PRAISE THE SUN-SUN, THE CHAPTER IS DONE-DONE!
Did that actually rhyme? No time to think about that question now! For the chapter is finished, Ladies' and gentle men.
Due to it being super late at the time at the time of my typing this header, I'm gonna go ahead and skip the reviews this time around, boys. So please accept my humblest apologies and a single counterfeit Hogwarts acceptance letter.
In the meantime, I hope you guys enjoy the newest edition to the story.
Warning: Due to being a fugitive of the Great Waifu War of April 1st, the shouting of "April Fools" prohibited while reading this chapter. Any caught doing so shall be sentenced to the shadow realm until they admit that Mojo Jojo is best girl. You have been warned.
Daylight.
Foreign rays of heat graced Oscar's body and granted him quite a bit of surprise and confusion.
He'd traveled all around the world, from Thorolund all the way back to his homeland of Astora, and each land he'd visited had all been blanketed in an unending moonlit night. So to appear in a place where the sun was shining as bright as ever was not something he did not expect.
Taking a look at his surroundings, he saw that he'd wound up standing at the edge of some cliffside that trailed into a worn path leading further up a steep mountain path.
Not to be deterred, Oscar made his way upward along the path.
The trek was as treacherous as one might imagine. The slope of the parched and dried out earth beneath his feet and the surging winds that violently raged against his body, told him plainly that a normal person would not be able to make this journey. Even very air that made its way through his lungs was thin and required him to focus to keep his pace.
But soon enough, Oscar had finally made it to the top of the mountain and came upon the sight of what appeared to be a massive stone kingdom built directly at its peak.
"What is this place?" Oscar mused as he gazed the unknown kingdom and the mountains around it that rose ever upward into the sun's incandescent light.
Moving forward and traveling along the final stretch up to the mountain, he made his way to the front of the great kingdoms face and was met the sight a massive steel gate that block the way inside.
Oscar placed a hand against the steel as he took in the sight of this obstacle.
It was well kept. With the steel showing not a hint of rust or degrade. Was the beast within him was strong enough to destroy such a solid defense? He honestly couldn't say for certain but was more than willing to try.
Focusing on the stone that now dwelled within his very being, Oscar willed his body to change and grown in strength and size. His muscles tensed and grew to monstrous proportions, granting him the height of a towering beast that would give even a Capra Demon a run for its money. His hands became thick and clawed, while a mane of dull brown hair trail behind a fanged and vicious maw.
He may have claimed weakness because he could not overcome Velka, but Oscar was a terror to behold.
CRASH. CRASH. CRASH.
At his command, two spectral draconic claws, each greater in size than Oscar's entire body, balled into fist and smashed into the cold steel of the kingdom gates.
Throughout his barrage, steel itself did not budge or bend. However, the stone that held the gate in place fractured and shook with each blow delivered upon its charge. It would not be capable of withstanding the might of the newly transformed knight for very long before giving way. Within a few moments, Oscar would force his way inside.
Ching-ching-ching-ching.
But it seemed that he didn't have to bother to go that far, as the gate suddenly rose up on its own in an almost open invitation for him to come inside.
Fully obliging this request, Oscar made his way through the now open gateway.
Once inside, he saw that the inner cityscape was unapologetically dull and insipid. There were no trees, no city planted blooms or anything to give it a sense of beauty or color. The only thing around worth mentioning were concrete statues in the shape of a figure wielding a large spear lining the long stretch of walkway before him.
And not bit a further beyond the entrance, who better to complement this passage than the sight of the very man the statues drew their image.
Even at a distance, Oscar could tell he was a giant of a man. Even bigger than his draconic form. In fact, one might even say that his was the more beastly of the two of them.
Much like the knight's current appearance, the figure held a great mane of hair on his head. On his body, he wore nothing more than a skirt, a single chest piece of dull golden armor and a large swath of cloth covering the lower half of his face. In his hand was a weapon that seemed to perfectly match his stature in the form of a large and mighty cross spear.
"Protection for his vitals and a weapon. He carries only what is essential for battle." Oscar noted as he continued to walk towards the figure, his eye's taking in every detail as he prepared himself. Until finally, he stood but a few feet away from him.
For a time, the two merely stared in silence. Each one holding the gaze of the other unflinchingly as a slight breeze kicked up a bit of dust at their feet.
Oscar could feel it. The power of dragons radiated off this man like none other before….but there was something else there too. Something that was so strong and oppressive that it practically weighed Oscar down just by being near him.
"You stand with an entire kingdom at your back, yet you chose to meet me at the from gate?" Oscar questioned without a hint fear in his body.
At this, there was silence for a few moments before the man spoke in a deep, unbothered tone.
"I would not make a mockery of myself by hiding when being openly beckoned and sought out." the man replied plainly.
"I see. There can be no doubt. You are the one I have come for."
"Hm…what is your goal by coming here then?"
At this question, Oscar flexed his claws and lowered his body before answering.
"To surpass you and claim your power." He replied threateningly as heat radiated from his maw. "If you relinquish it freely, then we need not fight. But refuse and I will show no mercy. Make your choice."
The large man let the declaration sit between them for a few moments before closing his eyes as a bit of wind pushed against the cloth around his mouth, seeming none to perturbed at having his life threatened.
