I DID IT! ITS FINALLY DONE! THE NEXT CHAPTER OF THIS STORY IS FINALLY DONE AND I NEVER HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT AGAIN!
I literally cannot express how glad I am that I can finally move on and start working on the next chapter of this story. It was a long journey filled with rage and tears, re-writing this story after my computer crashed and erased everything I did before, but I flipping did it.
Before you guys get to reading, you need to know a few things. Firstly, after re-writing this chapter, things have gone WAAAAAAY differently then I originally planned them to. SO much so, that I'm extremely nervous about how people will view this chapter.
Secondly, I have a big surprise at the end of this chapter that I am super excited to announce.
So, without further stalling, here's the next chapter, guys.
Enjoy!
Warning: Beware of WTF moments.
"You…" Oscar said as the reality of the situation struck him. "YOU BASTARD!"
Without thinking, Oscar then charged straight towards Lautrec with the look of pure bloodlust in his eyes, ready to tear Lautrec limb from limb, but before any bloodshed could commence, the prophet placed his hand directly in front of Oscar's path, effectively halting his advance.
"Wait, Oscar." Kaylen commanded.
"What are you doing?" Oscar said in a tone filled with hatred. "Why do you stop me?"
"Oscar, I know you're angry right now, but you need to calm down and listen." The prophet said in a low whisper. "Remember what I told you about Anastasia's fate back in Undead Burg? We can still save her, but only if we can get that soul away from Lautrec, so making rash decisions like what you were about to do isn't the best idea."
At that moment, Oscar's grip on his sword tightened in frustration. He clearly understood Kaylen's reasoning and understood that he spoke the truth, but the reminder of what was at stake only made him want to lash out at Lautrec even more. He felt that if that soul was the only thing that would save Anastasia, then he should be doing everything in his power to take it out of that murderer's hands, but he knew that if he did charge forward and Lautrec did destroy it, he would never be able to forgive himself.
"Fine." Oscar said in a low seething voice. "Then what should we-"
"I think that's enough muttering from you two." Lautrec said as his gaze switched between Kaylen and Oscar." From the way you both hesitate to attack, I assume you must know what this is."
Both warriors fixed him with cold hard stares, but the prophet was the only one to respond to the question.
"Yes, we know what it is." the prophet said. "It's the Soul of a Fire Keeper."
"Good." Lautrec said. "And I'm guessing that you know what would happen if I were to close my palm around it."
"There's no reason to do that, Lautrec." Kaylen said. "Let's all just calm down and talk about this."
"There's nothing to talk about, boy. I'm the one in control here. I know that you are allies with that man over there." Lautrec said motioning toward the Undead Merchant. "Which means that you must have come here to protect the keeper as well. I also know your only means of reviving her is this particular soul. Now unless you wish to see it destroyed, you and your friends will relinquish your weapons and drop to your knees. NOW."
At this, the prophet actually began to get a bit nervous.
"Dammit. Not only does he know why we're here, he knows how valuable that soul is to us." the prophet thought to himself. "If we don't do what he says, he'll crush the soul and kill Anastasia. But If we give into his demands, he'll probably kill us and take the soul with him to Anor Londo. Since Velka's likely in Anor Londo right now, letting Lautrec take Anna's soul there is out of the question. I have to stop him here. But how the hell am I going to pull that off?"
The prophet then quickly began trying to think what his next course of action should be, but every strategy he thought of only served to aid his rising panic.
"Maybe if I attacked him with a fireball, that could give Oscar an opening to attack. No, there's no way either one of us would be fast enough. Maybe I could distract him somehow. No. Lautrec's not idiotic enough to fall for something as stupid as that." the prophet thought as his panic continued to rise. "Come on, think. There has to be something I can do. I just need to… I just need…"
After a few moments of silence, Oscar turned to his friend and was somewhat surprised to see that he was no longer calm and carefree self. He may have appeared collected, if not a little anxious, on the surface, but Oscar knew that that could not be further from the truth. He could see through the prophet's false mask of calm; he could see that he was in a state of almost full-blown hysteria.
The knight of Astora knew that no matter how hard he tried or how desperately he wanted to, the prophet would never be able to devise a plan with his mind in the state that it was. So, knowing what needed to be done, Oscar tuned out all the rage he felt towards Lautrec and spoke a single word.
"Kaylen…" Oscar said.
Hearing Oscar speak his first name, the prophet immediately woke up from his trance-like state and turned his gaze towards his friend. Knowing that this was not the time for pep-talks or pretty speeches, Oscar decided to the one thing that he felt would clear the prophets mind of any indecision or hesitation.
He gave a simple, slow nod of his head.
To any normal person, this minor action would no doubt be dismissed as meaningless, if not downright pointless. But to those who have stood side by side as brothers in arms, this trivial action sent a message that said so little, yet spoke volumes. One that the prophet heard loud and clear. The message was: "You're stronger than this, prophet. So stand tall, focus, and show this bastard what happens when you harm someone we care about."
After receiving Oscar's message, the prophet's gaze hardened into a determined glare as he turned his attention back towards Lautrec. Then, without saying a single word, he closed his eyes and took a slow deep breath, allowing all the frustration and panic that he felt previously to flow out of his body.
At that moment, everything seemed to slow to a snail's pace as the prophet blocked out all outside distractions and focused all of his mind on the singular purpose of getting Anna's soul away from Lautrec.
"Okay… I just need to breathe. Right now, Anastasia's counting on us to rescue her from this asshole, so now's not the time for me to panic; now's the time to for me to get my ass moving. First, I need to pool together any information I have regarding Lautrec before I can come up with any kind of plan." Kaylen thought to himself as he went even deeper in thought, trying to remember every detail about the golden knight." I obviously know he's an insane follower of the goddess Fina and that he's is on a mission to kill Anastasia so that he can gain a Fire Keeper's soul, which he will then take with him to Anor Londo. I know that, besides his love for Fina, the only thing that he cares about is his own survival and what he can gain, so with this limited information, what can I do?"
