So, I need to make things clear. One, that Bloodborne crossover is not just on its own. Hell, I assume you already know what it was crossover with from looking at a certain story. Two, the wolves are related to Sif and were inspired by Dark Souls: The War of the Ancient Dragons by Qizeaqfile. End of my notes. Now, let's get onto the story.

Dark Souls: Embers of Remnant Volume II

Nineteen

Investigating Unknown Territory

Ash was rolling his head while he heard the sound of bone cracking while walking to the briefing room. He was still thinking of the dream he had. As he was about a minute away, he heard a familiar voice in the library. "What are they doing in this time of day?" he was wondering why they weren't in the briefing room. He was going to find out.

Walking into the library, the Unkindled headed to where the noise came while passing my many bookshelves. He eventually stopped as he saw Team RWBY and JNR sitting around a roundtable and all were having the same book with small notebooks and pencils on the side. Ash was surprised that even Winter and Penny were present with them, which was very unusual for them. He got near their table without making a sound before he greeted them. "Something going on here?"

Nearly everyone got jumped when they heard his voice and turned to where he was at. Penny looked at him. "Salutations Ash! We are currently doing research!"

Ash was serious wondering why they are doing it when they are meant to be in training. "What research?"

Nora can answer his question. "We're looking at someone who is called the Ashen Knight!"

This caused him to tilt his head at that. "Ashen...knight...?"

Ruby beamingly smiled at him when he said that. Uh-huh! The Story of the Ashen Knight is really popular throughout Remnant despite being one if not the oldest tale! I remember my mother reading it to me and Yang." Her sister can't help but to feel nostalgic when hearing that.

"I never knew that." He said before he asked that question. "Tell me, what exactly do you know about the Ashen Knight?"

Each individual began to explain that character to him and the deeds that he had done. As he continued to listen, he can't help but to think to what they had said. "This Ashen Knight… matches TOO well with what I've been through in the past. How?" He was ever so curious to know how but decided to have that questioned another time.

Now that was over, Winter had to something to say. "Which leads the question. Why are you called the Ashen One?"

"I do not want to talk about it," He responded firmly, not wanting to touch on that subject.

Everyone was taken back by his words. "But that title is somehow closely linked to the Ashen Knight."

Weiss noticed the shift in Ash's tone. "Ash, you're making a big deal about this."

Yang did not like this attitude he was displaying. "Alright, what is your problem, Ash!? That story isn't utter nonsense. Many people, both from the past and now, had inspired many people."

That immediately pop something on Jaune's mind when the blonde brawler mentioned that. "Oh, yeah! My family's sword and shield was inspired by the design of the Ashen Knight. Look at this! " He proceeded to show a rough sketch to Ash of the Ashen Knight.

This causes the Unkindled to silently gape as he saw the character waring the old Knight Set with his Longsword and Kite Shield. Though he regained his composure and remained aloof as ever. "… that so?"

The former Heriess also had to back up how this individual had inspired her family. "Even my grandfather in his Hunstman days based his armour of the Ashen Knight." She shows a photo of her grandfather on her scroll to him, making him widened his eyes at it was eerily similar to the Faraam Armour.

"Yeah! Next to the Rusted Knight, he's basically my favourite hero!" Nora exclaimed too excitedly.

"Why do you see the Ashen Knight's story as utter nonsense?" Ren asked.

"…I see it as so because the story does not tell full truth of the Knight's tale." This caused everyone to look at with a confused look. Ash notices this and immediately cleared his throat. "Apologies. It seems I must have been imagining things." Wanting to move on to another topic, he thought of something to discuss with the group. "Say. I have been reading this story 'The Girl who Fell through the World' and there's just two characters that interest me."

Being an avid fan of that story, Blake had a guess to what he was implying. ""Is it the Porcelain Masked Woman and her Wolf Companion?"

Ash was surprised to what the Faunus had said. "Yes… what made you ask that?"

She was glad he asked that, and she began to explain. "Well. When Alyx encountered them, they were guarding a sword. A sword that's similar to the one on your back. Unlike the Rusted Knight, they refused to join as they didn't want to leave the only thing that reminded them of a friend."

"Don't forget to mention that the wolf was big. Bigger like a Goliath." Ren interjected.

Ash was interested and curious of who these two are. He had an idea of their identities but can't fully confirm it. But he knew that the wolf was definitely Sif, the Great Grey Wolf Companion of Knight Artorias. Wanting to find answers to the identity of the other individual, he asked them his question. "What do you know about this masked woman?"

"For one, she seems to be stoic." Weiss began to list off the traits of the Porcelain masked woman seen in that story.

"And's she's super quick!" Ruby chimed in.

Stoic and quick. The only individual that matches well with that description could possibly be the Lord's Blade Ciaran. Ash doesn't know what her attire was but only just…

Right as he was about to speak, all of their scrolls vibrate. All, apart from Ash and Penny, pulled out their scroll and saw a text coming from Ironwood.

'I need you all to come to my office. This is urgent.'

After reading the next, Yang can't help but to make a comment. "What do you know? General Ironwood had summoned us."

Winter look at the text and she knew it was serious. "This seems like an emergency."

