[Deleted]

The setting sun was something that never ceased to amaze many people, Artorias included in that. The day had worn down on the old knight, and the privilege to watch the sun slowly sink into the horizon was one he never had back home. Artorias stood alone, so he thought, watching the setting orange globe on the horizon. The tall standing warrior just sat there, gazing endlessly to the horizon, reminiscing on his past. The fall, the corruption, his first days...

The mission he'd taken was yet to come due, but still, this respite before the storm was something Artorias needed. He'd taken thousands of tasks before. This got him thinking about the others he'd met along his journey, but Pit among them all. The angel had been on the forefront of his mind for a while, and the time spent in the fields... It felt like a breath of fresh air, to see people who weren't as glum as his people were back in Lordran, Anor Londo, and so on. 

Artorias remained calm, even in the face of the folks who would show fear in his presence, as that was his duty, his curse, and his eternal task - to remain steadfast in the face of adversity.

[heirtothemonado]

Rundas gazed out of the window at the glorious sunset. No matter how many planets and stars he visited, he never got tired of watching the local sun set, and Li was no exception. However, this particular sunset was different then most. A shadow of a figure stood out against the shine of the sun. Rundas approached the shadowy figure, and tried to strike up a conversation with him

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Rundas asked "I've been to many worlds, each with their own suns and sunsets. And I never get tired of watching them." All this talk of his past caused Rundas to take a walk down memory lane. Which....had a few large gaps, now that he thought about it. Norion, G.F.S. Olympus, Arrival on Bryyo......then waking up on Li? What had happened between those last two?

Rundas gave his head a shake, an put those thoughts aside for now. "Name's Rundas, by the way" he added. Probably should have introduced yourself first, Rundas, but oh well.

[Deleted]

"Aye, milord. This is my first sunset in a very long time." Artorias nodded to the approaching... thing. He couldn't quite tell what Rundas was, but obviously the large knight could recognize him as a kindred soul of something lost. Unknowingly, Artorias and Rundas had quite a lot in common as of recently, regarding the reason for the other's lost memories, unbeknownst to both of them. Artorias just stood there, watching it set. "In the lands I come from, the Lord of Sunlight ended up casting a false sun in the sky forever, whence the old one burned out, and left the world in a blanket of eternal blackness."

Artorias turned to face Rundas, moving his limp arm loosely to exaggerate the lack of motor control it had fully, unless of course, he were channeling the dark in his body. Not currently, mind you, which caused his left to remain loose and broken looking. "I would shake thy hand, milord Rundas, but... I lack the proper dark focus to bring my arm up. Perhaps another day. I am Knight Artorias. I served Lord Gwyn during his days of rule before being brought here."

[heirtothemonado]

Rundas listened to Artorias's story about his homeland. Sounded a bit strange to him, but then again, there were stranger beliefs in the galaxy. "Well met, Knight Artorias." the icy bounty hunter returned Artorias's greeting. But something that he said sounded confusing to him. "What do you mean, dark focus?" Rundas asked. he looked at the arm that Artorias was gesturing with, and as the knight had said, it was loose, floppy and generally useless. "Do you...have to power yourself somehow?" Rundas was admittedly quite curious about Artorias, but he didn't want to be to up front about it. Best take it slower. Rundas would answers to his questions in time, just be patient

[Deleted]

"No, milord Rundas. Swathes of dark energy accompany my body." The heavy knight would simply... gaze out of the window, the looming mists of the abyss nipped at Rundas's body, a corruption unlike the Phazon, a corruption unlike any he'd likely felt in his own world. It was a deep, almost tempting presence, if not for the fear of dark that men naturally had in their souls. Artorias's eyes met the body of Rundas again, the dark mist simply leaving his legs. It was obvious that Artorias was thinking for a moment there, trying to find ways to word this. "Magic, in my world, is real, milord. The Abyss, a tainted presence, has... consumed my physical shell. Milord, have you experienced corruption in thy own land?"

Artorias only hoped he wasn't overstepping.

[heirtothemonado]

As Artorias answered the frozen bounty hunter, Rundas started to feel a cold darkness nipping at his body, something different from his usual icy aura. This was....dark. Foreboding. And at the same time almost tempting. Before Rundas could experience it anymore, it dissipated. After a few moments in which Rundas tried to gather his thoughts, Artorias began to explain.

