Dark Souls III: The Invincible Girl
- Thread starter WC-83
- Start date
- Crossover Fantasy
C4d
Has approximate knowledge of many things.
- Location
- Germany
All Unkindled where Undead who tried and failed to link the fire for whatever reason which caused them to be burned out by the first flame with the only thing left being Unkindled Ash. The biggest hint is that you don't naturally hollow and that Embers are a strict buff and not like Humanity/Effigies in the other two games which where a method of removing the hollowing debuff.
Since Phyrra never failed to link the fire she should simply be Undead which complicates the whole thing because she needs Humanity to not hollow.
Since Phyrra never failed to link the fire she should simply be Undead which complicates the whole thing because she needs Humanity to not hollow.
- Location
- RWBY Wiki
Is that a pun I sense?
Currently in the fic, Pyrrha's functioning as an Unkindled Undead. But let's just say her altruistic nature might change that.
C4d
Has approximate knowledge of many things.
- Location
- Germany
(This late Answer was brought to you by my Internet Provider)
(Unless you play a hollow build with two +10 hollow weapons)
Changing your status as an Unkindled is pretty much impossible, even the Dark Sigils you can gain don't fundamentally change that nature even if they give you hollowing levels, which you don't want because then you start looking like beef jerky and we all know that looking good in Dark Souls is far more important than having the best armor.
(Unless you play a hollow build with two +10 hollow weapons)
Lone Courier 6
Devilish Fool
- Location
- United States of Quests
or if you want to merge the fire with the dark soul.
- Location
- Australia
Hmm, is this a rewrite? I swear I've read another RWBY/Dark Souls fic somewhere that started pretty close to this way, but she met Torchwick at Firelink, iirc.
Anyways, good stuff so far. Curious how she will 'build' herself. I'm always a fan of pyromancy, but she's more a knight person I guess. I've only seen little bits of RWBY. Still learning miracles or pyromancy ne jamming a sunlight spear or chaos bed vestiges down Cinders throat would probably be amusing. I guess a spell blade build would work for her, using the different weapon buffs.
Anyways, good stuff so far. Curious how she will 'build' herself. I'm always a fan of pyromancy, but she's more a knight person I guess. I've only seen little bits of RWBY. Still learning miracles or pyromancy ne jamming a sunlight spear or chaos bed vestiges down Cinders throat would probably be amusing. I guess a spell blade build would work for her, using the different weapon buffs.
- Location
- Toronto Ontario
Dragonslayer Huntress Chapter 1, a Dark Souls + RWBY Crossover fanfic | FanFiction
This is the one you might be thinking of.
- Location
- RWBY Wiki
Any similarities to any other fanfiction is purely coincidental, the most relevant fic I found was the "Pyrrha in Drangleic" fanfiction, which seems to also be based on the idea of her dying and coming back in the Dark Souls (II) universe. And then a reviewer told me I had the 69th RWBY/Dark Souls fanfiction on FF.net.
@shinkicker444: I started a new game in DSIII for "research" purposes based on how her build might be. She's mostly physical, but I did consider giving her Pyromancy (though I relented given that pyromancy was more of Cinder's thing). Though thinking about it now, a sunlight spear would complement her nicely.
@C4d: Well then, I suppose she's unkindled. And you're right, looking like beef jerky isn't fun, especially for those not used to it.
You seem to have approximate knowledge of many things. Keep this up, and I might promote you to Loreax (a TFS term apparently. One who speaks for the Lore. I haven't seen their playthrough. My editor, Arkantos95 on the RWBY Wiki (and Ao3, where he publishes the story) has and we pretty much jump back and forth between being the Loreax).
@shinkicker444: I started a new game in DSIII for "research" purposes based on how her build might be. She's mostly physical, but I did consider giving her Pyromancy (though I relented given that pyromancy was more of Cinder's thing). Though thinking about it now, a sunlight spear would complement her nicely.
@C4d: Well then, I suppose she's unkindled. And you're right, looking like beef jerky isn't fun, especially for those not used to it.
You seem to have approximate knowledge of many things. Keep this up, and I might promote you to Loreax (a TFS term apparently. One who speaks for the Lore. I haven't seen their playthrough. My editor, Arkantos95 on the RWBY Wiki (and Ao3, where he publishes the story) has and we pretty much jump back and forth between being the Loreax).
C4d
Has approximate knowledge of many things.
- Location
- Germany
I do in fact have approximate knowledge of many things, i also have internet and one of my pastimes is wikisurfing.
I'll just start yelling if something lore-unfitting starts happening in your story.
C4d
Has approximate knowledge of many things.
- Location
- Germany
The Effigies are the "Humanity items" of DS2 in that they reduce hollowing but are not actual Humanity like in DS. The change was never really explained, like a lot of changes in DS2, and therefore the reasons why its different are speculation.
Functionally hollowing in DS2 is losing yourself, your memories, passions, and goals. Effigies are a way to remind you of those things which allows you to draw yourself back from hollowing.
- Location
- RWBY Wiki
I actually like that (well, the idea of it) more than the Humanity system in DS1, which made it seem like some kind of resource, while the Effigy feeds in to the notion of hollowing and it's depressing effect on those cursed with the Darksign.
C4d
Has approximate knowledge of many things.
- Location
- Germany
Hollowing was always about loosing your purpose and giving up, Humanity itself forcefully averts it by asserting itself while Effigies do it a lot more subtle by making you fight against the hollowing yourself. At least that is my headcanon about the difference.
There also lies the difference between Undead and Unkindled. Unkindled once where Undead that tried to link the fire but failed, they are however resurrected with a clear goal, to assemble the Lords of Cinder and take care of the fading flame. (more headcanon time) This is why they will never loose their mind and go hollow like regular Undead. They are the last effort of the first flame to avert its fading, this also explains the Embers which are remains of the flames power that the Unkindled can use to become more than just Ash.
Chapter 4.5: Without Sanctuary
- Location
- RWBY Wiki
Chapter 4.5: Without Sanctuary
Pyrrha was floating in darkness, disconnected from all sensation, a strange tense feeling in her eyes. Eventually however, gravity returned and she was standing again. She was puzzled, but accepted it for now, simply attempting to look around and find any landmarks. The darkness eventually gave way to a horizon as stars came into the sky, and in the distance she saw an entryway, with a dim orange light. She walked to it, somehow reaching it in an instant.
Going through her vision blurred, but when she came to, she was shocked. She was on Beacon tower again, except it was extremely dark, floating well lit in a black void. In the center she saw Cinder and...herself. Cinder glared at Pyrrha- the other Pyrrha and stepped back, forming her bow and arrow. Despite her growing sense of dread, Pyrrha felt compelled to watch. Next to her, a flash of red appeared, Ruby Rose. She turned her head, seeing her friend clear as day. The arrow then hit the Pyrrha in the middle of the tower. Ruby's face flashed briefly before turning into an expression of shock and sorrow, tears beginning to well in her eyes. The Pyrrha who was shot by the arrow quickly collapsed, and Cinder began to walk toward her. Cinder placed her hand on her forehead...Pyrrha, Ruby, and Beacon tower itself burst into furious flame. The void burned away too, and Pyrrha heard the distorted, distant screams of the people below. Pyrrha looked at all of this buried her face in her hands and-
Pyrrha then awoke in shock. She shuffled about where she was sleeping. She was...in her team's dorm?
"You've grown so much since we started training. And I know this is just the beginning."
She paused. Those were her words she heard, they echoed as though they were in a large hall. She turned her head right to where she heard the source, and saw Jaune sitting with his phone, a joyless expression on his face.
"Jaune? Jaune!"
Jaune didn't move an inch. He didn't seem to hear her. Pyrrha got out of bed, not noticing a trail of shadow flowing behind her.
"Jaune!"
"I-I…I want you to know that I'm just happy to be a part of your life." said the scroll. Pyrrha began tearing up. She knew what he was watching
On her right lumbar, a ring of dull orange shined, and from it shadow began to emerge and creep its way long her body. Pyrrha reached out, wanting to at least touch him. The shadow grew more and more, leaving her body and spreading to the room. The video began echoing more and louder.
"I'll always be here for you, Jaune..."
As Pyrrha's hand grew closer, Jaune began to dissolve into ash as his clothes fell to the floor in a crumpled heap. The Scroll too began to fall apart.
Pyrrha felt absolute terror and dread, distraught at everything falling away. Suddenly the darkness manifested in front of her, forming a figure. It took the shape of a Beowolf, a Creature of Grimm. Pyrrha, uncharacteristically, stepped back in fear. Behind the Beowolf, several corpse like figures melted out from the woodwork, and appeared behind her as well, all with the same glowing red eyes. The Beowolf roared a loud, yet rather distant, roar and lunged, turning into the shadowy serpent that had overtaken Gundyr mid-leap. As it clos-
Pyrrha's eyes jerked open, seeing nothing at first before vision began buzzing in. Her body was still and borderline deathly tense, and she inhaled in alarm. Slowly feeling began to seep back in and she slowly got up. She had slept in the middle of what was called "Firelink Shrine," opting to start her journey tomorrow. Hawkwood, the man sitting on the steps, observed all this, only offering an amused "hmph," as though he had seen this before. Pyrrha failed to take this in, however as she hugged her knees and squeezed her eyes shut. While she had recovered from the night terror for the moment, it had left her exhausted.
Author's Notes: As stated, a short update, but I'm hoping it has some good content in it. However, next update will be even longer than previously, so that should make up for it. Also, I'm happy to say this story is so close to 1,000 views. Thank you for reading my first published fanfic so loyally. As always, I'll see you Friday.
Pyrrha was floating in darkness, disconnected from all sensation, a strange tense feeling in her eyes. Eventually however, gravity returned and she was standing again. She was puzzled, but accepted it for now, simply attempting to look around and find any landmarks. The darkness eventually gave way to a horizon as stars came into the sky, and in the distance she saw an entryway, with a dim orange light. She walked to it, somehow reaching it in an instant.
Going through her vision blurred, but when she came to, she was shocked. She was on Beacon tower again, except it was extremely dark, floating well lit in a black void. In the center she saw Cinder and...herself. Cinder glared at Pyrrha- the other Pyrrha and stepped back, forming her bow and arrow. Despite her growing sense of dread, Pyrrha felt compelled to watch. Next to her, a flash of red appeared, Ruby Rose. She turned her head, seeing her friend clear as day. The arrow then hit the Pyrrha in the middle of the tower. Ruby's face flashed briefly before turning into an expression of shock and sorrow, tears beginning to well in her eyes. The Pyrrha who was shot by the arrow quickly collapsed, and Cinder began to walk toward her. Cinder placed her hand on her forehead...Pyrrha, Ruby, and Beacon tower itself burst into furious flame. The void burned away too, and Pyrrha heard the distorted, distant screams of the people below. Pyrrha looked at all of this buried her face in her hands and-
Pyrrha then awoke in shock. She shuffled about where she was sleeping. She was...in her team's dorm?
"You've grown so much since we started training. And I know this is just the beginning."
She paused. Those were her words she heard, they echoed as though they were in a large hall. She turned her head right to where she heard the source, and saw Jaune sitting with his phone, a joyless expression on his face.
"Jaune? Jaune!"
Jaune didn't move an inch. He didn't seem to hear her. Pyrrha got out of bed, not noticing a trail of shadow flowing behind her.
"Jaune!"
"I-I…I want you to know that I'm just happy to be a part of your life." said the scroll. Pyrrha began tearing up. She knew what he was watching
On her right lumbar, a ring of dull orange shined, and from it shadow began to emerge and creep its way long her body. Pyrrha reached out, wanting to at least touch him. The shadow grew more and more, leaving her body and spreading to the room. The video began echoing more and louder.
"I'll always be here for you, Jaune..."
As Pyrrha's hand grew closer, Jaune began to dissolve into ash as his clothes fell to the floor in a crumpled heap. The Scroll too began to fall apart.
