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Archangel of retribution
Many weeks later, after he retrieved enough information, many women known as witches were brought before Graf Dumas. One at the time he met with them. When she entered in Graf Dumas' throne room, Luminita Ionescu was completely afraid. She would be burnt as a malfested! She kneeled in front of the Ban and waited for his sentence. Graf Dumas began to speak.
-Luminita Ionescu, I heard you would be a witch…
Luminita wanted to cry. She had been treated as such for so long, now she would pay for it…
-I… I… am not a witch… Your Highness…
-You do not have magical powers?
-… No. I… only know how to treat wounds and sickness with medicinal herbs and such…
-You have no other 'powers'?
-No, my lord.
Suddenly Graf Dumas changed the subject.
-I also heard that, fifteen years ago, you gave shelter to a young witch with white hair…
Luminita lifted her head in questioning. Why would that be in question? She suddenly realized: Of course, the young woman was malfested… She knew her answer could now lead to her doom… Yet it seemed he knew… Even things as far as fifteen years ago…
-… Yes…
-Be more precise. What did you do exactly? She came and you offered her shelter by your own will or she asked for it? Was she wounded?
-… She was wounded indeed… She didn't ask me anything… I found her as I was searching for mushrooms… She had been beaten by some people.
Graf Dumas frowned and became sterner.
-What people?
-I don't really know… From what I understood later, I think it was the villagers… Yet she didn't speak much… I only figured it out…
-From the village of Tigveni?
-I suppose, if it was the villagers it would be from there since the next village is a little too far… And she seemed badly hurt, like if she had been beaten not too far from there… Not too long ago… She was bloodied like if they beat her there and left her for dead… She could not have walked too far…
-Then what happened? What did you do? When you saw her…
-Well she… I took her to my home… She had difficulties walking so I… helped her by bringing her on my back… Anyway she was still reluctant to come and… she seemed… Well, her spirit seemed a little lost. Once inside my house, I began to take care of her wounds… She didn't resist but she almost never spoke to me. She was talking alone and saying things I couldn't understand…
-Like what?
-… Like I don't remember but the moon and stars were greatly involved.
-So she was a witch?
-Huh… Well, she never did magic in front of me…
Liminita began trembling in fear but she kept quiet the fact the young woman always carried an orb with her. A glowing orb. It did scare Luminita when she noticed the thing was following them when she was taking the girl to her home but if she said she was hosting a witch she may be even more punished, she was even more scared of the Graf than she was of the glowing orb… and she didn't want to accuse this woman further but it was so long ago, Luminita had difficulties understanding why did the Graf talked about it now… He really hated malfested to search for things that far away… Maybe he particularly hated that girl… But Graf Dumas asked her.
-Did she have an orb? A magical orb?
The fact he already knew about it and the surprised expression she then made compelled her to honestly answer but in an almost inaudible voice.
-… Yes.
-So you took her in and took care of her even if she seemed to be a witch with that strange glowing magical orb?
Luminita pitifully nodded even if she thought she must now be signing her death with this confession. But then maybe it was better to tell everything now and get it over with than to still be suspected, be put to torture then executed… Graf Dumas continued his questionning.
-Then some days later, what happened?
Since he seemed to know all about it already, the Walachian woman could not lie on any event. She continued.
-The villagers somehow learnt of this girl being at my home. Somehow they thought we were doing some witch gathering or Sabbath, I don't know. And they came. But we were not doing such things.
-So they attacked you?
-Yes. Well the young woman told me something before they came… From what I understood, we had to flee… but she was still wounded and could not walk very well… I hoped she was only saying some crazy gibberish until I saw the mob coming. With torches and forks… Yelling at us… Even if she had regained some force, she was still weak so I took her on my back again and tried to flee. Then people came… And while we were fleeing I saw then burn my house… I lost all my possessions… Then they followed us and they threw rocks at us… Then they caught us. They beat me… I thought they would burn me but they didn't… I don't really know what happened, I had lost consciousness… I woke up in the wood, under some cheap shelter. Someone brought me there and made me a shelter… to hide me more than to protect me from the rain and such. I didn't find the young woman anymore… But I didn't learn she was burnt or something… She just wasn't there anymore… She must have saved me somehow and made the shelter… Maybe she continued to flee from them and hid me to have more freedom while fleeing…
-So you tried to help her until the end?
-Yes…
When she gazed at Graf Dumas to try to justify her action, she noticed his expression was not evil at all. He seemed almost moved by this, his eyes were teary and he was looking at her kindly. He then addressed her with some emotion in his voice.
-Luminita Ionescu, what would you say if I gave you a healer position in my castle? You shall get the respect you deserve as a true healer.
Luminita was astounded and stayed mute for a while.
