AT LAST! I'VE COMPLETE MY MASTERPIECE!
Finally! Finally! FINALLLLLY!
I cannot express how freaking happy I am that I've finally finished this bad boy! The Jitters from even putting it out to guys are outrageous, right now. XD
Quick shoutout to all you guys you reviewed and sent my your ideas for how things should go. here was like over 40 PM's with ideas and I loved each and every one of them. Especially you, dracospikex!
dracospikex- Heres what ya gotta do: make one of those wheels with all of these options and spin it. If ya get something that your writer brain doesnt like then keep spinning untill you are happy. If ya get happy then kablam there ya go. I do this with coin flips sometimes. The result doesnt matter, its how you feel about the result.
I actually got annoyed enough that I actually googled how to make one of these at home and it worked better than it had any right too. It became a whole thing with a few friends of mines always coming over and saying "All hail the wheel of truth!". XD
Also, huge shout out to Jyx - The Berzer King and danielsnow! You guys have been here since like the early chapters! Same goes for you too Antione! You reading through the story and dropping honest feedback was the highlight for me while trying to put this chapter together.
All you ladies and gents, are the bee's knee's. Now, without further time wasting, ENJOY THE CHAPTER TO RULE THEM ALL!
Warning: Only those with a FromSoft waifu body pillow my read beyond this point. (Lies of P Waifu's are acceptable) Violators will be Subjected to the 'Undead Conga Line.' Step beyond this point, and you'll find yourself dancing through an eternal party of skeletons who just can't resist the urge to cha-cha. Don't say we didn't warn you – the only way out is to out-dance Death itself. Good luck, and may your two left feet carry you to victory!"
Ruin.
Everything was being brought to ruin.
In the desolate expanse of Lordran, a realm already teetering on the edge of oblivion, an unfathomable cataclysmic force surged forth like a hurricane of chaos, ripping through the fragile tapestry of existence. The very essence of the world convulsed and quaked, pushed to its limits and beyond.
An icy, voracious cold gnawed at the remnants of warmth that dwelled within all things, as if the lifeblood of reality itself was being siphoned away. It crept through the crevices and corridors, numbing the very bones of those who still clung to existence while while decimating entire realms without mercy.
Above ground, the very fabric of Lordran unraveled in a relentless display of destruction. The ground shook violently as cities and settlements crumbled into dust, their mighty spires and walls collapsing in on themselves while the air began to grow thick with a suffocating cold.
The moon, a pale and haggard reflection of its former glory, fought to pierce through the thick, malevolent clouds that choked the night sky. Its feeble light struggled to revealed the true extent of horror and devastation. The screams of the dying rang out in a deafening cacophony, drowned out only by the sound of crumbling buildings and falling debris as they crushed many a poor soul beneath them. In every realm, in every kingdom, terror reigned supreme.
Those that were not among the crush, found no safety awaiting them as the ground beneath their feet shook with a ferocious fury, splitting wide open like the gaping mouth of hell itself. Molten lava spewed forth from deep within the earth, engulfing everything in its path and adding to the ever-growing death toll. As the merciless flames ravaged the land, nothing was left untouched as it turned all into piles of ash and the sickening stench of scorched bodies lingered in the air, mingling with the sulfuric smell of brimstone.
Deeper below, within the endless void of the Abyss, a realm shrouded in unrelenting darkness and despair, the Four Kings roared in frenzy of fury and agony. The Abyss itself quivered in pain, pushed to its breaking point by the insatiable force that sought to consume it whole. These once-mighty rulers, now twisted and corrupted beyond recognition, convulsed and writhed as this unseen force abyssal maw widened, threatening to consume all.
Amidst the destruction, the Bed of Chaos, once a harbinger of annihilation, quivered in its malevolent core. The very essence of its twisted form convulsed violently, reflecting the cataclysmic tremors that reverberated throughout the tortured world. The cold maw of an unseen force gnawing at its core, sapping its strength and vitality. The once indomitable demons now writhed in agony, their fearsome power draining away. Their roars of fury and defiance were quickly replaced by anguished cries that echoed across the desolate landscape of Izalith and beyond.
And at the heart of it all, even the First Flame shuddered, its already weakened flames thinning as it was reduced to a quivering flicker. The very foundations of reality quaked as Lifehunt consumed both light and dark in equal measure. It was a primal force, unchained and insatiable, laying waste to a world already on the precipice of annihilation.
It was all so grand, so vast in magnitude. And Priscilla was fully awakened to its grandeur. Every moment stoked her insatiable hunger, transforming it into a relentless inferno that burned fiercely within her core.
The intoxicating scent of life, the seductive fragrance of vitality, tantalized and teased every fiber of her being.
Priscilla stood in the midst of an ethereal maelstrom, a realm where the boundaries between reality and her extraordinary abilities blurred. In this moment, her heightened senses had taken her to a place she had never ventured before.
It was as if she stood within a lavish banquet, surrounded by an endless array of delicacies - the essence of gods and men, the very lifeblood of demons splayed out before her in tantalizing display. She stood in the heart of this magnificent spectacle, trembling and feeling hungrier than she'd ever felt before.
So why...
Why...why, why, why why, why, why, WHY, from amidst this rich flood of aromas, did one aroma permeate her senses so profoundly? Why was it just one scent, HIS scent, that made her body shudder with longing and her mind melt into pool a desire? Why was it only his scent that made her mouth water and her nerves tremble with a primal euphoria unlike any other?
Everything else...The smell of it, the taste of it-made her want to retch. Each one foul and nauseating compared to what she had savored in him – they were of such disgustingly inferior quality, so pathetically insignificant in taste that it felt as if they were tainting the atmosphere around her. Her senses rebelled against consuming such pitiful aromas; they were an affront to every sense in her body!
This was supposed to be life?!
"..H...Horrid..."
The gods were (succulent morsels, radiating with vibrancy like a fresh fruit) putrid chunks, their divine life force rancid and withered in comparison to the virility of his soul.
The brutish demons tasted like (warm caramel, with a hint of salt, melting upon her tongue) chunks of spoiled milk. Viscous, thick and warm. The texture alone made her stomach turn.
"...Vile...!"
The Abyss, an unending sea of darkness, (radiated the sweet aroma of freshly brewed coffee—the bitterness tantalizingly inviting) reeked of the foulest sewage and muck—a wretched stench that was like excrement and carcasses blended together and left to fester in the sweltering heat.
"..Disgusting!..."
The essence of Chaos tasted (of an otherworldly stew, where the essence of life simmers) like burning hair—an initial blast of noxious fumes followed by an overwhelming swirl of flavors that left the senses bewildered and overwhelmed.
"..S-Stop it..!"
The First Flame-
"STOP IT!"
A frenzied and wild bellow, like the fury of a beast from ages long gone, escaped Priscilla's throat.
She rejected them all with prejudice and malice. Every aspect of their pathetic existence- all their imperfections, all their flaws, and all the wrongness they exuded-was met with pure revulsion. Such was the intensity of her scorn that it felt like a seething inferno consuming her insides, threatening to burst forth and consume everything in its path.
"...I'm sorry...Please..Forgive me..." Priscilla pleads desperately, somewhere in her mind, as she ascends the grand staircase. Her claws gouge deep into the stone beneath her feet with every step, muscles rippling beneath her fur like tightly wound springs. Moonlight bathed her body in a pale light, transforming her fur and claws into a radiant white.
Kaylen stops at the top of the path before her, his spirit blazing brilliantly, an irresistible beacon that Priscilla longed to devour.
With one final lung, she explodes to the summit of the stairs and unleashes an almighty roar that pierces the night air. Painful razor-sharp claws snap out from her fingers and and her jaws part in a feral snarl, revealing sharp, glinting fangs that promise only violence and bloodshed.
But as her hands were about to grab hold of him, a colossal eruption of black fire burst forth from beneath her feet, engulfing Priscilla in its searing grasp. The inferno roared and writhed around her, its blazing tongues lapping at her skin with an unquenchable ardor.
God...it felt like nirvana.
The flames enwrapped her in a tantalizing embrace, filling every fiber of her being with rapture. She could feel Kaylen's aura radiating from the fire, a seductive aroma that intensified her desire for him. Her very soul rejoiced as the fire enveloped her, caressing every inch of her body in its heavenly embrace.
