The castle was so old and crumbling, like it was made that way. Trees, gnarled like an old man's hands, reached greedily into every crevice of the stone structure. The moat surrounding the castle was half-empty of a thick greenish semi-solid gelatin that was slowly turning brown. Life seemed to be leaving everything. Only thing alive were the ravens that covered the top of the castle like new frosting on a molded and poorly made cake.
The giant was not fazed by the deadness of this place. He welcomed it. Destruction was his purpose and he was made to like it. He was just like his companion, crafted for function rather than form. He hefted the giant axe onto his shoulders. He felt the weight of the monstrous weapon and was comforted. He smelled the sour staleness of this place and smiled. He dropped his axe, stretched his arms and beat his chest like some kingly beast.
The giant had dark tan skin. His eyes were pools of white, giving off a creepy light of their own. The giant was big, both in height and muscle. Though he only wore armor around his feet, ankles, stomach and shoulders, he looked invincible save his exposed heart. He did not fear this vulnerability. Astaroth was his name and he knew he had nothing to fear.
Picking up his weapon, Astaroth made his way toward the castle. It was dark in the windows of the castle. It was an abandoned darkness as if light refused to go in there, as if light wanted nothing to do with the interior of the castle. It did not bother Astaroth. He knew what was in the darkness and if something tried to surprise him, his axe would surprise it back. The beastly weapon was nestled on his shoulder like a pet sleeping in the warm arms of its master. Or a lover cuddled in her…
Astaroth roared. He did not know why he did it but he did it again. He found out recently that he liked doing random things, like roaring or smashing lifeless things. With one powerful swipe, a rather large tree became a rather large piece of firewood. Ravens shot out from the leaves, going in all directions as the tree fell. He laughed, a hearty grating sound. For fun he stomped a small boulder into large stones and hurled the large stones at the fleeing birds. His throws were so powerful and the air so thick with birds, he was taking down six to eight birds a stone. He did this until he ran out of stones. The rest of the birds cleared the air. Astaroth smiled behind the mask covering the bottom of his mouth.
Fear. He wished he could feed on it. He would have fed heartily on humans. He thought of his latest slaughter. Humans running in all directions screaming "The giant, the giant is upon us." The giant. Astaroth liked that. Only one. For a minute, Astaroth considered not going into the castle. Did he really need Soul Edge? Both his former masters had wanted the blade and it did neither of them much good. Though he was what really did neither the god nor the man much good. Did he really need Soul Edge he thought. "No," he said quietly to himself "But I want it." With that he stormed toward the castle.
"No, no please, please get up." A soft, screechy voice pricked the giant's ears. His turn was slow and deliberate. A girl sat in the pool of ravens. He watched her try to coax the birds back to life. Her dark hair was tied up in two unequal side ponytails. Her red suit covered about as much of her body as it exposed. Her skin was extremely pale on her face, arms, knees, belly, back and sides. She finally turned her gaze to Astaroth. Her bright pink eyes stirred something in the monster. He almost went to Tira but with a shake of his head went at her instead.
"I'll cut your heart out." Her voice and demeanor became darker as she produced a circle blade in her gauntlets. She twirled it around herself, producing thin red lines wherever the blade touched her. Astaroth planned on making a thick red line, right across her neck. His axe roared horizontal for her neck. She ducked. Astaroth removed one hand and used the momentum of his first swing to produce an upward slice. She side stepped, spinning as she did it. "He he this is fun." She said, passing the ring around her body. The blade rapped against the giant's ankle guard. No damage was done but Astaroth stumbled. The ring blade cut into his chest, deep. The girl was on one knee, her weapon above her head in his chest. He stumbled away. He felt the cut already closing but he also felt the pain. Pain was not a freedom he enjoyed. He stared at her in rage and disbelief. She spun toward him. Astaroth was shocked. He rarely had a human come toward him, much less with a smile on its face. He had to end her.
With a great grunt, he cocked back his axe. The axe came down like an angry comet. There was a great crash. Chunks of the ground and raven jumped in the air from the shock wave. The girl had missed the axe and was in his face, her hips gyrating, the blade ring in motion around them. Astaroth was not surprised. She frowned at him. "Die." she said. Astaroth replied by hammering his shoulder into her chest.
She skidded a good seven feet; her weapon went a bit further. Astaroth's grating laugh washed over her as he rushed her. She was halfway to her feet when he swept her up. He wrapped his arms around her. He could feel her, her body heat, her soft skin. Still groggy, she had not yet begun to struggle. Her chest pressed against his. His heart fit right between her breasts. Their hearts were beating together, he could feel it. He tightened his grip. Her rate climbed and oddly enough so did his. Why he thought what's happening to me? His grip tightened, squeezing a small moan from Tira. Her heart rate went up and then his followed. He growled. Her eyes opened half way and she smiled. Astaroth could not be more pissed. He once again tightened the embrace. From the cuts of her ring both of them bled. The warm liquid collected at Astaroth's feet after running down both of their bodies. She moaned again, louder. He roared. The end was near. They were near the breaking point. He could feel it.
Their faces were but inches from each other. Seconds from her spine breaking and leaking all her life out, Tira perked her lips and planted them on Astaroth's forehead.
A lot of things happened in sequence yet at the same time. First Astaroth's eyes popped wide open. Then his mind went blank. After that but at the same time an electrical sensation crept from the point of contact down to his feet then back up to his forehead. All his muscles tightened and loosened as the sensation moved through them.
For a second, nothing happened. Then like a flash Tira kicked off his chest, flew through the air and landed next to her ring. "He he he I like you, I'm sure the master will too," she said cuddling her ring blade. Astaroth watched stupidly, his arms stilled wrapped around the empty air, as she skipped toward the castle's open door.
He drifted after her until he stumbled over his axe. He had dropped it when he rushed to Tira. He picked it up and dusted the head of his weapon. It revealed that he had a dark mark on his forehead. He gently touched it, remembering the kiss. Then the whole encounter played over in his head. His whole plan could be jeopardized, he reasoned. He looked at the mark again and swiped it away with the back of his hand. Roaring, Astaroth made waste of everything around him. Rocks, trees, grass; all felt his rage, even his shadow could not escape his frustration.
After an hour, Astaroth started to calm down. He cracked his neck. Just a setback he thought, his breath ragged, just a minor setback, nothing more. He regained his composure and hefted his axe. He continued toward the castle almost as if the encounter had not happened.
He thought of her, not of Soul Edge, nor his plans, nor the destruction he would work once his plans were complete. He thought of Tira, as his heavy footsteps echoed down the castle's dead hallway.