Chapter 8
All was lost. Kilik without his special cloak to keep his evil soul in check, he would go on an endless massacre of innocents. Nightmare, still sitting in the cavern looking into nothingness blankly, was the only thing that did not pose any immediate threat. He just sat there, staring at a wall, as if he couldn't comprehend what had happened to him. Cassandra calmed down slightly but occasionally vomited from the pain of a broken arm. Xainghua sat in the opposite corner of the three, looking at her old sword that shattered as it clashed with its arch rival's. The hilt was magnificently well made but only a small stubble of the blade remained. She often turned it as it glistened in the candlelight. She then turned her attention to Cassandra, in an immense amount of pain. Xainghua grabbed a cloth from her bag and wrapped it carefully around Cassandra's arm.
"We're going to Italy Cassandra. This Voldo can give us a good lead on Soul Edge's motives. Is that ok?" Xainghua asked looking at Cassandra, who nodded slightly.
Xainghua turned and looked at Siegfried. He finally got a hold of himself and looked back. She asked him, "If you want to follow, don't. We never can trust you. But if you want to help, that's different. I prefer you dead than Kilik."
Siegfried grabbed his requiem and drove it into the ground, "I am a monster, and I brought that upon myself. There is no way I can repent for what has happened. Even death would have little glory. I assume I am in your debt for not slaying me?" he chuckled slightly, "This is ironic isn't it? I, the one who was your goal to defeat and you spare me, but only to bring your friend back and destroy me once you return me. Cassandra, I'm sorry for lying to you, but that wasn't the Siegfried you remembered. I cannot be your friend and I'm sure the feeling is mutual."
Cassandra got up off the floor with a small limp when she walked over to Siegfried. She sat down and talked to him, "You'd assume that. I thought you would. I forgot all about you Siegfried and I want to remember. So if you want to, I'll be your friend again."
"Friendship is not won so easily, but I accept. We have a lot of catching up to do."
"Look here whatever you think you are," Xainghua spoke, "Do anything to Cassandra and I'll have your head! Understand you bastard!?"
"Seems fair enough to me, I don't really care. I can believe I let that thing take me while I slept," Siegfried said.
"Don't get lippy," she said in return and left Cassandra and Siegfried alone.
Cassandra felt a tad uncomfortable with her old friend. Geese, I never though that I'd be in this spot. I hope he doesn't get to into a new friendship too fast. I can't forget about Kilik though. He won't get out of my head. His hair, his eyes, his fighting style; so perfect. Holy shit! I'm in love with Kilik! She sat beside the very silent Siegfried and couldn't believe herself.
He looked at the woman beside him, "Italy, the location of the Merchant of Souls: Voldo. It seems I am of some assistance, for I am very persuasive." He smiled an evil smile. Cassandra didn't like it, he wasn't helping at all. He really did forget what it was like to have friends. She put her face into her lap and waited for Xainghua, who had left, to return.
A few hours later they set off for Italy. The Schwarzwind (or Black Wind in English) was the name of the group Siegfried lead in the past four years, and that was the lair they were in. From Siegfried's torn memory came the knowledge that they are in fact in Italy, close to Rome to be exact. It was a good day through hot and humid conditions before actually reaching the city of the Roman Empire.
The new three entered the capital looking around in awe at the amount of people here to fight in tournaments and sell their wears. Siegfried was the first to speak.
"A big city. It will be hard to find Voldo here in the open. We should go to the bars, they're a good source of information," he said with no fluctuation in his tone of his voice. He stumbled a bit when Cassandra hit him on the back, "What are you doing! Are you trying to attack me!?" He asked with anger.
"Silly Siegfried! You're all work and no play, like the old days. Have some fun. You should buy some armor; your chest is wide open for another attack from me!" Cassandra said with a smile, she looked towards the bazaars, "I'm going shopping for now!" She ran off.
"Yeah y'old man. Go have some fun, you need a bit of a touch with reality. Cassandra! Wait up!" Xainghua said and ran after Cassandra waving her arm franticly.
"I am not an old man! I'm older than all of you by five years!" Siegfried yelled with a fist clenched, but at least Cassandra was right. He looked at a nasty scar on his side where Cassandra had stabbed him a month ago. He looked around for some quality armor and hand chose one that fit him well, but was light too. It was also VERY expensive, costing ten blood rubies at the market.
Cassandra and Xainghua looked around and shopped for some clothes, but found nothing they really liked. Instead they replenished their supplies of which Kilik stole half when he left. Something came back into Xainghua's mind when she saw a weapon store. They needed the Soulcalibur, but who would wield it? She had had the most experience with it, but what if it didn't work with her? Maybe it would go to Cassandra or even worse, the one man who abhorred the sword.
