A/N: Heyo! This is just a bit of concept I thought up after drawing a female pyromancer for fun. It was indeed inspired by Dark Souls and is kind of my own take on the whole, hollow business so it sort of counts as a fanfiction hehe

The beast cared not for finesse or decency, swinging its malformed hammer without restrained, its only goal to obliterate the pest scuttling around him. His weapon swung through the air, his enormity causing a rush of wind to follow after his arm. His attack hit nothing, the irritating pest falling to its knees just in time to dodge the attack, frustration taking hold of the beasts mind it let out a hideous roar, its foul breath bellowing from its mouth, a visible green stench leaving its throat. It took a step back, slamming its foot down shaking the earth and then slamming its hammer down beside him, cracking the stone beneath it.

It took a deep breath in, the pest rushing towards it and with an unexpected burst of speed, swung his huge hammer back around, this time the flat stone of the weapon making contact with a sickening wet smack. The pest let out a yelp as it was sent soaring through the air and came to an awful stop, slamming its back into the stone wall and collapsing to the ground in a broken heap.

The beast snarled, walking slowly towards its source of frustration, dragging its huge and now bloodied weapon along the ground. It come to a stop just beside the unmoving heap of flesh and bone, watching it carefully. The beast knew enough of its species to know how to tell if it was dead or not, watching to see if its chest would still rise or fall.

Realising the pest was lying on its chest, the beast grunted and flipped it over with its big toe. What was presented to the huge and ugly monster was a horrid and disturbing mess of blood and flesh. Bones had been shattered, flesh torn apart from the sheer force of the blow, blood covering most of its features.

Satisfied with the result, the beast grunted and walked away, hoisted its bloodied hammer over its shoulder, bits of flesh flicking off its face.

Had the beast stayed watching for a little longer, it would have used that hammer one more time, for the 'pest' was now beginning to get back up.

The first time it happened was a lot less gruesome. She was walking along a path through the woods, the sun had just gone down and the moon was half full, making its way up the black canvas of night. Astra had just finished some business in the Town of Chandra, the thought of said business causing her hand to burn up. Cursing, she waved her hand through the air, as if it would flick the pain off her hand and into the trees.

Grumbling to herself she settled for shoving her hand into the pocket of her coat, in fact with the sun gone it was getting rather cold. Astra pulled her crimson hair over her shoulder allowing her to pull her hood over her head, pulling it tight around her neck. The red head was alone, only the sound of her boots crunching the light layer of snow beneath her feet to keep her company. The half-moon providing just enough light for her to at least see the road.

It had been a night like most others, boring. Sighing, Astra watched the cloud of mist her warm breath created dissipate calmly. Strangely a burst of warmth washed through her, causing her to pause in her stride, however her pondering of the strange event was cut short by the sound of footsteps reaching her ears.

Astra stopped and turned toward the tree line beside her, just as a figure burst forth and slammed right into her. With an oof the pair tumbled to the ground in a heap kicking up snow and dirt. Groaning on the ground Astra opened her eyes, a warm orange glow catching her eye. Pushing herself off the ground she turned toward the source of the light, finding what appeared to be a dagger still giving off embers as if it had just been pulled from the forge. She stared at the dagger for a moment, a wave of familiarity falling over her.

Beside her the person who had collided into her was scrambling to his feet, scurrying around for what had fallen from his bag. Finding the dagger, he quickly snatched it up and just as quickly threw it back in his bag.

"Shit she saw." Apparently there were two men.

Saw? Saw what?

"Fuck. You fucked up!"

Astra was too busy caught in her memories to listen to what they were saying, the image of the seemingly fire infused dagger nagging at her mind. Suddenly, it hit her.

"Hey! That's-hmph!"

The back of one of the men's hand smacked into the side of Astra's cheek as she turned to face them, sending her sprawling back onto the ground.

"Shut up!" The man yelled at her. "Now we gotta get blood on our hands." He hissed at his friend, the sound of steel leaving a scabbard ringing quietly in the night.

The sound rang through Astra's ears and her heart dropped. A dark feeling fell over her like a thick blanket, going so far to tighten around her throat and make her feel sick.

'He's going to kill me?'

Panic took over Astras body and she began sprawling along the ground, scrambling to her feet and breaking out into a run. At least she tried to until the hood around her neck went taught and she was pulled back to the ground once again. The young girl fell on her rear, without missing a beat she started scrambling away once again but it was futile for a boot came arcing through the air and slammed into her jaw.

Ears ringing, jaw aching, world spinning, Astra was lying on her back in the snow failing to do anything as she felt a heavy weight on her body. The man had climbed on top of her, his knee pressing hard into her chest, his dagger against her throat.

"Wh-what are you doing?" His companion stammered.

"What does it look like!" He snapped. "Cleaning up your mess."

Astra's vision cleared just as the dagger left her throat. "What are yo-"

"You know, under different circumstances I would have loved to have had a little fun with you." The man above her snarled. "But alas."

