It was sturdy, just like everything else that had been built on this land. It was obviously done with the idea of being a city that will endure the passage of time. Obviously no one that had helped make the city and the Burg thought that the houses and buildings will outlive every single citizen of the place.
Now, every single construction stopped being an interesting place and instead became another obstacle that had been placed to make Sunset waste time to find a way around. It was starting to get annoying, especially considering how eager the city was on throwing more and more Hollows in front of her just to slow her down and make every single street a drag full of peril and danger.
Sunset knew she was cursed, something that may have been inflicted on her by the Elements of Harmony, maybe by the powers that be on this land. She just quite didn’t understand who was responsible, but she knew that being an undead was not the only curse she had been inflicted with.
She was sure that in addition to her body and life altering curse, she also was cursed to experience every single type of chaos and danger possible in the undead life she had been granted. Why else would she have been put in the middle of such a place with nothing but her wits and quick thinking? Okay, yes, she has had invaluable help by a woman who was not only approachable and knowledgeable in the land and in the art of battle, but also a very nice companion.
Thinking about Madeleine, she pulled her attention from the extremely durable gate that impeded her way into what seemed to be a cathedral and towards the good friend she had. Said friend was busy cleaning her trusty Winged Spear from all the guts and blood that had been accumulated on it. So far they have killed a drake, more Hollows - these ones better equipped than previous ones - and even a freaking battle boar, complete with full body armor scales.
The thing was feral, but obviously magical in construction due to the fact it could distinguish from people that belonged in the Burg and those he deemed enemies. Sunset and Madeleine, of course, counted as the last category. At this point in their adventure it had stopped being funny and just became another moot point in their journey.
“I’m not even going to question that boar,” the redhead commented as she walked away from the now closed gate. Apparently they weren’t fast enough and one of the undead had closed the gate as they arrived to the clearing. It had obviously been prepared as an impromptu choke point, but either the guards posted there had fallen to Hollows or they themselves have turned into the enemy. Fires were burning and weapons and crates were spilled everywhere. It was quite the depressing sight, almost like something that came out of a human war movie.
“We could take that as you becoming native and that is quite sad considering what you have seen so far. Not that the rest of the world is any better, but not even I know what was the purpose or the origins of that boar. Want to take something as a memento?”
“No, and I don’t want to see something like that ever again.”
“Believe me, we will see worse things than this, of that I promise you.”
“Great, I will remember to run the opposite way when it happens. So now what? We go somewhere else or something?”
“Well, we can either go downstairs, into what obviously look as an ambush site.”
“Hollows can do ambushes?”
“I’m still amazed that they retain enough intelligence to think of those kinds of tactics. Either way, we can do that or go up that tower we left behind for a better view of the zone.”
“I suppose that’s good enough. Beats walking into an ambush or a trap.”
“We are making a strategist out of you, I’m so proud of you.” Sure, it sounded half in jest, but still felt good for Sunset to receive some praise. Sure, the woman was not Celestia and Sunset was not her younger self - or her living self at that - and this was quite a different situation than the one in the past, when she was still a pony and still favored by the ruler of Equestria.
Those days were literally another life. Here, among the ashes, fire and death, Sunset didn’t feel like her former self. Not the self-assured and egotistical pony or the malicious and diabolical teenager. That Sunset had been killed, literally and figuratively. Still, to receive praise by what can be considered her first friend in years, it felt nice.
Being careful of every step, knowing that there could be traps or even hidden enemies, the two quickly ascended and were met with a gorgeous sight, one that for a few seconds reminded both women that there were still beautiful places in the world.
“So that’s one of the bells?” The redhead pointed upwards, to the tower of the cathedral and the only place that could have the strange bell that Sunset had been looking for. At this point, Sunset even had trouble reminding herself that her quest had not been her idea and she was only following the cryptic sayings of a dying man.
“I believe it is the place you have been looking for, not that there seems to be any other place we can visit to find these mysterious bells. I have heard some rumors about the Bells of Awakening, alongside that rhyme that brought you here, but none have ever seen them or ever heard exactly how or why they were made, if they even exist.”
“Well, what a way to make me sound like a crazy woman here!”
“Oh no, it wasn’t like that, I just… well, like you say, I get a little melodramatic; it is a problem that my sisters remind me of constantly,” Madeleine said, obviously not sorry of the way she had unknowingly ribbed Sunset.
“Wait, you have sisters?”
“Of course, well, they are not sisters by blood, mostly of battle and order. Last I checked there was still six of us alive, wonder what they have been doing these days.” The older woman sighed, thinking about the strange warriors she called sisters and the way they each went their own way. From all of them, she wanted to go and search for the youngest, the Queen of Black. Last time they talked she was still getting to grips with her abilities. In a way, Sunset reminded her of her sister, still immature and young, but with great potential and boundless energy.
“As long as we don’t find their bodies somewhere in Lordran, it is fine by me to never meet them. Now, come on, I want to see these fabled bells.”
“So impatient. We could have had tea while looking at the beautiful forest close to us.”
“I stopped drinking tea a long time ago. Besides, that’s a waste of time.”
“You philistine, how dare you disrespect tea that way?!” The banter went on as the two warriors were ready to go back and into the still unexplored lower corridor, not before Sunset saw something beyond the forest.
“What’s that thing over there? It looks like a fortress.”
“Oh, that’s Sen’s Fortress; I’ve heard it was used as some sorts of a proving ground a long time ago.”
“A proving ground? For what?”
“Never been sure for what exactly, but for what I heard, it holds the key to get access to Anor Londo, the city of the gods, but that place had been empty for such a long time that many knights and would be heroes went in. None ever came out. Besides, that place is only a dead ground. Nothing to do with your quest, right Sunset?” What a way to jinx it, but that path was still blocked. So with that, both women went downwards and after battling more Hollows, they finally reached the Undead Parish and the hollow interior of the cathedral.