A/N: Chapter two of my Horror fiction. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Zelda, or Soul Calibur.
Soul Calibur II: Dawn of Darkness
Chapter II: Guardians in the Darkness
Deep in the shadows of the Black Fortress, a transparent silhouette walked through the corridors. The boots of the figure sounded silently on the black rugs, the clatter of three large swords in sheaths on the figures back echoed eerily in the pitch blackness of the halls.
The figure looked up, and saw a group of heavily armed transparent soldiers marching in perfect formation holding spears except the lead one, which held a large double-edge sword in his left hand pointing forward, not one trooper had stepped out of line by the slightest of inches. The figure smiled to itself, their piercing silver-blue eyes looked admirably at the troops. The squad stopped in front of the figure and saluted, placing their right fists over their hearts and bowing slightly.
"What is it, commander?" the female voiced figure asked with a tone of authority.
The soldier with the large sword stepped forward, bearing the cape with the symbol of the Dragon and Wolf and spoke in a deep commanding voice.
"General Wolfiah, guards of the Seventh and Tenth legions have reported that intruders have entered the fortress. One of the troops claimed he heard them say that they were merely escaping the blizzard, and they apparently know of the legends." The commander reported.
General Wolfiah nodded, her elegant face set in a stern expression of command.
"Send for the other High Generals, except Sarah since she is always there, to make for the Master's chambers." She ordered. The Commander nodded and sent his troops to gather the other higher ranking Generals.
General Wolfiah sighed. 'I hope the Master is not going to be upset...'. She thought, remembering how the traitors from a millennium ago had met their fates at the hands of the Black Knight himself. She shuddered at the memories. He was not very merciful since he invoked the Darkness he now leads, and he was out for vengeance against them, making him even worse at the time.
At least he had the honor to fight them himself, and treat them as equals even if they betrayed him.
The other soldiers were ordered not to harm the traitors, on pain of death. They were his and his alone. The Black Knight had hunted them down and captured them all by himself, and when he made sure they were good and healthy, he challenged them. If the traitor's won, they were to be set free. If they lost, they would met their end. The Black Knight was a man of his word.
But none of the traitors ever had the chance to find out how it felt to be free again.
For none survived his rage.
*Master's quarters*
The eight high generals, Ehtias the sharp, Titania the mighty, Leiana the timid, Wolfiah the magnificent, Dragonia the fierce, Shadowess the swift, and Valiana the wise stood on their right knee in the darkness. Their transparent heads bowed, their eyes closed. General Sarah the gentle stood by a figure chained to a throne, whispering a chant quietly into their ears.
Cobwebs littered the whole area. Dust that had gathered littered what furniture was placed in the room. Portraits covered the walls, but the mass of dust and webs made it impossible to see what was portrayed within the pictures.
The figure on the black marble throne had long pointy ears, just like all warriors of the Black Legions. A pointy hat hung from the back of its head, golden hair cloaked in the darkness of the room covered the figures eyes. Black armor protected the figures chest, shoulders, and torso. Armored leather boots protected their feet, and one large gray spike on each shoulder guard glistened in the rare light of the room, obviously polished. The armor had deep blue trimming with a few wing-like designs on the armor plating of the chest, boots, and shoulders. A large sword in a black sheath hung from the figure's left shoulder on their back.
The body was completely still, no breathing was heard.
"...Master...?" General Sarah addressed the figure.
No response.
General Wolfiah and the others stood and gathered around their overlord.
"I think he is slipping into purgatory...!" General Titania said in a worried tone. Sarah placed her left palm on the figures face. At her touch, a voice spoke to the females minds.
*What is it...?* The deep yet gentle voice had a demonic growl under lapping it. Sarah removed her hand from her master's face and let Wolfiah step up to discuss the situation.
"My lord, two armed women have entered the fortress. The troops overheard their reason, they were escaping the cold blizzard of the mountain. They also seem to know of the fortress's origins." Wolfiah reported.
The Black Knight's low and gentle voice turned dark and menacing, he growled demoniacally. No living being of light or dark had set foot in his Shadow Realm for a millennium.
*Ugh, alright...Where are they now?* He asked after calming himself, remembering how he was a man who answered peoples cries of help when he was free.
"They are still at the main hall of the Fortress. What are your orders, Master?" Wolfiah asked. The dark king grumbled to himself for a moment, seemingly debating about something.
