Marcus rolled to the side as a giant spider-like tentacle swung at his direction. The massive arm crushed the ground by his side, leaving a shallow cavity on the area of impact. The knight recovered from his maneuver and faced his aggressor. He stood in a flat rocky plateau, the ledges leading to a deadly fall which culminated on either solid ground or scorching hot lava. The opponent in front of the warrior was a monstrous creature, humanoid in shape but yet a far cry from the form one is used to. The monster seemed to be made of burnt flesh and solidified lava, with two giant curved horns pointing downwards on the sides of the head, and multiple set of eyes which glowed like gems in the dark. Instead of an arm the left side had several bone tentacles of different sizes, which sprouted from the body as if a spider was born inside the torso.

The giant demon roared as he swung his entire torso to slam down his bone appendages at the helpless warrior. The monster grunted in pain, cried in anger, hate and scorn at the offender: the one who dared disturb his caring sister and her eternal slumber.

(End of Flashback)

The astorian slashed an enormous hand with his curved flaming sword. The owner of the hand grunted in pain and then moved back his arm to prevent further injury, while the knight bent his knees as he held the enhanced blade with both hands.

"You're one tall giant, did you know that?" Marcus said with a tense smile on his face.

The warrior had faced some "giants" in the past, humanoid servants of the gods which acted as guardians of Sen's fortress, but while they were apparently 8 or so meters tall, his current foe was at least 30 meters, with proportions to match. But the size of his opponent wasn't the astorian's biggest concern, for he faced an equally large, if not larger threat in the past. There were common attacks one such big opponent could use, and these were all familiar to the knight. From what he could see he had reached the central chamber of the cathedral, but on a higher floor and at the very tip of the room. He was standing on a rather spacious pathway that went straight to the right, then forward and the to the left, with the giant standing on a lower ground in the middle.

Marcus had two options: fight and kill the giant or risk running past him; but the latter was very dangerous, for one single sweep of the giant's hand meant certain death regardless of armor or spell, and due to the murky nature of time, death could mean either 5 minutes or an entire day wasted, which put the young astorians at great risk.

Marcus jumped back to avoid a hand sweep from the giant, barely avoiding the unusually large hands of the giant. He summoned the Gold Tracer with his left hand as he waited for the next attack, which was a straight punch that he dodged with ease, causing a sizable crack on the wall behind.. The knight moved quickly to attack the exposed hand, his arms moving swiftly and gracefully as he made quick slashes with sharp and hot blades. It was a short sequence taught by Lord's Blade Ciaran: a step to the right with a double slash with both blades, one aimed at the middle and the other at a lower angle; a quick stab with the right weapon aimed at waist height but with the tip pointing upwards; an horizontal slash with the left hand at one's neck and finally another horizontal slash with the left blade coming from the right.

Blood and cinders sprayed from the muddy hand of the giant due to the multiple wounds. The massive creature roared in agony as he pulled back his mighty arm and held it with the other unharmed hand. One inexperienced adventurer would have used the opportunity to run past their opponent, but Marcus knew better than assuming one's inability to fight, and so he waited.

"Try to hit me again and it will hurt a lot more. I'm after Aldrich, not you." the knight stated. "He's going to get angry and use his left hand, isn't he?" the astorian thought.

The giant grunted angrily at the knight, and with a powerful roar slammed down his left hand at the human's position. Marcus noticed the incoming fist and jumped back and out of reach of the hand. The creature trusted his arm forward with the intention of crushing the astorian against the wall, but the warrior rolled to the left at the last moment and performed two long downward slashes on the monster's wrist using Gold Tracer. The sharp and shiny blade overcame the skin as if it was made of paper and cut the oversized arteries that lay beneath. A red stream of blood sprung from the damaged blood vessels, spraying the red liquid with the potency of a geyser over the rocky surface of the pathway.

Marcus lowered his blades and stared at the injured giant as the blood fountain stained his armor with its crimson color. He personally cared little for the mess, and yet it managed to bring forth a particularly bad memory from the profound parts of his mind.

"You look awfully raggedy…Times are grim; the least you can do is look sharp. Don't you dare meet M'lady like that. You might scare here off for good!" a young male voice echoed in the astorian's head. "Anri will probably panic if he sees me like this." he thought as the monster reared back his injured hand. "You will bleed to death if you continue. Stop and you may still live, this is your last warning! I'm here for my friends, to stop Aldrich and link the Fire!" the knight exclaimed.

The colossal giant turned his head towards the puny knight in front of him, still holding his injured arm. "You, no friend. You hurt. I don't like you." he stated, his voice heavy and coarse.

"You attacked first, and I warned you." Marcus retorted as he walked to the right.

The great creature slammed his left hand in front of the knight, resulting in the giant grunting in agony due to his injuries.

"I, protect. I stop you." the giant said.

"Who gave you this order?" Marcus inquired curious.

"Won't! Let! Nice! Queen! Down!" the creature replied as he tried to crush the knight with both hands multiple times, but the undead dodged masterfully every attack.

The giant gave powerful breaths as he tried to regain his stamina, meanwhile Marcus remained still as he looked at the exhausted creature with pity and respect. The giant was in horrible conditions, his skin was covered in filth, his wooden mask falling apart and revealing tiny and sincere eyes, and his wounds were not limited to the hands, but chest and legs as well, leaving crimson lines across the rocky skin of the creature.

"I cut two important arteries, and his attacks only worsened the bleeding. He should perish of blood loss at any minute." the astorian thought.

(?)

Marcus breathed heavily, the walls were made of light brown blocks and there was no light source of any kind, be it fire or sunlight. Had he not brought a torch his journey would have been an absolute nightmare. The fortress was filled with traps, swinging axes, humanoid serpent guards and the paths which one had to cross were narrow with death pits filled with a black substance at the bottom.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but the platforms of Blighttown are easier to deal than this." the astorian said as he sighed one last time. "Huh? A chest, here?" he spoke as he spotted a medium-sized wooden chest in front of him.

The knight looked around for any traps on the ground, the walls, ceiling and at the other side, but there was no sign of danger. The fortress seemed to be the pinnacle of traps, and any amount of care was necessary when traveling through such place. The Chosen Undead stepped forward with caution as to not produce any unnecessary sound until he reached the mundane chest. He crouched to grab the lid but decided to inspect the object as a last safe measure: the chain laid on the ground, not attached to anything; the wood seemed to be normal and well preserved; the ceiling above it gave no indication of traps, nor the ground around it. The undead grabbed the lid with both hands and opened the chest carefully to save enough time for a reaction against any possible danger, only for the lid to jerk open against his will.

(End of Flashback)

(Cathedral of the Deep)

Marcus looked down at the chest in front of him. It was medium-sized, made of a light brown wood with a small iron chain at the side, which laid on its left. The room acted as a small chapel, with a red carpet on the middle, four small wooden benches on each side for the devotee and a small altar at the other side with the chest in front of it. Two iron pillars, which acted as support for a dozen candles each, were placed on the sides of the altar, giving some much needed light to the otherwise dark church. Another pillar burned lonely behind the altar, highlighting the paths to the other parts of the holy building.

"Oh! What do we have here?! A chest! I knew I would find one sooner or later!" the knight said as he put the curved swords on his belt. "I wonder what kind of treasure this one possess!" he said loudly as he summoned his great wooden club from within himself.

