Gonna skip the opening talk this time and just say I hope you guys enjoy this new chapter.
Warning: This chapter a heavy dose of "The Feels". Please keep tissues for tear wiping at the ready.
Here she was once again. Back where she started.
The blood on her hands...the corpses at her feet...the emptiness in her eye's... it was all proof of how little she'd changed. She was still just as much the cold, murderous butcher as she always was.
But that was okay.
She could take this. The corpses of her fellow Darkmoon Blades, the blood that clung to her clothing and stained her skin, the hollow feeling that buried itself deep into her soul. It all meant nothing to her if it was for her champions sake.
She would bear this sin without question if it meant he would not die.
Moving to each of the slain Darkmoon Blades bodies, she retrieved the dark essence they each left behind. Willing each of them to gather into a shapely form in her hand, gaining a total of six, she hurried to the side of a man whose face was deathly pale and his chest only just barely rose and fell to show he was still breathing.
"Please..." she prayed as she placed one of the newly formed sprites into his hands and made him grip it tightly until it shattered in his palm, causing black wisp to swarm over and enter his body.
Repeating this process five more times and using all the humanity she had collected, there was no physical change to happen to the Prophets body. But she knew this was too be expected. The humanity alone would work as nothing more than a sort of wall to prevent any more of the Prophets mind from being consumed by the curse. Only when paired with a bonfire would it be capable of fully restoring him to human form.
She could attempt to awake him forcefully by teasing his conscience with Undead Rapport. But she had never attempted to use it on a mind so precariously balanced between hollow and human, especially for the time it would take to guide him toward the nearest bonfire. So, she made the decision to hold off arousing his mind until she reached the bonfire.
Which left her no other option then to somehow manage to move him to there herself.
Taking note of her own body's condition, her broken right wing, bruises and battered flesh, a handful of fractured ribs and an exhaustion so overwhelming that she felt she might collapse at any moment, she knew that the task of moving him was the next best thing to impossible.
But still, she had to press on.
With whatever strength she had remaining, she rolled his body and slung his arm over her shoulder. With a pained grunt, she used all her might to rise to her feet, carrying the entire weight of his limp form across her back, and began to walk.
She was slow. Every step was both tortuously painful and a monumental drain on her last reserves of energy. She got maybe eight steps in total before her body collapsed onto the marble floor.
With her breath coming in harsh and heavy, she struggled to regain herself when a voice came from behind her.
"Why...Why did you do all this?" the voice said to her with a mixture of disbelief and anger, laced with a bit of pain. "How could you...betray Lord Gwyndolin?"
She didn't answer. There was no point in explaining herself. It would do nothing to wash away the blood that was now on her hands or alter her decision.
So once again, she hefted the Prophets weight onto her shoulders and attempted to move towards the bonfire. This time though, she didn't even go half the steps she'd taken prior before her legs buckled. The sudden falter causing her black hair to fall over her face, completing her rugged and beaten visage.
"Look at you...even with your vile betrayal and thievery of humanity from your own, you have accomplished nothing." the voice said aggressively. "I know you let me live only so you could use my Bonfire to save this man. You think you can kill our brothers in arms and use me with no consequence? Lord Gwyndolin will know of this, Velka!"
Hearing this, the only response Velka gave was to lower the Prophets body back to the ground gently, not even turning to face the injured Darkmoon Knightess behind her. It was apparent that she could not carry him in her current state, no matter how hard she tried.
Seeing this show of gentle care, the Firekeeper grew that much more outraged at the goddess's ability to butcher so many and focus only on that one man.
"You will be hunted!" she said in outrage. "The Darkmoon Blades for certain...Ornstein, Smough, Lord Gwyndolin himself! We will bring everything Anor Londo has to bear to hunt you down until you are nothing more than a-"
"Why did you lie?" Velka interrupted in an empty tone, devoid entirely of emotion or depth.
"Wha-"
"Before, when we asked you if anything strange had happened within the city, you purposefully lied about Lautrec's capture and imprisonment. Why was that?" Velka said curiously. " You clearly knew who he was and when I reported it to him, Lord Gwyndolin seemed to know nothing of a human being captured within our walls. Why would you feel the need to withhold this from us? More so, how did Lautrec manage to get this close to the upper city without any notice? We have sentry's posted at every entrance to the levels. The only way would be for someone to help him. Someone with enough knowledge of our defenses to allow him to slip past."