"Cassandra, we need Soulcalibur, maybe we can find a shard of it here," She said at long last.
"Yeah, but this also an opportunity to upgrade our current ones. Hey! Over here!" Cassandra said running over to a merchant with fine weapons. He showed them his wears and Cassandra knew she wanted a sword called the Dark Blade. She exchanged her weapon so she didn't have to pay as much.
Xainghua didn't know about trading in her No Name. It was her favourite and first sword she ever used in battle. It pulled her through more tight spots than she could remember. Then again, who said she needed to sell it? The Qi Xing Sword looked appealing, much like a large scimitar. She asked to test it out and found it a bit heavy, but it did pack a formidable force. She bought it just in case, but kept her No Name.
Siegfried met up with them two hours later looking gallant with a large black sword placed upon his back. Cassandra looked at him once and was stunned by him. He looked so different in his armor. He looked like a serious person who was ready to take on anything; very attractive for her. Her thoughts then wandered on Kilik.
"Wow! Siegfried! You're stunning!" Cassandra said touching his armor. It was durable, very durable.
He looked at her and smiled a bit, "Hand picked out by me of course. It's hard to move in bulky heavy armor so I picked a lighter one. This sword isn't helping much either." Cassandra giggled.
Eve Xainghua, whim hated Siegfried with a passion admitted that he was indeed handsome. She saw a poster on a sign that caught her eye. It read:
Come one and come all whom have devoted our life to weaponry and skill. A tournament will be held today at four past noon. Come if you want to win a prize with a value of up to 10,000 gold. Sign up and fight for valor and glory!
(Sign up at own cost. Cannot guarantee your complete safety. Contestants will be volunteered and may die competing.)
She gave it to the other two. They read it and Cassandra was thinking a bit about what she read. Siegfried was totally prepared.
"It's a good chance for me to test my skills without being insane. Then again, it's too late to sign up. It's 4:30 so it would still be good to watch anyhow." He said feeling a bit disappointed.
"Cheer up," Xainghua said, "This is the perfect opportunity to create your own style of fighting. You old moves are well known, you need a new style to make sure you don't draw attention to yourself."
Cassandra agreed also. So even though they couldn't fight, it was worth seeing who the best was. As they entered the arena by moving a big drape in front of the entrance, they saw a deranged man, fighting with the most awkward style imaginable. This person was flipping, and doing all of these mind boggling attacks that it even gave Siegfried a headache. Cassandra didn't bother to ask if he wanted that style or he'd bite her head off. The man just killed his opponent. They looked on as a forked like hand weapon pierced the warrior's throat and all the blood leaked out onto the arena. It flowed down the side and onto the sandy ground below.
"And the winner is... Voldo!" an official announced.
"That's our cue," Xainghua whispered to the others, "We now need to drive the pedestrians out. Siegfried, that's your job." He didn't move. It was typical of Xainghua to give him that sort of job, "Cassandra, you come with me to head him off."
"Got it," Cassandra confirmed. She looked to Siegfried who just stood and nodded.
Siegfried drove his Requiem into the ground and flipped over the crowd, did a moonsault and faced the audience with a vicious look. They all screamed and the word "Nightmare" arose as it did in many of the towns he went to. He did not enjoy being called a murderer. Voldo didn't know what was going on, and didn't seem to care as if he couldn't see. Cassandra and Xainghua got their first good look at him. He was bound at the eyes with some sort of tape and ho only had a bloody breathing sound for a voice. Then he went for it. Voldo jumped over the two women and ran out of the arena; all three close in pursuit.
They chased him down endless Roman alleyways with a smell of rancid feces and garbage that had been left by animals and other people. Voldo ran very awkwardly, but still very fast. Siegfried, whom was not used to so mush armor in a while, became fatigued quickly. No matter though, he pressed on. Xainghua know knew that buying that Qi Xing sword was a good idea. She flipped it out of her belt and threw it at Voldo's leg. In an attempt to evade her assault, he jumped into the air, but it lopped off his foot. He fell to the ground, but started to craw faster than any human could. The blood became a trail so even if they lost him, the trail would make sure they could still follow. Eventually after a long chase, he stopped and turned onto his back.
Now not having to run, the trio approached Voldo cautiously. Siegfried pierced the ground with his sword near Voldo's neck, "Alright bastard, tell me what Soul Edge promised you for helping him kill Kilik and Xainghua!"
No response came, only breathing.