"...Oh~, Prophet...Pro...PROPHET!"
Priscilla, a twisted phantom engulfed in the blaze of hellfire, surged through the blazing tempest with immense power as her frame became that much larger and mightier. The fire had nourished her that much more and she bellowed with untamed ferocity as she lunged after Kaylen's escaping shape.
He was quick; sprinting away from the blazing pillar of flames he'd called into existence to try and stop the crossbreed. She moves with an animalistic fervor, her claws razing his skin with each swipe. He ducks, dodges, and weaves like a madman driven by instinct, barely staying ahead of her deadly reach. His agility and speed granting him moments of short-lived reprieve as he maneuvers around her grasp. But she was always right on his heels, with her never less than a hairs breath behind in step.
"N-No...Don't hurt..N-..YES! SO RICH!" A crescendo of pure euphoria engulfs Priscilla, her body quivering in delight as she feels Kaylen's essence maturing and growing more refined with every step. Its intensity rising with every beat. His melody captivates her with a blazing fire of passion and ecstasy that radiates throughout her entire being—each cell alive in wild rhythm.
She hungers for his song, her entire being pulsating with an insatiable craving to consume him. The primal force within her reaches an apex, pulsating with a ferocious urge to be unleashed. Her muscles swell with raw power, her sight sharpens to the point of superhuman acuity, and deadly fangs erupt from her jaw like an animalistic affliction.
As his power continues to grows and evolves, hers follows suits at an even faster rate.
"MORE! MORE! I NEED IT!"
Priscilla's vision blurs, the world fading into a hazy backdrop as she fixates solely on Kaylen. Time ceases to exist, her mind overtaken by a primal urge to possess him completely. Kaylen's desperate shouts go unnoticed as she becomes consumed with the need to seize his essence, to devour his life force completely and utterly.
Nothing else mattered. Nothing else reached to her mind...
...that is, until she felt a sudden, brutal shockwave of pain as the sharp steel of Ornstein's pierced through her back, tearing through her beating heart and sending enchanted lightning coursing through her body.
Priscilla screams in abject anguish as the weakness of dragon kind scorched every nerve ending, surged through her veins, setting every nerve on fire and making her muscles spasm uncontrollably. as the knight forced his spear into her flesh all the way to the hilt.
But the unbearable pain only gripped her for a fleeting moment before it was consumed by pure rage. Her screams of agony morphed into guttural snarls as she bared her fangs, gnashing them together in defiance against the searing bolts of lightning coursing through her body. With a feral determination that could not be tamed, she blindly pivoted around and lashed out at the offending knight.
Only for Ornstein to sidestep her with the grace of a lion; agilely evaded out of reach and simultaneously moving out of the path of Smough, who laughed eerily as he raised his hammer high into the sky, before sending it plummeting downward with unstoppable force upon Priscilla.
"NO!"
CRASH
Kaylen's voice rose in a desperate cry of horror, a step to slow to do anything to stop it . Priscilla eyes widened in horror as the colossal hammer descended upon her with unstoppable force. A deafening crunch echoed through the air as bones shattered and flesh tore under the crushing weight, sending a crimson spray of blood cascading onto the ground like a macabre canvas. The metallic scent of iron and death filled the air, suffocating and suffusing every breath. The ground trembled with the force of the impact as crack spread upon it's surface
At seeing his friend murdered before his very eyes, Kaylen released an almighty roar of pure fury and within the span of a single breath, he and Ornstein have launched themselves forward. They crashed together, blades clashing in a dizzying blur of steel.
Paying no heed to the Moonlight Butterfly the fly in above them.
There was a few moments of confusion after Velka opened her eyes and found that her wounds had been healed. A brief bit of disconnect as she connected the dot on the situation.
The last thing she remember was blacking out upon Kaylen's back, so to awaking to the blue eyes of Anastacia staring down on her and seeing that she was surrounded by an assortment of familiar humans...save a large woman dressed in rags and woman in a tattered red robe that left little to the imagination.
Raising herself to her feet, Velka scanned her surroundings, taking in the chaos that surrounded her.
The scene before her was surreal and dire - a group of undead soldiers, their bodies covered in sharp, jutting crystals, stood in front of her. Above them, a massive butterfly creature loomed, its iridescent wings casting an eerie glow over the battlefield. And behind them, a solid stone wall shimmered with an illusion that Velka could almost see through. It was clear that it was created to bar the path forward..
"What happened between with Gwyndolin? Where is Kaylen?" Velka questioned for but a brief moment before shaking her head clear of such things and focusing on the immediate issue at hand.
Facing Anastacia with a stern look in her eye's she spoke.
"Would you care to explain what you're doing here?" Velka said, her tone firm, like that of a worried mother trying to protect her child from danger. Though she did a poor job of hiding the softness and care she held at the sight of seeing Anna once again.
"W-Well...I came to try to help. But I suppose I'm doing a poor job of it seeing as I'm in need of yours, heh." Anastacia chuckled somewhat dryly, the direness of the situation still at the forefront of her mind. And yet, amidst all the chaos, there was a clear sense of relief in Anna's eyes as she saw Velka healed and well once again.
Despite their dire circumstances, there was a glimmer of happiness in both their eyes at being reunited once again. They shared a moment of unspoken understanding and relief, grateful that they were both safe and together. Words weren't needed as they shared a silent understanding of how much they missed each other. In different circumstances, they would have embraced tightly to express their happiness at being reunited. But in this chaotic situation, a simple look conveyed everything they felt in that moment.
"We'll discuss your being here later, but for now stay behind me." Velka instructed with care before shooting a glare at one of the men by her side. One who looked more than a little surprised to suddenly have the goddesses undivided attention." You and I will have words later, Merchant. You were supposed to keep her out of danger.
The merchant's jaw dropped in shock. "Wait, what?!" he exclaimed.
But Velka had already turned her back on him, facing the charging horde of crystal hollows led by an armored bull who was pawing the ground and snorting in fury; clearly about to charge.
It was at that moment that Velka took note of the two of humans from the group appeared to be walking forward to meet the horde head on. The Crestfallen Knight she met before and the Knight from Catarina who was...wielding Havel's Dragon Tooth?!
"Where did he get-? How can a human even lift that?" The goddess thought to herself in astonishment as the knight marched forward effortlessly. She knew of Havel strength and she knew from experience that his weapon is a formidable thing that must have weighed several hundred pounds and yet this human carried it with such ease. "No. No time to question it now. Best to clear things out a bit and get a clear grasp on what happened with the Prophet and Gwyndolin."
Velka stood tall and proud, her black pyromancy crackling with power as she prepared to unleash her might and incinerate the approaching force. But before she could unleash her flames, the woman in a flowing red robe approached and placed a firm hand on her shoulder.
"We don't have time for this," the woman said urgently. "Priscilla has gone rabid and is pursuing our Lord!"
Velka's eyes widened in shock. "She's what?" she exclaimed, disbelief evident in her voice.
"We need a distraction for Seath while the rest of us go after him." Yuria exclaimed resolutely as she raised her hand to her face, speaking louder for emphasis. "Siegmeyer, what are you waiting for?! If Seath's forces have finally arrived, that can only mean one thing - the barrier preventing passage to his archives is down! You can finally see your precious daughter again! Oh, and I'd hurry if I were you! Events have changed significantly from what their meant to be, so who knows what Seath's doing to her right now. Tick, tock, genius."
Hearing this, a primal roar echoes through the air as Siegmeyer's mind snaps into a single-minded focus. Eyes blazing with determination, he charges towards the massive armored boar, his heart pounding with a fierce protectiveness for his child. With every fiber of his being, he is determined to take down this obstacle in his path.
"WWHRRRAAGGGHHH!" The battle cry erupts from Siegmeyer's throat, unleashing all of his strength and fury upon the unsuspecting boar. Truly, it had no idea just who it was dealing with.
While his body was in shambles from his battle with Havel the Rock, he single handedly slew the multi-headed hydra in it's own territory. While within the Darkroot Garden, he had torn apart bandit after bandit like they were nothing but scraps of paper in his wake.. And when faced with a towering Great Feline beast twice his size, he tore its jaw off with nothing but his bare hands.