Weiss looked at her sister. "How important is this?"

-Scene Change-

After they had tidied up, all rushed to go to the General's Office. As all of them found themselves in said room, they saw Ironwood looking at the view behind his desk. The Ace Operatives were also present. Winter cleared her throat to grab her commander's attention. "Sir."

Ironwood turned around them and saw the Specialist, along with Penny, Team RWBY and JNR, and Ash. "Ah, our new huntsmen and huntresses. "I'm glad you came almost immediately."

"You said this was urgent." Ash told him.

"Indeed it is." The General commented before he pressed a button on his desk to reveal photos of an Atlesian convoy that had been recently ambushed to the scratch marks on the destroyed trucks that its supplies had be ransacked, with soldiers and Atlesian Knights lying on the ground causing some to be shocked at how they died. "A convoy has been ambushed on its way to the site of the Global Communication Tower to drop off supplies. But this isn't the first time it had occurred."

"What do you mean by that, General?" Ruby can't help but ask.

Ironwood glanced over to Clover, who then nodded back at him before he took over. "Ever since the Fall of Beacon, there has been a lot of convoy ambushes that happened. This is the thirty-fifth time it happened."

Nearly gaped at the numbers heard. Thirty-five attacks on convoys. That sounds very concerning. "THIRTY-FIVE!" Ash remained composed as ever. But even he was taken back by the numbers.

"How come it had happened thirty-five times!?" Jaune asked bewilderedly.

Vine can answer that. "We do not know how."

"You think these "aberration" Grimms could be the source of these attacks?" Weiss guessed.

The Operative shook his head. "No, in fact…" The picture then changed to a pile of Grimm, who were easily dispatched with scratch and bite marks seen everywhere. "Grimms were also victims of such attack. Whatever is causing these attacks needs to be solved if the builders don't have enough resources to complete the project."

This was a problem that needed to be dealt with. And fast. Everyone looked at one another before the younger leader had to ask the next core of action. "What do you want all of us to do?"

The general looked at her and is about to explain that. "After the Arrowfell Incident, I feel like this will be your second mission as Huntsmen and Huntresses. I want you to go with the Ace Operatives to see if you can lure out the ones responsible for these attacks. This will take at least a day, so I want you pack whatever supplies you can give." He looked over to Winter and Penny. "Schnee, Penny. I want the both of you to come with them. We do not know what we are dealing with here."

"Yes Sir!/Affirmative!" The collective voices of the group said with the tone of confirmation as they left the office in order to prepare for their new assignment. Ash can't help having a feeling that a certain type of animal causing all this trouble.

-Scene Change-

Three Atlesian Mantras had dropped the group off in the far west region of Atlas. It was there where the attacks had occurred the most and was only just two hours away from the Global Communication site. Since it was in the coldest part, Ruby couldn't help but shiver as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Oh, it's so freezing in these parts!"

Weiss had a deadpan look on her face upon hearing that. "I'm glad you remembered what I said!" She focused on Ash, who seemed unbothered by the cold weather. "I see why you chose that armour in the first place that can withstand the cold."

"Yep." He simply answered. It wasn't the first time he experienced this kind of weather. It reminded him so much of the painted world of Ariandel.

Blake and Yang looked at one another, wondering if they should tell the others of Ash's lack of aura. Right now, it was not yet time. Everyone regrouped in the location to where the site of the ambush was. "Alright, people, let's keep this mission summary brief," Clover explained. "We are here to investigate the source of these attacks. Find out anything that can provide anything to what we are dealing with."

They walked to where the convoy was located, and it was immediately spotted a few metres away. Ruby can't help but feel both excited and concerned at the same time. Ash glanced over in her direction. "You, okay?"

The younger leader looked back at him. "Yeah. This is me and the other's second mission." She tilted her head in his direction. "Isn't this your first?"

"You can put it that way," He nonchalantly answered before going with the others to investigate.

Little time had passed, and Ash opened the backdoor to the armoured truck. As he did so, he saw the exact same thing. Blood smeared all over with scratch marks. In the centre lies a bloodied Atlesian soldier who seemed to have been in the last stand against multiple enemies that seemed to overwhelm him. Just looking at the way the soldier died reminds him of Ash's first few deaths in the painted world of Ariandel when he got mauled….

"Ash!" Ruby's voice called out to him, making the Unkindled.

Hearing her voice, Ash glanced back at the fallen soldier before heading to where the young girl was. As he did so, he saw everyone regrouping at the front of the first destroyed truck. All had the look of uncertainty on their faces. "What with that look?"

The group looked at him, seeing him entering at the right moment. "Oh, Ash. We were having a talk about what we have discovered."

"Have you made any?" The Unkindled questioned.

It was then that Winter answered his question. "Only a mess of blood, along with scratch mark seen from the photos General Ironwood showed us before. Anything else, there's nothing else."

"That is very unusual." Ash muttered. "There's always evidence of what could have attacked this convoy."

For once. Marrow had to agree with the Unkindled. "Yeah. That is very strange."

The Faunus girl glanced up to the sky to see that it was becoming dark. "Um, guys. I think we may be sleeping here tonight."

