Disclaimer: The following story is a work of fiction using elements not
belonging to the author. Such elements belong to their respective owners.
Any similarities with other stories by other authors, either living or
dead, is purely coincidental.
Even in the wastelands of a desert nature still allows life to survive. Vast plains of sand will always have an oasis or two in them. One such place not only gives sanctuary to the animals of the dessert, but also to humans.
Camped in the middle of nowhere, a group of travelers seek shelter in fairly large oasis. They are the seekers of Soul Edge. They have tracked the demon sword to this arid area of the world to destroy it. They have come from all parts of the east and west each being connected to the sword in one way or the other.
"How long does it take for five women to take a bath?" Yunsung, a red haired Korean youth complained.
"Just shut up and wait." Answered the Japanese rounin Mitsurugi.
Their group had agreed to stop at the oasis for rest and some supplies. Seeing the lake in the middle of the garden, the women in their group took the initiative to clean up themselves while the men made camp. It has been quit a long time now and the men were getting impatient.
"Women are always like that," spoke the Frenchman Raphael, "they spend so much time just to make themselves beautiful."
"I can never understand women." Mumbled Yoshimitsu
"Hmm. Hey I think I know why Xianghua is taking long." Said Maxi while looking at Kilik.
"And what does that mean?" asked the wielder of the Kali-yuga.
"C'mon. I'm sure your beloved, pretty little Xianghua is making herself all fresh and sweet for her Kilik." Said the dandy pirate, with matching poses and facial expressions.
The others couldn't help but laugh at the remark. Kilik tried to hide the small amount of red in his cheeks.
"For the last time, Maxi, I'm not in love with Xianghua. Besides I don't think Xianghua is pretty."
'I think Xianghua is beautiful.' Kilik said under his breath
"Ouch!" the Chinese dame Xianghua cried out.
"What happened?" Cassandra asked her friend.
"I bit my tongue" answered the girl
"Isn't that a bit childish?" said Raphael's surrogate, ten year old daughter, Amy.
Xianghua didn't bother arguing the child. She had always had this anti- social demeanor to her. They all wondered why Raphael would bring her along in such a dangerous mission.
"You know," chimed the wind priestess, Talim, tying to lighten the atmosphere, "in my country, they say that when you bite your tongue by accident, that means someone is affectionately thinking of you."
The women began to hoot and giggle at the reddening Chinese girl.
"Perhaps Kilik is thinking about how beautiful you will look later." The ninja Taki said.
"Or perhaps he's thinking how you look now." The more mature Ivy added
"All of you stop that." Shouted a very red Xianghua but to no avail.
Cassandra watched as her companions tease poor Xianghua. Sometimes she envied them all. Each of them had a home to come home to. They had a family waiting for them. They had someone to love.
She always felt empty whenever these incidents occur. She knew she still had a home and family in Greece, yet that had been a long time ago. She left in such a hurry that she didn't even see how was her sister Sophitia was doing. Her sister was greatly affected when she saw her children's reaction to the shard. Cassandra feared the repercussions of such an event to her sister's family as well as hers.
'I wonder if Sophitia and Rothion are still together.' She often pondered.
Thinking of her sister and her husband also makes Cassandra realize how lonely she was. Each of her companions had a significant other. Talim even confided to her that she had a crush on Yunsung, the young man in their group she always teased.
Cassandra always heard that she and her sister were alike in so many ways. Yet she knew that they were not. Sophitia was more beautiful, mature and superior to her in the arts of combat. Her sister was a champion and even won the heart of the greatest blacksmith in their land, one who had the favor of the god of the forge. She never even had one admirer.
'Perhaps, when the time is right, I will find someone.'
It was already well into the night but Cassandra still could not sleep. Her companions had fallen asleep almost immediately after supper. For some reason she didn't feel tired.
'Some exercise might put me to sleep.' She thought.
Taking the Omega Sword and Nemea shield, the weapons forged by her brother- in-law for her sister, she crept out of her bedroll and walked a short distance from their camp. Finding a good spot near the pool of water, the Greek girl started to practice her techniques.
Cassandra was halfway through her forms when noticed something shining in the other side of the pool. She quickly remembered the reports of bandits their group overheard. Her defenses quickly went into action. Ducking into the shadows, she watched the far side of the pool for any movements. Finding none, she decided to be the first to act. She slowly made her way to spot where the light was coming from.
What she saw greatly shocked her.
