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Chapter 189 The First Bell of Awakening part 1
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A few minutes later, Dusk descended the staircase with slow, careful steps. Her eyes were still puffy from tears, and though her face carried its usual calmness, there was a weight in her movements that betrayed her.
Andre looked up from his anvil. The ring of hammer against steel stopped, echoing faintly through the chamber. He set the helm aside, rubbed his forearm across his brow, and spoke.
"Well now. Is there somethin' ye need, Princess?"
Dusk lowered her gaze. "I… I intend to teach Sir Naruto the magic of Oolacile. A way to keep the legacy of my people alive."
Andre gave a small grunt of understanding and nodded. "I see. Then you'll be needin' parchment and ink. Sit yerself down, I'll get to it once I finish mendin' the damage that fool boy keeps doin' to his armour sets."
"Thank you," Dusk said softly. She moved to the bench and sat with her hands folded neatly in her lap. She looked down, unsure of what else to say, and silence stretched between them.
After a moment, Andre set down his hammer again. His voice was lower, more careful this time. "Princess… I'd like to offer an apology."
"An apology, good blacksmith?"
"Aye," Andre said with a slow nod. "I've spoken of your lost kingdom too casually. I'm just an old man who don't much care for dressin' words pretty. But I see it caused ye pain, and for that, I'm sorry."
Dusk regarded him for a long moment, then shook her head gently. "You need not apologize. It has been three centuries since my time. Even before I was sent here, Oolacile was already trembling on the brink. To think my kingdom still lived would be folly. I should have accepted that truth."
Andre studied her. She spoke with a calm strength that only came from hardship. "Hmph. You've had more thrown at ye than most. I'll give ye that." He scratched at his beard, then frowned slightly. "But… what did you mean, when you said you were sent here?"
Dusk opened her mouth, but before she could answer, a cold fog began to seep into the chamber.
From within it came a voice, smooth yet sly. Hah… I see that Sif was not mistaken in his measure. Truly, thou art here, dear Dusk.
Dusk's eyes widened. She rose quickly to her feet. "You…?" The fog swirled and formed the outline of a great white cat. Her voice trembled. "You were with Sir Artorias."
"Indeed," the feline form purred, her words stretched with an old tongue. "Artorias is mine own companion, and a noble knight he was. Long has it been since I gazed upon thee, child of Oolacile."
Dusk's lips parted, but words refused to come. At last she managed only a whisper. "How…?"
The cat's eyes gleamed with wry amusement. "Thy godmother, Elizabeth, did beseech me thus: to watch o'er thee, when time itself had carried thee afar. Think not it was chance, thy safe deliverance to this age."
Dusk staggered, breath caught in her throat. "Elizabeth…? My godmother… is she yet alive? Pray, can I meet her?"
"Patience, little one," Alvina replied. Her voice was both teasing and solemn. "Let us parley face to face, not through this veil of fog."
The mist thickened and shifted, and from its heart emerged the shape of a man clad in strange armor. His helmet covered his head fully, with narrow slits forming a cage-like front. His chest bore a red cuirass reinforced with metal, a lion-shaped pauldron looming over his right shoulder. The rest of his form was wrapped in chainmail and cloth, bandages binding his legs, boots scuffed and worn from travel.
"Shiva," Alvina's voice rang through the haze, commanding and deliberate, "escort the Princess to me. Waste not a moment more."
The man gave a sharp nod, stepping forward with measured silence.
Andre exhaled through his nose, scratching the back of his head. "Well, looks like that settles that. Gives me time to brew up that ink for ye, Princess."
Dusk managed a faint smile despite her confusion. "You have my gratitude, Master Andre."
"Don't mention it. I'll make sure to tell that knucklehead Naruto about all this when he gets back."
"Of course," Dusk said softly.
Andre smirked faintly, shaking his head. "Otherwise, the boy'll think you slipped back in time or somethin'. Not the first ghost he's met, mind ye. He's got a heart too big for his own good. If he calls ye a friend, he'll grieve when you're gone."