"How pitiful…" He said with a sigh as he opened his eyes and calmly gazed upon Oscar once more. "If you are competent enough with the power you already wield, you should be able to feel the disparity in our abilities even before we cross arms. Is it your courage or your ignorance that causes you to face me?"
"Neither. It's my ambition." Oscar declared with a growl. "You are the last one. The final obstacle for me to see the true depth of the strength I seek. And so, I will defeat-"
ROOOOOAR
Cutting off his words completely, two booming roars ripped through the air and shook the very stone beneath Oscar's feet.
Quickly his gaze to the sky, Oscar watched as two massive drakes flew down from the heavens above, before landing not so gently at either side of the long stretching stairway. Each one bellowing at the intruder who had invaded their home.
The situation only seemed to grow worse by the second as a great deal of what appeared to be lizard-human hybrids, each bearing an assortment of axes, shotels and other such weapons, showed their faces from the ramparts up high above him. Their mass of snarls and hisses almost as deafening as the roar of the drakes.
Yet still, Oscar did not falter or hesitate. In fact, he gave a roar of his own in open defiance of their numbers and might.
However, just as the situation seemed as if it would devolve into open combat between Oscar and an entire city, the spearman stopped it all with nothing more than a gesture of raising his hand and closing it into a fist.
It was almost dreamlike to hear every single being go completely silent at the same time. To see the two drakes immediately cease their tirade at a command and to watch around as countless abominable creatures simply shut their mouths and become still.
"Apologizes. The denizens of this mountain do not take kindly to newcomers. Rest assured, none will interfere if you mean to fight." The spearman declared calmly.
"You hold the advantage, yet risk your life by not using it?" Oscar said with a glare, despising the thought of being underestimated.
"I am no beast that brings everything to bear when hunting a rabbit." The man said with a shrug of his shoulders, turning Oscar's rage up to eleven. "Unfortunately, I did not think to retrieve a lesser weapon in preparation for such an outcome. My spear hardly makes this fair. I ask that you forgive such a thing."
"Grrr, you think me so easy to defeat?!" Oscar screamed as he charged forward at last.
It took merely three bounds before Oscar was right on top of him, but to his surprise the man hadn't moved an inch to protect or guard his body. Instead choosing to remain perfectly still.
This only served to spur Oscar to strike that much harder.
"Take this!"
CRASH
Like a mighty hammer, Oscar willed the hand of an everlasting dragon to crash down upon the man's body with all the force he could muster. Fully assured that he would at least be caught off guard and crushed into the ground by the force of the blow.
But he could only look on in surprise and shock at what happened next.
"Impossible…" was all he could think as he watched as the man didn't even take a step back as he quickly raised his hand and stopped the attack mid-air with nothing more than raw strength.
Not even in his battle with Velka did Oscar feel the need to stop and mentally assure himself that what he was seeing was real life. Even if he were not a true Everlasting Dragon, the spectral limbs he commanded riveled their strength.
And this man had stop it cold with his bare hands?
Shaking off his surprise as best he could, Oscar pressed forward and got as close as he could to the spearman so as to deny him the advantage of having a longer means of attack. He then unleashed a savage onslaught of tooth and claw.
"RAAAAAGH!"
CRASH. SHWISH-SHWOOSH. CRASH. SHWISH.
Another attempt at crushing him with draconic hands, followed by a swipe of his claws aimed at his vitals, then more pressure to break him down, and finally a leap forward to try and rend his throat. Again, and again, Oscar struck out and attacked at any angle he was able.
But he just couldn't reach him with any of it.
Every strike made by his inner beast or himself were simply batted aside and deflected with seemingly minimal effort. As his blows were being redirected and his body was pushed around after each lunge, it started to feel less like a fight and more like he was just being humored.
What was worse was that he'd had yet to cause the man to take a single step from his position.
"You're certainly ferocious, aren't you," The man complimented amidst Oscar's tirade, spurring the knight that much further. Though he still gained little effect for his efforts.
"Don't mock me!"
FWOOOOOSH
At a single moment's notice, Oscar took a step back to brace himself and played his trump card.
Focusing completely on the power that dwelled within his body, he opened his maw and willed the disembodied head of a fully-fledged dragon to appear in front of him, before unleashing a wall of overwhelming flame.
The wave of heat was extreme enough to scorch stone and incinerate flesh with ease. Not even Velka, with her own immense pyromancy, dared to take such an attack on heedlessly and Oscar had just hit his foe with it at practically point-blank range.
This onslaught of flame would continue for a handful of seconds more before Oscar finally decided to cease and banish the dragons head before him. For a time, a thick cloud of smoke twirled and concealed his view forward.
But once they cleared enough, Oscar's eye's widened in disbelief as he saw that the man stood barely harmed at all. Still standing in the same place as before with the only signs showing that the attack had struck true being the minorly charred flesh upon his wrist.
"What? That's impossible." Oscar exclaimed in disbelief at what he was seeing. It was one thing for a someone to be strong, but this was just absurd.
"Hm…not bad. But far too unrefined." The man offhandedly as he shook his wrist a bit, as if the flames only brought about a mild stinging upon his body that he knew would quickly fade. "Tactics, determination, training…you are lacking in all of them. There is no true strength in combat based only on brute force."
"I have not come for a lecture!" Oscar roar disrespectfully.