Pyrrha felt absolute terror and dread, distraught at everything falling away. Suddenly the darkness manifested in front of her, forming a figure. It took the shape of a Beowolf, a Creature of Grimm. Pyrrha, uncharacteristically, stepped back in fear. Behind the Beowolf, several corpse like figures melted out from the woodwork, and appeared behind her as well, all with the same glowing red eyes. The Beowolf roared a loud, yet rather distant, roar and lunged, turning into the shadowy serpent that had overtaken Gundyr mid-leap. As it clos-
Pyrrha's eyes jerked open, seeing nothing at first before vision began buzzing in. Her body was still and borderline deathly tense, and she inhaled in alarm. Slowly feeling began to seep back in and she slowly got up. She had slept in the middle of what was called "Firelink Shrine," opting to start her journey tomorrow. Hawkwood, the man sitting on the steps, observed all this, only offering an amused "hmph," as though he had seen this before. Pyrrha failed to take this in, however as she hugged her knees and squeezed her eyes shut. While she had recovered from the night terror for the moment, it had left her exhausted.
Author's Notes: As stated, a short update, but I'm hoping it has some good content in it. However, next update will be even longer than previously, so that should make up for it. Also, I'm happy to say this story is so close to 1,000 views. Thank you for reading my first published fanfic so loyally. As always, I'll see you Friday.
Chapter 5: Wall of Death and Ashes
- Location
- RWBY Wiki
Chapter 5: Wall of Death and Ashes
With her rest disturbed, Pyrrha began wandering the shrine, looking to collect herself before beginning her journey. She began reading the plaques behind the thrones, the ones belonging to Lords of Cinder she apparently had to bring back. "Yhorm the Giant. Of the Profaned Capital," read the one belonging the truly enormous throne, the title clearly not hyperbole. "Watchers of the Abyss," read the comparatively smaller one, which was lined with swords and draped in wolf pelts. The one at the head of the shrine's thrones seemed carved in still heated magma, and that read "Holy King Lothric. Last hope of his Line."
"Lothric," Pyrrha repeated, the name of the kingdom she was told she was in.
She went down to the next throne, the one belonging to "Ludleth the Exiled." However when she got there, she heard humming in front of the throne. Curious, she climbed down and walked to the front of the throne when-
"Ah, evening Ashen One" came a kindly voice from the throne.
Pyrrha turned her head and gasped in surprise, nearly falling off the ledge the throne was on. The voice came from what looked like a living corpse, adorned in tattered regalia and a crown worn off center. While he still retained his nose and his skin appeared healthier than the creatures she'd encountered in the graveyard, his appearance was still of an atrophied body, and below his waist he was missing two legs, his lordly gown hanging loose over where his stumps were.
"Woah there youngin'" chuckled the man, "I didn't mean to startle thee. I may not have most genteel of appearances, but I assure thee I am quite harmless."
Having calmed down, Pyrrha began to address him. "Who are you?"
"Weren't thou not reading the plaques on the thrones? I am Ludleth the Exiled, originally of Courland, though I doubt thou hast heard of such a place."
Pyrrha smiled, disarmed by Ludleth's unambiguously kindly demeanor, "No, I'm sorry I haven't."
"And what would thine name be, if thou don't mind my asking?"
"Pyrrha. Pyrrha Nikos" Pyrrha answered earnestly.
"Ah, a pleasure to make thine formal acquaintance Ms. Nikos. I trust the Handmaiden and the Fire Keeper have informed thee of your mission's location?"
"I'm to go to a place known as the "High Wall of Lothric" am I not?" Pyrrha stated a bit confused.
Ludleth cheekily smiled, "But thou'st not know how to get there do thee?"
Pyrrha shuffled, "They told me to place the sword I obtained from the graves into the center, but…"
"Don't be so hard on them child. They have dealt with many an Undead who had known their purpose and the way our world works. When thou rest at the Bonfire, the Fire Keeper will assist thee in transporting yourself there initially. To return, simply rest at a bonfire, clear your mind, and think of the place you wish to go to, visualize it, and you will find yourself there."
Pyrrha absorbed Ludleth's advice, and after a brief pause smiled, thankful to have someone to talk to.
Pyrrha took the coiled sword and began to plunge it into the center of the shrine. As she placed it, the sword silently caught on fire, and despite the growing heat, Pyrrha firmly plunged it all the way through and the bonfire had caught into a familiar, life giving blaze. Pyrrha sat down, rested by the bonfire. Behind her, the Fire Keeper walked slowly to her and placed her hands on her and the bonfire's sword. Pyrrha felt a surge of energy flow through them both.
"Be safe Ashen One" the Fire Keeper bid, as Pyrrha felt the universe unravel.
When she came to, she was sitting in the middle of a room of stone blocks. The room was dirty and barren, and smelled of dust. Slightly nauseated and disoriented from the transport, she got up and looked around, moving forward to the door to the outside. She placed both hands on the door and proceeded to push, eventually creaking it open more and more. When she finally opened it all the way she gazed out at Lothric Castle. The High Wall and the castle were even more intricate and beautiful up close than belied from where she was in the graves, but both were clearly in terrible decay, and the whole area smelled of burning debris and flesh, the air a sulfuric shade of yellow. She scanned the battlements and found an unlit bonfire.
After lighting, she rested for a while, recalling Ludleth's advice on how to return should she need to. She got up and opted to explore. Going to the left, she went down to a section of the wall, which was lined by several statues of cloaked women holding lit candles. The sight of the undead huddled on the wall however, while unnerving at first made her heart sink. Several undead, either clothed in cloth scraps or padded armor, surrounded strange and frightening effigies of corpses on maypoles, and they pawed and knelt before them, reaching out in desperate reverence, moaning pleading prayers incoherent even to them. The undead who didn't do this simply lay on the ground, either deathly still, crying, or simply sitting in despair.
In all of Pyrrha's life, she had never seen such...misery. On Remnant, despair, fear and negative feeling, in sufficient quantity and magnitude, could attract hordes of Grimm which could destroy entire kingdoms. Indeed this very thing had happened before she died and awoke in Lothric. However here, people were allowed to stew in despair and fear, the Darksign she was told of ensuring it continue until it drains them of their mind, as it had already to these people on the wall, crushingly forced to find something to cling to if it meant to avoid losing what little they still had. Pyrrha found herself staring empathetically at the crowds of undead, sobbing around the maypoles.
However, she wasn't alone with them on the wall, and a hollowed soldier spotted her and rushed at her. Pyrrha had spotted him, deflected his strike with her sword and knocked him back before stabbing him. The praying undead had huddled in terror, going silent. Pyrrha knocked the soldier off her sword, but when she turned her head left, a hooded ghoul with a lantern and a broken sword hilt came from the steps, and released a loud, high pitched scream, which caused Pyrrha to cover her ears. The hollowed soldiers on the bridge covered their ears as well, but then rose in anger and began to attack Pyrrha. Whatever the lantern bearers did, it compelled them to action, and Pyrrha was forced to deal with them. She blocked a good amount of their attacks and stabbed one while pushing one into another. A hollow soldier charged, flailing wildly, but Pyrrha's combat experience let her grab the assailant by the arm and use its momentum to throw it off the wall, before turning around and slashing another. The hollow with the lantern began to back off as another soldier charged, but Pyrrha saw its retreat and followed. Pyrrha bashed the soldier to the ground before jumping at the lantern bearer, killing it.
The fight over for now, she began to gauge her-
And she froze when she saw what was right next to her. A large, dead, lizard-like thing, with spikes, horns and, upon looking up at where it had landed on the parapet, wings. It was a dragon, and its appearance, while different to the one at Beacon, brought back unpleasant memories nonetheless. Of the beast flying over Vale, dropping Grimm where it did, the entire top of Beacon's tower being blasted apart by its collision when it assisted Cinder, and vaguely recalling it landing on the tower just as she was defeated. And yet this creature was clearly long dead, its body covered in insects and mayflies, as well as unidentifiable black specks floating from it. Pyrrha, though horrified at seeing a creature such as this again, knew that everything in this world seemed to be suffering.
Free of her shock for now, Pyrrha pressed forward into the wall's innards, defeating the hollows standing guard in the tower. The gate to the other side, where a ghoul was wandering aimlessly, was covered by rubble, the only way open being down a ladder through the trapdoor. Coming through the other side of the tower several hollow soldiers laid in wait, one with a shield and another with a crossbow. She sped toward the shield bearer while keeping tabs on the crossbowman. She made a light slash against the shield, but as it began to reel back for an attack, Pyrrha stepped out of the way and the crossbowman fired into its own ally. Shaken from the fire damage, Pyrrha went in for a finishing slash before turning to the crossbowman. Behind it however was several more soldiers, and one managed to fire a bolt at her stomach while the other one was reloading. Pyrrha dodged the second bolt and began to go up the stairs, but there were even more soldiers up there, and they began to advance on her.
At that moment however, a very much alive dragon appeared. Both Pyrrha and the hollows looked up, the hollows in confusion and Pyrrha in horror. The dragon glanced down at them for a second before screeching a loud cry and releasing a plume of fire. The hollows were instantly consumed and Pyrrha, reacting as fast as she could, went prone on the stairs and raised her shield, angled slightly to direct the flame over her body. The hollows below were affected by the flame as well. Pyrrha's shield arm began searing in painful heat, but Pyrrha clenched her teeth and waited for the fire to dissipate. When the dragon let up, Pyrrha rose, the ground beneath her still hot from the fire, and went up the stairs. She pushed past the remaining hollow soldiers who were still on fire and ran to where the dragon wouldn't be a threat: inside the tower. She made it inside just as the front of the tower was enveloped in flames again.
Panting in relief, Pyrrha went down the steps inside the tower. Ahead was the ladder leading out, but at the back of the tower was a peculiar chest. She grabbed the ladder's rung, but stopped, looked to the chest, and walked toward it.
As she grew closer, she saw that it was unlocked, and its chain was dangling away from it, as well as hearing a strange swirling sound. Cautious she grabbed the lid and slowly lifted. When she did, in the darkness she saw a shadowy battle-axe...and teeth. Her eyes snapped wide and her pupils dilated, leaping back just as arms reached out to grab her from the chest.
Having missed their mark, the mimic then picked set itself up onto its legs, which were sickeningly long to match its sickeningly long torso and arms, far too long to possibly fit in its chest form. Its mouth consisted of long, brown-red teeth and a depraved tongue, which hung drooling from its mouth. Pyrrha, under no circumstances, wished to fight this horrid creature and ran up the steps. The mimic followed, giggling as it pursued. The platform on the other side was separated by a gap, but choosing that over the mimic was no conflict and Pyrrha leaped, making the jump as the mimic fell to where it was. The mimic got up and tried to grab Pyrrha's legs, which dangled from the platform. However Pyrrha, frightened greatly, was only just able to get her legs up as she felt the mimic's hand brush her calf. Pyrrha hyper-ventilated, finally being able to control her breathing after a good while.
Opening the gate out of the tower, the mimic having given up and gone back to its spot in the back, Pyrrha exited, greeted again by the High Wall's burning aroma. She walked forward and saw a glint from the doorway of the tower on the other side. Out of the entryway was a figure clad in shining plate armor with a red cape, completely set apart from the tattered jackets of the soldiers. The knight seemed to not see Pyrrha, but curious, she approached it.
"Uh, h-hello?" Pyrrha greeted it. The knight snapped its head to her and charged. Pyrrha quickly blocked its hard hitting upper swing and dodged its follow up. She readied herself and tried circling it, but the knight would have none of that and smashed her with its shield, sending her on her back. The knight prepared another attack, but Pyrrha deflected the strike with her shield and got up while slashing its ankle, stunning it. When she got back up, the knight had readied its weapon, holding it with two hands. Pyrrha looked to its movements and waited for it to strike. The knight swung from the bottom up, but Pyrrha spun to the side and slashed at the knight when it did. She released a flurry of slashes to punish it for its opening. The knight made one last horizontal strike, but Pyrrha ducked and stabbed the knight, causing it to erupt in a cascade of light and disappear. Pyrrha, exhausted from her trek across the wall and an inch away from death, walked into the tower and up the stairs outside of it. On the top of the tower was a bonfire. Relieved, she went to it and rested. She had much more to go through, it seemed. She needed her rest.