In his mind, the prophet envisioned multiple scenarios trying to come up with a plan he could use, all of which ended with Lautrec crushing Anna's soul and Oscar charging him out of rage.
"No. Violence is definitely not the right path for us to take, and there's no way for any of us to get close enough to take the soul from him." Kaylen thought to himself. "There's only way I can see us getting that soul back and that's if he hands us the soul willingly. But there's no way he would do that unless we-"
Kaylen's mind suddenly snapped to attention as an incredibly brilliantly and risky idea quickly came to him.
"Unless we had something he wanted. Of course, the answer was staring me right in the face the entire time." Kaylen thought as he mentally slapped himself for his ignorance. "But he'll never go for it unless he feels his back's against the wall. I have to make him nervous, make him feel like I'm holding all the cards."
All at once, Kaylen's mind was back in the real word, where Oscar and Lautrec were awaiting his response. Once he got his bearings, the prophet had to suppress a smile as he spoke in his natural laid-back tone.
"You know what, Lautrec? I don't think we'll be able to comply with your demands." Kaylen said "See, slaughtering hollows and kicking your sorcerer's ass has left me with a pretty nasty cramp in my leg, so getting on my knees will be hard for me."
Lautrec was caught off-guard by this statement by this statement, but it only took him a second to regain his composure.
"Foolish boy." Lautrec said. "It seems you do not understand the position you're in right now. You will do as I say, or you can kiss your keeper goodbye."
Lautrec then held the soul out threateningly towards the two to get his point across.
The prophet did not move an inch from his position, and he forced himself to maintain a composed demeanor. He knew that if he gave away even the slightest hint of fear or hesitation then his plan would fall to ruin.
"No, Lautrec. I think you're the one who doesn't understand your position, so allow me to clarify it for you." the prophet said. "Right now, you're holding the soul of someone very important to me and under no circumstances will we allow you to leave with it."
Lautrec scoffed at this comment.
"And how exactly do you plan to take it from me, boy?" Lautrec said.
"Well, it's very simple, Lautrec." Kaylen said. "You're going to give it to me."
At this, Lautrec could not hold back a grin.
"Heh, you must have truly gone mad." Lautrec chuckled. "Do you really believe I would just give it to you?"
Kaylen released a small sigh before he continued.
"Why is everyone constantly underestimating me?" Kaylen said to himself more than anyone else, before turning his attention back to the golden knight. "Take a look around you, Lautrec. One of your allies is lying beaten on the ground and the other just took a nosedive right off the side of the cliff. You're alone, surrounded by enemies at every turn, and you've got no way out. The fact is, the only thing standing between you and certain death is that soul."
Lautrec's body tensed a bit as the prophet's words sunk in.
It was at that moment that Solaire and Siegmeyer walked right out of the crumbling building. Their large and powerful looking bodies and weapons succeeding in making Lautrec's nervousness reach new heights.
"STAY WHERE YOU ARE!" Lautrec screamed at Solaire and Siegmeyer.
Siegmeyer froze where he was. Solaire on the other hand, reacted immediately by quickly raised his shield and taking on a defensive stance. But before any action could be taken, the prophet quickly spoke to the sunlight warrior.
"Wait, Solaire." Kaylen said in a slightly commanding tone. "I have this completely under control. Don't make any moves unless I give the word."
Solaire hesitated for a single moment before he slowly eased himself out of his stance.
"As you wish, prophet." Solaire said.
If Anastasia's life weren't on the line, Kaylen would have smiled at himself. Siegmeyer and Solaire's timing couldn't have been more perfect. Lautrec was probably quaking in his boots now, and that's just how the prophet wanted him.
"I can always count on the Onion knight and the Sun Bro in a pinch." the prophet thought to himself.
Now that he had succeeded in panicking him, it was time to move forward to the next stage.
"Well, Lautrec, it looks like we've reached a stalemate." Kaylen said smugly.
"Do not speak as if you've won, boy." Lautrec said. "You may talk a good game, but killing me now would be the same as killing your keeper and you don't strike me as the type to sacrifice others."
"Yeah, you're right, Lautrec. I care about my friends to much too abandon them, and I know you're too smart to let yourself get killed over one firekeeper." the prophet said, "So I think the only thing for either of us to do… is to make a deal."
At that statement, not only did Lautrec look at the prophet in surprise, but so did Oscar.
"A deal?" Lautrec said curious about what the prophet had to say. "What exactly do you propose?"
Kaylen took another deep breath before speaking.
"You can either crush that soul and fight all of us to the death. Or you give the soul to me…" Kaylen said as he placed his hand inside his satchel and pulled out an item. "… and I'll give you this, along with my word that we will let you go."
Oscar could not suppress a small gasp. Now sitting in the prophet's palm was a small soul that glowed faintly with a golden aura. In his hands was another firekeepers soul.
"Prophet, I wish to save Anastasia just as much as you do, but are you sure about this?" Oscar said. "If we allow this man to leave, there is no doubt he will kill others. Their blood will be on our hands. Is it right for us to save Anastasia if it means sacrificing others?"
It took Kaylen only two moments to come up with a response.
"I understand your concerns, Oscar. But right now, we don't have the luxury of worrying about right or wrong." the prophet said. "If our only choices are to save Anastacia or stop Lautrec, then I say we should choose to save Anastasia, consequences be damned."
Oscar was more than a little taken back by the bluntness of the prophet's words. He still didn't want to make any sort of deal with Lautrec, but he didn't want Anastasia to die either, so he decided to stay silent and hope that the prophet knew what he was doing.
Seeing that his friend had nothing to say, Kaylen turned his attention back to Lautrec.
"So, are we going to do this or not?" Kaylen asked.
Lautrec glanced doubtfully at the shimmering soul and then back at Kaylen.
"So, you would be willing to simply let me leave with the soul of a different firekeeper." Lautrec said.
