Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

My first thought was a simple one.

Where the fuck am I?

The last thing I can remember, vividly remember even, is that locker.

Filth, layers upon layers of it, left to rot over time into a disgusting sludge. Those taunting voices, the realization that no one was coming to save me and then…

Then what?

Did I pass out and wake up here? Wherever here is.

— T —

Pros of my current situation: I seem to be relatively clean, if a little dusty, and I’m also feeling better than I have in a while, even though I should be freaking out right now.

Cons: I have no idea where I am and there doesn’t seem to be anyone else here.

Overall not too bad so far?

I try to speak but my throat is dry and scratchy. After coughing a few times I at least manage to force some words out.

“Ah, hello?”

My words echo around the chamber. It’s fairly large, mostly made up of stairs that lead down to an open space of some kind. In the middle of the open space is some sort of bowl, a gentle fire burning inside of it.

Arrayed around the fire are five thrones, underneath which are duty indents that almost seem like doors, though it’s hard to tell at the moment. There’s a hallway leading further inside, underneath the staircase, at the end I can see an... anvil? At least it looks like one, it’s a little hard to see from here.

“Greetings, Ashen One.”

I barely hold back a flinch upon hearing the sudden voice behind me. I spin around towards the voice and come face to face with a woman. A woman wearing some pretty strange clothes. A long brown dress of some kind with a dark gray shawl over it, topped off by a strange silver mask that covers her eyes completely.

“…Who are you?”

The woman just stares at me for a bit but I get the impression that she’s slow blinking at me… rude.

“I am the firekeeper.”

Now, firekeeper could easily be a cape name so it made sense to be careful. Unfortunately for me, this also means I’m still completely out of my depth. My best bet is probably just to play along for now. Besides, who would even do this? It seems too convoluted, even for the trio’s ‘pranks’.

Maybe I’m just finally going insane.

“Alright then. Where am I exactly?”

She smiles at me, normally a smile from a pretty girl would set me on edge but it’s strangely reassuring.

“You are in Firelink Shrine, Ashen One, the place of your rebirth, and eventual ascension, should you succeed.”

Right, despite being reassuring this is also fairly frustrating.

“Rebirth. Are you saying I died? And what do you mean ascension?”

“Indeed, in a sense, you died, but do not fear Ashen One, for your essence is tied to the shrine now, death shall not take you permanently, not as long as your will to keep going remains undaunted.”

Well, that’s a bombshell and a half, if it’s true at least.

“As for the ascension, you can see the thrones for yourself.”

She makes a wide sweeping motion towards the thrones. Three of them are a grayish color, like ash. Two on the left, one on the right. The throne on the far right is a deep red color instead, like blood. The last throne also stands the highest, made of pure gold.

“Underneath each throne you will find a door towards five realms. Each of these realms stands loosely connected to this shrine, and in turn, to you. I know not what brought you here exactly, but I can guess. Did you wish for power beyond compare?”

“I’m… not sure.”

I might have, in the locker, being stuck in such filth and feeling so helpless will do that to a person. But power beyond compare was not something I could easily imagine. What would that even qualify as? Scion and the Endbringers were the pinnacles of what I knew in terms of raw destructive potential.

“Then perhaps that is what brought you here. Through this shrine you have the opportunity to grow powerful enough to slay the very gods, should you persevere.”

Frankly, that sounds insane, it’s still tempting however. Did I become a parahuman instead somehow? Though if I did, it’s a really weird power.

“Okay… how would I go about obtaining this power?” If there’s one thing I’ve learned in life it’s that things like this never come for free.

She must sense that I’m suspicious and is quick to explain further.

“Each of these realms can be traversed to grow stronger, though I warn you that it shall not be easy or pain-free.” Her posture shifts, there’s a seriousness to her features that makes me stand straight and eye her warily. “Make no mistake, you will suffer for this power.”

She gestures to the first door.

“The land of Lordran, where the Lord of Cinder, Gwyn, resides. This would be your first challenge. I would help you pick a class, something befitting of your station, then send you on your way with some guidance. You may, of course, return to me with questions if you have them. Slaying abominations such as demons, or even simple undead and hollows, will grant you souls which you can use to gain more strength.”

The second door this time.

“The land of Drangleic, where an ancient curse threatens to overcome those who reside within.”

The third door, still ash colored. She seems to skip the throne in the middle for now.

“The land of Lothric, built upon what was once Drangleic and Lordran both, falling to ruin as the cycle of fire continues and dissolves everything into itself.”

The fourth door, underneath the throne of blood.

“The city of Yharnam, where the old blood is strong and ancient beings toy with the lives of mortal men.”

Finally, the fifth door, the golden one in the middle.

“Finally, the Lands Between, where the shattering of the Elden Ring has thrown everything into disarray.”

She turns back towards me, even with the mask I can tell that her tone and countenance are as serious as can be.

“These are the trials you must overcome Ashen One, I can help you but I can only do so much. The bulk of this will be up to you.”

That’s a lot of information at once. Not to mention that I’ve never heard of any of these places.

Right, one thing at a time Taylor, you can do this. A chance to become powerful? To become a hero? Absolutely.

“Right, right, okay. Let’s… rewind a bit. You said I could become stronger by killing… hollows and demons was it? How does that work exactly.”

I wasn’t too keen on the idea of killing, but if it were just mindless demons and what sounds like undead… maybe I wouldn’t feel too bad about it. Maybe.

She gives me an approving smile which does way more to me than I’d like to admit.

“Slaying your foes, in each of these realms, will give you a… currency, so to speak. Behind the first three doors, it will be souls. The more you collect the more powerful you can become. Though this will be more intuitive once you actually enter a realm. Usually you can simply sit at a fire or talk to a guide to convert these souls into power.”

Alright, makes sense so far, sort of. Defeat enemies to get stronger. Maybe it’s a bit like the fairy queen? I’d heard she takes the souls of dead capes to get their powers. Hopefully I don’t have to kill any actual people, demons or whatever should be fine though.

“Furthermore, each realm will have an overarching goal. You will find out what these goals are simply by progressing through them, you may also ask me for guidance whenever we meet.”

“Right, that’s… that’s good, thank you.”

I glance up at the thrones, I don’t particularly care for ‘ascension’ or actually sitting on a throne or whatever. But for the chance to do good? To maybe get some power so I can fix my city? I’d do it in a heartbeat, though that reminds me.

“How am I supposed to get back home exactly?”

Her smile is somewhat forlorn and sad this time, which puts me on edge.

“As I mentioned, death will not keep you anymore, unfortunately, it will also be your way out of here. When you die, you will wake up in the place you came from. You may return here once you fall asleep once more.”

That at least gives some credence to this whole thing being a convoluted parahuman power.

“And I’ll be able to use the… power I get from here in the real world?”

“Indeed, additionally, you may summon any equipment you acquire as well. But be warned Ashen One, simply because you access this place through your dreams does not make it any less real.”

I nod slowly, it certainly feels real.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

The firekeeper steps back, somehow sensing that that was my last question for the moment. I walk over towards the first throne, instead of a door opening I can see a portal of sorts shimmer into place. It shows a… cell?

“So, how do I enter exactly?”

“You can simply walk through, though you may only return here upon falling asleep once more. Or by reaching the goal.”

Ah, so I either have to die or kill this Gwyn… Hopefully it won’t come to that.

I’m about to step through when a gentle hand on my shoulder stops me.

“Apologies Ashen One, but we should pick a class for you first. I can also give you a readout of your current abilities.”

Without much else to do I just nod my head.

“Alright.”

The firekeeper walks forward and puts her hand on my sternum. A brief orange glow envelops her hand before she pulls back with a scroll in her hand.

A quick flick unfolds it, the writing lights up in that same orange glow.

Name: Taylor Hebert

Level: 0

Vigor: 10

Mind: 12

Endurance: 8

Strength: 6

Dexterity: 6

Intelligence: 15

Faith: 6

Resistance/Arcane: 10

“Hmm.”

The firekeeper seems less than impressed with whatever these results are.

“Is that… bad?”

“It is… lower than the average denizen you will find in the realms. Although, your intelligence is much higher than average. Do not fret Ashen One, your class will get you up to speed.”

“Okay, that’s… good.”

Could’ve been much worse with the way her life had been going recently.

“Could I get an explanation of what these mean?”

“Of course.”

She points to the top of the list, going down after each explanation.

“This is your level, it indicates how many times you’ve used souls to grow stronger. Next is vigor, this will determine how healthy you are, and thus how many hits you can take before dying.”

Right, should probably do that one first then.

"Mind will determine your mana capacity and regeneration, this is what you use to cast spells."

“Spells? Like, magic?”

“Indeed, sorceries and incantations are potent if used by those proficient in their use. Next, endurance, this indicates how much stamina you have.”

Makes sense.

“Strength is self explanatory, it is simply how strong you are. Dexterity is much the same, indicating how fast and agile you are. If you are using spells, dexterity will also influence how fast you can cast them.”

Again, still pretty easy to follow.

“Intelligence indicates both how smart you are and the potency of your sorceries. The higher your intelligence is, the stronger they will be. Faith, similarly, indicates how strong miracles and incantations will be. They are two sides of a coin, though one is achieved through study and the other through worship.”

I quickly nod my head, maybe I should look into spells? There was some cape that pretended to be magic too, should come in handy.

“Lastly, Resistance and Arcane. This indicates the mastery you have over your own body and the power you can derive from it. Be aware that this is a mostly defensive power until you reach Yharnam.”

Once again, a lot to take in at once, but still doable.

“Okay, thank you. Um, classes now?”

“Of course.”

She brings out another scroll, this one has multiple names on it along with a similar chart from before.

“Each of these classes comes with their own specialties and advantages. Though ultimately you may learn anything you wish, it is recommended to focus on specifics, as growing more powerful will also require more and more souls.”

To be honest, there’s too many of them to really get an accurate idea of what I want.

“Do you recommend any?”

The question seems to take her by surprise, it’s the first time I’ve seen her react that way.

“Of course Ashen One, I believe the sorcerer might be a good choice for you, it would help raise your low stats adequately while still keeping your intelligence highest. This would provide good balance for you to start with. The range that spells will give you should also make your first travel a bit smoother.”

I give her a slow nod, blasting magic from a distance does sound pretty good.

“Sorcerer then.”

“Simply put your index finger on the scroll Ashen One.”

I reach out hesitantly, as soon as my finger touches the parchment a jolt shoots through me. I quickly pull back, stumbling into place slightly and immediately righting myself again.

It’s difficult to put into words but I do feel faster and stronger already. Like the world is pulling me down less than before, even if only slightly. Besides that, it feels like my mind has… expanded for lack of a better word. I would’ve counted myself as someone smart before, but this somehow gives me more potential to use it.

The firekeeper holds out the first scroll again, showing me that the low points from before have changed mostly.

Name: Taylor Hebert

Level: 3

Vigor: 8

Mind: 15

Endurance: 8

Strength: 9

Dexterity: 11

Intelligence: 17

Faith: 8

Resistance/Arcane: 8

She gives me an approving nod.

“Much better, some are still lacking of course but you can fix this at your convenience or leave as is.”

I can also feel something… pushing against me? It’s a weird mix between a mental nudge and a physical one. I frown and try to push back against it, instead of going away it gives me the weirdest visual of a bunch of strange clothes and some weaponry.

Instinctively, I just know how to use it. With another push the clothes, daggger and shield materialize on me. Now this is a power I can get behind.

“One last thing Ashen One. To truly ascend it is recommended to take a path and stick to it. That is to say, when you are a sorcerer it is best to focus on intelligence, when you are a knight it is best to focus on strength. When you complete your travel through the first realm you will gain a… blessing of sorts. Whichever you used most, that is to say, with which you dealt the most damage, will permanently be raised to its maximum potential.”

Now that is very interesting.

“So, if I go through the realms and train in something different each time I will gradually raise everything? Provided I don’t just use the same tactics each time at least.”

“Indeed. You may of course simply stick with sorcery for each realm but you will come out weaker than you should be at the end.”

“Right, right… Um, thank you.”

“Of course.”

With one last smile the firekeeper waves me off.

“It seems you are ready, good luck Ashen One.”

Chapter Text

- Undead Asylum -

Going through the realm door was an exceedingly strange sensation. Like walking through a wall of solid water yet not getting wet.

On the other side I find… a cell. A dank, dark cell, with a… is that a corpse?

… Yup, that’s a corpse. Marvelous.

Besides that, there’s exactly two windows that are too high up for me to reach or even see out of, some hay and pots, and a locked cell door.

Again, marvelous.

I move back with a scowl, trying to look for a way out. I try rattling the cell door but that doesn’t do much, even if it’s extremely rusted. When I turn back around though I notice a glint right next to the corpse.

I hold my breath and bend down, there’s a small key, right next to it. I quickly pick it up and try it on the door, with a loud click and some pushing it opens up. At least that’s taken care of.

Out of the cell I come upon a hall lit by torches and lined with more cells, the whole thing looks dilapidated and grimy. There’s also some weird orange glowing text on the floor for some reason.

As I approach the first one it’s like I can feel and see what the message is trying to tell me. It gives me the image of attacking with the broken sword in my hand. Without any input from me, I instinctively know how to wield it now, and when thinking of a few other weapons, I even know how to wield those.

Now that’ s what I call a proper power.

There’s a weird… zombie-like creature standing a bit further ahead. I’m assuming the message was trying to tell me to attack it but I don’t really want to if I don’t have to. I try to scoot around which, surprisingly, works out fine.

I walk along further, passing along one of those weird creatures, and reach the next orange message.

‘Lock onto enemies.’

The accompanying visual is… strange to say the least. It’s a feeling of knowing where the enemy is at all times, looking right at them. It even works behind walls up to a certain point, so long as I locked onto them before they went behind said wall.

Beyond the message is a shallow pool, with another creature sitting in it. This one too, leaves me alone. I go through an archway on the right, the only way I can continue, and climb up a ladder out of a well of sorts. Once up I can finally see the outside. There’s another message on the floor right where I leave the first part of the building and enter some courtyard.

‘Rest at bonfires.’

This time I get a feeling of safety, recovery and nostalgia. The fire is also what will let me get stronger apparently. There’s one right in front so I just walk up to it. I get the urge to hover my hand over the sword embedded into the smoldering ashes. Immediately, a bright fire roars to life.

My first bonfire.

When I sit down I get the feeling that I can do… something. With a slight mental push a scroll materializes in my hand. I can’t really read what it says consciously but somehow I can interpret the text anyway.

‘Soul Arrow.’

I’m not exactly sure what to do so I just wing it, with another mental push the scroll disappears with a light blue glow. Just like that, I can feel that I can use it now, if only I had a staff to cast it with.

I haul myself up and go to the only path available, a giant metal door.

Pushing it open is cumbersome but doable, behind it seems to be something that looks like a church. Another orange message on the floor beckons me forward.

‘Get away.’

What?

THOOM!

A monster falls down from the ceiling with a deafening roar. It’s extremely large, a dark greyish green, and seems intent on killing me with the huge club in its hands. The name ‘Asylum Demon’ comes to mind for some reason but I don’t have much time to think about that.

Panic overtakes me for a moment and I scramble back to where I came from, only to find the door behind me locked. I dash to the right as the demon swings forward, crashing its club down right where I was standing. It leaves an indent on the brittle floor and turns towards me with a sinister grin.

I try to keep running but its large body blocks me. I dash back towards the door but this time it doesn’t miss.

There’s a loud THWACK as its club smashes into me, pain explodes all over my body.

I try to scramble away but it just raises the club again.

The last thing I see is the club coming closer and closer, then more pain and darkness.

— T —

I jolt awake in bed, screaming and scrambling away. In the process I tumble right out of it and quickly squirm underneath.

It’s only once a few minutes have passed and a nurse suddenly rushes inside that my thoughts catch up to what’s happening.

Just a dream Taylor, just a horrible, fucked up dream.

I keep telling myself that, but I’m not sure if I believe it. That was absolutely horrible and felt way too real to have been a dream.

“Miss? Miss, are you alright?”

Right, the nurse.

I take a deep breath and try to calm down a bit.

“I-I’m ok, sorry.”

“It’s not a problem, miss, would you like some help?”

She bends down and reaches one hand under the bed. I reach out with shaky hands and let her pull me back up. Once up I notice a second person in the room, dressed more like a lawyer or something. Though she doesn’t look like she’s going to speak right now

“There we are, caught quite the scare did you? Though with the condition you were found in I’m not surprised.”

That’s… is she talking about the demon? What?

“Sorry but, what do you mean exactly?”

“The- the locker dear, do you not remember?”

“OH! Right, no, I do remember, sorry.”

To be honest, after that I don’t really… care too much about it anymore. Yes, it was bad, yes it was absolutely vile and disgusting and if I ever get my hands on­ -

Okay, maybe not completely over it, point is, it’s not nearly as bad as being smashed to death.

This time, the other woman does speak up.

“Speaking of the locker. Do you remember how you got in there?”

“I- well, there’s these girls, Emma Barnes, Sophia Hess and Madison Clements. If I had to guess it’s them, I think-”

“But you’re not sure?”

“What?”

“Are you sure of who pushed you in?”

“I, well, I’d think Sophia would-”

“I’m sorry but without something solid I’m afraid we can’t do much. I will, of course, give this information to the school, but besides that I can’t do more I’m afraid. Have a good day miss Hebert.”

What the fuck .

I can feel rage inside me boiling like a hellfire.

Those bitches shoved me in a pile of garbage and got me hospitalized and they don’t even take my statement properly? What is wrong with these people?

The nurse seems to sense how angry I am and gently leads me to the bed.

“Don’t- don’t worry dear, I’m sure they’ll do their best. As for your health, well.”

She takes some papers from a nightstand next to the bed.

“You seem to be in fine shape, though it’s been two days since we brought you here you’re doing completely fine now. Once your parents arrive you’ll be good to go! That said, we did give you an extra day of bed rest alright?”

Her words are soft and probably meant to be somewhat soothing but they just grate on my ears at the moment.

Fine shape my non-existent ass .

“Fine.”

It’s probably rude but I really don’t care right now. I sit down on the bed to wait for dad to get here, however long that’ll be.

— T —

The drive home was, in a word, awkward . Dad was extremely angry at a whole bunch of things but didn’t really seem able to do much about it. Apparently he tried to sue the school, with poor results, then tried to find out who did it, with more poor results, then just settled for stewing in it, which didn’t do much of anything.

I did end up telling him some of what had been going on at least, which was awkward too. But at least it was still easier than getting beaten to death by a demon. Silver linings I guess?

Dad kept up this sort of stilted angry rant for about half an hour before I got tired of it and cut it off.

“Um dad, I’m, well, still pretty tired. I’m gonna go to my room now okay?”

He deflates on the spot, I do feel a bit bad about it but not enough to really do anything about it.

“Alright Taylor, if- if you need me don’t hesitate to call okay? For anything.”

“Alright… thanks dad.”

I trudge up the stairs and collapse on my bed. I’m not actually tired but I don’t really feel like socializing at the moment either.

I eye the pile of scrap cosplaying as a computer in the corner of my room and decide to do some research instead.

Booting it up is slow and searching something goes at a glacial pace but it gets the job done. Even if the ones at school are probably faster.

‘Dream power parahuman’, ‘Sleep power parahuman’, ‘how do you get parahuman powers’, ‘list of demons’.

On and on it went, after every search I got more discouraged and confused.

There was apparently a somewhat prominent cape that could mess with dreams and sleep called Somnis but he died a few years ago. Any others that I could find weren’t really what I was looking for.

The information on demons was certainly interesting but again, not what I was looking for. Some of their descriptions came close at least but none were the Asylum Demon.

On that note, looking up ‘Asylum Demon’ was even more useless since it just gave me a bunch of those ‘haunted asylums 100% real not clickbait’.

All in all, a complete bust.

Although…

Thinking back on it, the firekeeper did say that I should be able to summon the gear I got didn’t she?

I try to search for that peculiar pressure inside of me again. With a slight push I can feel the robes and broken sword materializing again.

Nice .

So I wasn’t hallucinating!

…Though that does mean that I actually died, which sucks.

Well, I should be able to go back when I go to sleep? Then again, it might be best to prepare myself a bit more.

With that in mind I start on a thorough inspection of my gear.

First off, the sword, basically a rusted, dull lump of metal with a pointy end. I doubt it would do much damage so I should try to find a proper weapon as soon as possible.

Next, the robes themselves. They’re made of sturdy brown and black fabric, mostly geared towards warmth and some protection while giving ample movement it seems. Not too special aside from them looking straight out of medieval times.

Lastly, a strange bronze ring. It looks old and I hadn’t even noticed that I had it on at first. I’m not exactly sure what it’s for and the only info I’m getting is: ‘Old ring from an old witch. Engraved minutely with indecipherable script, but seemingly useless.’

Which is more info than I thought I’d get, but not really useful all the same. Maybe it’s got something to do with sorcery since it’s from a witch? I’ll have to find out later.

A look out the window tells me that it’s a bit darker outside now. I sneak down to the kitchen, past dad who’s asleep on the couch, and grab a sturdy kitchen knife.

I quickly get back to my room, slide the knife in the strange scabbard where the broken sword was sitting, and lay down on my bed.

Unfortunately, it takes hours before I actually manage to fall asleep. I just keep tossing and turning, thinking of that demon over and over again. Despite all this, I slowly calm down again, soothed by the sound and smell of home, until sleep claims me once more.

“Welcome back, Ashen One.”

Awesome.

Chapter Text

I open my eyes, feeling slightly woozy, as if I’ve just woken up. It makes sense considering I did just go to sleep. Taking a moment to orient myself I find that I’m sitting cross-legged on the floor next to the bonfire. The firekeeper is standing closeby, a gentle smile on her face as she looks down at me.

“Hello firekeeper.”

Part of me wants to stay here, where it’s safe; another, slightly louder part, wants to keep pushing despite fearing the asylum demon. The firekeeper puts a hand on my shoulder as if sensing my thoughts.

“Fret not Ashen One, with enough determination any foe may be slain. Would you like some guidance?”

Her voice is soothing as ever, and helps me to calm down a little and think things through.

“Please.”

“The message you received in the arena was not for naught, there is an exit on the left side of the room. By being careful and quick you should be able to reach it in time. After that you should be able to gear yourself properly to face the demon.”

Ah, well, at least I won’t have to fight that thing with a broken sword, that’s good. Besides, aren’t sorcerers supposed to use magic anyway? Doesn’t make much sense to fight it in close combat, speaking of which. I reach into my pocket and scowl, the knife I put in there before is gone now. I was expecting that but it's still annoying.

“That’s… that makes sense, thank you. Any other advice?”

She smiles at me and seems pleased to be able to help.

“Throughout your travels, remember that not all enemies have to be fought, many can simply be dodged or run past. Of course, fighting them may still reap ample rewards.”

It’s logical, but still pretty helpful to hear it said out loud like that.

“Thank you. I’ll be… going then?”

“Indeed, good luck Ashen One.”

With a deep breath I step through the portal.

— T —

Being back here, in front of that door, sends a jolt of dread through me. Back in the place where I first died. I hesitate a bit, hemming and hawing in front of the door. It’s not that I doubt the firekeepers advice, it’s just… traumatic to be flattened by a monster. Maybe at some point I’ll grow more numb to it but right now I’m just not there yet .

Right, calm Taylor, stay calm, you can do this.

I lean forward and push against the door until I can barely see the room through it. At first I was planning to look for the exit through a small crack in the door but of course life isn’t so kind to me. As if pulled by magic, the doors swing open all the way anyway.

Without thinking about it I sprint to the left side of the room, there! I can see an open door behind some vases! 

Still pushing my body to the limit I sprint towards it, there’s a loud THOOM again as the demon drops down from above but I ignore it as much as I can and just book it.

Right as I pass through the door I can hear a loud crash that rattles the walls. Only once I’m at the end of the corridor do I look back.

Apparently the door has fallen shut behind me again, keeping the demon out completely, not that it would fit in here anyway. I slide down the wall on shaky legs to try and steady my breathing.

That was terrifying , terrifying but fun too for some reason. Maybe it’s being able to outsmart something like that? I’m not sure. 

I look back one last time to see a baleful red eye glaring at me through the bars. Right, time to leave… I slowly stand up again and finally exit the corridor.

Another bonfire! Nice.

— T —

I sat at the bonfire for a while to calm my racing heart but now I’m good to go again. The first message that greets me in front of a door is ‘Get your shield’, there’s no accompanying visual this time but it’s pretty self explanatory. I look around the corner and see another zombie standing at the far end of a long narrow hallway, sure enough, upon further inspection I can see a shield laying on the left of it in an indent of sorts. 

I sprint to the shield and notice that it’s actually laying at the entrance of a small cell instead of a simple indent, inside are two more messages. The first shows me strange visions of how I can swap out gear from the inventory power I got, the other shows me how to use this shield along with any others, very handy that.

Using the advice from the first message I swap out my empty left hand for the shield, the broken sword still in my right. The zombie is still shooting at me with some arrows at this point so I just hold my shield up and hope for the best while rushing towards it. 

It lands exactly one arrow, right on the shield, and then just runs away like a coward once I come close. It’s a nice ego boost if nothing else. The zombie rounds the corner and I can see a nice dagger on the floor behind where it was shooting at me.

Very nice .

I swap the broken sword out for the dagger and peek around the corner again. The zombie is just standing there with its bow, taking shots at me from halfway up some stairs. Now, I’m not really a violent person, or at least, I never used to be. But recent events have made me somewhat angry . If there’s ever going to be an acceptable target for violence, it's weird zombie things that attack people at random.

With that in mind I charge up the stairs and start taking swipes at it. In four stabs it just falls over dead.

Four stabs, that’s it . 

I knew from an abstract point that an actual dagger would be good for killing things but this is… Frankly, it's ridiculously easy. The worst part? When it died there was this white cloud that flew out towards me that just felt good . I’m not entirely sure what that was but I can guess. 

The firekeeper did explain to me that I’d gain some form of currency from killing things, in this case, souls. Just like the inventory, I can get a sense of how many I have, despite being unable to see a physical number anywhere. At the moment I have 20 of them. 

Is that little? Is it a lot? I’ve no idea, I’ll have to find out later. 

For now, I move further up the stairs. Still revelling in my first successful kill.

— T —

At the top is another corridor with some strange white fog obscuring a doorway. Without many other options I decide to just push through. 

The fog parts easily and I enter some sort of balcony section that overlooks the courtyard I was in earlier, the one facing the door towards the Asylum Demon. Another message on the floor beckons me forward.

‘Backstep and roll’

Now these , these have the potential to be very powerful. Apparently I can just roll or dash backwards and it will completely dodge whatever attack is heading my way so long as I time it right. Even if it looks like it’ll hit me, even you shouldn’t be able to dodge it, like a gout of flame for example, if I roll properly I’ll be able to dodge it completely .

I’m starting to think my power is actually pretty good!

With this new gear and the rolling ability I may even be able to take on that demon!

With a light grin and some renewed confidence I move further. There’s two options now, left or right. On the left is just a broken stairwell with something shiny on top that I can’t reach, so I just head back and go to the right. There’s stairs leading which opens up some way towards the bonfire! Nice.

Now, I did notice another set leading upward, so after recovering at the bonfire I walk back and up the stairs. About halfway up I hear a weird rumbling and get flattened by a fucking wrecking ball rolling down the stairs which hurt like a bitch . To make matters worse there's another one of those fucking zombies who actually pushed it down and manages to swipe at me. Which again, fucking hurt.

After taking my rage out on the zombie thing I turn back around and look through the hole in the wall that the wrecking ball caused. To my surprise, there’s actually a person there! Well, I think they’re one at least, they’re dressed in proper armor and don’t have red glowing eyes to start with which is a good sign. They also look weirdly majestic due to a beam of sunlight hitting directly onto them somehow.

“Um, hello?”

“Oh, you… You’re no Hollow, eh?”

What the hell’s a hollow… The guy keeps talking before I can ask.

“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, or at least I think you are, hear me out, will you?”

I’ve still got a bunch of questions but this feels important somehow so instead of asking them I just give him a slow nod.

“Alright, if it’s reasonable.”

I can’t really see much of his face but it feels like he’s happy with my decision.

“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.”

He lets out a cough after finishing, I’m alarmed to see some blood splattering from underneath his helmet.

“Well now you know, and I can die with hope in my heart.” 

“Wha- dying? Are you sure I can’t help?” 

“‘Fraid not, I’m too far gone already, but there is one more thing. Here, take this, an Estus Flask, an Undead favorite. Oh, and this.”

He hands over some weird bottle with a golden glow along with a key, I’m guessing for the upper door on the stairs. 

“Now I must bid farewell. I would hate to harm you after death, so go now, and thank you.” 

With that he lays back on the pile of rubble, seemingly content to die here.

Well, that was… a lot. The guy doesn’t look like he wants to be bothered but I feel like I’ve gotten all I can from him anyway. Apparently the zombie things are called hollows and they’re what happens when people die here? If I understood him correctly at least. I’m not really sure what the flask is for but… I do notice two new messages on the floor that weren’t there before.

‘Use item’

Apparently the flask is some magical bullshit that can just heal me from the brink of death . 

What the hell. 

Onto the other message.

‘Rest at bonfire to replenish Estus.’

Well then . Apparently I’ve got a magical cure all, in the form of a drink, and all I have to do to get more is sit at a bonfire .

My chances of defeating that demon just keep growing the longer I’m in here huh?

— T —

Before moving on I decide to test things.

I’m still hurt from the ball and the hollow so I take a sip of my flask and lo and behold. It just cures me instantly . Absolutely insane. After that I go back down to the bonfire and yup, that sure does refill the flask. Awesome.

Fully healthy and rested once more I take the stairs back up, much more careful to dodge the hollow this time who luckily did not get his ball back. The door behind him did indeed open with the key I got so I move forward.

There’s two more messages, one showing me how to two hand any weapon, which will make it do more damage apparently, and another showing me how to do a kick and a jump attack. Neat . There’s another right after in a more open area.

‘Resting at bonfire revives enemies’

…Yeah thanks, I sorta noticed.

There’s a corpse to the right with a weird glow on it and- Holy shit is that a staff? It is! With a wide grin I quickly equip it, good thing too since there’s two hollows that appear to attack me right after. I can finally use that Soul Arrow spell and holy shit that’s so cool!  

A genuine magic bolt of blue light, cast by me, friendless loser Taylor Hebert, take that!

It does so much more damage than the dagger too, where the dagger took four swipes per hollow, this took exactly one bolt each!

There’s one last hollow with a bow but he’s a piece of cake with my new staff. After killing him there’s four more messages on the ground, one explaining how to use magic, which I picked up on instinctively anyway, another showing how to do a plunging attack which does massive damage apparently. Then the other two show how you can do something called a ‘critical attack’ and a ‘parry’, both of which look… difficult to say the least, more so than rolling. 

I’ve two choices from here, a wall of fog, or a jail door with an armored hollow in front… Considering that I can hear the demon behind the fog wall, I take out the hollow first, only to find that the door is locked anyway , which means I just wasted some mana, great.

I turn back towards the fog wall and prepare for the inevitable. 

The Asylum Demon.

As I’d guessed, he was right there beyond the fog wall, in all his ugly glory, luckily for me, I had a ledge to stand on, and a dagger. 

With a deep breath and a war cry I plunge down straight on the things head, taking off a good third of its health, it throws me off with a roar but I manage to roll with the movement. Soul Arrows seem to do decent damage and the range helps a ton . I actually feel like I can win this! I get two good dodges in, leaving the demon on its last leg. 

Right when I can taste victory I mistime a dodgeroll and get smacked by the club, pain fills my vision again but I’m determined to fight this out. I’m so close I can taste it! I reach for the Estus Flask but before I can drink the thing smashes its club down on me again.

My second death, by the same stupid creature.

Before I black out from drowning in blood I swear my revenge. I will kill that thing.

Chapter Text

I wake up with a loud gasp, squirming around on the bed for a little before I realise where I am. The second time of waking up after dying isn’t any less disorienting than the first.

That bastard killed me again! Right when I was about to win too! I can feel anger and annoyance burning inside of me. Didn’t even have the decency to let me take a sip of the flask, no, just smashed me into bloody pieces again. Blegh.

I sit there just stewing in my anger for a bit until my alarm goes off. I turn it off with a bit more force than I probably should and stomp over to the shower. To think that I’m stuck here for however long before I’m tired enough to sleep again. I still have fucking Winslow for a full eight hours, and after that…

Well, actually, after that I can probably practice what I’ve learned for a bit. I’ll be no use as a hero if it turns out that my powers function a little differently out of the… dream realm? Yeah, that sounds good. At least I’ll have something to do.

—T—

School is about as terrible as always. Maybe I should feel worse about it but at this point I just… don’t really care anymore. There’s so many better things to worry about. What does school matter when I have to focus on not getting splattered by a demon by the time I go to sleep? 

About halfway inside I’m stopped by Emma and her cronies. She looks surprised for some reason.

“Taylor? Oh my gosh I thought you’d be gone way longer than just two days! Even the people at the hospital don’t want you huh? That's just sad.”

That was one of the lamest ones I’ve heard from her to date. Maybe she really was surprised?

“Yes, yes I get it, nobody wants me here, I don’t particularly want to be here either. How about you just leave me be then? It’s a wonder you have any free time left with how obsessed you seem to be with me.”

I’m not sure where the sudden burst of confidence comes from but it seems to work. Before she or one of the others can say something back I’m pushing past their group. Fortunately for me, Sophia isn’t with them today, she’d have retaliated for sure for talking back. Maybe it’s just the anger and annoyance making me behave like this? Some high school bullies do seem a bit meaningless after horrifically dying twice.

I arrive at my locker, seems like they spent the days I was absent cleaning it with copious amounts of bleach. It’s probably cleaner than it’s been in years right now but I can’t really bring myself to be thankful for it. On the upside, apparently they did replace my books so that’s something I guess.

Armed for school I set off towards my first class. Oh boy.

—T—

School is still just as annoying as usual. People are incredibly petty whenever they can get away with it, Emma still has it out for me, and the teachers don’t really care too much what the students do when they’re not looking. The only upside to all of this is the layer of anger and impatience still inside of me. It gives me something else to focus on besides this hellish routine. The downside of this is that it makes it feel like classes are dragging on even longer than they usually do. I just want to go home, go to sleep, and try fighting the demon again. It sucks.

I do make a slight bit of progress towards my goal at least. Strangely enough I have Sophia to thank for it! She apparently heard what I said to Emma and decided to take it out on me in PE. Getting a basketball to the face is not exactly a fun experience but it did let me test out how effective the Estus Flask was in the real world. 

After I got excused by our teacher I took a sip from it in the bathroom. My pain went away pretty much immediately. I’m pretty sure it would’ve turned into a bruise at the very least, but that doesn’t seem likely anymore either. So, as far as I can tell it works just as well. Yay for me.

—T—

The drive home is annoying due to the cranberry juice in my hair but it could’ve been worse I guess. A part of me feels like they might escalate because of my whole… weird numbness towards getting shoved into that locker, but overall things seem to be mostly the same. 

For now I can move on to brighter pastures! Namely my room and maybe the backyard, it’d be kinda stupid to go running around without any preparation after all. The only reason I didn’t prepare more for the Asylum Demon is because I didn’t really see any other way to prepare more in the first place.

After a quick shower to clean my hair I go up to my room and call on my gear. Just like before, it simply materializes on me. The odd thing is that the knife I took last time is still in the outfit for some reason. Which means that I can probably use it as a sort of second inventory outside of the dreamworld too, nice .

Since dad isn’t supposed to be home until very late today anyway I move over to the backyard. It’s got a bit more room along with some more ‘acceptable targets’, I don’t exactly want to blast my room apart with Soul Arrows. First thing’s first, I line up some rubble that I manage to scrape together from both the basement and the yard itself and line it up. There’s some old plant pots, some cardboard propped up on various other bits of trash, and an old plastic lawn chair. 

I start with the pots, the Soul Arrows seem to lock onto whatever target I want, regardless of how good my aim is. I test this out by gesturing more and more to the side until the arrow stops curving enough to hit the target. This does leave a bit of a scorch mark on the grass but the yard is so dirty that you can barely see that anyway. 

Satisfied that I’ve got some more control over the arrows, I move on to dodging. Unfortunately, there isn’t really anything to dodge, I settle for imagining the Asylum Demon and roll around the yard for a bit. Throughout all my rolls I do notice that they’re all very consistent. I always, always , end up properly on my feet, even when doing rolls backwards or sideways at awkward angles, which definitely helps. 

Lastly, a second test for the Estus Flask. I’m not exactly looking forward to it, and I do have some proof that it works already, but I’d rather be sure. I grab the dagger that’s part of my equipment and hold it out to my other hand. I bite down on my lip and quickly swipe down with some force.

“Fuck! Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck!”

I quickly grab the flask and take a sip, immediately the pain fades away and I can see as the wound knits itself back together in real time. It’s both fascinating and slightly disgusting to watch. At least I know for sure that it works now. 

I try to practice some with the dagger and shield but without an opponent it feels a bit useless. Especially since my power gave me the knowledge of how to use it, and I wouldn’t even know if I was doing anything wrong anyway . 

Well, I’m out of ideas on what to do now, there’s still only… five more hours?!  

With a defeated sigh I trudge back to my room to go find more stuff to do.

—T—

I did find some things to do eventually. Went for a run for about thirty minutes before getting too winded to continue and finished my homework for the week. I also cooked, and ate, dinner.

After all of that I’m finally, finally done with this boring day. Now comes the most difficult part though, actually getting to sleep.

—T—

“Welcome home Ashen One.”

Finally, thank God.

“Hello Firekeeper.”

I’m sitting in front of the bonfire again, it feels like that’s just how I’ll always arrive here. I stand up, dust myself up and turn towards her.

“Thank you for the advice last time, it really helped, the demon still got me though.”

“I am merely doing my duty Ashen One, but I am glad you could make use of it.”

I smile and nod my head quickly, eager to get going again.

“Anything else before I go?”

“Nothing at the moment, I believe you’ve found all you need, good luck.”

With one last nod I quickly walk through the portal and find myself back at the bonfire in the courtyard.

The first thing I notice pretty much immediately is that my souls are gone. I’d spared up about 140 of them before and yet, now I have nothing. It’s frustrating to say the least, even if it was only a few hollows. I’m hoping there’s some way to get that back. For now I work my way back up the stairs, easily dispatching the hollows this time with liberal application of Soul Arrows, until I get back to the drop point. 

I let out a deep sigh and try to hype myself up a little before going through the fog. Curiously, the first thing I notice is a bloodstain on the ground with a strange weird glow above it. Something to focus on after this bastard is dead.

With a scowl on my face and a dagger in hand I jump back down right onto its face. The attack takes just as much damage off as last time. I manage to get off without too much trouble and quickly run to get some distance between us. 

After last time, I do sort of have his pattern of attack down, he doesn’t seem to know that many moves. There’s a sideways swing, a downward swing and some kind of butt slam. Though I suppose if you’re that big and strong you generally don’t need more.

I focus on slowly but surely whittling away at his health. There’s no real way to tell how close I am to defeating him besides a vague feeling in the back of my head and visual cues. 

About three quarters in, it lands a lucky hit, sending me stumbling back with a broken arm. I’m prepared this time though and just chug the estus as quickly as I can. With barely enough time left I roll past a downward swing and get some more distance between us. 

I’m so focused that I don’t even register the final hit of my Soul Arrow and send two more while the demon is tumbling to the ground. There’s another loud THOOM just from it collapsing, and after that it just… turns into dust and motes of light.

I stare at it for a bit and break out in uncontrollable laughter, relieved and full of new power. Two thousand souls flowing into me and making me feel on top of the world.

“HA, take that you ugly bastard! I win! WOOOO!”

—T—

It takes me an embarrassingly long time to calm down again. Fortunately for me there’s really no one to see my celebration anyway so it’s not like it matters. That’s the best I’ve felt in years . With a bright grin on my face I walk over to the green glowy pool of blood that’s still on the ground. Once I’m close enough I can feel something from it, I’m not really sure what so I just use the same weird feeling that I use to access my inventory and push .

Ah, all of the souls I lost last time, excellent .

My grin widens even more and I walk over to the door I couldn’t open before in the back. Behind it is a… beautiful sight actually. Stone steps leading up to a precipice surrounded by more crumbling walls. Stone, moss, grass and ferns covering most of it, large mountains, similarly covered in snow, frame the whole thing in the background. 

There’s another message on the ground.

‘Good job. Go straight ahead.’

Huh. Thanks? I wonder who or what is actually leaving these.

I slowly walk up the steps, mostly preoccupied with taking in the view. Finally I reach the top, just gazing out for a bit. Without warning, a giant crow swoops over the ledge and suddenly grabs me by the shoulders.

“WHAT THE HELL! LET!-”

I’m about to say ‘let me go’ but that seems like an incredibly bad idea right now. Mostly because we’re miles up in the air and I’d probably splatter on the ground. With no other choice but to hang tight I just let it take me for a flight.

The upside of this is that the sights are even more beautiful, I can see large forests, old castles and more mountains. At some point the crow takes a sharp dive and drops me right next to a new bonfire. This one is once again located in a beautiful spot, surrounded by overgrown ruins with a large tree next to it. To my surprise, there’s actually someone sitting close to it on some steps who doesn’t seem hostile. This brings up the amount of people that don’t instantly attack me up to an amazing two .

He looks back at me and beckons me over. 

“Well, what do we have here, must be a new arrival, welcome to Firelink Shrine.”

“Hi… Who are you?”

“Oh? More talkative than the usual people who pass through here… My name isn’t really important anymore but I suppose you can call me Cresswell. Let me guess, Fate of the Undead, right?”

I frown a bit, is he talking about the same thing the knight was telling me? Some undead rising up?

“I don’t… think so? But maybe.”

“You’re not even sure? An odd one indeed. I suppose it doesn’t matter much, there's no salvation here. You'd have done better to rot in the Undead Asylum… But, too late now.”

My frown deepens a bit, this guy just seems depressed honestly.

“Right, do you happen to know where to go from here?”

A fleeting smile flits over his face, there one second and gone the next.

“Not discouraged? Fine, fine, I suppose I can help. There’s two bells you have to ring, the Bells of Awakening. One's up above, in the Undead Church. The other is far, far below, in the ruins at the base of Blighttown. Ring them both, and something happens… Brilliant, right? Not much to go on, but I have a feeling that won't stop you.”

“... Thanks. Do you happen to know where that is, roughly, from this shrine?”

He lifts an eyebrow, surprised that I’m asking more questions for some reason.

“I’d recommend starting over there.”

He points towards some stairs behind a well, they lead to a slope which goes up to a weird bridge of some kind.

“Those stairs will lead you to the Undead Burg. Good luck.”

“Thank you.”

I sit down at the bonfire and notice that I can finally actually use my souls. I get a mental image of my body while staring into the fire, just by thinking about it I can push my souls into it to strengthen myself. For now I just dump everything into intelligence, raising it up to 20. Very nice . The increase is enough that I can physically feel it, like there was a fog over my brain that’s been lifted, making thinking that much easier.

With my grin back on my face I stand up and head off towards… Undead Burg was it? Shouldn’t be too much of a problem right? After that demon, how hard could it be?

Chapter Text

The answer, as it turns out, is very fucking hard.

It takes me more than a week to make any proper progress. First, I got firebombed by a bunch of hollows so I got to experience just how fun burning alive is right after leaving the shrine. After that it’s just… so much more pain. 

I got stabbed multiple times , drowned in my own blood, burned alive, fallen to my death from the side of a cliff, blown up, flattened by a barrel, flattened again by a gigantic fucking club that looked like a dragon’s tooth, impaled by a huge sword wielded by some black knight and finally, turned into a paste for a third time by a new huge demon! 

The worst part? After each death, I have to wake up, go to school where the fucking trio is still being their bitchy selves, and then walk all the way back to where I died. Every single time.

Yes there is a bonfire at what I assume is partway through Undead Burg but that doesn’t help me much if I take two steps and immediately get shot at by a hollow with a crossbow!

At first I thought that this might be a stress outlet, something to take my attention away throughout the day. Finally, powers , now I can finally become a hero. And then it turns out that they function through repeatedly dying in gruesome ways each and every day. Oh joy.

Now, it’s not all bad obviously. The trio already looked tame after my first two deaths. After this? They’re mostly just an incredibly irritating annoyance, like mosquitos buzzing around your head when you’re trying to sleep. The biggest problem is that I keep having the urge to just blast them apart with some well placed Soul Arrows or Fire Bombs. Unfortunately, that’s neither very heroic nor very smart so I’ve just been… tolerating it. 

Besides that, I’ve seen some amazing sights besides all of the horrifying stuff I’ve been through; huge ancient fortresses and forests, an honest to god dragon . A real one, not the mechanical stuff that tinker makes. Out of curiosity I looked up what Lung looks like and even he doesn’t really compare to a proper dragon, it’s more as if an alien took the idea of a dragon and gave their own interpretation on it. Cool, but not the same.

Another, actual upside is that I’ve managed to raise my intelligence by two more points. I imagine this is what it feels like to be an actual genius. Everything is just so clear and easy. And to think that it’s only going to get better from here, that part is what makes it all worth it. The constant improvement, something to look forward to, something to work towards when I feel like burning down this stupid school.

Deep breaths, calm.

Right.

Another thing I did was see if I could manually make things better by going jogging along with some other things like lifting weights. 

As it turns out, I can! As it also turns out, baseline humans only go up to 20. Now, this does mean that I’ll be way above this when I actually use my souls to get stronger, but it also means that my training can probably only take me up to about 15 or so, maybe . Still, having 15 in strength, endurance and dexterity at all times without having to use any souls is worth it. A pleasant side effect is that it’ll probably get rid of my fat too. 

Now, back to the Undead Burg, figuratively speaking at least, unfortunately for me I’m still in class. I’ve managed to pick up some tricks for navigating through it. I know the general layout, I know which enemies are where, I know what their weapons are too, I even know what some of their attacks are, I just have to chain it all together and get to… wherever it is I’m going. I’m assuming past the big guy called a Taurus Demon. 

After so many defeats I’ve learned to stack the odds in my favor, however I can. For example: a lot of the hollows will leave behind firebombs if I kill them, and the Soul Arrows refill each time I sit at the bonfire anyway. All I have to do is just keep killing them over and over to gather a bunch. Once I have enough, about five, I get some rope and tie them together to make cluster bombs, my very own marvel of engineering.

Another thing I’ve noticed that can easily give me better odds are ledges and walls, climbable stuff in general is good really. The hollows absolutely suck at climbing and so do most of the other enemies. Sometimes it’s as easy as standing where they can’t hit you and beating them from range.

Unfortunately, this does not count for the Taurus Demon. There’s a very handy little turret on the wall where I’m supposed to fight him, however, the first time I tried just blasting him with Soul Arrows from there but he just jumped up and flattened me with his axe. Not very fun. But, that’s what I’ve made the cluster bombs for.

For now though, math class…

—T—

I’ve fallen into a bit of a routine recently. Go to school, sit there extremely annoyed until it ends, go home. Once I’m home I do my homework, go for a run, make and eat dinner, then lift some old weights that I found between some trash in the basement. Most of this is just a way for me to pass time faster so I can finally go to sleep and continue what I was doing, namely killing the Taurus Demon.

I’ve also been trying to find a way to get back faster but have been unsuccessful so far. Naps don’t seem to work and… well besides those I didn’t really have any other ideas. On the upside, my sleep schedule has never been as good as it is now. 

Once I’ve finally gone to sleep I usually have a quick chat with the Firekeeper to see if she has some more advice and then I get right back into it. Now, after dying about eight times I can get to the Taurus Demon pretty quickly. Sprint over the bridge from the bonfire, dodge the hollows, up the stairs, through a small shortcut I unlocked by buying a key from a weird merchant, kill any hollows that follow, snipe the few that are standing a bit further ahead, dodge the flaming barrel and go up to the demon. Repetition breeds familiarity and all that. 

When I actually get to the fog gate I once more climb up on the turret and take out the two hollows on top. I stopped seeing them as anything but targets a while ago, it’s surprisingly easy to get into that mindset after getting killed by them a few times. 

Once on top, I simply wait for the demon to get to me. I take my bombs out and throw the first cluster. It’s not enough so a second joins and… well, that almost seems to be it already? To finish the job I just go for a plunge attack, gambling that he should be mostly done for by now.

Well, that was surprisingly easy all things considered. Proper preparation seems to be the trick to these fights so far. I didn’t even get hurt this time! Well, not by the demon at least, I still got shot by one of the hollows but that’s a minor injury.

To top it off, 3000 souls! Now I just have to hope for a bonfire somewhere nearby.

—T—

The route behind the Taurus Demon splits up in two, well, three different directions, but one of them is a locked door and none of my keys fit. The other two options are a sketchy looking bridge on the left and a sort of lookout platform on the right. The platform seems a bit safer so I look over there first. Unfortunately there’s no bonfire, though I do see a man dressed in some unique armor. A white top with a sun on it, green shoulderpads, a closed iron helmet and chainmail underneath it all.

“Hello?” 

“Greetings young warrior! I am Solaire of Astora, an adherent to the Lord of Sunlight. And who might you be?”

“I’m…”

Ah shit, should I give him my regular name or a cape name? I haven’t even thought of a name yet. Something that the Firekeeper said rings through my head though…

“I’m Cinder, nice to meet you. May I ask why you’re standing here?”

He seems a bit odd but certainly has a nice voice, the calming presence helps too.

“Nice indeed, well, I am standing here because it offers a great view of the sun of course! If you were asking why I am here in general, well.”

He turns around, looking right at the sun and spreads his arms high up above him, as if embracing it.

“Now that I am Undead, I have come to this great land, the birthplace of Lord Gwyn, to seek my very own sun!”

“That’s… nice I guess. Good luck?”

“Thank you, though, the way I see it, our fates appear to be intertwined. In a land brimming with Hollows, could that really be mere chance? So, what do you say? Why not help one another on this lonely journey?”

That’s certainly something to say to someone you just met. He certainly seems nice and sincere but Emma taught me already that you can’t just trust outward appearance.

“I’m not exactly against it but, why do you say that exactly? What do you mean our fates are intertwined?”

“Ah, new to this are you? I will explain, we are amidst strange beings, in a strange land. The flow of time itself is convoluted; with heroes centuries old phasing in and out. The very fabric wavers, and relations shift and obscure. There's no telling how much longer your world and mine will remain in contact. The very fact that we are able to talk to each other like this is a sign of something more, I’m sure of it.”

I’ll have to ask the Firekeeper about all that later to make sure but if what he’s telling is true then he could be right about it. Maybe it’s my powers messing with things too? I slowly stick my hand out for a handshake but instead he puts a strange white rock in it.

“So you do accept, splendid! Use this, to summon one another as spirits, cross the gaps between the worlds, and engage in jolly co-operation! Of course, we are not the only ones engaged in this. But I am a warrior of the sun! Spot my summon signature easily by its brilliant aura. If you miss it, you must be blind!”

I frown down at the rock, twisting it in my hand for a bit to get a better look. Consulting that strange sense to get some more information on it. ‘ Be summoned to another world as a phantom through your sign, and defeat the area boss to acquire humanity. In Lordran, the flow of time is distorted, and the White Sign Soapstone allows Undead to assist one another ’. So it’s just a brick of hardened soap? Weird.

“Well, thank you Solaire. What exactly did you mean by summon signature?”

“When you get close to a worthy foe you might see a golden glow on the ground, that will be my sign.”

That makes some form of sense I suppose.

“Alright, do you know if there’s a bonfire nearby?”

“I believe there is one under the bridge over there. Be careful though, my senses tell me something isn’t entirely right.”

“Yeah… Thanks, I’ll be going now.”

“Of course, I will stay behind, to gaze at the sun for a bit longer. The sun is a wondrous body. Like a magnificent father! If only I could be so grossly incandescent! ‘Till we meet again dear Cinder.”

Man, that voice is kinda dangerous, almost making me blush over here. I quickly turn around and make my way back to the bridge. Besides the hollows scattered on it there’s really nothing that dangerous about it, but I keep having this small feeling of dread whenever I think of crossing. I purse my lips, checking it over one last time.

There does seem to be some sort of extrusion on the sides of the bridge towards the middle. Maybe the way down the bridge is there? If Solaire is to be believed about the fire being under the bridge at least. With nothing else I can do I carefully walk forward, ready to face the first hollow. 

FWOOM!

A wave of fire washes over myself and the hollows, instantly burning most of them to a crisp and reducing me to a screaming ball of agony. With shaky hands I manage to take a sip of my estus, quickly recovering again.

“F-fuck!”

My legs are still shaking but I force myself to push through and go down the stairs that I can now see on the side. That fucking hurt , clearly getting burned alive that one time did not give me extra pain resistance for it. Though now that I’m down here, there doesn’t seem to be any bonfire… did he lie to me? There is a little doorway though, hmm.

I decide to take the doorway and find some stairs leading further down before- ah! So he wasn’t lying, there’s a pulled up ladder that leads back to the bonfire I took to get here, neat!  The bonfire makes for a welcome resting spot after the light barbeque I went through. I put three points into vigor and two more into intelligence. 

Whoo is that a rush. 

The points in vitality make me feel more fit and healthy than I have in years, and I’m only up to eleven. Those in intelligence push me up to twenty four, past the constraints regular humans have and firmly into ‘genius’ territory. I can only imagine what it’ll be like once I hit higher numbers. 

Ah, my grin is back, it feels nice to be happy again, or at least excited. 

I climb back up the ladder to figure out where I’m supposed to go. Past the dragon seems like a shitty idea so I decide to explore underneath the bridge instead. There does seem to be a way forward but it’s blocked by a hollow on a small ledge, I can also see… giant rats behind it? Huh. 

I take careful steps, it’s a long drop from here and there’s barely any room to stand, two Soul Arrows take care of him easily enough. I’m about to continue when a second hollow rushes me from the side and pushes me off the bridge. I’m gonna die from falling again! Fuck!"

Chapter Text

The following month or more followed the same sort of routine that I’d gotten used to. I honestly lost track of it at some point. Days were boring and mostly just filled with things to occupy my time until I could get to sleep. Nights were occupied with my travels through Lordran, which were usually much more interesting. 

Unfortunately I was still dying pretty regularly, the most recent ones were getting gored by a giant metal boar and getting stabbed to death when I got ganged up on by a bunch of hollows who were getting some sort of power boost from a guy with a trident. 

Surprisingly, the actual boss in the area did not kill me that time. Just like Solaire told me, there was a golden sign on the ground right outside of a fog gate which led to two gargoyles on a rooftop. Not surprisingly, having someone else with me to help during fights made things much easier. Having a quick talk with Solaire and being able to laugh together was pretty great too, almost like having a friend again.

He also had these amazing lightning bolts that he could throw from his hands! Unfortunately, when I asked about it, he informed me that they were ‘sunlight spears, empowered by his faith in the sun’. Which meant they were miracles instead of sorceries so, not exactly available for me. I resolved to learn em anyway or get the scroll for em or something in case I do use faith in any of the other realms.

I also found the first Bell of Awakening after the gargoyles, which meant I had to go down to ‘Blighttown’ wherever that is. The view from up there was just breathtaking so I took my time getting back down to enjoy it for a bit.

I found the way eventually but first I met some blacksmith guy called Andre of Astora. He seemed nice, sold me some kits that should help me improve my weapons a bit so long as I’ve got something called “titanite”. He also tried showing me how he does what he does for a bit. Apparently my power will help me with it up to a certain point, but for anything else I’ll have to come back to him. Unfortunately I haven’t found any titanite yet anyway so I haven’t been able to test it out either.

The actual way forward was apparently not past him though, there was some place called Sen’s Fortress that was completely blocked off. I met another… potential ally there. Someone called Siegmeyer of Catarina, dressed in some armor that looked remarkably like an onion. After a pleasant but slow conversation I just moved on. 

I backtracked a bit and found out that the closed door on the bridge was apparently the way to go. Upon reaching the Lower Undead Burg though I immediately had my next slew of deaths. 

There were these feral dogs that were just absolute menaces to deal with. I died three times to those things alone. Then another to the bandits that kept popping out of side doors, and another two times to the boss of that area, a big scary thing called Capra Demon wielding two giant meat cleavers this time. 

It was the absolute worst . I couldn’t get close to the stupid boss without being completely overwhelmed and then once I actually did reach the Capra Demon I was too out of mana and Estus to actually make any proper progress.

So, I did as I’d learned to do, which was prepare.

Now, at this point I’d died six times just to this one stupid small alley so I was getting just a little desperate. This time there was a clear light at the end of the tunnel at least. This light had the name of Griggs of Vinheim. He’d been trapped in one of the buildings in Lower Undead Burg. For some reason I had a key for the door he was stuck behind, I honestly don’t remember where I picked it up but that’s not really the point here.

Because Griggs sold spells . Finally something different than my basic soul arrow! Some extra progress! Yeah I’d advanced my vigor and intelligence some more but what use is being good at magic when you only know one spell?

The only downside was that Griggs didn’t just want to teach me to them for free, which is fair I suppose, but some of those spells were hellishly expensive. As mentioned before though, I was getting a bit desperate, so instead of just buying the first best thing I went back to the bridge. Then I spent a few hours just… climbing up the ladder, up the bridge, letting the dragon burn the hollows to a crisp, and then going back down with their souls before doing it all over again.

It was tedious work, almost boring, but so worth it too, after a while it almost became meditative either. A slow but tangible increase in souls with each trip up the ladder, then down again to reset. I managed to get enough for a few spells at the end; Heavy Soul Arrow, Great Soul Arrow, Heavy Great Soul Arrow, and lastly Fall Control. That last one didn’t exactly seem useful for the current fights but it might be very useful for when I eventually go out heroing so I got it anyway. Besides, it was the cheapest of the bunch so it doesn’t matter too much.

The last thing I did was equip some new armor. I'd found this nice black leather set that looked much more heroic… or at least, more modern, than that somewhat puffy sorcerer set. It also offered some more protection even if it was a bit heavier. I also looted a nice looking shortsword from one of the hollows to use instead of the dagger, the reach and extra damage helped to deal with the dogs.