-… If you did such thing, your Highness, I would be eternally grateful to you… My healing knowledge may sound archaic but it works…
-Well be grateful and go install yourself in your room. Said Graf Dumas with a smile.
Since many years Luminita had been scorned and treated like a witch by the people in the near village. She lived a life of solitude except when some of the peasants who normally rejected her, sometimes came to get her healing help since they could not heal some sickness, then they deigned speak to her… Since Luminita was a kind person, she helped them, hoping to be recognized one day as a healer and not scorned as a witch anymore. Anyway she didn't learn her mother and her grandmother's healing arts to keep it to herself, so she always helped those she could, like this young white haired woman… Now she didn't really understood what happened, she was given reward fifteen years later for something many would consider bad, to help a malfested. Graf Dumas was supposed to hate malfested… Who was that girl? Caught up by curiosity, Luminita could not help but ask:
-… You… You knew the young woman? … My lord?
Graf Dumas only smiled kindly again before he told his soldiers to lead her to her room. Then some servant came and whispered something to him. Graf Dumas seemed annoyed.
-Again?
Graf Dumas sighed as the servant nod.
-Very well. Let him in. I'm in a pleasant mood… I shall listen to that boy… He tries since so long to have an audience with me…
And the servant made some gesture to signify a young man to enter. The young man had curly blond hair and was mostly dressed in white with some fur on his shoulders. He was wearing a sword and shield. When he approached Graf Dumas, he gazed at him with some admiration in his eyes and knelt in deep respect, waiting for the Graf to permit him to speak.
-Get up. What do you want? asked Graf Dumas.
Still gazing admiringly at the Graf, the boy began to speak with passion.
-My lord, I admire you so much! I had to meet you!
Graf Dumas didn't seem impressed or flattered.
-Yes. I know. You have been asking for an audience everyday since the past three weeks. Today, I just happen to have some free time. In fact, I don't but your case may bring me some distraction and allow me to take a rest from the gruelling case I am presently taking care of. What do you want, young man?
The young man wondered what case was so gruelling but as he heard, Graf Dumas never rested; he always was fighting malfested, rebels or taking care of important things for his kingdom. He did seem tired… But the young man admired his devotion even more…
-My name is Patroklos Alexandra and I come from Athens to meet you. I have travelled the world to find an answer to my problem; I trained for a time in Turkey to be a better fighter. And I trained like my mother, as a Holy warrior but I always found myself alone in my fight…
-Which fight?
-My fight against the malfested!
Patroklos had answered with even more fire in his eyes, even hate as he spoke the word malfested. He then continued explaining.
-My mother Sophitia Alexandra fought them and died fighting them… She died at the battle of Ostrheinsburg…
Still sitting on his throne, Graf Dumas backed away slightly in surprise. This boy was the child of Sophitia, the Greek woman in Ostrheinsburg? The Greek woman Tira had abducted the daughter to force her to work for Soul Edge… Some other memories came back as well; As Raphael, he fought her in Athens… He spared this child and his sister… They were small, helpless, crying and worrying for their mother… and Raphael didn't want to hurt small children, so he left. Then he fought Sophitia again in Ostrheinsburg… This time she was on his side… Soul Edge's side… She served him… but Raphael… came and opposed him, and fought against her…He didn't know if he killed her… If he was responsible for her death… Sensing some regrets coming from Raphael, Soul Edge pushed those disturbing memories behind and continued to listen to the young man's tale.
-… So when I learned that you organized something as wide as this Holy war, I wanted to lend you my fighting talent! I want to avenge my mother killed by a malfested! I want to help rid the world of the malfested! And I would like to find my sister…
The young man was speaking with passion and a fervour like those religious fanatics Raphael had fought alongside or against in the religious wars in France. Like those intolerant religious fanatics he despised. But one thing kept bothering him:
-Killed by a malfested…?
Some memories came back again as Raphael fought Sophitia: He was fighting against her when Jacqueline hit her in the back, Sophitia fell down… She was still alive… He then approached her, bit her and drank her blood avidly… very avidly… It tasted so good… Did he kill her? It probably was not Jacqueline's strike that killed her, it didn't seem mortal… Painful but he remembered he had judged it not mortal… Was he the one who had killed this young man's mother? Probably… He killed so many people… Anyway she didn't deserve to serve him… She was weak… How will the son deserve it now…?
Once more, Soul Edge had succeeded to take back control over its host. Patroklos answered back:
-Well, a malfested… I do not know which one but since she fought them in Ostrheinsburg; one of them is responsible…
Graf Dumas then told him on a serious tone.
-Yes. And I know which one exactly…
Patroklos' eyes widened in surprise. He had not expected such a revelation.
-What? You know, my lord?