Dusk's lips pressed together. "I… I do not know if I can return to my time at all. I was sent here through magic. A spell of last resort."
Andre froze at that. He looked at her closely, then turned back to his anvil in thought. A grim heaviness settled in his chest.
Then… whose body did Naruto find in the Basin?
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In the Undead Church, a red glow flared to life upon Naruto's palm eye.
The armored Balder Knight jerked violently toward him, feet skidding across the cracked stone floor, pulled by invisible force. In the space of a heartbeat, Naruto's fist met the knight's chestplate.
A boom echoed through the chapel.
Steel buckled. Bone shattered. The knight's body jerked midair as Naruto's chakra-enhanced fist exploded through the metal and flesh, tearing a ragged hole straight through the torso.
The knight was dead before it hit the ground.
Naruto didn't flinch. He barely had time to lower his hand before he heard the familiar tink-tink of shifting crystal. A soft hum filled the church's ruined air as Oscar darted across the stone floor, laying down a wide patch of jagged crystal.
The mob of hollows didn't even have time to register what happened.
One by one, they stepped onto the crystal field. There was a brittle snap, and their bodies convulsed. Screams cut short as magic surged up their legs and turned them into statues mid-stride. It was silent after that as the dead turned still and glittering.
Naruto exhaled, rubbing the blood from his knuckles. No matter how many times he saw it… watching people turn into crystal was unsettling. Not because of the death. But because of the quiet beauty of it.
It was Lordran magic at its purest: elegant, terrifying, and absolute.
"This should be the path to the Bell, right?" Naruto muttered, eyes flicking up to the third-floor balcony.
A winding staircase climbed the back wall of the Undead Church, past shattered pews and decaying tapestries. At the top, rows of rotting chairs were stacked haphazardly near twin wooden doors.
Faint light leaked through the cracks.
It wasn't sunlight. It was the dull, flickering orange of torch.
Naruto narrowed his eyes. The balcony led nowhere, just a dead end. Which meant whatever was behind those doors wasn't meant to be found by the dead. He approached and tapped his knuckles on the wooden panel. The rotted wood crumbled under his touch, and a piece fell away, revealing zigzagging stairs winding upward toward a rusted cage.
"Oh? Still human, are you?" a voice drawled. "Then I am in luck. Could you help me? As you can see. I am stuck, without recourse."
The man was caged like an animal, yet he sat with one arm resting lazily on his knee, his posture calm, almost casual. There was no weakness in him. If anything, it was as though the prison was nothing more than a passing inconvenience.
His armor was unlike anything Naruto had ever seen.
The helmet was tall and box-shaped, enclosing his head entirely. A flat faceplate dotted with small breathing holes hid any expression, while several metal bars jutted upward from the crown, stark and jagged like spikes, lending the helmet a grim, crown-like silhouette. The armor at his neck sealed tightly, leaving no flesh exposed.
The chest was encased in heavy plates layered one over another, contoured to the body yet thick with protection.
Wide, segmented pauldrons sat on his shoulders, stacked plates that gave him a bulkier frame and flowed seamlessly into the chest piece. His arms were guarded from shoulder to fingertip, the upper arms wrapped in flat plates while the forearms were covered in layered segments. At his waist hung a cloth of deep red patterned with small golden dots, split into vertical strips that draped over his hips and upper thighs. Beneath it, a thick metal belt fastened the entire suit together.
"I would offer you a bow, but... well, you see my predicament."
Naruto blinked. "Who... are you?"
The armored figure gave a soft, mirthless chuckle. "A man of no consequence," he said, voice gravel-thick and dry. "Or perhaps... a man once of great consequence, now reduced to waiting in a cage built by fools. Does it matter?"
Naruto stepped forward, his tone serious. "It does to me."
A pause.
