Ligma calms down at the sight the hollowing on her chest.
Nia: "Do you believe me now?" she said letting go of Ligma.
Ligma stays quiet as she drops to the ground looking at her chest.
Nia: "Now, Ligma you stay here and let us find a way to reverse your hollowing. "Fire Keeper please make sure she doesn't go anywhere she is not well."
Fire Keeper: "As you wish." she said bowing.
Waifu: "So where do we go now?" she said looking at Nia.
Nia walks up to the Fire Keeper. "Can you show us to where the Fire Keepers of the past go?"
Fire Keeper: "As you wish." she said walking towards a flight of stairs that runs along the walls of the shrine.
Nia and Waifu look at each other before following her up. While going up they take in just how big this place is. Torches lined the wall illuminating the shrine, the five thrones over looked the shrine, and looking closer one of the thrones were occupied but now wasn't the time to investigate.
Now finally at the top of the stairs the Fire Keeper shows them to opening in the shrine leading outside. Walking out they find a strange tree in the shape of a person and to the left was a tower with a closed door.
Fire Keeper: "All the past Fire Keepers go through this tower... now if you would excuse me I will go back to watch you friend." she said walking back down.
Waifu runs up to the door and tries to open it but it wouldn't budge.
Waifu: "Hey Nia I think this door is locked." she said walking back.
Nia: "Of course it is." she said shaking her head. "I bet the Fire Keeper knows were it is, lets go look for her." she said walking down the stairs.
Nia walks about half way down before seeing the Fire Keeper. "Hey wait up!" she said waving her hand. "The tower was locked do you have the key?"
Fire Keeper: "No unfortunately I do not, but try talking to the shrine hand maid, she might know." she said bowing before going back down.
Waifu: "The Handmaid?" she said tilting her head.
Nia: "I guess we should start looking." she said scratching her head. "This is getting annoying."
Waifu: "It's ok, ummm we should start at the bonfire." she said pointing in its general direction.
Nia: "Ok..."
So, the walked back to the bonfire to look for the Shrine Handmaid.
Upon arriving at the bonfire the look around and directly across from the thrones was a path that stretched under the stairs they were just on.
Waifu: "Look I think I see some one siting in the tunnel." she said pointing into the tunnel.
Nia looked at where she was pointing and saw a old lady sitting in a chair with various items around her. Waifu then walked to the old woman with Nia following.
???: "A pleasure to make your acquaintance- Oh is you again." she said turning away.
Waifu: "Oh its you I remember you, you remember me right?!" she said smiling.
Nia: "You two know each other?"
???: "How could I forget, she would come to me every day and talk for hours!"
Waifu: "Yea those were good times."
???: "She never even bought anything from my shop!"
Nia: "Wait your shop?" she said taking a step forward. "Who are you?"
Handmaid: "Well since you asked I'm the Handmaid of this shrine." she said laying back in her chair.
Nia: "Waifu! Why didn't you tell me she was the Handmaid?" she said turning to Waifu.
Waifu: "She never told me..."
Handmaid: "Yes I did, you just didn't listen!"
Nia looks at Waifu in disappointment but a part of her is used to it. Waifu keeps her head down in response to the glares she was getting.
Nia: "So i got a question to ask... do you know where we can find the key to that tower above the shrine?"
Handmaid: "Oh yes, as a matter of fact I have that very key you are referring to." she said forming a smile on her face.
Nia: "Great, so umm can we borrow that from you."
Handmaid: "I am not so charitable as to give my goods away. If you want this key fetch souls and bring them to me." she said swinging the key around her finger.
Nia: "Souls?"
Handmaid: "Yes and 20,000 of them if you want this key."
Nia: "20,000!" she said dropping her jaw.
Nia: "How would we even gather souls in the first place."
Handmaid: "Did you not get awakened by the Fire Keeper?"
Nia: "No, I don't know what you are referring to." she said scratching her neck. "Waifu do you know what she is talking about?"
Waifu: "Ummm I don't know."
Handmaid: "Well you should it's the first thing that you did when you got here."
Nia: "And what exactly does this do for me?"
Handmaid: "It allows you to see all the souls you collected and it also lets you control what you do with those souls. Ill tell you what I may be out of practice but I could do it for you." she said reaching her arms out.
Nia hesitates for a moment before kneeling before the Handmaid. As Nia Kneels before the Handmaid she feels a energy awaken in her and as she opens her eyes she can feel how many souls she has residing within her... its 0.
Nia: "0?!" she said jolting up.
Handmaid: "Like I said before before you didn't have the power to control them before."
Nia: "So?"
Handmaid: "So, If you interacted with a bonfire before you got any more the souls must have been used to make you stronger, and the only way to get here is through a bonfire."
Nia: "Great." she says sarcastically. "Wait Waifu did you had this power all this time?"
Waifu: "Umm... yea, I just used all my souls to make myself stronger when we rested. I just assumed you had the same ability." she said clasping her hands together.
Nia: "I guess it doesn't matter any more we need to find a way to come up with 20,000 souls..."