Author's Notes: Here we are 2,000 words, and several hundred views over 1,000 (though the actual visitor count is still under that). Thank you for the viewership. Funny story; the following chapter was originally 5,000+ words long, but it has been cut in two to provide more consistency. The chapters will probably be around the 2,000 mark from here on out (barring the half-chapters of course). As always, I'll see you Friday at 12 (btw, by 12, I mean 12 PST. Sorry for just telling you now XD).
With her rest disturbed, Pyrrha began wandering the shrine, looking to collect herself before beginning her journey. She began reading the plaques behind the thrones, the ones belonging to Lords of Cinder she apparently had to bring back. "Yhorm the Giant. Of the Profaned Capital," read the one belonging the truly enormous throne, the title clearly not hyperbole. "Watchers of the Abyss," read the comparatively smaller one, which was lined with swords and draped in wolf pelts. The one at the head of the shrine's thrones seemed carved in still heated magma, and that read "Holy King Lothric. Last hope of his Line."
"Lothric," Pyrrha repeated, the name of the kingdom she was told she was in.
She went down to the next throne, the one belonging to "Ludleth the Exiled." However when she got there, she heard humming in front of the throne. Curious, she climbed down and walked to the front of the throne when-
"Ah, evening Ashen One" came a kindly voice from the throne.
Pyrrha turned her head and gasped in surprise, nearly falling off the ledge the throne was on. The voice came from what looked like a living corpse, adorned in tattered regalia and a crown worn off center. While he still retained his nose and his skin appeared healthier than the creatures she'd encountered in the graveyard, his appearance was still of an atrophied body, and below his waist he was missing two legs, his lordly gown hanging loose over where his stumps were.
"Woah there youngin'" chuckled the man, "I didn't mean to startle thee. I may not have most genteel of appearances, but I assure thee I am quite harmless."
Having calmed down, Pyrrha began to address him. "Who are you?"
"Weren't thou not reading the plaques on the thrones? I am Ludleth the Exiled, originally of Courland, though I doubt thou hast heard of such a place."
Pyrrha smiled, disarmed by Ludleth's unambiguously kindly demeanor, "No, I'm sorry I haven't."
"And what would thine name be, if thou don't mind my asking?"
"Pyrrha. Pyrrha Nikos" Pyrrha answered earnestly.
"Ah, a pleasure to make thine formal acquaintance Ms. Nikos. I trust the Handmaiden and the Fire Keeper have informed thee of your mission's location?"
"I'm to go to a place known as the "High Wall of Lothric" am I not?" Pyrrha stated a bit confused.
Ludleth cheekily smiled, "But thou'st not know how to get there do thee?"
Pyrrha shuffled, "They told me to place the sword I obtained from the graves into the center, but…"
"Don't be so hard on them child. They have dealt with many an Undead who had known their purpose and the way our world works. When thou rest at the Bonfire, the Fire Keeper will assist thee in transporting yourself there initially. To return, simply rest at a bonfire, clear your mind, and think of the place you wish to go to, visualize it, and you will find yourself there."
Pyrrha absorbed Ludleth's advice, and after a brief pause smiled, thankful to have someone to talk to.
Pyrrha took the coiled sword and began to plunge it into the center of the shrine. As she placed it, the sword silently caught on fire, and despite the growing heat, Pyrrha firmly plunged it all the way through and the bonfire had caught into a familiar, life giving blaze. Pyrrha sat down, rested by the bonfire. Behind her, the Fire Keeper walked slowly to her and placed her hands on her and the bonfire's sword. Pyrrha felt a surge of energy flow through them both.
"Be safe Ashen One" the Fire Keeper bid, as Pyrrha felt the universe unravel.
When she came to, she was sitting in the middle of a room of stone blocks. The room was dirty and barren, and smelled of dust. Slightly nauseated and disoriented from the transport, she got up and looked around, moving forward to the door to the outside. She placed both hands on the door and proceeded to push, eventually creaking it open more and more. When she finally opened it all the way she gazed out at Lothric Castle. The High Wall and the castle were even more intricate and beautiful up close than belied from where she was in the graves, but both were clearly in terrible decay, and the whole area smelled of burning debris and flesh, the air a sulfuric shade of yellow. She scanned the battlements and found an unlit bonfire.
After lighting, she rested for a while, recalling Ludleth's advice on how to return should she need to. She got up and opted to explore. Going to the left, she went down to a section of the wall, which was lined by several statues of cloaked women holding lit candles. The sight of the undead huddled on the wall however, while unnerving at first made her heart sink. Several undead, either clothed in cloth scraps or padded armor, surrounded strange and frightening effigies of corpses on maypoles, and they pawed and knelt before them, reaching out in desperate reverence, moaning pleading prayers incoherent even to them. The undead who didn't do this simply lay on the ground, either deathly still, crying, or simply sitting in despair.
In all of Pyrrha's life, she had never seen such...misery. On Remnant, despair, fear and negative feeling, in sufficient quantity and magnitude, could attract hordes of Grimm which could destroy entire kingdoms. Indeed this very thing had happened before she died and awoke in Lothric. However here, people were allowed to stew in despair and fear, the Darksign she was told of ensuring it continue until it drains them of their mind, as it had already to these people on the wall, crushingly forced to find something to cling to if it meant to avoid losing what little they still had. Pyrrha found herself staring empathetically at the crowds of undead, sobbing around the maypoles.
However, she wasn't alone with them on the wall, and a hollowed soldier spotted her and rushed at her. Pyrrha had spotted him, deflected his strike with her sword and knocked him back before stabbing him. The praying undead had huddled in terror, going silent. Pyrrha knocked the soldier off her sword, but when she turned her head left, a hooded ghoul with a lantern and a broken sword hilt came from the steps, and released a loud, high pitched scream, which caused Pyrrha to cover her ears. The hollowed soldiers on the bridge covered their ears as well, but then rose in anger and began to attack Pyrrha. Whatever the lantern bearers did, it compelled them to action, and Pyrrha was forced to deal with them. She blocked a good amount of their attacks and stabbed one while pushing one into another. A hollow soldier charged, flailing wildly, but Pyrrha's combat experience let her grab the assailant by the arm and use its momentum to throw it off the wall, before turning around and slashing another. The hollow with the lantern began to back off as another soldier charged, but Pyrrha saw its retreat and followed. Pyrrha bashed the soldier to the ground before jumping at the lantern bearer, killing it.
The fight over for now, she began to gauge her-
And she froze when she saw what was right next to her. A large, dead, lizard-like thing, with spikes, horns and, upon looking up at where it had landed on the parapet, wings. It was a dragon, and its appearance, while different to the one at Beacon, brought back unpleasant memories nonetheless. Of the beast flying over Vale, dropping Grimm where it did, the entire top of Beacon's tower being blasted apart by its collision when it assisted Cinder, and vaguely recalling it landing on the tower just as she was defeated. And yet this creature was clearly long dead, its body covered in insects and mayflies, as well as unidentifiable black specks floating from it. Pyrrha, though horrified at seeing a creature such as this again, knew that everything in this world seemed to be suffering.
Free of her shock for now, Pyrrha pressed forward into the wall's innards, defeating the hollows standing guard in the tower. The gate to the other side, where a ghoul was wandering aimlessly, was covered by rubble, the only way open being down a ladder through the trapdoor. Coming through the other side of the tower several hollow soldiers laid in wait, one with a shield and another with a crossbow. She sped toward the shield bearer while keeping tabs on the crossbowman. She made a light slash against the shield, but as it began to reel back for an attack, Pyrrha stepped out of the way and the crossbowman fired into its own ally. Shaken from the fire damage, Pyrrha went in for a finishing slash before turning to the crossbowman. Behind it however was several more soldiers, and one managed to fire a bolt at her stomach while the other one was reloading. Pyrrha dodged the second bolt and began to go up the stairs, but there were even more soldiers up there, and they began to advance on her.
At that moment however, a very much alive dragon appeared. Both Pyrrha and the hollows looked up, the hollows in confusion and Pyrrha in horror. The dragon glanced down at them for a second before screeching a loud cry and releasing a plume of fire. The hollows were instantly consumed and Pyrrha, reacting as fast as she could, went prone on the stairs and raised her shield, angled slightly to direct the flame over her body. The hollows below were affected by the flame as well. Pyrrha's shield arm began searing in painful heat, but Pyrrha clenched her teeth and waited for the fire to dissipate. When the dragon let up, Pyrrha rose, the ground beneath her still hot from the fire, and went up the stairs. She pushed past the remaining hollow soldiers who were still on fire and ran to where the dragon wouldn't be a threat: inside the tower. She made it inside just as the front of the tower was enveloped in flames again.
Panting in relief, Pyrrha went down the steps inside the tower. Ahead was the ladder leading out, but at the back of the tower was a peculiar chest. She grabbed the ladder's rung, but stopped, looked to the chest, and walked toward it.
As she grew closer, she saw that it was unlocked, and its chain was dangling away from it, as well as hearing a strange swirling sound. Cautious she grabbed the lid and slowly lifted. When she did, in the darkness she saw a shadowy battle-axe...and teeth. Her eyes snapped wide and her pupils dilated, leaping back just as arms reached out to grab her from the chest.
Having missed their mark, the mimic then picked set itself up onto its legs, which were sickeningly long to match its sickeningly long torso and arms, far too long to possibly fit in its chest form. Its mouth consisted of long, brown-red teeth and a depraved tongue, which hung drooling from its mouth. Pyrrha, under no circumstances, wished to fight this horrid creature and ran up the steps. The mimic followed, giggling as it pursued. The platform on the other side was separated by a gap, but choosing that over the mimic was no conflict and Pyrrha leaped, making the jump as the mimic fell to where it was. The mimic got up and tried to grab Pyrrha's legs, which dangled from the platform. However Pyrrha, frightened greatly, was only just able to get her legs up as she felt the mimic's hand brush her calf. Pyrrha hyper-ventilated, finally being able to control her breathing after a good while.
Opening the gate out of the tower, the mimic having given up and gone back to its spot in the back, Pyrrha exited, greeted again by the High Wall's burning aroma. She walked forward and saw a glint from the doorway of the tower on the other side. Out of the entryway was a figure clad in shining plate armor with a red cape, completely set apart from the tattered jackets of the soldiers. The knight seemed to not see Pyrrha, but curious, she approached it.
"Uh, h-hello?" Pyrrha greeted it. The knight snapped its head to her and charged. Pyrrha quickly blocked its hard hitting upper swing and dodged its follow up. She readied herself and tried circling it, but the knight would have none of that and smashed her with its shield, sending her on her back. The knight prepared another attack, but Pyrrha deflected the strike with her shield and got up while slashing its ankle, stunning it. When she got back up, the knight had readied its weapon, holding it with two hands. Pyrrha looked to its movements and waited for it to strike. The knight swung from the bottom up, but Pyrrha spun to the side and slashed at the knight when it did. She released a flurry of slashes to punish it for its opening. The knight made one last horizontal strike, but Pyrrha ducked and stabbed the knight, causing it to erupt in a cascade of light and disappear. Pyrrha, exhausted from her trek across the wall and an inch away from death, walked into the tower and up the stairs outside of it. On the top of the tower was a bonfire. Relieved, she went to it and rested. She had much more to go through, it seemed. She needed her rest.