Standing to her feet with an empty gaze in her eye's, Velka continued.
"I wonder...did you cause all of this? Is all this death and mayhem because you made some sort of mistake with him?" the Goddess asked calmly.
Hearing this, the Darkmoon Knightess said nothing. Seemingly only able to stare on with her mask hiding the likely guilty expression on her face.
"You silence speaks louder than any words, Knight." Velka exclaimed still expressing no emotion in her tone in the slightest. She only needed to know one more thing to solidify the Knights role in this. "By the way...this human with me was well aware of Lautrec's intentions for being here. He informed me of what he believed was a goddess in Anor Londo who I was strangely unfamiliar with. Would you like to know the name he told me?"
Again, there was nothing but silence that hung between them. With the only sign that the Knightess felt anything towards these words were the aversion of her eye's from Velka's back.
"Nothing to say, once again...how interesting. Do you have nothing to say to deny these claims?" Velka voiced aloud still with no trace of any emotion. "Perhaps we should both step into the light together. With so much death and destruction brought upon our home, I'm sure Lord Gwyndolin will be just as interested in your activities as mine."
Hearing this, the Darkmoon Knightesses hand began to quiver with a mixture of fear and rage at being threatened in such a manner for something that she could never have known would happen and at the possibility of having Gwyndolin's wrath being brought down upon her.
"I...I didn't... I never thought Lautrec would-"
"And so at last, you bare you sin openly, filthy liar! And you had the gall to judge my actions?!" Velka said openly baring her rage for the first time in their discussion causing her black pyromancy to simmer along her skin and striking further fear into the Knights heart. It was fortunate for her that Velka need only a few moments more to regain her composure and calm her flames with a tightened fist, reminding herself that there was no time for such actions. "Well...no point in placing blame now...don't you agree?"
"W..What?" the Knightess said, confused by Velka's sudden change in attitude. "I don't understand."
"I'm saying that perhaps some things are best kept secret." the goddess said plainly. "After all, there is no one here but you and me. The damage to the city has been done and there is no changing that. I see no reason why we both cannot...keep this between us."
"You would attempt to deceive Lord Gwyndolin? Betray your oath to him?" the Knightess said in disbelief. "How could you even think such a thing?"
"It is somewhat late for either of us to raise such questions, is it not?" Velka said with a bit of annoyance, as she was well aware of the betrayal of trust she was suggesting. "If you believe otherwise, then by all means, feel free to tell Lord Gwyndolin the truth. We'll both be lucky to be given a swift execution. Or perhaps he will see fit to sentence us to the horrors of the Painted World of Aramias for our treachery."
Hearing the possibility of being sent to the painted world, the Knightesses heart clenched. She had heard tales of the horrors and monstrosity's that were held within it. She knew that it was meant to contain only the most dangerous and nightmarish of abominations that were great threats to Anor Londo. To be sent there was nothing less that to be sent to a cage of suffering. Especially for an undying creature like an undead.
Hearing that this could likely become her fate, the Knightess had to ask herself was she willing to choose that path, when the option to walk free was before her.
Hearing her hesitate, Velka chose that moment to turn around and face the Knight directly. Determined to say her final peace on the matter.
"Please. There is no need for any more suffering. If you and I, Anor Londo's Firekeeper and its strongest weapon, reveal ourselves, we will only weaken the city further than it already will be. Lord Gwyndolin will have to handle the burden on his own without either of our support. Is that what you want?" Velka pleaded with a hint of desperation in her voice. "Just help me save this human. And let us both forget everything we know of each other's actions. What say you?"
With that, Velka's eye's bore into the Knightess's, silently begging her to see reason and help her.
Moments passed between the two with neither saying another word to the other. Until inevitably, a decision had been made.
One that would bind the two in a bond of secrecy, treachery and mutual hatred.
Four Days After the Battle for the City...
With the few days that had passed, Anor Londo had settled into a deep and mournful silence.
When she last heard, the bodies of the fallen soldiers who participated in the battle were still being discovered and brought forth. Lord Gwyndolin was discovered lying unmoving on the floor of tomb she had left him in. It was quickly apparent that though he had survived the skirmish with the Darkwraiths, he had pushed his mind well beyond its limits and was now incapable of maintaining the illusion of the Sun, or much of any illusion outside his immediate vicinity, at the moment. With the battle straining both his mind and body to this point, the only thing that they could do was to let him rest and regain his lost strength.
