Chapter Two: The Lady or the Wolf
If my brother refers to SoulCalibur2 as Japanese homosexuals battle lizardmen to the death one more time, I swear, I'm gonna start killing people. Argh, he's frustrating. And since I forgot to say so in Chapter 1, I don't own anything related to Soul Edge, SoulCalibur, or SoulCalibur2 - but I would like very much to own Maxi. Anyway, on to Chapter 2!
"What the hell?!" Maxi demanded.
"Oh, and by the way, I'm a wolf, not a dog," the girl named Ilya said with an enthralling yet furtive smile. She was about as old as Xianghua, with short hair that was dark mahogany and heterochromic eyes. She wore a long-sleeved black shirt and baggy tan pants, with two belts criss-crossing in the front and back. A dagger hung at her side. Maxi immediately sat back down and rested his back against a tree. "Oh, back to bed already?"
"I obviously didn't get enough sleep last night."
"Nyet, nyet, nyet . you're perfectly fine, you're not insane or anything like that. It's just something I can do."
"Uh-huh," he said slowly, eying her.
"Anyway, like I said, I'm Ilya Strucov. Do svidana. I hear you're looking for Soul Edge, and I was wondering if you'd allow me to accompany you to it."
"No."
"Why not?" She cocked her head to one side.
"This is something I have to do alone."
"Why? Are you after the sword so you can take over the world or something?"
"No, that's not it. It's just a personal matter."
"You seemed perfectly willing to take me along when I was a wolf. Maybe I'll just change back, huh?"
"No, that won't -" he began, but it was too late - she'd already changed back into a wolf. She sat down right next to him and grinned (well, wolves couldn't grin, but it sure looked like she was). "No way."
Ilya whimpered and nuzzled his arm, eliciting a half-smile, half- frown from him. "Oh, come on, you don't want to hang around with me ."
The wolf became the girl again. "Of course I do! I have nothing better to do, and you're better company than most people."
"How do you know that? You've known me for a day."
"Because you don't talk much." When Maxi raised an eyebrow, she sighed and continued. "I hate it when people talk all the time. I have a brother who's like that."
"Well, I hate it when people talk a lot as well. So I guess we're in agreement."
"So I can go, then?"
"No." Maxi got up and started walking again. "I'm going alone."
"Great. I'll go with you." She jumped up and started following him.
Ilya watched with delight as his shoulders hunched with anger. "Didn't I just finish saying ."
"I have nowhere else to go. Besides, we're both headed to Marseille, right? And this is the only way I can go without getting lost. I'd say you're stuck."
Maxi sighed. "Do whatever you want. Just don't bother me."
"Done deal. Would you like me to travel as a wolf or as a human?"
"How do you change into a wolf, anyway?"
"Everyone in the Strucov family can change into an animal. It's a feature of our tribe. Since my spirit animal is a wolf, I can become a wolf at will. It's as simple as that."
"Doesn't sound that simple. It must be some sort of black magic."
Ilya gave a cluck of disapproval. "No, no, nothing like that. It's sort of like how some people from the Philippines can control wind. It's just something we've been able to do ever since we came into existence."
"Where are you from, anyway?"
"I come from the Kolymskii Mountains in Siberia. Why do you ask?"
"Huh. No wonder I've never heard of this tribe of shape-shifters."
"It's quite remote, yes. Anyway, is it alright if I stay human? I can't be a wolf for too long. Besides, it's murder on my back."
"Fine," Maxi grunted.
"You seem a lot less pleasant than you did earlier," Ilya observed with a grin.
"That's because some strange dog didn't turn into a girl right in front of me. I don't take well to things like that."
"It doesn't matter that much. Now, lead the way!"
There was absolutely no exchange of words between the two until sundown, when they made camp. Strangely, Ilya's human self was carrying a backpack, something her wolf form lacked (not to mention that she was now wearing clothes .). She pulled out a piece of bread and began to nibble at it. Maxi looked at her with a good deal of interest. "Why are you after Soul Edge?"
She smiled. "I have no interest in the sword itself. I just want to get there before anyone else."
"Why?"
She grinned even more broadly. "So I can say I did."
