Great Fjords and Greatswords

Orion stood, barely in the woods for several minutes, staring at odd shaped bushes and vines. Few ponies who farmed the nearby land tried to get his attention, but ended up staring with him.

Orion, for the first time in many many years, shedded a tear, putting an armored finger through his eye hole and checking to make sure. Daniel was his name...the name of his father. He had remembered, whether by his own will or the humanity and civilization that surrounded him.

The knight put one foot in front of the other, gaining rapid couragenand adrenaline rushes.

"I've heard tales of both of thee, causing many undead to go hollow...But I shall be standing at thy door some day...to cause thy falling." Orion said as he slowly began to walk ,"Prepare for a visitor, Dragonslayer and Executioner."

Orion was now walking at full pace, steering clear of the weird shiny vines and the bushes waving in no wind. The ponies stared at him for a while longer, before going back to their farm work.

The knight walked and walked, never stopping, always watchful of the deceitful ents and vine lizards. After several units of time that he couldn't name, Orion walked into a mossy tower, staring at crystal golems and a hydra in the distance. He, on the stairs, knowing who was waiting for him within the tower walls and what was waiting on the bridges above.

He didn't know when he stood and dug through his pockets, pulling out a key. All he knew was the sun was setting as he unlocked the door. Orion drewn the dragon sword from his back and nudged the door open with his foot.

Quiet...

Orion took off running through a loud slam followed behind him, almost smacking him into the dirt. He turned around, raising his shield, standing in a bracing stance.

A warrior stood in front of him, a large tooth on his right shoulder, a thick rock shield, and a set of stone armor. None other than the infamous Havel. A fearsome foe who claimed many deeds of hollowing others. Few could have the strength to slay him.

Orion bent his knees, the heels of his feet touching his buttocks. Havel's dragon tooth was indeed a frightening weapon. He dropped his shield and grabbed the greatsword in two hands, slamming it onto the stone floor. A loud boom resonating in the tower, Havel was blown into the wall from the power of the sword. The knight had raced to the rock armored hollow and was about to strike when he was sent onto his back by the tooth. Orion released his sword from the impact and shakily stood. Havel was standing in front of him, the great dragon weapon coming down to finish Orion.

"Not like this..." Orion barely sidestepped out of the way and grabbed the handle of the dragon tooth.

The knight shoved hard against the owner of the weapon, catching him off guard and taking the weapon for himself. He swung in a spin motion, adrenaline giving him strength. Havel was sent into the air, a sickening crack of his bones was heard as he disappeared in white soul clumps that flooded to Orion. The dragon tooth disappeared.

The knight regathered his weapons, adjusting himself when he fell to his knees, tired and greatly injured. A few screams of familiar voices were heard, heading his way. The tower door slammed.

"Orion! Umph! You didn't tell us the land was this dangerous!" Twilight screamed at him as she and Applejack held the door shut. They were indeed there, having caught up to him.

"My estus...please..."Orion heaved out, even breathing was hard for him as he couldn't move much from Havel's hard hit.

Twilight rushed over, remembering what he did. She grabbed it from his belt and put it to his lips. Knocking his head back, letting the orange liqiud run down into his mouth. She pulled the flask from his mouth as he gulped. The knight standing once again.

"I thought Quelaag covered that discussion for thou." Orion spoke and walked to the door, moving Applejack out of the way, "I assume thou fell for the Ents' trap..." He kicks the door, breaking it off its hinges, the Ents sent back onto their bushy heads.

Orion ran out, smacking the ones that still came after him, until all lay dead on the forest floor. He walked back in and began walking up the stairs of the tower.

"Stick with me, and we'll make it to Firelink Shrine in no time." Orion said, smiling under his helm. It was good to be back in territory that he knew and could somewhat call home.

The group had been told to stay quiet at all times, talking is considered very dangerous. Twilight had mastered some basic spells that most sorcerers know and use often, while Applejack had gotten orange fingers and her front hooves became hands, she had practiced being on her hind legs a lot, and now she can give a good fight.

Orion would tell them to stay behind at some points so he could take care of some hollows. He had told them to stay behind in a stone building and not cross a small bridge no matter what.

The knight walked to the closed door with caution, bodies of hollows all around his feet. He turned the knob and nudged it open with his foot again. He was about to walk out when after he took his first step a small pot came flying down at him and he jumped back. Fire exploded in front of him.

"What was that?!" Twilight shouted, surprised at the explosion. The pots kept falling and the fires kept exploding.

"A firebomb, damn hollows...looks like they won't let me through here, I'm too heavy in this armor. Twilight, could thou run across and cast magic at them when thou are out of their throwing range? The minute it stops coming down on me, Applejack and I will be over there, backing you up."

"I guess I have no choice..." Twilight sighed and prepared to sprint.

Twilight ran through quickly, charging a soul arrow and distracting the firebomb throwers. Applejack ran across and began defeating hollows that tried to get to her friend. Just as Orion was about to run, he heard a footstep behind him and spun around, catching a knife on his shield. A red phantom stood before him, skinny and agile, a thief. Orion prepped his greatsword for any swings should the opportunity arise.

