Corruption of Souls

Ch.1

“Fuck~...” I groaned as I woke up on a cold and uneven stone floor. “What happened?”

I blinked my eyes to wake myself up more, not understanding the ceiling I was seeing. I’m sure my hotel room wasn’t made of stone.

Okay, let’s see. I went to E3 to see what FromSoftware had in store for their next game since Sekiro had already come out and there were unsubstantiated rumors of a Bloodborne 2 so I was hyped to attend their panel. But...I never actually got to see it, I think. The last thing I remember was getting dressed up as a Deprived starting character in my hotel room. It was simple because it’s just a brown loincloth and I have no issues with my body image. But now I’m in this place.

“Where the fuck?” I rasped with a surprisingly dry and scratchy voice, wow I need some water. I looked around the overgrown and mostly empty and otherwise ruined stone room. There was a skeleton fossilized by limestone and with tree roots sticking out of the roof. I saw a rusty iron door that was almost completely covered In limestone. If there’s this much sediment gathering on stuff, this room must be near a limestone deposit and a source of water.

Wait, I had just put on that Pendant I got from a street vendor outside the Expo just before I blacked out! That fucker! The thing must’ve had some sort of contact toxin or something!

I knew I shouldn’t have trusted that shifty vendor! He was dressed up so heavily as the Resident Evil 4 black-market Merchant that there was no way to identify him, and he kept laughing creepily. Great! Have I been kidnapped? Is this just where I’m being held while the surgeon who’s gonna harvest my kidneys gets ready? Wait, do I still have my kidneys?!

“Grrrrr~” I heard from the Door, which made me back away in shock. That...wasnot human.

“Crap, what’s going on? Where am I? Fuck! fuck!” I yelped in fear, realizing that all I was wearing was the loincloth I was going to wear to the Expo. I instinctively touched my crotch to make sure nothing was missing, I’ve been kidnapped after all, and I recoiled at the lack of a bulge. “WHERE’S MY DICK!? WHY DO I SOUND LIKE A GIRL!” Now that I’ve been talking more than a couple of words, this is not my voice, and this is not my body!

The growling got closer as well as a husky pant as I looked for something to defend myself with. There was nothing in this room besides the skeleton. I grabbed it’s left femur, the strongest bone in the body I think. It cracked free of the hip, and it felt fairly weighty, calcified as it was in limestone. Gulping in fear, it was with a feeling of despair that I left the room to search for an exit. There was white limestone over everything, including more skeletons in sitting positions.

The growling got closer and I rushed away from it hopes of finding a way out of this scary place. I need to get away, and find help, whatever help I can get as a half-naked waif of a woman.

I panted as I ran through the halls, seeing through some holes in the ceiling that there was a forest outside of evergreens, meaning these were some very overgrown ruins. I think half this place was underground, with a few towers barely poking out of the forest canopy. I was freaking out more now because that meant I was nowhere near the Expo and I was most likely in some ruin in a foreign country like some supervillain kidnapping.

“No that’s Crazy, this is crazy, I must have been drugged and this is a drug-induced dream!” I hysterically declared with my surprisingly cute sounding voice as I rounded a corner and barely stopped myself from falling into a clearing. I was at least a floor above the ground and the rest of the hallway was across a gap made by a river. “Shit!” I cried as I heard the growling beast rushing down the hall behind me now. “If I’m gonna die, either way, I choose the one that might not kill me!”

I jumped into the river just as the beast, whatever it was, pounced on the ledge I’d leaped from. That wasn’t just some beast, I can’t see it from my position, falling towards the river, but the sound of a massive metal thing smashing into stone means that it was intelligent and was brutally trying to murder me, possibly not even for food. My fear was replaced with pain as I hit the water, and almost immediately I was tossed in the rapidly flowing water, the back of my head cracking against a rock…

(<3)

I weakly awoke sometime later to the sound and feeling of something sniffing me on the riverbank, likely further downstream from where I desperately dove into it. I groaned weakly as I made a swipe at it. I froze as instead of either a fleeing or curious animal, I heard a deep purr that could only come from some massive feline. I blindly swung my calcified bone club, that I idly was surprised I still had, but it shrugged off my pathetic attack and used a disturbingly massive paw on my chest, which I squeaked at the sensation of on my brand-new modest boobies, to pin me to the riverbank. Wherever we were was dark, and I had finally adjusted to the lighting to see a lion with bat wings and a scorpion tail towering over me.

“Let me go!” I wailed, thumping it on the snoot with my bone club, which it pretty much completely ignored aside from treating it like a toy and nipping at it. No, please, I don’t want to be this thing’s dinner!

