“What?” I asked through dry lips. My whole body felt numb.

“I said that this is where we must part ways.” Knight didn’t move. From just the tone of his voice, it was impossible to tell what he must have been thinking behind that helmet.

“But . . .” I lowered my head. “Why?”

“You’re trying to find your way home,” he said. “That’s not something that I can help you with. I don’t know anything about traveling to other worlds. I wouldn’t have a clue where to start looking. To that end, I think you’d be better off finding someone else to help you.” He sighed. “Besides, I’ve got my own quest to see through.”

I couldn’t blame him, obviously. I was just some kid he found struggling out in the wilds an hour or two ago. I had just been a stepping stone on his journey. He had his own reasons, his own task set out ahead of him. But still, I couldn’t help but feel abandoned. I suppose that’s what I deserve for getting my hopes up.

He turned and started to walk away. “I wish you the best on your quest, Sunset.”

Splashing turned to footsteps as he climbed the stairs back up to the shrine proper. I didn’t even tell him goodbye or thank him for the help he’d already given me. I felt hollow, sitting alone in the dark. In my jacket pocket, my thumb ran across the edge of my chime. Even after what I’d done to the judge, I was still a liability in this world. I couldn’t rely on other people. I’d have to find my own way home.

Andre’s hammer rang though the quiet shrine, each slam like the ticking of a clock, counting the seconds that passed while I sat in the dark, my legs tucked up against my chest. I stared down at the pool of dark water below, watching the light glow against its surface. I couldn’t bring myself to think. I’m not sure how long I sat there. Even though it felt closer to an hour, the light spilling in from above never moved.

What am I going to do? I thought.

The answer’s simple. We do the same thing we did last time.

I clenched my fist. Sitting here wouldn’t do me any good. This wasn’t the first time I’d gotten lost in a foreign world. I thought back to my first days in the human world. Learning to walk upright, to interact with the other humans around me. This time would have to be easier than that. At least this time I didn’t change species . . . I think.

I leaned my head back and let my shoulders slump.

There would be hardships ahead. But I had someone waiting for me at home.

Someone that I wouldn’t dare disappoint by dying here.

With a new resolve, I climbed from my seat and followed the path back up to the shrine. Andre nodded at me as I passed. He seemed to be hammering a metal plate of some sort. It didn’t look like a weapon. Next, I passed the old woman. I could feel her gaze on me, but did my best to ignore it. That brought me back to the main chamber. Compared to the more cramped tunnel, the vaulted ceilings of the shrine made me a bit dizzy.

“Excuse me?” I approached the woman in the black dress. What had she called herself? The Fire Keeper? “Excuse me, Fire Keeper? Can I talk with you for a second?”

The woman gave no response. She didn’t even react to my voice, as though she couldn’t hear it. With her choice in headwear, I might have believed she were blind. But definitely not deaf. She had been speaking with Mister Knight earlier. “Excuse me?” I said again, reaching forward and tapping her shoulder. Still nothing.

Guess that settled that dispute. I was being ignored. Not much of a surprise. Other than Andre, no one at the shrine had struck me as particularly friendly. Still, she hadn’t done that to Knight, so why me?

“Young Lady,” A voice said from above.

I glanced upward. There, sitting on a throne much too large for him, sat a man. At least, I think it was a man. When I first walked into the shrine, I might have mistaken him for a corpse or a hollow. Even now I wasn’t too sure.

“Are you talking to me?” I asked, pointing at myself.

“I am.” He motioned for me to come closer with an emaciated hand. “Come closer. I wish to speak with you.”

Without many other options, I hurried up the stairs and followed the hallway around until I was standing behind his throne. I stepped carefully over a row of half-melted candles and hopped down onto the platform that held his throne.

Getting closer, I found that my mistaking him for a corpse wasn’t too far off the mark. The old man sitting in front of me was shriveled and burned-looking. His charred skin blended in with his dirtied robes and tarnished crown. The man looked like a dead king, returned to life, sitting upon a rough-hewn stone seat cushioned with a thin, torn stretch of fabric. The man kept his hands folded under his chin, his sunken eyes watching me as I tip-toed around to the front of his throne.

“Yes,” he said as he looked me up and down. “Thou’rt the companion of the Unkindled.”

I glanced around the shrine. “The Unkindled?”

“That knight who stood beside you when thou first entered this shrine?”

“Oh.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “Kind of. It’s a . . . long story,” I lied. “Anyway, did you want to talk to me?” Something about the way he looked at me felt . . . odd. I did not think this man would hurt me – or that he would be capable, given his frail appearance. But I couldn’t shake the chill that came to me as I met his corpse-like gaze. I didn’t mean to insult the man, but I got the sense that he understood my mindset.

