Author's Note: Thanks for the feedback so far, guys! :)
EDIT: Reuploaded because some people couldn't read it, apparently. Don't do this to me again, FFN :|
Three long years passed. Kilik had grown into a much stronger man. Edge Master noted how shielded he had become since his arrival. Even now as he packed a bag to travel with, no emotion crossed his matured face. He wondered if he ever got over the horrors back at the Ling-Sheng Su Temple – if he hadn't, he certainly was not showing it.
Not long ago, though, Edge Master had told Kilik of Soul Edge. He had told him of the sword's terrible power and how it too needed to be purified. He seemed to work harder, then. He seemed to train harder, focus more and work endlessly – and then he hit him with that purifying blow, right in the chest. He knew, then. Kilik was ready. He could control the Evil Seed within himself, he could fight better – he was ready for this.
"You look after yourself, now. Come back safely," Edge Master remarked as Kilik stood up straight. One hand was on the Kali-Yuga and the other was adjusting the cape that hung around his neck. He watched as he bowed respectfully, turned on his heel and left with a quiet 'goodbye'.
And as he began to walk away, Edge Master wondered what the youth thought of the quest. He wondered what his drive was, and why – he wondered if he really did bury the demons of his past, if he really did let go of the things he could not control or help. He smiled sadly and hoped that his student would return safely as he gradually disappeared out of sight.
His travels had taken him to an Indian Port – as far West as he could currently go. The sea was an unfamiliar sight, sound and smell to him, though he welcomed the peace that it seemed to bring. Kilik inhaled deeply and then watched the people scurry around at the dock. Men grunted as they lifted heavy cargo onto trade ships, as they lifted other people's belongings onto transport ships and so on and so forth.
But there was a particular ship that intrigued him. It was unlike the others – it was a deep brown in colour and overall, the feeling he got was different. It was almost… adventurous. And when he saw one of the men glance at him, he knew he had to head over. He knew in his heart that this would be the way – or would it?
He stiffened and steadied his breathing before moving on – he did not want that foul thing popping up today. Soon enough, he was standing before the man, who quirked a curious eyebrow. His lips spread into a thin grin, stretching the cross-shaped scar on his cheek just a little, "Is there a reason you've been monitoring us?"
"I wish to come aboard your vessel," Kilik answered.
The pirate surveyed him up and down. His eyes settled upon the Dvapara-Yuga, "I want that as a fee for the trip."
An emotion stirred. Kilik furrowed his eyebrows and gestured to the item, "This is not for sale."
"Then you can't come aboard. Either give me that as payment, or get out."
A new man suddenly stepped in, harshly shoving the first one by the shoulder, "Get back to work, Jacker!" As soon as Jacker ran off, this new man looked at him up and down, but not as intently as the previous one, "You want to come aboard this ship, huh?"
"I must go West," he replied, tightening his grip on the Kali-Yuga. Something was a miss, "Would you take me?"
"Haha! So forward! I like you, kid," the new man with long, curly black hair smiled and adjusted his blue vest, "If I were the Captain, I'd say 'yes'. As it is, I'm his first mate, so… Let's wait for him to return first, alright?" When there was a small nod, he extended his hand, "We're freelance pirates from the Ryukyu Kingdom, by the way. The name's Kyam. And yours?"
Not quite sure what to make of it, the youth mirrored Kyam's actions, but retracted his hand quickly thereafter shaking it, "Kilik."
"Kilik huh… Well, let's hope that Captain Maxi gets back soon. We need to set off as soon as we can."
With that, Kyam left, calling out to a few crewmates before going to assist. Kilik looked down to his feet for a few moments, lightly stroking the Kali-Yuga as though to calm the tainted energy within. He furrowed his eyebrows, though, when he noticed a stray pebble shifting in an almost erratic manner by his left boot.
There were soon screams. He immediately dropped his pack, fell into stance and turned around, his back to the pirates and his front to the rest of the dock. Nothing stirred in him when he saw people being killed and thrown this way and that. A hoard of golems and lizardmen were heading straight towards him, murdering whoever else was in the way.
He dashed forward, meeting them a few metres before Kyam and his friends. With a mighty strike, he knocked out two of the golems, watching as the Kali-Yuga struck them in the head. He then leapt over their falling forms and continued further in, hitting anything and everything in his path until he divided the hoard in two.
Turning back, he moved to start cleaving the masses again. Kilik couldn't help but frown, though, when he saw Jacker literally get torn apart by lizardmen. Kyam rushed over to assist with his Chinese sword, infuriated, but soon enough he was pinned to the ground by another golem. Before Kilik could move in again, a man in white apparel, wielding a nunchaku, ripped through the masses, shouting Kyam's name.
