein and smough boss battle and had to kill him. I had to fight ornestein and smough alone after that.)
Also i have an idea for a spell.
Sunlight ball
A pyromancy created by the prophet who defiled the gods.
Creates a huge fire ball with exceptional range, made of golden and orange flames. Looks like the very sun itself and is more effective against creatures of the dark.
It is said the prophet created this spell in the memory of his fallen comrade, who was a knight of sunlight.
Supreme Gamer- Well, I'm glad you like the idea, bro. (*Gasp* You killed Solaire? Shame. Shame I say.)
I absolutely love your spell idea, man. I can't make any solid promises, but I think I'll use this in the story. But I can't rush it, bro. If I use it, it'll be in later chapters of the story.
Anyway, here's the new and improved chapter of the Derp Saga. Hope you guys enjoy.
Warning: HA, Foolish warning sign. I have no need of you.
The four warriors approached the bell tower and walked through the entrance. Inside was a long ladder that stretched several stories up before stopping at the bell itself.
When they approached the ladder, Siegmeyer suddenly stopped and took a hard look at it and then took a look at his large and bulbous armor.
"Um, I believe that I will remain down here, comrades. In case more of those creatures appear." Siegmeyer said. "You three go on up without me."
Oscar, Kaylen, and Solaire all grinned a little, but otherwise did not go against Siegmeyer's request.
The prophet took a quick moment to set his Zweihander and his shield inside of his satchel while Oscar and Solaire opted to put their weapons on their back.
With that, the three began to climb the ladder to the top. Once they had, they found themselves standing on a balcony that held a stunning view. In the distance was the large gate that prevented entrance to the infamous Sen's Fortress and even further than that was the mysterious Darkroot Garden.
In front of them was the crank that would obviously ring the bell.
"Alright, who wants to do the honors?" Kaylen said.
"I believe the honor should be yours, prophet." Oscar said.
"I agree." Solaire said.
"Thanks, But I think that one of you should do it." Kaylen said with a smile. "I mean, you're the ones who took on the bell gargoyles and that boar. All I did was get myself killed by a black knight."
"You must not sell yourself short, prophet." Solaire said. "If you had not shown up when you did, we surely would have been killed by the gargoyle."
"And even though you died in the process, you did manage to defeat two black knights. And by yourself no less." Oscar added "You have earned this privilege, prophet."
Kaylen gave a very slight sigh before speaking again. Having done this countless times before, he didn't think ringing the bell was a big deal. To him, this was dull and uninteresting, but to Oscar and Solaire, this was a very significant event that was only worthy of the most honorable knights. Since he was unable to persuade them on the matter, Kaylen decided to just give in and ring the bell.
"Alright, but next time one of you guys are going to ring the bell. I'd kinda feel like a jerk if I rang both bells." Kaylen said. "Deal?"
"Deal." the two warriors replied.
With that, Kaylen approached the lever, wrapped both his hands around it, and then pulled.
CRANK
DING
DING
Strangely, the ringing from the bell did not threaten to leave our three warriors deaf or hard of hearing. It was almost as if the sound was coming from inside them. For a moment, Kaylen, Oscar and Solaire stood where they were and enjoyed this small reprieve of peace. Soon each one of them relaxed their minds and were lost in their own thoughts.
"Your end is coming Manus, just you wait…" Solaire thought as he unconsciously gripped his sword tighter.
"One step closer to ending this madness…" Oscar thought to himself.
"Lin… please be alright…." Siegmeyer thought.
Kaylen's however wasn't filled with just a single thought; he was taking this moment to think about everything he had done so far and everything that he was going to do. He was thinking of loot, how he would deal with certain people and bosses, whom they still had to recruit, what pyromancies he wanted to learn. He did all of this in the short amount of time that the bell was ringing and when the prophet had finished, he could only give a tired sigh.
"There's still a lot that needs to be done." the prophet thought.
As if on cue, the bells ringing suddenly ceased, putting an end to all three of their thoughts.