"Very well, then. My name is Lautrec. Knight of Carim. But that name means little now. What matters is this: you hold the means to free me, and I hold the reward to make it worth your while."
Naruto said nothing at first. Because something about the man set his instincts on edge.
Still, Naruto stared at him, searching through the gaps in the helmet, and quietly asked, "You going to try to kill me if I let you out?"
"Why would I be so ungrateful?"
Naruto sighed and turned his head slightly, just enough for Oscar to chirp on his shoulder. "Great. Another cryptic bastard with a charming personality. Lordran really knows how to pick 'em."
Naruto paused as his hand brushed against the rusted key he had picked up long ago. Back when he had been sprinting for his life from the Black Knight, every breath burning and every corner a gamble.
He blinked, and pulled it from his inventory.
A whisper of magic echoed through the air as the key slid into the lock. The metal shivered. With a clack, the enchantment binding the jail broke. Faint purple light hissed and scattered like dust in the wind.
"Guess you were locked in by the Channeler."
Lautrec said nothing at first. Then a slow turn of his helm toward Oscar, who chirped once from Naruto's shoulder, daring the man to do something... anything.
"Ah… my sincerest apologies," Lautrec said. "Your reward must wait. I have only just been freed… allow me some time."
"Sure. Don't worry about it." Naruto started to walk away but stopped at the edge of the stairwell. "Hey, quick thing. I'm looking for the Bell of Awakening. You know where it is?"
"Yes… go down to the right. At the end of the hall is a room with a ladder. Climb it. It leads to the church's spire. There, you will find your bell."
"Thanks." Naruto nodded, turned, and began descending.
Behind him, Lautrec's voice rasped barely above a whisper. "I am free… I can finally get back to work… keh heh heh..."
Naruto felt a chill crawl up the back of his neck. That laugh was not loud or wild. But it held a coil of malice so casual, it almost sounded polite. The kind of laugh that told you the man behind it could slip a knife between your ribs and make it seem like a greeting.
He just kept walking, boots clicking softly against the stone as he followed Lautrec's directions.
The guy had not done anything. Not yet.
But if he did? Naruto would end him without hesitation. Kill him, loot his corpse, and move on like it was another day in Lordran. That was the law here.
For now, though... he would let it go. Even if every instinct in his body whispered not to.
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The rusted ladder shuddered and groaned beneath the weight of Naruto's armor as he pulled himself up onto the top floor, where a broken doorway opened out into the wide rooftop.
Just a few feet from where he stood, the rooftop floor was marked with strange glowing symbols.
He stepped closer.
[ Touch Summon Sign ]
A second message rippled over the light.
[ Do you want to summon this phantom? ]
Naruto's breath left him in a steady exhale. His eyes narrowed. Something inside him stirred, a pulse of recognition that reached down to the soul itself. Though he could not read the script, he knew what it said. The word echoed inside him as though it had always been there.
Solaire.
Then, without hesitation, he answered. "Yes."
The top floor exploded in brilliance. The symbols flared, lines of golden radiance shooting outward, forming a circle of light that swirled and folded in on itself. The air grew warm, the shadows fled, and out of the shining vortex stepped a familiar figure.
The phantom rose to its full height, arms flaring wide, chest gleaming with the white and gold of the Sunlight Warrior. In that instant Naruto felt his lips split into the biggest, brightest smile he had ever worn since coming to this land.
He could not stop himself. His arms lifted high above his head, forming the unmistakable Y-shape in a gesture of pure joy and welcome.
Beside him, Oscar scrambled to mimic the movement, his stubby little arms reaching skyward with comical determination.
The golden phantom of Solaire emerged fully from the radiant portal, his armor shining as though he carried the sun upon his back. He threw his arms wide, laughter booming across the cracked rooftop.
"Ah, splendid! Praise the Sun! For here I find myself amidst new warriors! Hah hah hah!"
Naruto froze, his head tilting in confusion. Did Solaire not recognize me because of my changes?