It purred at me as it moved it’s paw down to my tummy and it licked my chest and I squealed in shock at how pleasant that felt, having that tingly tongue running over my cream-furred B-cups-wait, I have fur?! I was too frantic to escape to notice earlier but I’m all furry! My shock at how drastic my transformation was halted as I gawked down at the red spiny cat-penis the beast was displaying as he licked his chops. N-no! NO!

I frantically struck at the beast again, my stick-thin arms both trying to wield my bone club to beat back this beast as he continued to ignore my desperate attempts to stop him as he moved his head to my-EE~!

His tongue stroked my virgin pussy, making me yelp in surprised pleasure at the feeling of his sandpapery tongue running over my virgin lower lips made me want to cry I was both so scared and shockingly aroused. I kicked my legs, trying to close my thin thighs as I saw the beast’s cock grow and hoped to Gods know who for help! Why was this thing interested in fucking me?!

I yelled as I bashed its head with my bone club with one last desperate adrenaline-fueled swing to its left temple, stunning it long enough for me to get out from under it so I could smash in its eyes with my club. If this thing wants my V-card it’ll have to take it from my cold corpse! I snarled at it as I went for its eyes, barely dodging its swiping paws. The beast used its scorpion tail, but with how close I had to be to its face to fight it, it was easy to avoid the buggy tail.

Until it surprised me by practically doing a pirouette, lashing at me with its tail like a massive whip.

“Fuck!” I yelped as I fell on my back again. I quickly got back to my paws, shit I have paws! I rushed it with my club, now aiming for its tail. In response it smacked me with it, it's stinger scraping my chest, right between my new cleavage! “Fucker!” I shrieked, bashing the side of its head below the ear. “Just die!” I huffed, hitting it more as it reached up, digging its claws into me the pain was making me woozy.

I desperately struck it one last time in the temple, the beast dropping like a sack of potatoes and it gave a final, pitiful mewl as it died.

“I’m sorry...I just...I…” I said before vomiting up bile, sick to my stomach that I’d just killed something. Sure, it was going to rape me, but still. “W-whoa~...” I felt a rush, my energy suddenly returning at feeling energy suddenly fill my body. I was still tired, but I felt like I was...more somehow.

My moment of self-reflection and reluctant triumph ended when I heard guttural sounds and I looked along my side of the river to witness red monsters with orange glowing eyes emerging from a fiery portal that seemed to open directly to hell.

“What the fuck?!” I wailed in despair to the starlit heavens before the monsters, or demons, or whatever started throwing fireballs at me. I rolled out of the way of the attacks as their fellows charged me. “Why am I here?! Why am I a Deprived Fluffy Female Undead?! WHY ARE THERE DEMONS?!!” I wailed in frustration, feeling tears in my eyes as I tried to bash one with my club only for it to crumble against the demon’s hide.

The next thing I knew was pain and darkness.

(<3)

“Fuck~!” I wailed as I woke up in the ruined stone room again, back to square one. I groaned at knowing for sure I was undead now, and not only that, but I was not linked to a bonfire and would end up back at this room if I didn’t find one. “FUCK MY LIFE!” I yelled before hearing the monster from before snarl from down the halls. Right, that asshole, considering where I seem to be and what I’ve become, it might be a Capra Demon.

I ripped a second bone club femur from my boney cellmate, sorry, uh the pelvis...dude. I need these hams more than you. I rushed from my cell through what has to be the Undead Asylum to hopefully find some safe path out of here. I turned down different paths as I rushed away from the Chaos Demon that dogged me from further down the halls. I was faster so it was having trouble catching up. Why the hell am I so deep in the Asylum?! Why was I set as a Deprived at level one, with no fucking weapons?! Why is there no bonfire?!

I grunted as I slammed into a door and got outside. I yelped as I dodged an overhead swing from the Capra Demon that somehow finally caught up with me. I was back at the river, but this time, with sunlight aiding my vision, I was able to make a running leap over the gorge carved into the Asylum by the river. From my knowledge of the game, this place should be on a cliff, for it to be partially below ground and have a river running through it, how many cycles has it been? I was not in Dark Souls one at all.

The Capra Demon bayed at me in fury, stalking along the ledge before striking the wall with one of its cleavers in frustration, and it reentered the section of the Asylum it called home. It seems I’ve lost the demon for good, that’s something at least.

Now that I’m not running for my life, I was able to explore this section of the Asylum more casually than the one I woke up in. I found more skeletons, but each looked like they were a different anthropomorphic animal. Considering there’s nothing moving here, I guess I might be the only ‘living’ Undead here, which by all rights shouldn’t be possible. There should at least be shambling, moaning Hollows. “What the fuck? How is this possible? How did I get here? I know that salesmen has something to do with it.” I groaned as I walked through the halls a bit more slowly, picking up white motes of souls here and there.