Hearing this, the large man narrowed his eyes at the newcomer just as a few streaks of electricity ran across the blade of his spear.
"Such disrespect, young one. This is a sacred place. One where transcendence from disparity can be found should one seek it. Yet you choose instead to come for combat." The man exclaimed in sagely tone of one who had seen much. "What is it you bear on your shoulders that would have you walk such a path? What do you desire to do once you've obtained power?"
At this, Oscar lowered his body into a stance that would allow him to pounce forward upon his foe with ease.
"Tch. What I desire is an end to the madness. I will shatter the chains that bind me and those like me. I will become the beast that both gods and monsters fear. I will ensure that the future of humanity will never again be taken from us."
The illusion of both dragon claws and head floated and flexed above Oscar's head has he snarled his next words.
"And I you are a fool. With all your power, you remain here doing nothing. I wonder how much could have been saved if someone with strength such as you had chosen to act. But soon I will wonder no longer."
At this, the man paused for a moment before giving an amused chuckle at the words thrown at him.
"I see….The strong hold the strength to stand for themselves, but the true warrior finds the strength to stand for others. An important lesson to be sure, but pointless if you learn but half of it." The man said wisely. "I have made much the same mistake as you in the past. The blood, the battles, the cause. I have lived through it all and seen what is wrought by taking such a path, so believe me when I say that you will find only regret waiting for you should you continue to walk it like this. Reject your rage, before it is to late to turn back."
For a moment, Oscar's eyes softened. In his mind he saw all those that he'd killed and all that he'd done to get this far. There was a silent curse in the back of his thoughts towards himself as he played them over and over again, knowing there was no taking any of It back.
Once the moment had passed, his brow furrowed once more as he spoke lowly to his foe.
"I will not….I need this power. The world needs it. The dark closes in, the demons run rampant and the gods have fled. This power is the sword and the shield I must wield. Without it, I cannot change anything." Oscar said, almost embracing the sins he's committed aloud. "When it is all over, I will welcome the consequences of my actions. But for now….I must fight."
Hearing his words, the spearman himself hesitated for a moment as if he were truly taking in the knights' words. He then finally lifted his weapon from the earth at his side, held it in both hand and lowered his body in a combat stance
"Very well. Then I will not dishonor your resolve. Face your path here and now."
At this, Oscar sighed to himself, once more taking on the feeling of embracing what's he's become. He then roared and bared his teeth like a mad dog, before rushing forward to attack with everything he had at once. The dragon's hands, it fanged head and his own claws were all brought to bear, ready to tear the spearman limb from limb.
But of course, as before, it was no use.
SHLICK
The attack was fast.
No. Simply saying it was "Fast" didn't do it justice. The attack of the black knight from before was "Fast", the magic weapons that Velka used were "Fast", the lightning miracles that Solaire called upon were "Fast".
But what the spearman's attack was far more than that.
The only thing that Oscar's mind could register was what he could only describe as the sharp cutting of the air. The very next thing he knew, the blade of the man's spear had pierced right through his gullet with enough force to have a heavy wind follow behind it.
Once again, Oscar could only go wide eyed as his body mind finally caught up with the fact that he'd been ran through. Better still that it had been done with such precision that it did only that much and nothing more.
"Pup. State your name." the man said sternly, ripping Oscar's mind away from his shock and earning a glare from him.
Through sheer willpower, Oscar grits his teeth and pulls his body back from the blade. Even with the sharp pain crawling through his abdomen and his blood staining the stone beneath him, he refused to allow himself to fall to his knees and admit defeat.
Instead, he held his head high and held the mans gaze with his own.
"Oscar….Knight of Astora." He said through the pain and thick tase of copper in his mouth.
"I'll remember it." The man compliments as he raised his spear high above his head. "As a warrior's courtesy, I shall end you using all that I have to offer."
At his words, the clouds above blackened and boomed loudly. Looking up to the sky, Oscar immediately knew that whatever was coming could not be evaded even if he didn't have a hole in his stomach right now.
This was it. The battle was well and truly concluded.
As per the covenant, he would lose all the power he'd gained through combat and it would be claimed by this man who had so easily overcome him.
"I see…I wasn't even close…" Oscar thought as the crackling of the storm grew more intense above him. "…So this is what it means to be truly strong…"
The lighting amongst the clouds was now streaking violently and would no doubt strike without recourse. So with one final breath, Oscar raised his hands at either side and bared himself to the forces that be.
"What are you-?"
"Come what may, but I will never bow my head in fear." Oscar said in what he knew was his last act of defiance.
The last thing he heard before his entire world was overcome by a great whiteness was but a single word of praise.
"Admirable."
And then it happened.
A crashing boom. A jolting, excruciating pain that took such a hold that he could not even scream. His world turned to a white landscape as every muscle convulsed and seized up. It was power beyond anything he'd ever imagined.
How long did the light take him? How long was it that he was trapped in that world of overwhelming white? Oscar would never know. All that would be granted to him was the sudden feeling of nothingness as body crumbled and fell harshly when it was all over.
With all now said and done, the spearman could only give a small sigh as the surrounding serpent men as well as the two drakes, all gave a roar victory at his actions. He let them have their moment of cheer. After all, it was very rare that someone made their way up the mountain.
Though he did feel somewhat disgruntled about one simple fact.