Solaire lowered his arms and looked about, muttering aloud. "Now, now… where is young Naruto? I placed my sign for him. Could it be he has not seen it? Perhaps I ought to go searching, to be sure the lad is safe. Ah, but how worrisome it would be if he were in peril!"
"That is very kind of you, to think of others first."
"Aha, think nothing of it!" Solaire replied brightly, clapping a hand to his chest. "Naruto is a stout warrior, of that I have no doubt. He will hold his ground in Lordran. Still, when the hour is darkest, it is my joy to fight beside him, to lend my hand in jolly cooperation! After all, is that not what the Sun would wish of us? Hah hah hah!"
Naruto grinned. "I expected nothing less from you, Sun Bro."
"Ah! Sun Bro, you say!" Solaire laughed heartily, then suddenly paused. "…Naruto? Is that truly you?"
"Of course," Naruto answered, flashing him a wide smile.
Solaire looked him up and down, utterly astonished. "Good heavens! What has befallen you, my friend? You are quite… changed."
"Too much to explain right now. And this summon will not last long enough for all that talk."
"Ah, perceptive as ever," Solaire said with a fond nod. "Yes, the threads of time are fickle indeed. Even now I feel them tugging."
Oscar chirped loudly, rolling about on the stone.
Naruto laughed. "This is my partner, Oscar."
Solaire bent forward slightly, peering at the small companion. "Why, what a magnificent creature! A mighty beast, bold and true. Or perhaps yes, perhaps the two of you are dragons, destined to fly together. Hah hah hah!"
Both Naruto and Oscar flushed at the praise.
As they began walking, Naruto asked, "So summoning in Lordran… it really is sending phantoms across worlds?"
"Indeed!" Solaire declared with pride. "My body treads another path, but my soul is drawn here by your call. At this moment I am at the ruins of Oolacile."
Naruto stopped short. "Oolacile? Why would you go there?"
Solaire lifted his gaze to the sky, his tone dreamy yet resolute. "Ah, yes… I seek my very own sun in the Abyss. Strange, is it not? But even in the blackest depths, who is to say light cannot be found?"
Naruto sighed and shook his head. "Only you are crazy enough to try to find your sun in the abyss, Sun Bro."
"I will take that as a compliment to my determination."
"So, this cooperation… it is different from invasions?"
Solaire's voice grew proud. "Oh, most certainly! Jolly cooperation is a covenant most sacred. We warriors of Sunlight swear an oath to the Firstborn of the Lord of Sunlight, the God of War himself. We bind ourselves to aid our fellows in their struggles, to take up arms together, to shine more brightly than we could alone. This is the vow of the warrior of Sunlight!"
His voice darkened slightly as he continued.
"Invasions, however… they are another matter. Souls dragged into foreign worlds with intent only to slaughter and despoil. A vile practice, if you ask me. For while we strive to raise one another up, invaders come only to cast others down."
Naruto gave a low whistle, glancing at Oscar. The little partner busied himself pawing at a loose tile, and neither said a word about their own misadventure with an invasion.
Together, the three crossed through the archway and out onto the gable roof of the Undead Church.
The roof stretched wider than Naruto had expected. Two long slopes rose to meet at a ridge, forming a sharp triangular peak when viewed from the ends. Along the edges of the roof stood rows of stone statues, weathered into cracked and half-eroded shapes of demons.
From where Naruto stood, the horizon was vast. He could see distant clouds trailing across the sky, the sun glowing low behind them. To one side lay the green blanket of the forest. But the true focus of the place was the spire that loomed above.
The spire was monolithic. It was built of colossal stone bricks, each block gray and scarred by untold ages of wind and rain. The tower rose in four distinct sections, each lined with arching windows that yawned like empty mouths, allowing light and air to bleed through the hollow shell. A broad circular ledge wrapped around the higher portion, wide enough for a man to walk upon as though it were a balcony.
Above this stretched the dome. Open columns ringed the circumference, supporting the chamber above—the Bell Chamber.
