Chapter 1
Talim stared into the eyes of her opponent. She was looking for any kind of weaknesses she possessed, if any. Her opponent, Aki, hesitated only a moment before she struck with her left Tonfa. Syi Sarika, Talim's right-handed elbow blade, was up for the challenge, while she made her counter attack with Loka Luha, the left.
Aki, expecting it, struck with her left and knocked Loka Luha from Talim's hand. Talim brought her leg up and kicked Aki in the face. Aki fell back in surprise while Talim rolled away to go collect her fallen weapon. With both her weapons in hand, Talim charged at Aki, who had just recovered.
Aki was ready. She attacked with both of her Tonfas. Talim blocked them both. Their weapons remained deadlocked as Talim stared into Aki's blue eyes. Aki's look of fury could move most mountains, but Talim remained aggressive.
After a moment's hesitation, Talim kicked again. This time she brought Aki's legs out from under her. Both women dropped their weapons; Aki out of shock, Talim in preparation for her next move. Talim caught Aki before she hit the ground and threw her over her head and slammed her on the ground behind her.
Or Talim thought she had. The thump wasn't as loud as she had expected.
Suddenly a pair of legs wrapped around Talim's kneck and brought her to the ground. Aki got a few good hits in with her Tonfas before Talim high-kicked her hard in the nose, making Aki lose her grip entirely. This gave Talim time to roll away.
The two women were up now. Aki's nose was submerged in blood, and the bump on Talim's forehead was slowly becoming a bruise. A good fight so far, Talim thought. Aki, with a new sense of encouragement, swung both her tonfas at Talim. Talim had expected them to be used to attack, but when she went to block them, all Aki really did was give her a good push backwards.
Pow!
One kick planted her on the side of her face nearly sending her sprawling, but the second kick on the other side helped her keep her balance, somewhat. On the third kick, Talim wrapped her arms around Aki's leg and dragged her a few steps backward. Just when Aki began to lose her balance, Talim let go, threw her arms back, and brought the handles of her blades down hard, cracking them twice upon Aki's skull.
This time, Aki did not get up.
"The test is over," Talim said. "You did your best. I respect that. You will be graded depending on how your fellow classmates fare."
As Talim kneeled down to check on the health of her student, a large eagle flew overhead. It cawed, and Talim looked up immediately.
"Alun!" she exclaimed. She held out her arm, and Talim's pet eagle, Alun, landed on her arm. The bird leaned forward and whispered something into her ear.
"What did she say?" Aki asked, who was regaining consciousness.
"It is one hour until noon," Talim said. "Don't worry. You'll be okay. I must leave and get ready for my coming of age ceremony."
--------------------
In the Village of the Wind Deity, or "The Windy City" as outsiders jokingly called it, sex was handled a lot different in their culture. A man only desired the women they were married to, and any public display otherwise could result in expulsion from the tribe. Indeed, it was perfectly normal for women of Talim's tribe to shower in the village's waterfall, which was in plain view of many of the houses and shops in the area. Women of the tribe usually wore exotic outfits. Some did it to attract unmarried males, some did it to please their spouses, and the rest did it just because they could.
In Coming of Age ceremonies, the child who is to come of age must perform the rituals in nudity to display their sexual purity, so, naturally, no one but virgins may participate. Females must pick husbands to marry by the day of their Coming of Age. The consenting husband must be a member of the tribe, and must be of age.
Today, Talim was to be married to Tokago. Tokago was a dashing young man who served in the Holy Guard, and had only become of age a couple of weeks earlier. He had short, black hair and bright, electric blue eyes. Talim, who usually wore her hair in many exotic fashions, was required to keep it down as part of the ritual.
Talim walked down the isle of the church of the Wind Deity. It seemed cooler than usual, but then again, it probably should be, all things considered. At the alter, the tribe leader, Tonki, and her mother and father were waiting for her. Talim noticed some familiar faces staring up at her from the crowd. Seung Mina and Hong Yunsung were there; Mina smiling, Yunsung in a state of shock. Talim laughed. Yunsung had never been to a Wind Deity Coming of Age ceremony before. Oh, what adventures they had had together! Mina was wearing a very pretty light blue dress. Yunsung was wearing an open red shirt, which was tucked into a comfortable pair of matching red pants. In another pew sat Kalana, Talim's grandmother, wering traditional garb of the tribe during formal ceremonies. Talim always went to her if she needed advice. She gave Talim a wink as she appraoched the altar. In another pew sat Tokago, her groom-to-be. Talim was suprised. Somehow he had aquired a stunning black suit from someone; An outsider by the looks of it. Finally, sitting in the front were all twelve of Talim's fighting apprentices, including Aki. When Talim stopped on the highest step, Tonki began to speak.