With the city having lost a great deal of its defenders and Lord Gwyndolin weakened as he was, Ornstein stepped forward to defend the moon-lit city from any demons or would be plunderers that appeared.
But he could not be everywhere at once. And so, it fell to Velka to organize their remaining forces and to maintain order within the ranks. If they were not careful and allowed this weakness to flourish, it was not outside the realm of possibility that they could face a coup.
Sitting inside a large, moonlit room, beside what was the best and most comfortable bed she could find, Velka watch in silence as the now fully restored Prophets chest continued to rise and fall with each breath. He had not moved since being restored to his human form, not even giving a stir or nary a murmur. But he was alive and breathing.
Nothing was wrong.
So why was it that this feeling of helplessness and despair gripped her heart? She didn't understand it. With every second that passed her by seemingly only adding to her misery, she wonders how it is possible to hurt so much when nothing is wrong.
He had tricked her. He had made her leave her old self behind and come into his world, and then before she was really at home in it but too late to go back, he had left her stranded there-like an astronaut wandering about on the moon. Alone.
She found herself clenching her arms, as if a sudden cold had swept over her.
"Please...Please...Please..." she begged silently again and again with a pleading look on her face. She wanted him to awaken and hold her in his warm embrace. She wanted to see him smile once again in the carefree manner he always did and tell her not to worry. But time and time again, he refused. He did not move. He did not awaken.
And so it was that she had to rise to her feet once again and leave the room without any sig from him that things would get better.
Walking through the doorway to his room and closing it behind her, Velka stood unmoving in front of the door. If there were no pertinent duties calling to her, she was always here at his side for hours on end. Waiting in this cold, silent room. Trying to hold herself together and not allow her will to crumble. But with each moment that past, she found herself breaking down further and further. Her inner turmoil was made that much worse with the fact that she knew that much of everyone's eyes were fixed squarely upon her to lead them in this difficult time.
The strain of it all was too much to bare for even one as strong of will as her.
Without even realizing it, a deep sadness suddenly overcame Velka's eye's, as if she was on the verge of tears that she was only just ale to hold back. She then began to make her way outside of the building she found herself in. Once she was outside, she turned her gaze upward to the night sky.
Since she was not undead, the goddess was incapable of using a bonfire to regain herself completely, but a cleric had seen to her wounds and managed healed them some time ago. Though their abilities were nothing compared to a bonfire's healing power, the clerics were able to fix her broken wing and remedy any major wounds she had. Still, there was a great deal of dull pain in her wing and ribs if she attempted to fly as freely as she once did.
But that pain was the furthest thing from her mind as she flexed her large wings, gave them a few practiced beats and then took to the sky.
She needed to get away. The walls she'd built to maintain her will were breaking down and she did not want to be within the city when they did. But where else could she go...?
Firelink Shrine
Contrary to popular belief, it was very difficult for a person to determine the exact time that had gone by when the state of the day, or rather the night, was constant.
The Merchant himself never really bothered with attempting to keep track of the time when the sun was shining high in the sky. But now that the moon had taken its place and shadows crept from every corner, he found himself becoming a bit jumpy. For a swindler such as himself, it was common knowledge that nothing positive happens during the night.
"Uh...You think the sun might come back sometime soon?" the Merchant asked in a paranoid tone.
"For the thousandth time, I don't know." the Crestfallen Knight said with deep annoyance, having been treated to the same question for the past few days. "My answer isn't going to change just because you keep asking."
It was all of ten seconds before the Merchant spoke once again, causing the Knight to roll his eye's.
"I'm telling you, I hear breathing in those ruins over there." the Merchant said aloud as his knee bounced up and down as if he had an urge to stand up and pace the shrine. "My ears are one of the best around. It sounds like soft...I don't know, snoring. But I definitely hear something."
"Your being paranoid." the Crestfallen Knight said solemnly.
"No, I'm not." the merchant exclaimed defensively.
"I don't think I hear anything coming from over there." Anastacia chimed in, actually attempting to lean her ear in that direction.