"There's got to be more to it than that."
"Nope." The reply was quite cheery.
The two ate in silence. When the stars started to come out, Ilya gazed up at them. "Beautiful . back home, it's usually so cloudy you can't see the stars."
"What's Siberia like?"
"Cold, very cold. And lonely. There aren't many people in the Kolymskii Range, so it's just Anatoli and myself, and about twenty people in the village."
"Is that your brother?"
"Yes, the stupid jerk."
"What happened to your parents?"
She shook her head, but her smile did not fade. "Dead. Same with my sisters. Oh, and Anatoli's wife, and their son."
"How?"
"My, my, so much for not talking much, eh?"
"You're the one who started it off by talking about the stars ."
"Well, there was this pirate named Cervantes de Leon who used to have Soul Edge. I assume you've heard of him, right?" Maxi nodded, knowing where this was heading. "One day, about seven or so years ago, he just suddenly came around and killed everyone in Belaruus - that's the village I live in. Evidently he was looking for this." She pulled her dagger from its sheath. "Russkaya Pravda . it means 'The Russian Truth,' named for the first Russian code of law, which was laid down by Yaroslav many centuries ago. That's how old it is - it used to belong to him. So, after my parents, my sisters, my sister-in-law and my baby nephew were killed, Anatoli took me and this knife and left. We went back about a week later, and Cervantes was gone."
"So you're after Soul Edge for revenge?"
"Oh, no, it's not like that. I'm not the vengeful type. Besides, I hear Cervantes is dead and gone. Anyway, I just want to see that sword with my own eyes."
Maxi shook his head. He didn't believe her for a minute . but if she was lying, she was one damn good liar. "So, why are you after it?"
"Revenge," was the simple reply.
"Oh, really?" Ilya sounded intrigued, but Maxi didn't want to elaborate. "I told you my reasons, so why don't you tell me yours?"
Reluctantly, Maxi said, "A golem who was after Soul Edge killed everyone important to me."
"Ah, so you're the vengeful type, huh? So you think if you find that sword, you'll find this golem?"
"Yes."
"I wouldn't doubt it."
"Say ."
"Hm?"
"You were following me back in Lyon, right?"
"Of course."
"So you saw that Chinese girl who claimed she knew me, correct?"
"Yeah. So?"
"Nothing, it's just . she seemed really familiar."
"Maybe she knows you, and you don't remember her."
"That could be it . but I never forget a face."
"She said she loved you. I thought that was really cute."
"Oh, shut up."
Ilya laughed. "Don't be like that."
"I know you say you don't like talking, but how'd you get here?"
"It was hard, seeing as I have absolutely no sense of direction. I get a lot of money from my job, if you can call it that, so I had to hitch a ride everywhere I went to avoid getting lost."
"Job?"
"Sort of. I'm a pirate hunter."
Uh-oh, Maxi thought. "Pirate hunter? Why?"
"Because they're the scum of the earth."
"Because Cervantes killed your family?"
"No, that's not the only thing! I've never met a pirate who deserved to live!" Her typical sangfroid demeanor had shattered, leaving her with a bitter and arctic air.
"Are you any good at this job of yours?" Best to saunter on the side of caution.
She smiled again. "Of course! My parents taught me their style of fencing, and it wasn't hard to turn that into knife-fighting. See, knives are better than swords because they're so light and easy to control. It's best to fight with speed rather than strength, as I see it."
Maxi felt rather conflicted. This girl was to accompany him to Marseille, but she hated pirates and hunted them for a living. Seeing as he himself was a pirate, this didn't bode well. "You kill pirates . for money?"
"Only if I have to. Unless they're really stubborn about it, I just turn 'em in for the bounty. See, back home, pirates aren't looked kindly upon. Pirates are worth a pretty penny back there, and I exploit that to its fullest. Besides, killing pirates isn't going to undo everything they've done, right? That's why revenge isn't exactly part of the picture."
"Not exactly? What's that mean?"
"Just what I said - it's not really part of the picture. I mostly do it out of spite. Revenge and spite are two entirely different things. If I did what I do for revenge, it'd be because I somehow felt killing them would make me feel better or fix the past. I do it out of spite, which means I just do it because I hate them."