-Yes. I just happened to be at the great battle which destroyed Soul Edge in Ostrheinsburg, seventeen years ago, where your mother, a most glorious and honourable warrior, was fighting… and where she died. I knew her. Not much, not personally, but I saw her die… at the hands of a malfested… a girl with a ringblade…
Graf Dumas thought: She betrayed me, I might as well hit her first before she comes back… Like I sent the Imperial army after her, I'll send this kid after her… I'll send anyone I can after her!
Graf Dumas tried to keep a straight face and not laugh in the young man's face even though the situation was quite funny… Poor 'innocent' Tira would pay for his crime…
-A girl with a ringblade? Asked Patroklos.
-Yes. Mostly wearing very indecent clothes and behaving like a clown…
Patroklos was stunned: it was this description that his aunt Cassandra had told him about the one who kidnapped his sister before she left him and his father to go in search of Sophitia and Pyrrha and never returned herself… But she also added: Some kind of retarded maniacal psychotic girl… since she was always talking about playing and talked very childishly. Cassandra always told him with much concern and worries for him to never speak to such a girl even if she would probably present him some sugary treats while asking him to play with her, which must be her kind… She always told him to run back home as fast as he could if he happened to see this girl. His aunt loved him very much… He missed her, like he missed his mother and sister... Even though he didn't remember them much since he was two years old when Sophitia, Pyrrha and Cassandra disappeared. He had been mainly raised by his father, uncle and grand-parents… They were the one talking about his mother, sister and aunt, trying to keep his memory of them alive. they were the ones who said Sophitia did that, Cassandra said that… Then his father died of illness and after some efforts to remain at home, working at the family bakery since Rothion's illness made him lose the forge that he would have loved to give his son as inheritance but couldn't, and trying to lead a normal life as his father had wished for him, Patroklos left to seek revenge and never came back. Yet Patroklos wanted to make sure of the description Graf Dumas made of the assassin. Could it really be the same?
-A clown?
-Yes. With pigtails…
Graf Dumas' voice trailed off. He suddenly remembered Amy with her pigtails and missed her. Various scenes with Amy came to his mind, Amy learning fencing as her pigtails bounced around. Amy picking flowers… turning her head to smile at him, still having her pretty pigtails… Amy coming to hug him, her pigtails once more bouncing… All long lost happy times… never coming back again… Those last days had been dedicated to find her past, he was really sad thinking about what she went through and he missed her… Even more now that he remembered her with the pigtails thing… He was remembering their life together, the happiest time of his life… Raphael was now taking over even more again and he was troubled. Patroklos was staring at the sadness stricken Graf with some surprise. Trying to regain his composure, Graf Dumas asked him:
-… Is that all you need to know now?
Patroklos was embarrassed.
-Huh… Well, huh… Yes, my lord… But… you seemed troubled… Can I do something for you?
It took a little while for Graf Dumas to answer back.
-… I… do not feel very well right now… I lost my daughter… I miss her…
Raphael was almost only talking to himself. He seemed lost in his grief.
-At the hands of the malfested? Inquired Patroklos with some compassion in his voice.
Raphael was confused: He was completely caught up in his sadness when suddenly he heard this boy talking again to him, taking him out of his bubble. He had to think about the question for a while. Suddenly a thought came to him, with some help from Soul Edge: In fact he really lost his daughter at the hands of a malfested… Zwei… the werewolf who stole Amy's love from him… Still confused, he muttered almost to himself again:
-… Yes…
Soul Edge was trying to take over again with Raphael's negative feelings beginning to show up, after a while he said on a more determined and resolute tone:
-Yes. At the hands of a malfested… A cursed creature!
Those Raphael memories and feelings always came suddenly and annoyed Soul Edge deeply: But the evil sword had succeeded to get back its hold on him and relegate Raphael behind again. And now by using Raphael's grief to get sympathy from this boy, he probably could manipulate the young boy better… Sometimes it was useful to let the host have feelings… All those purges… would not have been done so easily if the host wasn't led by anger. Patroklos took a sad tone.
-My… sympathies, my lord… If I can do something to help you…
-Yes… Well I do accept your help. If you wish to hunt this ringblade girl, I can try to inform you on her whereabouts… because she is quite a dangerous monster. You would help humanity by killing her. She killed many people and her presence is mostly always known by the corpses you will find then… Badly mutilated corpses… I shall put some spies on the case of this girl… To help you find her…
Not only she tortured and tormented Raphael for many years but she also hurt his daughter many years ago, threatened to do so again and moreover, she betrayed him, Soul Edge, so Raphael and Soul Edge both agreed: She had to die. Patroklos then said:
-Thank you my lord for your gracious help! I shall help you with any fight against the malfested! I shall bring justice to the land and the people and destroy those calamities that are the malfested!