"And neither do I. So that settles it, there's nothing over there. And even if there is, it's not like it can sneak up on us while we're out in the open." the Crestfallen Knight groaned, eager to put this conversation to rest and allow silence to settle once more. "Now can we please stop talking about it already?"
Watching the Merchant give a slight huff at this response, Anastacia found herself giving the barest hint of a smile. These two men, though they did have their flaws, were not so bad to be around. Though she was still a bit shy, she had somewhat warmed up to them and, though neither of the two would admit it, they had both become comfortable around her as well. In fact, the Crestfallen Knight had gone from telling them both to "Shut the hell up already." to "Would you please stop talking already." It might not seem like much, but Anna saw it as progress.
"Fine then. But when trouble rears its ugly head, I'll be waiting right here to say I told you-"
FLAP FLAP THUMP
"…So." the Merchant finished just a winged individual fell from the night sky and landed just at the edge of the Bonfire's light.
"Velka." Anastacia exclaimed with a smile as she rose to her feet to greet her friend. "You've returned."
Walking forward to meet her friend face to face, Anastacia was more than a little surprised at the distressed face that greeted her once her eye's adjusted to the shadows beyond the Bonfire.
"Is everything...alright?" Anastacia asked with genuine concern.
"Anastacia...I-I wish to speak with you." Velka said lowly with a stutter that managed to grab both the Crestfallen Knights and the Merchants attention. "It will be for but a brief time."
"Of course. We can talk about whatever you wish." Anastacia replied.
"Not here." Velka said as her eye's briefly fell over the two men sitting by the fire. "Just...follow me."
Saying nothing more than that, the goddess turned around and began to walk towards the small hillside that would eventually lead to Undead Burg. Anastacia's concern for Velka was so worrisome that she did not even glace back towards the Merchant and Crestfallen Warrior before following behind.
"That didn't sound too good." the Merchant said plainly, his curiosity of the matter peaked. "You think we should follow?"
"She's with the Goddess of Sin. If something was actually strong enough to get through her and harm the keeper, then I doubt our presence will matter too much." the Crestfallen Knight replied with a sigh.
And so they both opted to stay where they were with the warmth and light of the Bonfire before them. Each one now wondering if the boy might be connected to the moon that hung over both of their heads.
Undead Burg
Reaching the buildings just at the edge of the township was no bother what so ever as Velka casually walked forward with Anastacia in tow, summoning one or two Soul Arrows to piece the heads of the Shambling undead who came to block their way.
She did not want to travel far. Once she found a building that seemed stable enough that it would not collapse on top of them, she made her way through the doorway into it. Inside the housing was little more than an old, dusty wooden table with two chairs at either side and a few counters in the back that held food that was long past spoiled. It was easy to surmise that this small abode was likely home to a very poor individual at some point, but that was obviously the furthest thing on her mind right now.
Now feeling free of the weight of the city and her responsibilities for the moment, Velka slowly approached the table and place her hands upon it. Not bothering to turn around and face Anastacia.
"Okay. We are now alone." Anastacia said as she walked through the doorway and shut the moldy door itself behind her. "What did you want to speak to me about?"
Velka said nothing at first.
Truthfully, she did not know why she came to the keeper in the first place. The only thing that she had in her mind as she made her way towards her shrine was that she needed to escape. But now that she was here, she found that her throat felt as if it held a lump within it.
"Thank you for coming with me, Anastacia." Velka said lowly. "I…did not know who else I could turn too."
"Think nothing of it. I am more than willing to help you if you need me." Anastacia replied in as friendly a tone as she could manage.
At this, there was a long silence that hung between them. Anastacia did nothing but watch as she saw Velka hang her lead lowly. If there was something she needed to say, she would not rush her in saying it. She would let her take as long as she needed to find the words she was looking for.
"How could things….have gone so wrong?" Velka asked quietly, almost solely to herself and not towards Anastacia. "How could what started as a simple curiosity bring about such ruin?"
The Keeper didn't know what exactly the best way was to respond to Velka's vague words. But, true to her kind nature, she gave it her best shot.
"Um...I cannot say I know what ails you, Velka. But I'm sure whatever it is cannot be so bad that it cannot be fixed." Anastacia said, trying to be as positive as her position would allow. "I would be willing to help you if I can. And I know the Prophet would be more than willing to help you as well."
"The Prophet...?" Velka's said lowly as her slowly hands clenched into fist and her yellow eye's lowered.