There, on her feet, was a man clad in an old, rusty suit of armor lying in a pool of blood.
Even in the wastelands of a desert nature still allows life to survive. Vast plains of sand will always have an oasis or two in them. One such place not only gives sanctuary to the animals of the dessert, but also to humans.
Camped in the middle of nowhere, a group of travelers seek shelter in fairly large oasis. They are the seekers of Soul Edge. They have tracked the demon sword to this arid area of the world to destroy it. They have come from all parts of the east and west each being connected to the sword in one way or the other.
"How long does it take for five women to take a bath?" Yunsung, a red haired Korean youth complained.
"Just shut up and wait." Answered the Japanese rounin Mitsurugi.
Their group had agreed to stop at the oasis for rest and some supplies. Seeing the lake in the middle of the garden, the women in their group took the initiative to clean up themselves while the men made camp. It has been quit a long time now and the men were getting impatient.
"Women are always like that," spoke the Frenchman Raphael, "they spend so much time just to make themselves beautiful."
"I can never understand women." Mumbled Yoshimitsu
"Hmm. Hey I think I know why Xianghua is taking long." Said Maxi while looking at Kilik.
"And what does that mean?" asked the wielder of the Kali-yuga.
"C'mon. I'm sure your beloved, pretty little Xianghua is making herself all fresh and sweet for her Kilik." Said the dandy pirate, with matching poses and facial expressions.
The others couldn't help but laugh at the remark. Kilik tried to hide the small amount of red in his cheeks.
"For the last time, Maxi, I'm not in love with Xianghua. Besides I don't think Xianghua is pretty."
'I think Xianghua is beautiful.' Kilik said under his breath
"Ouch!" the Chinese dame Xianghua cried out.
"What happened?" Cassandra asked her friend.
"I bit my tongue" answered the girl
"Isn't that a bit childish?" said Raphael's surrogate, ten year old daughter, Amy.
Xianghua didn't bother arguing the child. She had always had this anti- social demeanor to her. They all wondered why Raphael would bring her along in such a dangerous mission.
"You know," chimed the wind priestess, Talim, tying to lighten the atmosphere, "in my country, they say that when you bite your tongue by accident, that means someone is affectionately thinking of you."
The women began to hoot and giggle at the reddening Chinese girl.
"Perhaps Kilik is thinking about how beautiful you will look later." The ninja Taki said.
"Or perhaps he's thinking how you look now." The more mature Ivy added
"All of you stop that." Shouted a very red Xianghua but to no avail.
Cassandra watched as her companions tease poor Xianghua. Sometimes she envied them all. Each of them had a home to come home to. They had a family waiting for them. They had someone to love.
She always felt empty whenever these incidents occur. She knew she still had a home and family in Greece, yet that had been a long time ago. She left in such a hurry that she didn't even see how was her sister Sophitia was doing. Her sister was greatly affected when she saw her children's reaction to the shard. Cassandra feared the repercussions of such an event to her sister's family as well as hers.
'I wonder if Sophitia and Rothion are still together.' She often pondered.
Thinking of her sister and her husband also makes Cassandra realize how lonely she was. Each of her companions had a significant other. Talim even confided to her that she had a crush on Yunsung, the young man in their group she always teased.
Cassandra always heard that she and her sister were alike in so many ways. Yet she knew that they were not. Sophitia was more beautiful, mature and superior to her in the arts of combat. Her sister was a champion and even won the heart of the greatest blacksmith in their land, one who had the favor of the god of the forge. She never even had one admirer.
'Perhaps, when the time is right, I will find someone.'
It was already well into the night but Cassandra still could not sleep. Her companions had fallen asleep almost immediately after supper. For some reason she didn't feel tired.
'Some exercise might put me to sleep.' She thought.
Taking the Omega Sword and Nemea shield, the weapons forged by her brother- in-law for her sister, she crept out of her bedroll and walked a short distance from their camp. Finding a good spot near the pool of water, the Greek girl started to practice her techniques.
Cassandra was halfway through her forms when noticed something shining in the other side of the pool. She quickly remembered the reports of bandits their group overheard. Her defenses quickly went into action. Ducking into the shadows, she watched the far side of the pool for any movements. Finding none, she decided to be the first to act. She slowly made her way to spot where the light was coming from.
What she saw greatly shocked her.
There, on her feet, was a man clad in an old, rusty suit of armor lying in a pool of blood.