The Lord of Cinder leaned back as he brought the weapon high above his head, tensed the muscles of his legs and arms and then slammed down the club over the chest's lid. An abnormal sound came from inside the recipient, much like the growl of an injured bear. Marcus threw his club away and swiftly grabbed the curved swords on his belt as he jumped back to get some distance. The chest's lid jerked open revealing a long red tongue which rolled out. A multitude of sharp humanoid fingers adorned the lid and the borders of the chest as if they were razor sharp teeth. Two long humanoid arms stretched outwards from inside, they utilized the ground around it as support to lift the monstrous creature above the ground. As the arms stretched to their limit a humanoid body appeared from beneath the treasure box, the dark brown torso long and slim with legs as tall as a human.

"You're really dumb, aren't you?" Marcus thought as he dodged a clumsy downward swing from the monster. "Who would put a chest exactly where the main priest was supposed to be praying?" he remarked as he side stepped an upward kick from the mimic chest and slashed the left leg with both swords.

The creature tried to kick again but fell backwards due to the injury. Marcus jumped forward to deliver the final blow with both swords, but the mimic chest used its long arms to lift its body and move back as if its was a four-legged beast. The monster pushed the ground with its arms and then moved its upper body in an arching motion to fall over the knight and swallow him, but the undead rolled to the side and jumped on his adversary's back. He enveloped the skinny torso with his legs and then trusted both swords at the mimic's head. The monster cried in pain as it tried to reach the human with its long arms but its position made the task difficult. Marcus twisted both blades to further break and burn the wood, killing the monster who fell down with a thud. The astorian stepped off the back of the mimic and put Gold Tracer on his belt so he could recover the large club he used earlier.

"So they can move like four-legged beasts now...This means that even foes that I faced before might have learned a few tricks, not good. On another hand, I never thought I would use this kind of attack against a mimic. I guess having my throat slit by one of those hollow assassins near that Capra Demon paid off in the end..." he thought storing the club and putting the flaming sword on his belt.

The knight turned his attention to the corpse of the mimic chest. The body began to produce a white smoke as it dissipated into souls, which entered the astorian's body, leaving a white soul where the head once lay. Marcus approached the soul and extended his hand down, exerting his own power to transform it into its true form. The soul shined brightly and expanded outwards, taking a rectangular shape until the light subsided. It was heavy and large book, with a black cover and darkened pages that seemed to be stained on the borders by a black liquid. The tome was in a very precarious condition, the pages and the cover were contorted and deformed, as if the very thing have been corrupted by the Abyss itself.

Marcus crouched and grabbed the book with his left hand. He ignited a flame on his right hand and set the book ablaze with his palm. The knight tossed the unusual tome aside at an area without cloth or benches so it could burn to a crisp safely.

"I don't need to read braille to know it contains abyssal spells and the like, which reminds me, I will probably not be able to burn this place down. Too much stone and little wood. Damn it." the knight thought as he watched the book burn. "No one is going to read that book." Marcus turned around to one of the entrances of the room.

There stood, covered by the red veil of those who seek death, an invader from another plane of existence and time. His armor was of the deepest and darkest black, his body invisible under the ancient but well-kept metal, and the spikes were sharp and long, as if they were barriers to keep others from revealing what lay beneath. Marcus raised his brow, he recognized the armor in an instant, but the presence of the owner himself surprised him.

"Chaos Wraith Kirk of New Londo?" Marcus asked in case it was another person wearing the same equipment.

"Marcus, the betrayer." the thorn warrior said lifting his round black shield which was also covered by deadly spikes.

"Betrayer? Are you sure you're not looking at a mirror? You were a darkwraith who killed his own people for power." the astorian summoned Sif from his soul and wielded it with both hands. He pointed it at the invader.

"This blade!" Kirk muttered to himself while pointing his dark broad sword at his opponent.

"Replica." Marcus answered and then charged at the red phantom.

The former darkwraith dodged a downward swing and then went for a stab at the astorian's exposed belly but the blue knight intercepted the attack with his larger sword.

"Why are you here? Did you come to kill me? Affiliated with Londor? Aldrich?" the astorian asked.

"As if...this is none of your concern!" Kirk exclaimed as he stepped back and went for a diagonal slash.

Marcus blocked the swing with his sword and then stepped back when his opponent went for a shield bash hoping to injury the astorian with the razor sharp spikes of his shield.

"Wait! If you weren't hunting me, working for Londor or Aldrich, then WHY are you here? More specifically, why the Red Eye Orb?" Marcus asked out loud as curiosity washed his thoughts.

The former darkwraith rushed forward and began swinging his sword in swift but precise attacks. The barrage was complemented with an occasional shield bash, which forced the astorian to remain on the defensive as he blocked, parried and dodged until his back was against the altar behind him. The invader reared his arm back for a final attack but Marcus kicked Kirk's knee with his boots, an area which had no spikes. The invader was destabilized, allowing the Lord of Cinder to walk around him and slash the leg from behind. Kirk grunted as he fell to his knees, but swung his sword in a large arch in an attempt to catch his opponent off guard. However, the astorian easily blocked with his sword and punched the invader in the head with his left hand, which was protected by a heavily reinforced steel gauntlet. Chaos Wraith Kirk released his equipment as he fell to the ground. He went to grab his sword, but then the blueish blade of the knight got dangerously close to his neck.

"Is the Fair Lady of Izalith, sister of Queelag and daughter of the Witch of Izalith, still alive?" Marcus asked hopeful.

Kirk blinked several times after hearing the name of his former mistress. How could he forget her? Not even the Curse was strong enough to erase such memory from his soul, for their encounter was unforgettable and timeless. A darkness "shined" within his soul, and with the speed of a white lighting in a terrible storm he grabbed the blade with his hand and darted upwards like a centipede demon rising from the depths of the earth. Marcus released his sword and caught the invader's left punch, but then the knight of thorns punched him in the face with other hand, making him fall over one of the benches to the left.

The Lord of Cinder grunted after his back hit the bench and he slid to the ground. He saw Kirk lifting his barbed sword over his head with the clear intent of finishing him off, but the astorian summoned a medium red kite shield from within his soul and blocked the attack. The shield had a silver lining on the borders with a crest in the middle which resembled a human spine. Although it was mostly mundane regarding stability, physical and elemental resistances, it possessed the unique trait of making its user more resistant to ailments like curses, poison and bleeding. The astorian pushed the spiky blade away and then kicked his opponent in the tibia to buy some time.

Kirk lost balance and had to step back to regain ground. Meanwhile Marcus managed to regain his footing, but chose to remain between the benches instead of trying to get back to the middle of the room. He summoned another weapon from his soul: an unnatural spear from the kingdom of fire and life. It was an unusually long spear made of a white and irregular demon bone. It had a rather short handle which was connected to a more robust segment filled with tiny spikes in the side and finally a much larger and deadly tip which was akin to the claws of a crab, with one tip being about twice as sharp and long. This was the chosen weapon of the batwing demons who patrolled Anor Londo and sometimes acted as envoys, but unlike most of their kin, their spears were imbued with lighting instead of chaotic fire.

"Bloodshield to protect me against his spikes, and lighting to go through his abyssal armor and soul." Marcus of Astora thought as he raised his shield in front of him. "So...she is dead..." the knight said, his voice barely audible.

Kirk gritted his teeth, "Such honest and kind soul...LOST because of you!" the former servant of chaos stepped forward and swung his barbed blade at the astorian.