"That's right." Kaylen said. "Both souls offer an equal amount of humanity. That means you get what you want, and I get my friend back."
Lautrec actually paused for a moment to consider his next move. After a few more seconds of thinking, he looked at Oscar and the prophet and then spoke.
"And how do I know that you won't stab me in the back once I give it to you?" Lautrec said. "As you said, the only thing standing between me and all of you is this soul."
Kaylen somewhat expected this sort of response and knew that Oscar wasn't going to like what he was about to say next, but it had to be done. The prophet turned towards the sunlight warrior and the onion knight who were standing in front of the crumbling building.
"Solaire, Siegmeyer, I need you to take care of all the injured." Kaylen said. "Wait here until I give the signal."
"And where will you be going?" Solaire asked.
"Lautrec and I will be going up that trail." Kaylen said gesturing towards the path that would eventually lead to Undead Burg.
"I don't think splitting up is a wise decision." Siegmeyer said.
"Siegmeyer's right, prophet." Solaire said "We need to stick together."
Kaylen smile inwardly before replying to the sunlight warrior. He was grateful for their worry, but he knew that Lautrec wasn't going to take the deal if those two powerhouses were there.
"Have a little faith, guys." Kaylen said with a confident grin "Don't forget that this is me we're talking about. I won't let anything too bad happen."
Both warriors stood where they were and took a moment to think about what they should do. Then, with only a slight hesitation, Siegmeyer slowly walked up to the injured Petrus, who was holding his bleeding wound.
"Do you need any assistance, friend?" Siegmeyer said.
"Arg, What the hell do you think?" Petrus grunted.
Solaire took a moment longer to make up his mind. But once he had, the sunlight warrior placed his shield and sword on his back, then walked towards the crestfallen warrior's motionless body. He then crouched down to one knee and began checking to see if the unconscious knight had suffered any fatal injuries.
Seeing that everyone had decided to trust his decision, the prophet turned to face his last remaining ally and spoke.
"I'll need you to stay here too, Oscar." Kaylen said.
"And leave you alone with this madman? Never." Oscar said.
"Oscar, do you trust me?" Kaylen asked.
"Of course I do, but-" Oscar started.
"Then trust that I have this under control, and stay here with the others." Kaylen said.
Oscar was very nearly on the verge of refusing once again, but before he could say anything, Kaylen turned his determined gaze upon him and spoke.
"I promise you, I won't let anything happen to Anastasia." Kaylen said. "Just trust me on this, Oscar."
Oscar hesitated for the longest time; he really did not want to leave his friend alone with this murderer, but after a few seconds, he decided to believe in the prophets words and turned on his heels in the direction where Solaire and Siegmeyer were helping the wounded, but he did not move from his position beside the prophet, deciding that he would not leave without saying one final comment.
"If he tries anything in the slightest, do not hesitate to call upon us for aid." Oscar said begrudgingly
"Heh, don't worry." Kaylen said with a small grin. "It'll take more than one heartless murderer to kill me."
Oscar could not hold back a small chuckle at the prophet's classic idiocy.
"Heh, I suppose it will." Oscar said.
Lautrec began to grow impatient as he listened to the boy's ridiculous speech.
"Are you finished with your heart-warming speeches, boy?" Lautrec said. "If so, then let's get on with this."
"HEY!" a voice suddenly said. "What about me?"
At this sudden outburst, Kaylen, Oscar and Lautrec looked toward the ground in surprise. Still lying on his back and completely forgotten by everyone else was the sorcerer. Once Kaylen and Oscar saw who it was, a look of surprise could be seen crossing their faces. Though the look on Oscar's face immediately disappeared and turned into a look of anger.
"You." Oscar growled.
Right away, Kaylen knew that the nameless sorcerer would likely be able to provide his group with some important information, so thinking quickly, he turned his attention back to the golden knight and spoke.
"Our deal only extends to you, Lautrec." Kaylen said. "This guy has to stay."
Lautrec didn't even take a moment to think before he spoke.
"I see no reason we should change anything." Lautrec said.
"WHAT? You would just leave me here?" the sorcerer said angrily "You damn bastard!"
"You knew the risk when you decided to take on this mission." Lautrec said coldly. "Unless of course, you have something that you could bargain with."
It was then that a flicker of hope came upon the sorcerer's face. He then quickly patted down his own body until he found what he was looking for. Once he had found it, he looked at the prophet and spoke.
"Y-Yes. I do have something that might interest you." the sorcerer said before retrieving an item from his robes. "If you allow me to go free, I shall give you these."
The item in the sorcerer's hand made the prophet's eyes go wide with surprise, before he clenched his jaw in slight frustration. He knew that the sorcerer shouldn't have that, he knew that that must be how they freed Lautrec earlier than they were supposed to. Sitting in the sorcerer's hands was a ring that held multiple silver keys.
"Where the hell did you get a Master Key?" Kaylen said with a hint of anger.
"So, you know what these are then? Good. That means you know how useful they could be to you." the sorcerer said. "If you allow me to go, they're yours. I think you'll agree that this is a deal that should not be passed up."
Kaylen's response was to light his hand into a blazing flame and glare threateningly at the sorcerer.
"No deal, asshole." Kaylen said.
"W-what?" the sorcerer said in a frightened tone.
"Once I'm done with Lautrec, I'll have a few questions to ask you regarding that key." Kaylen said. "So, unless you want to know what it feels like to be burned alive, you'll stay right where you are."
"B-but I-" the sorcerer started.
"Oscar, merchant, you two watch this guy while I deal with Lautrec." Kaylen interrupted. "Make sure he doesn't go anywhere, but don't kill him."
"Right." Oscar said in a low tone as he stood over the sorcerer's vulnerable form.
"Heh, with pleasure." the merchant said as he walked next to Oscar with his Yulia at the ready.
At this point, the sorcerer looked like he was about to crap his pants in fear. His catalyst was gone, so he had no way to defend himself, and it seemed that Lautrec was more than willing to leave him behind. In a last-ditch effort, the sorcerer looked at Lautrec with pleading eyes, begging him not to leave him here. In response, Lautrec turned his back on the Sorcerer and spoke to the prophet.