"Y-Yes." Anastacia said thinking she'd help slightly. "If anyone can help solve a problem, he certainly can."
Hearing these words was the last straw for Velka.
She couldn't handle bottling it all up anymore. These feelings of sadness, anger, isolation and hopelessness. But above all, she could not take the intense feeling of uncertainty that swirled within her anymore.
She was a god. A loyal servant of Gwyn. A Protector of the Golden City. Her purpose and her duty were always clear as day to her. But now...now she'd didn't know what to think. She had betrayed her ward, her covenant and her kingdom all for the selfish feelings she held for a mortal man. What was next now? What was going to come after all this? What was her next move going to be? She couldn't answer a single one of these with any layer of certainty and she just couldn't keep it all to herself anymore.
"...'s…he...blem.."
"Sorry? I did not hear-"
FWOOSH CRASH
"HE'S THE PROBLEM!" Velka shouted with all her might as her body became covered in a thin layer of black flame and she slammed both her hands on the table in rage. Making the table crack and fracture and causing Anastacia to jump in surprise.
Turning on a heel, the goddess all but stormed forward with the look of complete anger in her eye's until she was standing directly in front of a now fearful looking keeper. There was no reasoning with her inner turmoil at this point. All she saw was a red haze.
"I don't understand a single thing that's happened to me and it's all that fault of that pathetic, weak, repulsive mortal! He's the reason I'm so afraid right now! He's the reason I'm so full of despair and uncertainty and confusion! I curse very the day he entered my life and delivered me such sorrow! Yet STILL I…. I don't want to lose him!" Velka shouted with both her fist shaking at her side, as if she means to strike something but doesn't know what just yet. As she continued even further, a stream of tears began to trail down both her cheeks and her voice began to crack. "Why does he choose to bring such pain upon me?! Why must he recklessly do the things that he does?! Does he despise me so much that he would make me hurt this way?! I just don't understand! I can't understand! What does he mean he has to "Save everyone"?! What's so great about sacrificing yourself for people who'd just as quickly leave you to die?! What merit is there in throwing yourself to your own death?! That doesn't make you heroic, it just makes you a fool! Why does he smile, jest and laugh while he heedlessly throws his life to the wind and risk hurting all those he claims he wants to protect?!"
With her vision becoming blurred from all her tears she's shed, she could almost perfectly imagine the Prophet standing right in front of her and the look of surprise and shock on his face at hearing her words. But she didn't care, this was what she wanted. She needed to say these things. She needed to say just how much she was hurting. The pain of it all being bottled up was now so unimaginable that the idea of spending another day with it seemed impossible.
Clenching her eyes shut and turning her gaze downward, the sadness broke open inside her, hollowing out her heart and leaving her bleeding.
"You just…can't do that. You can't make me feel so strongly about you and then do the things that you do. Don't make me smile and laugh, then almost get yourself killed fighting a beast far too strong for you. Don't tell me you'll protect me, then chase after some cleric to some dark hole where death is all but assured! If you say you're going to protect me and never allow me to suffer, then show me you mean it! Fate, destiny, The First Flame, The Abyss, Kaathe, The Rite of Kindling and everything else you've said mean nothing to me, you idiot! WHY IS IT SO HARD FOR YOU TO SEE THAT I DON'T WANT TO LOSE YOU?!"
With her gaze still lowered, Velka was practically shaking with emotion as she cried and wept without restraint. She didn't know what else could be said, but she couldn't reign in the tears no matter how hard she tried, nor did she want to. Just this once, she wanted to be allowed to vent everything within herself. She wanted to be allowed to be sad and angry at it all.
Then, without any sort of signal or warning, Velka suddenly felt a pair of arms wrap around her body and pull her into a close embrace.
"I'm...sorry. This is all I am capable of doing." Anastacia said calmly as continued to hold onto the goddess. Allowing a small pause to pass between them, she spoke what she believed would help her hurting friend the most. "If it means anything...I understand how you feel."
Hearing these words brought back to reality. None of her words had reached the Prophet, none of her grief or pain was brought to the one who deserved it. It was only the Firekeeper, Anastacia, who stood before her as she bared her emotions freely.
Realizing this, a twinge of discontent came into her mind. Her mouth started moving on its own. She knew there was something else she should be saying right now, but other words were spilling out.