Author's Notes: Here we are 2,000 words, and several hundred views over 1,000 (though the actual visitor count is still under that). Thank you for the viewership. Funny story; the following chapter was originally 5,000+ words long, but it has been cut in two to provide more consistency. The chapters will probably be around the 2,000 mark from here on out (barring the half-chapters of course). As always, I'll see you Friday at 12 (btw, by 12, I mean 12 PST. Sorry for just telling you now XD).
C4d
Has approximate knowledge of many things.
- Location
- Germany
So far so good, she even got through the dragon on the first try though she didn't grab that sweet Claymore at the cost of dying 10 times because the shitty fire staggers you to hell and back.
My only critique would be that extended scenes of just Phyrra does X followed by Phyrra doing Y and enemy doing Z can get kind of boring especially for people who know the game and can therefor already picture what going to happen next.
So don't be afraid to just expand on things and locations that are in a specific area in the future as long as it fits thematically, the High wall is a bit sparse in opportunities for that because its just on top of the wall but other areas are not as restricted. Additionally not everyone is a mindless hollow in those areas so she might even meet people that can hold a conversation or something like that. Maybe introduce a character that sticks around for a while, canon or not, so there can be dialogue during the area and not just descriptions of Phyrra stabbing and being stabbed/eaten by things.
My only critique would be that extended scenes of just Phyrra does X followed by Phyrra doing Y and enemy doing Z can get kind of boring especially for people who know the game and can therefor already picture what going to happen next.
So don't be afraid to just expand on things and locations that are in a specific area in the future as long as it fits thematically, the High wall is a bit sparse in opportunities for that because its just on top of the wall but other areas are not as restricted. Additionally not everyone is a mindless hollow in those areas so she might even meet people that can hold a conversation or something like that. Maybe introduce a character that sticks around for a while, canon or not, so there can be dialogue during the area and not just descriptions of Phyrra stabbing and being stabbed/eaten by things.
- Location
- RWBY Wiki
Oh don't worry, I plan on having those things, it's just as you said, the High Wall is pretty sparse. That is one of the worries I had, that the fic may be boring after awhile to people who really know the game, but I hope it still works as a novelization of DSIII. But again, things will be shaken up soon (I have plans for the Undead Settlement part, as well as the Cathedral of the Deep).
Chapter 6: The Pus of Man
- Location
- RWBY Wiki
Chapter 6: The Pus of Man
Pyrrha sat at the foot the alcove where a burly, bearded man named Andre had made his shop. Although there was plenty of space, Andre kept himself only in the middle of the entrance, sitting on a wooden chair, surrounded by various blades, hammers, and shields, all the while hammering a red-hot piece of metal on an anvil.
"So, how'd ye enjae yer first foray into Lothric, lass?" Andre asked, pausing his nearly constant hammering to talk with her.
Pyrrha shivered somewhat to alleviate her stillness, having become used to the clattering of the hammer.
"Better...and worse, than I thought" Pyrrha answered, recalling the sadness of the hollows on the wall and the sheer amount of horror that had taken place atop it.
"Heh, sounds rath'r rough. You didn't get yerself killed too often, did ye?"
Pyrrha looked at the floor. "About two or three times, perhaps..."
"Hmm, not too bad, but I pegged ye for a more savvy lass than that. The Estus not help?"
Pyrrha perked her head up at this new noun. "What was that you just said?"
"That Estus Flask ye have, didn't it help?"
Pyrrha blinked and then reached into her back pocket, pulling out the golden flask she found in her sarcophagus. "You mean this?"
"Aye. Estus: An Undead favorite, it heals the body from any wound. As for the mind, well, that's up to you. Doesn't do you much good if you're dead though, so people use it whenever they can" Andre explained to her, returning to his hammering.
Pyrrha looked at the flask and proceeded to take a hesitant sip from it, which quickly turned into an enthusiastic chug. The drink had the consistency of light syrup, but it had the pure flavour of a favorite meal and refreshment of cool water on a warm day, and the warmth of the sun on a cold one.
Pyrrha exhaled as she emptied the flask. Andre let out an amused chuckle. "Nice to see you like it too lass, but ye really got to ration it. It refills at bonfires, but ye won't always be near one when yer travelin'."
"Thank you Andre"
"I take it back, yer more skilled than I thought, going that long without any Estus and managin' only a few deaths."
Pyrrha blinked wearily. "How do you get used to it so easily? Dying? Every time it happened to me, it's always been frightening as is waking up at the bonfire realizing what happened," Pyrrha said, holding her forehead with her hand.
Andre stopped hammering. "Who knows? Might be a be a blessing, really. I've met too many undead who've stopped caring whether they lived or died, no matter what I tell 'em. Never see 'em again, though I assume they just go hollow when that happens. 'Least ye got a healthy fear o' death, keeps ye alive long enough to get ye to yer goal."
"How is it like for you though?"
"Mmm?" Andre grunted, confused at the query.
"How do you deal with dying?"
"I don't recall ever dyin'" Andre replied simply, returning once again to his smithing.
"You're just human?"
"Oh gods, no. I've lived too long to be considered one. I've been in my trade since...hmph...well I reckon' since the First Flame first started dyin'. That was a long time ago."
Pyrrha didn't pry deeper, she didn't want to ask how long ago was 'a long time ago.' "Well, thank you Andre. I think your words helped."
"Don't mention it, lass." Andre said, briefly pausing and then hammering again. Pyrrha began to walk back to the shrine's bonfire. "Oi, lass, I forgot somethin'. Come 'ere!" Andre called suddenly. Pyrrha went back to see what it was all about, and Andre reached down into a box and took out various gems and metal fragments. "I ain't simply 'ere for decoration. Ye find any o' these out in yer travels, bring 'em to me and I'll forge yer blade into something ye can fight with. Heh heh."
Back on the tower, Pyrrha got up, looking briefly at the corpses on the poles, which ringed the whole parapet. The corpses looked finely balanced on the poles, and were reaching outward. More unnerving was the long, wing like protrusions from their backs, which were lined in threads where presumably feathers would go.
Walking down the steps, she was immediately greeted with a knife to the chest, which gave her a good amount of pain, but more alarmed her than anything. The thrower crouched down near the barrels and unsheathed another to throw, which Pyrrha swatted away. Seeing the knives would no longer work, the hooded figure brandished a short sword and charged. Pyrrha blocked the first attack, but the figure attacked quick enough to get a nick on her arm. Pyrrha grunted in pain, but still slashed at the hooded hollow. Without the heavier armor of the soldiers, the hooded one fell quickly.
The hollow's body fell, but Pyrrha heard footsteps lower in the tower. She looked through the broken floor in the tower, seeing a patrolling hollow. Pyrrha decided to capitalize on this by balancing on the exposed support beams, followed by dropping down on the unsuspecting hollow. Behind her however was another hooded ghoul, who got up upon seeing her and charged with its dagger. Pyrrha however redirected the ghoul and threw it into the barrels, the hollow, slashing it when it got up for another attack.
Before her was an exit to the tower, with orange tinted sunlight peering through the entryway. Behind her however was a ladder to a lower floor in the tower. Despite the consequences of her curiosity before with the mimic, she wasn't going to learn anything or get a better sense of her location playing it completely safe. Besides, she had very little to lose when it came down to it...besides dying of course.
Pyrrha elected to go down the ladder, where she was greeted by an undead halberdier. The hollow began jogging toward her before finally made a diagonal slash that Pyrrha was only just able to roll away from. The hollow made another horizontal slash that Pyrrha managed to duck under before retaliating with some quick slashes. The hollow, unwilling to let her continue capitalizing on her close proximity to it, shoved her with the shaft of the halberd and prepared an overhead swing, but Pyrrha used her shield to keep it far enough away and use the momentum of her pivot to impale it with her sword.
Allowing the hollow to fall, she made her way through the tower. Through the halls and down the steps was a small opening to the outside, which lead to another section of the tower. Moving into this section she saw a large prison cell, with door that proved to be locked. Crouching in the middle of the cell craning its head, no doubt to hear what was approaching, was a person with a strange, long hood with eyeholes cut out and wearing the same tattered armor the soldiers wore as well as torn trousers. The man perked up when he saw her and spoke.
"Ah, you're no jailer are you?" the man asked, his voice raspy and somewhat muffled by his hood. "No no, you're from far away."
Pyrrha was taken aback by the strange person talking to her from the cell. "How do you know that?"
"Ah, I can see it in your eyes lass."
Pyrrha was puzzled. "I'm sorry, what about my eyes?"
"They're...I haven't the foggiest, they're... different. But you are sane aren't you? Not like those hollows outside? Could I convince you to let me free from this cell?"
Pyrrha leered away from the suspicious character asking her to free him. "Wait, who are you?"
"Ah, I should have introduced myself. I am Greirat, of the Undead Settlement, and though I may be a petty thief, I have more wit than most nobl-"
"A thief? That explains the cell."
"W-well I mean, listen. I don't know if you've noticed, love, but the end time are on us. I-I don't think anyone-"
"I don't have any key that can release you, and even if I did, I can't just let you go free and pilfer things from people who need it" Pyrrha said. She then began to walk away. Greirat, his facade broken and growing desperate, grabbed the bars and called after her.
"Wait, WAIT! You don't have to let me out, just listen to me! I have to ask something of you, PLEASE!" Greirat called out to her. Pyrrha stopped and turned around, going to Greirat's cell. Greirat, having Pyrrha's attention, continued in a still somewhat shaken voice "I need you to deliver something. You're going by the Undead Settlement I warrant?"
"I...might be" Pyrrha responded, half still not trusting Greirat, half genuinely unsure of where to go.
Greirat fished out of his pocket a ring with a blue gemstone and held it up to Pyrrha. "I need you to take this ring to an old woman named Loretta, she lives in the settlement at the base of the High Wall. She needs this ring. Please, would you do this for me?"
Pyrrha felt sympathetic to Greirat's selfless request and took the ring. "I will."
"Thank you, love. What's your name?"
Pyrrha hesitated, but responded warmly all the same. "Pyrrha."
"Pyrrha" Greirat repeated. "I won't forget this Pyrrha. Thank you."
Pyrrha finally left the tower and proceeded to go the other way she saw higher in the tower.
Leaving the tower, she saw another corpse of a dragon. A pair of hollows were praying and prostrating before it, their moans as unintelligible as before. Pyrrha passed them by. She couldn't understand why they'd worship such a monstrous looking creature, but seeing their desperation earlier in on the High Wall, she couldn't be so callous as to fault them for clinging to something to keep them sane, to give them meaning. Up ahead, on a shingled roof, a larger group of hollows were surrounding another of the winged bodies on the spike. She approached them, all seemingly not hostile.
However, upon seeing her, one stood up. Pyrrha raised her shield preparing for it to strike. The hollow, however, started to release a pained, ear piercing screech which caused Pyrrha and the other hollows to cover her ears again. Beneath the skin of the hollow, a strange pulsation boiled beneath its back. The screeching abruptly ended as a shadowy force erupted from the hollow's body, spraying pools of blood across the roof and blasting the other hollows away, killing them on impact. The force of the blast also broke the pole the winged hollow's body rested on, scattering pieces all about. The shadowy figure took form, resembling the exact same serpent that she had fought in the Cemetery of Ash.
Pyrrha took a step back, but the serpent was on the attack. It leaped into the air and brought its claw down, sending Pyrrha against a rail. Pyrrha quickly got up, but her back felt smashed. Taking a moment of levity, Pyrrha quickly took a sip of Estus, which healed most of her pain, just in time to dodge a swipe from the serpent. The hollows that had survived the serpent's violent birth had huddled where they were praying. Pyrrha looked to the serpent again, who opened its mouth and lunged to bite her, managing to sidestep and slash at the serpent's neck. The serpent had hardly flinched and leaped into the air to slam itself down at her, sending her back and killing the hollow behind it. Pyrrha began to get up, but noticed the hollow still enveloped by the serpent, its legs moving the serpent to its target. She got up to do battle with the creature, blocking its swing, followed by slashing across both the serpent's body and, more importantly, the hollow's body. The serpent staggered but resumed its attack, stepping forward and swiping down. Pyrrha however bent backwards and twisted to face it again, slashing as she did, followed by swinging at it, finishing by stabbing the hollow inside in the head. The serpent was wounded by this, but it was able to retaliate, grabbing the arm that held her shield. The force of its grip forced Pyrrha to fall to her knees in pain, but she focused on flipping her sword to reverse grip and stabbed the serpent's head.
