A fallen knight’s armor settled down near a flickering bonfire in the dreary ruins of Farron’s Keep. She stared into the flames, preparing herself for the battle that was to come. Her hands gripped her weapons tightly, and her gaze seemed to wander, before resting back at the fireplace.
The Abyss Watchers. She encountered specters in the gloomy forest beyond, but now she was going to fight the real deal. The clanging of swords still resided behind those closed doors. She checked her satchel again, making sure everything was accounted for.
“Estus Flask, weapons, knives, smithing stones… Everything is present.” She couldn’t help but let out a small sigh.
Her plan was set, and now, she was simply delaying the inevitable.
Without a word, she soon set off for the objective. Walking through the abandoned ruins, she spared no glance at the vines surrounding the stone walls, nor the bloodstains that littered the floor. Though soon the stairwell she was descending had opened up into a large room. She watched as the ghostlike Abyss Watchers fought themselves, pervading the area in shadow and blood. She took a deep breath, making sure everything was ready, and started running through on a side path. Her armor clanked along, drawing a few eyes to her location. Soon enough, arrows were launched at her.
She gritted her teeth. Most of the arrows missed, but some were able to chip at her armor. A few of them slipped through the cracks of her armor, biting into her skin, making her feel nauseous. It was poison, plain and simple. However, she was still able to safely make it to the main building without too much damage. Waiting for the poison to subside, she used the Estus Flask to make sure she was at her strongest. She pulled out some of the arrows that pierced her flesh, mumbling an idle curse every now and then.
Leaning on the stone walls, she could smell the heavy scent of blood inside, and hear the distant clashing. She checked herself one final time, before pushing open the doors.
The doors opened slowly, the rot making it creak and shutter. As she looked around, her vision was cast at the puddles on the old, rocky floor, and the corpses that laid above it. Shifting her gaze upwards, she saw two Abyss Watchers at the tail-end of a duel, enshrouded in mist. The fight was lit by candles and torches on the back wall, prevailing through the gruesome mausoleum.
The Abyss Watcher on the left slashed his dagger one final time at their compatriot, before stabbing through their chest with their greatsword. The standing corpse laid pierced on the weapon, until the opponent gently let the body fall to the ground, staring at it in silence. Soon, their gaze slowly swept to the trespasser still standing at the doorway. They slowly raised their greatsword at her, before brandishing their dagger as well. She held in her breath for but a second, and slowly exhaled. It was time.
The Abyss Watcher charged at her, jumping in the air before plunging at her body. The girl in knight’s armor sidestepped the attack. She swung her sword at the Abyss Watcher’s back, but they dodged as well, rolling away. The opening had been made. Lunging forward, the armored trespasser let out a combo of slashes, before rolling away, making sure to keep her distance.
The enemy stabbed and swirled their greatsword, and she made sure to keep just out of reach, waiting for another opportunity. The Abyss Watcher soon made a spinning attack, and the girl jumped over their blade, deflecting it downwards with her parrying dagger. She then swung her dagger and sword at the Abyss Watcher’s chest, trying to deal as much damage as possible in a visceral dance of steel and blood. However, she overextended the combo, giving the Abyss Watcher the opportunity to slash at her chest. She winced and rolled back, using the Estus Flask to heal the damage. They continued this pattern for a long time, both trying to exploit the other’s mistakes and capitalize on them.
But as she waited for the Abyss Watcher to run towards her again, something in the corner of her vision caught her eye.
It was another Abyss Watcher. One of the corpses on the floor had stood up. And they were also running at her. Shocked, she blocked the first one’s attack, but left herself open for the second one to pierce her, stunning her. The first Abyss Watcher then used this time to slash upwards, sending her flying across the room into a wall. As she tried to regain her breath, a third Abyss Watcher appeared next to her. She was only narrowly able to dodge the slash at her back by rolling forwards.
This was already unplanned for, and her Estus Flask was running lower and lower. She backed off as much as possible, but the Abyss Watchers wouldn’t give her time to recover. However, she noticed that one of them seemed to be hostile towards the other two.
As two Abyss Watchers fought each other, she isolated the lone one that was still knocked off balance by the hostile Abyss Watcher. She pierced their chest as fast as possible, giving a few stray blows with her dagger. It slumped to the floor, and she trained her eye on the other two, or well, the other one.
The hostile Abyss Watcher was able to win their fight, sending the other one to the floor. The last two standing locked eyes and began to fight again, resuming the match at the beginning. The lone Abyss Watcher seemed to change their fighting style to a counter-focused one, as they backed away from her after a few glancing clashes. She slowly walked to the enemy, and delivered a probing strike to gain information.
But against her expectations, the Abyss Watcher blocked the blow with their shoulder instead of their blade, leaving her open for a sweep. The girl in armor fell to the floor as the Abyss Watcher swung at her legs. She felt weak, and she knew one strong blow would crush her. She didn’t have enough time to use an Estus Flask either.
So, using her last burst of energy, she rolled backwards, dodging the finishing blow the Abyss Watcher had sent, and parried the blade away from the defense of the Abyss Watcher with her dagger. She swung and swung, her mind unable to catch up with the ferociousness of her attacks. Until finally, the last Abyss Watcher fell to the floor, adding their body to the graveyard of corpses that now surrounded her. She immediately used the Estus Flask, making sure to let her body recover as she breathed a sigh of relief.
As she stumbled to the floor in a moment of rest, she noticed the black smoke and cinder being transferred from the corpses on the floor to the corpse she just created. The souls of the dead and their cinders empowered the sword that was still clasped within the lone corpse’s hand, setting it aflame. She watched as the lone Abyss Watcher soon stood up, still holding up their weapons in preparation for battle. Their body had flecks of fire and cinder glowing on their armor and dagger. With their newfound will and power, they crouched in a battle stance. Almost as if they now respected her as something untainted by the Abyss, but that was neither here nor there.