"From my time on Li, I am no stranger to magic. But this power is unlike anything I've ever experienced. Including Phazon." Rundas said. He turned toward Artorias, his body language showing the seriousness his lack of a face could not. "You may have heard that name whispered around the Black Market. Phazon originated in my world, or rather, the area of space that I roam as a bounty hunter. It was a source of tremendous energy, and as such, was a resource that was fought over by Galactic Federations and Space Pirates alike. But this power came at a cost. Anyone that came into contact with pure Phazon would become crazed and battle-hungry, as well as resistant to any form of weaponry anyone had. If anyone was afflicted with that disease needed to be contained, and most likely killed.

"Now, there was an...incident on a planet that I and a few other hunters were called to, and as a result, my body began generating Phazon on its own. At first there didn't seem to be ill effects, but...." Rundas paused, trying to gather the few thoughts he had. He shook his head, the memories evading his grasp. "....I'm sorry. I can't remember what happened. I left to another planet after recovering, but I don't remember anything after that. The next thing I remember is waking up here."

[Deleted]

"Perhaps Phazon inflicts the Dark Sign upon its victims, or something similar to this." Artorias mused once more, putting his ideas to the test of how this substance that Rundas described could cause such a lapse. Was it possible he'd died? No, not likely, but still a possibility. Artorias had to ask for good measure. So there, he turned, and lifted his veil just a bit, that shadowed cowl, to reveal his cheek, a large ring imprinted there on it. It oozed sheer, unseen power, easily felt from it. "This is a Dark Sign, a curse of undeath. Not all of us are given it at first, or obviously so, but... eventually everyone in Lordran had one, and we all went mad after a while."

Artorias knew what he was implying, but continued anyways, looking to the other faceless individual, and gesturing a hand to the bounty hunter's chest. "I am under the assumption that you, too, have this curse, or the likes. When one dies, or remains too long without Humanity sprites or a similar relief... they go hollow, forgetting who they are, and going into a craze of violence, a primal instinct to gather such substances or relief." The old soul would shake his head, "A... visitor of mine was human, and remained so in my presence. I daresay we were hidden lovers before our invariable separation."

[heirtothemonado]

"The Dark Sign?" Rundas asked. He listened as Artorias explained the concept to him. From what he said, this sign sounded very similar to Phazon. Except, of course, there was one fundamental difference....

"Phazon sounds like something similar to this 'Dark Sign', aside from the undeath part of it. Blinding rage, and a thirst for battle. Something that I know all to..." Rundas trailed off, something coming back to him. Was it possible that.....well, perhaps.....it was completely possible.

"You know, it might just be possible." Rundas started up again. "There's a large gap in my memory leading up to how I got to Li. Maybe the Phazon in my body took over, and I lost all sense of self." Rundas paused, trying once again to recollect the thoughts that were evading him. "Dying, though.... Seeing as I'm still standing, and I don't feel dead, I doubt that highly."

[Deleted]

"Most forget they ever die." Artorias remarked, shaking his head a bit reluctantly at the idea of forgetting something as pivotal as that. "They are the lucky ones. To those who remember, they experience the agony of a thousand lifetimes before their time to come back has fully realized. There was... one, who didn't follow this pattern. The Chosen Undead, the Dark Lord, who usurped the fire of old, ushering an age of darkness upon the world." Artorias knew this much from his time in the afterlife, and it was clear the thoughts haunted him even now, gnawing at the back of his mind, chewing what little resolve he had left.

"I find solace now in new unions, new friends, new comrades. I met a young angel some time ago. Pit was his name. I care not for his side on the right or wrong of this world, just for his friendship. Perhaps we, too, could forge such an alliance." Artorias sounded hopeful, wishing to make a friend of Rundas. After all, from what he knew, they were both stricken with the same curse, the same bottomless fate of agony and despair. "We are one in the same, as far as I am concerned. Fallen warriors, brought to this land with nary a memory we hold to be important, for the most part." The undead looked curiously to the icy bounty hunter. "Tell me, Sir Rundas, would you be interested in joining forces? No covenants, no alliances. Just allies."

[heirtothemonado]

Rundas listened once again to what Artorias had to say. Was it possible that he had actually died? If so, how? And why? Did the Phazon itself kill him, or was there something else involved? The icy bounty hunter's mind was swarmed with questions, none of which he could answer. But maybe.....she would know. Yes, if there's anyone who would know anything about this, it would be her...


Forcing himself out of his thoughts, Rundas turned his attention back to Artorias, who seemed to be talking about one of his allies. "Ah, you know Pit as well. He is a helpful ally, to me and everyone else he comes across. I'd keep him around if I were you." Rundas paused, hearing Artorias' offer of friendship. "As for us, I think an friendship would be a good thing. I have questions, and you hold a few answers. I'd be happy to help you out however I can."

