The Ashen Keeper

Chapter 123

Lady Maria merely stared at her with no emotions displayed on her face. It was as if she was not capable of emotions. She stretched out her arms. She on the other hand, had got up and stood over the lying Lady Maria.

She understood the gesture. Bending down, she grabbed her hand and pulled her up. Lady Maria used force to suddenly get up from the ground and stop right in front of her face. Even after getting pierced, she had no sweat although the smell of blood lingers.

She noticed that despite both of them being of human stature, Lady Maria was taller. Her cold breath as she stood up lingered on nose. She stared at her admiring her otherworldly beauty. They stood still in that position before Lady Maria turned away.

She must have been a little angry if she did not show it. After all, she took the spear of Ornstein out of nowhere to hurl it at her at lightning speed. The fight would have gone longer had she kept the spear out from the fight.

Despite that fact, she still accepted her defeat with grace. She knew of multiple 'people' and even friends that would not have done it. Now, she watched as Lady Maria went back to her throne and took out what seems like a compass.

"This is what the princess gave it to me. I can use it to traverse through nightmares."

"The princess?"

"That's you. Or you in this future. Made with the hair of that one.", she pointed at Morris who came out of nowhere once again.

"Then, thou knows't of me?"

"I do. I merely fought to verify it." Despite saying all this, her expression remained the same.

"The princess you saw before was merely an illusion. To get there, we must pass three trials."

"And what would those three be?"

"I do not know. The world you see in this future is not an actual world. it is merely a shell of its former self. It was once a combination of three different worlds. A very special world.

The princess made sure that only those aware of the three worlds in depth would be able to pass them. She has told me that you would arrive in this future. To pass them, I can only guide you there. I hope that all your answers will be answered there."

She wondered why she would made it so complicated for herself. And why would she impersonate princess Filianore by calling herself princess. Is that what one would call resenting themself? Instead of just giving up the answer, she now had to go through 'trials'.

"Follow me.", said Lady Maria. She couldn't help but notice that Lady Maria has not look at her once since she turned away from her gaze. Even when she spoke, she covered her eyes with the brim of her hat. But, she did not say but stared at her back.

She walked forward as she followed her. She wondered if even all of this is worth it. What is she even doing with her life? There are no villains to be defeated. She could simply pack up and go home not doing anything.

'Home' That accursed word again. She shook those thoughts out of her head. She was now here to search for her lost world. The entire timeline has been erased or banished to this end of time. She had to save them. Or is it even possible?

How would she save an entire timeline that was now at the end of time. She had no powers related to time other than getting out of a time prison. Neither her flame nor her lightning would help here.

She felt hopeless in all honesty. Drifting like a log of wood when all she wishes to know was what happened to her home and why she was here. What exactly is Yharnam? Why did the two worlds merge? But, is truth really worth it?

So far, none has perished in her journey but what can she say about the future? Will she continued to be locked in an eternal circle of fighting and travelling with no rest? Will she have to watch as her disciples die one after another?

According to lessons from Lordran, such journeys don't usually fare well. What made her think that this time will be different? Why would she do this? This was not exactly her job. She was the fire keeper who cares for people who did this.

She was unworthy of this position. A maiden waiting for the hero at home. That was what she was. There exist people far better than she could ever hope to be. The Avengers, the Guardians, the Ashen One, the Chosen Undead, the Bearer of the Curse and many more.

She was but a spark in their brilliant journeys of life. A firekeeper keeping the spark that they call home. To assure they are well-rested, to care for them. Now, she was doing all this. She couldn't help but want her own firekeeper. She cares for them but who cares for her?

It's like being forced to stage a replay of events that has long occur. An unredeemable folly of men and the gods. She would fight, survive and go on for more answers. Answers that will never be answer. Not even the gods are aware of everything that is going on.

Ignorance might be a sin but who could handle truth? Is ignorance not bliss? She already know what would happen. Fight, survive and continue like a traveller with no ends.

There reason people study history is to avoid repeating events yet it seems like she was creating history rather than learning from it. An obvious mistake, this is yet she must keep on going further and further till the end of time for it does not seem like she rest even at the end of time.

Her thoughts ended with Lady Maria stopping suddenly. She moved aside revealing door of fog. 'The first trial', she thought to herself. It was here. Lady Maria still did not look at her and merely gestured with her hands and tilted her head, clearly waiting for her to go in.

She did not even wait to take a look at Lady Maria and plunged into the door of fog. She was greeted with a very familiar sight. It was Sakaar but there was no beings present, other than its owner of course.

"Hello there, Ms. Keeper. Long time no see but if I'm right, I recall telling you that I will be needing you for my affairs. I hope you remember it, it's been so long after all."

Out of everything and anything she expected to see, he wasn't even considered in her list of expectations. He was not even her least expected person for he was not even expected.

It was the grandmaster.

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This is chapter 123.

I turned back things to marvel as I feel like I have been ignoring it for too long.

Tell me what you think of it.