*Wolfiah, Dragonia, Shadowess, I want you to watch over them. Make sure the wicked spirits that have taken residence here do not harm them. You shall be their guardians in the Dark. Understood?* The Black Knight instructed. Wolfiah, Shadowess, and Dragonia nodded, accepting their orders loyally.
"Is there something you wish of them, Master?" Ethtias asked curiously. The Black Knight's growl answered her first before he spoke again.
*...Their safety.* He stated and the generals nodded in understanding. Leiana, the shyest of the seven, held a look of deep thought.
"...Master, Your curse, it can be-" She started before she was interrupted.
*I am well aware of what it takes to free me. Now that I have awakened, I can sense the purity and innocents in the intruder's souls. I care not for my freedom now, They have stumbled on the Shadow Realm at a time when we cannot provide adequate protection. The demon ones will harm them if they can. And for some reason, their presence feels achingly familiar...* The Black Knight explained.
"They could be here to expose us, my lord." Valiana pointed out, ignoring her Lord's comment as coincidence.
*Thus another reason I have sent three high generals to keep watch over them.* The Dark One remarked.
"What of the troops?" Sarah asked. The Black Knight didn't answer for a while.
*...Send them to Angor.* The Black Knight ordered. The eight Elite looked at their master in shock.
"But Master!" Shadowess protested.
*Listen to me, I don't want the females to be distracted, if I am to be free, they must come of their own will. Now go, all of you.* The Black Knight dismissed his very worried generals.
They already had the Eleven and Twelfth Legions in the mountains of Angor. The Shadow Realms were already under his rule. He was sending away his strongest armies in an attempt to clear a path for two dwellers of light who may not willingly release him. He was taking an awful risk, and he knew it.
He was also expecting just three, although his finest and most experienced, High Generals to protect the intruders. Against the evil ones hiding in the fortress, deep within, they would have to be careful.
The demon ones could not harm the generals, it was the light dwellers that were in danger.
The eight high generals bowed to their Master and saluted before walking off into the black halls.
*Main Hall*
Back at the entrance of the Black Fortress, Sophitia and Cassandra sat huddled against each other in the darkness. They could feel countless cold, soulless eyes watching them. The armies of the Black Knight had been what had stopped them from advancing. They would have attempted to leave, seeing this as a sign the Dark One was not pleased with their presence in his forbidden fortress, but when they neared the way to the doors, they felt threatening energy in the atmosphere, as if warning them to not try it.
The spirits had blocked them off.
"Sis, why won't they let us be?" Cassandra asked frightened. Sophitia was trying to calm her own heart and reclaim her bodily functions from the paralysis of fear, and her breathing as she answered her sister.
"I-I don't know...They must want us to remain here in the hall...Its the only thing I can think of, but the air is filled with hostility, I don't know if they are going to harm us or just make us sit here. Its best to not move or provoke them..." Sophitia suggested. Cassandra didn't need to be told twice.
A distinct female voice shouted loudly from the far side of the hall, surprising the sisters at the sudden break in the eerie silence.
"Heliohs!" The voice shouted, it sounded like an order in another language.
Their ears picked up the sound of marching feet. They looked up and from the darkness, emerged an army of black armored troops in perfect formation, divided into squads of twelve, with nine squads in each brigade, marching towards the door. They were ghostly in appearance, likely the work of the curse they had been placed under long ago.
The troops never wavered in the march, they glared straight ahead and moved in perfect formation. As the troops kept marching by, the sound of armored feet stomping on the black stone ground echoing loudly, inspiring fear, dread, and a sense of doom in the sisters. The same voice sounded again. This time, it was directed in their direction.
"Sawtoh fyonda!" The female voice ordered? They looked up and were shocked to see at least three brigades of Black Legion warriors and archers marching towards them from the right passageway.
The troops marched slowly towards them, slowly leveling their spears and aiming their bows at the deeply shaken sisters who stood up and backed further into the corner, holding each other tightly and raising their shields, just in case.
"Oktie!" At the 'command' the soldiers halted in their march with a heavy stomp that sounded out through the hallway before being drowned out by the noise of the main army.
"Alacohn halas!" The Archers readied their bows and aimed at the sisters. A few commanders stepped forward and held their swords vertically at their sides, not raised, just holding them. Ready to give the order to fire or attack.
They stayed that way as the main army passed by, not once glancing at the two shocked sisters as they left loudly. When the last of the main legions had left the Fortress, all was quiet except for the heavy breathing of the sisters as they tried to calm themselves, thinking happy things to ward of the fear.