After all of that I finally, finally managed to reach the Capra Demon with a good amount of resources left over. Killing him was much easier too with a combination of climbing on top of the wall where the fog wall was, throwing cluster bombs and sending out some Great Heavy Soul Arrows. All of which netted me a nice 6000 souls… A decent amount but after getting 10000 for killing the gargoyles, who were much more fun to fight, it just felt a bit frustrating.

From there, things did not get much better. The way down to the depths was somewhat easier to deal with than the Lower Undead Burg but not by much. There were exactly two bright spots there, one was a man named Laurentius who sold me a pyromancy glove and thought me fire magic which was awesome and almost worth the trip I had to make back down. The second was something called a Large Ember which would help me improve my weapons even further.

The rest of it? Awful.

I got killed by some disgusting black blob with a bunch of metal spikes on it falling on my head, got mauled by rats and worst of all, turned into some weird statue and had shards pierce through my whole body when I came in contact with some strange gas from creatures called basilisks.

Oh, and to top off that shit sandwich, some guy named Kirk could apparently do something similar to Solaire but with malicious intent, called ‘invading’. So I had to deal with an intelligent human with fighting experience trying to kill me too!

It took me more than a week to get past it all and to the big ugly thing at the end called a Gaping Dragon. Which is where the third, and last, bright spot in all of this comes in, Solaire. At least, after all of that, he was there to help me out. With his help I took down that thing on my first try, thank God for that.

Now, you might be thinking that it gets a bit better from there on. Surely it can’t get much worse than having to run through sewers and getting killed on repeat right?

Nope!

It somehow got even worse . I got to some area called Blighttown. That place is what I imagine would happen if you made slums, made them as hostile as possible, and then stacked them on top of each other underneath a bridge. Once you’ve done all that, you fill it with zombies and all manner of fire wielding bugs. That’s Blighttown.

I lost count of how many times I died and in what ways. At some point it just starts to blur together, all I could think of were more and more tactics to get out of there safely.

I got good at analyzing and eliminating threats, spotting them before they could spot me, then killing them as efficiently as possible while preserving my mana. I never imagined myself becoming a stone cold killer but that's what I felt I was turning into. Nothing mattered but survival, killing before I could get killed. 

Once I finally reached the bottom and got invaded by someone else called Maneater Mildred I killed her too. I didn’t think about it much, my body moved on instinct until she was lying dead in front of me, fading away into glowing red dust.

Finally, a bonfire at the bottom.

I considered just giving up for a while, what if things would only keep getting worse while I kept lagging behind. So much death and for what? A career as a hero that might not pan out at all? It was a despair that ran deeper than what the trio had done to me. The chance at becoming a hero combined with the knowledge that I might just not be good enough for it.

It even affected my regular life enough that dad noticed. Dad! The same guy who was so depressed that he usually couldn’t even pour himself a bowl of breakfast cereal!

The Firekeeper kept me afloat in the end. Reminded me of what I could have eventually, the power to bring down gods . Something on par with Eidolon, to bring back some hope to the world. Even if I had to die every day for more than a year, it’d be worth it for something like that. 

She kept me in Firelink Shrine that day and we just talked, about anything and everything. Awkward at first, but then smoother as I remembered how to actually interact with people. I still couldn’t return without dying so I let the poison of the swamp wear me down to a fairly peaceful death, it was a nice change of pace. I had bent, but I didn’t break.

—T—

The next day I returned with more enthusiasm and determination than I’d had for a while. Apparently I was pretty close to someone  called Chaos Witch Quelaag, who was guarding the other bell. This meant she either had to get out of the way herself, or die. Given that she was called a witch I did have some hope of being able to talk to her.

Which brings me here, to the present, staring down at a summoning sign for Maneater Mildred, contemplating if I should call on her or not. Besides, why did she even leave that? Did killing her make her more friendly for some reason? These people are so weird.

I go with my my gut and leave it for now, slowly walking into the cave, ready for any attacks.

“Hello? Quelaag? I just want to talk.”

I have to walk pretty far into the cave for her to appear, when I’m about halfway inside she drops down behind me from the ceiling.

“Talk? What might an undead want with a Chaos Witch? Cease your lies, you bring violence like the others.”

I turn around slowly, deliberately, and put my staff and flame into my inventory before slowly putting my hands up. The sight of her brings me up short for a moment. When I heard ‘witch’ I didn’t exactly expect the torso of a beautiful woman fused to a giant spider demon for a lower half. I manage to keep my surprise mostly to myself luckily, besides, she’s not unpleasant to look at anyway.

“Just to talk. I’ve seen enough violence for a while. The only thing I want to do is ring the Bell of Awakening, then I’ll leave.”

She glares at me and walks closer, huge spider legs making deceptively little noise with each step. There’s a giant sword in her hand and she could probably cleave me in half easily but it doesn’t feel like that’ll happen.

“Why?”

Huh.

“Uuuuh…”

That’s a great question, especially since I have no idea . I’ve just been going blindly off of hints from the knight in Firelink and my Firekeeper. For all my increased intelligence I’ve somehow never thought to ask why I was doing this.

“I don’t actually know, sorry to disappoint. I rang the first one on advice of an… acquaintance and then came down here for the other. I’m not actually sure what they do.”

“Hmm.”

Her torso leans forward, spider bottom completely stationary, even so she towers over me. A hand slowly reaches out to grab my chin and tilt it up so she can look me in the eyes. Her face not all that far from mine

“Curious little thing.”

Why the fuck am I blushing so much , what the hell is going on? Why does this feel so damn intimate? Ok I guess having a half naked beautiful woman leaning over you would fluster most people but… Wait, beautiful? Where did that come from?!

A soft chuckle breaks through my spiralling thoughts, just slightly. I look back up with wide eyes, the soft smirk on Quelaag’s face makes her look even better.

“You’re no regular undead, there’s more fire and ash in you. Quite amusing too… Come.”

Just like that she lets go and walks off towards the end of the cave. I quickly walk after her, more on autopilot than anything else, still trying to calm my heart. What the hell?

“The bells wake the giants that operate Sen’s Fortress, through this fortress you may reach Anor Londo, which is likely why your ‘acquaintance’ directed you to them.”

She leads me further inside, down a slope and towards what looks like a built in building. There’s a few stairs and then a downward slope inside it leading to a lever. Behind that is a staircase leading down.

“Go on little spark, the lever will ring the bell.”

Stupid pet names, stupid hot spider lady. Can’t even leave me my dignity. I walk up to the lever and ring the bell. Why is this even happening? Am I gay? Wait… fuck, maybe I am gay, that would explain those weird moments I used to have with Emma. Or… maybe I’m just bi? Something to think about later. For now I just pull the lever to ring the bell.

That felt… good, despite all my inner turmoil. Finally something going right for the first time. Without any violence even! I walk back with a light grin, still on guard but mostly happy, even if she killed me now I probably wouldn’t have to come back anyway. I give Quelaag an elegant bow, a gesture I picked up along the way here.

“Thank you very much, I’ll be out of your hair now.”

When I stand back up there’s a considering look on her face. She leans in again, studying my face for a bit.

“Hmm, answer me, if you will. What do you think of the Flame of Chaos?”

What a strange question all of a sudden.

“Well… someone else told me that some find pyromancy distasteful but I don’t really care. Like all tools, I find what you use them for to be what people should be judged on… Does that answer your question?”

“Perhaps.”

She looks me over a while longer, long enough that I start to fidget slightly. The movement makes her eyes drop to my hands, upon seeing them they suddenly light up.

“Splendid. I would introduce you to my sister, come.”

“Wha-”

“Come along.”

She’s already leaving, walking down the stairs and then through a wall as if it’s not even there, making it disappear in the process. That looked like an illusion of sorts. We come upon a strange scene. There’s something that resembles a man with giant egg shaped things on his back, to the right of that is someone who looks a lot like Quelaag herself. Although, Quelaag is definitely colorful, all dark colors and bright reds even if her human half was pretty pale still. This one, in comparison, is completely pale or white pretty much everywhere. It reminds me of yin and yang, opposite but similar.

“Sister dearest, I’ve brought you a visitor. This is… actually, what is your name?”

“... Cinder.”

“Good, good, sister, this is Cinder, I believe she might be interested in joining. Cinder, this is my sister Quelaan, also known as the Fair Lady.”

The pale spider woman looks sick, somewhat like a cancer patient, she doesn’t seem able to walk around like Quelaag either. Her mouth doesn’t move, yet somehow I’m able to hear her speak. The Old Witch Ring on my finger keeps vibrating softly whenever she does, it doesn’t take much to figure out that this is why Quelaag brought me down here.

“Hello… If you’re a friend of my dear sister then… then you’re a friend of mine too.”

“It’s… nice to meet you.”

I look over to Quelaag, who seems happy about this exchange for some reason.

“Say Cinder, have you been collecting something called humanity?”

Again with the sudden questions.

“I have.”

Not that they’ve been useful to me at all, maybe for a regular undead they would’ve been but I don’t seem to be in the process of ‘going hollow’ at all, even when I die.

“Wonderful, am I correct in assuming that you have no real use for them?”

“I haven't found any at least.”

Her grin grows even wider, it’s a bit scary but makes her look even prettier too.

“Would you mind joining our covenant then? My dear sister feels much better when she consumes humanities, in turn we would be able to teach you some powerful chaos pyromancies.”

Oh! Well, that does sound useful.

“Are there any side effects to joining this… covenant?”

“There are those who may disagree with your choice to join us. Besides that? Nothing negative. You would get a closer connection to chaos and pyromancy. As you said, these are tools, what you decide to do with them would still rest with you.”

I purse my lips, trying to think it over but really, I already made my decision.

“I accept then.”

Quelaag lets out a tinkling laugh and claps her hands a few times. It’s surprisingly childlike yet somehow elegant.

“Wonderful! Step in front of my sister if you would.”

Chapter Text

Quelaag and Quelaan ended up teaching me two new pyromancies, Chaos Storm and Great Chaos Fireball. I just gave them all of the humanities I’d collected, twenty or so, which was good enough for them apparently. 

Being in a covenant is a strange experience. I could feel some intangible tether inside me when my ‘allegiance deepened’, which apparently happened just by joining and giving the humanities over. The tether led me back to both Quelaag and Quelaan which means I could probably track them if I wanted to for… some reason.

Besides that, I also gained some inclination for pyromania as well as a general desire for chaos. Very low, very much easily resistable, but clearly there all the same.

After that, Quelaag happily informed me that my next destination was all the way back up from Blighttown. Wonderful . She gave me some vague directions, mentioning a Valley of Drakes and someplace called New Londo Ruins but since she’d never left herself she wasn’t too sure either.

Before trying my hand at scaling back up though, I tried out my new spells. They were both astonishing . One, a giant fireball that left behind a pool of lava, big enough to kill entire groups. The other was even stronger though, multiple pillars of fire, twice as tall as me, shooting up out of the ground, each leaving behind their own lava pool.

The destructive potential of both was immense, the only downside being that they cost a lot of mana so I could only cast them a few times. Still, definitely worth it.

—T—

The climb back up was both more and less annoying than I’d thought it would be, once I found the right way up at least. I still died a few times but compared to getting down this was almost… nice. Doable. 

Then I came to a turning point. I finally reached Firelink Shrine only to see the Firekeeper laying in her cell, dead. Her soul was still there along with a black orb. Lautrec, a knight I’d rescued all the way back at the gargoyles, was gone too. When I asked the other knight, Cresswell, still sitting there, he just shrugged and told me Lautrec did it.

That stung.

One of the few things I thought I was doing well, something good, freeing people from the ‘villains’ of this world. It turns out I’d just helped free a villain instead, some hero I was.

Which is probably why I finally went out in Brockton Bay. To be a hero, properly this time. I’d failed one Firekeeper, and even though my own told me she could be brought back, I felt the need to do something to make up for it. Besides that, I was… not fully prepared but at least feeling prepared enough to go out. Who would fuck with someone who can fling giant balls of lava?

First though, a trip back to the asylum, my Firekeeper told me to for some reason.

—T—

Oni Lee.

Oni Lee would fuck with someone who can fling giant balls of lava.

My day started as usual, wake up after getting viscerally cut in half by a swinging axe in Sen’s Fortress, eat breakfast, go to school. Once there I ignored the trio as usual. Not to toot my own horn, but being so much smarter makes it pretty easy to figure out how to avoid them or get myself out of annoying situations.

With school finally being done I went back home with the bus as usual, from there the trouble started.

It started out fairly innocent really. I dressed up in the black leather outfit but added an extra black domino mask on top of it just in case. Not very protective but I could swap to the warrior armor set in an instant if needed. In that case I’d still have the mask to protect my identity too.

Then I went out and eventually found some guys who I thought were ABB, though with my intelligence so high I’m rarely wrong about things anymore anyway so, I decided to follow them. Unsurprisingly, I was right. They led me right to a relatively small, inconspicuous warehouse where they were storing bricks of various drugs. 

For this outing I was focusing on a few spells in particular, Soul Arrow, Fall Control, Fireball, Great Chaos Fireball and Power Within. That last one being a handy spell that would boost all my damage while damaging me in turn. A last resort. I was lucky that increasing my intelligence allowed me to learn and use more spells too, having to swap them out would have been annoying.

So, figuring less drugs was better I started by knocking out most of the guards with some Soul Arrows. Then I just chucked a Fireball at any stacks of the stuff I could see. Someone must have called or rang an alarm or something because soon after Oni Lee showed up. Which brings me to where I am now, sprinting through ABB territory to get somewhere safer while shooting as much magic as I can right back at him.

On the one hand, Oni Lee is a perfect opponent for me, I can just use my powers to their full potential and kill all of his clones whenever they pop up.

On the other hand, Oni Lee is a murderous bastard at the best of times, which means that I could die at any moment. I’m not actually all that confident in my ability to revive from it  here either.

The streets have become something of a warzone too, between my Fireballs and Lee’s grenades. They’re filled with holes, burning spots and even solidified lava in places. I just hope that no innocents were caught in the crossfire.

Cast, dodge, run, cast, dodge. A repeating pattern keeping me alive for now. I had to swap into my other armor a few times to block knife strikes but besides that it’s somewhat of a stalemate. If Lee gets too close he gets a Fireball to the face, if I get too far he teleports into my face with a grenade.

There’s a rumbling quickly approaching that I can only barely hear over my heavy breathing. A well timed dodge roll lets me evade another grenade but I’m not sure how much longer I’ll be able to keep this up. A blue motorbike and an equally blue clad man rush into the street.

Armsmaster.

Some device built in his armor amplifies his voice enough to be heard over another explosion.

“ONI LEE AND UNKNOWN PARAHUMAN, THIS IS THE PROTECTORATE, STAND DOWN!”

HA! Has he seen what Oni Lee is trying to do?! If I stand still I’ll-.

BOOM.

Ah, so that’s what dying feels like here, shouldn’t have gotten distracted…

—T—

“Welcome home Ashen one.”

My eyes open slowly, I feel more groggy than usual.

"Hey, keeper. I died, didn’t I?”

“You did. Do not worry overmuch Ashen One, you will wake up whole and hale in your bed once you have finished here, much like returning to a bonfire.”

“Right. Um, thank you.”

I take some time to just stare into the fire and reflect. For all my power, for the skills I’ve collected so far, I was still woefully unprepared for my first fight.

On the upside… at least I’ve found a way to come back here faster? Though deliberate suicide doesn’t seem all that appealing. Even after so many deaths, there’s still a difference between going down fighting and actual suicide. A gun would make it easy though… But would people remember? Does my dead body just stay there? Does it dissolve? I don’t want to traumatize dad either, well, more than he already is anyway. I’ll have to see what happens when I wake up… If I wake up, I’m still not entirely sure that I will.

Instead of getting back to it immediately I take some time to actually explore the shrine. The pathway towards the anvil apparently leads to some lower sections, there’s actually a decent amount of space in here. The sections also loop back around to the middle where the bonfire is. About halfway through my inspection I notice a summon sign. I’m pretty sure that’s from Solaire but it’s… not glowing as much? It seems dull, like mere text, the mere idea that I’ll be able to summon him without the ability to.

Interesting. Maybe I’ll be able to later on, or when I’m finally finished with this realm.

I go further up the stairs, finding a small exterior section with a crooked tree and a small tower. It’s locked and there doesn’t appear to be anything inside anyway so I turn back for now. I take a quick detour past the Firekeeper first, she’s been the most helpful person in my life for about three months now. Also probably the most helpful since Emma turned on me… huh.

“Hey, I just wanted to say thank you. For… all this. Helping me.”

I probably wouldn’t have been so direct or open before starting this journey but I’ve done a lot of introspection recently. Facing your own mortality over and over again will do that to you.

“Of course Ashen One, it is both my honor and pleasure.”

I try for a smile, it’s apparently a decent one because I get one in return.

“Any tips for today?”

“Patience is key to getting through the fortress. Be careful of the wrecking balls.”

Wrecking balls? Must be further along. The patience bit makes sense of course.

“Thank you, I’ll be going then.”

“Good luck.”

—T—

In the end I manage to make it most of the way through the fortress. Patience did turn out to be key here, slow and steady. I didn’t even get flattened by any of the rolling wrecking balls! Unfortunately, I still died, though not before activating a shortcut and saving another wizard called Big Hat Logan who promised to teach me more spells so I’m counting it as a win. 

My death this time was through electrocution by lightning bolts. A new experience for me and not one I recommend. Feeling your insides frying in real time is decidedly unpleasant. It’s jarring enough to wake me up with a jolt, pun not intended. I take a bit to calm my heavy breathing and get out of bed with a groan. 

Once downstairs I turn the tv on while making myself some breakfast. Surely they’d have something to say about my fight from yesterday right? Yet throughout the whole thing there’s not even a mention of anything happening. I’d normally chalk it up to the Bay being the Bay but… destroying that many streets with grenades and lava should’ve gotten at least something .

With a frown I walk over to the front door to grab the newspaper, maybe they’ll have put something there? Once I grab it I finally notice the date. It’s Tuesday, which should be impossible since yesterday was Tuesday. The most logical explanation would be that my powers reset me, somehow , to the start of the day where I died, or maybe to the last time I woke up from my bed, similar to how bonfires worked.

But that… that’s ridiculously powerful! It’s effectively precognition for an entire day so long as I’m willing to die by the end of it! Well, so long as there’s no limit on how many times I can actually die within a certain period… If I’m right about what’s happening at all of course, I could also just be losing my mind finally after dying so many times.

Only one way to find out, time for school.

Chapter Text

To my astonishment and slight horror, the whole day is indeed the exact same . There’s some minor deviations of course but all of those are directly related to me, since I’m the only one acting differently from yesterday. Well, yesterday from my perspective.

Raising my intelligence ended up giving me an eidetic memory which was very helpful in determining all this. Every single prank and insult from the trio, the same, unless I personally did something different about them. Every single word and sentence from the teachers, identical.

It was incredible, so much potential, at the same time it also gave me a feeling of dread.

I was already so mired in death and now, if I wanted to make real use of this, I would have to die even more. Deliberately this time. No matter how you turn it, that’s just not good for your psyche. Rushing into battle or getting killed by some trap is one thing and even that was already changing me as a person. The effect was gradual but it was there , making me more and more callous to danger and simultaneously hyper aware of it. A strange limbo where your thoughts go ‘I could win if I played this right’ regardless of much else since the consequences were mostly negligible. A very slippery slope.

Perhaps more importantly, how many times could I reset? Once a day? Once a week? Maybe multiple times a day? Was there even a limit? A dangerous thing to try and find out, if I misjudged, I’d possibly stay dead.

I put it out of my mind for a later time and decided to spend IT class a bit differently than the first time around. If there’s one thing Oni Lee taught me it’s that I’m definitely not prepared enough yet. I have no idea what moves any of these capes will pull or even what their weaknesses are. Preparation is everything. I knew he had clones but, how do they work exactly? Is there a way to stop them? Maybe line of sight or similar? There’s a lot to think about.

Lastly… do I try fighting him again? Chances are high that he’d show up if I just found the same guys to follow but… I still don’t have a plan for how to actually beat him so it’s not like the outcome will change all that much. At best I ruin a bunch more streets and maybe get him caught by Armsmaster. At worst, I die again, maybe permanently. 

No, best to just sit this one out until I can actually do something about it. I can try again when I’m stronger.

—T—

Just because I decided not to fight doesn’t mean I can’t do more reconnaissance. I spend much of my time after school following various ABB members and noting likely warehouses down. At some point I mostly drifted out of their territory and decided to do the same to the E88. None of this in costume of course, that would attract way too much attention. No, for all intents and purposes I was just a regular teenager keeping her head down to get somewhere. 

While a bit more suspicious in ABB territory, there were still some white people who lived there. With my clothes as ratty and worn as they were I didn’t look like a prime target for a robbery either, leaving me relatively safe. On the side of the Empire, well, it’s not like they’d harass a random white girl anyway.

It was slow work, a bit tedious too, just going around by bus and going for the occasional walk once I picked up on something promising. Not exactly exciting but useful all the same. By the time I was ready to go home again I’d mapped out at least some spots. Not nearly everything, likely not even anything all that important but still, it was progress.

Much better for my first… uninterrupted outing. Less destructive for my fellow Brocktonites too, that was definitely good.

—T—

I decided to spend the next several weeks in Brockton just doing more recon work. If I was going to be an effective hero I needed to do things properly. That meant knowing as many important locations as I could. Be that key gang locations, general city layout, or places I could lay low. I switched up my jogging routes for this too, worst case scenario I got robbed or shot. Considering Lordran’s general level of lethality though, this was relaxing in comparison.

Speaking of Lordran, I managed to get through the rest of Sen’s Fortress and beat the Iron Golem at the end on my first try. That fight was surprisingly easy with some range.

Once I did, a bunch of weird imps just surrounded me and took me up over the wall to Anor Londo. What a sight that was. An honest to god high fantasy medieval city, complete with giant knight guards and castles. Getting to see all of it almost made all of my suffering worth it by itself. Almost .

Now, before going to Sen’s Fortress, the Firekeeper had sent me back to the Undead Asylum first. Why? To get a weird doll. Why did I need the doll? To open up a magical passageway in Anor Londo apparently . Without her help I would’ve never even considered being able to just enter some painting. It was worthwhile in the end though. The place brimming with souls and interesting loot. Two armor sets, a new pyromancy called Acid Surge, and an easy spot to farm souls. There was this congregation of… melted hollows with shields and spears, like a phalanx. Since I had Chaos Storm though, I could just stand in the middle of them and kill them all at the same time for some easy souls.

I also met another… acquaintance? Friend? Something like that.

—T—

I stumble through the fog gate, dead hollows and a large knight littering the bridge behind me. My hand tightens around my staff, ready for anything. The fog clears and I’m met with- a pretty woman, a very pretty, very fluffy, very tall woman, who doesn’t seem like she wants to attack me, huh . Is that a tail back there…?

“Who are you? One of us, you are not. If you misstepped into this world, plunge down from the plank, and hurry home. If it is me you seek, I will not allow it.”

That’s very specific, maybe more people enter this painting than I thought? I slowly bow to her, trying to keep myself non-threatening.

“I came here on advice from a friend, I wouldn’t harm you without purpose, especially since I don’t know who you are.”

Her green eyes narrow, scrutinizing me, she still doesn’t seem likely to attack so I put my weapons away, it seemed to work for Quelaag.

“Please, go back to your world. I know it's quiet here and everyone's kind, but it's not your world, is it? Please jump down past that point and go back.”

Kind…? To her maybe, everything here just tried (and some succeeded) to kill me, not that that’s unusual for Lordran.

“Could I know your name first? And what made you think I came to kill you? Maybe I can help?”

Again, so much distrust, I can relate to that at least.

“I am Priscilla.”

She says her name like it’s supposed to mean something but I still have no idea what. She seems surprised when I don’t recognize it and explains further.

“I was locked in this world by the gods, for they feared my power, I was called an abomination, antithesis to all life. Instead, I made this place my home. Mine, and of all the others who were cast out.”

The explanation is somewhat odd to me, did she actually do anything bad or was this a strange form of fantasy racism?

“Not to be rude but, why did they call you those things? Was it something you did or did they just do it for seemingly no reason?”

That scrutinizing stare again, she also seems a bit puzzled by me, likely because people either already know, or assume they know about this, or stumble in just wanting to leave.

“I am a child born outside of their order. Born of a dragon and the occult. The gods have no control over me, they are opposite to my existence. I believe that was enough to shun me as I do not recall committing any crimes besides being born.”

Ah. So it is fantasy racism. 

“Well, would you like to leave from here? When you say ‘the gods’ you mean Gwyn right? I’m planning to kill him anyway, once I do I could summon you out of here if you wanted.”

It’s a bit of a gamble but I’ve come to trust my intuition. Plus, if even the gods of this world are scared of her, she might be exactly what we need against the endbringers. Especially if, like regular summons, she can’t die in different worlds anyway. Her eyes narrow but she holds her scythe off to the side, one handing it in a more casual carry position. Then she leans in closer, why do pretty women keep doing that?!

“You are curious, for an undead… Why are you offering this?”

“Well it’s the right thing to do for one. But, I’ll be honest with you, I need help, my world is dying, if you have a power that can scare the gods of this world I’d like to have you on my side.”

From there we enter a stare off that seems to last forever, though I’m sure it’s much shorter than I’m imagining, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. I almost say something just to break it when she beats me to it.

“Very well, I accept.”

“Wha- uh, oh, good, that’s good.”

The tension slowly bleeds out of me, I relax my shoulders and posture, didn’t even notice that I’d gotten into a battle ready position during that. Must be my developing muscle memory. I let out a deep sigh, as things sink in, a smile worms its way onto my face. It feels good to have things to smile about.

“I’m glad, I can visit you before that though, if you want?”

Despite just agreeing to be my ally, she still seems taken aback. Truthfully I am too, when did I become so social again? Maybe it’s the sisters fault for pulling me into their covenant… Priscilla considers it for a bit then slowly shakes her head.

“No thank you, the peace of this world should not be disturbed so often. Allow me one last question however, what is your name?”

“Ah, I’m Cinder, it’s nice to meet you Priscilla.”

Chapter Text

While things were going sort of well in Lordran, things in the Bay were still pretty bad. Yes, I didn’t care about the bullying nearly as much as before but it was still incredibly annoying at times. It got far enough that I reached a tipping point because of Emma.

“What’s wrong Taylor, you’ve been so quiet the past few months. Are you sad? Gonna cry for a week straight?”

Out of all things, to use the death of my mother against me… that still stung. I didn’t let them see my tears, I just left and went home for the day, but a plan did hatch. Why should I stay here, taking hits day after day? That’s not how I’ve been living my life for a while now. I either kept going and won, or left to regroup to win at another time by turning the odds in my favor. Staying at Winslow was about as productive as sitting down in the middle of a poison swamp, only good for getting a slow death.

Time to do some research about homeschooling. It’s not like it’d be hard for me at this point.

—T—

As it turns out, applying for homeschooling isn’t all that hard, the biggest problem is getting parental permission. I’d have needed to talk to dad anyway but I was still dreading it a bit. It’s been a long time since we had a proper discussion, even after the locker we didn’t manage to talk much, that was about two months ago now. The plan was pretty simple still, fill in as much paperwork as possible, get dad to sign, file it all, then get out of Winslow. It’s not like I thought he wouldn’t sign either, just… talking .

Fortunately, skipping school does give you plenty of time to do paperwork. After school I went straight to the library, both because they had computers that didn’t come from the stone age, and because they had functioning printers for a small fee. I spent the next seven hours or so that I would’ve spent at school just doing research and filling out paperwork. The librarian didn’t even make a fuss about things after I showed her what I was working on which was nice. 

Then, finally, when I’d done as much prepwork as possible, I went home. Time to face dad… whenever he’d get home anyway. I could probably get back to my routine of working out and such before then, no reason to slack off now.

—T—

It’s fairly late by the time dad gets home, I’ve used the time to prepare my arguments and get all the papers in order, all he has to do is sign and from there I can just continue the process of filing things. I turn towards the door when I hear him turning the lock. He looks surprised to see me, stilted and awkward, a little reluctant, but not exactly unhappy about it.

“Oh… hey Taylor, I didn’t… expect to see you awake still… How was your day?”

Right, let’s get this over with. I gather some courage and look him right in the eyes.

“Dad, I wanna quit Winslow and get homeschooled.”

“Oh, alright.”

“I know it’s sudden but- uh, wait, alright?”

“Alright, if it makes you happy you can go for homeschooling, I know you’re smart enough for it.”

Huh… well, that makes things much easier. My shoulders slump a little and there’s a small smile on my face, he hasn’t been the best, but he clearly still cares for me at least.

“Thanks dad.”

“It’s nothing Taylor, I should’ve come up with this myself honestly but… with the school, and, you know.”

He waves a hand vaguely towards the door, I do sort of get it.

“Yeah.”

“Yeah…”

Still awkward. I clear my throat and slide the papers forward, a pen already laying on top of them.

“You just have to sign these, then I can file and fill the rest in by myself. It should also cost less than Winslow since it’ll all be self study.”

He seems amused and melancholic at the same time. My best guess is that I’m reminding him of mom. He quickly flicks through and signs in all the appropriate places. The pen shuts with a decisive click as if it’s finalizing the agreement and is then dropped back on the table.

“There we go. Sweetie, I know I haven’t been…”

Present? Aware? Anything at all?

“The best but… If you need anything, anything at all, to be happier, I’ll do the best I can to get it to you alright? You just… let me know.”

“... Thanks dad, I’m… gonna go sleep now, g’night.”

“Goodnight.”

Giving in to my impulsive thoughts for once I quickly give him a hug and then rush back to my room, papers in hand. A very productive day overall.

 —T—

Back in Lordran, things also reached somewhat of a tipping point, to start with, I finally reached the point where I could fight against Lautrec to rectify my mistake. Using the Black Eye Orb I invaded his world. There were two others with him. I put them all down like dogs. My patience for traitors had run out, especially when the treason in question cost innocent lives. With the firekeepers soul in my inventory I continued on to the next challenge, Ornstein and Smough. The two guardians protecting… whatever I’m here for. I took Solaire with me just in case, but was hopeful that we could talk things out.

“Greetings, noble knights, any chance I could pass by peacefully?”

The big one, Smough, seems to both preen and growl a bit at being addressed as a knight for some reason, though it’s hard to tell in that armor. The one who replies is the smaller one, Ornstein.

“Afraid not, only those worthy may proceed to our Lady.”

“There’s no other way to prove that than to fight you?”

“No.”

With that word the battle starts, Ornstein darts forward with impressive speed, looking to impale me. I dodge to the side, hearing Solaire yell a war cry as he faces off against Smough. It seems like it will be a tough battle until I hit my first Great Heavy Soul Arrow. 

What follows almost seems easy.

Solaire keeps Smough busy while I absolutely blast Ornstein with my spells. He’s great at charging and attacking but his defence lacks severely for some reason. Soon enough he falls, leaving me and Solaire to face Smough. Instead of seeming discouraged, Smough just laughs, the sound echoing ominously through the chamber. He smashes his hammer down on Ornstein’s body, pulverizing it underneath. Arcs of lightning travel up the hammer, empowering him further. 

And yet, even with this, I can chip away at him easily enough with my magic, especially since I still have Solaire with me. Solaire takes the brunt of his attacks, with deft dodges he stays mostly out of harm's way, leaving me free to attack. After five minutes of fighting, Ornstein and Smough go down. That was… almost too easy. Sure there were some close calls but overall they just couldn’t stand up to the amount of damage I was doing. Is this what it’s like to feel powerful? I’m not sure if I just came far or if this was an easy matchup for some reason. I thank Solaire and take the lifts up, there’s a bonfire that I use for a quick rest before opening the door in front of it.

“You have journeyed far, and overcome much, chosen Undead. Come hither, child…”

Holy shit, that’s probably one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen. She’s huge too, easily three times my height. Almost in a trance I walk forward and kneel in front of her. Is this what meeting the gods of this world is like?

“O chosen undead, I am Gwynevere. Daughter of Lord Gwyn, and Queen of Sunlight. Since the day Father’s form obscured, I have awaited you. I give you the Lordvessel and my blessing. Succeed Lord Gwyn and inherit the Fire of our world. You shall end this eternal twilight and avert further Undead sacrifices.”

Despite my earlier daze I can't shake off a peculiar feeling that creeps up on me. Something about this whole situation feels off in a way I can’t put my finger on. Maybe it’s how she keeps calling me ‘chosen undead’ when no one else has, or the way she talks in some sort of prophecy. It’s annoying, but I’ll leave it be for now. Once I read through the info on the Lordvessel my eyes shoot open. This is what I’ve been working towards, a key part of it at least. The Lordvessel apparently lets whoever holds it warp between bonfires, which is incredibly helpful already, but besides that it also breaks the seals blocking off the four lords. Once I get their souls I’ll actually be able to fight Gwyn!

“Thank you, Lady Gwynevere. I’ll do my best.”

“You shall succeed, my child. I’m certain of it.”

There’s that feeling again… well, whatever, I can ask the sisters about it now, there’s a bonfire right by them. I take a deep breath and walk back out towards the bonfire. 

—T—

As it turns out, travelling by bonfire is incredibly easy, I just have to focus on the magic of the Lordvessel and focus on where I want to go, then with a slight push the fire sucks me in on one end and spits me out on the other. No discomfort and almost instantaneous, very convenient. 

My first stop is Firelink Shrine, the fire is out but I can still warp to it apparently which leads me to believe that it’s connected specifically to the bonfires themselves instead of the actual fire. I’m not entirely sure what to do but it seems like letting go of the firekeeper’s soul in the general vicinity of the cell is enough to revive her. The soul flows out of my hand towards what's left of her body in bright white strands, reforming it full right in front of my eyes without any effort on my part. When it’s done I hear her voice for the first time, a soft, frail thing.

“...Th-thank you...I am Anastacia of Astora...Now I can continue my duty as a Keeper...But...I only hope that my impure tongue does not offend.”

I try for a smile but it comes out as more of a grimace. I’m glad my own firekeeper didn’t have her tongue cut out, even if she lost her eyes.

“It’s fine, don’t worry, I just hope you’re ok now. I’m the one who unlocked Lautrec’s cell so… it’s my fault that this happened in the first place.”

She just nods her head, unwilling to speak more. I guess that’s to be expected when you’ve spent so long being told you shouldn’t. After saying goodbye I ascend the stairs, the bonfire is burning nicely again and- what the hell is that ?! I quickly walk further into the shrine, there’s a weird cross between a snake and a human coming out of a hole in the ground right in the middle of the shrine. It’s not an aesthetically pleasing combo like a naga either, more like someone took a human skull and stuffed it into a snake’s body to give it a new face, then added two flaps instead of a nose, hanging down like a moustache. It looks… really weird . I grab my staff a bit tighter and approach with caution.

“Hello?”

“Ahh, hello. Was it you who rang the Bell of Awakening? I am the Primordial Serpent, Kingseeker Frampt, close friend of the Great Lord Gwyn.”

“... I’m Cinder, nice to meet you.”

Being a ‘close friend of the Great Lord Gwyn’ doesn’t exactly fill me with confidence considering I’m trying to kill him.

“Hmm, I would call you the Chosen Undead but, you’re not quite that, are you? No matter. You, who has rung the Bell of Awakening. I wish to elucidate your fate. Your fate... is to succeed the Great Lord Gwyn. So that you may link the Fire, cast away the Dark, and undo the curse of the Undead. Now, let us take that vessel on a journey. I assume you are ready. Now, be still!”

Before I can react he’s rearing his head back with unexpected speed and leaning back forward with his mouth wide open, swallowing me whole. There’s a momentary panic but before I can ready any spells he’s already spitting me back out in some underground cave. I turn around with a spell at the ready but he’s just swaying there, hanging from the ceiling, completely unconcerned. Feeling a little safer I turn back to inspect the cave. It’s largely just darkness except for a long platform, at the end of which is a large bowl shape with an equally large door behind it. I can feel the Lordvessel reaching out to it even from my inventory.

I take it out, finding that it fits perfectly into the strange bowl shape. Once placed, flame bursts forth out of it, making Frampt laugh, it’s a surprisingly normal sound from such a weird creature. Wait, is that racist? It is, isn't it… damn. Something to work on later. Frampt’s voice pulls me out of my musings.

“Well done. As Kingseeker, I shall now instruct you, the Lord's successor, in your next task. To achieve your fate, fill the vessel with powerful souls. Scarce few possess such brilliant souls. Gravelord Nito, the Witch of Izalith, the Four Kings of New Londo, who inherited the shards of Gwyn's soul... and Lord Gwyn's former confidant, Seath the Scaleless. All of their souls are required to satiate the Lordvessel.”

Hmm, well, the Firekeeper had already told me some of that but it’s nice to have confirmation.

“Are you ready? Then we shall return. Stay still for a moment!”

Ah shit not again. 

Frampt swings forward, swallowing me whole for the second time today. It’s just as unpleasant and done just as quickly, ending with me back in Firelink Shrine. I throw Frampt a dirty look but he doesn’t seem to care much. 

Instead of ‘achieving my fate’ immediately, I pay a visit to Big Hat Logan first, the sorcerer I rescued from Sen’s fortress. Said rescue was definitely worth it when I see the stuff he’s selling. It makes me go completely broke but I buy out nearly his entire stock. An amazing new spell called Soul Spear, which fires as fast as a regular Soul Arrow but is even stronger than a Great Heavy Soul Arrow, is my favorite among the bunch. Besides that I also buy some new rings. The Bellowing Dragoncrest Ring and the Lingering Dragoncrest Ring.

When I try them out I encounter a bit of a problem though, I’ve been collecting and wearing a bunch of these rings as soon as I got them since they provide amazing benefits. Physical defence, partial fireproofing, boosted defences, boosted health, boosted damage, the list goes on. What I’m finding is that there apparently is a limit to how many you can wear at the same time. I can barely manage an “Ah shi-” before my hand explodes and my world goes black.

Chapter Text

After learning quite explosively that wearing too many enchanted rings does in fact have a negative side effect, I spent the next day just filing the paperwork and waiting for them to get back to me. Dad gave me a pass to skip school for the rest of the week too, hopefully they’d have processed my request by then, which would mean I only had to return to Winslow to give Blackwell the papers. As such, my day was relatively boring, I took some time off to just relax for the first time in a while. I still went to the library and did my usual workout after of course but it was nice.

Back in Lordran I decided to visit Quelaag and Quelaan, both since it’d been a while and because Laurentius, the guy who first taught me pyromancy, was gone. Not sure where he went but that did mean that I’d have to find someone else to help me with my pyro glove. Besides that, we were also… friends , or something like that? I hoped so at least. Maybe they’d have some idea of which Lord Soul to get first too. Though the Firekeeper did tell me to do a place called Darkroot Basin first before going anywhere else.

The fire warp to Quelaan’s place is just as smooth as the first time I used it. She doesn’t seem to notice me but something must’ve set off some alarm because Quelaag storms into the room after only a few seconds.

“Who dares- oh, Cinder… does that mean you got the Lordvessel?”

“Hi. Uh, yeah, I did, thank you again for the help.”

She waves it off and walks closer, tilting my chin up with a soft hand, that is so not conducive to helping me think!

“No need to thank me, you entered our covenant so you’re practically family already. Though I wouldn’t mind making it more official…”

The way her eyes roam over my body combined with that… strange smile almost makes me think she’s flirting with me. That’d be ridiculous of course, why would someone that pretty be flirting with someone who looks like a frog? It sets off all sorts of funny feelings inside me anyway. I manage to keep a neutral look on my face but I’m sure it’s pretty red by now too. Time for a subject change!

“Ahem, could either of you help me with my pyro flame maybe? And maybe some advice on which Lord I should fight first.”

Quelaag raises an eyebrow, she seems amused by the abrupt change but lets it go. She tucks some hair behind my ear and then leans back again, giving me some room to breathe.

“Hmm, well, both of us could help you with pyromancy but if you want an expert you’d have to find another sister of ours, Quelana. Luckily for you, I believe she’s currently squatting outside in the swamp, so you won’t have to go too far to reach her. As for the lords, I’d say take on Seath the Scaleless first, after getting some stronger pyromancies at least. There should be lots of resources for a sorcerer like you in his archives.”

Well, that sounds like good advice despite whatever that… thing was that she was doing before.

“Thank you, I’ll try to find Quelana then. Oh, here’s some more humanities I found too, if you want them?”

“Give them to my sister, they’re for her.”

—T—

After giving my humanities over I set out into the swamp. Quelana isn’t all that hard to find actually, she’s seated against a pillar close to the entrance of Quelaag’s den. I have to take out a few troll things to get to her but they die easily enough to some Soul Spears. It’s hard to determine much of anything about her due to the black robes she’s wearing. When I approach her head turns towards the sloshing sound I make wading through the swamp. I shake my feet off and get on the small dry patch she’s sitting on.

“Hmm... You can see me? Fascinating... I am Quelana of Izalith. I am not often revealed to walkers of flesh. You have a gift. Are you, too, one who seeks my pyromancy? Like Salaman?”

A bit cryptic but the people here seem to have a knack for that.

“Ah, your sisters directed me here actually, Quelaag and Quelaan? They said you could help me with pyromancy.”

I get the impression that she’s raising her eyebrows under that hood but it’s hard to tell.

“Indeed? How curious, I’d thought they were too far gone for such things, perhaps there is hope yet… No matter. It should be expected that one such as yourself would seek me out. Very well. You shall be my pupil. But to pursue my pyromancy, you must give something up. Are you prepared to do this?”

“If it is… reasonable, then yes. I’ve been giving things up since I came to this place.”

“Good, let us begin your first lesson then. Pyromancy is the art of invoking and manipulating fire. But remember one thing. Always fear the flame, lest you be devoured by it, and lose yourself. I would hate to see that happen again…”

Without even having to pay anything she spends the rest of… a very long time teaching me about fire and pyromancy. It’s extremely interesting and enlightening, managing to keep me enthralled the whole way through. By the time she sends me off I’m sure more than eight hours have passed, which raises an interesting question; am I sleeping extra, or is time warped here? I feel the second makes more sense, otherwise I would’ve woken up much earlier after my deaths, I’ll know for sure when I’m done here though.

Another warp takes me back to the Undead Parish and from there down to the Darkroot Basin, I’m curious to see how long I can stay here…

—T—

Besides confirming that I could, in fact, stay in Lordran for longer than eight hours while still waking up on time, the rest of the week was pretty boring. On the ‘day life’ front, I got the occasional update of my request being processed but besides that it was honestly a little boring. I spent most of my time memorizing as much of Brockton Bay as I could, just waiting until I could start on my self study properly. The material itself was easy but I couldn’t exactly do any tasks if I hadn’t even received them yet. So, I waited.

My adventures at night were progressing nicely at least. I killed a hydra, a giant wolf with a sword, a giant butterfly and some weird crystal golems. I also saved an actual princess or at least something very similar, made my way through a large part of the Duke’s Archive and freed Big Hat Logan from a cell for the second time. After that he taught me crystal variants of some spells I knew, including Soul Spear, and started behaving very strangely. 

All of this happened in the span of a week, at the end of which I got my papers back, stating that I’d be getting homeschooled from now on. I got them back on sunday, which meant I could hand them in that monday. With papers in hand I made my way to Winslow, which is where my next problems started.

—T—

I was doomed the moment I stepped inside, the trio weren’t waiting for me exactly but clearly they’d set people to watch out for me or something because they intercepted me very quickly. It started with a shove from Sophia which I dodged on instinct, this didn’t exactly endear me to her any further. It was long enough for them to loosely surround me though. To be honest, it almost made me laugh at first, I’d been surrounded by much worse things than a group of schoolgirls. Unfortunately, their pain was purely physical, Emma always dealt in emotional damage instead.

“You’re finally back! I was joking last time you know, but then you left for a whole week. Did you actually spend it all crying? You’re such a loser honestly. What was it this time, still thinking about your stupid flute? Maybe about finally getting a phone so you can get some fake friends?”

That utter bitch . She’d found something to get under my skin and drove it deeper immediately. If I didn’t have such control of myself I might’ve done something drastic at this point. Sophia pushed me to the ground, I was too distracted to dodge this time. Some juice landed in my hair, soaking me through to finish the job. I needed to get to Blackwell but… the papers were soaked too and I didn’t really feel like talking to her right now either. I left the school again, straight back home for a shower, after that… Well, I needed some stress relief and I did want to go out to use my new spells anyway. 

—T—

I spent a few hours at home doing extra prep work. Mostly taking a first aid kit, planning out a patrol route and hyping myself up. It’s not like things should be that hectic during the day but… last time I went out I blew up multiple streets and died. 

The first few hours of it were somewhat boring honestly. I stopped two robberies but both of those went down after a single regular Soul Arrow. The real ‘fun’ started later at night, when I somehow managed to run into Lung of all people. A few of his gang members, the Azn bad boys, already had knives or guns out. At first I couldn’t make out what they were saying, after carefully moving closer the rumble of his voice finally became understandable.

Lung was snarling, “…the children, just shoot.  Doesn’t matter your aim, just shoot.  You see one lying on the ground?  Shoot the little bitch twice more to be sure. We give them no chances to be clever or lucky, understand?”

What the fuck . These people were going around just murdering kids?! Or was this a special group of them for some reason? The news hadn’t mentioned anything like this but… there was no way I could allow this. Out of context or even in context, child murder was just unacceptable.

I crept to the side, lining up three of the members, my Soul Spear should be able to penetrate through them to knock them out, or kill them. Normally I’d be more hesitant but they crossed the line first by agreeing to this. With a deep breath I let loose the first shot, immediately moving towards the next. One dodged, two down. Another Spear, two more down, three remaining besides Lung, three quick Soul Arrows and two dodges later he’s on me but the gang members are down, no more guns.

Dodge Lung’s first punch, Soul Spear, dodge, Spear, dodge, Spear, fuck he’s regenerating  too fast! I switch to my Pyro Glove and cast Power Within, Poison Mist, Toxic Mist and Acid Surge in quick succession. Way too lethal for regular people but it seems to slow him down somewhat. Hopeful, I cast another Soul Spear into the clouds of purple and green, with some luck he should- THWACK.

Before I can react I’m flying backwards, straight into a brick wall, I instinctively gulp some Estus down and heal most of it back up but fuck that hurt. I shake my head and quickly dodge to the side, narrowly missing a fist that buries itself elbow deep into the wall. Lung’s already grown four inches and is starting to gain scales. With no other options I quickly cast my poison combo again and start running. I throw a cluster bomb behind me, judging by the roar that hit its mark too, unfortunately he’s not slowing down much. 

Before I can reach the corner of the street he’s on me again, I dodge out of the way but he clips my shoulder right after, sending me off balance. In a last ditch effort to protect myself I take out an enchanted falchion, a powerful magically infused weapon I’d picked up in the Duke’s Archives. The first few slashes combined with my magic make him back off again. The problem is that he’s only getting stronger . I’m used to my opponents  getting whittled down, Lung is doing the exact opposite of that, each hit ramping him up even more. I tried to counter this with my poisons but apparently that wasn’t enough.

He’s grown into something that almost resembles a genuine dragon now. Scales all over, two wing-like growths bursting from his back and an elongated head radiating with fire. Not one to give up, I blast the ground underneath me with a burst of raw magic, propelling me into the air at high speed. A twist in the air makes it so my sword is aimed right at his draconic face. With a desperate thrust I go right for his eyes, the weak spot on most creatures. My sword goes through, maybe even hitting his brain, but he still reacts too fast. With a single punch I go flying through another building, my sword forgotten, still sticking out of his eye. The last thing I see is a wave of fire before blacking out.

Chapter Text

After stewing in my own incompetence for a bit in Firelink. Truthfully, for the first time in a while, I wanted to just be back in Brockton to deal with the trio and Lung. Just dying right off the bat to get back felt both like a waste and bad for my health though so I went back to Lordran and took my anger out on Seath. I took him down on the first try with a judicious application of pyromancy spells. I got a cool blue sword from him too, the Moonlight Greatsword. I couldn’t exactly use it due to my low strength but it seemed strong, a weapon made specifically for mages. It was also a good consolation prize for dying. Calmed down slightly I returned to Logan only to find him gone. 

I eventually found him in Seath’s original room where he’d gone crazy, dressed only in his big hat with a staff in hand. The sight was extremely awkward and things only got worse when he started firing spells at me. They were relatively easy to dodge and I suspect that he either wasn’t that good of a fighter or had lost most of his ability when going insane. He went down easily but I still felt sad. He’d always been friendly with me, not a friend exactly but a nice acquaintance, and now he was gone.

With his death, I took his staff for myself, both to honor him and because the thing was ridiculously powerful. It doubled my mana consumption but the damage increase was definitely worth it. With something like this I might’ve been able to do enough damage to keep Lung down. I wasn’t going to test it though, I already had a different plan in the making. The last thing I did in the Archives, now that it was somewhat safer with Seath gone, was go through all of the books. In Lordran, I had time, heaps of it, I didn’t get tired there either, so I just went past every single book in the archives, one by one, and picked out anything that seemed even remotely useful. My inventory power truly was incredibly powerful for utility purposes.

Things in Lordran were starting to feel easier in general. Unless they had some regenerator I felt like I could take on most things by now, so long as they didn’t hit me first at least. I did a lot of damage but couldn’t take much of it.

I took the nearest bonfire for a return trip to the sisters, who have been joined by Quelana at some point apparently.

“Ah, my pupil, I was expecting you, excellent.” 

“Hello Quelana.”

Quelaag extends a single leg and gently pokes me in the side with it.

“What, no hello for me or Quelaan? I see how it is.”

I turn towards her with a smile, it’s nice to have a bit of friendly banter in my life again, even if my brain keeps screaming at me that that “friendly” part will fall away in an instant. I do my best to push those parts poisoned by Emma away.

“Hello to you two as well, it’s nice to see you again.”

“It better be.”

She lets out a huff but the playful smile on her face betrays her feelings.

“So, did you take care of Seath?”

“I did, I came to ask who I should go for next.”

All three sisters share a significant look at this. It’s Quelana who answers.

“We believe you should kill the Bed of Chaos next. My mother, The Witch of Izalith, was one of the primeval Lords... Her power came from the soul that she found near the First Flame.

...She focused this power to light a flame of her own, but she failed to control it. The Flame of Chaos engulfed Mother and my siblings, and moulded them into deformed creatures. Only I escaped intact, Quelaag and Quelaan kept their minds apparently but the others did not, and now I am here. My mother and siblings have been in anguish since. Please, free Mother and my siblings from the Flame of Chaos. I cannot do it myself; I lack the strength, and the bravery... But you... I realize what I am asking. But please, free their poor souls... Mother's ambitions were misguided, no doubt, but surely a thousand years of atonement is enough!”

That’s a lot to take in at once but it explains why they’re like this at least. Quelaag and Quelaan seem in agreement too, even if the latter still hasn’t said anything.

“Alright. Who are your siblings? Any tips on how to fight them?”

Quelaag takes over now.

“Our sisters reside with mother, fused to her side, another, our only brother, is closeby, now known as Ceaseless Discharge. He should be the first to go. There are lava sores on his body that act as weak spots of sorts. If you can get his focus and run back to the start there should be some pillars there. If you’re lucky he’ll try to hit you there and get his hand stuck. From there it would be easy to deal with him, just keep attacking his arm. As for mother, she is empowered by our sisters, take them out first and she should fall easily.”

“Alright, I’ll do my best.”

“Thank you Cinder.”

Before I can go, Quelana stops me.

“My pupil, there is one last thing, your friend the knight of the sun, should he reach the sunlight bugs before you, he shall lose himself to them. Once you beat the Demon Firesage, backtrack and take the shortcut down the roots, it should open up due to your allegiance with our covenant. Kill all of them lest you lose your friend.”

“I- okay, thank you.”

“Good luck.”

—T—

Ceaseless Discharge turns out to be just as easy as the sisters told me. Six hits on the end of his arm caused some sort of implosion which was apparently enough to kill him. I found some amazing robes close to him though, the same ones Quelana was wearing. Black trimmed with gold, resistant to fire and most poisons as well as magically reinforced, very nice for a mage. They also obscured my face nicely which would be great for my cape activities.

The rest of the Demon Ruins, surprisingly, weren’t all that much trouble either. Soul Spears, both the regular ones and the crystal variant, blew through most enemies, often literally. I was also invaded by Kirk again, who for some reason was in the same covenant as me, why even attack me then?! Either way, two Crystal Soul Spears put him down too. 

From the nearby bonfire I then rushed towards the Demon Firesage, just like Quelana told me, there was an opening on the right, a shortcut to something. Still following her advice, I fought the demon first. I was really starting to feel powerful after killing him on the first try as well, even if I did take a decent amount of damage. From there I went back, opened up the shortcut, and killed every single bug I could find. Hopefully that would mean Solaire was safe.

Instead of continuing over a long bridge, I went back and found the regular way down, where Solaire’s summoning sign was waiting for me. We went to take on the next foe together, the Centipede Demon. I got off a good few casts before it moved way faster than I thought it could, blasting me into the lava after leaving me half dead and dazed. I managed to dodge its next attack but by then the lava had already gotten to me. 

Getting burned alive still sucked.

—T—

To my relief, I did actually wake up again. It was, also, Monday again. I don’t dwell on it too long and get ready for the day. During my time in Lordran I’d come up with a plan. Step one, put my new Izalith Witch set on and call the PRT.

“This is the PRT helpline. How may I help you?”

The hood of the robes made my voice muffled and sound a little different, which I hoped would mask it enough to be unrecognizable.

“My name is Cinder, I’m a parahuman with precognition of sorts, I have information that I believe the protectorate would like to know about.”

There was silence for a few seconds, maybe she was looking up protocol for this.

“We would prefer to set up an appointment for such information ma’am. Be aware that if you are merely pretending to be a parahuman that possible sanctions may apply.”

That made sense, especially with the amount of cape groupies who might try this kind of stuff to meet one of their idols.

“I understand, the information is relevant to today, for around eight pm, if that helps. I should be able to make it to the PRT building at any time after ten am, is that doable?”

“Of course, please hold.”

I can hear some clicking in the background, likely a keyboard. It doesn’t take too long for her to reply again.

“Would two pm be suitable ma’am?”

“Perfectly, I’ll see you then.”

Before I can hang up she calls out to me again.

“Ah, could I have a general description of your costume ma’am?”

“Black robes trimmed with gold, is that good enough?”

“Certainly, have a pleasant day ma’am.”

“You too.”

That went well, step one done.

Step two, go to school and mess with the trio.

—T—

Just like… yesterday? The Monday before this? Well, just like last time, I took the bus to school. From there, I used my eidetic memory to take the exact same route as yesterday, down to keeping my body language relatively similar. Again, just like last time, the trio ambushed me, however, this time I was prepared.

Lean to the side, small step back, stick foot out, trip up Sophia. Excellent. Before she can recover I take two steps back, bringing me into Emma’s range. 

“You’re finally back!”
“You’re finally back!”

Perfectly synched, I match her word for word. She reels back slightly, confused. 

“You’re getting predictable Emma. Let me guess. ‘Oh Taylor, You’re finally back! I was joking last time you know, but then you left for a whole week. Did you actually spend it all crying? You’re such a loser honestly. What was it this time, still thinking about your stupid flute? Maybe about finally getting a phone so you can get some fake friends?’”

Emma’s hanger-ons stand around looking confused by me putting myself down with a completely straight face. Emma herself seems the most confused of all. It almost looks like she’s about to have a breakdown for some reason. It has the intended effect at least, before any of the others can react I walk back towards Blackwell’s office. An extended elbow gets the flunky blocking the way to back off. Step two complete.

Step three was arguably the easiest one of the day. I just went to Blackwell’s office, where I already had an appointment, gave her the papers, told her where to sign, and left again. She seemed happy to be rid of me actually, the feeling was mutual.

Step four, clean out my locker, not that there was much of value left in there, and leave the school. This one was easy too as classes had already started, leaving the hallways free for me to do whatever I wanted. I didn’t have to worry about the teachers either, as if they cared that some student was out of class when they weren’t making a ruckus.

Step five, go back home and bask in my temporary victory.

That felt good , really good. It was a minor victory all things considered, but actually making those bitches back off for once? Priceless, and to top it all off I wouldn’t ever have to go back again. I was officially done with Winslow. Physical proof that it didn’t break me and that I was better than them.

Step six was relatively easy too, survive my appointment with the PRT.

—T—

In moments like these I’m grateful for my inventory power. It’s very handy in Lordran too of course but here? I can just take the bus somewhere, go into a side alley and swap into costume near instantaneously. The walk from my little alley to the PRT building draws some attention but that’s fine, I’ve got a domino mask on underneath the already obscuring robes, the chance of being recognized even without those is very small. 

The PRT building is built more like a small fortress, thick, reinforced walls, bulletproof glass and cameras everywhere. It’s dressed up like an office building but I can recognize it for what it is. At least the reception desk is easy to find, at the end of a small hallway flanked by troopers. They tense up slightly at my approach but not much more than that.

“Hi, I’m Cinder, I have an appointment soon, two pm?”

The woman just nods, probably the same one I called with, and leads me over to the side, one guard follows along. She takes me into a small but comfortable room, one chair on my side, two on the other with a desk in the middle.

“Please wait here, the director will be with you shortly. In the meantime, would you mind filling out these papers? They’re registry forms for the PRT so we know who you are should our patrols bump into you. You can fill in as much or as little as you like. Feel free to grab some refreshments from the machine over there as well.”

Efficient and professional, that’s nice. Since I have some time I decide to look over the papers. Most of it is fairly straightforward, cape name, team affiliation, whether I’m Wards age or over, that sort of thing. I decide to only fill out my name, put my affiliation down as ‘heroic’, for powers I simply put ‘grab-bag, precognition’, since they already know about the precognition anyway. It would also look weird if I started blasting Fireballs and Soul Spears without any other explanation.

I still have to wait a few minutes after finishing, it’s almost been half an hour since I got here actually, but then a stocky woman walks in. She’s gained some pounds over the years but I can see that she used to have a lot of muscle underneath it, the way she walks also betrays pain of some kind, probably centered around her stomach.