There was a short pause so that the warriors could collect themselves. But after they did, the prophet was the first to speak.
"Alright, let's get out of here." the prophet said as he turned around and started to climb down the ladder "We've got a date with a pair of sexy spider women, and I don't think they like to be kept waiting."
Not even bothering to question his extremely odd comment, the two knights then followed behind Kaylen and made their way back down the ladder. At the bottom, the three warriors were met with a surprising sight.
Siegmeyer was talking to a masked man who dressed in all black and had both arms spread out at his sides.
"Greetings. I am Oswald of Carim, the pardoner." Oswald said "Thou art a friend. For thee, a warm welcome."
"Oh-ho, A pleasure to meet you, Sir Oswald. I am Siegmeyer of Catarina."
"Cometh thou to confess? Or to accuse? For indeed all sin is my domain."
Kaylen gave a quick smile at the interaction the two were having before speaking.
"You're wasting your time, Ozzy." Kaylen said "Siegmeyer's not much of a sinner."
Everyone noticed that Oswald seemed to be taken back a bit when he noticed that three other warriors had come down from the ladder that lead to the bell. He looked back and forth between Siegmeyer and the three knights. As if his mind was having trouble comprehending the situation.
"By the lords." Oswald said in disbelief "Thou has committed a truly grave sin."
"What? We haven't committed any kind of sin." Kaylen said. But then he thought about what he was going to do to Gwyndolin when he got to Anor Londo. "Well, at least not yet."
"Which of you is the one who defeated the Gargoyles?" Oswald demanded to know. "Where is the Chosen Undead?"
At that moment, everyone turned to Kaylen for an answer.
"Well, we all kindof killed them together." Kaylen said. "So, I guess that means we're all technically 1/4th chosen undead."
"Are you mad, child?" Oswald said. "The prophecy speaks of only one chosen to ring the bell."
Kaylen rolled his eyes a bit at this comment.
"Yeah, sure it does." Kaylen said sarcastically.
"I'm afraid your prophecy has been undone, pardoner." Oscar said sharply "We aim to change destiny for the better."
"Change destiny? That is blasphemy of the highest order." Oswald said, staring at Oscar as if he had grown a third head. "Man should not meddle in the realm of the gods. You fools have no idea the consequences that will befall you for committing this sin."
"If you call saving others from their tragic fates a sin, then I'm sorry to say that we're going to be doing a lot of sinning pretty soon." Kaylen said.
"You imbecile, this goes much farther than saving a few lives." Oswald spat. "The gods will-"
"Why should I give two shits about what the gods have to say about anything?" Kaylen said. "If it wasn't for them, we wouldn't be stuck in this deathless oblivion."
At that moment, Oscar, Siegmeyer, and Solaire all looked at the prophet in shock.
"Wait a moment, what did you just say?" Solaire said in surprise.
"If it wasn't for them, we wouldn't be stuck in this deathless oblivion?" Oscar said. "Prophet… are you saying that the gods are responsible for the curse that afflicts us?"
"Come now, Oscar. That is simply ridiculous. That cannot be true." Siegmeyer said. "Can it?"
Kaylen mentally slapped himself. He had originally planned to tell them this a little more gently. but since he ran his mouth just now, there was no point in trying to be gentle about it. Might as well tell them as bluntly as he can.
"Yep, those idiots totally did it." Kaylen said. "The gods, somewhat by accident, created the undead curse."
"Now wait just a moment, you will not speak ill of-" Oswald started.
"How is it possible that the gods create the curse?" Oscar asked in a somewhat panicked tone.
"Why would they even want to create it?" Solaire asked.
"Did we somehow do something to offend them?" Siegmeyer said.
These questions were rolling off his comrades' tongues, each one of them sounding more panicky than the last.
"Well, like I said, it wasn't intentionally made." Kaylen said "It was made because the First Flame started to-"
"ENOUGH!" Oswald should "Thou will hold thy blasphemous tongue. I will not allow you to speak of the Flame. The gods would sentence you to an eternity of agony for even having knowledge of it."
