Fighting. Killing. Fighting. Dying. Rising. Repeat. The average day in the life of an Accursed Undead. He was nearing his end. He was slowly losing his memories as he hollowed. He had come to accept it by now. He had no choice, but to accept it. There was no cure to this madness.
As he sat by the first flame, he thought about the past hardships he was able to remember. What he did remember, was in a jumble. 'Waking up in a cell in an asylum? Getting picked up by a...dragon? No, not a dragon. Maybe a crow? Defeating an executioner and knight on a… field? In a cathedral? Yhorm, the consumer of go- no he was the giant."
He sighed as he kept thinking about other places, all the while the flame slowly crawling up his leg, the fire consuming him. The more he thought, the more things, places and people he kept mixing up. Even recent memories started to fade. After he escaped Drangleic, he started having nightmares.
One night, his nightmare took hold of his mind and soul, where it began to intensify until he was somehow in the middle of a kind of hunt. The moon was full, there were monsters roaming the streets and rumors of a greater being surfaced as he delved deeper into his nightmare. 'Blood transfusions. Fighting gods.. no, no you stupid! They called them Great Ones. Freed the Moon Presence. No, I freed the First Hunter. Hunter of Hunters….'
He had time to think of one person before fading away into the flame. Anri, his hollowed companion from Astora.
"Ironwood, sir!" Ironwood turned to see one of the navigators, John Lorien, standing at attention. "At ease. What's the matter, Lorien?" He pulled out a chart on his tablet. "We've detected an explosion in the forever fall forest. Drones nearby were instantly vaporized and drones sent there were shut off. We need authorization to send a team over and check out the area."
Ironwood pulled up a satellite image of the location Lorien was talking about and zoomed in. In the center of the forest was an ashen black circle, with dim flames outlining it. "Send men now! Find out who or what caused this."
Lorien saluted before communicating with a couple squads. After a few minutes of talking, he was done. "Sir. I notified the chosen squads about the situation. They will head out in five and have visual in fifteen." Ironwood nodded and told Lorien to get back to his post while he kept staring at the circle.
His linking of the flame was the last. The age of dark overtook the age of fire and the world slipped into darkness once more. But, humanity was not wiped out for long. Multiple millennia have passed. The bells don't toll anymore, but they still remember the constant threat to the link.
One bell stood in Forever Fall forest. The lone bell tower was crumbling due to erosion. On this fateful day, the supports gave out, sending the bell crashing to the ground, where it spoke one last time, beckoning the Lords of Cinder from their eternal slumber. However, since so much time has passed, the bodies of the Lords of Cinder were greatly weakened, so only one Lord could be summoned. That one lord just so happened to be the last one to link the flame.
Light. Yellow beams of light poked through the visor. Weakened and broken, the Knight stood up, his worn down Elite Knight armor shining through the blackened earth. He searched through his bag and found that everything was lost, save for four bags of repair powder. He took a look around and found his shield, the dragon crest shield, sticking out of the ground, leaning on his Astora straight sword.
After he stretched, he went over and picked them up, noticing a bag underneath them. Inside were four rings; the ring of blades, the sun princesses ring, the third dragon ring and his favorite chloranthy ring, all +2. As he looked around, he found more and more of his weapons and shields, scrolls and tomes, his Canvas Talisman and his Court Sorcerer Staff, but nothing else. His bows, the other staffs and talismans,, his armor, the rest of his rings, they were all gone. This was a little off putting, because he was used to carrying a miniature armory wherever he went.
The last ring he found was under the Sunlight straight sword, stuck in a tree. It was the ring belonging to the Knights of Sunlight. Nearby was a bag full of Siegbräu, leaning against a tree. After using two of the four bags of repair powder, he slung the bag of brew over his shoulder and set forward into the unknown world
.
