This is insane! With only two chapters I've not only received great encouragement, but also exceeded Remnants of a Friend in favorites and followers and am catching up in reviews! I can't express how grateful I am of you guys. So thank-you to every single one of you and I hope I continue to bring you guys and gals stories that make you look forward to every update.

Important Questions Answered Below :

How was the Ashen One able to hurt Ruby? - A few people have asked how the Ashen One was able to hurt Ruby even though she had aura. First of all, Ruby had been fighting without rest for quite some time before the breach and then during it, so I imagine her aura levels would be close to empty or at least low (You can see in the beginning of Season 2 Episode 12 that all of team RWBY is breathing pretty hard). The second reason that you need to take into account is that the weapons of Dark Souls are enhanced with titanite shards, chunks, and slabs plus the sharp gems I use in game. Thirdly, in my mind that while Aura is mostly automatic, I like to think you can strengthen/weaken its field of coverage in certain places with aura manipulation (I.E. Ren in the beginning of Season One with the King Taijitu) With those three things the Ashen One was able to cut through what was left of Ruby's aura pretty easily. Take note that the Ashen One WILL NOT be able to just cut through the aura of every opponent he fights, don't worry about that.

BlueBlender - You pointed out that I shouldn't have explained what was going on with Oobleck at the end of the previous chapter. So I went back and changed that, thank you for pointing it out.

What stats does the Ashen One have?- Several people have asked what level the Ashen One's stats are at. He's not max level and isn't overpowered. None of his skills are over forty (I.E. Dex, Vitality). His strength isn't REALLY high, but the Ashen One is pretty strong and will be able to push back most hunters in the RWBYverse unless they specialize in strength like Yang. The only skill above forty is his Faith which is at forty-five to cast the high level miracles (I.E. Lighting Storm and Soothing Sunlight). Take into account that the high level miracles and pyromancies will completely drain his Focus Points. While he does have a decent amount of FP he doesn't a ton of it.

Doesn't the Firekeeper have sight? - A of you have pointed out that to do the ending I did, I would of had to give the Firekeeper the Eyes of a Firekeeper. A writer could choose one of two ways to interpret the use for them. I decided that while the Firekeeper did implant them into herself, they didn't give her typical sight. She said that she saw a "World without Fire". That doesn't sound like normal sight to me. Mix that with how she reacted to all your emotes in game before getting the eyes, I think that she has some sort of Sixth Sense type thing that allows her to "See".

What gear does the Ashen One use? - Many people have asked what gear the Ashen One is using. I apologize for not describing it by now, but I did that on purpose. I think that the Ashen One wouldn't describe what he's wearing because he knows what it is. Just know that all of you will find out later this chapter when Ruby asks about his weapons (We all know she will :D). For a picture of his armor, look at the cover art (If you're on a smart phone and can't see the cover art, I say what the Ashen One is using in the chapter).

I hope that answers all of your guy's questions, so let us get down to it :)

I grip my weapon tighter and narrowed my eyes as the blond woman became more and more agitated by my silence. Making the purple magic reappear, the woman, once again, spoke in a language we couldn't understand. The Firekeeper turned back to the crazed man, "Please calm thy companion down, milord rarely speaks anymore. I will answer whatever questions thy has to the best of my ability."

The man took a few seconds to figure out what the Firekeeper said before nodding his head. Turning to the blond woman, he pushed her riding crop down and explaining to her. After a few minutes of heated discussion, the woman dissipated the magic with a huff and nodded to the man. Smiling widely, the man collapsed his weapon and…drank from it?

Flipping through several more pages of his journal, the man ran his finger over the text, "Do you hav-have any, any," he shook his head and muttered to himself while flipping a few more pages, "any proof?"

The Firekeeper thought for a few seconds, "We can show thee the place we were entombed." My gaze shot from where it had been focused on the blond woman to face the Firekeeper in concern. As if sensing my thoughts, the Firekeeper added, "As long as thee promises to not disturb the sealed areas."

The man cocked his head to the side, "Entombed? How are you alive if you were entombed?"

