AN: Thanks go out to hyperactive forever, Herofox, and wintonson-120 for
reviewing, and thank those of you who gave me advice on what to change.
I'll do my best.
Disclaimer: I don't own Soul Calibur, or Soul Calibur 2, or any of the characters from it. I wish I did, just like all the other things I wish I owned, cause then I'd be rich. But I don't, and I'm not. Anyway ...
Chapter Three – A Disturbing Night, A Day of Running
Kilik sat at the edge of a small drop, almost like a cliff, but only falling about ten feet. They were off the path, having slept in a camp away to avoid detection, and Kilik was watching the sun rise.
The sun rose like a large orange, rising slowly into the sky, casting beams of pink, orange and yellow light through the clouds and down onto the ground, falling in a beautiful pattern over the forest they were in. Kilik sat, his legs bent in front of him, his hands wrapped around his knees, and his staff leaning on a tree beside him. His black hair swept slowly in the breeze, just a tiny wind ruffling past him, blowing his cloak out behind him on the ground in waves that the light caught. A beam of light, reflected off one of the metal ends of Kilik's staff, fell across his hair, shining a streak of it blue between the patches of black.
"Don't worry, Xianghua ..." he whispered, watching the sun cast light through the clouds onto the ground in front of him, and creating an effect of dancing lights. Seeing this, he wondered if there were indeed gods above him, watching his every move, and creating effects like this, possibly only for him. If so ... who were their champions? Who did they like or dislike? Shaking his head, he cleared these thoughts. However, he had no idea just how much he was to learn about this. "I'm coming, Xianghua. Don't worry."
At that point his gaze was drawn to the large black clouds gathering beside the sun, raining down on the forest in the distance, and slowly approaching them. He turned his head slightly, and back from the way they had come, he could see the clouds stretched all the way to the horizon. 'Is this that storm from the Channel?' he wondered. 'The one Yunsung and I saw? Because if so, it's either following us or it's the biggest storm I've ever seen.'
-
Maxi was running through a forest, his nunchaku gone, simply fleeing for his life. It was raining, and the ground was quickly turning to mud under his ground. Beside him, the most massive trees he had ever seen were rising out of sight above his head. He could hear thundering feet behind him, like a horde of angry creatures, approaching him, and closing the ground between them and him quickly, despite how quickly he was running.
"I have to get there ... I have to warn them ..." he panted, keeping repeating that phrase over and over in his mind.
Suddenly he emerged from the forest and stood in awe. A long field stood out in front of him, going far into the distance, with a broken and shattered city standing in the middle of it. It was a city that, a day ago, had been thriving and faultless. Now it was destroyed, walls crumbling, not a living thing in the city. He could see, on the field in front of him, the bodies of a young mother and her child, a young toddler. Her husband would have died in defence of the city, but what could destroy a city this quickly? And what was tearing its way through the land? The sky accompanied his thoughts, turning black with anger and rain pouring down. Lightning struck the middle of the plain, and when it was gone, a massive man was standing there, a mask covering the bottom half of his face, his eyes looking inhuman, a massive axe at his side.
Astaroth.
"What have you done, you freak?" Maxi called out in anger, stalking towards Astaroth.
"Simply what is in my nature," the inhuman fiend called out, his voice booming out across the plain. "As you would have done, too, if your nature was not to protect these pathetic creatures you call humans."
"I am a human," Maxi replied. "Of course it's my nature to guard my own kind."
Astaroth laughed. "Then why do you constantly run from your past? Why not admit to it, if it would make you such a hero?"
"Shut up!" Maxi yelled, charging Astaroth.
Maxi barely even saw him move. One moment he was standing there, looking contemptuously at Maxi as the man sprinted towards him, the next his axe had swung in a massive arc, hitting Maxi in the stomach and sending him flying, black clouding his vision, as he landed on the field, which was stained with blood. Odd, since it had been normal a moment ago. Maxi landed hard on his back, tasting blood in his mouth, and flipped to his feet.
"Is that all you've got, monster?" he called out, feeling several broken ribs. "I'm still standing."
Astaroth just laughed, turned, and beckoned at the forest Maxi had fled from. A massive horde of creatures with six legs, each clawed, and heads kind of like wolves, poisoned saliva dripping from them, the six legs sprouting from a long, sleek body, with a large tail on the end. They came in different colours – Black, grey, red – but all had but one purpose. To eliminate life wherever it could be found. Maxi turned and saw this, and his eyes widened with terror. He knew what had torn apart the city. Then he turned and he could see a man with long blonde hair and a massive armoured arm standing behind Astaroth. Nightmare raised his massive sword, and Maxi heard him whisper, "More ... need more souls ..."