Siegmeyer was not just a warrior; he was titan a power.
The armored boar charged forward, its tusk lowered to impale its helpless victim. But Siegmeyer was ready. With a powerful swing of the Dragon Tooth, he struck the boar with such force that its body twisted sideways. As the creature stumbled, Siegmeyer wasted no time. He dropped his great hammer and closed the distance between them.
In a swift and brutal movement, he drove his hand deep into the boar's unarmored rear end. The beast howled in pain as Siegmeyer's fingers find purchase upon its innards, gripping them tightly before violently tearing out chunks of its entrails with a relentless determination. Blood and viscera paint a grisly scene on the stone floor beneath them.
"Out of my way, foul fiends! You will not stop me! Hrgrraaaaggh!" Siegmeyer roars, his eyes blazing with an unbridled rage. Without hesitation, he grabs onto the boar's steel hide, his fingers digging into its tough flesh like steel claws. With a mighty heave, he lifts the thrashing creature high above his head and hurls it at the oncoming horde of undead knights. The impact is deafening, shaking the ground beneath their feet and crushing several of the unfortunate creatures in a sickening crunch.
Reclaiming the Dragon's tooth, Siegmeyer charges forward like a juggernaut, his powerful strides carrying him over the writhing bodies of boars and straight into the midst of the undead army. His dragon tooth swings down with brutal force, shattering skulls and limbs as he plows through their ranks like a living battering ram. The screams of agony mix with the battle cry of Knight as he carves a path through the horde, intent on reaching his daughter within the Dukes Archive.
"By the gods, what a monster." Vince said as he and everyone else, including Velka, gawked at the brutality and might shown by Siegmeyer.
"Q-..Quality will always beat quantity. Of course, they are no match for my Lords generals." Yuria said more than a little surprised, even with what she had seen before, her lords general was truly something to witness.
As Yuria's words leave her lips, a blinding light shines from above, drawing the group's attention to the massive Moonlight Butterfly looming overhead. Its majestic wings glint in the moonlight, almost mesmerizing in their ethereal beauty - until wisps of flowing sorcery begin to swirl around its form, signaling its deadly intentions. The air crackles with magic as the creature hovers over them, preparing to unleash a devastating attack with its powerful sorcery at any moment.
"Anna, get behind me!" Velka exclaims as she readies herself to use her sorcery to defend against the beast.
But before Velka can execute her counter-attack, the sounds of rumbling thunder echoes through the air as Solaire steps forward, his talisman crackling with power.
"Stand back. I will handle this." the Warrior of Sunlight said as her conjures a simple bolt of lightning in his hand.
"That's not going to be enough to kill-"
Velka would never get the chance to finish her sentence as Solaire thrust his talisman skyward. In response, the the deafening rumble the echoes through the air, before a torrential cascade of lightning violently crashed down upon him. It surged relentlessly, an unbridled force of nature threatening to consume him entirely.
Sparks ignited around Solaire. The power, enough to cut through the dark and lay waste to the unjust, surged through every fiber of his being. It was as if the very essence of the storm sought to annihilate him, daring him to succumb to its overwhelming might.
Through sheer force of will, Solaire transformed the chaos around him into a focused torrent of surging lightning. The once uncontrollable maelstrom became a weapon of divine wrath, channeled into a massive bolt that crackled with untold power.
With a single, decisive motion, Solaire unleashed the culmination of the storm upon the Moonlight Butterfly. The bolt streaked through the air, a manifestation of unleashed power, colliding with its ethereal target. An eruption of blinding light and searing electricity engulfs it in an instant, obliterating its delicate wings and reducing its body to charred remnants that plummeted like a celestial meteorite, crashing into the city below.
Solaire winced, the aftermath of his power coursing through him like a bad hangover. "Well...that was unpleasant," he muttered, trying to steady his trembling muscles and ignore the smoke rising from his body.
"Hey! Are you stupid or something?!" Yuria's yells out, piercing and harsh. Causing Solaire to turn towards the others and see her standing in front of Anastacia in a protective manner and trying to put out a small fire on her robe. "You nearly got Anastacia caught in that!"
Looking at the others, Solaire scanned the group with worried eyes, noticing that Yuria, Anastacia, Mildred and Velka were the only ones standing. The rest had all hit the dusty ground, bracing themselves to avoid being unintentionally struck by the volatile lightning he'd willed forth.
"Apologies. I have had not adequate time to hone my knowledge of how to wield the dark within me. It can be quite unpredictable at times and has a...let us say, unique sense of humor."." Solaire said earnestly. "It answered my desires for further power. The lighting from the heavens was unexpected. Luckily, I was able to reign it in at the last second."
"How... How in the world did you do that?" Velka said with clear surprise and awe. The sheer display of power was beyond anything a mere mortal could achieve.. "Wait, you reigned it in at the last second? That was you holding back?"
"Doesn't matter how he did it, such things are to be expected of one of my lord generals. But if you can't control it, don't use it carelessly around Anastacia, you buffoon!" Yuria exclaimed angrily, before turning a concerned look upon Anastacia. Checking her body over as she spoke her next words. "You're not harmed, are you? No burns, no jitters?"
"I'm fine, Yuria. Thank you." Anastacia replied somewhat embarrassed at being treated like she's so fragile- like porcelain waiting to shatter. "We should hurry after the Prophet. he needs help facing that beast."
"H-Hey...Ugh...S-Something feels wrong." Dusk said as a sort of cold runs through her chest.
"Of course, Anna. We have no time to waste." Yuria said ignoring Dusk completely, before turning her attention towards the group. "Reah, that filthily serpent Seath likely seeks to take advantage of the conflict to capture us all. So we need him firmly distracted. All members of the Way of Blue are to follow Siegmeyer to the Duke's Archives. He will clear a path. Once there, set fire to everything and Seath will come running to protect his accumulated knowledge."
"And what do we do after that? Come after you?" Reah questioned.
"You're a bit out of your league to stand at my lords side. But you can be put to better use than getting in the way here." Yuria replied firmly, not exactly laying things on gently. "Seath has a object known as the Primordial Crystal hidden deep within the Crystal Cave beyond the Archives. It renders him effectively unkillable."
"He's got what?" Velka questioned aloud.
"Everyone, I...I don't feel right." Dusk said as she wraps her arms around her stomach with clear discomfort. "I-..I feel like-"
"Not now, Dusk! And yes, he has a magic crystal. It will heal any injury he sustains in seconds, no matter how severe. That's why when he's distracted trying to save his archive, Reah and the others will make their way through the Crystal Cave and destroy it. Siegmeyer will handle things from there." Yuria said before turning her attention to the rest of the group at her side. "Solaire, Mildred, Dusk, you're with us. We will provide support and-"
"Okay, wait, who exactly are you and how do you know these things?" Velka questioned at last after watching the woman take charge and appear on familiar terms with Anastacia.
"Okay, this is somewhat of a bad time for introductions, but I am-"
"UGH-AAAAAAHHH!"
Before Yuria could even finish her sentence, a deathly cold and unforgiving wind suddenly tore through them like a demonic force and Dusk's screams pierced the air as she convulsed in agony, her body contorting and shifting and warping in a cycle of excruciating pain. Her eyes bulged wide with terror as her body was subjected to endless torment, cycling through states of gruesome injuries- one moment missing limbs, the next charred beyond recognition, and the next after that entrails spilling out onto the ground- each new form bringing fresh waves of agony to Dusk's wide-eyed expression.
The rest of the group stood frozen in horror as they witnessed Dusk's body being twisted between states of perfect health and utter devastation in mere seconds. Each transformation more gruesome than the last.
"VELKA!" an illusion of Gwyndolin bellowed, appearing out of thin air.
"AH!" Mildred shrieked in surprise, before swinging her cleaver cutting the illusory body in two with one deft stroke. The illusions bloodied remains faded with seconds and another appeared directly before the wall blocking the path before the group. "Hm? Snake ghost!"
Gwyndolin's completely disregarded the comment, him eyes blazing with wrath as he glared directly at Velka. "You fool! Do you have any idea what you've done?!" Gwyndolin said furiously as he glared daggers at Velka specifically. "Your human has freed Seath's abomination from the Painted World! That..." Gwyndolin points at a clearly suffering and mutilated Dusk. "..Is only the beginning."