Kilik resumed battling, helping the obviously skilled fighter, eventually making his way closer to him for protection. It was as he chased away most of them, though, did the largest foe appear yet. He was incredibly tall and had a large axe at his disposal, knocking aside many of the weaker men who had come to assist. They moved like cut grass underneath the weapon – none were like stone. It made him frown.
The man – golem – thing – roared at the pair as he stood before them, "Who are you worms?"
Neither answered – instead, they both catapulted themselves towards him, Kali-Yuga and nunchaku's gliding through the air and guided by skilled hands. When the man would hit high, Kilik would hit low. When the man would hit the left, Kilik would hit the right. When the man would hit the beast from in front, Kilik would hit him from behind.
"I, Astaroth, of Fygul Cestemus, will not stand for this!"
Kilik was soon seized by the Dvapara-Yuga, and with little effort, it was lifted off of his head – and then I am free, and everything has returned. I cannot be stopped. I cannot be subdued. I am too powerful, Kilik. I am too powerful for you to control, for you to understand or even harness. Edge Master was wrong to let you go so soon… Fear me. Fear the nightmare.
Astaroth began to laugh as Kilik turned to face the man he'd been fighting alongside only mere moments ago. Still in stance, he charged, whipping the Kali-Yuga around and then striking the new opponent at the side of his torso. The man jumped to the side thereafter, ignoring the stinging sensation, before furrowing his eyebrows.
He will join his crew.
Something was definitely wrong, the black-haired youth deduced, and he wanted to fix it quickly. The longer he was being preoccupied by this stranger, the less time he'd have to help out his crew – at least, those who were still alive. Biting his lip, he came at the youth, nunchakus striking the side of his neck – but he did not show pain or weakness on his visage. Instead, he attacked again and again and again, as though the staff was leading him through many circus rings.
It must have something to do with the necklace, he thought, dodging another horizontal strike.
With his mind made up, the man rolled out of the way of another attack and charged towards Astaroth, teeth tightly pushed together. He somehow found more energy and strength within himself when he saw the beast strike Kyam across the face as he lay on the floor. With a mighty shout, he jumped onto Astaroth's bulky thigh and propelled himself higher up, snatching the pendant from his other hand and kneeing him in the face thereafter.
Landing on the creaky pier, he began to run back towards the caped stranger, watching as Astaroth bolted the other way with the stray lizardman or two that remained, disorientated and hate-filled. Still caught up in the previous momentum, he ran back towards the mystery man, jumping over another horizontal strike, and kneed him in the chest, propelling him to the ground. He managed to slip the necklace back on before he got back up.
Quickly jumping off, he waited. The man was normal.
Kilik held his head. It was throbbing. He felt a little dizzy, but with steady breathing, it passed. A hand shot straight to his chest where another painful sensation suddenly rose – but he felt the Dvapara-Yuga around his neck once more, and all was relatively well. Exhaling, he stood to his feet, ignoring the little wobble thereafter, and looked around.
Everyone was either in hiding in the shops, or dead. There were so many bodies littering the dock that for a moment, in his weakness, he felt sick. Despite what Edge Master thought… Kilik never forgot what had happened at the Ling-Sheng Su Temple, nor what he had done to dear Xianglian. He still dreamt of it, and he still felt disgusted with himself and sick whenever the memories came. She still truly haunted him.
The scene was frighteningly similar, but he forced his emotions to shut off. Turning away, he looked back to the pirate ship that he was yet to board. The man was holding Kyam, whose hand was trembling in the air. He could not hear what he was saying, but he knew that he was dying. Kilik quickly deduced that the man he was fighting with was the Captain, and then he felt something shake inside of his stone core – he believed it to be that of pity.
Kyam soon lay still. The man looked lost. The man mourned. The man's fist trembled.
Soon enough, though, just like him, he shut everything off. He looked over his shoulder and spoke, trying to keep his voice as calm as possible – but even though Kilik did not know him and did not understand emotions too well, it was obvious to him that the man felt shattered, "Kyam told me that your name's Kilik. You want to head West."
"Kyam would be correct," he replied.
He stood and turned to face him wholly, tugging at his white jacket and lifting his head – he wanted to show that he was still strong, despite the damaging loss he'd just taken, "My name's Maxi. I was the Captain of this crew. I can take you West."
"Without help?" he inquired, a little confused, "Why would you want to help me when I just attacked you?"
Maxi grinned a little, closing his eyes as he turned back and began to walk up and onto his ship, "Because I want to see the world, and I swear I will kill Astaroth for what he has done to my men and my sworn brother…" It was only when he was on the boat again did he open his eyes and look at Kyam, honestly unsure of what to do. He cared for all of his crew, but Kyam… Kyam had been there since childhood.