Her Estus Flask was running very low now. But she could not leave this area. She had to fight. She slowly raised her own weapons at the enemy and exhaled. Phase 2.
She could see the Abyss Watcher limping towards her. She slowly walked towards the enemy as well. And soon, they clashed.
She had to fight much more conservatively now, due to her low amount of flasks and the fire spewed from her adversary’s weapon. She dodged and rolled much more often, and made sure not to get lit by the lethal fire. Other than that, the fight was much like the one at the beginning, and she slowly but surely began chipping away at the Abyss Watcher. Every dodge was an opportunity for a back-handed strike.
The fire that coated the corpse-filled arena soon coated her armor, and the heat was giving her a hard time focusing. As she was stuck in a flame-filled daze, her opponent plunged at her, engulfing her in a fiery blow. She rolled away, but not without damage. She used the Estus Flask. Two more uses remained.
Another clash. More chip damage. She parried and pierced their body before leaping away, as her enemy stood once more and swung his sword. Suddenly, the Abyss Watcher lunged and grabbed her, burning her as they threw her into the floor. She was forced to heal herself. One more remained.
And as the Abyss Watcher neared her, ready to finish her, she deflected the blow with her sword instead of her dagger, sending the blade further out than normal. Confused, the Abyss Watcher didn’t have time to react as she tackled them to the floor. The heat singed her, but it didn’t matter as she ruthlessly stabbed the Abyss Watcher again and again with her dagger, blocking any chance of using their sword with her own. The Abyss Watcher didn’t let out a single sound as they slowly lost more blood. She used her final bit of the Estus Flask on top of the corpse to avoid burning to death.
And thus, the battle concluded.
Lighting the nearby bonfire, she collapsed to the floor, panting. After allowing herself some time to fully recover, she kindled the fire and refilled her Estus Flask. She looked at the newly-filled Flask, and let out a sigh of relief.
“Ahhhhh… Victory is achieved.” She mumbled to herself before closing her eyes on the rocky floor.
Soon enough, her eyes opened once more, to the sight of lit candles and thrones. She slowly rises to the view of the Firelink Shrine. Once she was ready, she walked to the Shrine Handmaid, selling off her useless goods she had looted, as well as replenishing important ones
“Best not tarry long.” The Shrine Handmaid called out to her after all items were sold. She didn’t look back, and walked towards the Fire Keeper.
“Welcome Home, ashen one. Speak thine heart’s desire.” The familiar greeting laid at the back of the girl’s mind as she used her souls to boost herself once more, increasing her power for the battles to come. A few final words, and she climbed up to Ludleth.
“Fret not, fret not. My feet are here firmly planted. For I am a Lord, and this is my throne.” After giving him The Soul Of The Blood Of The Wolf, he gave her two options: The Wolf Knight’s Greatsword, or the Farron Greatsword. After a moment of deliberation, the choice was obvious.
She requested the Farron Greatsword. It simply fit her fighting style best. A short moment passed, and the weapon was crafted and given to her. She held the greatsword over her shoulder, feeling the weight as she moved it around in the air, careful not to swing it accidentally. She looked over to the dagger in her offhand. It was the perfect weight for her. She smiled and nodded, thanking the Lord.
“Now, now, do not be away overlong.” She promised Ludleth and left the Firelink Shrine. Walking up the broken paths and stairs, she finally sits down on a spot she favored, placing the greatsword and its dagger next to her.
Looking over, she watched the high mists float above the grounds below, as the gray clouds covered the sun evermore. She always had felt like the world was covered in a grayscale hue, but sometimes that was fine for her. The backside of the Lothric castle was an amazing view, and she reveled in it, observing each crack in the wall with idle curiosity. It was peaceful times like these that allowed her to stay sane, and simply bask in the nature of the world. This world would always be cruel and unforgiving, but it was her world.
Soon enough, she felt well enough to begin progression. Packing all of her things, she made her way back to the fireplace inside Firelink Shrine, and sat down, preparing to travel. But before she could even close her eyes, she felt a simple cold.
Flinching, she turned around to see a void, and a grotesque arm coming out of it, surrounding her abdomen, removing any means of escape. Trying to move was unsuccessful. Panicking, she tried to equip her weapons, but her limbs were soon locked in place, with more monstrous claws and tendrils coming out. Her mouth was wrapped shut.
As a last ditch effort, she tried to hold on to the coiled sword in the center of the bonfire. She could hear the muffled sound of shouts and yelps of the people around her as she was being dragged into the void. The flames pricked her skin, but she didn’t let go. But the void continued pulling until even the coiled sword was drawn out of the bonfire, flying with her. With that, her final anchor to the world was detached, and she was soon met with utter darkness.
As she drifted awake, she could feel the warm rays of sunshine and the occasional prickle of grass as she rolled around. Everything felt too comfortable, in a sense. She slowly opened her eyes to a colorful grassy hill, surrounded by radiant warmth. Flowers bloomed, and beautiful birds, not monstrosities, flew in the air, letting out errant calls. The grayscale hues she was so familiar with were gone, replaced by pastel colors and sunshine. Looking around her, she didn’t see a trace of her previous location. No bonfires, no hollows, no corpses or bones. Just nature, and a cylindrical tower in the distance.
She looked down to the coiled sword on her lap. The promises and spoken words of the people in Firelink Shrine drifted in her mind as she spoke one simple question.
“Where am I?”