Oswald was livid with rage. Who does this human think he is? Speaking about Gwyn and the flame as if it were common knowledge. He cannot allow the fool to proceed any further than he already has.
"Screw you, Oswald." Kaylen said as he pointed at the pardoner. "Whether you like it or not, these guys will know the truth, and I promise you, they won't be the only ones. I'm gonna make sure that everyone knows how the gods completely screwed us over and there's nothing you or anyone else can do to stop me. Now be a good little tool and shut the hell up."
That was the straw that broke the camel's back. The pardoner glared into the prophet's eyes as he spoke in a low and menacing tone.
"I see…. Thou has made thyself clear." Oswald said. "And thou leavest me no choice."
Kaylen tensed up a bit as the words left Oswald's lips. He knew that those were the exact words that he said when he turns aggressive in the game. Since his weapons were in his satchel, he knew he would have to act quickly if he was going to counterattack with his flames.
Suddenly, in a quick move, the pardoners hand flew inside his robe and out again, drawing out a powerful looking thrusting sword.
"LOOK OUT!" Solaire screamed.
In an instant, Oswald and pulled the sword back and thrust it towards the prophet's body. But Kaylen saw his move coming from a mile away and quickly sidestepped the blade, right before he ignited his fist into a burning flame and threw a punch aimed directly at Oswald's chest.
What happened next came as a surprise to all parties.
Instead of his fist simply erupting into flames, what seemed like a slightly larger and brighter fireball was suddenly summoned into the prophet's palm and was slammed into Oswald's body.
BOOM!
The resulting explosion sent Oswald slamming into the wall behind him. The Pardoner then fell to one knee and began gasping for air as held one of his hand on the spot the prophet had struck him.
Meanwhile, Kaylen had the look of surprise written all over his face as he stared at his hand.
"What the heck was that?" Kaylen said to himself more than anyone else.
As if in response to the question, a small description appeared in front of the prophet as he stared at his palm. It was as if he was examining an item.
Hand Cannon
A close quarters attack created by a Prophet who defied the gods.
Not a very useful weapon for killing, but is perfect for breaking through an enemy's defenses.
"Hand Cannon?" Kaylen said in a low tone "Not very useful tool for killing."
The prophet then looked back up at Oswald.
The pardoner was winded for sure, but there was no physical damage to be seen. It seemed that the attack was not very destructive.
"Wait a minute." Kaylen said as he looked at his hand and read the description again. The realization of what he'd done finally dawned upon him. "Did I just… create a spell?"
Kaylen scoured his mind for answers, trying to make figure out if this was just some spell that slipped his mind. Maybe this was just a mistake, maybe he had just forgotten about this spell. But it just wasn't there. Add that with the description the prophet just read, and there was no denying it. The spell was his creation.
The very idea of creating new, never before seen, spells made a smile cross Kaylen's face.
What he probably should have been focusing on was the very pissed off pardoner who had just regained his breath.
"Grrr… HOW DARE YOU?!" Oswald screamed as he suddenly sprang up from his crouched position and towards Kaylen.
The warrior of Sunlight was on him in seconds.
Before any one even realized, Solaire had drawn his blade and shield and jumped directly in front of Oswald's attack. The pardoner roared loudly as he pushed onward. But with his rage against Kaylen driving him, his attack was far to sloppy.
CLANG
SHLICK
Solaire had deflected the blade with ease and countered by running his sacred Astorian blade through the Pardoner's chest. Oswald's eyes went wide as a searing pain shot through his body and his blood seeped onto Solaire's arm. Then, as if to prevent Solaire from removing the blade, Oswald grabbed onto the Sun warrior's wrist and held the blade in place.
"Thou shalt regret this…" Oswald said as a small trickle of blood came from his mouth. "… Fear thine indelible wrongdoings…"
SHLICK
A small scream escaped Oswald's mouth as yet another searing pain flared through his body. The cause of this new pain was Oscar blade, which was now bloody and protruding through the pardoner's chest.
