บท 164: Princesses Hero...

Dusk "W-where am i?" she stutters out while on the floor shaking.

Reima calmly states "You're in the Abyss Milady."

...

Dusk "H-how did I get here?.. I was j-just visiting a bakery w-when an arm grabbed me... W-w-was I kidnapped?"

Reima just shrugs while trying to help her to her feet, "It appears so, but don't worry, your kidnapper is no more." he says while showing the large pitch black soul in his hand. Unlike most other souls it lacks any other colour than black and blue, even the Fire keeper souls he had collected had a white centre signifying their own ego. Reima considers absorbing the soul for a moment before banishing the thought from his head, if Artorias had fallen just from the presence of it how would he do being directly influenced by it? Not well he assumes.

He stores the soul away and allows her to wrap her arm around his neck and shoulder to stabilise herself. She fearfully looks around the pitch black area that slowly seems to be getting lighter, probably due to Manus being killed.

Dusk "M-may I know my rescuers name?" she asks while trying to stifle her involuntary shaking.

"Reima Ludvig, Witcher." he states bluntly, trying to get her calm enough to be able to teleport away.

She leans forwards slightly and almost loses her balance before anxiously speaking, "I am Dusk, princess of Oolacile... Apologies, you probably already know that."

Reima "Don't mind it, your friend Elizabeth asked me to retrieve you."

Dusk gives a small smile, "Yes, she must be extremely worried about me. Perhaps we should start heading back? I can't imagine it's an easy journey." Reima grins at this, "Well, you guessed wrong Milady. Hold on tight." he says as they vanish from the Abyss and appear in the Colosseum that he had fought Artorias in. Dusk almost falls on her face but Reima had expected this and easily catches her, she looks up at him from his arms and blushes while turning her head away...

They separate and Dusk begins to stutter again, not from being cold and exhausted like before but being nervous? "Sir Reima, is there any chance you have heard of those old tales... The ones where the hero rescues the princess?", Reima stifle the urge to moan in mental anguish, "I have but in the stories the Princess still had a kingdom, for now you're royalty without any subjects."

Dusk loses her smile momentarily but she finds a way to plaster another one on her face, "That may be the case, but perhaps the hero will help her create another kingdom? Obviously, a Queen needs her King." she says while trying to be as seductive as a nervous wreck of a twenty year old can be...

"I'm sorry bu-" his refusal is cut short when they hear a bark coming from the Colosseum's entrance, turning around they spot Ciaran and Sif heading towards them.

Ciaran "How on earth did you get here so quickly? Did you fail in defeating the Abyss creature?" she asks worried at what he might say, Her hurried questioning only made more grave by Sif's whimpers.

Reima shakes his head, "No. Manus was defeated and the Abyss has started to retreat, I was just having a... Discussion with the princess here." he gestures to the slightly put out Dusk beside him.

Ciaran approaches her before slapping her chest above her heart with her clenched fist while bowing slightly, "Princess, it's an honour to finally meet you, it's relieving to hear of the Dark ones defeat but Lord Gwyn questions how this all came about."

Reima kneels next to Sif while patting his head as an apparently serious discussions seems to have started...

Dusk "I'm sorry but all I know is that we were expanding the prisons under the keep, a large explosion sounded out before I was snatched away. I have no idea how this catastrophe had happened." She seems to tear up at the end.

Ciaran "Be that as it may, I'll need to take you to Anor Londo for further inquiries." she states matter of factly, not letting any emotion show on her covered face.

Dusk seems to know vaguely about what will happen to her, she shrinks into herself as she nods to Ciaran.

Ciaran looks at Reima, "I would like you to accompany me to Anor Londo to give you version of events here." she adds on almost as an after thought.

Reima immediately shakes his head, "I cannot do that, I still need to rid these lands of that big black dragon known as Kalameet" He dips his head closer and whispers to Ciaran, "I fear I wouldn't be able to restrain myself were I to witness Dusk's fate..."

She looks shocked at his indirect accusation and sputters in a small rage, "How dare you say such a thing towards Lord Gwyn! His honourable being would never deliver an unjust sentence."

Reima shakes his head in disappointment, he already knows what'll happen to Dusk as he literally saves her from one of Seath's Golem in the future. She will probably be given to Seath for experimentation, he would try to stop such a thing happening but doing so would lead to a paradox of some sort. "Form your own unbias opinion after witnessing it. Differences aside, do you know the location of Gough? I may need his assistance in battling the dragon."

She returns to her normal stoic persona and scoffs, "That big blind idiot? He wouldn't help me save Artorias, let alone strike down a dragon he was originally brought in to deal with... He was so adamant at being left alone that he locked the door in my face and threw away the key."

Reima bring out the crest key they had found while journeying through Oolacile and shows it to her, "This the key?" she gapes at him, "Yes... How on earth did you find it?"

Reima shrugs, "I'm lucky I guess."