-Yes… I am glad… Your help shall be quite appreciated… What was your name again?
Graf Dumas wanted to end this meeting as soon as possible. He really was feeling bad since he remembered Amy. That disturbing feeling coming from the host was really troubling Soul Edge. It was not anger, not hate… but love and sadness…
-Patroklos Alexandra.
-Very well, I am grateful to you, Patroklos. Now, please excuse me, I have to continue on with my duties. Come back tomorrow in the evening. I shall tell you what I know and what my spies found and tell you what you can do to repay me for helping with your revenge. Then I shall keep you informed as the searches go on…
After a while, as Patroklos was getting up to go away, Graf Dumas added:
-Patroklos… If you really want to fight malfested, I could actually ask some service from you… I have a list of malfested people here and I would like you to help me bring them to justice.
-It shall be an honour to serve you, my lord! Answered Patroklos a little surprised to be personally given some task already. He thought he would be enroled in the army or something.
-Good. Then go see the captain of the guards. He shall explain to you…
After a polite bow, Patroklos left the place. He was feeling some empathy for the Graf who had lost his daughter to a malfested… He then grumbled:
-Those damned malfested! They killed so many loved ones! I shall avenge my mother, my sister and your daughter, my lord!
He then remembered what his Japanese sensei Neve told him before he left. She had always known him obsessed over revenge and it always saddened her. One day she told him that she herself had sought revenge for a time… Until she got it and beat the one responsible for her sensei's death. But she then realized that revenge was not what she wanted, what she was searching for. Even if her enemy was beaten down at her feet, she didn't felt happier. It didn't bring her sensei back. She had lived a loss and killing anyone would change nothing to this. Instead of trying to make someone pay, she had to cope with her loss. It was her and her alone who had to change, who lived this, no culprit or anything. Destroying another life helped nothing. So she left her former enemy alive and she began her life anew, training young students how to fight to protect themselves and others, like her sensei had trained her, among them Patroklos who was searching for his mother and sister and had gotten into some problems in Turkey with thieves when Neve rescued him. She offered him to stay at her home and trained him to be a better fighter. But she had sensed Patroklos' anger and she tried to calm him down and appease his thirst for revenge.
Yet Patroklos knew his case wasn't the same as Neve: the ones he was after were evil malfested while she was only after one normal man for personal revenge. He had the cause of justice on his side! He was saving people by acting the way he was! As Neve told him, Mitsurugi was not evil. He was only searching for challenges and worthy opponents; he would not kill helpless people. He was honourable. So her cause was indeed selfish. But as a Holy warrior, he had the right, even the duty to fight and kill malfested! Beside it was easy for her to tell him to let go of his revenge since she had her revenge… He liked Neve but personally had nothing to do with her advices. Their cases were definitively not the same.
After the Greek warrior left, Graf Dumas some rest then told the guards to bring the next witch. A woman with long brown hair came inside, chained and with guards on each sides. She knelt before the Graf in fear. Graf Dumas went straight to the point.
-So, Rodica Lupu, you met a young girl with white hair thirteen years ago?
-Hum… Yes, my lord…
She was as confused as Luminita had been and didn't understand why speak of something from thirteen years ago… Yet she did have some idea but it was so long ago… Why bring it now?
-You lured her with some promise of shelter?
-… Lured… I… Well… She was alone and very weak… She needed shelter…
-So you took advantage of this?
The woman wondered: What could it bug him for? She did indeed take that young woman who seemed to be starving since she was very weak, at her home, she fed her since she noticed the young woman was very beautiful and could fetch some price on the slave market, The food she gave her had some kind of sleep drug in it so when the young woman fell unconscious, she went to the slave traders and sold her to them. But was it a crime? This woman seemed to be a witch, a real one… A malfested… One of the remains of the malfested plague that hit the country some years before… And Graf Dumas hated them… She wasn't really nervous; with those words, he would probably understand her action… So she said the magical words.
-She was a malfested, my lord…
Graf Dumas gazed at her with an extremely icy stare before he told his soldiers.
-Bring the slave traders.
Some chained men were then brought in the room.
-So thirteen years ago, you took a white-haired young woman as slave? Asked Graf Dumas to the one who seemed the leader.
-Yes, but she was some gypsy witch… Gypsies are allowed to be treated as slaves.
-Shut up. I've been told you whipped her? You almost whipped her to death in front of everyone at the slave market?
-Well, we normally whip slaves to tame them.
The man didn't really understand. First, like the two witches, he didn't understand why Graf Dumas was bothering about some thirteen years old story, then he wondered if it was that Graf Dumas learned he did not kill the malfested but intended to sell her as a slave. Graf Dumas must be against leaving malfested alive, even as slaves… But Graf Dumas strangely seemed offended by the whipping… Was it the fact he did it in front of many people?
