Hello everyone. For those seeking more information other than what is shown in the summary, I don't have much more to offer than the fact that these are a series of oneshots involving my Chosen Undead and some odd, fun, heartwarming, and sorrow filled things that he does.
Firelink Shrine was a generally quiet place, having only the Firekeeper, the Handmaiden, and Andre inside of its blackened walls. Only sounds would flicker throughout this place, the only one of note being the constant and eternal rhythm of Andre bringing his hammer down on the cold steel of a small sword as he fixed each microscopic flaw, only for another to surface. It was peaceful for him, however.
The second sound would be the clinking of The Handmaiden's un-bought wares as she sorted and inspected their quality. Perfect of course, with maybe a little ash to brush off, and the warmth of an ember to admire. It had been so long since she had gotten another ash to create items with.
The third, and perhaps most faint sound in the Shrine was that of The Firekeeper's footsteps as she blindly yet perfectly traced the empty, ash covered halls yet again. Unlike The Handmaiden and Andre, she had no discernible purpose with the bonfire missing its sword, and ash being all that remains of its flame. So she was forced to be content with walking those halls.
This all changed when the Ashen One woke, fought his way through the graves and by Gundyr, and plunged the Coiled Sword into the Shrine Bonfire. To many the change would seem small, but to anyone living in the shrine, it would now seem alight with sound.
Now, the flames danced and crackled happily around the blade and bones in the fire pit. Sounds of the Firekeeper tending to the flame were often heard now. Not to mention the Ashen one himself.
A swordsman who appreciated the lesser known uses of sorceries, he often made conversation with anyone in the Shrine he could find. He most often spoke with Orbeck of Vinheim and Cornyx of The Great Swamp. They were his best sources of magical guidance.
He spoke with Ludleth about kingdoms before Lothric. He spoke with Hawkwood about being dragon, which was a mystery to him. To the amazement of everyone, The Ashen one was even able to coax a few words out of Horace the Hushed. How this was achieved was no actual effort on the Ashen One's part, but simply a silent challenge from Horace.
The two clashed for a short time, the Ashen One neglecting his Estus flask and few sorceries. Horace was skilled, but it was soon evident that the two warriors were matches in terms of skill and strength. So much that Horace held up his hand, panting behind his mask. The Ashen One waited, and a few words, barely more than a whisper, came forward.
"Fight well. Honorable." He said. Sensing this was an opportunity for any question, the Ashen One acted fast. "You as well, but why do you challenge me?"
Horace managed to look put off under his mask, but lowered his head, and answered. "To know you. Know your blade." The Ashen one pressed. "Why not ask me?"
"Words useless. Waste of breath." Horace sheathed his sword, in essence saying that he would speak no more. The Ashen One nodded, sheathing his own blade and bowing respectfully.
Everyone else in the Shrine was watching, albeit some more discreetly than others. While Anri and The Firekeeper openly gawked at Horace speaking, Andre simply glanced back to them every now and then, listening while keeping himself busy. He smiled to himself.
While the Ashen One spoke to everyone in Firelink Shrine, most of his attention was payed towards Andre, The Handmaiden, and The Firekeeper. He longed to figure out certain mysteries about them. How did The Firekeeper transpose souls into his strength, where did The Handmaiden produce her wares from, and why did Andre not have a forge?
Most questions he had went unanswered or understood. When asked about her storage, The Handmaiden simply laughed him off. When asked about not having a forge or grindstone, Andre glared as if it was a sore subject. The Firekeeper's explanation about how she made him stronger made little sense.
Even with such few questions answered, The Ashen one discovered that they each had their own small sanctuaries in their tasks to aid him. Andre was a blacksmith by heart, and enjoyed working on new and interesting weapons, stating that he liked the challenge they gave him. The Handmaiden found small happiness in sharing the story of whatever item she had.
The Firekeeper, by her namesake was utterly content tending to the flame. She picked and poked at the coals of the flame when they were low and kindled them until the tongues of heat rose nearly to the hilt of the Coiled Sword. Simply basking in the warm glow made her happy. Like the Ashen One, she herself was found laying near the Shrine Bonfire from time to time.
Firelink Shrine was always a peaceful place, but now it was joyful, graced with the presence of The Chosen Undead, with more personality left in him than any other in the cycle. He was a step from human, and in some ways, still was. Each resident of the Shrine always awaited his return from his journeys.
Well there you have it, I know it is a small, setup chapter, but it was all that was needed for the small bits of plot. The other chapters probably wont be much bigger, but will come out somewhat faster than my other stories because of that. Until the next one, have a good day.
Feel free to PM me with any ideas you have pertaining to this particular story.