I also saw an odd blue brazier burning with blue fire, spotting some limestone calcifying over it too. But it was deep, deep underground from where I was. It was at the bottom of a shattered shaft that looked like a boulder was dropped on this place from the sky. That’s not a Bonfire, is it? Well, it’s even further away from getting out of here than my cell, so I’m not going to try and spelunk deeper into the place I’m trying to escape.

I eventually reached the main entrance, with no Asylum Demon or Stray Demon or other monsters in the way. In fact, I think the statue fragments must’ve been the Asylum Demon, but whoever had slain it didn’t leave me it’s hammer. Well, then again, I’m a stick figure with no muscles, I couldn’t even drag something that big. Whatever, at least I found a sword shield on the corpse of a knight, rusty as they were.

I tossed my fragile bone club away in favor of my new weapons, sorry boney. I walked out into the forest wondering what fate awaited an Undead like myself. Besides Hollowing.

“Why is there an orgy of animals over there? And is that a small naked human-demon-thing cheering them on?” I murmured in bemusement and decided to stay clear. I just want to find civilization, and a hedonistic forest cult is more likely to murder me. I don’t want to go back to that cell.

(<3)

I trudged up to a stone building that was in ruins, as I felt the weird white-blue souls of those little orange demons I’d killed on the way here swirled in me. They’d appeared from a smaller version of that hellish portal from before and assaulted me, but unlike those big brutes from before, they were pests and easy to dispatch. Anyway, it felt like I had heartburn, my chest blazing with heat that leached into my limbs. No amount of forced burping helped, and I groaned as I reached the ruin and entered to sit against a wall from out of the wind that was picking up.

“Fuck me. They’re definitely not of the Chaos Flame. The Chaos Flame was a rich red, not a bright white-blue. That, and the Chaos Flame was sealed up in DS2, and the Profane Flame from DS3 never made demons. So what is this?” I pondered as I felt the burning souls slowly calm in me. The heat never really went away, just sorta...stopped aching, or whatever. I also felt a little more energetic, like I could run for miles. Whatever, not important.

This place I’d reached was moss-covered, it had architecture that made me think of old English towns that forests that would just envelope over hundreds of years, or even just decades like Chernobyl was. I could see a tree growing through the building, letting in the cold just as much as the empty window sills. I think this also reminded me of some anime or game, but couldn’t put my finger on it.

“As good a place to rest as any.” I sighed as I felt my new souls finish calming down. “Okay, so those are new demons. They use portals, and they throw fire like any other demon, but it’s a lot hotter than basic Pyromancy.”

Rubbing the burn on my left leg, I was happy they were weak. I looked around the crumbling building more, trying to find a chair or bed frame to use to get my ass off the floor. Sure, I’ve tolerated my time sleeping on the ground considering my lower sense of pain, but getting off the muddy earth would be really nice.

I looked in the kitchen, or what used to be the kitchen. Its stone stove was the only tell it had been an area for food preparation, but other then that and the collapsed table time had ruined any chances of telling. The chair was what I was concerned with though. It was metal and rusted to hell, but I’m Undead. Disease and death were not a concern with me. Well, not until I find a damn Bonfire.

“It’s better than sleeping on the ground,” I grunted before sitting down and dozing for a nap. I don’t know if I need sleep, but I do feel more refreshed like a normal person, and if it staves off Hollowing, I’ll sleep all night, every night like a normal person.

When I woke up, it was to the sound of rustling. I blinked my eyes at seeing an anthro horse looking at me. She had a surprisingly modern pistol pointed at me as she looked at me with a mix of caution and unease. She had tan khaki gear on if you could call pocket-laden short-shorts and a top only enough to cover her chest and exposing her fit stomach ‘gear’. She even had one of those ‘pith’ hats that English explorers would use. Her fur was yellow-tan and her mane and tail were black with natural grey stripes. She also had huge compass tattoos on her outer thighs.

“Who are you?” She asked me with a curious intensity, seeming to analyze me with her cerise eyes.

“Hey, I’m not a threat. I sat down to rest in here.” I blearily sighed, too tired to care that my life was in danger at the moment. I held up my hands, hm, are they paws? Naw, they’re still hands, I just have the soft pads on my palms and the insides of my fingers. It helped I’d dropped my shield and sword on the floor next to me to sleep.

“Are you working for Ahuizotl?” She asked, aiming the gun to my chest instead of my face.

“Who? No, I just...a week ago I woke up in some ruins full of demons.” I sighed, figuring I’d be better off not bothering to hide too much. “Name’s, uh, Willow.” Considering I have practically no hips or a butt, and my boobs aren’t big, I figure it fits. That thought irritated me for some reason…

Better then my real name William anyway, William Horthwrat Grifter. Really, why was my last name Grifter? Why did my family keep it? New start, new name, I guess I can be whoever I want to be with the Deprived start.