Gwyndolin's illusionary form crumbles for a moment amidst the cold blowing winds, the strain of even forming an illusion of himself a strenuous and painful act. But he grits his teeth and forces the illusion to remain whole.
"AAAAAAUGHAAHHhhhhaaa!" The group watched in horror as Dusk's body began to rot and decay in front of them. As her once vibrant form turned a sickly shade of green, dark spots bloomed across her body like a spreading pestilence.
In her final moments, Dusk's screams were filled with unimaginable agony as her very soul was ripped from her body and she was left with no life within her at all.
The trembling voice of Gwyndolin, son of Gwyn, echoed through the halls. "Hear me, mere mortals," he called out, his fear palpable. "This vile corruption wrought by Velka is an insatiable force that seeks nothing less than our deaths. We must unite and act with haste before it devours us all." His command was urgent and filled with authority, a call to arms against an impending doom that could only be quelled by swift action.
At this, the group said nothing to the gods pleas, the standoffish and distrustful looks each of them gave speak volumes. Gwyndolin felt a surge of frustration as he looked at each of them, waiting for a response or even a slight sign of acknowledgment. But they remained unmoved and silent, their standoffish demeanor making her feel even more helpless.
"Listen to me, there is no time for hesitation. Whatever Velka has told you, whatever you may believe, we must our differences aside and-"
"Reah, you and your compatriots have your instructions to better aid my lord, do you not?" Yuria interrupted with a smirk on her lips, causing the cleric to shift her gaze towards her and note the mischievous glint in her eye.
Reah paused only momentarily before raising her head high, her gaze strong and determined. "Yes," she said firmly.
"Then see them done. From what's happening to Dusk, I assume that the laws of reality are going out the window." Yuria replied in an amused manner, before shifting her gaze to match Gwyndolin's; Wanting him to understand with certainty he had held no sway over her masters forces. "No telling how much longer we have left, so let's make the most of it."
For a moment, and no longer, Vince and Reah locked eyes with one another. They both knew that the actions they were about to take flew in the face of the morals instilled in them from their homeland. Even the jaded Crestfallen Knight found himself looking on with of curiosity of their decision.
But neither of them were lacking in conviction; heir resolve burns like a scorching flame, extinguishing any lingering doubts. They know where their loyalties lie in this.
"Right. Vince, Cresty, we go." Reah said with acceptance in her tone before turning her back to the Gwyndolin and following Siegmeyer's path. The Crestfallen Knight and Vince did not second guess in following her. With the Merchant, not wanting to be caught up in a dispute involving deities, following behind them with a shallow curse beneath his breath.
"Hmm..." Mildred watched Reah as she left with the others, a slight twinge of tenderness pulling at her. She rationalized things in a very simple and straightforward manner: Reah was weak, but she was following the big guy to fight other monsters.
That didn't sit right with the former-cannibal.
In truth, Mildred felt an urge to look out for Reah because of her weakness. Sure, she thought Reah was a constant source of annoyance and could stand to shut up more often than not, but still Reah was a part of her and Solaire's clan. A weak, rambling, irritating part of it - but still kin. And that meant something to Mildred.
And so, without giving it too much further thought, Mildred casually waved bye to Solaire and followed after them.
"Mildred see Sahler later~." she said as she left.
"Be safe." Solaire declared with a nod, his gaze unwavering and resolute. There was an underlying trust that he had in Mildred. They were not children, and he knew that they could rely on each others back in the face of any hardship. And in truth, he'd rather them not follow to face the beast that chased the Prophet.
"Heh, heh, did you see that little pause of hesitation there? Sweet little thing really thinks she's the main star of the show. Heh, Heh, heh." Yuria chuckled cheekily as she nudged Anastacia a little, causing Gwyndolin to grow further frustrated. "Good kid, though. Not a bad addition to my lords forces."
"Facing Seath's abominations without cooperating together will avail us nothing. Do you not see that?" the Dark Sun question as he glared that the remaining humans. "Our aims concede. We need to work together."
Yuria's eyes narrowed into dangerous slits, her voice dripping with contempt as the sounds of battle roared in the background. "Your desperation is as pitiful." she sneered at him. "Do not mistake yourself for a true player in this game. My master is the only one truly in control here. He alone will decide the fate of Priscilla and this world. We don't need your pathetic attempts at cooperation." Her words were like venomous snakes striking against Gwyndolin's already damaged pride. "Step aside, little godling. It is time for your kind to submit to the will of one far greater than yourself."
Gwyndolin's eyes narrow into slits as he hears what he could only describe as the words of demented insanity escape spoken to him. His expression contorts with a mix of disbelief and frustration, his hands clenching into fists at his sides, before his gaze turns solemnly towards the Goddess of Sin.
"Is this truly your decision, Velka? To align yourself with such madness instead of finding common ground with me?" His voice is laced with hurt and anger, a shattered trust evident in his words. "Have I been such a failure as leader and friend that you would make this choice?"
To this, Velka remained silent. Her solemn gaze falls at the floor and her hands balled in fists. The sorrow and remorse on her face was unmistakable...
...But this anguish was fleeting, replaced with determination as Velka summoned a blaze of pyromancy and hurled it with great force at her former friend; the heat of the flames consuming Gwyndolin's form and the illusionary wall behind them simultaneously, revealing the path ahead.
"...The Prophet and Priscilla have grow close to one another. He will not seek her death and will look for an alternative. Gwyndolin will never compromise with that. In the end, he will stop at nothing to destroy us." Velka said sadly, rationalizing her actions more to herself than anyone else, before turning her gaze to Anastacia specifically. "Though I wish it were not so, you are here now and asking you to hide would be meaningless at this point. But please- I am begging you- stay out of the fight and don't anything foolish. Alright?"
At this, Anastacia could only nod her head in agreement. There was no time to further waste on being concerned on the matter, thus Velka looked to the sky as she addressed the remaining group. Taking quick note that the raging cold winds that were blowing would make flying slow struggle. Better to go on foot.
"The creature is composed of Anti-life and her power lies in consuming the life of others through devouring their blood and essence. If you look upon her directly, she will enthrall your mind." Velka said advised. "If worst comes to worst, I will secure the Prophet and face Priscilla, while the rest of you flee. If this display is any indication, she has grown stronger and it is uncertain if I can take her, but I will allow her to take him."
"God, it's hot when you talk like that." Yuria said with a sultry smile.
"What?" Velka replied with confusion.
"I said let's get a move on!" Yuria said as she moved past the goddess, leading the group forward to reunite with her master without further delay.
The sound of metal meeting metal reverberated through the air of as Kaylen and Ornstein clashed, their weapons singing with fury in the air. Sparks flew with each strike, illuminating their faces with a fierce orange glow.
Ornstein's roars reverberated through the air as he unleashed a relentless barrage of strikes upon Kaylen, his spear cutting through the air like a razor. Each strike so precise that it should have left no room for counter attack.
But it was if he was stabbing at shadows; unable to to land even a glancing strike upon the human before him.
Kaylen wove around him like water, slipping between strikes with a grace born of divinity rather than mortality. Ornstein attacks struck only mirage-like illusions of the man that dissipated into thin air with each hit, constantly throwing him off balance. In return, Kaylen fought with an unearthly finesse. His blades whittling away at Ornstein's golden armor like a sculptor etching into marble. His body flowing around Ornstein's spear as if it was nothing more than smoke with each strike.
"Really? What the point in holding back? Take their heads. They deserve it, right?" the voice within Kaylen said, making him grind his teeth in frustration.
Smough too had joined the fray, his massive great hammer pounding the ground with seismic force. The ground shook and trembled under his every blow, and his glowing eyes filled with malicious glee as he sought to smash Kaylen into dust beneath his hammer.
However, even with both of the gods fighting side by side, they were simply out of their league.
Kaylen felt weightless as he moved, as if every cell within his body was perfectly attuned to wielding this power, his reflexes surpassing even Ornstein's inhuman speed and easily evading Smough's massive attacks.
"You bastards!" Kaylen says furiously as he willed a greatsword of pure sorcery shot down from above, plunging into Smough's back with a searing hiss; earning a cry of pain from the giant as he buckled to a knee from the force brought down on him.
