The Ashen Keeper

Chapter 104

For the first time since the creation of the Abyss, it went silent. Not completely silent of course, but there were no more sick laughter echoing through them. No more monsters dancing upon the graves of innocents. Nor more men calling out for salvation from that sea of darkness.

The silence was broken by one thing, no two things. The screeching sound of metal as it is dragged across the floor by the Abyss Watchers looking for more monsters to kill. They still continue their endless quest for eradicating the Abyss.

This made her worried. If she became the new Lord of the Abyss, will they still recognize her? Or would they deem her part of the Abyss and rush to kill her too? Do they even have the intelligence to recognize what she was doing?

Would Artorias agree with it? If she happened to meet more acquaintances from Lordran who gave their lives fighting against the forces of the Abyss, with what sort of face should she go meet them?

She previously thought that she would be the only one with the ability to rule over the Abyss. But now that she looks at it again after the death of all creatures there, it was just an unhabitable place and nothing more. She could give it to a random person and there would be no difference.

They might be corrupted but to a strong-willed person, the weakened Abyss was something that would never get corrupted. Even if it grew eventually, they would get used to it rather than become corrupted by it.

And to be honest, she did not want to become the Lord of the Abyss. Being the fire keeper was already enough responsibility. If she add the Abyss to the mix, it would be a burden to much for her to bear. But who? Who could bear the dark of humanity itself? One whose faith will never waver.

Certainly not her. She knew herself to be far too whimsical to be caught up in such responsibilities. Also, the Abyss itself had self-conscious. A lord must care for its subjects and the lord of the Abyss must care for the Abyss.

Otherwise, they will prove themselves unworthy and will be rejected by the land itself. That was how it was in the entirety of Lordran. No matter how bad a Lord was, they were never truly unworthy.

They knew their responsibilities very well. But who should she entrust the task to? The Ashen One was not here and she did not trust anyway to not go corrupted. Not even her disciples. Not the apprentice of the Ancient One. Maybe the good captain, but he was far too weak.

It was when she was entranced in her own thoughts that she was in for a rude awakening. Kalameet had come down from the sky after burning everything to his satisfaction. His mighty wings, as majestic as ever with the burning sun in the background.

Behind her, the Abyss Walker, Artorias himself stood tall like a proper knight. He was no longer acting as idiotic as when she first met her. It was like she took a part of him when she took part of his soul. A man wearing a red tight mask flashed across her mind, but it soon disappeared.

She ignored it as there were far more important matters than her mental state. She intentionally postponed the meeting between the two of them for this moment. No matter how much they may hate each other, anyone would feel closer after fighting alongside their foe.

The dragons hated the cowardice of the Lords but never once questioned their strength or their worthiness. And now, it was the time for these two foes to meet. They may even have met each other during the crusades of Gwyn.

"Lord Kalameet, would thous't reconsider thy attitude towards the knight Artorias?"

"Reconsider? Alduin sent me here as a representative for the dragons. I have the power to decide whether the knight lives or dies."

Artorias gripped his sword as he slammed it into the ground.

"You can keep talking all day and I shall stand by my word. I have no intentions of dying by the hands of a loser."

This enraged Kalameet. He spread out his wings as thunder began roar in the midst of the silent Abyss. The deep sea from the Abyss started boiling as the sky started to fall. The sorcery of one of the strongest everlasting dragons. Everything went dark with the exception of his red eyes.

"You? A mere knight? Kill me? Anor Londo itself fear my wrath! Not even Gwyn himself dared to face me in his prime! I survived the extinction of all my clansman!

The sorrow of Lordran will drown the first flames for bringing it to destruction! And the grudge of the everlasting dragons will burn all of creation!

The everlasting dragons stand at the peak of Lordran and I am the last of the eternal clan! And you wish to deal with the last dragon? Are you worthy to deal with the survivor among gods?!"

Artorias started to move back, and he may have noticed that staying near a dragon full of wrath was not a wise choice. It is not a loser's mindset. It is a survival instinct.

She did not interrupt his ranting. Alduin would usually hide these things from her. It was her first time seeing the true emotions of a dragon. He continued ranting after seeing them ran away.

"Are you running, knight of Gwyn? You will not be able to get away from me!

The chosen undead! The chosen one! Where is he?!

No matter how thick the forest is, and how vast the sky is, there was only one being able to deal with me! He was lucky! I tell you that he was lucky I was weakened!

He is the only one worthy enough to deal with me! A mere knight will never defeat me and there is only one being worthy enough and trust me knight, you are not it!

Keeper! Resurrect the chosen one. I will deal with him. He is the only being worthy enough for me to talk to! An everlasting dragon will never decide terms with a mere knight!"