Dark Souls: Derp Edition

by Supreme Gamer

Somehow stuck in dark souls, Kaylen, Oscar and loads more characters go on an incredible journey to change the destiny of the chosen undead. Lost Izalith will become found Izalith, mushroom men will attack and Priscilla's tail will be fondled. Warning: Be prepared to joy puke your face off.

48. Chapter 43-Thicc Thighs Save Lives

FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THATS HOLY, ITS DONE!

My brain is mush and I can finally stop pushing it to think so much. I hit a huuge case of writers block this time around guys. I literally had to stop myself and say "Okay, look, you're never gonna finish this thing if you keep starting over. Just finish it, then worry about fixing it up after." And so finally Its goddamn done.

Usually I like to respond to a few of you guys reviews, but dammit I kinda just wanna get this chapter out and outta my face at last, so I'm gonna just skip over it this time around.

Hope you guys enjoy the new chapter, I'm gonna go let my brain vent because I'm pretty sure I overheated it.

Warning: Any who read this chapter has a 50-50 chance of being attacked by tiny piglets. Killing of these piglets will result in the summoning of Undead Boars. Killing of the Undead Boars will result in the summoning of Giant Undead Boars. Killing of the Giant Undead Boars will result in the summoning of the Azure Dragon of Eternal Damnation. You have been warned.

---

In the past few days of her life, the cleric Reah had experienced a great number of events that could have left her broken.

The death of one of her childhood friends due to her own stubbornness, being abandoned and left to die by the other and coming to the acceptance that there was never hope for her to return to her old life.

They were all events brought about due to her own choices and more than enough reason to just curl up and surrender herself to her fate. Drown in her own self-pity and the feeling of her own weakness. But she had chosen a different path. She picked herself up and chose to face he future before her.

The Prophet, though she suspected he saw it only as mild advice, had contributed greatly in inspiring her on what her next step should be. True, the method of hunting down rats for their humanity was not the most efficient, but Reah was a woman whose eyes was always turned to the future and a part of her suspected the Prophet was aware of that fact.

Rats were only the beginning. Vince and herself had killed a great number of the vermin within Undead Burg, gaining much due fighting experience, before eventually turning their eyes towards the many hollows that inhabited the dead township. Of course, since Vince was the only one fighting at the forefront, they only took on a few at a time. But the ambition to do more was there.

It may seem like a far-flung fantasy now, but she was set on her goal. She wanted to do all she could to make their covenant grow and bring hope to those that had none.

But she would have to be a blind fool to not notice that something bigger was happening beyond the scenes. Of course, this was regarding the Prophet and his apparent position as a champion of the Goddess of Sin. What was he trying to do? Why would someone in a position like his come to the aid of a few warriors of the church? Curiosity and intrigued plagued her thoughts.

As she walked behind a certain knight, she took a moment to wonder just how much he knew about things. Judging by how rigid and tense he seemed to currently be, he definitely had something on his mind.

A bit of prying for a few answers surely wouldn't cause to much trouble.

"So…you're a close friend of the Prophet, right Oscar?" Reah asked out of the blue.

Hearing her voice, Oscar was summarily snapped out of his focused state.

"Yes. We have a fair bit of history." The knight said short and dismissively.

"So~ you would have ample knowledge about him then, right?"

"If you have something you want to ask, then just ask." Oscar said gruffly, currently not having the patience to beat around the bush about any topic.

Not expecting him to tell her to just speak her mind, Reah coughed slightly into her hand as she took a moment to form the words she wanted to say. Trying to be careful not to step on any toes.

"Ahem. Well, not but a few hours prior, the goddess of Sin, Velka, came and demanded his presence so that she may take him away. She also named him as her chosen champion. As hard as that may be to believe, I swear on my honor that I am not misleading-"

"I'm aware of his relationship with that god." Oscar interrupted, his annoyance towards said goddess reignited anew. "What about it?"

"Well, after he had rescued Vince and myself, the Prophet spoke of….ending the Undead Curse." Reah said, her intended question becoming obvious to Oscar. "If it were anyone else, I would have thought them a mad. But he seems to be a great deal more involved with things than I would have ever thought possible. So I find myself wondering just who exactly is he? And more importantly, what are his intentions regarding the curse?"

At her questioning, Oscar didn't so much as glance back at Reah as he replied in a tone.

"You would do well to not involve yourself any further than what you already have." He replied simply. "If your smart, you'll put the Prophet and any intention you think he may have out of your mind. Forget you met him completely."

"Forget the person who risked his own life in saving not just mine, but Vince's life as well? I'm sorry, but I refuse. It would be a mark upon mine honor and dignity." Reah replied, unwilling to comply with the knights wishes. "I already know that he is more than what he seems, and I only seek to understand a bit further. If his plight is to end the undead curse, then perhaps I could-."

"No." Oscar interrupted coldly, not willing to allow her to even finish the foolish offer that would have escaped her lips. "Listen…you seem like you have a good head on your shoulders. You want to do what you can to help save lives even at risk of your own. A rare breed to find nowadays. But the matter of the Undead Curse and the Prophet is not something someone like you needs to be involved in. You want to help? Build your covenant and continue working to heal those that you can. But leave the business of the curse to our hands."

From the way he spoke his words, Reah got the message clearly that this was as far as Oscar was willing to speak on the subject. Any further questioning would only serve to be an annoyance to him.

Unfortunately, though, she was far too stubborn for her own good. Oscar's instruction to disregard the bigger picture only kindled her desire to know the truth even more. He did not want her to help before, yet because of her persistence she had saved a life on the verge of ending. So, who's to say that he's not wrong in needing her help once more?

Staying silent and continuing to follow at his side, she'd already begun following the train of thought that if Oscar did not want to tell her anything, then perhaps Solaire would be more open to the idea. The sunny man seemed far more friendly and open than his compatriot here was.

But for now, she held her tongue.

And so, the two made their way forward through Undead Burg until they finally made their way back to the sanctuary of Firelink Shrine.

Approaching the familiar haven, Oscar's eyes sought out the sorcerer and the pyromancer he and Solaire risked their lives to save. It seemed that Laurentius was laying unconscious on the ground near the bonfire. Griggs seemed to retreat and make himself at him in the far back near a corner Oscar would not have even noticed had he not been consciously searching for the sorcerer.

Not feeling exactly conversational and knowing that he had to begin making progress to Blighttown, Oscar elected to simply not approach them and moved further inward towards the bonfire lit area where Anastacia, the Merchant and the Crestfallen Knight were ever present.

The knight didn't spare so much as a single word to any of them before walking past and proceeding down the stairway that lead to the back of Firelink Shrine.

"Yeah, sure, just pretend we're not here. Don't say anything. Not like we want to know more about the whole "Champion of Velka" thing or who this man is or-. Are really going to keep going without saying a word? Honestly?" The Merchant said, trying and failing to get Oscar's attention.

It wasn't but a few moments that Oscar was out of sight, much to the merchant's irritation, Anastasia's silence and the Crestfallen Knights indifference.

The Prophet had told him the path he was to seek was in the back of Firelink Shrine, so he didn't want to waste any further time getting there. Though he was glad to have rescued her, it was clear that Anastasia attachment and concern was, more or less, reserved for the Prophet. As for the Merchant and that solemn knight….well, they were more acquaintances than anything else. If the Prophet did not tell them anything, then he wouldn't make it his place to do so.

Right now, the only thing that mattered was walking the path of his destiny and gaining the strength he needed.

Making his way down a set of crumbled stairs, he wound up standing upon an elevator with the same strange switch as the one in the church far above. Stepping upon the protruding circle in the middle of the lift, he found himself descending downward.

---

New Londo Ruins

The steady rhythm of creaking steel graced the knight's ears as he felt himself traveling lower and lower.

Once the lift finally stopped, he stepped free and found himself within a darkened cavern. Taking in his surrounds, he was quick to notice the numerous docile hollows that sat within the area, each one blankly staring at wall or with their face planted directly against the floor. A pitiful sight of what was no doubt once innocent men and women.

Making his way to the edge of a cliff that led to the darkened waters, he saw that this place appeared to be massive ruin of a drowned township of some sort.

"Gwyn had seen what the Abyss had done to Oolacile, he believed the spread of the abyss had to be stopped at any cost. So he flooded New Londo in an attempt to seal the darkness and the kings, drowning many innocent people in the process."

The Prophet words came to the forefront of Oscar's mind as he gazed out at the submerged structures and crumbling protrusions. This was it, wasn't it? A monument to the gods sins. A place of death and abandonment. This was New Londo.

