“Oscar placed his iron shod boot on the Hands’s head, pressing the man/woman’s face against the cold stone floor of Priscilla’s sactum.
“You have failed wyrm” he announced, his voice thick with loathing. With a swift kick Oscar pushed the toe of his boots into the fallen mans stomach, which doubled him up coughing blood, then with a final push, Oscar sent the Hand over the edge.
From behind him a scream tore at the air. Part beastial roar, like that of an ancient dragon come again, part human, a lamentation of grief for a lost son, as Priscilla saw he favoured child slip into the abyss.
Oscar spared a second to glance behind him at the assembled Dragon Slayers, their bronze plates an leonine helms glinted in the dim half light, they hefted spears, long hafts that would find purchase in the ground so that the massive tips could piece dragon scales.
They stood several meters behind him, some clutching at their ears, some had thrust the spear into the ground so as not to be brought low by the dirge, other stood at the ready unaffected and ready to do Oscars bidding.
“Come my slayers, into the queen’s lair” he commanded and raised his own spear high over his head. The dragon slayers roared and charged after him into the open monastic ruin.
I meant to stay back of course, the fighting had been fierce and I was more often than not a liability on the field, though I had taken one of the abominations for my own with the bade Isaac had given me. He stood not five feet from me, his plate armour splendid, embossed ensign of the golden sun emblazoned on his chest. While I had seen knights fell their enemies by the dozen; I did not feel so proud of my kill, only a slight sadness when I had seen that the engorged body of the slain was a young woman.
“Stay close to me Farel” Isaac told me, wrenching my mind back into the present “This will be
dangerous”.
I nodded and followed him, the 13 of us stood in the entrance to Priscilla’s lair, a round arena with a light covering of snow. The temperature here seemed colder than the rest of the world and I shivered despite Isaac’s warmth, though to my eyes no snow seemed to be able to fall into this enclose wing of the Painted Fortress. Here I knelt and scooped a handful of snow. It was freezing, not necessarily unpleasantly so but the crystals of ice seemed different here.
Sheer black pillars rose around the edge with branching ledges between them. The overall feel was one of an arena yet there was no blood, no broken weapons or armour, no monuments to the dead. No stolen treasures or living comforts. It was completely empty apart from her.
The painted queen stood well over twelve feet tall, she had the appearance of a human, smooth white skin like velvet and a hair of the purest white cascaded down her shoulders. Though despite his she was not human and to any many this was plain. She was far too beautiful for human eyes, and radiated a bright glow that caused me to look away in awe. Draconic eyebrows, a thin curvature of scales, rested above reptilian amber eyes which scanned the room as the knights approached, her body was covered ina gown of fine winter furs, if in fact they were a gown at all. And most predominant was a long furred tail that protruded from the base of her spine which curled around by her legs. She was most regal in appearance if I do say, and her face belied a calmness and careful understanding like none I have ever seen. Though when Oscar approached it twisted into a fierce mask of hatred.
She simply stood there, made no move to cut Oscar down ,scythe in her hands, waiting.
Oscar walked forward pointing his spear at her. “Today your corruption is removed from this world. Your hand is dead and your exiles being put to the flame. Now you while join them” His voice was sonourous, and echoes of the wall, condemming.
The she spoke, softly at first but her voice grew stronger with each word. “Your knights has’t defiled this place of peace, we wished for aught but to be removed from the world. Why have thou brought war? We suffered enough in the world beyond and for that thou woulds’t condemn my children to die by sword and fire? Where has’t the honor of knights since departed to?”
He word were gentle, and belied a weight t of sadness beyond what any of the knights could imagine. Some wept where they stood, others fell to their knees, and others, even Oscar, himself, felt ashamed.
However his duty compelled him to act, no guilt would stand in front of his duties to the people of Astora.
“You may be peaceful now but you have condemned yourselves with past crimes. You shelter murderers, anf fiends the like which my people have long suffered under. Your halls breed countless demons, mosters, and miscreants which may yet pose a danger for those outside the Veil. For the gods of anor londo and lost sentinels you will pay the ultimate price.”
Her face was now the mask of pure hate. A wild wind swept through the arena, kicking up snow, and white whirlwind began to form behind the knights, whose cries of dismay were drowned out by Priscilla’s heavy words.
“Thou condemn us for the lives of gods not your own? Thou condemn us because of the violence others brought upon us? You would’st condemn me for not being accepted by my own family, mine own mother and father, my children for their differences, and their own inability to adhere to your tenets? Villain I name thee Oscar, of Oscar’s blood, he who stood before me and accepted thus. And his son who could not, does this slaughter make you feel closer to him?”
Oscar stepped forth to meet her challenge, his armooujr clinked as chain links struck heavy Astoran plate.
“If you cannot be dissuaded your blood is on your own hands knights. You make great claims but many
of your own have died today. Now you and those you have brought with you face the same fate.” Her curt reply.
She spun around twisting her scythe in a dance so fast that the eyes of mortals could scarcely keep up and the snow around her leapt up in a frenzied dance.
The snow grew thicker and thicker and the knights faded from my sight, lost in the swirling maelstrom which whipped against my exposed face with the intent to scour the skin from it,
Oscar leapt at her, striking with his spear but the snow dissipated and the Lifehuntress was gone an eerie laugh echoing amongst the pillars.
“Hold steady knights.” Isaac called out, rallying the Slayers. “She is a master of invisibility; watch the snow for her footprints!”
As soon as the words left his mouth a there was a shrill whistling in the air.
