Chapter-1 A New Start

Chapter 1

A bed made of ash, flower, and rusted weapon of old laid bare in the open In the middle of an open field, the most stand out of it all there was a coiled sword that is embedded in the ground as it smolders with its small embers as cinder and ash field air, and there was a looming hole in the dark cloudless sky a dark abyss that is like a black hole that seems that can consume and devour reality in the sky encircled by cinder like fire and anchored to the ground by that very flame or many called it a dark sign.

Unlike the field made of ash, the land beyond it that surrounding it the building across the eyes could see mishmash together kingdom buildings of different eras mash in together into the abomination as the world seems is trying to end itself, bringing everyone with it.

But it brings a weird sense of beauty in with it as space, time, and reality were brought towards its knees as the boundaries between them shatter like glass as the universe tries to bring an old bygone era towards its knees to usurped in a new.

In the field of ash, two warriors fought towards death one for the new and the other for the old. The warriors fought with all their might their attacks every slash of their blade send shocked waves that reach the distends mountains, the warriors fought with unprecedented strength but in the end, only one will prevail.

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*clack*

The sound of steel and the clacking of metal boots quietly met the ashen ground, sending notes of ash toward the air every step that he took towards the coiled swords that laid in the middle of a field of ash, flower, and old rusted swords that is embedded in the ashen earth.

There stood a warrior that wore a tattered red cloth cape that conceals the black steal Armor within he wears an Armor that has seen and fought many battles by the nicks and scars, but seems sturdy and have a weird shine to its like it was pristine, as the man holds a straight sword that of similar of the craftsmanship by the land of Astora, in his other hand he holds a staff made of wood have a crescent shape on the top, and once used by that of an old tale of a hero that wears a big hat that he used to use but sadly his tale have been long forgotten by age past.

He stares down at the corpse of his last opponent, whose body lay bare in the ashen earth, he was the visualizations of all the soul of lord past that once became fuel to the fire and now they stand guard the flame of a dying era of a dying world that has already burn and turn to ash but now dead by his hands.

"Finally…" spoke the fallen knight with a raspy voice seems like been a long time he has last spoken, "the plan shall begin…"

He took his gaze off from the corpse of the soul of cinder as its body slowly crumbles apart and turn to nodes of ashes as he gazed toward the first flame, as it flickers and smolders in the bed of ash, flowers, and rusted old weapon. The fallen knight took out a small soapstone and wrote on the ground near the first flame, and a few moments later, the firekeeper emerged from the summoning sign before turning towards the first flame.

She walked over slowly but with steady and graceful strides, she carefully grabs the flame caressing the flame into her palm. The fallen knight that had been eerily quiet when the firekeeper emerged finally make his move as he walked towards the firekeeper. When he arrives beside the firekeeper.

"Forgive me…" said the fallen knight with an apologetic word towards the firekeeper. the maiden did not have time to react before the flame that she holds onto her palm was stolen from her by the fallen knight.

"Ashen one…" The fallen knight cut her off before she could finish as he summons a painting world of Ariandel, he garbed her and shove her inside the painted world before the firekeeper could say any more words she could hear the ashen one spoke before she fully went into the painted world.

"Say hello to Ariana for me, Analotte…" said the fallen knight toward Analotte after she quickly disappears toward the painted world before she could have an answer, he unsummons the painting, he stood idly as he gazed towards the surrounding around him that slowly engulf in darkness. And slowly the age of man came to fruition.

He returns his gaze towards the small flame that is in his palm of his hand glowing warmly, under his helmet he has a small grin turn to a smile than laughter that of a man that has gone mad then he raised his hand that holds his staff and waves it Infront of him, the space Infront of him distorted and opening a fissure in space and time as he opens a portal to a land of unknown.

He was chosen undead from the first cycle with no memory of his past he seeks the truth but at what cost for that truth he regretted dearly. For the countless eons past, he wandered This era of horror and abomination now will end, and the era of man will rise, since Gwyn's intervention of the cycle of life and rebirth, and the very nature of the universe. But now it's over but he sadly cannot see it with his own two eyes.

