Ashes.
As far as the eye can see.
In the heart of a desolate wasteland, where ashes shroud the ruins of old, there stood one of ashen hair, the namesake of his being as a champion. He looked forward with resolute eyes, the twinned blood gems carrying an indescribable fire as he spanned his gaze towards the endless horizons.
He knew, what this is. The egg, the scraps of red cloth. The time had come for him to fulfil his part of the accord between them. Now, the weight of his armor seemed to drag him down even more than ever, yet he marched on, in spite.
His longsword in one hand and his shield in the other, the Ashen One continued on in his journey in the timeless city. He did not know how long it had been since he had entered the desert of ash, yet he continued on, anyway.
Until he stopped. The reason being his goal is now right in front of him.
A red-hooded figure had his back turned against the champion of ash.
" Old friend... " he called out to the hunched figure.
" ...*crCk* *slruurp* ...what, still here. . . ? " the decrepit man whipped his bearded visage around, white locks of hair brushing against the winds.
The Ashen One saw that he had a massive sword stabbed into one of the lords of men.
" . . . "
" Hand it over, that thing. Your Dark soul ... " the slave knight beckoned.
" ...for my lady's painting... "
Sadness filled the Ashen One's scarlet eyes, for the insatiable hunger had consumed him. Just as he suspected it would.
It was inevitable in his quest to reclaim the blood of the Dark Soul. He knew that he, the slave knight, was no champion and that he would be driven to madness by the call of the dark.
Thus, just as quickly as the sadness came, it was immediately replaced with one of resolve in it's stead. He knew what he had to do know.
" ...No. " was all the word that needed to be said.
The slave knight, now enraged, flung the body of the pygmy lord stuck to his blade across the mound of ash.
And thus, the final battle between two nobodies commenced.
No gods, no everlasting dragons, no great heroes of epics. Two nameless humans, fighting for the world at the very end of it, with no one to witness.
Painter...
Help me...
Help me!
I will not help you
Kindle Flame.
Your pleas are in vain.
Painter!
For Mother has warned me
Of those absorbed by Flame.
Paint for us a gentle home.
I beg of you...
I am moved by your tears.
I seek a courier.
Another Ash is needed...
The slave knight approached the ashen one in a beastly manner. The mad knight then brandished his rusted greatblade in a thrust towards the ashen one, launching him forward like an arrow. Quickly dodging to the side, the Ashen One hastily and efficiently got back to his feet, recovering his stance before launching a counter attack.
Color surprised his face however, as the colossal sword, unbefitting of it's size, blocked his attack as the two swords clashed together.
The ash-covered ground beneath them trembled as the two unrelenting figures clashed in stillness.
The Ashen One, determined to break the stalemate pushed forward with all his might, yet it did little to break the old knight's stance.
The old knight, like a maddened hound then proceeded to leap high into the air-
" ! "
-before stabbing his sword into where the ashen champion was standing.
The Ashen One quickly dodged, yet the slave knight proved unrelenting in his pursuit as he continued to unleash devastating flurries in a barrage towards the Ashen One.
Now on the back foot, the Ashen One is trying his hardest to adapt to the relentlessness of the old knight.
The old knight, seeing that it's prey had decided to go on the defensive against his attacks, proceeded to try and break that defense by performing a sommersault slam with his greatsword.
" ! "
' Now! '
Dodging at the last second, the Ashen One felt the executioner's blade brush past his hair.
Quickly getting onto his feet, the Ashen One then unleashed multiple slashes onto the old knight's back.
" Urgh...kurhg...! "
The blow managed to bring the old knight to his knees.
Recover
The Dark Soul!
The painting is depending on you!
I scour the ends of the Earth
In search of a treasure.
A pigment that will not rot away...
You must finish it!
You must promise me!
I promise you, Uncle!
" Hurgh...huugh... "
The Ashen One witnessed the old man trying his hardest to catch whatever breath he can using his rotted lungs.
" ...My...lady... " he began to recall a certain figure.
At times, I wish to surrender.
Yet, I abide by my ordinance.
I alone remain,
Roaming through the wasteland.
I am never relieved from duty!
A cruel existence!
Oathbound to rise back up!
Time after time again!
I drank down the souls...
" *cough* *cough!* ...hah...hargh... "
I hope it is enough...
I pray the blood will keep!
I feared it was lost!
Until a bloody...
" Ah...is this the blood...? "
" The Blood of The Dark Soul. "
Teardrop fell.
The madness subsided.
His eyes now transfixed upon his blade.
!
She heard the sound of his voice!
Across the whole world, every last soul
* STAB! *
Heard the resounding roar of victory!
The painter called from her window,
Uncle!
At long last, you have triumphed!
Uncle, you are victorious!
...Uncle?!
Wherever you may be,
I pray you will return safely...
Tears flow.
At long last...
No,
I have fulfilled my accord!