"I'm falling apart at the seams at my own helplessness, while you get to stay here in safety and relative comfort at your bonfire." Velka said with a bit of resentment in her voice, though she made no move to leave the keepers arms. "How could you possibly understand how I feel?"
Anastacia paused only for a moment before giving her response in an empty and solemn tone.
"Because...I am weak." Anastacia said softly, slightly confusing the goddess as to what she meant by that. "I cannot wield a weapon, nor use pyromancy...I cannot even make myself useful enough to use miracles. It is not possible for me to follow at the Prophets side as you can. I would be less than useless to him. So...I must remain here, with only my prayers, as he leaves to face terrible dangers. I am filled with fear for him every time he leaves. A fear that he will die…and I will have to return to what I was before."
This knowledge was nothing new to Anastacia, but she was still surprised by how much speaking the words aloud actually managed to sting her heart.
She was a Firekeeper. Undead never felt anything towards her kind, even if one were to suddenly die and fade away. But the Prophet was different for her, a one of a kind man. He had given her a sense that she was valued as both a person and a woman. That she was more than a tool.
But, despite what the Prophet would say to the contrary, she is weak on her own. She could not carry on without him. For truly, she could only ever believe her worth if he was there to give her that hope.
Without him, no one would ever call out to her. No one would ever make her feel the way he does. She would return to always being used, but never needed.
"Yes...the words you've spoken and the helplessness you feel right now….I understand it all very well." Anastacia said as she held a sad, yet accepting look in her eye.
After saying this, a deep cold suddenly found itself inside Anna's body, which had been warmed by Velka's small use of pyromancy until now, as the Goddess seemed to have calmed herself to a degree.
"Do you despise me, Keeper?" Velka asked lowly, her gaze hidden beneath a bit of black hair.
"No." Anna replied with no hesitation in her voice. "I do not."
Hearing this, Velka's gaze somewhat hardened.
"So quick to reply. Am I not the one who made the Prophet leave this place? Am I not the one who made him leave you?" Velka said in an almost accusing tone. Her golden eyes not even glancing at Anastacia, instead continuing to remain hidden from her gaze. "What if I told you that I loathe mortal kind for all that they've done? What if I told you that I have killed scores of your number without hesitation?"
"..."
"That's what I thought. Silence." Velka said with a mocking smirk on her lips. "Well, no matter what you think of it, I have no intention of repenting or apologizing for anything I've done...and I have no remorse for it, either."
Anastacia said nothing as Velka voiced her harsh emotions and since she refused to look her in the eye as she spoke, Velka could not tell what sort of face she was making at hearing words such as this. But she continued without much of a pause regardless.
"Is that not enough to arouse your displeasure then?" Velka said somewhat disdainfully. "What If said that if I had too, I would cut the prophet down just as easily I had done the rest? That I would see him killed again and again until he hollowed, if it was for the greater good. Are you still so ready to say that you do not despise me to my very core, Keeper?"
Hearing this, Anastacia paused for but a few moments as she allowed herself to come to a firm and final conclusion.
"...It would be hard for me to despise someone who can't be honest with themselves, I think."
"Eh?" was all Velka could say as her head whips to face the Keeper, who's blue eyes seemed to gaze directly back at her own yellow one's.
"It may sound a bit foolish of me, but I feel…that that is not who you are." Anastacia said simply with an innocent look on her face.
"But...I just told you-"
"No. I do not believe you are as cold and unfeeling as you proclaim. You are simply...hurting right now." Anastacia interrupted softly. "So please, do not try to push me away by saying such things. If you need a shoulder to cry on, then I will be more than ready to be here for you."
It was just how she felt, plain and simple. To help the goddess wipe away any misgivings she might have, Anna gave her the simple and honest truth that she felt.
Once she had said those words, Anastacia was surprised to see that the goddess opted to stare at her with wide and searching eye's. Anna didn't know Velka's gaze could be this strong. It felt like she was looking clear through her. Until finally she closes her eyes with a small smile across her lips and released a soft laugh.
"Heh...You just…sounded almost as stubborn and foolish as the Prophet would be. You both just decide things like that without any proper reasoning behind it. It's the height of lunacy." Velka said scoffed softly as she shook her head. "I suppose asking you how you just make up your mind like that would be...a stupid question, wouldn't it?"
