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39: Quelana, The Mother of Pyromancy.
🕑 Added 2022-11-28 23:17:13 +0000 UTCI had finally, finally made it to the second bonfire.
It had taken 2 more levels in poison resistance and a couple of dozen corpses as well as a sprinkle of trauma that I was going to repress. But I gotta say, having poisonous swamp mud inside your boots is unpleasant, to say the least.
Also, there was a red phantom of an overweight woman wearing a sack over her head and wielding a giant cleaver. She of course tried to kill me and probably eat my corpse while she was at it.
But apparently being half makes is not the best armor against a full charge point-blank combustion. Needless to say, she was basically vaporized.
You know, it really fits that the bonfire of blight town is in a sewer pipe. You know? Because this place is shit? Quite literally.
I decided to spend around a week just killing slugs to grind for materials for my future blacksmithing ventures.
...
I rank slugs in 3rd place in terms of disgust among the residents here. First are the normal gobbos and their bloodborne fishmen-looking asses. Second is Barbarians. Fourth is the firebugs. And the fifth place goes to the mosquito fucker who likes to ruin my clothes by throwing poisonous blood on them.
The last place is fire dogs because they are literally just red dogs with no hair. Still looks pretty disturbing but by lordran standards, they may as well be the second-best-looking dwogger of all time. Right behind Sif(who I hadn't actually seen yet, just assumed)
I won't rank the parasite wall hugger thinh because he isn't a species that doesn't respawn.
I had spent a lot of titanite sprucing up my armor. Which had reached what I assume is like +9. Thanks to my grinding I also raised the levels of some of my skills and gathered a large sum of souls along with it.
While I was exploring the rest of the blighttown after having finished my grinding with over a hundred large shards in my inventory, I noticed something.
Or well someone.
It was a lady(I think?) wearing full-body robes that looked both fancy and tattered somehow. The most surprising thing about her was that she wasn't absolutely vile and covered in disgusting poison mud unlike the rest of the peeps in blighttown. In fact, she was far too clean to be someone in blighttown.
I approached cautiously, after all, she may just be a sick trap that was contacted by lordran just to get a sick laugh. When I reached her small island, for some reason all of the monsters started ignoring us, and when I used soul vision I could sense something covering the perimeter of this island. And when I passed it she raised her head and looked at me in surprise. She had ash-white skin from what little I could see under her hood.
She observed me for a moment with interest and surprise before speaking.
''Hmm... A mere Undead, yet you can see me? Fascinating... I am Quelana of Izalith. I am not often revealed to walkers of flesh. You have a gift. Are you, too, one who seeks my pyromancy? Like Salaman?''
A ''mere'' undead? Rude. And what does she do by seeking her for pyromancy anyway? Wait, wait what to mean by not often revealed you like a ghost or summin?
Oh, wait. Now I remember. She was the advanced pyromancer teacher in blighttown with all the good regular pyromancies that aren't in the chaos category. How the hell did I forget that?
''I guess I am.''
''Yes, of course. It should be expected. Very well. You shall be my pupil. But to pursue my pyromancy, you must give something up. Are you prepared to do this?''
Now that, that got a chuckle out of me.
''Hmm? Is there something humourous about what I said?''
I reigned in my cackles and waved my hand.
''No, no it's just, *heh* the give up something part reminded me of something in the past. I'm assuming you mean souls when you meant giving something up am I, right? If so there is no problem, I am sufficiently loaded.''
She looked puzzled at me when I said that but still accepted my explanation.
''I do not what you mean by ''loaded'' but yes. If you have the time we can start now, my young pupil.''
''Sure I have nothing but souls and time to spend.''
...
It started with me showing my proficiency over my pyromancies and my knowledge about them to Quelana. She was quite impressed by the skill with which I wielded with my flames as well as the strength of my flame(courtesy of my system coupled with my diligence).
Unsurprisingly Quelana was a much better teacher than Launtrec thanks to knowing much more about pyromancer thanks to being the one who invented the concept. Also, the fact that she had lots of prior experience in teaching. How else would the concept of pyromancy spread?
