"Yes, Indeed."
"It is called Lotheric, where the transitory lands of the Lords of Cinder converge."
"In venturing north, the pilgrims discover the truth of the old words."
"The Fire Fades and the lords go without thrones."
"When the link of fire is threatened, the bell tolls, unearthing the old Lords of Cinders from their graves."
"Aldrich, Saint of the Deep."
"Farron's Undead Legion, the Abyss Watchers."
"And the reclusive lord of the Profaned Capital, Yhorm the Giant."
"Only in truth...The Lords will abandon their thrones, and the Unkindled will rise."
"Nameless, accursed Undead...unfit even to be cinder."
"And so it is, That ash seeketh embers."
These words was the first thing I heard as I crawled out from my coffin.
But what I didn't know at the time was that those same words will haunt me for the rest of my life.
The reason as to why I was in a coffin has baffled me for the longest time, but what I do know is that I was considered dead and that I was laid to rest a long time ago.
When I first left the comfortable safety of my coffin, I thought it was just due to the Undead Curse that ran its course through every single living human around the world, but when I later found out the cause of my sudden resurrection in the shrine, I was scared out of my mind.
But my journey never truly began in earnest until I saw first hand that I wasn't even considered a normal human being anymore, and that first hand experience came when I died for the first time.
Yeah, really jarring and scary as all hell. I thought that it was the end for me, getting crushed and devoured by a reanimated statue with an ungodly evil and disturbing looking black oily serpent spewing from its back. But when I opened my eyes I found myself resting on the ground in front of a small bonfire, alive and well with all of my limbs still attached and my blood still in my body.
I thought it was all just a dream and that my death was just me waking up, but when I went to that arena where my dream took place, I realized that it wasn't a dream at all, that it all actually happened, that I actually died there. When I looked upon the spot where I lost my life, I noticed that there was something there, a pool of blood that doesn't seem to solidify or fade away and when I touched it I saw and experienced my death but this time I learned from it. And let me tell you, dying again in the exact same spot and in the exact same way did not help me figure out what is going on until I had died a second time.
Learning that death will never claim my soul felt strange, I mean, I can never die, not truly die for good but I can still drop dead from having all of my blood outside of my body, being incinerated, eaten by a treasure chest with teeth and arms, poisoned, turning into a statue, falling off a cliff, falling off a castle, falling off the side of the rafters, stepped on by a giant, stabbed in the back, blasted by magic, having my head ripped off by a murderous abomination of nature, snapped in half by a giant crab, falling in lava, and lastly being roasted alive by a dragon.
Twice.
But at the moment none of that mattered, with Death no longer hanging over me I was able to fight with a more ferocious tenacity and it payed off during my battle with the cemetery guardian. I laid waste to its body and from its corpse came a power I never felt before. I became the essence of fire, my body changed ever so slightly to look different. I saw motes of embers drift off of my body from exposed points in my left arm and back, cracks like burnt wood covered half of my body, but what really took the cake was that it all felt natural to me.
I made my way past the arena's gates, up the stairs and passed the mindless undead that refused to lay low and ignore me, and from those stairs it revealed to me a shrine of ashes and dust.
They called it the Firelink Shrine, but I saw no fire save from the torches that illuminated the vast chamber and halls, there was five thrones, each of them arranged in a semi circle around the center of the grand chamber, and with the exception of one throne the rest were empty and unused. I wondered for a moment if I could lay claim to the largest throne for myself.
Alas that claim would have to wait as I explored the shrine, I met its inhabitants and I must say my mood took an immediately dip downward as one of the four people here are depressing.
I don't know who pissed in his shoes but this guy is so depressed but just by being near his presence it is also making me depressed.
This ash-filled place was to be my new home and the beginning of my glorious journey, maybe one day the people that I save will make a statue of me in my honor!
In the beginning of my journey through Lotheric I stood at the edge of a cliff overlooking the land below, the sun was shining and life was still flourishing in abundance.
