Epilogue: All things end, and all things begin

.

Surrounded by gold and recently repaired marble, there was a vast number of people dressed in finery who were standing, waiting for the ceremony to begin.

It had been nearly a year since the world had been reborn in the fires of the First Flame, and things were changing rapidly for everyone who had been involved.

So much had been lost, and so many had been displaced, that trying to rebuild the world was going to take decades, if not centuries.

According to Gwyndolin, this was the worst Cycle since the first one. The Abyss had nearly crawled out of its prison thanks to the insane Hexers who followed a wheelchair bound man. Erik had spent some time with the Dark Sisters hunting down this Abyss seeking covenant, and with his newfound godly powers sealed off the Shadow Altars.

Not to mention Nahr Alma had run amok, murdering gods and mortals alike as the world ended. And Chaos had threatened to erupt in Eleum Loyce, and so many other issues needed handling at the same time, many of them due to Aldia's experiments.

Erik and his fellow newborn gods had had their work cut out for them. Now, though, emergency repairs had been carried out on Drangleic castle and a few other buildings to allow for an elegant show of power for the visiting dignitaries.

From every corner of the world they came, all eager to greet their champions and new lords. The old gods still clung to their scraps of power, and only a few cults remained that were loyal. Still, they would be dealt with in time. Out with the old, in with the new.

Erik paced around, draped in gold and purple. His outfit was identical to the one his past self had once worn, according to Gwyndolin.

"Stop your wandering, Erik," a strong voice called out. The chef glanced over to a man in stunning crimson armor.

"Sorry, Vengarl. It's just so nerve wracking! I mean, these are people I'm going to be ruling over, now! I have to make laws, and tell them how to do this and that! And I have no idea how to do so!"

"Just do what you did in the Kiln with all that honor and nobility talk and you'll be fine," the formerly headless knight said. He had changed immensely after the First Flame was linked. Most noticeable was his armor. The rust had been scoured off, revealing ruby-red metal of unknown origin. As for himself, his hair had turned flowing and elegant, while he was now over ten feet tall.

Vengarl was a god now. Blessed by the First Flame, he was part of the new pantheon alongside Erik.

"It's time!" A voice called out. Benhart hurried over, dressed in elegant gold and silver armor. He was taller and more muscular looking, and his giant glowing sword looked like a normal sized one for him.

He was now a demigod. Not a full god, but for his act in slaying a dragon the Flame had blessed him with great power beyond what he normally would have earned.

Erik nodded, and shared a look with Vengarl. The beast of a man slapped the chef jovially and they headed out into the audience hall in Drangleic castle. Before them were arrayed the dignitaries from a dozen kingdoms.

Lords and ladies, resplendent in silks and jewels, watched with bated breath as a series of divine figures stepped into view.

Gwyndolin appeared next, his robe long enough to hide his twist limbs as he glided across the floor.

"Ye all who hath come here, I bid thee welcome," the Darksun began, his words archaic and fancy to set the mood. "I, the Darksun, am here to crown the new pantheon, as is befitting mine role as Shepard of the First Flame."

"Kneel before the God of War, Vengarl! He who slew Nahr Alma the Murderous, who struck down Veldstadt the Ruinous, who avenged those murdered by the Demon of Song!"

Cheers and applause were rather muted. Most people, especially those in Lindelt, remembered the bloody legends of the infamous Butcher. He took it in stride though, and gave a nod to the assembled heroes.

"Kneel before the Goddess of Love, Mytha! She who banished Ichorous Earth, who brought fire to the Frozen North, who united lovers and defended that bond!"

Mytha was next. She had been blessed beyond measure. Already a beautiful woman, her radiance was now stunning. She wore red and gold robes styled after the Pyromancers and Handmaidens who had come with her to Alken, but instead of a hood let her luminous raven hair flow free. She needed no make-up to show off her full red lips or sensuous figure, and she winked flirtatiously at the crowd.

"Kneel before the God of Wisdom, Carhillion! He who learned the secrets of the Soul, who comprehended the will of the world, who made the powers of sorcery bend to his commands!"

The sorcerer from Melfia was the next to be granted divinity. It was a surprise to him and everyone, but he took it in stride. Especially when the blessing reversed his age significantly, so he looked like a man in his forties rather than his late seventies. Sorcery crackled about his frame, showing off his immense magical capacity. He was shooting smug looks at the Melfian delegation, which included some of the inner circle who had once tried to belittle him and drive him out.

"Kneel before the God of Storms, Saulden! He who fought the twisted nightmares of the Rotting Forest, who aided in the slaughter of the Brotherhood of Blood, and who struck down the Sea Beast!"

This too was an interesting one. He had once been a Monarch Candidate, so his souls was already worthy enough for divinity. But he had given it all up. Perhaps he had redeemed himself in the First Flame's eyes by aiding in the battle against Aldia. As such, he had been granted a chunk of its power. The mopey knight had been surprised, and then annoyed at the realization he'd have to keep doing paperwork. Covenant masters had it hard enough!