The Lord of Cinder blocked the physical attack with ease, but the words had pierced his heart. "Yes, I know. I have destroyed the Bed of Chaos, the life source of all demons. But I had to make a choice." Marcus explained as he trusted his spear forward.

Kirk leaned to the side to dodge the spear and then swung his sword at the astorian's knee. "And you traded her life for what?! These fake gods who care nothing but their own lives? The ones willing to sacrifice every human just so their little fire can burn a little longer?" he asked.

"I was hoping that by linking the First Flame she would regain her health. On one hand she was a demon who depended on the Chaos Flame, on the other she was the daughter of Izalith, and her power was affected by the First Flame." the Lord of Cinder told his adversary as he swung the spear horizontally.

The former darkwraith blocked the attack with his black shield, but the lighting and the unusual weight of the spear were too much for him, and he fell on the bench by his right. The former chaos wraith raised his shield to block an attack from above, but the strike came from below, shocking his leg with divine lighting. His dark soul, tainted by hatred and anger, was struck by the potent blessing, but his heart did not falter from such an attack, and his hands held firmly to the sword and shield.

"I threw myself into the Fire to save not only her, but the rest of humanity, to erase the Undead Curse!" Marcus trusted his spear forward.

Kirk kicked the weapon away and moved his left arm forward for a shield bash, but the astorian intercepted with his own shield, resulting in both knights pushing each other as they battled to gain ground.

"And what good did it do?! She's DEAD and the Curse still exists!" the invader shouted as he pushed the astorian away and recovered his footing. "Despite your 'pure' intentions you accomplished NOTHING!" the invader swung his barbed sword horizontally at one of the astorian's right ribs.

The spiked sword connected with the mail, and the reinforced dark sword managed to dislocate a few steel rings and penetrate the knight's chest. Fresh blood leaked from within the armor, but the blood-soaked mail disguised the wound, and the only indication of harm were the drops of life covering the once sacred ground. The Lord of Cinder felt his body weaken with the blow, but his determination kept his legs firmly planted on the ground. He moved his right arm to the right and downwards and then swung the demon claw at the invader, using the small but deadly spikes on the side to hit his opponent's armpit. Kirk screamed as he tumbled to the side, releasing his shield due to the pain and falling backwards and over the red carpet.

"I know..." Marcus whispered as he turned towards the red phantom. "I realized this shortly after waking up. The Curse continues to doom countless people, and my sacrifice did nothing to erase it, and the Fair Lady perished too. But..." he reared back his spear for a final trust. "...it kept the Abyss at bay, a problem caused by people like you." the knight trusted his weapon at the downed wraith.

Kirk mustered all his strength to intercept the spear with his black sword. He managed to avoid the larger tip, which hit the ground by his side, but his sword was stuck in the gap between both tips, and the smaller one was just an inch away from his face.

"The Darkwraiths and the Four Kings had bad intentions and deeds, and their actions forced the sealers to sacrifice New Londo. What do you say in your defense?" the Lord of Cinder asked as he kept the pressure on the weapon.

"If you're against their choice then why didn't you go after them? They're the ones who killed most of the citizens, not us." Kirk inquired pushing the spear away.

"Who said I didn't?" the astorian replied in a somber tone as he put even more pressure.

Kirk was caught off guard, and for a brief moment his strength faltered, allowing the smaller tip of the white spear to pierce the mail on his throat, but Marcus stopped the attack just enough to avoid killing the invader.

"What do your master wants? Souls? Humanity? Body parts?" the astorian questioned rather calmly.

Kirk remained silent, his mind still processing the words spoken and his limited choices in such precarious situation. His right hand and the sword were pinned by the spear, and no technique or trick would save him. All that he could was talk or die in silent honor. However, his past experience with the Lord of Cinder told him that the later option could result in a disastrous end for his mistress, and so he pondered heavily on his next words.

"A tongue." the former darkwraith finally spoke after what felt like minutes.

"A tongue? Not tongues? What tongue and why?" Marcus questioned in quick succession. "What's next? Eyes?" he thought.

"My mistress was robbed of her tongue by her firstborn. I seek to retrieve it to give her comfort." the invader answered.

"I am impure, my tongue never intended for restoration." Anastacia of Astora's voice echoed in the astorian's mind. "And who is she? Does she approve of your methods?" he inquired but Kirk remained quiet. "Let me guess: she's someone important, with potential for great deeds, and she DOES approve of your methods. Am I right?" he asked.

"I won't let you…!" Kirk started but Marcus threatened to pierce his throat.

"Is she a Fire Keeper, or undead? Because if so, you might be able to restore her tongue. However, I must warn you. There was certainly a reason for her firstborn to have stolen her tongue." the astorian informed.

"She's a merciful mistress, second only to the Fair Lady." the knight of thorns told his adversary.

"Very well." Marcus nodded. "This method worked with one of the Fire Keepers I met, if you're wondering. She also had her tongue cut and was locked away in a cell. An assassin killed her while I was away, but I tracked him down and retrieved her soul. I managed to revive her by putting her soul back into her body, and not only was she revived, but her tongue was restored as well." Marcus trusted his spear forward, finishing off the invader before he could say anything else.

The Lord of Cinder stumbled forward as the severity of his wound finally kicked in, falling to his knees due to blood loss. The wound was lethal, not for the sharpness of the sword, but the spikes which pierced his organs. He expected it to hurt, for he tasted the lethality of the sword in previous encounters, but apparently the former Chaos Wraith had upgraded it with titanite over the years. Acting quickly the astorian snatched the Estus Flask from his belt and hastily drank two sips of the golden liquid, almost instantly recovering his vitality and closing his wound.

"His equipment improved, considering how much he resisted my attacks, but his technique was...lacking compared to our last fight at Izalith. Perhaps he gave away part of his soul to her in a last attempt to prolong her life..." the knight thought as he retrieved his equipment from the ground. "Fair Lady, I'm sorry..." Marcus whispered as he finished his task.

(Later)

"We did it! I can't believe we did it!" Anri exclaimed happily to his best friend.

"It is easier to fight them on the ground." Horace agreed as he plunged his halberd at a dark slime.

The astorians were standing on a square area of the cathedral which was covered by a dark mud. A colossal giant lay dead by their side, his feet a bloody mess with uncountable wounds. They were on a lower floor of the church near the center of the building. The area had a "T" shape, with mud covering the east and south areas, both of which had the corpse of a colossal giant resting over the ground and walls. The intruders were standing on the east side with no apparent threat around them, for their foes have been slayed. However, both warriors had their armors darkened by the sticky substance, taking away all pride from their well-made equipment.

Horace glanced at the corner of the area where he could see the remains of human corpses covered by the dark mud. He looked at the fallen giant and then at his dirty hands and shuddered.

"This isn't mud" the black knight thought disgusted, but refrained from telling his comrade.

"Horace? What's the matter?" the blonde astorian asked worried.

"We must go, the sooner we end this the better for everyone." Horace answered walking towards a wooden set of stairs that lead upwards at the corner of the room.

A pair of deformed eyes, unbeknown to the astorians, watched them from far above. A large white maggot followed the intruder's movements with a lion's patience. It was about 3 metes long, the upper half humanoid in shape but the skin was flabby without hair or fur and the eyes were little more than cavities on the skull. It clung to the decorations of the wall, waiting patiently for its prey to reach the perfect spot for an ambush.

A loud explosion echoed from above, prompting the astorians to look upwards towards the source of the noise. A white big maggot with the upper half of a human fell in front of Horace, its back was pierced by a giant arrow that could be mistaken as a spear. The astorian stepped back and raised his shield, but the creature did not move, even after a stab from his halberd. Anri approached cautiously and stood besides his friend for safety.

