Dark Souls 3: The Invincible Girl

Chapter 1: A Death in the Limelight
''Back aching from her impact against what was left of the tower wall, Pyrrha launched herself to her feet as Cinder nocked an arrow and drew her bow taut. With a shout of exertion, she spun and threw her shield at Cinder at the same time she let her arrow fly. The two projectiles collided in mid-air, the glass arrow shattering against the shield before suddenly reforming itself and impaling Pyrrha's ankle, causing her to collapse with a cry. She attempted to stand again only to have the bones in her calf give with a sickening crack that sent her tumbling to the ground once again. She forced herself up onto her knees as Cinder circled her, taunting her fallen foe.''

''"It's unfortunate that you were promised a power that was never truly yours," she said as she knelt in front of Pyrrha and grasped her chin, forcing her to look at her before continuing. "But take comfort in knowing that I will use it in ways you could never have imagined."''

Pyrrha jerked her face away from Cinder before sitting up and staring at her with all the defiance she could muster before saying "Do you believe in Destiny?"

''Cinder scowled at her in response, the playful cockiness she had displayed for so long finally gone. "Yes." she said before standing and taking a few steps away from Pyrrha. She reformed her bow and another arrow as she drew the bowstring once more. Staring straight at the arrow in Cinder’s bow, she prepared for what was most certainly the end. Despite fearing the consequences of failing to stop her, she couldn’t help but think of someone else, how hurt he may be, how he would go on without her there. ‘Jaune...I’m so sorry I had to leave you like this.’ she thought. Suddenly, a flash of red appeared out of the corner of Pyrrha's eye. ‘Ruby?’ At that instant Cinder fired her arrow, and Pyrrha felt an intense, sharp pain as it pierced her chest and stuck through her back. Her body recoiled backward from the force of the arrow, and her whole lower body felt numb. Pyrrha’s attempts to take a gasp of air weren’t working, and was only able to manage a few microscopic strands, which were insufficient to alleviate the pain now developing in her ribcage. Eyes stinging and foggy from involuntary tears, she saw Cinder approach her, some of her old assuredness returned. Despite fighting for every second, Pyrrha’s vision began to darken, and her body began to give out, the pain in her chest lessening as the rest of her body began to numb. Her vision finally started to truly fade, the last thing she felt being Cinder’s hand on her forehead.''

The first thing she heard was the bell. It sounded as if it echoed from far away, and yet the sound rang in her ears. Slowly, roused by this strange bell, she opened her eyes, seeing only darkness. Upon regaining feeling she started moving her head, and she smelt and breathed in dust and stone particles from the air.

‘What?’

Her hands, previously on her stomach, moved, hitting something in the dark when she extended them. Light claustrophobia set in as she discovered how confined she really was.

‘Where am I? What is this thing? The last thing I rememb-” Her thoughts froze, a realization taking hold in her mind and seizing her heart.

“No. No! I’m not dead, let me out! I’m not dead yet!” Pyrrha pushed at the sides before trying to shove the stone sarcophagus open. The lid jumped when she did. ‘I haven’t been buried! I can get out!’ Pyrrha pushed on the lid, adjusting herself as it rose. In her peripheral vision she could see a steel grey sky, but was focused on lifting the lid, which eventually she shoved to the side. She let out a breath of relief and smiled as she looked around at her surroundings, but the smile faded as she did.

The place she was in dark, dreary and unfamiliar: a strange, foggy valley with several headstones next to her sarcophagus, which rested against a dead tree. At that moment a cloaked figure came shambling into view. While apprehensive, Pyrrha tentatively stepped out of the sarcophagus and began to approach the figure.

“Hello?” The figure didn’t reply, but took notice of the noise and began walking towards her. “I-I don’t know where I am exactly. Do you know the way to the nearest village…?”

Pyrrha’s inquiry trailed as the figure came closer into view. The face was obscured by the hood, but the figure’s arms were grossly pale and sore covered, and in its emaciated hand was a rusted shortsword. The figure gave a strangled groan of a battle cry and leaped forward. Pyrrha’s instincts took hold and she disarmed the hooded attacker and threw him against her sarcophagus, disturbing the sword and shield that was leaned against it.

“What in the world? Why ar-”

At that moment the figure rose, its hood knocked back. The being’s bald head was stark white and its face was desiccated, with no nose, rotting teeth and glowing, red eyes. It was like a walking corpse.

The being, no, the creature cried out again and charged without its weapon, which was held by Pyrrha. She stepped back and slashed the creature, which stopped and let out a light groan before falling down dead, and Pyrrha vaguely felt a flowing sensation in her right lumbar.

Pyrrha stared at it in horror. Besides Penny, she had never killed anything so human-like before in her life, and both times she hadn’t completely meant to do so in the first place. The shock of everything that had happened, combined with the creature’s rotted appearance and the overall smell of her surroundings had finally taken its toll and she vomited on the ground at the base of the ledge with the headstones.

Pyrrha sat at the base of the tree, staring at the ground where she dropped the shortsword. Everything was happening so quickly. She had just fought and died, but was now in a strange place, attacked by what could only be described as a human abomination, just after crawling out of what for all she knew was a tomb. The place where the arrow had hit was normal, with no wound to speak of.

‘Why am I here then?’ she thought.

She looked left to the sarcophagus where she crawled out of, but was puzzled when she saw something there that she didn’t see before: a dirty glass containing golden fluorescent fluid. She picked it up, the glass being warm to the touch. A bell tolled in the distance, prompting her to look to the opening where the creature had come from. Wherever she was, she couldn’t stay here.

Recovering from her shock, she pocketed the flask of gold and noticed the small, round shield and the straight sword it was paired with and picked them up, opting to follow the bell’s sound, and hopefully find answers to all the questions she had.