And yet here I am, standing by the cliff side and looking at the horizon to see the sun slowly fade away, devoured by the abyss as it ushered in the Age of Dark. The sun was gone and in its place was the Dark Sign, the sign of Hollows and with it the Abyss and all of its cursed evilness.
I thought my destiny was to light the First Flame and to keep the world going so that life can continue on for everyone else. I thought it was my destiny to save the world from its destruction when the flame threatens to go out.
Instead it was my destiny to fail at the very end of my journey, I was destined to lose and to let the world die out, to let the First Flame to fade away and for everything I work for to end in a slow death spiral.
Sitting beside me was the Fire Keeper, I don't know how she got here but I am glad that she was here with me. Resting her head on my right shoulder I could do nothing but wrap my arm around her, pulling her close as we both watched the end of the world as we know it. With what little light that the kiln and the sun was providing we saw the valley below us slowly become engulfed in darkness before finally fading out completely.
"There was nothing I could have done to stop this...was there?" I said softly as I pulled out a torch from my hip with my left hand, striking it against the ground as it ignited and provided the two of us a flame to keep us inside the light of fire.
"Ashen One, I do not know, but I do know that it is not thee's fault for what has occurred." The Fire Keeper said as she let out a sigh before moving a bit closer to me and to the warmth of the torch in my hand.
"But I obviously failed the world! If you could see everything around us then you too would agree with me that it is my fault! I brought all of the Lords of Cinder to their thrones and even brought low the Soul of Cinder and yet the flame would not accept me! Is it something wrong with me? Or was the world truly destined to die out and to be swallowed whole by darkness?" I asked as the torch flickered a tad bit but it remained burning strong for the time being.
"It was not your fault ashen one, thee tried thy's best but it was fate that foretold of this event."
"I just wish there was a way to avoid all of this...a way to keep the fire going, a way to keep the world alive and going forward..."
"Mayhaps...there is a way to undo what has been done..."
"What are you talking about?"
"Ashen One, when thee were in that accursed realm of the decrepit shrine, have thee noticed anything peculiar."
"Other than it being desolate and empty with the exception of the handmaiden...no not really, why?"
"Art thou sure there was nothing amiss? There was nothing out of place or that it did not belong there?"
"Yeah...in fact there was something wrong in that shrine. There was six thrones, not five...wait...then that means..."
"Yes Ashen One."
"No, that can't be right! There was five Lords of Cinder in total, not six! There has to be some kind of mistake!"
"I am afraid not ashen one. What you saw was the truth, hidden away by someone who failed to light the fire in time. But what you did not see was that the sixth Lord of Cinders throne was there, the reason as to why you have failed."
"You mean to say, because of this sixth Lord is not here, is the reason why the flame went out?"
"Yes ashen one, but do not worry, I hath found a means of finding the sixth Lord of Cinder."
"How?"
"Do not ask how ashen one, just...promise me that thee will come back unharmed."
"I promise, but where exactly am I going? I have been all over Lordran, Drangleic, and now Lotheric! Where else could this sixth Lord have gone? To the freaking sun itself?"
As soon as I said that, the Fire Keeper let out a giggle beneath her hand which made me raise an eyebrow from underneath my helmet and turn my head to look at her.
"What's so funny?"
"Oh, just how thee get so mad so easily. It is funny to know that my champion of ash can act so childish at times."
"I was actually being serious about this Lord being in the sun." In all honesty if the last Lord was actually in the sun then I guess that this world was doomed from the start.
I pouted underneath my helmet, I do not act childish. I just...okay well maybe I do act childish at times.
"Don't worry ashen one, I won't tell anyone that thee was acting like a childish jester."
"Sooo about that means of finding that last Lord of Cinder?"