“Apologies for the wait, being a director doesn’t allow for a lot of free time unfortunately.”

Perhaps more surprising than the woman is Armsmaster, who enters the room soon after. He doesn’t take a seat, just standing in the corner. 

“I’m Armsmaster, it’s nice to meet you, though you probably knew that much.”

I quickly nod my head and turn back to the woman in front of me when she speaks.

“Director Emily Piggot, a pleasure, you said you had info for us?”

“I do, at eight thirty two this evening, Lung will be at the docks, talking about shooting kids. I don’t think I should take him on by myself so I figured I should let you know about it.”

Both seem momentarily surprised but gather themselves quickly, the director looks sceptical until Armsmaster speaks up. 

“She’s telling the truth.”

He sounds very sure about it, maybe he has a lie detector or something? The director settles back down, rubbing her temples.

“Well, that’s just fantastic , how exactly did you get this information?”

They must already know about the precognitive part, so they’re probably just fishing for more information, it is a pretty strong claim. Time for some misdirection, I hold my hand out and make a small wisp of fire dance on it, it puts the others on edge but helps to sell my performance.

“My powers are connected to fire, through it I can occasionally get glimpses of the future. As far as I know, they’re always accurate. I’ve been using it to prevent some robberies and such but this is… too big for me, too dangerous.”

Piggot nods her head, she seems to believe me.

“Hence the name Cinder… Any other details? A specific place? The reason he wants to attack children?”

I shake my head, making my hood billow slightly.

“I don’t have the context for it, I can point out where he’ll be on a map though if you get me one.”

Instead of answering, Armsmaster steps closer and sticks his gauntlet out. Some sort of holographic projection of the bay blinks into existence above it. Very handy.

“Over here, if you keep an eye on this general area you should be able to find him easily. There’ll be seven other ABB members with him too.”

The map blinks back out, though I’m sure he has a recording of the marked area somewhere. Apparently it’s Armsmaster’s turn to talk now.

“Would you consider joining the protectorate? We could use someone with your powers, our capturing efficiency would benefit a lot from it. If your power is consistent at all, we might even be able to clean the bay up some more. Besides that, the average solo hero has a disturbingly short lifespan on average, working with us would make things much safer for you.”

The way he says it makes it sound… tempting. I don’t exactly want to join them though, I’ve been doing fine so far on my own. No clashing personalities, no useless restrictions and, well… mortality doesn’t seem to trouble me much, not for long anyway.

“No thank you, but I wouldn’t mind working with you again if it’s needed.”

He nods his head and steps back. The director reaches under the table, pulling out a phone from a drawer.

“This is a burner phone, the number of a PRT handler is preprogrammed into it, that way we’ll be able to stay in contact. It’s completely free of any tracking and listening equipment to protect your privacy. Keep in mind that this too is subject to sanctions if it’s abused. You seem to have a good head on your shoulders, I suggest you use it. If there’s nothing else I wish you a pleasant day.”

I nod my head and stand up, satisfied.

“The same to you, director.”

A successful day overall, I’d say.

Chapter Text

I kept an eye on the news for a while after my visit to the PRT, despite that, I couldn’t find anything about Lung, making me a bit worried. Two things kept me calm anyway, one, I hadn’t heard anything on the news about Lung killing any kids, and two, there was no news about a rampage either . Which either meant that the PRT diffused the situation or captured Lung and didn’t want to talk about it for some reason. Probably to keep things from breaking out into a gang war but I couldn’t be sure.

My day life improved drastically in those few days too. Home schooling was way, way better than Winslow, purely because I didn’t have to deal with any petty bullying attempts. I could learn things at my own pace here. Because of my improved intellect I was breezing through the course work too. It was boring, but blissfully peaceful. I felt happier than I had in a long time.

Things in Lordran went as smooth as they could be going too. I took down the Centipede Demon on the second try with help from Solaire. Afterwards I found him sulking a bit further ahead. Apparently his quest for a personal sun wasn’t going too well. After killing those bugs in the shortcut… I could see how he could ‘lose himself’ to them. They were like miniature suns you could put on your head. I managed to comfort him some, but I had a feeling he would’ve gone for the bugs even after that if I hadn’t killed them. Maybe I could smuggle a flashlight down here somehow. 

The rest of Lost Izalith was, well, about as close to hell as you can get. Despite this, it wasn’t too difficult to survive. With the Orange Charred Ring and my robes, the lava was merely unpleasant instead of an active hazard. Even the creatures there died to a Soul Spear or two. It felt like I’d come a long way from when I first started.

Of course, that’s when Lordran decided to spit in my face for feeling too confident. 

The culprit this time was the Bed of Chaos. That… thing, looked mostly like tree roots that came to life with three burning orbs, two on either side and one in the middle. Getting to the first one on the side was easy enough, unfortunately, that pissed it off. I’m not sure what it was doing exactly but it thrashed around and opened a bunch of giant holes in the ground, too big to jump over. Normally I’d have been able to walk around them but that’s where the main problem of this fight came in, the roots would swipe over the arena in huge sweeping arcs, trying to knock me in. 

I died three times to that thing, three nights wasted just running towards glowy root balls. Despite my growing strength I was still weak to things that could withstand my attacks for a while, especially if they were fast enough to close in on me. I needed more speed, or more strength, to knock it back, and had neither. 

Besides that there was still my greatest weakness, gravity, shouldn’t have tempted fate by feeling like this place was easy.

Once I finally reached the bug-like creature in the middle, the cause of all of this, I killed it by stomping on it in frustration. Another trip to the sisters was in order.

—T—

“Cinder! I almost thought you didn’t like me anymore. Oh and look at you, so cute in those robes, I could just eat you up!”

I let out a soft snort, my cheeks coloring brightly despite trying to hold back, making Quelaag grin even wider.

“I don’t think that’ll happen anytime soon.”

Despite the friendly atmosphere, they seem to be anticipating it when I give them the news.

“I killed the Bed of Chaos, the other ones too.”

Quelaag and Quelana both give somber nods, the mood in the room taking a dive, Quelaan just looks vaguely sad, but that’s what she usually looks like. Quelana seems happiest about it and is the first who speaks up.

“Outstanding... You have done very well. Thank you, I am blessed to have met you. I suppose I can call you a fool no longer. I can hardly thank you enough. Please take this... It is all of me.”

She hands me a scroll, Fire Tempest, a pyromancy even more powerful than Chaos Storm and Firestorm. 

“Oh, thank you… “

It’s a bit awkward telling someone you killed their mother, even in circumstances like this. I do my best to just push past it.

“So, any tips on where I should go now?”

Quelana answers again.

“Gravelord Nito should be a prime target for you, the sunlight maggot will light your way through his dark catacombs now.”

I smile and give them a light bow, waving them goodbye. Time to go down a tree.

—T—

Before Nito, I decide to check out the giant hollow tree on the far end of the swamp. My Firekeeper told me there’d be something interesting inside if I reached the end.

Despite nearly falling to my death multiple times, I somehow made it down the tree safely. There was a hydra down… wherever that was. It looked like a gigantic cave with a lake and some islands  inside it. Both beautiful and surreal. I found what I was looking for at the end, a genuine dragon. Not something corrupted like the Gaping Dragon, not some small fire breathing thing that roasted me on a bridge two months ago, not even a weird alien dragon that Lung could become.

No, a real, high fantasy dragon, arms, legs, and four wings, incredibly muscled, tough scales, and an aura that screamed danger, despite the placid position it was in. It didn’t exactly communicate normally, I would speak, and in return it would give me ideas, complete concepts chained together to form a thought. It told me of its species, how most of them died out to the Lords, how spawning life had given them a corrupted existence. It told me that it would give me its power, in return for scales and joining its covenant, that I wouldn’t have to pay as much, for my own existence was a strange one in this place. 

I wouldn’t have to abandon the covenant of the sisters so I accepted, maybe it was risky, but I believed what it told me. After giving over every scale I had, it gave me a stone in return, a flat, gray thing, brimming with magic, a black dragon inscribed on top. Activating it… was an experience. With a loud roar and the crackling of bones I transformed into something similar to priscilla. Only, instead of white and fluffy I looked more like the stone dragon. Thick black scales covering most of my body, growing thinner towards my face and hands, almost like a second suit of armor. Surprisingly, my robes just grew with it. Despite the height, this would be very handy, making me tougher, stronger, and able to breathe fire.

The grin only left my face much later, after getting ganged up on by a bunch of skeletons and necromancers in the catacombs.

—T—

The following day was, initially, more of the same, I’d been homeschooling for four days now and was settling into a routine easily. Wake up, eat breakfast, shower, go to the library, complete my courses. Today, that last step was interrupted by multiple explosions going off in rapid succession, some of those sounded close even. I quickly left the library, moving towards them. I wasn’t sure what I’d do about the explosions but I'd surely find some way to help.

As I got closer the explosions became more infrequent but they didn’t stop completely, once I got close I got my first look at what exactly was going on. One house, on the side, completely turned into glass, another, further ahead, was turned into a bunch of swirling rubble, like a floating, swirling jigsaw puzzle made out of house and people. 

I ran closer towards what I assumed to be the source, deeper into the docks. I used my newly acquired dragon form along with some general magic blasts to help people get out of rubble where I could. More often than not there wasn’t anything left to save. After thirty minutes of this I heard an explosion right next to me, followed by an incredible force squeezing me into a pinprick.

—T—

“Welcome home Ashen One.”

Well shit, second death in four days, not a great track record, at least I know the cooldown is shorter than a week now.

“Hello Firekeeper.”

For the second time now, I wish I could go back to Brockton immediately but again, it feels like a waste. I need every little bit of strength I can get to deal with whatever, or whoever, is setting those explosions off. I’ll just have to use part of my time spent in Lordran to come up with another plan. It worked out last time and hopefully the PRT will take me even more seriously about this.

I let out a sigh and slowly stand up, still in my dragon form and robes, they didn’t do much against whatever effect that explosion caused apparently. I give the Firekeeper a tired smile and get a polite one back.

“Any tips for today?”

She tilts her head to the side, considering.

“Once you reach Nito, simply focus on him, the skeletons will simply keep coming back until he dies.”

Huh, alright.

“Thank you, for this and… everything else you do for me.”

“It is my pleasure Ashen One, good luck.”

Back to Lordran I go.

—T—

I’m not sure why but going through the catacombs is laughably easy. All I have to do is manage my mana and everything goes down. The skeletons do come back after some time but by then I’m usually way past them. The first… boss… that I find in the area, if you can even call it that, is Pinwheel. I’m hesitant to call it a boss because it went down in exactly two Crystal Soul Spears. Some of those skeletons were worse to deal with. Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth I guess?

I climb up some stairs and find out why the sunlight maggot is needed now, a pitch black pit that I have to pass through. After equipping it, going through the area isn’t too bad though. There’s some giant skeletons but they’re not that bad to dodge, or kill. I do run into someone interesting named Patches the Hyena halfway through. Before I can even say anything he’s already talking to me.

“Good day! You look reasonably sane! What are you doing in the Catacombs? Are you a cleric or something?”

“Wha- uh, no, I’m a sorcerer.”

“No? Really? Then I have no qualms telling you. There's a fine stash of treasure right down that hole! I found it first, but we're friends now! Go on, take a peek. It'll shimmer you blind! Heh heh heh…”

This guy is weird even for Lordran, he talks like a car salesman or something, definitely sleezy. He’s also weirdly amusing though, hmm. Well, worst case scenario I die and get back to Brockton easier, I’ve got a plan by now anyway. 

With that thought in mind I stepforward, looking down over the ledge, only to get pushed in immediately by Patches. The drop isn’t all that far but it’s still annoying, I glare back up at the ledge, seeing him hang over it.
 

“Heh heh, this is what I do, my friend. The trinkets I'll be stripping off your corpse; that's the real treasure! Nyah hah hah hah! “

What a weirdo. 

There’s some nice stuff down here but it’s really not worth getting pushed in. A bit further ahead I run into something, or someone, a bit more interesting, some cleric that I’d met back in Firelink, if only once. Rae maybe, no… Reah, that was it, Reah of Thorolund.

“Um, hey, you ok?”

She jolts up, startled, looking at me with wide eyes. Once she sees that I’m not attacking immediately she slumps back against the rock behind her.

“You're no Hollow, are you? Thank goodness. Please be careful. There are two fierce Hollows not far from here. They were once brave knights... my former escorts. Who would let such strong spirits be Hollowed so? Heavens... Is there nothing... Nothing at all to be done.“

She trails off towards the end, mumbling to herself. What is with these people, why were they going hollow so easily, they didn’t even die permanently! They could just come back like me! Baffling. 

The hollows in question die easily enough to some Soul Spears. I turn back around to tell Reah about it, who’s still mumbling to herself.

“You’re back! You banished those two Hollows did you? It pains me to think of the trouble my failings have caused. I am certain both Vince and Nico are grateful to you. Thank you so very much. Here, these belonged to them. You deserve them more than I. “

She hands me over a scroll which is… Replenishment, a miracle, something I can’t use… well, I’ll just keep it anyway.

“Thank you, be careful getting out.”

From there I find a way back up to Patches, who seems distinctly nervous when he notices me standing there again. Good.

“...Oh, you, I... Well, let's just calm down. Talk about things... I did you wrong. But, I didn't mean it. These...temptations, they can, well, overcome me... You know what I mean? Don't you? Please forgive me. You and me, we're jolly Undead outcasts, aren't we?”

I stare him down for a while, making him sweat for a bit, I imagine my dragon form makes it even more nerve wracking. It’s kind of fun.

“Sure, one more chance, don’t fuck it up.”

“Oh, brilliant! A second chance! Wonderful! I had a feeling you'd understand, I did! But if I were in your shoes... Ooh! Who knows what I'd have done? But now... We're friends again, eh? Heh heh heh…”

Despite my annoyance I find a little smile growing on my face, I’m not sure why he’s amusing, he just is, like an evil court jester or something.

“I might call upon you to help me sometime, you better answer.”

“Oh yes yes, of course, I make a great merchant you know.”

Now that, I can believe.

“Good, don’t bother too many other people, and let Reah leave.”

After some more bowing and apologies I take my leave, the way out of the dark doesn’t take too much longer. I’m invaded by some guy called Leeroy but he’s dispatched easily enough. After that it’s some more weird skeletons, including creepy skeleton babies, and then I’m fighting Nito. Honestly, he’s easy too. I can just blast Crystal Soul Spears at him in quick succession until he’s done for. I only had to use two Estus for it too, that’s practically nothing!

With another Lord Soul down, I make my way back to Firelink Shrine and from there down to New Londo Ruins. Surprisingly, I also make it past everything there until I reach the Four Kings, the holders of the last Lord Soul. The only reason I could even fight them was because I’d gotten a ring from that big wolf with a sword in Darkroot Basin. That was one of the few deaths in Lordran that I felt truly sad about. 

The kings are much tougher than Nito, I managed to kill one of them but that still left me in a three versus one fight. They killed me soon after by just overwhelming me.

—T—

I wake up, feeling a dark blast still tingling along my right side. That was one of the longest trips to Lordran I’ve done so far, I’m definitely getting stronger. A quick glance at the clock tells me that I’ve indeed had my day reset, time to get to work.

Chapter Text

Like the last time I was outmatched, the first step in my plan was to call for backup. Similarly, this backup was the PRT. I simply did not have the manpower, or omnipotence, to protect and save enough people. As such, the first thing I did was call them on my new phone, still painful to have, but worth it for things like this.

“You’ve reached the PRT, what can I help you with?”

Ah, right, my contact was a ‘handler’.

“Hello, this is Cinder, I have urgent information for you, it’s a matter of life and death.”

Dramatic maybe, but true nonetheless. I can hear a few keys clicking away in the background before she responds again.

“Of course ma’am, I’ll be linking you through to our console.”

Wait, console? What does that-

“This is Velocity, console duty, you said you had urgent information?”

“Uh, yes, in about five hours explosives will start going off in the docks, the effects vary from turning things into glass to spatial anomalies and miniature black holes. I don’t know what or who sets them off or where they’re coming from, but people will die.”

There’s a slightly stunned silence in the background, I’m not sure what’s going on exactly but after almost a minute of this I’m getting a bit concerned.

“Hello? Am I still connected?”

“You are, sorry, fuck, I was looking up who you were exactly, precog right? You’re sure of this?”

“One hundred percent, last time I contacted the PRT Armsmaster had me point out where things would be happening on a map. I can do so again but only for a set amount of houses. I didn’t see everything.”

“Right, can you get to the Rig?”

“If you can supply a boat or something to get me there, then yes, in about forty minutes.”

“I’ll send someone to pick you up. Look for the sign saying ‘rig dropoff point’, it’s pretty close to the north ferry station bus stop.”

With that he hangs up again. Well, it’s nice to see that they believed me so easily, guess they did manage to run into Lung then. If they didn’t there would be no reason to trust me like this.

—T—

The trip to the Rig is pretty straightforward, take a bus, change to my costume and dragon form in a secluded spot, then run to the pickup. It’s easy to spot considering it’s the only place with PRT agents mulling around. They tense up slightly at my approach.

“Hi, I’m Cinder, here for a trip to the Rig.”

The closest agent nods but doesn’t go towards the boat. 

“Change of plans ma’am, the director requested that this meeting be held in the PRT headquarters instead.”

He signals to a black armored van standing off to the side. All this running around annoys me a little but I get in anyway. The trip there is filled with tense silence that none of us feel like breaking. Another thirty minutes later we reach the PRT building, the agents just drive into a garage at the back, then lead me further inside. We end up in a fairly big, rectangular room, with a large, glowing table in the middle, a map of the Bay displayed on it. The director turns to me with a sour look on her face. Gesturing towards the map.

“Cinder, good, I will warn you now, we do not take things like this likely, if your info turns out to be unreliable we may have to… put more pressure on you.”

Ah, so they’d use it to shove me into their group by force. She seems much less pleasant this time, maybe I just caught her on a good day, or maybe she’s just not a morning person.

“Understandable, I wouldn’t joke about something like this, ma’am.”

There’s a few others in the room, Velocity, who called with me, Miss Milita and Triumph, Armsmaster is apparently connected to the table remotely because I can see his masked face in a brightly lit room in a small video feed on the side. If this had happened to me a few months ago I would’ve been over the moon about meeting my heroes. Now though, I just want to get this over with so we can save people.

“Right, as I said, in about four hours from now, explosions will start going off. I don’t know what or who sets them off, or causes them. The effects of these explosions vary a lot. I saw a house turned completely into glass along with everything inside, temporal distortions and even a microscopic black hole.”

I lean forward a bit and point out the ones I can remember on the map, they light up one by one until I’ve done all the ones I can remember.

“Keep in mind that there were way more further into the docks, I’m not sure how many or where exactly, this is all I could get.”

The people around me look grim, the director especially.

“How do you know there were more further in?”

“What?”

She gives me another sour look and points at the map again.

“How do you know there were more further in, I was under the impression that your power was purely visual.”

Fishing for information even in a situation like this, she’s good at what she does at least.

“It’s more of a ‘vision’ of sorts, a lived experience, I could hear them, that’s how I knew what Lung was talking about last time.”

Come to think of it, I didn’t explain this back then, which might be why she asked. Sharp woman.

“Your info on Lung was accurate, which is why we’re extending some trust. Anything else? Can you use your power to give current information as well?”

I shake my head, I could help in search and rescue but that’s not part of the plan.

“No, only future sight, sorry.”

“Hmm. The reason we’re believing you on this is twofold. One, your info on Lung, two, the Cornell bomber, we suspect she triggered with parahuman powers and blew up part of her old school. After that she disappeared. If the explosions are as many and as varied as you claim, then she’s likely behind it.”

Ah, so I’m looking for a villain, that’s good to know. Miss Militia speaks up this time, pulling my attention away, she has a nice voice.

“That’s fine, if even half of this is accurate we’ll be saving a lot of lives today. Are you sure you wouldn’t want to join up? I think we’d work well together.”

Well at least they’re still being nice about it.

“No thank you, I’ll think about it though.”

That seems to placate them enough to not bring it up again, soon enough I’m out of the building again and on my way to the docks. The PRT were brought in to protect the civilians, that doesn’t mean I should just sit around when I could try to track down this Cornell bomber by myself.

—T—

It takes me the entire four remaining hours to track down the bomber, by then she’d already started another killing spree. I can only hope that the PRT did its job and evacuated some people. I only found her because she was making that much noise. She was driving around in a jeep, speeding behind a bunch of gigantic dogs, cackling like mad and shooting grenades from a launcher almost constantly.

“THAT’S RIGHT BITCHES, FEAR ME, FEAR BAKUDA!”

I had no idea who the dog riders were but it was pretty clear that this was the person setting off the bombs. I figured the solution to at least a part of this problem was simple.

Soul Spear to the engine.

The result is more explosive than I thought it would be, but it sure does the job of stopping the car. It doesn’t flip over or anything but without an engine and with a huge plume of smoke blocking their vision they can’t really go anywhere either. I hear a loud screech of frustration, distorted by the gas mask she’s wearing, and then grenades start flying at me instead.

The first few are easy to dodge but things only get more hectic from there. The grenades that I managed to dodge set off all sorts of odd effects around me, from destabilizing the ground to loud sonic blasts that disorient me. I utilize the same trick I used on Lung and blast magic under me, sending me flying in a different direction. All it does is buy me some time to send off a Soul Spear or two before this area is completely unusable as well.

I try poisons but her gas mask filters all of that out apparently, on top of that she’s able to see through the purple clouds too, putting me at a disadvantage. Acid Splash yields more results, burning away her costume and skin where it touches, but doesn’t go deep enough just yet to be lethal. 

By now, the dogs have turned back around and are surrounding Bakuda, she tries to take aim at them but seems to stumble and her grenade flies wide. Thick black clouds of smoke emanate from one of the riders, obscuring her from vision completely, which just sets her off. Grenades fly out of the cloud with wild abandon, turning the street into a weird kaleidoscope of different effects. One of the dogs advances on me, its rider clad in a purple suit, blonde hair on top.

“It’s not safe here! We gotta leave, now!”

She sticks a hand out and I quickly climb with her on the dog. We only make it a few houses before a reverberating BOOM throws us off again. The blast hit smoke guy the hardest, he seems completely out of it as his smoke dissipates. The others aren’t doing too much better, knocked on the ground and bleeding from their ears, they were already in a rough state before trying to help me, this just made it worse.

My vision is blurry but that’s fixed easily with a sip of my flask. I can see Bakuda and two ABB members standing in the distance, though they’re approaching quickly. They stop about fifty meters away, more than enough to accurately fire grenades at us from a safe distance. I get up again and ready my staff. The others haven’t recovered enough to stand up so I’ll have to defend them too. My Soul Spears worked on the car because I was using them at full power, making them much faster. To fight Bakuda I had to dial back the power to not kill her instantly, which made them much slower too, unfortunately that also made them much easier to dodge, so I had to work with other spells.

I managed to send the first grenade back with a pulse of magic, after that I quickly move so that I’m no longer directly in front of my would be rescuers. I’m experienced in dealing with regular firebombs, these things are very much not regular in any sense. 

In a desperate bid to save some time I launch myself directly at Bakuda, sword first. I manage to cover the distance but she has enough time to dodge to the side and gets two more shots off, to which I retaliate with another Acid Splash. This one hits home but that only seems to piss her off more.

Instead of just shooting some more, she grabs one of the guys next to her and shoves him towards me, I barely have enough time to dodge out of his way when his head explodes too . The sudden shower of viscera coupled with the shock that she’d rig up her own people stuns me for just long enough that her next bomb hits.

Pain like I’ve never felt before shoots through my whole body. Worse than getting stabbed, worse than getting set on fire, worse than burning alive in actual lava. Worse than all of the deaths I’ve had up to this point.

“That’s right, bitch , you don’t fuck with Bakuda !”

I try to fight through the pain but she’s already in front of me, the last thing I hear is the pin of a grenade falling to the ground, right before my whole body turns to glass.

Chapter Text

Well, that was fast… From my longest time in Lordran to the shortest in Brockton. At least I’m alive still so, that’s a plus? What the hell was that anyway? A pain bomb or something? Absolutely awful , let’s hope that doesn’t happen next time.

I should really look into some better non lethal options. Unfortunately Lordran doesn’t really seem to believe in those. Hmm. I rifle through my inventory and find… a club. Very basic, but should get the job done in a pinch. Surprisingly my powers do actually have a ‘how to knock people out’ move for the club. What else, what else… Poison Mist and Toxic Mist combined with Remedy? A bit dangerous but it should work in theory. They’re better options than just casting extremely slow soul magic over and over again at least.

“Welcome home, Ashen One.”

Ah, the soothing voice of the Firekeeper. That’s nice to wake up to, at least.

“Hello.”

We stay in companionable silence for a while, just taking some time to rest and recover while looking into the fire.

“Hey Keeper, can I die? Like, permanently? Is there some sort of time limit in which people can kill me too fast to revive? Why do I even keep reviving?”

She walks a bit closer until she’s in my field of vision, taking a seat on the steps of the shrine.

“You hold the power of the Dark Soul that humanity was blessed with. Because of this, you cannot die unless you wish to. So long as your willpower, your determination, stays strong, you shall not succumb to death.”

Interesting… I think she told me something similar when all of this started but I don’t remember much of it, on account of just having gone through a traumatic experience and then having an even more traumatic experience.

“Hmm, is it just my soul? What if I grow really old?”

“Collecting souls will slowly bring you to a more ideal condition should you work on it, regardless of your physical age. Gaining more arcane will also help with this. Lastly, the Dark Soul is such that your very emotions will fuel it, which in turn may affect your body.”

… Well then! Apparently my powers include functional immortality with an off switch! 

I take some time to work through this information. I was still expecting to grow old of course, in that vague, nebulous sort of way that thinking that far into the future does. Then there were all the times I’d face my own mortality, dying over and over again in a bid to make a difference in this world. Lastly, the newly added information that I’m functionally immortal. It’s… a lot.

The Firekeeper hums a soft tune, settling my frayed mind a bit. In the end, this doesn’t really change much. Or well, nothing immediate anyway. My goals were still the same, I just might have more time for them than I thought I did… if Earth Bet could survive that long… On second thought, best to hurry up still.

—T—

It is now Friday for a third time. 

Oh joy.

My call to the PRT goes similarly but with some deviations. 

“Please patch me through to the director instead of console if possible, I believe she’ll want to hear about this.”

“I- I’m not sure I can do that ma’am but I’ll send the request through at least, would you like to stay on the line until then?”

“Yes please.”

Apparently it only takes five minutes, not bad at all.

“This is director Piggot, you said you had urgent information?”

“In about five hours explosives will start going off in the docks, the effects vary from turning things into glass to spatial anomalies and miniature black holes. A lot of people will die, the person behind this calls herself Bakuda, you’ll know her as the Cornell Bomber. If you want I can show you where she’ll be after the bombs go off, I don’t know where she is before then unfortunately.”

Silence, except for soft breathing from the other side. 

“... I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt because your tip about Lung turned out to be correct. How soon can you get to the PRT headquarters?”

“Thirty minutes.”

“Good, come in through the back, I'll have someone let you in.”

No rest for the wicked.

—T—

This trip is much more efficient than the one from… the day before, even if it might be handy to know where a Rig dropoff point is. The bus, my good friend, drops me off pretty close, I change into dragon form and quickly make my way through the backdoor. The agent leads me to the same conference room as last time, glowing map table already set up. The director, surprisingly, looks less sour. Maybe she has problems with people trying to ‘go around her’ in her eyes. The heroes are mostly the same, though Velocity isn’t here this time, replaced instead by Battery.

“Cinder, good, I will warn you now, we do not take things like this likely, if your info turns out to be unreliable we may have to… put more pressure on you.”

Damn. Deja vu.

“Understandable, I wouldn’t joke about something like this, ma’am.”

Instead of going through the whole spiel again I go over to the map and start pointing out relevant spots.

“Explosions will be set up in these locations. Bakuda will be right here about fifteen minutes after they start going off. Unfortunately I don’t know where she’ll be before that or we’d be able to stop them from going off entirely.”

The heroes seem grim, dark frowns on their faces, same as last time. Just like last time, the director speaks up first, though the question is different.

“This seems much more detailed than the info you gave us last time. Any particular reason?”

This is actually a better question to answer than the previous one, nice.

“I believe that the more dangerous something is, the clearer I can see it. If it works on Endbringers I’ll do my best to let you know too.”

There’s a collective tensing at the mention of those things but the sentiment is appreciated.

“See that you do. Anything else?”

“When I said varied effects I mean pretty much anything goes, in the vision I got hit with a painbomb, extremely unpleasant.”

She raises an eyebrow at that little tidbit and nods her head.

“We’ll make sure to be careful. I’d like to start planning now. Any other powers that could help?”

“No ma’am. I’ll see myself out.”

“Good, you should consider our offer to join us too, it would make things like this go smoother.”

“I’ll consider it.”

A less convincing pitch as a result of a better briefing, interesting, but not worth dwelling on. Now that I knew her general area I could probably help save those dog riders from last time.

—T—

I found them, eventually, by the clouds of darkness hovering over a bunch of lockers in the docks. Fall Control combined with magic blasts for height gave me a decent vantage point to watch from. I went over the rooftops to get closer, not that I could see much through the darkness.

The first thing I noticed was an explosion being set off roughly in the middle of them, blasting down a few lockers. I muffled my movements with Hush, then crept closer, with the darkness floating around and the general trash lying around I blended in pretty well actually. My robes made me look more like a bunch of torn up canvas or trash bags than a cape trying to hide.

I moved closer but didn’t attack yet. Three of the dog riders were there, darkness guy, purple suit and fancy dress. They looked a bit charred but not anything terrible. That did beg the question of where the dog girl herself was. Maybe I could- ah, there’s Bakuda. I was lucky that the dragon form enhanced my sight, scent and hearing somewhat, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to spot them as easily.

Aaand there she goes again, darkness guy does make things pretty annoying for everyone else. Then- another black hole? Something sucking in the darkness and a bunch of other stuff at least. Still, if I charged in now I’d just die again. Next, a slow motion bomb or something? Too bad Bakuda killed so many innocents, it would've been fun to use her bombs, I’d gotten an appreciation for those myself after making my first few clusters of them.

Hmm, the riders were going over the lockers now, smart, Bakuda probably trapped the ground below. I should also really look into some more utility spells. Being able to blast myself up and slow my fall was all well and good but being able to pull the three to me with some magic would’ve been very handy.

Ah, there’s the jeep! I did wonder when she’d get into it, there were a bunch of explosives already, though no rampage yet. I probably had some more time, had to time this carefully. 

Two more turns and- Bakuda had them trapped, hmm. I could go in already but I knew that they’d get out of this somehow, I just had to wait things out some more. Presumably she went on that rampage because they escaped. I just had to find a gap between then and now to take her down. 

Hoo boy…

Was she… was she making someone shoot the riders? Damn, sadistic too, what an annoyance. I had to get closer. A few silent hops over the lockers took care of that, my dark robes hiding me pretty well. I didn’t hear what they were saying but Bakuda kicked the guy down, then, without signal or command, there was a vibration and the guy liquified . What the fuck . 

Then she started laughing.

Yeah, Bakuda was going to die. Maybe I was still holding a grudge from the two previous times she killed me but, monsters like that just needed to be put down, my time in Lordran had taught me that much at least.

Then, fancy guy started talking.

“That was pretty cool.”

He got a lot of wide eyed looks for that, but he wasn’t… completely incorrect. Weird, maybe I was getting desensitized. Bakuda turned back to him, apparently happy by the compliment.

“I know, right? I modeled it off Tesla’s work in vibrations.  He theorized that if you could get the right frequency, you could shatter the Earth it-”

Fancy guy jumped back in, voice still flat and only mildly interested, like he was talking about the weather.

“No offense. Well, I’ll rephrase: I don’t really care about offending you.  Don’t shoot me though.  I just want to stop you there and say I don’t care about the science stuff and all the technobabble about how you did it.  It’s boring.  I’m just saying it’s kind of neat to see what a person looks like when dissolved down like that.  Gross, creepy, fucked up, but it’s neat.”

Bakuda loved the attention apparently, despite him calling the science stuff boring.

“Yes! Like the answer to a question you didn’t know you were asking!”

“How’d you do it?  You stuck bombs in these civilians to get them to work for you?”

“Everyone,” Bakuda answered, almost delirious on the high of her successful ‘experiment’ and Regent’s attention.  She half skipped, half spun through the crowd and leaned against one of her thugs, patting his cheek, “Even my most loyal.  Bitch of a thing to do.  Not the actual procedure of sticking the things inside their heads.  After the first twenty, I could do the surgeries with my eyes closed.  Literally.  I actually did a few that way.”

She pouted, “But having to tranquilize the first dozen or so and do the surgeries on them before they woke up, so I’d have the manpower to round up everyone else?  One after the other?  Really tedious once the novelty wears off.”

“I’d be too lazy to do that, even if I had your powers. Can I approach the body? Get a better look?”

And just like that, any apparent goodwill was lost again. Bakuda’s voice was tight as she replied.

“No.  Don’t think I don’t know you’re trying something.  I’m a fucking genius, get it?  I can think twelve moves ahead before you’ve even decided on your first.  It’s why you’re standing there and I…” she hoisted herself up so she was sitting on the side of the Jeep, “Am sitting here.”

Fancy guy held his hands up, slowly, in a gesture of surrender.

“Chill the fuck out, I was just asking.”

Well, at least that explained why there were that many explosions, and why she had so many minions… Shit, a megalomaniac specializing in bombs with no qualms about sacrificing any of them, she had a deadman’s switch didn’t she? I’d have to find out how she was controlling those bombs before taking her out. 

As subtly as possible, I moved a bit closer, trying to let purple suit see me. Before anything could come of that though, Bakuda concluded her presentation with something about ‘unpredictability’ and set off another bomb in the middle of her own people, sending them scrambling. The riders took the chance to flee too, though it was clear that Bakuda was just baiting them, using them as entertainment. She just got back in the jeep to follow behind them, what a lunatic.

Smoke guy apparently decided to go for a feint, it looked like he got hit by the jeep and then came out of it fine after, hmm. Ah, and there’s one of those pain bombs, yikes. The question was, should I step in already or look for a better opportunity. I almost felt annoyed that I hadn’t been able to see all this the first time around, then I could’ve at least looked for a good time to strike already, improvising was fine but prepared takedowns even better.

Unfortunately, I still didn’t know where dog girl was and had no idea when exactly Bakuda would start setting off the other bombs, so I made an executive decision. 

Blue Tearstone Ring, Ring of Steel Protection, Speckled Stoneplate Ring, Slumbering Dragoncrest Ring and lastly, the Ring of Favor and Protection.

Power Within, Fall Control, Iron Flesh, Aural Decoy to distract.

Magic blast forward, dodge roll, grapple.

Gotcha.

In less than ten seconds I’d managed to sneak up on Bakuda, my falchion to her throat, staff aimed at her lower back to break her spine if needed.

“Where’s the deadman’s switch?”

My voice was cold, steady, uncompromising. I felt powerful, but knew I could die in an instant if I pushed her too far. Silence greeted me, though it was quickly broken by purple suit yelling at me.

“Her toe rings! That’s what she’s controlling everything with!”

Excellent.

Soul Arrow to the lower back to break the spine, swipe of my falchion to cut away her toes, force a tiny bit of Estus down her throat to stabilize her. Falchion to the throat to keep her down.

“The deadman’s switch?”

“I- in her chest, works like a pacemaker.”

“Tsk.”

The ABB soldiers on the side, meanwhile, had their guns pointed at me, though none seemed inclined to shoot, my next comment took care of that too. Bakuda’s wailing was starting to irritate me too.

“Try to shoot me and I’ll kill her, then you all die.”

That seemed to stop most of them, as they didn’t want to call me on my bluff. I was hoping I could kill her, but then I’d have every life lost on my conscience. Something I wanted to avoid because I was still a hero. 

The alternative would have to do. 

This would be experimental too, but at least I’d get something informative out of it. I swapped my staff out for my pyro flame, drawing a horrified gasp from purple suit. With swift strikes of my falchion followed up by a quick sear of flame I took her limbs off. That should render her incapacitated enough. A sip of Estus and… excellent, the stumps grew over completely, leaving her effectively immobile, neat . As a bonus, Bakuda had become silent at some point, finally giving me some peace.

I looked back up, seeing the horrified faces of the remaining ABB members. They still seemed too scared to leave Bakuda, even if I’d taken care of their controls.

“I suggest you all leave before I call the PRT, I disarmed her bomb controls so you won’t die unless she does.”

Still just standing there… Well, nothing else for it.

I stood up to my full size, eight feet tall, all billowing black robes and draconic features, I let my flames fan out behind me as well, bathing me in their glow.

“Leave. Now.”

That got them to scramble, even the actual ABB members. Purple suit and the other two were still on the ground, though they’d inched further away from me while I was working on Bakuda. I try to give them a reassuring smile but purple suit just shudders, making it fall away again.

“You guys can leave too if you want, who are you anyway?”

“I- Tattletale, f-from the Undersiders.”

Did she have a stutter or something? Not that that mattered at all… The undersiders… minor villain group doing robberies and- ah they’d stolen from the Ruby Dreams Casino, something firmly in ABB territory, that would do it. That would make smoke guy Grue and fancy guy Regent, while dog girl was probably Hellhound.

“I’m Cinder, nice to meet you, I do suggest you leave now before I have to take you in for being villains or something. Not sure where Hellhound is either so you should probably go look for her.”

Tattletale made some weird choked noise and then left with the other two, who seemed mostly recovered. Then they booked it as fast as they could. 

I grab my phone and flick it open, dialing the PRT.

“You’ve reached the PRT, what can I help you with?”

“This is Cinder. I’ve caught Bakuda, she’s incapacitated and ready for pickup.”

Today was a good day after all.

Chapter Text

Since we had trounced Über and Leet, it had been one close call after another.  Being surrounded and charged by a mob, being held at gunpoint, escaping a miniature black hole, nearly being frozen in time like bugs in amber, innumerable explosions. We’d escaped each of the threats by the skin of our teeth, knowing all the while that all it would take was one well placed shot, and we were done, gone, out of commission.

All it had taken was one good shot.

Pain, searing pain more intense than even my worst thinker headaches. Consciousness returns slowly, much too slowly against someone like Bakuda.

Wake up, wake up, wake up!

My eyes peel open slowly, I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck and then driven over repeatedly just to make sure I’d really feel it.

This sucks .

My vision is a bit blurry but even through it I can make out Bakuda’s form, the red lenses of that gasmask unmistakable even without my power.

Confident, arrogant, wants to gloat, wants to kill you.

Awesome.

Despite the pain I try to stretch my power, to get more . Anything that would keep us from dying here.

Ding.

A strange high pitched sound echoes at the far end of some lockers. Not the sound of metal, nor anything else I can easily recognize.

Sound is power induced, distraction, source is in a different location.

Before I can find out what the source is by myself, it decides to reveal itself. A massive black shape leaps down from a nearby locker, too fast to be natural. In only a few seconds she’s secured Bakuda, an actual sword pressed to her throat and something else against her back. I can’t make out what because of the angle.

Enhanced, not parahuman, personal grudge against Bakuda, dangerous, wants to kill Bakuda, personal, has been killed by Bakuda, has been killed twice by Bakuda, has died multiple times before, can-

I cut my power off, a headache building, what the fuck do you mean ‘has been killed twice?’ And not a parahuman?! Either my power’s become faulty or something really weird is happening, maybe some anti-thinker effect?

“Where’s the deadman’s switch?”

An utterly cold voice, feminine with a light growl to it, even that doesn’t sound fully human. A glance at Bakuda shows she’s unconcerned.

Confident, self deluding, believes she will win regardless. Plans to detonate her subordinates as a surprise.

“Her toe rings! That’s what she’s controlling everything with!”

In one swift motion the… woman? Sends a blast of blue light at Bakuda’s back making her scream in pain, a sickening crunch follows along with it. Her other hand, the one holding the sword, swipes down straight for Bakuda’s shoes, cutting away the tips from both in a long clean cut. A trail of blue follows behind the sword, giving it an otherworldly glow. Then she tips Bakuda’s head back and forces some golden liquid down her throat, closing up her toe wounds in real time, small stumps growing back already.

Enhanced sword, composition unknown, healing substance, composition unknown, not parahuman in nature.

What the fuck is going on.

“The deadman’s switch?”

That cold voice again…

Not parahuman, not a case 53. Deadman’s switch connected to heartbeat, implanted in chest.

“I- in her chest, works like a pacemaker.”

“Tsk.”

Displeased, wants to kill Bakuda, has killed hundreds, doesn’t want to kill conscripted members.

What the fuck do you mean has killed hundreds?! Why is there some fucking serial killer in the bay?!

Bakuda still hasn’t stopped screaming, probably from the spine fracture, the ABB soldiers don’t seem to know what to do.

“Try to shoot me and I’ll kill her, then you all die.”

Bluffing, doesn’t want to kill them.

Oh thank god, finally some good news. The soldiers back off, which she seems happy about. The staff thing in her left hand disappears, swapped out by a flame.

Plans to cut off Bakuda’s limbs and cauterize them. Finds it an interesting experiment, thinks Bakuda deserves worse, dangerous.

What the fuck !

Watching this is even more gruelling than before, though still not as bad as seeing someone turn into sludge.

Four quick strikes of her sword take off each of Bakuda’s limbs, quickly followed by a burst of flame to cauterize the wounds without any pain relief. Bakuda lasts up to the second limb before she’s passed out. Once all that’s done the cape pours some more golden stuff down her throat, which causes the cauterized limbs to grow over, leaving smooth nubs in their place instead. Who the fuck is this?! Some slaughterhouse recruit?!

Finds this an enjoyable experiment, enjoys learning how her powers and tools interact with the world, not from this world, from this world.

Oh well that’s not horrifying at all! That doesn’t make any sense either! It’s actively contradictory!

“I suggest you all leave before I call the PRT, I disarmed her bomb controls so you won’t die unless she does.”

No movement from the ABB… wait, PRT?!

Thinks she is a hero, loose PRT affiliation, allies at most.

Well that’s just great.

Annoyed by the lack of reaction she draws herself up to her full height, eight feet of lean muscle, combined with black scales and pale skin underneath billowing black robes. Fire fans out behind her like great wings. Once again, who the fuck is this?! Lung’s long lost daughter or something?!

“Leave. Now.”

Well, that did the trick at least, within moments all of the ABB members are gone. I scramble back a little but my legs don’t want to cooperate just yet apparently. Brian and Alec are also awake by now and recovering decently, I’m not happy with our odds against this monster though. Then she turns to me and gives me the most horrifying smile I’ve seen yet. Cold confidence in her own abilities, teeth too long and sharp to be human, green eyes slitted like a reptile, every little bit screaming predator at me. At least she cuts that off pretty soon.

“You guys can leave too if you want, who are you anyway?”

Came here partially to rescue you from Bakuda, likes you, doesn’t know who you are, reacts best to honesty.

“I- Tattletale, f-from the undersiders.”

Looks like my power got that bit right at least, she mostly looks considering instead of like she actively wants to rip my throat out.

“I’m Cinder, nice to meet you, I do suggest you leave now before I have to take you in for being villains or something. Not sure where Hellhound is either so you should probably go look for her.”

Wants to be a hero, modus operandi more in line with villains, wants to help people. Doesn’t mind dying, has died multiple times, mildly suicidal.

Oh well that’s just great isn’t it? Fuck . Something to think about later. I get back up on shaky legs, leaning on Alec and Brian to get out of here. Time to find Rachel, and a doctor. No need to test Cinder’s benevolence.

—T—

Well, the one upside on all this is that Coil seems just as freaked out by Cinder as I am, though not for the same reasons. His voice even sounds mildly pained while talking to me, music to my ears.

“You’re certain that’s everything, Tattletale?”

“Hundred percent, I could try to get some more out of this but you know how my power works by now.”

“Of course, you may leave.”

How benevolent, asshole.

Well, if I’m lucky maybe Cinder will take Coil out for me, however unlikely that is. A girl can dream.

Chapter Text

As it turns out, the PRT does not approve of “delimbing captives” and “excessive violence” which means I’m now on close watch or something. The only reason they didn’t is because of the overwhelming evidence against Bakuda, namely all the bombs in people’s heads, her toe rings, and her workshop where she was in the process of assembling some sort of nuke.

The director seemed especially displeased with me, though, from what I could tell, less so because of how I handled Bakuda, and more because I hid some of my abilities from them.

“You understand, I hope, how this looks to the PRT? I specifically asked you if you had anything else that could help, clearly you did, otherwise you wouldn’t have been able to catch Bakuda.”

I give her a nod, more to placate than anything else. I’ve long gotten used to authority figures playing hard from dealing with Blackwell.

“Of course ma’am, however I wasn’t actually planning to fight Bakuda. In my vision I saw some people on dogs being hunted by her and I wanted to help them while the PRT saved the bulk of people, namely the regular civilians, as I have no way to deal with those.”

“...Dog riders?”

“Yes ma’am, turns out they were the undersiders but I didn’t want to just let them blow up. Unfortunately, while looking for them, I ran into Bakuda anyway, so I dealt with her when I could.”

A deep sigh followed by rubbing of her temples.

“That doesn’t change the fact that you omitted information, important information. I’ve half a mind to force you into the protectorate on probation for excessive violence anyway.”

The glare I get isn’t heartening, unfortunately for her, I’d sooner reset the day than promise to join up.

“Understood.”

She glares at me for a while longer, maybe that works on other people but it mostly just annoys me for wasting time.

“Get out.”

“Yes ma'am."

Ah, victory is sweet.

I consider it a job well done, what better way to disarm, heh, a tinker than to do so literally? If you did the same to Alexandria or something she’d probably just turn into a flying battering ram so it’d be less effective but this? Just taking proper preventative measures.

Another reason not to join the PRT, even if they started trying harder to get me to join up after. At least they let off a bit when I told them they could take credit for Bakuda so long as they mentioned working with me. That smoothed things over pretty nicely.

All of this to say that I finally did something actually heroic, namely catching a villain, and returned alive and unharmed from it. Progress! Hopefully, this will finally give things some time to calm down and let me progress my studies, and through Lordran, without too much trouble. Next time I’d hopefully be able to do my thing without dying twice first.

—T—

My following few trips to Lordran weren’t really anything to write home about. I killed the four kings but died against the next challenge, the Sanctuary Guardian, a chimera of some kind that looked like a mix of a lion and a scorpion with wings. Oh and it could wield lightning. It really highlighted my weakness against gap closers. Especially if they had combo attacks of some kind. I was good at fighting but there was no real refinement yet, nothing like martial artists who could pick out weak spots while keeping up a decent defence and offence at the same time. Maybe I should take up lessons.

It took me three days to defeat it, during which I spent some time looking for a dojo to teach me. Even if I mostly used weapons it’d give me a good foundation. I knew how to do something… similar to boxing from my power but it didn’t do all that much damage. 

After the guardian’s defeat I finally made my way into Oolacile proper, the whole reason I was here was to save some princess called Dusk of Oolacile on the advice of the Firekeeper. Once there however, I found a real treasure.

Elizabeth the talking mushroom.

The spells she sold were exactly what I needed, almost purely utility spells. Making my weapon invisible, making me invisible, a light spell, a general repair spell, and a camouflage spell. To the citizens of Lordran they might not have been as useful but to me they were priceless.

The rest of Oolacile was relatively smooth sailing, actually. I got to fight a legendary knight called Artorias, while his fighting style and moves were very impressive, he wasn’t all that resistant to my magic, a few soul spears brought him down. The same applied to the rest of Oolacile, the creatures there were mostly annoying. I did find some cool new spells, mostly ‘dark’ magic. The difference between these and regular soul magic was an almost tangible weight to the spells, they felt like the humanities I found throughout my travels, very curious.

The most difficulty I had actually came from some guy I met in front of Artorias’ arena called Chester who kept trying to invade me, very annoying.

Eventually I reached my goal, Manus, Father of the Abyss. He looked incredibly intimidating and was practically radiating darkness, yet there was a deep sadness and nostalgia attached to him too, one that almost made me feel bad for him. Despite this, he had to be put down, it didn’t take me too long to bring him down all in all, most problems can be solved with a liberal application of Soul Spears. After this I returned to Oolacile where I found a woman bent over Artorias’ grave, upon giving his soul I received her weapons in return. Not too useful for a mage but they might come in handy later.

There was one more thing I did in Oolacile, kill a dragon called Kalameet. This one was actually the most challenging of the bunch and would've gotten the best of me if I didn’t have help from a giant named Hawkeye Gough. In the end, this dragon fell to my magic too. I’d grown powerful and cautious during my time in Lordran, enough to clear the entirety of Oolacile in a single life. The most interesting part of Kalameet was the Calamity Ring, at first glance the ring was practically useless, however, when I equipped it while in my dragon form it… fused with my being. My scales became tougher, my eyesight sharper, I even felt my strength and speed growing some. It felt good. When I returned to my normal form the ring was gone, properly fused with my dragon form. 

With everything in Oolacile done I went back to the sisters, for what would possibly be my last visit to them.

—T—

“Cinder, you’re back!”

I turn towards the voice, finding Quelaag coming closer quickly, though she stops short upon seeing my size. In Lordran I didn’t really bother taking my dragon form off, it felt natural, good to be in. Quelana seems more amused by my size than anything else.

“My, how you’ve grown, my pupil. Truly marvelous.”

Quelaag steps even closer, grabbing my chin again, there’s a lecherous smirk on her face and I can just barely hold back my blush this time.

“It looks good on you, little spark, though I suppose you’re not so little anymore.~”

Ugh, even as a dragon she gets me to blush, this is the worst. I quickly clear my throat to get some control back.

“Ahem, I actually came to visit you for, probably, the last time. I killed the four kings and finished up my last tasks here so… Unless you visit me in my version of Firelink Shrine we probably won’t see each other again.”

My voice trails off at the end, despite my best efforts there’s sadness clear to hear in it. I’d finally gotten some friends and I might not even be able to see them again. A light tap to my forehead pulls me out of my glum thoughts. Quelaag’s softly smiling face hangs in front of me.

“Silly girl, as if we’d just leave you be, that’d be so boring! We’ll definitely visit, I doubt you’d be able to get rid of us anyway with how strong our covenant bond has become.”

Quelana nods, adding her own two cents.

“My sister speaks true, I see no reason why we should be unable to visit you, even if we are not undead. Summon us, we will follow.”

I smile and quickly blink back my tears, taking a deep breath. There was still that niggling doubt saying they’d betray me but… they hadn’t given any signs of it so far, I could take a small leap of faith.

“Alright, I’ll see you after I kill Gwyn, then.”

“Good, good. Good luck, my pupil.”

Even Quelaan seems well enough to react, or maybe she’s just pushing herself.

“Good luck… Cinder…”

Lastly, Quelaag, who has an impish smile on her face, she leans in and gives me a quick peck on the cheek.

“For good luck.~”

Ah, right, that’s my queue to leave before I get too red.

“Thank you, all of you… I’ll see you later.”

With a flash of fire, I reappear in front of the Lordvessel.

—T—

The way to Gwyn was both treacherous and annoying. Mostly annoying. It looked like an entire country was covered in ash. Walking was a dusty affair because of it, like walking on extra fine sand, my feet sinking in at least an inch with each step. To make matters worse, groups of black knights were stationed throughout, making any fights I did a costly affair. Even so, I arrived at Gwyn’s arena with seven Estus to spare, plenty for most encounters. Fortune was in my favor, as Solaire also had a summoning sign here. 

Together with him, the fight against Gwyn was almost easy , all I had to do was cast my Soul Spears at the right time. He felt…  a bit underwhelming for a supposed god to be honest. Kalameet was a much bigger challenge. Yes, he could deal a lot of damage and dodge my attacks much better than anything else I’d fought before this but… even that was fairly easy to counter by just standing right in front of him and blasting him point blank. 

Three and a half months after triggering, I beat Gwyn and linked the first flame.

For the first time, and the last time, I left this realm alive.

A flash of white overtook my vision, a burning sensation flooding my veins, searing my body with power and pain. 

More white, then nothing.

—T—

My awareness returns slowly, at some point after the white consumed me I must’ve blacked out. I’m lying on something… soft, at least with my head, the rest of my body feels harder. There’s a gentle hand trailing through my hair, reminding me of when mom used to- well, it’s nice… very nice. I take some time to just bask in this feeling and notice a few peculiar things.

First, my body is weaker than it was in Lordran, it feels slower too, though that might just be fatigue. The second thing I notice is that my thoughts are going blindingly fast. Too fast for my body to keep up with, it feels like things are going in slow motion almost from the increase in processing speed. It doesn’t give me a headache or some strange form of whiplash or anything but it’s a decidedly odd experience.

I blink my eyes open, seeing flickering flames of the bonfire in front of me, the familiar walls and stairs of Firelink Shrine greeting me. I glance down and see dark robes, the Firekeeper then…

“Hello Ashen One, congratulations on your first completed realm.”

I did it, I really did it. One down, four to go. The smile on my face is audible when I reply.

“Thanks, I… couldn’t have done it without you I think.”

I try to sit up, clutching my head a bit when I move too quickly, apparently I was wrong about the headache and it’s just only flaring up now. It leaves pretty fast at least, so long as I don’t move too much.

“What’s happening exactly?”

“Could you be more specific?”

“I have a headache whenever I move and I feel weak. Is it just recovering from having my intelligence maxed out?”

“I believe you are adjusting to your new gifts, when you linked the first flame you gained more than just your increased intellect. Would you like me to get a reading from you again?”

Reading…? Ah, the scroll thing.

“Yes please.”

She nods and holds a gentle hand to my sternum, a scroll materializes in it after a gentle orange glow appears.

Name: Taylor Hebert

Level: 1 (85)

Vigor: 11 (20)

Mind: 12 (35)

Endurance: 11 (13)

Strength: 8 (9)

Dexterity: 8 (13)

Intelligence: 99 (99)

Faith: 6 (8)

Resistance/Arcane: 10 (10)

“Ah.”

So that’s why I feel weak and slow, I am weaker and slower than I was. It seems my training in Brockton did help somewhat at least, my strength and dexterity are both higher by two points and my endurance and vigor have raised some too. It’s not much, maybe it won’t even be relevant if I get to the next realm, but it’s something I achieved practically without powers so it’s worth it anyway. The only thing that confuses me are the numbers in parentheses.

“Hey Keeper, what are these?”

She leans over my shoulder to look at the scroll.

“The numbers on the left are how you would be currently if you tried going into any of the realms. The numbers on the right indicate how you are in the overworld currently, though you may also access that power here in the shrine should you so wish. They consist of the highest level you have reached in their respective category, regardless of the realm.”

Huh, so raising other stuff than purely damage would still be very helpful in the Bay, neat . What really grabs my attention are the bits underneath that though, the bits that were decidedly not there yet last time.

The Lordvessel: travel between bonfires at will.

Soul of Gwyn: gain permanent increased fire resistance, elevates status to Queen of Lordran.

Well… the Lordvessel probably only counts for actual bonfires, the ones with swords in them, so that doesn’t have much use. The fire resistance I can definitely use though. As for being a queen…

“Are you displeased, Ashen One?”

“No, no, just… who am I even the queen of? Can I even return to Lordran?”

She seems pensive for a bit, thinking over the answer.

“Technically, the next two realms you will visit are part of Lordran as well. However, if the question is if you can return to the first realm, the answer is no. Your journey in that place is complete, to return would mess with time even more.”

“Right…”

As I trail off I notice a glowing sign on the far end of the room. Ah, Solaire. I don’t really want to be a queen over my friends either though… I should explore the shrine a bit.

“Do I have to leave the Shrine the same way as usual?” 

“As you have completed a realm, you may now simply choose to wake up when you are done. Of course, you may also enter the second realm already.”

Tempting, very tempting, but waking up without dying would be nice for once. Who knows when I’d get the next chance to do so?

“I’ll hold off until tomorrow. How do I return when I’m ready?”

“Simply sit at the bonfire and will it.”

“Oh, alright.”

My first stop is Solaire’s summoning sign. Summoning him here is just as easy as it was in Lordran, I’ll have to see how that translates to the Bay. Solaire does his signature gesture as he emerges, arms spread wide open to grasp the sun.

“My friend, my queen, I may not have found my own sun, but I am glad I could help you find yours.”

Dammit, that voice should be illegal. I already have Quelaag to make me blush. I don't need a second!

“Ahem, that- that’s fine, thank you for helping, you don’t have to call me queen though, we’re friends.”

Solaire just gives me an amused chuckle.

“As you wish, your highness.”

Smug bastard, making fun of me. I can’t deny that it feels a little good to have that bit of extra control though. 

“Will you be fine staying here? I can’t go back to Lordran apparently, or at least, not that version of it.”

The helmet bobs, his version of a nod.

“There is nothing left for me back there. I could not find my sun, maybe I’ll find it elsewhere.”

“Good, glad to have you on board.”

From there he nods again and leans back, staring into the fire. Time to find the next sign.

I find two signs, one to the right of the unused anvil, in a little nook, the other to the left, closer to the stairs. I decide on the right one first, it has a pale white glow, there’s a bit of yellow and green mixed into it too. I’m hoping it’s Quelaan, but am soon disappointed, instead, I’m pleasantly surprised when I see that it’s Priscilla, who kept her word that she’d join me after killing Gwyn.

“Hello Priscilla.”

She looks at me for a while, then gives me a fairly shallow bow.

“Hello, my queen.”

Ah, there it is again.

“There’s no need to call me a queen, I wanted to be allies remember, or maybe friends if that’s ok.”

“Hmm.”

She leans closer, just like last time, maybe it’s just a tic she has?

“Still quite curious. I’ve not known one such as you. Very well, we shall be… friends…”

She speaks the word slowly, as if tasting it, it’s kind of sad really, at least I had some concept of friends before Emma became a bitch.

“Good! Um, you can stay here if you want, it’s pretty quiet here usually, the only others should be the Firekeeper and Solaire, though I guess you can return if you want to.”

A slow nod, she’s still staring at me like that… keep your blush down Taylor, keep it down…

“I shall visit when possible, the painted world may need my touch from time to time so I shall not stay indefinitely.”