"I must be growing quite soft through the ages. For all my blunder, I still held back a great deal." He thought to himself as he approached his fallen foes unmoving body and making quick note that he did indeed still draw breath. "Ah, Human's. Always choosing to take the long path to understanding."
He kneels and with a quick tap of two fingers on the human's forehead, he wills the scales within to enveloped him in ashen smoke and whisk him away from the mountain top and to where he came from.
"But perhaps for some it is the only way to truly learn."
?
He wakes as if struck by lightning. No sleepiness, no slow warming up. Within seconds of his mind realizing he was unconscious, Oscar was on his feet, eyes wide, dreams not just forgotten but erased. He quickly drunk in the feedback from all his senses.
He was back at the lake of endless sea and ash. Before the unmoving stone dragon and the bonfire that sat before it.
Immediately he recognized that the power of the covenant still dwelled within him. Which could only mean…
"He let me leave without finishing it…dammit…"
His head hung low, unsure of what he had to do now.
A part of him wanted to return to the mountain top, for he could still clearly feel the call of the man's inner power. But another told him that there would be no point, for the outcome would not change.
His brow furrowed, but he accepted the truth of the latter. The difference between the two of them was as big as night and day. To go back pretending otherwise would only waste time and prove nothing.
And so, he could only turn away in defeat and chose to leave the barren land behind land. There was nothing more for him here.
As he turned towards the exit and took his first steps back toward the path back to his own world, Oscar paused and gave one last look back to his benefactor: The mighty stone dragon.
As always, it stood completely immobile and expressionless. Offering no displeasure or dissatisfaction, nor showing any approval or acclaim. It just gave him power simply because he asked for it. Not caring in the slightest how he used it or why he needed it.
It was truly nothing more than a statue set to spend eternity sitting in place here.
Oscar wanted to curse its inaction. Rage against its stillness…but then he deigned to ask himself a single question.
Who was he to judge?
As he looked upon the beast, he wondered just what it must be like to live the existence this creature must. It had everything taken from it. Its world, its kin, even its bloodline. It sat here completely and utterly alone as the very last of its kind.
Turning his gaze forward, Oscar could offer but a few parting words.
"Thank you, creature…for everything."
With these words spoken, he turned his back to leave the monster behind. There was simply nothing more to be said and he did not look back.
The dragon would remain as unmoving as ever and when he was gone, the stillness that resided would be its only companion. So did his words or sentiments matter in the slightest? Oscar didn't know.
And frankly, as he took his first steps onto the Ashen Lake and to Blighttown, he suddenly felt far too tired to care.
Quelaag's Domain
A haggard cough echoed softly within the open chamber.
It had been quite some time since her restoration, but Quelaan could not tell if she was getting better or if her body was simply at a stalemate with the blight in her veins, with neither being able to fully overwhelm the other. But truthfully, her own health was not the focus of her thoughts.
Having lived a far longer life than he sister, Quelaan was quite accustomed to looking to the future and attempting to plan accordingly.
The surviving people of Izalith, the sick and burdened, cried out for her help.
It was a difficult thing for her to leave them to suffer when she holds the power to do something about it. If it were possible, she would see to it that their infection did not harm them any further than it already had.
But she heeded her sister's words.
She could only use her pyromancy to a very light degree as it seemed to exacerbate the sickness in her body. If she used it too often or to great a scale, it was likely that she would collapse and become just as ill as before. But still, she knew she had to do something. If she could not help her people right now in a direct manner, then she had to seek out other paths.
That was her entire goal behind sending Kirk to find out more about that Prophet. To help her people.
Even more so, to help Quelaag.
Her heart broke every time she remembered what had been said between her sister and Oscar. How far had Quelaag been forced to go just to keep her alive? How many lives had to be sacrificed in exchange to keeping her body going just a little while longer?
She had to see such a path come to an end. No more blood would stain her young sister's heart. She would not allow it. Before all else, even before her people, Quelaan would do everything she could to see her sister happy once again.
And so she planned her next moves.
The first step to granting Quelaag any sort of future was to get her out of this place. Their home was gone, and it would do nothing but haunt them to remain here grieving. But it would be quite dangerous to just wonder about the lands above. They needed a secure destination to plant their roots and to allow Quelaan to better teach her to overcome the difficulties of their current bodies and souls.
"For all its deformities, these bodies are quite powerful. If not a great deal more unstable in its nature." Quelaan said as she placed a hand upon the spider that was now her lower body. "I must show Quelaag how better to control such chaotic pyromancy. If the blight yet takes me, the future of our family will lie with her. As for brother, if the Prophet knows not of a way to help him, perhaps taking him to a colder land would ease his pain. Hm…a great deal there is to do."
Just as white witch was dwelling on the matter, her ears caught the sound of footsteps walking into her great chamber. Turning her gaze towards the entrance, she was met with the familiar sight of a knight wielding a sword and shield upon his back.
Straightening herself, Quelaan smiled and greeted him warmly.
"Well, well, look who it is." She said in a sweet and pleasant tone. "How very nice to see you again, Oscar."
"Quelaan…" Oscar said lowly as he approached the witch and stood before her. Oddly enough, he didn't speak anything further than that. Merely stood in silence, as if he was having trouble deciding which words would leave his lips.
"Hm? Are you quite alright?" Quelaan asked with a minor tilt of her head.