"What is this...thing?" the blonde asked.

Horace quickly pushed his friend down and turned around, but no more projectiles came. His eyes darted from side to side and upwards towards the higher levels but no assailant or ally were spotted.

"I know you're there! COME OUT!" the black knight exclaimed with the halberd at hand.

Anri kept his shield in front of him as he remained crouched by Horace's side, essentially covering the entire body. "What happened?" he asked nervous.

"Someone killed this monster with a giant arrow." the brave astorian replied as he searched for the newcomer.

"But they killed it before it could attack you. Maybe they're friends." the slightly younger astorian said hopeful.

"Then why don't they show up?" Horace argued.

Another arrow fell by the blonde's side, making Anri jump back in fear. "Ah! I guess you're right!" he exclaimed.

"Let's go before they can shoot again!" Horace ordered as he grabbed the blonde's hand and ran towards the wooden set of stairs.

Meanwhile a person chuckled from behind the cover of a wall at the opposite side of the muddy area. Mildred emerged from behind her hiding spot with a massive bow in her left hand. The limbs were made of large curved bones, with two goat-like skulls attached to the grip, one on each side. White bandages were wrapped around the lower limb, their purpose unknown. Finally a thick rope served as the main string, but unlike regular bows it also received added support from shorter strings that connected to the 4 horns of the twin heads.

"Perhaps Marcus was right after all. They did a very, very good job. Still, this is the second time they had to be saved." Mildred frowned. "I know, you're hungry, mom will find food soon. I promise." the demon slayer thought fondly as she stored the bow and quiver inside her soul.

Long ago in the Undead Settlement, the normality of the villager's lives was disrupted by the apparition of a powerful and bloodthirsty woman. A person who developed the taste for human flesh, and would not spare child or elder from her merciless and voracious mouth. Her killing spree lasted for a few weeks until the people discovery her identity, and banished her to the lonely woods leading to the Cathedral of the Deep, a place where she would remain for several years.

"But I'm hungry."

It is said that the weapons of the wandering black knights were forged with the specific purpose of slaying demons. Not only they were designed to crush large bones and cut through strong muscles, but also enchanted to be more effective against the chaotic kin. Weapons and tools across the world were created with different purposes in mind, but some would be better left forgotten, for their goal was sought only by the twisted minds. Even the cheapest dagger can deal serious damage to a normal human, but this fact has never stopped the wicked from improving the design.

"Mom! Mom! My tummy is making weird noises..."

A blade glinted as the light of a torch bathed the sharpened iron with a mixture of yellow, orange and red, which mixed in with the bloodstains left by the blade's former victims. The weapon resembled a butcher knife, with a rectangular blade made for separating and preparing meat with clean and precise cuts, except the size rivaled a sword. The weapon itself was terribly worn out, with large bits of the edge missing due to overextended use, and the handle was reinforced with several leather strips to allow a safe handling of the giant knife. The person lifted the weapon high over their head, their target oblivious to their killing intent as they kept walking forward on the flooded ground of the church.

"Please mommy! Food! Just a little, please MOM!"

CLANG!

"You finally decided to show your face, didn't you? Dear." Mildred said as she pushed the butcher knife away with her larger and longer black greatsword.

The assailant stepped back many feet away as they recovered their balance, giving the chance for the demon slayer to analyze her opponent. The person was a woman with short gray hair which covered the sides of two chubby cheeks. Her clothes were little more than leather rags. The long skirt had several holes on it, and only covered the left leg, while the shirt was essentially a diagonal strap that went from the waist to the left shoulder. The only things hiding her private parts were brown pieces of cloth tied tightly around her waist and torso. She was slightly overweight, with her belly extending forward and to the sides, but not as much as to impede movement.

"I'm hungry..."

Mildred looked at the cannibal's oversized knife and a sudden headache stroke her brain. The gray-haired woman took the chance to run forward and swing down her cleaver with both hands, but the demon slayer brought up her sword in time to intercept the blow. However, this time the assailant managed to gain a small advantage over her, slowly pushing her down as both women struggled.

"Ugh! She's strong, but not as much as I am." Mildred thought as she saw the woman grinning with glee at the prospect of a new meal. "But why?! Why can't I push her back?! I'm not tired or hungry!" she thought forcing her arms to push her enemy back.

"So much food, hehehe, your skin is so firm, much better than these bony birds. Ah! I can't wait to take a little bite!" the gray-haired cannibal salivated.

"You demon!" Mildred shouted as she raised the handle high in the air, allowing the giant knife to slid across the blade.

The butcher knife hit the wet floor of the church, missing its target completely. The demon huntress swung her extra large greatsword horizontally but the attack was slow and sluggish, and her target quickly rolled away from danger.

"How strange...why doesn't she use a shield? Why does this bother me?" Mildred thought unease as she recovered from her over swing.

The assailant grabbed the back of her blade with her left hand and then made a diagonal slash using both hands to create more power. Mildred stepped back to avoid the strong but short-ranged attack. She bent her back forward as she put the greatsword on the ground by her side, and using all the strength of her trained muscles she dragged the metal across the wet ground and delivered a powerful upward swing with the potency of a giant boar's charge. The assailant blocked the attack with her knife, but despite her respectable strength she was sent flying backwards and fell on the muddy area of the building, her weapon escaping her grasp and landing by her side. The demon slayer gasped for air, such attack was common among the black knights of Gwyn, but tremendous stamina was required for a human to perform it even once. She dragged the weapon across the ground as she approached the fallen cannibal who was seemingly in pain as she held her stomach with both hands.

"I searched you for so long." Mildred told the woman as she stepped on the dark mud. "But now, you're mine." she smirked lifting the sword high above her head.

The demon slayer blinked, it was not the cannibal that lay on her feet, but Marcus of Astora. The huntress blinked again and saw the cannibal swinging her knife sideways from her downed position, aiming at Mildred's belly, but her target twisted her hands and lowered her sword to a vertical position by her side, blocking the attack in the nick of time.

"Wh-what happened?" the older woman thought confused. "For a moment, I was about to kill..." she shook her head to the sides.

The huntress blocked another swing from the left and then pushed the woman away with a shoulder bash. However, the impact was weaker than expected and the grinning woman grabbed her clothes with her left hand, pulling herself closer to her prey and biting her on the neck. Mildred screamed in pain as she released the heavy weapon, which fell to the ground with a thud. She tried to push her opponent away, but the insane woman threw her whole body at her, sending both to the ground. Sharp teeth dug deep into the demon slayer's flesh, ripping apart the exposed skin. The younger cannibal pulled her head back and then spit out blood and dark goo.

"Argh! Nasty!" the madwoman exclaimed.

Mildred punched the madwoman with her right hand and then again with her left until she finally knocking her adversary off from her. The huntress seized the chance and sat over her opponent, who had her belly against the floor. She grabbed the woman by her stained gray hair and lifted it from the ground.

"Are you hungry, dear?" Mildred mocked as the cannibal struggled in vain. "Then you can eat this!" she said slamming the cannibal's head on the dark mud.

The assailant tried to reach Mildred with her right hand, but the demon slayer grabbed the arm with her free hand and twisted it with great force, cracking the bones and bending it into an unnatural angle. The pinned woman screamed like a mad hollow, but her voice was quickly muffed by more sludge being forced upon her mouth.