"U-Um...well, we're friends, are we not? I was merely trying to say that If something is troubling you, I'll be here to help and..um.." was all Anna could manage to say. With a bit of her momentum thrown off by this statement, she seemed to return to her shy and somewhat timid natural self.
Before she could say anything further than that, Velka began to chuckle slightly. Anna's cheeks warmed as she saw an accepting, friendly smile bloom on the goddesses' face.
"Ha, ha, ha...you humans are just...so unsound of mind. Heh, heh, is there even a shred of common sense within you?" Velka laughed aloud as the reality of a woman as timid as Anastacia could so stubbornly try to comfort a person such as herself even after all she'd said. Once she settled down enough, the goddess looked Anastacia straight into her eyes for a moment, before giving a refreshed and pleased smile. She spoke her next words in a tone that was filled with all her gratitude. "Thank you...Anastacia. My mind was clouded for some time...but your words have help me regain myself."
"It was nothing." Anastacia said with a smile of her own. "And if you ever need to talk again, feel free to come back whenever you need to."
Hearing this, Velka gave one last glance to Anna's blue eye's before walking past her and towards the door that lead back outside.
"I may just take you up on that." Velka said with a now composed look across her face. " Come. Let us get you back to your bonfire. I am certain my disappearance has been noted within the city by now, so I should return soon."
Anastacia pause momentarily before following behind the goddess, a single question lingering in her mind.
"Um, Velka?" Anna said, gaining the goddess attention. "About the Prophet. He will return soon...right?"
It didn't take a genius to realize that something noteworthy had happened to him within the city of the gods. All one would have to do to realize it is to look at the moon that now hung silently in the sky above, not to mention the state Velka was in was she came to her. Now Anastacia wouldn't believe in a thousand lifetimes that the Prophet would die and break his promise to her…but she did wish for a somewhat small confirmation to know that he was well.
Velka paused at the doorway only momentarily, before turning herself half around to the Keeper and smiling with a raised eyebrow.
"Of course, Anastacia." Velka said, the thought of telling the Keeper what truly happened between the Prophet and the Wraiths being the furthest thing from her mind. "He is…busy with a few things right now. But don't think for a second that he has not planned to return."
"Oh." Anna said releasing a breath she didn't know she was holding and smiling to herself. "That's good. Well, would you mind telling him I said to be careful and to not push himself to hard. He can be quite stubborn at times."
"Trust me, I am aware." Was all Velka said before turning back to the doorway and opening it. "Now, come on. Its time we got you back."
Heading outside with Anastacia now at her back, Velka found it quite easy to make her way back towards the shrine since she had cleared the way of the undead. In fact, It was even more so of a relaxing little walk now that she had once again gotten ahold of her emotions and vented her frustration.
With both of the beautiful woman, one of golden blonde hair and the other of the darkest night, approaching the Crestfallen Knight and the Merchant, they both briefly had the same thought of "These two are quite that sight" cross their mind, before they both brushed the comment off with minor effort. It was clear to both that one was almost obsessed with being with that boy and the honest to goodness Goddess of Sin.
Needless to say, they knew when a woman was too much for them.
"Everything work out all right?" the Merchant asked curiously. "What did you two talk about?"
"Careful to mine thine own business, Merchant." Velka said with a small smile. "If I wanted you to know, do you think I would have chosen to leave this place?"
"U-Uh, right. My apologize, miss." The Merchant said, quickly righting himself.
Turning back to the keeper at her side, Velka spoke in her usual calm and friendly demeanor.
"Well, I'm afraid I must be off now. I will be sure relay your message to the Prophet. And thank you once again for your help. " Velka said as she bowed slightly before the Keeper, earning looks of confusion from the Merchant and the Crestfallen Knight.
"Of course. Come back anytime, if you so please." Anastacia said before giving a bow of her own.
As they both raised their heads to one another, both of them allowed their gaze to linger in the eyes of the other, with a deep blue meeting an inhuman yellow.
It was Velka who chose first to break this moment by speaking one last piece from her mind.
"I will not forget how you have helped me this day." The goddess said gratefully, greatly confusing the merchant and the Crestfallen Knight by what she meant. "And as fanciful as I know it may sound, I want you to know that you don't need to swing a blade or know pyromancy to be strong. And if you ask me, you are plenty strong without either of them."