“There is no need to fear me, Young One. I am Ludleth of Courland.”

I hoped he didn’t expect me to recognize him.

“Nice to meet you, Ludleth. I’m . . . Sunset.”

“Sunset?” His ancient brow raised. “A worthy name for one such as yourself.”

I took that as a compliment. “You called me up here to speak with me, didn’t you?”

“Yes. I did.” With a crooked finger, he pointed down to the Fire Keeper. “I wish merely to ask your forgiveness on behalf of the Fire Keeper.” I turned to look down at her. “Treat her not with discourtesy. She is much like thee. You are prisoners, both. She cannot speak, but to her own ash.”

I didn’t understand half of what he meant, but I got the gist of it. She wouldn’t be talking to me, no matter what I did. And quite possibly, that she couldn’t. I turned back to the old man. “Right. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“With that sorted, I should ask a question of thee, Young One.” The old man turned his attention back to me. “Thou are not unkindled. You do not carry the scent of ash on you. Nor did the bells did not ring to foretell thou’s arrival. What has brought thee here before me?”

“I . . . I’m lost. I came here hoping to find a way home.” He didn’t seem to be a bad guy. I suppose there was no harm in giving him some kernel of the truth.

“I see. From what world does thou hail?”

What world? He couldn’t have known, could he?

“I don’t remember,” I lied.

“Then thou are afflicted with the curse after all. Yet, you did not come here seeking the Lords of Cinder?”

The Lords of Cinder. Those were the ones Andre spoke of, too. “I didn’t.”

“It is rare for an undead to find their way here without such a call.” He frowned. “But I suppose it is not unheard of. But I sense that thou’s situation is not one that I can call myself familiar with. I offer this advice to thee, if thou are willing to hear it?” I turned back to him. “Follow in the unkindled footsteps. That fate may not belong to thee, but it may act as but a stepping stone to the proper path.”

I shook my head. “I don’t even know where to start.”

“Lay thy hand upon the flame. It knows where to take thee.”

I glanced over my shoulder and down at the fire crackling at the center of the shrine. My brow furrowed as I turned back to Ludleth. “How do you know all of this?”

The old man smiled through cracked lips. “It was a path that I too once traveled.”

It was rather vague and didn’t instill me with a great deal of confidence. But still, I didn’t have much room to judge. After all, I was hiding the truth from him, too. With a nod, I bid Ludleth farewell and climbed back up onto the ledge behind his throne. From there, I made my way back to the bonfire at the center of the room. I stepped up beside the Fire Keeper. She still paid me no mind.

As I stood beside the flame, I could feel the aches in my body fade away. Hesitantly, I reached out a hand toward the coiled sword at its core. I could feel the heat wafting off the blaze, but it did not burn, even as the flames licked at my skin.

“Sunset.”

I turned toward the tunnel at the back of the shrine. Andre stood in the opening, his arms crossed over his bare chest.

“Setting out already?”

My hand pulled back from the fire. “Yeah . . . I think.”

“Prithee, join me at m’ workshop. I have somethin’ for y’.”

He started back toward his workshop, and I followed. While I followed, I got a good look at the smith. He stood taller than I thought, towering over me by half. I could see that the scars that covered his chest stretched all the way around to his back. He walked with slow, heavy footsteps that reminded me of a monster from back home.

As we approached his workshop, he stepped over his scattered tools and beckoned me to follow. After maneuvering past, I joined him in his shop.

“I’ve a gift for y’,” he said, pointing toward one of the makeshift shelves nearby.

Sitting on the shelf was a new outfit. Actual armor, by the looks of it. A chestplate, leggings, and boots. Mostly dark brown leather, covered with straps and buckles. Bits of chainmail were visible through gaps in the cloth. A metal plate was strapped over the shoulder. Instinctively, my hand moved to that same shoulder on myself, where the first hollow had impaled me with its knife. There was no mark left of the wound, but I still remembered it.

Strangest of all, the armor appeared sized to fit a smaller, more petite figure. Like mine.

“Andre, what is this?” I asked, eyes wide.

“No insult to the smiths of yer homeland, but that armor yer wearin’ couldn’t stop a stiff breeze. Figured that, if yer truly plannin’ on journey’n around these parts, y’d need something a little better. Y’ look like ye can handle leather, so I prepared somethin’ light.”

