Blood Makes You Related, Loyalty Makes You Family

(1583 A.D.)

The sound of the wild flames burning the wall candles and the ticking clock resonated within the office; large bookcases lined the walls filled to capacity. Open books were scattered amongst the large oak desk, all turned to a specific page; runes and glyphs were organized into sections in languages that were thought to be long since lost in the sands of time. There were even a few books on the two cursed swords; Soul Edge and Soul Calibur mixed in. Zasalamel stood facing one of the few high standing candles in the room, reading the pages that he had recorded so far in his tome. He could hear soft footsteps growing louder as they approached the door of the study; he had a feeling on who it could be. The soft knocks on the door broke the silence.

"Come in."

The door creaked open and he heard them shuffling into the room and closing the door behind them. The chair that was positioned in front of the desk creaked as the person settled into it; making themselves comfortable.

"Immortal or not, it's not good for you to be holed up in here for days on end."

Zasalamel didn't answer at first; giving no indication that he even heard the other. He flipped through a few more pages before deciding to close the tome and discard it back onto the desk. He turned around and leveled the other in the room with a slightly amused stare. "Are you here to lecture me, Excel?" He asked.

In front of him sat a slender young man who looked to be no older than 18 with long pure white hair and molten gold eyes that were clearly far older and wiser than what his physical age portrayed. His skin was a healthy pale color and he wore a traditional long black jacket that bore the same symbol of Zasalamel's tribe on the back. He didn't have on any of the elaborate jewels that the older male had but he did have a simple low hanging necklace with a glowing blue jewel in the center; it stood out against his black clothing along with his white hair. "Is it not the child's job to honor their parents by looking after them in their old age?" Excel said with a cheeky smile on his face. Zasalamel snorted, "I am not old." The other laughed.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, father."

"Cheeky brat." There was not any heat behind his words as he gazed fondly at his adopted son, one of few things he was grateful to still have in his immortal life. His arrogance and short sightedness towards their tribe had accosted him almost everything and without a second thought, in a moment of sentinel loyalty his son had denounced the tribe and followed his father in his banishment. Excel had casted away his position in the Tribe and exiled himself as well; he had not wanted to lose the only family he had ever known.

The journey across the world to find Soul Edge had severely affected his son more so than it had himself. While he was a trained fighter and traveling long distances were nothing to him, for his son it had been hell. He wasn't a fighter so he didn't have the same endurance or discipline as his father. He had a weak body though his powerful magic was second to none, and his mediumship took up most of his strength.

For many years they had traveled from place to place, relearning the world and its ways after being isolated from it for so long. Watching and recording the rise and fall of countless civilizations due to the warring powers of Soul Edge and Soul Calibur; Zasalamel had made a name for himself as a famous Historian eager to record history in its entirety and Excel had masqueraded himself as a Spiritual Healer. He offered closure to families by connecting them with their lost loved ones and even putting protective spells around houses and people to ward off negative energies. Eventually they had decided to settle down temporarily in a small village in India. The people were wary of the newcomers but after proving themselves with their skills and power the reception had become welcoming.

"Have you heard anything about Soul Edge?" He asked his son, settling back down behind the desk. Excel nodded.

"Yes, but I don't know if what I found out is true or not," He said with a thoughtful look on his face. "I heard that a female merchant; Lyla, found the sword at a shipboard auction, but I haven't sensed any negative energy anywhere near here that would have given it away."

"Where did the rumor come from?" The older Sage doubted that it would have landed in the hands of a simple merchant, and even if it was true; her weak soul would have been devoured instantly the second she grabbed the hilt of the blade. Becoming another faceless soul lost to its depths.

"The people from the seaport were talking about. I even heard that she managed to recruit a pirate crew to protect the sword until it's time to sell it off." The Healer paused for a moment, going over what he knew so far. "I highly doubt that it's the real deal, however."

Zasalamel grunted in agreement, his gold eye shining brightly in the room's lowlight. "If she were smart; she would realize what type of target that paints her." Excel snorted in derision, "Since when did you start caring about others?" He teased his father.

"I don't. Having so many people clamoring for a false legend may draw unwanted attention to us."

"How so?" Excel was curious; it was not as if anyone knew who they were.

"We are two outsiders who have arrived in India merely a few months ago. Now suddenly Soul Edge has been found not far from where we are. People are bound to stick their nose were it does not belong." His voice was cold and harsh. Years of looking out only for himself and his son had ingrained in him a sense of caution around others. Zasalamel didn't notice Excel reaching across the desk towards him until he felt a small hand rest on his own much larger one. Looking down, he couldn't help but marvel at how much they contrasted.

His hand was calloused and scarred from years of wielding his great scythe and working. Excel's was much smaller and a pale white that stood out sharply against his darker one. His hand was soft; he could feel a hidden strength behind it despite their deceptive appearance.

"Everything will be fine." His son had that familiar 'all knowing' look in his eyes, gripping the other's hand in comfort. "If anything happens, we will overcome it together." Excel said with absolute certainty. They had made it this far together, why stop now?

His son's unwavering adoration and devotion towards him made him feel more grounded to reality and it gave him a solid sense of purpose and a reason to keep going. Zasalamel could feel his hard exterior beginning to fall away a little as he allowed himself to reminisce the past; having the ability to retain all of his lives had its perks.

Zasalamel could remember that day with startling clarity. He had been venturing out far beyond the parameter of the Tribe's set up trying to cool down from his recent debate with the elders. He had been teeming with silent fury when he had come across a ravaged camp. Dead bodies were scattered everywhere and by the heavy smell of blood that permeated the air he knew that it was recent. He had heard the quiet cooing of a baby and followed the source to a dark tent.

Excel had been a small infant, no older than 5 months when he found him in the protective grip of a dead woman that he could only assume was his mother. His tuft of white hair was like a beacon that broke through the darkness. He didn't seem the least bit affect by what was going on around him as he cooed. For the first time in his life, he was at a loss of what to do. He debated on turning around and leaving, pretending that he hadn't seen anything but would have been cruel even for him. So, with great reluctance he pried the infant from the woman's arms and the second those gold eyes locked on to his, the baby gave him a bright gummy smile and he knew he was trapped.

And now, locking eyes with his son he saw that same carefree smile that he gave to him as an infant, the one that he silently swore to protect.

"Yes," He could feel strength in his own words. "We will."

He would make sure of it.

N/A: This is cross posted on Archive of Our Own. This chapter may be edited and have more added to it. This is my first fanfic story starring my most beloved Male!Oc so I hope you like him. If any of you want I'd be willing to tell more about him! :)

I want to slash Excel with someone and I'm leaning pretty hard towards Maxi (because he's my guilty pleasure). I am open to any and all suggestions when it comes to pairing Excel with any of the guys, older or new in the series. Hell, even shipping him with multiple people (which are also likely)!