"Be silent, pardoner."
Oscar then forced his sword in a bit further before he and Solaire both yanked their blades out suddenly, allowing Oswald corpse to fall face first onto the floor.
Kaylen was a little taken back by the brutality of Oscar and Solaire's attack, but after a few seconds had passed, he noticed something strange.
"Hmm, yet another unexpected surprise." Kaylen said as he walked up to Oswald's corpse.
"What?" Oscar asked curiously.
"Oswald's body… It isn't dissolving into souls." Kaylen said.
Oscar didn't really pay attention to it at first, but the prophet was right. The pardoner's body had not dissipated like all the other creatures that they had faced.
"That's strange. Why has it not faded away?" Oscar asked.
"Who cares, man? We just got us a butt load of free items." the prophet said excitedly.
Kaylen then crouched down and began to pat it down in search of items. The two items in particular that he was looking for were the Bloodbite Ring, which boosted bleeding resistance by 400% and the Poisonbite Ring, which boosted poison resistance by 90 points.
Unfortunately, after a few minutes of searching, the only thing that the prophet found on the body was a large book, which he immediately recognized as the Book of the Guilty. The prophet quickly glanced inside it and, after seeing that every page was blank, decided to simply set the book in his satchel.
"Dammit, the rings are gone." the prophet thought to himself. "Looks like the basic rule of 'Kill the merchant, Lose the items' is still in play. The only thing he left was the Book of the Guilty and his armor set."
Kaylen then looked the corpse up and down for a moment. He wasn't going to touch that armor with a ten-foot pole. It wasn't that the Black Set wasn't good armor, it's just that the idea of wearing it sent shivers up Kaylen's spine.
"Hmm…" Kaylen said as a thought suddenly popped in his mind. "I wonder if this means I can take Havel's armor."
Another smile then spread across Kaylen's face.
"Um, prophet, are you alright?" Solaire asked when he saw that the prophet was smiling to himself.
"Heh, I've never been better, Solaire." Kaylen replied with the smile still on his face.
At this moment, the prophet really could not help but grin. With the information he just discovered, new doors were now open. Not only was he somehow able to create a new spell, but now he was presented with the possibility of getting the Havel Set much sooner than he was supposed to. This was all incredibly good news.
The prophet then got up from his crouched position and turned towards his friends.
"All right guys, we've wasted enough time here." he said. "Let's make our way to the second bell."
Kaylen then began walking towards the exit out of the bell tower, but was stopped by the sound of Siegmeyer's voice.
"Wait a moment, prophet." Siegmeyer said.
Kaylen stopped in his tracks and turned to face the knight of Catarina.
"Yeah?" the prophet said.
"About what you said earlier. Is it true?" Siegmeyer asked "Are the gods really responsible for this curse?"
Kaylen paused for a moment before responding.
"Yeah, it's true." Kaylen said.
"Prophet, you must tell us everything." Oscar said.
"And I will, but let's wait until later, when we get back to Firelink Shrine." Kaylen said.
Kaylen then moved to start walking back towards the exit, but Solaire suddenly stepped directly in front of his path and stopped him.
"No, prophet." Solaire said in a commanding tone. "This revelation is too important to be withheld. You will tell us, and you will tell us now."
The extra emphasis that the sunlight warrior put on the word "now", let Kaylen know that he wasn't exactly in his usual cheerful and happy mood.
Now, our dear prophet would face hollows, black knights, demons, gods, and demigods without hesitation. Hell, he would even do it with a smile. But it would be a cold day in Izalith when he decided to go against an angry Solaire.
"Okay, okay, I'll tell you. No need to get upset." The prophet said "But before I do, I need you guys to give me your word that you won't repeat anything that is said here. This is some sensitive information that would probably turn the world on its ass if it ever got out."
"You have my word, prophet." Oscar said. "I will not tell anyone."
"Aye." Siegmeyer said.
"Agreed." Solaire added.