"Sixteen summers ago, I attended the birth of a beautiful baby girl. Today, that same little angel, who has already proven herself worthy with the return of Soul Edge, is here today to accept her Coming of Age. Talim, Daughter of Lidi, you are now ready to be an adult in this tribe."
There was tremendous applause as he finished. When it began to quiet down, Chief Tonki stepped down from his pulpit. He was replace by Lidi, who now had a medium-sized box she had pulled from her bag.
"When a child has come of age, it is customary for the appropriate parent to pass down the pendant given to them at their coming of age ceremony, and a gift to be used for years to come." Lidi took off her large orange medallion that wrapped around her neck and carefully clipped it around Talim's. She then held out the box.
"This is a very special gift, Talim," she said. "Open it."
Talim took the lid off the box, and gasped in surprise.
"These elbow blades together are called Soul Calibur," Lidi said as Talim stared in amazement. "They have defeated owners of the Soul Edge before, just as you have less than one year ago."
There was a long moment where no one said anything.
"Well," said Lidi, "go ahead. Try them."
Talim took the two electric blue elbow blades out of the box and tried one of her fighting drills. They were amazing! Light as a feather, sharp as her eyesight, these blades were truly blades of a Wind Deity warrior.
"I love them," Talim said. "I will always use them with care. Thank you, Mother."
"And now," said Chief Tonki, reclaiming his position at the pulpit, "we must follow the last pert of the Coming of Age rituals. Talim, Daughter of Lidi, have you picked a spouse to take your hand in marriage on this day?"
Picked truly was the right word for it. Talim was a very beautiful young adult. After her journey to return Soul Edge back to it's rightful place, she was labeled a "Hero", and probably could have had a pick of any man in the entire village. No one would have refused. But she decided to stay with Tokago, who had been her best friend since they were both three years old.
"I have," she said. "I have picked Tokago, Son of Balti to be my husband."
"Tokago, Son of Balti," said Chief Tonki. "Please rise."
Every eye in the church turned to face the lone figure that stood up towards the front of the church.
"You have been selected by this woman to be her husband. Do you accept?"
"I do," Tokago said, simply.
"Are there any objections?"
Silence, thank the wind.
"Very well," Chief Tonki said. "Come forward, and we shall begin the marriage ceremony."
--------------------
"You better have good news for me, Necrid."
Nightmare's deep, powerful voice echoed around the walls of Palgaea Shrine.
"Relax," Necrid said defiantly. "We found him."
"You what?"
Nightmare rose from his throne. It was in the lowest bowls of Palgaea Shrine. The stone walls reflected the glow of various acid pools around the shrine. On some walls were the bones and weapons used as trophies from all the great men Nightmare has defeated. One of his greatest kills, the famous asassin Tarrin, was now displayed over the throne itself. But that didn't matter now. There was a greater weapon to be gained.
"He wouldn't come here directly," Necrid said. "He's not strong enough. But he did give us this."
Necrid held out his hand, and in it was a crystal ball, brightly illuminated, just big enough to fit in the palm of his hand.
"He says you need to hold the ball tightly, then close you eyes and speak the magic word. You can then speak to him directly telepathically."
"What is the magic word?"
"Munsame," Necrid said.
Immediately, Nightmare was suspicious.
"Have you tried this?"
Necrid hesitated ever so slightly.
"No."
Nightmare stared into Necrid's orange eyes trying to determine if Necrid was trying to deceive him. Necrid must have noticed this, because he stood his ground, and stared back with the same constipated, PMS glare he always had.
"Very well," he said. "Now be gone with you. I must talk to Inferno alone."
Nightmare waited a long time after Necrid left his presence. Necrid must never hear any of Nightmare's conversations with Inferno. They cannot know his plans, for they may try to deceive and overthrow him. After another moment's hesitation, he squeezed his hand around the crystal ball, and closed his eyes.