"Can we hurry this along?" Lautrec said. "I have a rather pressing matter to attend to up above."
With his business with the sorcerer completed for now, the prophet turned his back on Lautrec to lead the way.
"Fine then, follow me." Kaylen said. "But keep your distance. The last thing I need is a knife in my back."
Even though it was not meant as a joke, Lautrec could not hold back a soft chuckle at the prophet's comment.
"Heh, lead on then, boy." Lautrec said.
With that, the prophet and the golden knight began walking towards the pathway to Undead Burg.
It wasn't even five minutes later that a small argument broke out in the middle of Firelink Shrine.
"Grr, to hell with this." Petrus said. "We should finish off the blasphemous enchanter now, while we have the chance."
"Forgive me, friend, but I cannot allow you to interfere in the prophet's plan." Siegmeyer said. "Anyway, how are you planning to defeat anyone with those injuries?"
The cleric scoffed loudly before he crouched to one knee and held a talisman in one hand. Thinking he was attempting to use the powerful magic that was used before, Oscar quickly lunged at the cleric and held his blade at his throat. Petrus froze instantly when he felt the cold hard steel come across his neck.
"What the hell do you think you're doing, Cleric?" Oscar asked angrily.
Petrus swallowed hard and glared at Oscar before he answered.
"I'm using a miracle to heal my wounds." Petrus said.
Oscar, while still holding his blade to the clerics neck, spoke in a low tone.
"Fine. But know that I have seen the power of your miracles, and I know that there is a moment of delay before they can be executed." Oscar said. "So, if I see even a hint of an attack, I will cut you down without hesitation."
Oscar then removed his blade from Petrus's throat. Then, with the knight still glaring at him, Petrus bowed his head and a bright circle of light appeared around him on the ground, healing his wounds. The cleric then got up from his crouched position and returned a low glare at Oscar. Sensing a fight might break out, Solaire jumped between the two and spoke.
"Everyone settle down, there is no need for these hostilities." Solaire said "We are all allies here."
"Heh, allies? He just threatened to kill him for trying to heal himself." the merchant said gesturing toward Oscar. "I can't tell who's crazier, you or that boy."
"I think that you should all-" the sorcerer started.
CRACK
Whatever the Sorcerer was about to say was immediately cut off as the merchant delivered a heavy and forceful stomp onto his leg, causing a loud cracking sound to echo throughout Firelink Shrine.
"GAAAAAHH!" the sorcerer screamed in as pain flared through his body.
"No one gave you permission to speak, mage. So, unless you want me to break the other leg, you'll shut your damn mouth" the merchant said, earning him looks from Siegmeyer and Solaire. "What? He was planning to torture me, so I think he deserved at least that."
"And probably even more." Oscar added.
"Okay, that's enough." Solaire said "Let's just wait for the prophet to return."
"Fine by me." the merchant said.
20 minutes of silence (Aside from the Sorcerers groans of pain) later
"Dammit, what could be taking him so long?" Oscar said anxiously.
"Maybe something has happened." Siegmeyer said. "Maybe we should head up after him."
"My money says he somehow managed to make things worse." the merchant said.
"No, we need to wait here as the prophet instructed." Solaire said. "If we go up there, we might interfere-"
Before the sunlight warrior could complete his sentence, the crestfallen warrior began to groan and move as he slowly regained consciousness.
"Ugh. Wha… where am I?" the warrior said.
"Easy, there. You are among friends." Siegmeyer said. "We are still in Firelink Shrine."
Suddenly, the memories of all that had transpired flooded the warrior's mind causing him to bolt upright.
"What happened to the keeper?" the crestfallen warrior said.
"That situation is being handled as we speak." Siegmeyer said. "We are simply waiting for now."
"The situation is being handled? By whom?" the crestfallen warrior said before turning towards Oscar. "Don't tell me it's that boy."
"Yes. He is the one out there talking with the bastard you failed to defeat." Oscar said.
Now slightly irritated, the crestfallen warrior stood up, grabbed his sword and shield and walked forward, prepared to finish things with Lautrec. That is until Oscar stepped into his path.
"Wait. You can't go out there." Oscar said. "You would put Anastasia at risk."
"You damn fool. If that boy is her only chance for survival, then the keeper is probably already dead. But it may not be too late for me to finish things with that man in the golden armor." the crestfallen warrior said. "Now you will either get out of my way or die where you stand."
Oscar, unwilling to let this man ruin everything the prophet has planned, gripped his sword tightly in anticipation of the coming fight. Seeing that his friend was in trouble, Solaire decided to step in and offer his aid.
"Now wait just a moment." Solaire said with a bit of anger. "I will not stand by and allow you to threaten-"
"Well. It's good to see you guys are getting along so well." a voice suddenly said, causing everyone to turn around and face the speaker.
"Prophet, you're back. Thank goodness." Oscar said as he quickly approached his friend. "What happened up there? Why did you take so long?"
What happened? Oscar had no idea how much weight that one question carried behind it. He had no idea that that one question made the prophet's body freeze up as he recalled the events that took place not too long ago…
Some time earlier…
It took little to no time for the prophet and Lautrec to reach the top of the cliff, where they both came face to face with a small group of hollows standing idly until the warriors approached them.
Once he saw them, the prophet conjured a fireball in both hands and spoke to Lautrec.
FWOOSH
"Before we do anything, we need to get rid of these guys." Kaylen said. "So, just stay back, and give me a second. Don't make any sudden movements either."
Lautrec gave a small sigh as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"Make it quick, boy." Lautrec said.
The prophet did indeed make short work of the hollows, who posed nearly no threat to him, casually setting their bodies ablaze as they came forward in an attempt to take his life. Soon enough, the two warriors were standing alone in the small area, with only the hollows' dead bodies as an audience.