"Magic made milord and I sleep, that is all I will say of that. But does thy promise not to disturb the souls who rest in the sealed areas?" The Firekeeper seemed to stare straight into the man's eyes from behind her tiara. The man nodded his head before translating the conversation to the woman and the group of four girls while the others had went off in different directions at the woman's direction. As the man talked, I could tell the adults and most of the children (The red cloaked girl went all starry-eyed) were skeptical of the Firekeeper's claims, but all nodded.

The man turned back to us and bowed his head slightly, "My name is Bartholomew Oobleck." He turned to the woman, "This is Glynda Goodwitch." He then pointed to the red cloaked girl, "This is Ruby Rose, leader of team RWBY." Then the white themed girl, "Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust company." Next was the girl with a black bow on her head, "Blake Belladonna." He then pointed to the yellow themed maiden who had a beautiful head of hair and violet eyes but wore clothes that no Lady would of been caught dead in, "And lastly this is Yang Xiao-Long, Ruby's older sister."

The Firekeeper bowed deeply in return, "I am the Firekeeper and milord," she motioned for me to put away my blade, which I did grudgingly, "is the Ashen One, or Unkindled." I bowed.

The now named Oobleck scratched his head and muttered Firekeeper to himself over and over again before snapping his fingers in realization, "Firekeeper was a, a, a position of high esteem that was mentioned many times in the archaeological digs I took part in!" His face then scrunched up in thought, "What should we call you, what are your names?"

I shifted uncomfortably, unused to be in company that wasn't trying to kill me whilst the Firekeeper remained stoic, "I gave up my name when I became the Fire's caretaker and milord does not remember his." She then pointed at the entrance to the tunnels, "If thee still wishes to see the shrine then we must descend." Receiving a nod, the Firekeeper turned and began walking into the doorway, motioning for the others to follow her. I fell in beside my charge with a torch in my hand to keep guard in case any more of those demons we ran into before were still around.

After a few minutes of quiet discussion between Sir Oobleck and the Firekeeper we reached the caved in door. As I began pondering on how we were going to get through without my miracles, the blond woman slipped in front of me and pulled back her riding crop back before thrusting it forward sharply, causing the rocks and debris to fly outward in a shower of dust and crashing stone. Bowing my head in thanks to the woman, which she hesitantly returned, I pulled my sword free which prompted Lady Rose to gasp and go all starry eyed once again once it was free of its sheath.

Ignoring the staring, I motioned for the others to stay put as I took a hesitant step into the tunnel, knowing something would be lurking in the shadows. My caution proved to be well placed as a lycanthrope lunged at me from behind some rocks when my back was turned, causing me to stumble forward and drop my sword as its claws raked across the shield on my back. Hearing several shouts of alarm, I knew the others had seen my predicament but knew they would be unable to cast any spells or swing a weapon easily without hitting me. Rolling into the stumble, I turned around just in time for the beast to knock me onto my back and try to bury its fangs in my exposed neck.

Hands shooting up, I held the beast's upper muzzle with my left and lower with my right and held him back as it snarled and dripped spittle onto me. Silently grunting with exertion, I pulled my hands apart and, with a sickening crunch, ripped the beast's lower jaw off causing it to fall back onto its haunches howling in agony. Knowing the pain of having body parts ripped off of your person, jaw included, I jumped to my feet and wrapped an arm around the beast's neck and sharply tugged. With a snap, the beast fell limp in my arms and began dissipating.

Glancing around, I spot my sword resting at my feet and stooped down to pick it up. As I did so, another beast jumped at me from the shadows, intent on avenging its fallen pack brother. Before I could do anything, a loud bang reverberated through the tunnel as the beast's head exploded, showering me in blood and brain-matter. Surprised, I turned back to the entrance to find Lady Rose pointing a strange metal object whose color matched her name in the direction of the beast's disappearing corpse.