She looked me over before snorting out of her nose in a surprisingly cute equine snort as she seemed to warily come to a decision. “Sorry, been dealing with his goons for weeks now. The name is Daring Do, nice to meet you Willow.” She told me, hostering her weapon on her right thigh holster as I felt my adrenaline drop. Oh, shit. That is tiring. I’ve been on an adrenaline high for so long by now I guess I’m exhausted. “Look, I’m leaving this site, too much trouble with the creatures.”

“Can I come with you?” I pleaded, not caring how desperate I sounded. “I’ve been trying to leave since I woke, and the predators all want to...do things to me.” That initial encounter with the Manticore wasn’t a fluke, every male beast I encountered has tried to mate with me. What is wrong with this place?

“Hm, sure, can you use that sword?” She asked as she patted her pistol. “I don’t have a spare weapon besides my knife, and I’m not comfortable with a sword. They’re harder to fly with.”

“Not a problem,” I said as I felt relief wash over me with the idea of getting out of this forest. “So where are we going then?”

“First to my camp, then we’re getting out and heading to the city of Neighapplous. It’s the closest Town to us.” Daring informed me. “I need to report my findings and the local Corruption has taken a huge spike from what you’ve just told me.”

I nodded and got up from the chair. I followed her out of the building we were in, which was still dwarfed by the massive trees shading us from the sun overhead. “Corruption? Is that what’s going on?”

“If the wild animals are trying to breed you? Yeah. That’s what Corruption does.” Daring replied as if it was common knowledge, and I felt both worried and confused.

We barely walked a few feet when a rock seemed to fly out of the canopy like a rocket and hit my forehead. “Ow fucking bitch!” I snarled, grabbing my head and picking up the rock to vindictively throw it away, but I paused at seeing it had a strange red glowing symbol on it. “Okay wha-?”

I screamed in unimaginable terror as images started flashing before my eyes; a world cloaked in grey clouds, towns covered in fire. There were people trying to run away only to be slaughtered on the spot by those Demons I ran into. There were different ones, too, some larger than others, all so different from one another, all of who regardless still killed senselessly. Just then, a group of five armoured warriors came into the frame, ripping and tearing their way through the Demons like it was nothing. “They are Rage. Brutal and without Mercy. But you, you will be Worse. Rip and Tear, until it is Done.” A gutteral man’s voice said, before it ended, making me pant for breath from the experience. That was intense.

“Hey, you okay?!” Daring Do asked while she held my shoulder as she looked around for threats. At some point in my horrific hallucination, she’d knocked the rock out of my hand and was aiming her gun at it. “You’re not possessed or anything? Having notions of world domination? Sudden desire to fuck me senseless out of nowhere?” At the last one, she kept me at arm's length.

“No, not at all! It...just showed me things.” I said. “Wait, possession? World domination? F-f-fucking?!” I felt my face warm and my bellyache for some reason at the mention, but I shivered in disturbed curiosity at the idea of intimacy as a woman. All the rapey beasts have seriously made me worried about it, especially if they’ve all got some sort of infection or something.

“Some magical objects can alter one’s mind.” She explained. “So this just showed you images? It’s not compelling you to do anything?” Daring’s insistence on this had me worried. Was this such a common thing here?

“No, just horrifying images of battle and slaughter with some huge green armored men and demons,” I told her as I picked up the rock, it wasn’t shoving those images in my head this time so I put the rock in my worn, scavenged leather bag for later. What the fuck was that really? “What is up with this place?” I groaned as I followed the horse person even if she now kept a wary distance from me. Wait, she has wings! They’re adorably tiny folded against her back, but still, she has wings! Does that make her a pegasus person?

I noticed she was on edge from more than me as we walked through the forest, looking out for something. It was not the same caution I had when I was looking for demons. For the most part, she was looking up in the trees, and towards the bushes. I could smell a strange scent that seemed far more lively than the demons and the few undead creatures in the forest.

About an hour later we found her camp ruined, claw marks, bites, and rips in the tents. I brought up my sword and shield while Daring moved forward slowly with her gun up, both of us looking for the threat.

“This from your fiend of the forest?” I asked her as I tried keeping my new ears on a swivel, but I couldn’t hear any threat. I seriously need to find a mirror or at least a still pool of water in the light. What am I? I know I have a foxtail, but I still want to see the rest of me.

“Yeah, he knows I’m here then. Keep guard, I’m going to grab my notes on this region, then we bolt.” She told me. “Especially since I can’t trust you aren’t somehow Corrupted.”

Nodding to her with concern, I kept looking for a threat while she rummaged through the wreckage. I caught the smell of something nearing us and made a blind swing at it, getting a leopard in the head, slicing it in two. It resulted in my rusty sword breaking after being used to fight demons already, but the beast was dead. Daring blinked in shock and looked green, but she’d found her notes and we rushed away from the pride of felines that were after us now.