Ozpin was sitting in his chair, having his every-five-minute coffee break, when Glynda walked in from the elevator. She saw about five empty coffee pots just sitting on he desk. As she drew closer, she saw that he was pouring the last bit of coffee from a sixth coffee pot into his mug. She sighed before she started leaning on his desk. "Glynda, do you feel that? The winds of fate increasing?" She felt nothing. "You have to lay off the coffee."
As she said that, a tray full of coffee pots, at least twenty, appeared in the other elevator. Fast as a comet, Ozpin got up and ran to the tray, where he rolled it to a panel in the wall and opened the panel. Then he placed all the coffee pots inside the panel, except for the last one, which he took it to his desk and slapped it down next to the six empty ones. Next, he took all the empty ones, rolled it to the elevator and sent it down. After that, he walked to his seat, poured a bit more coffee into his mug and took a sip. Glynda facepalmed while thinking about that he just said. "It's just the coffee speaking. Nothing else.."
After scouting the area as much as possible, he went and sat down next to a tree. After a few moments, he checked to see if both of his flasks were still there. He was relieved when he found them. Tired, he lifted his visor and reached into his bag of brew, taking a barrel mug out and savoring a jolly swig, rekindling the fire within him and taking him back to his co-oping days with Siegward of Catarina.
After a few brief moments, he began to think. 'In this new world, not having a name will cause some trouble. What should I call myself' "hmm…" he started to think out loud before settling down next to a tree and falling asleep.
When he woke up, he saw boots in front of him. He looked up and saw a girl in a red hood was standing over him with an outstretched hand. "Hello? You alright there?" He took her hand and stood up. "Y-yeah. I'm fine." She didn't look that convinced, but forgot about it when she saw his weapon. He didn't even get to ask her name before she flooded him with questions. "Who are you? What are you wearing? Why were you sleeping against a tree?" She dashed around him as she asked said questions. "What is your shield made of? What does your sword do?"
He put a hand to his visor in a face-palm. 'God, why am I dealing with this?' He held up his hand to stop her questions. "In time, young one." This apparently set off something in her, because she pulled out a scythe and slashed at him, an attack which he easily blocked. "What was that for?!" She pointed it at him. He held his shield up. "You called me young, when you don't even sound older than me!" He thought for a bit. 'Well, that would make sense, but if I wasn't prepared, that could've taken my head clean off.'
He put his shield and sword down and raised his hands in the air. "What the hell?! That could've killed me you know!" She pointed what looked like a barrel at his face, so he grabbed her scythe and she shot. The bullet whizzed past his head and he ripped it from her grasp, before throwing it through a tree. "Do you still want to fight me?" Reluctantly, she shook her head. "No, I guess not." He sighed before bending over to pick up his gear and began to head past her. "Listen, kid. Don't start fights you don't have even a slight chance of winning."
He set off in the direction opposite of the Darksign. As he walked, he felt something, like fire, in the back of his left leg and his right arm as a whole. Oddly enough, if felt like a new part of him was just added. Thinking back to what the girl in the red, he began talking to himself, noticing that his voice was a bit squeaky, but it returned to normal after a few minutes of talking. He sheathed his sword and decided to pull out his Profaned Greatsword, a gold ultra greatsword wielded by Pontiff Sullyvan. It was imbued with the same flame as the Profaned Flame, a never ending fire in the Profaned Capital.
After stopping to adjust his armor, he put the shield on his back and held the greatsword in his right, with his left holding some throwing knives. He felt the presence of another. He did not know what it was, though what he knew, was it was hostile and approaching fast. With speed akin to a lightning spear, he turned and slashed at the thing. His blade connected with a silver rapier and a clang of metal woke up the forest around them.
Holding it was a girl in all white. He said hello and slammed the greatsword down, making the girl bend her knees and causing the ground to crack at her feet. "Why were you stalking me?" Underneath the blade, she was holding her ground. 'Admirable' "Well, Ruby said that someone in shiny armor attacked her, so we went searching for said person." Understanding the situation, he eased up and allowed her to stand. "To be fair, she swung first, so I disarmed her. What was I supposed to do? Let her kill me?"