"What's the matter? Don't like it?" the demon slayer teased.

The madwoman coughed mud. "I'm going to KILL YOU!" she shouted.

"Don't you know? This mud is actually smashed human corpses. I thought you would LIKE IT!" Mildred said slamming the head one final time.

A cracking sound came from the impact, signalizing the fracture of the skull. A decent amount of souls escaped the cannibal's body and entered their new vessel, confirming the death of the mad woman. The demon slayer carelessly released the cannibal's head and got off the corpse. She touched her neck and looked at her hand to measure the damage. Blood stained the leather glove, but judging by the amount of blood no major blood vessel was affected. Mildred gazed upon her hand, something strange about it attracted her attention, but she couldn't tell the exact reason, nor the cause of such feeling.

"This is so strange..." Mildred said as she moved her finger closer to her face.

The demon huntress lowered her hand, and was surprised to see another body laying in front of her. Instead of the chubby woman there was a thinner and taller frame, covered in tattered light brown leather clothes. Mildred crouched by the body's side, and noticed it had a severe gash on the back with blood tainting the old leather.

"Dead..." Mildred though turning the body so she could see the face.

The corpse belonged to a mid-aged man, most likely in his thirties. He had a brown short beard and emerald eyes, which had lost their light and signaled pain and horror. The woman tried to stand up but noticed she was carrying a fairly heavy object. She looked at her right hand and frowned when she saw an enormous kitchen knife, similar to the one wielded by the cannibal she had just killed. The blade was shining brightly with an orange light, producing a faint trail of smoke that lingered in the air for a few moments before dissipating.

"Why am I…?" the woman blinked.

"I finally found some! I was starting to worry a little. Don't worry, my dear. It is just going to take a minute."

"W-what? My voice? What am I- NO!"

"This one is a little dirty, but don't worry! Mom will give you the good parts, and ONLY the good parts."

"I can't move my body! It is as if I am possessed! Stop it! You can't eat him! He's a person! You're not-"

"Such a meaty steak! Most of the pigs here are barely more than bones, but this one is quite clean and juicy!"

"Pig? Are you blind?! How does that look like a PIG to you?! I know what a pig looks like and…!"

Mildred gasped, or so she thought, for her mouth continued to bite on human flesh as if it were the most delicious meal she had ever tasted.

"How often do you eat pigs?" Marcus's question echoed from afar.

"No...no, no, no, No, NO! This is an illusion! FAKE! THIS IS NOT ME! I'm not a cannibal!"

"Maybe I should spare some for Marcus, he deserves better than Estus. *Munch* It isn't bad, but gets stale."

"I would NEVER offer him this!"

"No thank you! I mean, I'm in a hurry and unfortunately I CAN'T make a pause, even for a proper meal."Marcus's words echoed in Mildred's mind.

"I wonder if he will come back to take care of Izalith. Maybe he is still training to get stronger, not even Gwyn's army could beat them, after all."

"When he finds me, he will…! No! This isn't me! It is someone CONTROLLING me! It is a DEMON in disguise, THEY are the ones who eat the innocent, who kill children, who murder the elder!" "But maybe I'm too hopeful...If only I had something to offer in return, and yet gave me these clothes...". "..." "Did you like it, my dear? A lot? I'm happy to hear it! One day you will grow to be a tall, healthy and strong man. I know it! Just...not here, this is no place for a child. No, maybe that's why you're so patient. I know, I know veeeeery well, this place is dangerous. But mommy will protect you until she finds a better place, I promise."

"How is your son doing?" Marcus asked.

A flash of red light blinded the cannibal and when her vision returned another corpse lay in front of her, this time of a merchant wearing a light yellow garb and blue pants. A pillar of flame erupted from the corpse, and when the flames subdued they revealed the body of a woman wearing light brown robes and holding a black chime on her left hand. Several other pillars of fire erupted from the ground, and each revealing yet another corpse with mortal wounds in a different scenario. From tall mountains to dark caves, from frozen lakes to burning volcanoes and majestic castles to humble homes. The gruesome scenes seemed to repeat for an eternity, the deaths increasing the fire's potency and size. Finally the pillar of death erupted one final time, but this time it lingered and resisted its downfall, until the heat finally subsided, revealing a frail and skinny child laying over a piece of brown cloth.

The kid was no more than 7 years old, and its skin revealed grave signs of starvation, for it was thin, flabby and did little to hide the small ribcage of the youngling. His clothes were tatters of leather, covering only his waist and thighs. A small normal bonfire burned nearby, but unlike the ones who are so familiar to the undead, this one provided no resurrection or healing.

"Mom...is Tommy going to be fine?" the child asked worried

"He's fine, he will be fine. Tonight we will have pork, I promise." Mildred said with a smile as she touched her stomach with her right hand, although she knew her words were as empty as the family's stomachs.

The child's faded eyes turned from his mother to the dark roof of Blighttown.

"Mom..." the child said, his voice barely a whisper.

"Yes, my sweet child?" the woman placed her right hand on the kid's pale face while holding his hand with her left.

The youngling coughed. "I'm...tired..." he said almost inaudible with closed eyes.

"Then sleep, a-and when you wake up, Mom is going to serve you a delicious meal." the mother told her child as she fought to keep the invisible hands of the curse from taking away her heart.

The son smiled at the promise, but had no strength to utter another word. The bonfire crackled one last time and then slowly faded away into cinders, leaving only burnt sticks behind. Mildred felt her soul get empowered, but her heart cracked at such gift. For years Blighttown was an infested place with the foulest of creatures and the most polluted of waters, but on that day two minuscule rivers of the purest water blessed the swamp forsaken by the gods. Undead men and demons alike cowered in fear at the horrific sound that echoed through the tick air of their home, for it carried the anger and sorrow of a soul which had faced unbearable pain and injustice.

The bonfire had long since faded when normalcy returned to Blighttown, but one less voice filled its domain. Two eyes stared at the small corpse in front of them, but no anger was directed at it. They were instead filled with guilty and sadness.

"I won't fail you too, Tommy." Mildred held her stomach with both hands. " I...I will make sure you grow healthy and safe. I won't let the same happen to you. Mommy will do EVERYTHING she can to protect you, to fill your tiny little belly." she said with a forced smile.

The mother looked at her deceased son, and took a small but sharp knife from within her bosom.

"George, my dear. If you really love your brother...then please, please forgive mommy for what she is about to do. I...I don't want this, but it is the only way for your brother to survive. Mommy loves you, she will ALWAYS love you. So, please, forgive me, I beg of you, please, forgive your mother." she said as her vision became blurry and the memory gave space to the void of the Abyss.

"I haven't been eating pigs. I have no child, I have NO CHILD! No son! No kid! I'm not a mother, a guardian or avenger. I'm...I'm…!"

"Mildred." a male voice called.

The woman looked back to find the source of the voice, her face marked with two trails of clean skin leading to gleaming tears which fell over humanity's demise. There stood Marcus in his blood-stained armor, wielding a kite silver shield on his left arm and an estoc on his right. The knight looked at the crying woman and then at the immobile body nearby.

"Hm? For a second I thought there were two Mildreds, but that one has gray hair. And judging by the way she was screaming...this is going to get complicated." Marcus thought looking back at the fallen human.

"M-Marcus? What happened to you? Did I…?!" Mildred said weakly as she recovered her senses, and then a sudden dread took her mind at the horrific possibility.