"And you think they deserve any kind of help now that their the one's with their backs against the wall? You damn idiot." Oscar said, his brow furrowing in frustration as he thought of the Prophet choice to leave with Velka. "You might feel something for that woman, but simply denying justice for all the lives they've taken…. you don't have the right to do that."

Oscar stood at the edge of the cliff and let this thinking settle upon his mind. His discontent almost palpable amongst the silence of the ruins.

It was then that a sound he couldn't quite make sense of reached his ears. It trailed from inside the ruins, breaking the still atmosphere around him completely.

Unless his ears were deceiving him, it was the sound of steel and combat.

Oscar turned his back to the sounds and began to walk away from it. After all, whatever was making it was no doubt less important than preparing himself. That was what the soldier and warrior within him said.

"What the hell, man? Would it kill ya to take five minutes to check and make sure everything's alright? What if someone needs help over there?"

And then there was the bleeding heart of the Prophet that had grown on him. The small part that wondered what if someone was dying or hurt at this very moment and he could do something about it.

Oscar dwelled on both sides of the spectrum for a few moments, before accepting the fact that he wasn't going to just walk away.

"Dammit…" Oscar cursed lowly with a shake of his head, before calmly turning on his heel and walking towards the ruins. If nothing else, he would shut up that little voice of doubt in his head.

Making his way down a small set of stairs and across a strange makeshift bridge in the water, Oscar kept his guard up and his eyes open. The moldy wood beneath his feet was indeed sturdy enough to hold his weight, but the darkness of the waters below brought on a wave of anxiousness that would not leave him until her was across.

Soon enough, he had made his way into the center of what he could only assume were crumbling structures that had not been completely taken by the lake that surrounds them.

Whatever the buildings once were was lost to time. Now there was only dilapidated stairways that lead upward and further inside.

Looking around and hearing nothing, Oscar decided that this would be as far as he would go. Something about this place made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Instinct said that something about this place wasn't right.

"Hello!" he called out to the darkened ruins. Receiving not reply in the slightest.

Pausing only a moment more to let his echo settle, Oscar was set to leave with a clear conscious. He'd tried, didn't he?

It was then that the hairs on the back of his neck suddenly stood on end and his instincts screamed out to him.

"Move!" Oscar mind screamed in a panic. He didn't know where the danger was or even what it was, but there was no mistaking this fear.

Diving forward while seamlessly retrieving his sword and shield from his back, he turned to face the threat that he knew was coming from behind him. Though what he laid eye's on was the last thing he'd expected to come face to face with.

Standing before him, illuminated by the light of the moon that snuck in through the hole in the cavern above, was a cloak figure that hovered just a foot above the ground. Its face was completely hidden beneath its tattered hood. Oscar looked downward and what he saw made his stomach contract. There was a hand protruding from the cloak holding a knife, and it was glistening, grayish, slimy looking and scabbard. Like something dead that had decayed in water. And where there should have been eye's, there was only thin grey scabbard skin stretched blankly over empty sockets. There was a mouth a gaping, shapeless hole sucking the air with the sound of a death rattle.

Wasting little time, Oscar struck out and swung his sword at the ghostly creature, only for the steel of the blade to pass straight through its body.

"What?" Oscar said, as he raised his shield just as the spirits arm extended an unnatural length and stabbed its knife forward.

SHLICK!

The blade of its weapon passed right through the knight's shield and cut into his forearm. Oscar bit back a scream and retreated backward, still holding up his shield defensively. It was not but a few seconds after having retreated that two more identical spirits walk directly through the walls at his sides.

Oscar quickly concluded that this wasn't a winning fight. While he did not have the means to bring harm to something that seemed to already be dead, they seemed more than capable of cutting into him as if he were naked. Fleeing was his only option. But just before he could make a move to run through them and back the way he came…

"?! Is that…? Heh, heh, I don't believe it. You a quite a long way from where I thought I'd find you." a feminine voice said pleasantly just above Oscar at the top of the staircase at his back.

Turning his gaze in the direction of the voice, he saw that there was a woman wearing a crimson robed smiling down at him. Her hair looked as if it was perhaps once blonde and vibrate, now held the appearance of ashen grey. In her hand was what appeared to be a plain and simple looking knife.

Of course, he didn't have time to worry too much about whoever the woman was as the three spirits began closing in on him.

"Try using this." The woman said as she tossed the knife down to Oscar. Its blade clanging loudly along the ground. "You'll find that a cursed blade works wonders when dealing with ghost."

Hearing this, Oscar hesitated for a single breath before releasing his hold on his sword and diving for the knife sitting on the ground. Allowing his momentum to carry him, Oscar smoothly rolled back to his feet, dodged the blade of one of the spirits, before finally stabbing one of them through its throat.

Unlike with his sword, the knifes blade cut through the spirits body as if it were normal flesh, causing it to release a final death groan before fading away into nothingness.

The remaining two spirits didn't so much as flinch at their fallen comrade. Though that fact didn't matter very much as now that he had the means to kill them, Oscar was easily able to handle them both with little trouble.

With the small weapon in hand, he turned and stabbed into the skull of one of the spirits, killing it instantly without much resistance. before deflecting the knife of the last remaining one, rushing closer towards it and stabbing it through its chest cavity several times.

Just like that the danger had passed. The ghost body's faded into the moonlight and only two individuals remained.

CLAP-CLAP-CLAP

"Good job. Nicely done." The woman said pleasantly as she made her way down the crumbled staircase. She then casually approached him without a care for personal space and proceeded to begin appraising his person from top to bottom. "My…I can hardly believe that you're standing before me right now. That helmet, that armor, that shield….It feels so nostalgic to see it all up close."

"Nostalgic?" Oscar questioned as he took a step back from the woman who was far too close for his liking, before it clicked in his mind what she must have meant. "Oh. Yes, I suppose the uniform is quite well known amongst those of Astora."

"Astora? Oh no, no, no, you misunderstand. Its not the place it comes from that makes it nostalgic, but the walking dead man inside it the catches my interest."

"What did you say?" Oscar said with a bit of aggression, before a layer of confusion came to his mind. "Wait, how do you-? Who are you?"

At this question, the woman's demeanor perked up noticeably.

"Oh, right. I'm starting on a very impolite foot, aren't I?" the woman said pleasantly a she gave a small bow and presented herself formally. "My name, taken as show of my loyalty, is Yuria of Demacia. I am a humble servant of our dear lord and am currently embarking upon a quest to return to his side."

"Demacia? Wait, lord?..." Oscar with a slight tilt of his head, the sheer thought of continuing his sentence bringing on a slight headache. Yet, he knew he had to ask. "You can't tell me you're talking about the Prophet. You're a servant to him?"

"Indeed." Rising herself up proudly as if she was just granted a compliment.

Hearing this, Oscar stared at the cheerful woman for a few moments, before his eye's hardened and her spoke in a stern tone.

"…No. The Prophet isn't a lord, much less one who would take a servant."

"Heh, heh, I believe you're taking my words to literally, Oscar." Yuria said with a smile as she waved her hands in front of herself. "He's not a lord in the sense that your thinking of."

"How do you know my name?" Oscar questioned further, becoming more confused by the second.

"Goodness. This is much more problematic conversation than I believed it would be." Yuria said with a small sigh escaping her lips, though her pleasant smile did not wane in the slightest. "Well, I suppose I should first say that I have similar foresight to my lord. Though his understanding of things is far greater than my own, I am aware of all that my lord has accomplished and those close to him. Including you."

"Hmm…" was all Oscar said in response as he returned the woman's knife to her and retrieving his sword from the ground. "So you're like him. You know things…But do you know everything? About what's really going on with the world?"

"If you are referring to the small matter of the gods and their flame, then yes. I am quite aware." Yuria said, showing no real concern about the literal degradation of the world as they know it. "Speaking of which, we should really get a move on. My lord has need of us as soon as possible. If I'm not mistaken, he told you of the tree within the confines of Blighttown?"

"Yes, but-"

"Then there is no time to lose." Yuria said as she gave two quick pats upon Oscars chest, before proceeding to walk ahead of him as if she already knew the way.

For a few moments, Oscar was flabbergasted and bewildered. The woman seemed friendly enough but….what the hell are these circumstances? A woman traveling amidst ruins that held murderous ghost suddenly approaches him, claims to serve the Prophet and all but decides on her own that she's coming along with him.

Not really sure what else he could do, Oscar followed behind her as she led the way forward.

The two then made their back to the open area filled with mindless hollows. Until Yuria guided him toward a barred metal door that hung wide open.