I get the feeling that she’ll be here most of the time anyway. 

“Great! I’ll return every day if you want to talk, I’ll probably just appear by the bonfire.”

Another slow nod… not much of a talker this one.

“I’ll just… go visit the others then.”

A third nod, jeez this girl is awkward, strangely adorable though.

I go back to the other sign, this one is a mix of black and brown, it almost looks oily. Maybe this one is Quelana? Or Quelaag? There’s a swirl of gold, revealing legs and-

“Patches?”

“Me! Hello old friend, didn’t you tell me I’d need to visit? Kept my promise, I did. Interesting place you’ve got here. Think the others’ll buy stuff from me?”

Yea that’s definitely Patches. 

“Just… don’t annoy them or something, or try to scam them, especially Priscilla. Thanks for joining though.”

“Of course, of course! Wouldn’t wanna miss this!”

The way he says it makes me think there’s some double meaning behind his words but I’m not sure what. I walk off in search of more summoning signs.

I do not, in fact, find any more signs. The disappointment of not finding any of the sisters stings something fierce. At least the tethers are still there, but they feel dulled somehow, ever so slightly. With a frown I walk back towards the source. Usually it’s pretty easy since they all just go to Lordran, when I get back to the bonfire they still lead to-

Huh. The second door, not the first. But why , this didn’t happen to any of the others. The main difference is… some amount of humanity in everyone here, and my tethers. My gut tells me that it’s because of the tethers though. Dammit , I was looking forward to talking with them some more too.

This makes it really tempting to get back to it already too but… I just… I want to wake up peacefully again, even if it’s only once until I can get through Drangleic. 

With my decision made I turn back around and sit down at the bonfire, I’m soon joined by Solaire but he just sits there quietly, enjoying the heat and the silence.

I close my eyes, with only a small push I black out, back to my bed.

For the first time in over three months, I sleep peacefully.

Chapter Text

Waking up after sleeping peacefully felt wonderful, having a nice calm day after that made it even better. Some relaxation in my otherwise somewhat hectic life. I especially needed it after the whole Bakuda debacle. By the time I went to sleep, I felt mostly ready to get going again. I had a short talk with the three new residents of the Shrine, then talked to the Firekeeper who presented me with my class choices.

Warrior, Knight, Swordsman, Bandit, Cleric, Sorcerer, Explorer and Deprived. Each had their pro’s and con’s of course so I started eliminating them one by one based on logic. My time in Lordran and the Bay had shown me that what I needed most right now was speed. My biggest weakness was getting rushed and taken down before I could react and use my, now extremely powerful, magic. So, I needed dexterity. 

Warrior and Knight both focused on strength and were out for that reason. Swordsman and Bandit both seemed good so I kept them on for now. Cleric and Sorcerer… well I’d just done Sorcerer so that was out automatically while Cleric was faith which just… no. I’d rather not gain power by begging some god for it. Lastly, Explorer and Deprived, but those just looked… bad for what I wanted. 

So, either Swordsman or Bandit. Swordsman had higher base dexterity but it also had only four vigor which was just brutal. Bandit it was then. As expected, my vigor and endurance went down, a shame, since I’d have to raise those again with some souls and training. From what I’ve found, twenty is the human max, meaning world class athletes who border on superhuman, training something up to eleven would be decent already. Instead of the Old Witch Ring I got a Life Ring this time, which boosted my vigor, very handy.

With all that done I stepped through the second door. Onward, to Drangleic.

—T—

I wake up standing upright, which is a strange experience. There’s a strange white gazebo-like structure that I’m standing in the middle of, my entry point into this realm. For weapons, I’ve got a bow and an axe, not the worst, much better than the broken sword I got in Lordran. I’m cautious for any ambushes but make good progress, this place looks pretty, peaceful. Tall grass, some rocks, what looks like moonlight illuminating the whole thing, there’s even a waterfall with a bridge further on. Behind that is an old looking house, built into a gigantic tree, looks very cozy.

Without any other places to go I knock. A somewhat scratchy voice tells me to enter, I find three old women around a table, with a fourth, much younger one puttering about in the background.

“What seems to be the ruckus?”

“Oh? Now this is an odd one?”

“Odd? Oh yes indeed, it’s not an Undead for once.”

“How curious.”

The old women speak in tandem, one of them ends a sentence, another picks up a new one, once they’re done they turn to me at the same time, presumably to get a good look at my face. It’s a little creepy.

“Hi… I’m Cinder, nice to meet you.”

When in doubt, be polite. Besides, with my increased intelligence I’ve started to just… notice things, connections I wouldn’t have made before, small tells, microexpressions, even the tone of someone’s voice. All things that now work together in harmony to unravel whoever I’m talking to at the moment

“And you even know your own name! That’s more than what many who come through here can claim. I’d give you an effigy but I suspect you wouldn’t have many uses for it. Why have you come here, and how did you do so if you’re not an Undead? How curious.”

“I came here through a portal, as for why, I don’t know yet.”

“Hmm, here’s your reward, for sharing, I’m afraid I don’t have much else to give you.”

She hands me a small wooden trinket, it has the vague shape of a human but it’s mostly just two blobs on top of each other, a bigger one at the bottom forming the ‘body’, I assume that this is the human effigy she spoke about. 

“Perhaps you can trade it with one of the others. As for the reason you’re here, all people come here for the same reason. To break the curse. It doesn’t affect you, but maybe you’ll be able to help the others with it.”

“Remember to hold onto your souls.”

“You’ll lose them before you can blink, most will be quite greedy for them heh heh…”

“Oh I’ll fool you no longer, even if you don’t have the curse, you’ll lose all of them, over and over again.”

The trio breaks out into a sinister laugh, it feels like a mix between making fun of me and some in-joke that I don’t know about. Very strange people.

“Thank you, I’ll be going then.”

“Good luck.”

I step out their backdoor and let out a relieved sigh when I notice a bonfire, at least I won’t have to do that again. I sit down and look through my equipment again. The armor is… fine, though I miss my robes a bit, this ‘bandit armor’ shows a bit too much skin for my tastes. At least the weapons are nice, much better than that stupid dagger from last time, though I miss my staff, too.

I set off from the bonfire, pushing through. I'm not sure what this whole ‘curse’ thing is about but it certainly sounds on the level of Gwyn so it could be what I’m looking for. I walk through a sort of tree canopy, there’s a load of fog walls on either side but I skip most of them. The few I check out just have some hollows and not much else. Even with my reduced capabilities they’re fairly easy to take down. I think I would’ve had much more problems axe murdering them if this was my first time through, way more gorey than using magic. I’ve probably gotten desensitized by now since it doesn’t really bother me. It’s almost satisfying in a way.

The first interesting thing I come upon is a place called Majula. It’s a small town built on a rocky cliff facing the sea, the sun seems at the brink of going under, casting the whole thing in a vaguely orange glow. What surprises me most is how peaceful it is. Reminds me of home, of the Bay when I was younger, the gentle sounds of the sea helping me let my guard down just a bit. I hope I get to come here more often. The place feels less desolate than Firelink Shrine in Lordran, even if the buildings are just as dilapidated.

The first person I see is… green, for some reason. He looks like a big burly guy, just sitting in front of one of the buildings, there’s an annoyed, despondent look on his face.

“Hello?”

He looks up, frowning at me.

“Who are you? Oh, it doesn't matter, just help me open this door. I packed my tools in here, seeing it was vacant… but now somebody's gone and locked the door. I'm a blacksmith. I'm nothing without my tools!”

“I’m Cinder, I’ll see if I can find a key. Who are you though?”

“The name's Lenigrast. Now off you go, I’ve no patience for small talk.”

Well then, a little rude but if he’s a blacksmith that should at least fix my weapon problem. Onto the next, a woman looking out at the sea, dressed in a long green cloak with a hood. There’s something familiar about her but I can’t put my finger on it, she reminds me a little of my Firekeeper. 

“Hello?”

She turns to me, eyes flicking up and down my body, though they look through me more than at me it seems.

“You do not bear the curse and your soul is strong yet, what reason does one like you have to enter these lands?”

“I’m not sure yet, the old ladies told me it was to break some curse.”

She blinks, then just stares at me for a while, it’s a little awkward.

“I wonder… Are you...the next monarch? Or... Merely a pawn of fate? I’ve decided, even if you do not bear the curse, I will remain by your side. Till this frail hope shatters... Take this with you. May it ease your journey.” 

She hands me an Estus Flask, a much more pleasant experience than Lordran as well, where I had to get it from a dying knight.

“Go on, and see the King. He who made Drangleic what it once was; he who peered at the essence of the soul. King Vendrick.“

Now we’re getting somewhere, why does everyone in these realms like being so cryptic all the time? So my target is King Vendrick, probably.

“Thank you, where should I start? And who are you?”

“Seek those whose names are unutterable, the four endowed with immense souls. Their souls will serve as beacons. Once you have found them, return here to me. So that hope will not fade away. You may call me the Emerald Herald for now.”

“... What about a direction to go in?”

Her lips twitch into a slight smile, then she points towards a small doorway next to the gateway I came into Majula with. I’m counting that as a win. Making pretty ladies smile is surprisingly fun.

“The Forest of Fallen Giants should suffice.”

“Alright, thank you!”

—T—

I spent some more time exploring Majula but the other people there weren’t as interesting. I found a merchant named Maughlin who sold some stuff, someone who reminded me a lot of Cresswell called Saulden who inducted me into the blue sentinels covenant and gave me a ring, and lastly a talking cat. The talking cat was the most interesting of the three and introduced herself as Shalquoir, she also sold rings. I’m not sure what about her set me off exactly but she gave off a strange feeling, like she was much older than she appeared.

After that I set off into the forest. Here I had my first taste of proper melee combat and made a few discoveries. First, swinging an axe around is pretty draining on your stamina. I'm lucky that whatever turned me into an Ashen One gave me good recovery because I got out of breath very fast. Being unable to dodge because you’re out of breath is not a good time. Another thing I found out about were lifegems. Crystallized souls that give you temporary regeneration. Incredibly useful, especially when combined with Estus. 

I also found something called a ‘green herb’ that supposedly increases stamina recovery but I’m pretty sure it’s just some kind of weed strain. I kept it anyway, maybe I can try planting it at home if it actually works and sell it like tinker medicine or something. I also found the blacksmith’s key, some old woman called Melentia was selling it for a thousand souls. Returning it won me a few points with Lenigrast at least, he also sold me some new weapons, two falchions. I mostly took them because of the familiarity, but they were pretty good for dexterity users too apparently.

After that I met some guy called Mild Mannered Pate who told me about a trap, which I triggered and survived anyway. He gave me a white soapstone after which should come in handy if I found people to summon. Found a big humanoid made of something that looked like stone underground called the Last Giant, then killed said giant. Got the Ring of Restoration which I put on immediately, and lastly found another enemy called the Pursuer. I tried talking to it at first but it didn’t respond and just attacked.

It was here that I ran into my first real roadblock. With my magic, I could blast things from a distance, even if it didn’t do that much damage at the start. With my falchions, I needed to get in close, which ran more risk of getting hit. Besides that, they did basically no damage against the Pursuer. Lastly, the Pursuer was fast in a way that I was not, not yet at least, strong too. One of the hits he landed on me cleaved my arm right off. I died soon after.

Still, much more progress than my first time in Lordran.

Chapter Text

My second day after beating Lordran was much different. I’d focused the first on recovery and relaxation, this one was meant for more, much more.

The entire reason I wanted to be a hero was to help people, I could do that by going out and catching people like Bakuda obviously, but with my intelligence there were just so many more avenues that I could take. My only limitations came from the government, ironically. NEPEA-5, a law to technically protect the jobs of regular people, could become a hassle, and that law preventing thinkers from gaming the system to get rich quickly could do the same. As such, besides my regular schooling, I started up a bunch of research, the topics varied wildly but luckily the library could provide. If it couldn’t, the internet was still there. 

Laws, how to revitalize a city, how to revitalize the economy , how to tear out crime at the root by getting better infrastructure, on and on the list went. Everything needed to turn Brockton Bay from a flaming pile of shit into a practical utopia. A lot of work for one fifteen year old to complete, but surprisingly easy for me to do. I only needed to read something once to remember it perfectly, I only had to see the barest link between two topics to connect them in my mind. A web of plans, made blindingly fast and discarded just as quickly, building on themselves, adjustable on the fly depending on their circumstances.

A comprehensive guide to fixing this city. 

I probably wouldn’t get there just yet with only a single day of study, considering that I still had to physically read every word, even if only once and at a fast pace. Nonetheless, it was progress, something extra to work towards. Step by step, brick by brick, just like I did things in Lordran. Keep going one step at a time until you hit a wall, then smash through it or climb over it, whichever works best. I think mom would’ve been proud of me.

—T—

When I return to Drangleic that night, I decide to prepare for the Pursuer. There’s absolutely no reason for me to ‘fight fair’ so to speak. Preparation is everything, especially when I know what I’m facing. With that in mind I return to the blacksmith, Lenigrast, and get two rapiers instead as the Firekeeper recommended them. Next, I stock up on firebombs from Melentia and make some trusty cluster bombs from them. 

The run back to the Pursuer is a little annoying but I take my time to clear out all the enemies to give me time to set things up. The Pursuer’s ‘arena’ is made out of a walkway which drops off toward the sea, on either side of which is a bunch of rubble blocking things off. Doors through this rubble are then blocked off by fog walls. Unfortunately for him, this rubble is easily climbable, which means that I can just get on top of it and throw bombs at him until I’m out. Apparently his flight capabilities only extend to hovering over the ground and not full on flying. 

Once I run out of bombs I jump down for a plunge attack, I still have to dodge some attacks after that but it’s not too bad at all. After the first time fighting him I’d already memorized all of them. With a bit of careful stamina management the Pursuer goes down easily enough. My reward is a nice chunk of souls and the Ring of Blades, which would boost my damage some. Not bad at all. Behind his arena is a platform with a nest, as well as some hollows attacking a weird looking tree. The nest reminds me of those in Lordran, which could be used to be transported by a giant crow. I decide to take my chances and sit down in it. Sure enough, another giant bird swoops down, though this one is an eagle instead of a crow. It’d be nice to have those as pets actually.

The flight towards… wherever we’re going is calm too, mostly taken over the sea, towards a small island that reminds me somewhat of Alcatraz. After getting dropped off in one of the towers on the island I take a bonfire back, spend some souls with the Herald, and return. 

Even these small increases in dexterity are making a world of difference already. Mainly my reflexes keep improving at an astounding pace, my general speed of movement not as much but it’s enough that more and more things have a hard time hitting me. Unfortunately I still don’t really do that much damage, but that’s something I can overcome by just whittling them down.

The trick to these things is to stay optimistic after all…

I met yet another Pursuer right off the bat, but his movements were exactly the same as the last one. With the increased damage dexterity it was much easier to bring him down. I got a very handy ring, the Silver Serpent Ring, which increased all of my soul gains. In Lordran I only found one of these in Sen’s Fortress so having one this early would definitely help. 

My first actual interesting encounter happens right after, in another tower. There’s a woman standing at the far wall, leaning against it. She has a mask on and her clothes are reminiscent of a pirate. When I approach she looks up ever so slightly, I can see her muscles tense but it’s mostly defensive.

“What is it? I don't know you, and you don't know me. Things are better that way.”

Well then, not the warmest greeting but not the worst either, at least she has a nice voice.

“I’m Cinder, nice to meet you.”

She stares at me for a while longer before replying, apparently puzzled that I’m not driven off immediately.

“Heh heh. You are an odd one. Normally, people keep a safe distance when they see this mask. But you… I am called Lucatiel. From the land of Mirrah, to the far east. across the mountains. They say Drangleic brims with powerful souls. And so I came to claim my share. But what a strange place…Even the rumours did not prepare me.”

“Hm, I’ve found it… doable so far. So you’re just here for the souls?”

“Of course not.” There’s that considering look again, she’s surprisingly easy to read even with the mask on but maybe that’s a side effect of my intelligence. “The curse has taken me, just like all the others who seek this land. But you… You don’t seem to be affected by it.”

Perceptive too, she might be a good ally, like Solaire was.

“Extenuating circumstances. If I could help you get rid of it right away, I would.”

“You are an odd one, indeed.” Despite those words, I feel like I scored some points with her. I wonder why people keep calling me odd though, I’m not that weird. “I've always made a point of avoiding people. While you've made a point of engaging me. I can see that you are mid-journey. If you require assistance, I will help you. I come from Mirrah, a land of knights. My sword is always ready. Don't hesitate to call upon me. Whatever happens, I won't be missed…”

Well then! She certainly has a nice outlook on life. At least I’ve got another ally now.

“Thank you, I’d offer the same but I don’t really know how that works. Good luck on your journey.”

“The same to you.”

That was nice.

My next encounter happens pretty soon after, for some reason this place is full of barrels filled with gunpowder. One of them rolled down some stairs, which blew a hole in a wall. When I went to investigate there was a man just sitting there, swinging a hammer around and muttering about flames. I think the curse did a number on him.

“Meh heh heh… Oh why can't they all be this easy?…Meh heh heh.”

“Uh, hello?”

“Hmph! Hmm! We've got a wild one here! Shape up! Shape up, I say! Oh-hoh hoh hoh! That's it, yes, that's the way! Dear flame…how brightly you burn! Meh heh heh… I ought to fetch a new ember… Flame, dear flame…”

And people have the gall to call me odd? When people like this exist? I’m fairly sure he has dementia or something but the point stands. Still, I think I know what he’s talking about. 

“An ember? You mean one like this?” I grab the Dull Ember I found before from my inventory, which makes him perk up immediately.

“Flame flame…I smell flame upon you, hand it to me. I'm McDuff the blacksmith; all I want is a little flame. Right now, you imbecile.”

Rude, but whatever, I don’t know how to make use of it anyway. When I hand it over he seems much happier too.

“So, can you smith stuff for me?”

“What? Oh yes, I’ll use the flame, my dear flame…”

Not a great conversationalist, even Lenigrast is better. I look through his wares and notice some sort of katana. When I inspect it it turns out to be called an Uchigatana instead, and has very good synergy with dexterity. After buying that and upgrading my rapiers I set off again, deeper into the Lost Bastille.

—T—

Things go fairly smoothly, my most common enemies here are some weirdly buff mages and small guys in plate armor carrying greatswords. Not too bad to deal with.

The problem only comes once I reach the next ‘boss section’ as I’ve come to call them. Usually characterized by fog walls and some sort of arena. This one is no different except that there are three opponents instead of one. The most I’ve done before are the Belfry Gargoyles and Ornstein and Smough but I had help for those. Three on one aren’t exactly good odds. 

I try my best anyway and get it down to a two versus one by staying on top of the platform I started at. After that I get overwhelmed pretty quickly though. Not only are there two of them, they’re fast too, much faster than me. They’ve got amazing mobility for the armor they’re using too, just jumping up high and slamming down at high speed. At some point both of them charge up for some twirl attack which hits me simultaneously from two sides. I imagine that’s what it feels like to be put in a blender. Despite all of my deaths, that one is extra horrific. I do not enjoy seeing my organs fly out of me and being able to feel it after too.

Chapter Text

In addition to my studies, I’d finally found a proper place to train martial arts in. A fairly nice place, located more towards the ABB side of town. It offered proper full contact sparring which I needed, and didn’t ask too many questions so long as you paid. Speaking of payment, I was using some money that I’d ‘liberated’ from one of the many, many gang safehouses you can find in the Bay. I was simply repurposing that money for much more legal ends. 

Positively heroic of me!

The training was pretty tough initially but increasing dexterity and intelligence so much does have its perks. With only a few hours of training I was already much better in hand to hand combat. My excuse to the guy teaching it was that I used to do it but hadn’t for a while, which he seemed to accept. It would be great if I could find people versed in various weapons too but I hadn’t found any of those in the bay. Luckily I had Solaire to give me some extra training with weapons, but different fighting styles would’ve still been handy. Lots of gun stores and shooting ranges though, which made sense, why use a sword when a bullet works so much better? Which does make me consider getting a gun… Something for later maybe.

Besides that, my day was peaceful, it was nice . No trio to deal with, no Winslow to deal with, no manic bomb tinkers to deal with. I could finally destress a little in my regular life. Lastly, I started dabbling in spell creation. I'd been going through Seath’s library on and off in the Shrine and finally got through almost all of it. My first project, an area of effect spell that would cause an earthquake strong enough to damage the foundations of buildings, hopefully one that I could dial up or down depending on how severe I wanted it to be. 

—T—

My second try against the Ruin Sentinels went much better. I was initially planning to use my trusty cluster bombs while staying on the platform, but apparently the Sentinels would just jump up to join me on it! This meant that instead of a two versus one, I was now fighting one on one three times. Even with their higher speed, this was much more manageable, especially since they didn’t do their blender move up on the platform. My insides were glad for that too.

Once more, right after, I meet someone interesting, this place is just full of interesting people apparently. He was a statue at first, blocking a bonfire, so I used a branch of Yore to unpetrify him. Dressed in all black clothes, looking somewhat villainous by Drangleic standards, but that’s not exactly a problem if he doesn’t attack me. He stumbles a bit at first, coughing a lot, then turns to me.

“Still a bit stiff, I'm afraid. Heh heh heh… I must thank you, young traveller. I am Straid. A wandering sorcerer of sorts. I've been a guest for a very long time. But I don't think that anybody will miss me!”

Hmm, probably got imprisoned then and has just been stuck here as a statue, I hope those petrifications don’t leave you conscious in there the whole time… for that matter, I hope the one doing them isn’t around anymore because that would be worse than dying.

“I’m Cinder, nice to meet you.”

“Hm-hmm… Very good, very good indeed.” He looks me up and down, it feels a little creepy but it’s more like he’s assessing me instead of checking out my body. “A visitor of Drangleic, yet not cursed, how curious. Particularly powerful, but not utilizing that power to its full potential, intriguing… Very well, I, Straid, will teach you my spells.”

And just like that, he starts to teach me. He does ask for some souls in return but I get the feeling that it’s at a steep discount, probably because I intrigue him. There were even some sorceries that I could show him as a trade, apparently those I got from Oolacile were particularly interesting to him. Unfortunately I couldn’t show him any of the books I got from Seath, those tended to be very interesting.

In the end I got five spells from him along with some new techniques for spell creation, since Drangleic was technically a much later version of the world of Lordran there’d been some advancements in sorcery. The most interesting were Soul Shower, which would give me a nice wide range spell in case I was fighting multiple opponents, and Heavy Ho0ming Soul Arrow. Not having to aim the spells as much and having them keep homing in on an opponent would be incredibly useful too. From there, I thanked Straid and moved on again.

Things after that were… fairly straightforward really. I just kept going through the area where I could, took an elevator down, then summoned Lucatiel. We killed a ‘Flexile Sentry’ together which is what happens when you stitch two giants to each other by the back apparently, and got to what looked like the final destination of this island. Lucatiel stopped me before I could enter the fog wall though and had me light some braziers on either side of the wall, up some stairs. 

Apparently these braziers lit up the ‘arena’ where our enemy, the Lost Sinner, was staying. I would’ve tried to talk to them but they attacked immediately . I still didn’t do much damage, and they were fast , but I had the advantage this time. Two on one works wonders, especially when your teammate is someone as skilled as Lucatiel. The Sinner went down on my first try, with that I could light my first Primal Bonfire. This was going much better than Lordran.

—T—

I went to the Herald first, I’d long learned that having too many souls on you is a good way to lose them all too. Initially her red hair and good looks reminded me of Emma a little but her mannerisms are completely different , too different to really compare the two beyond the physical. 

“You have acquired the soul of an Old One. That is more than most Undead can say.”

“Hello to you too, nice to see you again. Nice weather we’re having, no?”

Another lip twitch! All of that banter with the sisters and Solaire really did pay off. Taylor two, Herald zero.

“Quite…”

“So, where should I go next? Any more advice?”

She lifts one hand and gracefully points towards another archway in the far end of the town. 

“Heide’s Tower of Flame, the path forward will become clear. You may also choose to go down to No Man’s Wharf after, though this will not directly help you on your quest for larger souls.”

“Thank you!”

—T—

My night’s trip to Drangleic ended in Heide’s Tower of Flame. It wasn’t too bad actually, while the enemies there were hard hitters and also took a lot of hits, they were fairly slow. By managing my stamina I got through most of the area quite safely. I even killed the area boss on my first try. There was one called a Dragonrider, who had strong plate armor and a big shield. Luckily, like the other knights here, he was fairly slow, which meant that I could just whittle him down by slashing at weak spots. 

There was a path after the rider which brought me to a place called No Man's Wharf.

I actually found Lucatiel there first, standing by the bonfire.

“I thought that might be you. You haven't changed a bit, have you? Heh heh.”

“The same could be said for you I think? Hello Lucatiel.”

“Hello Cinder. The longer I am here, the more madness I discover. A wretched place, indeed, but not without traces of its former glory. What could have caused such degradation?”

“... If I had to guess, I’d say the First Flame slowly going out along with whatever this curse is.”

“Indeed… Ah, yes, I have not thanked you for humouring me the other day. This is for you. Of course, I've no idea what it is. Heh heh.” 

She hands me a human effigy, I frown at it for a bit, then take a gamble, with a slight push of my mana I activate the magic inside of it and push it towards her. It sinks into her chest easily, making her gasp.

“Well… That explains its function at least, the curse feels… diminished now, slightly better than before… thank you, again.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Of course, I still have to give you something in return now. Summon me, should you feel the need, I will be your sword.” 

“You could always tell me a bit about yourself?”

She looks taken aback by the request, but it’s a genuine one, Solaire taught me that, the more you know about your allies, the stronger your bond will be. It’s sound logic.

“And still you continue to surprise me… very well. Our land of Mirrah is surrounded by enemies, and constantly at war. There is only one way up in Mirrah. Join the Order, and prove yourself in battle. My family had little fortune, and no name. I had to carve out a piece of the world for myself… with two things. My sword, and my loyalty to my Lord.”

She looks into the bonfire, pondering her own words.

“I was raised to wield a sword from birth. Life was hard, but I never gave it a second thought. I had swift success on the battlefield, and quickly attained respectable stature. And then I… And then I came here… to…”

Her words trail off, the curse at work probably, even with the human effigy I gave her.

“Have you heard of the Undead? These poor souls affected by the curse. An Undead gradually loses his humanity, until his wits degrade completely. Finally, he turns Hollow, and preys upon others. And a Hollow can never be human again. One can skirt this wicked fate only with the help of the souls found here. Assuming, of course, that the legends are true. I can only hope…that they are. I'm sorry…to burden you with talk of my fate. I suppose I've grown weary these days.”

I give her my best smile, she seems to appreciate it despite the bleak topic.

“It’s fine, I did ask you to share, remember? I’ll leave you be for now, but I’ll call on you soon then, alright?”

“Very well, you may be odd, but you are a good person, Cinder, good luck.”

Now that, that felt good to hear.

The Wharf itself was fairly doable actually. The most annoying enemies there were the dogs, anything else was either too slow to hit me or just not all that strong. A nice change of pace. While stumbling through the buildings I met what could best be described as… a dwarf. Not in size, as he was a bit bigger than me, but by looks. Gigantic beard, big muscles, heavy armor, heavy accent, he looked like what I imagine a dwarf from Lord of The Rings or something similar would be like if they were taller. 

“Who you? I Gavlan. Gavlan wheel? Gavlan deal. Gavlan want soul. Many many soul. Gah hah! What you want? With Gavlan, you wheel? You deal! Gah hah!”

“I’m Cinder, nice to meet you Gavlan, what do you sell?”

“Gavlan wheel.”

He mostly showed me poison and poison accessories, poison moss, arrows, throwing knives and resin. The most interesting of the bunch was a ring though, one which ‘increased poise’, meaning I could tank hits a little better while losing the same amount of health. Very handy, so I bought it. 

“Hah! Many deal…many thanks! Gah hah!”

Nice fellow.

The rest of the wharf wasn’t too much of a problem either, there were these dark creatures that were more of a threat than the other things here, but once I lit a torch they just left me alone. I found one more person after that, Carhillion of the Fold. He didn’t have many interesting things to tell me, but he did sell me some decent spells. Shockwave, which does exactly as the name says, Yearn, which had a lot of potential, a minor master power in the form of a spell, and lastly, Soul Spear Barrage. The Barrage wasn’t all that powerful on its own, but with it I could make my own upgraded version, much more easily, definitely a good purchase.

The enemy after that was surprisingly easy actually. It was another Flexile Sentry, only this time the water inside the ship kept rising while we fought. After the first time though, well, I’d already memorized all of its moves, and still had Lucatiel with me, not that challenging at all. The boat, upon which I was fighting, took us back to the Lost Bastille for… some reason. I just took the nearest bonfire back, there wasn’t much left for me in that place.

Once I returned to Heide's Tower of Flame I had a bit of a problem on my hands. Suddenly, the knights who’d been peacefully sitting on the sidelines throughout the area became aggressive, talking to them didn’t fix it either. They just stayed silent and kept fighting. That’s how I died, ganged up on by multiple knights, the smaller nimble ones, along with the big stronger ones, and pushed into a corner, towards an angry dragon who then proceeded to roast me despite my fire resistance. 

Burning alive still sucked .

Chapter Text

My time in the realms highlighted a now annoying aspect of my time in the overworld. I could not just stay there infinitely while no time passed. The workaround to this could be to reset myself but the thought of doing that was… unpleasant to say the least. For spell creation, I’d found a work around to this. I could not work on them in Drangleic, as I didn’t have the proper gear for it there. Besides that, I also wasn’t sure how much magic I could use, even as practice, before my intelligence took over my dexterity and I just ended up with another intelligence boost that I didn’t need. 

So, I simply practiced in Firelink Shrine. Time didn’t flow properly there either, so I could practice as long as I wanted, and I occasionally even had help from Priscilla and Patches. While they weren’t actually sorcerers they did have some interesting insights just from being who they were. That’s also how I managed to get through all of Seath’s books, just took my time to read them all in the Shrine. 

Most of Seath’s books were about offensive magics, crystals, and dragons, making me somewhat of an expert in all of those fields. There was the occasional book on general magical theory too. These ranged from general theory, describing the inner workings of sorcery, to others denoting the differences between dark magic, regular soul magic, and the strange branch they made in Oolacile for example. Those were some of the most useful for what I wanted to do. 

What the Bay needed was revitalization, there were so many old buildings that were due for a revamp, but would never get them due to a lack of money. At the same time, there was little to no work for most people, as Brockton’s one good point was being very well placed to be a port. With Leviathan, this cut off most of the revenue, as well as most of the jobs, as the dockworkers had clearly shown me through the years.

So, how does a teenage girl go about fixing something like that with effectively no government power? My solution had a few different components. One, create a spell that can cause minor directed earthquakes strong enough to damage the foundations on buildings, without actually causing them to collapse. This would necessitate a complete rebuild in a lot of cases, especially if I hit high priority targets like Medhall who needed a headquarters and could simply relocate. All of the rebuilding would bring in workers, and thus money.

On the other hand, I could also, as Cinder, go out and start repairing buildings, maybe a few a day. These would be the buildings of people who could never afford to repair them in the first place, or were dependent on them, like pizzerias and convenience stores. I could repair the roads and such while I was at it too, maybe just do sections of streets. This should bring in positive media attention too. This was already part of a longer term solution, but I needed more.

As mentioned, the Bay had no real natural resources or convenient location for anything besides shipping. Basically, the Bay was only really good for transport, which used to make it an ideal place for factories and such. The ‘easiest’ solution to fix this would be to somehow circumvent Leviathan. Unfortunately, I didn’t exactly have a solution to that yet. Getting grabbed by Manus and pulled through dimensions did give me the idea to set up some portal system instead. Getting something like that would definitely make the Bay profitable again, the problem was actually developing something like that, so I was still working on that. Another compilation is that it wouldn’t only bring good attention but bad attention too, of various kinds. A lot of villains could profit from instantaneous portals, so that project was in the works for its usefulness anyway, but actually executing it might never happen.

On top of all that there was another problem, the gangs, I was actually strong enough to fight them properly now. Even if I died fighting them it wouldn’t be a huge problem. No, the problem was what came after. Downing one gang would just create a power vacuum, gangs from Boston could very easily step in and take over where the others had left. Having the Teeth and the Butcher instead of Nazis would be a step up, sure, but a very minor one. The only viable solution I could think of to solve that right now would be to make the equivalent of a gang myself that I could lead. That way my own ‘gang’ would keep things somewhat stable. I wasn’t exactly looking forward to something like that though, so I left it on the backburner until I could come up with something better or had to bite the bullet.

On another note, I’d asked dad in an offhand way about what it would take to clear the ship graveyard, with the excuse of it still being an eyesore, and apparently the problem was twofold. One, removing the ships would cost a lot of money, money that no one really wanted to invest just for a better view in a dying city. Two, actually repurposing or trashing the materials. Some of those ships were huge, just removing all of that material would take a company months if not years, then transporting it to the relevant scrap yards and recycling plants even more time. So that was another spell I was working on. Seath already had something to convert energy into crystals, these crystals would then just explode and dissipate. I just had to find something to convert metal into those crystals. This was much easier to figure out than the portal problem. 

A pleasant side effect of doing all this in the Shrine was that I got to hang out with Solaire, Priscilla and Patches more, I endeavored to take some time each day just to talk with them for a bit. 

My time in the Bay itself was used to continue my studies on anything else I’d need, since the Shrine didn’t offer internet access. I also kept improving in martial arts at a good pace, the biggest struggle there was to translate regular memory into muscle memory, which would just take time.

All of this happened over the course of about a week. I made sure to take breaks by going into Drangleic after a certain time of working on my spells to prevent burnout. I didn’t exactly lose focus or get mentally tired anymore but it was better to be cautious, recovering from burnout would take much longer than simply taking breaks now.

On the topic of Drangleic, things were progressing decently there. I completed Heide’s Tower of Flame, backtracked, went to Huntsman’s Copse, and met someone selling dark sorceries there. Things after that were relatively the same, lots of enemies, lots of death, for both me and them. I found another poison swamp, why oh why did there have to be another poison swamp, got a nice ring from a pyromancer and met Lucatiel again. She helped me kill the Covetous Demon, which was honestly laughably easy. 

My biggest problem came from the manikins and all of the traps set up everywhere. I was fast, but they were faster still and had a tendency to drop down or pop out of hiding places in groups of three or four, then overwhelm me and stab me in the back. There were a few solutions to this of course, get faster, get tougher, and get stronger. I opted to increase my vigor and strength a bit to actually hit harder, which made a world of difference already, even if they still got me more often than not. Next realm I’d definitely have to do strength.

At the end of the week I did meet Mytha, the last enemy in Earthen Peak. I tried talking to her but she just kept attacking me, there was nothing but wrath and rage left inside of her. I killed her and moved onto the next area, the Iron Keep. It’s here that I found enemies even more dangerous than the Manakins, Alonne Knights. They reminded me of Samurai, though without the typical armor they had. It was more in the way they moved and fought.

Precise, strong strikes, faster than the eye of a regular human would be able to follow, fast enough to cut a bullet if needed. Best of all, their swords could take full advantage of this fighting style, they even seemed tailor made for it. I died to the first one I encountered, but I wouldn’t rest until I could get those swords.

—T—

Back in Brockton, I finally felt ready to take the first step towards cleaning up the city, getting rid of the boat graveyard. My work on the metal transmutation spell had finally finished up. Slightly modifying spells like what Logan had done with the Crystal Soul Spear? Not too bad. Making something completely new, even when based on a different spell? Much more difficult, even with high intelligence. My tests in the Shrine seemed promising enough, when I tested it out on some scrap from the basement it worked fine too. 

Getting there was fairly easy, I’d found someone who did boat rides for a decent price, then just paid him off to hire his boat for a while. A bit of extra ‘liberated’ money made him happy to do the job for me. I was dressed in a different set of robes for the occasion to disguise myself, the Crimson Set, made up of bright red clothing with a mask that covered my face completely, pretty much ideal for this.

I decide to take on the big container ship first, as I want to find out if my spell would take out the containers with it as well. I turn towards the owner of the boat, a man named Henry.

“Alright, I’m gonna start now, I suggest you look away, it’ll probably get pretty bright.”

“Way ahead of you, don’t worry.” He just smiles at me and whips out a pair of sunglasses. Fine by me.

I turn back towards the boat and bring out the Tin Crystallization Catalyst. Casting a spell has three main components, intuition, understanding, and visualization. All three of these are amplified by having higher intelligence, which is why smarter sorcerers will have stronger spells. I aim at the boat, call upon my mana reserves and push , power flows through me, into the staff, shaped by my will and mind. A light blue orb, almost white, appears on the tip of the staff, growing more and more until something bursts, a bright white beam rockets towards the boat, hitting the hull full on and quickly encasing it fully until it’s almost painful to look at. 

Despite my robes billowing around me, the boat, and me, remain fully stable, there’s no real pushback from the magic either as it doesn’t obey the regular laws of physics. After three seconds of casting the spell stops by itself, finding no more metal to hold onto. What’s left is a giant pile of crystal in the rough shape of a boat, even the containers on it weren’t spared. There are impurities however, piles of black and brown trapped in the crystal, likely rubber fittings and such that didn’t get changed by the spell. That’s what the second component is for though.

I ready my staff and cast a variant of Strong Magic Shield, a spell originally made to amplify shields, now turned into a magical barrier of sorts. There’s a pleasant tinkling coming from the crystals, almost harmonic in nature, until they suddenly, as one, burst. A veritable shockwave emanates from the crystal as everything within a few inches of it gets destroyed by the explosion. The boat rocks fiercely but my barrier keeps most of the rushing air away, I can hear Henry swearing behind me but pay him no mind, so long as he doesn’t fall out of the speedboat we should be fine.

A stunt like this is bound to attract a huge amount of attention though. Of course, I did plan for that, I wasn’t sure exactly how much time I’d need for this, but destroying that one boat took only about a minute. On top of that, I picked a day where a few of the protectorate would be doing a meet and greet in the south part of the city, an hour or more away by car, and maybe twenty minutes if they went for a boat. That’s on top of them taking the time to mobilize. Lastly, I just hired Henry to get to the ships I couldn’t reach, the ones so far out in the water that I’d have to swim to get to them. So long as I got those boats today, or at least the majority, I could take care of the rest later on, from land. Lastly, I’m doing this in the middle of a school day, which should slow the wards down too.

About forty five ships, thirty five of them too far away to get to, now thirty four. 

“Over to the next ship please Henry.”

“Hah! You’re crazy, I like it, what’s your name anyway?”

“I’d rather not say, no offense, if anyone asks you can just say I forced you to do this.”

“Heh, fair enough.”

—T—

I get through about thirty of the boats before someone shows up, one of the wards, Kid Win. Surprisingly, he doesn’t actually approach or anything, he just stays there flying on a hoverboard.

“What d’you want me to do boss?” Henry’s voice is tense, but not panicky or anything, simply ready for a possible confrontation. I kind of wish I could have him as a henchman or something but that’s more of a villain thing… Unless I started my own gang of course, dammit.

“Hmm, just get back to shore, I’ll take off from there, there’s only four ships left anyway, not worth picking a fight here.”

“You got it boss.”

I swap out my staff for the Tin Banishment Catalyst instead. This one looks more like a spear and is much less distinct than the Crystal Catalyst. As we get closer to the shore I can spot reinforcements in the distance, mainly PRT troopers but I can spot Velocity too, probably the only one who could get here on time. I motion for Henry to stay calm and keep going, which he does easily. Once we’re almost there I start casting, though not offensively. Hush, to silence me, Fall Control, to make sure I don’t leave any footprints from pressure, and Hidden Body, to make myself invisible, all of it with a few movements of my staff. 

All that done, I simply jump out of the boat and leave at a light jog, leaving Henry at the PRT’s mercy, hopefully he’d be fine. I glance back at the, now much cleaner, shoreline, and smile to myself. Only about five more boats left in the water, I could clean the rest up from the shoreline. 

Chapter Text

Day two of project ‘fix the Bay’. Not much had happened in Drangleic this time, I did meet an interesting person called Margerold who told me some interesting stuff about dragons. But besides that I’d died fairly quickly to more of the Alonne Knights ganging up on me with their enhanced speed. At least dying to them was usually a very clean and fast affair, so that was something. I also had two of their swords now, which was handy.

After waking up, I went through my usual routine of getting ready, heading for the library, clearing my homeschooling tasks in record time, and then moving on to things that could actually help the bay. I’d thought more of the whole gang idea and came to the conclusion that completing my first two plans of breaking down and fixing buildings would actually mitigate a lot of those problems already. Most people don’t want to risk life and limb just to get by, especially not in an illegal way like a gang. The underlying problem was desperation, shitty living conditions, no money from other sources, that sort of thing. If I started fixing buildings however, that should attract enough positive attention, especially over time, to make at least some extra work available here. Right now things were just too shit in the Bay for companies to invest in anything.

I had two plans for today. One, use my new ‘Earthquake’ spell to damage a few important buildings. Two, get rid of as many other boats in the boat graveyard as possible.

My targets were: Medhall, a few highrise buildings that just had office workers, and the lawyer firm that Alan Barnes worked at. All targets that could afford to move buildings, in areas that could afford rebuilds without disrupting their actual jobs too much. I may have picked out Alan’s building out of spite, but I feel like I’m allowed to be petty on occasion, I wasn’t planning to actually hurt anyone anyway.

I took the bus a bit further into Downtown, then just walked to my closest target, one of the office buildings. I swapped back to the Crimson set for this, best to keep crimes like this tied to a separate persona in case I did get spotted. Just in case, I applied Hush to muffle my movements already. I couldn’t do this invisibly as casting any spells would disrupt Hidden Body, so that was kept in reserve. When I scouted this place out I did find a pretty convenient back alley behind the building which should keep me mostly hidden. Most of my other targets had some similar hiding spots to cover me, except for Medhall. I had to disable a camera first but that was taken care of easily enough, if it even worked in the first place.

I readied the Tin Banishment Catalyst, walked closer to the building, and just stuck it into the ground, almost touching the wall. Then I just pumped mana into the catalyst to form the spell. This one was pretty similar to the metal spell actually, though it was easier to make. Instead of transmuting material, this one worked as a drill of sorts, going down to the desired level and then spreading out in very thin branches. These branches were just energy, like Seath’s breath, and turned into crystal that then detonated at the same time, to cause a very small, very localized earthquake. Some applied maths and physics made sure I applied the appropriate amount of power so that I didn’t cause the building to collapse on accident, just to become unstable enough that they’d have to redo the foundation.

All in all, about a minute of work for a single building. 

I cast Hidden Body and calmly walked away from the building into the slightly panicking crowd. From there I just kept walking while hidden until I could get to a safe spot, once there I used the Chameleon spell to hide my features. It worked best with a real example so I just imitated a few Winslow students I could remember, that should keep them off my trail. Onto the next.

It took the PRT two more buildings to show up. The first could be discounted as a tremor, the second as a pattern, and by the third they were mobilized. Unfortunately for them, I had picked the buildings in fairly random spots, mostly based on their monetary success so that they could afford to fix things. As such they had no idea where I’d strike next, or why I was even doing this. I could spot the occasional PRT truck driving around, but besides that I was relatively safe.

Patrols got more common as I kept going, and I could even see the occasional hero passing by, but they weren’t able to do much when I looked like any regular person walking around, if a bit young. I kept Mister Barnes’ building for last, my hope was that Brandish, or Carol Dallon, who also worked here, would be busy looking over the other buildings instead of focusing on her own. That seemed to work, until Velocity showed up instead just as I was finishing up. I cast hidden body as fast as I could, he appeared in front of me in a blur, ready to throw a punch. Unfortunately for him, his breaker form didn’t leave him particularly strong. The punch he landed on me barely tickled in comparison to what I’d gone through. Unfortunately for me, he then just kept flailing around until he found my costume and grabbed onto it, preventing a proper escape.

With a sigh, I dropped my invisibility and cast Yearn, this spell fired off a warm, light blue orb that had the power to attract the attention of my enemies. It moved slowly, but that was fine, all I needed it for was to distract Velocity, which it did, I quickly cast Hidden Body again and left. 

My last stop, Medhall, had roughly the same encounter, only this time Velocity switched up his tactics. His hold in breaker form wasn’t strong enough to hold me, and I could just cast Yearn again, so instead he came as close to me as possible and then tried to pull my staff out of my hands. Instead of engaging in a tug of war or anything of the sort, I just vanished it into my inventory, rematerialized it in my other hand, which was already moving down, and cast shockwave right underneath me. Velocity was fast, but I’d only materialized the staff at the last second, right before it hit the ground. The resulting shockwave was enough to unbalance him, I quickly cast Yearn again right after, then disappeared again. 

Hopefully he didn’t hold too much of a grudge.

—T—

I didn’t want to risk contacting Henry again so soon, even if his boat would’ve been nice to take care of the last few ships. I’d waited for a few hours before coming here, starting on the boats with the PRT all riled up would just get them onto me immediately anyway. 

There were eleven boats left. Seven of them docked, four more still a bit further out into the sea. I decided to leave the ones out at sea for last, since I couldn’t reach them all that well with the other ships in the way anyway. I was back in the Crimson Set for this, though wielding the Crystallization Catalyst until any capes showed up. The main problem with some of these boats was the squatters that could possibly be on them. There were a few that were moored close enough that you could realistically get onto the boat for some shelter, even if they were largely deteriorated by now. I didn’t want to kill someone on accident, which is why I started with the boats that no one should be able to get onto anyway.  

After doing so many boats yesterday it was pretty easy to cast the spell again. I just started working my way down the line, as every boat only took about three seconds to turn into crystal. True to my prediction, there were a couple of stragglers in some of the boats, but they left fast enough once they saw what I was doing. One of them stayed firmly in front of the boat though, shaking and jittering all over.

“P-please, n-not this one man! L-Larry’s t-tweakin’ out in there an’ he won’t leave! C’mon man!”

“I’m not looking to kill.”

The mask distorts my voice quite a bit already but I push it a bit lower just to make sure. The guy looks relieved but he’s not moving either. With a sigh I gently push him aside and climb onto the boat. It’s an old thing, too big to leave here unfortunately, or I’d just leave them be. A lot of it is rotting, but it does offer some shelter to those desperate enough. Inside I find who I assume is this ‘Larry’. A white man, around thirty if I had to guess, much too thin and clearly having a terrible time on his drugs. He keeps rocking back and forth, occasionally banging his head against one of the rusted metal walls while muttering to himself.

I don’t exactly feel like carrying him out but… there is something I could try.  I make sure my back is blocking the other guy’s view and take out a small life gem. Larry draws away when I come closer but I break the gem before he can react too much. The smoke of it flows into him, making his breath hitch. It’s an interesting experiment if nothing else. Fortunately he soon becomes more coherent, the regenerative properties of the lifegem either purging or working against the drugs. 

“W-what th-the fuck?!” His voice is somewhat high pitched and scratchy, he also seems to be pretty scared of me, which I can understand considering my clothes.

“Leave.”

He does so, quickly, his buddy following after him but not before calling out over his shoulder. “Thanks man!”

Hmm, I’m a little insulted that he’d think I’m a man, even with me lowering my voice, but it works in my favor so I’ll let it slide. 

I manage to clear the rest of the moored ships fairly soon after that. With Henry it only took so long because we had to sail towards each of the ships, then I had to keep our boat stable with my magic when the crystals exploded. This time, I can just run from boat to boat and blast them in a few seconds. It actually takes longer to run there than it takes to destroy the boats, even with my increased speed from the dexterity. It still takes me a few minutes to get to most of them due to the boats being so big that I have to run to each one. In that time, I am once again accosted by Velocity. I ignore him for the time in favor of blasting another boat, though with my other catalyst this time so it takes a bit longer. There’s only two left now, still floating in the water.

“Redcap, stand down, you are under arrest for terrorism! Come peacefully and we might still be able to work this out, no one has been hurt so far!” 

Redcap? Is that what they were calling me while dressed like this? Not very original but not a problem either. If this disguise took on a separate identity, all the better for me.

This is the first time I’ve actually heard Velocity talk. His voice is average, if a bit scratchy, as if he spent a lot of time yelling at some point in his past. I’m tempted to just cast Yearn again when I notice a second figure. Clad in gold and white, bright light crackling from various points on his body, made even more obvious by all the light he’s giving off in the slowly darkening sky. Dauntless.

So he’d at least brought reinforcements this time. Hmm.

I couldn’t do too much here without revealing abilities that might out me as Cinder later on. Yearn wouldn’t be close enough to properly affect Dauntless either besides a momentary distraction, maybe. Well, I’d already shown them that I was the one behind the buildings, that should at least be enough to destabilize Velocity but… no. If he could run over water this wouldn't do much to stop him. Tricky. 

This did highlight another weakness of mine, I wasn’t exactly used to thinking outside of the box. Most of my big fights were trivialized by just climbing on a ledge and throwing bombs at enemies, after that a few Soul Spears were usually enough to bring them down, which wouldn’t work here. All of my usual methods relied on death and destruction so now that I didn’t have those I was stuck… How annoying. 

“Tsk.”

I hit my staff on the pavement, casting Dark Fog around myself. It looks similar enough to a smokescreen, hopefully they’ll think that’s what it was too, instead of a dark sorcery. If anyone made the link later I’d just have to deal with it. I cast what is quickly becoming my favorite spell, Hidden Body, and walk back a few steps. A loud crackle coupled with an explosion comes from right in front of me, Dauntless’ Arclance. I wait until the fog clears to start moving, that way any movements of the fog don’t give me away either. I can come back for those last two ships another time.

For now I’ll just have to lay low for a while, then start repairing stuff. My plans were progressing nicely.

Chapter Text

Coil was having an interesting day. He’d split his timelines as usual. One, safely ensconced in his bunker, the other, working diligently in a PRT office. From the PRT timeline, he got some very interesting information about Bakuda possibly setting up a bombing spree. In his bunker timeline, he remotely connected to some cameras that were meant to look broken, and got a decent overview on some key points in the north side of Brockton. There were some others of course, but looking at those would be unnecessary extra data at this point.

The bunker timeline was the more interesting one, but it was always good to have a backup just in case, so he kept the PRT timeline open. It took a few hours for him to catch onto something. When he did, he found his Undersiders being toyed with by Bakuda. He could intervene, but if they died he would simply have less loose ends to tie up, especially now that he had his pet. They were more of a side project now.

The viewing was completely fine, initially . That all changed when Cinder entered the frame. His PRT timeline was forcefully cut off, then it felt like he was forced into another two timelines. Instead of those being processed by his power, it felt like he was being torn between the two, his head pounding with an agonizing headache as double the input was shoved into it. 

In one timeline, Cinder jumped Bakuda and used certain powers that he’d seen in other timelines when feeling her out. Some blue blaster power, a propelled jump, some fire. It got her close to Bakuda, who she then took out. 

In another timeline, Cinder jumped Bakuda and used a different set of powers. An auditory one coming from another blue power, that same propelled jump, but her body looked like it was on fire, there was a metallic sheen over her body as well, as if she was made from it, reminiscent of another parahuman named Weld. She got close to Bakuda, then took her out.

His first timeline closed itself with a snap, leaving him in the second, where Cinder had used those new powers. Interference on that level, enough to incapacitate him and merely forcing him to watch , was unacceptable outside of his control. He had to find out more.

—C—

Finding any information on Cinder proved to be highly annoying. His Tattletale was terrified of her for some reason, though applying pressure in the right spots alleviated that. His pet could accurately predict what she was going to do as well, which helped to narrow things down. 

It took him a while to connect her to one Taylor Hebert, who had a trigger worthy event about three and a half months ago, yet recovered miraculously from it in a single day. Even with her unique powers, she could not hide from three thinkers working together it seemed. Excellent.

Now he had a decision to make. Could she be used, or should she be eliminated? The best way to tell would be to do some… experiments, he needed more information.

—C—

His timelines all proved fruitful, which was strange. Every single one worked perfectly, as it always had. Then why had his timelines acted up before? In his throwaway lines he could look at Cinder, find her, talk to her, even have her killed, he thought that maybe it had been a fluke, that Bakuda had been the cause of his timelines acting up. He was on the verge of going ahead and trying to bring Cinder over to his side instead and writing the strange interaction off.

Then Redcap showed up.

He had two timelines running as per usual. 

In one, he was being a diligent PRT consultant. In another, he was managing his assets in the bunker. 

Reports of an unknown parahuman messing about in the boat graveyard made him switch to his camera feed. This was one of the key points he had, since it was not uncommon for newly triggered parahumans to use the boat graveyard as a testing ground. Yet again, his PRT timeline was forcefully closed down, yet again, it felt like he was being split in two and forced to watch.

In one timeline, there was Cinder, blasting down the boats with that blue blaster power.

In the other, there was Redcap, completely obliterating the boats with some strange blue beam that turned them into crystals that then exploded. 

For thirty minutes he was forced to watch until the protectorate showed up, thirty minutes of an agonizing headache and full body paralysis, except for unconscious movements like blinking and breathing.

It was infuriating . 

—C—

The next day, Redcap struck again. On a whim, he closed down his timelines, and simply tried to observe from the bunker. He still had plenty of bugs within the PRT to feed him information, so it wasn’t a great loss. Unfortunately, Redcap, or Cinder, was actively avoiding cameras, so he only got footage of alleyways shaking and flashes of blue from time to time. Bothersome. The worst part? One of the buildings she hit was Fortress Construction , it felt like she was targeting him personally, even if he knew that she was unaware of his existence.

She finished up with Medhall, and then stopped. There was no real rhyme or reason for what she was doing. The only thing those buildings had in common was that the owners and renters were well off, and could relocate if needed. Possibly she was doing this in an effort to bring work into the city? That would also explain the boat graveyard. While interesting, and possibly beneficial for him, it didn’t matter too much in the long run. The way she was going about it was… naive at best, completely foolish at worst. The rich would rather pinch pennies than invest in buildings that might just get torn down again by a random parahuman. There would be some that would play into such a plan but… no matter, that was of little concern to him for the moment.

A few hours later, she struck again, back at the boat graveyard.

This time, he had a full view of her. The really interesting part happened only once Dauntless and Velocity showed up. He stayed without timelines, simply observing, then she cast some black smoke. His power locked up immediately . There was no headache and he could still move his body perfectly fine, but he couldn’t split the timeline either, he could only watch, as she disappeared along with the smoke. 

At least that confirmed it. Someone who blocked his powers so completely simply by existing was more of a nuisance than help, even if she was a precog. She had to go, one way or another. Maybe he should’ve just left the Bay, went to find some other place to settle down, yet that helplessness, the loss of power, being forced to do something while his power was taken away, it rankled something fierce. He hadn't lost, really lost, since Ellisburg. He wouldn’t throw all of his progress in the Bay away because of a Parahuman with a single capture to her name and some destroyed property. Cinder wasn’t Contessa, she would go down. 

He went down to ask his pet some questions, two of which only solidified his resolve.

“Pet, chances that I die next week, down to two decimals?”

“Eighty four point three nine percent.”

“Chances that I die if I kill Taylor Hebert first?”

“Six point five eight percent.”

—C—

He started his day off in his bunker.

“Pet, what are the chances that Taylor Hebert goes jogging today?”

“C-candy?”

“Later pet, questions first.”

“Ninety eight point three five percent.”

“Very good. Chance Taylor Hebert can be taken out by shooting her with a sniper while she’s on her jog?”

“N-ninety nine percent.”

“Chance that Taylor Hebert goes on her usual route through the docks?”

“Ow, ow! Eighty seven point five nine percent. Candy? Please?”

“One more pet, chance that anyone else disrupts my plans today?”

“E-eleven! C-candy?”

“Of course pet, you’ll get your candy now. Mr Pitter?”

Excellent chances for him to take her down.

He sent his men out throughout the docks but kept his timelines closed. He’d rather not deal with a headache while dealing with a pissed parahuman at the same time. The crackle of his tinkertech encrypted radio caught his attention.

“Target located sir, ready to shoot.”

He swapped to the camera feed of his mercenary, seeing the girl running there, completely unprotected.

“Engage.”

A soft thwip , then another reply.

“Target eliminated sir.”

—C—

He started his day off in his bunker.

“Pet, what are the chances that Taylor Hebert goes jogging today?”

“C-candy?”

“Later pet, questions first.”

“Ninety three point one six percent.”

“Very good. Chance Taylor Hebert can be taken out by shooting her with a sniper while she’s on her jog?”

“S-seventy eight percent.”

“Chance that Taylor Hebert goes on her usual route through the docks?”

“Ow, ow! Ninety nine percent. Candy? Please?”

“One more, pet. Chance that anyone else disrupts my plans today?”

“F-fifteen! C-candy?”

“Of course pet, you’ll get your candy now. Mr Pitter?”

Excellent chances for him to take her down, though it did leave a small margin of error.

He sent his men out throughout the docks but kept his timelines closed. He’d rather not deal with a headache while dealing with a pissed parahuman at the same time. The crackle of his tinkertech encrypted radio caught his attention.

“Target was located initially, now no longer visible. Do we stay in position sir?”

“Yes, just wait her out.”

With ninety nine percent of her doing the usual route there was just no way she wouldn’t pass through.

Tense silence.

For five minutes they sat there, waiting, watching, until a crackle of static burst through the radio and there was suddenly too much noise. Screaming, the sound of something roaring past like a burst of air or fire. He frantically swapped over to the camera feed, seeing Cinder standing over his mercenary.

“I said, who hired you?”

“I’m not telling you anyth- AAAAAAH!”

A burst of black flame, cutting the visuals but not the audio. His power locked once again.

“All soldiers, alert, she’s on rooftop C5, engage immediately, take her out!”

More sound from the radio.

Silence.

“Target eliminated sir.”

—C—

He started his day off in his bunker.

“Pet, what are the chances that Taylor Hebert goes jogging today?”

“C-candy?”

“Later pet, questions first.”

“Ninety nine point nine percent.”

“Excellent. Chance Taylor Hebert can be taken out by shooting her with a sniper while she’s on her jog?”

“Sixty eight point three nine percent.”

“Chance that Taylor Hebert goes on her usual route through the docks?”

“Ow, ow! Seventy percent. Candy? Please?”