And above even that was the finial. It was a spear-like ornament, its long shadow stretching thinly across the roof where Naruto and his companions stood.
The moment was utterly still.
The silence carried weight, almost sacred in its depth.
Then the silence broke.
Stone ground against stone, echoing like a scream across the rooftop. Naruto turned sharply, his eyes darting to the far edge.
A massive shape dropped from above. The landing cracked the roof tiles beneath it, shards of stone scattering like broken glass across the rooftop. A clawed foot dug deep into the stone, anchoring the monster's weight. Dust swirled around it, and then the creature rose to its full height.
[Name: Bell Gargoyle]
[HP: 2,500 / 2,500]
A massive figure straightened itself from its crouch, claws scraping the rooftop. It looked like a statue that had come to life, a demon carved from stone and bronze.
Its head was long and cruel, shaped like the snout of a beast. Jagged fangs jutted from its mouth even when it closed, and its sunken eyes glowed faintly with a wicked light. A piece of corroded bronze rested over its skull like a helmet.
The rest of its body was rough and uneven, as if cut from weathered rock. Cracks split across its skin, glowing faintly whenever it moved, like fire lived inside its chest. Its arms were thick and powerful, ending in claws sharp enough to tear through steel. In one hand it carried a massive axe, chipped and scarred from long use. On the other arm it bore a round bronze shield, dented and corroded but still strong.
From its back stretched huge wings. Their bony frames were wrapped in torn, leathery skin that flapped gently in the wind.
Then the Gargoyle crouched low. Its wings flared wide. The axe rose into the air, heavy and brutal, glowing faintly in the light of the setting sun.
Naruto narrowed his eyes. Oscar arched his back and hissed. Solaire lifted his shield and braced himself, a wild grin spreading across his face.
"Ahh, yes. At last… the first true test of the chosen undead. How exhilarating."
"Wall," Naruto said firmly.
Oscar pressed his paws into the stone, and jagged spikes of crystal shot upward, weaving together into a glittering barrier between them and the Gargoyle. The roof shook as the monster brought its axe down with a roar. The weapon slammed into the crystal wall and, with a deafening crack, shattered it into a spray of shards.
The Gargoyle pushed through the dust, its wings flaring wide in challenge.
Naruto smirked as he took out the talisman. Perfect.
A sphere of blinding white light bloomed in his hand. With a thrust, he released it. The Emit Force miracle burst out like a cannon blast, striking the Gargoyle square in the chest. The impact hurled the creature backward across the rooftop, its claws tearing deep scars into the tiles before it skidded to a stop at the edge.
The Gargoyle's chest swelled. Flames licked its jagged jaws, a furnace glow building as it drew in a deep breath.
Naruto's fingers blurred through hand signs. Too slow!
The monster unleashed a stream of burning gold. Naruto exhaled, releasing black-speckled flames from his own mouth. The two torrents collided midair with a thunderous roar, fire slamming against fire. Orange against black, sparks bursting in all directions, the heat so fierce the rooftop itself began to smolder beneath them.
Solaire raised his brows and let out a delighted chuckle. "Marvelous! Truly marvelous!" His palm glowed, and a crackling spear of lightning formed in his hand. "To meet such a foe and such a companion... ah, the sun itself must be smiling upon us! Hah hah hah!"
The moment the flames died down, Oscar pounced. Two bursts of energy shot from his guns, striking the Gargoyle's chest. Solaire's lightning spear followed a heartbeat later, tearing across the rooftop in a blinding arc. The spear ripped through stone flesh, burning away fragments of its armor to reveal raw, glistening organs beneath. The smell that followed was sharp and unmistakable, like burnt drake hide.
Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Are you a lesser dragon?"
The Gargoyle spread its wings and tried to take off, beating the air furiously. Naruto sprinted forward, his Zweihander raised high. The monster swung its tail, the axe-blade at its tip hissing as it cut the air. Naruto dodged the strike, sparks flying as the tail smashed into the afterimage. His blade swept upward in a brutal arc, cleaving through flesh and stone.