The countless that have suffered from the whim of the gods and lords of past, the old lord's souls of past that became fuel for a dying flame and for a dying era that the gods have prolonged form eon past, countless sacrifice meaningless death of untold. And now he stands here at the center of it all alone once more.

He knows what he is about to do he would be truly immortal not like the everlasting dragons with their scales neither like Seth's with his crystal, this he will never have a true death that only be but a faded dream, his life will be truly everlasting and the most imported thing the darkness will not consume his mind any longer be afraid to turn into a mindless beast after he absorbs the flame.

After he collected all the souls of lords and the darks souls, he will be closer to man than he ever was he will turn to a being that is closer to man than he ever thought to be, the progenitor of man and humanity well he doesn't care about that he only cares to only rest after his adventure in lordran and every land and kingdom he already been there stood there as he watched kingdom and empire fall and rise. He only needs but rest.

"AHAHHAHAhahha…." He laughs as he slowly walks toward the fissure with a steady stride

"Hah, Goodbye may we not meet again" the knight turns around and sigh as he spoke under his breath behind him is the fissure. after he spoke those words, he crushes the flame that laid on the palm of his hand as he steps back, and he falls and was sent somewhere within the fissure. when the fissure close when he walked in the fissure close as he ventures to a new land of unknown.

The knight could feel the burning of the flame within his being its hurts his very being seems like is on fire his body, mind, and souls it's more painful than being burned by the chaos flame than he absorbs in the past, he could feel it his conciseness slipping away, and darkness clouded his vision as every second past, but he could only accept it and embraced it with open arms.

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"Oh, chosen undead"

"Ah, hello! You don't look Hollow, far from it! I am Solaire of Astora, an adherent of the Lord of Sunlight. Now that I am Undead, I have come to this great land, the birthplace of Lord Gwyn, to seek my very own sun! ...Do you find that strange? Well, you should! No need to hide your reaction. I get that look all the time! Hah hah hah!"

"Hmm! Ah, oh... hello there. Forgive me, I was just pondering... about my poor fortune. I did not find my own sun, not in Anor Londo, nor in Twilight Blighttown. Where else might my sun be? Lost Izalith, or the Tomb of the Gravelord...? But I cannot give up. I became Undead to pursue this! But when I peer at the Sunup above, it occurs to me... What if I am seen as a laughingstock, as a blind fool without reason? Well, I suppose they wouldn't be far off! Hah hah hah!"

"After all this searching, I still cannot find it..."

"Was it all a lie? Have I done this all, for nothing? Oh, my dear sun... What now, what should I do...? ...My sun, my dear, dear sun..."

"Hrg, rg...Arrrgh... ...Finally, I have found it, I have!... ...My very own sun... I...am the sun!... ...I've done it...I have... ...Yes, I did it...I did!... ...Ohh, ohhh... ...Hrgrraaaooogh!"

"...Ahh, it's over... ...My Sun... it's setting... ...It's dark, so dark..."

"Mmm...mmm... Mm! Oh-hoh! Forgive me. I was absorbed in thought. I am Siegmeyer of Catarina. Quite honestly, I have run flat up against a wall. Or, a gate, I should say. The thing just won't budge. No matter how long I wait. And, oh, have I waited! So, here I sit, in quite a pickle. Weighing my options, so to speak! Hah hah hah hah!"

"...Friend, I have an idea. A good one, really. ...I will rush those dire fiends, and you can slip away in the confusion. Please, friend, I owe you much more than this. By the honour of the knights of Catarina, allow me to assist you. And now, I go! Don't be slow!"

"Hrgrraaaaggh! Hiyaaaaaah! C'mon! Over here, you fiends! Perish, foul creatures! I am Siegmeyer of Catarina, and you shall feel my wrath!"

"Hng...hng... Why, you! Didn't you get away? Well, you've saved me, once again... Thank goodness... I'm exhausted... I think I'll have a rest. Don't you worry, the ground below me is my pillow. I'll recover shortly..."