"The story of what happened beyond this door….For my lords first steps to greatness to go completely unacclaimed is nothing short of an injustice." Yuria said to herself lowly, knowing full well of the battle between the dragon and the Prophet.

"Hold on. Where I'm headed isn't a place you can just stroll through without anything to defend yourself with and I will have no time to ensure your safety at every turn." Oscar said as he halted the woman ahead of him. "If you can't take care of yourself, it would be best for you to head to Firelink Shrine and await the Prophets return there."

"Oh, there is no need to worry for my safety. I have everything I need to stay alive right here." Yuria said with an innocent look on her face as she nonchalantly presented her small knife. "I'm perfectly ready to protect myself."

Oscar stared at the woman for quite a few moments to make perfectly sure he was talking to a sane person. He was certain that even the Prophet would show signs of wariness if he had to travel to the depths of Blighttown with only a knife as his weapon, yet she was talking as if she was a prepared as could be.

"Fine. But I meant what I said. I'll have no time to look after you if danger arises. If you find something you can't handle, run."

With those last words spoken, Oscar proceeded past the strange woman and through the opening of the door. Yuria wasted little time in following close behind in the shadow of his footsteps.

Stepping through the gate, two made their way across a makeshift bridge precariously set across a steep cliff, before moving though the opening of a cave like entrance that seemed to have no end to the naked eye.

Oscar's eyes scanned the dark path ahead and occasionally the path behind them for signs of danger, just as any experienced warrior would. Though as the minutes ticked by and the woman behind him remained completely calm throughout the entire walk, he could not help but ask a question that had been gnawing at him.

"So how is it that you know the Prophet exactly?" the knight asked in a solemn tone. "Should I go ahead and assume that he's saved you from something?"

At this, Yuria smiled and cast her gaze downward in a sheepish manner.

"Yes. I suppose that is what happened." She said as she reminisced over exactly what happened between herself and her master. "Ours was a chance encounter, unplanned and unexpected in every sense of the word. I was lost and confused, but he helped me find myself. I was granted understanding and clarity, so for that I have pledged myself to him.

Hearing this, Oscar assumed that Yuria was speaking in a sense that herself and the Prophet were kindred spirits regarding their foresight.

"I see. So it was your own knowledge of the Dark, the First Flame and the curse that draws you to him? Not the Prophet himself?" Oscar asked seeking clarification.

At this questioning, the relaxed smile and pleasant gaze Yuria held suddenly faded from view. Replaced by the look of something dark and murderous. There was no softness in that gaze. It was a look that conveyed a bubbling hatred. Disgust perhaps.

But she was quick to reign herself reign herself in with a simple reminder of just how important the man she was talking to was. Letting her own desires come before her lord's betterment? Not a mistake she'd make in this lifetime. It was also fortunate that Oscar was none the wiser due to her walking behind him now.

She made a mental note to not allow such a reaction to happen again, before responding calmly.

"The Dark? The Flame? I find it quite insulting that you would think such trivial things are worth even a second my consideration." Yuria said simply, speaking honestly of how she felt about the two opposing primordial forces. "Pathetic, weak and temporary are the kindest words I can offer to such entities. When all is said and done, my lord shall put both in their place."

Hearing this, Oscar's froze as he realized something.

"What is that supposed to mean?" the knight asked as he stopped in his tracks and turned to face her with newfound curiosity. It was at that moment that an even more important question came to his mind. "Wait, do you know how he plans to end the Undead Curse?"

At this, Yuria gave a look that said the question he asked was a true bore for her.

"End the Undead Curse? Goodness, like everyone else, you fail to see the bigger picture of things. For my lord, ending the Undead Curse is but a minor benefit to his end goal. A happy bonus." Yuria said as the pleasant smile returned to her face. But of course, speaking of the one she served could only bring about happiness from her. "Heh, no. My Lords sights are set not on the curse, but firmly upon the old entities themselves."

"What are you talking about? What old entities?" Oscar question, not understanding just what she was talking about.

"Is it so hard to understand? The essence of the light, the unending dark. My lord hath decided that if he is going to end things, then he shall do so with finality." Yuria stated. "The gods, this world, the people within it, all of it will be changed and shifted. And of course, he will hold the power to reshape all as he sees fit."

"What the hell are you talking about? The Prophet does not want power, nor does he seek to rule anything."

"No, not for himself. He seeks it for the sake of those he wishes to protect. But either way, power is indeed what he wishes to gain and once he has it, his rule will fall into place." Yuria said quite confidently, fully believing every word she said as irrefutable truth. "But the time for all of that will come soon enough. For now, we need to get you ready to stand on the same stage."

With that, Yuria gave Oscar an encouraging nod of her head and walked further into the depths of the cave. Leaving Oscar, for the second time, in complete and utter bewilderment. Only once he was able to recover from his shock did he move to follow behind her.

His mind was now filled with more questions than ever before. Particularly regarding the Prophet because what she was telling simply didn't match what he knew about him. At least not completely. He needed to question this woman further.

But before he could voice any such concerns, the path ahead opened before them.

"Hm. Very strange. There was supposed to be a few infested barbarians guarding the path here. But no matter. We have arrived." Yuria announced as she swept her gaze over the mass expanse of poisonous ruin before them. The Prophets memories feeding her information on every square inch that lay about it.

"Hey, we're not done talk-WHOA!"

Oscar's words were caught in his throat as the woman before him casually leapt from the ledge in front of her.

Moving forward and gazing over the edge, he saw that he was standing upon some sort of massive wooden construct, complete with bridges and some sort of enormous rotating wheel in the center of it all. Though currently, such things took a backseat to the veteran knight as he couldn't tear his eyes from feminine visage below.

The top of the structure where he currently stood was more than a few stories in the air. The sheer height of the towering ramparts of wood and rope was more than enough to tell him that should he fall, he would be killed or worse, left with a multitude of broken bones.

And yet Yuria was currently standing at the bottom looking none the worse for wear. In fact, she seemed so untroubled that she made her way to the nearest wooden pole and casually leaned against it as she gazed back up to him.

"Don't mind me! I'll just watch from here!" Yuria called up innocently with a wave of her hand.

"How did she…?" was all Oscar could say to himself as he stared at the woman standing so nonchalantly in place. Chalk up a few more questions alongside the long list that he already had.

Brushing off his confusion at least for the moment, Oscar turned and moved further inward through the wooden structure until he came upon a hole in the floor that held a ladder that led downward.

Not wasting a second, the knight placed his weapon and shield on his back and climbed down the crudely put together ladder. The minute his feet touched ground, a heavy clicking sound fell upon his ears.

Quickly retrieving his sword and shield, Oscar fearlessly rounded the corner of his small confined area. He knew that in an unknown area such as this, remaining in place for too long was a mistake only a novice would make. Whatever was here was already aware of his presence, no point in remaining stagnant.

It was fortunate that he had readied himself, for not even three feet beyond the ladder was he greeted with his first taste of the horrors of Blighttown.

It was difficult to describe the abomination that skittered towards him. He could only say that it appeared to be a disgusting amalgamation of a human body that had been melted and warped into that of a spider and a fly's. Its flesh was grotesquely black, and a pair of thin wings on its back. The final thing of notice was the glowing light of fire that emanated from the pores of its body.

"What the f-"

"SCREEECH!"

FWOOOSH

Light and screaming radiated from up above. It seemed that a life or death struggle was taking place and growing more intense by the moment. But Yuria just stood in place humming to herself idly. She was not concerned for Oscar's health. Her lord believed him capable enough to handle this place, so she had complete faith that he could do so. But if he did come up short, then that just meant he was unworthy to fight at her lords side.

But personally, she was rooting for him. For she knew just how great his potential was, if he could realize it. He may not have been a Prophet, but Oscar's tale was not one to be missed. Though she would be lying if she said that leaving him to fight his way down alone was not a form of payback for what he said to her before.

It was only a few minutes after the sounds of fighting had died down that Oscar made his way down a few more ladders and made his way before her. His armor and helmet held traces of gore and blood, with his sword and rising chest showing that he had exerted a great deal of effort.

"Enjoying yourself?" Yuria said smugly with a tilt of her head.

"You knew those things were there beforehand. Did you think it unimportant to warn me about them?" Oscar said angrily, his glare coming through loud and clear even with his helmet on.

""If you can't take care of yourself, its best to wait in Firelink Shrine." Your words, not mine." Yuria said softly with a smirk on her face. "Come now, no need to get so upset over a few bugs, right?"

Her words were warm, and her eyes were playful. Paying absolutely no heed to the irritation he displayed. "Sorry you could have died, but is it really that big of deal?" If she was looking to piss him off, she was walking the right track.