"Kneel before the Goddess of Earth, Chloanne! She who banished a Demon of Gluttony, who delved the secrets of Titanite, who struck out against the Abyss!"

Another of the surprises. As one of Erik's companions, she had seen much, and earned great power and favor. He knowledge of Titanite had only grown since then, and now she could shape the earth with her mind. Of course, her figure also got a massive boost from the divinity. Her already stunning bosom was now explosively large, and was barely contained in her black and gold stress. Her brown hair wavered ethereally, no longer held in her pony tail.

"And finally, kneel before the one who reignited the First Flame and ended the Curse of the Undead! Praise the God of Unity, Erik! He who saved instead of slew, who vanquished the deepest evils and saved the world from those who sought to end the world!"

Thunderous applause roared out as Erik stepped up to accept his new authority. Nearby, all the other people who had joined him stood. Not merely as humans though. The First Flame had turned them into Demigods so they could stand at his side in the new world order.

All except Shanalotte, though she watched the ceremony from the shadows of the back room.

Erik stared out over the crowd, and smiled. This was going to be interesting. Not all of the new gods had been found yet, so he had to find those next. And finish repair Drangleic's infrastructure. And oh god this was going to take a long time!

"Finally! I thought I was going to be stuck standing there forever! All that handshaking and kowtowing!" Erik shook his head in disbelief.

"There, there. Don't worry too much. At least it's over now." Shanalotte stepped over to him, a bundle of cloth held tightly in her arms.

"Yeah. It's going to be lonely in here," Erik said. Vengarl was leaving for Forossa to rebuild his home. As the successor to the God of Knights, Vengarl was going to bring this bandit ridden kingdom to its former glory.

Raime was going to be acting as Erik's agent for the Dark Ones. With the First Flame reborn, the Sisters needed someone to protect them, especially with Nashandra dead. So the former knight took up the duty as guardian. He was supposedly thinking of forming a Covenant based on protecting his new mistresses, while also protecting regular people from rampant Abyss outbreaks and keeping idiots away from pursuing the Dark.

Mytha was rebuilding Alken with the aid of Chloanne. It was to be a new kingdom to stand alongside Erik's. It would take years to clear away all the dried lava and slagged buildings.

Carhillion was headed to Melfia to reorganize the sorcerers and teach them common sense. Now that he had the power to change them, he was going to take the chance.

Saulden and the Twin Azure Orders were being repurposed as the local defenders of the land while the repairs were underway. Eventually they'd be made into a regular army led by Erik and Saulden.

As for the rest, they were scattered across the land, helping fix up Drangleic while staking their claims on new homes, treasures, and duties. It was going to be a while before they came back.

Erik's musings were cut short by a faint whimper, and his face immediate twisted in a loving expression.

"May I?" He asked, and Shanalotte held out the bundle in her arms. He took it reverently and looked down at the result of him and the Emerald Herald 'celebrating' Aldia's demise after he'd linked the First Flame.

A beautiful baby girl lay nestled in soft purple and black cloth, pale white skin contrasting sharply with her rich black hair.

"She's beautiful," Shanalotte murmured, stroking the soft, black hair of her child. Erik grinned down at his wife, planting a kiss on her forehead with a saucy grin.

"She truly is. She has your eyes, after all," The chef-turned-god said with a loving look at their precious daughter. Indeed, the child of the two Enkindled Gods of Drangleic was an angelic babe. Her skin was smooth and free of blemishes with a hue like alabaster. Her head was covered in a thick, unruly patch of silky black hair that would no doubt be a marvel when she was older.

Finally, there were her eyes. One brown with black iris, the other purple with a sapphire core. Both orbs looking up at her parents with childish love and wonder.

"Oh, Rosaria. You truly have a great future," Shanalotte sighed joyfully, a touch of moistness spilling into her own eyes. It was a name the two of them had agreed on long before the birth. It was a name that had been chosen by the baby's grandmother, after all.

"We'll raise her properly. She won't forget the sacrifices of the past, or the burdens of the future," Erik replied solemnly.

"Pardon my intrusion." The happy couple looked up to see Gwyndolin slither in.

"May I?" The elder God asked, hands outstretched. Erik nodded and passed Rosaria over. She smiled up at the youthful god, giggling as she tried to grab his mask-crown-thing.

"She is truly remarkable," the Darksun praised. He then frowned. "But cursed, just like I."

Erik frowned and comforted his wife. They had known since she was born that Rosaria would be special. The Darksun had sadly confirmed it then, and again today.

"Do you have any idea how it happened?"

"A miracle," Gwyndolin said. "Normally, gods cannot give birth. My sister gave birth to Priscilla due to her partner being non-human. Same for this situation. After all, the First Flame can only do so much. Shanalotte was a homunculus created by Aldia. She was not fully human. Even if her ancestry included the reincarnation of the Witch of Izalith and another Daughter of Chaos. And that is why she was able to give birth."

The Darksun sighed. "Hail Rosaria, Goddess of Rebirth. She will be like me, separate from the whims of the Cycle. She will not lose her godly power until the day the First Flame dies."

