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« I am a Fire Keeper »

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火防女

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Dark Souls III : Design Works : The Fire Keeper

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“Does it matter if it is?”

To Maria, it didn’t. She’s already experienced one afterlife. It wasn’t much of a life at all, though; this one—under the hypothetical assumption that it was an afterlife—was an altogether improvement, in terms of objective benefits.

“If you still feel alive enough for your tastes, I think one should wonder less if it is an afterlife and wonder more why they care.”

Maria had a point; and this caused The Firekeeper to really think about the ‘why’. “Yes, of course. Thou hast made a most excellent observation. If I feel the embers within my being still warm, why should it matter?” Well, truth be told, she was still fearful that she’d be punished if she was found alive after what had happened with the Ashen One. “I suppose…I am afraid. I fear for myself. As selfish as it is…this is the truth.”

There was a weight of guilt that hung over The Firekeeper’s head. She knew what she had done, what she had caused. Even if she was only doing as she was bid by the Ashen One, she felt as though part of the blame was hers to share.

“May I ask… were there troubles in thy world that followed thou here?”

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“ treat the fire keeper not with discourtesy … ” 

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“ Rabbit or some sort of bird maybe. “ 

Ogata was neither too picky nor adventurous with his food. As long as it was good any would work. There was more practical use for these hunting trips though. Getting used to aiming with just one eye was it’s own process and live target practice prevailed over still.

He was on that before she interrupted him.

“ Anyway, this isn’t exactly picnic quality place… What are you wandering out here for? “

“Curiosity.” The Firekeeper responded as a small smile graced her features. “My world hath very little greenery left, so I’d like to enjoy it now as much as I can.” Ah, but she was mostly likely interrupting this hunter, wasn’t she? …Huh, wait. Why was it that he was hunting in the first place?  

“And why art thou hunting here? The city provides food in the shops and markets. Surely thou hast little need to hunt.” Not that she was judging, she was just…curious. Of course.

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Firelink Shrine. That struck a chord with her, if faintly. Something her uncle had mentioned perhaps? In truth, she had not been the most receptive to goings on of the world after she had left it… Lothric however, that was entirely unfamiliar. 

“Lothric… I am afraid that kingdom is unknown to me.” She shook her head slightly. “Lordran is from where I hailed.”

“Perhaps it is important I say that I am no sage on the subject of this place, I have merely been here for several years. I would assume, ultimately, there is some goal. However I cannot claim to know what it is. Perhaps it is a trial of sorts, some test for us as individuals or as a group, for the place is gripped by somewhat random events that can range from fanciful to the occasional danger. There art many people have of many different varieties, some mundane in nature and some outstandingly possible.”

She sighed. She was supposed to be good at this, wasn’t she? She didn’t want to worry this woman.

“I apologise, I did not even introduce mineself. I am Priscilla.”

From what The Firekeeper could glean from Priscilla’s answer was that this world was an amalgamation of different dimensions. Dimensions that crossed into one another in an unbridled fashion; ruled by unseen Gods that toyed with their subjects just for the fun of it. “I see. Thank thou for answering my questions lady Priscilla, and I…I believe we both have the proper excuses to forgo our normal formalities. Do not worry thyself about that.” At the very least she was relieved to know that she was momentarily safe. Priscilla said that she’d been here for a number of years and mentioned nothing about a flame, or this world relying on said flame.

So, what Gwyndolin had said was true! Not that she’d been doubting him; but to have someone else reaffirm what she was told...well, it was another weight off of The Firekeeper’s shoulders. “Lady Priscilla, my curiosity is getting the better of me now, and I apologize. But I must ask. Dost thou feel that this world is safer than thy own?” Perhaps ‘safer’ was the wrong descriptor to use, but saying ‘better’ seemed unnecessarily rude.

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That’s… quite a lot to take in. Gwyndolin sighs, setting the broom aside and sits on the floor before the altar. He should be on the floor, he thinks, as a god who failed his people, failed this fire keeper, failed that world. He should be the one begging her for forgiveness!

“My lady, I searched endless years for a solution; a way to have prosperity continue without a Flame, or a means to keep it going without sacrifice. I even gathered the most intelligent minds of our world, and yet we could not find a single flicker of hope.

I feared the Age of Dark. I still do. I saw the creatures that come from it, raving with hunger. But… we kept a decrepit world going. Countless men and women were sacrificed, and for what? Continued suffering? We were all slaves to that Flame. Thou, me, sacrifices past and future… there was no use in keeping on as it was. Thou art not guilty. Find some life for thyself here, and cherish thine eyes.”

The moon god looks down, as if he’s the one before a higher being.

The Firekeeper was speechless. “I…my lord….” Any words she tried to form would get sputtered or lost in her throat completely. She should’ve been relieved, or perhaps even elated. However, she only felt…. disappointment muddled with bitterness. Not at Gwyndolin, no; but in herself and those that came before her. Each chosen undead, each firekeeper, what had they all sacrificed for? Who had they sacrificed for? For what purpose? It certainly wasn’t for the sake of the world.

She refused to let emotions overtake her while she stood in front of someone as important as Gwyndolin. So, she quietly cleared her throat and readjusted her posture. “If this is what thou truly thinks, then…I shall do what I can to…make myself comfortable in this place. “ To learn that everything you had worked and trained for had all been for naught, or worse….it would take quite a bit of time before she could process this.

“I died in that world. So...in that regard, I already served my purpose to the flame, correct? I was dutiful. …We both were.” It was bold of her to compare herself to Gwyndolin, but he had already made it clear that he respected her.

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And the men who hold high places 

Must be the ones to start 

To mold a new reality 

Closer to the Heart 

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Can you draw the fire keeper cooking popcorn

this is how you make use of a bonfire, no?

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anything to make her smile! ᕙ( ♥ ∀ ♥ )ᕗ 

bonus!

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黑暗靈魂3-防火女  by  天津影久

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“Stay thy path, find lords to link the fire, and I will blindly tend to the flame. Until the day of thy grand betrayal”

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