Figuring it was some strange form of pyromancy or crossbow, I sheathed my blade and gave the young lady a dignified bow in thanks before motioning the others to follow me to Firelink. Falling in behind me, no one uttered a sound as we traversed the cave. Jagged, smooth, and broken stones surrounded us, and now that I could take a closer look, I saw evidence that confused me. Stopping for a second to inspect a charred stone, I realized the tunnel must of been collapsed with several high leveled pyromancies, but I couldn't think of any powerful enough to do this amount of damage.

During my contemplation, my eyes wandered to the left and found footprints. Shifting over to take a closer look, I saw that whoever left them had unknowingly walked through the soot. At the sound of falling pebbles, I spun around in time to see a man dressed in white armor and mask jumping off a rock above Lady Schnee with a sword in hand screaming something at the top of his lungs. All I was able to make out "SCHNEE", but it mattered not what he was saying, for his intent was clear.

Not wasting any time, I willed whatever dregs of magic I had left to take form as a flame in my left palm. Flicking my wrist, a whip of searing fire shot forth and wrapped around the attacker's neck. Tugging harshly, the man flew towards me, fear welling in his eyes as he saw himself heading straight for my blade. With a gurgled scream due to his melting throat, the man couldn't do a thing but watch as he drew nearer and nearer to my drawn sword. Slamming his eyes shut in fear, the last thing the assassin's mind registered was the cold feeling of metal cutting into his stomach, then nothing more as I cleaved him in half, splattering myself in blood.

Almost immediately, I felt the familiar feeling of absorbing another's soul as the body disintegrated into whips of white smoke. I…can't really explain how it feels. Trying thinking of what it's like to come down from an adrenaline high and instantly have your own knowledge and prowess increased. However at that moment, everything you took in is clouded and confusing, you're unable to completely process it. But at the same time it's unimaginable, and I rarely get the chance to really reflect on what I was feeling, and sadly, this was not to be one of those times.

Almost as quick as I felt myself absorb the soul, I also felt the anger and fear radiating from the everyone but the Firekeeper behind me. Opening my eyes, I shift my gaze from the spot the body had laid mere seconds ago at my feet to the Firekeeper standing between the group and I. Looking up at the group in front of us, I tried to figure out what they were so angry about. The man obviously wished for Lady Schnee's blood, and would have possibly succeeded if I had not intervened. Did they wish for their companions death? Surely not.

Looking at the adults of the group, they seemed to hold more distrust than anger with the exception of Lady Goodwitch who was gritting her teeth. The children did indeed have anger, but I felt more fear and confusion coming from them. It was only when Lady Goodwitch took a step forward did I realize another thing, "WHY…KILL HIM!" Her words were nearing something I could understand, but not completely.

Still confused about their anger, I shrugged my shoulders in an attempt to calm them down. In hindsight not the best answer because Lady Goodwitch's anger seemed to double, "Ignoring…fact that…could have questioned…man, do…not care that you just…a life, quite brutally…add?"

I tilted my head to the side in confusion. If I was understanding correctly then they were upset at my taking of a life. This reaction…confused me. I looked at the Firekeeper uncertainly when a thought came forth. Stepping towards her, I took a knee and bowed my head, causing the others to join me in my confusion.

The Firekeeper understood my intentions and bowed her head, "Very well. Touch the darkness within me. Take nourishment in these sovereignless souls" Searching the bottomless well that was my soul, or rather the endless patchwork quilt of other souls that made up my own, I plucked the newest one and gave it forth to the Firekeeper.

All the others saw was a white mist rolling off my body and forming a small white ball in the Firekeeper's cupped hands. Studying the squirming soul cradled in her hands, the Firekeeper bowed her head in concentration and comforted the soul, trying to convince it to allow itself to be given a new home in her lord. As every soul before, the ball slowly stopped squirming and eventually formed a perfect sphere in her hands. Raising her head, the Firekeeper lowered her hands and let the calmed soul take its place within myself.

Raising to my feet, both the Firekeeper and I turned back to everyone as they tried to figure out what we were doing. The Firekeeper stepped forward and bowed deeply, "Allow me to officially introduce ourselves to thee. I am the Firekeeper, caretaker of the First Flame." She motioned towards me, "Milord is the Ashen One or Unkindled." I pressed a fist against my breast and bowed my head.

