How much overkill is too overkill?

Melina

Years upon years. They all hinged on this moment.

Right before her were two bodies, both unconscious after having seemingly been transported via a portal. It was an odd experience at first, for a naked man and a blind folded woman to suddenly fall from the sky as though they were rejected by the heavens themselves… But, it was all she needed to come to a few conclusions.

They (or at least he) were the tarnished she was waiting for. Immense power rivaling that of a demi-god, it was just what she needed. However, the woman would cause some issues depending on their relationship.

And while, she could delude herself in a fantasy where the two of them were only traveling companions, the chances of that possibility coming to fruition were laughably low. A slight curve broke the thin line of Melina's lips as she stared at the two.

Shaking her head, she broke sight from her champion, whistling into the pitch-black sky. Wisps of blue smoke rolled into view, a few loud clops accompanying it. It was Torrent, the spectral steed, arriving at her call.

Motioning for the horse to come closer, she hefted the nudist up first, adding extra precaution as to not touch his tool. Then came the ebony-robed woman, who she mounted near the front. Tying them both onto the animal, they all coasted away, off to a far-away land where she had meticulously planned her tarnished journey. A steady path, where it was just difficult enough for him to grow, but not too hard to where she'd have to step in.

Right?

In fairness, Godrick did stand in his path… but he should be strong enough by then to at least have a decent chance against him… unless she overestimated his strength like many other maidens have done in the past… huh. Perhaps a change of plans was in order depending on how this proceeded forward?

As Torrent planted his hooves on the ground, she got off the ride, taking the two into a cave. She then placed two flasks, one crimson, and the other cerulean. With her job done, it was now time to wait. For the great adventure was just at the horizon, peaking itself but never fully revealing its glory.

Right as Melina left the giant gates in her ethereal form, a groan left her lips. Someone had taken up shop near the entrance. An unexpected visitor, but hopefully not one to tamper in business that isn't his to begin with.

Knowing her luck though, the odds were likely tipped against her favor in that aspect. In the end, she could only laugh at the absurdity of the statement. Notorious as it may be, luck cannot, and would not destroy her decades of planning. Not unless the Great Will itself were to influence the very world around her. Even then, she would not allow such tomfoolery disrupt her work!

…

Dave

Let's just say there were more than a few similarities between our native world and this one. Besides the previously made comparison, sites of grace function in a similar fashion to bonfires. Even down to replenishing my flasks when they ran empty. And that just opened up even more confusing questions. Like: why would they function if these were entirely different? This place can't be Lothric unless a reverse effect happened where were time warped into the past… but that's stupid and doesn't make a lick of sen-

*bonk*

Nursing the back of my head, I turned to shoot the Firekeeper a questioning look, my eyelids drawing thin as she pulled back her clothed hand. "I wasn't even doing anything that time!"

"Thy ability to stare into the void is terrifying, I'm afraid. Would it perhaps happen to involve thine encounter with the sentinel? How he blocked out your pyromancies with little to no effort, then proceeded to pummel your insides into the ground?"

"He can go die for all I care. Besides, that was my first time facing him. For your information, I had yet to fully assess the situation."

"Or maybe thou hath finally met your match?"

Giving her a bored stare, I let out a drawn-out sigh, slouching my shoulders I stared at the expanse around us. Woods, woods as far as the eye could see. According to Varre, we simply needed to follow the yellow pointer arrows to head where we needed to go. And right now, we were in the neck of the woods, navigating through its dense foliage.

"No, of course not!" I defended, slicing through another layer of leaves. "I didn't go through fighting the Lords of Cinder just to be put up by some guy on a horse. Hell, I've beaten the Nameless King, and he rode a Wyvern for crying out loud!"

Taking note of my distress, a giggle left her lips as she approached me from behind. "Wouldst thou find the strength within to battle such a cruel beast if thou were to lay within the comfort of my bosom?"

