Dark Souls: Waking up in the Cemetery of Ash

"Well, have you decided?" Quella looked at Drake expectantly with watery, wide eyes. like a puppy, begging for a treat.

Drake hesitated for a moment, thinking back to something his mom once said to him.

"Some people say karma doesn't exist. Maybe it doesn't Drake, but that shouldn't stop you from trying to make the world a better place, everything you do, good or bad spreads to those around you, it's up to you, what do you want to be. The cure, or the disease?"

The memory brought with it a gentle smile.

Seeing Drake's infectious smile. Quella couldn't help but smile too.

"Can I take that as a yes, sir Drake?"

His smile grew into a toothy grin, and with confident bravado, he said: "I've already got a world to save, so what's one more."

Quella looked relieved at his response. She exhaled a breath of pent up air before asking for his hand.

Holding up his hand Quella slipped the white gold ring onto his right index finger. It shone a pure white light for a moment before becoming paper-thin and adjusting to fit on Drake's finger perfectly.

In his now outstretched hand, she placed the crystal atop his palm. it melded into his flesh, a cool current ran up through his wrist traveling to his chest where it settled and gradually dispersed.

"You're still incorporeal. That's why you were pulled into my world, to begin with. A dreamer by nature exists as a soul tethered to the plane of dreams; for you to have a corporeal form, you're going to have to possess one of the recently deceased."

realization dawned in Drake's mind "So that's what Morpheus meant by technically dead, god damm it, I'm a bloody ghost" his focus returned to Quella

"Luckily, we have no shortage of preserved undead. There are those called the unkindled, undead whose souls have all but vanished, consumed by the first flame waiting in unnamed graves. I am sure with the power of the ring you can consume this soul and possess one of the bodies, do you have any questions, sir Drake?"

Drake thought for a moment before asking

"Just one, what are my chances,"

Quella looked at him blankly, taking some time to reply.

"Next to none,"

Shit...

"Good luck sir Drake. The fate of my world hangs on your shoulders, should you need my aid you need but sleep and I will find you" Quella said before spreading her arms and out of her came a bright light that formed circling runes around him, a few seconds passed before he faded away."

Drake spawned into a dark world, the only light radiating out from a pale ghostly figure. The floor was coated with a thin layer of pitch-black water.

The ghost was still unmoving as Drake approached, his steps created light splashing sounds as he moved, he found himself standing directly in front of the spirit and reached out to touch him.

The ghostly figure twisted and churned at the touch of Drake's hand until it formed a small ball of light that burrowed into Drake's palm, it felt warm and watery, a faint voice sounded out before it vanished for good.

"Thank you."

Drake's mind soon turned blank.

"uhhhhhhhhhhh" Drake breathed in deeply and sat up, tense. As if awaking from a nightmare.

Panting he looked around quickly searching for danger, he saw none and after confirming his safety, he began to inspect his new body as best he could.

He had a large bony hand as pale as fresh snow, and his hair was long, down to his shoulders, he pulled at it bringing it before his eyes before letting go noting it was a dark shade of purple, almost black.

He was sat in a coffin, legs still buried beneath a thin layer of dirt, he pulled himself up with spindly thin arms until he was standing.

Vertigo hit. His body felt unfamiliar to him, skinnier certainly and taller, far taller than his previous 5 ft 10. His bones creaked in a complaint, not used to the movement.

"I recognize this place, it's the exact same place you start in Dark souls 3,"

He was in the cemetery of ash.