“One more, pet. Chance that anyone else disrupts my plans today?”

“T-ten! C-candy?”

“Of course pet, you’ll get your candy now. Mr Pitter?”

Hmm, those weren’t great odds, rather on the low side. Still, it was worth a try to get rid of that thorn in his side, his mercenaries wouldn’t betray him. Sixty eight was still more than decent.

He sent his men out throughout the docks but kept his timelines closed. He’d rather not deal with a headache while dealing with a pissed parahuman at the same time. The crackle of his tinkertech encrypted radio caught his attention.

“Target was located initially, now no longer visible. Do we stay in position sir?”

“Yes, just wait her out.”

His pet had given him a seventy percent chance that she’d be there, there was no other option.

Tense silence.

Ten minutes passed, then twenty, still nothing.

“Men, status report.”

One by one they signalled off that things were fine, right up until roof D9.

“D9, report.”

Silence.

“D9, report!”

Still nothing.

“C5, E12, go check up on D9, the rest of you stay put in case you see any movement.”

“Copy sir.”

Ten minutes of silence until an update, he’s switched to the feeds of teams C5 and E12 by now. Each of his teams was set up in groups of two for extra protection. When they got to the top of the building however, there was nothing. No snipers, no mercenaries, no traces of anything at all. 

“Area is completely clean, sir. Team D9 is gone. Trackers are unreachable as well.”

Shit.

“All teams retreat and regroup for briefing.”

He shouldn’t have underestimated her, even with the odds in his favor. His mercenaries still had poison capsules in their teeth of course, some additional incentives would ensure that there was no betrayal. He’d do better next time, even if this loss was galling.

His pet could answer some more questions for him.

The walk to his pet’s room was slow, precise, ponderous. How best to tackle this? Clearly she was a precog of some skill, or had some sort of danger sense. He was aware of that after Lung and Bakuda of course, but he didn’t know just how strong that power was.

“Pet?”

“C-candy?”

“In a bit, I’ve some more questions first.”

A whimper, acceptable. He split the timeline.

“Chance Taylor Hebert discovers that I put the hit on her, down to two decimals?”

“N-ninety eight point nine three.”

Not good.

“Chance Taylor Hebert poses a danger to my life in the next twenty four hours?”

“Please, it hurts…”

“The numbers, pet.”

“E-eighty three point six two. Please.”

“Just one more, pet. Chance that Taylor Hebert returns home in the next twenty four hours?”

“Sixt-ow-sixteen point three nine.”

He closed that timeline, another split.

“Pet, chance that Taylor Hebert comes to this base within twelve hours?”

“Ninety nine point five.”

Interesting, at least he’d know where she’d be.

“Chance Taylor Hebert comes to this base within three hours?”

“N-ninety nine point five, candy now?”

“Two more questions, then you’ll get your candy. Chance that Taylor Hebert comes to this base in one hour?”

“Th-thirty n-nine point three.”

“Very good, last one, how likely is Taylor Hebert to die if she enters this base?”

“Nine-ninety s-seven, please?”

Another timeline closed. A new one opened, just a few more questions.

“Chance that I survive if Taylor Hebert enters this base?”

“Eighty seven point three five.

“What if I only stay in my office here in the bunker?”

“Ninety s-seven point six.”

Excellent. Another timeline closed.

He left his pet in case he needed her later and settled in to wait in his office, his men on high alert.

Two hours later, one of the tinkertech mines close to his office detonated. Nearly untraceable and equipped with the best sensors Toybox could provide, put in place for situations just like this.

Victory felt good.

—C—

He started his day off in his bunker.

“Pet, what are the chances that Taylor Hebert goes jogging today?”

“C-candy?”

“Later pet, questions first.”

“Ninety nine point nine percent.”

“Very good. Chance Taylor Hebert can be taken out by shooting her with a sniper while she’s on her jog?”

“Eightt-ty percent.”

“Chance that Taylor Hebert goes on her usual route through the docks?”

“Ow, ow! Thirty five point one. Candy? Please?”

Hmm, a split was needed here.

“Chance that Taylor Hebert jogs through the docks today?”

“N-ninety eight point three two.”

Excellent, he stopped that timeline.

“One more, pet, chance that anyone else disrupts my plans today?”

“N-nine! C-candy?”

“Of course pet, you’ll get your candy now. Mr Pitter?”

Excellent chances for him to take her down.

He sent his men out throughout the docks but kept his timelines closed. He’d rather not deal with a headache while dealing with a pissed parahuman at the same time. The crackle of his tinkertech encrypted radio caught his attention.

“All men in place, no target in sight yet sir. Advice?”

“Stay on the lookout.”

She’d come through, his pet had assured him. Even if she didn’t take the usual route, she still had patterns, places she’d like to go past. Yet as minutes ticked by and turned to an hour, he started getting concerned. He was about to go to his pet when Mr. Pitter showed up on his intercom.

“Yes?”

“It’s about Dinah, sir.”

Strange, four questions weren’t out of the norm for his pet, there shouldn’t be any problems. 

“Can’t it wait?”

“Afraid not sir, unless you’d rather talk in her room.”

Hmm, maybe Hebert would only go jogging later on, he never did specify a time and occasionally she went for evening jogs instead of morning or midday. He’d have to ask his pet once he was done with Mr Pitter.

“Come in.”

He pressed the button to open his office up.

“What seems to be the problem?”

As Mr Pitter took a slow step forward, his body locked up. He couldn’t move, couldn’t twitch, there was a fire burning, alluring, devastating, taking his control away. His worst nightmare made reality, a prisoner in his own body, a complete loss of control. In a distant part of his mind, the tiny pinprick that was still aware, he screamed, in the rest, he floated in bliss, warmth, safety, those beautiful flames.

“Call off any security you have on this room, do not raise any alarms. Once that’s done, write down any information I might find useful about the organisation you’re running. Account numbers, people working for you, parahuman contacts, all of it.”

His body turned, calmly, and did as it was told. It took him five hours to write it all down, to transfer his accounts to her, to give everything he had over to someone he now loathed . 

He felt something cold against the back of his head, then he knew no more.

Chapter Text

That night I finally managed to make some progress in the Iron Keep. With my two new blacksteel katanas I managed to take on the Alonne Knights one by one, the main difficulty came from their skill and if they managed to gang up on me, this meant I had to take things somewhat slowly. 

It cost me a decent amount of lifegems but I did eventually make it to the local boss, the Smelter Demon. He could hit very hard but unfortunately for him, I was just too fast to hit. I didn’t even have to dodge all that much, just go in, slash a few times, then back off. Death by a thousand cuts could work just as well as a few soul spears, even if it was way more tedious and unsafe. My fire resistance helped a bunch too, at some point he started radiating fire around him, this would’ve been a problem back in Lordran, but here it was mostly an annoyance, similar to that feeling you get when you’ve been in the sun too long without sunscreen.

It was when I came back from another quick trip to Majula that I noticed the second component of dexterity. All of my movements were so much more fluid than before. Graceful, precise, my muscles moving together with more purpose than before. My agility and body control were so much more too, I could move all those little muscles that people usually didn’t pay much attention to with ease. Things like bending my fingers in strange directions, moving my ears up and down, controlling my face muscles and contorting them in strange ways. These small things weren’t all that useful on their own, but combined they added a great boost to my combat potential. 

The only reason I hadn’t noticed was because the increase in speed that dexterity gave overshadowed it. It felt like the changes came from there, things my body did to compensate for the increase in speed, when in fact they were separate. Despite the lack of damage, I was really coming to appreciate dexterity.

Now that I had another slight increase in speed I could move through the keep more quickly. There were still many Alonne knights, but they were more manageable, especially since I’d learnt most of their moves by now. Patience was the key here so long as I didn’t allow them to gang up on me I could get through.

This paid off when I finally got to the end, or at least what looked like it. A small archway leading to a stone platform surrounded by lava. As soon as I stepped onto the platform a fog wall appeared behind me. A rumbling in the distance drew my attention, out of the lava emerged a giant demon, much bigger than the stuff I usually fought, especially since about half of his body was still submerged in lava. He looked very intimidating and powerful, only… he was also so very slow. His attacks could shake the platform around me, his fire was hotter than the others I’d felt, for most he would’ve been very troublesome, and yet… I beat him on my first try. 

That felt so weird after struggling with the Alonne knights so much. 

I put it out of my mind for now and went further in, going down some stairs to light my second primal bonfire. Something further on grabbed my attention though, an altar, made of a basin surrounded by three snake statues that got together in the center. And leading towards it, a thread of the covenant. One of the sisters was in there! With my heart beating fast I didn’t even think about it and touched the altar, it felt like I got pushed forward, then sucked into the water of the basin. Instead of feeling any resistance from the water I just got spat out by another, similar altar.

I took a deep breath to center myself and assessed the room. There was one big iron door leading out to some outdoor area and not much else. Then I checked the threads.

There were two leading back towards the portal, that was expected. There were thirteen weaker threads in total leading the other direction, that was decidedly not expected. Did one of the sisters gain a cloning ability or something? Regardless, I set out, pushing open the giant iron doors and… stopping outside immediately.

I’d seen many things already, both in Lordran and Drangleic, but this was one of those special occasions where the view took my breath away for a moment. Three giant towers, standing amidst a sea of ash, dunes upon dunes of it spreading out in all directions. It looked as if an apocalypse had passed, and left these monoliths as the only reminders that life had existed here at some point. It was incredible.

Eventually I stopped taking in the view and moved forward. There was only one path, a giant chain which led from my tower to another, which also conveniently led to a tether. I found something called a ‘smelter wedge’ on the ground right before the chain, curious about its purpose. I found out soon enough when I got to the other side of the chain. There was a… statue of sorts, of a woman with a bunch of arms wrapped around her, which was also on fire for some reason. The tether led directly to it, however when I approached, pillars of fire burst into existence around me, I could feel the smelter wedge in my hand vibrating and stuck it in the statue's chest. The flame pillars went out one by one, while the statue was lighting up around the wedge, the light got brighter and brighter until it just disintegrated, leaving something behind.

Soul of Nadalia, Bride of Ash.

Twelve tethers left. Shit. This felt like… Quelana? That was my guess at least. Did someone trap parts of her soul in these statues? Hopefully I could help her by gathering all of them, if not… well, I’d just have to deal with that later. For now, I had a new mission, one that took priority over the stuff in Drangleic. Time to look for the other fragments.

I got through the first bits of the tower without too much trouble. Unfortunately, the enemies here were much, much stronger than the ones in Iron Keep were, or anywhere else I’d found in Drangleic for that matter. They were relatively fast, enough to keep up with me a bit at least, and they hit hard. Even now, with my vigor much higher than it was in Lordran, they could still deal massive damage to me.

I managed to get four more soul fragments before the enemies overwhelmed me.

—T—

Back in the Bay, I went through my usual routine. Get out of bed after calming down from dying, go downstairs, prepare and eat breakfast, put some clothes on, go for a jog.

Of course, with my increased dexterity I could go way faster while jogging than any regular human, but that was not the point. The point initially was to train my endurance, though I’d gotten past what a regular human could achieve by now. Now, the point was to get used to how my powers affected my body. My intelligence helped with that too, and a lot of it was intuitive to the point where I didn’t need much, but it was better to stay on top of things.

I took my usual route through the docks, through the somewhat ‘nicer’ parts, when I felt a brief sting in my head and everything went black all of a sudden. A blink later I was back in Firelink Shrine. 

What the fuck?

—T—

“Welcome home Ashen One.”

“Hey Keeper… did I die?”

“You did.”

Well shit. 

“Can you tell me how?” 

“I cannot, I am merely aware of how you enter this realm, through death or sleep.”

Hmm. I close my eyes and sink into thought, at least intelligence will help me with this. The only one fast enough to kill me that fast would be velocity, but he doesn’t hit hard enough for it to matter. A bomb could’ve worked, but I would’ve felt more. So most likely a bullet. I can still remember the sting, thinking back on it… the upper left backside of my head. There were a few buildings that would give line of sight required for that. A sniper then most likely, with a silencer.

The question is who, and why? To my knowledge, the most I’d done was stop Bakuda, if Oni Lee wanted me dead he’d do it with his clones. If, for some reason Lung got out and wanted to do it, he’d do it with fire or melee combat most likely. So the ABB wasn’t likely. The PRT could’ve found out I was Redcap somehow but even then I doubt they’d just kill me with a sniper. Arrest by cape was more likely. The E88… well, Victor was a possibility, I did steal some money from them and some of those buildings might have belonged to them too. They were the most likely culprit for now, I’d just have to take care of that tomorrow.

I spent some time with the ‘regulars’ of the shrine, I was especially growing much closer to Priscilla, after keeping my promise and regular contact she was starting to trust me more. She still had an unfortunate tendency for intense eye contact and some… other behaviors that flustered me, like leaning in way too close while talking to me. I didn’t mind too much though, it was nice to have more friends.

My trip to Drangleic and Brume Tower after that was fairly uneventful. I collected another three fragments, then died to a bunch of shadow wizards with lightning spells. Death by electrocution reminded me painfully of my time back in Sen's Fortress, I still wouldn't recommend it.

—T—

To keep things mostly the same I stuck to my morning routine, the only thing I changed was my breakfast. Then I went out for a jog again. When I got close to the buildings I could’ve been shot from I used Invisible Body and switched to my Cinder getup. I went to the highest building first, simply because I’d be able to see down on the other two from there. This was the right decision as I found my target on one of the lower roofs. 

With a quick cast of Fall Control and Hush I jumped down onto the other roof, landing behind the shooter. He doesn’t seem to have noticed me yet, which is unsurprising, this gives me ample time to look him over. 

I’m no expert, but all of his gear looks high quality, expensive stuff. He’s not wearing any gang colors and there’s no identifying symbols or anything either. He looks more like a trained mercenary than anything else. The guy reaches down towards a small radio on his vest.

“Target was located initially, now no longer visible. Do we stay in position sir?”

“Yes, just wait her out.”

Interesting, I didn’t recognize the voice on the other end but this at least confirms some things. One, they were definitely going for me specifically and two, this was a professional. The tone of voice, professionalism, deference and discipline clued me in on that much. So, someone was after me who had enough money to hire professionals to take me out, this person also knew my cape and civil identities because I highly doubt I’d get killed over something I did as Taylor Hebert. Most likely one of the people who owned the buildings I damaged then.

I didn’t really have or know any interrogation techniques unfortunately. I had intimidation and some spells which might be persuasive but nothing that would do precisely what I wanted. I cast a modified version of Hush, this one meant for a larger area, covering most of the roof so that sound couldn’t escape. I cast a Soul Spear straight into his back to break it, the Bakuda special. I cast another spell on him right after,  another modification of Hush which I called Numb, though more abstract, this one silences the impulses from your body, in this case, it numbs the pain from his spine. I kick the guy over so that he's facing up at me, fanning out some flames behind me for extra intimidation. I also lower one of my katanas down to his throat.

“Who hired you?”

“F-fuck, what the fuck?! I’m not telling you anything!”

Hmm, well, at least breaking his spine made him lose composure, that’s good, now to get some actual info. 

“You can tell me what I want to hear, or I can cut your arm off, your choice.”

The guy just glares at me so I shrug and burn one of his fingers for now. He screams until I numb it with another spell. I do notice him making a strangle wiggle movement but I figure that’s discomfort.

“Gonna talk yet?”

“F-fuck you!”

Well, I did give him the option. With a swift swipe of my katana he’s down one arm, I crack a lifegem right after so that the wound closes up and he doesn’t bleed out. He’s yelling now, clutching at the stump that’s left. 

“Now, I’ll ask once more, if you don’t reply I’ll burn the other off. I said , who hired you?”

The guy looks determined even now, I ready some dark flames.

“I’m not telling you anyth- AAAAAAH!”

A wave of dark magic washes over his other arm, intent on burning it off, I hear some crackling from his radio, then my magic is cut off as bullets tear through my body from multiple directions. Darkness follows.

Chapter Text

I was getting pretty pissed off at whoever had put that hit on me. I could somewhat excuse the first mercenary, hiring a single assassin made sense. This? This was a grudge. A full team of trained mercenaries all there specifically to take me out. What I really wanted was to just get back to the Bay and take care of the utter asshole trying to kill me. Actually doing so would be a very… emotional and illogical decision though so I held back.

I needed something new, something that would work better as an interrogation method than torture. The only thing I could think of that worked fast were master powers. Luckily, I had something very similar, a pyromancy called Undead Rapport.

I’d still need to fiddle with it somewhat to make it work on humans, but since humans and undead were so close to each other anyway it shouldn’t be too difficult. Besides, Seath did have some books related to pyromancy if I remembered correctly.

Twenty minutes later, I had my spell, just called Rapport, which should work on humans and possibly on other creatures too. The only downside was cast time but I had Invisible Body and dexterity to compensate for that. 

For now, back to Brume Tower.

—T—

My trip went fairly well, I killed yet another Smelter Demon on my first try, passed by a whole bunch of enemies, and made my way to the bottom floor of the tower. I found a bonfire along with the remaining fragments of Nadalia’s soul. I still wasn’t completely sure what had happened, or how I’d get Quelana back, but I was determined to try anyway. There was still a very faint tether leading to the back of the room, through an arena of sorts, along with a single fragment inside of the arena itself. When I entered I encountered another boss, Fume Knight. The remaining tether led directly to his sword and he didn’t seem much for talking. A shame, as I’d rather have solved this peacefully.

He was relatively slow but when he hit, he hit hard so it was mostly just playing keepaway while whittling him down. I did get hit twice but lifegems along with my speed saved me, resulting in a fairly clean victory. 

With all of the soul shards together I approached the last tether. A… throne of some sort with a white decapitated corpse sitting on top, a crown perched in her lap. A bunch of ash was piled up in the room too, covering the corpse up to its knees. I came closer with a frown, unsure how I could do anything with this. The answer turned out to be relatively simple though. Once I was almost right on top of the pile I could feel the souls tugging at me even within my inventory, I brought them out, to the palm of my hands, gently floating on top of it. From there they reacted with the ash underneath, spinning together in a tight circle melding together on top of the crown like a flickering flame, then sinking into it. I gently reached out, picking the crown up and holding it where the head should be.

A stream of fire poured out of the bottom of the crown, flowing into the rest of the body, revitalizing it. The rough shape of a head formed under my hands, making me let go of the crown, leaving it to float on top of the shape instead. Slowly but surely, flesh began to mend and return, aided by the ashes in the room, until a fully formed body was sitting in the throne once more. She was wearing a pure white dress, her skin was equally pale but run through with red cracks that glowed like fire. When I met her eyes, I noticed that they, too, were glowing. The thing that reassured me most was the tether still connecting us, now restored. 

“Um, Quelana? Nadalia? I’m not sure what to call you.”

She looks at me for a bit, seems just as confused as I am. Then she speaks, her voice is raspy, dry, but gets better relatively fast.

“C-Cinder?”

I can feel my face light up with a smile, it’s nice to see her again even if it hasn’t been that long. I reach out, holding her hands, she still looks confused but marginally happier.

“Yeah! Are you alright? I kinda had to… put you back together.”

“My memory is hazy but… things are flooding back, ancient things that I’d long forgotten. You were my… pupil? But also my queen?”

“Well, from my perspective I killed Gwyn, left Lordran, then came to Drangleic a day later.”

Quelana stares at me for a while, or is it Nadalia now? Clearly flabbergasted by what I’m saying.

“Cinder, it’s been… centuries. Does the name Manus mean anything to you?”

Ah, well, that would explain the confusion. Regardless, I nod my head.

“When he died, fragments of his being split off, forming, well, us. Me and my sisters. I… after you left Lordran, we were pulled along with you, I think, shoved into receptacles that would accept our essence. For the last few centuries I have been Nadalia. My memories of being Quelana were foggy at best, completely gone at worst, until now.”

“Huh… I’m… sorry for dragging you into this then.”

Surprisingly, she laughs, it surprises even herself, as if she’d forgotten how.

“Don’t be, I have a feeling we’d be worse off if this hadn’t happened.” She looks back down to our joined hands, a light frown on her face. “We should leave this place, it brings back bad memories.”

It’s my turn to frown this time. “I have no idea how to transport you out of here, can you travel by bonfire?” 

“No, no, I still hold some power over this place. My sisters, wherever they are, should hold that same power. I can use it to bring us back, once. Just think of where you want to go. I can only take us somewhere once though.”

“Alright. Oh, first, what should I call you now, Nadalia or Quelana?”

“Nadalia, I’ve grown too used to it here, Quelana feels like a previous life, which I suppose it is.”

I nod, then concentrate on Majula, putting my not inconsiderable focus fully on the image of it. There’s a bright white light that engulfs us, taking us out of Brume Tower.

We reappear next to the bonfire in Majula, luckily most of the residents don’t seem to care much about my comings and goings. The Herald does give us a weird look, especially Nadalia, but doesn’t make a problem of it.

I had the key to a big house behind the well, but hadn’t explored it much. There was some guy in the basement who kept talking about maps but I figured he was harmless, especially to a more powerful being like Nadalia. When I look back after arriving there she’s giving the room a critical once over.

“Don’t really have anything better than this, sorry.”

She looks back up with a hum. “It’s no palace but it is… acceptable.”

“Alright that’s… good… um, will you tell me of your time here? I’m a little out of the loop.”

The slight smile on her face lets me know I made the right choice. “Of course, I can tell you some of the highlights at least.

—T—

I end up spending a few hours with Nadalia, it’s nice to talk to her again. There was definitely a change in personality from her becoming Nadalia but it’s not bad necessarily, just different. Besides, the old Quelana still shines through often enough.

I do have stuff to do though so eventually I bid her farewell, promising to come back next time I enter Drangleic.

On the Herald’s advice I went down into the pit, the first area I encountered was called Grave of Saints. It was absolutely filled with huge rats. Luckily they weren’t all that strong and I mostly just rushed through the area with ease. I found a very interesting pyromancy called Warmth, which could be used to heal, incredibly handy. Especially since it meant I could just keep healing as opposed to the lifegems and Estus which had to be refilled. 

From there I dropped down into a place that gave me some… horrible flashbacks, the Gutter. The place was pitch black, built out of shitty wooden constructs that towered upwards, and reminded me painfully of Blighttown. This place was better to navigate all things considered, but most of it was also lined with these statues that spit poison globs at me. I was lucky that I brought some moss clumps to counter said poison or I would’ve been dead way sooner. The most interesting thing there was actually some weird insects who could melt armor and were as big as dogs. It’s too bad I didn’t have bug control powers or something, using those to fight would’ve been cool.

Surprisingly, I made my way through the Gutter mostly unscathed. I didn’t die at the very least. Unfortunately I then made it to the next area. Black Gulch.

The first thing I saw when I entered was those damn poison statues. Rows upon rows of them everywhere . Now, I could smash them of course, but if I rested at a bonfire they’d just come back to taunt me and spit in my face! I developed a bit of an eye tick at that point, but there was no way but forward, so forward I went. 

Instead of staying to fight anything I used my superior speed to rush past everything as best I could, it was tricky and I did get hit a few times, but ultimately it was the right decision as I got to the fog gate in record time. There I found my next opponent guarding a primal bonfire, the Rotten. All things considered he was… surprisingly easy, which did make me paranoid. Any time things felt too easy I got smacked around soon after so this only served to raise my guard even more. 

After the Rotten’s bonfire I found another one of those altars, yet again, there was a tether going into it. I was starting to see a pattern, the last sister would probably be behind another one of these. I leaned forward, touched the water and fell through, appearing on the other side.

I ended up in another large room with a giant door at the end standing slightly open, exactly like with the first portal. Stepping through the door gave me a view that took my breath away. I was in a giant cave, inside of which was some sort of… Incan temple surrounded by a bunch of water features. It looked gorgeous, something you’d see in travel brochures to attract people en masse. Despite all my deaths, moments like this still made me glad that these were the powers I ended up with. How many people could say they saw something even close to this?

The second thing I noticed was the thread connecting me to the sisters. There was no split this time which was good, just a strong tug towards the center of that temple. I braced myself and set off along the small winding road on the side of the cave. Only a few steps in I found a fairly big dragon resting on some pillars, when it noticed me it let out a roar and flew away. Despite its size it seemed pretty powerful, similar to Kalameet in that regard. 

The rest of the area was more standard fare. The only difference being that the enemies here were way, way stronger than the ones on the way to the Rotten had been. I’d been right to be paranoid. I got decently far but in the end, superior numbers won out over my skill and speed. My armor and swords got shredded by bugs, I got poisoned by more of those statues, and teamed up on by a bunch of the soldiers dwelling around.

Certainly not a fun way to die, but it felt… better than dying to a rat or something. Like they needed an army to keep me down.

Chapter Text

I woke up with a mission, I was going to find those mercenaries, bind them to my will, and find out which asshole had put out a hit on me. Then I was going to kill said asshole.

The jog through the docks was pretty much the exact same as yesterday, I switched to my Cinder outfit at about the same spot too, then activated my stealth spells. Instead of just going for the guys that I knew were present, I found the highest building in the area and made my way to the top. That way, no one could look down to see what I was doing either. 

There were two of them on this building, presumably so they could keep watch over the others. No matter, I’d been riddled with bullet holes last time, they deserved anything I could give them.

I swapped out my falchion for my pyro flame and cast Rapport on the right soldier, stomping down on the neck of the other to keep him down. With my first cast done I quickly did the same to the second, stopping his struggles. Both turned around to look at me, their eyes glowing an eerie red, I could feel my influence on them. They really just had no resistance to this whatsoever, if I kept reapplying the spell I could probably just keep them as slaves indefinitely… That amount of power was pretty scary, I resolved to only use it if absolutely needed like now.

“We’re leaving, pack up your stuff, don’t leave any traces you were here.”

I got two blank nods, then they packed their stuff efficiently. Within a few minutes the place looked completely clear, as if we’d never been here in the first place. Excellent.

“Disable any and all tracking devices on your person, break them if you have to. Make sure you do this without alerting anyone else if possible, if you need to leave them here, do it.”

There were a surprising number of them actually. Almost every part of their outfit had at least some form of tracking, the most surprising was some sort of chip in their neck that they had to manually disable, some sort of last resort. With all that done I had them follow me out, Invisible Body worked on both of them so we just went to one of the warehouses I’d spotted at a decent pace. Once inside I sat them both down for an interrogation, reapplying Rapport just in case.

“Tell me everything you know about your boss, no matter how small it may seem, I want to know everything . Where he lives, what his name is, his powers if any, how much money he has, et cetera, go.”

Then they started talking, filling the other in as they went. Rapport made for surprisingly competent minions.

The person trying to kill me was Coil. They didn’t know why. They didn’t know if he had powers but were certain he was a parahuman of sorts. They explained his odd way of working where they’d standby and then get a green light or a red light, making me suspect precognition of sorts. They told me of his base, a repurposed endbringer shelter, something that I’d be taking for myself once he was dealt with. They told me of a ‘mysterious package’ he’d gotten recently, that everyone knew about it but that only a few knew what it was, one Mr. Pitter being one of them. I even had them draw floor plans from memory, as much as they could recall.

On and on it went, until the only things left were how he liked his coffee and at what times. 

Slowly but surely I got a fairly detailed image of the one hunting me, Coil. A chessmaster by all accounts, someone who made plans within plans to get what he wanted. A dangerous villain who had no problems killing a teenage girl out of costume apparently. He had to go.

I had to assume that his missing soldiers had been reported by now. I had a way into the base, I had a very rough idea of how to get to Coil, now I just had to actually get to him. 

—T—

Getting inside of the base wasn’t too bad, the problem was getting to Coil from there. The initial entrance I used was through some sweatshop that had two hidden compartments. One to an illegal casino, then another within that casino leading down to a side entrance of the base. One cast of Rapport and two Soul Spears took care of that, the soldier I enslaved just opened the door, let me through, then closed it again.

From there I had to work my way deeper inside. The base was a maze of concrete and metal, even with the crude map the mercenaries gave me I had trouble navigating. To make matters worse, certain parts of the base were rigged with traps and sensors that would activate if you didn’t know about them, tripping alarms. Hidden Body took care of most of the troublesome stuff so far, but I knew it was only a matter of time until something went wrong.

I took things slow, very slow, and mapped out as much of this place as I could. Try as they might, a repurposed endbringer shelter couldn’t become that much bigger if it had been abandoned, not if they wanted to stay hidden. Should I die, I’d at least have a good idea of this place next time. 

It took me two hours of patient sneaking but I did manage to map out most of it. The reason it took so long was mostly because the whole base was hyper alert. Clearly they knew their soldiers were compromised and had put everything on lockdown. One of the things that disgusted me most in this base was a room that looked like it was made for a child. Within it was an actual child who looked drugged out of her mind. Dinah Alcott, the mayor’s niece who had disappeared about a month ago. It just hardened my resolve, Coil had to die.

Finally, I ended up in front of his office, this is where I assumed Coil was, it also matched the description the soldiers gave me. A giant metal door, two futuristic turrets mounted next to it, scanning for movement, there were likely other traps too. I didn’t have much choice but to go through. My plan was to get close, put up a barrier, destroy the turrets, then destroy the door with my metal to crystal spell. 

In reality, I took a single step into the fifteen foot long corridor and promptly exploded.

—T—

Alright. Calm down Taylor, think this through, what went wrong? I wasn’t good at this infiltration and stealth thing yet, too used to brute forcing my way through whatever challenge was in front of me. Time to learn from my failures.

First, I wasn’t paranoid enough while confronting that initial sniper on the second day. I have to keep in mind that if someone wants me dead that they’ll probably have backup. Second, the interrogation was fine, but because I took so long and dragged the soldiers away the base went on high alert. What I should’ve done instead was use Rapport on the soldiers, interrogate them there while making sure they didn’t arouse suspicion, then follow them back to their base.

Potential problems with that: I didn’t have a memory wipe spell so I’d have to keep them under control, and their eyes glowed while under my control. Solutions: either invent a memory wipe spell or tweak the Rapport spell until the glow’s gone. 

On the bright side, this time I knew exactly where the base was and they shouldn’t be expecting me. ‘Shouldn’t’ being the key word here, as I was pretty sure Coil was either a parahuman, extremely paranoid, extremely smart, or all three. Still, best to try my luck right away this time, a surprise attack would be much more effective. For now, I should work on Rapport to make the glow disappear, maybe only allow for an initial glow with a layered illusion on top, I had time here, I wouldn’t go back until that was finished. I wouldn’t give Coil another chance.

—T—

I did get the Rapport spell to work properly eventually, Solaire volunteered as a test subject which was a tremendous help.

After that I went back to Shulva, Sanctum City, the giant cave with the temple in it. I made decent progress. So long as I was careful the enemies were definitely beatable. I ran into a problem along the way though. There were soldiers who fought through astral projection or something. They looked like ghosts, took reduced damage but still applied full damage to me, and were only properly killable once I found their actual body and destroyed it. To make matters worse, they were fast , a bit slower than me, but certainly fast enough to keep up.

It was these, in combination with some strange Siren-like witches, that killed me that time.

—T—

I woke up determined, Coil would be going down today.

Just like the days before, I simply readied myself for the day with some breakfast and a shower, then went out for a jog. This time, my destination was different, I cast Hidden Body on myself a while away from my house, then turned towards Coil’s base. 

I entered the same way as before, through the sweatshop, there was only one soldier guarding the entrance this time. Last time was because I had put them on high alert apparently. All the better for me, one cast of Rapport took care of him.

Next, I had to find some way into Coil’s room, the easiest way would be to master someone with high clearance… Mr. Pitter maybe? He had enough clearance to know about mysterious packages at least. I set off towards the lower levels of the base, where I’d be more likely to find important staff. On a whim, I checked out the room containing Dinah and struck gold. Mr. Pitter was already there, ‘tending’ to her, come to think of it, Dinah might be the ‘mysterious package’ they were talking about. 

This just meant that I didn’t have to feel any guilt for what I was about to do.

I waited until he left the room, then followed, this took me to some sort of office space fairly close to Dinah’s room. Once there, I struck with another cast of Rapport.

“Take me to Coil, make sure you don’t trip any security while doing so, how you do this is up to you, as discreet as possible, don’t make him suspicious.”

The man nodded, then stood up and walked over to an intercom. There was a crackle, then I could hear Coil for the first time, at least I assumed it was him.

“Yes?”

“It’s about Dinah, sir.”

“Can’t it wait?”

“Afraid not sir, unless you’d rather talk in her room.”

A beep, then a green light lit up on the intercom.

“Come in.”

I followed behind closely, making sure my steps followed Pitter’s exactly just in case there was some hidden path he was walking over. To my relief, the giant metal door slid open, revealing a very fancy looking office. Tasteful dark woods, a carpet, expensive computer setup, very comfortable looking as well. I also got my first look at Coil. A tall, thin man, almost skeletally thin, the way he stood made him look sneaky, slippery, almost like a Bond villain.

“What seems to be the problem?”

I went behind him and cast Rapport point blank at his head. He went still.

“Call off any security you have on this room, do not raise any alarms. Once that’s done, write down any information I might find useful about the organisation you’re running. Account numbers, people working for you, parahuman contacts, all of it.”

He complied, good .

The list was comprehensive and long, shockingly so. Coil had a finger in almost every pie. E88 moles, ABB moles, PRT moles, PRT bugs , with this kind of network I basically had the city in the palm of my hand and all it took was dying three times. There was a name on the list that grabbed my attention, Fortress Construction. Was that why he targeted me? Just in case, I had him write down his reasons for attacking me too. Another name that grabbed my attention was the Undersiders, I’d met with them before, scared one of their members, I’d have to see how to handle them too. The last point of interest was a ‘lucrative parahuman organisation’, as Coil had phrased it, called Cauldron. I might contact them at some point, since I did have a number, but it wasn’t a priority. Next to the stuff he was writing down he put some references to files he had in this office, so I could read through those later to find out more.

After five hours of non stop writing, transferring accounts and calls, he was done. I didn’t have a permanent way of enslaving him and there was no way I could trust him to work for me or let him go. With the amount of people he had in the PRT I couldn’t drop him off there either. 

I put my staff against the back of his head and cast a Soul Spear through his brain.

Good riddance.

Chapter Text

I’d mastered Coil in the morning, then spent about five hours before killing him. This meant that it was about one pm by now and I was hungry. 

Unfortunately I still had to take care of some stuff first, Dinah and the mercenaries, anything else could wait for a bit. The mercenaries were first, I just called up Coil’s squad leaders, showed them Coil’s dead body and told them I was in charge now. They were fine with this so long as they kept getting paid, which I assured them they would be. I had one of them dispose of Coil’s body too, no need to leave it laying around and stinking up the place.

Second, Dinah. I had Mr Pitter lead me back over to her room, where she was sleeping still. I took out a Radiant Lifegem, maybe it was overkill but that was my preferred option in this case, drugged up children are not something to mess around with. I shattered it with a soft cracking noise, the mist left behind quickly sunk into her skin, leaving her with a much healthier look even if her hair was still a mess. Bleary brown eyes blinked open in front of me, squinting slightly from the light but adjusting soon enough. She seemed to recognize me, hopefully that would make things easier.

“Dinah Alcott? I’m Cinder, are you feeling alright? Hurting anywhere? I’d like to get you back to your parents.”

A slow blink, then another. Right when I’m about to get worried she frowns at me and shakes her head.

“You made the pain go away, the drugs too, the numbers didn’t tell me you could do that at first and then suddenly they did. My parents didn’t believe me before, ninety three point six percent chance they believe me if you come along and explain it to them.”

A precognitive? That makes Coil’s actions slightly less creepy at least, not nearly enough to make me regret killing him though. “Alright, what about after, can you see if anyone will go for you? Is there anything else I should know?”

“Ninety two percent chance I stay safe if you convince my parents to stay in Brockton Bay with your protection. Well, right now, you change the numbers sometimes, that’s why Coil didn’t like you.”

Some kind of anti-thinker power? Coil was a precognitive too after all. Tattletale didn’t have any problems when we met though, maybe just anti precognitive then? I do recall him putting down ’messing with my power’ as one of the reasons he went after me, so it was likely. 

“Alright, let’s get you back home. I’ll get you a number that connects directly to me so you can call if you need anything. Would you mind if I asked you questions sometimes?”

“Hmm, ok, just fix my headaches if I get any.”

“Deal.”

—T—

Dropping Dinah off didn’t take that much time. I drove her home with some mercenaries, got thanked profusely by her parents, simply told them that the ‘problem was dealt with’, explained Dinah and her powers, reassured them that Dinah had my number and that they could use it too, then left again. The whole ordeal should give me some major brownie points with the mayor too. It was an hour later by the time we got back to the base so I had some people get me a sandwich as I was still hungry .

While eating I went through more of Coil’s stuff. Fortress Construction was already being handled by a proxy so I saw no reason to change that for the moment. Coil was more of a silent owner. Next, Creep, a parahuman with a very fitting name, a rapist and pedophile both. I had him come to one of the meeting rooms in the base and detained him with the help of two merc squads. I could’ve used Rapport too but this was literally what I was paying them for. Creep wouldn’t be getting paid any longer though. I had a plan for him and once that was done, well, he’d be done too.

Last points on my list: Accord, the Undersiders, Cauldron and last but certainly not least, a folder containing the identities of the Empire 88. I went through the folder first so that I could plan properly. Max Anders being Kaiser… it certainly wasn’t ideal, but I could work with this, outing him was a definite no but I had… options. The other names were unknowns to me luckily, besides, they’d fracture once Kaiser was out of the picture. Troubles for later.

With an hour left I decided to leave the Undersiders for tomorrow, while Cauldron could be put off indefinitely. Accord however, would be very useful. I spent the rest of my time just going through correspondence between him and Coil, noting down which mails he reacted best to. At the end, I wrote an exceedingly polite email to him, telling him very vaguely that I was someone who’d taken over from Coil, would like to make use of his services, and what exactly I wanted from him. 

Then I went home to spend some time with my dad.

—T—

With Coil dealt with I could finally focus properly on getting through Shulva, I was getting close to my target too, I could feel it. I reached a fairly open space, a lake at the bottom of the cave. There were these giant black things that looked a bit like t-rexes if they were forty percent mouth. It would’ve been funny if they couldn’t just swallow me in one go. Fortunately for me, they were pretty slow compared to me, so I could just sprint past them without having to fight. 

Once I got past them a bunch of shortcuts opened up, elevators and walkways lining up nicely to give me a path towards the first bonfire of this place. From there, I worked my way back down into what felt like the last area of the temple, a big room filled with stairs leading down towards a fog gate. My tether was becoming stronger too, so I was reasonably certain that one of the sisters would be behind it, I just wasn’t sure who, or if they’d even recognise me.

At the other side, Elana, the Squalid Queen awaited me. She looked like a mix between a human that had their skin stripped off and then fused with those strange root growths from the Old Chaos. A peculiar look but it didn’t look bad , just very unusual. As I feared though, she didn’t seem to recognise me at all even though there was a tether running straight into her chest. From this close, I could recognise her as Quelaag. It seemed like I’d have to fight to get through to her.

On her own, Elana wasn’t too much of a problem, the real challenge was her summons. She kept summoning a big golden guy along with three skeletons with swords. Again, on their own, not a problem. Combined though? Extremely annoying to fight. I got through it eventually by just taking things slow and using a lot of heals, but it was by no means easy, made more difficult by my reluctance to hurt Elana, even though I felt that this was the only way. I was rewarded for my patience and perseverance when she finally fell down to her knees, weak and bloody. I reached forward, grabbing her by the chin and forcing her to look at me, at my face, like she’d done to me when we first met.

“Quelaag! I know you’re in there, just talk to me! I already got Quelana too!” 

She glared at me for what felt like an eternity, then something in her eyes changed and she slumped forward, finally breaking through the haze she’d been in. Her voice, similarly, was a bit softer. One of her hands reaches up, cupping my chin in return. The position feels weirdly intimate.

“Cinder? It’s… hard to think. This place, I can’t stay here or I’ll just revert. There’s this feeling of wrath inside me, it keeps pushing, always pushing, it’s so hard to think like this. Just… just put me down or get me out of here.”

Hearing her say such things made my heart break a little, I already felt bad for pulling them into this place with me and now she was just… asking me to kill her. I felt my lips purse and pulled out a homeward bone, pushing my desire for Majula into it, taking her through the bonfire towards it to reunite her with Quelana, hopefully that would help.

I get another weird look from the Herald, likely for bringing another daughter of Manus to this place, but she doesn’t say anything about it. She mostly seems curious and slightly cautious but nothing more than that. I take Quelaag, or Elena now I suppose, back to the house where Quelana was staying. It’s like Elana can already feel the presence of her sister because I can feel her perking up slightly.

“This place is good.” The tone of her voice is different from when she was Quelaag, yet just like Quelana, I can still hear that same cadence and those same speech patterns in it. “I can feel the haze clearing away already, your presence seems to help too little spark.”

Well then , if she can afford to fluster me then it must not have been all that bad after all.

Seeing the sisters meet again is a bit… strange, and awkward. They’re obviously happy to see each other, but there’s no hugging or touching even though they clearly want to, maybe their upbringing as shards of Manus messed with things on that front. I give Elana a gentle push in the back, knowing full well that I’m not nearly strong enough to push her around, but she gives in anyway and steps forward to hold hands with Nadalia. Better than nothing.

—T—

I stayed with them for a few hours more, just basking in the company of the sisters and listening to their stories, what it was like growing up here, repeatedly getting my apologies for dragging them here revoked, that sort of thing. Eventually though I felt it was time to return to Shulva for my last challenge. Sinh, the Slumbering Dragon.

I found him behind the room where I fought Elana, resting in an open space surrounded by rock and a few pillars. I hadn’t noticed it at first but there was a giant spear or harpoon stuck through his chest. It was a wonder that he could still stay alive like that. All the better for me, since it meant I wouldn’t have to fight him on full power. Once I took a step inside he woke up fully, facing me down with a roar and a cloud of green flames.

Sinh reminded me a bit of Kalameet, mostly because of his proportions and the way he fought. This time though I had to get in close and fight him at melee range, so the experience didn’t carry over all that much. Regardless, it appeared to be enough in the end, there were a lot of very close calls but the lifegems carried me through those.

When Sihn died, I didn’t get a soul as I’d grown used to, instead, it went directly into me. Even though I couldn’t access my dragon form here I knew that it had merged with it. I’d have to see what changes it brought later. For now, I picked up the Crown of the Sunken King and returned to Majula.

—T—

I spent some time talking to the Herald and eventually got pointed towards the next area, the Shaded Woods. The enemies here aren’t that difficult, they’re not much compared to the ones in Shulva anyway. The biggest roadblock is a foggy forest with near invisible enemies, they can’t really do much about me just running past them though. There’s some lion warriors who seem like they’d hit very hard but they don’t really manage to hit me either.

The most interesting people I meet here are a half crow woman called Ornifex who reminds me of the bird women I saw in Ariandel, back in Lordran, she promised to make stuff for me so I resolved to find her house later. Another I met was Manscorpion Tark, the only reason I could even talk to him was because of some ring I bought from Shalquoir, that talking cat. Talking to him was pleasant even if he seemed a bit confused, and I promised to summon him to take on Scorpioness Najka. 

I did, a while later, when I got to her, I could’ve handled her on my own pretty easily but… turning down offered help here is a bit stupid. Besides, I got a pretty good ring from him for it at the end, I was also pretty sure I’d be able to summon him to the shrine once I was done in Drangleic, so definitely worth it. 

The next areas were pretty unremarkable as well. I got to Doors of Pharros, where my most interesting encounter was finding Gavlan again, who sold me some more poison accessories. Then Brightstone Cove Tseldora, where I did find a very nice catalyst called the Staff of Wisdom. It felt even more powerful than the Tin Crystallization Catalyst, though also more fragile, as if it could snap if someone put some pressure on it. I’d have to test at some point to see what would happen if a weapon broke in the overworld somehow. 

Things felt much easier to handle here for some reason, whenever I’d been to an area that had one of the sisters they were much harder than this. It wasn’t bad exactly but it did feel very strange. In Lordran things got harder gradually, well, until I got my intelligence up enough, at which point I started blasting through most things. Maybe something similar was happening here.

I killed a group called The Congregation, who kind of felt like they were supposed to be a boss but weren’t all that hard to beat. Further ahead I found Ornifex, though I didn’t really have much for her at the moment, and a house where Creighton and Pate were fighting. I didn’t really know either of them all that well and just… left, leaving them to fight it out among themselves. 

The most prominent feature of this place though, were the spiders. They were about as big as an adult if they stretched out fully and they were aggressive . That said, they were also cute in a weird way? Like giant dogs with weird proportions. However, later on I found some spiders who had half fused with dead bodies and turned them into weird spider controlled zombies. Very creepy, which detracted from the cuteness somewhat.

Further ahead, there was another fog gate with a huge spider behind it, bigger than some of the dragons and giants I’d seen. Duke’s Dear Freja. While she did catch me off guard a few times with some beam attack, I managed to defeat her on the first try too, the main issue during that fight was actually the other smaller spiders who kept attacking me from the back, very annoying. Interestingly, I got an Old Paledrake Soul for killing her, which reminded me a lot of Seath. To check this, I went back to Ornifex and got a Moonlight Greatsword, very similar to the one I’d gotten in Lordran for fighting Seath.

I went back to Freja’s chamber to light the primal bonfire, before lighting it though, an explosion knocked me back. Some strange creature made from plant roots and fire rose out of the floor, looking like something the Old Chaos would’ve spawned. It, or he, talked, his voice echoing strangely, with a sort of reverb behind it.

“No one has come this far, not for a very long while. But you, you are no Hollow. How interesting then, that you’ve come so far. Do you wish to shed this curse, for the sake of the others perhaps? Then accept the fate of your ilk, and face the trials that await you. Unless, you have already joined the crestfallen.”

This thing seemed to like the sound of its own voice, I tried to get a word in but it just continued.

“There are but two paths. Inherit the order of this world, or destroy it. But only a true monarch can make such a choice. Very few, indeed, have come even this far. And yet, your journey is far from over. Have you what it takes, truly?”

“Hold on, who are you?” My reply seemed to confuse him for a moment, maybe he wasn’t used to dealing with people speaking out of turn. Too bad, I’d met much more intimidating things than a talking tree stump.

“All will be revealed, in time, but… Yes, I can sense it on you, that flame, the first flame. You may make a proper monarch yet. Seek after Vendrick. He who almost became a true monarch. Vendrick is certain to guide your way. Sparking Flame, may we meet again.”

With that, he sunk back into the stones, letting me light the primal bonfire, what a weirdo.

—T—

I’d already been in Drangleic much longer than usual, but making this much progress just felt good , even if I died soon, I’d be happy with what I had accomplished. I wasn’t exactly looking forward to dealing with more of Coil’s stuff either, but I couldn’t just not use it, that would be a huge waste.

For now, the Herald sent me back to the Shaded Woods, to go through the Shrine of Winter. In there, I found the last tether I needed along with another altar. It transported me to a new place, completely covered in snow, Quelaan would be here, I was sure of it. Walking through the gates, I was met with resistance already in the form of a blizzard trying to blow me away. I decided to check out the fog gate on my left first, which turned out to be a mistake. The boss there, Aava, was invisible for some reason. No matter how much speed I had, she just shredded me open, I couldn’t dodge strikes I couldn’t see. I died soon after.

Chapter Text

Another day of dealing with all the stuff I got from Coil.

I just went straight to the base, since the computer I had there would work better than the ones I had in the library anyway. I was way ahead with all of my school work by now so didn’t really have to bother with it other than to send it in on time. The first thing I did was go through my emails. There were a few from various businesses that I’d have to read up on but the one that caught my interest was from Accord. He expressed some mild grief towards Coil’s death but seemed amenable so long as ‘my goals worked towards the betterment and order of the city’. He also proposed setting up a meeting, which seemed reasonable. I replied in the same formal manner that I’d be free tomorrow and the rest of the weekdays but not on weekends, then spent a few hours getting caught up on the businesses that needed Coil’s input.

With that done I looked at the remaining, more urgent stuff. There was the folder with the E88 identities, but I’d wait for Accord's input on that one, which meant only the Undersiders were left. Coil’s main point of contact with them was through a thinker called Tattletale, I wasn’t sure how he usually had meetings with her so I just asked the captain of the mercenaries, a man called Hunter Shaw. He informed me that they usually just sent some men out and picked her up. I scrolled through Coil’s phone for a bit and copied one of his standard ‘contact me for a meeting as soon as possible’ messages. I got one back very quickly stating she could meet whenever, so I sent some mercs to pick her up. 

Thirty minutes later, I had a thinker in my new office. She did freeze up a bit at first upon seeing me but stayed relatively composed besides that.

“So.” I started “Coil tried to kill me, so I killed him, you were in his employ, which means you’re now my problem to deal with.” I could see her tense up, ready to attack, was I that intimidating? “You can either work for me for the same pay and benefits Coil gave you or go somewhere else. Keep in mind that if you leave, I don’t want you spreading around information about me or this organization. Coil had plenty of stuff on you that I could get you back with should you choose to do so.”

She keeps tensing up throughout my talk, but seems more in control of herself, there’s a grin on her face, but I can see that it’s strained. I’m not really sure why she’s so tense though, it’s not like I’d kill her just for existing.

“Alright, it’s nice not to be recruited with a gun to my head for a change, think I’ll stay then. If I’m joining a terrorist organisation I wanna know what I’ll be doing though. So, what’ll you have us do, boss lady? Terrorize more innocent civilians? Blow up some more buildings?”

Her voice was tilted in a certain way, modulated to elicit a reaction, her words too. She enjoyed needling people and even now, tense and uncertain, she couldn’t seem to help herself. Also, terrorist organisation? Did the PRT really push it that hard on Redcap? I wasn’t exactly surprised that Tattletale made the connection between us, considering Coil’s notes on how her power worked. Another thing to go over with Accord maybe. 

“My goal is to improve the city, making fractures in the foundations was part of that. I’m not a terrorist , well, that’s not my goal anyway. I may still have you do some… unsavory stuff, but nothing worse than you’ve already done for Coil.”

“Alright, I’ll try to sell it to the others but if you give them the same payments Coil did they probably won’t care too much about the change in management. None of us were all that loyal to him besides what he could provide. On another note, you do know that the PRT labelled you as a terrorist right? Dangerous parahuman, should be avoided at all costs? Also, that plan with the buildings? Pretty much useless, what guarantee do they have that you won’t just come back to mess their buildings up again once they rebuild? You’re lucky you targeted the stubborn ones like Carol Dallon and Medhall who won’t just leave, most of the others are considering just packing up and leaving.”

Well… that was pretty annoying, her words did make sense, that smug grin on her face didn’t really make me feel better either. For all my intelligence I just didn’t have the experience yet for things like this. Most I knew came from books and dad’s ramblings. 

“Thank you for… informing me, I’m sure I’ll fix it… somehow. Do you know how to run things from here by chance?”

She lifts an eyebrow and pretends to think about it for a moment, I can tell from body language alone that she does know and is just trying to needle me again. “As a matter of fact, I do know how to run things here! Well, not everything, but I could figure it out soon enough. Why?” She then gives me another of those smirks, clearly she likes having some control in conversations. Not a problem exactly besides it being mildly annoying at times.

“Because I can’t be here all the time and it would be good to delegate, you seem competent enough and you already have some knowledge of how this organisation works so you’re the obvious choice.”

Once more, she obviously knew all of this already. Still, I don’t mind playing along a bit, some flattery should help things along too.

“Hmm, fine, but I want a pay raise, five thousand a month extra.”

Well, with how much money Coil made that wasn’t really a problem. “Deal, let me know if the rest of your team wants a meeting for some reason. If you need anything, let me know too, if it’s reasonable I’ll see what I can do.” I thought of inviting her along for the Accord meeting but she’d probably just annoy the guy so discarded the idea.

“Great! Talk to you later boss lady!”

With that she stood up and quickly left the room. Seems she was still pretty tense around me, oh well. That meeting went well at least, it was nice that things just went right sometimes. With plenty of time left on my hands I decided to check my email again and found a reply from Accord, we’d be meeting tomorrow. Then I settled in to read some more through Coil’s files, knowledge was power after all.

—T—

After getting back home and spending some more time with dad I went to sleep again. It was nice to have some days where not much happened or things just went smoothly. My relationship with dad was also somewhat on the mend now. Talking with him was still pretty awkward but I’d picked up a few tips from some psychology books that seemed to help. Truthfully he’d probably need some therapy but actually convincing him to take something like that… well, maybe I’d have Accord work on that too, surely there could be few things less complicated than convincing my stubborn dad.

Anyway, my time in Drangleic was fairly short, but memorable. I progressed decently through Eleum Loyce, a frozen castle that held Quelaan somewhere. Just like the other areas that held the sisters, this one was much harder than the stuff I’d been fighting up until this point. They were faster, stronger, could take more damage, and did way more damage. Nonetheless, I made it to an altar of sorts, where I got the Eye of the Priestess. A peculiar thing that could show me hidden things, I assumed Aava was one of them. Luckily I only had to hold it for it to work, not actually put it in my eye, that would’ve been a hassle.

This time when I returned, I could actually fight Aava properly , which led me further into the main castle. It was pretty, grand and impressive but sturdy, built with conflict in mind, not as impressive as Shulva or Brume Tower, but still nice to look at. I got a bonfire and then a giant throne room, covered by frozen roots, at the top of which I could see a figure, one with a tether leading directly to her. As I got closer, she called out to me. 

“To think Aava could be bested… But you have always been special, Cinder.” 

“Quelaan? You recognise me?” Despite how far away she was, we could hear each other perfectly fine, the acoustics in this place were amazing.

“I do, it is good to see you again, even if my lovely Quelaag is not with you. Would you like to hear the story of this place?”

After the whole ordeal with Quelana and Quelaag it was just… so nice to have her recognise me from the get go. “Quelaag is safe in Majula, though she goes by Elana now, she got her memory back when I showed up, the same goes for Quelana. But sure, tell me about this place.”

Even from this distance I could see her slump in relief, she must’ve been really worried about her sisters. Considering the state I found them in, that wasn’t surprising though.

“Of course… we are in your debt, dear Cinder, yet I may ask for even more favors after my story.” Her voice became a bit deeper, cadence changing for dramatic effect. “This land is barren, Cursed by the old Chaos. It gave birth to atrocities, and the people fled in fear. Until our lord, the Ivory King, came. My dear lord, a most true king. It was with his magnificent soul that he built Eleum Loyce... and contained the spread of Chaos. But the Chaos would not be sated, and the king gave his own soul. Inevitably, the king was drained of vigor, and plunged into the Chaos' heart. Eleum Loyce was frozen in time, its leader lost... I remain here, to contain the Chaos, honoring my Lord's wishes. Perhaps one day, he will return... There is nothing here, save that accursed flame…”

Yeesh, is that how the sisters got tied to this place? To these bodies? Quelaan’s connection with the Old Chaos?

“I have but one wish, dear Cinder. That my dear Lord might be freed from that unspeakable Chaos. I haven't the strength to help him myself, but you... as I said, you have always been special, since the day we met. Will you lend me your strength once more?”

“I… of course I will. How did you get to this place?”

She pauses for a bit, as if she’s not sure about sharing this, eventually, she starts talking again. “I was born amidst the Dark and named Alsanna. Long ago, in the depths of the Abyss, my Father perished. The Dark shattered into tiny pieces, one of which was me. How frightened I was. A frail thing, born from but a splinter of Dark. I felt that I might simply disappear… I am, in fact, the incarnation of my Father's fears. I sought an anchor, and I saw that a King of this land was strong. I sought him only to sustain myself, to smother my fears... Now, I realize that he may have known all along. I was born of fear, and my Lord provided comfort. And so here I remain, heiress to my Lord's wishes, watching over Chaos... until the end of time."

A shard of Manus, just like the other two. Elana, Quelaag, hatred and wrath. It fit, considering that she would’ve tried to kill me to protect her sister, that she would’ve hated and killed anyone for her sister. Alsanna, Quelaan, fear and desperation, a fear for herself, for that sickness that kept ravaging her body in Lordran, for her sister who went out to fight so many times. Lastly, Nadalia, or Quelana, lonesome despair, left behind by her family, the only sane one left if it weren’t for my actions. They fit, the connections fit too. That must’ve been why they were dragged into these specific bodies. Hopefully they could grow past this stuff and reincarnate into a more… pleasant life next time.

“Thank you, Alsanna, for telling me.”

She laughs, a frail thing, but one that soothes my heart. “No, thank you, Cinder, for coming to our rescue once more. Seek out the knights of Eleum Loyce. Many of them followed their Lord into the Chaos. But not one of them returned. The King's dutiful subjects waited patiently for His homecoming. But it was too long a wait to bear... The knights of Eleum Loyce await a new leader. One who will guide them into Chaos. Good luck Cinder, I will keep watch over what remains of my mother… as I always have.”

A blizzard rushed past me, cold air quickly turning warmer as it blew out of the doors, melting a bunch of the ice that had covered this place. This would likely give me access to the knights she spoke off. Unfortunately, unfreezing so many things also made a bunch of new enemies wake up. Before, my path through Eleum Loyce was challenging but doable, now, I got mobbed by enemies and stabbed in the back after waking up two of the knights.

One left for my next trip.

Chapter Text

Today was May fourth, a wednesday. Today was also the day that I’d go out to meet Accord. I hoped that my formal emails had left a somewhat favorable impression on him, but from what I knew of him it could be a tossup. Coil’s notes painted him as very capable but also very… precise, meticulous. If you came across as too frumpy, had the wrong wrinkles in your clothes, he’d already be annoyed just from you being in the room. 

Because of this, I’d changed my getup a bit, instead of the usual gold-trimmed robes I was wearing the Black Set. A nice set I’d gotten from Straid after trading with him a few times. It looked more formal, slightly classy, but still combat oriented. Most importantly, it hid my face. Of course, I used my dragon form in combination with it. Dragon form would probably help me in this case, since it gave me some… touch ups, my skin looked a bit smoother and the scales covering it were symmetrical on either side as far as I could tell. 

