Hunting the Flame (Bloodborne/Dark Souls)

[Walker of the Yellow Path]

You kneel on the ground, looking away from the First Hunter. You hear the sound of a trick weapon being drawn, of its moving parts as they snap into place.

You stop yourself from doing the same with your own.

The scythe touches your neck gently, and then withdraws.

"Farewell, my keen hunter. Fear the blood."

You close your eyes.

The scythe cuts through you, and your dream.

----

"Farewell good hunter. May you find your worth in the waking world."

----

You're falling.

Normally, you'd be a little bit panicked about that. Falling isn't fun. It generally leads to dying, and dying hurts.

But you're calm right now. You have this feeling in you, that the fall isn't going to hurt or kill you.

Memories plague your mind, hazy visions of a past half remembered. You sweep them aside, in favor of what you do remember.

The Beasts. Gascoigne, Amelia, Ludwig, Laurence.

The Old Ones. Kos's Orphan, Mergo, Rom, Amygdala.

The Hunter's. Eileen, Alfred, Simon, Valtr, Djura, Gehrman.

And the others. Arianna, Gascoigne's Daughters, Adella, Annalise, The Doll.

Enemies, friends, and victims.

And you. The outsider.

You cling to these memories. They are what define you now, not some troubled past life.

You are...

[ ] Aurelia, Noble Hunter
-Armor: Knight Set
-Weapon: Chikage, Rakuyo
-Gun: Evelyn
-Covenant: Vileblood
-Tools: Old Hunter Bone, Madaras Whistle
Bloodtinge/Skill
[ ] Aethra, Storm Hunter
-Armor: Hunter Set
-Weapon: Ludwig's Holy Blade, Tonitrus
-Gun: Blunderbuss
-Covenant: Executioner
-Tools: Tiny Tonitrus, Old Hunter Bone
Strength/Arcane
[ ] Vaerleic, Ashen Hunter
-Armor: Grey Wolf Cap, Bone Ash Set
-Weapon: Blade of Mercy, Saw Spear
-Gun: Repeating Pistol
-Covenant: Hunter of Hunters
-Tools: Old Hunter Bone, Empty Phantasm Shell
Skill
[ ] Harriet, Boom Hunter
-Armor: Old Hunter Set
-Weapon: Boom Hammer, Stake Driver
-Gun: Cannon
-Covenant: League
-Tools: All Molotov Variants, Oil Urns
Strength
[ ] Lycaon, Beast Hunter
-Armor: Brador's Set
-Weapon: Beast Claws
-Gun: None
-Covenant: Beast Embrace
-Tools: Old Hunter Bone, Empty Phantasm Shell, Beast Roar, Choir Bell
Strength
[ ] Albert, Kin Hunter
-Armor: Students Set (Cape)
-Weapon: Kos Parasite
-Gun: None
-Covenant: Milkweed
-Tools: Augur of Ebrietas, Call Beyond, Blacksky Eye, Executioner's Gloves
Arcane
[ ] Write-in
-Armor:
-Weapon: (No more than 2)
-Gun: (Only 1, unless you give up a weapon or tool slot)
-Covenant:
-Tools: (No more than 2, unless you give up a weapon or gun slot)

----

You don't remember hitting the ground, but you must have at some point, since you're lying down.

You open your eyes, and look around. It's.....

[ ] A prison. Stone walls and a barred door. The only light is the torch light on the outside corridor, and the light coming from the hole roof high above. There's a corpse leaning on the other wa- Wait. It moved.
[ ] A grassy field, dotted with stone pillars and surrounded by rocky walls. In the center is a large stone gazebo, and lying in the center of that is a person covered in tattered and loose robes.