Some of them already didn't like what Blake had commented. Although, people like Ash, Winter, and Clover could see the reason why. The leader of the Ace Operatives spoke. "Well, we're all lucky that we managed to pack up some tents. Let's find a spot to camp for tonight. Then we can continue without search tomorrow morning."

This caused some people thrilled upon hearing this. Ruby had voiced everyone's excitement. "Yeah! Let's do some camping!"

Everyone began to follow the Ace Ops and Specialist to find a perfect camping spot to rest for tonight. Unknown to all of them that in a faraway distance, a large pack of four-legged grey and white animals were watching the group from afar before retreating back.

-Scene Change-

Night has hit and the group were able to find a perfect camping spot to rest in. All gathered around the campfire that had been set up by Ash, without the usage of a matchstick. When they asked him how, Ash just said he used a friction-based method to start it, not wanting to say he used a little bit of pyromancy to the others. Ruby was munching on a S'more she had made for herself and the others. "Ah. Nothing is relaxing than to have S'mores right before bedtime."

Her sister chuckled at that statement as she took a bite of her S'more. "I have to give it to you, sis. You really made good S'mores."

Weiss had a different opinion. "You know those aren't good options before sleeping, right?"

Nora, who had finished her third S'more, glared at the Former Heiress. "There's nothing wrong with that. C'mon, try some."

The ex-Heiress huffed in response. "I refuse to have such unhealthy savoury."

Jaune felt as though she should at least try. "Weiss, you should really try."

Speaking of savoury, Ash took his Estus Flask out and took a little sip. Feeling the warmth coursing through his body, he was about to put the canteen away… "What are you drinking, Ash?"

Penny's voice made the Unkindled look at everyone, who were eying at his green Flask. He let out a sigh upon realising this. "It is a special drink back where I came from."

Jaune could clearly remember what that can do to a person. "Uh, isn't that like some sort of healing potion?"

"You can say it like that," Ash replied.

That got everyone interested at that fact. Marrow can't help but to ask the Unlinked another question. "Does it taste good?" The other man didn't reply, much to their disappointment.

"Could we at least try?" Ruby chirped in.

"I'm afraid I can't." He answered honestly without filtering his tone. "This is the last batch I have." Truth be told, it could always be refilled whenever he rests at a bonfire. If only Patches was kind enough to set another one up.

"Ash…" Said person looked over to Weiss, who was looking back at him. "What with the look?"

The Unkindled tilted his head at her. Blake saw this and also chimed in. "You've been silent as of late. Is there something bothering you?"

"…Something like that…" He responded back.

That pipped Yang's interest. She can't help to also ask. "Like what?"

Ash was about to respond when all of a sudden, a faint sound of a howl was heard from far away. Yet, it was loud enough for Blake to cover her Blake ears. Everyone else heard this and looked over. "What was that?" Jaune asked.

"Was that a Grimm's howl?" Nora asked.

"I don't really think that was a Grimm's," Marrow spoke.

All of a sudden, angry snarls surrounded the camp. All got up and drew their weapons. Looking at where it came from, there was surprised to see the ones that made those noise. "W-wolves…" Ruby meekly muttered while clutching Cresent Rose tightly.

Indeed they were surrounded by wolves. Fifty of them, in grey, black, and white coatings. But they seemed to be bigger than average ones. They stood at three and a half feet in tall and nine feet in length, Weiss was unsurprised by this. "What a surprise. Wolves."

The Faunuses were nervous at seeing them due to their animal instinct. "Um…guys…there's a lot of wolves." Blake spoke out.

"Yeah, we can already see." Her partner sarcastically commented.

All the while, Ash was having flashbacks of these animals back in the Painted World of Ariandel. He remembered all these times where he got mauled to death multiple times. "Don't underestimate them." He told them while readying up with his Wolf Knight's Greatsword.

Harriet glanced at the Unkindled. "Why should we? They're just wild animals."

Another howl was heard, and a loud thud landed behind the large pack of wolves. Everyone had their eyes widened in shock as a goliath-sized white wolf appeared out of nowhere and was staring at them. To be more specific, at Ash. Its blue eyes were looking at his visor as if it was expecting his presence. "That's a really big wolf!" Nora loudly shouted in both excitement and fear.

The Unkindled had pieced together of the convoys that had been attack within the wilderness. It was not a surprise to whom orchestrated such thing. "So these were the perpetrators this whole time? I haven't seen a greatwolf for a long time."

Yeah, Ash is going to fight another greatwolf. This time, it's a wild one. It seems like there is some lore building up with regards to the tale of the Ashen Knight and how his past might be connected to such character. I wonder how it'll go. Oh yeah, I want to give triscythe59 some credit for helping me write out some lines.

I sincerely apologize if this chapter felt rushed. I am getting busy with life but don't want to abandon this really good story. I really do wish that I have enough funds for a commission from Qizeaqfile. But it may be soon or later.

Anyway, I hope you have enjoyed the chapter so far and please GIVE me constructive criticism so I can improve on next time. Other than that, I will see you all in the next update…

Oh yeah, Ironchef13, if you want to have a talk with me, go make an account so we can have a discussion.