"I don't see much of a difference ."
"I say tomato, you say tomahto," she said with a shrug. "Makes perfect sense to me."
Maxi decided it best not to make mention that he was a pirate, since it was sort of nice having someone to talk to. They settled down for bed, with Maxi resting against a tree trunk and Ilya lying on the ground using a thick coat as a pillow. "If you get cold, just take my other coat," she said cheerfully. "It's right over there."
"What if you get cold?"
"I can always turn into a wolf. If I just sleep as a wolf, my back won't hurt when I change back. It's just the walking that does it."
Around midnight, when both were sound asleep, something crept into their camp. It paused by the dying coals of their fire, then headed toward Maxi. With one clawed finger it removed his red scarf, and prepared to slit his tender throat.
Suddenly Maxi's eyes flew open, and he punched the offending creature in the place where its face should have been. It stumbled backward and gripped where it had been struck. It was a hulking mass of darkness, barely tangible at best, that had skin that was solid but looked to be made of water; in fact, when he punched it, it felt as though he were punching a squid. "A demon, eh?" Maxi asked with a smirk. "You'll find me no easy prey."
"Another one?" Ilya's voiced asked. She'd obviously been awakened by the racket. "Demons just keep popping up here in Europe!"
"Ready for a fight, kid?" Maxi inquired as he grabbed Soryuju from the ground.
"Don't call me 'kid'," Ilya replied, drawing Russkaya Pravda.
The demon leapt toward Maxi, but he slapped it away with one deft swing of his nunchaku; Ilya leapt in quickly and slashed at it. A deep cut appeared on its "shoulder," or whatever it was; it looked like its shoulder. Blue blood gushed from the wound and spilled over onto the ground. "Not bad," said Maxi.
Ilya smiled. "I do this for a living, you know."
Within moments the demon had taken enough punishment from the two of them to be felled. "How old are you?" Maxi asked, impressed by her speed and skill.
"Just turned twenty," the Russian girl responded, grinning. "So you don't have to call me 'kid.' In Belaruus, you're considered an adult when you reach that age."
"Where I come from, you're considered an adult when you act like one," Maxi retorted.
"Touché."
"Anyway, we'd better get going. This thing's gonna attract more, I'll wager."
The two hiked another three miles or so down the river in complete silence. Finally they came upon a house in the woods, and looked at each other as if to ask if they should dare to ask for a room. After a split second of deliberation, they knocked on the door, and it was answered by an old woman with a kindly expression.
"Callers, this time of night?" she asked amiably. "I suppose you'll be needing a place to stay, am I correct?"
"Oh, that would be lovely!" Ilya said in a sweet voice. "We'd be very grateful if you'd let us stay here for the night ."
"No problem, dear, I've already had another couple come across here this evening. Come in, come in." She ushered them inside and closed the door behind them. "Are you two married?"
Maxi looked shocked, but Ilya giggled. "No, we're not," Maxi said quickly, but Ilya grabbed his arm and hugged it affectionately.
"Come on, honey, you know that's not true!" she teased.
"I'm afraid my house isn't much, but it's the best you can get between here and the next town."
"Don't worry about it, it's quite nice. I'll be glad to pay you any sum of money you want ." Ilya began, but their host held up a hand to silence her.
"No, I don't have any need for money. I'm just glad to help travelers. Now, I'll show you to your room, but if either of you would like to take a bath, the bathtub is in here." She gestured to a closed door on her right as she led them down a short hallway. "And here's your room ."
As she led them further down the hall, the two heard voices. "I know, but it's been a long time since we've seen him . are you sure?" a man's soft voice was asking.
"It was him! I'm certain!"
"Oh, that would be the other two that are staying here tonight. I'll introduce you."
The old woman knocked on the door to a room and then opened it, revealing a young man sitting on a chair and a very upset-looking Xianghua.
Please review. And I've said it before, but . NO FLAMES. I wrote that on my last two fics and that was, like, all I got, basically. That's it for now, it'll get better, but I have to get back to watching Law & Order, which I love oh so much.