The serpent recoiled under the sword before finally dying and dissolving, letting go of her arm, and leaving the hollow's body where it stood. Pyrrha began to nurse her arm, still wincing in pain, before she remembered to drink her flask of Estus, which restored more feeling in her arm, as well as generally healing her wounds. Her injuries healed, she allowed herself to think about the existence of a second serpent. This one had come from a normal hollow, when previously she had seen it on Gundyr. Out of all the darkness she saw thus far in Lothric, she was puzzled by this familiar creature.
'It's like it's spreading. There really must be a darkness taking hold in this land" She thought. 'What is causing it? Were they always here? Was it because of this 'First Flame' dying?'
As she thought, she couldn't find any answers, reasoning she'd have to talk to Ludleth or Andre about it. Now that she had been thinking about it, she realized she didn't know how the Grimm came to be on her world, except for legends and fairy tales; a creation story about feud between divine brothers over light and darkness. As far as she knew, shadowy creatures like the serpent and The Grimm had always existed, and had always been apart of her life as a result.
'It's not about why...it's about knowing' she thought to herself, recalling the words she spoke to Jaune. She looked at the ruins of the shrine the hollows were huddled around, as well as the bodies of the hollows killed by the serpent, including its host, her head feeling heavy. 'I don't know this world though. Man has both light and dark, it's what made us who we are, how we protected ourselves. But what happened to these people?' she continued to think. She began to think of the thing on her right lumbar, the thing that she only noticed when she wished to. The Darksign she was told of.
"What does this curse do to people like them...like me?" Pyrrha asked herself. She stared at the serpent's host. "To turn them into that?"
Author's Notes: Here is part 1 of what was going to be chapter 6 before I split it up. Writing has been a little slow recently, I'd been distracted by important things, like C&C Red Alert 3, Civilization V, and Mount & Blade: Warband (I think M&B: Warband is actually worse for writing than Civ V, If you can believe that). But, I still have a back log, and hopefully I can manage it so I won't run out and require a hiatus. Also, thank you for the 2,000+ views, and I hope you like it. As always, see you Friday, ~12 PST.
Pyrrha sat at the foot the alcove where a burly, bearded man named Andre had made his shop. Although there was plenty of space, Andre kept himself only in the middle of the entrance, sitting on a wooden chair, surrounded by various blades, hammers, and shields, all the while hammering a red-hot piece of metal on an anvil.
"So, how'd ye enjae yer first foray into Lothric, lass?" Andre asked, pausing his nearly constant hammering to talk with her.
Pyrrha shivered somewhat to alleviate her stillness, having become used to the clattering of the hammer.
"Better...and worse, than I thought" Pyrrha answered, recalling the sadness of the hollows on the wall and the sheer amount of horror that had taken place atop it.
"Heh, sounds rath'r rough. You didn't get yerself killed too often, did ye?"
Pyrrha looked at the floor. "About two or three times, perhaps..."
"Hmm, not too bad, but I pegged ye for a more savvy lass than that. The Estus not help?"
Pyrrha perked her head up at this new noun. "What was that you just said?"
"That Estus Flask ye have, didn't it help?"
Pyrrha blinked and then reached into her back pocket, pulling out the golden flask she found in her sarcophagus. "You mean this?"
"Aye. Estus: An Undead favorite, it heals the body from any wound. As for the mind, well, that's up to you. Doesn't do you much good if you're dead though, so people use it whenever they can" Andre explained to her, returning to his hammering.
Pyrrha looked at the flask and proceeded to take a hesitant sip from it, which quickly turned into an enthusiastic chug. The drink had the consistency of light syrup, but it had the pure flavour of a favorite meal and refreshment of cool water on a warm day, and the warmth of the sun on a cold one.
Pyrrha exhaled as she emptied the flask. Andre let out an amused chuckle. "Nice to see you like it too lass, but ye really got to ration it. It refills at bonfires, but ye won't always be near one when yer travelin'."
"Thank you Andre"
"I take it back, yer more skilled than I thought, going that long without any Estus and managin' only a few deaths."
Pyrrha blinked wearily. "How do you get used to it so easily? Dying? Every time it happened to me, it's always been frightening as is waking up at the bonfire realizing what happened," Pyrrha said, holding her forehead with her hand.
Andre stopped hammering. "Who knows? Might be a be a blessing, really. I've met too many undead who've stopped caring whether they lived or died, no matter what I tell 'em. Never see 'em again, though I assume they just go hollow when that happens. 'Least ye got a healthy fear o' death, keeps ye alive long enough to get ye to yer goal."
"How is it like for you though?"
"Mmm?" Andre grunted, confused at the query.
"How do you deal with dying?"
"I don't recall ever dyin'" Andre replied simply, returning once again to his smithing.
"You're just human?"
"Oh gods, no. I've lived too long to be considered one. I've been in my trade since...hmph...well I reckon' since the First Flame first started dyin'. That was a long time ago."
Pyrrha didn't pry deeper, she didn't want to ask how long ago was 'a long time ago.' "Well, thank you Andre. I think your words helped."
"Don't mention it, lass." Andre said, briefly pausing and then hammering again. Pyrrha began to walk back to the shrine's bonfire. "Oi, lass, I forgot somethin'. Come 'ere!" Andre called suddenly. Pyrrha went back to see what it was all about, and Andre reached down into a box and took out various gems and metal fragments. "I ain't simply 'ere for decoration. Ye find any o' these out in yer travels, bring 'em to me and I'll forge yer blade into something ye can fight with. Heh heh."
Back on the tower, Pyrrha got up, looking briefly at the corpses on the poles, which ringed the whole parapet. The corpses looked finely balanced on the poles, and were reaching outward. More unnerving was the long, wing like protrusions from their backs, which were lined in threads where presumably feathers would go.
Walking down the steps, she was immediately greeted with a knife to the chest, which gave her a good amount of pain, but more alarmed her than anything. The thrower crouched down near the barrels and unsheathed another to throw, which Pyrrha swatted away. Seeing the knives would no longer work, the hooded figure brandished a short sword and charged. Pyrrha blocked the first attack, but the figure attacked quick enough to get a nick on her arm. Pyrrha grunted in pain, but still slashed at the hooded hollow. Without the heavier armor of the soldiers, the hooded one fell quickly.
The hollow's body fell, but Pyrrha heard footsteps lower in the tower. She looked through the broken floor in the tower, seeing a patrolling hollow. Pyrrha decided to capitalize on this by balancing on the exposed support beams, followed by dropping down on the unsuspecting hollow. Behind her however was another hooded ghoul, who got up upon seeing her and charged with its dagger. Pyrrha however redirected the ghoul and threw it into the barrels, the hollow, slashing it when it got up for another attack.
Before her was an exit to the tower, with orange tinted sunlight peering through the entryway. Behind her however was a ladder to a lower floor in the tower. Despite the consequences of her curiosity before with the mimic, she wasn't going to learn anything or get a better sense of her location playing it completely safe. Besides, she had very little to lose when it came down to it...besides dying of course.
Pyrrha elected to go down the ladder, where she was greeted by an undead halberdier. The hollow began jogging toward her before finally made a diagonal slash that Pyrrha was only just able to roll away from. The hollow made another horizontal slash that Pyrrha managed to duck under before retaliating with some quick slashes. The hollow, unwilling to let her continue capitalizing on her close proximity to it, shoved her with the shaft of the halberd and prepared an overhead swing, but Pyrrha used her shield to keep it far enough away and use the momentum of her pivot to impale it with her sword.
Allowing the hollow to fall, she made her way through the tower. Through the halls and down the steps was a small opening to the outside, which lead to another section of the tower. Moving into this section she saw a large prison cell, with door that proved to be locked. Crouching in the middle of the cell craning its head, no doubt to hear what was approaching, was a person with a strange, long hood with eyeholes cut out and wearing the same tattered armor the soldiers wore as well as torn trousers. The man perked up when he saw her and spoke.
"Ah, you're no jailer are you?" the man asked, his voice raspy and somewhat muffled by his hood. "No no, you're from far away."
Pyrrha was taken aback by the strange person talking to her from the cell. "How do you know that?"
"Ah, I can see it in your eyes lass."
Pyrrha was puzzled. "I'm sorry, what about my eyes?"
"They're...I haven't the foggiest, they're... different. But you are sane aren't you? Not like those hollows outside? Could I convince you to let me free from this cell?"
Pyrrha leered away from the suspicious character asking her to free him. "Wait, who are you?"
"Ah, I should have introduced myself. I am Greirat, of the Undead Settlement, and though I may be a petty thief, I have more wit than most nobl-"
"A thief? That explains the cell."
"W-well I mean, listen. I don't know if you've noticed, love, but the end time are on us. I-I don't think anyone-"
"I don't have any key that can release you, and even if I did, I can't just let you go free and pilfer things from people who need it" Pyrrha said. She then began to walk away. Greirat, his facade broken and growing desperate, grabbed the bars and called after her.
"Wait, WAIT! You don't have to let me out, just listen to me! I have to ask something of you, PLEASE!" Greirat called out to her. Pyrrha stopped and turned around, going to Greirat's cell. Greirat, having Pyrrha's attention, continued in a still somewhat shaken voice "I need you to deliver something. You're going by the Undead Settlement I warrant?"
"I...might be" Pyrrha responded, half still not trusting Greirat, half genuinely unsure of where to go.
Greirat fished out of his pocket a ring with a blue gemstone and held it up to Pyrrha. "I need you to take this ring to an old woman named Loretta, she lives in the settlement at the base of the High Wall. She needs this ring. Please, would you do this for me?"
Pyrrha felt sympathetic to Greirat's selfless request and took the ring. "I will."
"Thank you, love. What's your name?"
Pyrrha hesitated, but responded warmly all the same. "Pyrrha."
"Pyrrha" Greirat repeated. "I won't forget this Pyrrha. Thank you."
Pyrrha finally left the tower and proceeded to go the other way she saw higher in the tower.
Leaving the tower, she saw another corpse of a dragon. A pair of hollows were praying and prostrating before it, their moans as unintelligible as before. Pyrrha passed them by. She couldn't understand why they'd worship such a monstrous looking creature, but seeing their desperation earlier in on the High Wall, she couldn't be so callous as to fault them for clinging to something to keep them sane, to give them meaning. Up ahead, on a shingled roof, a larger group of hollows were surrounding another of the winged bodies on the spike. She approached them, all seemingly not hostile.
However, upon seeing her, one stood up. Pyrrha raised her shield preparing for it to strike. The hollow, however, started to release a pained, ear piercing screech which caused Pyrrha and the other hollows to cover her ears again. Beneath the skin of the hollow, a strange pulsation boiled beneath its back. The screeching abruptly ended as a shadowy force erupted from the hollow's body, spraying pools of blood across the roof and blasting the other hollows away, killing them on impact. The force of the blast also broke the pole the winged hollow's body rested on, scattering pieces all about. The shadowy figure took form, resembling the exact same serpent that she had fought in the Cemetery of Ash.