Surely he is well...
The painter's bounty seeps from my heart!
You must complete the final step of the plan!
Present to My Lady
...THE PIGMENT FOR THE PAINTING!
I will finish the painting.
Like I promised.
I will see Uncle again.
He will surely be pleased
When he returns.
...
" Hah...hah... " the Ashen One panted, the Slave Knight, Bell now felled before him.
The moment the slave knight hollowed, it was as if he was fighting someone else altogether. Someone who had made it all the way to the ens of the world after slaughtering every living being that stood atop his path.
He had long ago exhausted his Estus Flasks in his fight against the knight, prompting him to take a more defensive approach.
Since he entered the ringed city...hundreds, nay, thousands of years had passed since he had began his fight with the slave knight, now finally emerging as the victor as he watched the knight now lay on the ashen deathbed below him.
" U...uu...ug...gh... " the slave knight groaned, merely a step away from death's door.
" ...You've served your lady well...sl-no, Knight Bell. " He called him by his name, granting him the proper title that is rightfully his.
" Wherever you may be beyond the fog...I pray that it is a gentle one. "
The Ashen One bid his farewells to the knight, before turning his back on him in order to fulfil his own accord.
In his last moments of lucidity, Bell Cranel simply watched as the champion of ash walked away from him after killing him to obtain the blood of the dark soul.
However, he felt no anger within him. The opposite, as a matter of fact.
He had done all that he could to ensure that all of humanity now had a chance of survival in the cold new world, no matter how slim it is.
Now, all that needs to be done...
...Is to die. For he had fulfilled his purpose.
He began to think...
' My...lady...my goddess... '
"Ugh...h. My head...huh? "
" Wh-where am I...? "
" Eh? This armor is-? "
His 'life' in this world, if it can be called that, began replaying itself inside Bell's mind.
From the beginnings of his days as a slave knight.
To the end of his days as a slave knight.
" Hiks...*sobs*...kami-sama... "
" I'm...I'm scared... "
" Please...help me... "
Memories of fear.
" Wha...is that...a dragon...? "
" H-how...are we supposed to... "
Memories of hopelessness.
" I...I can't give up here...! "
" Kami-sama...is waiting for me at home...! "
" She's waiting...for me... "
" At home... "
" Home... "
" I ...I want to go home... "
Memories of home.
" I'll apologise to her when I get back... "
" Yes...apologise... "
" I'll get back... "
" Surely... "
" Haha...hahahahahahahaahahaha... "
" Wait for me...goddess. "
Memories of breaking.
" Hah...hah...! "
" I don't wanna die! I don't wanna die! Please, NOT AGAIN! "
" No, Please! I'll- "
" WAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRHHHHHH!!! "
Memories of suffering.
" Please...please,please,please,please,please! "
" I'm...I'm begging...! "
" Please...let me die... "
" I want to die... "
" I...I won't die... "
" Why won't I die... "
" Perhaps... "
Memories of...
" Merciful...goddess...mother of...the forlorn... "
" Who have no place to call their home... "
" Please...bear witness to our resolve... "
He then remembered the beginnings of his journey.
" Wait, you've...the same scent as that woman... "
" Then you must be an Ashen One! "
" You must be! "
" Please...you must help her... "
" Please...show her true flame... "
" A flame that will burn the rot away... "
" If you truly are ash...then it must be fire that you seek? "
...
" Ahh...thank you... "
" Just a moment, then... "
" The painting of Ariandel... or at least a rotten scrap of it. Go on...touch it. "
...
" And then the ashes were two. "
...
' At long last... '
Death shall truly come to him. He was finally freed from his duty.
Now...truly...he can die without regre-
" Kami-samaa~ I'm home~! "
" Welcome back, Bell-kun! "
' ...What...is this...? '
" How was it today? "
" Ahaha...I got caught a little off guard. "
' ...Are these...mine...? '
" Hey, hey. You okay?! I'd be very shocked if you ever died! "
" God only knows if I cry over it despite my looks. "
" ...Ah... "
A fleeting memory before his death in the middle of nowhere. He will die here, alone. With no one to remember him.
...He felt a hint of regret, deep down.
He knew his journey shall nowhere be mentioned in the annals of history. He knew he will not be lauded as a great hero who fought to ensure the survival of life.
He knew he shall not see the creation of a new painted world, nor be remembered by it's people even after sacrificing himself for it.
He...shall not know whether or not he had truly succeeded...That if his sacrifice turned out to be in vain...
His journey ends here, as a nameless nobody, never to be seen nor heard from again.
Yet, his regret was from neither of all those things.
For he knew that this ending befitted a mere slave knight like him.
...* ding *
He clutched tightly, a bell-shaped ornament with blue and white petals.
No, what he regretted the most...
" * sobs * ... "
...was that he had left her alone before he died.
' ...I'm...sorry... '
...my goddess...
The world went dark.