As for how I was getting there, I just went to my base and had two of the most put together mercs drive me over to Boston. They were somewhat experienced in dealing with Accord apparently which should add another layer to this whole thing. I was putting a lot of effort into this meeting but Accord’s power was just so useful . I would finally have an actual guideline for how to fix my city, something that meant I could utilize my intelligence properly instead of just fumbling around in the dark trying to get enough data and experience to make informed decisions. Instead, I could just have a good meeting with Accord and get it handed to me on a silver platter.

In contrast to Coil’s base, Accord’s was prominent, he had an entire office building to himself. Knowing what I did about Fortress Construction now, this wasn’t all that surprising, Coil could’ve set up inside that building pretty easily too. My mercs drove down into a very clean garage underneath it, then were quickly redirected to a separate, even neater section. There we took a private elevator straight to the top of the building. 

I applied a spell I’d devised in Firelink the day before. It used a mix of the Repair and Chameleon sorceries to keep clothes looking perfect, pristine and wrinkle free in all the right places. I put it on the mercenaries too, then continued down a short hallway. I waited a bit and made sure to count down our time precisely down to the second, then stepped forward. A man in a suit with a black and white mask opened the door for us with a shallow bow, giving me my first view of Accord’s office. I could definitely see his need for order reflected in this place. About the only asymmetrical things in this room were his Ambassadors, lined up behind him. That, and the books, but those were all neatly sorted by some system too. Accord himself cut a fairly impressive sight despite his short stature.

“Cinder, precisely on time, good. Take a seat.”

I did, my mercenaries coming to stand behind me, mirroring his Ambassadors. Because of the spell my costume remained perfectly wrinkle free, something he seemed to appreciate. Instead of a handshake I gave him a shallow bow and got a nod in return, good.

“Accord, a pleasure to meet you.”

“Indeed. At times I prefer to scope out my clients personally, especially if they are prominent enough to take out former associates.” Translation, he wanted to see who’d killed Coil. “I find myself… not displeased. You had plans to restore order to Brockton Bay?”

I motioned to one of the mercenaries who handed me a folder, which I promptly handed to Accord. Inside, it neatly outlined tentative plans I’d made, ideas, what exactly I wanted, my resources, and what I’d done so far. It was a bit of a gamble to hand Accord so much information, but everything I’d read about him painted him as a consummate professional unless you pissed him off. But if I managed to do that I’d be better off resetting the day anyway.

He took his time reading through it, meticulously scanning each page, taking it all in. During this time I just sat completely still, occupying myself by looking at the Ambassadors. They were an impressive group, much more professional than the usual capes I’d seen. Then again, they’d have to be to reach Accord’s standards. Eventually he turned the last page, calmly closed the folder, put it to the side of his desk, and spoke up again.

“While you did yourself a major disservice and sowed chaos by acting as this ‘Redcap’, your freeing of the docks will work in your favor. The buildings themselves will need additional work now. I will do business with you. A plan will be outlined and a cost estimate sent to you, after I receive my payment I will work out the plan fully. Form it to the letter and you will accomplish your goals, deviate, and I cannot guarantee your success.”

That was good news all things considered. I was regretting my actions with Redcap somewhat but I had a solution for those now. “Thank you. Is there anything else?”

“No, I believe not. A good day to you, Cinder.”

“The same to you, Accord.”

With another shallow bow I stood up again and calmly walked out with my mercenaries. The door closed behind me with a quiet click, barely audible. Only then did I let a grin break out on my face. All things considered, that was a huge success. Hopefully he wouldn’t charge enough to bankrupt me.

—T—

To my surprise, I already got an email with the estimate once we arrived back at the base. Accord would only charge a million which, while a lot of money, was a drop in the bucket compared to what I had. I transferred the money through the Numberman’s services, who was a trusted banker on the less legal side of things apparently. Accord gave me a confirmation on my payment and said that he’d have my plans within three days. Very efficient. I felt like he gave me a discount of sorts, probably because my plan did promote order, still, I wasn’t going to complain about it.

I took some more time to read through Coil’s files. I finished up with his various business investments yesterday and had a pretty good idea of my economic resources now. The problem was that Coil just had so many files on everything . Every minor player in the city had a file, every major player had a bigger file, and every organisation had multiple big ones. The guy was almost as meticulous as Accord, but more in a sociopathic way. This meant that I had a lot to read through. I could retain it all easily and it went relatively fast but I shuddered to think how much of a hassle it would’ve been if I didn’t have my boosted intelligence.

Halfway through a report on the E88 I got a message from Tattletale. It was relatively short and just told me that the rest of the Undersiders were fine with the change in management, though Grue might want to meet me at some point. I confirmed that this was alright so long as he made an appointment and then went back to reading for the rest of the day.

—T—

I’d been spending a few hours each day with the people in Firelink Shrine. Sword fighting with Solaire, talking with Priscilla and the Keeper, browsing through new stuff Patches had found. It had become my downtime, some time to relax with friends. I knew I could summon them all to the Bay, except for the Firekeeper, I just didn’t know for how long, or if there was a limit or a cooldown on it or something. I’d been putting it off for a while, but it didn’t feel like there should be any major troubles soon, and if I never tried it I’d have to do so in combat which was just a bad idea.

For this reason, I summoned all three to me. Solaire, Priscilla and Patches. The summoning was easy, I just put a soapstone sigil down and called them to me. It didn’t feel like there was a time limit on it, or even a summoning limit, which was promising. Of course, it could always be the case that I wouldn’t have any warnings and that it just wouldn’t work, or stop working at some point, but that’s why I was experimenting in the first place. What I did know was that if they died here, it wouldn’t be permanent, the Firekeeper had assured me of that.

“Right! Good to know that that works. Are you all feeling alright? No weird pain or anything?”

Solaire speaks up first, shouldering his sword with a chuckle. “Worry not my queen, it is no different than a regular summoning.”

I give him a mild glare, but I’ve given it up long ago. “Wish you’d stop calling me that… Anyway, I called you here to see how long this summoning lasts and if there’s any limits on it. In the meantime, you can fight some of my mercenaries if you want.” I glance over to Patches, whose hands are already twitching as he looks around.

“Patches?”

“Cinder my friend! What a lovely place you’ve got. Think I can have some of this stuff?”

Of course that’s where his mind would go. “ Ask before you take anything, some of this stuff is important documents that I need, I want to see if you can bring stuff back to the Shrine anyway so you can have some of it. If you want to try selling to my mercs you can do that too.”

“Oh wonderful, just wonderful, you’re a good friend. Not to worry, Trusty Patches will stay out of trouble.”

“Mhm, I doubt that somehow but whatever. Priscilla, you alright?”

She’s just been looking around the office for a while, staring at some of the paintings that Coil hung up, letting her eyes roam over the books. “This is a very interesting place. May I explore it some more?” 

“Sure! Just uh, don’t go outside of the base please, I don’t really want to let people know about you guys yet. Would you be fine sparring with the mercs? 

“Hmm, I suppose.”

Not very talkative, but I’ve grown used to that by now. “Alright, follow me then.”

Solaire looks particularly interested in the lights we have. I remind myself to get him an extra strong flashlight sometime.

I lead the trio over to the training barracks. A fancy name for a big room that can be configured with some obstacles. All mercenaries teams are already lined up inside, there’s seven of them in total with five men each. I can already hear Solaire laughing again. “My lady, you proclaim not to be a queen, and yet hold command over an army.”

I roll my eyes but I can’t exactly refute him either. “Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. Do you think you can fight one of those squads on your own?”

He eyes them critically, then slowly nods his head. “I can certainly try.”

“Great, Priscilla, what about you?”

She looks pretty calm, it’s easy to forget sometimes that she was considered a threat to the gods of Lordran. “What sort of weapons will they use?”

“Guns with rubber bullets, I don’t know if they’ll slow you down all that much. If it’s too easy for you we might step it up to other munitions. I’ll have them do melee combat too.”

She frowns a bit, looking the soldiers over some more. “What is this ‘gun’ you speak of?”

“Ah, right, it’s like a… crossbow? But it shoots much faster and much smaller projectiles.” 

I raise the Staff of Wisdom up, my new stronger alternative to the Tin Crystallization Catalyst, then cast a shield around us. “Alpha team? Shoot the shield if you would, one shot each.”

They quickly raise their guns, there’s five bangs followed by five rubber bullets bouncing off my shield, the trio looks intrigued. Patches in particular speaks up. “Say, that looks mighty handy. Can I have one of those?”

“We’ll see about arming you later… if you’re good. Solaire, Priscilla, still good to go?”

I receive two nods and smile a bit. “Great, let’s match you with some squads then.”

Chapter Text

Hunter Shaw, a forty two year old mercenary who’d done pretty well for himself. Sure, his life wasn’t the safest, but that’d be so boring anyway. No, he preferred some danger in his life, something to get his blood pumping. On top of that, he considered himself a professional, he had standards, things he would and wouldn’t do, and on top of that he’d stay completely silent, wouldn’t ask too many questions, so long as he was paid well. That’s why he’d been promoted to Captain by Coil. His age and experience factored in too of course. He’d been in a lot of places, travelled all over the world, done odd jobs for whoever paid the most. A hard man, one willing to see almost any mission through so long as the money was worth it.

That’s why, when someone else took over from Coil but offered to pay him the same, he didn’t bat an eye. He liked his job, so long as his new boss provided ample entertainment he had no trouble staying. That said, she was much, much different from Coil.

His former boss was a difficult man. Precise, exacting, meticulous, he knew what he wanted and he knew how to get what he wanted. There was an air about him that said he’d do almost anything to claw his way to the top, to achieve the goals he set. A professional like him, calm and collected most of the time, likely with a military background. A slightly kindred spirit to most mercenaries but undeniably above them, mostly because of how much money he had. The way he moved and did things was a bit reminiscent of a snake, fitting considering his costume. Oily, slippery, in control of every move. Dangerous, but mainly because of his knowledge and resources.

This new one though… there was an air of real danger around her. Not just the mild confidence and power that came with being a CEO or something. 

The first thing he noticed was her movement. Whenever she entered a room her eyes would scan every bit of it, noting the exits and entry points, obstacles, and any people in it. Even relaxed, she was subconsciously prepared for danger. Next, her actual body. She looked somewhat reptilian, but what really set him off was how she walked, sat, did anything really. There was a subtle grace to every move, complete control over her body to a level that regular humans just didn’t have. It reminded him of big cats he’d seen, something like a tiger. Soft, languid steps that somehow still made her move faster than she should, certain twitches and looks when she heard something he couldn’t. A bunch of small things adding together to make the image of a predator, something fierce , something that could tear him to shreds in the blink of an eye if he moved wrong. Then there were the eyes, that unshakable confidence, something a bit darker than average. These were the eyes of someone who had killed often, who was used to it. 

He saw a similar look in his own eyes when he looked in the mirror every morning. He respected her, more than he had Coil.

So, when she told him to organise the squads for a training session, he didn’t ask too many questions and got everyone ready well before she was. Seeing her walk in with a weirdly dressed bald guy, an honest to God knight, and a really tall fluffy woman with a scythe was something he wasn’t really prepared for but he’d give it his best anyway. These men were well trained, they’d hopefully give her a bit of trouble at least. Unfortunately, neither he nor anyone in any of the squads actually knew what powers she had. He had a suspicion that one of the entrance guards knew something but he wasn’t letting it out, courtesy of the boss lady probably.

He saw Cinder lift up that fancy staff thing, then some sort of bubble shimmered into place around her. Very useful if it was tinkertech, still mildly useful if not.  “Alpha team? Shoot the shield if you would, one shot each.” Her voice reached them easily, this room had decent acoustics to practice moving silently. He and his men obediently lifted their guns and let loose a shot each, that bubble thing didn’t budge in the slightest.

After explaining some more stuff to her… team? Friends? He wasn’t really sure. Either way, after that they started matching each member with a squad. Alpha squad, his squad, was up against Cinder first, while she’d introduced this as training for his squads it was likely also a way to see how competent they were. Bravo squad was up against the knight, Charlie got the fluffy woman and Delta got the bald guy. That last one, Patches he thought his name was, didn’t look like much from a distance, but he doubted the boss lady would pair him up against a full squad for no reason. The other squads were directed to the sides to watch. The room was split into four, one section per squad, some obstacles set up on either side of the partitions to provide a better combat environment. In the meantime, Cinder explained some more stuff to her teammates. With that done, she gave one last comment to the three others not to kill people and came over to his section.

“Alright Alpha squad, I’ve already explained this to the other squads but we’ll basically be taking turns fighting you to see how well you, and we, do. It’s your job to try and incapacitate us, or at least slow us down for a while. Patches will likely be the easiest out of us but don’t underestimate him either. You’re allowed to use anything on your person to try and take us down, just keep in mind that I’m not bullet proof or knight proof, just resistant at most. I’ll try not to kill you if you return the favor. Any questions? No? Good, I’ll give you a minute to get set up.”

With that she walked to the far end of the room, ducked behind cover and waited.

Now it was Hunter’s turn, time to show Cinder why he was captain. “Alright men, you heard the bosslady, no holding back with the tools we have. Turtle formation with a bit of space in case of wide area attacks, keep each other covered until we can get a read on her powers.”

His men moved out quickly, setting up well before their time limit was up. Cinder had appointed someone to do a countdown, a woman from Golf squad. She blew on a whistle and Cinder sprung into motion, quite literally. For someone so big she was fast , vaulting over her cover like a cat and charging straight at them. Before they had time to react one of his men was knocked out by a blast from that staff. She had the element of surprise but they were well trained, even with one man down they quickly opened fire, forcing her to retreat behind cover. 

“Covering fire, one retrieval!” 

Two kept watch over her cover, shooting next to it at staggered intervals, a third went to retrieve their fallen squadmate, he himself kept watch over the rest, covering their backs. This was a fairly standard move that they’d practiced dozens of times. Usually they retrieved their teammate and either patched them or woke them up with some strange smelling salts that bordered on tinkertech. This time however, he felt something gently tap against the back of his head and promptly passed out.

—H—

He woke up with a jolt, quickly reaching for the knife on his belt until his mind caught up with what was happening. From the looks of it, Cinder had soundly beaten his squad, he just didn’t know how . She walked up to him, a slight smile on her face, a bit of pride mixed with kindness, taking the sting out of his defeat. “We’ll have to get you some stuff that counters invisibility, that’s how I took you out by the way.”

He frowned at that, taking his visor off and showing it to Cinder. “We have these ma’am, infrared, ultraviolet and some other stuff, it’s already meant to counter invisibility, it just doesn’t work on yours for some reason.”

She seemed surprised by that, then quickly switched to a look of understanding. “Interesting, and it’s been tested on parahumans? Is it tinkertech?”

“According to Coil it was at least. We have to send ‘em to Toybox once in a while when it breaks. Guaranteed tested on parahumans, but not all their powers function the same I think.”

“Hmm, I’ll see if I can do something about that, maybe some sort of dust cover. Anyway, you guys did decently, good teamwork too. I’ll watch how well you do against the others, they should be less tricky. Well, except for Priscilla I guess, she can go invisible too.”

She had the same powers? Were they one of those… what was the name… cluster triggers? Most people didn’t know about them but Coil’s files were very thorough. It would explain why they looked sort of the same too. Or maybe Cinder could copy powers and she’d gotten it from there.

“Ma’am, what are your powers exactly? Am I cleared to know?”

She let out a hum, still staring off at the other teams. The bald guy was doing pretty decent against Delta squad, that big shield and the spear were actually a decent counter against rubber bullets. “Just assume I can copy most power effects to some degree and leave it at that.”

“Copy that ma’am, thank you.”

“Mhm.”

He redirected his attention back to the other squads. Bravo squad was getting their ass kicked by the tall woman, Priscilla he assumed. She just went invisible, smacked a few mercs over the head with the blunt end of her scythe, then popped back out in some other place. There was a small smile on her face so she was having fun at least. Charlie wasn’t much better off. The knight guy just tanked the bullets from time to time so he could get in close and beat someone up with the blunt part of his sword. Other times he just threw lightning from afar and fried them, knocking them out right away. Only Delta squad seemed like they were winning but even that was borderline. That Patches guy just pulled out all sorts of tricks on a whim. Bombs, traps, new weapons out of nowhere, there was no end to it. Occasionally he cackled like a hyena when one of his traps worked out better than usual. He was the only one taken down by the end though, giving up once they cornered him and hit him full on with some bullets. 

Time to swap. Cinder went to Bravo squad, Priscilla to Charlie, knight guy to Delta, and Patches to Echo. 

—H—

In the end, they got their asses kicked more often than not. Only Patches and Solaire were beaten a few times, Cinder and Priscilla were completely undefeated. Cinder stopped using her invisibility pretty fast and still won her fights pretty easily. His own squad beat both Patches and Solaire, which was a decent accomplishment considering how well they did against some of the other squads. Foxtrot in particular would need some shoring up as they lost every fight.

It was a good lesson in humility for his men if nothing else. It was also the furthest thing from being boring, Hunter approved.

Chapter Text

The fights I’d set up between my friends and the mercs were a big success. It allowed me to gauge power and tactics from both sides. Of course, normally the mercs would have tinkertech rifles and do much more damage, but this was still good training. Ideally they’d be able to take each of us down with just melee weapons but that was a while off still.

I set up another experiment after we were done. I sent Patches back, then summoned him again without problem, apparently there was no cooldown on regular summonings. I wanted to know what would happen if they died here too but well… I wasn’t really prepared to just execute my own friends out of curiosity, even if it wouldn't stick. So I did the next best thing. I gave Patches a knife from the armory, then sent him back to the shrine, told him to wait for me, and tried to fall asleep at around the same time as Priscilla. This was accomplished by simply calling her from my house when I was ready to sleep. Solaire had instructions to stay awake for another three hours and fall asleep then, he also had a knife from the armory with him.

As expected, I met up with Patches in Firelink once I fell asleep. What I wasn’t sure about were Solaire and Priscilla. Would they return to the Shrine when falling asleep like me? Would their body stay in the Bay like mine? For that matter, did my body actually stay in the Bay? I’d never tested it before. I did have cameras set up in Solaire and Priscilla’s rooms so I’d know what happened to them at least.

I waited for about half an hour, just chatting with the Keeper and occasionally getting subjected to a pout from Patches (which was surprisingly effective), when Priscilla suddenly appeared next to the bonfire, sitting cross legged like I always did.

Patches spoke up first. “That’s not how I came back! I just appeared in the place I left. Why didn’t you let me test the fun stuff? I’m trusty Patches, it’s in the name!”

I don’t bother replying with anything more than a fond eye roll, we both know he would cause trouble the moment I fell asleep.

“Priscilla, you ok?”

She turns around slowly, stretching while standing up. “I am well. This is a strange experience.”

I snort and settle back in to wait for Solaire. “Tell me about it.”

Sure enough, about three hours later, Solaire appears, sitting by the bonfire just like Priscilla had. This told me that time in the Shrine and the overworld passed at a similar rate. The confusing part was how I then could stay here for so much longer without it being a problem in the overworld. Very interesting. Another thing I was curious about, did staying so long here age me? By now I spent multiple hours daily in Firelink, a few more with the sisters in Drangleic, then a few more fighting my way through it, that was well past the eight hours of sleep I supposedly got each day. I decided to ask the Firekeeper about it.

“An interesting question, Ashen One. I believe you do. Worry not, for you shall stop physically aging at some point as well, your Dark Soul ensures it.”

“Oh, do you know when?”

“Somewhere in your physical prime most likely, though I am unsure when that would be.”

So around twenty five? That was kinda neat.

“Alright, thanks Keeper.”

“It is a pleasure, as always.”

In all the excitement I’d nearly forgotten about the knives I gave Solaire and Patches. Solaire didn’t have his, so I assumed it worked the same as when I tried it. Patches however , continued to be the exception to the rule, and pulled out the knife with a twirl. Now, maybe he got to keep it because I cancelled his summoning instead of letting him fall asleep, but some part of me was convinced that this was just Patches being Patches. I let him keep the knife as a reward.

The rest of my experiments would have to wait for tomorrow. For now, spellcrafting and weapon practice with Solaire.

—T—

Back in Drangleic I set out on my quest to get the final knight, luckily it doesn’t take me that long to actually get to him. After that I make my way back to Alsanna to take the plunge down into a fiery pit. To my surprise, I found a summoning sign for Lucatiel there too. It’s been a while since I saw her and I definitely didn’t expect to see her here. She appears in a swirl of gold, as most summons do.

“Ah, Cinder… Pleased to see you again. Still on the road, are you? Sorry to have burdened you so. This is for you, by way of an apology.” She hands me the Ring of Steel Protection, something very handy considering what I’m about to do.

“Oh! Um, thanks, but you didn’t have to.” There’s a pallor to her skin, she looks a bit confused too, not as sharp as before. “Are you doing alright Lucatiel? Last time you… were having some trouble with the curse.”

She stares at me for a while, like she’s debating how much to tell me. “Truthfully, I've found my thoughts growing hazy. My memories are fading, oldest first. The curse is doing its work upon me. I am frightened…Terribly so… If everything should fade…What will be left of me… But… Those effigies you gave me, they’ve helped a bit, I’d be off much worse if it weren’t for those.”

Good , I quickly get every single one I’ve gathered up until this point and shove her in her direction. “Here, take all of them, I don’t need them anyway. Please take care of yourself, you’re one of the few decent people I’ve met here.”

She seems taken aback by the amount of effigies. Slowly, she reaches out and pops one, relaxing minutely. “Thank you once again Cinder, you’re… if anyone is worthy of the crown, of breaking this curse, it’s you.” She waits a bit more, just staring at me, then she speaks again. “I had an older brother. We learned to fence together. He became the most decorated swordsman in all of Mirrah. I never even compared to him. In fact, I never beat him, not once. But then, one day…he was gone, lost without a trace. Now I'm certain. That he was taken, by the curse. I’m… not sure why I’m telling you all this but, I suppose telling you my story helps a bit. Even if the curse should take me, at least someone will remember.”

“C’mon don’t… don’t talk like that Luca, I’ll break the curse before that happens, or find some other way to keep you from going down.” Her words are almost physically painful, even if they’re realistic, or perhaps because they’re so realistic. I take a risk and do something I haven’t before in Drangleic, I equip my pyro glove. I gently reach out, holding one of the human effigies and combine it with a modified Warmth spell. Normally I wouldn’t risk using magic but for this… Well, even if I don’t get the blessing after this, it’d be worth it. I push my hand forward, enveloping Lucatiel in a soft warmth as the effigy sinks into her chest. “There, that should tide you over for a while.”

She stares at me, undecipherable even for me, then slowly kneels in front of me. “I cannot get back what I’ve lost, but I need not lose more than that either now. Thank you, Cinder, my sword and I are at your service, forevermore.” 

Ah shit… well, whatever, there’s worse fates than having someone swear knighthood to you. “I… Alright, just, stand up again, um, thank you for your service? I’m really not sure what to do here… For now, can you help me with this?” I gesture vaguely towards the pit and the knights, who have just been sitting there during our talk.

“Of course my liege.” 

Ah dammit not another one, Solaire was bad enough. “Just Cinder is fine really. Come on then.”

I jumped into the pit, partially to escape that whole awkward situation. The fall is incredibly long, it feels like we’re going for ages. Usually a fall from that height would kill me instantly but there’s some enchantment that lets us land relatively safely. I’d definitely be coming back here once I was done to see if I could study and replicate it.

For now, I focused my attention back to the platform we landed on, there were three gates, out of which more knights appeared, their armor a burnt black, to contrast the icy white of my own. It was good that I had the other knights with me, they could keep the extra enemies busy while I doubled teamed each of them. To my consternation, they sacrificed themselves to block the gates off, turning themselves into walls of ice to do so. This left me alone with only Lucatiel to face the final opponent and my real target, the Burnt Ivory King.

He looked somewhat similar to the knights but his presence was completely different. Something about his stance, the way he held himself, just screamed warrior and royalty . I pursed my lips and readied myself for a difficult fight. He made the first move, dashing forward with incredible speed, even more than the Alonne Knights. I barely managed to dodge to the side, Lucatiel comes in from the back but the King spins around and smacks her blade away with his. To make matters worse it somehow ignites like a fucking lightsaber , gaining range and probably damage too. 

I launch myself forward, going for a quick swipe with my blades, this time they hit. Instead of flinching he just jumps back and launches himself at me in return, a lightning fast swipe with that enchanted sword, almost bisecting me instantly. Even while dodging backwards he still took a decent chunk out of my stomach, sending pain rushing through me. I’m used to that stuff by now though, months of fighting haven’t exactly dulled the pain, but they’ve taught me to fight through it. I pop a lifegem and some estus in quick succession, quickly dodging his next swipe. Lucatiel gets two good hits in and gets pummeled for her trouble, a harsh punch followed by a stab. She’s barely successful in deflecting the stab, taking a decent chunk of damage.

“Shit.”

I rush back in, trying to keep him occupied while she heals, starting a deadly dance back and forth between us. He’s well trained, striking with precision and speed. There’s not much fluidity to his fighting style but there doesn’t have to be, he makes up for it with sheer experience, speed and power. There’s patterns to his attacks, as there are with most fighters, I only need to see a move once to know how to dodge it, and yet, if he’s too fast to do so or I’m occupied healing, he’ll hit me anyway . The important thing here is that, like most things in Drangleic, he doesn’t heal and he takes damage. Death by a thousand cuts will get the job done. It’s just a matter of survival.

Things devolve into a bit of a blur from there. I’ve noticed it happening more and more in battle as I got used to fighting. I’m still thinking things through of course but sink into a trance of sorts. Dodge, slash, stab, dodge, heal, action and reaction. Everything besides our fight falls away to the background, just me, Lucatiel and the Ivory King. I don’t know how much time passes, how long we stay in that state. 

At some point I get this feeling, borne through months of combat, that he’s been weakened enough. I try something I haven’t tried before, actually making full use of my dexterity. The King moves towards me with a sharp stab, I contort myself, coiling around his sword and hand, twisting my arm in a strange position and stabbing between his helmet and chestplate, right into the neck. His sword clatters onto the ground, no longer ignited. I pull back, seeing black blood clinging to my katana, then vaporising as the Ivory King drops to his knees and turns into dust. I feel a rush as a staggering ninety two thousand souls flow into me, even now, over four months after I started in Lordran, that still makes me feel giddy.

I take a moment to catch my breath, Lucatiel coming over to stand next to me. A bit further ahead I can see the King’s crown, laying on the ground with a beam of light pointing down at it.

“A splendid fight, and a worthy foe.” Lucatiel’s soft voice sounds next to me. “It is an honor to fight beside you, Cinder. My sword is at your service still, do not hesitate to call upon me should you feel the need to do so.” With that she fades out, returning to her own world. 

Time to go give Alsanna the good news.

Chapter Text

Touching the crown took me straight back to the throne room, and thus, Alsanna. I tried looking for her on top of the stairs but only saw a flash of light before a body collided with mine. I almost tried to fight it off when my brain caught up with what was happening. 

Soft arms, wrapped around me, a face into the crook of my neck, a cold body that somehow also exudes warmth. “I must thank you once more, dear Cinder. My King has been freed and the Old Chaos kept at Bay. In addition…” She squeezes me tighter and I can’t help hugging back. Quelaag had made me used to casual touches back in Lordran but since they got here things got a bit more… distant, less touchy. She still tried of course, but I could see that her time as Elana hadn’t been the best, not surprising considering the state I find her in. Anyway, this? This was very nice after a few weeks of minimal contact. 

“In addition, I finally get to hug you. I’ve wanted to do so since you helped my Quelaag back in Lordran. It is nice being able to talk to and touch you properly.”

I feel a blush creeping up my cheeks but don’t let go. Even without a perfect memory I feel like this moment would’ve been engraved in my brain. When was the last time I’d even gotten a proper hug like this? Back before… before Emma became a huge bitch pretty much. I squeeze a bit tighter in turn, just staying in the moment for a bit. I can feel something settle inside of me. That need to always go, go, go, to keep pushing constantly as fast as possible . I hadn’t even realised it was there but now that it was gone… It made a world of difference.

It felt like I’d been skipping over everything, rushing through instead of just taking my time to explore a bit, to talk to people. I didn’t even really know any of the people in Majula! I talked to the Herald a bit and introduced myself but besides that? Nothing! Even someone like Manscorpion Tark, I talked to him for a while, I’d fought with him, bled with him, and yet I hadn’t really given him my full attention. At the core of it all… worry. Worry for the sisters and what they might be going through. Thinking back, it already started when I couldn’t summon them to the Shrine that first time. Since then it had just gotten worse, once I found Nadalia it had gotten much worse even. 

Well, they were fine now, I could try to make up for it. Starting with a reunion of the sisters and talking to the people in Majula. It felt wrong to just dismiss them like they were… inconsequential. 

I finally released the hug, keeping my hands on her shoulders. I let out a long sigh and smile at her. “I… that was… nice, thank you. Ready to meet your sisters again?”

She chuckles and nods her head. “Very much so, I will follow your lead.”

I copy what I did when I took Elana with me, pulling out a homeward bone, then taking Alsanna along through the bonfire to Majula.

—T—

The Herald was apparently used to my strange habit of bringing people born from darkness here by now and just rolled her eyes when I showed up with Alsanna. I gave her an apologetic smile back and walked over to the mansion. Alsanna didn’t need much more encouragement than that and set off at a steady pace, practically bursting into the house. Before the other two could react she’d already pulled ‘em in a tight hug. 

“Oh it is wonderful to see you again, sisters.” Her voice was a bit muffled, squished as she was between the two, but the happiness in it was easy to hear. Nadalia seemed slightly uncomfortable but Elana was squeezing back just as hard, their time as Quelaag and Quelaan probably played a role in that.

“I’ve missed you too and… I’m sorry.” Elana sounded more vulnerable than I’d ever heard her before. Even when she asked me to kill her she sounded less afraid. 

Alsanna draws back a bit, smacking her shoulder. “It was hardly your fault, well, not completely at least. Is your head better?”

She nods slowly, relieved but feeling guilty still. It feels awkward to just be standing there and watching them reunite. Before I can though, a wall of ice grows in front of the door, trapping me. “You’re not leaving us, Cinder dear!” Alsanna’s voice is playful but commanding, much different than what I’ve heard before.

An uneasy smile graces my face, some nerves fluttering through me. I could face down monsters, old kings and serial killers with little problem but put me in social situations and suddenly I don’t know how to handle things.

Alsanna steps back a bit, opening a hole in the hug and beckoning me forward. Nadalia looks slightly uncomfortable too which actually reassures me. Now that I’m looking for it, Elana isn’t doing so well either though it’s much less obvious. I slowly walk forward, giving them some time to close up if they want, they don’t though and I end up in the middle. Alsanna pulls the others forward, decisively closing the hug around me.

I don’t really know what to do with myself, not that I can do much. There’s a soft warmth encompassing me from all sides. It’s a bit tense at first but I can feel Elana and Nadalia relaxing slowly which prompts me to do the same. Unbidden, tears spring up in my eyes. Why? Why now of all times? Is it because I’m finally actually relaxing? Am I just that touch starved? I feel a flare of anger, some frustration, I’m not sure at what, maybe just the world in general. I lean forward, pressing my face into the nearest target, which happens to be Elana. My tears flow slowly, but freely, allowing me some time for introspection. They don’t seem to be in a hurry to let go anyway.

It’s… difficult, to face myself like this. Since I got my powers, even since my mom died , I’ve kind of just been running. Always pushing forward, living one day at a time, surviving rather than living . I’d started to heal a bit at summer camp but then Emma became a huge bitch and… I just started pushing again. Always pushing, no time to slow down, even when I was hanging out with friends, like the people at Firelink, like the sisters. There was always this undercurrent of go, go, go! I hadn’t even fully realised just how stressful my life has been, how many things I was keeping bottled up. 

“H-hey?” My voice comes out as a warble, but it’s coherent enough. “I’m- I’m sorry for dragging you into this. Dragging you here , if I hadn’t-”

I’m cut off by a tight squeeze, from all three sisters at once this time. Elana, the one who probably suffered most with Nadalia, speaks first. “You have nothing to apologize for, little spark. I think I speak for all of us when I say that I’d rather suffer through a thousand lives to meet you again than say goodbye forever.”

I felt myself break all over again. My mom, Emma, school, the countless deaths I’d suffered, the constant fighting, every day, for four months, it all came crashing down on me in that moment, in the face of that acceptance, that trust .

That was fine.

They’d pick up the pieces, just as I would for them.

—T—

“I came to Brume Tower to find the Old Iron King. I… do not remember why exactly, just that that was my goal.”

Nadalia’s voice fills the small room. Elana had tried to put me in her lap but that was still a bit too embarrassing for me so I ended up on the arm of her chair instead while the sisters traded stories of how they got here. Alsanna went first, then Nadalia. I’d already heard them before but it was nice to hear them again.

“When I arrived, there was nothing of worth left. The Old Iron King was already slain, his soldiers laid to waste. All that was left were those towers, and corpses. In those early days I was… unstable, my emotions not fully formed, not as they are now at least. I had one goal and it was ruined before I could even start, so I fell into despair.”

Her voice is soothing, yet sad. I can hear the impact that event had on her, hell, I saw the aftermath of it with my own eyes.

“There was this… haze over my thoughts, a dark fog that blocked out any true reason, leaving just those dreaded feelings. I tore into myself, tearing my soul into pieces and scattering them through the tower. Partially so that I might have companionship in the form of those formerly dead soldiers, partially in the hope that splitting myself so many times would get rid of the despair. It didn’t work as I intended, but it stopped me from feeling the pain at least. The dark fog materialized in the physical world, shrouding the towers. Meanwhile I myself lost all track of time, I’d split myself too many times to have any real focus or consciousness. My first real memory is from when Cinder brought me back together.”

The sisters turn to Elana, waiting for her part, I too twist around a bit, sitting more sideways to hear her talk better.

“Mine is… relatively more peaceful, at the start at least.” She clears her throat, holding me a bit tighter, there’s a blush on my face but I can’t really bring myself to care about it. “Just like you, I was a bit… unstable when I first formed, incomplete. I just was. At some point I felt a pull, dragging me somewhere. I followed it and ended up in Shulva, the start of it anyway. There I met the Sunken King. He was a good man, if obsessed with dragons, he took me in and taught me to live, to recognise my emotions for what they were. Even back then I was a wrathful creature but he tempered me, taught me how to deal with that too. We had a period of peace for a while, simply ruling and building, worshipping Sinh. I didn’t love the King in a traditional sense, more as a father figure of sorts. Then… that filth came through the city. Yorgh and his Drakeblood Knights.”

Her voice takes on a pained quality now, just like Nadalia’s and Alsanna’s had.

“They tore everything down, slaughtered my people, and wounded Sinh. Things just became a red haze for me at that point. All that mattered was revenge, getting more souls to utterly crush the entire world for what they’d done to me… And then this little spark found me, got me to see some reason again.”

I feel a slight smile break out on my face, lifting the sad mood in the room a little. We sit there a while longer before I decide it’s time to go. Technically I could stay here as long as I wanted but I did have stuff to do and we’d already been here for… a few hours at least. We bid each other goodbye and they actually let me go this time after promising to visit again, as if I wouldn’t.

—T—

Being with the sisters again was really nice but all that emotional turmoil also really messed with my head. So, to get my thoughts in order I went for a quick recap of what I was actually doing here in the first place. 

First, Drangleic was under some curse that made people forget everything and turned them into hollows. I hadn’t really seen the effects on anyone coherent besides Lucatiel but I also hadn’t really talked to anyone besides her, not at length anyway. That would be my next goal before I left Majula again.

Second, to stop this curse I had to get to Drangleic Castle so that I could take the throne… at least that’s what I’d gathered so far. To actually get to the castle I had to light four primal bonfires, otherwise the Shrine of Winter wouldn’t open which was the only way to the castle. 

I’d already lit all the bonfires and went through the Shrine so… just the castle left? Huh. With a bit of luck I’d be done soon, then I could get some people out of here, or at least make sure they weren’t slowly losing themselves anymore. 

Right. For now, maybe Lenigrast and Chloanne first? Then Shalquoir, Maughlin, Melentia, Laddersmith Gilligan, Carhillion, Rosabeth, Saulden and lastly the Herald… Damn there were a lot of people in Majula.

With a sigh I set off towards the small blacksmith workshop.

Chapter Text

I decided that my first stop in Majula would be Chloanne. Truthfully I knew very little about her. We’d talked a little of course, back in Harvest Valley, but all I’d learned from that was that she didn’t really know how she ended up in Drangleic and that she was a stone trader. Majula wasn’t all that big, but the walk over from the mansion to Chloanne was still nice, soothing. The soft sounds of the sea below mixing in with a gentle breeze and that sun that never seemed to set all the way. I hadn’t really put attention to it since I arrived here, like there was this fog over my thoughts, keeping me from really thinking things through.

Was that the effect of the curse, limited as it was on me, or something else entirely? I’d have to do some more soul searching to figure it out later on. In here, I had time after all.

“Oh, fancy meeting you here.” I’d gotten lost in thought while walking over to Chloanne apparently, her voice pulled me out of them again. “Speak up if you need anything at all. Alright?”

“Ah, actually, would you mind telling me about yourself? I want to… learn more about the people here, in Majula.”

“Oh, well…” She fidgets with a piece of titanite in her hands for a bit, then gives a slow nod. “It’s a bit foggy at times, but I’ll try to recall what I can, um… Oh! I was born in a land to the west, Volgen. Famous for its merchants.” I hadn’t heard of that one yet, but that wasn’t all that surprising. “There were great, bustling cities. But for me, they were suffocating. And so I set out, in search of stones in faraway lands. There are dangers, for certain, but I much prefer to live this way. But…For the life of me, I can't remember how I ended up here… It's as if…I were drawn to the place… or lured in…Oh, I don't know…”

A city girl who set out on an adventure and found herself cursed instead. Or maybe she’d already been cursed and just got pulled here once it became too strong. There was no way to know for certain at the moment. Was I supposed to share something of myself here? Social situations could be such a pain at times… “I uh, grew up in a big city too, never really tried to leave until I was forced to. It’s been… good for me.”

“Oh! That’s nice, a kindred spirit even when I’m so far away from home. Speaking of, have you seen that man over there?” She points towards the small shop where Lenigrast is still hammering away at something. “He sort of looks like my father. He's a blacksmith, too, you see. The poor man's such a worrywort. But…he wouldn't follow me out here, would he? Hmm, well, that man, he seems to keep eyeing me up. Is he one of those…Hollows?”

Well, Lenigrast certainly wasn’t a hollow but… Was he her dad ? And she couldn’t even remember? That’s just… messed up. She could remember where she came from and what she did, but her family just got torn away. I imagined what it would be like to forget my own… on one hand, the pain of losing my mom would be fully gone but… it wouldn’t be worth it , not at all. I reach out slowly, uncertain of what I’m really doing, I got this far by winging it so I must be doing something right anyway. 

My hand lands on her shoulder, making her look back up at me. “How about I go check if he’s a hollow, just to make sure? If he is I’ll um, keep you safe from him alright?”

“You would? How kind of you, here, take these. We can all do with a little help, can't we? I know I always can! Heh heh…” She hands me a few pieces of twinkling titanite. Those are definitely helpful. 

“Thanks, Chloanne. Hey, can you do me a favor first? Just um, look at this.” I pull out a human effigy, I’d loaded a decent amount off to Lucatiel but still had a bunch. Chloanne frowns at it, getting that strange look of remembering something just out of reach. With a soft sigh I push it into her with a flare of warmth, making her gasp. She freezes up for a moment, just staring off into the distance. I gently push another effigy into her hands, then stand up and head off to Lenigrast, I can always check back in later.

I turn around and step into the small blacksmith shop, seeing Lenigrast working on a sword of some kind. He barely looks up when I enter, barely acknowledges me really, but that’s just how he is. A bit grumpy, but kind overall.

“Hmph, I'd given you up for dead. Almost had me worried, really…” His voice is nice, deep and gravelly. It sounds sturdy like him.

“Hey, would you mind telling me about yourself?”

He finally stops hitting the sword, turning to me with a queer eye. “You- what? You’re not going hollow are you?” 

He steps forward, pulling my eye open and peering into it, I quickly slap his hand away while spluttering. “Wha- no! I’m just trying to get to know the people here better. Don’t just pull someone’s eye like that!”

“Hmph.” He turns back to the sword, lifting it up and looking it over. “Not much to tell really. I’m a blacksmith, always have been, took over from my father and he from his father before him. ‘A man ought to labour with his feet planted firmly in the earth.’ That’s what I’ve always been taught and that’s what I stand by. That scum near the pit, Gilligan, for example. Nothing good about him, an infamous scoundrel, best steer clear of him.”

For someone claiming he doesn’t have much to say he sure is talking a lot, not that I mind. This is more than I’ve gotten out of him in all my time in Drangleic, and to think that all I had to do was ask. “Oh, alright, I’ll be careful, thank you. Anything else?”

He gives me that look again, but apparently he's loosened up enough that he doesn’t comment on it. “Aye, saw you talking to my daughter, witless as ever. Just as oblivious as she’s always been. Well, I can keep an eye on her from here at least. You treat her well or we’ll be having words , got it? I don’t care if you’re some big adventurer, this hammer can be used for more than smithin’.”

I can’t nod quick enough. I could probably take him but even so, he can be scary when he wants to be. 

“Good, good. Did you actually need something or did you just come here to waste my time?”

Well, he says that, but the mood in the shop is much different than usual, much more friendly. He appreciated this, I can tell. “No, that’s it for now. Well, I do have one last question, have you had any memory problems lately? Some people in town seem to be suffering from it.”

His hammer goes still and he just stares at it for a while. With a deep sigh and a soft voice he answers. “Aye, flashes here and there, nothing big but… I’m not the same as I used to be.” A bit louder, he continues, back to his usual tone. “And my damn skin won’t turn back from green, I can barely remember what it looked like before. Bah.”

That confirms that he’s affected by the curse, not that I couldn’t tell without asking but it’s best to  make sure. Now for the tricky part. “If you want I could… try something to help with that? It worked on the others I tried it on.”

His eyes narrow as he stares at me, a mix of paranoia, hope and cynicism. Practicality wins out in the end. “If you hurt me I’ll be hurting you back just so you know. Go on then, give it your best.”

I take a look at my effigies, fifteen left, minus the two I’ll give to Lenigrast, leaving me with thirteen, should be enough for the others.

I’ve gotten pretty proficient at this by now, call upon my inner flame, a mix of Warmth and my own power, then push forward with the effigy, bonding it to the recipient to restore some of their humanity. Lenigrast jolts underneath me, letting out a loud gasp. When I open my eyes I see that his skin is restored, no longer a mess of mottled green. He even lets out a surprised laugh, the first time I’d heard such a sound from him. 

“Ha! Haha… Thank you lass. This… is probably more than I can repay. Keep coming back here for weapons and armor alright?”

I smile back, a small thing, but genuine. “I will, see you later.”

“Mhm.”

—T—

My original plan was to visit everyone in Majula. Unfortunately, I ran into a pretty significant roadblock.

I’m an introvert.

Even those two relatively short conversations with Lenigrast and Chloanne wore on me somewhat. Now, I’d gotten much more used to talking to people again from hanging out with the sisters and the people in Firelink, but talking to friends or talking to relative strangers was still a pretty big difference. With that in mind I decided to cut things a bit short and only talk to Carhillion, Rosabeth and the Herald before leaving again. 

Rosabeth had taken up a spot next to the stairs leading up to some monument on the small hill that overlooked the sea. Carhillion, conveniently, was sitting cross-legged next to her, which is why I chose them as the next people to talk to. I hadn’t actually talked to either one when they’d gotten to Majula, a pretty major oversight on my part. Rosabeth is quick to notice me, giving a jaunty wave. Carhillion, unsurprisingly, doesn’t seem to notice me at all, sunken down in meditation as he is.

“Oh! There you are!” Her voice is still as cheery as last time I saw her. Surprising, considering she spent the last few years as a statue, that speaks of a lot of mental resilience. “I'm here in Majula thanks entirely to you. You even were kind enough to clothe me. Thank you so very much. The only thing I can offer is pyromancy, but if that might help you, come to me.”

Carhillion, drawn out of his trance by the noise, opens his eyes to greet me as well. “Ah, you again… Let us resume our exploration of sorcery when you’re ready.” And that was that. Not a very talkative guy unless it came to his interests, namely sorcery.

“Hey, are you both doing alright?” I receive two nods… right, maybe a different question then. “Uh, would you mind telling me about yourself? I’m trying to get to know the people here more…”

Rosabeth’s eyes light up, that did the trick apparently. “Oh but of course! Master Carhillion and I are from Melfia, to the south. A land lush with sorcery and pyromancy. Master Carhillion polished his art at one of our renowned magic academies. But he argued that the academies were terrible places to learn magic… This quite angered Master Glocken, my previous teacher… Anyway, we came here because Master Carhillion was fascinated with this place! He made talk of the remnants…of some great power, and the deep abyss that surrounds it. I tried to ask more… But he didn't seem to hear.”

Indeed, when we both glance back at the old mage he’s already sunk into trance again. Seems a bit irresponsible towards your pupil but I’m not an expert. Something about it feels wrong, that feeling only grows when I hear Rosabeth mutter under her breath. “…I'll never be good enough, will I…”

Before I can get a word in to contradict this she’s already talking again. “Well, nevermind that. I'm rather unskilled in sorcery but oddly, I'm a fast learner when it comes to pyromancy. What we're fascinated by, and we're skilled at, are not always the same thing… Master doesn’t say much these days so I decided to practice pyromancy anyway, I need to see what I can achieve by myself.”

That’s something at least. It feels a bit reminiscent of my own situation, left to flail around on your own while the teachers look on from a distance, not reaching out to help you even when that should’ve been their job. 

“How about I teach you some pyromancy then? I’m pretty good at it.”

“Oh! You would? Hmm… Well, I’ll be a bit deeper in your debt, but I won’t refuse.”

“Great!” I equip my pyroflame, it’s not nearly as good as the one I got from Lordran, but this is just for demonstration anyway. There’s two spells I have in mind that should be interesting and something she doesn’t know yet. First, Flame Swathe. A difficult but strong spell, it sends out an invisible projectile that first implodes, then quickly explodes in a vertical circle of fire. Rosabeth’s eyes shine when I show it off. Technically this is a spell from Straid but he never forbade me from sharing his stuff. 

True to her word, it only takes Rosabeth a few times to get it right. She really does have a talent for pyromancy. Even if she’s more interested in sorcery, she’d do well to learn more of it. Pyromancy is a potent backup, as I know from experience. I tell her as much, but she still seems reluctant, that’s alright, I think she’d still use this stuff if it was life or death. 

Next I teach her Warmth. I’d been using the modified version to help people with their hollowing, but the regular version was just as strong, just with a different focus. The base form creates a small hovering flame in front of the caster, which then sends out a gentle warmth, healing them. Rosabeth seems more intrigued by this one and learns it on her first try. 

“See? Don’t worry so much about being good enough, you’ll get there soon enough.”

“Hm, thanks Cinder, I’ll… I’ll do my best.”

“Good! Um, weird question but have you been having some troubles with your memory by chance?”

“I don’t… think so? Then again, I was petrified for a long time. You’re talking about the curse right? Maybe the petrification slowed it down.”

“Huh… alright, come let me know if it gets worse, I know something that can help.”

“Thank you! Be safe.”

“You too.”

I spare Carhillion another glance, then leave him to his devices. His spells may have been useful but his treatment of Rosabeth didn’t impress me much. 

Last stop: the Herald.

—T—

“You are blessed with a myriad of souls. Breaker of the curse, make your way to the castle." The Herald’s first words are very typical of her, cryptic and blunt. She’s not one for small talk, not in all the times I’ve been here, not that I’m much better on that front.

“Hello again, Herald. I was on my way there but had a bit of a detour… thought I’d stop by to talk to you.”

The others in Majula were at least receptive but the Herald just… stares at me. As if she doesn’t really get what I’m saying. 

“I just… wanted to know more about you? If that’s ok?”

Comprehension dawns in her eyes and she leans back a little. “I am uncomfortable sharing such things here. Make your way to the castle, I will await you there.”

Oh… Well, that works too. “Alright. I’ll see you there then.”

I turn back towards the bonfire, letting it carry me to the Shaded Woods. Time to get back to the Shrine of Winter.

Chapter Text

I hadn’t gone past the Shrine of Winter yet since I’d just gone straight to Eleum Loyce instead. I try to keep to my new mindset and actually pay attention to where I’m going, slowing down a bit to look around. 

The path in front of me winds back and forth down a hill, deeper into the woods. In the distance I can see some ghosts, similar to ones I fought in a different part of the woods. Not too bad. There’s not much to see here to be honest. Just an old road with pieces of broken walls and rubble to the side surrounded by trees. 

I dispatch the ghosts easily enough and happen upon a dark tunnel. The Herald is waiting for me at the end of it, standing in the rain. The sky is completely overcast too, it’s almost dark enough to look like it’s nighttime. Which… is fairly strange considering that it was completely dry in the woods, but it’s not out of the question with how much weird stuff happens in the realms. There's not much to see here either, just a bunch of stairs framed by some arches winding up a mountain of some sort. Doesn’t matter too much, I’m here for the Herald anyway.

“Hey… Did you want to talk here?”

There’s that unreadable stare again. Sometimes I wonder if she’s just even more socially awkward than me or if her thought patterns are just that much different. Maybe it’s a mix of both, she didn’t strike me as fully human, the curse didn’t have nearly enough effect on her for that.

“You are… an anomaly.” Her words are hesitant, carefully picked to express herself properly. “The curse has no hold over you, yet you fight harder than any other I’ve met. Your soul was simultaneously weak, and the strongest I’ve seen. Your bearing paints you as an introverted creature, unused to interaction, yet you do not hesitate to reach out. It is most vexing…”

Huh! There were a lot of things I’d expected we could talk about but getting psychoanalyzed all of a sudden was not one of them. My brows furrow slightly, the Herald’s eyes flick up towards them. 

“It is not a problem necessarily,” she continues, “merely… exceedingly strange. I have felt no desire to talk this freely to any others, and yet…” Her eyes flick back down, looking me over, it makes me feel strangely vulnerable, like I’m being judged. It could be my negative self image or the way her eyes seem to pierce right through me, I’m not sure. “What exactly sets you apart so much from the others I wonder… No matter.”

There’s a clear shift in her demeanor, a determination that shifts her stance, makes her close up again. “These lands hold me for a purpose. If you wish to know more, venture forth. This castle is isolated. But nonetheless, you must forge on. To bring an end to your journey…and mine.”

Very strange, I almost tried to ask again but that steely glint in her eyes… The chance of getting anything else out of her right now is pretty low, best to try again later. “Alright… I’ll see you later then?”

A small smile and a nod are my answers, better than nothing at least.

I take the stairs up, trudging through the rain. It keeps coming down in a steady pour that would’ve flooded everything if this place wasn’t up in the mountains. The stairs are made of some type of rock too, either chiselled or just pieces that fit, making them even more slippery. I shudder to think how annoying these would’ve been without my dexterity. Even with it I feel myself slipping away from time to time, adjusting just before I slip and fall. To make matters worse, there’s a few enemies on the stairs too. It’s just a few Royal Swordsmen, so they’re not too difficult on their own, but that damn rain is like a multiplier that makes everything slippery. Someone who’s never held a sword before might not know this, but a significant part of fighting with one is in footwork. There’s only three of them and they do go down quickly, but I still took some hits that I’d rather avoided. Maybe I should add ‘train on uneven terrain’ to my to-do list. 

The stairs continue upwards, swerving a few times until I can finally see the castle. It definitely lives up to its name, easily one of the most impressive things I’ve seen in Drangleic, up there with the areas the sisters were in. 

It’s massive, built almost entirely from black stones framed with dark gray to make it stand out more. From an architectural point, it’s a bit more towards the ‘brutalist’ side, granted, I don’t know many of those terms so maybe I’m wrong, but it’s definitely made with function in mind. There’s no swooping lines that you see in Art Nouveau, instead it’s more… gothic? Is that the word? It sounds right at least, gothic but with less embellishments. Straight lines, some arches and curves in the right places for an artistic flare, lots of spires and towers. The main focal point though is the giant tower jutting out of the middle of it. It’s very reminiscent of Barad-dur, the tower of Sauron from Lord of the Rings, which… honestly doesn’t bode well for me. 

I take a deep breath, rain pours down my skin by the bucket as I steel myself. Hopefully this is the last part of my journey in Drangleic. If not, well, I’ll just have to take that as it comes.

The stairs lead up to a giant bridge, of much better quality than the stairs themselves but just as slippery. It, too, is made from that black stone, giving it an ominous feeling. I cross it slowly, both to keep my feet steady and in case of any traps that pop up. Good thing too, as halfway across the bridge there’s two statues that suddenly come to life when I come close. They’re a strange hybrid between man and elephant. Comparable to a minotaur if it had an elephant head instead. I’d seen a few before in the Doors of Pharros but these two look much stronger. Fighting two on one in this rain is no easy feat, especially when it’s tougher enemies like these who don’t go down all that fast. They fall to my blades all the same, lifegems and enhanced agility are handy like that.

There’s a giant platform at the end of the bridge, in front of what I assume is the entrance door framed by two statues of giants holding… cups or something similar. It’s firmly closed shut however with no obvious way to open it. Two Royal Swordsmen pop out of some vents on the sides while I’m looking for a way in, defensive measures I assume. Once I kill the first one something strange happens, instead of his soul going to me like what’s been happening for months, it flows into the statue, lighting it up and activating it. The giant twists the strange cup thing and pulls it up, revealing that it’s connected into the ground, a mechanism of sorts. I lead the other swordsman to the second statue and repeat the process. As I’d guessed, the door opens as soon as both statues have lifted their cups. Not too bad so far.

The interior is impressive, made from white stone to offset the darker outside. Two curved stairs lead up to a platform in the middle of the room, presumably a place someone could speak to guests from. This is framed by a bunch of pillars and arches on either side, close to the walls. Black flags hang from the rafters, depicting a vaguely draconic red and white symbol. Most importantly, I can hear two figures arguing on top of the platform, one of which sounds strangely familiar. 

“... now friend! I keep telling you, you’ve nothing to fear from me! I’m just an honest businessman!”

I only catch the end of the conversation but by that one sentence I can already tell it’s going to be trouble. Sure enough, when I get to the top of the stairs I’m greeted by a shiny bald head. 

“Patches? What are you doing here? How are you even here?”

He spins around with a bright grin, mischief dancing in his eyes, though that look doesn’t leave his eyes often anyway. “Cinder, my friend! Fancy seeing you here! I was just talking to this ah… lovely man right here. His name’s Chancellor Wagner, I figure we’ve become friends by now, eh?”

Both of us turn towards what I can only describe as a ghost. Pale blue in color, largely see through and dressed in some tunic that probably cost a bunch when he was still alive. There’s a deeply exasperated look on his face. As someone who’s used to dealing with Patches I can relate.

“It’s Wellager. You still have not answered my inquiry. What business do you have in the castle? And by whose permission do you stand before me? This castle is the domain of King Vendrick. Is your trespass intentional?”

A soft snort escapes before I can stop it, making both turn back to me. “Sorry, knowing Patches it’s probably intentional though.”

“Hey!”

“I’m Cinder, sorry to bother you but I’m trying to find King Vendrick.”

His demeanor changes, quickly becoming more accommodating. “Ah yes, you must be a guest here… Unfortunately, His Highness is absent. My Lord…The King has… The Queen…Has taken him… His Highness…Where has he gone?”

Damn, the curse did a number on the poor guy, I wonder why he turned into a ghost instead of going hollow though. My trick with the effigies probably wouldn’t work on him. “Can you tell me more about the king? It might help me find him.”

His eyes light up, a slight spark of remembrance, even through the haze that must be over his mind. I can see Patches slipping away, likely gone to look for loot, I gesture for him to wait up, he smiles, nods, and points towards a door. Good. I quickly refocus on Wallager, who’s started talking again. “My Lord made magnificent findings on souls… An accomplishment for the ages… He vanquished the Four Great Ones… And built this kingdom upon their souls. Our King has watched over this land… Since ages long, long ago… King Vendrick…We must fight back… Or the Giants will take Drangleic…”

Hmm, interesting but not all that useful right now.

“Oh, my king… The King had a dear Queen, a woman of unparalleled beauty. Long ago, the Queen came to us, alone, from a faraway land. She warned our Lord of the looming threat across the seas…of the Giants. The King crossed the ocean… And defeated the Giants, with the Queen at his side. The King commandeered their power… And created the Golems. With the Golems, the king created this castle. To celebrate victory… And to show his love, his gratitude to his Queen… The Queen…Brought peace… to this land, and to her King. A peace so deep…it was like… The Dark…”

Now that is telling. The sisters had already told me that there were other fragments of Manus out there, ones who likely had similar inclinations as them, without the tempering of being reincarnated. The main one they’d warned me about was Nashandra, the sister who most encompassed ‘want’. Want for power in this case it seems.

“Is this…some sort of a dream? …… Where am I? What has happened to our castle… Who are you… And by whose permission do you stand before me?”

Damn, that’s just sad. Stuck in a loop of forgetting and remembering… It’s a bit like Alzheimer's… I’d have to see if, no, when I found a cure, if it would work on Alzheimer’s patients too, that’d be nice. I give Wallager a kind smile, bowing slightly. “I am a mere guest of this castle, Chancellor. Don’t worry about me, I’ll find my own way around.”

“Oh! Good, good… Do let me know if you require any guidance. Be safe on your travels…”

With a final nod I leave him, going further up the stairs towards the door Patches disappeared into. I’m met with a fairly large throne room and two equally large chairs. They’re about two times too large for me, but would probably fit someone of Elana and Nashandra’s size, another point in favor of the Queen being Nashandra. Patches amused himself by climbing on one of them and lounging like royalty, it looks pretty comical.

“Cinder! So glad you could make it to my kingdom! What can this humble king do for you today?”

The eyeroll is almost instinctual at this point, though I can’t deny the smile that’s tugging on my lips. “Alright, spill, how’d you get to this realm? For the record, I’m not mad at you or anything, but I am very curious. Also, do you have that knife still?”