[Deleted]

"Verily. A benefiting relationship, a joining of mind and body." Artorias chuckled, gazing back out towards the landscape and the sun setting deep into the distance out from that glass pane the two stood by. Most others had learned to disregard the two, tall beings now, leaving them to their ministrations among one another. Artorias could feel the distress radiating from Rundas. He was... bothered. Perturbed, even. "You mentioned questions you hold, and answers that I have for them."

The stoic knight looked back towards the icy bounty hunter, and towards the ever darkening landscape again. It had been commonplace for him to take these stoic, scenery-indulging breaks before tough missions, and one such that he was going to embark on was a mission of upmost importance. The Comet. He was going to destroy it, or at least try to. This bit of solace what just what he needed before the end. "Ask them, o' young undead. I'll answer whatever questions you have about our kind to the best of my abilities. You're, after all, a man of both reason and kindness, I see no reason to keep you from such answers that I posses."

[heirtothemonado]

Rundas sighed, his head swarming with feelings of...distress? Relief? Resignation? Rundas didn't know. He could barely sort out what he as being told. However, Artorias held some answers, so at least Rundas could put some matters to rest.

"Well, first off.....How would I know if I had died? Because I don't remember anything. Nothing about the mission I was on, or the planet I was visiting, nothing. So I did die, would there be some kind of indicator, or anything like that?"

"And secondly, what do I do now?" Rundas was quiet for a bit as he tried to put how he was feeling into words. "....what kind of changes are going to happen?"

[Deleted]

"Physically, your skin will begin to dry and crack, but your body will not suffer any negative attributes. Soapstone signs, and other phantasmal things from between realms will obscure from your vision. Next, bits of memory will fade away. Anger turns to action, and before long, you... well... turn." Artorias's voice nearly cracked there, a testament to his failures, his shortcomings. It was a culmination of many things, but one thing above all else. One haunting feeling.

Fear.

Artorias feared for the others around him, and wanted to keep them safe. It was his duty as a knight to uphold their peace and civility, but how could he..? Artorias couldn't defend his own mind half the time. He was a bit doubting of himself, but the sun was always radiant in his path, always... there for him. He needed to be there for Rundas. He needed to be there for Pit. For his friends. For his new family. "Violence will surely overtake you unless you accept your death. Hollowing is a terrible tragedy, but... there are some who can find solace in emptiness, and in a lack of certainty. Adapt, and know that you will eventually restore your mind and body." Artorias would reach a hand, almost daringly, to brush against Rundas' shoulder, as if to dust him off. "There now, don't look so glum. You're quite a stellar example of your kind, whatever they may be. I can feel power of the most just and honest sort radiant in your bones, and your body. Surely, your mind upholds this conviction to justice, and most certainly you are noble of heart. You have... a balance of humors not too dissimilar to a being that would free me from torment, time and time again. He was... well... a friend I never met, an ally I never fought beside, and a brother I never got to know." Rundas reminded Artorias of the Chosen undead, of their noble cause, and their denial of their curse for the sake of withholding humanity and bolster their own resolve to save the world from peril, and from itself. 

Was this what it was like to grow? To evolve as a person..? It was a moving moment in Artorias's life, to teach another, to show them that it was okay, to... personally help them along.

[heirtothemonado]

Rundas went silent as Artorias described the physical and mental side effects of turning, and then started to think as the knight proposed a solution. Accept his death? How would he even do that? Up until a few minutes ago, he didn't even think he was injured, let alone dead! The icy bounty hunter continued to sit in silence, but Artorias gave him some encouragement. "I...Thank you, Artorias. I feel that I'm going to be going through some very hard times. I could use a friend who knows what's going on" Rundas didn't know what to expect from the days ahead now, but at least he wouldn't be going through it alone. Artorias would prove to be a valuable ally and friend.

[Deleted]

"Then you should'st call upon me when you need the solace of another mind." Artorias would nod, before gazing back out to the sunset once more. The sun had nearly dipped down into the distance. Something he'd missed. Something he used to share with Ciaran. It hurt his heart a little to know he was alone out here, but it grew a bud of confidence, knowing well that those such as Pit, Palutena, and now Rundas were here to shed closure on him. Touching how a little camaraderie could go a long way. Honestly, he needed this, he... needed the comfort of another. Perhaps he was going soft, or perhaps he was just regaining his humanity.

"The sun has almost set entirely. Night is something I've nary a memory of. I was told this city is vibrant and colorful at night. I seek some day to see it all, the neon lights of a city this size." An effort to change topics, but... one that was needed given the weight of this discussion right now. The first step to accepting undeath and death was to realize that there is life beyond it. He was going to explain that simply. "There's life beyond death. Life beyond our deaths, at least. Look forward to life, again and again."