Talim stared into the eyes of her opponent. She was looking for any kind of weaknesses she possessed, if any. Her opponent, Aki, hesitated only a moment before she struck with her left Tonfa. Syi Sarika, Talim's right-handed elbow blade, was up for the challenge, while she made her counter attack with Loka Luha, the left.
Aki, expecting it, struck with her left and knocked Loka Luha from Talim's hand. Talim brought her leg up and kicked Aki in the face. Aki fell back in surprise while Talim rolled away to go collect her fallen weapon. With both her weapons in hand, Talim charged at Aki, who had just recovered.
Aki was ready. She attacked with both of her Tonfas. Talim blocked them both. Their weapons remained deadlocked as Talim stared into Aki's blue eyes. Aki's look of fury could move most mountains, but Talim remained aggressive.
After a moment's hesitation, Talim kicked again. This time she brought Aki's legs out from under her. Both women dropped their weapons; Aki out of shock, Talim in preparation for her next move. Talim caught Aki before she hit the ground and threw her over her head and slammed her on the ground behind her.
Or Talim thought she had. The thump wasn't as loud as she had expected.
Suddenly a pair of legs wrapped around Talim's kneck and brought her to the ground. Aki got a few good hits in with her Tonfas before Talim high-kicked her hard in the nose, making Aki lose her grip entirely. This gave Talim time to roll away.
The two women were up now. Aki's nose was submerged in blood, and the bump on Talim's forehead was slowly becoming a bruise. A good fight so far, Talim thought. Aki, with a new sense of encouragement, swung both her tonfas at Talim. Talim had expected them to be used to attack, but when she went to block them, all Aki really did was give her a good push backwards.
Pow!
One kick planted her on the side of her face nearly sending her sprawling, but the second kick on the other side helped her keep her balance, somewhat. On the third kick, Talim wrapped her arms around Aki's leg and dragged her a few steps backward. Just when Aki began to lose her balance, Talim let go, threw her arms back, and brought the handles of her blades down hard, cracking them twice upon Aki's skull.
This time, Aki did not get up.
"The test is over," Talim said. "You did your best. I respect that. You will be graded depending on how your fellow classmates fare."
As Talim kneeled down to check on the health of her student, a large eagle flew overhead. It cawed, and Talim looked up immediately.
"Alun!" she exclaimed. She held out her arm, and Talim's pet eagle, Alun, landed on her arm. The bird leaned forward and whispered something into her ear.
"What did she say?" Aki asked, who was regaining consciousness.
"It is one hour until noon," Talim said. "Don't worry. You'll be okay. I must leave and get ready for my coming of age ceremony."
--------------------
In the Village of the Wind Deity, or "The Windy City" as outsiders jokingly called it, sex was handled a lot different in their culture. A man only desired the women they were married to, and any public display otherwise could result in expulsion from the tribe. Indeed, it was perfectly normal for women of Talim's tribe to shower in the village's waterfall, which was in plain view of many of the houses and shops in the area. Women of the tribe usually wore exotic outfits. Some did it to attract unmarried males, some did it to please their spouses, and the rest did it just because they could.
In Coming of Age ceremonies, the child who is to come of age must perform the rituals in nudity to display their sexual purity, so, naturally, no one but virgins may participate. Females must pick husbands to marry by the day of their Coming of Age. The consenting husband must be a member of the tribe, and must be of age.
Today, Talim was to be married to Tokago. Tokago was a dashing young man who served in the Holy Guard, and had only become of age a couple of weeks earlier. He had short, black hair and bright, electric blue eyes. Talim, who usually wore her hair in many exotic fashions, was required to keep it down as part of the ritual.
Talim walked down the isle of the church of the Wind Deity. It seemed cooler than usual, but then again, it probably should be, all things considered. At the alter, the tribe leader, Tonki, and her mother and father were waiting for her. Talim noticed some familiar faces staring up at her from the crowd. Seung Mina and Hong Yunsung were there; Mina smiling, Yunsung in a state of shock. Talim laughed. Yunsung had never been to a Wind Deity Coming of Age ceremony before. Oh, what adventures they had had together! Mina was wearing a very pretty light blue dress. Yunsung was wearing an open red shirt, which was tucked into a comfortable pair of matching red pants. In another pew sat Kalana, Talim's grandmother, wering traditional garb of the tribe during formal ceremonies. Talim always went to her if she needed advice. She gave Talim a wink as she appraoched the altar. In another pew sat Tokago, her groom-to-be. Talim was suprised. Somehow he had aquired a stunning black suit from someone; An outsider by the looks of it. Finally, sitting in the front were all twelve of Talim's fighting apprentices, including Aki. When Talim stopped on the highest step, Tonki began to speak.