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When I open my eyes, I could see rays of light shine through his visor and the sensation of the blade of grass present on his back but I didn't focus on those because he could feel his body has changed from consuming the first flame he feel more powerful than before as his strength reach new hight, but now is to know where he is right now after he jumped in the fissure.

Immediately, he knew he was no longer in the lands of Lothirc, he right now is in unknown territory he needs to tread carefully and be wary maybe there is similarly being like that of the land of lordran, the gods. But if the gods of this land try to stir trouble with him then they are no better than their predecessor that he sley towards his path to freedom.

He slowly rises up from the grassy ground and he looked around him to see green plains to the eyes could see, and some trees, bushes, and rocks can be seen litter in the plains but they're something that's very different here it didn't have the chocking feeling of death, dread and madness every corner nor in the air, there's no ash that's cover every layer of surface as he could see neither no mass graves nor mindless hollows roaming around the area.

no, he does not feel nor see anything like that he doesn't know with this feeling that he long has forgotten by the ages past this place is peaceful.

Here, this place is full of life and colors a stark contra from the land of the first flame, he had longed the day he could be free from that foul and dreadful place. And now he could enjoy this feeling of these new lands that have not been corrupted by the abyss, the curse, and the flame it brings such joy to him.

And here the aura felt vastly different, the air had a welcoming fresh, and enticingly rich in elemental energy of different kinds of energy play in harmony like a symphony. It's so beautiful to hear and feel it's like walking to a field of flowers of a different kind the beauty of it and the fragrances it gives.

But when he looks up the sky he saw the sun burning with all its might to light the day in the clear blue sky, he fell on his two knees as it had been far too long he last seen the sun that brightens up his path in the day he could see it once more, but its bring back memory age of past of his former companion, noting can change that bitter past he just has move towered the better future.

When he is on his knees, he raises his two hands towards the sky as he faced the sun that is slowly nearing high noon, he shouted the words for the first time in a long time.

"Praise the sun!?"

When he shouted his voice can be heard across the lands though with his shouts, he attracted some enemies towards his location. But he seems to not care as he embraces the glories sun once more.

After a while he was sucked out from his trance with the sounds of weird noise of something like out of water coming towards him, he quickly got on his feet only to see a giant slime ball with strange markings and wings, with light blue skin. Its hello ignition seems to be a living organism coming toward him.

He observes the being that resembles a slime substance in front of him, on the surface it's big and quite slow but the most unique thing about it is the elemental energy of the wind that it holds he sees some cases similar to this happen before but rarely did happen only on some occasion where that said element in abundance in one place.

But this slime was different If he put a comparison with it, it would be like an elemental spirit-born or form by the abundance of elemental particles or near a leyline. But for layman terms, it's an elemental being or lifeform.

His interest is quite peak as he watches the glob of slime, but he didn't have time to waste on this as he needs to find information about these new lands so he draws his straight sword of his and took a stance, then he swings his blade towards the glob of slime faster than the eye could see and ending its life.

After he cut the slime, the slime popped like a balloon and turn into a strong gust of wind when it was slain, though by its death he could see after his death it drop something like a liquid more jelly-like substance condensated by the element that they hold and turn into this jelly-like state? They still have their unique biology of their own by the jelly-like substance that they drop and, maybe that plausible but he doesn't have sufficient information and observation.

But he should not be too caught by this train of thought and find what place did he stumble upon he may find a new purpose in this land or new adventure treasure of untold, but he doesn't know what the future held for him. But before that, he pulled out a notebook something similar to a pen, and noted down his discovery of the slime creature.

After he finishes taking notes, He quickly departs from his location to look for civilization or find anything similar, though on his way on his depart he seems to forget something important that lingers in his mind.

He walked for hours to no end as the sun slowly set to the horizon he stumbles upon many different kinds of new species of flowers, fruits, and vegetation that his inner scholar needs to observe and investigate with great detail. But he enjoyed more of the senses of peach in the air as the soft wind blowing in the air, in this new world.