“You didn’t say it was fucking big cats after you!” I yelled at the mare before we jumped a gorge, the winged horse catching me and getting me safely to the other side as a tiger roared at us from our previous location.

“Okay, yeah should have mentioned what was hunting me.” She said as we flew over the trees, making me freak out and flail. “HEY! Calm down, this is the best way out of the forest. I’ll just fly us to my ride and then we’ll get to safety.” Why didn’t we just do that earlier?!

“Don’t drop me!” I yelped as I looked down to the forest in fear while she speed through the air. I could honestly feel my heart racing. No wait it wasn’t, I just thought it was. We rushed through the air, wind whipping about as she steered towards someplace in the distance away from the furious feline fiends.

After another hour and arrows flying at us from the forest below, two hitting me in the back which I thankfully barely felt, we finally got out of the forest. I growled at Daring as we flew down to a Jeep Wrangler-like vehicle that had several more huge feral cats roaming around it. “Okay, Now drop me!”

“What?! But-!” No time to wait Daring Do, I’ve got some...Derring-Do to do!

“Do it! I’m gonna take out the biggest one first!” At my declaration, she nodded and dropped me over the biggest tiger. I landed with my broken sword aimed blade-first for its neck, my busted sword still doing the trick, but my body protested, feeling like I broke something. I grunted as another, smaller tiger bit into my arm, but I was able to barely shrug it off, and stab it in the head with the ragged tip of my broken blade, feeling it’s warm blood splash onto my body as the other felines backed away.

Getting the beast off me, I backed away and let Daring shoot at them, her shots missing those in the Jeep, but nailing two on the outside. She got them in the head with one or two shots with one limping along before collapsing. I jumped and rolled out of the way of a lioness trying to pounce on me, making her tumble into the ground. I took advantage of my luck, wincing as my bones and bite mark protested while I slashed at the lioness, getting the side of her belly open as my blade finally broke from the hilt, leaving the blade in its guts.

The last feline died to a couple of shots to the head from Daring Do. She was sprayed with blood like me, but unlike me she threw up. “By the Gods, I never actually had to kill them before.” She gagged as she kept throwing up, which was fairly surprising to me considering she seemed to have such confidence.

“Wait, really?” I asked as I got into the Jeep. It smelled from the puke but was still rideable, so Daring gagged and got the vehicle started.

“Yeah, they mostly ran when I shot at them. Ahuizotl never trained them like this before. He’s really after my throat this time.” She said with some dread as we sped away from the forest. “Damn it. We’ve never gone this far before. I guess our little rivalry is coming to an end.”

“You okay?” I asked after we were driving for a bit, the grasslands and small glades of smaller, younger forests flying past as despite being offroad, Daring seemed to have plotted a path through natural game trails. These trails were huge though, so I’m worried about how big the animals they were made by are.

“No.” She grunted, glaring at the path as she jumped us over a shallow runnel.

Okay then...she needs a distraction. Hm...ew, the corpse in the backseat does smell really ripe. Familiar, actually… “So...why does that tiger that’s dead in back smell like it was in heat?” I asked her as I looked at the animal, It also looked like it had been force-fed something from the plant fibers stuck to its fur. I don’t think big cats usually eat plants.

“It does?” She asked when she briefly looked back at it.

“Yeah, someone also fed it something. Its belly is bloated.” I mentioned, feeling a bit ill from looking at its distended stomach. “Something herbal, or other plant I think.” I reached back, grabbing a fiber from the dead animal’s cheek and held it up. “Any ideas?”

“No clue on the plant. I know someone who might be able to find out though. Especially since we’ve got such a big ‘sample’ for him.” Daring mused as we bounced up a hill and she pulled us to a stop. “Though I have a suspicion I won’t like the answer.”

“Okay, who?” I asked, grabbing the handle on the door, ready to get out or to brace for Daring stomping that lead hoof on the gas again.

“Later. For now, though, that’s where we’re heading.” Daring pointed forward, and I looked to see that over the trees was a fairly big town, clustered so well it seemed like a city’s main metro area.

“That’s it? Looks almost like an early Los Angeles.” I commented with surprise that something so developed was so close to such deep and verdant forest.

“Neighapplous is a small town really. I think the mayor would be flattered to hear someone comparing it to Old Las Pegasus. It’s forced to build tightly due to the wild magic of the forest making expanding difficult.” Daring commented as we continued driving towards the town, soon reaching a well-worn dirt road. “Speaking of which, how’d you get so far out of town alive? I don’t think the mines stretch that far.”

“O-oh...right. Well...can I tell you when we’re not someplace you could kill me and dump my body?” I fearfully whimpered, and Daring looked shocked and appalled.