"DAMN YOU! TELL ME!" he lowered the Requiem closer to his neck.
No response came, only breathing. He did however throw a scroll down the street and laughed bloodily.
"BASTARD!" Siegfried yelled as he raised the swords and beheaded the monster. His head flew a few feet and the jugular now severed, the blood attempting to get to his head spewed in all directions. It was revolting for his blood was black.
Cassandra almost vomited at the sight.
Xainghua did not flinch. Death was nothing new to her. She turned away, walked up to the scroll and picked it up off the ground. Unrolling it, she had to squint her eyes to make out the nearly illegible writing. It said:
Hello, and to whom is ever reading this, congratulations. In addition to winning the last tournament (the one before the horrid incident we just witnessed) we are giving you a map to one of the most powerful weapons in the world. Here are the riddles to find them all.
In a deep, cold place, I am here. The base is waiting for you where a lizard likes to rest. (Obviously it was the hilt. No need for that one)
I am here, in a controlled rainfall that lasts all year. You can find the steel tongue it when the sun shines when the sky is dark.
For you I have given this place a special hiding place. In the sky I am held. Can you reach me?
Signed: Mayor Dobeday
Quickly Xainghua brought the other two over to read it as well. Like the others, Xainghua did not know what it meant.
"He must be bringing it to Kilik," Xainghua said with a soft voice and looked at the ground where Voldo's blood was spilt. His death was not necessary.
"Damn riddles!" screamed a temper mental Siegfried. He punched a wall and cringed slightly as he found out a human hand is not as durable as a demonic one.
"Oh poor Siegfried!" said Cassandra caringly, "Can't get this one without using your big massive sword?"
"Keep your tongue in your mouth woman!"
"Well sorry! Just joshing a bit you know. Anyway, I've had a breakthrough in remembering our old friendship. You really used to like the mountains right?"
"I'm not sure," he said turning his head away.
"I'm certain you do!" she said placing her hand on his shoulder. She felt her warmth and it was something new, something comforting, "When it said hidden high in the sky, it can't just float there! It must be on a mountain!"
"Cassandra, you're a genius! But what mountain do we look for to finish number 3?" Xainghua inquired.
"That..." Cassandra tried to answer.
"She doesn't know..." Siegfried finished. The two looked at each other with stern looks on their faces. Cassandra in Siegfried's eyes, and his in Cassandra's. Cassandra couldn't keep it in any longer; she burst out laughing even amongst the dead corpse. Siegfried observed for amoment, then found himself chuckling.
"What is this feeling?" he asked Cassandra.
"That my friend, is laughter."
Xainghua suggested they tried near Norway. It was cold and had a good mountain range. They set off after Siegfried wiped the vile smelling blood off of his sword. Cassandra's thoughts, as well as Xainghua's went upon Kilik. A storm was brewing in the distance, a storm unseen by man.
Nightmare looked in his mind and heart. Did he?
Kilik sailed across the ocean for nearly a week now trying to get back to China. Still another 3 days away. He, even though being part demon felt the ailments of sea sickness. He went under for a sleep.
Kilik tossed and turned in his sleep. The Soul Edge was part of his mind, always conflicting with it at every chance it had.
"Soon," Soul Edge said to itself, "I shall be much more than a weapon of destruction. Soon I shall have a body worthy of me to drive upon my own entire free will. Kilik shall fall. But his ex-allies and ex-enemy, they shall prove a bothersome bee-sting in an ass' side. Voldo is dead, and I guess his last reward given to him by the late Dobeday is of more use to them now that of him anyway. I see them going to Norway. I should follow, but I have a bigger prize to catch. The Sheng Lu Temple is now going to come out of dormancy with new warriors to destroy me. Pathetic of them, no? All soon tp be slaughtered and part of me. With each soul I get, the more of Kilik's mind I receive in return. I can't lose! But Soulcalibur is a problem, All we need id one piece. I think I'll have my associate The Raven take care of it. Fly my pet!" With that the cry came out of the distance.
Kilik's mind was set on Xainghua. He couldn't believe that he almost killed her more times than he wished, which was a few times too many. That night at the springs, he somehow felt that he saw her with different eyes. He never really thought about it before but, all the little body language and things they've done together, all the fights they've had and all the tears the shed. Was this really just a friendship?
A/N: Damn! I am so sorry for the delay. I needed a break (a few months to long me thinks.) Anyway, I hope this is a good, long (emphasis on long) chapter. Sorry about the Kilik part being so short. I'll try harder next time! R&R!
P.S: If you wanna talk to me on AIM my name is kopacsija.