Simultaneously, Kaylen evaded the Dragon Slayer's spear one final time before conjuring a greatsword that sweeps the knight's legs out from under him. As Ornstein is airborne, Kaylen places his hand upon the knight's chest and unleashes a powerful explosion of black flames through his pyromancy, sending him hurtling into Smough's massive form.
As the two knights reel from the explosion, Kaylen's arm suddenly ignites in a violent black flame. He throws a sphere of fire at them with an unnerving force, causing a massive explosion that sends them hurtling across the concrete battlefield. Their bodies skid violently across the ground as they struggle to recover from Kaylen's relentless onslaught of magic and fire.
Kaylen eyes blazed with fury as he glared down at the two gods smoking form, his heart pounding in his chest with anger as he uttered but two words. "Get Up!"
The words echoed in the minds of both the Dragon Slayer and the Executioner, a searing insult from the mortal more than received.
Groaning with effort and reeling in pain from the attack he'd just received, Ornstein slowly rises to a knee and stares up at Kaylen with equal parts resentment and admiration. There was no denying he held skill and power, an unprecedented level of it in fact. But the respect he held for that quickly faded as he recognized that he used for purposes he would expect of a naive child.
"All that power...graced to one who is but a boy acting upon his naive whims." the Dragon Slayer thought to himself as both he and Smough rose to their feet once more, ready to face their opponent.
"She was important to me. She was..." Kaylen grit his teeth and clenched his fist as his hatred built. "...She didn't deserve that!"
At this, Smough merely scoffs in a clearly amused fashion at the showing before him. Ornstein, though, pauses as his and Kaylen's eyes remain firmly locked before speaking plainly.
"...Whatever you may have felt for her was not real, boy. It was her nature to ensnare and consume the life of others. What you seek was not within her to give." the Dragon Slayer said with a calm. His words were betraying not a hint maliciousness, merely stating a fact. "You saw it for yourself; she was a monster of death and hunger. Nothing more."
"You don't know anything about her! She had a heart! She didn't want to do any that or hurt anyone!" Kaylen rebuked harshly.
"But it wasn't about what she wanted, it was about what she was. And you, you could not face that truth." Ornstein replied sternly, aware that the boys mental state was his weakness. ""Your actions reveal your true nature, boy. A child lacking the courage to make sacrifices for what truly matters. You meddle with forces that could reshape the world, yet you falter when faced with the necessity of doing what must be done, no matter the cost."
An accusatory finger was pointed directly at Kaylen, emphasizing the weight of the knight's words. "You brought her death upon her. She was sealed away for a reason, a reason you chose to ignore. Instead, you indulged in fantasies, bringing her back to a place where the only outcome would be the suffering of others."
Ornstein's tone grew even more resolute, devoid of remorse. "Even when she sought to consume and end your life, you still cling to your delusions. The creature's death was the only path that could be afforded her. It was a necessity, a sacrifice you were too blinded to comprehend.""
Kaylen's glare deepened as Ornstein's accusations clashed with the cherished memories of Priscilla. He could vividly recall the warmth of her smile, the genuine happiness she radiated when he assured her she was more than a monster, more than death and destruction.
The echo of their shared moments resonated within him – her curiosity about the outside world, the genuine interest she had in his experiences, and the way she expressed the emotions he brought to her life. To Ornstein, she was nothing more than a vessel for pain and suffering, a perspective that fueled Kaylen's rising fury.
"Don't give me that bullshit! As if you haven't damned countless people to endless suffering with your actions in this world!" Kaylen's voice erupted, laced with seething anger. "Who gave you the right to decide she was beyond redemption? That she had no right to a choice? Priscilla wanted to live, to experience a normal life, to have friends, to feel loved, and to revel in freedom! But you snatched it all away, just like you've taken everything else. All in the name of your twisted beliefs."
His gaze swept over both of the knight before him, eyes ablaze with unbridled loathing. "It must have been so easy for you, sacrificing others without a second thought. You must be so proud. Look upon Ornstein – the great hero, the warrior who let everything and everyone he cared about die in vain. Artorias, Gough, Ciaran, Gwyn – all sacrificed, all dead while you hid behind feeble excuses to justify your inaction."
Kaylen spat out the names of the fallen like curses, each one dripping with accusation, his eyes ablaze with unrelenting fury. "You're nothing but a spineless coward, too weak and afraid to fight for anything you care about!"
With a single thought, Kaylen conjured pyromancy into a blazing flame at his back, and a multitude of mirage copies emerged from the inferno. Each duplicate was wreathed in flames, wielding potent sorcery.
"Let's see how you like it when someone decides you don't deserve—"
The words stop...cut off completely as both sides suddenly find their breath caught in their throats.
A malevolence, frigid and unrelenting, rippled outward. A tangible sense of dread washed over them, an overwhelming coldness that penetrated their very souls. It was a fear unlike any they had ever experienced—primitive and engulfing. It tasted of ancient nightmares, mingled with the icy sting of an unending abyss.
In this moment, terror took hold of both god and man, rendering them paralyzed and incapable of escaping the grip of this malevolent presence.
Suddenly, a harsh gust of deathly cold wind swept through, extinguishing Kaylen's flames and dispersing his mirage copies as if they were nothing more than candles in the face of an unfeeling winter storm.
The chill carried with it something far more sinister; those touched by its icy fingers could fell all the warmth and life within them being sapped. They watched in horror as the stone ground before them cracked and crumbled into dust, being swiftly replaced by frost and ice that spread like a pestilence. Even the grand cathedral began to decay before their eyes, its walls quickly being coated in a layer of frozen snow that clung like a disease.
Yet as the icy chill encased them in fear, all slowly turned their gaze to the center of area where the broken form of Priscilla stood in a cold shroud of mist. But now...she was different.
Her body shifted and changed before their very eyes. The once broken and battered pieces of her form began healing and mending themselves with a rippling motion, like water smoothing over rocks.
Scales, thick and jagged, shimmered in a breathtaking array of jewel tones, spread across her skin in a mesmerizing pattern. Her horns, once subtle, sharp, and majestic, grew larger and more pronounced atop her head, adding to her otherworldly appearance. And her hands, once delicate and human-like, twisted and warped into bestial claws, formidable and sturdy, capable of rending flesh with a merciless ease.. As reality warped around her, it was clear that she was becoming something more than she once was. her dragon heritage shining through completely.
"Oh, god..." was all Kaylen could say through wide eyes as a powerful gust of frozen wind erupted outward.
As reality bent and contorted around her, the observers were faced with an undeniable truth—Priscilla was not just healing; she was consuming the very essence of reality. The air crackled with an unnatural energy, and an unsettling aura surrounded her,
This day, the gods' fears found fruition as Priscilla, the Crossbreed, ascended to the pinnacle of her formidable strength. The air itself seemed to quiver with an otherworldly tension as she harnessed the full might of Lifehunt.
At that moment, Priscilla stood as a living conduit to the primal force of Anti-life. Her eyes, abyssal depths devoid of consciousness or awareness, revealed that her mind had not returned with her body.
Priscilla, her chilling beauty veiled in an aura of cosmic dread, embodied the gods' most profound nightmares. She represented entropy, a force seeking to consume all life and reduce both mortal and divine to mere vestiges in the grand theater of existence. At the zenith of her strength, Priscilla stood as the greatest adversary to life itself—a living cataclysm poised to unravel reality.
And then things truly got worse...because Priscilla's consciousness returned to her.
She was not invulnerable. When Smough caught her off gaurd and crushed her beneath his hammer, the attack did kill her. It shattered her bones, ruptured her organs. She was, without question, dead... but the problem is that neither of the gods finished the job by removing her head.
It left her power with something to work with.
What followed happened through no conscious choice of Priscilla. She did not intend consume the essence of the world. It was instinctual. Her power acting on it's own in an effort to heal her and keep her alive, no different than a heart pumping blood faster for the body if needed. But with no mind or conscious thought to restrain it, Anti-life consumed completely uninhibited.
And so, Priscilla, once lost in the void between life and death, now found herself reborn amidst the world of the living. Her broken form, mended by the essence of the world she had consumed, shimmered with an otherworldly radiance. Yet, as the cosmic energies settled within her, so too did the weight of a newfound awareness.
