//------------------------------// // The Undead Burg Pt.1 // Story: Applejack in Lordran // by Simbody //------------------------------// Applejack had spent some time exploring the area around the Firelink shrine, meeting a man named Petrus, who gave her a copper coin, and finding a fire-keeper beneath the shrine, After trying to talk to the fire-keeper, Applejack decided to poke around a graveyard that lay around the other side of Firelink shrine. There were many tombstones around the graveyard, with some small collections of bones strewn about here and there, it looked as though the grave may have been larger as there was an abrupt ledge all along one side. As Applejack entered the graveyard, a pair of skeletons coalesced from two of the piles of bone, standing with curved swords raised, ready to attack Applejack. At first Applejack thought that these skeletons would be pushovers, but she soon felt the bite of their blades was far stronger than any attack she had dealt with since, and she soon found herself about to collapse from just two swings; The third blow cut especially deep, and she could feel the blood spilling out of her body just before collapsing into the dirt. In a few moments, Applejack found herself gasping at the Firelink bonfire. Applejack returned to the graveyard to get her soul, then hightailed it back to the bonfire, not even looking back to see if the skeletons were following her. After catching her breath from her flight, Applejack looked towards the one place she hadn't explored, a small set of stairs that led towards an aqueduct. She tentatively followed the steps, and when she reached the top, she took in the path ahead. One barely armored hollow was standing just ahead of her before some stair that clung to a cliff-side, while another with a shield stood farther back along a cliff, beside the stairs. Up above, where the stairs ended in a small plateau, was a hollow, that had yet to notice her, standing near another set of steps that led to a ledge along the side of the aqueduct. Applejack got ready to take on the first hollow by the stairs, and was shocked as the hollow above started throwing firebombs. The plumes of flame that they produced weren't close enough to be of any concern, but it would make getting up the stairs much more difficult. Applejack dealt with the first hollow without much trouble, but then, she had to get up the stairs to get rid of the bomber. Wherever the firebombs exploded, they would leave lingering flames, allowing the bomber some time to prepare another bomb to throw. In between the fire dissipating and the next bomb being thrown, there was a window for Applejack to rush by, and make it to the bomber, but she would have to time it perfectly, or else get caught in the flames. She waited for the right moment, then darted by and sighed inwardly as she heard the bomb explode behind her. She continued up the stairs and saw that there was a hollow that she had not seen before, wielding an ax, and turning to face her. Applejack quickly beat down this hollow and turned back to the fire bomber. She was just able to roll out of the way as it threw another firebomb at her. Applejack darted forward and bashed the hollow in the side of the head with her mace, sending it tumbling over the cliff and into the yawning canyon below and took a second to watch it fall before turning and climbing the stairs that led to the aqueduct walkway, and yet another hollow. Applejack was getting tired of the seemingly endless supply of hollows and slammed her mace into the new hollow, sending it tumbling off the aqueduct and into the canyon like its brethren. She looked down to see if the shield bearing hollow was giving chase, but it was just standing where it had been, at the edge of the canyon. Not seeing any other immediately life threatening situations, Applejack took a moment to recover some of her energy before walking to a small entrance in the side of the aqueduct. Poking her head inside she peered down the long hallway inside the aqueduct. To her left was a dead end with a large rat guarding a glowing piece of treasure, while to the right was a gate and another doorway. Not wanting to mess with the pony sized rat, she took the path on the right and tried the gate. The heavy door didn't budge, either locked or barred from the other side. Applejack turned around and to her right was a door way, she looked through; It let in light, but immediately in front of it was a wall that turned sharply to the right. She looked around the corner and saw a set of stair and the tops of buildings above. Applejack felt a wave of relief rush through her as she ran up the stairs, seeing this sign of civilization. Her heart sank as she reach the top however; she was able to see many buildings, and even a castle high above, but the buildings looked abandoned and in disrepair. She let out a heavy sigh and turned towards a sudden shuffling sound to her left. Two hollows were beginning to make their way towards the orange mare. Applejack steeled herself for a fight and raised her shield. The first hollow swung at her and stumbled back as it’s blow bounced off of Applejack shield. She wasted no time in bringing her mace down in a heavy blow to its torso, collapsing the shambling opponent. The second made a jumping attack and hit Applejack, cutting off some of the brim of Applejack’s hat and leaving a deep cut in her shoulder. Applejack let out an angry snort and smashed her mace into the