"Well, here we are, Lautrec." Kaylen said in a serious tone. "Just you and me."
"Hmph, indeed." Lautrec said. "Let's get this over with, shall we?"
Without another word, the two warriors walked forward until they were standing right in front of one another. They both then stood immobile, each one glaring at the other.
"Don't try anything clever, boy." Lautrec said. "You might regret it."
"The same goes to you, Lautrec." Kaylen said. "One wrong step and you're a dead man. Just hold up your end of the deal and we can both walk away with what we want."
With that comment, Kaylen willed the golden soul to appear in his hand. Lautrec swiftly mimicked the action. Lautrec and the prophet then held their hands out to one another, each offering up their souls. Kaylen tensed his body and swallowed hard, waiting for the betrayal that he knew was likely soon to come.
"You first, boy." Lautrec said.
Hesitantly, Kaylen did as he was asked and placed the soul in Lautrec's palm. He then held out his hand to receive Anastasia's soul.
But Lautrec made no move to give it to him, he only gazed at both firekeeper souls that were now in his grasp. To the prophet it looked as if he was contemplating doing something, no doubt it was whether or not he should take both souls for himself.
"Now you, Lautrec." Kaylen said. "Hold up your end."
For what seemed like an eternity to the prophet, Lautrec continued to gaze upon the souls in his possession. But after a few moments, Lautrec looked up at the prophet and spoke.
"Of course." Lautrec said before he casually placed the soul into Kaylen's hand. "There you are."
Kaylen actually did a small double take, almost unable to believe that it would be that easy. He just put the soul in his hand like it was nothing, as if it were the most trivial thing in the world. Kaylen thought for sure that he would go back on the deal and try to take both. His shock quickly dissipated though as he soon realized that this wasn't over just yet.
"Well then, as I said, I have duties that I must fulfill." Lautrec said. "Now that our business is concluded, I bid thee farewell."
Lautrec then walked past the prophet toward the trail that would eventually lead his to Undead Burg, as if he were saying goodbye to a friend.
Kaylen saw this as a perfect opportunity. With Lautrec's back toward him, he was in a perfect position to backstab the golden knight.
"I should take him down while I have the chance." Kaylen thought to himself "Lautrec's a big shark in Lordran, not to mention that I could loot the ring of favor and protection from his body if I kill him. If I move quick enough, maybe I can…. Hey, wait a second."
After looking at him for a moment, Kaylen noticed a few strange things about Lautrec's current demeanor. They were very small and insignificant little oddities that, if he weren't paying attention, Kaylen would never have noticed. He saw that Lautrec was walking at an unusually slow pace, and his body seemed to move in a very stiff manner. His arms never left his sides, staying right next to the shotels that were on his belt. It was almost as if Lautrec was...
"...waiting. This bastard was waiting for me to attack him." Kaylen thought, mentally slapping himself. "Of course he was waiting for me. Lautrec's a lot of things, but stupid is most definitely not one of them. There's no way he would ever leave his back wide open to an enemy. And without the element of surprise, there almost no chance of me beating him alone. With him using those shotels and me using the Zweihander, I'll be completely out matched in terms of speed. Add that with the tons of battle experience he's probably got, and the outcome is clear. Looks like I've got no choice but to let him walk away… right after I give him a little scare."
Lautrec didn't move any faster, he walked at a slow and steady pace. He knew that at any moment now, this boy would get greedy and stab him in the back, but the kid will get quite the surprise when he turns and guts him like a fish. Any second now and…
"LAUTREC...!" Kaylen screamed suddenly.
Faster than Kaylen thought possible, the golden knight twisted on his heel, drew both his shotels and got into a low, wolf-like battle stance that ensured that he would be able to defend against an attack from any direction. But when he turned fully, there was no attack to defend against, no enemy trying to stab him in the back. In fact, the only sight that met him was the boy who was smiling smugly. Lautrec then angrily realized that the boy had played his emotions simply to startle him.
"Whoa there, I was just going to wish you good luck, buddy." Kaylen said with a smug grin. "What? Did you think I would try to attack you when your back was turned?"
"You expect me believe it never crossed your mind?" Lautrec said.
"You wound me, good sir." Kaylen said, pretending to be offended. "If I killed you, who else would murder my friends and steal their souls? I'd simply cry myself to sleep if you died, Lautrec."
With the prophet's sarcastic comment spoken, the two stood in silence for a moment. Lautrec was seriously considering killing the boy for making a fool out of him, but before he could come to a decision…
CLAP CLAP CLAP
Both warriors turned their attention to the small landing on the stairs above them, where a woman with goddess-like beauty was sitting with her legs crossed and a devilish grin spread across her face.
CLAP CLAP
"Bravo, bravo." Velka said. "Very entertaining."
The prophet was so caught off-guard that, in his confusion, he just barely managed to get out a few words.
"Velka?" Kaylen said. "What are you doing here?"
"What am I doing here?" Velka said, clearly amused by the prophet's words. "Why, I'm enjoying the show of course. And I must say, you both played your roles to perfection. I can hardly believe you managed to retrieve the keeper's soul."
After hearing this comment, the prophet immediately prepared himself should he need to dodge any projectiles. Seeing the uneasy look upon Kaylen's face, Velka leaned forward a bit on her perch and her smile grew a bit wider.
"You know, I had my doubts about you. But the way you turned the situation to your advantage, the way you played on Lautrec's alertness…" Velka said as she closed her eyes and moaned softly. "… Mmm, it was all quite exciting."
Velka then opened her eyes and gazed seductively at Kaylen.
Kaylen didn't know which pissed him off more. The fact that Velka was probably watching him the entire time and didn't lift a finger to help, or the fact that, at the moment, he was somewhat aroused by the look she was giving him. It was a good thing Lautrec intervened before the prophet could say anything stupid or regrettable.
"Velka? Heh, I had not realized that I warranted a visit from the goddess of Sin." Lautrec said proudly. "I take this to mean you have come to imprison me. I have never faced a god before, but if this is where my fate leads me, then so be it."