The rain intensified, and Nightmare struck at Astaroth with his massive sword, as Astaroth turned, and the lightning struck, hitting Astaroth at the same moment as Nightmare hit him. Maxi couldn't see what came of this, for at that moment, the wolf-creatures dove onto his back, tearing his flesh to ribbons.
-
Maxi woke, sweat pouring from his face, his hand shooting to grab his nunchaku, looking around, almost snarling. He was in the camp they had made the night before, lying on his bedroll. Yunsung was up making breakfast – Bread and leftover stew from the night before - and Kilik was sitting at the edge of camp watching the sunrise. Maxi lay back, calming himself before getting up.
Yunsung walked over to Kilik, simply watching him for a moment and wondering what he was thinking about. Then he kicked him gently in the ribs. Kilik turned his head. "Hey! What is it?"
"You should be more alert," Yunsung replied. "I could've been an enemy with a knife."
"Yes, but you weren't."
Yunsung shrugged. "I could've been. Someday I will be. You'll regret it then. Breakfast."
Kilik nodded. "Yeah. Be there in a moment."
Yunsung turned and walked away. Kilik stayed where he was. Then Yunsung turned to look at Kilik over his shoulder. "What's got you thinking?"
"What? Oh ... Nothing. Nothing," Kilik repeated, more to himself than Yunsung. Then he stood, turned, and walked back to the camp.
-
The four of them again walked along the path, Mitsurugi leading boldly, Kilik following, Yunsung checking the sides, and Maxi bringing up the rear. They were about halfway to Rouen, and Maxi had been tracking someone following them for two days. "They're getting closer," he kept insisting. They passed almost no people on the roads, so their pursuers would have no trouble following them, as there were no other tracks to be theirs if they left the path without being careful. And the people following them were skilled trackers.
Finally Maxi stopped. "This is ridiculous. You three carry on. We don't want to lose time. I'm going back to take care of those bastards following us."
"That is not a good idea," Mitsurugi replied in his matter-of-fact tone. "We will outdistance you."
"I can catch up," Maxi replied, then turned and walked away behind them. "Besides, they're very close now. I won't be long. Don't wait up."
He turned then completely, and ran off back behind them. Mitsurugi sighed, and the other three continued on their way, following Maxi's parting words. Yunsung and Kilik started to make conversation, while Mitsurugi grumbled. Maxi was the only one who noticed the storm clouds growing to follow the four travellers. Just like in his dream.
-
Mitsurugi had led them past a turn in the path, where it narrowed slightly, and they had to go single file. Suddenly, however, the ground collapsed under Mitsurugi's feet, dropping him about ten feet, where the other two heard a sickening crunch as he landed, then him grunting in pain. "Bandits!" Yunsung yelled, drawing his sword and twirling it once or twice. Kilik raised his staff and darted for ward past the trap, leaping over the pit. Yunsung raced around it.
They both saw the eight or so men step out from the bushes ahead of them, wielding a ragged assortment of weapons, everything from swords to pitchforks. There was only one with a bow, however.
The four they didn't notice were the ones sneaking behind them, who emerged behind the pit Mitsurugi was in, two with crossbows, one with a spear and one with a longsword. Then they saw the leader, a tall man, step out from the woods, and step around to in front of his band. "Votre argent, sil-vous plais." (Forgive me, I don't speak French)
"I don't speak French," Yunsung growled.
"Fine. Please hand over your money," the man replied in perfect English.
Kilik grimaced. "We don't have any money." Inside his head, his mind was racing. He could tell there were some behind them, but he didn't dare to turn and face them, turning his back on nine more. His senses were heightened. He could hear Yunsung's heartbeat, quick and sharp. He could sense Mitsurugi's panic, unshowing beneath a façade of emotionless demeanour. He could see the sun glinting off the leaves of the trees. But most of all, he could see a beam of light flashing down on the ground, and he could tell.
That was his way out.
"We will see about that, my friends," the leader replied. The rest of his band chuckled and readied their weapons.
Kilik saw his one and only chance. He tensed, then leapt and drew a dagger, leaving his staff spinning in the air. He raised the dagger, turning the blade sideways, and catching the beam of light, flashing the sun into the leader's eyes and whispering several words he had seen written on the wall of the monastery he had been raised in. He hoped it was a prayer for luck.
And the leader burst into flames.