“This old thing?” He pulls out the exact knife I was talking about and wedges it into the throne, making me wince. “I’ve still got it yea. Dunno why you’d want it, it’s not all that good compared to the stuff you can get here.” He then quickly pulls it out and flings it towards me, if my reflexes weren’t so good I could’ve easily lost an eye. I settle for glaring at him and get an innocent smile back, well, as innocent as Patches can get. “Don’t really want it anymore, would still like one of them guns though!”

I take a deep breath, hold it, rub the bridge of my nose, and release. Hoo boy. “Alright, thank you. Now how did you get here?”

“Just took the door didn’t I! Same as you, not all that difficult, there’s pathways everywhere for trusty types like myself. Was getting a bit bored in the shrine anyway. Now don’t get me wrong, the others are nice enough, but I’m a businessman! If I’m not expanding my horizons I’m doing something wrong!”

“Of course, of course…”

I take a moment to inspect the knife. To my surprise, I can actually use my inspection power on it, and put it in my inventory. Whatever bullshit Patches uses to get here, it apparently works well enough that even my power considers the objects acceptable. 

‘KA-BAR combat knife

A knife used by Mercenaries on Earth Bet.

Attack Power: 52 

Str: E, Dex: E, Int: -, Fth: -’

Damn, that does suck a bit… I wonder what a gun would look like if we took one here, it’d be a great ranged option at least…

“Hey Patches?”

“Yes M’lady?”

“I’ll let you have a gun if you bring one here for me next time.”

His grin is blinding, almost as much as his head. “Deal!”

Chapter Text

After my meeting with Patches, I made my way back down the stairs, further into the castle. I encountered a room with a bunch of doors and more statues that came to life, of Royal Guards this time. Strong soldiers clad in sturdy gold armor with large halberds. I had a pretty good grip on my own capabilities by that point so fighting them wasn’t too bad, but it was still a good idea not to underestimate anything. Moving further, I went down a ladder and encountered a new bonfire. I had two paths from here, one was a big, ornate locked door that I didn’t see any opening mechanisms for, and the other was a room filled with more of those statues and even more locked doors. 

To start with I just picked the first door on the right, if that wasn’t the right one I’d just make my way down the room. These doors had the same strange mechanism as the statues of the giants, namely that they opened by sucking in some souls. At least there were plenty of animated statues nearby to provide for this. To my surprise, it looked like I picked the right door right away. To make sure I actually did, I opened the door next to it too and was met by a damn Ruin Sentinel , the exact same kind as the ones I had to fight in Lunar Belfry. Needless to say, I quickly booked it out of that room and the next. 

There were a bunch more stairs and Royal Swordsmen on the way up after that room but they were dealt with with relative ease. I did encounter an interesting room filled with masks that shot poison bolts whenever I passed in front of them, but that was more of a… passive danger. Besides that, I could just crawl on the ground to get around them completely, for some reason they weren’t installed that low. Further in I also found a room with a huge painting depicting a woman clad in a long white dress. The closer I came the more oppressive the air became, until I felt like I’d get a curse cast on me just by standing there. Now, I’d spent a significant amount of time studying sorcery, and that definitely felt like Dark sorcery of some kind, maybe even mixed with a faith based component. My best guess? Nashadra. It’d make sense to have a painting of the Queen hanging in the castle after all.

My guess was confirmed only a bit later when I stumbled upon a second throne room of sorts, though it was more like a viewing platform for a throne room. There, seated on a large throne, separated by a gap between platforms, sat that same woman. As soon as I came close enough she started talking to me.

“You have fought admirably on your journey, cursed Undead.” A nice voice, underlined by some sinister quality that I could only pick up through experience. “I am Nashandra, Queen of Drangleic. A true monarch carries the weight of their souls. The last king of this land, King Vendrick, as he was called… He was less of a king than you might imagine. He found the strength to rule his people, and when the Undead were born, cursed… He found more strength, to face them. But in the end, he never took the true throne.”

Well… somewhat ominous but not actively evil, it would be a bit surprising if she was, the ruse had to hold up after all. I don’t think she suspected me yet. “Visit Vendrick. We have no need for two rulers…”

Ah, there it is, the real motive behind it all. Take out Vendrick for her so that she could rule unopposed. Similar yet different to Nadalia. I gave her my best impression of a noble bow and left again, she seemed to approve. I’d see if she was saveable, if not… I’d just have to treat her like any other foe, these realms didn’t leave much room for mercy.

I took the only path available to me, which was to the right of the viewing platform, then promptly encountered a fog wall. It’d been a while since I saw one of those come to think of it, the last one was… The Ivory King? That felt like so long ago already, even though it couldn’t have been more than a day. With a deep breath I pushed through and was met by… two Dragonriders. Huh. The first one I fought fell to his death, it doesn’t look like there’s any pits here to fall in though.

A large arrow whizzes towards my head but I dodge it easily, almost lazily. Maybe I was getting arrogant but these just didn’t feel like much of a threat. I charged towards the one on the ground, ignoring the archer on the ledge. Dodge down, spring up with a slight corkscrew motion, stab upwards right underneath the helmet, slicing right through the chainmail underneath. Dodge back, spinning slash into the same spot, duck under an arrow, dodge roll to avoid a swipe of his halberd, stab through the back of the neck. First one down in under a minute. The second rider jumps off the ledge but I’m ready for him. Another quick dash forward, pirouette to get behind the shield, cut the tendons in his hand with a quick swipe, once more slicing right through the chainmail in between his arm pieces and gauntlets, dodge roll backwards, shield eliminated.

He lets out a roar and charges for me with his halberd, another dodge roll, another swipe, and suddenly he’s unarmed. He charges at me with limply hanging fists, even easier to dodge than the halberd, especially since my swords give me range. I put my swords to his neck, crossed, then pull , cutting it clean open. I’m not strong enough to decapitate him but I don’t need to be. Less than a minute after the first, the second falls too.

…

I stand there for a moment, wondering at myself. I’d spent so much time fighting without actually processing what I was doing, just sinking into this haze of battle and bloodlust, only emerging to spot the next path forward and going . This though, this was… wow . Four months ago I would’ve not even dreamed of pulling off something like that. The power of dexterity and intelligence, combined into a body and trained for pure lethality, damn . 

I couldn’t stop the grin on my face if I tried.

—T—

The room after the Dragonrides has a bonfire but I don’t take much time to rest before continuing on. Taking things slow is invigorating, or maybe I just expend less energy and therefore need less rest... or something along those lines. Either way, onto the next room I go. It’s very small, containing only an elevator platform, a locked door, and a ladder. I take the elevator first which goes way, way up, I assume I’m in the big tower I saw when I first came here. When I arrive at the top I almost wish I didn’t come here in the first place. 

There’s a cage with a woman in it, not that strange on its own. However, the thing keeping the cage closed is a… man, tied to the gate with a bunch of chains, with a strange mask on, that sort of looks like a lock. I shudder to think about what sort of person thought this was a good idea. Seeing as I don’t have any sort of key, and that trying to stab the man doesn’t work, I quickly leave again and take the ladder instead. This one leads me to a side room with another statue of a giant holding a cup. Much better .

I activate the statue which opens a door, then find a room with two Manikins, I haven’t seen those since the Earthen Peaks! As a nice surprise, I’ve actually more than caught up with them in terms of speed. They’re still very skilled and good at what they do, but they’re no longer a huge problem like before. 

I thought this castle would be a problem but so far I’m actually feeling pretty good about myself! Even the pervasive paranoia telling me that I’ll encounter something powerful with that kind of thinking can’t bring my mood down. 

The next room has a weird… demon horse? Of some kind. Imagine a regular horse, make it pitch black, give it two glowing red eyes. Now, size it up until one of its legs is about as big as your body, and give it a second head. With all that done, put a tattered black cloth over it. That’s about what I was looking at. Lucky for me, horses aren’t actually that good at straight up combat. They’re certainly dangerous, in the sense that they can charge at you, kick and bite, but they generally don’t really use tactics or actual fighting styles. Its size and power makes it a slight challenge but it’s not too bad overall. Soon enough I’m moving on again.

The next few rooms are connected by more stairs and have more enemies, but they didn’t matter too much. The main thing that mattered here was a lever I found which opened up that door back in the elevator room, which the castle, conveniently, looped back around to. Behind it was a long hallway lined with kneeling statues holding weapons. Considering all the previous statues there was a good chance that these ones would come to life too. 

Hmm… Well, the statues take a bit to fully un-petrify anyway so I just sprint past all of them straight to the fog wall at the end and jump through it, ending in a dodge roll. The arena I landed in was fairly small and lined with more pillars and arches. It was also, unfortunately, outside, which meant that I’d have to fight in the rain. My adversary this time was a knight clad in sturdy silver armor and a strange shield, the Looking Glass Knight. I immediately saw the weak spots in his armor, namely the seams on his shoulders, insides of his arms, the spots above the knees, and the gap between his pauldron and helmet. I also saw his stronger points pretty easily, a large sword and thus a lot of reach, a big shield, and his height. That last one would probably be the main issue, considering I couldn’t reach his neck properly like I did with the Dragon Riders. 

He starts off the fight with a genuine jump . In all that armor, and in this rain, that’s really impressive. I roll out of the way of his downward swipe and return fire with a slice of my own. Against that armor it doesn’t do much damage unfortunately. I get two more strikes in before he pushes me away with a shield bash. He sticks his sword in the air, summoning lightning from the sky to coat it, what the hell, then attacks me with a wide spinning slash. If I get hit by one of those, especially in this rain, it’s probably game over.

My acrobatics aren’t of as much use here unfortunately, his armor is too thick, and he himself too skilled to get taken off guard by dashes. My attacks still hit, but they’re way less lethal than they could be. After a few minutes he suddenly stops, blocking my attack with his shield and staying like that. Not one to miss an opportunity I quickly dash around him, jumping on his back and slashing at his throat. He angles his head down just in time, blocking the strike with his helmet and forcing me to stab him through the shoulder instead. It’s a critical hit, something that definitely debilitated him, but he still manages to do what he was trying with the shield. 

Accompanied by the sound of broken glass, an invader jumps out of the shield, completely black, looking more like a shadow than an actual person, and armed with a giant sword and shield. Definitely someone more used to strength. Unlike the looking glass knight, this guy isn’t too big to get proper hits in, as his armor has some gaps I can exploit. 

With a burst of speed, I slide down to my knees, dodging a swipe of his sword, spinning around and cutting the back of his knees open. He falls to the ground with a scream and is quickly silenced when my blade severs his spine from his head.

I dodge roll right after, narrowly avoiding a swipe from the Knight. His sword arm is damaged but he’s still going strong. I spent some time just dodging, waiting for an opportunity, when he raises his arm to summon lightning, I strike . I lunge forward, shoving my katana into his armpit, making it burst out on the other side, completing the other half of the hole I’d made earlier. With his sword arm now useless, the Knight tries to use his shield to attack me, but it’s clear he’s much less proficient with it. When he tried to summon another phantom, I grab my chance, jumping on his back again and using my dual wield to my advantage. One katana on each side of his neck ensures that he can’t block me this time, his head can only bend one way after all. 

I strike true, cutting through the chainmail and finally killing him. Twenty five thousand souls in the bank, not bad at all.

I take some time to catch my breath, then walk to the back of the arena where another elevator awaits me. 

Chapter Text

The ride down the elevator is long, really long , a seemingly endless shaft of solid stone that leads down into a room with a single exit framed by plant roots. With no other path left I go into the exit, walking through a long winding path made up of more roots, dirt and water. It reminds me of the Great Hollow in Lordran, that giant tree that led me to the Everlasting Dragon and gave me my dragon form. This tunnel ends fairly quickly though, giving me a view of the next area I’ll be going through. The Shrine of Amana.

Again, similarly to the great hollow, I end up in some sort of giant cave flooded with water. There’s only a single path visible from the overlook I’m standing on, one which is interrupted by a small hut in the middle. I can hear a strange singing come from it, ethereal, sad, and strangely… It makes me think of Gravelord Nito. Interesting that this area has so many things to remind me of Lordran.

I make my way to the shack, dispatching the few enemies in between. Some strange lizards that come out of the water and a priest of sorts, dressed in armor and wielding a halberd. Strangely, the singing stops as soon as I get close to the shack. The inside is dilapidated and holds exactly one thing of interest, a woman, dressed in a threadbare green robe. She’s pretty, with blonde hair and fair skin, but the sadness and… resignedness practically radiating off of her detracts from it a bit.

“Ah, hello? Are you ok?”

“We knew you were coming… And stopped singing…” Her voice is soft, sweet, and has a slight british accent, though that’s not out of the norm here. “We are Milfanito. We are here to sing to those bound by death and Dark. We will sing here, forever, as we always have, from long, long ago. We know nothing of the world outside. And why should we? For we will never leave.”

That just sounds… sad. Do they not want to leave or are they stuck here and gave up on leaving?

“Do you seek King Vendrick? But what is a king, after all? We know nothing of the world outside. For we will never leave here.” I try to interrupt, but she just keeps speaking without pause. “When we sing, the little ones dance. The little ones grant comfort to those who bear death and Dark. This is what we were taught.”

Hmm… Death and dark… Is that why I thought of Nito? Those names too ‘Milfanito’, and the plural way she talks about herself… Maybe they’re fragments of him, like the sisters are from Manus. Other things take priority though. “Do you not want to leave, or can’t you leave? If you’re stuck here I could try to find a way to get you out.”

She frowns a bit, slowly, slowly, looking up at me. “Why would we leave? We have no need to. We know nothing of the world outside after all.”

A strange combination of self imposed isolation and circular reasoning… Looks like those psychology books are paying off after all. “Alright, do you need help with anything then?”

Her eyes do light up slightly at that, good. “We are divided, not all of us is as safe as the rest of us. It would be great if you could help.”

Translation, she probably had some sort of hive mind with other bodies, and those other bodies might not be in a safe hut like her. “I’ll see what I can do… see you later then.”

“We shall sing to keep the little ones happy.”

—T—

There’s a small path behind the shack that leads into the cave, there’s not much inside of it besides some pretty fireflies. What comes after the cave though…

Imagine if you will, a bunch of old ruins. Pillars, crumbling walls, parts of hallways still standing, rubble, the works. Now put those ruins inside of the lake I described earlier, most of them flooded about halfway up your leg, making it difficult to walk. Then fill those ruins with a bunch of sorcerers who use spells with way too much range, that lightly follow you unless you dodge properly. And then add some other bullshit , like ogres and those priests.

Now you know what it’s like to run through the Shrine of Amana. 

I’m not much of a ‘gamer’ or whatever, but I’d heard Greg talk about ‘bullet hell’ at some points, that was certainly the feeling I got here. I made it about halfway through the area after the cave before it became too much and I got blasted down by spells, lizard people and halberds. I died inhaling water from the lake while they tore open my back.

—T—

I wake up with a jolt, still struggling against water rushing into my lungs. I splutter, choking on air, until my brain catches up to what’s happening again. Slowly, things settle down a bit, until I no longer feel claws digging into my back, just the soft mattress of my bed.

God… I’m no stranger to death but that one… that was brutal, even by my standards. I’d have to rethink my approach to Shrine of Amana next time. Trying to take on multiple enemies was not going to work and rushing past them was definitely not going to work. That said… I could probably take care of the sorcerers with a gun at the very least… If the scaling on it was favorable for my build at least, otherwise I’d have to get a good bow or something.

I was planning to go to the base today anyway.

—T—

“Alright, keep your aim steady, breathe out while you fire for extra stability. You wanna bend one arm slight and keep the other straight. Arms bent while shooting handguns leads to more issues, especially with trigger discipline, showing through. Lock your off arm out for stability and better recoil control. Keep your trigger hand grip loose while your off hand remains right and thumbs tucked against the gun while pointed at the target.”

A guy from Foxtrot squad who introduced himself as Lebowsky, was giving Patches and myself the rundown on the basics. Gun safety, maintenance, proper aim, the whole thing. Priscilla and Solaire were standing off to the side, watching along. They’d woken up inside the base, still summoned. Apparently going to sleep on Earth Bet put them in the same state as me, connecting their minds and souls back with the Shrine. Patches did have to be resummoned, which made sense since I’d sent him away last time.

We were using some basic handguns called Glock 17, a standard issue sidearm for all the mercs because of its reliability and ease of use. We would be starting off with these, move on to machine guns, and then get some… treats from Coil’s personal armory. The guy was something of a collector apparently.

I took the gun from the small table in front of me and took aim, glancing back Lebowsky to make sure I was doing it right.

“Yup, looks good, go ahead.”

First shot, breathe out, steady, shoot, miss.

…

Hmm… I was aiming for the center of the head but missed the head itself too. No matter, review what I did, adjust, shoot… much better. I hit the head this time, not in the center yet but much closer.

Next shot, adjust again… bullseye. Sweet . I empty the rest of the clip perfectly in the center of the head, reload, then empty the next clip alternating between shoulders, hands and torso, all perfect shots. Near perfect muscle control coupled with perfect recall makes this almost too easy.

A glance over at Patches reveals that he’s not doing as well. He’s by no means bad, in fact, most of his shots do hit the target, but they’re not bullseyes. He doesn’t seem too bothered by it at least. As far as I could tell he had relatively high strength and dexterity, at least compared to unpowered humans, so it made sense for him to pick up on it pretty fast too. 

After watching Patches for a while I grab the next gun, an M4A1 Block. A full automatic rifle with the option to go semi-automatic. Lebowsky had given us a whole bunch of other technical talk too but that flew over my head for now, I’d never been a gun nut so I just didn’t really have any context for what he’d been saying. It wasn’t all that relevant to shooting anyway.

I shouldered the rifle, on semi-automatic mode, steadied myself, then took a shot. Much better than the first time I shot the Glock, but not a bullseye yet, my second shot did hit dead center though. Any new gun I picked up would need about 2 or 3 shots to adjust it seemed, so long as I knew how to hold them properly at least.

“Nice shots boss, you sure you haven’t shot before?”

“Hmm, no guns, I’ve done a bit of archery though.”

“Huh, well, you can go automatic next, you look like you’ve got it in hand. I’ll keep an eye on the other guy.”

Turning back to my gun I switched it to automatic. Instead of just holding the trigger down I fired a burst at first. I was glad that I’d invested those few points into strength to augment my dexterity, without that I probably would’ve had way more trouble keeping the gun steady. I built my way up from a burst of three to five, ten, and then a whole clip of thirty. It was pretty fun actually, holding so much power in your hands reminded me a bit of using sorcery, though sorcery still felt a bit… better to me. Likely because it was more ‘my own’ power, instead of the power I got from a tool.

After emptying two more magazines, one on the M4 and one on the Glock, I switched the safeties back in and settled in to watch Patches for a bit. He could be surprisingly serious when the moment called for it, though part of that might be fear of me taking his guns away again. It took another fifteen minutes until he was reasonably confident with his shooting, then he switched off his stuff too and the guns promptly disappeared into his inventory. I handed mine over, along with a bunch of ammo, half of which was armor piercing rounds for the M4, and those promptly disappeared too.

Time to move on to the last guns, two special and very expensive things, which I felt would do even more damage, purely from a conceptual standpoint. The realms were weird like that, the more belief and stories a weapon had, the stronger it became, just from that. Anyway, we’d both taken a single weapon from the armory. 

For me, a shotgun, a Fabbri Over-and-under 12 gauge from 1982, the year Scion first appeared. Now, as I said, I didn’t know much about guns, but this thing was simply gorgeous , a lot of time had clearly gone into making it. When I looked it up the price was also a hundred fifty thousand dollars, minimum . And, well, it was a custom model that had dragon themed decorations. I couldn’t just leave it there!

Patches on the other hand, had taken an old school revolver, a Colt Dragoon from 1849. On its own, in ‘base form’ so to speak, it’s a pretty cool gun. However, Coil being Coil, got a special antique, with real ivory for the handle, gold plating, and metalwork that was just as gorgeous and ostentatious as my shotgun. Not a strong gun on Earth Bet, not as strong as the M4 at least, but definitely a beautiful shiny trinket that a magpie like Patches would love. The ammo for it was both easier and harder to get. Easier, because any half decent blacksmith in the realms would be able to make it, and harder, because here on Earth Bet it didn’t really get used anymore. My shotgun ammo was a bit easier to get, since that was fairly standard apparently.

I did a quick test first and asked Patches to retrieve my Glock, he did, but I still couldn’t put it in my inventory. I’d just have to meet up with him in the realms themselves then, strange how that worked.

Lebowsky took over from there again, first showing me how to properly load, unload, clean and handle the shotgun, then doing the same for Patches’ revolver. Shooting a shotgun is just as fun as shooting a regular, if not slightly more so. It’s just a matter of doing a lot of damage over a bunch of bullets, or doing a lot of damage with a single bullet. I personally prefer the second somewhat more, even if the practicality of long range would be better for the Shrine of Amana.

After some more time shooting, Patches puts those guns and some more ammo away too. On a whim, I give Solaire a knife and dismiss him, but the knife just clatters to the ground, thereby proving that it’s purely a Patches thing. I dismiss Priscilla, give Patches instructions of where to find me in Drangleic, then dismiss him too.

For now, I’d do some research into general acrobatics. Freerunning, tumbling, even stuff from action movies. My recent revelation on the powers of dexterity had given me…lots of ideas. I still had some time before I had to go back home and spend some time with dad anyway.

Chapter Text

“Welcome home, Ashen One.”

Ah, the voice of the Firekeeper, a balm for the soul. No matter how cruel my adventure the day before, or what I was struggling with, I could always count on her to help me.

“Hello, Keeper.”

I stand up slowly, stretching my limbs out. “I know I don’t tell you this often enough but… thank you, for being here and helping me.”

I still can’t see her eyes, covered as they are by that strange silver blindfold, but her smile is expressive enough. “It is my duty and my pleasure. Speaking of, I have some guidance for you, should you wish?”

“Of course.”

She gives me a slight bow, then continues. “Once the King is slain, return to the Shrine of Amana, one of the doors there will be unlocked, so that you may claim his armor and the last crown. Additionally, search the temple of the Dragon Aerie carefully for an egg. Bring it to Margerold in the Iron Keep once you have it.”

“Huh… alright. Anything else?”

“Not at the moment, but do not hesitate to call upon me.”

“Thank you, again.”

She moves away with another smile.

I take a deep breath and look around the Shrine, there’s plenty of ledges that I can use to practice freerunning and such. The main problem is that there’s zero padding anywhere besides a thin layer of dust, ash and sand.

“Hey Solaire? Can you come over here?”

The soft clinking of metal sounds behind me, then comes to a stop. "Yes, my queen?"

I don’t correct him but don’t stop the eye roll either. “I want to try out some… stuff. Acrobatics and such, to improve my combat, can you spot me? Try to see if I do anything wrong?”

“Hmm, I am by no means an expert but I can certainly try.”

“That’s good enough for me, thanks.”

—T—

I spent a… significant amount of time just running all over Firelink Shrine, practicing flips, stabs, freerunning, somersaults, pretty much anything I’d found during my research. If it was mildly acrobatic and could help me (or just looked cool), then I tried it out. I only fell on my face a few times even!

Once I was reasonably confident in my skills, I went back to Drangleic. My first stop was the castle, where I picked up my guns from Patches. The scaling on them was… not ideal, but not terrible either. Except for the shotgun, that one was a surprise.

‘Glock 17

A standard issue handgun.

Attack Power: 200

Str: -, Dex: D, Int: -, Fth: -’

‘Block M4A1, armor piercing rounds

A modified Carabiner rifle.

Attack Power: 300

Str: E, Dex: E, Int: -, Fth: -’

‘Draconic Fabbri Over-and-under 12 gauge, 1982

A relic of engineering brought to a different era. The power of dragons in the hands of man.

Attack Power: 90-350

Str: B, Dex: -, Int: -, Fth: -’

So, I probably wouldn’t be using the Fabbri much right now , but once I got to the third realm? I was definitely using that.

For the first part of the Shrine of Amana I stuck to using my katanas. There wasn’t much reason to waste precious ammo over melee enemies, especially ones that I could handle. 

The second part however, that’s where the M4 came out. I put it on semi-auto, zoomed in with the scope, and proceeded to shoot down any and all sorcerers I could see. There would be no bullet hell from this point on, thank you very much. The armor piercing rounds certainly seemed to do the trick as they all went down with a single shot to the head. That said, I wasn’t sure if it would have much effect on tougher enemies like the priests. When I tried to shoot one just to see, he survived so… it might depend on their general vigor and armor. 

This time around my trip through the Shrine was much, much more bearable. I also found the door the Firekeeper was talking about. As she said, it was closed currently so I’d have to come back later. Slowly, steadily, I cleared my way past all the enemies until I reached another bonfire inside a small cave.

There was a huge bug blocking the path which let put some strange gas that ate away at my gear. I quickly put it down, cast a repair spell on all of it to fix the damage, then went to the exit of the cave. There were more ruins, more priests, and more sorcerers. Just like before, I had the M4 take care of all the mages and then took my time to clear out the melee enemies. Things were definitely much easier, to the point where it felt like I was cheating, which, I suppose I was . Unfortunately for them, I wasn’t above playing dirty to get to my goal.

Speaking of which, I’d finally gotten to said goal. There was a small shack in front of another cave of some sort. I found a second Milfanito inside, but she wasn’t nearly as talkative as her… other self? Or something along those lines. In fact, she looked wounded and exhausted, just grunting at me when I came closer. I healed her with a cast of Warmth, then sent her on her way with a homeward bone.

Up next, another fog wall.

I’m never quite sure what to expect when I encounter them, more often than not it’s a boss fight of some sort. Yet, even those range from stronger versions of enemies I’ve seen, to completely unique ones that range from extremely human to eldritch horror.

This one, the Demon of Song, leaned more towards the latter. It looked like someone took the head of an old, withering giant, and then stuffed it inside the mouth of a frog. Oh, it also had an extra set of arms inside the mouth, giving it a total of six limbs. It was just… kind of hideous. 

As soon as I passed the fog, it took notice of me, opening its mouth wide and blasting a torrent of water towards me. I dodged to the side, then just charged right at it. Another torrent of water coupled with another dodge and I was in hitting range. I got a single hit in before it decided that was enough and pulled the frog mouth down over its head and arms. I tried hitting that but my sword just… bounced off, like it was made of the world’s sturdiest rubber or something. It then suddenly opened again and nearly flattened me when it swiped at me with its giant arms. It wasn’t graceful or even good at fighting but it didn’t need to be, it had mass, it had strength, and it could become near invulnerable whenever it wanted. Worst of all, with the way it fought I couldn’t even try out any of my new moves!

I spent about five full minutes just weaving between his attacks and getting the occasional hit in on its face. It was just… such a boring fight. When the thing went down I was glad, not because I’d beaten it but because I didn’t have to fight it any longer, good riddance. It gave me a really weird weapon, the Key to the Embedded, when I inspected it…

Sword that opens the Embedded's door. Shaped like a weapon, but is in fact a key. Plunge the key into the Embedded to bring a rhapsodic end to his fate. The once-human Embedded, realizing that he could never resist the temptation of the flesh, bound himself eternally with chains. Since then, he has awaited the day that somebody will find this key, and bury it within his bosom.

Just… who would do something like that?! Why?! It was that freaky guy hanging upside down in front of that one Milfanito wasn’t it… ugh. I’d deal with him later.

—T—

There was a small cave off to the side that had opened up when the Demon of Song died. As the only way forward, I went through it and ended up at the end of the giant cave that encompassed the Shrine of Amana. Two paths were left for me, one led to a big door, the other to a small tower that I could hear singing coming from, another Milfanito then, which took priority.

There were some Basilisks in the way, the same kind I’d fought in Lordran, so those were still around apparently. At least they were dispatched easily enough, allowing me to make my way up the tower. At the top, I found yet another locked door, this one however had no visible way to open it. The only clue I had was a message on the ground ‘try hollow’... Which wasn’t helpful at all. I wasn’t even sure I could go hollow. There weren’t any hollows nearby either, (I’d unpetrified one to get in here but it was dead already), and trying to bring someone I knew here just to turn them hollow, just so I could enter some door didn’t sit right with me either.

With all those options exhausted I turned towards the one area that I had plenty of knowledge in that might still help me, sorcery. The average sorcerer, especially the ones who engage in combat, only ever learns combat spells and maybe some support spells like Repair or Invisible Body. A scholar and researcher like Seath though, learned entire other branches of spells meant purely for identification, analysation and deconstruction of magical properties. Like most sorceries, they didn’t have very imaginative names. For example ‘Analysis’ and ‘Scan’. The first would show you the different components that made up a certain enchantment or spell while the second gave you an overview of the effect it would have. I wasn’t sure who thought it was a good idea to name them that but whatever.

Scan informed me that only hollowed individuals could enter. I already knew that but the confirmation was nice to have. Analysis showed me a few components, a scanning system tied to a few things like the dark soul present in all humans, the curse, and how consumed said person was by such things. I couldn’t make out all of it since there were some faith based components too but I did find the locking mechanism, which was all I really needed. I swapped out my swords for the Staff of Wisdom, gathered my magic into a half formed spell and thrust forward, forcefully targeting the locking matrix and tearing it open. 

The door slowly slid open with a groan, nice .

I swapped back to my katanas and proceeded towards the singing.

—T—

“You… who are you? You do not belong here. What do you want from us?”

Alright, so maybe forcefully opening that door didn’t make the best impression but it’s not like I had many other options. “I’m Cinder, your… other self in the lake sent me to check up on your… other parts? I’m not sure how to classify it.”

She just stares at me for a bit, then seems to decide on something. “You got rid of that horrid singing… We sing eternally for those who bear death and Dark within themselves. We have been here forever. We know nothing of the outside world, and we do not need to."

Death and Dark… so that’s why she was behind the hollowing door.

"The little ones were born from the Great Dead One. And the Great Dead One taught us song. We have sung ever since. To comfort those bound by death and Dark. This is what we were taught.”

Nito then, it must be, though… why would Nito teach them, wasn’t he dead? Or did this world not follow up on the one I came from? Besides that, ‘bound by death and dark’ sounds very specific. I felt like I was missing something, something intrinsically tied to the curse. If only I’d tried to find out more back in Lordran…

“Alright, do you need any help?”

“No, we are happy here. We will continue to sing.”

“I’ll take my leave then.”

Before that though… there was a big altar next to her, there was something about it… 

I step closer, drawn to the flame. It speaks to the dark within me, even without that curse, unshackled, I can feel it igniting that flame, empowering me and giving me… something , though I wasn’t sure what. Though given that this place only let hollows in…

To confirm my suspicions I cast Analysis and Scan on it. Sure enough, the main function of this altar was to reverse the hollowing and alleviate the effects of the curse, much like the human effigies did but more powerful. Normally I’d note down observations and such but with my memory I didn’t really need to anymore. I looked everything over to make sure I had as much data as possible to work with, then left again. I could always come back if needed.

Time to go try that other door, likely the way out of this place.

Chapter Text

The other door was indeed the way out of the Shrine, it led to a fairly large, round chamber lined with pillars. In the middle there was another giant lift, hanging from the ceiling with big chains. It took me down even further, to the point where I must’ve been miles below the castle already. Even Lost Izalith didn’t feel as deep in the ground as this, though maybe that was because getting there was a more gradual incline instead of two gigantic lifts into the ground.

The place I ended up in was pretty at least, reminiscent of old catacombs. A narrow hallway, filled with stairs leading up towards a bonfire and lined with more pillars greeted me. I was really, really glad to see one of those again, between all the bullshit in Shrine of Amana and the Demon of Song I had way too many souls to walk around with casually. 

The warmth of a bonfire is a soothing thing, whether you’re in a frozen place like Eleum Loyce or a desert full of stifling heat, it’s always comforting. That’s why it’s so surprising when, upon touching it, you suddenly get blasted backwards as a weird tree stump looking thing comes out of the ground.

“Wh- you again?! Stop doing that!”

Just like last time, it seems surprised by my reaction. What’s with this thing anyway?

“Heheh, my apologies, I believe we've been acquainted. Sparking Flame, conqueror of fear. What drives you so, to overcome this supposed curse?”

“... Is that a rhetorical question? Have you not seen what it’s doing to everyone here?”

The thing stares back at me, considering my answer, then goes on another cryptic rant. “Life is brilliant. Beautiful. It enchants us, to the point of obsession. Some are true to their purpose, though they are but shells, flesh and mind. One man lost his own body, but lingered on, as a head. Others chase the charms of love, however elusive. It seems you simply wish to ease the suffering of others.” There’s a slight pause, as if it’s weighing its words carefully. “Once, the Lord of Light banished Dark, and all that stemmed from humanity. And men assumed a fleeting form. These are the roots of our world. Men are props on the stage of life, and no matter how tender, how exquisite… A lie will remain a lie. Sparking Flame, knowing this, do you still desire peace?”

Cryptic as the words are, they… resonate, they make sense on some level. 

“You… You’re talking about Gwyn aren’t you? He’s the Lord of Light, I just came after him, and I sure didn’t banish the Dark. Unless this world is disconnected somewhat?... It doesn’t matter, peace is always good, though I’ll agree that sometimes, it’s better to introduce some conflict so that things can get better later on.”

“A nuanced answer… Vendrick, the near-true monarch, is here, and not far off. But what is a king? You, neither born with greatness, nor granted it by the fates. What is it that you seek? You cannot even say yourself. I am Aldia, we shall meet again, Sparking Flame.” Then it just sinks right back into the ground, as if nothing happened.

Not even knowing what I seek… I thought I sought the throne, since that would get rid of the curse, but that might not be the case after all. I needed more information, both on Aldia and the curse. I’d make sure that I could get rid of this curse, or at least diminish it enough that it wasn’t a problem anymore, regardless of the throne.

—T—

I took a quick trip to Majula, then went back to the castle, instead of going straight to the Undead Crypt again. One fairly quick elevator ride upwards, I ended up back up with the weird chain guy and the locked up Milfanito. With the key in hand I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and stuck it right in the guy’s face, he kept wriggling around and making these… sounds even as he turned to smoke and just… ew… Hopefully I’d never have to do something like that again. 

This Milfanito didn’t really talk to me either, she just looked up when I entered the cage, then disappeared as soon as I went to touch her, leaving a ring behind. The Ring of the Dead, practically, was useless, as it just made the wearer appear human when they were hollowed. Magically though, this was a very interesting item, especially when combined with the Shrine of the Living, another piece to the puzzle.

—T—

The Undead Crypt was a dark and gloomy place, as expected from something with that name. It was pretty in a way, peaceful, if you didn’t count all the soldiers and witches blocking my path. Any fights I got into made this… awful noise, echoing through the cavernous chambers, disturbing the peace. I almost felt bad for it but I didn’t have much choice.

A decent way into the Crypt I got to a chamber without any soldiers, at least, I didn’t think so at first.

"Human. Do not produce light. Light, and all those who bear it, are unwelcome in this place."

I whirled around, looking at a man with pale gray skin standing on a ledge. It’s like they made a hole in the wall on the right, high up, then gave it a platform to stand on, some sort of defensive position should someone get past all the other guards… Likely to defend against light, as he mentioned. 

I walk a bit further and take some stairs up to the platform the gray man is standing on. “Hi, um, any reason for the ban on light?”

He frowns at me, disgruntled that I even asked, but answers anyway. "I am Agdayne. Guardian of the crypt. Countless dead rest here in peace. Cradled by the comfort of Dark. Light only agitates. We have no need for it here."

“Ah… that makes sense, I won’t use any then. Would you… tell me about yourself?”

He considers me for a long while, just staring, shrouded by darkness. "Hmm, I am a Fenito. We weave death, and watch over the dead. This task was granted to me by the one who gave us the first death. Countless souls rest here. Some of them from ages long ago. Some were rich, others poor. Some wise, some dull, but now, they are all just dead."

Another name with Nito, another reference to him with that ‘first death’, I’d dismissed him somewhat in Lordran but clearly he had much more influence than I thought. 

Agdayne continues, apparently he doesn’t mind talking once you get him going. "Did you come for him? The one called Vendrick. You will find him deeper inside. Many castle servants and the like have come to fetch their lord. But they rest here now, put to death by the King's own guards. Perhaps he's not in the mood for company."

A hurdle, but nothing I haven’t faced before. Resistance was to be expected really, that way, when things went smoothly I got to be pleasantly surprised.

"In the past, humans were one with the dark. The former King of Light...He feared humans. Feared that they would usher in an age of Dark. How queer, you humans. How you go on, never separating truth from fiction… This place is welcome to all, provided due reverence is shown. Death is equitable, accepting. We will all, one day, be welcomed by her embrace. Tell me what you desire. Show me reverence, and I will lend you my hand."

Alright, that last part was a bit creepy but the rest was interesting. Yet another reference to Gwyn, I had a feeling that whatever he had done to humans, to the dark, would play an important role in figuring out the curse too.

“Ah, thank you but I’m good. I’ll be going now, it was nice speaking to you.

“Hm. Farewell, human.”

—T—

That peaceful-yet-depressing atmosphere continued deeper into the rest of the crypt. All of it was wreathed in darkness, with only a few spots of light allowing me to see just enough to get by. The path upward led to a split of some kind, on one side I had a doorway that led to dark side rooms, on the other, the path stopped in a sheer drop. A fair bit further ahead I could see it continue, vaguely. There seemed to be a bridge of some sort hidden in the wall but I couldn’t really reach it from here. Even with my enhanced speed the jump would be too far to make and I didn’t fancy dying from something so stupid when another path was available. I also considered throwing a rope at the lever on the other side, but it was angled  the wrong way so that wouldn’t help either.

The other path it was, then.

The doorway lead to a small room with a bonfire in it. Further ahead was just… dark. A large, dark room absolutely filled with gravestones. There were a few large statues too and strangely enough, bells. I found out their use soon enough when an undead tried smacking me and hit the bell instead. That thing was loud, really loud. It echoed throughout the chamber and probably the ones beyond, waking up everything. A bunch of undead, but also the strange statues I’d seen. Ghosts of pyromancers came out of them, a much more dangerous foe than regular hollows. 

The Staff of Wisdom materializes in my hand, almost by instinct, mana flowing through my body as a widespread Hush spell settles down over the entire room. I have a bit of trouble dispatching the enemies that are already active, mostly due to the gravestones littered everywhere , but after that, things… settle. Experimentally, I hit one of the bells and let out a relieved sigh when no more ghosts appear. The hollows seem content to leave me be so long as things are quiet too. I slowly make my way past all the gravestones, occasionally casting Hush again when I come to a new set of rooms. 

Eventually I reach an exit of sorts, or at least a way to progress. A long, curved hallway, blocked at the end by two soldiers with giant shields that completely block the hallway off. I could spend some time knocking on their shields until their stamina gives out, or, I could take the smarter way out. I take a deep breath in and sprint forward. Right before I reach the first soldier I jump right, launching myself off the wall and flip over them, landing in a roll on the other side. A quick dash forward and I drop down into a hole, landing in another room filled with gravestones. Luckily the exit is close by this time, along with another bonfire, and I end up on the other side of that path I found earlier. I open the shortcut bridge just in case I have to come back through there for some reason.

—T—

I felt like I was nearing the end of the crypt. The other end of the shortcut led me to a big hall. The whole thing was lined with statues on the sides, low lights interspersed throughout to give it an ethereal, ghostly feeling. There were even a bunch of statues hanging from the ceiling, giving the impression of hanged men, or a mirrored world, adding to the feeling. At the end of it, a fog wall, my goal. Just to be sure I checked around the entrance a bit and saw more of those statues that held Pyromancer ghosts. Besides that, there was nothing of value that I could see except for the fog wall. 

I cast another widespread Hush as a precaution then started a sprint towards the door. About halfway through some ghosts started appearing but they needed some time to materialize, time I used to get closer and closer to my goal. Two royal knights and a Dragonrider were protecting the entrance so I pulled out another trick. I kept running right until one of the knights was about to swipe at me, then fell down to my knees, sliding under his strike and past the other one. This just left me to face off against the Dragonrider. I made sure to keep my momentum, twisted my body and then pushed , launching myself upward and over him, landing in a roll. With no one left in my way I just dash towards, and through, the fog gate.

—T—

The following room is rectangular, lined with more pillars as seems to be the norm here, and lit up much more than the previous ones. At the end, a lone figure sits, framed by a beam of light. He wears large, ornate golden armor, interspersed with black parts, giving him a look of nobility. When I enter he’s cross legged on the floor, as soon as he notices me however he stands up, shocking me with his sheer size. Easily twice as tall as me, clearly very well muscled, and wielding a gigantic mace that’s also way bigger than me. It reminds me of the first time I faced the Asylum Demon somewhat, though the way this man moves is much, much more dangerous. The only saving grace is that I actually already have some experience fighting him. Elana summoned a shade of him during her fight, though I’m unsure how strong that one was compared to the real deal.

Velstadt, the Royal Aegis.

He starts off with a thrust forward, and he’s fast , much faster than I thought he would be. I jump over it, landing on top of the mace and kicking off with a backflip. He isn’t deterred, twisting his body and slamming the mace sideways in a spin, completely obliterating one of the pillars in the room and almost turning me into a paste. Each swipe of the giant mace sets off the bells forged into it, making the whole fight even more intimidating and ominous. If I’m lucky I’ll be able to survive single hits, double ones would do me in easily. I’m under no illusion that this man would stop moving just because I’m down on the ground. 

I dodge backwards, then dash forwards again, closing the gap and striking as hard as I can at his chainmail. The knight just does not care, he just tanks it, pushing me away with the handle of his mace, then moving in for a downward strike to pulp me. I barely manage to dodge roll backwards, otherwise I would’ve gotten crushed. The version Elana had absolutely pales in comparison to the real deal, and he’s not even at full strength. Through his helmet I can see the effect the curse had on him, a partial hollowing that makes his skin gray and gaunt. I shudder to think what kind of an opponent he would’ve been at his peak.

With no real weak spots in sight, I fall back to the tried and true tactic I’ve been using here in Drangleic. Whittling down my opponent while trying not to get hit. My newfound acrobatics play a significant role in staying alive. That, and the fact that I already fought a version of him, however weak that one was. It at least helps me read his moves better to know where he came from, and it might be one of the only things actually keeping me alive. Here was a knight with decades, maybe even centuries of experience, a true force to be reckoned with.  It’s a shame that he wouldn’t stop attacking me for even a moment, having someone like this for an ally would’ve been amazing.

I fall back into that familiar battle trance, laser focused on dodging, attacking, and keeping track of my stamina. The battle goes on for… way longer than I would’ve liked, even the Ivory King wasn’t this difficult, though I suppose I had help for that one. At some point though, something shifts. Velstadt suddenly goes down on one knee, a glowing white circle appearing underneath him. I take the opportunity to go for more dangerous cuts, his neck, the back of his knees, wherever I can reach quickly and deal the most damage. It certainly weakens him, a decent amount even I’d say, but it’s not nearly enough to kill him. After only a few seconds he’s done with his prayer, standing back up with a white glow coming from his body. 

As if his regular form wasn’t enough, now he seems to be taking even less damage. His moves have also switched up slightly, just enough to catch me off guard a few times. I’m fast enough to pop lifegems and dodge out of the way each time, but man does it hurt to just get clipped by his mace. I don’t even have to imagine what getting hit full on would feel like, the Asylum Demon showed me that plenty. With dogged determination I keep whittling him down bit by bit. Every strike of my blade a chink in his armor, a slight weakening that builds up over time. Death by a thousand cuts may not be the most efficient, but after a long, long time of fighting, it does get the job done. Velstadt sinks down to one knee, reaching out to me one last time, then collapses into smoke and souls.

—T—

I take a deep breath, plopping down on the stairs behind Velstadt’s arena. I could really go for a burger right now, I’m not even hungry, just craving something after such a tough fight. A bit of a treat for myself you could say.

Shuffling in front of me takes my attention away from thoughts of burgers. It’s a fairly soft sound, followed by the scraping of metal on stone, which does make it a bit more… ominous. Just then, a positively giant man walks past the entrance of the next room, his green skin barely visible in the darkness below. He has long, white hair, topped off by a… is that a crown?... Is that King Vendrick? Just… damn , seeing a regular hollow is bad enough but this is… particularly horrifying. He’s just wandering around inside a small dark room, doesn’t even attack me like the other hollows, as if there’s still a tiny bit of himself left in there. 

I slowly walk down the stairs, but even standing right in front of him he doesn’t notice me, just stumbling into me until I move to the side. I have a strong suspicion that using the human effigy on him would do absolutely nothing, he’s just too far gone at this point. Walking further into the room I see a pile of armor… likely discarded by Vendrick. Most of it wouldn’t fit me but there’s a glimmer in between it all, a ring. I pick it up and slide it on, it fits my thumb perfectly. Besides a slight boost in pyromancy powers there’s no effect that I can feel so I use Inspect instead.

King’s Ring

A powerful soul is like a curse.

And Vendrick, King of Drangleic used a

powerful soul to keep the curse at bay.

King Vendrick sought greater souls,

and made the giants' strength his own,

but even still, the curse overcame him.

Wear this ring to open the King's Gate.

Hmm, King’s Gate… Probably those big black and gold ones that I didn’t see a key for. It’s a way forward at least.

I’m not… sure what to do about Vendrick right now, it doesn’t look like he’s going to leave but I don’t want to just leave him like this either. Killing him outright is out of the question right now too, just in case there’s some other way to save him. I resolve to ask the Herald about it, then get surprised when she’s waiting for me at the exit of the room, on the top of the stairs.

“Hi. Uh, why are you here? Not that I mind of course.”

“To advise you.” She’s staring again… “That ring is the symbol of the King. Use it to gain passage, through the King's Gate in the Shaded Woods...and venture to the far east… Normally… I’d tell you that, if you are to be the next monarch, then, one day, you will walk those grounds...without really knowing why. But for some reason, I doubt that will be the case for you… Venture to the east, we will talk more there."

“... Alright. Do you know if I can do something about King Vendrick? Leaving him like that seems… wrong.”

She glances down, a slight frown on her face as he shuffles past, sword scraping on the ground. “Your answers lie to the east as well. Simply leave him be, for now.”

Well, at least I knew where to go next.

Chapter Text

The bonfire in the Shaded Woods led to three paths and one exit. The first, to the left, led to the Shrine of Winter and thus to Drangleic Castle. The second, to the right, led to the Shaded Ruins and beyond, where I’d met Manscorpion Tark and Ornifex the smith, it was also one of the areas I’d rushed through. Lastly, there was a path straight forward, one where I’d found another Red Tearstone Ring, but then got blocked by a large door. That door was my target. The path upward was blocked by a single ogre but, well, they weren’t much of a challenge for me anymore. They were certainly still dangerous if I wasn’t careful, but nothing I couldn’t handle. 

Once I came to the door I just put my hand against it, the ring let out a soft humming sound, then things started shifting. An ornate circle high up on the door twisted forward then sideways, unlocking the door. Behind it, a fortified manor. That was the best word I could use to describe it. It wasn’t a castle exactly, and it was much, much too big to be just a house. Aldia’s Keep.

So that was why the Herald had said there would be answers here… Out of everyone I’d met, she and Aldia seemed to have the most idea of what was going on exactly. 

I go closer to the manor and notice a small shack standing off to the side of it, a familiar face leaning against it. “Lucatiel? What are you doing here?”

She looks up, coming closer and kneeling before me. “My liege, I was here for… personal reasons. My brother, he’s… here somewhere. I was debating what to do about him, he’s too far gone to save I’m afraid… But I can’t just leave him either…”

“I could… deal with him if you want?” This whole situation is just bad but there’s not much more I can do about it. At some point, even the effigies stop working, like on Vendrick for example. If Lucatiel believes he’s that far gone, then there’s little reason to doubt her.

“I would be even more in your debt, my liege. I should… I will help, at the very least, even if I may not be able to bring myself to deliver the final blow.”

I blow out a deep sigh, glancing up at the manor. “Alright, come on.”

Neither of us says a word as we walk up the stairs towards the front door. It’s a very pretty place, well decorated, less brutalist than the actual castle. It’s certainly still sturdy, but the form and function are present equally. Small pools, plants, decorative stones and engravings, they all add to the luxury of this place.

We barely get past the first hallway when a red vortex appears in front of us. It slowly coalesces, materializing in the shape of a man wearing very similar clothing to Lucatiel, Alsatiel of Mirrah. I can’t really see his face, covered by his big hat as it is. He doesn’t say a word, there’s not a hint of recognition, he just charges at us, greatsword at the ready. 

The fight starts off with a forward thrust from his greatsword, I dodge to the side, slashing at his arm. Lucatiel told me that he was the greatest swordsman of Mirrah, but that’s clearly no longer the case, the curse has taken too many of his memories. He doesn’t even manage to block my strike or anything, just tanks it and transitions into a sideways swipe with his sword. This pattern repeats a few times. Truthfully he’s just repeating the same few moves over and over, moving more on instinct than actual training. Lucatiel is off to the side, she’s holding her sword but she’s not moving, just… staring at our fight, unsure what to do. Her initial assessment was right though, he’s too far gone to save at this point. 

I decide to make things quick, to spare them both further suffering. When Alsatiel makes another lunge forward I roll forward, twisting my body sideways and jumping back up. The spinning slash takes his head clean off, his body turning to dust before it hits the ground. Lucatiel’s breath hitches, she stumbles forward, landing on her knees next to the dust on the ground.

“B-brother… I-I’m sorry…” The sob that escapes is heartbreaking, I can feel myself tearing up just from hearing it. I sink to my knees next to her, pulling her into a tentative hug. Her body shakes with great heaving sobs, barely held back by her own stoic nature.

“I’m… I’m sorry Luca, he was…”

“I-I know, do not worry m-my Liege.”

Damn. I’m not- I’m not cut out for this stuff , Emma was always the one to do this stuff… But she’s not here anymore is she… Fuck. I’ll just- keep doing this for now, hopefully it helps.

—T—

It took a while, but eventually Lucatiel felt good enough to stand up again. I brought her back to the nearest bonfire, from where she returned to Majula. Maybe I did a bad job but… I did my best, she got a bit better towards the end so it did count for something… hopefully.

A weary sigh escapes as I push onward, walking back into the manor. Was this kind of stuff happening in Lordran and I just didn’t notice? Didn’t do anything about it? These thoughts popped up and keep eating away at me when I’m distracted. What kind of hero was I that I didn’t even notice something that big? Thinking back on it they all just seemed… irrelevant, like they were actually part of a dream and didn’t matter at all. That was unacceptable, I vowed to do better.

Another deep breath. Stay focused Taylor, you can do this.

The next room is big, very big. It encompassed all floors of the manor in one large open room. I think the term for it was just ‘Grand Hall’, the entrance room and focal point of a mansion or manor. There were two long stairs on either side of the room, leading up to the second floor, then a single larger one in the middle, leading up to a landing, followed up by another two smaller ones on either side leading up to the third floor. The most impressive part though, was the massive dragon skeleton draped over the stairs, taking up almost the entire hall on its own. Going by the damage done to the floor, it had probably been hung up at some point and snapped. 

On the stairs themselves were a bunch of statues too, well, more like petrified beings. I could see a few ogres, but there were regular hollows in there too. I think the purpose of them was to provide some additional defences since some of them really blocked off most of the stairs. However… I wasn’t pudgy anymore like I used to be, in fact, I was thin enough that I could squeeze past most of them pretty easily if I tried. There wasn’t much else to see besides a giant basilisk, which very politely didn’t attack me despite all the holes in its cage. 

The next hallway was much more promising, locked behind the statue of a dragon and absolutely filled with cages. The cages themselves held various creatures, from ogres to basilisks, mimics and even things I’d never seen before that looked like living flesh monsters. Surely there would be some sort of research about this right?

I found two very interesting spells first, one called Soul Geyser, an invention of Aldia himself apparently. The other, a spell called Unleash Magic, something that would come in very handy if I needed more firepower, given that it boosted magical attack power in return for some vigor. Those would be very interesting to experiment with, but they weren’t what I was there for. There were a bunch of locked doors left that I just couldn’t find a key for until I lit some braziers and found it by accident. Behind those, there were a bunch of… I felt them most aptly described as ‘tools for torture’, but maybe that was just what they needed for whatever they were experimenting with here. 

It was the right room though. It was hidden, but behind one of the cages was a small button. When I pushed it, a wall slid upwards, revealing a library containing all of their research. I could finally get some answers, hopefully.

—T—

The darksign. That was the root of this whole issue. It had taken me a while to find it between the small mountain of books Aldia had written on the subject, but it all boiled down to that. Gwyn, in his fear of the Dark, had bound that darkness, present in all of humanity, to the Light, to the Fire, thereby creating the darksign. A sin against the natural order of things. This world was supposed to be cyclical, an age of light followed by an age of dark. Cleansing, renewal, a period for either side to flourish. Instead, one side was oppressed, the other desperately clinging on to the scraps they still had, while everything suffered for it.

And I, in my haste to get through with Lordran, had linked the fire, perpetuating the cycle even further. It was partially my own fault that this curse had settled over Drangleic… The strangest part was that, according to his research, all humans had a darksign, there wasn’t a single one without it. And yet, I did not have one , which also explained why I wasn’t affected by the curse, because I wasn’t cursed to begin with . It also explained why I couldn’t go hollow, even though it was such a problem for so many others apparently. I’d been ignorant. Now the question was why, why did I not have a darksign, when literally everyone else had it? I wasn’t sure I’d get an answer to that question anytime soon.

I also learned that Aldia was actually Vendrick’s brother, who got banished for his fascination with the Undead. He actually helped Vendrick with the giants, and building up Drangleic as a whole before that. Interesting, but ultimately not that relevant, I still took all his notes however. 

Lastly, there were notes about their research on the curse itself. Both Aldia and Vendrick had done extensive research into it, devoting part of their lives to finding a cure. The giants were said to be a piece of the puzzle, until it turned out they weren’t, they simply had a way around the curse instead of actually beating it. They’d come close towards the end, and then sunk into despair, there were notes on four crowns which could partially stop hollowing… Three of which sounded eerily familiar to the crowns that I had in my possession, if I could just find the fourth I might actually get closer to solving this, or at least mitigating my part in it! 

I even had an idea where to look, the Firekeeper had never sent me on random errands before and she wouldn’t stop now. It was likely hidden in the Shrine of Amana, which I’d get to as soon as Vendrick was dealt with.

For now, further to the east, as the Herald had told me to.

—T—

With nothing left to do in the manor, I finally got to the last door. An ogre burst through, trying to grab me, and was quickly dispatched, leaving me with a free exit. It led out to a beautiful view. We were really, really high up apparently, forests and mountains sprawled around me as far as the eye could see, only hampered by a giant cage still blocking my path. Gigantic pillars of stone jutted out of the forest, giving it an otherworldly feeling. I took some time to just take it all in, smell the clean air up here, and bask in the rays of the sun. It did good after so many revelations

When I was finally ready, I entered the cage, coming face to face with a large, but thin, red dragon. A shame that I had to kill it as I’d become quite fond of dragons over the last few months. It wasn’t nearly as smart as some of the other ones I’d met unfortunately, so there was no way to talk things out.

It tried to start the fight off by breathing fire at me, but I quickly put a stop to that. A quick dash forward put me in melee range, allowing me to jump on its back. I didn’t wait for it to do much more, just stabbing straight through its eye with my sword, plunging the other through its neck as a handhold. Despite that, it was tough , I had to stab it three times, straight to the brain, before it would go down. 

The difference between fighting this and Velstadt was… enormous to say the least. There was no real skill, no pushback from my opponent, just the swift execution of a target. 

I let out another sigh and continued onward, finding a small lift at the end of a pathway leading out of the cage. The view from there was somehow even better, the plateau I was standing on tapered off into large pillars and then fell away into a giant valley. Near the top of the elevator ride my view started getting cut off by rocks, then completely obscured when it ended in a round room.

In the distance I could hear screeches that sounded suspiciously like dragons and the howling wind. Curious.

Chapter Text

Well, I was right about the screeches. As soon as I walked out of the round room I could see dragons pretty much everywhere . The landscape itself consisted of platforms on top of those giant stone pillars I saw earlier. If you didn’t look down too much it was almost like floating rocky islands in the sky. I could imagine things becoming much less pleasant here if there was a storm or something but right now? It was very pretty. Hell, if I could fly I’d wanna live in a place like this too. 

I made my way up a small hill, giving me an even better view of the Aerie. A bit further ahead, the Herald was waiting for me. There didn’t seem much more ‘east’ left so hopefully this was my destination.

“Hi.” 

“Hello…” She’s staring again, but there’s a slight frown along with it this time. "Long have I awaited one such as you, one who might shatter the shackles of fate. One who can set me free... Though I never imagined it would be quite so vexxing… Cinder, it was my own manifestation that led you here. The ancient dragon has watched over the world for aeons past. Take this.”

She hands me something, an old, golden feather. There’s a quiet power contained within, one that lets me return to bonfires from wherever, like an infinitely reusable homeward bone. “... Thank you, would you tell me about yourself now?”

She hums, staring off into the distance, then gives me a slight nod. Finally . "Part of me wants to wait, the other wants to believe… My journey is nearly complete. My name is Shanalotte. The dragon gave me this name, for I was born with none. I was born of dragons, contrived by men. By ones who would cozen fate herself... They are the ones who created me, I was meant to take the throne, to end this… withering.”

Her voice takes on a sadder note, almost wistful, resentful .

“But they failed. I did not come out as intended. Fate would not be bested, and men were cursed once again… So instead, I became a guide, hoping that one day, one like you would arrive, one strong enough to take the throne… Although, you are not nearly what I imagined in the end.”

Wow , well ok. That’s a lot to take in, it also explains why she has some trouble communicating… not that I’m one to talk. “I’m… not sure what to say to that. Thank you for telling me though. If you want to know something about me I can tell you in return if you want?”

A small smile grows on her face, she shakes her head. “No, I believe I’m starting to enjoy little puzzles like this.”

“Ahem, uh, yeah.” I quickly look away, mindful of the light blush on my face and the sound of amusement next to me. “What about Vendrick? You said there would be answers here.”

“You shall find them up ahead. Go forth, do not resist. The dragon welcomes you.”