Graf Dumas' eyes were flashing with hate as he approached the man who didn't really understand the Graf's being furious over this. Slaves were allowed to be beaten. Even in front of the people. What was the problem? But as he still wondered, the Graf stopped in front of him and gave him some very powerful punch in the stomach followed by a kick somewhere that made him bend down, moaning in pain. The man continued speaking.
-Ungh… She did not obey… I was trying to drag her on the slave stand to show her more in details to a customer who was interested in her but she kicked and pulled on her chains like a crazy shrew before she bit me! Everybody could see she was crazy! I was in my right to beat her!
-You dirty monster!
Still kneeling, the man received some kick in the face and fell down on his back. Still puzzled, he asked the Graf:
-Why do you care that I beat some witch? Thirteen years ago?
Another kick swiftly followed but the man kept asking.
-Why does it annoy you that much that I beat her? She was a slave!
He then decided to tell the truth. Even if Graf Dumas would not be happy about leaving a malfested alive, he would probably take the beating more lightly. He was quite surprised at Graf Dumas' offence over beating a slave but some people were against slavery so he must be one of those humanists… Probably beating a malfested must be less offensive for him since he hated them so much…
-She was a malfested, my lord! A dirty malfested dressed like a who… !
The man brutally got kicked again.
-Don't you dare insult her, you low-life wretch!
-She was a real witch! She really was a malfested witch!
-Shut up you fool! Shut up! You're nothing but a wretched dog!
Staring at the man with a cold hateful gaze, his 'reddish-brown' eyes now really shining red, Graf Dumas told his soldiers:
-Whip them. Whip them until they faint from the pain. Then burn them! They are all malfested!
The malfested guards already knew this malfested excuse was always pretence to burn his victims who were mostly humans. Though with today's audiences, they began to wonder who was that white haired woman that seemed to be involved in all the cases he took care of today. She seemed very important to him…
-Please my lord! I didn't know he would beat…! Pleaded the woman who sold Viola to the men, trying to grab his leg to beg for forgiveness.
Graf Dumas kicked her in the stomach as she approached him.
-You sold her as slave, you b*tch! How could you possibly think she would not be mistreated? I hate you as well! You'll die like the other dogs!
Then after all those people were sent to death, Graf Dumas tried to calm down. At least, Amy somehow succeeded in escaping that night. Apart from his little audience with Patroklos, he had judged those who had come in contact with his daughter all day long. Those who helped her were rewarded like Luminita and those who hurt her, and they were far more numerous than the kind ones, were all sent to execution. So many did so many things to his daughter… Beat her, insulted her… Some even tried to rape her… At least it seemed they all failed as far as he knew… Amy was quite talented in defending herself… Somehow Raphael was proud of her but it also annoyed him deeply that she had to always fight or flee to defend herself and be left in peace… All those who tried to hurt her in one way or another, all those who tried to burn her or hang her… Graf Dumas was tired, mostly exhausted from the sadness, he would continue the rest tomorrow… Most witches he met had been bad to Amy… And his job was far from over: From what he heard from the witches today, many villages would have to pay for being unkind to Amy… Many villages will be destroyed. He really felt sick with all what Amy suffered. Only by destroying everything will he feel better. All those people hurting Amy disgusted him, if only she was by his side… He would protect her… So few protected her… He then thought this boy Zwei did protect her when she needed it… but somehow Graf Dumas didn't like the boy anyway… Zwei protected Amy but he also stole her from him… and now he was against him… He would turn Amy against him… Siegfried also protected Amy but he was also against him… Like everyone…
Tired by all of this, Graf Dumas decided to retire to his apartments. But when he entered, he noticed everything was topsy-turvy. Someone had broken into his apartments! Graf Dumas cursed and took his sword. He went to search the apartment for the culprit. When he entered his bedroom, he noticed blood everywhere; some servant had been dragged there and was completely dismembered all across the room and on the wall was written in blood:
Let's play a game Raphy! Let's find Amy! :)