The astorian looked down at his mail, "No, it wasn't you. I ended up cutting a giant's blood vessel, and the blood spilled on my armor. What. Happened. Here?" he asked carefully.

The cannibal looked down at the mud in front of her and closed her eyes in acceptance. "Kill me. Don't ask why like you always do, just kill me." she said almost in a whisper.

"I'm not going to ask any questions, but hear me out, shall you?" the Lord of Cinder suggested.

"NO! You don't get it! It isn't that I'm feeling guilty because I killed her!" the cannibal shouted out. "I'm a monster! A man eater!" she slammed both hands on the ground, splashing the mud to the sides. "All these years hunting demons, hating them for preying on the innocent...and I'm no better than them, no better than Aldrich..." she sobbed.

Marcus sighed, and tensed his muscles in preparation for combat. "I knew you were a cannibal, ever since we first met during the Second Age." he revealed while watching the infamous butcher knife by the cannibal's side.

Mildred blinked several times, doubting heavily the words that crossed the air and infiltrated her mind. "You...did?" she muttered slowly lifting her head. "You...KNEW?!" she immediately turned her head and jumped to her feet in an instant. "And you let ME LIVE?!" the cannibal grabbed the knight by the mail and lifted him into the air with both hands despite her weariness.

"Actually, I killed your red phantom during our first encounter at Blighttown, although you almost got me." the astorian explained quite unfazed by the display of strength. "Then I met you later in your human form, and that's probably what you remember as our first encounter." he answered.

"Then WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?!" the cannibal asked with a fury that rivaled the Chaos Flame.

"I did, and you outright refused and said you would never do this. Later on I tried to tell you indirectly, but you still didn't get the message. Remember our talk when we discovered those corpses in the forest?" Marcus pointed his sword towards the cathedral's entrance.

Mildred's grip softened for a moment, and her arms lowered for an instant, but then she threw the knight to the side and into the black sludge.

"I thought you fought for justice!" the demon slayer exclaimed. "And yet you let me live...WHY?!" she asked.

"This sludge feels like the abyss of New Londo." Marcus thought. "Because, unlike Patches the Hyena, you have a good heart and I believe you are capable of overcoming your abyssal side." the astorian replied.

"The bald bastard..." Mildred whispered recognizing the name.

"I met him in the Second Age, and spared him after he tried to kill me, only for him to ambush me again a few minutes ago, so I killed him. He continued to pursue profit at the expense of others, yet I believe you are capable of suppressing your hunger, for it seems to be an undesired part of you and not something you wish, am I right?" he asked.

"Do you have ANY IDEA of how many people DIED because of your choice?" the huntress gritted her teeth as she stomped her way towards the astorian. She stopped to hear his response, ready to assault him at any moment.

"Let's see...A year has over 300 days, a person every 3 days, 100 Ages of Fire with each spanning about a 1000 years...About ten million people, although I really doubt you managed to find a person every 3 days, so maybe nine or eight million." Marcus calculated.

The cannibal crouched and grabbed the Lord of Cinder by the vest. "Do you think this is funny? Do you really, reeaaally think this is FUNNY?!" she shouted.

"If it were, I would be laughing right now." Marcus said completely serious. "Tell me, Mildred. Do you wish to eat more people?" he asked.

The cannibal opened her mouth to retort but lowered her gaze, defeated and almost hollow on the inside. "How can I be sure that my eyes and ears won't deceive me again? That I won't repeat the same mistake?" she asked quietly as she released the knight.

"Because now your inner demons are exposed. You have to recognize a problem to solve it. Believe me, I know from experience." the Lord of Cinder said in a gentle tone.

"I deserve to die!" Mildred shouted.

"Yes! You do!" Marcus retorted. "But listen! From the way I see it, you have essentially three choices now. First: You may choose to kill yourself, but become a hollow for all eternity. If you do, no matter how many times I kill you, you will continue to resurrect and kill more innocent, except that this time you will ALWAYS hurt them on sight." Marcus explained.

"Some hollows don't revive as easily." Mildred argued.

"Most of the hollows I fought revived simply by resting at the bonfire. Are you willing to run that risk? Second: You may choose to live in exile, but we both know you will hollow as well, and sooner or later people will find you." the astorian told his friend.

The cannibal sighed for she knew it was true. Only a few demons remained, and her will to live challenged the First Flame's diminishing power.

"What about the ones I ate and killed?! Don't they deserve justice?!" Mildred asked furious.

"They do, and I'm willing to kill you after everything is said and done, but only if you promise me to come back, which is the third option." the knight suggested.

"Come back to life? Why would I want that? The Chaos Flame is almost done for, and the few demons who remain will eventually fade. There's no-" the demon slayer started but was interrupted by Marcus.

"Anri and Horace." the knight said bluntly.

The huntress's eyes widened, and she instantly looked to the left and upwards. "Little Anri!" she exclaimed as she stood up. "Marcus! We NEED to save them!" she said shaking the man with both arms.

Marcus smiled, "Get your sword." the knight jerked his head towards the fallen black sword on the goo.

The slayer wasted no time getting her sword back, but just as she cleaned it with a large swing of her arm her eagerness vanished in a sea of doubt.

"What if I ea-hurt them?" the cannibal whispered as fear returned to her soul.

"What if you hesitate and ALDRICH eats them instead?" Marcus argued as he turned his back to the demon slayer and faced a wooden staircase that lead to an upper floor.

(Meanwhile)

Anri fell on his back after being blasted away by a white explosion of power. He grunted in pain as he struggled to get back on his feet, but shadows were already above him. Several people looked at him with lifeless glowing red eyes, their skin a grayish tone and cracked through and through. These hollows wore faded red robes with a red cloth hanging freely on the front, which depicted a golden symbol across its fabric. Each wielded a golden candle stick that rivaled short swords in length, which possessed six small candles at the top of the hilt. The stick itself had an intertwined design, with diamond shaped holes in the middle at every section, and a sharp edge that could be used for stabbing. Six priests reared back their candle sticks for a final trust, but then two of them were cut in half by a steel blade, splattering black blood on the floor and staining the surviving hollows' robes. Horace pushed away the hollow on the left with his shield.

"Hurry!" the black knight urged gesturing with his left arm.

Both astorians retreated to the entrance of the room, taking notice of the congregation that made its way towards them. Over thirty pair of eyes staring straight into their souls with only one goal in their mind: kill. The circular chamber was large and tall, with a roof so far away that one of the colossal giants could fit inside. In the middle existed a square monument of stone that rose towards the sky. Several candles that had long since burned past their usefulness covered the object with melted wax, hiding some of the old symbols which were carved upon its surface. Atop the stone monument rested a large coffin made of dark wood. The dirt and old wax, however, were not enough to obstruct the most important engraving of the monument. Five words were still visible on the base despite their age, a label that identified the owner of the coffin: "Aldrich, Saint of the Deep"

"We have to get the main priest!" Anri exclaimed as he blocked a fireball with his shield.

"There's too many of them. We have to separate him!" Horace said sidestepping a second fireball.

"Maybe if we...why did they stop?" the blonde astorian asked.

All of the priests had stopped walking towards the duo, and now were facing the center of the group. They raised their sticks in front of them like a sacred offer and chanted an old and unrecognizable prayer. Pure black spheres of magic came from their catalysts, gathering, swirling and fusing into a larger sphere that could easily consume a human entirely. A golden staff could be seen between the lesser sticks, and with a forward movement of the leader the enormous cluster of the Deep was launched towards the duo. Anri instinctively raised his shield to block the incoming attack, failing to notice the footsteps coming from behind.