When he explores, he stumbles upon a sea of dense forest that stretches as far as he could see, and that's quite far. He was surprising the Forrest was full of life rather than the dark and swamp-like forest that he used to see. After he admired the forest, he counties his exploration.

After sometime later when the sun is setting and the moon rise as dusk arrive, he did find something similar to a civilization of some sort humanoid-like creature wearing white runes or symbols painted on their masked wearing humanoid, with their skin black to brownish and a weird mane that reassembles a lion covered their neck and pair of ears on their head that of similar that of a hare.

thought he doesn't know if it's really ear or not. and they have small claws tipping their hands and feet. Their limbs were guarded with crude gauntlets and leather greaves, and they were wearing rags tied together by two belts to keep their privates secure.

He could see multiple of them in the distance as they dance in front of a campfire, and he could see a bigger size version of them that triple the size of the ones dancing and more muscular, sitting crossed leg and beside him a giant great ax. Not only his bigger size, but this one's muscle seems more dense and compacted than the smaller ones, and it has two protruding red horns on its forehead or mask, which needs Furter's observation.

From observation alone, he could see the anatomy of their muscle seems the same as humans, but he does not know about their mind and thinking patterns yet as that would need further observation thought. and lastly, he needs to dissect them to know if the internal organs are the same as humans.

He found out they seem to have their own language to speak with each other even if primitive they seem to have some intelligence how he knew this because they make a strange noise and many repeating words or something similar. As they dance around the bonfire. And something he observed they seem to not have any female in this small encampment.

So that begs the question how do they reproduce? Are they more of this camp with these humanoid spices? Are they similar to the inhabitants of the city of the lost Izalith? Maybe this can be answered on a later note.

However, he doesn't know how strong this creature is as they seem to be robust and full of muscles, they have some crude to the somewhat advanced weapon he doesn't know if they crafted the giant ax that the bigger one has or find it and the more crudes and primitive ones that the small ones used they can be easily made.

He is confident with his strength as he fought foes that could topple mountains easily but now, he felt much stronger after he consume the first flame does he doesn't know what his limits are right now, but caution is always good in the situation he is in, and he doesn't know what kind of laws this universe may differ from what he used to maybe they have super regeneration or something similar he doesn't know.

So better be cautious so he crouch down as he sneaked towards the bigger one as he hides in the foliage and vegetation. He slowly unsheathed his sword from his scabbard when he was in the back of it, he plunged his sword near the chest area that may be his heart is after he twisted his blade and dragged it across as his blade hit its spinel cord with no hindrance and breaking it or cutting it and stopping at its shoulders blades when he pulled out his blade that was now dyed black like tar. As he took a step back from his previous location as blood poured out from its wound.

When the humanoid creature was stabbed and attacked, he only made a shocked sound as he falls towards the ground on his own pool of blood and died, when his heavy body fall it alerted the four smaller ones of his Presence, he was quite disappointed with the outcome of the battle even if he did a sneak attack it.

It seems the creature is the same as a human it has more abnormality, nor do they have heightened regeneration or immortality. The only thing that differentiates them from humans is the abnormal strength that they hold and last is their mind that is quite primitive but has intelligent.

Though the most intriguing thing the soul of it seems to try and fly away to somewhere when it was dead, its quiet intrigue him as that will lead there was something or someone controls or an afterlife here a place for the dead similar place like the domain of Gravelord Nito, that shelter soul before the undead curse begins.

It didn't stop him to devoured it soul and using it for later use, something changes when he collected the soul of the creature it does not have humanity in them even with the weakest of creatures and monsters there will be humanity even if it's small. He will need further investigation on this matter maybe this world's logic and law are way too different from him, but I digress.

This was only passing thought when he slayed the let's call him subject 'A', he charges toward the smaller ones he quickly arrives in front of them with no time to react to his arrival, he took advantage of the situation, with his blade that now is dyed in black he slash towards the smaller ones.