''Pyromancy is the art of invoking and manipulating fire. But remember one thing. Always fear the flame, lest you be devoured by it, and lose yourself. I would hate to see that happen again...''
I spent a solid week or so under her tutelage learning the pyromancies she had on her and buying them for hefty sums of souls. After having acquired all of the pyromancies she had she did something I didn't expect.
She offered to ascend my pyromancy flame.
''Why do you look so surprised my foolish pupil? You have been nothing but diligent under my guidance, you quite deserve this gift I suppose. in fact you remind me of one of my previous pupils.
Over two-hundred years ago there was a man, almost as bungling as you... In your world, he was called Salaman the Master Pyromancer. The little rascal really made something of himself.''
Never even heard of 'im. Even while watching vaativideos probably irrelevant. Though I forgot that Quelana was absolutely ancient.
''Huh, you really are old.''
She immediately switched to a humored frown and raised her eyebrow.
''That is all you took from my words? Do you forget I am a lady too? Hmm, then I guess it seems like you do not want your flame ascended.''
In response to this, I got into a dogeza and respectfully bowed my head.
''This pupil humbly apologizes for his transgressions. I just meant that teacher did not look a day over 100.''
Hearing my words she groaned in frustration and made a beckoning gesture as she rubbed between her eyebrows in frustration.
''Haaah, just what will I do with you, my foolish pupil. Just hand over your pyromancy flame to me.''
With a smug winning smile under my visor, I handed over my pyromancy flame to her.
She took the pyromancy flame from my hands and held it gently. Almost caressingly. Then she pulled out a minuscule part of her own flame out and fused it with mine while controlling them both alongside fueling it with the souls I had just handed over.
I sat there watching this scene absolutely mesmerized. I was barely snapped out of my trance when she pushed the new and improved pyromancy flame back into my chest.
<Your pyromancy flame has ascended >
"There you are. I have ascended your flame but it is up to you to bring it up to its full potential. Be careful and don't squander this gift of mine alright?"
"I am grateful."
As I turned to she looked at me with a conflicted expression and called out to me.
''Hmm... I have a... favour to ask... My mother, The Witch of Izalith, was one of the primeval Lords... Her power came from the soul that she found near the First Flame.
...She focused this power to light a flame of her own, but she failed to control it. The Flame of Chaos engulfed Mother and my sisters, and moulded them into deformed creatures. Only I escaped, and now I am here. But my mother and sisters have been in anguish since.
I beseech you. Free Mother and my sisters from the Flame of Chaos. I cannot do it myself; I lack the strength, and the bravery... But you... I realize what I am asking. But please, free their poor souls... Mother's ambitions were misguided, no doubt, but surely a thousand years of atonement is enough!''
...
Quelana knew of the strength wielded by the usually humourous and unserious foolish pupil of hers.
Although she would not voice it in a thousand years she quite enjoyed his attempts at humor. It was a nice change of pace for her. But what shocked her was the power he wielded under his silly exterior. She saw how absolutely effortlessly he dispatched the blighted barbarians that infested this place.
Upon seeing his power she was reminded of her siblings and family as well as her friends, suffering from the flame of chaos and turned into demons. Knowing her pupil she got a small piece of hope in her heart. Although it hurt her to ask her pupil of this, she knew there was no chance of saving her sisters except by laying them to rest.
So, even if it hurt her pride, she knew there may be no other chance to lay her lost family to rest. Even though it may hurt her likely last pupil she had to ask him this. Lest she lose this last chance.
How horrible of a teacher was she? Willingly sending her pupil to kill her own family. She let out a sad and self-loathing internal chuckle at the thought.
When he heard her words of plea he suddenly froze like a statue. Seemingly staring off into empty air. He looked almost... reluctant. Not in the scared way, even though their time spent was short Quelana knew her pupil well enough to know that he wouldn't fear something like this.
Why was he reluctant?
''I'll... try my best. See you later teacher.''
Hearing his words a small smile crept up Quelana's face.
''Thank you, my foolish pupil. That is all I ask. Now, go. Whatever you do, do not crack and go Hollow. Lest my time spent on you be wasted.''
He walked off into the distance as he waved his from behind him. Quelana unknowingly gave a small wave back.
