Dark Souls Short Stories

Oscar, The Hero We Deserved

 "This one seems quite different from the rest." Oscar thought as the Undead in its cell looked up from the body Oscar had kicked down towards it. Their eyes met for a moment. "I can still see a sliver of humanity left in this one." Oscar then backed away from the open ceiling of the cell in search of another key. "If not these Undead who I save from this asylum, then it must be me who will ring the Bell of Awakening, and learn the fate of the Undead." Oscar then remembered his old life in Astora, a land known for its advanced culture. How he wished he was back home, to the same place where he had been knighted. But ever since he turned Undead, he knew what he had to do. He must go the Undead Asylum in the north and free the Undead held there. For what else was he supposed to do. Stay in Astora, go Hollow, and hurt the ones he loved?

 As Oscar was walking around the top of the asylum, he heard the footsteps of a large creature, and they were getting louder and louder. Oscar turned around to see a giant demon rushing towards him. "They must have really wanted to keep the Undead from escaping if they had gotten this abomination of the Flame to protect this place." Oscar had readied himself, for he knew a great battle between him and this Asylum Demon would occur. As the demon got closer, Oscar unsheathed his sword and readied his shield. The demon lunged towards him, raising its great hammer over its head. Oscar rolled to the left, avoiding the hammer, which stuck the roof with great force. Oscar took this opportunity to slash at the demon legs. Blood began to rush down his sword and arm, but this didn't seem to affect the demon at all. Oscar had backed away, as the demon picked up its hammer and swung again to the right. Oscar was barely able to avoid the hammer. Instead of hitting him, the hammer struck a wall, causing it to crumble down. Oscar retreated, for he did not want to face the demon head on. The demon lunged again, nearly missing Oscar and striking the roof again, causing loud cracking sounds. The asylum's infrastructure had worn out over time, and was now very brittle. 

 Oscar had come up with a plan. If he could make the demon hit the roof a few more times. Then perhaps he could cause the roof to cave down, bringing the demon with it. Oscar faced the demon once more, and ran towards it, screaming to help suppress his fear. The demon swung down again, Oscar dodged, and more cracking sounds came, along with bits of the roof breaking off. "One more swing ought to do it." The demon swung to the side. But this time Oscar had misstepped, and tripped on a bit of the roof, causing him to fall over. He quickly looked to side and caught a glimpse of the great hammer. It struck him, and sent Oscar flying through the air. Time seemed to slow as Oscar was airborne. "I... I failed..." Oscar came crashing down through the roof and landed in a cell. The pain had now come to Oscar, as his whole body began to ache almost unbearably. "Why... I just wanted... To save others... I wanted... To save the world."

 Oscar wanted to be chosen one. Ever since he had heard his family saying, he wanted to be the one who would find out the fate of the Undead, and become greatest hero anyone could ever imagine. An eternity had seemed to pass in that cell. Oscar's life force was quickly fading. And then, all of a sudden, he heard a large thud, followed by a door closing. "Could that have been one of the Undead I saved?" After some time, he heard the sound of a Hollow Undead being slain. Then it sounded as if someone had rolled out of the way of something. The next thing Oscar knew, a large metal ball bursted through one of the cell walls and landed at the corner of the cell. Another Hollow Undead had been slain. Finally, Oscar was able to see who had been making all these noises as they entered the cell. It was the Undead he had last saw. The one he had seen some humanity left in them. The Undead approached him. Using the little strength Oscar had left, he spoke.

"Oh, you... You're no Hollow, eh?"

Oscar wanted to seem calm as to not dissuade the Undead from leaving, but he had all of his hope resting on this one Undead.

"Thank goodness... I'm done for, I'm afraid... I'll die soon, then lose my sanity... I wish to ask something of you... You and I, we're both Undead... Hear me out, will you?"

The Undead nodded its head.

"Regrettably, I have failed in my mission... But perhaps you can keep the torch lit... There is an old saying in my family... Thou who art Undead, art chosen... In thine exodus from the Undead Asylum, maketh pilgrimage to the land of Ancient Lords... When thou ringeth the Bell of Awakening, the fate of the Undead thou shalt know... Well, now you know... And I can die with hope in my heart... Oh, one more thing... Here, take this..."

Oscar handed his flask to the Undead.

"An Estus Flask, an Undead favourite... Oh, and this..."

Oscar handed the Undead a key he had found earlier on a corpse. Perhaps the Undead could make some use of it.

"Now I must bid farewell... I would hate to harm you after death... So, go now... And thank you..."

The Undead had left the cell, leaving Oscar to stare at the hole in ceiling which he had created. Oscar's final thought had risen in his mind. "Perhaps that one... Will be the Chosen Undead..."