"Sixteen summers ago, I attended the birth of a beautiful baby girl. Today, that same little angel, who has already proven herself worthy with the return of Soul Edge, is here today to accept her Coming of Age. Talim, Daughter of Lidi, you are now ready to be an adult in this tribe."
There was tremendous applause as he finished. When it began to quiet down, Chief Tonki stepped down from his pulpit. He was replace by Lidi, who now had a medium-sized box she had pulled from her bag.
"When a child has come of age, it is customary for the appropriate parent to pass down the pendant given to them at their coming of age ceremony, and a gift to be used for years to come." Lidi took off her large orange medallion that wrapped around her neck and carefully clipped it around Talim's. She then held out the box.
"This is a very special gift, Talim," she said. "Open it."
Talim took the lid off the box, and gasped in surprise.
"These elbow blades together are called Soul Calibur," Lidi said as Talim stared in amazement. "They have defeated owners of the Soul Edge before, just as you have less than one year ago."
There was a long moment where no one said anything.
"Well," said Lidi, "go ahead. Try them."
Talim took the two electric blue elbow blades out of the box and tried one of her fighting drills. They were amazing! Light as a feather, sharp as her eyesight, these blades were truly blades of a Wind Deity warrior.
"I love them," Talim said. "I will always use them with care. Thank you, Mother."
"And now," said Chief Tonki, reclaiming his position at the pulpit, "we must follow the last pert of the Coming of Age rituals. Talim, Daughter of Lidi, have you picked a spouse to take your hand in marriage on this day?"
Picked truly was the right word for it. Talim was a very beautiful young adult. After her journey to return Soul Edge back to it's rightful place, she was labeled a "Hero", and probably could have had a pick of any man in the entire village. No one would have refused. But she decided to stay with Tokago, who had been her best friend since they were both three years old.
"I have," she said. "I have picked Tokago, Son of Balti to be my husband."
"Tokago, Son of Balti," said Chief Tonki. "Please rise."
Every eye in the church turned to face the lone figure that stood up towards the front of the church.
"You have been selected by this woman to be her husband. Do you accept?"
"I do," Tokago said, simply.
"Are there any objections?"
Silence, thank the wind.
"Very well," Chief Tonki said. "Come forward, and we shall begin the marriage ceremony."
--------------------
"You better have good news for me, Necrid."
Nightmare's deep, powerful voice echoed around the walls of Palgaea Shrine.
"Relax," Necrid said defiantly. "We found him."
"You what?"
Nightmare rose from his throne. It was in the lowest bowls of Palgaea Shrine. The stone walls reflected the glow of various acid pools around the shrine. On some walls were the bones and weapons used as trophies from all the great men Nightmare has defeated. One of his greatest kills, the famous asassin Tarrin, was now displayed over the throne itself. But that didn't matter now. There was a greater weapon to be gained.
"He wouldn't come here directly," Necrid said. "He's not strong enough. But he did give us this."
Necrid held out his hand, and in it was a crystal ball, brightly illuminated, just big enough to fit in the palm of his hand.
"He says you need to hold the ball tightly, then close you eyes and speak the magic word. You can then speak to him directly telepathically."
"What is the magic word?"
"Munsame," Necrid said.
Immediately, Nightmare was suspicious.
"Have you tried this?"
Necrid hesitated ever so slightly.
"No."
Nightmare stared into Necrid's orange eyes trying to determine if Necrid was trying to deceive him. Necrid must have noticed this, because he stood his ground, and stared back with the same constipated, PMS glare he always had.
"Very well," he said. "Now be gone with you. I must talk to Inferno alone."
Nightmare waited a long time after Necrid left his presence. Necrid must never hear any of Nightmare's conversations with Inferno. They cannot know his plans, for they may try to deceive and overthrow him. After another moment's hesitation, he squeezed his hand around the crystal ball, and closed his eyes.