AN: Serious Writer block on my Exalted quest, and I've been obsessed with Bloodborne and Dark Souls again recently, so here. Bloodborne and Dark Souls/Dark Souls 2 Quest

 

[Walker of the Yellow Path]

Allies

Spoiler

Venn, Backstreet Brawler
-Armor: None.
-Right Hand: Club, Short Sword
-Left Hand: Plank Shield, Shortbow
-Covenant: None
-Spells: None
-Items: Arrows

Enemies

Spoiler

You haven't had the chance to make any. That will change, however

Neutral

Spoiler

Crestfallen Warrior
-Everyone whose played DS knows who this guy is. He's kind of an ass, but he's also lonely and depressed. Not that you care.
-Very skilled with his sword and shield. He could have been the Chosen Undead, had he not given up.

Aethra, Moonlight Hunter
-Armor: Hunter Set
-Weapon: Holy Moonlight Sword
-Gun: Blunderbuss
-Covenant: ???
-Tools: ???
-Spells: ???
-Description: You've summoned this woman to help you for a bit. Why is she a pink phantom, though? How strange.

 

[Walker of the Yellow Path]

[X] Aurelia, Noble Hunter
[X] A prison. Stone walls and a barred door. The only light is the torch light on the outside corridor, and the light coming from the hole roof high above. There's a corpse leaning on the other wa- Wait. It moved.

You stare at the moving corpse, as your hand strays down to the pair of sheathes at your side.

The corpse raises a hand, and coughs. It then proceeds to speak, in a raspy cough that makes you wince. "Peace. I can't harm you."

It shows you it's only weapon, a sword hilt with only a bit of the original sword on it.

"Where am I?" You ask.

It chuckles. "The Northern Undead Asylum."

Undead Asylum? It would certainly explain why a corpse was talking and moving.

You take the moment to examine your cell mate. It, or rather, he appears to be a mostly naked (a small loincloth covers the genitals), desiccated corpse. His eyes are dark and shadowed, and his hair is mostly gone.

But onto more pressing issues. "How do we get out?"

He shrugs.

A corpse falls through the sky light.

You look up. A knight in shining armor stands there. He nods, and then moves on.

Your cellmate searches the corpse, and produces a key. "Here's how we get out."

He slides it into the door, and with a creak, it opens.

He takes a breath, then starts running down the corridor, ignoring the other moving corpses banging on the walls.

What do you do?
[ ] Follow him.
[ ] See if the other undead talk.
[ ] Take a good look around.
[ ] Kill everything and everyone.
[ ] Write-in

 

[Walker of the Yellow Path]

[X] Follow Him

You follow him at a more sedate pace, taking a quick look around as you do.

You falter briefly as you look through the bars to your right, and see a big fat monster waddling around in a room that seems small compared to how big it is.

You ignore it for now (it's ignoring you, thankfully), and follow your former cellmate. You avoid a large puddle, and climb up a ladder, and enter into a courtyard. You see your new acquaintance sitting at... a burning sword? That's new.

You understand a little as you approach. You feel just.... Better when you get close to it. A little more awake, a little more comfortable.

Your companion seems to be enjoying it, leaning into the fire, his hands actually touching the flame.

CRASH.

You jump, and turn, drawing your Chikage.

Nothing. The crash was probably in an area you couldn't see.

The undead man looks around, but doesn't get up.

What do?
[ ] Sit and talk.
-About What?
[ ] Explore and investigate.
[ ] Murder.

 

[Walker of the Yellow Path]

[X] Sit and talk.
-[X] About what is going on. This place. How they got here?

"What is going on?"

He looks at you curiously. "What do you mean?"

"This place, those.... undead, how they got here."

He chuckles, "You really don't know? This is the Northern Undead Asylum, on the borders of the Northern Kingdoms and Lordran. It's one of the places where the Bearers of the Darksign," he shows you a black symbol on his hand, "The Curse of Undeath are sent to await the end of the world."

He looks into the fire, and then at the huge door in the side of the courtyard. "There's a pair of Demons set to guarding this place. Big fat ones with hammer and some magic bullshit. A small one to guard the entrance and roof, and a larger one to deal with the more criminal and dangerous undead in the lower levels."

He shrugs. "Whatever. I'll deal with it later." He looks at you. "My name's Ven. You?"