"Alright, then." Kaylen said "hmm, so where should I begin?"
"Start from the beginning, prophet." Oscar said. "We wish to know exactly what happened."
"The beginning? Well, alright then. "Kaylen said as he readied himself to tell the story. "Um… In the beginning, there were two planes of existence. There was the above and the below. The above was grey and filled dragons who had existed forever. Nothing changed, nothing progressed, and nothing lived or died. Now in the below, there was nothing but darkness. But then everything changed when the first flame appeared."
"What exactly is this first flame that you speak of?" Oscar asked.
"Um… It's um…. That knowledge goes beyond my powers." Kaylen said, trying to keep up his appearance as a wise prophet. "No one knows what the flame really is. All that is known is that it just… is."
"I see, then." Oscar said. "Please continue."
"When the flame appeared, it created disparity. Now there was light and dark, and the light illuminated the creatures who were hiding. These creatures emerged to inspect the flame, and these would be the ones who would be known as giants."
The three knights stood in awe as Kaylen continued to tell his tale.
"Within the flame was great power, and four giants claimed this power. They claimed it and it shaped them. Nito came to embody death, the witch of Izalith represented life, Gwyn represented light, and the pygmy kept his dark soul a secret."
"Pygmy?" Siegmeyer asked. "I have never heard of such a god."
"Just slow down a bit, Sieg." Kaylen said. "We'll get back to him later."
The onion nodded in conformation and Kaylen continued.
"After they got their power, Gwyn decided that the light was more powerful than the existing grey above, so the giants declared war on the dragons to claim the surface. But the dragons were immortal and thousands upon thousands of Gwyn's knights fell before them. But there was one dragon who betrayed his own, as you already know."
"The one who has my daughter." Siegmeyer said with anger in his tone. "The albino dragon, Seath."
"Exactly." Kaylen said "I already explained what happened after his betrayal. Gwyn and his knights made bolts of lightning to peel apart their stone scales, Nito unleashed disease on their exposed flesh, and the witch of Izalith used her pyromancy to burn their homes, the arch trees, to ash. And that was the end of the dragons."
"Yes, you already explained that." Oscar said. "But what does any of this have to do with the curse?"
"Hey man, you wanted me to start from the beginning, so I'm starting from the beginning." Kaylen said, a little bit annoyed.
"Um, right." Oscar said. "Please continue."
"After the dragons were killed, the age of fire was born, and the giants started their own story." Kaylen said. "But since this is a story about light, then it must also a story about dark."
The prophet's last comment caused Solaire to shuffle uncomfortably as Kaylen continued.
"As you already know, Seath was given three rewards." Kaylen said. "He was made a duke, given a piece of Gwyn's lordsoul, and given a research facility to find ways to achieve immortality."
Now it was Siegmeyer turn to shuffle uncomfortably.
"Gwyn's kingdom grew during this age." the prophet continued. "Anor Londo, the city of the gods, was built close to the sun and soon small cities began to grow around it. The giants soon became known as gods, and humanity spread and began worshiping those more powerful than they. Gwyn then had two children. His first born was named Gwynevere. She was well loved, with her own statues and covenant known as the Princess Guard. The second born was Gwyndolin who was… um…"
Kaylen stopped himself mid-sentence as a question soon came to his mind. Should he reveal that Gwyndolin is actually a dude? The prophets had plans regarding that particular god and revealing something like that this early on might ruin his future endeavors.
"Gwyndolin?" Solaire said as he thought about something. "That's name of the god who you said could give me my sun. I would be interested know that god's tale."
"Yeah. She was… um… very beautiful… and uh… was never able match her sister's beauty, and grew a bit jealous of her." Kaylen lied. "She was very proficient in moonlight magic. Her existence was hidden and her covenant, the Blades of the Darkmoon, hunt down sinners and protect the illusion of power in Anor Londo."
Kaylen looked at the three warriors to make sure that they bought the lie. After seeing that they did, he continued with his explanation.
