The Ashen Keeper

Chapter 4

[Firekeeper POV]

After finishing a long prayer session, the firekeeper wondered once again on whether this is a world created by the paintings of another god, much like the painted world of Ariandel. She wondered if this was a new world painted by 'the Painter'.

A new world eternal world called 'Ash' painted using the Blood of the Dark Soul given to her by the Ashen one after slaying the Slave knight Gael. If so, she must have intentionally erased all memories about the 'old world'.

A new age has begun after the Age of Ancients inhabited by dragons and the Age of Fire inhabited by the undead and hollows. This must be a new age, an age inhabited by humans.

A world created by the blood of the dark soul, a world created by the help of the Ashen one, a world created by the embers of a dying world, 'the Ashen age'.

The painter had ended the sins of Gwyn by not sacrificing anyone. The curse of the undead doesn't seem to exist in these strange lands.

She smiled to herself; she did not know on whether there was an actual title, she did not even know whether or not this was the world created by the painter.

However, she will continue to call it 'the Ashen age' to honor both the painter and the Ashen One. 'A privilege to witness a new age as only a few mighty beings have witnessed the change of an era.

Just as she was thinking about a new age, the red-haired woman known as Nat came in. She glanced over her and gestured her to follow behind, "You will be allowed to go out but not before we ask you a few questions.". She did not reply and merely followed along.

[The next day]

The firekeeper wondered if the notion of time was different here. Apparently, 'a few questions meant staying for a day in this place. They sent her right back into her chambers after answering the questions.

The questions were often strange asking whether she would save a child from getting run over by a 'car'? She had very little idea what a car was, until they explained how it was carriage that seems to need no horses. They also show her 'photos' of the car.

Apparently, photos were simply paintings without any matters of the arcane. They were instead created using technology, something the residents here called their wares and crafts. It was an absurd idea, but she had 'seen' stranger things.

They called the questions they asked, 'psychological evaluations'. This was the first time she had ever heard of such strange words, but she seemed to understand it. She fears that most beings from her land would fail such tests.

They continued asked about where she was from, but she tried to keep them from knowing too much. Other than the fact that knights and wizards were there, she doubted they knew too much.

If the painter had seen fit to hide these monstrosities from beyond the borders of this reality, she did not wish for any of its inhabitants to remember such horrors.

It might be a conflicting thought, but she wanted them to be happy for as long as possible without giving them what they want.

They also asked personal questions about her eyes upon which she replied that she could still see despite not having them. This seems to amaze them to no end.

Today, she was to be graced with freedom, but they still wanted to find out her capabilities. She obliged.

"Hit it as hard as you can", said the man whom she now known as Fury as he told her earlier. He appeared to be the leader of the organization. She conjured up a basic fireball and hit the metal plate. It melted.

There were other tests, but she did not wish to think of it due to its absurdity. One tests their abilities in combat back from where she was from.

When she finally went out, she was faced with a sight she thought would never grace her 'eyes'. She saw the sun. Not the dark and dying sun from her homeland but a full-fledged one burning in all its glory. It was such a majestic thing. It was so bright it filled almost every corner with its shine.

She wondered if this was how Gwyn felt when he took upon the mantle of the lord of the sun.

"Tis.... the sun", she muttered to herself. The agent whose name appeared to be Coulson seem to hear it, but she did not care. She spread her arms towards the sun as she gazed upon if fervently.

"Praise the sun", she said it softly. She did not worship the sun but there were some souls who did so. She prayed for them.

She then retreated her arms and looked at Coulson, "Tis a tradition from where I was from. I advise you not to be bothered by it.".

Coulson simply replied with a smile,

"It's okay. Come, I will show you Lola.". Coulson seems like a kind man. She smiled as she 'looked' at him with the same smile he had shown him.

He went red when she asked a question, "Lola must be a lovely young girl.".

"Ah... no, it's my car.", he said with some guilt on his face.

She had not heard of a tradition where one would name their form of transport but thought about how some knights would name their pets and horses even if they were of different species with one of the most famous being the Abysswalker Artorias with his giant wolf named Sif.

"Hath no worries my dear Coulson for I rarely judge a person based on how they name their companions, alive or not. And if it is possible, I wish to reside in a shrine where I would be able to pray. An abandoned one is fitting if I say so myself. I wish to remain in solitude.".

"No problem", he told her as he gestured her into the car. She went in.