Planting the sword in the ground, he lifted his visor, revealing his black hair and green eyes. He took out his flask and took a swig of estus, feeling that orange goodness flow down his throat. "What's your name?" She was caught off guard by the question. "It's Weiss Schnee. I'm quite surprised that you don't know who I am." He laughed in his signature low laugh, before standing up and raising his greatsword from the ground and over his shoulder.
"I come from a time where you killed to survive, where you were always below someone, not even fit to lick their boots. So to hear humanity is still thriving enough for someone to be well known is heart warming." Weiss looked confused. "What?" He was about to say something, when a beast with red eyes emerged from the bush, along with five more. Weiss looked alarmed. "You better know how to fight Grimm." He put his visor back over his face. "Heh, Grimm, Dragons. Humans and Gods. They all are the same to kill."
The onslaught began. As one distracted Weiss, two others charged at him. He got ready and as soon as one drew close, he thrust it through its chest. Then, he spun around, igniting the blade and cutting the nearby Grimm in two. With his sword on fire, he looked over at Weiss, who dispatched one, but was getting ganked by the remaining two. Running up behind the closest one, he stomped on its tail, before swinging his greatsword under him and through the ground. When it hit, it sent the beast flying up in the air, turning into ash as it fell. He looked back down at Weiss, who had finished the other one and was just staring at him.
Soon after that, he heard shouts, one belonging to the girl who apparently was named Ruby and the other two belonging to other girls. "Weiss! Weiss! Where are you?!" He decided it was time to get going, but Weiss grabbed his arm. "Just explain what happened." He shook his head. "Afraid I can't do that." He turned and walked away, leaving behind a deep line in the earth. He was about eight feet away when he heard Ruby and the others shouting at him. He could he hear their footsteps getting closer and Weiss trying to stop them.
He held his greatsword firmly, before a silver greatsword dropped from the sky into the ground before him. He looked up to see a portal above the greatsword, with the Pursuer following suit and landing in a big crash. It pulled its sword out of the ground and charged at him. Caught completely off guard, it struck him hard, sending the Astorian knight flying over the four and then some. When he was struck, his greatsword was sent flying as well, impaling him when he landed.
He yelled out in pain, something he never really did. As he put his hand on the handle, the fire within exploded, turning his shiny, silver armor into warped, charred armor. His Profaned Greatsword turned into a coiled sword. He also became a few feet taller. He stood up and ripped the sword from his right shoulder, which healed instantly. It took him a few seconds to realize what or who he'd become. He was the Soul of Cinder that fought against him when he went to the kiln of the first flame.
Even though he was a badass, he still had some trouble with the Pursuer. Every time he knocked its shield away, it would shoulder charge him to make some recovery space. He decided to raise his sword into the air, before slamming it down on the shield. Fire crept from the sword into the armor, but that didn't stop it from fighting. It swung with all its might, sending him to the side. However, the flame inside the armor proved too much, as it succumbed to the flame and leaving behind ashes, with its greatsword sticking from the ground.
Slowly, he shrank back to his normal height and his armor returned to the Elite Knight gear he knew and loved. The sword stayed the same for a bit longer, but eventually converted back to the Profaned Greatsword. He put both greatswords into his inventory and collapsed on the ground. Ruby, Weiss and the others ran at him. "Is he ok?!" "I don't know!" "He's breathing." "ok, that's one less thing to worry about." "But now he could wake up at any moment and attack us!" "What did he do?! He said you attacked him first." "Again, I don't know! Do I look like an expert of.. This thing?!" "Do you know his name?!" "Didn't ask." He rolled over to face the sky. With his strength fading, he raised his visor and took out his estus, taking a long drink. After, Ruby shook him. "What are you?!" He sighed and went back to looking up at the sky. He looked at Ruby and raised a hand with his hand in a thumbs up gesture. "I-I don't know what I am, but I know my n-name. L...Letzter.." He blacked out afterward.