The Meeting (Things Betwixt)

You never understand life or what life is until you become undead and unimportant. How long do you have to be undead before you realize that something must be done. But, why? Why should something be done? Is it my soul? No, it's my strength. Something inside me is telling me to jump, or stay here and die. This whirlpool is calling for me, like as if the next chapter was written with my name on it.

"Ugh, w-where am I? What is this place? Am I alive or am I...dead?"

I make my way down a path and see weird looking creatures running around. At first they scare me but I notice they aren't here to hurt me. I see a path to the right and I take it. I notice a dead, ghoulish person, decaying for what appears to be a long time, but not long enough for it to turn into bones. Something glowing near his waist caught my eye. It looked like an item of sorts. As I approached it I could see it was a rusted coin.

Laughter from my right side catches my attention and I go back up the way I came. I see a house with light coming through its windows which must mean fire, warmth. I cautiously make my way over and knock very gently. They were laughing so hard, my knock was nonexistent. I decided to walk in and make myself known.

"Oh? Well, here comes another one. Come to play? Oh my my, your face, it's all...undead. Cursed. You'll for sure go Hollow here. A kind old dear weren't they? Convincing right? All the ones like you always end up here, with the same goal at hand. But you? You'll become just like one of them, hollow, feasting upon men for their souls for this is the fate of the cursed. Tell me, do you remember your name?"

"Yes its...its, Aaron. Aaron Kosminski."

"Well, it seems your soul is strong to remember your name. Not many can remember the calling of their past life. Here, take this. It is an effigy, something we give to those who may be worthy of making it through this drangleic world. This will give you the life you may forget as you turn hollow. As your skin turns green and you forget little by little who and what you are. This is an effigy of you. Look closer and you can see who it is. You must be here for the same reason as the others. To break the curse."

A different firekeeper stands out in voice,

"He doesn't stand a chance."

"He's no different that's for sure, but you'll never know whether he does or does not, stand a chance. You, go through THAT door there, and run along through the kingdom. But remember, hold on to your souls, for it is the only thing keeping you from hollowing. However I will not fool you. You will lose your souls over and over again, but so long as you retrieve them, you may keep your humanity, HAHAHA." They all laugh. "Remember, this is a long journey, without rest. Now go. Go and attempt to break this curse, otherwise we'll have to wait for the next one as we did before you."

I'd been walking for what seemed like days when I came to an area that was so beautiful. The light reminded me of warmth and calm. The familiar aroma from nearby trees and flowers. I was nearly dead by the time I walked down that cave. I saw a picket fence, about waist tall. I decided to follow it down a path. On my way down I saw a cave opening and thought, "Oh no, not another one." So I continued down the same path, hoping it would lead me to a better location. I thought this hellish place was always dark but this hell didn't seem so bad after what I had gone through. At least I got to meet Dyna and Tillo, and although most of their focus was on something silky and smooth they told me about Things Betwixt. They told me about the petrified, the giant and the hollow mess I was to see on my way to Majula and how that was only the beginning. I was to meet someone in Majula, and I must talk to this person and learn about what my path is. I was injured and tired but I kept pressing on. I saw an arch that was crooked and old with what appeared to be sand under it. Or was it dirt? I looked up and saw a distant fire and I heard a voice in my head say, "Come to the fire, bearer of the curse."