Raphael stared at the blood letters on the wall with a horrified, appalled and deeply scared gaze. That damn Tira! Not her! Non! He quickly ran to the still opened window to see if Tira was still there but saw nothing. He got out of his apartments and ordered the guards to look around for any signs of his hated enemy. He was shouting orders in a very angry way. Now he could not delay it: That she wished it or not, he would take Amy with him. Only he could protect her from this horrible danger… She would stay with him, night and day; she will never leave his sight again! She probably was still at the Schwarzwind fortress but she would certainly not follow him now that Zwei and Siegfried were his enemies. He muttered:
-If I had been able to, I would have searched for her myself… But she would not come with me willingly since she fears me. She feared me as Raphael and she will fear me even more as Nightmare… She fights Graf Dumas alongside that damned werewolf and the Schwarzwind… She prefers this damned werewolf… Her boyfriend… Her confident…
His mouth barred his fangs in a treathening way…
But Raphael still thought he had to protect his daughter that she wanted to be with him or not… and Soul Edge agreed: If the seer was removed from the Schwarzwind fortress, he would then be able to send an assassin who would kill Siegfried and mostly steal or destroy Soul Calibur… without the host interfering… His ties were not as strong for any other than for his beloved daughter so he could not interfere and reclaim his body as strongly, he had not enough strength since his love was mostly for his daughter and by keeping the seer with him, it could do as good… Each times Soul Edge was agreeing with him it confused Raphael even more and he had even more difficulties realizing who he really was… Was he Raphael or Soul Edge? Soul Edge was making so much more sense… He was Soul Edge…
Raphael then wondered what to do. How to take back Amy? He would have to organize something to take her to him. Some ruse to get her out of the fortress or some attack on the Schwarzwind fortress to abduct Amy and take her back… While killing Siegfried and destroying Soul Calibur. Maybe he could ask the help of the Emperor with his trusty aristocrat minions, trying to find some reason to attack the Schwarzwind… He had to have Amy by his side as soon as possible and he had to destroy Soul Calibur…
Tira quickly came back to Pyrrha who had been waiting in the wood. The crazy assassin did wonder if she made a mistake to make her presence known… It was not very wise… Gloomy Tira was not happy about it but Jolly Tira thought the game would be fun! Raphy would try to get to his daughter before her and she would have to kill Amy first! That was exciting!
-So now, what do we do, Mama bird? Asked Pyrrha who had no idea why Tira intruded this castle.
-We go back north, Baby bird! Spring is here! And we have to hurry before the big bad bat come after us! Hahahahahahaha!
Pyrrha understood nothing of all this but followed the gambolling Tira into the night.
Some days later, a servant came to Graf Dumas. He presented him some letters.
-From the Holy Emperor…
Graf Dumas took the letter and opened it. Nothing important. But he shall have to write back to tell about how things are going… He then took the next one, from one of his generals. He smiled as he read that the plan in Transylvania was working perfectly. The Transylvanian prince István Bocskai, fell sick yesterday and was now already near death. People were suspecting poison but none knew what to do. They didn't know it was the now malfested chancellor of the Transylvanian prince, Mihály Káthay, who had done the deed… Losing the leader of their forces will be quite a problem for them…
After reading this good news, Graf Dumas took the next letter the servant gave him.
-It came to the spy's inn room. Said the servant while handing it to his master.
-Oh! Correspondance from the Schwarzwind…
Graf Dumas opened the letter and read. Decoding the letter, he suddenly became troubled.
Amy is coming? Is she coming to see me? Thought Raphael with some hopes.
No she isn't. You just read it; its for her werewolf friend, the one she loves, the one important in her eyes, there is no mention of you at all. She completely forgot you, like all your friends forgot you… They are all against you now… Raphael somehow didn't remember or realize Soul Edge tried to hide him from them all this time and that Soul Edge was the one forcing him to flee from them… Indeed Zwei was here spying on him… Taking side against him… Amy probably won't be on his side… Indeed she comes for the werewolf to help her friend against him… Something from the far recess of his mind told him that there was something not logical here, in his thoughts… But he could not figure out what… He was now confused, there was something he should remember, he should realize but what?… Soul Edge's influence was really invading his soul now… It finally won over him… Raphael was beginning to know who the master was… even when he was himself…
At night, Viola was sitting before a small fire she made in the wood while reading the letter Raphael wrote to her. As she was staring at the crackling fire, she thought she liked being here, but she then read the part where Raphael was warning her:
Please take care Amy, but never walk alone in the wood, my enemy Tira may try to hurt you.