These words earned Velka a shy smile from Anastacia, who didn't know what she should say in response to them. Seeing that she had nothing more to say to her, Velka turned on her heel and began moving towards the edge of the Shrine cliff.
That is until she suddenly stopped in her tracks, as if she had suddenly remembered to say something important.
"Oh, I almost forgot. You two." Velka said before she turned back towards the Merchant and the Knight with an innocent smile. "As of this moment you are both officially charged with the full protection of this Firekeeper. Make sure she stays well safe from any threat or any individual who wishes to take advantage of her. Oh, and if anything does manage to bring harm to my dear friend here, I'll personally see to it that both are hunted down and that both your heads are mounted above my fireplace."
"WHAT?!" the Merchant exclaimed suddenly as he heard the goddess say this with a somewhat affirming smile. Even the Crestfallen Knight suddenly found himself going wide eyed with shock at this surprising declaration. "Y-Y-You cannot be serious!"
"Heh, heh, deadly serious, I'm afraid." Velka said placing a hand over her mouth and giving a feminine chuckle. "Well, I'm off now. Stay well."
With that said, the goddess took a step off the ledge and extended wings, quickly catching the air and flying away with the Merchant pleading voice saying, "Wait a minute…" trailing behind her.
Anor Londo
She had flown back into the city at a relatively casual speed and, contradictory to her words about them needing her in the city for other matters, made her way to the building she knew the Prophet would be in. She did not slow or falter for the entirety of the trip, until she reached the outside of his room door. Only there did she pause and wait. If anyone were watching her at that moment, they would have assuredly wondered why a beautiful woman such as herself with large black wings and piercing yellow eyes was silently standing in front of a closed door.
Only after taking a few slow breaths did she slowly open the door before her and spot the man who she searched for.
Silently making her way through the doorway and closing the door behind her, her gazed lingered on his sleeping form. Slowly she moved forward until she stood at his side and watched as his chest rose and fell with each breath.
She let the silence of her pretense settle before speaking in a low, soft tone.
"Hello, Prophet." She said, at last finally able to pull a few words from her mouth. "…I see that you have still chosen to remain in your slumber."
These words of course gained no response from the unmoving man, but still she persisted.
"I spoke to Anastacia. She wanted me to tell you to be careful and for you not to push yourself too hard…She worries for you greatly. Velka said, passing along the keeper message as she promised. Pausing momentarily and releasing a calm breath, before crossing her arms over her chest. "Do not think for a moment that I'm going to let you off easy for causing both of us so much concern. From Anastacia's account and my own experience, it seems you refuse to show the women in your life any sort of appreciation for our care and affection. That is completely unacceptable for a champion of mine. So I suggest you prepare yourself for the punishment your going to recieve from me. And I will hear no back talk either. Your going to be a man and take it."
Crossing her arms as if reprimanding a small child, Velka spoke as if the Prophet was capable of hearing every word. Taking on her full role as his master in earnest.
After a moment more of silence, her gaze shifted to the side for an instant before they came back to his sleeping face and she spoke gently her next words.
"So…hurry and come back, alright? Don't make either me or her worry any more than we already have." She said softly as her gaze lingered on him and she step a bit closer to his person, gently moving a hand across his face. It was then that her eye's fell to his attire, or rather the tattered pieces of rags that made up his attire. "I suppose you should be given something worthier of your position, should you not? When you come too, it would be unacceptable to present you to lord Gwyndolin in such sad attire."
Letting those words linger in her mind, Velka broke her gaze from the Prophet and began to head for the door. It was a meager distraction, but the task would do well to keep her busy with something that would benefit both him and Anor Londo.
Giving one last, glance backwards to his sleeping form, the goddess let one last thought go through her mind before she exited the room.
"I'll be waiting for you…my love."
With that, she turned back to the door and left him too his slumber.
ALRIGHT GUYS, ITS DONE!
PLEASE review and let me know what you guys thought about this chapter as I really want to know how you guys feel about Velka and Anastacia growing a bit closer toghether dispite them both having emotional attatchments and feelings for the Prophet.
Gonna keep the ending comment on the short side as well and just say that I'll keep working on this story but the update times are gonna be a bit wild. So keep a lookout.
P.S. There is gonna be a lot of fun interactions for the next chapter guys. Get ready for Prophet and Gwyndolin meeting.