"I…I've come for the bell." Oscar said at last, the conviction in his voice seeming less than strong and earning a pause from the witch as she too gave some thought to her next words.
"My, straight to business? Can we not enjoy each other's company but for a few moments? It is quite rare occasion for us to see a friendly face here, you know." She said in gentle manner. "Besides, I'm sure Quelaag would be quite please to see you again."
"I don't need to see-"
"Just a brief "Hello". Please?" Quelaan asked sincerely. "I feel that It would do her a lot of good to know that there are others that don't see her as a monster to be feared, beyond Kirk and myself of course. It won't take long, I promise."
At this, Oscar turned his gaze off to the side for a moment, before turning back to the witch and seemingly complying with her wishes.
And so it was that Quelaan would turn around and lead the knight further into her home. They traveled just past the bell and the witch breathed a small sigh of relief when he made no move to go for it. Traveling along a far-reaching tunneled path, the two at last walked free into an enormous subterranean cave. Great enough in size that its ceiling could not be seen when one looked upward. Seeing this, Oscar wondered for a moment how such a place could exist right beneath Firelink Shrine. Perhaps much like Ash lake, it existed in a completely different time and place.
Aside from the slope they stood upon, which was barren save for a lone bonfire near a ledge, the entire area's ground floor was drowning in a sea of lava.
Though the great expanse of lava was not as eye catching as the mountainous monstrosity the seemed to be casually standing within it far in the distance from them. Upon its shoulder was the familiar form of a certain spider, who was quick to turn her eyes towards the two of them.
Once she did, she was quick to crawl down the body of the large monstrosity and directly into the lake of lava. Disappearing beneath it.
"Give her a moment if you would. Quelaag was merely comforting our brother." Quelaan said to the knight at her side.
"That's your brother?" Oscar questioned as he looked at the twisted and deformed molten giant.
"Indeed. Though we have suffered the fate of being binded to the bodies of spiders, our brother was not so lucky. His bother constantly discharges lava from all over, placing him in a state of constant pain." Quelaan explained with a heavy heart. "His only comfort is to speak with one of us and know that we still care for him."
Hearing this, Oscar's eye's softened, but he offered no words. He could only think back on the words he'd said to the witch. How he called her a monster and a murderous wench. He'd all but outright said that her and her family got what they deserved.
Even if they were gods and even if they did bring about all this chaos, his words were cruel beyond measure. Even more than that, it was almost as if he was kicking her while she was already down.
It took a few minutes, but soon enough Quelaag emerged from the scalding lava.
As if it were little more than water, the liquid heat slid down her hair and body while she showed not a hint of discomfort from it. For a brief moment, it would have been easy to see that she would have been the apple of many a man's eye once upon a time. Even with the chaos swirling in her pupils, her body was quite sharply and well endowed.
Though this image was quickly discarded by the snarling head of her other half that carried her free of the lake and atop the slope her sister and Oscar stood. Her sword appearing just has jagged and painful looking as ever.
Once she was upon them, Quelaag was quick to lock eyes with knight. Holding a clear look of heated displeasure in her gaze. For his part, Oscar did not turn away or retreat from her staring.
"Have you brought any humanity?" Quelaag questioned at last with narrowed eyes.
"None for you and your sister appears quite healthy to my eyes." Oscar responded plainly.
"Then we have nothing to discuss. Leave." She said sharply, already more than ready to have this human gone from her sight
"Now, now, don't be like that, Quelaag. Oscar's come a long way see how we are faring. Let's try to be more courteous host, shall we?" Quelaan said, showing perfect contrast to her sister attitude. "
"More courteous host? Certainly. Come Oscar, would you not join me for a swim? There's more than enough lava for all of us." Quelaag said, not lessening her displeasure in the slightest.
"Careful. You'll find that I will not be handled so easily this time, Quelaag." Oscar warned grimly.
"Is that a fact?" Quelaag said as she moved to approach the knight that much further.
GRRRRR
Unfortunately, before she could get very close, the head of a growling dragon suddenly faded into reality, surprising both of the sisters and causing their bodies to freeze in place.
However, took merely a few moments more for Quelaag to recall Oscar mentioning something of retrieving some for of power for himself. Judging by the display he was giving, she had to assume that he must have been successful in his endeavors.
But she'd be damned if she'd give him the satisfaction of seeing her falter in fear.
"Should I be impressed? We have bigger beast roaming about our back yard." she said as she locked eyes with the knight and looked down upon him.
"My, but this certainly is something to behold." Quelaan said as she herself approached in fascination and placed a hand upon the dragon's jaw, finding that its as solid and real as one might expect. "Where did you learn to create such a thing? Some new human sorcery perhaps?"
"No, it's…a long story."
"Is it now? Well…" she turns toward the edge of the cliff and sit comfortably upon the earth, before gesturing a hand to her side for him to sit next to her. "…It just so happens that I love long stories. And you seem to have a lot on your mind. So would you do me the honor of telling me your tale?"
Oscar hesitated. The woman before him was a god, or at least she was previously, so a part of him still held a certain level of distrust for her. But she had indeed suffered for her action and seemed to have held humans in higher regard in her previous life. Throw in her sincere, well-meaning personality along with this and he would be lying if he said he did not hold soft spot for Quelaan.
But before he could decide whether he would divulge anything or not, Quelaag spoke up once more.