"Oh yes, that...ashen one, I fear that if I were to send thee to the last Lord of Cinders location, thee might never be able to return home." The Fire Keeper said as she turned her head to look at me, although I have offered her the eyes of an old keeper, she refused them because of what she might see. It is a shame, I would love to know what her eyes look like, maybe get to know her better and be a better friend but alas there is no more time for that, it is the end of the world after all.
Looking back at the abyss swallowing everything whole and then to my only friend in the whole world, right next to Siegward but sadly he passed on after he carried out his promise to an old friend of his.
"Alright. Let us do this." I said as I stood up and moved away from the cliff and gently pulled up the Fire Keeper before walking over to the fading embers and with the flames gone I bent down and grabbed the Coiled Sword from the crumbling grip from the burnt out cinders before using a fragment of a different Coiled Sword and teleported ourselves back to the Firelink Shrine for her plan.
No matter how foolish it may be or how it may sound, if this can send me directly to this missing sixth Lord of Cinder and help resurrect the First Flame, then just maybe this world can be saved after all from the encroaching darkness.
Once the teleportation was over with what greeted us both was nothing but the sounds of Andre hammering away at his anvil and the handmaid snoring lightly.
Letting go of the Fire Keeper's hand I step back and for the moment neither of us do anything but a few short seconds later I watched as the Fire Keeper took a few steps towards the shrine's bonfire before the flames within the ashes resting within the basin and coating the spiral blade started to glow a dull green before shifting in between shades of deep blue and emerald green.
"Ashen One, the Lord thou seeks is beyond this flame but be warned, thou will never be able to return home until thee reclaims the last Lord of Cinders remains. I do not know what thee will face on the other side, but please be safe ashen one, I fear for thou's health and sanity."
"Oh don't worry so much about me, I am sure that wherever this Lord of Cinder is hiding, it won't be in some hellish place or Gwyn forbid on the sun or abyss itself. With what the old scrolls I have found and read, the abyss will devour anything that enters that isn't already corrupted and the sun is just a very large furnace in the sky." I said with a smile underneath my helmet, my eyes looking at the Fire Keeper one last time before placing my hand over the bonfire and with it, my last moment at Firelink Shrine and quite possibly my last moment in Lotheric.
But I fear that she wasn't telling me everything that I needed to know, something important.
For the briefest of moments I was blind and weightless but it didn't last long as my vision slowly returned to me and in its place was me landing roughly on the ground.
I don't know where I am but I know it isn't anywhere near Lothric, Drangleic or even Lordran so that begs the question of where exactly am I?
Pulling myself off the ground my vision was still blurry and it was hard to see exactly what I was looking at but when my eyes finally recovered from the bright light of the bonfire, I saw that I was inside some sort of forest. A forest that more than likely has dangerous and deadly beasts within its shrouded covers.
Unsheathing my sword and pulling out my shield from off my back, I proceeded to secure my surroundings to make sure that no wild beast would get the drop on me and kill me before I get a chance to make a bonfire that will ensure that upon my death in the imminent future, that I will come back to life. The search of my surroundings proved worthwhile because I had found enough wood bits and branches to act as fuel but the true piece of kindling to start the fire is a bone of another human being.
Procuring the missing piece of the bonfire I dropped it in the middle before plunging the coiled sword that was from the Firelink Shrine's bonfire and with it done I now had a place to come back to. The only problem is that this place is terrible and that I would probably die before I even find the missing Lord of Cinder let alone get a clue or hint as to find him.
With the glow of the flame before me I looked myself over, making sure that everything that I had is still with me when I arrived to this strange forest. My Faraam armor gleamed brightly against the flames as my lightning-enhanced Darkwraith sword rested within my hands, the large blade crackling softly with barely contained electricity.
'Where could they possibly be? I have no idea where I am nor do I know who could point me in the right direction of my target.'
The only thing I know right now is that wherever the Firekeeper sent me, the Lord of Cinder is not far from here...well not far in the sense that they are within the region but not close as in a five minute jog through trees and bushes.
