//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: Knights of the Blue // Story: Legacies of the Fallen // by Lightning Spear //------------------------------// "Chivalry is the quest for a personal code of honor in an unfair world." - unknown Cathedral of Blue, Drangleic Blue Sentinel Targray gazed into the never-ending waves crashing against the shores of Drangleic. Seemingly deep in thought. Recently, members of the Blue Sentinels covenant have reported a drastic increase of activity from their nemesis - the Brotherhood of Blood covenant. They kill twice as much compared to what they did in the past, becoming more vicious and prominent than ever in their tactics. Blood is flooding Drangleic once again, and it was time for Knights of the Blue to act. "You summoned me, Blue Sentinel?" a deep voice spoke behind him. He turned around and saw a hulking man, clad in a suit of armor hewn from a massive boulder complemented by a massive black greatsword hanging on his back and an equally sized patterned greatshield on his left hand. His fingers were adorned with rings, and like many others he possessed a magic satchel on his hips. This man was known as Gervasius the Nimble Mountain, one of the most respected members of the Blue Sentinels. Despite his heavy armor and weaponry, he remained an agile fighter. Hence his title, Nimble Mountain. "Welcome, Knight of the Blue. How fares your journey?" "It has been treacherous, Sentinel. As you may have been aware of, members of the Brotherhood of Blood are taking many more souls without discrimination. On my way here, I dispatched four of them. 'Tis a good thing that the curse has been removed. Now the dead can stay dead." "As I am aware of, proud knight. Now we shall wait for another." As Targray spoke, a woman emerged from the cathedral's bonfire stairway. She was clad in an engraved black steel armor and boots, adorned by a tattered red cape emblazoned with an image of a dragon. A pair of leather gloves, usually worn by court jesters, covered her hands. A rather strange choice of combat gear, however jesters were also known to be lethal assassins. A black hat, typically preferred by witches sat on her head, partially obscuring her face. Two katana blades rested on her hip, one was much longer than the other. And of course, her magic satchel. This woman was known simply as Seraphi. Contrary to Gervasius, she was feared rather than respected in the covenant's ranks. She mostly kept to herself, and stayed away from others unless she was needed. However, she kept her distance from others for their own good. Due to her suffering from an extreme case of post-traumatic stress disorder, in certain situations, she would go into a trance of fury, attacking everyone and everything in sight indiscriminately. Despite her violent tendency, Seraphi was not completely isolated from others. So far, the only person who she considered to be her friend was Gervasius. And as one might guess, they didn't become friends overnight. "Hail Blue Sentinel!" Targray acknowledged her presence and beckoned her to stand beside her comrade. "Hello Gervasius, it has been too long." She smiled softly. "Too long indeed Seraphi. Too long," replied Gervasius while putting his hand on her shoulder. "Now to get to the matter at hand," Targray said while producing a certain scroll from his magic satchel and showing it to his subordinates. Receiving no answer, he continued. "This scroll is known as The Peacemaker's Oath. One of the very few displacement scrolls ever found in Drangleic, this kind of sorcery is primeval, and very little is known, as the only displacement sorcery we've known so far would be the way you get yourselves around with the bonfires. Other than that, this sorcery remains a great mystery," explained Targray. "Recently, two of these scrolls were used. One in the coast settlement of Majula and the other far inland, possibly deep within the Shaded Woods. Since then however, the Brotherhood of Blood began taking more and more innocent lives than before. Not just killing, they butchered their victims afterwards. Our knights have reported mutilated corpses hanging upside down in many places. Completely skinned and drained of blood." As Targray continued, Gervasius could feel anger rising within himself. What sort of twisted minds would treat other people as if they were nothing but hunting games? However, no matter how hot his fire may have burned, Gervasius felt a hotter, darker flame burning from Seraphi. Knowing her condition, he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder to snap her back to the moment, which worked out perfectly. "Go, and gather as much insight as you can get to shed light on this situation. Once you are done, return to me." "Blue Sentinel, how exactly does one use the scroll? This may help with our search," asked Seraphi. "Proud knight, simply by reading the incantation and tossing the scroll into a bonfire, it will take you to another world...or so they say," replied the Blue Sentinel. "Then we should focus our search on the bonfires' vicinity," Seraphi concluded. Gervasius nodded and took out his helmet from his satchel "Shall we be off then?" Gervasius asked while putting it on his head. "Let’," answered his companion. They gave Targray a quick bow and headed down the stairs leading to the cathedral's bonfire. Sometime later, in the Shaded Woods As Gervasius and Seraphi materialized in the bonfire at Shaded Ruins, they quickly