—T—

Given that the Aerie was basically like a bunch of floating islands, travel between them was mostly accomplished by either rope bridges or ziplines. From the small platform I talked with Shanalotte on there was a ropebridge which extended to a cave of some kind, inside of which was a bonfire. From there I took a ladder up and then a long zipline to an island much further away. I’d never been on a zipline before but I could definitely see the appeal now. The whole ‘if you let go you’ll plummet to your death for over a minute’ wasn’t ideal but that was mostly an issue with the location and not having any safety options.

Last up was a very long ropebridge connecting the Aerie to a temple of sorts. I would’ve explored more but this was basically the home of all these dragons. I just didn’t feel the need to go traipsing through it and disturbing them all, that would be like going into a forest just to jostle a bunch of birds’ nests, bit of a dick move. So instead I just took the fastest route out. Given its length, age and location in a pretty windy area, the bridge didn’t feel safe at all. In fact, I was fairly sure it would collapse under me more than once. Then, to make matters worse, one of the dragons landed on the damn thing, almost knocking me off! It even had the gall to do a weird… wiggly thing at me like it was laughing at me! At least the last bit of bridge was fairly uneventful and I finally ended up in a sturdy little building with a bonfire in it.

Once again , I was blown back by an explosion. At least this time it was much smaller, just enough to make me stumble back and give Aldia some room. Seems like he did listen to me last time.

“Sparking Flame.” His voice was just as strange still, amalgamation of different voices layered on top of each other, both masculine and feminine. There was a conviction to his words too, less puzzling than before. “How you grapple, without falter, with this dreadfully twisted world. Peace grants men the illusion of life. Shackled by falsehoods, they yearn for love, unaware of its grand illusion. Until, the curse touches their flesh. We are bound by this yoke. As true as the Dark that churns within men. All men trust fully the illusion of life. But is this so wrong? A construction, a facade, and yet… A world full of warmth and resplendence. Sparking Flame, are you intent on shattering the yoke, spoiling this wonderful falsehood?”

He was trying to tell me something, in that cryptic way of his. Illusions, falsehoods, life, a facade that’s still warm… A memory resurfaced, one of a place far in the past, Oolacile. I’d found some kind of ghosts there, purely black with a slight white outline, they were simply called humanities… “You mean that… that the flesh itself is also a shackle? Like the darksign? Did Gwyn do that himself or was that an accident?” Was that why I didn’t have a darksign in the first place? Because I was born as a human already? So many questions, too few answers.

“You have learned much, Sparking Flame. Good. The first sin introduced many falsehoods to those who came of the Dark. What once held limitless potential was held down, molded, reshaped, brought into the Light. Yet you still have not answered my question. Are you intent on shattering the yoke, spoiling this wonderful falsehood?”

Shattering the yoke, undoing what Gwyn did… I wouldn’t know how. I had pieces of the puzzle, but I couldn’t end the age of Light even if I wanted to. Without the throne, without access to that light, I wouldn’t have enough control over the curse. I’d have to start by giving humans a better life. Maybe in the last realm, Lothric, I could finally snuff it out completely to restore the natural order of things.

“... Not yet, but I will, eventually.”

“Hehe, your answers are delightfully enigmatic. I am Aldia. I sought to shed the yoke of fate, but failed. Now, I only await an answer. Seek the throne. Seek light, Dark and what lies beyond…” 

With his piece said, he sinks back into the ground, leaving me alone again. ‘Delightfully enigmatic’, of course he’d say that, that guy enjoys being cryptic way too much.

—T—

After dealing with Aldia I could move on to the rest of the temple. Just like the Aerie, it was beautiful, though in a different way. The architecture actually reminded me of Drangleic castle, though built from white marble instead of black, giving it a much more welcoming feeling. It was mostly made up of stairs leading upwards along with a bunch of towers of varying sizes.

There were a lot of people here too, a bunch were dressed in some sort of golden dragon themed armor which looked awesome. They stood on the sidelines, just watching and guarding. A few others were much bigger and dressed in black armor, Drakekeepers. These ones did attack, they actually reminded me of the big knights from Heide’s Tower, both in looks and fighting style. The small ones, Dragon Knights, actually treated me pretty well. There was a quiet sort of reverence that they held towards me, respect. For what, I wasn’t sure, but it was nice to have nonetheless.

I kept the Firekeepers words in mind “search the temple carefully for an egg”. About halfway to the top this vigilance paid off when I found a small path on the side, leading me to a hidden section of the temple. Initially there was a room with an ornate mural of a dragon which led up to a large spiral staircase. At the top I found what I was looking for, a beautiful altar holding a large black egg.

A red swirling vortex appeared between me and the altar, blocking my path. It soon materialized in the shape of a Dragon Knight. There was something curious about invaders, in that I instantly knew their name whenever they came to my world. In this case, Dragonfang Villard. While skilled and well equipped, he was nothing compared to someone like Velstadt or the Ivory King and fell soon enough.

Getting the egg felt almost… sacrilegious in a way. This was clearly a valuable artifact to the people of this temple, was it really right for me to take it? Then again, the Firekeeper had told me about it and she hadn’t steered me wrong before… 

It disappeared into my inventory.

—T—

The room with the egg had a small ledge which led back to the main part of the temple. Fortunately, the Dragon Knights didn’t seem mad that I took the egg and just let me pass without trouble. I went through two doors, came upon even more stairs , wished I could fly for the second time, then finally reached the top. Climbing all those stairs was annoying but man did the view make it worth it.

One of the Dragon Knights approached me at that point. He held two distinct greatswords, much different from the swords and shields most other knights held. I thought he’d attack me at first but offered a bow instead. After receiving a somewhat clumsy bow in return from me he led me further in, towards a small hallway that led out to a huge platform. Resting on top was the biggest dragon I’d ever seen. 

From head to tail it was probably thirty feet at the very least, its wingspan was likely similar or even larger. A giant from a bygone era, clad in dense black scales that were probably even tougher than they looked. Majestic, awe inspiring . I could hear… a thrill, then a deep rumbling, a voice, speaking with different chords. Projecting its words straight into my mind. A gravelly voice, deep with age and disuse, filled with the wisdom of lifetimes.

“The murk shifts and stirs... Yet another stands before us... Then so be it. For the curse of life, is the curse of want. And so, you peer... Into the fog, in hope of answers… You are kin, yet you are not. Made of dark, yet drawn to light. A hatchling yet to achieve its full potential… Take these, and let your wings grow strong.” Images followed, concepts and ideas more than words, how, and where , to use its gifts.

The ancient dragon gave me three things. An Ashen Mist Heart, something used to gain access to old memories. I was to collect four souls of giants, things that would weaken King Vendrick, make him susceptible to my attacks. Next, a pile of large scales, around twenty or so, something that I’d have to give to Margerold, to get my ‘true form’ back. Lastly, the Soul of a Giant, the first of five that I’d have to collect.

I was getting more and more appreciative of dragons… barring fakes like Lung.

—T—

The trip back to the Iron Keep was a bit nostalgic actually. There was one Alonne Knight at the entrance that had given me a lot of trouble early on but now… Well, they were definitely still very fast, one of the fastest enemies I’d encountered, but I’d outgrown them now. Not just in skill but in speed too. My blows could match theirs one for one with relative ease, it felt good.

Margerold was still in the same place, on a small tarp selling wares. I doubted his ability to get customers out here but wasn’t going to judge him for it. 

“Hi! When we first met a while ago you were talking about the Dragon Shrine to the east of here, do you remember that?”

“Why yes, I do. Have you visited?”

Instead of replying I pull out the egg, not the smoothest delivery I’ll admit, but it did its job.

“What is that? A petrified egg? From the shrine? Fantastic… Might…might you give it to me? I'm fascinated by it…I'm begging you.”

“Sure, that’s why I came here in the first place.”

“How very kind of you. This thing is amazing… Could it be a dragon egg? I feel invigorated… Just by holding it… I, well, it’s not much but I’m part of this covenant you see. Researchers and worshippers of dragons. Would you like to join?”

“Yes please. Oh, I have these for you too.” I pull the pile of scales out of my inventory and slide them in front of him. He looks like a kid who had Christmas come early.

“Oh… but I could never have dreamed… t-take these, it’s the least I can do.”

A dragon head stone and a dragon torso stone, finally I could have my dragon form back. Thank God for the Firekeeper, without her I probably wouldn’t have found this.

I turn back to Margerold but he seems absorbed in his study of the egg and scales, so I leave him a human effigy and return to the bonfire to test out my dragon form. The moment I activate the stones there’s this rush, a merging of forms, empowering , all consuming, a victorious roar echoes over the lava around the Iron Keep, my roar. These stones were the same kind that I got in Lordran, but the effect isn’t the exact same, it’s cumulative , combining with the strength of the previous stones and dragging out my inner dragon even further.

My head has changed the most, out of my forehead and between my hair are four small horns now, jutting out proudly like a crown of bone. I can feel something strange in my neck too, it rasps when I breathe out, getting worse and worse until something clicks and a wave of fire comes out of my mouth. Awesome .

My body has had smaller, but no less obvious changes. My scales which were previously a shiny black have taken on a more metallic sheen, almost gold, like the armor the Dragon Knights wore. The green sheen that I got from Sihn’s soul is still there too, blending beautifully with the gold. Lastly, I’ve grown actual wings . They’re small and incapable of flight but that doesn’t matter, what matters is that they could grow, which means that I could fly .

I actually felt… pretty in this form. This was no longer ugly Taylor Hebert, the girl who got bullied. This was Cinder , the half dragon girl who’d kicked a god’s ass, who’d brought down Bakuda and Coil. At some point this form had become more comfortable for me than my regular human body. It probably wasn’t healthy but I couldn’t bring myself to care.

With a spring in my step I turned back to the bonfire, warping to the Forest of Fallen Giants.

Chapter Text

King Vendrick would grow weaker for each Soul of a Giant I had in my possession. Luckily, the Ancient Dragon had already given me one, but I still had to find the other four. Three of these were in the Forest of Fallen Giants, the last was somewhere in Black Gulch, I’d been shown as much when the dragon showed me how to use the Ashen Mist Heart. 

I went to the Cardinal Tower Bonfire first, the same place I’d met Malentia. From there it was a fairly quick trip actually, which is why I’d chosen this one to go first. Down the ladder, over a small bridge, then up to the left. One of those big doors was there, the ones that opened with the King’s Ring. A Syan Soldier was guarding it but I killed him easily enough too. The following room held another bonfire and right behind that was the giant already. I’d seen them before, though I just thought they were weird statues with trees growing around them instead. Dead giants that were being integrated into nature again.

Using the Ashen Mist Heart was fairly straightforward actually. I just had to have it in my inventory and focus on it while ‘interacting’ with something it could work off, something with sufficient memory attached to it. Dead bodies of powerful figures were excellent for that sort of stuff and interacting consisted of as little as ‘moving towards it in the vicinity’ or ‘touching it’. Once I did that I’d appear within the memory of whatever I’d interacted with. Since it was a memory most of my actions there didn’t have much consequence but it was very useful for gathering information, or , since I could take items, getting things supposedly lost to time.

So, with my target right in front of me, I took a brisk walk towards it, the Heart did its job and sent me into it with a ripple, sending me into the Memory of Jeigh. 

I appeared in a small room, inside a castle of some kind if I had to guess. Beyond gray masonry there wasn’t much to see, so I moved outside where I encountered a veritable battlefield on top of a giant wall. It actually looked somewhat like the place I fought the pursuer on. Giants and human soldiers were battling it out to the death, the giants mainly with clubs, the humans with whatever weapons they had available. At the end of the wall was a giant that stood out from the others, dressed in something that actually resembled clothes, holding a sword instead of a club and wearing a golden crown, definitely important.

While considering how I’d get to him, a BOOM shook the wall as a gigantic stone head came flying in from a statue on the side. Its sheer size and momentum made it roll along the wall, crushing any in its path until it came to a stop only a couple of feet away from me. At least I could squeeze past it, the path now clear. 

Without other enemies holding me up I quickly made my way to the Giant Lord at the end. It didn’t wait for me or anything either, just charged at me with an upward slash. I barely dodged it, sliding underneath its legs and ending up behind it. A quick jump propelled me upwards, halfway up its right leg, from there I grabbed on to the fabric he was wearing to keep steady. The Lord flailed around, trying to knock me off, I grit my teeth and drove a katana into its back as a handhold. It let out a loud roar, redoubling its efforts to knock me off, but by now I’d wedged myself half underneath the weird belt it had and could rest my muscles a bit to recover some stamina. 

Once I felt replenished enough I went for the second half, grabbing onto its cape and pulling myself up with it. In a desperate move to get me off he rushed backwards, slamming his back into the wall and nearly flattening me. I made it up just in time and thrust my katana right into the gaping hole it had for a face, adding a second katana for good measure. With one last scream, the Giant Lord went down, leaving me his soul and the Giant’s Kinship, I had a feeling that I’d need that later. 

They weren’t what I was here for though, that lay instead in a small hallway a bit further ahead. A fallen giant with a purple hand, its soul still clinging to its body. I merely had to touch it to obtain its soul, getting the second of five and summarily returning to the Forest.

—T—

For the second Giant, which held the third Soul, I didn’t actually need the Ancient Dragon’s guidance, I’d already seen it before, the last one too for that matter. This one was located close to where I’d met Mild Mannered Pate for the first time. I started from the Cardinal Tower again, through a blown open wall, took a left down another ladder, then got there through a small courtyard. There were only a few slight differences between this giant and the last, the roots growing around it were slightly different. Besides those, they were virtually the same, and without my photographic memory I likely wouldn’t even have noticed.

Regardless, with my next target in front of me I activated the Heart again, entering the Memory of Vammar.

I ended up in a mineshaft of sorts this time, lined with dead soldiers. Proceeding cautiously, this led me to a more intact room, also inside of a castle. There was a man here, still lucid and willing to talk, the curse hadn’t run its course properly yet when this memory was made. He was dressed in armor, a bit more high class than the regular soldier but not much more than that. Looked fairly old too, with long graying hair.

“What are you doing here?” He had a deep voice, slightly gravelly but smooth enough to be pleasant, a voice that would carry easily, that could inspire, good for a commander or leader. “You are not one of our soldiers. And I don't take you for a mercenary. Whoever you are, this is no battle to involve yourself in. Whether you are guided by bravery, or brashness, this is no place for you.”

“I’m just here to acquire something, I can take care of myself, don't worry… You don’t look so good though.” Even though this was a memory, it didn’t hurt to be polite. The magic of the Ashen Heart was such that I could interact with anyone within the memory as if they were really there. I wasn’t limited to what the actual owner of the memory knew, everything around it was fair game so long as I stayed within the time limit. Because of this, I used a quick cast of Warmth to heal the soldier a bit, hopefully that would help.

“Thank you. I am Captain Drummond, and the Lord has placed this fort in my hands. Whoever you are, I forgive your trespass. But leave this place immediately. Just mention my name, and no man will challenge your exit. And even if you don't, by now, my men have not the will to resist.”

“I… Could you tell me what’s going on here first? Just in case.”

“Aye, soon, the Giants will descend upon this fort. It is revenge for the Kingdom's misguided barbarism. The venerable Lord built this kingdom to bring prosperity to His subjects. What has transformed him so, I can not imagine.” Nashandra’s influence would be my guess. “Long ago, the King crossed the seas, pillaged the land of Giants, and brought back a "prize". It was then that the golems materialised. The Giants are no ordinary barbarians. A singular rage burns within their hearts. My father, and his father, both fought the Giants on this very land. The Giants have wills of steel. They cannot find it within themselves… To forgive the misdeeds of our lord.”

“Well… the king did probably murder a bunch of their people…”

“Heh, that he did, they have a King of their own you know… Did you see him? That towering monster among them. That is most certainly their King. He will be a thing to topple, hah hah hah hah, even if I should die trying! My blade may break, my arrows fall wide, but my will shall never be broken. Those who live by the sword will die by it, and I, Drummond, won't go down without drawing mine!” He coughs a few times, some blood splattering out of his mouth despite the healing I just gave. “Be gone with you, this fort will soon fall. Be gone, before the Giants are entirely upon us.”

Some interesting, though not very useful information. Since he seemed done talking to me I took the only way forward, which led to a curved hallway. About halfway through a giant burst through the wall, almost clipping me with some stones. I dodged once, twice, then jumped off the wall, reaching just high enough to pierce right through its throat, killing it quickly. Outside, two more giants were advancing, one wielding another club, the other wielding a staff of some kind.

I didn’t wait for them to press the advantage and darted outside of the building. The first went for an overhead smash which was his downfall, I used his club as a springboard to launch myself up and pierce its neck too. My speed was uniquely suited to counter their slow but immensely strong fighting style, though if I didn’t have my katanas I wouldn’t have been able to do this either. Titanite really was a great equalizer, allowing weapons to punch far above what they should’ve been able to. The second giant fell soon after in much the same fashion.

I took a moment to catch my breath, then a small passageway up ahead caught my eye. Going through, I stumbled upon another battlefield, inside the castle this time instead of up on a wall, it looked more like a town of sorts, though one in the process of being destroyed. I ignored most of the fighting, just slipping past and occasionally giving something a good stab when it got in my way. The parkour training was really helpful here already, allowing me to move efficiently past and through crumbling buildings, until I reached my target. Another giant with a purple hand, laying down on the stairs of some building. There was a guard in front of it, a somewhat bigger giant dual wielding two clubs but he was irrelevant. I dodged past him the first opportunity I got, took the Soul from the dead one and quickly returned back to the real world.

—T—

The third giant, and second to last soul, actually turned out to be the fastest one. This one was located at the end of the Pursuer’s arena. You’d think that this would lead to the Memory of Jeigh but no. The Memory of Orro, instead, led me to another small room, this one filled with balistas. Upon exiting the room I found yet another battlefield between giants and humans. This one was somewhat smaller scale, mostly due to the location. It was a fairly small courtyard so there just wasn’t much more room to fit any other combatants. 

My parkour training came in handy once more here, as I used it, similar to last time, to slip past skirmishes largely unnoticed. When I was noticed I just had to dodge and keep running, their enemy would do the rest. I got a few souls from dying soldiers and giants around me but paid them no mind. I didn’t really see any interesting items laying around so just booked it for the last giant, another laying on some stairs. With his Soul in hand I returned to Drangleic proper in record time.

—T—

I was conscious of the fact that I was rushing a bit, but the memories didn’t really give me much choice in this case. They were very, very useful, but could only be visited for a certain amount of time so it couldn’t be helped. At least those trips were actually fast, instead of me going into a hazy trance of some kind and just rushing through entire pieces of land without registering it properly.

Speaking of, my next stop was in one of those areas I’d rushed through somewhat, Black Gulch. Apparently there were two giants in there still, alive in a hidden cave. The area was just as unpleasant as last time. Way too dark to see properly, lit up only by a neon green glow that was present on both the floor and all the small statues lining every square inch of the place. I hated those things, they spat globs of poisonous liquid that went juuust hard enough to knock you off your feet, extremely annoying. To make matters worse, the cave was only accessible by going down a small ledge on the side of the main path, then dropping down twice more on different ledges. I almost fell to my death three times , only holding on because I stuck my newly acquired draconic claws into the wall as a handhold. 

Needless to say, I wanted to leave again already.

I did find the cave though, an even darker thing than the rest of Black Gulch, completely shrouded in it without that neon glow to light things up a bit. Once again I was happy that I had this dragon form, it gave me a form of night vision, just enough that I could actually see some things in this cave. That’s why I wasn’t surprised when two giants came into view. If I hadn’t been to the three memories yet they might’ve intimidated me. As it was, well, I’d killed their Lord, one who was much more skilled and powerful than them, I could take these ones.

I decided to use the darkness to my advantage. I threw a fireball forward, briefly lighting up the cave and sprinting behind it, then let it wink out right when I was in between them. This was followed up by a quick dodge roll, two big BOOMS behind me letting me know that my plan worked and that they’d hit each other during the brief confusion. One was hit worse than the other, buckled down to one knee, this was just low enough to take it down with a stab to the throat. I used its crumbling body to jump up, barely reaching the second one and cutting that one’s throat as well.

Two giants down in under half a minute and the last Soul of a Giant in my possession.

—T—

There was one last stop I had to make before going to Vendrick, Brightstone Cove Tseldora, the place where I’d fought the Duke’s Dear Freja. I only had one thing to do there, so it was a quick stop, but a beneficial one. The reason Freja had grown so big in the first place was from some essence that came from a dragon corpse she had hanging in her cave. That corpse was what I was there for.

A lit torch was enough to keep the various spiders at bay, giving me a clear path to the dragon corpse, where the Ashen Heart once more did its work. The Dragon Memories captured a very brief memory event. An ashen landscape, barren except for an ancient Dragon at the far end, who laid there, deceased. It reminded me of Ash Lake from Lordran in a way, if it was dried up completely and its trees destroyed.

I walked up to the dragon, puffs of ash hovering around my feet with each step, leaving shallow footsteps behind me. I touched it, drawing its soul into me, empowering my form even further, sending me back to the spider cave. 

I could feel the change in me already, that flame inside me, flickering brighter than before. The flame in my mouth, similarly, burned brighter than before, my fire breath easily scaring off the spiders again. More importantly, my wings grew a bit too! They still wouldn’t get me off the ground but that didn’t matter, this was progress.

Chapter Text

I’d done a lot since talking to the people in Majula. I didn’t want to risk falling back into that mindset of rushing all the time but… I was really close to the end now, I could feel it. 

I’d deal with Vendrick, then go back to talk to the sisters.

My trip through the Undead Crypt was fairly quick, I still had to dodge some of those pyromancer ghosts and other guards but that wasn’t too bad. When I arrived in his chamber I noticed something peculiar. By his armor at the end of the room were these small motes of light, the same ones that were also on the giants and the dead dragon. I ignored Vendrick’s shambling form for now, instead activating the Ashen Mist Heart once more to appear within the Memory of the King.

I appeared in the same chamber I was just in, only it looked newer, cleaner. The main difference, of course, was the king himself. He no longer looked like a giant zombie, too thin, almost naked, with pieces of flesh missing. Here was the true king of Drangleic. Clad in a regal metal armor, with thick white hair and a weathered face. Someone who practically radiated authority when he wanted to. Yet in here he looked… defeated, as if he’d given up on not only the kingdom, but himself too.

He glanced up at me, only one, then continued staring down at the ground. “As flame rises, so does it fade. Such is the way of things. Do you intend to link the fire? Then you must first take the throne. Prove your worth. Find the ancient crowns. Seek adversity, and they will be yours. And your wishes, granted.” His voice reminded me a bit of Captain Drummond, though deeper, more baritone, somewhat grandfatherly even. A great voice for public speaking, something that would aid you as a king.

“I’ve already gotten them. Well, three of them at least.”

“Truly? Hmm… Then I suppose only mine remains, return to me once you’ve found it.”

“... I’ll have to kill you for that, is that… fine with you?”

Instead of distress, he laughs, not a full belly laugh, more of a defeated chuckle, though filled with humor all the same. “I would like nothing more, let me become one with the Dark, as it should be.”

With those parting words the memory dissolves around me, dropping me back with the real Vendrick. Regardless of any other thoughts about the king, I do feel like a man’s final wish should be granted. With five Souls of a Giant at my side, the King should only be as strong as any of the other Kings I’ve faced. 

I had the opportunity to set up the first attack however I wanted. The biggest problem I ran into was that I didn’t think I was strong enough to go for an instant decapitation or something along those lines. Still, I could probably do some major damage around those areas. I positioned myself carefully behind him, following along with his slow pace, with a short burst of speed I jumped on his back, still, he did not react. Enhanced by my draconic strength I pulled out my katana and sliced his throat with all my might.

This time, he did react.

With a guttural grunt he started thrashing around, knocking me off with his superior strength. He was wounded, heavily, but not enough to stop him from advancing towards me at alarming speed. A wide swipe of his sword very nearly clipped me, the return swing only dodged because I could roll forward just in time. I could hear the wind whistling past me just from the swing alone and that thing was massive . My main advantage here was that he wasn’t that fast, while walking at least, and didn’t have any technique or tactics whatsoever. It was like fighting a very tough, very dangerous target dummy.

I focus my strikes on his legs instead, intent on making them buckle, this has the added effect of slowing him down even more. This sort of guerilla tactic of fast strikes and then backing off pays off a few minutes later when he sinks down to one knee, unable to keep up his own weight any longer. He tries to swipe at me again but his position makes it largely ineffective. With a final thrust forward through the throat, the King falls down, finally relieved from his duty.

Rest in piece King Vendrick.

—T—

I only had a few more things to do before going for the throne. Namely, getting the King’s set from the Shrine of Amana, which is where I was going right now, talking to the sisters again, and talking to Vendrick in his memory again. Oh, I also had to further figure out how to stem the curse but I had a feeling the crowns would help with that.

Much like the memories, this was a fairly quick trip where I just had to retrieve something. From the starting bonfire in Shrine of Amana I just made my way down, making sure to eliminate any enemies in the way, then swapping to the M4 again when I reached the portion with a bunch of sorcerers. After that it was a fairly simple matter of sniping any enemies in the way and clearing my way to the door in the back.

First was a single chair, upon which I found the Soul of the King. Powerful in its own right. Besides that there was a small cave to the left which led up to a chest. It’s in there that I found what I was looking for, the King’s set, and more importantly, his crown . As soon as I touched it I could feel it resonating with the other crowns, like an enchantment waiting to be laid but barely not there yet. I’d have to speak with Vendrick in the memory again, maybe he had some clues as to why. I equipped the armor as it was way beyond what I had now, it was a bit heavy but not so much that I couldn’t roll properly anymore so that was fine.

—T—

As it turns out, the King had way more than just clues on what to do. 

“You’ve returned have you? Good. You’ll be a fitting wearer of that crown, it fits me no longer… I am no king. I am more fit to be a jester… I was unaware of my own blindness.

We are feeble vessels, with feebler souls. We would cast aside the prop of life, only to face greater hardship. But you, you do not strike me as such a fool. You sought hardship, and overcame it. Seeker of fire, conqueror of Dark. I, too, sought fire, once. With fire, they say, a true king can harness the curse. A lie. But I knew no better… Seeker of fire, you know not the depths of Dark within you. It grows deeper still, the more flame you covet. Flame, oh, flame…”

A deep, deep sigh leaves his body, bone-deep and weary . He… reminded me of my dad actually, beaten down by an unrelenting world again and again, fighting against a system that gave no real room to grow unless you gave up, gave in.

“I am king of this wretched, unravelled kingdom. I subdued the Giants, and claimed their strength. So that I might step closer to fire… Drangleic will fall, the fire will fade, and the souls of old will reemerge. With Dark unshackled, a curse will be upon us… And men will take their true shape… Seeker of fire, I see you've subdued many a foul creature. Two of the Father of the Abyss' spawn, that confounded quintessence of humanity. The Abyss once had form, but then dissipated. And yet, traces of its existence endured. Each fragment, thirsting for power, spread Dark, with no relent. My dear Shandra… was one such fragment… A feeble, tiny thing that thirsted for power more than any other… Driven by insatiable lust for a worthy vessel.”

Now that the floodgates are open he just keeps talking, maybe he’s just happy to finally tell someone his story, someone who could actually understand . It’s… nice to listen to, despite the grim contents of what he’s saying, a bit like a grandfather I never had.

“Fire came to be, and with it, Disparity. Heat and cold, life and death, Light and Dark.

Dark was seen as a curse. Shadow is not cast, but born of fire. And, the brighter the flame, the deeper the shadow. Inherit fire, and harness the Dark. Such is the calling of a true leader… The calling of one such as you.”

For the first time since I arrived here again, he looks up, straight into my eyes, something almost like pride shining in his eyes. That glint of determination that made him King, I can see how so many people were willing to follow him just for a glance. How long had it been since someone had complimented me that way? Dad wasn’t ever someone who wore his emotions on his sleeve, just a simple ‘I’m proud of you’ was difficult to get even now that we were talking more often. I could feel something flickering inside me, a flame of ambition, the urge to live up to that expectation, regardless of the bad decisions Vendrick had made.

“One day, fire will fade, and Dark will become a curse. Men will be free from death, left to wander eternally. Dark will again be ours, and in our true shape… We can bury the false legends of yore… Only… Is this our only choice? Seeker of fire, coveter of the throne. Seek strength. The rest will follow, I am certain of it.”

With those parting words he reaches out, putting a hand on my shoulder, it’s gentle but firm, pressing down just enough to really make his presence felt. Vendrick’s crown materializes in my hand, dragged from my inventory of its own volition. A bright light appears in the center, that resonance with the other crowns literally shining through, pushing back that blight that is the curse, weakening the effects of the darksign. 

I couldn’t bring in an age of Dark with this, I wouldn’t know how, that was something for the next realm, but I could at least make sure people wouldn’t suffer from this anymore. Humanity and hollows would no longer be left to waste away due to Gwyn’s sins. I’d have to tap into the tiny bit of Faith I had too, which worked much different than I’d assumed at first, but it would be worth it. “Thank you.”

“Heh, no, thank you. You’ve shown an old man that there are other options than simply giving up. Goodbye.”

The talk with King Vendrick left me moody and introspective. Even with all of my intelligence I couldn’t really figure out how I felt, a strange mix of emotions that kept me subdued. Not exactly sad, not really happy, there was too much for it to be just neutral… some sense of pride, that small voice that always told me I wasn’t good enough, awe for a figure larger than life… They didn’t really need to be untangled just… felt. For a while at least.

—T—

Technically I was ready to take the throne now, but I wanted to have one last visit with the sisters, so that’s what I did.

“Cinder! You’re back!” 

“Oof-!”

As soon as I entered the room a white blur slammed into me, strong arms wrapping around me. Clearly, Alsanna wasn’t getting tired of being able to hug people anytime soon.

 “My and you’ve grown. Did you look like this in Lordran too?”

“Give her some space Alsanna, if she wants to be choked she can ask me.” Elana had slunk up next to us at some point, then promptly managed to make me blush again, clearly spending time with her sisters had done her good.

“You- what’s that supposed to mean?” No, my voice did not squeak.

“Don’t worry about it darling . Alsanna is right though, finally found another dragon stone then? You do look delectable.”

Damnit, I thought I’d gotten good at keeping any blushes down, apparently not, or maybe it had just been too long since she got like this. “I’m- just gonna ignore that, ahem.”

That stupid smirk on her face let me know just how much she thought of me ‘ignoring’ it.

“I’m um, pretty close to getting the throne I think, so I came to talk to you again. Uh, not that it’s not nice hanging out with you besides that, don’t get me wrong… Anyway, if you get dragged to the next world again just… try to remember if you can? I found a way to partially block the curse so things should be a bit nicer hopefully. I’ll try to find you as soon as I can unless one of you contacts me, alright?”

The mood quickly turned more somber again but it needed to be said, better to rip the bandage off so to speak. Alsanna seems mostly unconcerned, probably because she was the one to keep her memories from the get go in Drangleic, Elana seems a bit more cautious, but nothing bad and Nadalia is… smiling at me. She hasn’t said much of anything since I came back, but as Quelana she was fairly quiet too.

“I know I said it last time too, but I’m sorry for dragging you with me.”

“Hey, none of that, I told you before too, we’d rather get dragged along and wait a thousand years than not meet you again at all, so stop that. Now, why don’t you tell us what you’ve been up to? You can sit on my lap while we talk, darling .”

I didn’t end up sitting on her lap, but we did talk for a few hours. It was nice, I was glad to have such good friends, even if that fluttery feeling inside me wouldn’t go away.

—T—

I returned to Drangleic Castle, to the first bonfire I’d found there. This was the last door I hadn’t checked out, one of those black and gold ones that opened with the King’s Ring. On the other side I found a narrow pathway made of rock, lined with stalagmites and torches. Shanalotte was there too, surprisingly. 

“Hey… thanks for all the help.”

“It was my pleasure, Cinder… I had thought that, after all this time, I would be content to move on, to stop my role as a guide. Perhaps you are to blame for my change of heart, as I no longer wish to fade away… If you proceed, Nashandra will come after you. Knowing that you will take the throne, and link the fire. She covets the First Flame, and the Great Soul. Put Nashandra to rest. I will be at your side, whether you take the throne or not.

“When I’m done here… I’ll probably be able to take you with me, to a different place. There’s someone else like you there, born of dragons, Priscilla, I think you’d like each other… If you want?”

The smile on her face is answer enough but she speaks regardless. “As I said, I will be at your side.”

“Good, good… See you soon then, hopefully.”

I walk down the long path, thoughts of the curse, the sisters, the people I’d met, swirling through my head. A summoning sign grabs my attention. Lucatiel, of course. 

I activate the sign, then prepare to face the end.

Chapter Text

The first time she saw Cinder, she wasn’t all that impressed. Another bearing the Curse, wandering this land in search of a cure. Just like her brother, just like her. Yet, there was something about her, a quiet charisma, awkward still but there , just waiting for the right moment to come out. It made her want to share her story, to talk, to remember . So she, who was used to avoiding people, avoiding talks, spoke with her, shared a small part of her story, to see more of that person, like a moth to a flame. 

She offered her services, after all, one who burned so brightly, unaffected by the curse even, would be interesting to fight with.

She’d been right about that.

Their first fight together wasn’t anything spectacular, Cinder looked… slightly clumsy, unused to the rapiers she was wielding. And yet, and yet , she was unrelenting. Any hits were shook off with the experience of a true warrior, waved away with a sip of a flask, any hits given weren’t taken for granted, just a step in the process towards victory. Determination in its purest form, a fight to the death with no room for doubt. It was awe inspiring, invigorating , it reminded her of her dear brother.

—T—

The second time they met, the Curse had begun to take its toll on her. Memories were burning away ever so slowly. Gaps, where earlier there had been thoughts of home, of her mission.Then Cinder came, and with a near thoughtless gesture, she chased it away with one of those strange effigies. She was in her debt, yet all Cinder asked in return were stories of her home.

There was that awkward charisma again, burning even brighter than before.

So she spoke, words tumbling out one after the other. Her home, her aspirations, her hopes, her half forgotten mission, her fears of turning hollow, of being forgotten, she shared it all.

And Cinder listened.

She didn’t often tell someone they were a good person, but with Cinder she meant it.

When she was summoned to fight she expected something similar to when they fought the lost sinner. Instead, she got to witness way more progress than should be possible. Yes, souls could grant you a significant advantage and Cinder wasn’t a master yet by any means but the progress was still staggering .

—T—

Their next meeting was in a frozen land, accessible only through a strange Shrine. She knew Cinder was here, could feel it in the air by the changes rapidly coursing through the land, so she talked to the woman in white who told her what was going on. Cinder would have her help once more.

And yet, and yet , when they talked, she was the one getting helped instead. She came there to defeat a foe, instead her memory got restored, half forgotten things jumping right back into her head. Her body, which had been deteriorating ever so slowly, felt full of vigor again. This was not a debt she could even begin to repay, for what was she, if not her memories, if not her name? In that moment she made a decision, she’d follow Cinder to the edge of this earth, all the way to the throne if needed, if one person deserved to rule, it was her.

It’d been a while since they last fought together. Once more, the difference was immense . The Ivory King was a thing of legend, one of four great powerful kings together with King Vendrick himself. On her own she’d never have won, with Cinder she didn’t need to. Where her moves had once been clunky, slightly unsure, they were now fluid to the extreme, chained together with incredible precision to strike at the weak points of any foe. She was fast , faster than her, faster than her brother had ever been, contorting her body, slashing, spinning, stabbing, reacting to attacks and counterattacks before they could connect properly. 

It left her in awe.

She’d chosen a new Lord, one stronger than any she’d served before.

—T—

Her brother… her dear brother… How far he’d fallen…

Her new Lord, that kind soul, taking care of him when she herself could not.

Comforting her when she fell apart.

Picking up the pieces, making her whole again.

She’d made the right decision, even without that debt, she would follow Cinder to the edge of the earth and beyond. 

There was no doubt in her mind that her Lord was something beyond any regular human, any regular undead. This was a King, a God , like the tales of old, of those forgotten faces that were no longer worshiped. Maybe worship should start once more, for a figure such as this.

—T—

Here she was, at the end of the world, before the Throne of Want. Even if she were to die here today, she would be happy that her duty had been fulfilled. Cinder deserved nothing less. Cinder had changed, as she often did when they were apart for a while. Grown, not only physically, but in bearing. Several inches taller, with the scales, wings and claws of a dragon. Where before she walked with a slightly hunched posture, as if subconsciously hiding from the world, she now stood tall, sure of herself. Her armor too, had changed, where before it was a lighter metal armor, now she wore something darker, something royal , the same armor she’d seen the King wear in one of the paintings. It suited her.

“Hey Luca, should’ve expected you here… Are you alright after last time?” Cinder’s voice had changed somewhat too, ever so slightly deeper, with a slight growl to it. 

They were at the end of the world, yet her Lord asked after her first. Such kindness should be told in stories for years to come. “I am… handling it, do not worry about me, my Liege, you have a throne to take.”

Cinder hesitates, staring at her, deliberating, then just nodding. “Alright, but tell me if you need to leave for some reason.”

“I will.”

Their first opponents were twofold, the Throne Watcher and the Throne Defender. Instead of letting them come forward, Cinder initiated the attack with a mad dash, rushing towards the Watcher with a burst of speed. The Defender tried to come between them with his shield but she just jumped , flying high, right over him, and landing behind. Both turned around and Lucatiel saw her chance, with a dash forward too she slashed at the Defender’s back, doing critical damage and sending him stumbling off balance, a lucky hit.

Yet for Cinder, there was nothing lucky about what she was doing, that was pure, unbridled skill. She did not parry or block, she merely strafed, dodged, and completely outclassed her opponent in everything but strength. A whirlwind of black steel, scales and danger . There was no escape from her onslaught, the only opening when she had to recover some stamina. In no time at all, the Watcher lay defeated. 

In that time, Lucatiel had done her best to keep the Defender busy, she didn’t need to beat him, merely keep him away from Cinder to give her free reign to fight. She blocked a thrust from the defender, dancing backwards, then slashing forward again, bouncing off his shield. A black blur shot by them both, ending up behind the Defender. There weren’t many weak spots in his armor, but that didn’t stop Cinder. With her increased size she only had to reach up slightly, then stab him, straight through the small gap his helmet provided, neatly piercing his throat in a single move.

Two of the strongest fighters in Drangleic, gone, just like that. This was no fight, this was an execution.

“My Liege, that was-”

Before the sentence was finished, the fog gate fluttered, letting out a truly grotesque form. Completely black, as if covered in chitin of some sort. Its head resembling a skull more than an actual face and wielding a scythe of that same black material. A monster if there ever was one. Then, it spoke, with a horrid rasp that sounded somewhat feminine, yet wholly demonic.

“Brave Undead, you have proven yourself to me. Now, be one, with the Dark..."

Lucatiel was completely ignored, that thing only had eyes for Cinder.

“Nashandra… I really don’t wanna do this, you could still reunite with your sisters. Please, this is not what King Vendrick would’ve wanted either.” Cinder sounded confident, but resigned, as if she was trying but didn’t think it would work.

“Irrelevant, the throne shall be mine.” Nashandra swipes her hand sideways, a sinister glow emanating on top of it. Four orbs of pure Dark materialize in the room, even from where she was standing Lucatiel could feel the sinister aura coming off of them, feeding into the Curse, turning her hollow.

Cinder was completely unaffected, or at least, that’s what it looked like to her. She just rushed in, still silent despite the heavy armor. Despite her looks, Nashandra was fast, fast enough to block some of Cinder’s blows at the very least. The difference was, Cinder got better , just from fighting each other, her Lord catalogued every single move Nashandra made, then countered them perfectly. A way of fighting that revealed a great amount of intelligence. Surgically taking apart every single move, every block, every slash, every counter and every stab, until nothing remained. And Nashandra, she fell just as the Watcher and the Defender had.

Once more, Lucatiel was filled with awe.

Just when she thought it was finally done, a blazing fire caught her attention. Rumbling, sparking and popping behind them. Out of that fire came a giant, mixed with roots and treebark, rising up out of the ground. At first, she was certain that this thing would attack too, instead it just stared.

After a tense staring match, her Lord broke the silence. “Aldia… Are you here for the throne, or just to talk?”

Of course she would know such a creature…

“Many monarchs have come and gone. One drowned in poison, another succumbed to flame. Still another slumbered in a realm of ice. Not one of them stood here, as you do now. You, conqueror of adversities. Sparking Flame, without equal… I came to see you off, to see the decision of the new monarch with my own eyes. Give us your answer.”

“I cannot stop the Age of Fire, not as I am.” Her voice sounds absolutely sure, full of conviction, even pride. “But I can stem the harm that the Curse does, stop it from taking memories, from tearing people apart and turning them hollow. The influence of the darksign can be weakened, even if I can’t remove it completely. Thank you, for the hints you gave me, even if they were a bit too cryptic for my liking.”

“A third path, not Light, not Dark, completely different. How splendid… Go forward then, great monarch, and take your rightful place in this world. Let this wonderful falsehood persist a while longer, without the stench of sin.”

The words confuse her, make her rethink things, stopping the Age of Fire should be a blasphemy, but then why would Cinder, her kind Lord, want for such a thing? Especially when she talks about stopping the Curse in the same breath, as if it is a certainty?

There is no more time for words however, the giants underneath the Throne of Want form a bridge when Cinder approaches, letting her inside the strange building at the end. Before she sits down, she turns back to Lucatiel. 

“I’ll summon you soon, just wait a bit for me.”

“I- Yes, my Liege.” Questions could wait for later, her Lord had promised that they would meet again after all.

—T—

Taylor, Cinder, the carrier of the Dark Soul, she who had lit the flame once before, she who would soon light it for a second time. A being of Light and Dark alike, yet consumed by neither, shackled by neither.

She who forged a new path for herself, for everyone in the Kingdom. With the crowns united, with the knowledge of how she’d healed Lucatiel, with knowledge of Aldia’s library and Vendrick’s research into the crowns. Her warmth, that same warmth that she’d used to heal Lucatiel and the people of Majula, was woven into the pain of hollowing.

A new age of fire was started, a cycle where the suffering of humanity was lessened by her own warmth, the warmth of a girl who almost broke, a girl with cracks running through her soul. Cracks that healed, that she became stronger for. An ebb and flow of light and dark, soothed by a girl out of her own time, a girl who would not bend any further, who refused to break in the face of adversity. 

A true monarch, one who didn’t even want to rule, prepared to give away the throne as soon as her self imposed task was complete. The queen of nothing.

Chapter Text

Waking up after lighting a Fire like that is an ordeal. My whole body feels weird from adjusting to the changes. I bring a hand to my head, then notice how I can feel every single muscle fiber inside of my arm while I do so, and can control them individually. I already had amazing control over my muscles but this, this is on another level entirely. It doesn’t even stop there, my organs too, are part of my body, and thus controllable, I can shoot adrenaline into myself with a thought, regulate my own chemicals if I want to, even stop, restart and speed up my heart. It even goes so far that I can manually direct resources within my body to make hair grow faster, or stop it from growing entirely in other places, which I will be using.

Not only that, my body itself has changed too. Now, I don’t really look in the mirror that much because… well I just don’t, but even I noticed when I started becoming less flabby. There were actual muscles now. Not too big, nothing like a bodybuilder or anything, but nice, lean muscles, like a runner or a swimmer, maybe even a martial artist. Hell, I even had abs . I formally apologise for any bad thoughts I may have had about my power, this is great.

After that I become increasingly aware of what’s going on around me. It starts with the soft brushing of my hair, then something like a pillow underneath my head, and something hard underneath the rest of my body… suspiciously like last time. Sure enough, when I open my eyes, I’m met with the Firekeeper’s smiling face.

“Hello, Ashen One, congratulations on another completed realm.”

“Ah, thank you…”

I sit up slowly, it’s weird to say but it’s really easy to move . Like there were training weights on my body before that are gone now. Everything is smooth, a well oiled machine working together to bring everything to peak efficiency. It feels good . Just that small movement, sitting up, something that I’ve done all my life, is a world of difference already. The others were waiting up for this moment apparently, Solaire, Patches and Priscilla are all sitting pretty close. Patches looks a bit bored, Priscilla looks… mildly fascinated, and with Solaire’s helmet on you can’t really tell. Though if I had to guess, probably happy or mildly content, that’s his mood most of the time.

“Would you like another reading, Ashen One?”

“Oh! That’d be great, thank you.”

It’s mostly as expected, my dexterity and intelligence are now as high as they’ll be able to go, while the rest have stayed largely similar to what they were in Drangleic. Once again, the bits underneath are of real interest.

Level: 1 (135)

Vigor: 11 (35)

Mind: 12 (35)

Endurance: 11 (40)

Strength: 8 (22)

Dexterity: 99 (99)

Intelligence: 99 (99)

Faith: 6 (8)

Resistance/Arcane: 10 (10)

Worship: Londor, Drangleic

Way of the dragon: by strengthening your dragon form you have begun your path to ascension. Reach ever higher, young hatchling.

Queen’s Mandate: taking the throne has granted you authority and power in equal measure, your commands will be more likely to be followed and you are seen as an important figure.

Beacon of hope: your actions have caused others to start worshipping you. Your very presence inspires others to fight against despair.

Those are certainly interesting. I’d already had a hunch about the dragon stuff, hard not to with what was going on, but the other two… are more of a surprise. Like, worship? What was up with that? Why was it with the others but didn’t have a numerical value? What did it even do? Why would someone worship me of all people?

“Hey, Keeper? What’s up with the worship thing? Why is that there?”

Surprisingly, it is Solaire who answers with a chuckle. “Hah! My Lady, you spread kindness around, help without request, then wonder why people appreciate you for it.” He takes his helmet off, putting it on the ground and letting long blonde hair flow out. “‘Tis merely the way of things. Kings and Queens are worshipped, those who achieve great feats even more so. Fret not, I believe you are more than worthy of it.”

“...Thanks Solaire.” While that was nice to hear, it didn’t really help me figure out why I had this now, the exact cause for it. If it was just for being queen then I would’ve gotten it from Lordran too. Maybe it was my work on the Curse? Hmm, that seemed more likely. At least it was worship for something good I achieved on my own.

Next up, summoning signs. Just like last time there were three of them. One close to Priscilla’s, one right next to the forge, and the last one close to Solaire’s. 

The first was Shanalotte, who simply greeted me with a smile then got into a really weird standoff with Priscilla. I left them to it.

Next up, at the forge, Ornifex appeared. A half woman half crow who could smith weapons out of powerful souls. I really, really did not expect her, given that I’d only interacted with her a scant few times. Now, I did free her from a prison but… normally the connection went deeper than that.

“Hi? Uh, not that I’m not happy to have you here but… why are you here?”

“Skee hee. Do you find me strange? I may have made some weapons for you, but a debt is not settled so easily. Usually, humans are always this way. The way they glare at any unfamiliar creature. That mix of curiosity, fear, and revulsion. But you, you didn’t! You simply came to my shop, talked to me, and got some weapons. So I decided to follow, since your forge is empty, I do assume you need a blacksmith?”

“We… do. Well, I’m glad to have you then.”

“Of course, of course. Come by whenever, if it pleases you.”

Mildly confusing, but maybe freeing her was more of a debt than she implied at first. All I did besides that was be somewhat friendly. Were people really that bad usually… Actually, my city was full of Nazis, of course there would be some like that. Ugh.

Last stop, the spot next to Solaire, which he joined me for. Given who had appeared before, I was expecting Lucatiel to show up, yet was still relieved when she actually did.

“My Liege, thank you for bringing me here.”

“And who might this be?” Solaire took a small step forward, looking her over. “Has our queen taken on another knight?”

I roll my eyes and smack his arm. “I told you to stop that. This is Lucatiel… and yes, I guess she is my knight, stop snickering.” I turn back to Lucatiel, who’s looking progressively more confused. “This is Solaire, a knight and friend I picked up in Lordran, it’s a long story, I’ll tell you about it later. Or you can ask the others. For now, are you alright?”

She stares at me through the mask, I get the feeling she’s slightly baffled by the question for some reason. “My Liege, you just took the Throne, killed a shard of Manus, and eradicated the effects of the curse, and you ask me if I’m fine? What about yourself? Are you fine?”

“Of course I’m fine! I’ve linked the flame before and that time was worse because it gave me a killer headache. As I said, long story. Well, tell me or one of the others if you don’t feel fine anymore for some reason, then. For now you can stay here, or go back to Drangleic whenever you want. I’m summoning you to my other home later though. We’re getting burgers, I’ve been craving some for ages .”

The only damper on my mood was that the sisters once again didn’t show up. A quick tug at those tethers inside me led me straight to the third door. Hopefully they had a better life than last time at least.

—T—

I woke up with that weird hazy tiredness you sometimes get from sleeping a little too well. Where you feel like you can sleep some more, but you know that your body won’t let you if you try. It’d been a while since I felt like that, unsurprising considering how I usually woke up. A nice change of pace, even if my head felt a bit fuzzy.

Today was the sixth of may, which meant that I had one more day until Accord’s plans came in. One day for relaxation, then. Come to think of it, I didn’t really… do anything for that anymore. Since I’d gotten my powers I’d been focused on working out, studying, generally filling the space until I could go to sleep again. Then after the Coil takeover, which was only four days ago but felt like weeks, I’d been busy getting things up and running there instead. When was the last time I even read a book just for pleasure? Way too long.

Then again, did I want to read a book? Hmm…

Actually, I could combine both! I had the recent annoying revelation that faith wasn’t exactly based on worship. Instead, it was an imprint in the world, based on the actions of certain individuals. These imprints were then made into stories of their deeds, which then empowered the spells. For example, that lightning spear Solaire used. It didn’t really come from any singular god, instead, tales of the gods fighting against the dragons with lightning were inscribed on the scroll. If you knew the story, believed in it hard enough, and pushed with your mana, you would cast a spear yourself.

The major thing that convinced me to take a closer look at faith were some of the incantations I’d found in Drangleic. They weren’t even connected to the gods anymore, instead, they were completely made up stories that somehow still functioned . The stories themselves were empowered by faith, which then empowered the spells themselves because so many people believed in them. It was circular, shouldn’t have worked in a logical sense, and yet it did.

The point of all that was that I could just read through all of the miracles I’d accumulated on my travels. Learning local folklore was a great use of my time, and I got to read some stuff I was actually interested in. For relaxation of course.

—T—

Dad wasn’t home so I just spent most of the morning and part of the afternoon reading through scrolls. I could’ve finished them all in half the time but this was for leisure , so I took it slow. Most were interesting, though I couldn’t be sure how in line they were with the original stories as those from Drangleic had proven.

The Homeward miracle for example. I had two of these, one from Lordran, the other from Drangleic. The version from Lordran actually had two versions, one of which was a very old story that I took from Seath’s library. The first told the beautiful but sad story of a traveller from a faraway land who used his love for that land to return through sheer will and determination. The second was largely the same, but had become twisted over time to make that home a bonfire instead, which is why, as a miracle, it returned you to bonfires.

The version from Drangleic however, was just sad, it still took the core principals of the story, but they were twisted even further as people forgot about their homelands entirely, instead focusing fully on the bonfires as a concept of home. And yet, despite barely anything of the original remaining, it still worked. Interesting stuff. They all at least gave me more insight in how the people of the realms functioned. As mom always said, you can learn a lot from reading someone’s folklore.

All of this did make me feel much more inclined than I was before to use faith, as the thought of just worshiping some god didn’t sit right with me. Still, I already had sorcery as a ranged option so it wasn’t as pressing as strength. Having strength to go with this dexterity, well, superspeed might not be so far off in that case. Plus, I’d always wanted to be a bit like Alexandria, that small spark of childish wonder was still present somewhere apparently.

That said, I was getting pretty hungry and still craving those burgers. Time to get to the base and plan a little outing.

Chapter Text

Cinder was an odd one, but Priscilla liked her.

When she’d initially been summoned to Firelink Shrine and smelled that Flame on Cinder she’d feared the worst, but that worry had quickly proven unfounded when she was just as kind as before. Priscilla liked Cinder, sometimes she smelled of man, other times of dragon, often both. It was a good smell, tinged with warmth and cold in equal measure, it reminded her of home.

The others Cinder summoned were strange. The knight, Solaire, was nice enough even though he smelled so strongly of Flame. The bald man, Patches, was… not as nice. He tried, but he liked to speak in riddles and had strange mannerisms that set her on edge. He was kind at times, but only when it suited him to be so, she didn’t like him much. She liked the Firekeeper most, after Cinder. She was always kind even though she smelled like Flame and ash.

But now, Cinder’s den was growing. Priscilla wasn’t sure if she liked it or not. Lucatiel was fine, standoffish but not unkind. Ornifex was strange, not in the way that she herself was, but Priscilla remembered her kind from the painted world, so she liked her. Then there was Shanalotte… She smelled of dragon and illusions, a nice scent, one that she wouldn’t get tired of no matter how many times she smelled it. But she was also… different, not fully born of dragons and men, tense with something undefinable that had that slight bitterness of a sadness that hadn’t fully left. She wanted to talk more with her, but also keep her at a distance, very strange.

—T—

The Shanalotte problem hadn’t been resolved by the time Cinder summoned them again for ‘burgers’ but that was alright. The previous times she’d been here were fun, so there was no reason to assume this time would be different. Although, they did get a pretty long explanation from Cinder and the purple girl, Tattletale, of what was and wasn’t socially acceptable as well as a bunch of ‘pictures’ of stuff that they might run into, what they were and what they did. For example, there would be a lot of metal things like horse drawn carriages but ones that moved on their own, which she should try to avoid. Fortunately, Cinder mentioned that she didn’t have to remember it as much as the others since they would assume she was a ‘Case 53’ or ‘monster cape’. She remembered most of it anyway because it was interesting.

Actually going outside of the base was… an experience. They first took a car somewhat close to their destination, a place called ‘the Lord Street Market’ because according to Cinder, she wanted them to have ‘the full experience’.  Priscilla herself took the back of a large truck instead since she didn't fit in the regular ones. Then when they got out she had some fun staring at people, it was only fair since they were staring at her too.

Their destination was at the edge of this market. A somewhat small building with a seating area outside that overlooked the beach. Speaking of, the sea was very pretty, she hadn’t seen one before. There was a single wooden sign saying ‘Fugly Bob’s’ on the front, a curious name. Cinder told them to stay outside and pick a table. Unfortunately the chairs were… a bit small for her liking… Shanalotte suggested just sitting on the floor which fixed the issue, she could reach the table just fine like that. 

“Alright, can all of you read? Yeah? Good, just checking.” She liked Cinder’s voice, especially when she was more of a dragon. “Take a look at the menu. There should be pictures, too, but feel free to ask me if you don’t know what something is.”

Menu? The odd cards on the table perhaps? Ah, but there weren’t enough… A tap on her shoulder drew her attention. Hmm, Shanalotte had a nice smile… Ah right, the menu. Most of those looked a bit… small? She didn’t really need to eat but when she did she wanted to feel full…

“Cinder?”

“Yes?”

“Can I have one of these ‘Challengers’?”

“Ah, that’d make sense with your height… sure, I don’t think they’ll give the usual discount but that’s fine.”

Good. Worthy prey just for her, Cinder was great.

—T—

These people were weak, this ‘Challenger’ was not a challenge at all! She ate three without issue in the same time as the others finished their food. When she asked for a fourth one the owner of the place, Bob himself, came out to ask for one of those ‘pictures’ with her. She agreed once Cinder explained what was going on a bit more. The picture looked pretty nice, she’d done a ‘peace sign’ at the urging of Bob, it was fun.

Halfway through her fourth burger some strange people showed up. They smelled more powerful than the others, like the Flame but not quite. Their clothing was much different too, one in red, the other in a strange black and blue that glowed slightly. The blue one’s smell was slightly… off in a way she couldn’t quite explain. Like something dead but not quite.

“Hey there!” The man in red speaks, his tone is jovial but there’s something she dislikes about it. “Cinder, right? Man the reports did not do you justice. I’m Assault, this is Battery. We didn’t get a chance to meet last time you were at the HQ, I think.” 

Cinder stands up, shaking hands with both the red man and the blue woman. Priscilla continues her challenger, the fourth one is a worthier foe than the others.

“Yup, that’s me. Did you need something?” Cinder’s voice is cautious, that’s good when dealing with potential adversaries.

“Ah well, we got some reports of a disturbance in the area. Just a simple checkup. That’s quite the group you’ve got there though. Starting your own team?”

“...Something like that. How about I introduce you?” They seem very pleased with that for some reason, perhaps they’re admirers of Cinder? “The knight over there is Solaire, next to him is Lucatiel, then the bald guy is Patches. These last two over here are Priscilla and Shanalotte.”

She gives them a short bow but nothing more. The fourth has almost fallen to her might and requires attention.

“Nice to meet you all! Interesting names- is that a challenger?... Are those three other challenger plates?”

Priscilla nods. “Yes, I enjoy them, though I think a fifth might be too much.” She then keeps eating.

The man seems impressed but also hesitant, interesting. “I- Can I take a picture with you?”

Another? Perhaps these challengers were a bigger accomplishment than she thought. “Very well.” She held the peace sign up again and got another picture taken. In the meantime, the woman had moved on to Cinder, she seemed exasperated.

“Sorry about him, would you mind meeting with the PRT later about all of this? So many parahumans showing up at once tends to make people a bit nervous.”

“Ah, that’s fine, I had to discuss something with you anyway… How about later today? Is that possible?”

“That’d be great!” The woman sounds very happy about it, the red man is still watching her eat, very strange people. “Just pass by the PRT HQ, I’ll let them know you’re coming.”

—T—

She didn’t end up clearing out a fifth challenger but she did get a delightful beverage called a ‘milkshake’ as dessert. Cinder also brought them to the beach after. The others all seemed familiar but for her this was a completely new experience. The sand was soft, a bit coarse like dirt but not as clumpy or sticky. The water was nice too, not as freezing as the few water sources that were left in Ariamis. The scent was nice too, soothing, in a way that few things were. She’d waded a bit further into the water, just staring out at the endless expanse of murky blue and was joined by Shanalotte. Just like her, she didn’t really seem to mind if her clothes got wet. She could see a tail moving underneath the water, no longer covered by illusion magic, red like her hair…