With the simple swing of his straight sword, he decapitates the four subjects 'A-1' with ease as their head falls towards the ground, they died unknowing what happen to them in their final moment in the land of the living. With their death, their body spewed out black blood out of their necks like a water geyser and made a pool under their lifeless body.

And with another simple swing across the air a way to clean his sword off the blood that stick towards his blade when he killed the humanoid creature. After he sheaths his blade on its scabbard that is resting on his hips.

After he sheets his blade, he pulled out a dozen of vials from his chest of holding and harvest the unique black blood of subjects 'A' and 'A-1'. After he was done collecting the blood of the subject, he used some simple Sorceries that he makes to make the blood stay in a satiates or in a state of equilibrium. As he put it back in his chest of holding.

He retrieves a new set of items from his chest a simple rope. After that, he grabs the ropes, and retrieves the five dead bodies of subjected 'A' and 'A-1', and hangs them upside down from the many trees to drain them of their blood for his study on the internal working of the creature. For the heads of the four that he decapitated heads, he similar hang them to drain the blood that is still flowing down their necks.

His scholar's heart is burning with passion, he is very delighted he can examine this new creature that is humanoid in nature in body but also in souls that doesn't have any lingering humanity in them, or are they locked?

And that intrigues him because every creature should hold at the leash a small bit if humanity seems like it's been locked away or is this a curse that was afflicted to them but by who or what and why did they do this. he does not know what reason or purpose did this happen or afflicted them with this cursed.

Or maybe their greed did this to them and brought disaster to themself like that of the lost city of Izalith or is it a more similar thing that happen in the city of Oolacile, he does not know what reason he could only theorize about what could happen if he does don't have any more information than he has now even the information he holds is not even concrete only his rambling about this and experience that could have happened.

He knows that the greed of man and the gods to well, on his crusade to kill the gods and gaining knowledged he gain insight into the truth at the end everything is the root to the first sin that man and the gods committed that started the endless cycle of death and undeath and no rebirth.

The endless fire that burn the world to ash and left nothing more but endless suffering for the loss of purpose and deceived, fooled, and tricked by the gods, and the one that has a purpose for their existence in that dreadful place only to turn them into fuel for the flame that will burn everything... burn...death... ash... memories…my comrade… no no no don't leave….noooo…

When he was stuck in his own thoughts he didn't notice he was on his knees and holding his breath and his hand on his chest and neck he was hyperventilating his handshaking and his eyes dazed. and breath haggard he seems to be stuck in a nightmare of his own thoughts as the world around him turns back to the ash-filled world where the sun no longer shines and the moon does not rise at night.

when he is in this state the area around him started to burn by the heat that is generated from him the ground that he stan on turns to ash. his steal black armor and his red tattered cape could see ambers and cinder burning wildly.

Trees vegetation and the corpse that he hanged burn by the heat that emanates from him and slowly everything in the area near him turns to ash. The air around him one could say suffocating heavy to breathe.

The knight was still in his dazed state but with one of his shaky hands, he slowly hovers towards his sword hilts. After he reach the hilt, he pulled it out and.

*Swish*

The blade pierces his armor and his flesh as red crimson blood spews out but quickly burns to cinders after the blood left his body. he didn't stop at one time he did again and again subconsciously as the wound of his regenerated faster than he can stab himself. After a few more seconds pass by, he gains back from his thoughts still dazed similar to when he woke up in the morning after he just died and appear at the bonfire. When he was stuck on his own thoughts his armor regenerated quickly.

He looked at the once green area full of life now turning to a field of ash with no life, he could only sigh as his emotion seems to be very unstable after he absorbed the flame and arrived on this new plane of existence. he needs to take a breath and gain his bearing for a couple of days or maybe more as long as it takes. As he has all the time in the world now.

"Ahh..." he sighed with tiredness in his voice.

If another outbreak like this happens once more, he may burn this whole world or even this plane of existence to ash. As he doesn't want that kind of scenario to happen even if he could make another jump.