The Gargoyle howled as its tail was severed. Blood sprayed across the roof. Naruto snatched the falling weapon from midair, its weight settling neatly into his grasp.
Before the beast could recover, Solaire let fly another spear of lightning. In that same instant, crystal thorns erupted from the ground, Oscar's magic skewering the monster in a cage of jagged spikes.
Naruto stepped forward, Zweihander raised for the killing blow, and the world darkened.
A massive shadow loomed over him. Naruto tilted his blade, catching the reflection. His eyes widened.
"Another one!"
The second Gargoyle dropped from above with a shriek, jaws glowing. Flames poured down in a blazing shower, engulfing the spot where Naruto had stood. But the boy flickered out of existence, reappearing on the side of the spire. His feet gripped the vertical stone as if it were flat ground. He ran straight up the tower wall, leaping high into the air.
A bandit's knife flashed in his hand. A dozen clones burst into existence beside him, each armed with knives of their own. Together they rained steel down upon the Gargoyle's back, blades piercing like a hailstorm.
The Naer Alma's sigil flared. The knives glowed, and then the Gargoyle's back erupted in a shower of blood.
The first Gargoyle, still trapped in Oscar's crystal thorns, let out a final roar just as Solaire cleaved clean through its neck in a single stroke.
Naruto fell from above, Zweihander held in a two-handed grip. His plunge attack struck the second Gargoyle in a crushing blow, cleaving the beast in half.
The rooftop fell silent.
Naruto stood over the corpses, blood dripping from his weapon. He exhaled and lowered the blade, his shoulders relaxing. "Well," he said, "that was disappointingly easy."
Most knights would have shouted in triumph. Most would have celebrated victory no matter how it came. But Solaire only smiled, wiping the blood from his blade.
"Easy or hard," he said warmly, "each battle is a gift. Each foe, a lesson."
"Maybe. But I like the ones that push me. The fights where I can feel all my training paying off. That's the kind I look for."
Solaire laughed as he slid his blade back into its sheath. "Ease your mind, friend. A battle won with such swiftness is not a slight against you. Rather, it is proof of how far you have come. If I had to say, you have grown into a true threat upon the battlefield."
"Thanks, sun bro. But I'm curious… do you know what these gargoyles actually are? I think they're some kind of lesser dragon like drakes and wyverns."
Solaire tilted his helm toward the fallen beasts. "Hmm. I cannot claim certainty. Gargoyles are not creatures one stumbles upon in the wild. Yet I have heard whispers. They are said to be magical constructs, forged by the gods themselves. The organs of lesser dragons are harvested and then fused into stone. The gods breathe a twisted semblance of life into them. Thus they are born: puppets of rock and flesh, eternal guardians of sacred places."
Naruto's gaze swept the rooftop. His eyes drifted upward toward the spire. A strange unease coiled in his chest. Something felt off.
He shook the thought away and stepped toward the giant soul left behind by their slain foes. The glowing mass pulsed gently, white light washing over him. He reached out, hand extended…
And then the glow changed.
The white flickered into gray, then black. Suddenly, black fire erupted from the soul itself, coiling upward like smoke made of embers. The corpses of the Gargoyles twitched. Flames consumed them, cracking the stone further, melting flesh into molten slurry.
Naruto froze, his stomach twisting. It was more than fear… it was connection. Some invisible thread tugged at him, something spiritual, intimate, wrong.
What in the great flame is this?
From the smoke, a shape crawled forth. What had once been two broken Gargoyles fused into a single grotesque form. Four wings beat the air. Four massive arms clawed at the rooftop. Two heads, their bronze helms burned away, lifted in unison as the stone cracked to reveal pulsing flesh beneath. One head glistened with red muscle, the other pale and white, both glaring with twin hateful gazes.
A text shimmered faintly across the air.