"Sister, please, I doesn't matter what he's…"Quelaag's voice trails off as a thought occurred to her. How long had it been since she'd seen Oscar last? A few days? A few weeks, maybe? Yet he's learned something like this so quickly? Impossible. He'd have to have claimed it somehow.
Turning her gaze, down upon him for a few moments, a smug look suddenly came across the witch's eye's.
"Oh…I see now." Quelaag said with a gentle smile on her lips as she worked things out on her own. Even going so far as to approach the knight that much closer to really take in and appreciate the sight of him. "I change my mind. Stay as long as you wish, Oscar. I want to hear all about what you've done to gain such strength. Not that it's hard for me to guess."
"Shut up." Oscar said rudely. Though this response only further confirmed what the witch suspected.
"Aw, what's wrong? Heh, heh, there's no need to be shy. You're among friends." Quelaag said laughed before placing a to Oscar's helmeted cheek in an intimate manner, of which he quickly knocked aside. But it did nothing to dampen the witch's mood. "So…how many?"
"….."
"Five? Ten? Twenty? No…with your little display, it would have had to have me much more." Quelaag stated with a bright and friendly look on her face. "Go on. Tell me how many had to be stepped on along the way."
At this, Oscar was sorely tempted to bare his teeth and snap back at the witch of how he had no choice but to do what he did. All that he had done, he'd done for the purpose of fixing the slight against humanity. Every battle he fought; he'd done out of necessity. And all who had died, died only because they did not surrender willingly.
But….he choose not to say any of it to defend himself.
Instead, Oscar choose to remove his helmet, dispel the dragon's head from sight and face his deeds openly for what they were.
"Eighty…" he said lowly, earning a moment of pause between the group. Even Quelaan could not hold back a look of surprise at this admittance.
"Eighty souls…Heh, heh, never let it be said that you were lazy about it. Why, that may even be a greater number than myself. I applaud your efforts. Bravo." Quelaag said as she clapped her hands in a manner that was just as mocking as her tone.
"Quelaag, that's enough." The eldest said, sighing at her siblings prodding.
"Indeed, it is. It's more than enough, in fact. He was so quick to condemn and curse me as a monster, but in the end, he was more than ready to bloody his hands even further than I have. So where is your grand speech's now, Oscar? Am I still the monster here, you sanctimonious hypocrite?" Quelaag said leaning down to come face to face with the human before her, the chaos in her eye's as prevalent as ever. "Better yet, was it worth it? Are your little parlor tricks everything you wanted them to-"
"I'm sorry."
His words were spoken in a low and solemn tone, but they were so unexpected that Quelaag faltered upon hearing them.
"For all that I have said against you and all the blame that I have laid upon you….I'm sorry." Oscar apologized, causing Quelaag again stare at him in surprise and silence. He then turned his gaze to Quelaan as he spoke his next words. "You wished to know how I got this power? My "tale"? It was just the coveting of power. Nothing more. The covenant I bind myself to allowed me to seek out others who had done the same and fight to claim their strength. So, I killed and killed, until there was none but two of us left bearing the same power. But in the end, it availed me nothing. To the enemies that truly matter, I may as well be as weak as ever. Holding no true strength to protect anything or anyone."
Oscar didn't weep or cast his gaze downward as he said his words, but he did allow himself to feel everything that he'd pushed to the back of his mind in the midst all the fighting.
He allowed to be tired of the fighting, exhausted with all the killings, and weary of all the bloodshed.
Turning away from Quelaag, he sat down next to the white spidered sister and released a long breath. Letting all the weight of the world, the curse, the prophet and everything else take its toll on him.
"I have precious little in this world now. My past is lost, and my faith was proven a lie. So I was prepared to do everything, kill anyone I had too, to make sure nothing else was taken from me….yet I cursed you for doing the same. So you're right. I'm nothing more than a hypocrite."
Hearing this, Quelaag was taken aback at the knight's sudden admittance and apology. So much so, that she did not rightly know what to say for a few moments. So instead, she opted to simply walk forward and lower her body to the ground next to him, leaving the two sisters and lone human all facing towards the sea of lava to muse over his words.
"Well maybe now you understand how we felt." Quelaag said speaking calmly for the first time, with not a hint of aggression in her voice. "I don't care what Gwyn may have done, but my family never wanted any of this destruction, nor to see anyone suffer. We only wanted to protect those we cared about. So…even if it's far too late to make any difference, I too am sorry it turned out this way."
Her words carried a sense of fatigue and sincerity that was not too dissimilar to Oscar's own. For this moment alone, she wasn't the great demon of chaos that killed any that would dare intrude on her home.
She was just Quelaag, the youngest daughter of Izalith, who simply wanted to keep her brother and sister alive.
With that, it would be quite some time before any of them spoke again. Oscar and Quelaag simply wished to dwell on the words and apologies they'd spoken to one another. As if hoping that letting them settle in, they could both find some level of forgiveness for the lives they've taken and the blood upon their hands.
But Quelaan had other ideas on the matter. Hearing such sadness, especially from her sister, brought about a strong desire to act, to do something to put an end to the feelings in both their hearts.
And so she did.
"Such turmoil and bloodshed. All the fault of fear and distrust….but we three still yet still draw breath, do we not? That means that it is not too late for us to begin to fix things and heal from this." Quelaan said with in a tone that said she passionately believed her words. "This sorrow and pain need not be the end. We can learn from the past to better help shape our future."