It seemed she didn't take his advice into account… Honestly, she didn't fear; she thought that the woods were far safer than human towns where she could be accused of witchcraft or malfestation anytime. Where people could tell of her description to any searching for her… Animals wouldn't… There were mostly animals here… like wolves… Wolves were cutes… She loved wolves… She remembered the time she and Zwei had found some injured wolves wounded by some hunters. Three beautiful wolves… While Zwei was patting them and saying soothing words to calm them, she was taking care of their wounds and the wounded wolves all slept by their side around the fire that night… That was so cute… She felt safe with them… She wouldn't be scared if she saw one…She turned her head to her left, staring at some empty spot. The place Zwei usually took when he was with her; he always sat left to her… But he was not here now…
Viola sighed. She missed him…
Zwei was giving her almost everything she needed: she needed much solitude and he gave her that solitude. They could often stay sitting around the fire for hours yet none of them would speak one word… No need to be all social and everything: They were happy just being together… They didn't need to speak and both were having the solitude they liked. She gazed again at where Zwei usually was, trying to imagine him sitting beside her right now… She wanted to have him near her now…
She had needed some times alone and now she had time to think all over: She missed her father, his disappearance was hurtful yet she had Zwei and she could not send him away to spare herself the pain of losing him… That was a little ridiculous… She loved him, even if she didn't know how to act like she should. Viola wondered if she was ready to tell him she loved him and wanted them to be lovers… Yet she knew she was not ready. But she wanted to see Zwei so much! He knew she loved him that was certain. Probably one day she may tell him… For now, she knew she would not be able to tell him 'I love you' like she wished… She would also blush and freeze when he would tell her again if he did… but she could not lose him… She loved him and wanted to be with him. She decided that she should go see him in Hungary. Yet would she trouble his mission? He was a spy… Her presence would destroy everything… Maybe she should not… But she now feared losing him since he was away. She had to see him… But she could not destroy his cover like this… Still not knowing where to go, she continued to read the letter Raphael gave her to get some courage to continue her journey to regain her memory.
I understand how it can be hard to remember or even find the strength to remember your past. But remember that there were good things as there will still be many in your future too.
-There were good things… There were good things… Not only sadness and pain… repeated Viola to try to convince herself and stop thinking about her worst case scenarios. She continued reading the letter.
I do not want anything bad to happen to you because I love you. You are the person I love most in the world. I am glad to know that you are well surrounded by faithful friends and allies. Tell them I thank them for the help they gave you and even me.
-So even my father tells me I should be with Zwei… with my friends…
I wish you the best, take care, beloved daughter,
Your father, Raphael
-I will regain my memory… for you, father… and for me… and Zwei…
Viola then folded her letter back and began to think:
-Hum… Where should I go now to regain my memory? If I go in Walachia, should I try to meet the duke? But I don't know if I would be welcomed again since I know many aristocrats didn't like our presence at the party… and Zwei was doing the social part, I don't know how to present myself to meet the duke again… And another slight problem… Do I tell him I was the Vampire's daughter? What would he say? He may consider me an enemy then… But maybe I could ask him about the Vampire and his daughter, focusing on the daughter without telling him I was… Yet he knew nothing last time about her but he may have some papers that he never looked into… Yet maybe not… But the Duke could also tell me about Duke Alexandru III cel Rau… If he was married or had some mistress or children… Any relation I could have had with this evil duke may be answered if I go see the actual duke maybe… And people… They may know about the Vampire's daughter… Maybe Walachia would be a good place to go…
She then thought about her other options.
-Venice… Hum… Would it be useful? To find this Dampierre that knew my father and me… Yet this part of my life is already answered and Princess Hilde told me he was supposedly hard to find since he may be hiding from some authorities… Yet she also told me he was very flashy… But would it be really useful to find him? I would try to find him and speak with him for nothing… I'm so bad at socializing! To find him, I would have to socialize to gain information then socialize with him… Or should I go in France? Since my childhood was there… I wouldn't absolutely have to speak with someone since my father told me I was born in Rouen and lived in Toulouse… Just by visiting, I may remember things… But I need to know the missing part of my life and this part is probably in Walachia… near Hungary…
Having made up her mind she decided she would go south. Beside, she missed Zwei, if she could maybe she would go in Hungary… But she could not endanger him so she would try not to… But she wondered: Even by going in Walachia, could I endanger him? Hum… I'll think about all this tomorrow… I'm tired…
Viola began to make some shelter to hide herself from anyone. But before she fell asleep, Viola suddenly heard some noises. Since she was hidden in her shelter, she wondered if the person or animal had seen her or not, so she didn't know if she should get out of her hiding place or remain still. She heard the noise again and it seemed like it was coming toward her. She quickly got out of her shelter and sent her orb toward the creature. She only saw a flash of red going up the tree, evading the orb.
-Hey! Watch it! Said the red thing.
Viola lifted her head and saw the ninja girl, Natsu.
-What are you doing here?
-I came to protect you.
-I don't need protection.
Natsu jumped down from the tree she had jump on.
-And from Tira? Siegfried told me she was an enemy of your father and your father feared she would hurt you.
-I don't need protection against her either. She doesn't even know who I am. Why would she specifically attack me? You should watch yourself against her. She almost killed you last time.
-Yeah but I was busy with some portal, now I can fight freely.
-And you want to protect me?
