DS FanFic Chapter 3
This chapter is shorter than the last one. It covers map 1-2.
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As the power of the archstone returns me to the room where I had battled the Phalanx of monsters, I noticed that the doorway on the far end of the room was not open, where it had previously been blocked off by a fog door. I come upon a pathway, maybe twenty feet long, that leads to a short staircase. Descending into a large open room, I spot a number of the slime beasts and a glowing blue symbol on the ground. Reaching down, I pick up a small blue rock. It leaps out of my hands and forms the shape of a human, though he glowed a strange blue color. Bowing, he and I descended the stairs and began to combat the slimes. This blue phantom was wearing mirdan armor. He had a halberd in one hand and a heater shield strapped to his arm. We split up and began attacking the slimes. Knowing that their shields only protected part of their bodies, we easily dispatched them by circling around behind them, and assaulting their exposed backsides. After defeating three each, we headed for the exit of the room. As we begin to cross the long bridge that made up this section of the Boletarian Palace, we heard a loud roar. Looking over the side of the bridge, we spot the red dragon flying toward us. It quickly positioned itself above us, and flies along the first section of the bridge, pulling up to avoid crashing into the tower a short ways away from us. Its fiery breath destroys the many wooden structures along the pathway, the dreglings that had been hiding behind them, fried to a crisp. We wait for the dragon to circle back around, and sprint forward after it, following just behind it's breath.
Diving into the relative safety of the tower, we spot a doorway in front of us leading along the bridge, and a doorway to our right. We take the one to our right. It leads to a staircase that goes both up and down. On the upward path we spot a spear wielding soldier. Rushing past me, the blue phantom dodges the first thrust made by the soldier, and slams the axe blade of his halberd into the creature's shield. The soldier stumbles backwards, tripping over the steps, at which time the phantom shoves the spearhead into the soldier's gut, killing it. Seconds later, an axe wielding soldier comes rushing down. I hop in front of the phantom, who never saw it coming, and raise my shield, blocking the attack that would have killed my ally. I thrust my sword into the soldier's armpit. Dropping his axe on the ground, he takes a step backwards. Taking advantage of his retreat, I quickly step forward and behead him. His lifeless body falls to the ground. We head up to the top of the tower and spot two crossbowmen hiding behind wooden battlements. They don't see us coming so we each sprint forward and back-stab one of them. As we kick them off of our weapons and over the edge of the tower, the dragon swoops by and snatches them both out of the air as a snack. The look in it's eye tells us that we are next on the menu. We head back down to the main level of the bridge, and inch forward until the dragon flies overhead breathing fiery doom upon everything along the bridge. We quickly sprint along this length of bridge, stopping short of the next tower, due to a group or crossbowmen aiming right at us. There were five in the group. Two were kneeling down with the other three standing behind them. As soon as we stepped out from behind cover, they would have clear shots at us. The dragon was swooping around for another run. Knowing we didn't have much time, I fished around in my pack and found one last firebomb. Tossing it over the cart we were hiding behind, we came running around the corner as it detonated. The phantom's halberd cleaved the two kneeling down in half with one powerful swing. I impaled the center standing soldier with my sword, kicking him to the ground. I turn and slash at one of the two remaining soldiers as the phantom bashes the last one in the head. We climb to the top of this tower and encounter two more crossbowmen. Easily dispatching them, I find a compound short bow on the ground near their bodies, along with half-a-dozen heavy arrows. We head back down and notice that our path forward is blocked by a fog door. Pushing through it, we encounter two dreglings. The first bashes his weapon into a wooden cart, knocking it over. It then leaps forward swinging at us. Before I can react, the phantom steps forward and holds out his halberd. The dregling's jump makes it impale itself on the weapon. He then tosses it aside and runs over to the second and cuts it in half with a horizontal slash from his weapon. The dragon flies overhead and dive-bombs the bridge once again. After doing it's attack though, this time it turned around and came right back at us. Panicking, we dove back into the safety of the tower. I raised the bow I had picked up just moments before and hastily fire off three arrows. Two of them harmlessly bounce off of the creature's scales. The last pierces it's right eye. The beast falters and doesn't pull up in time, smashing into the tower. The phantom and I turn and run out of the tower, backtracking along the bridge. The tower collapses on top of the dragon. Not wasting any time, we rush forward and melee the dragon's head. It snaps at us, trying to bite us. We dodge it's weak attempts at attacking and finish it off. The creature fades into a red dust, clearing the path to the next section of the Boletarian Palace.