My thoughts as to where I should go are interrupted when my ears catch the sound of brass instruments playing off in the distance. Wherever I was teleported to, it was somehow managed to put me near what I can only hope is some sort of city or town, hopefully ones that are not empty nor destroyed but filled with living,breathing people.
Sheathing my sword while keeping my shield out I slowly made my way through the dense bushes and low hanging branches, brushing them aside as I made step after step towards the sound of fanfare. Whoever is playing those trumpets, it would sure seem like that someone of great importance is there and they are making some sort of speech or a guest appearance.
It didn't take me long to get through the dense foliage to reach the outskirts of what looks like a village with no protective walls or means of defense against any feral terrors, maybe they cleared this area of them perhaps or they could have been controlled through magic to leave this place free of their untamed ways? I don't know and I don't care to know, I have to find the missing Lord and bring them home.
I found myself at the edge of the village, a building of wood that has been built near a stream with a small earthen bridge going over the waterway, this seems like something I could live in during my elderly years, hopefully with my equally old wife beside me. Growing old alone would suck...but that would assume that I can even grow old as an Undead and as an Unkindled, and if I can't then well...living alone will suck.
As my mind hung on the idea of being forced to live alone for the rest of my life, my feet eventually took me to the source of the disturbance and what I saw astounded me. The building that I stopped in front of was large, almost like the old churches that I came across while exploring Lothric but this building looks like it is untouched from any sign of decay or deformation which is strange because every building I have ever came across would always show signs of either it falling apart or in a state of disrepair.
Looking at this building I can hear numerous voices talking at the same time through what looks like a heavy set of doors and when I walked up to it and pressed my helmeted head up to it to hopefully try and hear what was being said, everything went silent.
I was not sure if they somehow knew that I was waiting by the door or maybe that the person of importance was talking to them all and their voice is unnaturally quiet. Whatever the case may be I have to find out who I am dealing with and hopefully they are all not angry villagers that will attack me on sight.
Putting my sword away I pressed my hand against the door and pushed gently on it, and when it did not yield I saw that the doorknob was in place and quietly smacked myself upside the head for my brief moment of stupidity. Gripping the doorknob this time I turned it as slowly and as quietly as I can and with a gentle push the door opened up this time and what I saw made me pull my head back and blink away the confusing sight that had infiltrated my eyes.
Looking back into the large building I confirmed what my eyes gazed upon and shuddered at the thought that I was not dealing with fellow human beings anymore, maybe they are somewhere else?
What I saw was clearly not human. These beings came in a variety of colors that one would find on an artist canvas, their body was not of normal flesh but of fur like an animal, maybe they are like the dragon-kin that was on Archdragon Peak or those strange beasts that were chained to the wooden crosses near Farron Keep. Instead of the clearly predator-like beasts that I saw back home, but these strange people are more prey-like...like the horses that pulled carriages for the nobility or the carts for the commoners...is that what these people are? A strange combination of human and horse? That seems...odd, yes, odd would be a good word to use seeing how the usual things I see are always trying to kill me, maybe these strangers will be the exception.
Then again maybe this is probably an alternate realm, like the Painted World that was in Anor Londo, looked nice on the outside but on the inside it was scary as hell.
Pushing my fear aside I went back to looking inside the building and it was in that moment that I saw that these...half-breeds...are all standing in what I think is a re-purposed church waiting to hear some kind of proclamation or a new edict be declared but as I silently slipped into the building I saw that whatever was supposed to happen didn't.
Instead what I got to see was that when a pair of curtains were drew back to reveal nothing but empty space, I could only assume that whoever was supposed to be standing up there is either late or is missing in action.
It was in that moment during the stunned silence of the crowd that they all started to panic, whoever this person that is missing they sure seem important as hell if these hybrids, one of them on the balcony near the curtains started to talk, and when I expected to hear nothing but horse neighs and whinnies, I instead heard perfect human english.