Pyrrha took a step back, but the serpent was on the attack. It leaped into the air and brought its claw down, sending Pyrrha against a rail. Pyrrha quickly got up, but her back felt smashed. Taking a moment of levity, Pyrrha quickly took a sip of Estus, which healed most of her pain, just in time to dodge a swipe from the serpent. The hollows that had survived the serpent's violent birth had huddled where they were praying. Pyrrha looked to the serpent again, who opened its mouth and lunged to bite her, managing to sidestep and slash at the serpent's neck. The serpent had hardly flinched and leaped into the air to slam itself down at her, sending her back and killing the hollow behind it. Pyrrha began to get up, but noticed the hollow still enveloped by the serpent, its legs moving the serpent to its target. She got up to do battle with the creature, blocking its swing, followed by slashing across both the serpent's body and, more importantly, the hollow's body. The serpent staggered but resumed its attack, stepping forward and swiping down. Pyrrha however bent backwards and twisted to face it again, slashing as she did, followed by swinging at it, finishing by stabbing the hollow inside in the head. The serpent was wounded by this, but it was able to retaliate, grabbing the arm that held her shield. The force of its grip forced Pyrrha to fall to her knees in pain, but she focused on flipping her sword to reverse grip and stabbed the serpent's head.
The serpent recoiled under the sword before finally dying and dissolving, letting go of her arm, and leaving the hollow's body where it stood. Pyrrha began to nurse her arm, still wincing in pain, before she remembered to drink her flask of Estus, which restored more feeling in her arm, as well as generally healing her wounds. Her injuries healed, she allowed herself to think about the existence of a second serpent. This one had come from a normal hollow, when previously she had seen it on Gundyr. Out of all the darkness she saw thus far in Lothric, she was puzzled by this familiar creature.
'It's like it's spreading. There really must be a darkness taking hold in this land" She thought. 'What is causing it? Were they always here? Was it because of this 'First Flame' dying?'
As she thought, she couldn't find any answers, reasoning she'd have to talk to Ludleth or Andre about it. Now that she had been thinking about it, she realized she didn't know how the Grimm came to be on her world, except for legends and fairy tales; a creation story about feud between divine brothers over light and darkness. As far as she knew, shadowy creatures like the serpent and The Grimm had always existed, and had always been apart of her life as a result.
'It's not about why...it's about knowing' she thought to herself, recalling the words she spoke to Jaune. She looked at the ruins of the shrine the hollows were huddled around, as well as the bodies of the hollows killed by the serpent, including its host, her head feeling heavy. 'I don't know this world though. Man has both light and dark, it's what made us who we are, how we protected ourselves. But what happened to these people?' she continued to think. She began to think of the thing on her right lumbar, the thing that she only noticed when she wished to. The Darksign she was told of.
"What does this curse do to people like them...like me?" Pyrrha asked herself. She stared at the serpent's host. "To turn them into that?"
Author's Notes: Here is part 1 of what was going to be chapter 6 before I split it up. Writing has been a little slow recently, I'd been distracted by important things, like C&C Red Alert 3, Civilization V, and Mount & Blade: Warband (I think M&B: Warband is actually worse for writing than Civ V, If you can believe that). But, I still have a back log, and hopefully I can manage it so I won't run out and require a hiatus. Also, thank you for the 2,000+ views, and I hope you like it. As always, see you Friday, ~12 PST.
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C4d
Has approximate knowledge of many things.
- Location
- Germany
The Hollows are actually turning into trees and are not put on spikes, unless Phyrra just misinterprets what shes seeing.
And not immediately trusting Greirat is understandable for her, but im pretty sure she will free him somewhere down the line. Maybe once he tells her that hes basically just a scavenger willing to supply her with useful items and tools hes gathering on those runs of his.
Chapter 7: Envoy of the Boreal Valley, Vordt
- Location
- RWBY Wiki
Chapter 7: Envoy of the Boreal Valley, Vordt
She began moving again, making her way through assorted cellars and rooms. However, she noticed a large storage room, and paused when she heard a panting noise. She creeped her way down, not wanting to attract any attention. She followed the sound to a small rectangular pit that had stairs leading down. Horrified, she saw what appeared to be a hollowed dog, staring at a body that was gripping a ring keys. Momentarily distracted by this, she failed to notice a hollow soldier slowly approaching until it charged, tackling her and throwing her down the stairs. The shock of falling down made her vulnerable to the dog's wrath, seemingly maddened by her interruption of its vigil. The dog had pounced on top of her, trying to knash at her throat and face. However Pyrrha kept its head in place until she was able to throw it off. Both the soldier and the dog came at her however, and in a hurry she picked up the closest sword nearby and slashed twice without thinking. The soldier went down while the dog leaped back, at surprising distance given its atrophy. The dog leaped again, but Pyrrha brought the sword down, sending it on the floor along the floor in the direction it was swung.
Pyrrha recovered again after the battle, taking another sip of Estus although the pain was minimal this time. She looked at her sword, which was not the longsword she had been using, but a broadsword, with a more triangular blade meant for slashing. The weight and feel of the weapon reminded her greatly of her xiphos, the sword she had back on Remnant. After examining the sword, she turned to the item in the corpse's hand, the ring of keys. She took the keys and looked at them before remembering what she may have needed them for.
Pyrrha walked to the cell, awakening Greirat from his slumber. He got up and was surprised when Pyrrha put the key into the cell and opened the door.
"Oh, hello, you're back. Did ye get a chance to deliver that ring?" Greirat asked.
"I haven't yet, I just found the keys and thought I'd set you free."
Greirat paused. "Huh. What changed your mind lass?"
Pyrrha hesitated as well. "You seemed honest...enough."
"Honest? Ha! Ah, not many people have called me that." Greirat laughed.
Pyrrha however paused at this sentence, finally replying. "Did she?" She asked sincerely.
Greirat sat still, presumably agape at her comment. "Eh, what?" He asked as though he had no idea what she was talking about.
"The old woman you wanted me to deliver this to. I was just wondering if..." Pyrrha tried to ask, stumbling on how to word it. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"
Greirat interrupted after being absorbed by Pyrrha's deduction. "Eh, well, I just needed to tie up some loose ends. Y'know, 'end of days' and all."
Pyrrha paused, having not received a clear answer, before nodding.
"Well, you helped me, and you agreed to help me further, perhaps I can help you for a change." Greirat propositioned, scampering from his cell. Pyrrha gazed puzzled by Greirat's movement and followed him back up the stairs.
"Wait, what is it you're helping me with?" Pyrrha asked confused as to what Greirat was trying to accomplish.
"Well you're going to need to know where to go aren't you?" Greirat asked. "There's a woman here last I heard. She can get you to the Undead Settlement." Greirat continued to move, going past the storage room Pyrrha found and out to a balcony. Following him, she got a close look at where he had stopped. The balcony overlooked a large fountain, which would have been beautiful if not for the assorted corpses and suits of armor surrounding it, ringed around the fountain and the courtyard as small fires burned, with swords and spears adorned with banners sticking out of the ground. At the top of the fountain was a statue of a thin, cloaked, and hooded boy with long hair, kneeling down and propping up a greatsword almost as large as he was.
Pyrrha was aghast once more at the devastation present in what appeared to be a once great and thriving kingdom, prompting her to ask Greirat: "What...happened here?"
"Civil war, The Fire fading, the dead rising." Greirat responded, completely blasé. "It's leveled several kingdoms, ones I can't even remember the name of. As for these sorry souls, I have good money on him." Greirat then pointed near the fountain at a giant armored knight with a halberd patrolling the plaza, with a suit of armor with decorative wings and a shape that made it appear morbidly obese.
"I get the impression we don't want to tangle with him," Greirat said, "follow me and don't make a sound."
Greirat then proceeded to loudly shatter the boxes next to him, revealing an opening in the balcony railing, through which they jumped down. It was a lower level of the plaza, with a set of stone stairs leading up to the main fountain area, and through it the exit. In the pit they were in, there were several suits of armor and swords strewn, the armor slumped over as though their occupants gave up and rested there. Up close she realized the suits were empty, its occupants probably having died a long time ago. The two huddled to the edge of the ledge at the other side of the stairs up, waiting for the winged knight to pass. However, behind them was a hollow soldier, assumed to be just another corpse, who got up silently and with a shrill cry lunged at the two. Greirat and Pyrrha heard this and dodged, the hollow loudly crashing into a suit of armor.
"He's going give us away!" Greirat hissed. The winged knight had indeed stopped its patrol, but it had not yet taken notice of them specifically. Greirat tackled the hollow and unsheathed a dagger, stabbing the hollow repeatedly as it tried resisting, while Pyrrha stood stunned, switching her view between the fight and glancing at the knight, seemingly unaware of the brawl between them, and it began moving in its normal pattern. After a scuffle, the hollow fell silent, Greirat stumbling to Pyrrha's side with two bones in his hand, and resumed his observation of the knight's rounds.
"That's...certainly something I'll never do again…" Greirat said, somewhat shaken. "He's moved, let's go" he whispered.
Pyrrha and Greirat made their way, precisely slipping by the knight in synch with when it turned its corner. Making their way, they arrived to another, narrower courtyard, with a castle chapel with a large, blue window overlooking it, with the courtyard acting as a pathway between a set of double doors located below a somewhat large stairway and the chapel, and an overhead pathway opposite where Pyrrha and Greirat came from.
Pyrrha and Greirat hid behind bushes near the center of the courtyard, where two of the knights from the High Wall were patrolling alternatingly. Greirat however saw a pattern.
"Ah, I know how we're getting past this"
"How?" Pyrrha asked.
"They patrolling, but occasionally they'll both face the same way. In that moment we dash to the other side and enter that chapel" Greirat said as he pointed to their destination.
They agreed on the plan, and once the knights had turned their backs they ran across, heading up the stone flight of stairs to the walkway overlooking the courtyard. However, as they made their way across, they found a knight walking up to the opposite side of the walkway near the chapel, which spotted them.
"I did not know he was here" Greirat sputtered, quite embarrassed as Pyrrha readied for a fight.
The knight lifted its sword upright on the other side of himself and swung at them as he approached them. Greirat backflipped back while Pyrrha raised her shield, which pushed her slightly back. Pyrrha immediately retaliated with a slash, which the knight tanked and followed by slamming its shield into her face, slightly dazing her. It prepared for another slash, but as it did Pyrrha slashed and when it swung she ducked, slipping behind and stabbing the knight in the back, Pyrrha pushing the knight off her sword once the damage had been done. The knight began stirring, but Pyrrha leaped and plunged her sword into it before it got up, causing it to start dissolving into bright, white particles. Greirat nervously approached a somewhat tired Pyrrha.
"My, you're good, I don't think I've ever seen anyone beat a Lothric Knight in personal combat."
Pyrrha straightened and took a sip of Estus, "From what I can see they aren't ones to be around for long."
"Oh yeah, 'course that's just a normal rule I have. The 'pillars of Lothric' don't take kindly to ill-doers such as myself." Greirat explained.
Rather quickly afterward, and after waiting for the other knights' patrol to synch up, they entered the chapel, which was much larger than had appeared on the outside, its form hidden by being connected to the rest of the wall. The inside contained a large hall, with large wooden beams connecting to the ceiling and a large red carpet lining the middle, which lead up to a shrine at the end of the hall, in front of which was an old woman wearing a blue cloak sitting on a wooden throne.
"Who goes there? What business have ye both?" cried the old woman.
"Ah, I'm sorry for intruding miss. I'm Pyrrha Nikos, I was told you can get me to the Undead Settlement."
"Oh? Are you...yes, you must be the Ashen One." the old woman investigated.
Pyrrha shifted. "So I'm told." Pyrrha somberly muttered as the two approached the throne where she sat.
"I am Emma, High Priestess of Lothric Castle. You must have been made aware: you won't find the Lords of Cinder here, they've abandoned their thrones. I can grant you access to the lands at the base of this castle, where the Lords have returned to their churning homes. Please take this."
Emma reached behind her and handed Pyrrha a small banner on a somewhat small pole.
"Forge on through the main gate and plant this banner to proceed."
Pyrrha took the banner and stared quizzically at it. "But, what do I do with it after?"
"Patience child, once you raise the banner, the rest shall follow suit." Emma provided vaguely.
Greirat then turned to Pyrrha. "Well, I believe I fulfilled my end. Do you know of a safe place I can go to wait while you go off on your merry way?"