Without speaking a single word, Oscar gave one last scrutinizing glare before walking past the woman and sweeping his gaze across the desolate cesspool of the land around him.

All in all, the sight was nothing more than a large expanse of polluted yellow water and scattered boulders. Just as the Prophet had told him, standing a great distance away at his left was a tree of impossible height that towered over the tainted lake. The sight of such a thing was enough to make him question just how it grow so large in such a sickening environment.

Turning to his left though, Oscar was met with the sight of what he could only describe as some sort of massive dome of webbing and protruding spikes.

"That's Quelaag's Domain. A very dangerous place." Yuria said at Oscar's side, seeing that his eye's were lingering upon the hive. "It would be best to stay focus on the task of heading toward the Great Hollow..

"Quelaag….the chaos witch." Oscar said as he recalled just what that nae meant to him. "The Prophet spoke of her before. She kills others for the sake of her kin. He said that wants her to not be harmed."

"Hmph. My lords mercy is wasted upon the likes of that them. Quelaag is nothing more than a useless beast. I would say that the only thing worth speaking of about her is her-"

Suddenly, Yuria's stopped short as something suddenly clicked within her mind. Something that she knew would likely displease her master. She lived to serve now and only to serve. She made it her duty to ensure her lord faced as little resistance with his plans as possible and that he attained the power he sought as quickly as possible.

Quelaag's Chaos Pyromancy, weapon and her soul no doubt would serve as great additions to her lord strength. She would be more than happy to take them all without question, but her master wished for the witch to remain unharmed. She would never dream of acting on her own and going against his wishes, but….it could not be helped if her hand was forced, right?

"*Ahem* The only thing worth speaking about her is her willingness to suffer for her sibling's well being. It truly is such a terrible fate dealt to them both. I dare say, her actions may have been commendable if her killings didn't bring anything more than a brief respite for her sister." Yuria said, her words noticeably catching Oscar's attention. "My lord wishes to help them, but unfortunately things have changed far beyond his intended visions. He will not be able to reach them anytime soon. As such, I'm afraid that the weaker of the sisters may perish before his arrival. Tis a terrible pity."

Turning towards the direction of the great tree in the distance, Yuria turned her back to Oscar and began to walk towards it.

"Wait." Oscar said, stopping Yuria in her track as the briefest hints of a smirk crossing her face. "They will die without aid? The Prophet did not speak of this."

Wasting not a single moment, Yuria turned back to face Oscar, removing her smirk and replacing it with an almost apologetic look in her eye's.

"The youngest of the siblings, Quelaan, was a kind woman who cared deeply for her people. After the event of the Witch of Izalith warping her lord soul and creating hordes of demons took place, her mother and many of her sisters were caught in the fallout and transformed into quite the nefarious creatures. But unlike many others, they retained their minds." Yuria explained as simply, freely allowing the Prophets knowledge to guide her words. "Afterword, the two fled their demonic kin, climbed upward to the base of Blighttown and fashioned themselves the home you see before you. It was then that they sheltered many human survivors that were afflicted with a plague known as Blight Pus. Overwhelmed by empathy for their suffering, she did the only thing she could to help. She took in and consumed their blight pus. For the most part, this cured the undead, but left Quelaan in her current state – Blind, weak and perpetually near death. Originally, she was doomed to a slow, painful end until my lord deigned to provide a means for a cure."

"The Rite of Kindling." Oscar said knowing exactly the conclusion she was leading him too.

"Exactly. The Rite allows for the empowerment of bonfires as well as their Firekeepers. Granting them longevity and health, far more than she would gain from using humanity directly upon the body. All that is required is for someone who's acquired the rites power to offer them assistance."

"And the only one here who can do it is me." Oscar said lowly as a grim understanding entered his mind. "And she will die otherwise?"

"Without help, she is indeed not long for this world." Yuria said solemnly. Though on the inside she was somewhat enjoying the fact that she technically wasn't lying.

Hearing this, Oscar cold not hide the confliction within his eyes. Turning his attention back towards the hive in the distance, he thought long and hard about what his next move would be. Call him a fool, call him headstrong, but he was not so heartless to just turn away from this without a word.

A woman who had sacrificed herself to ease the pain of others was going to die. But he did not know her, it wouldn't affect him in the slightest whether she lived or died, and he already had a mission that he needed to complete as soon as possible…. but was walking away an option? Even with everything that was already weighing upon his shoulders was leaving the woman to her fate something he was willing to do.

"Hesitating will get you nowhere."

It was then that Yuria's words reached his ears once more. Her voice remained as warm as early spring, but it was her eye's that caught his gaze. They were sharp and piercing, as if she already knew his decision and was just waiting for the moment where he would make it.

"We stand upon the precipice of war and change. It is only natural that some will not live to see that change. Their lives and their suffering are of their own making, and you owe them nothing. You already know what you want to do here, so do not waste time in doubt. Just get going already."

With that, the two held their gazes upon one another for but a few moments, before Oscar turned back towards the face of the large hive. His eye's lingered upon it as he made up his mind and resolved on his decision.

And so it was that he walked forward, sword and shield in hand, toward Quelaag's domain. Behind him, a knowing smirk crossed Yuria's face as she followed behind. Oscar had chosen and she would follow faithfully.

The yellowed waters greeted their feet warmly, more so to Yuria since she was walking into it bare foot. It did not slow them down much, but the resistance to their movements was there. The path forward was relatively clear aside from the occasional stone protrusion sticking out of the water. The only thing they had to worry about was the great distance they needed to travel to reach the hive itself.

Though Oscar's body clearly swayed as he made efforts to keep his balance amidst terrain, Yuria didn't seem to have any issues in the slightest. Through the entirety of their walk she never once took her eyes off him. Not even when he turned his gaze to lock eye's with her did she cease her staring.

After what felt like twenty minutes of walking without encountering anything and being stared at, Oscar finally spoke up about it.

"Why are you so focused on me?" the knight asked plainly.

"I'm simply marveling at the specimen you are. You fate and motives have changed to a fascinating degree from your original incarnation." Yuria said as she continued to examine him curiously. "If I may ask, why are you choosing to go to Quelaag's aid? Mind you, I do not begrudge your decision, I am simply curious of the reason."

"Because…If the Prophet were here, he'd choose the same."

"Ooooh, so that's it. You aspire to live up to my lords' image." Yuria said softly, obviously pleased with the answer she came too. "An truly admirable goal. But the two of you are as different as a lion to a wolf."

Hearing this, Oscar sternly turned his eye's forward, not wanting to acknowledge what she'd said as truth.

"Are we going to keep pretending that were some sort of longtime friends? Or are you going to start telling me the things I really want to know?" Oscar asked firmly.

"Well, I can't give an answer when you haven't asked a question, now can I?" Yuria said playfully.

"Fine. Explain to me what you are, why do you seek to serve the Prophet and what did you mean when you said he was a "Lord"?" Oscar asked outright. "You did not make that jump before with sorcery when you have no catalyst, so I know your hiding something. Are you one of the gods?"

"Heh, heh, me? A god? That's couldn't be further from the truth. I am simply...better than most people. Stronger, faster. A useful tool for my masters will." Yuria said while taking on a proud and dignified look about herself. "There not much more to say beyond that."

"You don't want to speak of yourself in detail? Fine. Then just skip to telling me about this "Lord" business." Oscar said, not wanting to waste any more time on her if she wasn't going to speak plainly about herself. "And leave out the grandeur and metaphors."

At hearing this, Yuria felt nothing but an impish glee at the idea of speaking about her lord. Oscar had no idea, none of them did. So of course, it fell to her to inform and spread knowledge of her lord to the masses. It was delightful for her to think that Oscar would be the first to hear of her lord's destiny.

"I knew of the three my Lord chose as his generals that you were my favorite for a reason." She said seemingly without any care that she had just insulted him.

"General?" Oscar questioned with a raised eyebrow before dismissing the thought. "You know what, whatever. Just tell me what you know."

"Well, if you seek to understand anything, you must discard the idea that my lord is only as strong as his knowledge. True, it is a powerful asset to him but not where his true worth lies."

"Alright then where does his true power lie." Oscar asked.

"That's the beauty of it. I understand him better than anyone, inside and out, and I can't seem to find the source of it. His body may be bound by the curse, but his soul so…different. Vibrant. A well of power that is ever changing and ever growing." Yuria said happily, her glee and astonishment showing fully upon her face. "Heh, heh, I find it laughable that everyone only see's what's on the surface. None of you see him for what he truly is."