[ ] Aurelia.
[ ] False name
-What name?
[ ] Kill him

And after you give him your name, what'll you do?

[ ] Go through the big door.
[ ] Sit and talk
-About what?
[ ] Murder

 

[Walker of the Yellow Path]

[X] Aurelia.
[X] Go through the big door.

"Aurelia." You answer.

He nods, and then states into the fire, a pensive, slightly worried look on his face.

You shrug, and stand. You feel like exploring right now.

You walk over to the double doors, and push them open, and look around.

It's a large room, with pots on the sides for some reason. You note the two other doors. A big door right in front of you, and a smaller door to left wall of the big door.

And above you.... Is a hole in the ceiling. And peeking from the hole is what looks like that big fat monster's little brother. Still big, but not as big. Probably one of the 'demons' guarding this place that Ven mentioned.

It notices you've noticed it, and jumps down, a large mace/hammer thing in its hands.

What do?
[ ] Attempt peaceful nego-

Fuck that! Your blood has started to boil. It's time for a hunt.

You grin, and your hand goes to the blades at your side.

Which one?
[ ] The Chikage
[ ] The Rakuyo
[ ] Don't bother with a blade. You can kill this thing with just your pistol.
[ ] Don't bother with the Pistol. You can kill this thing barehanded.

 

[Walker of the Yellow Path]

[x] The Rakuyo.
[x] Don't rush towards it. Anticipate it's attacks and dodge accordingly.
-[x] Use every opening to get closer and behind it. Convert the Rakuyo and slice that demon's butt, then wait for another opening. Hit and run. Hit and run.

You draw the elegant twinblade of Lady Maria, as well as drawing your Evelyn pistol.

The demon regards you, and raises its hammer.

It brings the hammer down to smash you through the floor.

It's painfully slow. A lazy dash to the side, and you avoid the first strike. You then duck under his next attack, a vertical sweep, and then rush past it, holstering your Evelyn as you separate the Rakuyo's blades.

You grimace slightly as you cut through the monsters rear. It smells almost as bad as that boar in Yharnam's sewers.

You dash backwards as the Demon turns its bulk to you, bringing the Rakuyo's knife back into the katana's hilt, and draw your Evelyn, firing a quick shot into the thing's head as it tries to swing.

You smirk as it falls over in pain, and you can feel your claws growing as you sheathe your blade and shove your hand into its face. You grip at something, and pull, ripping out something meaty and squishy.

The Demon shudders, and dies, and you stare at the brain matter in your hands, and the pair of Quicksilver bullets some of the blood turned into.

You lick at the blood, and then gag a little. It's filling, but not exactly the most delicious flavor of blood.

Ven pokes his head in, and whistles appreciatively. "Holy crap. Nice kill."

What to say?
[ ] "Thanks."
[ ] Lick the blood from your blade. It's still blood, poor taste non withstanding.
[ ] Murder.

 

[Walker of the Yellow Path]

You nod at him, "Thanks." Then, you look at the blood on your blade.

It is still blood.

And you don't want to waste your limited supply of Blood Vials on silly things like hunger.

You draw the flat of the blade across your tongue, licking the blood off it. It's still has a pretty bad quality, but now that you're prepared for the taste, it's something you can live with.

So long as it doesn't become routine.

Ven watches you, and then shrugs, before inspecting the corpse of the Demon. "This thing has probably eaten a human before, so where... Aha!" He reaches in, and pulls out something strange. A more of black light with a white outline, you can see his corpse face smiling, as he crushed it.

The shadow flows into him, and he breathes a sigh of relief, then heads for the bonfire. He kneels at the strange thing, and his skin begins to grow back. The transformation finishes with his hair, short and black.

You hold in a breath and barely stopped a blush from forming as you realize how.... buff this guy is. Every inch of him looks like muscle, and thankfully that loincloth covers his nether regions, or else....

Well, you don't really want to think of that right now. Maybe later. When you're alone.

Yeah.

Ven smiles and rubs the back of his head. "Err... Sorry for the lack of clothes. Would you believe they rotted off?"