As the Firekeeper spoke, the anger turned into pure confusion. Lady Goodwitch's eyes then narrowed in suspicion, "Why did you lie about not being able to speak about our language?"

The Firekeeper shook her head, "We did not lie to thee, the knowledge was only just given to us."

The suspicion grew, "It's not possible to just learn a language in a few seconds. Who. Are. You."

"I told you, I am the Fireke-"

Lady Goodwitch scowled, "No, who are you? Who do you work for? What was your purpose of leading us down here? Answer me!"

I subtly gripped my sword, preparing myself for a fight in case things took a turn for the worse. I did not know the children's capabilities other than the fact that the Lady Xiao-Long is much stronger than she appears to be. Sir Oobleck and Sir Port looked like they were experienced but I've faced worse. It was Lady Goodwitch that worried me. She seemed to have a VERY dangerous control over sorceries. It would be prudent to take care of her first.

Seeming to sense my uneasiness, the Firekeeper took my hand off of my blade before turning back to the group, "We have not lied to thee. I am the Firekeeper, milord is the Ashen One. We are not linked with any other power than our own. And our purpose of bringing thee down here was to show thee proof of what we have stated."

The Firekeeper and Lady Goodwitch seemed to have a staring match, as if daring the other to call them out. After a few tense seconds Sir Oobleck stepped forward, "If I may Glynda, their story is far too grand for it to be a lie. We should give them a chance to prove themselves before we condemn them of crimes they may or may not of committed."

The two women continued to stare at each other for another couple seconds before Lady Goodwitch huffed and crossed her arms, "Very well, where is this place you wished to show us?"

The Firekeeper pointed behind them, "The entrance is right there."

Everyone turned but only saw rubble. Looking around, Lady Xiao-Long crossed her arms and leaned against the wall while shooting us a small glare, "There's nothing here. Get lost or something?" I stepped forward and knocked my sword against the wall she was leaning against. Suddenly everyone saw the wall become translucent and watched as their blond friend fall backwards through the hole with a yelp of surprise. Landing on her back, Lady Xiao-Long sat up rubbing her head and glaring heatedly at me, "WHAT THE HELL?" I shrugged, but she knew a small grin was tugging at the corner of my mouth, something that felt quite foreign to me. Stepping through the hole, I offered my hand to the ladies as they stepped inside.

Once everyone was inside, the Firekeeper willed flame to burst into life in the sconces, lighting Firelink as it was throughout my entire venture in Lothric. Gasps escaped from everyone as they saw their surroundings. This was especially true for Sir Oobleck as he zipped around at great speeds, inspecting any carving his eyes found, "INCREDIBLE! Perfectly preserved Old Age architecture!"

Lady Goodwitch looked closely at the Firekeeper and I, "How will you prove what you said is true?"

The Firekeeper motioned for everyone to follow her, "There is a story wall depicting milord's journey to link the First Flame."

Sir Oobleck was practically shaking in excitement, "No amount of digs I'll ever take part in could ever hope to add up to all this! Everything is in near perfect condition. It's as if the entire place had been-" He suddenly stopped and looked at us closely, "As if it were sealed, frozen in time."

Neither the Firekeeper nor I stopped walking as we led them down the stairs, "We did not lie to thee." The Firekeeper said simply as we walked into the hallway below the entrance. Reaching the spot where the Shrinemaiden used to reside, the Firekeeper motioned for Sir Oobleck to inspect the carving.

Reaching up to brush off some dust, the historian studied each carving one by one, all while muttering to himself. Upon reaching the final image Sir Oobleck stopped his muttering and studied the stone closely while motioning towards Lady Goodwitch, "Glynda, come look at this."

Huffing before walking over, Lady Goodwitch leaned over Sir Oobleck's shoulder, "What did you find?"

He pointed at the final image that depicted a highly detailed carving of the Firekeeper and I waiting by the dormant bonfire. Lady Goodwitch stared at the carving for several seconds before muttering to her companion not knowing I could hear them, "Is what they're saying possible? Have they really been sealed up in here for who knows how long?"