Kilik noted the way that Maxi seemed to observe Kyam – it briefly reminded him of how he viewed Xianglian, before those emotions became strong and confusing. What did the Evil Seed call it again? It gave it a name… and he could not remember. Or perhaps you refuse to remember because of the pain it deals. It would shatter you.
You have done enough for today, he growled. Swinging his pack back over his shoulder, he approached the body of Kyam and lifted him. He glanced up at Maxi, who immediately turned away and headed elsewhere on the ship, trying to bury his pain again. His face blank, Kilik carried the man's body onto the ship, laying it on the wooden boards thereafter.
As he looked at the man's face, he was soon aware of Maxi standing him; so he remarked, "If he was so valuable to you… as a brother of sorts, as your first mate and as a fellow adventurer… I think it would be fitting if you buried him at sea so he could be closer to what he loved," he turned to look at the new acquaintance, trying to find a way to be supportive and understanding, but feeling like he was failing to do so, "Do you not agree?"
Maxi merely walked ahead, grabbing a rope and began to pull down on it.
They had aimlessly travelled for many weeks. Maxi told Kilik stories of his life, his crew – he was very open. He was certain that one day it would be his downfall, though he hated that he thought that way. Many times the pirate inquired about his own life, but Kilik merely remarked that there was no story to tell, for the pages had been burned long ago.
They were walking through another small town when Maxi suddenly stopped and grinned. He put an arm out before Kilik, causing him to stop as well, before subtly pointing towards a young woman he saw. He then commented lowly, "Daaamn, look at that. She's got legs from here to the heavens, haha."
Maxi may have seen a young woman with short, brown hair dressed in white and blue, but Kilik thought he was seeing a ghost. The face was far too familiar, and it made his insides churn. Soon enough, she was superimposed over the girl, and he thought he was going to throw up again – but he thought he was stronger than that, but you are truly a weakling, boy. There was a heavy and constant thudding in his head. He almost called out her name. The weight that the Evil Seed had placed on him felt as though it had all but vanished. He wondered if he had wings again. Maybe that entire ordeal was a nightmare –
"Hey, she's coming this way. Better close your mouth," Maxi remarked, ribbing him harshly and gesturing to his own in the hopes of snapping him out of that trance he'd fallen into, "You're gaping. Really badly, I might add."
He immediately straightened up, shut his mouth and tried to forget every image that came to mind that involved Xianglian. That meant growing up together, that meant sitting outside together, that meant that kiss, that night, those memories, everything. By the time the woman stood in front of them with a childish, sunny smile, Kilik continued to think of boulders. He continued to think of their strength and size, and how they could never be shifted by the weather, by man or by fate.
Edge Master would want him to be that boulder. Xianglian and all that was is merely rain. Soft, gentle – rain.
"Hi!" the woman remarked, sticking out a hand to each man, "My name is Xianghua. I was just about to leave the village – are you guys travellers too?" a small nod, "Great! Let's all go together. I like making friends. What are your names?"
Maxi shook her hand firmly and responded with his name. Kilik turned his head away and began to walk, ignoring the shoots of pain that were resonating through his body, Xianglian is rain. The Evil Seed is rain. That night is rain. These feelings are rain. All is rain. You are stone. You are unbreakable. You are mine.
"Don't mind him," Maxi said, beginning to follow and gesturing for Xianghua to do the same, "That's Kilik. Dunno much about him. He pretty much keeps to himself. Hell of a fighter, though, and he's got a good heart."
They continue to chatter behind him. Kilik looked to the ground, watching as stone turned into dirt, and as dirt turned into grass. The sun was beginning to set as they navigated through light bushland, and behind him, he heard Xianghua remark, "I'm sorry to hear about your crew, Maxi. It must've been a tragic event."
Maxi shrugged and then put his hands behind his head, still walking, "These things happen."
"Do not let your hatred for Astaroth consume you," she tucked some of her hair behind her ear and pulled her pack closer to her body, and for a moment, Maxi was silent, "Choose your destiny wisely. What you think might be right may turn out to be the wrong thing."
Maxi made a noise – Kilik couldn't tell what it was – before shifting the subject towards her, "What about you? Why are you travelling?"
"Teehee, don't tell anyone but… I'm a member of the Ming Imperial Guard back in China," she smiled and straightened up, "The Emperor has sent me out to find the Hero's Sword. You don't know it, do you?" the smile faded a little, "There's another name for it, but I don't recall what it is… Ooh, give me a moment! I'll remember! I'll remember!"
Kilik had stopped. Both Maxi and Xianghua passed him, but they soon noticed how he blankly stared at her, giving her the name, "Soul Edge."
"Yes, that's it! You know of it?"
Kilik resumed walking, passing the pair, and replied over his shoulder, "The sword is evil."
They both gave each other quizzical looks and thereafter remained silent for the rest of the day.