It was at this point that Oscar felt the hints of obsession that Yuria felt for the Prophet. It was almost like she was dwelling on her own thoughts rather than talking to him. But he did not want her to stop. He needed her to continue down whatever rabbit hole she was traveling down.

"What is he truly? What is his goals regarding the First Flame and the Dark?"

"I will never understand why everyone is so focused on those pathetic things. You all think them to be so immutable, when they are nothing but tools waiting to be used. As long as one holds the strength of will to take them." Yuria said, inching closer and closer to the truth that Oscar wanted to hear. "The gods were too drunk on their own temporary rule to see the truth, and the Pygmy Lords are nothing but cowards content to sit on the false thrones. It makes my blood boil to think that they hold even a scrap of the power that rightfully belongs to my lord."

"Wait, wait, hold on, there are Pygmy Lords now?" Oscar said, stopping in his tracks to face her completely. "The prophet never spoke of such things."

"Ugh, forgive me, I've gone and spoken of things that are nothing more than irksome. They will be dealt with in time." Yuria apologized sincerely, trying to dismiss a subject that Oscar was clearly invested in knowing more about. "It's far more interesting to speak of my lords actions and the steps he's taken to prepare to confront such pretenders. Of course, always being a few steps ahead of the rest of us, he's already taken one of the most important steps in allying with his greatest threat."

"His greatest threat? You mean Velka?" Oscar questioned.

"Her? No, she strong but only temporarily stronger than my lord. In every way that matters, the most dangerous threat to my lord is you, Oscar." Yuria said simply, causing the knight to visibly tense up in surprise. Of all the things he'd expected to be told, this piece of information came as very unexpected addition.

"That doesn't make any sense. How am I-?"

"Is it really such a surprise? You were already told that you were an entirely different existence, not unlike my lord. The big difference is that where he is a new addition to the world, you are more like the world's response to this new addition. To be apply put, you're my lords antithesis. Personally, I find it genius that my lord would befriend the man destined to oppose him. There came be no better ally than the one who is fated to match him every step along the way. Even if, for the moment, you have yet to realize your potential."

"Did…Did he know about this from the very beginning?"

"Of course he did. My lord simply didn't care." Yuria replied gently, feeling a great warmth in her chest at the thought of the Prophet benevolence. "In fact, even knowing what he knows, he takes great pride in calling you his friend."

Hearing this, Oscar placed a hand to his helmet and took a multitude of deep, calming breaths. None of which helped ease the swirl of emotions inside him in the slightest.

"Okay, just for clarity's sake, let me get this straight. The world is dying around us, the god have abandoned humanity, there are things called Pygmy Lords in the picture now, the only person who knows how to fix things has left to who knows fucking where and now you're telling me I am destined to go against him…." Oscar said, still huffing and puffing as he felt himself reaching a breaking point. "Is there ANYTHING ELSE I need to know?!"

The outburst was spontaneous and carried a great deal of the knight's frustration within it, but Yuria did not seem fazed by it for the most part. But it was apparently enough to cause trouble for them both. For just out of the corner of Yuria's eye, she saw faint, yet very visible ripples in the water around them. She understood almost immediately what was happening.

She readied herself slightly, but remained calm for the most part.

"There are a great many answers to that Question, but I think the most important thing to say right now is that you should learn to keep your voice down. You've just drawn a great deal of them straight to us."

"What?"

SPLASH

Just as suddenly as the question was asked, the water around the two exploded upward as the sickening form of four leeches the size of large dogs leapt towards them.

Reacting purely in a reflexive manner, Oscar's brow furrowed as he raised his shield and braced himself. At his side, Yuria simply tightened her hold upon the small knife she held and tensed her muscles in preparation for the conflict to come.

Two of the impossible sized leeches fell hard against Oscar's shield, bearing their full weight against the metal but doing nothing to break his posture. The moment he was sure his footing was set, Oscar pushed back against the monstrosity and hacked into one of their flesh without hesitation. A welcome outlet to the frustration he'd built up.

Yuria on the other hand handled her encounter with far more swift efficiency.

As the two leeches leapt at her from opposite sides, she stabbed her knife directly into the moist body of one, before using its momentum to turn and throw it into the incoming form of the other. Not giving them a moment to regain themselves, she rushed forward and stabbed the blade back into its body, before wrenching the blade along its body and cutting it wide open causing the leech to screech in pain as it twisted and squirmed within the water.

However, as she moved to kill the second, she saw ripples along the water that were in far greater number than before begin to make their way towards them.

"They are swarming around us! Flee to Quelaag's Domain!" Yuria commanded as she began to run. Glancing toward the water for a split second and noticing exactly what Yuria saw, Oscar did as he was told a sprinted after her.

It was then that Blighttown noticeably began to wake from its slumber. That was the most apt description Oscar could give to the heavy buzzing sound reached his ears from above him. Glancing backward for only a few moments he saw that mosquitoes big enough to latch onto a person and drain them dry were descending upon them from the ceiling above. Alongside the trailing ripples in the water around them increasing by the second, Oscar could not suppress a curse under his breath as he picked up his pace.

Distance was all that mattered. Yuria seemed to glide across the muck while barely losing her breath, leaving Oscar only just capable of keeping up with her. As they closed the distance to their destination, the knight was met with an even more eye widening sight.

Seemingly standing guard at the entrance of the hive were the towering abomination. Each on wielding bodies three times as broad as even an Olympic wrestler would be, with thick flabs of fat that bulged beneath sickly grayed skin. They were each hunched at the shoulders and peered toward the incoming intruders with dull grey eyes. One of the creatures sniffed the air and began to drool. Huge dribbles of thick saliva rolled across its rubbery lips, down the tip of its chin and onto the webbed floor at its feet.

Moving in an almost zombie like fashion, the ogre like creatures each reached their hands into the yellowed water and ripped a boulder from the earth beneath them.

The final icing on the cake was the fact that Oscar's vision suddenly was beginning to swim as he stumbled forward a bit.

As if she was watching out for him the entire time, Yuria reached out and wrapped her arm around his to catch his stumbling form. Forcing him to keep up with her sprint.

Strangely enough, even though she was narrowly on the verge of dragging him through the mud, Yuria didn't seem to slow by much. Though on the inside she was a bit mortified about her minor slip up. Amidst her having her fun with things, it had slipped her mind to tell him that the waters of Blighttown were a tad bit poisonous. Although her body might not have felt a thing, letting Oscar linger within it was a mistake she couldn't believe she'd made.

But there was no time to dwell on it now. There was a far more immediate problem sitting in front of them.

"We're going to have to split off! No matter what happens keep moving forward!" Yuria ordered just as all three of the behemoths launched each of their boulders towards them.

The minute their massive slabs of rock left their fingertips, Oscar and Yuria were already moving. Letting go of his arm, Yuria dove to the left while Oscar dove to the right. The boulders easily flew past their previous position, crushing a few of the leeches as it rolled over them.

The two didn't pause for a second as they rolled through the murky water and sprinted forward once again.

Quickly closing the distance between the hive and themselves, the two took varying approaches.

Yuria picked up her speed that further and charged towards the nearest of the ogre like creatures. Once she was within range, it swung it massive fist at her body. Only for her to dodge beneath the wide swipe with a predatory glint in her eye. As the beast left itself wide open with its sluggish swing, Yuria pounced forward onto it, latching onto the tattered dirtied cloth it wore as clothing and raised her knife high above her head.

People underestimate just how much a few stabs to the nose canal and the eye's will suddenly make a large beast feel so small. That was all Yuria could think as droplets of warm blood splashed her and the creature she held roared in agony.

Then, unable to hold herself back for a single second more, she dug her fingertips directly into its grayed flesh as a faint dark crept along her arm. The beast screamed and struggled against the parasite that had latched to its chest, but its strength was leaving it far too quickly for that to make any sort of difference. Soon enough, it could only groan weakly before falling backward along the floor.

With that, the remaining two bloated beast-like men turned their attention towards the small woman. Each one roaring in lamentation of their fallen comrade.

Not forgetting his instructions, Oscar did not falter in running towards the now unguarded entrance to the hive. Though he could not help but stare and go wide eyed at the spectacle of Yuria managing to kill one of the monstrosities with nothing more than a small knife.

The last thing Oscar saw before the scene was out of sight was a great number of leeches squirming free of the water, mosquitoes flying towards her and the last of the two ogres closing in. Yet even still, not for a single moment could Oscar say that fear had crossed her face.

Once through the great hole in the hive that served as the only entrance, Oscar continued to run forward. He ran further and further inside with his shield raised and his senses sharp for any sudden dangers. Onward and onward he moved, until the sounds of battle to far behind him to hear.