"Wai-"

The pain was like nothing she had ever felt. Not in the sense of magnitude, however that's not to say it didn't hurt, it hurt enormously. But it was like nothing else in the way that it felt, at first it was a sharp, unbearable piercing agony right at the centre of her heart but then it quickly shot through her, right to her fingertips and up her spine. She shuddered, choked and coughed, a wet ugly sound as the blade was yanked free of her body. She slumped against the dirt, her wide emerald eyes staring aimlessly at the night sky above her. The sensation in her chest bubbles and fizzled angrily, as if the blood pouring out of her was electric, until the pains settled and became a calm warmth, washing over her and lulling her to rest.

Astra thought it was strange, how warmth would be the last thing she felt. She had always thought the last thing people felt before death was cold emptiness. Perhaps it was more fitting for her to feel an overbearing warmth.

"You killed her?"

"No I kissed her goodnight. Of course I killed her! Now help me move her body, we gotta get out of here quick."

The man grabbed Astra's ankles and his companion sheepishly grabbed her wrists, together they lifted her limp body and moved towards the tree line, blood dripping from her wound onto the snow, turning its pure white crimson.

"Drop her here, help me cover the body."

The pair began covering her body with fallen branches and dead leaves, even throwing snow over her. The more sheepish of the two threw some snow over her wound just as it began to happen.

The man watched in confusion as the snow melted before his eyes, watched as it melted into water and then evaporated into a fine mist.

"J-Jack."

"What?"

A warm light began to emit from the wound, not a light but a flame, a warm angry lick of fire, grew from the hole in Astra's chest, lighting the area around them.

"Jack!"

"Wha- What the hell!"

Without hesitation Jack pulled out his dagger and climbed over the young girl, placing his blade across her throat. But before he could split her neck in two, Astra's hand shot up and grabbed his own. He jumped in surprise, even more surprised by Astra's surprising strength as he tried to break free.

Astra's eyes shot open but where Jack should have seen bright green he instead found two blazing fires burning from the girl's eyes. Fear rushed through him and he scrambled away, slamming into his companion along the way.

"What the fuck is she?"

Astra got to her feet, the fire in her eyes still burning fiercely, the white of her eyes consumed by flames, her irises now a deep black as black as the void yet somehow filled with the rage and anger of a blaze itself. Her velvet hair now too becoming consumed by flames, licking at the red strands and lifting them into the air.

The pain from the hole in her heart and chest had become the catalyst for the blaze raging within her. Spewing from the centre of her heart and pooling out to every corner of her being, filling her with a roaring fire hotter than the fires of a blacksmith's forge. The fire filled her and overflowed, her skin cracked as fire surged through her, through her veins, through her bones. Her veins becoming hot rivers of pure flame flowing through her as her fire consumed her. Her heart pounded with the heat of the sun, the flames light glowing fiercely, piercing even the thickness of her cloak and giving Astra an appearance akin to lava making its way through dry cracked earth.

"Wh-what do we do?"

Astra's cloak caught alight, the edges burning and flowing up into the air as energy pooled around her. The snow beneath her boots evaporated and the earth became singed, the leaves of trees and bushes too close to her shrivelled and turned to ash. The night filled with a warm angry glow as Astra's fire grew stronger.

The men were lost for words, lost for thoughts and lost for actions, their fear rooting them into the ground as Astra's blazing eyes burnt deep into their minds, just like a fire blazing through a forest.

"J-jack?"

Fear and confusion led to recklessness and Jack lashed out, charging forward with a roar, dagger aimed for Astra's heart once again.

"Argh!"

The blade made contact, a direct hit. However Astra didn't even flinch, Jack looked at his weapon and watched in horror as the steel melted away before his eyes, dripping onto Astra's boots and sliding off onto the ground. Jack slowly looked up and met Astra's burning gaze, at which point he noticed the scorching heat searing his hair. He made to step away but was stopped by an iron grip around his wrist. A burning white hot grip.

Screaming in agony as his flesh and muscle melted away under Astra's grip, Jack struggled to break free, even smacking Astra across her forehead with the pommel of what had been his dagger.

"Let goooo!"

Seemingly complying, Astra released her hold of her attacker, causing him to fall over onto his rear.

"Get out of here." Jack commanded.

"What?"

"Get out of here! Run!"

Jacks companion didn't waste a second, turning and bolting away from Astra, not caring to wait for Jack.

"Where do you think you're going?" Astra's voice came as an echo, as if the words came from the flickers of the fire around her, as if the fire itself was speaking. No longer was it the sweet calm tone that Astra was used to, Astra was no more, gone and replaced by the Flame.

Jack turned and ran, he took three steps before a ball of fire slammed into his back and sent him crashing into the ground with a grunt. Astra walked toward him, searing the earth with each step, turning more plant life to ash.

Jack rolled over to face her just as a flame extended from her hand, reaching outwards and taking the form of a sword. Astra followed calmly as Jack failed to scramble away, her newly formed weapon held by her side.

"It's a shame." Astra began, her voice wavering with her flames yet staying sharp. "If I had more time it would have been nice to have some fun with you."

Astra smiled wickedly down at her attacker before lifting her sword up above Jacks heart and without hesitation brought it straight down.

A/N: Feel free to comment/review,