"I will keep her safe when you two lose your powers. In may take thousands of years for the Cycle to come again, but I will be ready to step in and keep Rosaria safe."

"Thank you, Gwyndolin," Erik said. The Darksun passed his daughter back.

"I do what is necessary. For the Flame, and for my first friend," Gwyndolin assured. He turned away.

"Goodbye, you two. I will likely not see you again. My duties will keep me busy, as will yours. Live well."

He vanished into a portal, leaving the couple alone with their baby.

"Shall we adjourn to the bedroom? I made some dinner, and have some candles. We can make it a romantic evening," Erik offered after a moment, waggling his eyebrows.

Shanalotte smiled. "I'd like that."

Hand in hand, they walked off, eager joy easily overcoming their apprehensions of the future.

In a desecrated world covered in ash and cinders, a lone being trudged through filth. he was aglow with the final sparks of the First Flame. His duty was an odd one. Not to link the legendary source of souls, but to kill it. It was finally time to let it die, and usher in a new world.

He was the Ashen One, Enkindled to remake the world. He was the Unkindled, an empty husk from the past, his memories blank. He knew only his mission, given to him by a strange, crying hermaphrodite with snake legs.

He paused in front of a grand, yet ruined, cathedral, mind swirling with thoughts. Why was he doing this? Why was he sad when he saw the strange being crying over his coffin as he woke? He shrugged, and entered.

Inside it was chilly, the sun not touching it, and the shadows deep and thick. A woman with silky pale hair wearing a black dress and a tiara over her eyes greeted him.

"Welcome to the bonfire, Unkindled One. I am a Firekeeper. I tend to the flame, and tend to thee..." She trailed off, her rehearsed speech faltering as she 'gazed' upon the newcomer.

She had seen many people, even after the removal of her eyes. Even that could not stop her from sensing souls.

Undead, both Hollowed and still clinging to sanity. Ordinary mortals, trapped or fleeing the dead city long ago. Demonic beings and Abyssal abominations, all hungry for souls. Gods, who perished one by one until only two remained.

And Unkindled by the boatload. Yet never before had she 'seen' a being like this one.

A vast, pulsing soul, purest white stained with gold. Such a bizarre soul she had never seen before!

It felt familiar as well. Like it belonged to a friend she had not seen forever. Or something deeper than that. More meaningful than mere 'friends.'

He approached, and a look of confusion came upon him.

"My lady, this might seem strange to you, but I have the feeling I've met you before. Have we?"

"That would be impossible, my lord. I have never seen you before in my life."

'But why does my heart and soul ache for me so badly?' She thought.

"Strange. I too have never met you before, and to be honest much of my past is a blur. I Remember dying, becoming an Undead, then nothing but blackness. Little else. Yet somehow my soul feels... connected to you."

He took a step forward. "May I see your eyes?"

She shook her head. "No! It would be a sin!"

He frowned, then took another step. Then another. And another, until he was in front of her. He reached out, faster than she could react, and removed her crown.

At first she sputtered indignantly, but something strange happened. As the metal blindfold was taken away, fire tingled in her empty sockets, and she with a scream she collapsed.

"Oh gods, I'm sorry!" he knelt beside her, worry on his face. He helped her to her feet, apologizing profusely.

"Tis fine, no harm... done?" the Firekeeper muttered, again losing her voice. She could see. She could SEE!

The dirt, the rust, the ash, the ruin... everything was there! She reached up with trembling hands to her face, and instead of finding empty sockets dripping with liquid Humanity, she found actual eyeballs!

She quickly turned to look at the man who had done this to her.

Messy dark hair, with bizarrely innocent eyes. Armed not with a sword or staff, but a simple knife and a glowing hand full of Pyromancy. And above all else, an easy, kind smile that seemed so out of place in this dismal realm, yet at the same time so right to be upon his face.

When the smile was turned upon her the Firekeeper felt her heart skip a beat. Why?

"You have such beautiful eyes," he complimented, leaning in close. "One is purple and blue, the other brown and green."

He tenderly reached out and caressed a strand of her hair. A fiery blushed cover the Firekeeper's face at his words and actions.

"Who are you?" She mumbled, embarrassed.

"I don't know," he admitted, looking out over the ruins of the world. "But I do know I'd like to get to know you better. How about a nice meal?"

"You can cook?" She asked, surprised.

A look of bewilderment came over the Unkindled.

"Huh. I guess I can. I didn't know I could, either!" he laughed and led the Firekeeper over to the bonfire, still holding her hand.

Maybe this mission of his in this apocalypse wouldn't be so bad after all!

.

\\~~~/

And that's all, folks!

It's been a wild ride and a lot of fun writing this story, but i wouldn't have it any other way!

As I mentioned in last chapter's Author Notes, I will be taking a break from writing for a bit to focus on the more annoying and mundane aspects of life. When I come back, I do not know what I will be writing. I don't have any plans for a DS 3 or Bloodborne sequel, only because I have not played/finished playing them. I might experiment with a few omakes though, using Erik and his past and future selves to frame what happened then-and-now. Not sure about it, though.

Thanks for reading though!