Velka rolled her eyes and gave a slightly annoyed sigh before she spoke.
"Dost thou really believe thyself so important?" Velka said in an almost insulted tone. "Your petty murders do not interest me in the least."
Lautrec was slightly taken back at this.
"W-what?" Lautrec started. "But if you are not here for me, then why-"
"Isn't it obvious?" Velka said pointing at the prophet. "I came for him."
Now Lautrec was more than slightly taken back as he looked back and forth at Velka finger then at the prophet.
"Him? This fool?" Lautrec said. "Surely you jest."
Velka responded with a slight smile that Kaylen knew was probably meant to get under Lautrec's skin.
"Not at all." Velka said "This boy is my champion."
Lautrec did an almost comical double take at this comment. But before he could get a word out, the prophet spoke.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, time out." Kaylen said. "Firstly, I never agreed to be anybody's champion. Secondly, why would you even want me as your champion? We didn't exactly leave on the best of terms."
At this, Velka leaned back on her arms, which seemed to increase her already large sex appeal, as she began to explain.
"It was the strangest thing. Not long ago, I found myself in the odd position of being threatened by a mortal boy. He claimed that he would not be bound by the rules of the gods, that he would forge his own path." Velka started "Of course, after hearing these claims, I left the mortal where he was and set out to tend to more important matters. But as I was leaving, I realized something. That boy had managed to do something only a handful of people can claim to have done… he had made me angry. It was unbelievable. A mortal had made me, the goddess of sin, angry. Once I realized this, I grew a bit curious about him."
Kaylen, knowing that she was talking about the first time they met back in Undead Burg, was confused about where this story was going. Was she going to try to kill him for what he said? Because she seemed more happy than angry right now.
"So, I went to the archives in Anor Londo to see if there was any information to be found about him. And do you know what I found?" Velka said in an excited tone. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I was standing in an archive that was filled with limitless knowledge on every spell, miracle, place, and person, and I could not find a single shred of information on this one mortal. There was no one by the name Kaylen, there wasn't even a mention of a place called Demacia. It was as if the mortal just appeared out of thin air. My curiosity had given way to strong interest in the boy. He was fearless, strong willed and a complete unknown."
Velka then closed her eyes as if she were remembering a fond memory. Kaylen, still a bit confused at where this was going, decided that he had had enough of this little story.
"Just get to the point, Velka." Kaylen said, giving an annoyed look. "Why have you come here? What exactly do you want?"
Velka bit her lower lip as an even more pronounced and provocative smile crossed her face and her golden eyes once again fell upon the prophet.
"I want you, boy." Velka said.
This caused everyone, especially the prophet, to go into a short, stunned silence. After a moment had passed, Kaylen tried his best to form a coherent sentence, but failed spectacularly.
"Well, I-. You-. I mean we-" Kaylen stuttered, gaining another chuckle from Velka.
"Heh, heh, What's the matter?" Velka said. "Surely the great prophet has not been struck speechless?"
Not trusting himself to speak, Kaylen decided that the smart thing to do would to stay silent, at least until he was sure he could form a sensible sentence. At being completely ignored, Lautrec gave a look of annoyance that no one could see due to his golden helmet, before he turned to Velka and spoke.
"You must be truly mad if you want this boy for anything." Lautrec started. "He is far too soft."
All at once, the prophet managed to find his voice.
"Well, your mom certainly had a different reaction." Kaylen said smartly.
"Will you be quiet, you little-" Lautrec growled.
"That will be quite enough, Lautrec." Velka said. "I assume that now that you have what you want, you have no more business here, correct? If so, then you may take your leave."
Lautrec was about to say something against this statement, but he was quickly silenced once Velka gave him a brief, but dark stare.
"Fine." Lautrec said in a low voice as he proceeded to walk up the side of the mountain. The golden knight was ready to get the hell away from Firelink Shrine and continue with his mission, but now that he no longer had Anastasia's soul and the danger had passed, Kaylen couldn't let Lautrec leave without taking one more jab at him.
"Hey Lautrec." Kaylen said, causing to turn halfway around to face him. "… You'd better watch your back, bro, because sooner or later, we're going to find you and make you pay… probably. It really depends on your schedule, because I've got this whole thing with Quelaag to do, and then I need to punch that cotton candy guy in the face for giving me blue when I explicitly asked for red. How's your November? Because mine's terrible. You know what, maybe we should just forget about it. I'll just stab the next guy I see that kinda looks like you."
This entirely unnecessary and idiotic comment caused Velka to give a small chuckle and Lautrec to actually growl in anger slightly before he replied.
"Pray that we never meet again, boy." Lautrec growled, before he proceeded to leave up the side of the mountain, passed the smiling Velka and out of sight.
With him gone, Velka proceeded to spread her pitch-black wings and leap from the top of the cliff, then land with grace a few feet away from the prophet with a small smile on her face.
"Well, well, well, it seems that we are now alone, prophet." Velka said, as she walked towards the prophet until she was standing directly in front of him.
Kaylen took great care not to look her directly in the eye for fear that she might try to use that mind trick on him once again, but in the process of trying to avoid her eye's, he found himself continuously glancing directly at her large and well-shaped breast. While he could not deny that Velka was stunningly beautiful, Kaylen would not allow himself to fall for this trick a second time. So, steeling his will, he spoke in the most serious and confident tone he could muster.
"Right. We're alone." Kaylen stuttered as he blushed slightly. "But don't think that I've changed my mind about anything I've said before."
Even with the prophet's direct comment, Velka wasn't fooled for a second. With the smile still on her face, she responded to the prophet's claim.
"Heh, I would be somewhat disappointed if you did." Velka said. "You know, we need not be enemies. After all, you and I are not so different."
"I'm not like you, Velka." Kaylen said. "You're nothing but a manipulator."
"Well… to each his own." Velka said. "I chose my path; you took the way of the hero. And I bet the little band of warriors you've assembled found you quite amusing. But know this. The one thing humans love more than a hero… is to see a hero fail, fall… die trying."