Oobleck shook his head while shrugging, "I honestly don't know Glynda, I just don't know. As a Historian, my knee-jerk reaction is to call them liars, say it's impossible. But there's just so much we don't know about the world before the discovery of dust." He then subtly glanced at me as I stood guard behind the Firekeeper, "And as a Huntsman I can tell that saying we're underestimating that man is an understatement that Ozpin could only dream of making."

Before I could hear any more on this Ozpin person, I felt a hesitant tap on my arm. Turning away from Sir Oobleck and Lady Goodwitch, who continued to hold whispered conversation, I found Lady Rose standing before me with the other children behind her. For some reason she was looking down and poking her pointer fingers together nervously while scuffing the ground with her foot.

"-understand us?" I raised my brow in confusion at her quiet muttering. Was something wrong? Had a beast followed us in so she was keeping her voice down?

Lady Schnee rolled her eyes with a sigh, "What our nervous wreck of a leader is trying to ask is if you can understand us now?"

I nod, which seemed to give Lady Rose a bit more confidence as she stopped tracing circles on the ground with her foot and look up at me hopefully, "Can-can I see your sword please?"

I tilt my head to the side in confusion. Why would she wish to see my blade? From what I've seen her weapon was far more advanced than my own, seeming to double as a six foot scythe and some sort of fire thrower. Seeing my confusion, Lady Xiao-Long pulled Lady Rose's hood over her head with a chuckle, "Rubes is just a weapons geek. She likes to look at any and every weapon and piece of armor she can, no matter how simple or complex it is."

Thinking for a moment, I shrug. What harm could it do? From what I've seen they seem to be proficient with weaponry and how to safely inspect one. Taking the sheathed sword from my belt, I hand it over to the rose themed maiden who was literal shaking with excitement. As she reached out to take the sword into her hands I slightly lifted it away and looked at her expectantly through the T-silt of my helmet.

Knowing what I was telling her, Lady Rose nodded her head, "I'll be careful, I promise." Giving her a single nod, I place the sword in her waiting hands and take a step back to give her room. Pulling the sword out about a foot, nothing particularly noteworthy was seen other than a beautifully carved back of the sword that wasn't meant to do damage.

It was only when Lady Rose pulled the sword further out of the sheath did she stop and stare at the sword along with the other maidens. One side was completely normal with a razor sharp edge capable and rending through the hides of demons and the armor of Gods. As impressive as that is, it's the second side of the blade that was attention grabbing.

A serrated edge wouldn't be a good way to describe it. Brutal doesn't fit either. Demonic is a step closer but not quite. It's not that the sword is oozing black ichor or that wisps of ghostly smoke was wafting off it. No, it just looks like a weapon that no noble hero or honor-bound knight would even touch. Vicious, now there's the word I would use to describe my weapon. Teeth, dozens of them curved backwards that have one job. Tear, rip, and lust for blood. Thus it was given its name…Bloodlust.

All the girls, except Lady Rose surprisingly, looked intimidated by the weapon. As Ruby inspected the blade with the same amount of attention Sir Oobleck showed earlier, Lady Schnee wrinkled her nose at the sight of the teeth, "In all due respect this looks like the weapon of a barbarian, not of a warrior of your status." I raised an eyebrow again, only this time I wasn't sure to feel insulted or to take that as a compliment.

"This…is…AWESOME!" I turn to look at Lady Rose as she took in every centimeter of the sword with bated breath, "Even though it's just a normal sword, it's very impressive. Reinforced with something or somethings, beautifully carved, and if you stab something then the teeth will do immense amounts of damage when you pull the sword out." She then ran her finger down the blood-channel, "Somethings different about the fuller," she looked up at me, "does it serve a special purpose?"

I think for a moment. Bloodlust does have an alternate way to use it, but it's not a nice transition from the first to the second. Deciding that I shouldn't tell her, I shook my head causing the girl to pout, "Ahhhh, I was hoping for some super awesome attack or alternate form to the weapon." Her mood then did a complete twist as she went all starry-eyed again, "But anyways the sword is beautifully crafted, even if it is a little vicious."