Confused by the lack of pain the blonde astorian carefully lowered his shield, and gasped surprised at the sight. The deep projectile was hovering dangerously close to his face, but it only went down and upwards like an animal trying to reach its prey.

"Marcus?!" Horace said surprised when he noticed the figure by his side.

There stood the second Lord of Cinder with a silver shield on his back and a blueish greatsword on both hands. The silver pendant which hang over his blue vest shined brightly with a golden light, producing a sphere around the trio with smaller balls floating around it.

"This one is quite persistent. But..." Marcus said as he channeled his focus on the silver pendant.

The deep sphere squirmed and struggled to reach its target, but the yellow shield was too strong to surpass, and thus it faltered and faded into nothing after a moment.

"Sir?! You're hurt!" Anri began speaking but was interrupted when his mentor entered a battle stance.

"Not my blood! Which one is Aldrich?" Marcus asked as the conglomeration resumed their march towards the trio.

"Ah! Huh! Ah...I don't think he's here." Anri answered uncertain as he looked at the large crowd.

Horace took the chance to drink from his Estus flask, and gestured for his friend to do the same, which he did.

"He isn't?" Marcus turned his back to the corrupt deacons to block three fireballs with the shield on his back. "Hm…The attacks are rather weak." Marcus thought after absorbing the impact.

"He should look like a mass of sludge. That was supposed to be his coffin." Anri pointed towards the monument in front of them with his sword.

Marcus looked over his shoulder just as he took another fireball. "I see. Let's focus on these priests for now." the knight said as he stored the three swords in his soul. "Can you handle the rest?" the older astorian inquired.

"For a while, they just don't stop coming back!" Anri complained.

"Then spread to the sides, don't go after them and remember what I have taught you!" Marcus ordered as he began to push forward.

The Lord of Cinder summoned the Golden and Dark Silver Tracer from within his chest. He wielded the orange blade on his left hand and the smaller blade on his right, mimicking his master's stance with uncanny precision. Anri ran to the left while Horace went to the opposite side. Fortunately the congregation took the bait, and a few priests departed from the main group to chase them. Marcus used the chance to charge at the main group, which was now reduced to twenty four members.

The first priest was beheaded by a swift swing from an orange sword, and the second was stabbed in the chest by a poisonous dagger. Anri blocked an attack with his shield and then pierced his opponent's heart with his straight sword, while Horace swung down his halberd at an exposed shoulder.

"There's a priest wielding a staff amongst them, he has a red glowing light around him!" Horace informed his teacher as they continued to fend off the fallen clerics.

The usual darkness of the chamber was etched with golden streaks of golden light as an ancient blade danced and swirled across the chamber. Its smaller and more reclusive sister was quick to find its mark in the crowd that surrounded its owner, piercing lungs, hearts and stomachs as Marcus decimated the congregation with the grace of a butterfly and the lethality of a hornet. Each swing led to another and every stab served as a propulsion for another move. The priests tried to surround the new menace, but the ever going knight cared little for the foes behind him, for he was pressing forward with every attack, not letting his enemies use their short sticks to stab him. The Lord of Cinder would cut down a priest with one of his blade, and then either block another attack with his remaining weapon or turn his back to the offender to repel should both his hands be busy at the moment.

The experienced warrior cut down a particularly fat priest and then saw his objective. The leader of the cult was shorter than his subordinates, his head barely reaching their neck. His garbs were of a light yellow tint, which contrasted with the faded red of his followers and the deep blue of the more robust ones. He wore a red mantle on his back, the cloth was adorned by golden symbols on the edges but their meaning was unknown to the astorian. The leader of congregation wore a yellow hat of the same color, the headpiece extending high above his head signaling his position as the archdeacon. His weapon of choice was a long golden staff that overshadowed his small frame, its design exquisite and unusual. It possessed two swirling wires that connected the beginning of the upper half, two small supports for candles, two short wires that extended outward and then inward forming a rough heart shape and finally a more robust part at the edge, with the tip being sustained by two tiny golden pillars. The archdeacon emitted an unnatural aura, which shined like a pure red flame around its host, but its purpose was a mystery.

"This glow isn't Power Within nor the red tearstone ring." Marcus thought.

The astorian stepped forward to eliminate the leader, but as soon as his foot landed a blast of white energy came from the left, throwing him to the opposite direction. The knight fell on top of two priests, sending the trio to the ground.

"Force?!" Marcus thought surprised.

A deacon lifted his catalyst to cast a fireball, but the Lord of Cinder kicked him in the knee, disrupting the conjuration and knocking him to the ground. Two priests approached from the sides, but the astorian cut off their legs with wide swings. He took the chance to regain his footing, but was met with the bloody eyes of the congregation that surrounded him. The knight moved his arm for a broad attack, but an obese deacon gathered his hands in front of himself and then reared them back until they were by his sides, producing a white explosion that staggered the astorian. Before the knight could recover another fat priest conjured Force again, this time from behind. The congregation would repeat thee feat three more times, each time from a different side, toying with the smaller man as they pushed him away like bullies tormenting the defenseless.

Holy miracles were cast by repeating the tales of the gods, and five main factors were taken into account to determine the miracle's strength: strength of a talisman or chime; faith; proper repeating of the story; focus; and physical tuning. The lack of one of these elements would impair the blessing, such as the miracle "Force" being a much weaker version of "Wrath of the Gods" simply due to the fact that the former lacked several verses of the original tale. A fallen priest that did not repeat the full story would find its power severely lacking, and as such Marcus managed to resist the onslaught of miracles.

"This is...getting...annoying!"the warrior thought as he put the Dark Silver Tracer on his belt in the gap between casts.

"FORCE!" Marcus shouted at the top of his lungs, and a similar white explosion came from within his soul. The shout was a way to focus his mind on the miracle itself, and to fortify his resolve against a difficult opponent.

Eight deacons fell due to the fierce explosion, knocking down the rest as they stumbled back. The Lord of Cinder scanned the area with a quick turn of his head, spotting the archdeacon on the left. The corrupt crowd began to recover from the initial explosion, but was soon brought back to the ground with a second wave of light.

Meanwhile Anri cowered at the sudden shout of power, and looked at the source of the sound. He saw many priests fall helpless to the ground, a vision that would be viewed as comical in a normal situation. The scene, however, distracted him from a deacon approaching from behind, and was reminded of his predicament when a fireball landed on his back.

"Ouch!" the young astorian exclaimed as he stumbled forward.

The blonde recovered himself and turned to finish off the remaining foe with a trust aimed at his chest. However, just as he was about to deliver the final blow the red eyes of his opponent lost their color, and the abyssal deacon fell over himself like a marionette without strings. Several thuds echoed through the chamber, prompting the astorian to look around. All the deep servants were laying lifeless on the ground, their eye sockets dark as the Abyss itself. Seeing that there was no threat left the young astorian searched for his best friend, and found him poking his halberd at one of the corpses. Anri sprinted towards the black knight.

"Horace! You're okay!" Anri said happily as he reached his fiend.

"Hm? Ah! Anri! You had me worried for a moment!" Horace replied relieved.

The two friends smiled at each other even though their armor hid their satisfaction and joy. Their happiness, however, was broken when they realized the cause of their success.

"Marcus!" both astorians exclaimed worried as they looked for their mentor.

"Yes?" the Lord of Cinder asked from afar.