Let me repeat myself because I too couldn't believe what my ears are hearing. These horse hybrids, are speaking perfect english.
"Calm down everypony! I am sure that-" I heard this hybrid speak as it waved its hands around. I didn't quite hear what the rest of what she was saying as I was to focused on the fact that I was able to understand her words clearly without hearing the typical horse sounds.
'Please let this all be just a dream and that I a back in Firelink Shrine waiting for the world to end with the Firekeeper.
Sadly that wasn't the case as I stood there in the back of the crowd as my eyes shifted from the person on the balcony trying to play crowd control when I saw what looked like inky black wisps swirling between the curtains before it became one solid form and for a moment I thought this was just these hybrids version of the Darkmoon covenant because if I didn't know any better that this new horse-human hybrid was its leader, what with the dark colors, the moon imprint on its chestplate, and the fact that it looks about as dark and mysterious as the Darkmoons themselves.
My worry that this person is the one that is missing was misplaced as it started to talk and with every word it uttered out I realized that maybe this person is evil.
'Well...at least the dark colors and menacing presence is a clear indicator that this one is truly evil and a lost cause...if only that onion knight was here...I could use that brew of his right now.'
Before I could ponder any further I heard the horse hybrid that was frightened on the balcony just shouted something and when I switched over from it to what looked like three guards with wings, just like those fat angel knights that patrolled the Grand Archives rooftop with the exception that none of them are morbidly obese fat slobs with axes or halberds. When the three thin angel guards flew at what must be an interloper only for said interloper's eyes to glow white with power as lightning bolts shot out from her hand and struck down the three flyers like flies.
Shaking my head in shame that those three were so easily defeated I decided to stay back and see where this goes, these people are different from the ones back home and I am not going to risk myself getting captured and tortured by a bunch of horses that can walk and talk. Dying is painful enough as it is, but dying to a bunch of horses...I will never hear the end of it from...oh yeah...there is no one here but me.
Man being along sucks, I never thought that I would see the day that I would miss my own mortality so badly.
Without even noticing what is going on I hear a voice among the crowd shout at the interloper, saying who she is.
"I know who you are! You are the Mare in the Moon! Nightmare Moon!" When whoever shouted that said that out loud, I could only smack myself in the face as my mind went to a dark place.
'Come on now, I know these are horse hybrids but seriously? Mare in the Moon? A female horse in the moon? What next a freaking horse named town or other horse-named places? Next I am going to be surprised that I am mortal again and I can die permanently this time.'
As I mused at how bad this can get I hear the supposed Nightmare Moon cackle insanely before turning back into a cloud of black smoke and fled the area but as she did so everyone inside the building panicked and also fled as well, nearly crushing me in a stampede if I had not stepped out of the way of the double doors.
When the dust had settled I looked around to see if there is anyone else still here and I saw that there was five others still here, and all them were female...or passes off as female for their race.
'Oh Lord Gwyn, First Lord of Cinders, please keep me safe on this perilous journey that I have undertaken to keep the First Flame burning.'
Before I could even take a step towards the door the five that stayed behind turned their heads toward me as I silently cursed myself for not trying to be even more quiet in my departure. I didn't get a true chance to escape when they all started to move towards me and when I took a few steps towards the door and grabbed the doorknob out of here it immediately began to glow a pale blue color and when I looked back to see what was the source of it, it was the white mythical unicorn with the strange hair style as she fluttered her eyelashes at me and gave me a smile that just screams 'look at how beautiful I am' and it made me wince as I realized where this might be heading.
'I take it back Lord Gwyn, please kill me immediately as I do not have the mental fortitude to resist such temptations of the flesh.'
"So who are you? You are not from around here and you don't look like the royal guards who normally attend this celebration? What are you a spy or something?" The blue winged horse person said as she got in my face, that muzzle of hers pressing against my helmet as I lifted a hand and grabbed her by the face only to push her back to gain some breathing room. I swear its almost like this girl has never heard of something called privacy!