[ ] "Sure."
[ ] Blank stare
[ ] Murder him
[ ] Something else?

Questions?
[ ] What was that thing you crushed?
[ ] Continue on. You don't really care.
[ ] Murder him
[ ] Something else?

And After?
[ ] Try the doors.
[ ] Take a nap in front of the Bonfire.
[ ] Murder him
[ ] Something else?

 

[Walker of the Yellow Path]

"... Sure." You say, giving him a blank stare. You shake your head. "What was that thing you crushed?"

He raises an eyebrow, "You don't know? That was a Humanity. Little dark bit inside a person's soul which undead like me can use to restore a bit of our own Humanity. If you go too long without it, or lose your motivation and direction, you become a mindless Hollow."

That... almost reminds you of the Beast Plague. But different enough that the parallels aren't completely there. You're kinda glad you're only going to mutate into a horrible blood-drinking beast rather than become a zombie in rotten clothing.

Small blessings, really.

You shrug, and move to try the big door the Demon was guarding.

It doesn't budge. Locked. For not the first time in your life, you wish you had learned how to pick locks. It would have been useful.

Ven walks over to the passageway in the left of the hall. "There's another bonfire here. Why so close?"

He walks in, only for the gate to slam shut behind him. Locking him in that passage, and you outside.

What do?

[ ]: Be Ven.
-[ ]: Continue down the passageway.
-[ ]: Rest at the bonfire

[ ] Stay as Aurelia
-[ ]: Try to cut the door open.
-[ ]: Is the ground cracked?

 

[Walker of the Yellow Path]

Your name is Ven.

Or Venn.

No one really told you how to spell your own name.

And unfortunately, both versions are legitimate names.

You don't really care though.

You used to be an orphan, a street rat in Astora. Here you learned how to fight with fists and clubs and knives.

You miss having a club. Clubs are nice.

You then grew up, and upgraded to a homeless beggar in Astora. You had no skills besides beating people up for money, and not only did the city guard not want you, but they knew you well. One slip up, and you would probably be thrown in prison for the rest of your life.

So you begged, and did manual labour in various places.

It was a life.

And then you got stabbed one day. A fellow street rat stabbed you for money.

And then you woke up in-front of a bonfire, all zombie like.

After that, you were clubbed, stabbed, and... arrowed? Shot? Perforated? Will, you were killed several times before you got thrown into the Asylum.

But now you're free! That weird sword licking noblewoman suddenly appeared in your cell while you were sleeping, and then that knight dropped the key down, and Aurelia killed the little Demon. You just need the key for the big door, and you can probably make a go at... the impassable mountains and sea surrounding the Asylum.

You try not to think about that, and just shrug.

So here you are. Standing in front of a bonfire, your new... friend? Ally? Person to beat up later? Still stuck in the Demon's room.

You hear the sound of something cracking, and then falling rocks, and then a startled gasp.

Did she fall through the floor? Isn't the big Demon's room under that floor?

You walk back to the gate, and peer through.

She fell through the floor.

You hear crashes, and can see a flash of magic. Hopefully, she kills it.

You shrug, and look down the other passageway. A clear hallway, with a Hollow archer at the end. Between you and the archer is...

A beat up looking wooden shield, and... a CLUB!

You dodge around the first arrow, and pick up the weapons. You grin, and block the next arrow with your shield, grimacing as the tip penetrates it and hits your shoulder. You run up to the archer, and bash his head in with the club.

It feels good to do that again. You relieve it of it's bow and quiver of fifteen arrows, and string that on your back. You head up the next stair case, and find yourself overlooking the bonfire room. You can see a broken stair case to your left, with a corpse at the edge. You think that if you stood on your tiptoes, you might be able to pull the corpse down and search it. Maybe even climb up to the gate at the top of it. To your right, you see a pair of staircases, one leading down, the other leading up.

Where to go?
[ ] Left Rusted rings and locked doors
[ ] Up That is a nice boulder
[ ] Down Reunite with your new friend