"What exactly are you trying to say?" the prophet asked.
"I'm saying that despite everything you've done for them, eventually they will come to hate you." Velka said. "So why bother aiding them, when you could join me?"
Kaylen glanced doubtfully at the ground, before he hardened his gaze and returned it back to Velka, speaking in a more confident tone.
"I'd rather deal with the possibility of betrayal than sacrifice myself to the first flame." Kaylen said.
At this comment, a mischievous glint could be seen in Velka's eyes.
"And who said anything about you sacrificing yourself?" Velka said.
This one statement completely caught the prophet off guard.
"What are you getting at?" Kaylen said.
"It was never said that you yourself had to be the offering, just that it had to be a strong-willed human who bears the four lord souls." Velka exclaimed. "And it seems to me that you have three of them who follow you without question."
"You think I would sacrifice my friends to save my own ass?" Kaylen said, angered that she would even suggest something like that.
Velka, completely unfazed by the prophet's anger, rolled her eyes slightly before responding.
"Here's the real truth, prophet. There are billions of humans roaming throughout Lordran without any purpose or reason to go on. And those teeming masses exist for the sole purpose of lifting the few exceptional people onto their shoulders." Velka exclaimed. "You and I… we're exceptional. We have the ability to decide the fate of countless lives. These sacrifices may be cruel, they may be horrific, but they are also necessary. I ask you, what is one life, when weighed against the lives of millions?"
At this, the prophet actually did not know what he should say. He had seen the gods as nothing more than selfish bigots, but hearing things from their perspective like this made him question whether or not he had misjudged them. Maybe they were just rulers who were doing these horrible things because they see no other way to resolve the situation. But regardless of these thoughts, the prophet knew that this might be his chance to bring Velka to his side.
"It doesn't have to be this way, Velka. No one has to die." Kaylen pleaded. "I have a plan that can save us all. I can end this curse and permanently stop the abyss."
"That is nothing more than a fool's dream." Velka said. "Can you tell me with absolute certainty that this plan of yours will work? Can you say that there is no doubt in your mind that it will fix everything?"
The prophet opened his mouth to speak, but the words refused to come out. He had faith that his plan would work, but there was a very real chance that it could backfire on them. In fact, if he was being completely honest, there was a very good possibility that his plan could destroy the lord souls and increase the abyss's power tenfold.
"That's what I thought. No answer." Velka said. "It would be nothing less than selfish to place everyone's lives and futures on a plan that *might* work. We only have one true option available to us and that is to sacrifice few to the flame, so that many more may live in peace."
The prophet hung his head his head in defeat as he allowed Velka's words to sink in.
"Could she be right? Is it selfish of me to risk everyone's life on the small possibility that my plan might work?" the prophet thought. "Could it be…. Could it be that I was wrong? That the only way to save the many… is to sacrifice the few?"
These words lingered in the prophet's mind for the longest time as he contemplated whether or not he truly was being the hero he thought he was.
"No. I can't accept that. I can't accept that this half dead world is the only path left for humanity to take." Kaylen said with resolution. "So selfish or not, I'll see this plan through to the end and carve everyone a new destiny. One where we don't have to be afraid of demons or hollows. And anyone who tries to stop that will wish they were never born."
At this, Kaylen was half expecting Velka to be completely enraged by his words, but he was surprised to see that not only was she not angry, but now her face was sporting a very visible pink blush.
It was then that the goddess quickly closed the distance between them, coming directly into the prophet's personal space. But the prophet, though a bit surprised by the action, did not retreat or show even a hint of fear or panic. Keeping his look of fearlessness plastered upon his face.
"Mmm, Such unwavering conviction. You truly are a unique individual." Velka said moaned softly "I wonder how many deaths it will take before your spirit is broken?"
The prophet raised his head very slowly and, no longer caring if she tried to hypnotize him or not, looked directly into Velka's golden slit pupils.
"Well, I guess there's only one way to find out." Kaylen said in an equally soft, if not more threatening, voice.
As soon as the words left his mouth, an almost overwhelming jolt of ecstasy went through Velka's body. As he continued to look at her with that strong, determined gaze, Velka felt almost feverish with the immense restraint it took to keep her hands to herself, so badly did she want to reach out and make him submit to her will, to claim his body for herself. She'd never felt this before-this urge to touch another person so strong that she felt as if she was burning from the inside out.
"No. Don't even think about it." Kaylen's conscious said to him. "She's the enemy."
"Why fight it?" a much darker voice Kaylen wasn't sure was his own said. "You want to do it just as much as she does."
"It can only end badly. There's too much at stake to do something this selfish."
"You're risking your life to save people you've never even met; I think you've earned the right to be a little selfish."
"Fight your urges."
"Just let yourself go."
Kaylen must have agreed with his darker voice, for his eyes never left hers as he leaned closer. Slowly, he reached out to rub the tips of his fingers against the tender skin of her cheek. Velka shivered, and felt herself lean into him, raising her face to his in invitation. Kaylen watched her with eye's hooded with desire as he brought his hand up to cup the side of her neck. His thumb stroking her burning cheek as he leaned in, slowly closing the distance between them. Then, just as the longing became unbearable, she pressed her lips against his.
That moment was nothing short of sensational. The prophet, even with his conscious screaming for him to stop, did not fight the urge, for it was too late to refuse now; he gave in and pressed back. Velka felt her body stiffen, a small groan escaping her lips as he caressed her neck. She was so lost in hot emotion and passion that she did not even realize that she was flexing her jet-black wings to full length.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Kaylen's conscience screamed. "She threatens you with death and you kiss her? Get a fucking grip, dammit."
But as he felt her smooth, soft skin, heard her low alluring moan, Kaylen just couldn't bring himself to care.