Booted feet could be heard from behind the soldiers, the steps were light, and unarmored. The troops stomped at attention and cleared a path for three soldiers, female soldiers in black tunics with golden hair in a long pony-tail, cold silver-blue eyes, and three large swords on their back. Black light leather gloves and boots covered their arms and legs respectively as they became more apparent. They had a slight build, and a voluptuous figure.
The female warriors, obviously generals, stopped about five feet from the sisters. They analyzed the two with calculating eyes as they watched them. One of the three who stood in the middle stepped forward, causing the two to jump back a bit in instinct.
"Hello." The General greeted. The sisters blinked in confusion. Sophitia was shocked, too shocked to respond. Cassandra stared at the general with unbelieving eyes. She had just heard the voice of a general from the Black Legions!
The generals behind smirked at each other. The first smiled warmly at the two.
"Do not fear us, we mean you no harm. Can you speak?" The general asked. Cassandra spoke first.
"H-hello..." she greeted back. The general nodded in approval.
"Good. I am Wolfiah, one of the eight High Generals of the Black Legions, the two behind me are Shadowess, and Dragonia two of the other eight. Welcome to the Black Fortress." Wolfiah greeted politely with a Black Legion salute. The other two walked up and bowed at the Grecian sisters who stood dumbfounded.
"W-what do you want from us...?" Sophitia asked, voice shaking. Shadowess answered her in a serious tone.
"That is what we were about to ask you." She stated. The other two nodded as the sisters blinked.
"We understand your need to avoid the cold of our mountain, but why enter our fortress?" Dragonia asked.
"We have heard of the Black Knight. We never meant to disturb you, we were just curious...and it was still too cold at the cave's entrance for us..." Cassandra explained.
"I see. May we have the honor of knowing your names?" Wolfiah asked.
"I am Sophitia Alexandra of Athens. This is Cassandra Alexandra, my younger sister. We were part of the group who recently defeated the same blade the Black Knight fought long ago." Sophitia explained.
"Interesting, the blade had returned. Did the Master know of this?" Wolfiah asked her fellow generals. Dragonia shrugged while Shadowess nodded.
"Yes, he was enraged with it's return but could not do anything about it, so only sulked about in his chambers." She explained.
"Well Sophitia, Cassandra, the Master has favored your presence. He has sent us to ensure you safe passage through our fortress." Wolfiah informed.
"Wait, why do we need protection? Isn't this fortress under his watch?" Cassandra asked, choosing her words carefully so as not to insult. Dragonia smiled slightly.
"No, not since he was sealed here, and we became not but mere spirits. His body survived, but without him, we can not take physical form. We are near powerless, and so is he. His influence in the Shadow Lands has been reduced to the range of his own chambers. Dark beings of the shadows under the flag of Evil has crept into the deepest parts of our lands and though we have done all we can to stop them, they keep coming. Without the Master, this will be one never ending war." Dragonia explained.
"Our forces has been constantly kept on the front line because of this." Wolfiah added. Shadowess nodded.
"Warola!" She called out to the troops waiting patiently behind who stood at stiff attention at the command.
"Helliohs!" She ordered in that language again, pointing to the doorway with one of her long-swords in her left hand.
Immediately, the troops turned on their heels and stomped at attention before marching towards the double-doors of the fortress. Following the main army out.
"May I ask you something, dwellers of light?" Shadowess addressed the sisters after commanding the troops. The sisters nodded.
"Do you wish to release our Master?" She asked in a serious voice.
"We can release him?" Sophitia asked bemused. Cassandra stared wide-eyed at the three warriors.
"If you can prove that your souls are pure and that your hearts are true, if you can brave the evils that lie in our fortress, then you will have the right to release him. No being of light can face this darkness alone, that is why we are here to guide you." Shadowess explained.
"You can go forward and try to prove yourselves worthy or you can turn back and leave without being harmed by the demon spirits. The choice is yours, but know this: Without our Master, the demons will not be defeated, the Black Legions will be left in purgatory. " Dragonia explained.
"Should he return, he will see fit to grant you your greatest desires and save your world from the evils that corrupt it, if you so wish it. If you cannot, then your world will slowly slip to darkness of Evil. Only he has the power to defeat the Demon King." Wolfiah added.
The sisters shared looks, they would have to think about this. If they went, it was likely they would not survive, even with the three Generals watching over them. If they went back, their world could be lost to a far more powerful evil then before. They only thought one thing.
'This is going to be one looong night...'
A/N: Find out what happens next time lads, and lasses. Reviews are always encouraged!