If my brother refers to SoulCalibur2 as Japanese homosexuals battle lizardmen to the death one more time, I swear, I'm gonna start killing people. Argh, he's frustrating. And since I forgot to say so in Chapter 1, I don't own anything related to Soul Edge, SoulCalibur, or SoulCalibur2 - but I would like very much to own Maxi. Anyway, on to Chapter 2!
"What the hell?!" Maxi demanded.
"Oh, and by the way, I'm a wolf, not a dog," the girl named Ilya said with an enthralling yet furtive smile. She was about as old as Xianghua, with short hair that was dark mahogany and heterochromic eyes. She wore a long-sleeved black shirt and baggy tan pants, with two belts criss-crossing in the front and back. A dagger hung at her side. Maxi immediately sat back down and rested his back against a tree. "Oh, back to bed already?"
"I obviously didn't get enough sleep last night."
"Nyet, nyet, nyet . you're perfectly fine, you're not insane or anything like that. It's just something I can do."
"Uh-huh," he said slowly, eying her.
"Anyway, like I said, I'm Ilya Strucov. Do svidana. I hear you're looking for Soul Edge, and I was wondering if you'd allow me to accompany you to it."
"No."
"Why not?" She cocked her head to one side.
"This is something I have to do alone."
"Why? Are you after the sword so you can take over the world or something?"
"No, that's not it. It's just a personal matter."
"You seemed perfectly willing to take me along when I was a wolf. Maybe I'll just change back, huh?"
"No, that won't -" he began, but it was too late - she'd already changed back into a wolf. She sat down right next to him and grinned (well, wolves couldn't grin, but it sure looked like she was). "No way."
Ilya whimpered and nuzzled his arm, eliciting a half-smile, half- frown from him. "Oh, come on, you don't want to hang around with me ."
The wolf became the girl again. "Of course I do! I have nothing better to do, and you're better company than most people."
"How do you know that? You've known me for a day."
"Because you don't talk much." When Maxi raised an eyebrow, she sighed and continued. "I hate it when people talk all the time. I have a brother who's like that."
"Well, I hate it when people talk a lot as well. So I guess we're in agreement."
"So I can go, then?"
"No." Maxi got up and started walking again. "I'm going alone."
"Great. I'll go with you." She jumped up and started following him.
Ilya watched with delight as his shoulders hunched with anger. "Didn't I just finish saying ."
"I have nowhere else to go. Besides, we're both headed to Marseille, right? And this is the only way I can go without getting lost. I'd say you're stuck."
Maxi sighed. "Do whatever you want. Just don't bother me."
"Done deal. Would you like me to travel as a wolf or as a human?"
"How do you change into a wolf, anyway?"
"Everyone in the Strucov family can change into an animal. It's a feature of our tribe. Since my spirit animal is a wolf, I can become a wolf at will. It's as simple as that."
"Doesn't sound that simple. It must be some sort of black magic."
Ilya gave a cluck of disapproval. "No, no, nothing like that. It's sort of like how some people from the Philippines can control wind. It's just something we've been able to do ever since we came into existence."
"Where are you from, anyway?"
"I come from the Kolymskii Mountains in Siberia. Why do you ask?"
"Huh. No wonder I've never heard of this tribe of shape-shifters."
"It's quite remote, yes. Anyway, is it alright if I stay human? I can't be a wolf for too long. Besides, it's murder on my back."
"Fine," Maxi grunted.
"You seem a lot less pleasant than you did earlier," Ilya observed with a grin.
"That's because some strange dog didn't turn into a girl right in front of me. I don't take well to things like that."
"It doesn't matter that much. Now, lead the way!"
There was absolutely no exchange of words between the two until sundown, when they made camp. Strangely, Ilya's human self was carrying a backpack, something her wolf form lacked (not to mention that she was now wearing clothes .). She pulled out a piece of bread and began to nibble at it. Maxi looked at her with a good deal of interest. "Why are you after Soul Edge?"
She smiled. "I have no interest in the sword itself. I just want to get there before anyone else."
"Why?"
She grinned even more broadly. "So I can say I did."