eyed their surroundings of any present danger. Aside from the cold and eerie silence, nothing seemed to be threatening them. The two Knights of the Blue quickly scoured their surroundings, focusing their search around the bonfire. After moments of searching, the knights concluded that the result was null and void. "Someone was certainly here before," Gervasius said while taking off his helmet, placed it inside his satchel, and picked up a discarded waterskin from the ground, still partially filled with liquid. He opened the cap, gave its content a good sniff and tasted it a bit. Good, plain water. Seeing it was not the time to waste any resource they could muster, Gervasius slid the waterskin drinking bag into his satchel. "No more leads however," said Seraphi. "Majula it is then?" "What do you say if we walk there? Perhaps we can learn more things on the way there, and we can exchange stories if it pleases you," Gervasius suggested. "I don't see any reason to decline...of course, why not?" his companion agreed. "Very well. However, remain on your guard. I doubt the dangers of this place have disappeared completely." The trek from the ruins have been peaceful. Gervasius and Seraphi navigated through the misty woodlands, basking in the unusual tranquility in Drangleic. Usually it would only be a matter of time before they clash with invaders from the Brotherhood of Blood, being summoned by those who believed in the Way of the Blue, and so on. However, their paths were clear for the time being. They were just arriving at the Ruined Fork Road bonfire when suddenly their noses caught a scent they know very well. The stench of rotting flesh. They quickly looked down, and found a trail of blood leading down the pathway to Majula. Gervasius and Seraphi nodded to each other, and followed the trail. They were just exiting the ruins when they found a flayed corpse hanging upside down from a nearby tree. Seeing this, he flicked a throwing knife from his satchel and threw it to the rope, severing it instantly. The lifeless body fell with a thud and the two closed in for a quick inspection. "Just like Targray said..." Seraphi sighed, a hint of sadness visible on her face. "Gervasius, look at this...he was one of us," she said as he lifted the corpse's arm which the ring finger was adorned by a Guardian's Seal. "We do not have the time to prepare his body for funeral, we must notify the Blue Sentinels," Gervasius said while retrieving the ring from the corpse's arm. "May light shine upon you brother." "Come, we must hurry...this body is not that old," Seraphi said. As they continued to push forward, more and more flayed corpses were encountered. Their numbers grew into a point where dead bodies practically decorated the dead trees on the path. As they approached the small prison leading to the woodland's entrance, a shrill scream pierced through the air from inside the prison. The two knights rushed to the scream's source and found a man wearing nothing but tattered leather armor and armed with a rusted shortsword, ripping apart a young woman's dress. Nearby, four scrolls made of human skin were stacked. "A virgin's meat...so juicy....so tender! mhmhmhmhm!" he said as he traced his tongue on the woman's exposed skin. However, before the man can do anything further, he felt himself being pulled and thrown to the wall behind him. The force was not lethal, but it was enough to knock several of his teeth out and smashing his lips. Gervasius stood between the young woman and the man who was trying his best to get up. Seeing her cue, Seraphi moved the girl to a safer place in the room. Gervasius noticed a Crest of Blood etched on the man's ring finger "A member of the Brotherhood are you not?" The man spat the blood from his mouth and without hesitation charged at Gervasius. The knight just stood there, not even bothering to dodge or block with his greatshield the attack as it was not necessary. The moment the point of the sword impacted the armor, the shortsword shattered, unable to pierce through the heavy solid rock armor. Gervasius bashed the man with his greatshield, and pinned him to the ground with it. "Now...listen to me very carefully," he said in a low-menacing voice. "You are going to answer my questions, or I will start breaking your bones." "I am not telling you--AAAARRGGHHH!!!" Gervasius stomped the man's sword arm. The combination of both sheer power and the heavy rock leggings easily crushed the unprotected hand. "It's not too late to reconsider your option," said Gervasius while taking out a soul gem from his satchel. "I will trade you something for that arm." No response. "As you wish." Gervasius was about to crush the man's leg when he screamed. "STOP! PLEASE STOP!" It was then when Seraphi rejoined him, drawing out her lightning uchigatana and pointing it at the man's eyes. "You best tell us the truth. If I even think you twist so much as a single word, I will gouge your eyes out. Are we making ourselves clear?" The man nodded frantically. "First, what are those scrolls?" Gervasius asked. "A gateway t-to another w-world, we call it the Hymn of Blood." Suddenly, a lightning spear streaked through the air and towards their position. Gervasius and Seraphi were able to get out of the way in time, but the man they were interrogating however were not so lucky, the lightning frying his insides, killing him. The two looked at their assailant, and Seraphi's eyes burned with rage. "Callen..."