I let out a harsh breath, somewhere between a laugh and a sob. “Andre, I don’t have any money, I can’t–”

“I didn’t do it for a coin, Miss. Was an old set I had lyin’ around. I wasn’t gettin’ any use of it. But it might do y’ some good.”

“You’re . . . you’re sure?” I asked again.

He nodded. “Get changed while I find ye a weapon.”

Andre kept his back to me while he searched through a collection of weapons. After a moment’s hesitation, I took my jacket off and set it aside. Next, I slipped my shirt off, followed closely by my pajama bottoms. I took a second to familiarize myself with the new armor set before I slipped it on. It was heavier than anything I was used to wearing, but didn’t seem to restrict me much. I tightened the straps and belts and fastened Mister Knight’s satchel on my hip. I could hear the bottles inside rattle and see a bit of light shining out through the gaps in the bag.

“Y’ finished?” Andre asked.

“Yeah.” I nodded, even though he wasn’t looking at me.

He came back to me carrying a dagger in his hands. “Didn’t seem right to hand y’ a sword bigger than yerself. Hope this’ll do.”

I set my broken sword down beside my pajamas and took the dagger from Andre. It was pristine, the blade sharp and shimmering in the shrine’s candlelight. The weight felt similar to my old weapon, but the balance was better. Probably a result of being designed to be this short.

“Y’ can leave your things there.” He pointed to the shelf where I’d taken the armor form. “I’ll keep it here for y’.”

“Andre.” I smiled. “I don’t know how to thank you for all of this.”

“If y’ want to thank me, y’ can start by not gettin’ yerself killed out there.” Together, we returned back to the front of his shop. He settled himself back at his anvil and grabbed his hammer.

“Any last minute tips before I set out?” I asked.

He thought for a second before he started hammering again. “These weapons and armor are sturdy enough, by and large. But should chance impel them break, bring them to me. I’ll hammer ‘em back into shape. They take no pleasure in breaking, I assure y’.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” I took a few steps back toward the main chamber before stopping. “Thanks, Andre. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”

“Of course.”

As I walked down the hallway, he shouted after me.

“Prithee, be careful. I don't want to see m’ work squandered!” His hearty laugh echoed through the tunnels, bringing a sense of lightness to the dark, cramped space. I couldn’t help but crack a little smile.

With my new gear, I returned to the bonfire at the center of the shrine. The old lady still creeped me out, the Fire Keeper and the hopeless knight sitting over on the steps both still ignored me, and Ludleth appeared to be lost in thought. But I felt better than ever. I didn’t hesitate as I pushed my hand into the fire.

At first, I didn’t notice anything happening. After a moment, though, the soot around my feet started to shift. Air suddenly whipped around me like a localized twister, kicking up a dust storm from the ash and soot around me. It blocked out the view of anything around me. My eyes stung and I struggled to breath.

With a howl of pain, I pulled my hand away from the fire. Instantly, the wind died and the dust fell still. I took a moment to wipe the dust from my eyes. “Ludleth!” I cried. “I don’t think that worked.” I brushed myself off and looked up toward Ludleth on his throne.

Only to find that there wasn’t a throne there anymore. As was the Fire Keeper, the bonfire, and the whole of Firelink Shrine. Or, more likely, I wasn’t at the shrine anymore.

While I spat a few times trying to get the taste of ash out of my mouth, I couldn’t help but wonder if magic like this would be able to get me home. Problem was, that wasn’t my magic. Something else had taken me here. The Flame, if I had to guess. At least, that was the most I could gather from Ludleth’s explanation. But maybe, if this flame really could control magic like this, maybe I could get it to send me home.

Either way, that didn’t matter for now. I didn’t know enough to hazard a guess whether or not my theory had any plausibility. For now, I just needed to keep moving forward and trying to find out whatever I could along the way.

And the first step toward reaching that goal would be figuring out where I’d ended up.

Obviously, this wasn’t the shrine – it was far too small for that – but the rooms shared a similar aesthetic. Dark, stone rooms with tree roots growing all around. Melted, extinguished candles were scattered around the room, along with more than a few piles of bones. Cobwebs and torn fabric banners hung from the ceiling. What little light managed to slip into the room did so through the boarded windows or through the holes in the roof. Cold braziers, rusted chains, and carved gargoyles lingered overhead.

The only way out of the room was through a rotting wood-and-iron door behind me. With no other options, I made my way up the short staircase, listening to my footsteps echoing through the empty space.

I rolled my shoulders as I stepped up to the door. With a hand on each side of the door, I pushed forward with all my might. The tower itself shook as the doors parted, raining dust and pebbles down on my head. Still, the doors opened without problem, revealing sunlight on the other side. I could hear the whistling wind as I stepped out onto a stone courtyard of sorts.