"For hundreds of years, Anor Londo prospered." Kaylen said. "But eventually… everything ends."
The Prophet's last word help carried a bit of sadness with them that none of the warriors missed.
"Locked away in his archives, Seath desperately searched for the secrets to immortality. His six-eyed channelers read for him and search the world for test subjects. These test subjects, as I already explained, are locked inside crystal golems and taken back to the archives, where they become the subjects of Seath's experiments."
Siegmeyer grips his blade tightly at this reminder of Seath's intentions for his daughter, an action that does not go unnoticed by the prophet.
"At some point, the knowledge in the archives drives Seath insane. Quite honestly, it's impossible to know whether he went insane before or after he started abducting people. But one way or the other, Gwyn chooses to ignore everything that's happening in the archives."
"HE DID WHAT?!" Siegmeyer screamed in rage.
Kaylen did nothing but raise his hand up in an effort to calm Siegmeyer down.
"Sieg, trust me when I say that when I tell you this whole story, Gwyn ignoring Seath will be the furthest thing from your mind." Kaylen said.
The comment did not seem the calm the onion knight down, so Solaire did the simplest thing by resting his hand on the knight's shoulder and nodding. At that, the onion knight calmed himself down.
"I apologize." Siegmeyer said. "Please keep going."
"In the war with the dragons, Gwyn had a friend named Havel the Rock." Kaylen said "Havel was the sworn enemy of magic and Seath the Scaleless. After Gwyn gave Seath part of his lordsoul, Havel grew jealous and began to collect occult weapons, items capable of killing the gods. Long story short, his attempt to kill them failed, but Gwyn could not kill his friend, so instead he locked him away in a stone cell and left him there to go hollow. This event marked the peak of the age of fire, and the moment where the whole world turned on itself."
Kaylen, with a dark and serious look on his face, looked at each of the knight before he continued.
"Now, let's turn our attention back to the furtive pygmy." Kaylen said "The furtive pygmy was the first human, it claimed the dark soul and waited for the fire to subside. While the other souls grew weaker, the dark soul grew stronger. The lord souls of light and dark seemed to be in counterbalance with one another. While Gwyn was busy building the age of fire, the pygmy shattered the dark souls and created humanity."
Kaylen then pulled the twin humanity from his satchel and presented it to the three knights.
"This mysterious black sprite is the powerful life force of us humans. Driving us to love, hate, create and destroy. The most pure-hearted humans were able to create humanity within themselves; these humans became known as firekeepers."
Oscar, Solaire, and Siegmeyer all nodded in understanding as Kaylen continued.
"The dark soul is unique, guys. It can grow and spread through humans like us. By the time the furtive pygmy was killed, it was already too late to stop it. The dark soul had already been split and it had continued to split and grow like a disease. And as the darkness grew… the flames began to fade. And the kingdom of Anor Londo began to fall." Kaylen said. "And with the fading flame came the rising Dark and those who would see it grow stronger."
"To see darkness grow stronger?" Solaire said. "Who would want such a thing?"
"The dragons and the giants weren't the only beings alive during the age of ancients, Solaire." Kaylen said. "From the stone dragons came drakes, hydra's and… primordial serpents."
The prophet paused for a moment and smiled at himself as he continued.
"Heh, even I have to wonder how much influence those fucking serpents have really had. All throughout the ages, the serpents have always achieved their desires at the expense of others. A small word to the wise guys, never trust those primordials. Using sweet words and half-truths, those things could very well be one of the most dangerous creatures in all of Lordran."
The three knights tensed up a bit at the prophets warning. But Kaylen decided to ignore it and continue with his explanation.
"There are exactly two primordials that I know of, but I would only consider one of them an enemy." Kaylen said. "His name is Darkstalker Kaathe. He hides deep within the shadows so that he can watch them grow. He is the one who unleashed Manus and the Abyss upon Oolacile."
"HE DID WHAT?!" Solaire said furiously. "THAT BASTARD!"
Solaire looked as if he was about to punch the prophet square in the face, so Oscar chimed in with an interesting question.