“I just busted my plot getting you out of the forest alive! I’m not going to ruin it now!” Daring declared, looking ill at the idea of murdering me, which helped me relax just a bit.

“Just please reserve your judgment when I tell you.” I insisted, and she huffed.

“Geez. Whatever this is, I might be able to write a book about it if you’re so worried. We’ll drop the cat off at my friend’s and then we’ll crash in a hotel.” Daring agreed as she slowed the Jeep down from it’s former breakneck pace to a more acceptable speed.

“Okay.” I simpered, and then looked out of the offroad vehicle again, gaping as we’d suddenly left the forest and were in a cramped cluster of buildings that were thankfully ordered into a grid. It was like someone took the architecture of early LA, mixed it with the New York philosophy of buildings not having separate walls when it could be avoided and decided to build a small city in the middle of nowhere.

“Okay, this is cramped,” I commented as we drove down the wide road. The lack of signs or lights was confusing. Instead, there seemed to be plate-armored dogs at each intersection guiding both vehicle and foot traffic. Hoof traffic? Paw Traffic? There’s both horses of various types with wings, horns, or neither, and so many breeds of dogs it was a bit overwhelming.

“Yeah, Diamond Dogs aren’t very quick to grasp things like traffic systems yet. They’re still used to living underground.” Daring commented as she signaled she was turning left, and the dog gestured for the other traffic to stop and let her through.

“So this is a Diamond Dog town?” I asked in confusion as I continued to look around.

“Not really? I guess it is from the majority population, but this is a mining town. Nobody's better at mining than Diamond Dogs. Not even Dragons. Nope, this is a frontier town of Equestria, bordering Canida in the Northeast.” Daring informed me as we drove down a street without turning further.

“So a joint settlement,” I commented as I saw what looked like Solaire’s painted sun as graffiti on a wall. What the fuck?! I leaned out of the car to try and get a better look and yes, that was the smug smiling face that was on Solaire’s shield. “No way?! That symbol has stuck around?!”

“The symbol of the Warriors of Sunlight? It’s the oldest known group of knights in every land. They help everyone out, even people who honestly shouldn’t be in my opinion. They act as...well anything in the name of...jolly cooperation?” She explained, the last bit she sounded unsure on.

“So the Warriors of Sunlight lasted to this age, that’s amazing!” I chuckled, they were one of my favorite covenants in Dark Souls, PRAISE THE SUN!

“Why wouldn’t they? They’re Celestia’s favorite Covenant. She supports them however she can.” Daring commented as if it was common sense. “How do you not know this?”

“Uh...it’s part of what I want to tell you later.” I wilted, worried as she looked suspiciously at me.

“Okay then...well, we’re here.” She told me as we stopped at a red brick building that was wedged between two apartment buildings. It seemed to be an older building, only two stories and not the same kind of stone as the white brick buildings pressing on its sides. How fast does this city build and rebuild if it’s supposedly a newer city? Screw them calling this a mere town, there’s too many people here. “Mind your manners. He’s a little...odd.”

“Uh, okay,” I said as I got out of the car, feeling my leg lance with pain from the broken bones. “Fuck. Forgot about that. So, should we bring it in right away or-.” I was interrupted by a white blur that burst out of the front door of the older building, grabbing the dead tiger, and running back in with excited laughter. “What the fuck?!”

“Just grin. Bear it.” Daring replied with her teeth grit in a clearly false smile as she stiffly walked into the building. I gulped nervously, following after, and about retching at the myriad smells practically drowning me. “Be gentle Biscuit! I need you to examine it’s stomach contents!”

“Biscuit already on it! Please being seated in waiting room!” Replied a cracking male voice from the stairwell leading into a basement, where the unpleasant aroma was visibly wafting out of.

“Biscuit?” I asked as we moved to a large living room and sat down in said room. Nice chairs.

“His mother wasn’t the shiniest gem in the vein.” Daring quietly commented. “So, while he’s busy. Brace yourself. Biscuit is an albino. Red eyes and everything. He’s also got a lazy eye, don’t stare at it. He slobbers without meaning to, don’t point it out. He also is the best chemist in town, so do not comment on the smell. He can’t smell anything with what he works with ruining his nose and he’s sensitive about all of the above.”

“Uh-okay,” I said as my heart randomly started beating before it stopped. I looked at my chest while a black mote of Dark rushed into me. I quickly looked over to Daring, seeing she was stiff and gaping at my chest in shock. “Please...don’t…”

“...We’re going to have a long talk when we get to my hotel.” Daring declared with heat, and I whimpered as I shied away from her. “You don’t get to pretend to be innocent right now, Undead.” Daring hissed as if my very existence was a Curse, which, to be fair, it kinda was. “But that also means a Sapient nearby just died. Anthromanity only comes from the essence of a living or recently dead Sapient, and Undead can only ambiently absorb the Anthromanity of the dead.”