"Wh-...What did I...No.."
In a haunting moment of perfect clarity, Priscilla felt the echoes of countless lives resonate within the very core of her being. Each heartbeat, every breath, became a conduit for the intimate sorrows of beings scattered across the vast expanse of lands. Men, women, children—all entwined in a tapestry of shared pain and suffering.
The essence she had unwittingly absorbed whispered to her the tragic stories of lives she'd extinguished, the searing pain she'd inflicted on them, and the silent cries of innocents she'd unwittingly condemned to an existence entangled with hers. It wasn't just the end of lives; it was the imposition of an unintended agony, a legacy of suffering that now coexisted within her.
So many dead. So many lives extinguished because of her.
"...Ah...Wah..."
All at once, Priscilla was gripped by an overpowering fear, a terror more profound than any she had ever known. In this agonizing moment, she felt like that little girl again, the one who unknowingly slaughtered innocents.
She crumples to her knees, the weight of unbearable grief pressing her ethereal form into the cold ground. It was not a graceful descent, but a collapse under the crushing burden of her own horrid existence.
She tried to hold it in. To not let the sorrow break free. Silent sobs wracked her form, each tear that welled in her eyes carrying the weight of a thousand sorrows. The once-regal countenance dissolved into a visage of pure fear and sorrow. This was not the face of a feared Crossbreed, but a tormented soul grappling with the profound realization of becoming the very thing she had always feared.
"...Ah...WAAAAH! AAAAAH!"
Priscilla's wailing cries tore through the desolation of Anor Londo, a soul-rending lament that echoed with the anguish of unintended atrocities. The grand wave of forceful wind erupted from her being, not just a manifestation of sorrow but a testament to the overwhelming sorrow that had taken hold of her very essence. The mournful winds carried with them a profound coldness, freezing the surroundings in a stark embrace that mirrored the frigid depths of the painted world.
The earth shook violently beneath her feet, the very ground crying out in agony as the ancient city of Anor Londo trembled and began to collapse. The once-beautiful cathedral, now encased in layers of ice and snow, groaned under the weight of its own destruction.
Before the raging tempest of Lifehunt, Ornstein and Smough cast desperate glances at each other, realizing that their very essence was unraveling with alarming speed. Smough, the larger of the two, was the first to succumb to the merciless drain. His colossal frame weakened, and he slowly collapsed to one knee, his massive form trembling under the strain of the Lifehunt's assault. Ornstein, showing a brief but futile resilience, staggered as the gleaming golden armor that once adorned him dimmed, losing its luster. Before long, he too collapsed alongside Smough.
Kaylen, too, bore witness to the slow erosion of his own humanity. His hands, once flesh and bone, were now gradually succumbing to the same fate, slowly being reduced to crumbling ash as the winds of Lifehunt wrapped around him with relentless intent.
"We won't last long! Remember, Selfless...Or self serving!" a voice within Kaylen's mind shouted to him, sounding as if it was speaking through the pain of being torn limb from limb. "We are who we chose to be! SO CHOSE!"
A surreal cascade of colors danced around Priscilla, a cosmic tempest tearing the very fabric of existence. Anor Londo, bathed in the silvery glow of the moon, quivered as the foundations beneath it fractured. The air crackled with a malevolent chill, and the once-proud architecture began its descent into chaos.
Structures from civilizations long forgotten and those yet to be born collided Violently, merging and crashing into one another. The essence of countless realms converged, creating a haunting tableau of fragmented realities
Amidst this cataclysm, the damage wrought extended beyond mere architecture. Time itself seemed to stutter and rewind in erratic bursts, adding an additional layer of dissonance to the upheaval. The surreal ballet of destruction intensified, each crumbling edifice contributing to the creation of hellish ruins. The once-imposing structures of Anor Londo now lay scattered, a shattered reflection of a reality torn apart. The collision of kingdoms and architectures painted a vivid spectacle of cosmic chaos, a grand event of cataclysmic proportions that reshaped the very essence of the landscape into a fragmented, chaotic ruins.
Kaylen recognized this sight of this destruction. It was similar in nature to the Dreg Heap; a place where ancient lands and ancient civilizations all find themselves converging into a single location.
The end of the Age of Fire was being hastened to an unthinkable degree. The World was dying and whatever time there was to do something about it was running out fast.
"Selfless... or self-serving," the weight of those words reverberated within Kaylen's mind. The choice he faced loomed over him, demanding resolution. Act now, kill Priscilla to halt the cataclysmic destruction she wrought, or press forward, seeking another path despite the peril it posed to everything and everyone he held dear.
In that crucial moment, he thought of all he cared for, the bonds he'd forged, and the dreams yet to be lived. The potential loss and sacrifice hung heavy in the air, but...so potential for an alternative was still there as well.
Looking down at his hand, feeling his sorcery coursing through him, stronger than ever. An idea began to creep into his thoughts, a glimmer of a plan, a spark of potential.
"Maybe-" Kaylen began to contemplate.
"No! We can't influence what she is! It was different with Gwyndolin! It worked only because our soul was stronger than his! Priscilla's different, it won't work the same!" the voice interjected vehemently, firmly opposed to the idea taking root in Kaylen's mind.
"Heh, so now you explain things clearly," Kaylen chuckled, a hint of amusement in his tone. "But we can grow; make ourselves stronger, right?"
"Make ourselves stronger? Buddy, she grows faster than us, and this isn't even the extent of her power! This is aimless sorrow, unfocused death. Remember when she regained herself earlier? The minute that hunger gets ahold of her again, and she sets her sights on us, we won't last a heartbeat," the voice warned, its concern palpable. "Do you understand? All that death will be directed precisely at us."
"Understand? I'm counting on it," Kaylen replied, his tone carrying a determination that surpassed the voice's reservations. "All of this is in her head. Because she lost control of her emotions. If I can get her to focus and influence her, then we can do this."
"You don't even have a real plan for what doing 'this' even means. You're going on a hope and a prayer. Is that truly what you want to risk everything on?" the voice challenged.
Kaylen paused for less than the span of a breath, his gaze unwavering, before smirking ruefully to himself.
"...Yeah. I guess so," Kaylen declared at last, his decision firm. "Sorry, everyone. It's not too late yet! I have to try!"
Kaylen clenches his first and gather all his willpower for what he was about to do. Then steeling himself as best he could, he moved forward to the source of this cold nightmare.
Priscilla, the consuming force at the epicenter, exuded an aura of desolation and Anti-Life. Tears cascaded down her face, a torrent of raw emotion that mirrored the destructive tempest she had become. She cried and bawled, caught in a whirlwind of sorrow, unable to collect herself and rein in the devastating power that only fueled the cataclysmic consumption of life. With each death, she inadvertently grew stronger, her anguish morphing into a force of relentless destruction.
Amidst the chaos, Priscilla pleaded for forgiveness from the unseen lives she had inadvertently taken. Her cries echoed through the desolation, a haunting symphony of remorse that resonated with the cosmic dissonance around her. The freezing winds intensified, carrying with them the weight of her sorrow, amplifying the very essence of her grief.
In this poignant moment, Priscilla stood as a tragic figure, a victim of her own powers and the unfathomable sadness that gripped her soul
Amidst the raging fury of the storm, Kaylen fought tooth and nail against the relentless onslaught of frozen winds, his hands raised in a desperate attempt to shield his face from the cutting currents. Despite her being only thirty or forty feet away, she felt impossibly distant, a mere mirage in the whiteout.
Every step, he body screamed for warmth. Every breath became a labor, the frigid air searing his lungs like a breath of icy fire.
Cuts formed spontaneously across his body, as if the winds themselves wielded ethereal blades that carved into his flesh.
Blood, dark against the frozen landscape, trailed behind him like a morbid homage to his resilience. The crimson stains mingled with the frost.
Despite the pain, cold, and bleeding wounds, Kaylen pressed on. Agonizing steps brought him to Priscilla, who knelt amidst the ice with frozen tears on her cheeks. Kaylen's face contorted with effort, eyes locked onto Priscilla's sorrowful gaze.
The air shuddered as Kaylen reached the epicenter of the frozen storm. Winds raged, seeking to consume his physical form and essence. Cuts multiplied, blood mingled with icy currents threatening to drain him of life.