Though he needs to fix the mess first that he had made. with a wave of his hand's runes of different kinds flew around the area, the area that was turned to ash is now back to the green and full of life forest before his outbreak. After the area turns back to normal and not ash the runes turn to particles of lights that shine like fireflies in the night.

He nodded at himself and patted his own back with a job well done seems years of learning sorceries and runes seem to pay off for mundane moments like this. And a nice rest should help me in my thoughts and unstable emotion that I have now.

And about the experiment or examination about the being that he killed a moment ago maybe he can find another one of its kind. But from this short encounter, he can deduce there's more of them. But I Digress he should just relax for a couple of days and keep his emotion in check and not to think about this too deeply. Because time does not matter for him now even in the past he just needs to walk forward.

Maybe he should do some fishing or look at the scenery of this new world and just enjoy himself and why not try to paint as well maybe that could help him calm his unstable emotion, well no time better than the present.

He departed from his previous location as he adventures the area around him to find a stream, a lake, and maybe he could find a beach. He doesn't know where he is going as he is walking in unknown territory, and he likes the thrill of finding new places, treasures, and artifacts.

When he thinks about a new adventure he has a small smile under the visor of his armor.

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[1 Week Later]

You could see a man in black plated armor with a red tattered cape, sitting crossed leg as he holds a fishing pole near a lake with the grassy field now filled with flowers of different color and spices as animals from small to big sit around him.

He was quite enjoying himself with this new time of not worrying about death every moment. As the wind blow softly in the air and a warming ray of sunlight hits him, he doesn't mind living like this for eternity. But all good things or moments must come to an end with the passage of time as we must not dwell in the past too much and try to look upon the present or maybe the future.

"Ahhh… what even am I talking about." He sighed, he sometimes just rolled on a tangent with Philosophically thoughts as he has too much time alone with his own thoughts for eons.

When he was Loitering around the area near here, he didn't have much encounter with intelligent beings only animals from fish to weird new kinds of fishes that he caught of fishes the fishes that he caught was quite unique to put it into words.

And he now quite adores the shiny butterfly that shines in the night like fireflies it was one of the beautiful moments with the stars and the moon in the dark night sky in the background it was quite a moment to remember to reminiscent on.

But the time he to find any kind of Civilizations to know the new culture of this world and history to study. He slowly stood from his sitting location he as his red tattered cape flustered in the calming wind the animals near him didn't bother to move as they sleep soundlessly in the embrace of nature. Before he departed, he grabs the different kinds of flowers that were growing near him before he sets off on his journey.

[5 Hours Later]

{??? POV}

She was on her patrol near whispering woods as she patrols deeper into the forests than usual, she walked in the woods as she could only hear footsteps, birds chirps with joy as they bask in the gentle sunlight and with the gentle winds breeze softly in the air of the afternoon as it brings a sense of comfort towards her.

She was on patrol to see any hilichurl camps that has been reported a week ago with a sighting of a mitachurl around the whispering wood, but she didn't hear any more about it until she stumbles upon the report that she remembered, that was why she is going deeper to try to investigate to see what happen to the encampment of hilichurl.

From that alone, there must be something that killed it as there hasn't been any new report about them as the report only states the apparency of the hilichurl camped as it was quite close towards the city. There should have been a report of it but there isn't.

When she was still thinking about what could happen, she heard sounds of steal clanking in the path near her and the sound of birds. She quickly hides in the many vegetation in the forest. As she waited, but she didn't expect to find a knight in a full set of platted armor that is black as the night with a tattered red cape drape around his shoulders and a pauldron on his left shoulders, and tall very tall.

That she observes there were many birds that rested on his shoulders and helmet but the birds mostly flinch, but the weirdest thing is that he is holding a bouquet of flowers very stark contrast from the intimidating tall black knight that seems like an antagonist from a fairy tale.

she notices the knight stop in his tracks and suddenly disappear from her sights before she could even react, she could only see from his previous spot was the bouquet of flowers that he was holding and the birds that were resting on him was flying away. Suddenly sharp and cold tip was on her neck as she could only stare at the knight that is pointing his blade towards her neck.