The Dark Soul

Twilight was pulled from her dreamless sleep as something shook her harshly.

“Twilight! Come lass, get up… up!” She heard Aston bark into her ear as he shook her again.

She was about to rebuke the knight for the rude awakening when a loud bang came from the church doors.

“Seems we’ve kicked the nest.” He said simply as he stood, twirling the poll-hammer as he did.

Twilight glanced at the door, the two thick black-iron doors caving outward slightly as something bashed them from the other side. The stone frame cracked and fissured as some unimaginable force was weighted on it.

Twilight moved to Aston’s side, the knight positioning himself at the side of the door so that they could ambush whatever was trying to get out; holding the poll-hammer in such a way so that he could swing it around into the hostile.

“What do you think it is?” Twilight asked.

At that the door was slammed again, almost buckling.

“Something big I suppose.” The knight said looking back.

The door was finally blown free from its frame, the two iron pieces crashing down the steps towards the portcullis. Two hollow knights of Balder followed, one of them quickly meeting its end at the hands of the knight as Aston slammed his poll-hammer’s blunt end into its unprotected face; tearing it off at the jaw and sending it flying back though the door. The other hollow jabbed at Aston’s face with its piecing sword; thankfully the blow glanced off his angled helm. With a grunt Aston kicked the hollowed knight away, sending the figure tumbling down to the ground; Twilight taking the opening to blast the hollow with a spell.

Just as the hollow fell a huge form clad in massive armor came rushing out the door, wielding a huge mace and hefting a massive rectangular greatshield. A terror raced through her as Aston spun to face the new foe, only to lose his footing on the body on the ground. Still sprinting towards the fallen knight the massive hollow raised its massive mace, preparing to crush Aston.

Thinking fast, Twilight raised a dome of magic around him. The massive hollow’s blow connected with the shimmering shield, the dome immediately shattering under the strain; though the pause allowed the knight time to roll to the side. The massive mace crashing into the ground, kicking up dust and pieces of masonry as it crushed a large divot into the ground where Aston once was.

The hollow turned its head in her direction, ripping the mace from the ground it was lodged in as it turned fully to her and lumbered and lumbered forward. She fired off another spell at the hollow, the massive figure blocking the incoming blast with its greatshield. She jumped backwards as the hollow swiped at her with its mace, Aston by that time had sprung back to his feet. As the hollow’s swing reached the end of its arch Aston brought the beaked end of his poll-hammer down on its head, though the blow missed its mark and impacted its arm; imbedding itself deep as it nicked into the armor-less joint at the elbow.

With a primal roar the massive hollow pulled its wounded arm forward, ripping the lucerne from Aston’s grip. The hollow then backhanded its mace into Aston’s raised shield, the impact sending the knight to the ground. The hollow tore the poll-hammer from its arm and tossed it away. Twilight sent another spell at the hollow, this time the spell slammed into its chest only for it to splash harmlessly against the armor leaving little more then a scorch mark.

The hollow took the hit in stride and slammed its massive shield forward, hitting Twilight in the side as she tried to jump away from the blow. She heard a snap as her ribs caved under the strain; a feeling like lava being poured into her chest tore through her body as she was launched to the ground. The hollow hefted the massive mace over its head and was about to bring it down on her when Aston jumped onto the hollows shoulders. The hollow twisted and contorted itself in an attempt to get the knight off his back, Aston climbing up higher; nearly standing on its shoulders as he ripped of its helm.

Aston pulled the dagger from his belt and plunged it deep into its head, the beast of a hollow twitching once before falling in a heap, the battle finally over.

-=-

Aston cursed loudly as the mountain of a hollow nearly fell on top of him, the knight pulling a foot out that had been lodged under it. He grunted in pain as he realized his shield-arm had been broken in the battle, the injury going unfelt in the heat of the battle.

The wound was put from his mind as he saw Twilight’s prone and broken form. She was still breathing, but the breaths came in short gasps and blood flowed from her mouth with each exhale. The knight knew that her ribs had been broken, likely had punctured her lungs, one of her front legs had also been broken into an unnatural angle. The knight kneeled, holding her head as he pulled the flask from his pouch. She had a panicked look in her crying and pain filled eyes. Her horn glowed for a moment and her movable legs kicked at him, but the knight stopped that by forcing her mouth open with a thumb and pouring the substance of the flask into her mouth.

“Calm… you’re going to be fine.” Aston said, his mind flashing with images of the little girl from before; only now she was blooded and face down on the floor. “Everything’s going to be fine.”

Twilight tore her head away from his grasp, a snapping sound audible as the bones moved back into place, but it was not a scream of pain that escaped her lips.

“Aston!” The mare let out the single word in such a way that meant only one thing.

Danger.

The knight spun on a heel, a flash of blue filling his vision right before something slammed into his chest.

“Aston! NO!” He Twilight scream, her voice sounding far away; a ringing starting in his ears.

He looked down at his chest, the sounds of the world around him slowly fading away, finding a bloody hole where the majority of his chest used to be. Strangely, the man felt no pain as he fell to his knees. A second blow, this one physical, sent the knight to the ground.

His energy sapped from his body he could do nothing but look as his assailant, a human sized figure garbed in a grayish blue robe with gold trimmings holding a golden trident, simply stepped over the knight like he was some pile of trash as it approached Twilight.

She, still recovering from her wounds, could do little more then scream for help as the figure picked her up.

‘No! I…’

The knight kept his eyes locked on Twilight, burning her face and name into his mind as the blackness swam in his vision. She was kicking and squirming in its grasp as it looked her over.

‘I have to… remember. I can’t forget.’

Runes appeared around the figure as he held the mare tight, the pair slowly fading away, as was the knight; the bonfire tearing into his soul as it drew it in.

‘Remember… Remember.’ The knight repeating the mantra as Twilight vanished.

The knight finally lost the battle with the bonfire, his body going limp as he faded away into green smoke.