“MOVE!” Oscar screamed, but it was too late.
Knight Slayer Ammeren was cleft in twain by an ephemeral blade before he could so much as move, its hidden curve sliced through plate, leather, and flesh. A crimson rain descended upon the knights, who hurriedly formed a spear wall.
Next to fall was Ser Jacelyn who seem to have been picked up by the invisible assailant and thrown from the arena into gorge below, his screams echoed back up to my ears.
“Do not lash out blindly, work together to find her.” Ser Aeter this time, drawing from his years of experience in destroying Dragonspawn. “ We ought cleanse the air of this foul gale!”
“Aye” Isaac replied. He closed his eyes and muttered a few words
before light exploded form his helm illuminating the area and driving the
snow before his faithful aura.
Through all this I stood terrified, sword drawn but not moving, I did not know what to do. The knights moved about sweeping the area methodically.
I stayed close to Isaac but the snow made it hard to keep up.
A distance opened between us and I twisted around spotting Oscar. I moved towards him thinking it would be safe. But my movement gave me away.
“FAREL RUN!” the scream came across. I turned to see Ser Aeter staring behind me in horror. I
twisted around to see Priscilla, now materialised, her scythe cutting a swathe straight for me. Time slowed, the farction of a second became like an eternity, and then a force hit me from the side followed by a grunt of pain.
I hit the ground covered in steaming blood. I looked up to see the queen above me, and now, how clearly I could see her face now falling back into obscurity.
II realised, then, that I was covered in the heavy slick of dark blood.
I glanced around, my vision blurring as the madness of the melee went on. Priscilla's scythe cut into the assembled knights, rending armour, and causing horrendous wounds, even on those who were barely touched by the dragon bone blades.
There was the sound of pained, labored breathing from next to me, and a I became acutely aware of a weight on my legs.
I glanced down and the sight chilled my blood, and still does to this day.
Ser Isaac lay on top of me, his plate mail and chain links torn asunder, blood pumping from a fist sized crater in his chesthis lifeblood spilling out onto the snow. Dark crimson on pure white".
When Aeter had cried out Oscar had acted on instinct.
A lightning spear in his hand, he threw it as Isaac saved me and was running before I hit the ground. It was only as Priscilla dodged his spear that he noticed her victim, his friend and partner grievously injured. I saw the rage in his eyes, the anger overtaking him. “Dragonspawn *****!” His battle cry.
His spear swept at Priscilla and the fight began.
The two battling with all their skill. Yet it was clear even to me who would win. While Oscar was but a mere human and terribly outclassed by her in terms of strength and speed his rage lent him what he lacked and he danced amongst Priscilla’s blows. The formed an exotic waltz, steel clashed with dragon bone, blood was drawn from beneath fur and armor alike, and still they fought on.
Bit by bit he drove her backwards under his onslaught, her scythe needing massive sweeps to wield effectively though Oscar’s furious jabs forced her into a defensive stance. Closer and closer he came to her neck.
Here it could be said was a turning point in the battle, perhaps. Here I felt the icy chill of death settle over the sanctum, and despite the heat of Isaac’s steaming blood I began to shiver.
A crow cawwed from on high, settled in one of the overhead catwalks, who was answered by another, and another, until the noise of battle was drowned out under a sea of screeching.
I was horrified. Crows were ever the harbinger of the Crow. Then i heard him speak, like a thousand needles, and a thousand death screams his mind invaded mine.
“Not today old friend” the ghostly whisper echoed across the battlefield. A shadow detached itself from a ledge and dropped down gracefully , one of its curved swords blocking Oscar’s spear.
Oscar stared in hatred at the figure “Avrik” he spat “So you “live”.
“Yes... I’m ever a friend to those destined to die. Friend Oscar!” came the sibilant hiss.
The duel began anew as Oscar fought the pair but even his skill was outmatched. Oscar ducked beneath a high blow which had been aimed to take his head off and countered with a thrust to where he knew Avrik’s heart would have been, it had been effective before. But the Hand of Nito pirouetted away with preternatural grace and struck again weaving between thrusts and sweeps attacking from all sides.
The dragonslayers stood in horror, unable to comprehend these events, but one knights moved to save Oscar. A flaming sword swept in forcing Avrik to slip away. Isaac, one hand holding his chest stepped in to backup Oscar, driving Avrik back injured as he was.
Even so the skeletal Gravelord danced away, unscathed by the knights long sword.
“Isaac?” Oscar’s exclaimation. “I had thought you dead my friend. How do you live?”
The Sunlit Knight swayed in place, threatening to fall to his knees at any second, blood continuing to pour down his chest. It was then Oscar must have seen it.
Isaac’s flesh was knitting itself together , slowly but surely the strands of flesh were reforming into an unblemished surface of skin. However the knight looked pale and I began to understand. Blood. Though he could repair his body to near enough perfect condition the knight could not begin to replace the quantity of blood his wound had cost him.
He stumbled, and Aeter caught him. “Oscar. By your leave I will take Isaac from here.”
The knight prince nodded uncertainly. It would be a great strain on him to lose such a good frend and powerful ally but Isaac was needed here fighting the half breed.
Knowing it was his duty Oscar stepped forwards once again to meet his foe, yet he had not move more than two steps when his spear met steel. It was neither Priscilla’s blade nor Avrik’s. And Oscar’s eyes widened in horror.”
An Excerpt from Farel Gharlens Retaking Lordran Part II
by DoughGuy Wed Jun 06, 2012 7:06 am