*
I know, I know, I shouldn't have left you on a cliffhanger. But whatever. It's all good. I hope to update again soon.
Disclaimer: I don't own Soul Calibur, or Soul Calibur 2, or any of the characters from it. I wish I did, just like all the other things I wish I owned, cause then I'd be rich. But I don't, and I'm not. Anyway ...
Chapter Three – A Disturbing Night, A Day of Running
Kilik sat at the edge of a small drop, almost like a cliff, but only falling about ten feet. They were off the path, having slept in a camp away to avoid detection, and Kilik was watching the sun rise.
The sun rose like a large orange, rising slowly into the sky, casting beams of pink, orange and yellow light through the clouds and down onto the ground, falling in a beautiful pattern over the forest they were in. Kilik sat, his legs bent in front of him, his hands wrapped around his knees, and his staff leaning on a tree beside him. His black hair swept slowly in the breeze, just a tiny wind ruffling past him, blowing his cloak out behind him on the ground in waves that the light caught. A beam of light, reflected off one of the metal ends of Kilik's staff, fell across his hair, shining a streak of it blue between the patches of black.
"Don't worry, Xianghua ..." he whispered, watching the sun cast light through the clouds onto the ground in front of him, and creating an effect of dancing lights. Seeing this, he wondered if there were indeed gods above him, watching his every move, and creating effects like this, possibly only for him. If so ... who were their champions? Who did they like or dislike? Shaking his head, he cleared these thoughts. However, he had no idea just how much he was to learn about this. "I'm coming, Xianghua. Don't worry."
At that point his gaze was drawn to the large black clouds gathering beside the sun, raining down on the forest in the distance, and slowly approaching them. He turned his head slightly, and back from the way they had come, he could see the clouds stretched all the way to the horizon. 'Is this that storm from the Channel?' he wondered. 'The one Yunsung and I saw? Because if so, it's either following us or it's the biggest storm I've ever seen.'
-
Maxi was running through a forest, his nunchaku gone, simply fleeing for his life. It was raining, and the ground was quickly turning to mud under his ground. Beside him, the most massive trees he had ever seen were rising out of sight above his head. He could hear thundering feet behind him, like a horde of angry creatures, approaching him, and closing the ground between them and him quickly, despite how quickly he was running.
"I have to get there ... I have to warn them ..." he panted, keeping repeating that phrase over and over in his mind.
Suddenly he emerged from the forest and stood in awe. A long field stood out in front of him, going far into the distance, with a broken and shattered city standing in the middle of it. It was a city that, a day ago, had been thriving and faultless. Now it was destroyed, walls crumbling, not a living thing in the city. He could see, on the field in front of him, the bodies of a young mother and her child, a young toddler. Her husband would have died in defence of the city, but what could destroy a city this quickly? And what was tearing its way through the land? The sky accompanied his thoughts, turning black with anger and rain pouring down. Lightning struck the middle of the plain, and when it was gone, a massive man was standing there, a mask covering the bottom half of his face, his eyes looking inhuman, a massive axe at his side.
Astaroth.
"What have you done, you freak?" Maxi called out in anger, stalking towards Astaroth.
"Simply what is in my nature," the inhuman fiend called out, his voice booming out across the plain. "As you would have done, too, if your nature was not to protect these pathetic creatures you call humans."
"I am a human," Maxi replied. "Of course it's my nature to guard my own kind."
Astaroth laughed. "Then why do you constantly run from your past? Why not admit to it, if it would make you such a hero?"
"Shut up!" Maxi yelled, charging Astaroth.
Maxi barely even saw him move. One moment he was standing there, looking contemptuously at Maxi as the man sprinted towards him, the next his axe had swung in a massive arc, hitting Maxi in the stomach and sending him flying, black clouding his vision, as he landed on the field, which was stained with blood. Odd, since it had been normal a moment ago. Maxi landed hard on his back, tasting blood in his mouth, and flipped to his feet.
"Is that all you've got, monster?" he called out, feeling several broken ribs. "I'm still standing."
Astaroth just laughed, turned, and beckoned at the forest Maxi had fled from. A massive horde of creatures with six legs, each clawed, and heads kind of like wolves, poisoned saliva dripping from them, the six legs sprouting from a long, sleek body, with a large tail on the end. They came in different colours – Black, grey, red – but all had but one purpose. To eliminate life wherever it could be found. Maxi turned and saw this, and his eyes widened with terror. He knew what had torn apart the city. Then he turned and he could see a man with long blonde hair and a massive armoured arm standing behind Astaroth. Nightmare raised his massive sword, and Maxi heard him whisper, "More ... need more souls ..."