I could scarcely believe the sight that awaited me on the other side.

Through those doors, I stepped out onto a wall. I had seen the castle walls in Canterlot, but this put any of those to shame. These walls must have been hundreds of feet high, complete with battlements. The room I had found myself in was only one of over a dozen towers that lined the defenses.

I stepped up to the inner edge of the wall. A staircase beside me led down to another courtyard similar to this one. Beyond that, I could see a city. Stone buildings stretched up from the ground, standing nearly as tall as the walls themselves, interconnected by a series of cobblestone roads. From where I stood, I could see what almost looked like a church, complete with a large stained-glass window in front. All across the city, spires jutted up like spikes, their steeples decorated with tattered, blood-red banners.

At the core of the city, I could see two castles connected by a stone bridge. The towers stretched up into the clouds, forcing me to shield my eyes against the sun for a better look. And they were massive. Forget Canterlot Castle, the whole city could have probably fit into one of these castles.

But as beautiful as the sight was, a profound sense of dread gripped me.

This city was dead.

The stonework, though it still contained traces of its former glory, was crumbling and on the verge of collapse. The cobblestone streets below, wide enough for two carriages to pass side-by-side, were empty. No sounds could be heard, save for the howling of the wind as it rushed through the empty buildings and shattered windows. And a thin layer of fog over the whole scene only added to the eerie atmosphere. The only sign of civilization I could see remaining was a lone torch hanging on the wall, still burning.

As I went down the steps to the lower courtyard on the roof of this particular tower, I could see more signs of abandonment. Furniture was scattered across the area, broken and rotted. Weeds grew up through the stone, nearly up to my waist.

But something else grew amidst the weeds. Tall, tree-like structures. Or, at least they resembled trees near the base: a series of twisted roots and rotting growth. But at the top, where branches should have been, were bodies. At first, I thought they might have been lashed to the trees, like some sort of twisted crucifixion. That alone was enough to bring the taste of bile to my tongue. When I looked closer, though, I found that wasn’t the case. They were not attached to the trees, they were the trees. The roots sprouted out from what once might have been a leg. Arms, outstretched to the heavens became branches, spawning their own upward-leaning limbs. Their skin was dry enough to mistake for bark, and their mouths were open, as though they were trying to scream.

And at the center of this courtyard, amidst the death and decay, sat a bonfire.

It was like some sort of twisted joke. Here, amidst a literal forest of corpses, was my place to relax and recuperate. Choking back my disgust, I approached the bonfire. Unlike the others I’d seen since arriving in this world, this one was cold. I stood for a moment, hand on my chin, thinking of some way I could light it. I didn’t have any matches or a lighter. The torch hanging nearby could work, but it seemed bolted into the stone. Perhaps with enough strength, I could have pried it off.

While I was considering my options, though, my body seemed to move by instinct. I reached my hand forward and touched the coiled sword at its core. That was enough, its seemed. The bonfire burst to life, the flames consuming the pile of ash to create a healthy flame. It burned bright for a moment before dimming into the same low-burning flame I’d seen on all the others.

I had no reason to think that touching a bonfire would somehow set it alight. Even now that I’d done it, I still wasn’t sure how. Maybe that had something to do with this Flame that everyone’s been talking about. Or maybe it was simply reacting to my presence. I didn’t know. By this point, I had seen so many strange and confusing things in this world that I had stopped really questioning the logic behind it.

I took my seat beside the fire and closed my eyes.

I wasn’t tired. No, instead, I laid back and stared up into the dusty golden sky and let my thoughts go wild.

“This sucks,” I said to nobody.

This world was . . . surreal. It had beauty in it, but it also had some of the most horrifying sights I’d ever seen. It didn’t help that I could still see one of those terrifying corpse-trees in my periphery.

But forgetting about this world for a second, what was I going to do about getting home? Andre was unbelievably kind and helpful, but he told me himself that he would be no use when it came to getting home. The Fire Keeper wouldn’t —or couldn’t— tell me anything helpful even if she knew. The old lady made my skin crawl.

The only one who seemed to know anything was Ludleth.

It was at this point that a realization hit me. I had left the shrine. I’d left my stuff there, and left everyone I know in this world there. Which meant that I had no way of knowing how I was going to get back. Or even if I could get back.

I could feel the color drain from my face.

“Oh, shit.”

Author's Note

Hey. Sorry for the long time between uploads. Started a new job recently and it's definitely not easy. But, I've finally had time to sit down and right a chapter.

Thanks for reading!