I whined as I curled up in my chair, fearing what she would do. “This one has news!” Our grim conversation was interrupted by a lean white Doberman diamond dog in a stained lab coat bursting into the sitting room. Oh holy fuck that is a bad lazy eye! Don’t stare. Don’t stare. “One called Daring. Tiger stuffed it was with Corruption infused cannabis.”

“Oh. Fuck~!” Daring practically screamed, pulling on her ears and gritting her teeth as she clenched her eyes. “This is beyond bad! I’m gonna have to send word directly to the Princess. Ahuizotl, what’ve you gotten yourself into this time?” Daring stood and sighed as she patted the drooling dog’s shoulders. “Thanks, Biscuit. I assume you could use the rest of the tiger?”

“Of course this one can! Also, see about synthesizing Corruption purifier. If it out here, need local source. Can’t rely on pony princesses to have time to do it all themselves.” Biscuit proclaimed, sniffing the air and looking directly at me with even his lazy eye focusing. “Undead.”

“Yeah. I’m gonna hear her out first before I take her to the Way of White to be incarcerated for being unregistered.” Daring stated, and I shuddered at the thought of being put in chains.

“I was already in an Asylum buried underground with a Capra Demon trying to kill me,” I whined out as I tried to vainly shrink into the chair.

“Undead was in lost Dog’s Asylum?! Undead is impossible. Would be from First Cycle if so!” Biscuit exclaimed, before grabbing me and pushing me and Daring towards his front door. “Out now! Before Inquisitors hear blasphemy!” Before either of us could protest, he pushed us out and slammed the door, several locks audibly being put in place.

“Okay...this just got even more serious. In the car. Now.” Daring demanded as she practically pushed me towards the Jeep, helping me in the back and jumping into the driver’s seat. Soon enough, we were on our way. “Fuck. Fuck. FUCK! Why can’t any of my archaeological trips go without a damn adventure?! Who am I, Yakky Can?!”

“What’s wrong?” I asked as she sped down the road.

“Shut it! Not without four walls and an eavesdropping charm in place!” Daring ordered, and I whimpered as I obligingly shut my trap. After several tense minutes, we arrived in a parking lot filled with similar vehicles, but also carriages and RVs. “C’mon.” Daring grabbed me none-too-gently by the arm and guided me towards the wooden double doors of the tallest building surrounding the lot.

“Good afternoon Miss Do. How was your-.”

“Fine. Excellent. Foundatribalgoingupstairstointerviewherbye!” Daring shot off at the snobbish-looking blue-coated and horned pony receptionist seated behind the front desk of the admittedly lavish-looking hotel’s interior as she moved to the elevators. It was here where she impatiently pressed on the call button with far too much desperation. “C’mon, c’mon.”

“Uh-ah!” I was interrupted as she yanked me into the empty elevator, and the moment the door closed, she sighed in relief as she took out a key and pressed it into the panel. “Ah, what’s going on?”

“Just be quiet for a few more minutes.” Daring pleaded as she rubbed her temples. After a long, awkward elevator ride that was thankfully not interrupted by anyone getting on, the elevator dinged open on the Penthouse Floor, causing me to gawk. “Okay. We’re safe here.”

“You have the penthouse? Who are you?” I asked in shock as she dragged me out of the elevator.

“Uh...Daring Do? Guildmaster of the Archeologist Guild? Okay, you’re definitely not from the current era if you don’t know me. Almost everyone knows me in and around Equestria. So, you ‘woke up’ in the lost Diamond Dog Undead Asylum?” Daring asked as we moved towards the lavishly plush penthouse suites included kitchen, which was practically made of black marble.

“Uh..was it on a cliff at one point?” I asked as I knew for certain by the architecture that it was the DS1 Undead Asylum.

“That’s the one. Canida is the furthest north country before the lost lands of Lordran, now overtaken by the Far Frozen. That title used to go to Yakslovia, but when the Windigoes made a short return, they had to make a mass exodus.” Daring informed me as she pulled out a bottle of rum from the liquor cabinet, and two glasses, pouring two drinks.

“Oh.” I said, idly picking up my drink and swilling it in the glass, noting how it swayed. It was almost syrupy, like thinned Honey, and smelled strong.

“So you’re an original Undead huh? That’s nearly impossible.” Daring commented as she took her drink, and the bottle, and led me to the huge sectional couch facing the enormous entertainment center. “I mean, almost all of them were either consumed by the Kiln or fell to Dark. To see one of you without being an Ashen One or a Darkwraith is incredible.”

“Uh...I don’t know if I’m not either of those things.” I admitted as I sipped the drink and looked at my arm curiously. Am I Ash? Or am I Dark? Or somehow neither?