The rain intensified, and Nightmare struck at Astaroth with his massive sword, as Astaroth turned, and the lightning struck, hitting Astaroth at the same moment as Nightmare hit him. Maxi couldn't see what came of this, for at that moment, the wolf-creatures dove onto his back, tearing his flesh to ribbons.
-
Maxi woke, sweat pouring from his face, his hand shooting to grab his nunchaku, looking around, almost snarling. He was in the camp they had made the night before, lying on his bedroll. Yunsung was up making breakfast – Bread and leftover stew from the night before - and Kilik was sitting at the edge of camp watching the sunrise. Maxi lay back, calming himself before getting up.
Yunsung walked over to Kilik, simply watching him for a moment and wondering what he was thinking about. Then he kicked him gently in the ribs. Kilik turned his head. "Hey! What is it?"
"You should be more alert," Yunsung replied. "I could've been an enemy with a knife."
"Yes, but you weren't."
Yunsung shrugged. "I could've been. Someday I will be. You'll regret it then. Breakfast."
Kilik nodded. "Yeah. Be there in a moment."
Yunsung turned and walked away. Kilik stayed where he was. Then Yunsung turned to look at Kilik over his shoulder. "What's got you thinking?"
"What? Oh ... Nothing. Nothing," Kilik repeated, more to himself than Yunsung. Then he stood, turned, and walked back to the camp.
-
The four of them again walked along the path, Mitsurugi leading boldly, Kilik following, Yunsung checking the sides, and Maxi bringing up the rear. They were about halfway to Rouen, and Maxi had been tracking someone following them for two days. "They're getting closer," he kept insisting. They passed almost no people on the roads, so their pursuers would have no trouble following them, as there were no other tracks to be theirs if they left the path without being careful. And the people following them were skilled trackers.
Finally Maxi stopped. "This is ridiculous. You three carry on. We don't want to lose time. I'm going back to take care of those bastards following us."
"That is not a good idea," Mitsurugi replied in his matter-of-fact tone. "We will outdistance you."
"I can catch up," Maxi replied, then turned and walked away behind them. "Besides, they're very close now. I won't be long. Don't wait up."
He turned then completely, and ran off back behind them. Mitsurugi sighed, and the other three continued on their way, following Maxi's parting words. Yunsung and Kilik started to make conversation, while Mitsurugi grumbled. Maxi was the only one who noticed the storm clouds growing to follow the four travellers. Just like in his dream.
-
Mitsurugi had led them past a turn in the path, where it narrowed slightly, and they had to go single file. Suddenly, however, the ground collapsed under Mitsurugi's feet, dropping him about ten feet, where the other two heard a sickening crunch as he landed, then him grunting in pain. "Bandits!" Yunsung yelled, drawing his sword and twirling it once or twice. Kilik raised his staff and darted for ward past the trap, leaping over the pit. Yunsung raced around it.
They both saw the eight or so men step out from the bushes ahead of them, wielding a ragged assortment of weapons, everything from swords to pitchforks. There was only one with a bow, however.
The four they didn't notice were the ones sneaking behind them, who emerged behind the pit Mitsurugi was in, two with crossbows, one with a spear and one with a longsword. Then they saw the leader, a tall man, step out from the woods, and step around to in front of his band. "Votre argent, sil-vous plais." (Forgive me, I don't speak French)
"I don't speak French," Yunsung growled.
"Fine. Please hand over your money," the man replied in perfect English.
Kilik grimaced. "We don't have any money." Inside his head, his mind was racing. He could tell there were some behind them, but he didn't dare to turn and face them, turning his back on nine more. His senses were heightened. He could hear Yunsung's heartbeat, quick and sharp. He could sense Mitsurugi's panic, unshowing beneath a façade of emotionless demeanour. He could see the sun glinting off the leaves of the trees. But most of all, he could see a beam of light flashing down on the ground, and he could tell.
That was his way out.
"We will see about that, my friends," the leader replied. The rest of his band chuckled and readied their weapons.
Kilik saw his one and only chance. He tensed, then leapt and drew a dagger, leaving his staff spinning in the air. He raised the dagger, turning the blade sideways, and catching the beam of light, flashing the sun into the leader's eyes and whispering several words he had seen written on the wall of the monastery he had been raised in. He hoped it was a prayer for luck.
And the leader burst into flames.
*
I know, I know, I shouldn't have left you on a cliffhanger. But whatever. It's all good. I hope to update again soon.