"Well, I'd say go to Firelink but I don't see-"
"Very well, sounds good enough." Greirat said. He then fished out the pair of bones he took from his pocket. "I'll make my way over. Here, I've' a spare. Don't forget your promise Pyrrha. I meant it when I said she needed that ring."
"Wait, what is this?" Pyrrha said halting Greirat, somewhat disturbed by holding a bone most likely from the corpse of the hollow.
"Hmm? Oh, well these are what we used to call 'homeward bones.' Just hold them, think of a sanctuary you know of, and then crush it in your hand, you'll be there in a heartbeat." Greirat then demonstrated, stepping back to a kneel, muttering almost inaudibly, before crushing it, a strange bright pattern forming around Greirat before he and the pattern disappeared almost in a cloud. Pyrrha looked to the bone in her hand and pocketed it, making her way out of the chapel.
Sneaking past the Lothric Knights, she went down the stairs that lead to a large set of double doors, opened. Through it, she went into a large room, about as large as the chapel's had been, except mostly empty and stark, lined with the same empty suits of armor as the fountain plaza. She made her way to the very end of the room, which had a large gate covered in thick, encrusted vines. She reached out to touch them, however she then felt a strange, piercing chill...and heavy breathing. She turned around and saw a large, white plume of icy vapor, in the middle of which was forming a large being. As the vapor settled, the figure was revealed. It was large and intimidating, though sporting a large belly, and having ornate silver and blue armor, with impressive shoulder pauldrons and, most prominently, a snouted, intricate helmet through which she saw glowing blue eyes, and armed with a large flanged mace. Most disturbingly however, the being was in all fours, its body positioned perfectly for the stance, seeming more a dog than a person. By then the only vapor still surrounding this beast was that emanating from himself. It then arched backward and gave a loud howl into the sky and prepared to do battle.
Pyrrha reached for her shield and sword when it charged, raising its mace for an upward strike. Pyrrha blocked it but was launched back into the gate, where the creature then grabbed Pyrrha and threw her, sending her flying and landing hard on the stone brick to the left of her, near the wall. Pyrrha got up shaken, with the dog-like knight slowly advancing on her. She reached back and took another sip of Estus, rejuvenating herself more. The knight stepped back and prepared a long swing, but Pyrrha was ready this time and dived underneath, followed by stabbing the hand the creature used to hold itself up. The creature briefly faltered from the pain, but used the hand she stabbed to slap her away. Pyrrha fell to the ground and the creature leaped back and then up to crush her. Pyrrha saw this and rolled on the ground to avoid it, being directly underneath it when it landed, completely unharmed. The creature remained still, momentarily confused, allowing Pyrrha to sit up and start slashing at the beast above her, slashing at its stomach as blood fell on top of her. The beast began reacting to the pain and abruptly turned, knocking over her over. The beast then slammed its mace into the ground and held it there, with white, icy vapor beginning to billow from the ground and the beast itself. Pyrrha scuttled away and raised her guard, but she could feel the chill, and frost began to cover her shield, even going behind it.
The mist subsided, and the beast stepped back, and without warning dashed at Pyrrha, knocking her violently aside as it rammed into wall behind her. All the air in her lungs was knocked out from the force, and she felt extremely weak, with several parts of her body numb, but she crawled up and tried to make ready for another attack the beast may make. She took another sip of Estus, but as she brought it down she saw there was very little left, probably only good for one more drink. The creature turned around and charged again. This time Pyrrha was able to leap and grab hold of the beast's armor, hanging on as it charged towards the door. As she hung on, she tried slashing at the beast's neck. It kept running but after a few strikes it went faster and then abruptly stopped, launching Pyrrha against the door. She fell to a heap at the base of the gate, but the beast stopped and began to inhale. Through her pained haze, she saw cold mist flowing into its face and quickly she dove underneath the beast. As she did, it blasted a plume of freezing, frost inducing air, which quickly started freezing the gate. Underneath it, Pyrrha also started freezing. Although not taking the brunt of the cold air it was exhaling, the freezing effects still took hold, Pyrrha wincing in pain as her skin became brown and hard with frostbite. Pyrrha then crawled out from the beast as it stopped breathing out and it turned around. The beast stared at her for a beat before charging again, Pyrrha only having enough time to dodge its attack. She limped back to the gate and turned to face it as it stopped. Behind her however, she noticed the entire gate was frozen, including the vines. An idea came into her head. The beast prepared for yet another charge, with Pyrrha raising her guard to bait it. The beast charged, at full gallop, towards Pyrrha. At the last second however, Pyrrha dodged, and the beast crashed into the gate, launching itself outside and tumbled out onto a broken bridge high above the ground. The stone bridge could not hold its weight, and it began to collapse, the beast only barely managing to grab hold of a stable chunk of the bridge. Pyrrha ran outside and began to attack the beast's hand, causing it to roar in rage and pain. It swung its mace with its free hand, slamming her back. She got up however and continued slashing, the hand's grip becoming weaker and weaker before finally it lost its grip and plummeted into the chasm past the mountain the castle stood on, roaring a mad roar the whole way.
Pyrrha panted and breathed heavily after the exhausting task of killing the monster, and she fell onto her back and rested for awhile. She was exhausted from her task and the fight against the beast. However as she lay there, she felt a sharp pain all across her body, but then she felt a strange rejuvenating feeling, all the pain she suffered during the fight had gone, and was replaced by consistent warmth. She sat up and looked at her hands, which had begun to glow, her skin fractured by glowing, miniature rivers of ember, as though her body had once been set on fire. Her body also gave off floating embers, flicking off even the parts of her body that weren't affected.
Confused by this development, she got up and took out the banner Emma gave her, somewhat banged up by her fight. Following her instruction she raised it as high as she could, overlooking the land outside the High Wall. Beyond it was a large expanse of land, with several trees, which surrounded a small settlement with a tall manor and a keep to the right of each. Closest to the High Wall was what appeared to be a bridge, with a gate and gatehouse. It looked almost as though it connected to the castle, before the mountain the castle was built on was raised. She waited for awhile. Nothing had occurred. After awhile she began to ponder if she were doing something wrong. She set the banner down, but as she did, she noticed a thin red hand at the edge where she was standing, its owner climbing up, revealing itself to be a truly hideous creature, with a lanky white body, a cranium that was shaped like the brain that was supposed to be contained and long curved ears, a rat like face, and large bat-like wings. Three of these creatures crawled up and before she can ready her weapons, two had taken her arms and started flying with her. High above the gap separating the castle from the rest of the world. Finally she was being flown to the tower at the gatehouse and the creatures had dropped her there, Pyrrha accomplishing a three-point landing to break her fall. Next to her was a bonfire, which she lit and sat down at, resting herself and trying to recover before journeying forward, and seeking out these Lords of Cinder she was told to bring. She had a whole world to explore.
Author's Notes: Chapter 7 nice and ready. A bit of bad news, this is probably the last of the backlog, and end of semester bulls*** is in full force, so there's a good chance I won't be able to update next week. But I'm hoping I can get something for you guys before long. Thank you so much for reading. See you Friday, hopefully.
She began moving again, making her way through assorted cellars and rooms. However, she noticed a large storage room, and paused when she heard a panting noise. She creeped her way down, not wanting to attract any attention. She followed the sound to a small rectangular pit that had stairs leading down. Horrified, she saw what appeared to be a hollowed dog, staring at a body that was gripping a ring keys. Momentarily distracted by this, she failed to notice a hollow soldier slowly approaching until it charged, tackling her and throwing her down the stairs. The shock of falling down made her vulnerable to the dog's wrath, seemingly maddened by her interruption of its vigil. The dog had pounced on top of her, trying to knash at her throat and face. However Pyrrha kept its head in place until she was able to throw it off. Both the soldier and the dog came at her however, and in a hurry she picked up the closest sword nearby and slashed twice without thinking. The soldier went down while the dog leaped back, at surprising distance given its atrophy. The dog leaped again, but Pyrrha brought the sword down, sending it on the floor along the floor in the direction it was swung.
Pyrrha recovered again after the battle, taking another sip of Estus although the pain was minimal this time. She looked at her sword, which was not the longsword she had been using, but a broadsword, with a more triangular blade meant for slashing. The weight and feel of the weapon reminded her greatly of her xiphos, the sword she had back on Remnant. After examining the sword, she turned to the item in the corpse's hand, the ring of keys. She took the keys and looked at them before remembering what she may have needed them for.
Pyrrha walked to the cell, awakening Greirat from his slumber. He got up and was surprised when Pyrrha put the key into the cell and opened the door.
"Oh, hello, you're back. Did ye get a chance to deliver that ring?" Greirat asked.
"I haven't yet, I just found the keys and thought I'd set you free."
Greirat paused. "Huh. What changed your mind lass?"
Pyrrha hesitated as well. "You seemed honest...enough."
"Honest? Ha! Ah, not many people have called me that." Greirat laughed.
Pyrrha however paused at this sentence, finally replying. "Did she?" She asked sincerely.
Greirat sat still, presumably agape at her comment. "Eh, what?" He asked as though he had no idea what she was talking about.
"The old woman you wanted me to deliver this to. I was just wondering if..." Pyrrha tried to ask, stumbling on how to word it. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"
Greirat interrupted after being absorbed by Pyrrha's deduction. "Eh, well, I just needed to tie up some loose ends. Y'know, 'end of days' and all."
Pyrrha paused, having not received a clear answer, before nodding.
"Well, you helped me, and you agreed to help me further, perhaps I can help you for a change." Greirat propositioned, scampering from his cell. Pyrrha gazed puzzled by Greirat's movement and followed him back up the stairs.
"Wait, what is it you're helping me with?" Pyrrha asked confused as to what Greirat was trying to accomplish.
"Well you're going to need to know where to go aren't you?" Greirat asked. "There's a woman here last I heard. She can get you to the Undead Settlement." Greirat continued to move, going past the storage room Pyrrha found and out to a balcony. Following him, she got a close look at where he had stopped. The balcony overlooked a large fountain, which would have been beautiful if not for the assorted corpses and suits of armor surrounding it, ringed around the fountain and the courtyard as small fires burned, with swords and spears adorned with banners sticking out of the ground. At the top of the fountain was a statue of a thin, cloaked, and hooded boy with long hair, kneeling down and propping up a greatsword almost as large as he was.
Pyrrha was aghast once more at the devastation present in what appeared to be a once great and thriving kingdom, prompting her to ask Greirat: "What...happened here?"
"Civil war, The Fire fading, the dead rising." Greirat responded, completely blasé. "It's leveled several kingdoms, ones I can't even remember the name of. As for these sorry souls, I have good money on him." Greirat then pointed near the fountain at a giant armored knight with a halberd patrolling the plaza, with a suit of armor with decorative wings and a shape that made it appear morbidly obese.
"I get the impression we don't want to tangle with him," Greirat said, "follow me and don't make a sound."
Greirat then proceeded to loudly shatter the boxes next to him, revealing an opening in the balcony railing, through which they jumped down. It was a lower level of the plaza, with a set of stone stairs leading up to the main fountain area, and through it the exit. In the pit they were in, there were several suits of armor and swords strewn, the armor slumped over as though their occupants gave up and rested there. Up close she realized the suits were empty, its occupants probably having died a long time ago. The two huddled to the edge of the ledge at the other side of the stairs up, waiting for the winged knight to pass. However, behind them was a hollow soldier, assumed to be just another corpse, who got up silently and with a shrill cry lunged at the two. Greirat and Pyrrha heard this and dodged, the hollow loudly crashing into a suit of armor.
"He's going give us away!" Greirat hissed. The winged knight had indeed stopped its patrol, but it had not yet taken notice of them specifically. Greirat tackled the hollow and unsheathed a dagger, stabbing the hollow repeatedly as it tried resisting, while Pyrrha stood stunned, switching her view between the fight and glancing at the knight, seemingly unaware of the brawl between them, and it began moving in its normal pattern. After a scuffle, the hollow fell silent, Greirat stumbling to Pyrrha's side with two bones in his hand, and resumed his observation of the knight's rounds.