She jested… I think. In a snap, memories flashed within my mind, reminding me of our shared time together in Anor Londo, the City of Gods. It was a spectacle of course, the air was chilling down to the bone, and filled with monsters lurking about at every corner. But it was still fun.

"Perhaps."

"For thou to give such an open-ended answer… it wounds me!" The Firekeeper feigned, her presence disappearing almost entirely. "Perhaps I should have never sworn myself as a keeper of the flame. To become a normal village girl dancing in the streets. Ah, what a life I've missed."

Ignoring her comments, we eventually made it out, as the open fields revealed themselves to us, a breath of relief leaving me, having left that nightmarish place. And just nearby the gate, standing like a divine blessing, was a site of grace.

A sense of warmth filled my being at the sight, my vision immediately tunneling on it. I couldn't shake the feeling of importance it had suddenly weighed upon my mind. Without a second thought, I made a mad dash towards it, with the keeper calling for me to slow down. However, just before reaching it, a loud horn sounded from a nearby ruin, snapping me out of my trance.

There were enemies? Since when? Also, why were they congregating into a large crowd? Something doesn't feel right.

"I told thee to wait, didn't I?" Maybe I should have listened first. "This appears to be a sort of base for people residing here, around fifteen strong by my estimate. Use thine flame to reduce their flesh to ash."

"Oh. Well, at least our lives aren't at stake. Then again, with your prayers, I don't think anything will be able to wound me." Staring at the enemy troops quickly marching towards us, I pulled out my Pyromancy Flame, knowing full well the hell I was to unleash on these poor souls.

A blaze swiftly grew from my left hand, continuously condensing pools of fiery liquid into my palm as a searing heat passed over me. With the knowledge on how to apply my skills, and the faith in their ability to work, I conjured an orb of chaos.

Drawing on muscle memory, I pulled my arm back, aiming for the front most soldier. And within a split second, they all disappeared.

Armor melted back into iron, dripping onto the grassy floor. Flesh burnt to a crisp after only a moment of contact. An all too familiar smell wafting through the air. Charred, all of them. Not a single one left alive to tell the tale.

"Huh, you were right. It wasn't so bad. Perhaps that mounted giant was the exception and not the rule." I noted, my eyebrows rising in relief. "If it's any consolation, we should have free access to this place the next time we visit. Those ruins do seem important if men were to be stationed here."

"Assuming thy plan was to overwhelm them, then I think thou hath taken it a bit too far." The keeper stated, waving at the air before her whilst she coughed non-stop. "Were these actions particularly necessary? Was thine pride hurt that much?"

"And I thought we wouldn't talk about that."

"That was before you disregarded our wellbeing by running straight into enemy territory without a plan in mind. How many times does thoust have to die before learning that lesson? Yes, the undead curse ties thou to the mortal world, but no matter how many times I see you fall, it still hurts all the same. Please, just a bit of caution next time."

Like a child who was just scolded by his mother, I merely nodded, a sigh escaping my lips. Moving towards my companion, I slowly snaked my arm around her lithe frame. Silence reigned, and time slowed, untold words passing between us.

Then she took a step… then another… and another one after that. They quickly continued to pile on as I struggled to keep up due to their frequency. Eventually, however, we hit a stop. At the exact place I had originally aimed for. The sweet bonf- site of grace.

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[A/N: I wrote chapter, two chapters! The next one's already on the patreon, and it's getting hype as fuck. Script gets flipped, and Dave's going to have some fun. Copy and paste stuff below, and I'll see you next time!

Anyways, if you find anything wrong in the fic, let me know. I would love to hear your thoughts, opinions, and what I could have done in place of what is present.

Join discord server. I have one.: htt ps://disco rd. gg / eTb2kPab4z

I also have a pat reon at h tt ps:// www.patr eon .com /balls1124. Right now, there's only 1 advanced chapter, but I'll try my best to fit in a few more.

With that being said, have a spectacular day!]