Eventually he chose to slow down to a walking pace, catch his breath for a moment and allow his vision to recover. His surroundings in the tunnel were nothing but solid web as far as he could see. He wanted to say that it was hard to leave Yuria behind like that, but she seemed set on staying behind and allowing him to go ahead. There wasn't exactly time for him to argue.

Whatever the case, there was no point in looking back now.

The knight had plenty of time to regain himself as he moved forward. After a few minutes of walking, he came upon the forms of what he could only describe as three prone humans with a large clump of disgusting mass attached to their backs, each one turned and praying towards a massive fog wall.

Tensing up at the sight of them, Oscar raised his sword and shield to prepare for the worst. But he was quick to discover that though his presence was obvious, none of the people paid him any heed. They simply held their positions of reverence without moving a muscle.

Easing his way up to them and toward the fog wall, he was able to fully confirm that they did had no intention of coming after him. But that did not erase the unease he felt at the sight of them.

"Is this the blight they were talking about? Dear god, their barely people anymore. And what are those things sticking out of their backs?" Oscar thought to himself as he stared down upon the small group of silent prayers, their protrusions pulsating before his very eye's. He then turned his attention towards the fog wall. "This will no doubt this will lead to the witch."

Taking a deep breath to prep himself, Oscar stepped through the thick fog before him.

Once inside, the tunnel opened to a wide and spacious chamber that looked big enough to house a family of giants.

"Hello!" Oscar said aloud as he made his way further inside. Now reason to beat around the bush here. He was in the thick of it and felt it was best to not waste time in getting the attention of the one he sought. "Quelaag! I've come too-"

STEP-STEP-STEP-STEP

"Oh…Oh wow." Was all he could think to say at what rounded the corner across the room.

You know, in hindsight he should have expected something like this. Of course, there wouldn't be some damsel sitting in a place like Blighttown. No, no, no. That would mean that things would be simple and easy.

Indeed, what walked around the corner on the other side of the chamber was a woman and a completely naked one at that. Flowing straight hair that was as red as fire flowed down her back and across her chest, hiding only the bare minimum of her breast and leaving the rest for all to see. In a way it gave her a wild look, like her soul was untamed. The strange black curved sword she held in her hand only aided in this impression.

However, whatever beauty she held was completely overshadowed by one simple fact.

The lower half of her body was completely melded with that of a spider that was the size of a small house. Just the same as Quelaag's hair, the spider's exoskeleton was as red as lava. A fact that was more than noticeable since its body was literally pulsing with lava.

Oscar stared long and hard at her. Quelaag in turn smiled thinly as she skittered across the chamber toward him.

"…Wow. I, uh, *ahem*. Greetings. My name is Oscar of Astora."

The spider woman crept closer and closer towards him from across the chamber, the pleasant look in her eye's never leaving.

"I understand that you are perhaps wondering why I am here. Well, I come bringing good tidings. I know of your sister and I have come to aid in her condition."

FWOOOSH

At the mention of her sister, Quelaag's smile quickly faded and her eye's widened slightly. Then, in a moment of visible fury showing on every part of her face, her curved weapon ignited in a blazing fire and the spider part of her body began radiating an intense heat.

"Oh hell." Was all Oscar could say as he realized that instead of joy, his words only seemed to piss her off. Raising his shield and weapon to defend himself, he felt his adrenaline begin pumping in his veins as her form continued to grow larger and larger the closer she approached. "Alright, alright, hold on. Let's just calm down for a second and not do this. I did not come here to shed blood. You are the Witch Quelaag, right? With a sickly sister in need of aid?"

Without speaking a single word in response, she charged forward with her flaming sword poised. Only once she was towering directly over him, did Oscar curse under his breath and raise his shield.

Sparks of heat flew from the shield face as the blade struck true three times. Though her strength was more than overbearing, the Quelaag's swings were wide and easy to see coming. Leaving Oscar capable of slightly redirecting the blows and mitigating the power behind her swings.

Even though she was more than overpowering him, the fact that she wasn't making her way through his minor defense struck a chord within the witch. So she chose to lean her human form back, let her better half open its maw wide and then spewed forth a wall of fire upon him.

Gasping sharply, Oscar quite threw himself to the side to avoid being incinerated by the flames. Rolling to his feet in a hasty manner, he continued to circle around her with the intent of using her larger and slower body to his advantage.

Though the spider's maw of flame tried to follow him, it simply could not keep up and eventually needed to stop releasing its fire and breath.

Seeing an opening, Oscar thrust his weapon into the body of the spider. Though it gained him a cry of pain from Quelaag, the minute he pulled his weapon free fresh lava drained from the wound and hardened upon the surface like a new coat of armor.

"Shit…" was all the knight could say before Quelaag swung wide once more and delivered a blow that knocked him backward through the air off his feet.

Quickly using his newfound momentum to roll from his back and firmly back to his feet, he tried to talk her down once more.

"Ugh, listen to me! I'm trying to tell you that I'm on your side!"

"RRRAAAAAGH!"

Drowning out any sort of reason Oscar might try to introduce, Quelaag's spider roared loudly as its mouth drooled lava and her human body became enveloped in a crimson flame. Cementing in Oscar mind that this time she would be attacking him with full force.

"Heh heh, oh no…"

He couldn't explain how he heard it over Quelaag's growling and the roaring of her flame, but the words reached Oscar's ears clearly.

Looking just past the witches' massive form he saw a familiar red robe woman with her arm crossed in front of her. But once his gaze focused enough to get a good look at her fully, Oscar froze. A thick layer of blood coated her hands and blade like caramel over an apple. Scatter spots of red dotted her face and ashen hair. Yet she stood there looking as pleasant as she always did.

Even with her standing right before him, Oscar was having a hard time believing she was really there. The leeches, the mosquito's, the ogre's…their number were more than enough to overwhelm and kill a lone woman. But all that blood stains covering her body told a different story.

"It appears she is nothing more than a rabid beast. How terrible, how unfortunate. If only things could be different. But perhaps she might yet listen if I try and explain things once more." Yuria said in a tone the attempted to sound concerned but only came out as a hollow performance. But nevertheless, she stepped a forward into the chamber and took a polite and formal bow. "Greetings, Quelaag. My name is Yuria of Demacia, an adherent and servant of a most merciful lord. We have been sent here to deliver thee a boon. A cure to the blight that afflicts your sister, Quelaan. This is, of course, given completely out of the kindness of my lords-"

HIIIISSSS FWOOOSH

Yuria words were cut off by the angry hissing and clicking of the spider's mandibles, alongside the ignition of what she understood to be chaos Pyromancy.

"I see, I see." Yuria said with a smile and understanding nod of her head. "Hey, Oscar."

"Yeah?" the knight replied.

"I was polite, right?" she asked with a cheeky smile.

"What?"

"Polite. I showed her the upmost courtesy, insisted that we were here to help. I have done nothing to provoke her…right?"

"Uh...yes?"

"So when we speak to my lord, you'll tell him that? That I was very polite and was on my best behavior. My hands are completely clean…Heh, heh, figuratively speaking that is." Yuria laughed as she noticed her hands were practically drowning in blood.

"What are you-? Fine! Yes, I'll tell him!"

Happiness flared in her eye's and for the first time it was genuine. It was a joy that came with knowing that she was now being allowed to do just what she hoped to do in service of her lord.

Eliminate those that would stand in his way.

"Thank you, Oscar."

FWOOO-BOOSH

The minute the words left her limps was the minute Quelaag willed forth swirl of deep red fire in her free hand and threw it at the female intruder's body.

A bright flash erupted from the point where the ball of flame struck sending up a thick cloud of smoke and debris through the air. Scaling globs of lava burst forth and scattered across the floor.

Oscar stared wide eyed at the immense power that was contained within a simple ball of fire. Even more so when the smoke cleared and Yuria walked forward without so much as a single scratch on her.

"My lord was quite concerned with facing your particular brand of pyromancy, but I must say…Its doesn't seem all that impressive to me." Yuria said smugly as she flicked a bit of blood from her fingertips.

Confusion was evident across Quelaag's face for a moment before she bared her fangs and charged towards the unarmored woman. Yuria simply released a content sigh as information and tactics, courtesy of her lord's memories, flooded into her mind. Within seconds, she was aware of every weak point and shortcoming Quelaag had to offer.

It was not but a few seconds more that the time for pondering had passed for the spider was upon her in all her burning fury. Yet Yuria merely smiled and tighten her hold upon the bloody knife in her hand as the witched raised her weapon to strike her down.