Making our way over the rubble, we find ourselves at the final section of the bridge. We walk across the last stretch of the bridge, carefully avoiding the burnt corpses of the dragon's final victims. Reaching the final area of the bridge, we take on three more crossbowmen. As we move up to attack them, a blue eyes knight comes rushing over. Sidestepping the first swing from the knight, I slash at a crossbowman, wounding him, but not killing him. The phantom focuses on the knight, attacking him, though the knight is able to block most of his attacks. I bash the next crossbowman with my shield making him stumble. As he attempts to regain his footing, I turn back to the soldier I had wounded and deliver a powerful slash to his chest. A bolt thuds off my armor making a ping sound as it hits. Turning, I take a step forward and slash into the unprotected spot where the neck and shoulder meet. As the corpse sinks to the ground, I turn and watch as the phantom is knocked backwards after blocking a particularly savage thrust from the knight's sword. As the two continue to trade blows, I walk up behind the knight and shove my sword into it's spine, kicking it to the ground. A second blue eye knight comes rushing down the pathway toward us. As it reaches us, it thrusts forward with it's sword. The phantom steps forward and swings his shield, knocking the knight's sword to the side, he rams the spearhead on his halberd through the knight's chest. Twisting it twice, he rips it out killing the knight. We approach a large door of fog. Through the fog, we can make out what looks like a massive boot. Pushing our way through the fog, We see a fat official up on a portcullis wave his hand. As he does, a number of crossbowmen look down at us and ready their weapons to fire. There is a massive suit of armor in the middle of the courtyard area. Towering over us, this gargantuan knight creaked to life with an eerie blue glow emanating from the gaps in the armor. As we saw the towering knight pull his lance back to attack us, we split up and run to the sides, dodging the thrust from the attack. Ahead of us, was a massive wall of fog. On either side of it, were stairs leading up to the right and the left respectively. I took the left and the phantom took the right. Halfway up each flight of stairs was a crossbowman. I raise my shield and block the soldier's first bolt and retaliate with a quick slash that opens up it's throat. I rush around the corner to the upper level and see three more crossbowman aiming at me. Moving forward, I side step the first bolt sent my way, and use my shield to block the second. As I reach the first enemy, I kick it down where it lands on the ground below with a sickening crunch. Catching a glimpse of a bright blue light heading my way, I dive backwards onto the walkway as a lance made of pure magical energy goes flying over my head, missing me by inches. Looking over at the tower knight, I see it wind up for another toss of it's magical lance. This one hits the wall near me. Sprinting toward the next crossbowman, I narrowly avoid being killed as that section of the wall crumbles under the attack. As I approach the next soldier, he fires off a bolt that I block with my shield. Slashing with my sword, I behead the soldier and move on to the final crossbowman. As it readies it's bolt, I run a zigzag pattern making it hard for the soldier to aim. When he fires off, the bolt flies harmlessly past. I throw him down to the ground below ending the threat he posed.
I look across the courtyard and spot the blue phantom as he finishes off his last enemy. Nodding to each-other, we rush back down the staircase to take on the towering knight. We circle around his feet dodging his stomps and shield slams. Every now and then he swings his lance at us. As we look for an opening, I notice that the most we can hope to do, is attack it's ankles. Neither of us had any sort of real ranged attack. I had three arrows left, but I knew they wouldn't be much help. As the knight leans backward preparing to smash it's shield down, I quickly dart between it's legs and come out behind it. Following my lead, the phantom begins picking up small rocks and throwing them at the beast to distract it. Not wasting any time, I begin slashing away at it's right ankle. After a few hits, the knight leaps backwards, putting me in front of it. As it lands, a small wave of energy knocks me away from it. I drag myself to my feet, glancing around to get my bearings. Seeing the knight's lance speeding in my direction, I throw myself to the side, narrowly escaping death. As I return to the fray, I spot the phantom beating away at one of the ankles. His halberd manages to find a kink it the knight's armor, and a small stream of blue energy begins to gush from the crack. The next time the knight raised it's shield, we both darted underneath it and between it's legs. Each attacking a separate leg, we opened up more fissures in the creature's armor. The knight's armor creaked and groaned, and the entire body went stiff. It then fell over on it's back. We glanced at each-other and sprinted to the tower knight's head, unleashing the full fury of our powers. Soon, the knight's body regained it's mobility, and it stood back up. The only visible change, were some cracks in the torso of the knight, that were leaking some of the magical energy that powered the armor. The fissures in the boots had patched themselves up, so we were forced to go back to assaulting it's ankles. After evading the knight's stomps and shield bashes for another five minutes, we manage to knock our foe down on it's back again. Rushing back to it's head, we resume our assault. The cracks along it's torso elongate and cover the majority of it's body. Soon the tower knight breaks apart in a bright blue flash that sends the phantom and I flying apart. When the light clears, I stand up and look around. An archstone has appeared in the center of the room. The blue phantom had vanished and was nowhere to be seen. Walking over to the archstone, I reach out and claim the tower knight's soul. The Maiden in Black's voice echoes in my head "this is the iron soul, use it's power wisely." I walk up to the fog wall that is covering the exit and I am violently thrown back. A male voice echoes through the walls of the castle, "You shall not breach this fog until thou hast slain an Arch-demon! A feat you are not capable of child!" Walking back to the archstone, I return to the nexus wondering what had become of the phantom who had helped me.......
To Be Continued......
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