“Well, I’ll have to report you either way, but the fact you literally just woke up seems to point you towards being an Ashen One. But then again, you did absorb Anthromanity, usually only Darkwraiths or vanilla Undead do that. Ashen Ones can too, but usually they do it through fire.” Daring explained as we sat on the plush black sectional that contrasted with the white carpet.

“I see.” The fire bit must from the third game along with the Ashen Ones. “Well, I don’t get anthromanity through fire, it’s just directly absorbed.”

“Another point towards being an Ashen One. I hope so, because you’ll be pardoned and given an ID collar to rejoin society. If not...well I’d rather not see you imprisoned for a lifetime as they seal your curse so you can’t spread it.” Daring’s words made me nearly spit out my drink, but I thankfully swallowed it instead of staining the plush white carpet.

“I could spread it?!” I bounced away from Daring, horrified that we’d been having physical contact regularly the past few hours.

“Uh...yeah? It’s always been like that.” Daring shrugged nonchalantly, as if becoming Undead wasn’t much of a big deal.

“I...n-never heard about that?! I just…” I said, feeling sick.

“What? You backwards lot from the First Era thought the Undead Curse was just some magical blight on the world?” Daring snorted as she finished her drink, and began pouring another.

“No, it was more linked to the First Flame fading, and a seal Gwyn put on the Dark Soul.” I told her, using what I assumed was the case from my knowledge of DS1.

“Pfft! No wonder it took Four Cycles for the world to figure it out. Okay neophyte, time for a lesson.” Daring declared as she took my empty glass from me and filled it for me.

“Wait, Four?” I asked in bemusement, figuring DS2 had at least ten to fifteen after DS1.

“Yeah, Four. Time was really fucked up for a really long time. Nobody knows exactly how long, but each actual Cycle only happened about every 1000 years, and the world was constantly plunging back towards the Dark every 100 years on a rebound because nobody knew the Balance we needed, so people just assumed the world was ending every century, and considered each one a Cycle. Bah!” Daring huffed, taking a deep pull of her glass.

“Uh...but then doesn’t that mean the world is still…?” I led on, only to get waved off.

“Getting to that. Anyway, it took roughly Four Cycles for the Soul of Light, and the Soul of Dark, to recover from being splintered so much by the original owners like the morons they were. Their owners, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna respectfully, have basically brought balance to the world upon their birth. Twin sisters, goddesses in their own rights.” Daring informed me.

“So, wait? How would I have a Dark Soul?” I asked in confusion, sipping more rum. I hope I can get drunk, because damn do I need to not be sober right now.

“I said the souls have Recovered, not been fully restored. Every fragment of Light and Dark are hunted down, catalogued, and if deemed necessary due to the fragment’s nature, will be pulled into their respective Princess’s greater whole. Note that this means if your fragment is a powerfully malignant one, Luna might just rip it out of you and turn you mortal.” Daring informed me, and I had to shudder in fear at how just having my piece of the Dark Soul ripped out would likely End me like she’d alluded to before.

“I don’t feel good about that.” I groaned as I tried to think of the games. What exactly could make me different from the Undead here? What sort of Undead am I?

“No Undead or Godkin does uh...wow, this is embarrassing. I forgot your name?” Daring blushed as her eyes seemed to get a bit glazed. Wait. How many glasses have we drank? That bottle is looking pretty empty.

“I’m Willow.” I reminded my drinking companion. “Are you okay?”

“Oh I’m fine! This is the best damn rum this side of the Crystal Empire.” Daring then put the bottle to her lips, and I squeaked as she chugged the remainder. “Ah~! Good shit! *hic* But anyway, yeah. World’s real different now.” Daring sniffed towards me, and then scrunched up her nose rather adorably. “Whew, you stink. The bathroom is attached to the master bedroom over there.” Daring waved towards the door off to the side opposite the kitchen as she wobbled.

“Ah, thanks.” I appreciate the offer since I do feel filthy from killing demons and then big cats the whole time. “Oh, I have a question. What type of demons were in the woods back there? I know the Capra Demon, but the little guys, their souls seemed to burn when I took them.”

“Hell scourge. Nothing special, the burn is from how alien they are to souls from here. Thanks for letting me know, I’ll have to report that too.” Daring grumbled as she flopped onto the couch. “Git going. You’re stinking up the furniture.”

I huffed before getting up and going to the bathroom. I paused at finally seeing a mirror. I’m an anthro fennec vixen and I was thinner, nearly anorexic with my visible ribs and stick-figure. I’m shocked I even have B-cups, and my massive adorable ears were the biggest things on me...I suddenly felt self-conscious and wrapped my arms around my torso. I’ve been going around town this filthy, in rags that barely provide me modesty? Shower. I need a...oh~ is that a hot tub? Jacuzzi time~!