"What are you saying?" Quelaag questioned, confused as to where her sister was going with this.
"I'm saying its time we chose another path even if we are not quite sure where it will take us." Quelaan responded seriously, before turning her attention back towards Oscar's person. "Your prophet knows much. He guided you here to aid us, as well as to something that seems to have granted you a reasonable amount of strength. If your previous words to my sister ring true, he also aims to mend the scars that my people have left upon this world. So I propose we pool our efforts and…"
She hesitates for one final moment, if only to reaffirm that she was truly prepared to go through with her suggestion, before declaring her proposition openly.
"…and have you form a covenant with me."
Not wasting a single breath, Quelaag immediately shot to her feet and showed her opposition clearly.
"Do not let the sentiment of the moment blind you, sister." Quelaag objected firmly.
"I am not blinded. Merely choosing to have a bit of faith." Quelaan responded, coolly holding her ground against her sister. "Your words of remorse and compassion must have given you insight. Have our two races not endured enough fighting and suffering divided? I say no more. Only together can we forge ahead."
"You say that as if it were done so easily." Oscar said as he stood to his feet between the two of them. "Besides, I already belong to a covenant."
"Heh, it's not as if I expect it to be done in a mere fortnight or two. The journey of a thousand footsteps must always start with one." The witch chuckled halfheartedly, but was having trouble putting on the sweet smile she normally sported. Truly a mark of just how serous this decision was. "And you clearly have much to learn of the ways of a covenant and the danger that comes from our kind forming one with yours."
"What do you mean?" Oscar asked.
"Well…the act of forming a covenant is taboo to even speak of among our people, save for those of Lord Gwyn's kin, and a well-kept secret from humanity. Afore the simple fact that your souls are quite different from our own. More "Receptive". Our kind's souls are not as flexible. A covenant between two gods is far less potent in comparison and we can only accept but one at any given time. By your very nature, humans are far more accepting of change and are not limited to but one at a time."
"Why was such a thing hidden and not used to-"
"Must you even finish such a question, fool?" Quelaag interrupted harshly. "Let's say but a few gods all bonded with a single human and granted him strength from each of them. Must it truly be explained the vast number of different ways such a thing could end in catastrophe? The forming of covenants was forbidden for a reason."
"Reasons that no longer matter. Lord Gwyn is gone, and we can only rely on our own judgments. As such, I chose to believe in Oscar and would hope that he would choose to believe in us. Together, along with his Prophet's knowledge, we may yet be able to build something from the ruins of our mistakes. One where humans and gods can start anew." Quelaan said passionately. "So what say you, Oscar? Will you take my hand in this? That we may allow our two people to come together once more."
Oscar hesitated. They were offering him more power and seemed to want to place her trust in him with it, but still…he felt a deep unease at taking such an offer from a god after all that has been done. But before he could voice his concerns, Quelaag spoke first.
"Enough. He's not agreeing to form a covenant with you..."
"Quelaag, we-"
"….because he's going to agree to one with both of us." The witch said as she sighed pinched the bridge of her nose.
At this, both Quelaan and Oscar paused to make sure they heard her right. Each one staring with raised eyebrows at the fiery red witch.
"I can understand Quelaan, but why would you seek a covenant with me?" Oscar started.
"Do not mistake my intentions. I care nothing for you or any other human. Only for the well being of my sister and brother. So here is our arrangement: We will both convene with you and consider you an ally, but we will not fight with you. Any battle you encounter will be your own. If you die and turn into a hollow, our alliance will reach its end." Quelaag exclaimed firmly, not sharing her sister gentle approach to the matter. "I assume you aim to travel to Anor Londo for your Prophet, do you not? Any spoils to be had there will be ours to claim."
"Wait a moment, Sister-"
"Fine. Ours to share. That includes a piece of land for us to rebuild as well as any plans the Prophet may have moving forward. It will be all be shared with us. If you keep no secrets from us, neither will we keep any from you."
"So I must shoulder all the risk while you reap nothing but reward?" Oscar protested.
"You shoulder all of the risk you have chosen to take. We have forced you to do nothing, you ungrateful-." Quelaag cuts herself mid-sentence, as if having to physically stop the words from leaving her lips. After a moment passes, she takes a deep breath and speak calmly once again. "Do you have any idea what a covenant means to us? We are trusting you with a part of our very being. There is no act more personal or intimate. So if you wish to throw it back in our faces and refuse, then go ahead. But we will not beg for this."
She lowers her human half closer and points a clawed finger directly at Oscar's face.
"Especially not from a man as brainless and cowardly as you."
"Heh, heh, but Quelaag you-" Quelaan started just as Oscar took hold of her sisters hand and interrupted her.
"You think me cowardly? Afraid of the risk before me? Fine then. Let's see where such a fate takes us! Do it, you loudmouth spider!" He shouted at the witch as he pulled her closer to his person, the immense heat that came from her body doing little to deter him.
"Fine! I will, you insignificant pest!" she shouted back as her pyromancy flared up lowly.
"Well, go on then! I don't have all day!"
"I'll see it done right now!"
The two huffed and glared at one another, neither willing to back down from the challenge of the other. But as the seconds between them ticked by and absolutely nothing happened, the two could only now hear that Quelaan was chuckling heartily in amusement at the scene.