She then parted his lips with her tongue, biting down on his lower lip and drawing back, he exhaled as they drew apart, he was out of breath. She nodded appreciatively, she felt hot all over, her legs felt like marshmallows. She leaned in satisfied with his eagerness for her. It only took the prophet a moment to realize what had just happened to him.
"You used that eye trick to hypnotize me, didn't you?" Kaylen calmly said.
"Only enough to for slight suggestions." Velka smirked. "But your mind and your will were entirely your own. You could have refused me at any time you wanted."
Silence then fell between the two, their gazes never shifting from one another. It was then that Kaylen suddenly became much more aware of his surroundings. Looking down, he realized that at some point he had wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to his body. Now fully aware of what he was doing, Kaylen quickly released the goddess's body.
"I… I should go." Kaylen said, stepping back to create some space between him and Velka. "I can't keep my friends waiting."
"Of course you can't." Velka chuckled.
Turning on his heels, the prophet practically sprinted down the mountain. He could not believe he had kissed the goddess of sin!
"Damn, damn, dammit, dammit, fuck. Why the hell did I do that? She's supposed to be my enemy and I kiss her? What the actual hell is wrong with me?" Kaylen said, now completely in sync with his conscience. "I don't even know what to call this. Was it purely physical attraction? Was it just a momentary lapse in judgment?"
As the prophet approached Firelink Shrine, he saw that he came just in the nick of time, since it appeared that Oscar and the crestfallen warrior were about to have a little showdown.
"Well, whatever it was, it's probably best I keep it to myself. If these guys found out that I just locked lips with the fucking goddess of sin after I just told them all that stuff about the gods, they'd probably never trust me again." Kaylen thought to himself. "I can't tell them. At least not right now."
As he approached his friends, the prophet steeled himself for what was to come.
"The situation is being handled? By who?" the crestfallen warrior said before turning towards Oscar. "Don't tell me it's that boy."
"Yes. He is the one out there talking with the bastard you failed to defeat." Oscar said.
Now slightly irritated, the crestfallen warrior stood up, grabbed his sword and shield, and walked forward, prepared to finish things with Lautrec. That is until Oscar stepped into his path.
"Wait. You can't go out there." Oscar said. "You would put Anastasia at risk."
"You damn fool. If that boy is her only chance for survival, then the keeper is probably already dead. But it may not be too late for me to finish things with that man in the golden armor." the crestfallen warrior said. "Now, you will either get out of my way or you will die where you stand."
Solaire then decided to step in to aid his friend.
"Now wait just a moment." Solaire said with a bit of anger. "I will not stand by and allow you to threaten-"
"Well. It's good to see you guys are getting along so well." a voice suddenly said, causing everyone to turn around and face the speaker.
"Prophet, you're back." Oscar said as he quickly approached his friend. "What happened up there? Why did you take so long?"
Kaylen put on the most positive smile that he could manage as he spoke.
"What took me so long? This really isn't something you can rush, Oscar. If I had rushed anything even in the slightest, who knows what Lautrec would have done? I had to take my time and do things right." Kaylen said cheerfully. He hated lying to his friends, but this was not the time to tell them what he did with Velka. It's better for everyone if he just keeps the subject focused on Anna's soul. "But it was all worth it."
The prophet then willed the soul to appear in his hand and presented it to all in the shrine to see.
"Now we can revive Anastasia, no problem. But first…" Kaylen said, before turning his to the wounded Sorcerer. "… We need to have a little chat with our friend over there."
"Right." Oscar agreed.
All the warriors, except for the crestfallen warrior and Petrus, then proceeded to gather around the sprawled from of the sorcerer's body. Making the mages eyes go wide with fear.
"L-listen, boy-I mean sir, what happened to your keeper was not my fault." the sorcerer pleaded. "It was all Lautrec's idea. I swear. I wanted no part in-"
"Shut up." Oscar said sharply. "We don't want to hear your lies."
The prophet, without saying a word, then crouched down and leaned on his knees so that he was face to face with the sorcerer and spoke in a calm, yet threatening tone.
"Alright, asshole. I know there's only one person in all of Lordran who could have had that Master Key, and I don't have time to play games, so I'm only going to ask this once." Kaylen said seriously tone as he leaned a bit closer to the sorcerer's face. "What have you done to Domhnall?"
And yet another chapter of this epic tale has unfolded, yet many things remain unanswered.
How will Velka affect the destiny of others? Will keeping his encounter with Velka a secret from the others destroy all that the prophet has built? What has become of the merchant known as Domhnall?
Find out more in the next chapter of Dark Souls: Derp Edition
Alright guys, before you write any review or comment, you should know that with this chapter I completely said, "To hell with it." and just went with the flow. Everything in this chapter just kind of happened. If you're wondering why I did this, it's because RE-WRITING A F***KING CHAPTER FROM THE BEGINNING IS ABSOLUTE HELL. I really just want to get this over with and move on with the story.
I'm really anxious to know what people thought about this chapter. Specifically, Velka and the prophet's kiss, since that's pretty much my first time trying to write something like that, and I was wondering if I did a good job or a terrible job. Remember, you guys' opinions have a big effect on which direction this story will go.
But let me get a few things straight first.
No, I don't know who I want the prophets waifu to be. (There're so many choices.)
No, I have not been ignoring you guys' spell submissions. I will begin adding new spells once the team gets to Blighttown and maybe a few before they leave Firelink Shrine. (I gotta do these things in moderation, guys.)
And yes, the prophet's plans on what he will do to fix everything will soon be brought to light. As will the secret he refused to tell everyone at the first bell.
If you guys have any other questions, feel free to ask.
Now as for the big announcement that I mentioned in the beginning. I have been requested by ts879 to write a one-shot lemon featuring the emerald herald from Dark Souls 2 and the main character from Dark Souls 2. I thought that this was a great idea.
So it has been decided that the next Just for fun chapter will most definitely be a Lemon. So I'll so you guys soon with that. Supreme Gamer signing out.
P.S. BY the powers that be, I command you all to review this story!
*Special thanks to Antoine for beta-reading