Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Calibur, Soul Edge, Taki or Sophitia. These all belong to NAMCO.
Such a pity; they won't let me have them. Oh well. But this fanfic is mine.
Requietum
by jin long
jin_long@lycos.com
Chapter 4
"They use stone for building structures in Greece? How curious! In what way
would they go about it?"
Sophitia smiled. She'd been telling Taki all about Greece while they travelled,
and Taki had been mighty interested. This ninja--that was the term, right?--
definitely had a childlike curiosity in her, which was probably why Taki could
speak in Greek, albeit with a slight accent.
If Taki was this open to acquiring information and had travelled as long a time as
she said she did, Sophitia mused, it would only have been a matter of time before
the Japanese woman learned to speak Greek. The fact that Greeks were most
likely all over the lands from the Mediterranean to the Silk Road due to the
Roman empire made it even more likely.
Sophitia found it odd, however, that one who could be as a child had the strength
to kill.
"I wouldn't know," Sophitia answered, tossing her long, blonde braid over her
shoulder. "The buildings I'm talking about were built long before I was born."
She tapped her chin with a finger. "But it makes me wonder; why do they build
everything out of wood in Japan? Wouldn't it be so dangerous if a fire were to
break out in a town?"
Taki smiled; at least Sophitia thought so, unable to see under the ninja's mask.
"Well, things get built quicker with wood; easy to transport, quick as anything to
be carved, and child's play to balance and assemble." Taki turned to her. "But
we Japanese have really tamed fire, especially for forging metal. You don't get
blades like mine in your homeland, I'm sure."
"Oh, we know a lot more about smithing than you think!" Sophitia chuckled, slapping
a hand on her shield for emphasis. "We've been in enough wars to know how to make
good blades, and we have a god of blacksmiths even!"
"Really...?" Taki's eyes betrayed that she was enjoying this friendly argument, Sophitia
noticed. "You mean that He-fei- what's the name again?" Taki continued.
"Hepahestus?" Sophitia said.
"That's it. But anyway, Greek steel is still no match for Japanese steel! We are constantly
finding new ways of smithing blades - heck, we Japanese have to!" Taki exclaimed.
"Why do you have to do so? The only real motivation for such a thing would be...." Sophitia
paused. No, Japan sounded like a lovely, peaceful place. At least that was how Taki had
described it. But if they were constantly trying to innovate in weapons....
"War." Taki had read her mind.
"Yes, war." Sophitia answered, not sure of how to proceed. The Greece she knew had been
reasonably peaceful her whole life, and she knew nothing of battle save for tales of Persian
invasions and the great civil war between intellectual Athens and burly Sparta.
There were also stories of invasions by Turks from the east, but otherwise she knew nothing about
war. This was due to a kindly Phanariot who made sure that the place where she lived was not as
brutalized nor as corrupt as other regions in Greece.
Sophitia shuddered at the thought of war. The thought of all that killing, of people losing
loved ones.... she felt as if it were too much. The sight of too much blood.... she didn't want
to think about that. It had been difficult overcoming her aversion to it for the quest Hephaestus
had set upon her, and she didn't want to go back to those thoughts anytime soon.
But she found herself curious about war right now because of Taki. How could someone develop
the will to kill as this ninja had? How could Taki kill without being bothered by the act itself? How
could anyone kill another human being?
Was it a product of war? Was Taki a product of any war? Was there....
"Is there.... a war in Japan right now?" Sophitia asked, cursing herself for the bluntness of her
question. After all, it might have been a sensitive topic for her companion. But Taki didn't seem
the least bit miffed at her question.
"Yes, all the time. It's those crazy samurai families-- they all want control of Japan. And the
Ashikaga shoguns-the real ruling class in Japan-- well, they're just a bunch of poor excuses for
samurai who can't even wield a wooden sword properly." Taki snorted, and Sophitia noted the
hint of disgust in the ninja's words.
"But it's none of my concern," Taki finished. "My job comes first in my list of priorities, and
serving any of those idiotic warrior families is not my job. Not like some other foolish ninja."
Taki turned to her. "You're wondering why I can take a life, aren't you?" the ninja asked.
Sophitia stared at her. Taki simply amazed her. Ashamed, she looked at the ground, not
wanting to meet Taki's gaze. "Yes."
Taki cocked her head to the side. "You really haven't been trained for your mission,
have you?"
Sophitia shook her head. No, she had absolutely no preparation for her quest, apart from
how to wield her sword. She'd gone straight from baking bread to trying to survive, and it
hadn't been easy in the least. She also disliked how weak she felt, unable to complete a quest
simply because of her own weakness. That, and the fact that she wanted to learn how to kill
bothered her. "I wasn't trained to kill..." she weakly replied.
She felt Taki's fingers against her chin, and she looked up into Taki's gentle, brown-eyed
gaze. "Maybe," the ninja began softly, "maybe that's not such a bad thing for someone such
as you."
to be continued.......
*jin long speaks*
whew! research sucks, but it's essential. if it's not the videogame fanatics that go after you,
it's those history buffs. but heck! all for a good story with a bit of canon material. anyway, four
chapters 8-o! holy canoli, and this one's the longest so far!
anyway, to the person who first reviewed my work; thanks silvermoonlight! yes, you can count
on there being more chapters to this sucker. hey, hope you get that fourth chapter of yours done
soon!
chapter five soon!