Quelaag unleashed attack after attack, swing after swing upon Yuria, only for each of them to be easily dodged like nothing. With each swing missed, she was quick to shift her body to deliver another and with each missed attack her frustration and anger visibly grew.

"Heh, heh, do you even know how to use that properly?" Yuria said as she easily made her way out of the path of every large swing.

Hearing this, Quelaag thrust her weapon directly towards the woman's body.

CLING

Just as the blade of her sword was about to skewer her body, Quelaag could only gasp as the space between them suddenly darkened and warped, forming something a barrier. So unwavering was its strength and protection that the space outright negated the power behind Quelaag's blade and threw her own strength right back towards her. The shock of such a thing catching her unprepared and throwing of her off balance.

SHLICK

Not but a moment later did a deep pain erupt from the abdomen of her lower half causing her to bite back a scream. The knight seemed to have taken advantage of the situation and plunged the steel of his sword through her rear exoskeleton all the way to the hilt.

Before she could even begin to regain herself, Yuria rushed forward and stabbed her knife into one of the spider's eye's. Then with strength that did not match her body size, she scaled the witches' body as if she was a spider herself.

Quelaag took in a sharp breath as the woman climbed directly up to her human form. Thinking quickly, she swung her blade at her once again, only for Yuria to raise her free hand to block her swing at the wrist. Feeling a bit of panic at the foreign closeness, the witch raised her free hand and willed another ball of fire to appear.

Unfortunately, just as Quelaag was about to deliver an unrestrained release of chaos upon her, Yuria reacted more than fast enough to catch her by the offending arm and take hold tightly. She then locked eyes with her and gave a pleasant smile before proceeding to drain her dry.

"GAH-AAAAHH!"

Quelaag's choked scream reached both the ears of Oscar and Yuria. The pain was felt all over. It was not burning or sharp, but more a feeling of a searing cold. The pain was increasing in waves, small lulls giving false hope of an end. Each peak robs her ability to think, sending her mind crashing against the agony. It's as though her blood had become acid, intent of destroying her from the inside out. All she can do is writhe, the occasional ragged scream escaping to echo off the walls.

She would have not regained herself had Oscar not chosen that moment to rip free his blade from her body. Focusing only on this new pain, Quelaag was able to grasp hold of her mind and will forth a red aura to radiate from her body.

Yuria had only a moment to gasp as realization dawned upon her what was about to happen.

With a violent pulse of heat and flame, Quelaag's body erupted in all directions. The scalding wave of heat was enough to scorch the flesh of all around her. For the most part, Oscar was protected by his armor and was only forced backward through the air, helplessly tumbling across the ground in a heap of metal.

But Yuria was not so fortunate. She caught the full brunt of the onslaught and without any armor to speak she held no chance to defend against it. Moving as quickly as she could, her hand flew up to form her shield. But it was too late.

For a moment everything feels scolded, more suffering than anyone could ever thing possible washed over and forced her back through the air. By the time she hit the ground, her body was a smoking heap of charred flesh.

Being stronger than any normal human was, wounds such as these did not keep her down for long. The only thing she had to contend with was the pain.

It was then that she realized something was strange.

Even with the skin practically peeling from her bones, even with her body finding no respite in any sense of the word, Yuria suddenly felt the urge to embrace the feeling of the burns that covered her all over. Just like Quelaag's fire, her mind was chaos. A mess. This pain was different and she was trying trace the reason why that was. Something was gnawing at her. Something beckoned her. Something made this pain feel so… right.

It was then that it clicked all at once and the moment that it did was the moment she begin enjoying the feeling on her body in earnest.

"…Oh~…Oh yes…this feels just the same…just like his…"

It would be difficult to describe the kind of mind a woman such a Yuria possessed. Insanity had a hold on her for the simple fact that in his blind rage, the Prophet had burned her body in a similar manner to this. As far from reality as it may be, in her mind this feeling of mind-numbing pain was the same as receiving her lords touch. Why would she feel anything but elation towards such a thing?

Slowly making her way to her knee's and then to her feet, agony was turned into rapture. Burned flesh turned into warm kisses.

"…A-Again…Once more…I want more of your fury…" Yuria said with the look of madness in her eye's, as her grip upon her knife tightened enough to separate the flesh of her knuckles that much further.

Unfortunately for her, upon Quelaag's face was now hesitation. There was no fear, only antagonistic understanding. She was now fully aware of just what kind of abomination was standing before her and as it stood, she had only more to lose by fighting further with it.

"Cease."

As a voice more akin to hissing than talk talking reached her ears, Yuria could not hold back a look of surprise. But she returned to her madness quickly enough to give a response.

"You speak? Unexpected." She said in a tone that seemed more pleased than anything. "But why stop now when we've only just begun?"

"Your kind…has returned?" the spider question with narrowed eye's as she raised herself up. "There is nothing here for you to consume. Begone."

"I beg to differ, Quelaag. There's plenty here." Yuria said eagerly. "But there's no reason to explain that to you. In a moment, you're going to be nothing more than-"

"HOLD IT!"

Suddenly a voice sounded aloud cutting Yuria off mid-sentence. Both women then turned their gaze to the far end of the room to find the huffing form of the knight that they both frankly had forgotten about completely.

"*Huff* *Huff* So we've finally opened a dialogue after all the fighting. Good." Oscar said in a clearly pissed off tone. Having been almost cooked in his armor, one could understand that he wasn't exactly pleased about thing. But still he maintained his composure as best he could and stood tall.

"Its okay, Oscar. There's no need to trouble yourself any further. Just take a breather and I'll have things finished in a-."

"Shut up! No more from you!" Oscar said pointedly, causing even Yuria to recoil at his rudeness. Strange that after everything she'd been through, impoliteness would be the thing that would cause to go silent. Once he saw that she was doing as he said, Oscar was quick to turn his gaze upon Quelaag next. "And you! Whatever the hell you are, I came here because I was told you sister was sick and suffering."

"Human, you-"

"You're looking at one of four people who can possibly cure the blight that afflicts her body. If something is not done soon, her condition is going to worsen, she is going to die and no amount of humanity you pump into her body will stave it off any longer. I am the only person close enough to do something about it before its too late."

He may have stretched the truth a bit on that last part, but Oscar's words had the intended effect of making Quelaag hesitate and stare in silence. Her eye's locked with his own, searching for some form of deception or uncertainty within him.

Oscar knew he had to keep pushing. So he dropped his sword and shield upon the ground before approaching her fearlessly.

"I was told to tell you that you have been healing her the wrong way. You must feed Humanity to her bonfire instead of giving it directly to her body. Doing so will allow her body to fight off the blight to a far more powerful degree." Oscar explained as he got as close to the witch as his height would allow. "My body has been gifted with the means to perform this feat. If you let me, I can do just that and we can both go our separate ways after."

The Witch hesitated in silence for a moment before her eye's hardened and she pointed her sword directly at the tiny being before her.

"I don't need anything from you."

"If that's true then I've made a terrible mistake and you should kill me now." Oscar replied calmly, his gaze never leaving hers.

Quelaag's eye's were trained on the human, the swirl of chaotic power evident within her gaze. But Oscar did not wilt beneath her stare, not even when the spider began to hiss threateningly at him.

Finally, the silence was broken.

"You will leave your trinkets where they lay. If you are lying, you will wish that I had simply killed you." Quelaag said as she lowered her weapon and gestured in the direction behind Oscar for him to move. The knight nodded, giving no indication of how he felt towards her threat. Better to prove himself through actions and not words.

Turning around and walking to where he was told, Oscar did not see Quelaag raise her hand to her face and look at it with concern.

Yuria attempted to follow behind with wounds covering her body, but a snap glare from Quelaag she stopped in her tracks.

"Not you. Your kind go no further. Leave." The witch said heatedly, feeling the weakness of losing a part of herself to this creature already settling in.

"Come now, Quelaag, I'm halfway dead on my feet. Don't tell me you're afraid." Yuria said through her injuries, though clear more than capable of holding her own regardless.

"Yuria, I will meet you at the tree. Leave now. Or do you want me to tell the Prophet that you were needlessly trying to kill someone he wants protected?" Oscar questioned seriously causing Yuria to go wide eyed.

"What?! That's ridiculous! I was merely following your lead! It not by my hand that you came and-. I merely gave you the knowledge you ask for and that's why we're here! It was your fault, not mine!" Yuria said as she pleaded her own defense. But the look in Oscar's eye's said that they were pathetic in their make and that he was serious in his threat of telling the Prophet. "T-There is truly no need to speak of this, Oscar. No damage has been done, no lives have been lost. I have done nothing to go against my lord wishes. I-I will meet you at the Great Hollow once you're done here. We can discuss this matter calmly then. U-Uh, farewell."