[Name: Pseudo Rebis's Gargoyle]
[HP: 3,000 / 3,000]
Naruto clenched his grip on the Zweihander. What the hell just happened? We killed those things already. How is it alive again and stronger? And what the hell is Rebis? Did someone make this thing stronger…
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Author Note: Forgot to add this in the last chapter, but I'll add the Q and A of both chapters in this one.
1: Why is Artorias from Astora?
Like most of the theories I present in my fanfics, they are either my own speculation on the vague lore of Dark Souls or theories I found online that add more depth to the story. As always, I will present evidence on why I think Artorias might be from Astora.
There is a surprising amount of evidence that supports this. But before I explain the connection, here are the questions I kept asking myself while writing this: Why does Artorias wear blue? Why is his equipment holy? Why does Artorias have a crest? Why does Andre have that crest? Why are there so many knights of Astora in Lordran?
The answers are fairly simple.
Artorias wears blue because it is a symbol of pride and glory.
Armor of Artorias description says: Armor of Artorias the Abysswalker, one of Gwyn's four knights. The death of the armor's owner can be surmised from the corrosive Dark of the Abyss, and the tattered azure-blue cape, once a symbol of pride and glory.
The only other mentions of blue in-game are from three Astora relics: Elite Knight Armor and the two Crest Shields.
Elite Knight Armor description says: Armor of a nameless knight, perhaps an elite knight of Astora, based on the fire-warding heraldic symbol on its blue surcoat. Although he was loath to give up on his Undead mission, he perished at the Undead Asylum, and went Hollow.
Crest Shield description says: Shield of a nameless knight, likely a high-ranked knight of Astora. One of the enchanted blue shields. The Crest Shield greatly reduces magic damage.
Dragon Crest Shield description says: Shield of a nameless knight, likely a high-ranked knight of Astora. One of the enchanted blue shields. The Dragon Crest Shield greatly reduces fire damage.
Astora has a favor for blue. Since Astora is home to proud knights, I suspect that blue is a symbol of that.
This leads to my second argument: Artorias has a crest. For those who may not know, a crest is a symbol or design worn on a helmet, shield, or token that depicts a family's or nation's emblem. We see many different crests in Astora, as seen on the shields, yet we do not see crests anywhere else, not even in Anor Londo. Since Astora has multiple crests, that means the crests represent family, while the blue represents Astora as a nation. I believe Artorias came from Astora because he dons the blue crest.
Now we see multiple Astora knights in Lordran: Solaire, Andre, Anastacia, Oscar, possibly Richard, the dead knight in the Darkroot, and another in the Valley of Drakes. Why are there so many Astora people here? Of course, it comes from the old family saying:
Thou who art undead are chosen, thine exodus from the undead asylum, makith pilgrimage to the land of ancient lords, once thou ringith the bell of awakening, the fate of the undead thou shall know.
I believe this was a common saying across all nations, but I think it originated in Astora after Knight Artorias came to Lordran and led a successful new life. If someone from your family became famous in another country after starting with nothing, wouldn't you want to follow in their footsteps? Yet no one mentions Artorias except Andre, who mysteriously has Artorias's crest. I think people no longer remembered Artorias as the one who originated the pilgrimage to Lordran. Artorias lived about a thousand years before the Chosen Undead. Legends are lost over time, fading to myth, to memory, to lore, and finally to disillusion.
Now, how does the crest get to Andre? He may have possession of it because he is from Astora, or perhaps he scavenged it in the forest. I do not think Andre knew him personally, because Artorias died hundreds of years before. I also doubt Andre crafted his weapons, since Andre does not forge holy weapons until you give him special embers that he only heard rumors about. I do not know how the two are connected, but perhaps I may find it later.
Why is Artorias holy? Because he is an Astora knight. Astora knights had holy swords.
Astora Straight Sword description says: Straight sword of an unknown knight, likely one of Astora's superiors. High-quality weapon with a powerful blessing.