'Quick! Think of a lie!'
"I am a knight of a far away land, fallen from grace and I am seeking my redemption by searching for someone that has fled here." I said as I kept my gaze evenly on the five horse hybrids standing before me.
The white one stood a little too close for my comfort and moved her arms under her chest and in that moment my eyes focused on that part of her body I immediately realized that this one before me is a seductive seducer, and she knows this. The orange one was staring at me with a stare, as if she is trying to pick my story apart and find any flaws or lies in it while the flying blue one is circling me, apparently she doesn't trust me as far as she can throw me, and guess from how weak she looks, probably not very far if at all. And as for the other two, the yellow one is cowering behind the pink one who is all sunshine and smiles, jeeze how does one become so happy all the time?
'I will not last the night...Lord Gwyn save my soul!'
"My my! A knight from a far off land all the way here in Equestria! Oh the places you must have been to and seen! Do tell, do tell!" The white unicorn said as she clasped her hands together and brought them to a side of her muzzle, swooning at everything I just said. Huh, I never thought it would be this easy to talk to women...are they even considered women here? I don't know but...nah, I won't think about that, after all love is the death of duty and I can't risk my heart being taken by someone before I can find this last Lord and bring them home.
"I would love to mi'lady-" that got another swoon from the white unicorn "-but I must continue on with my quest to find the one who got away. It is paramount that I find them and bring them back before it becomes far too late to save my home from the encroaching darkness." I said as I tried the knob again but same as before it would not budge.
"But darling I would just love to hear about your journey! Oh please oh please tell me about your travels!" Batting her eyelashes at me I swallowed dryly, man this is not fair! Stop trying to distract me with your radiant beauty!
"Uh Rarity, we don't have time for this right now, we have to stop Nightmare Moon before she does anything!" The blue winged horse said as she flew back to the group of other female horses and hovered between the white unicorn and the orange horse.
"She's right Rares, we gotta get out there and stop that nightmare before its too late." The orange horse said as she grabbed the hat on her head and tilted it back before looking at me and wearing a grin.
Oh no...
"And we got ourselves a knight from a far off land so that has to count for something, right Applejack?" the pink smiling horse said finally as she skipped towards us, the yellow flying horse stayed away from us but was brought closer when the pink one quickly turned around and grabbed her friend to join the rest of us.
"Eeyup!" Shit...looks like I am not walking out of this, maybe this little sidetrack might actually help me? Who knows, maybe Lord Gwyn does.
As soon as everything was in accord the glow around the doorknob was lifted and I was able to open it again, but before I decided to open the door I turned my head to look at the five horses and asked them what their names are.
"If we are going to be working together towards a mutual goal, I need to know your names so we can better cooperate and accomplish what we set out for." I said as I slowly turned the knob and pulled the door open.
"My name is Applejack." "Pinkie Pie!" "Fluttershy..." "Rainbow Dash! Fastest flyer in Equestria!" "And my name is Rarity, the owner of the Carousal Boutique." All five of them told me their names and now it was time to tell them my name.
But I will withhold about what I am doing here and about my title as a Lord of Cinder.
"My name is Kurt Brasco of Lordran, now let us make haste after this interloper and end the threat before it begins." I said as my right hand reaches for the hilt of my sword but before I could draw the blade out I was stopped by the blue colored flyer.
"Hold up there rust bucket." Oh you are so dead! "There is somepony else we need to get before we go after her."
"And who might that one person be?" I asked as I fully sheathed my sword, my eyes trained on the cyan horse.
"That new pony that just came to town...what was her name again?"
"Oh you mean Twilight?" Pinkie Pie said with glee as she bounced in place while I internally groaned at that terrible name.
'Please Gwyn just kill me already...this journey is starting to look like it is not worth it.'