In a fashion that completely went against her burned and bloodstained body, Yuria turned around and hurriedly began to leave the chamber. The only thing on her mind being the thought that her lord would discover that she led Oscar to Quelaag's domain unwarranted and alone. She would be scolded for certain if that happened.

Quelaag, who was completely baffled as to what had just happened, waited until Yuria had walked completely out of sight before turning back to Oscar and gesturing him forward.

The two walked up a long flight of stair in total silence, until finally coming upon a room that held a contraption Oscar was very familiar with.

"The second bell…" The knight thought for a moment. Quickly deciding that there would be little reason to linger upon it right now, he made a mental note of its location.

Looking around and seeing nothing but another passage leading further inside, Oscar made to move towards it, only for Quelaag to hold her sword out in front of him to halt his advance. She then moved towards a plain looking wall and lightly stabbed towards it causing the stone to fade from view and reveal hidden passage.

Currently the path further inside was being blocked off by another one of the disgusting being with sickly masses of flesh on their back. Though this one seemed to be more lucid than the others as he stared up at Oscar with questioning eyes.

With only a small gesture from Quelaag to get out of the way, the thing on the ground drug its body across the floor as it crawled to the side to let them pass.

Quelaag went through first, expecting Oscar to need no indication to follow behind. Inside was a room illuminated only by the light of a bonfire.

Sitting to the right of the room was without a doubt the woman he came here to see. The white creamy tone of her skin reminding him of whipped milk as light of the bonfire shone on to her. Her face bore a striking resemblance to Quelaag's own. In fact, if not for her complexion and color of her hair, they would no doubt be identical to one another. With he look of her, Oscar couldn't help but wonder if he reached out, would he only graze air. For she looked as if she were nothing more than a ghost.

Quelaag approached her sister and gently caressed her cheek in her hand. A look of apology and concern showing within her eye's. She then placed her ear closer to her mouth as if to be whispered a secret of some sort.

When she stepped back once more, the witched released a sorrowful sigh before turning a heated gaze upon the knight.

"Well?" she said pointedly as she stood in the space between Oscar and her sister.

Returning her gaze for a moment, Oscar moved towards the bonfire and for the first time it occurred to him that he had never used his gift on a bonfire beforehand. But of course, there was little he could do now but to give his best go of it. It couldn't be that hard, could it?

He had several sprites of humanity to spare within himself. Not hesitating for a moment, he willed one of them to appear in his hand as he kneeled in front of the flame. Treating it along the same lines as using the Bonfire to heal himself, Oscar's humanity seemed to split apart on its own before swarming into the flames, making it burn a great deal brighter than before.

For a moment, nothing happened. There was absolute silence between them. Then, giving both Quelaag and Oscar both a start, Quelaan took in a sharp gasp of air. As she slowly regained herself and released a small relieving sigh, a visible wave of healing ran up her body. The sickly sores that coated her spider half began to close themselves and her shoulders slackened with relief.

Within moments, even further signs of restorations began to show as her human forms complexion and color brightened to a minor degree before their very eye's. Her breaths were still pained and raspy as she opened her eyelids to reveal dead grey eye's.

Quelaag gasped and placed a hand on her sister cheek as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"...Again…"

"What?"

"Do that again!" the witch commanded impatiently.

Doing as requested, Oscar willed forth another of his humanity sprites and offered it to the bonfire. Once more did Quelaag's sibling grow visibly better in health and once more did she command him to repeat the process. Soon enough, Oscar began to hear the sickened siblings breathing far more clearly and the eyes of her spider half began to gain more life. Though the grayed color in her human eye's did not disappear completely, she was indeed in better health than she was in before. So much so, that Quelaag could not help but smile in wide eyed disbelief at her sister improving condition.

"Again!" Quelaag said with mirth.

"No. No more." Oscar responded plainly, causing Quelaag to give him a look that would make the blood of most men run cold. But Oscar kept his calm as he explained himself. "I only have two humanity sprites left within me. Any more would put myself at risk of turning into a hollow. I won't be of any help to anyone like that."

At this, the witch approached the knight and pointed her weapon at him once again.

"Then you are not going anywhere. You will remain here until more can be gathered for her." Quelaag said aggressively, attempting to intimidate the human but knowing she could not kill him. "If you resist, you will be restrained."

After she had spoken her words, it came as a surprise to her that the knight did not appear afraid of her in the slightest. In fact, he merely gave a brief sigh of annoyance at her actions.

"Is waving that thing around the only way you know how to speak to people? If you wanted me to stay to help, you could have just asked." Oscar said firmly as he locked eyes with her once again. "And after the hell it took to get here, would it be too much to get a damn "Thank you"?"

Being a pyromancer with both a warped body and soul, it wasn't too hard to understand that Quelaag was completely bewildered at these words. Even more so when Oscar completely disregarded her aggressive stance and stared her down.

Eventually, the scene of her pointing her weapon at him grew to be quite the awkward one for her. So, in a manner that was just as uncomfortable as the situation, the witch lowered her weapon. Turning to check on her sister, she saw that she was slumbering but looking to be in far better health than she had been in a long time. She then turned back to look at the human with just as firm a look as he had given her and spoke softly.

"Thank you." The witch said, of course never in her lifetime expecting something of a miracle to walk right into her domain like this. "Now…explain who you are, how you can do that and why you come to this place."

"That's a long story…"

"You have nothing but time here." The spider replied simply as she lowered herself in a position beside her sister. "For your sake, It had better be informative."

"Glad we're still resorting to threats. But fine." Oscar said as he made himself comfortable on the ground beside bonfire.

"It all started inside an Asylum…"

---

OKAY HOLD IT! I JUST GOT A FEW PARTING COMMENTS TO SAY!

Okay, let me just first start this y saying that I pretty much just face planted on my keyboard and said to hell with it when I wrote this chapter. Oscar's got a lot of potential and I wanted to make his journey a sort of parallel to the Prophets.

First and foremost, I wanna say that I don't want to turn Oscar into some sort of "Anti-Prophet" character, but I do want to turn him into something that above all else is a close equal. This is just me keeping in mind that In-Game, Oscar was always meant to be the antagonist waiting in the Kiln of the First Flame by the end.

Secondly, Let me just put this to rest right now, I currently have no plan to give Oscar chaos Pyromancy. That just seems like the sort of "expected" and boring path to take in my opinion. But I do like the idea of him being close to Quelaag and Quelaan, when all is said and done. (Lol DragonXChaosWitch for the win?)

Thirdly, regarding Yuria's abilities and power standing, I'll just say that I consider her as a sort of "Mini-God" kind of thing. The more humanity and essence she consumes, the strong and faster she becomes without any real defined limit. I feel like that somewhat legitimizes Gwyns actions in drowning them all when he had the chance to take them all out at once.

And Lastly, I just want to add that Yuria's perception of the Prophet is warped to her own beliefs and desires. Meaning that she's both right and wrong in her thinking of him. So its best to take her words about him with a grain of salt. I want her to be somewhat like the devil on his shoulder, telling him to take all the power for himself and rule as a lord should. She's pretty much a sadistic killer that put herself on a leash. Honestly, I'm really enjoying the idea of her meeting and interacting with Reah above all else. Not sure why thought.

Okay, boys. That all I got to say this time around.

In complete honesty, I planned to have Oscar head straight to the Dragon in Ash Lake, but things clearly went off the rails on that plan. So I'm really interested in what you guys thought about this chapter this time around.

As always, feel free to leave a review and tell me what you guys thought about this chapter of the story. Was Oscar and Yuria's chat well written? Was Quelaag's actions understandable? Can I get a show of hands for OscarXQuelaag and Quelaan? XD

Honest opinions are always appreciated as I'm always looking to improve my style of writing to make this story a bit more interesting for you guys. so don't be shy in telling me your thoughts about how things are going so far. Outside opinions will have a huge effect on how this story will play out.

This is Supreme Gamer, Signing out.

P.S. In case anyone is wondering, yes, I am making this up as I go. Face rolling my computer hasn't failed my yet, dammit.

P.P.S Okay, here me out, guys. The Prophet and his gang (Oscar sieg and Solaire) are considered the A-Team, Meanwhile, Anastacia, the merchant and cresty are the B-Team, but does anyone have their eye's on Reah building up C-team with Vince, Griggs, Laurentius and maybe Mildred? I'm just saying the idea definitely tickles my fancy.