"Prophet, who exactly is Manus?" Oscar said.
"Manus's true identity is none other than the furtive Pygmy after his humanity went wild." Kaylen said.
This comment made Solaire calm down almost immediately.
"What?" Solaire said. "The Pygmy and Manus are one and the same?"
"Yeah. And he probably wouldn't even have been created if it weren't for Kaathe." Kaylen said.
"What do mean?" Solaire asked. "What did Kaathe do?"
"Well, before any of this happened, Manus was slumbering deep within the earth beneath Oolacile, and I'm pretty sure that he had no plans of waking up any time soon." Kaylen said. "But, at the urging of Kaathe, the citizens of Oolacile woke Manus up and, let me tell you, he was pissed. Upon awakening, his influence corrupted the citizens of Oolacile, mutating them into disgusting creatures of the Dark. Manus then started trying to expand his domain while also seeking out his broken pendant."
"You mean the pendant that we search for?" Solaire asked. "The one that will cause him to take us to the past?"
"Yeah." Kaylen said "But, of course, Manus didn't go unchallenged. Artorias the Abysswalker, one of the four knights of Gwyn, went to Oolacile and attempted to stop him. He was the last defense against the dark, a brave knight who had the courage to stand up against unbelievable odds. But… the guy just didn't have a single shred of darkness within him and was consumed by the Abyss, overcome by its shadows."
A somber look overtook Kaylen's face, as if he were recalling a bad memory.
"But… If this knight named Artorias fell, then who slew Manus?" Solaire asked.
Almost instantly, the prophet's trademark idiotic and confident smile reappeared.
"Heh, Isn't it obvious? We did." Kaylen said. "What part of 'we're going to be pulled back in time.' did you not understand?"
Oscar rubbed that back of his helmet at this comment.
"Okay, prophet, let me get this straight." Oscar said. "We're going back in time to kill a demon that was created in the past, so that we could be born to go back in the past and kill it."
Another smile came across Kaylen's face.
"Heh, heh, leave it to Oscar to try and complicate things." Kaylen chuckled.
For a moment, the room was then filled with small laughter at Kaylen's comment. But it only took them a moment more to turn back to the situation at hand.
"So, what did the serpent do next?" Solaire asked "Surely, with Manus defeated, he would have no choice but to give up on his ambitions."
Kaylen gave a slight sigh before he continued.
"If only it were that easy." Kaylen said. "Kaathe simply moved on to his next target, the four kings.
"The four kings?" Oscar said. "Who are they?"
"They were once rulers but have since been corrupted. See, Gwyn had split his soul into four more pieces and gave them to four wise kings who ruled over New Londo, but the kings craved more power. It was then that Kaathe dangled the power of life drain right in front of their greedy little eyes, and then they became nothing but pawns of the abyss, but Gwyn had seen what the Abyss had done to Oolacile. He believed that the spread of the darkness had to be stopped at any cost. He could not let the event repeat itself. So, he flooded New Londo in an attempt to seal the darkness and the kings, drowning many innocent people in the process."
All three knights took a sharp intake of breath at the prophet's words, but Kaylen paid it no mind and simply continued with the story.
"While all of this was going on, the Witch of Izalith was working on a way to duplicate the First Flame, believing that if they simply used their own shards to create a new one, then this whole problem would be solved." Kaylen said. "But this plan didn't work. In fact, it completely backfired on them. The flame engulfed the witch, her sisters, and the entire city of Izalith. The witch's soul of life became twisted, turning her into a monster that created disgusting and disfigured creatures, and the world saw its first demon."
"Wait, what?" Oscar said. "The gods are responsible for the birth of demons as well? That's… That's inconceivable."
"And that's not even the end of the story." Kaylen said "After the demons were born, the silver knights that were left from the war with the dragons were ordered to fight against the creatures. There was an army of silver knights, all of them ready and willing to fight. but for every demon that they killed, ten more sprang up in its place. If I had to put it to words, I'd say it was like throwing an army at a horde. The silver knights were repelled and returned to Gwyn with their armor charred black, and from that point on they were dubbed the bl-"
"Black Knights." Oscar said in a low tone, but loud enough for everyone to hear him. "Like the ones that you had defeated before."