"Heh, heh, heh, so now what, Quelaag? Heh, what's next?"
"Why are you laughing?" Oscar asked.
"Pfft, hahaha, because Quelaag has never formed a covenant before. She has no idea how to actually do it." Quelaan laughed aloud, causing her sister to develop a crimson hue upon her cheeks.
And so it was that a deep embarrassment began to set in upon Quelaag mind.
But still, she refused to let go of Oscar's hold or break the staring contest they held with one another. For to do so would be to admit defeat…and needed a few seconds to think of an insult that would allow her to keep at least some of her dignity.
"You senseless halfwit! You dare take hold of me so frivolously?! First you ogle my body and now this?! Your depravity knows no bounds!"
"What? Don't try to change the subject because you were stupid enough to make a mistake like that!"
"The subject is of trust. And how can we trust someone who doesn't understand the meaning of the word boundaries, you idiot!"
"If I wanted to look, I'd just look. You're not exactly trying to hide anything, you thickheaded moron!"
"So you admit it then! Typical human to have such immoral intentions even for a spider! Stay away from my sister, you fiend!"
"You know what, I've had just about enough of you!"
"Well, I've had more than enough of you! And another thing…
The two would continue this back and forth for some time, neither willing to let the other have the last word on the matter. But they would never come to blows and Quelaan was quick to note that despite their words, neither Oscar nor her Sister released their grip on the others hand. Though they probably wouldn't admit it, to her eye's, they both seemed to like one another very much.
She would show her sister how to form a covenant later, but for now she let the two of them have their moment together.
Besides, once you got past all the insults, their bickering was quite adorable.
HOLD IT, WAIT A GOSH DANG MINUTE!
Before you push that review button I got a few words to say.
Firstly, I know exactly what everyone is going to say about this chapter. And that will be what's the deal with the nameless king. Well, I've been hit with more than a few suggestions on what to do with the old man in the big pow wow in Anor Londo, but then I suddenly had a thought.
"Who can actually do anything to stop the NK if he joined in?"
The way I see it, with the nameless king non-hollowed at this point, he's pretty much the top of the food chain. Seath can't beat him, no one on team Prophet can keep up with him and at best, Gwyndolin can slow him down. So after thinking it over, for the sake of there actually being a fight that can go either way, I think I would be best to leave the Nameless king out of it simply for the fact that he's just far to strong when compared to everyone else.
Of course, I've left myself a clear path to come back to this matter and change my mind with Oscar being able to go back to Archdragon peak, but as it stands, I'm not so sure I'll have the big guy join in the fight. Though a big draw for me on the matter is the reunion between Gwyndolin and his big bro, so I don't want to give up on it completely just yet. But I think its best to think on it a bit to brainstorm a few idea's and weigh the pro's and cons.
Secondly, I wanted this chapter to allow Oscar to form more bonds to take him further. I didn't want him to just be "Raging dragon man who's soooo edgy". I want him to learn and grow beyond that anger. This way I feel that he could become someone thats more than his outrage and can possibly be the bridge between that actually leads to healing from Gwyn's actions. Not to mention that the TRIPLE COVENANT COMBO should definitely even the odds between Oscar and any god. (Except for the Nameless King. He's just too pro.)
Thirdly, before anyone ask, I have absolutely no idea what benefits I will grant Oscar for being in three covenants at once. The way I see it, I've haven't seen any evidence that such a thing would be impossible canonically, so I figured its fair game to include a multi-covenant sort of buff. So I took my shot on things. Though I do want to reinforce that for a god, a covenant is a special and extremely personal thing. Something on the same level as choosing the first person you give your virginity too, sort of personal.
But I fully plan to dive head long into this completely game breaking development. "Chaos infused dragon man" is just the tip of the spear, boys! XD
Fourthly, no one worry. There is a VERY specific reason why Quelaan and Quelaag haven't done this sort of thing with Kirk. Of which, will be explained in the story rather than me just outright telling you guys. So don't think I've forgotten about the spiky boi.
Welp, that's all I have to say this time around, dear readers.
As always, feel free to leave a review and tell me what you guys thought about this chapter of the story. Was the disparity between Oscar and the Nameless King reasonable? Was Oscar journey of being humbled a little to rushed a character development? Were Quelaan and Quelaag a little too ready to form a bond with an outsider?
Honest opinions are always appreciated as I'm always looking to improve my style of writing to make this story a bit more interesting for you guys. so don't be shy in telling me your thoughts about how things are going so far. Outside opinions will have a huge effect on how this story will play out.
This is Supreme Gamer, Signing out.
P.S. I only just realized that I had Yuria send Shiva down to find Quelaag. And now, not only are the two sister back together, but now they're gonna have omega dragon Oscar there with them. So Shiva basically avoided one ass kicking just to be sent to a different one. XD
P.P.S. Oh my god, guys, I forgot about Domhnall. He was supposed to be in the dang Depths. But with Oscar getting a chaos buff, I may have just opened up a path for him to be able to see Quelana. Horaay for happy accidents.
P.P.P.S. Now I don't know if its anatomically possible for Oscar to get with a giant spider woman, all I know is that my internet history is becoming more cursed by the day as I "research" the topic. Please pray for my souls, dear reader.