Finally, solely by the grace of his unyielding will, Kaylen stood before Priscilla. The winds howled in protest, but he remained. Bloodied and battered, he extended a hand towards the weeping Crossbreed, a last ditch effort amidst the tempest that threatened to unravel his very being.
"Here goes nothing..."
As Kaylen's hands gently touched Priscilla's cold cheeks, a surge of hunger, raw and insatiable, coursed through every fiber of her being. It was as if every nerve in her ethereal form ignited with a voracious desire, a consuming force that threatened to drown out the delicate flicker of her consciousness. The potent aroma of Kaylen's evolving essence permeated the air—an irresistible temptation that gripped Priscilla in a vice of monstrous desire.
Priscilla's eyes, finally focusing and acknowledging the presence of another, widened in sheer terror as the all-consuming hunger for his essence clawed at the edges of her mind. Her breath caught in her throat, a strangled gasp of realization that her own nature—a violent and monstrous force—was overtaking her once more. The raging winds, now tinged with an ominous darkness, howled in symphony with the unraveling chaos within her.
In that moment of realization, Priscilla's fear was palpable, her eyes reflecting the torment of a creature terrified by the prospect of harming the one she loved.
"Priscilla..." Kaylen said through grit teeth. Her name sound far too sweet when it came from him.
Her words were barely a whisper, as if her voice was being suffocated by fear. "Kaylen...please, no...I don't want to..." Panic laced every word, her trembling voice unable to form a coherent thought. "I-I can feel it taking me.. I don't want to hurt you, but I... I can't stop it..."
Her hands, cold and trembling, reached up to grasp Kaylen's wrists, fingers digging into his flesh as if seeking an anchor in the storm of her own existence. The desperate touch conveyed a fear that transcended the physical, a terror of what she was becoming and the potential harm she might inflict upon the one she she cared for.
Kaylen, his eyes mirroring Priscilla's terror, desperately tried to use his soul and sorcery to effect her being as he did with Gwyndolin, but the consuming force within her seemed to resist his attempts. The ground beneath them quivered as if in sympathy with Priscilla's internal struggle, and the arcane bonds he sought to weave wavered like fragile threads in the tempest.
"It hurts. Dammit...this hurts." Kaylen said as his body and soul were being rent from the inside out.
"AAAH, UGH! You idiot, of course it hurts! You're trying to make a box in the shape of a black hole! While it's consuming us!" the voice within him replied, clearly in immense pain.
As Priscilla's sense of self slipped further away, a guttural growl, fueled by an insatiable hunger, erupted from her throat. Her once innocent eyes now glinted with feral desire, their love replaced by a primal need to feed.
Kaylen cried out in pain as her fingers tightened like steel around his wrist, fracturing bones with minimal effort. Tears streamed down Priscilla's face as she struggled against the primal instincts taking over her body, fear and guilt warring within her.
"Kaylen, please.." she the sorrow and hunger showing equally in her eyes. "I'm so scared...I don't want to hurt you. I don't want to become a monster. Help me, please!"
In the midst of his body forming deeps cut and being siphoned of life, Kaylen, feeling the weight of Priscilla's desperation and his own frustration, grew desperate himself. The arcane bonds he attempted to weave faltered, and a sense of helplessness crept into his heart.
And so...
"...Fuck it."
...he slammed his forehead against Priscilla's, pressing their foreheads together. Priscilla barely felt any pain, but the sensation of his skin on herself sent a jot of electricity across her form. Their eyes locked, and he could see the sheer surprise and hunger reflected in hers.
"I don't know how to do this." Kaylen muttered, frustration etching his voice. "The specifics are all bullshit and I can't wrap my head around it. But I know one thing; I won't let you go, Cil. So to hell with trying to figure it out, I'm just going to give you everything I've got!" The determination in his eyes matched the fervor in his voice as he cast aside caution and plunged into the maelstrom of her consuming essence, offering the very core of his being to save her from the abyss.
He could not perceive it as she could, but to Priscilla's senses, Kaylen's essence flared heedlessly and...there was an indistinct murmur. It was a vague feeling, like a distant echo that reverberated through Priscilla's entire body. An elusive connection that eluded precise definition.
"What in the-? Wait, what are you doing?! Hey, hold on a minute!"
"No more tears, no more fear. If this is the end, let it end with us giving all that we are to one another! No holding back, Priscilla!"
Veins bulged along his eyes, his soul warping his body just so he could continue looking upon without falling under her spell. Unbowed and uncomprimising...it hurt like hell. Excruciating even. But he would not look away.
There. She feels it.
A elusive presence seeping within her. A mere whisper of harmony...No...An infection of connection that subtly infiltrates her being. Trying to blur and entwine with her until she can't tell where it ends and she begins. A subtle pleasure courses through her, reigniting the hunger that looms within, threatening to devour her thoughts.
"Dammit, this is a two way street, idiot! She knows! She knows and she's gonna-!" the voice stops, and somewhere deep in the the back of his mind, Kaylen glimpses something. A pale monster with a mouth full of razor sharp of teeth. It looks to be hesitating. "Son of a-. Fine then! We'll take you before you take us!"
"Kaylen," she gasps, her words a delicate plea, a fragile warning. "Stop...You musn't... You can't possibly understand the consequences..."
"Shut up and listen to me, Priscilla! Get it through your thick head, this is not the end. You won't stop me! I'll fight against this collapsing reality, against the tides of fate, and I'll wage war against existence itself to keep you here, Priscilla! So bring it on!" Kaylen declared, his voice a resolute symphony cutting through the chaotic tempest around them, as his pyromancy erupted and spread across his body like a fierce wildfire. "I want all of it – All of your hunger, all that you are! In the face of oblivion, I choose to rage, to love, and to fight. So give me everything, you damn lizard! Unleash the beast within and show me why they call you a dragon!"
Her body shivered. His words sunk into her mind, slowly making her senses drown out her fear and the destruction around her. It was becoming just the two of them.
The winds calm and her thoughts began to focus on the man before her.
Kaylen's essence seeps deeper and deeper into her being, like a relentless infection seeking to take over every fiber of her existence. She was fully aware of it, fully capable of preventing it if she wished, but...a part of her craved what it was doing. It felt right, a soothing warmth that wrapped around her like a comforting embrace.
She let it happen, willingly succumbing to the invasion of Kaylen's essence, feeling it taking her in some way.
It was strange...her hunger yet thrived, she felt her mind losing to it. But this time, something was different...she felt vestiges of him within it. Not seeking to tame it...he was embracing it.
"Prophet...Thou...Thou seeks to consume me?" Priscilla questioned gently, her eyes softening. Giving a look that was almost pleading for it to be true.
Amidst this cosmic dance, Kaylen, his eyes filled with a depth of affection, spoke words that resonated with Priscilla's very core. "Consume you? I'm going to much more than that. I want to experience everything with you, Priscilla. I want to feel the warmth of your presence, snuggle with your fluffy tail day in and day out. I want to see the depths of your soul, witness the beauty of the beast within you, without fear, without hesitation."
"I...I don't deserve that. I have killed so many, destroyed so much." Priscilla said solemnly, unable to hold Kaylen's gaze. "I am a monster that deserves death."
"Don't say that, Priscilla." Kaylen began, his voice gentle but firm. "I can see the pain in your eyes, the remorse in your heart. But throwing away your life won't bring anyone back. It won't undo the damage."
Priscilla's eyes were filled with tears as she whispered, "I never meant for this, Kaylen. I never wanted to hurt anyone."
"I know." Kaylen replied, his gaze unwavering. "But we can make this right. It won't be easy, but we can."
She pauses for a moment, as if afraid to ask her next question. "And you...You will not hate me for being the monster that I am? You will not abandon me?"
Kaylen saw that Priscilla's breath was still heavy, but he spoke without a hint of hesitation, his voice a soothing balm amid the chaos. "No matter what, Priscilla, I'll be here for you. I won't let you face this alone. I love you."
Kaylen's declaration, a promise to stand by her side, broke down the final barriers within Priscilla. Her eyes, once glazed with a blend of fear and anticipation, now glimmered with a serene intensity that sent a chill down Kaylen's spine.
A smile, equal loving and eerie, adorned her lips as she released her hold upon his fractured wrist. "I...I love you too..."