"That's right." Kaylen said "After all of this, Gwyn's downfall was absolute. He's lost his kingdom, his knights, his wife, his children, and his friends."
The prophet then eyed each and every one of his friends.
"Then Gwyn made the decision that would damn us all." Kaylen said. "That was when the curse was born."
"What did he do?" Oscar asked.
"Gwyn went back to the Kiln of the First Flame, where it all started, and he sacrificed himself to the fire. Just so it could burn a little longer." Kaylen said. "I don't know how exactly it happened or what was changed within, but I do know that the curse of the undead originates when Gwyn links the flame, granting humans eternal life until they lose their humanity. Heh, and many years later, the Chosen Undead wakes up in a dirty cell inside the undead asylum."
The three knights were speechless. Their gods, the ones to whom they looked for guidance, in whom they believed, were responsible not only for the curse, but for the demons as well.
"I see now, prophet." Oscar said. "So this is your burden and your secret."
"No… it's not." Kaylen said, his voice cutting through each of the warriors' very minds. The prophet's tone suddenly changed, as if he loathed what he was about to say. "Listen, there is more to this tale, but I would prefer to keep it to myself. Gwyn's actions had greater effect than anyone could have predicted, and this last piece of information threatens to rob you completely of your will to fight. I don't even think that any of the gods know about it."
The three knights looked at the prophet in confusion.
"If you wanted to keep it to yourself, then why bother telling us about it?" Solaire asked.
"Because this secret plays a big part in my plan to fix Gwyn's mistake." Kaylen says. "And I know that you guys must be wondering what I plan to do."
"So, you're saying that you cannot reveal your plan without also revealing this secret to us." Oscar said. "That means we will be fighting with you without knowing your full intentions."
"I'm asking you guys to put your trust in me." Kaylen said. "I know that's not fair of me to ask, but-"
"Say no more, prophet." Solaire said. "You have already revealed more than enough to me. I will follow your plan without question, even if I don't know what it is."
"You need not even ask." Oscar said proudly. "I have complete faith that you will do the right thing, prophet."
"You have warned me about the danger that my daughter faces at the hands of the treacherous serpent." Siegmeyer said. "I see no reason why I should doubt you now. You have my blade, prophet."
The prophet looked at each and every one of his comrades and smiled.
"Heh, thanks guys." Kaylen said "Now, since story time's over, let's get the hell out of here and save the damn world."
"AYE!" All three knights screamed before they turned towards the exit and left the tower.
With that, our heroes' bond grew ever stronger as they left to face whatever destiny had in store for them.
What is the prophet hiding from his friends? Does this secret threaten to bring ruin to them all? Has the Merchant slain Lautrec?
Find out in the next chapter of the Derp Saga.
Welp, there you go guys. If you can figure out the secret, you deserve a high five. As you've read, nobody has died in this chapter. I've decided to wait a bit more to kill someone off. So Solaire gets to stay alive now. Will I kill him off again in a later chapter? Well, you'll just have to wait and see.
I know that I'm probably gonna catch hell from some readers for changing things up. Leave a review or a comment. Or, if you're feeling daring, leave both.
(Warning: leaving both a comment and a review is only for the most awesome of readers.)
Send in any spell ideas that you guys might come up with because I am literally making this up as I go, but please make sure that they follow these rules:
1. It has to have some weakness or way to avoid it. (That means nothing overpowered like summoning a dragon made entirely of fire.)
2. It has to have some connection to a miracle, pyromancy, or sorcery. (For example, the Fire Whip is actually small fireballs that chain, making it look like a whip.)
P.S. There WILL be a Lautrec VS. Merchant fight next chapter. So be prepared to have your collective minds blown away.
*Special thanks to Antoine for beta-reading