With their similar holy swords, they hunted the Dark. Do you not find it strange that Artorias hunts wraiths, and Astora famously hunted dark creatures? Most notably, the Ring of the Evil Eye says: According to legend, this ring contains the spirit of the evil eye, a dark beast which assaulted Astora. The strength of the evil eye does not waver, and HP is absorbed from fallen enemies.
Now, all this sounds familiar. Some may think Artorias founded Astora, but I do not. Artorias was too busy fighting the Dark, and in the end he fell to it. To my knowledge, Astora has no dark influences.
Those were the major details. Now onto a few minor details that may also contribute to the idea that Artorias is from Astora.
The Astora Greatsword from DS3 shows that elite knights of Astora used greatswords. I believe this honors Artorias, as he was the most famous greatsword user.
The more compelling evidence is that the protagonist of DS1 is always depicted in FromSoft official art as wearing the Elite Knight Armor, which comes from Astora. We know that Artorias's legend is completed by the Chosen Undead, so both protagonists being on the cover art and having a connection to Astora seems like solid evidence. Adding to this, the thematic parallels of the DS1 protagonist wearing Astoran gear while following in the footsteps of a great knight mirror the idea of honoring and preserving that legacy, whether consciously or subconsciously.
Now, whether Artorias is canonically from Astora does not really matter.
For the sake of this fanfic, he is from Astora. Why? Because ultimately, Naruto and Artorias are very much connected in this story. Naruto uses a greatsword, has Artorias's magic ring, and has an animal companion. Naruto is heavily linked to Astora in this fanfic, and by extension, Artorias being from Astora reinforces that connection.
Now let me know what you guys think. Do you believe Artorias is from Astora or not? For this fanfic, what do you think?
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2: What are Gargoyles?
Gargoyles in real-world folklore are most often known as grotesque stone statues attached to medieval cathedrals. Their original purpose was practical, serving as water spouts to direct rain away from church walls. Over time, they took on symbolic meaning. People believed gargoyles warded off evil spirits, acting as guardians of sacred places. Their monstrous and animalistic shapes were meant to frighten demons while also reminding churchgoers of the dangers of sin.
Now, looking at their Dark Souls counterparts, the games never give us a clear explanation of what gargoyles truly are. But if we piece things together across the series, a theory forms.
In Dark Souls II we learn that gargoyles are magical constructs created by the gods.
Description of the Gargoyle Bident: Gargoyles are said to guard castles and forts from ill fortune, and they have appeared in many forms in all the great lands throughout history. Some of them are so meticulously crafted that they look as if they might come to life.
This is important because they also share a surprising number of traits with dragons.
They have stone-like skin, they breathe fire, they feature tail-cutting mechanics, and they are weak to lightning. Each of these traits ties directly into the draconic beings that once ruled the world.
Anor Londo adds another layer of evidence. We see decapitated drake and wyvern heads scattered throughout, suggesting that the gods experimented on via the iron golem. Perhaps the remains of these lesser dragons were reshaped into gargoyles, creating obedient stone puppets that could guard holy sites without question.
There is also an interesting connection between the Undead Parish and the Iron Golem. The gargoyles appear not far from this massive construct, another puppet of the gods. Both are artificial guardians created to maintain divine control, one sculpted in the image of monsters and the other in the image of titans.
That is my best attempt to add lore and context to the gargoyles of Dark Souls.
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[ Personal Note: First off, thanks a ton to all of you for sticking with this story. Seriously, you guys are awesome. Now, if you're interested in supporting me on P@treon, let me just say that over there, I post these massive 5k-word chapters. But heads up, if you're jumping to P@treon, you'll need to start from Chapter 89, since that's where this chapter lines up with the content there.
To everyone here just reading along, please don't forget to leave a comment! Honestly, your comments make my day, and they let me know you're as invested in this story as I am. So yeah, thanks again, and I hope you have an amazing rest of your day!