*jin long shuts up*
Such a pity; they won't let me have them. Oh well. But this fanfic is mine.
Requietum
by jin long
jin_long@lycos.com
Chapter 4
"They use stone for building structures in Greece? How curious! In what way
would they go about it?"
Sophitia smiled. She'd been telling Taki all about Greece while they travelled,
and Taki had been mighty interested. This ninja--that was the term, right?--
definitely had a childlike curiosity in her, which was probably why Taki could
speak in Greek, albeit with a slight accent.
If Taki was this open to acquiring information and had travelled as long a time as
she said she did, Sophitia mused, it would only have been a matter of time before
the Japanese woman learned to speak Greek. The fact that Greeks were most
likely all over the lands from the Mediterranean to the Silk Road due to the
Roman empire made it even more likely.
Sophitia found it odd, however, that one who could be as a child had the strength
to kill.
"I wouldn't know," Sophitia answered, tossing her long, blonde braid over her
shoulder. "The buildings I'm talking about were built long before I was born."
She tapped her chin with a finger. "But it makes me wonder; why do they build
everything out of wood in Japan? Wouldn't it be so dangerous if a fire were to
break out in a town?"
Taki smiled; at least Sophitia thought so, unable to see under the ninja's mask.
"Well, things get built quicker with wood; easy to transport, quick as anything to
be carved, and child's play to balance and assemble." Taki turned to her. "But
we Japanese have really tamed fire, especially for forging metal. You don't get
blades like mine in your homeland, I'm sure."
"Oh, we know a lot more about smithing than you think!" Sophitia chuckled, slapping
a hand on her shield for emphasis. "We've been in enough wars to know how to make
good blades, and we have a god of blacksmiths even!"
"Really...?" Taki's eyes betrayed that she was enjoying this friendly argument, Sophitia
noticed. "You mean that He-fei- what's the name again?" Taki continued.
"Hepahestus?" Sophitia said.
"That's it. But anyway, Greek steel is still no match for Japanese steel! We are constantly
finding new ways of smithing blades - heck, we Japanese have to!" Taki exclaimed.
"Why do you have to do so? The only real motivation for such a thing would be...." Sophitia
paused. No, Japan sounded like a lovely, peaceful place. At least that was how Taki had
described it. But if they were constantly trying to innovate in weapons....
"War." Taki had read her mind.
"Yes, war." Sophitia answered, not sure of how to proceed. The Greece she knew had been
reasonably peaceful her whole life, and she knew nothing of battle save for tales of Persian
invasions and the great civil war between intellectual Athens and burly Sparta.
There were also stories of invasions by Turks from the east, but otherwise she knew nothing about
war. This was due to a kindly Phanariot who made sure that the place where she lived was not as
brutalized nor as corrupt as other regions in Greece.
Sophitia shuddered at the thought of war. The thought of all that killing, of people losing
loved ones.... she felt as if it were too much. The sight of too much blood.... she didn't want
to think about that. It had been difficult overcoming her aversion to it for the quest Hephaestus
had set upon her, and she didn't want to go back to those thoughts anytime soon.
But she found herself curious about war right now because of Taki. How could someone develop
the will to kill as this ninja had? How could Taki kill without being bothered by the act itself? How
could anyone kill another human being?
Was it a product of war? Was Taki a product of any war? Was there....
"Is there.... a war in Japan right now?" Sophitia asked, cursing herself for the bluntness of her
question. After all, it might have been a sensitive topic for her companion. But Taki didn't seem
the least bit miffed at her question.
"Yes, all the time. It's those crazy samurai families-- they all want control of Japan. And the
Ashikaga shoguns-the real ruling class in Japan-- well, they're just a bunch of poor excuses for
samurai who can't even wield a wooden sword properly." Taki snorted, and Sophitia noted the
hint of disgust in the ninja's words.
"But it's none of my concern," Taki finished. "My job comes first in my list of priorities, and
serving any of those idiotic warrior families is not my job. Not like some other foolish ninja."
Taki turned to her. "You're wondering why I can take a life, aren't you?" the ninja asked.
Sophitia stared at her. Taki simply amazed her. Ashamed, she looked at the ground, not
wanting to meet Taki's gaze. "Yes."
Taki cocked her head to the side. "You really haven't been trained for your mission,
have you?"
Sophitia shook her head. No, she had absolutely no preparation for her quest, apart from
how to wield her sword. She'd gone straight from baking bread to trying to survive, and it
hadn't been easy in the least. She also disliked how weak she felt, unable to complete a quest
simply because of her own weakness. That, and the fact that she wanted to learn how to kill
bothered her. "I wasn't trained to kill..." she weakly replied.
She felt Taki's fingers against her chin, and she looked up into Taki's gentle, brown-eyed
gaze. "Maybe," the ninja began softly, "maybe that's not such a bad thing for someone such
as you."
to be continued.......
*jin long speaks*
whew! research sucks, but it's essential. if it's not the videogame fanatics that go after you,
it's those history buffs. but heck! all for a good story with a bit of canon material. anyway, four
chapters 8-o! holy canoli, and this one's the longest so far!
anyway, to the person who first reviewed my work; thanks silvermoonlight! yes, you can count
on there being more chapters to this sucker. hey, hope you get that fourth chapter of yours done
soon!
chapter five soon!
*jin long shuts up*