-Yes. I have been Leixia's bodyguard but now Leixia is staying safely at the fortress. Well, in fact, I didn't ask her if she wanted to leave… She probably would, but I wanted to protect you.
-Go home. Go back to your friend. I took that trip to think alone. I need solitude, not companions and protection.
-You and your friend Zwei saved my life and Leixia's life. I want to repay.
-I do not need a reward. And we didn't save your life so you would be indebted to us.
Natsu walked toward Viola and asked her on a kind and inquisitive tone.
-What do you need? You say you need to think. About what?
-About many things. My life…
-May I help you on something?
Viola was somehow surprised by Natsu' insistence on helping. It was kind of her but also annoying.
-No. Nobody can help me on this. I need to face it alone.
-Okay. But I would have helped you if you needed it.
After gazing at the ninja girl for a while, Viola outlined a smile.
-Thank you… Natsu.
For a moment she didn't remember her name. She sometimes had memory problems even in her actual life. Somehow she had the feeling that this amnesia problem was following her and eating her past. Her life before Zwei was already vague… She was beginning to lose bits of it… She woke up in some ruins with that glowing orb by her side that she remembered but not much else… She was living by telling fortune to people, some were bad, some good but this was still vague… When did she decide to read the future for a living? From the moment she woke up and some times later when she was a fortune-teller, she had no memory… It really didn't seem like… how many years did her father said it was? Seventeen years? She didn't remember having lived all those seventeen years… Would she lose memory of it all? She put her thoughts and fears aside and continued speaking to the ninja girl.
-But no thanks. Stay with me tonight since it is very late but go back to the fortress tomorrow.
Natsu went sitting near Viola.
-You know. I'm searching for my sensei. She left for something very important about more than a year ago and I never had any news of her… Yet I think she is still alive. Your father must be too. You knew they were friends? Has your father told you? He told me…
-No. He never spoke about your sensei to me. But then again, we didn't speak much together. I wasn't sure he was my father at the time and…
Viola would not say Raphael scared her with his dark aura. She didn't want to remember that she feared and fled from her father now that she was almost certain he was. She was feeling guilty for it. So she concluded.
-Well… We didn't speak much.
Noticing Viola had some problems with this; Natsu said nothing more but a plain 'Ah.' After a while, Natsu continued speaking:
-My sensei and I didn't speak much together either. At home, she was the quiet type. Meditating, preparing spells… Thinking… about I don't know what… She's the serious type.
-… What will you do to find her?
Natsu put her arms behind her head while leaning on a tree.
-To be honest, I don't know. But since your captain also once knew her and he has Soul Calibur, I think staying around won't hurt.
After a while she added:
-I know it's just sometimes that you have this power but, can't you see anything about her? If you don't, I understand, you don't even know her… Yet she was really kind…
Natsu corrected herself.
-… is really kind. She protected me from anybody who tried to kill me. She, alone with master Chie and her son Riki were the only one to accept me and who didn't try to kill me. All the rest of the village wanted to kill me…
-Why?
-As you could see and even fought him, I have a demon sealed inside of me… It scares people…
-So you are considered like a malfested…
-Yes. Kind of.
-Well at least your master Taki, Chie and her son like you and you have your friends that you came here with. And everybody at the fortress has nothing against malfested or you.
-Indeed. I'm lucky. I have friends and a nice place with good people. I only miss my sensei.
She suddenly turned to Viola.
-Hey! Do you want us to do our nails together?
-What?
-I brought stuff.
Girl things. Viola never spent time with another girl doing girl things… Well, not that she remembered… She did take care of her appearance but it was a solitary activity not… a girl group activity…
-Huh… Hum…
-C'mon! It'll be cool!
-Hum… It's late…
Natsu was getting all her stuff out while smiling to Viola.
Why not? Thought Viola after a while seeing Natsu's childish enthousiasm. She could try to do some social activity with someone else… It has been such a while she played nothing…
-Okay, fine.
And they spent some times doing their nails. After a while, Viola felt tired again and said:
-I'm tired. It has been fun but we should go to sleep.
-Indeed. Okay then.
And they both prepared to go to sleep.
The next day, Natsu left her as Viola asked and went back to the fortress after wishing good luck to Viola. Viola was still a little stunned of the fact she spent a part of the night doing her nails with another girl… That was unexpected… But Viola then gazed at her nails, they looked good… She was satisfied with the result… And it was nice to have spoken with Natsu… Somehow it relaxed her… She then went to her horse and mounted it before she continued her journey.
Well, technically this was supposed to be my short story... With this chapter, it now beats my previous story. I already had the big lines of the story since I began to write it (I already have the ending) but I always put more and more details... In a way, it deserves it's title of Endless warfare... Thank you again all of you who take the time to read this, it is really kind of you to give time for my story :)