The older astorian was staring at the top of the stone monument, the archbishop lay lifeless by his side, the long staff not far away from his decrepit fingers.

"How big is Aldrich? Is he that massive, or does this represents the sheer amount of respect they have for him? If so, why? He's evil! Or was it made before his downfall?" Marcus thought as he pondered over his next target.

The young astorians rushed to meet their tutor. Hearing the loud clangs of armor the elder astorian turned to face his students, forcing them to take a step back to give him some distance.

"You had me worried sick, did you know that?" the Lord of Cinder said quite irritated but managed to keep his voice stable.

"Please, do not blame Anri. It was me who convinced him of coming here." Horace bowed in shame.

"What? No, Horace! You didn't trick me into hunting Aldrich. It was my own decision!" Anri objected.

Marcus sighed, "Be honest and tell me the truth. Did you really believe you two could kill Aldrich? Do you think you stand a chance, even if minimal, against him?" he asked his students.

"Yes!" Horace said loud and clear as he finished the bow, surprising his best friend with such determination.

"What about you, Anri?" the experienced warrior turned his head towards the blonde.

"I..." Anri hesitated and his arms fell by his side. "I have a promise to keep..." he whispered looking away and at one of the corpses.

"I will ask again. Will you fulfill this promise, or are you going to give up and forsake your vow?" the Lord of Cinder asked.

"Never!" Anri shouted suddenly. "We will kill Aldrich, even if I have to die 100 times!" he said with rare confidence.

"Anri..." Horace muttered at the sudden change of spirit, he understood the true source of such strength and couldn't blame his friend for it.

"Good." Marcus smiled. "You don't have to die 100 times, though." he thought.

Horace cocked his head to the side, "Aren't...aren't you angry with us? For coming here?" the black knight asked confused and Anri froze in fear.

"Angry?" Marcus repeated. "I'm pissed!" he thought. "You were hasty in coming here by yourselves, you know I would follow you here eventually." he revealed. "Your determination isn't strong enough, yet." he thought.

"Mildred would never allow us." Horace confessed.

"I had just spoken with her about it after we cured Anri, and she was considering it. You decided to go in secrecy before her final decision." Marcus covered his face with his hand.

"S-She...was?" Horace stuttered, surprised at the revelation.

"Don't assume a person's feelings if you barely know them. You MAY think you're doing the right thing, but you could doom them as well." Marcus said. "And end up saddening their family as well..." Marcus thought.

"Forgive us." both Horace and Anri bowed in shame.

Marcus grunted, "Very well, but just because you're safe and sane." he finally said and his students breathed relieved as they finished the bow. "Now, let's see if their chief priest has a clue of where Aldrich has gone." the Lord of Cinder crouched by the archdeacon's corpse.

"Shouldn't we rest at the bonfire first for precaution? One appeared right there after we defeated the priests." Horace inquired pointing at an undead bonfire behind him.

"No. If we sit at the bonfire we run the risk of the corpses disappearing due to time distortion." Marcus answered as he checked the archdeacon's robes for any pockets.

"Oh..." Horace whispered as he realized his mistake.

"Do you need help?" Anri offered.

"No, I can do it. All wrong, no clue on his clothes and no belts. Maybe in his soul?" the knight reared back his hand and plunged it into the corpse's chest, creating a white vortex that acted as a portal to the archdeacon's soul.

After a little of soul searching the knight's hand grasped something solid, and so he pulled it out of the deacon's soul. It was a small white soul, which slowly but surely began to take shape and expand. Once the transformation was complete a small doll of no more than 15cm in height appeared. It was a silverwork doll depicting a young squire holding a sword horizontally in front of his chest, ready to serve his lord. A broken circle was attached behind his back, the upper left broken and missing. The object itself was highly exquisite, with handcrafted details on the face, armor and sword, so much that one could think it was once a real person that was turned to stone.

"If thou seekest I, thine desires shall be requited not." the knight remembered a sweet female voice.

The Lord of Cinder used his free hand to retrieve the archdeacon's soul, and was surprised with the result. Unlike normal souls the priest's soul was a deep blue flame surrounded by multiple minor souls of the same color.

"I have a feeling I won't get a holy item from this soul. Better use as it is." he thought before crushing the unusual soul in his hand. "20,000 souls." he thought nodding to himself.

Marcus stood up with the doll in hand. He kept staring at it as memories of a cold and sunless world resurfaced in his mind.

"Is that...a doll?" Anri pointed at Marcus's hand.

"Why would a priest carry a doll?" Horace asked aloud.

"Because it is a key, maybe to open a portal." the knight answered.

"I wasn't aware of such type of key." Anri told his comrades.

"Once I...wait! Did you hear that?" the Lord of Cinder lifted his left hand.

The young astorians waited a few moments in silence but heard no voice or sound besides the cold breeze that breathed in the chamber.

"I don't hear anything." Anri admitted.

"I hear...a voice. It is coming from...the doll?" Marcus said as he turned his attention to the object in his possession. He brought his hand closer to his head, and a faint male voice began speaking. "The doll, it is repeating a message: 'Wherever you go, the moon still sets in Irithyll. Wherever you may be, Irithyll is your home.'" Marcus repeated the message.

"Moon?" Horace said rubbing his chin.

"Irithyll? I don't know this place." Anri admitted.

"Me neither." the Lord of Cinder shook his head. "Maybe someone in Firelink Shrine knows. Let's go back and ask them." he told the others, storing the doll in his soul for safety.

Horace and Anri nodded at the suggestion and the trio made their way towards the bonfire. Anri was the first to disappear, who was then followed by Horace and finally Marcus.

Notes:

Yes, I know, I took way too long to update this story. But at least one more area is finished. 2020 is not the brightest year, and too much happened in a short amount of time, giving me some headaches.

I believe veteran players didn't find the first giant of the cathedral too much difficulty, since they follow a similar principle of Ceaseless Discharge.

The first mimic that Marcus found in Lothric is the one in the Cathedral of the Deep because Anri and Horace had already killed the one in the High Wall and avoided the one in the church.

Despite being a former Darkwraith there's no indication in the game that Kirk has any affiliation with Londor or the Deep. In my version of the story he is currently only dedicated to Rosaria.

Marcus's remark about people wanting eyes is a joke about Bloodborne.

Anri and Horace managed to kill the second giant because he isn't particularly hard to beat even with the mud slowing you down. The first one, however, requires you to bait his attacks and put yourself at risk if you're using a melee character.

For those that are still confused: it was the gray-haired cannibal (madwoman) that was banished for killing people in the Undead Settlement. Mildred was banished for trying to destroy their holy tree, which later became the Curse-Rotted Greatwood. She didn't have a chance to eat anyone because she only spent a day or two there. They both lived in the woods of the Road of Sacrifices for years, but Mildred had never managed to catch the other cannibal.

I didn't describe Mildred's cannibalism because it would qualify as "Adult only" rating. Besides, it isn't essential to the story.

Mildred was actually pregnant by the time her firstborn died, but had a miscarriage along the way and didn't notice it. Both events happen after her escape of Izalith, and therefore after the birth of the Chaos Flame, which forced her to live in the swamp of Blighttown.

It is fact that Anri and Horace would eventually defeat the Deacons of the Deep on their own (because they do so in the game), but in my opinion it required them either a good deal of effort or more than one attempt.

Marcus used the Silver pendant he got from Oolacile, which deflects dark magic. It is very likely that it would also protect against deep sorcery, since it has a similar nature.