At this, a smirk of triumph spread across Kaylen lips.
"Yes! We did it! She's calmed down and is in tune with herself! She's accepted it. I told you we could do it." Kaylen cheered internally as he returned Priscilla smile with one of his own. "It was touch and go, but we-"
"RUN, MAN! GET AWAY FROM HER! SHE'S-"
"Shhh...there's no need to be afraid. Not anymore." Priscilla's voice resounded within Kaylen's mind, causing him to perk up in surprise. "It won't hurt this time...I swear to you."
With a deliberate and delicate motion, Priscilla extended her clawed hand toward Kaylen. Faint wisp of cold gathered around her fingertips, swirling with an otherworldly energy. The air itself seemed to respond to her command, and as her hand closed in a gripping motion, an invisible force resonated with Kaylen's spectral essence.
In an instant, the boundary between phantom and reality blurred, and Kaylen's translucent form solidified. Showing him that his real for had been pulled from the Painted World itself. There was no pain, no anything.
"What the heck?" Kaylen said with clear surprise, as he touch himself to confirm he wasn't imagining things. His gaze locked with hers, seeking understanding. "How did you just-?"
"You told me to embrace it, to give in to what I am. Without fear, without hesitation." She places a hand to her heart, as if to engrain the love show to her upon it. "Thank you, Kaylen, for letting me be what I truly am."
Kaylen watched as the fur upon priscilla's body softened before his very eyes, as if begging to be touched.
"I wish to experience everything with you as well. I wish for you take away all my fears, to tell me I am not a monster and...I wish to devour you. All of you." she admitted with a strange blend of tenderness and anticipation. "More than anything, I crave the slow and tender consumption of every inch of what you are. And I want to savor every second of it."
It was then that she sighed with pure contentment and her tone shifted into an unsettling calmness as she spoke once more. "Now, Kaylen...I want you to run."
His eyes widened with no small amount of surprise, a flicker of confusion crossing his face.
"Run, my love," Priscilla whispered, her voice carrying both a loving invitation and an eerie command. "Run, that it may be but you and I. Run, so that I may pursue you with all the hunger and love within me."
Her words lingered between them, there a true sense of sincerity in her intentions and it gave the feeling that nothing else mattered beyond that anymore. She'd let go, fully and truly.
"You'll have to get through me first."
However, before Kaylen could even process his next move, a greatsword forged from pure sorcery hurtles through the air towards Priscilla. whirling in an otherworldly aura of sorcery, the sword hurtles towards Priscilla with immense force. In a split second, she thrusts out one clawed hand and catches the sword effortlessly, her eyes never once leaving Kaylen.
Not even a moment after this happened, did a multitude of vines composed of sorcery ensnare Kaylen limbs tightly, taking special note to wrap around his mouth, before dragging him away from priscilla and towards the stairs...where a very angry winged goddess was waiting.
In an instant, a multitude of vines erupted from the ground, their twisted thorny limbs reaching out with insidious intent. They wrapped around Kaylen's body like a vice, their tendrils snaking their way up his arms and legs, mercilessly tightening until he couldn't move. One vine seemed to take special delight in coiling tightly around his mouth, silencing any protests or screams. With a cruel tug, the vines dragged Kaylen towards the stairs where a furious winged goddess awaited him, her eyes blazing with righteous outrage and her wings spread wide in a menacing display of power.
"...just you and him? Not in this lifetime." she exclaimed, her voice dripping with venom.
Yuria chimed in, equally irked. "That's right, Priscilla! My Lord comes as a package deal. So don't be selfish." Meanwhile, Kaylen remained bound and confused, his mouth still covered. Yuria turned to him with a creepy smile of adoration and said, "Oh glorious and all-powerful master of my existence, I am humbled to finally meet you properly. Please accept me!"
Kaylen could only respond with a muffled "hmp?"
"His arms. Oh, gods, his eyes look ready to burst. And his hair has gone white? Is that bad?" Anastacia, standing beside Velka, cast a worried look at Kaylen, her healing miracle ready to mend any harm that might have befallen him.
Solaire, ever the voice of reason, spoke up. "Alright, Prophet. I'm going to assume this whole building-crashing-into-building thing is bad news. But why is it snowing?"
"Who cares? The worlds in the middle of the three cataclysms anyway. What is important is that we have my Lord and-"
"Everyone, shut up! And You!" Velka said as she willed the bound Kaylen to be dragged before her, allowing Kaylen to take note of a shock change upon her face. "You had better have a damn good explanation for everything she just said, why everything is in ruins and why my body looks like THIS!"
One would not be too surprised that Velka was practically foaming out the mouth with anger at Kaylen. After all, not only did Seath's abomination, another woman, have the gall to try and claim her champion for herself...
...But now, as impossible as it should be, part of her body was now sporting what looked to be dragon scales.
WAIT! WAIT, I HAVE WORDS THAT SHOULD BE HEARD! JUST WAAAAIT!
Okay-okay-okay, first of all, I gotta say that for this chapter I had to take a MASSIVE step back and realize that I couldn't just jam everything in one chapter and some characters weren't going to get as much spotlight as others. That means I had to use Dusk as a sacrificial lamb to showcase the effects of lifehunt first hand and couldn't delve into Smough or Seath's take on things very much in this chapter. And sadly, the same went for Oscar as I couldn't find a fitting enough way for him to walk in and display his new power. The same goes for having Yuria in the gang come in on the fun with Kaylen. In the end, I decided to let the moment and spotlight there belong to Kaylen and Priscilla.
I tried to give just about everyone their time to shine, so hopefully you guys enjoyed they show on the characters who did show their stuff.
Secondly, speaking of power, I hope you guys enjoyed the display of the generals of Team prophet's shows of strength. I didn't want to dumb them down and keep things on a "Yeah, their a little stronger" kinda level. So, after consulting the color wheel of truth, I decided to dial it up to eleven. Individually make the Prophet closest boys each juggernauts in their own right. Siegmeyer behind the titan of power, Solaire being the Warrior of both the Light and the Dark. I like to think that Solaire's miracle and dark miracle based abilities are still something he's trying to master and understand, rather than something he truly controls. Hopefully, I didn't take things too far for you guys though.
I somewhat based their level of strength based on what possible throughout the Dark Souls games. With the right build, the stuff Siegmeyer and Solaire did in this chapter isn't so far fetched.
Thirdly, I wanted this chapter to have real a really effect on things moving forward. Priscilla causing the world major turmoil and creating basically a cataclysm seemed like the perfect way to do just that. I'm gonna try to dive into the repercussions of that moving forward, but I decided that if there's gonna be a pow wow between gods, humans and anything else in between, then I should turn the destruction up a notch.
And lastly, I can't WAIT to hear what you guys think about the ending of this chapter regarding Priscilla. I kept flip flopping between if I wanted a sad ending for the ole ball of fluff or a happy one. So I kinda decided to take something of a little in between road.
I figured that, at the end of the day, no matter how things may seems, Priscilla's nature is to consume life. It's no more wrong than a bird flying or a shark eating other fish. She. Is. Not. Human.
Then I got to thinking "What if she shows love in a different kind of way"? It's not malicious, it's no longer brought on by hate or fear? What if the Prophet found a way to find harmony with her and allowed her to just let go? Are there a bunch of kinks to work out? Yeah. Because she's a repressed abomination of Anti-life. But I like the idea that she's got someone like the Prophet with his whole "We'll figure this out together" deal, leading to her being more accepting of ALL parts of who she truly is...if that makes sense.
Anyway, that's enough babbling from me, ladies and gents.
As always, feel free to leave a review and tell me what you guys thought about this chapter of the story. Was Solaire and Siegmeyer's displays a bit too over the top? Was Kaylen's deciding to continue fighting for Priscilla a reasonable call, givin all that she's done? Was Priscilla's displays of not succumbing/totally succumbing to her nature a good call for the story?
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 will not lie, I completely forgot that Kaylen was a phantom and that his real body was still in the Painted World until I was at the end of writing this. XD
P.P.S. I will never not be annoyed that doesn't support strike though in their doc uploader! It fit so well in the beginning where Priscilla was comparing everyone elses aroma to Kaylen. But I guess I'll have to settle for putting it in bold. -_-