"That's...certainly something I'll never do again…" Greirat said, somewhat shaken. "He's moved, let's go" he whispered.
Pyrrha and Greirat made their way, precisely slipping by the knight in synch with when it turned its corner. Making their way, they arrived to another, narrower courtyard, with a castle chapel with a large, blue window overlooking it, with the courtyard acting as a pathway between a set of double doors located below a somewhat large stairway and the chapel, and an overhead pathway opposite where Pyrrha and Greirat came from.
Pyrrha and Greirat hid behind bushes near the center of the courtyard, where two of the knights from the High Wall were patrolling alternatingly. Greirat however saw a pattern.
"Ah, I know how we're getting past this"
"How?" Pyrrha asked.
"They patrolling, but occasionally they'll both face the same way. In that moment we dash to the other side and enter that chapel" Greirat said as he pointed to their destination.
They agreed on the plan, and once the knights had turned their backs they ran across, heading up the stone flight of stairs to the walkway overlooking the courtyard. However, as they made their way across, they found a knight walking up to the opposite side of the walkway near the chapel, which spotted them.
"I did not know he was here" Greirat sputtered, quite embarrassed as Pyrrha readied for a fight.
The knight lifted its sword upright on the other side of himself and swung at them as he approached them. Greirat backflipped back while Pyrrha raised her shield, which pushed her slightly back. Pyrrha immediately retaliated with a slash, which the knight tanked and followed by slamming its shield into her face, slightly dazing her. It prepared for another slash, but as it did Pyrrha slashed and when it swung she ducked, slipping behind and stabbing the knight in the back, Pyrrha pushing the knight off her sword once the damage had been done. The knight began stirring, but Pyrrha leaped and plunged her sword into it before it got up, causing it to start dissolving into bright, white particles. Greirat nervously approached a somewhat tired Pyrrha.
"My, you're good, I don't think I've ever seen anyone beat a Lothric Knight in personal combat."
Pyrrha straightened and took a sip of Estus, "From what I can see they aren't ones to be around for long."
"Oh yeah, 'course that's just a normal rule I have. The 'pillars of Lothric' don't take kindly to ill-doers such as myself." Greirat explained.
Rather quickly afterward, and after waiting for the other knights' patrol to synch up, they entered the chapel, which was much larger than had appeared on the outside, its form hidden by being connected to the rest of the wall. The inside contained a large hall, with large wooden beams connecting to the ceiling and a large red carpet lining the middle, which lead up to a shrine at the end of the hall, in front of which was an old woman wearing a blue cloak sitting on a wooden throne.
"Who goes there? What business have ye both?" cried the old woman.
"Ah, I'm sorry for intruding miss. I'm Pyrrha Nikos, I was told you can get me to the Undead Settlement."
"Oh? Are you...yes, you must be the Ashen One." the old woman investigated.
Pyrrha shifted. "So I'm told." Pyrrha somberly muttered as the two approached the throne where she sat.
"I am Emma, High Priestess of Lothric Castle. You must have been made aware: you won't find the Lords of Cinder here, they've abandoned their thrones. I can grant you access to the lands at the base of this castle, where the Lords have returned to their churning homes. Please take this."
Emma reached behind her and handed Pyrrha a small banner on a somewhat small pole.
"Forge on through the main gate and plant this banner to proceed."
Pyrrha took the banner and stared quizzically at it. "But, what do I do with it after?"
"Patience child, once you raise the banner, the rest shall follow suit." Emma provided vaguely.
Greirat then turned to Pyrrha. "Well, I believe I fulfilled my end. Do you know of a safe place I can go to wait while you go off on your merry way?"
"Well, I'd say go to Firelink but I don't see-"
"Very well, sounds good enough." Greirat said. He then fished out the pair of bones he took from his pocket. "I'll make my way over. Here, I've' a spare. Don't forget your promise Pyrrha. I meant it when I said she needed that ring."
"Wait, what is this?" Pyrrha said halting Greirat, somewhat disturbed by holding a bone most likely from the corpse of the hollow.
"Hmm? Oh, well these are what we used to call 'homeward bones.' Just hold them, think of a sanctuary you know of, and then crush it in your hand, you'll be there in a heartbeat." Greirat then demonstrated, stepping back to a kneel, muttering almost inaudibly, before crushing it, a strange bright pattern forming around Greirat before he and the pattern disappeared almost in a cloud. Pyrrha looked to the bone in her hand and pocketed it, making her way out of the chapel.
Sneaking past the Lothric Knights, she went down the stairs that lead to a large set of double doors, opened. Through it, she went into a large room, about as large as the chapel's had been, except mostly empty and stark, lined with the same empty suits of armor as the fountain plaza. She made her way to the very end of the room, which had a large gate covered in thick, encrusted vines. She reached out to touch them, however she then felt a strange, piercing chill...and heavy breathing. She turned around and saw a large, white plume of icy vapor, in the middle of which was forming a large being. As the vapor settled, the figure was revealed. It was large and intimidating, though sporting a large belly, and having ornate silver and blue armor, with impressive shoulder pauldrons and, most prominently, a snouted, intricate helmet through which she saw glowing blue eyes, and armed with a large flanged mace. Most disturbingly however, the being was in all fours, its body positioned perfectly for the stance, seeming more a dog than a person. By then the only vapor still surrounding this beast was that emanating from himself. It then arched backward and gave a loud howl into the sky and prepared to do battle.
Pyrrha reached for her shield and sword when it charged, raising its mace for an upward strike. Pyrrha blocked it but was launched back into the gate, where the creature then grabbed Pyrrha and threw her, sending her flying and landing hard on the stone brick to the left of her, near the wall. Pyrrha got up shaken, with the dog-like knight slowly advancing on her. She reached back and took another sip of Estus, rejuvenating herself more. The knight stepped back and prepared a long swing, but Pyrrha was ready this time and dived underneath, followed by stabbing the hand the creature used to hold itself up. The creature briefly faltered from the pain, but used the hand she stabbed to slap her away. Pyrrha fell to the ground and the creature leaped back and then up to crush her. Pyrrha saw this and rolled on the ground to avoid it, being directly underneath it when it landed, completely unharmed. The creature remained still, momentarily confused, allowing Pyrrha to sit up and start slashing at the beast above her, slashing at its stomach as blood fell on top of her. The beast began reacting to the pain and abruptly turned, knocking over her over. The beast then slammed its mace into the ground and held it there, with white, icy vapor beginning to billow from the ground and the beast itself. Pyrrha scuttled away and raised her guard, but she could feel the chill, and frost began to cover her shield, even going behind it.
The mist subsided, and the beast stepped back, and without warning dashed at Pyrrha, knocking her violently aside as it rammed into wall behind her. All the air in her lungs was knocked out from the force, and she felt extremely weak, with several parts of her body numb, but she crawled up and tried to make ready for another attack the beast may make. She took another sip of Estus, but as she brought it down she saw there was very little left, probably only good for one more drink. The creature turned around and charged again. This time Pyrrha was able to leap and grab hold of the beast's armor, hanging on as it charged towards the door. As she hung on, she tried slashing at the beast's neck. It kept running but after a few strikes it went faster and then abruptly stopped, launching Pyrrha against the door. She fell to a heap at the base of the gate, but the beast stopped and began to inhale. Through her pained haze, she saw cold mist flowing into its face and quickly she dove underneath the beast. As she did, it blasted a plume of freezing, frost inducing air, which quickly started freezing the gate. Underneath it, Pyrrha also started freezing. Although not taking the brunt of the cold air it was exhaling, the freezing effects still took hold, Pyrrha wincing in pain as her skin became brown and hard with frostbite. Pyrrha then crawled out from the beast as it stopped breathing out and it turned around. The beast stared at her for a beat before charging again, Pyrrha only having enough time to dodge its attack. She limped back to the gate and turned to face it as it stopped. Behind her however, she noticed the entire gate was frozen, including the vines. An idea came into her head. The beast prepared for yet another charge, with Pyrrha raising her guard to bait it. The beast charged, at full gallop, towards Pyrrha. At the last second however, Pyrrha dodged, and the beast crashed into the gate, launching itself outside and tumbled out onto a broken bridge high above the ground. The stone bridge could not hold its weight, and it began to collapse, the beast only barely managing to grab hold of a stable chunk of the bridge. Pyrrha ran outside and began to attack the beast's hand, causing it to roar in rage and pain. It swung its mace with its free hand, slamming her back. She got up however and continued slashing, the hand's grip becoming weaker and weaker before finally it lost its grip and plummeted into the chasm past the mountain the castle stood on, roaring a mad roar the whole way.
Pyrrha panted and breathed heavily after the exhausting task of killing the monster, and she fell onto her back and rested for awhile. She was exhausted from her task and the fight against the beast. However as she lay there, she felt a sharp pain all across her body, but then she felt a strange rejuvenating feeling, all the pain she suffered during the fight had gone, and was replaced by consistent warmth. She sat up and looked at her hands, which had begun to glow, her skin fractured by glowing, miniature rivers of ember, as though her body had once been set on fire. Her body also gave off floating embers, flicking off even the parts of her body that weren't affected.
Confused by this development, she got up and took out the banner Emma gave her, somewhat banged up by her fight. Following her instruction she raised it as high as she could, overlooking the land outside the High Wall. Beyond it was a large expanse of land, with several trees, which surrounded a small settlement with a tall manor and a keep to the right of each. Closest to the High Wall was what appeared to be a bridge, with a gate and gatehouse. It looked almost as though it connected to the castle, before the mountain the castle was built on was raised. She waited for awhile. Nothing had occurred. After awhile she began to ponder if she were doing something wrong. She set the banner down, but as she did, she noticed a thin red hand at the edge where she was standing, its owner climbing up, revealing itself to be a truly hideous creature, with a lanky white body, a cranium that was shaped like the brain that was supposed to be contained and long curved ears, a rat like face, and large bat-like wings. Three of these creatures crawled up and before she can ready her weapons, two had taken her arms and started flying with her. High above the gap separating the castle from the rest of the world. Finally she was being flown to the tower at the gatehouse and the creatures had dropped her there, Pyrrha accomplishing a three-point landing to break her fall. Next to her was a bonfire, which she lit and sat down at, resting herself and trying to recover before journeying forward, and seeking out these Lords of Cinder she was told to bring. She had a whole world to explore.
Author's Notes: Chapter 7 nice and ready. A bit of bad news, this is probably the last of the backlog, and end of semester bulls*** is in full force, so there's a good chance I won't be able to update next week. But I'm hoping I can get something for you guys before long. Thank you so much for reading. See you Friday, hopefully.
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Gen.Raven
Leader of the Hawk-Men
- Location
- Bristol, Tennessee
Hope neither of you mind if I answer this.
The first DLC, Ashes of Ariandel, is effectively a look at the cycles as a whole, and why they should/should not continue, and it is extremely likely Pontiff Sulleyvahn, Aldrich's dragon/handler, came from Ariandel. Since Pyrrha seems to want to know more about the world of Dark Souls, this would probably be a pretty good place to take the story at some point.
The Ringed City is important for much the same reasons, since, from what I've heard, it shows how the cycles started in the first place. It also has important details about the Dark Soul and the Abyss that could directly effect the ending. Also, one of the most important characters in the trilogy has a leading role in a side-quest.
I hope I'm not being too vague about Ring City, I'm trying to avoid spoiling the story for it.
- Location
- RWBY Wiki
PM me, I think it's in my best interests to know.
- Location
- Australia
Wish you could make Vordt smash through the gate and skid off the edge and finish it like the Chariot boss in DS 2.
How long till she either twigs onto or is told about using Souls to improve herself?
How long till she either twigs onto or is told about using Souls to improve herself?