"There's got to be more to it than that."
"Nope." The reply was quite cheery.
The two ate in silence. When the stars started to come out, Ilya gazed up at them. "Beautiful . back home, it's usually so cloudy you can't see the stars."
"What's Siberia like?"
"Cold, very cold. And lonely. There aren't many people in the Kolymskii Range, so it's just Anatoli and myself, and about twenty people in the village."
"Is that your brother?"
"Yes, the stupid jerk."
"What happened to your parents?"
She shook her head, but her smile did not fade. "Dead. Same with my sisters. Oh, and Anatoli's wife, and their son."
"How?"
"My, my, so much for not talking much, eh?"
"You're the one who started it off by talking about the stars ."
"Well, there was this pirate named Cervantes de Leon who used to have Soul Edge. I assume you've heard of him, right?" Maxi nodded, knowing where this was heading. "One day, about seven or so years ago, he just suddenly came around and killed everyone in Belaruus - that's the village I live in. Evidently he was looking for this." She pulled her dagger from its sheath. "Russkaya Pravda . it means 'The Russian Truth,' named for the first Russian code of law, which was laid down by Yaroslav many centuries ago. That's how old it is - it used to belong to him. So, after my parents, my sisters, my sister-in-law and my baby nephew were killed, Anatoli took me and this knife and left. We went back about a week later, and Cervantes was gone."
"So you're after Soul Edge for revenge?"
"Oh, no, it's not like that. I'm not the vengeful type. Besides, I hear Cervantes is dead and gone. Anyway, I just want to see that sword with my own eyes."
Maxi shook his head. He didn't believe her for a minute . but if she was lying, she was one damn good liar. "So, why are you after it?"
"Revenge," was the simple reply.
"Oh, really?" Ilya sounded intrigued, but Maxi didn't want to elaborate. "I told you my reasons, so why don't you tell me yours?"
Reluctantly, Maxi said, "A golem who was after Soul Edge killed everyone important to me."
"Ah, so you're the vengeful type, huh? So you think if you find that sword, you'll find this golem?"
"Yes."
"I wouldn't doubt it."
"Say ."
"Hm?"
"You were following me back in Lyon, right?"
"Of course."
"So you saw that Chinese girl who claimed she knew me, correct?"
"Yeah. So?"
"Nothing, it's just . she seemed really familiar."
"Maybe she knows you, and you don't remember her."
"That could be it . but I never forget a face."
"She said she loved you. I thought that was really cute."
"Oh, shut up."
Ilya laughed. "Don't be like that."
"I know you say you don't like talking, but how'd you get here?"
"It was hard, seeing as I have absolutely no sense of direction. I get a lot of money from my job, if you can call it that, so I had to hitch a ride everywhere I went to avoid getting lost."
"Job?"
"Sort of. I'm a pirate hunter."
Uh-oh, Maxi thought. "Pirate hunter? Why?"
"Because they're the scum of the earth."
"Because Cervantes killed your family?"
"No, that's not the only thing! I've never met a pirate who deserved to live!" Her typical sangfroid demeanor had shattered, leaving her with a bitter and arctic air.
"Are you any good at this job of yours?" Best to saunter on the side of caution.
She smiled again. "Of course! My parents taught me their style of fencing, and it wasn't hard to turn that into knife-fighting. See, knives are better than swords because they're so light and easy to control. It's best to fight with speed rather than strength, as I see it."
Maxi felt rather conflicted. This girl was to accompany him to Marseille, but she hated pirates and hunted them for a living. Seeing as he himself was a pirate, this didn't bode well. "You kill pirates . for money?"
"Only if I have to. Unless they're really stubborn about it, I just turn 'em in for the bounty. See, back home, pirates aren't looked kindly upon. Pirates are worth a pretty penny back there, and I exploit that to its fullest. Besides, killing pirates isn't going to undo everything they've done, right? That's why revenge isn't exactly part of the picture."
"Not exactly? What's that mean?"
"Just what I said - it's not really part of the picture. I mostly do it out of spite. Revenge and spite are two entirely different things. If I did what I do for revenge, it'd be because I somehow felt killing them would make me feel better or fix the past. I do it out of spite, which means I just do it because I hate them."