hollows leg, causing it to stumble. She hit it again in the stomach, doubling it farther. She brought the mace up with both hooves and brought it down like a hammer on the hollows head, flattening it out on the ground. After taking a moment to let her breathing even out, Applejack took off her hat and appraised the damage. The cut had taken a portion of the brim off, making the hat look lopsided, but it was still wearable, so she placed it back on her head and picked up the missing hat scrap, tucking it under her hat. She crossed a small plank bridge and jumped back as a hollow threw a firebomb at her, igniting the stone where she had just stood. To compound the problem, another hollow broke through some crates blocking a door on her left, advancing on Applejack. She dashed back to where she’d felled the two other hollows, out of reach of the stationary bomber, and faced the other. It swung at her, but applejack parried and brought her mace into it’s side, letting it crumple to the ground. She turned to face the bomber, who was still mindlessly and diligently throwing firebombs in her direction. Applejack ran and jumped through the dissipating flames, landing in front of the hollow. It looked down at her as she spun around on her front hooves, just before it was catapulted off of the ledge it was standing in front of by Applejack’s buck. She watched it sail off into the abyss and turned to the door that the hollow had burst out of. She went inside and found a bunch of boxes and crate that she looked through, but found nothing. She left the room and went to a door across from it. This room was slightly bigger and had a set of stairs that led to a second floor. Under the stairs was a glowing bit of treasure that Applejack decided to investigate and found a large soul. She tucked it under her hat and went up the stairs and saw a doorway with stairs leading up to a bridge on her right. She went up the stairs and god a much better view of the castle and the upper level of the town. She was about to cross when a giant red drake landed on the bridge with a roar, before flying off towards the castle. Applejack’s heart was racing when the beast took off. She didn’t expect to see dragons, let alone have one land right in front of her. After making sure she didn’t have a heart attack, Applejack looked ahead of her, not eager to have any more surprises like that befall her. Ahead of her was a rooftop with a hollow standing off to the left. Farther beyond was a small room with a set of stairs leading up to another section of roofs and a hollow archer on top of the room. To her right was another roof with two hollows holding heavy shields and spears. Applejack decided that it was probably best to take out the archer, it seemed to be better equipped than the ones she had see in the Undead Asylum. She rushed across the bridge, passing the hollow to her left. A wooden barrier broke as a hollow smashed through it. Applejack ignored it and raced up the stairs, turning around and facing the archer. It was wearing chainmail, and had a crossbow aimed at her. She swore as the bolt hit her in the shoulder, the hollow firing before she could react. She ignored the intense pain and charged the hollow while it was reloading. She brought out her mace and hit it repeatedly until it finally gave way under her assault and fell. She didn’t have much time to celebrate as three hollows shambled up the stairs, cornering the apple farmer. Applejack raised her shield to block the first hollow as it swung. The second wound up for a heavy hit while the first recoiled. Applejack was faster though, and shot out between it’s legs, knocking it off balance and foiling it’s attack. The third turned around to swing at the orange pony before getting a pair of hooves in the stomach. Applejack smiled as the hollow crumpled and fell to the ground. But as she was recovering, the first hollow swung at her, cutting her across the back. Applejack cried in pain and backed up. Another hit like that and she might not make it. She backed up more until she felt one of her hooves slide off the edge and swing through empty air. She almost stumbled, but kept her balance and quickly grabbed her estus flask, taking a deep draught of the golden healer. She wiped her lips and grabbed the flask with her tail before taking her mace in hoof and jumping at the nearest hollow, bringing her mace down on its shoulder, staggering it. She quickly shifted focus and swung at the other, hitting it in the side. She delivered a couple more blows before the hollow collapsed. The other hollow had recovered by this time and was getting ready to bring it’s sword down on Applejack. She didn’t have enough time to dodge and felt the blade cut deep into her side, coming away red. She turned on her front hooves and bucked the last hollow with the last bit of strength she had. It proved enough and the hollow fell backwards. Applejack looked at the four hollows in front of her, vision beginning to blur from the tears forming in her eyes. She then looked at her side and saw her orange fur turning red around the wound. It hurt to move, but applejack crossed a little wooden bridge and limped into a room with an unlit bonfire in it. She went over to the bonfire and collapsed next to it, reaching out a hoof to kindle the fire and bring healing warmth to her battered and aching body. When the fire lit, she felt her body grow warm and closed her eyes, drifting off into a deep dreamless sleep.