"I've got company!" The knight yelled to his companions.

Applejack had slain all the ground hollows, but Twilight was still battling the firebomb throwers. The orange farm pony rushed back over to see the red phantom. Orion had his shield up, watching his every move as he stood with the wall to his back. Applejack kept her broadsword ready as she moved around faster, thanks tonher lack of armor. The thief became very aware of them both, opting to stay away.

After a while of stalemate, the phantom rolled behind Applejack, attempting to back stab. His luck was run short when Orion jumped over and slammed his sword down upon him, knocking him flat and slaying him. His armor was just leather after all. The two ran across the now empty bridge. Orion continued further, lighting a bonfire.

"Don't rest, we are almost at Firelink...if thou do rest, the hollows will be back." The knight warned and continued walking, the two ponies behind him.

He took a left at a battlement area and smashed down shields of spearmen, killing them easily with the murderous force of his greatsword. The knight smashed crates after, revealing a set of stairs. He ran down it, taking a right and slaying a hidden axe soldier. Orion didn't continue through the archway, he headed to the balcony, where he was greeted by an undead merchant.

"Everything's for sale!" The merchant said quickly, laughing after.

The knight bought many arrows, a bow, and some repair powder off of him before walking away.

"Why did you buy arrows? I thought you used your swords, not a bow." Twilight observed as they walked toward a small bridge.

"In case I am forced to use them, and if...one of your friends join us and they use bows..." Orion responded, stopping the two as they reached the bottom of the staircase after the small bridge, hiding in a house.

The knight pointed for Twilight to run across and Applejack to take the left side on his signal. Shortly after they got into running positions, Orion raised his hands and the three took off into battle once more. Orion ran to the right, pushing a hollow off, making him fall to his death. He turned around, watching Applejack handle herself well. The knight ran to the other building, going in when he saw the hollow slash Twilight's stomach with an axe, it might have grazed, but it made her lose her poise.

The knight charged the hollow, shoving him to the floor with his shield. Orion slammed the same sentinel shield upon him, the weight easily ending his life. Orion put his estus flask to Twilight's mouth as she lay on her rump against a wall. He tilted it back, the refreshing liqiud pouring into her mouth. Twilight gulped it down after he removed the flask from her lips, putting the precious life drink in his belt. The wound on her stomach began to heal, forming a scar.

"Twi! Are you alright? What happened?" Applejack began panicking.

"I got slashed by that hollow." She pointed to the ground as she got to her four hooves ,"I'm fine now..." she spoke.

"Just a little longer until we reach Firelink." Orion spoke, walking out and continuing, the two following him after a short talk.

They slayed the last few hollows after going through a smelly, damp tunnel. The ponies looked around, mostly at the huge cliff that was near them. The knight waved across to a merchant that had already said hello in Equestria. He sat against a wall, across the cliff on the bridge. The knight walked silently on, going down the steps and reaching the broken stone ruins.

"Thou have any Estus Flasks on you? I got two new undead."Orion spoke, the crestfallen man pointed to his bag on the ground.

"I used to take them from hollows...I don't really know why I did." He responded, staring at the ground, forever depressed.

Orion walks over to the beginning of a hall, looking at the sorcerer.

"Twilight, this is Griggs of Vinheim, he'll be selling you everything spell related in exchange for souls." The knight said, Twilight immediately began to talk to him on matters of sorcery.

Orion walked off with Applejack. Heading up stairs.

"What about me, Ah need to make sure my gear stays in good condition." Applejack speaks up.

"I'm getting there...just stay in this elevator, some strong hollows lie ahead." Orion warned as they both walked onto a rusty elevator, stepping on the pressure plate, making it go up fast.

Within moments they reached the top, Orion readied Zweihander, slowly coming out of the elevator, shield raised. He looked left and caught the rough strike of a mace, bracing his feet. Orion quickly began circling the giant hollow, ducking below the mace swing and retaliating with three strikes of his own, sending him to defeat. He motioned for Applejack to follow as he walked to the door adjacent to the elevator. He walked outside, quickly slaying the hollow soldiers in single strikes.

He pointed at the small building that jutted from the thick wood.

"Andre is in that building, thou will find him to be a good black smith." He said, the orange retired farmer, made her way to the building.

Orion headed back into the Undead Church, fighting through balder knights and slaying off a horde of hollowed zombies. He had shot the channeler from below, using the bow he bought, hiding behind a pillar after each shot. Before long, Orion stood at the doors of white light, breathing a deep breath, seeing no summon sign.

He passed through it after drawing the black knight's greatsword, yellow lightning occasionally bouncing in the blade. A soon time after two mighty lion roars came from the bell tower. The beasts jumping down with bat wings, a lion body and a scorpion tail, stinger included.

Orion didn't know it, but these were fearsome manticores...a feared Everfree monster.