Handing the sword back to me, Lady Rose then practically pressed her nose against my breastplate making me very uncomfortable, "What kind of armor is this? I've never seen anything like it."

Not wanting to be rude, I stood still as I thought about what she said. I'm sure that's true, my armor is definitely unique when compared to most other sets. The best steel was used to craft a breast and backplate, as well as armored plates that cover my shoulders and reach down to meet metal gauntlets, all attached by leather straps and bits of chainmail. Underneath the armor is a sturdy greenish teal coat that can be seen between each segment of armor. The coat extends down to my ankles, protecting the back of my legs while leaving the front open. Across my shoulders sits the pelt of a white wolf that provides warmth as well as additional protection, however slight it is.

But the most attention grabbing part of the armor is the helmet. Made of the same steel as the rest of the armor, it covers the entirety of my head leaving only a T-slit for me to see through. Yes, the Faraam armor, while not the most protective, definitely has kept me alive while not sacrificing movement speed.

The problem is I was unsure how to respond, or rather how I could appease her thirst for weaponry without words. I didn't understand, it's not that I couldn't speak due to some wound or anything. I just…couldn't, it's as simple as that. When I woke up in the Cemetery of Ash, I could talk but there was nothing to converse with until I reached Firelink. And even then I could go through almost every conversation with nods, shrugs, or shakes of the head.

It was only when my…friends? Companions? I'm not sure what to call the people I met in my travels. Except for one, but the soul of that person has long since gone to rest. It was only at the time of that person's death did I realize my ability to speak was missing. I'm not sure when it happened exactly, the transition was probably a slow process as I journeyed through Lothric. Every stab, slash, broken bone, burn, and death after agonizing death. I guess it has just worn me down into whatever I am now.

All this took me but a few seconds to think with no answer to the problem. Luckily Lady Schnee seemed to realize the issue as she pinched the bridge of her nose with a sigh, "Ruby, he doesn't talk. How is he supposed to answer you?"

Lady Rose's face turned as red as her cloak, making me feel slight worry that she may be ill. Before I could offer her a seat or something the redness lessened somewhat as she mumbled, "Sorry, forgot about that."

My head voluntarily tilted to the side in confusion. She has done nothing of ill-will towards I nor the Firekeeper. So why was she apologizing? Not wanting to be rude, I bowed my head to accept her apology. As I looked back up, I saw The Firekeeper, Lady Goodwitch, Sir Oobleck, and Sir Port walking towards us. As they neared Lady Goodwitch motioned for the maidens out into the main room. Once the children were out of earshot, Lady Goodwitch took a deep breath to collect herself and send one final glance to her colleagues. After a few seconds of silence, the sorceress met my eyes with a determined look, "We've reached a decision on whether we believe your story or not."

I'm so sorry this chapter took so long for me to get out everyone. I went on vacation to a place with no WiFi and wasn't able to finish it before leaving like I had planned. Just know I'm back home and the only thing that'll keep me from writing will be work and rest time, so no more long breaks in the foreseeable future :)

This story is seriously fun to write, no joke! I hope the story is keeping you guys as interested as you were in the first or second chapter. And I hope I've been incorporating Dark Souls stuff well enough in the RWBYverse like the level up thing. In game when you get souls, you have to give them to the Firekeeper before you can use them. This makes me think she has to basically "Clear them up" or something so you can use them. I image the soul is frightened, so I decided that the Firekeeper comforts it or something (Or at least that's my take on it).

Gear of the Ashen One - If you still don't understand what gear the Ashen One is using then I'll tell you here. His main weapon is Bloodlust (You know, that absolutely sick looking katana in the game that has the number one most vicious looking teeth to it). His armor is my favorite set in the Dark Souls series. The armor of the Forossa Lion Knights that was named after a God of War. The Faraam Armor Set. If you still don't know what I'm talking about then Google the sword and armor.

I hope I'm filling every expectation you guys have imagined and more, see all of you later :) …

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