"I don't see much of a difference ."
"I say tomato, you say tomahto," she said with a shrug. "Makes perfect sense to me."
Maxi decided it best not to make mention that he was a pirate, since it was sort of nice having someone to talk to. They settled down for bed, with Maxi resting against a tree trunk and Ilya lying on the ground using a thick coat as a pillow. "If you get cold, just take my other coat," she said cheerfully. "It's right over there."
"What if you get cold?"
"I can always turn into a wolf. If I just sleep as a wolf, my back won't hurt when I change back. It's just the walking that does it."
Around midnight, when both were sound asleep, something crept into their camp. It paused by the dying coals of their fire, then headed toward Maxi. With one clawed finger it removed his red scarf, and prepared to slit his tender throat.
Suddenly Maxi's eyes flew open, and he punched the offending creature in the place where its face should have been. It stumbled backward and gripped where it had been struck. It was a hulking mass of darkness, barely tangible at best, that had skin that was solid but looked to be made of water; in fact, when he punched it, it felt as though he were punching a squid. "A demon, eh?" Maxi asked with a smirk. "You'll find me no easy prey."
"Another one?" Ilya's voiced asked. She'd obviously been awakened by the racket. "Demons just keep popping up here in Europe!"
"Ready for a fight, kid?" Maxi inquired as he grabbed Soryuju from the ground.
"Don't call me 'kid'," Ilya replied, drawing Russkaya Pravda.
The demon leapt toward Maxi, but he slapped it away with one deft swing of his nunchaku; Ilya leapt in quickly and slashed at it. A deep cut appeared on its "shoulder," or whatever it was; it looked like its shoulder. Blue blood gushed from the wound and spilled over onto the ground. "Not bad," said Maxi.
Ilya smiled. "I do this for a living, you know."
Within moments the demon had taken enough punishment from the two of them to be felled. "How old are you?" Maxi asked, impressed by her speed and skill.
"Just turned twenty," the Russian girl responded, grinning. "So you don't have to call me 'kid.' In Belaruus, you're considered an adult when you reach that age."
"Where I come from, you're considered an adult when you act like one," Maxi retorted.
"Touché."
"Anyway, we'd better get going. This thing's gonna attract more, I'll wager."
The two hiked another three miles or so down the river in complete silence. Finally they came upon a house in the woods, and looked at each other as if to ask if they should dare to ask for a room. After a split second of deliberation, they knocked on the door, and it was answered by an old woman with a kindly expression.
"Callers, this time of night?" she asked amiably. "I suppose you'll be needing a place to stay, am I correct?"
"Oh, that would be lovely!" Ilya said in a sweet voice. "We'd be very grateful if you'd let us stay here for the night ."
"No problem, dear, I've already had another couple come across here this evening. Come in, come in." She ushered them inside and closed the door behind them. "Are you two married?"
Maxi looked shocked, but Ilya giggled. "No, we're not," Maxi said quickly, but Ilya grabbed his arm and hugged it affectionately.
"Come on, honey, you know that's not true!" she teased.
"I'm afraid my house isn't much, but it's the best you can get between here and the next town."
"Don't worry about it, it's quite nice. I'll be glad to pay you any sum of money you want ." Ilya began, but their host held up a hand to silence her.
"No, I don't have any need for money. I'm just glad to help travelers. Now, I'll show you to your room, but if either of you would like to take a bath, the bathtub is in here." She gestured to a closed door on her right as she led them down a short hallway. "And here's your room ."
As she led them further down the hall, the two heard voices. "I know, but it's been a long time since we've seen him . are you sure?" a man's soft voice was asking.
"It was him! I'm certain!"
"Oh, that would be the other two that are staying here tonight. I'll introduce you."
The old woman knocked on the door to a room and then opened it, revealing a young man sitting on a chair and a very upset-looking Xianghua.
Please review. And I've said it before, but . NO FLAMES. I wrote that on my last two fics and that was, like, all I got, basically. That's it for now, it'll get better, but I have to get back to watching Law & Order, which I love oh so much.