Disclaimer: Soul Caliber Belongs to Namco not me so Namco please don't eat me.
Chapter 1- Crossing Over
Talim, the wind priestess, sat alone on a grassy hill somewhere in Germany. The land it was strange to her, however this was where her quest had lead her. Following the wind she had been following Nightmare, sometimes stumbling upon a village where Soul Edge fed upon the souls there. Her only wish was to destroy the evil sword. But, that was not what the wind wanted. A cool breeze blew all round her. After a few minutes she was shocked by what the wind had asked her to do.
Talking out loud she asked the wind, "How can ask me to do such a evil thing?" pausing she reached into her knapsack and removed the evil shard, "To do such a thing would cuase great suffering though out the world."
Brushing her face and tossing the long blue cloth parts of her top the wind tried to convince her. Letting out a sigh Talim decided to follow the wind once again. Turning to face the sun she set off north to the German coast to find Nightmare and do as the wind had asked. With her elbow blades, Syi Sarika and Loka Luha, Talim believed that she could take on any opponent no matter how scary or fearsome they might be.
It had been nearly three days and yet no sign of Nightmare. On the horizon the sun was begging to set. Clam ocean waves beat against the rocks of the cliff. Talim, tired from the day's journey, decided that it was a good a time to rest. Rolling out a couple of blankets Talim slid in-between them and drifted off to sleep, into a world where soul edge never existed and where people never understood the feeling of pain.
Halfway through the night she was awoken by a huge pair of arms pulling her out of bed. Struggling all she could, but it was useless. It almost felt like her bones would break by being squeezed by to tree trunks and a solid brick wall. Then she heard it the beating of a haert. Glancing to her left she saw it the exposed haert of a Golem known as Asteroth. She had heard stories of how he and Nightmare slaughtered thousands just to feed the sword. Trying to break free again she kicked at his body. Asteroth however tightened his grip on her.
"Stop struggling worm! Or I will not hesitate to grind into a meat!" the bestial golem's voice shouted.
Giving into Asteroth Talim let her body go limp. With in a few seconds She was thrown over a shoulder like some trophy wench the Golem had just plundered for himself. Watching the Golem scoop up her bag Talim had no idea what was going to happen next. Only fate knew what would happen to her, and as she thought to herself she could only think of how this brut was going to kill her and take the shard.
The smell of a campfire and sound of crackling wood Talim could only guess that this was his camp.
"What is it you got there Asteroth? A prize for me or you?" mocked a feminine voice.
"Shut up!" he shouted.
Talim felt him grip her ankles. In one hard jerk Asteroth threw her to the ground. Bouncing of the ground Talim's head hit the ground hard. Sounds of bells went off in her head.
"This here girl has a shard." Bellowed the Golem.
"Really now? Well shall we torture her a bit before we take the shard?" laughed that evil feminine voice.
"I don't see why not." Asteroth's voice sounded with glee.
Her body already ached from being slammed to the ground and her head hurt like hell. Try stand Talim's ribs where met by a colossal boot. With the wind knocked out of her Talim rose to four legs when a sharp heel drove itself into the small of her back. Letting out a cry of pain Talim hit the ground hard. The heel twisted and pushed harder into her spine.
"This fun." The woman said grinning
"Ivy its my turn." Growled Asteroth
"No it's not! You killed the other one before I got a chance to play, so sit back watch."
When Ivy got angrier at Asteroth Talim could feel her drive her heel deeper into her back. There was a sound of metal slithering along the ground. Vision blurred with pain Talim could not see the Valentine wrap itself around her neck. However she defiantly could feel the razor sharp edges of Ivy's blade dig into her skin with out breaking it. With a slow tug Talim could feel Ivy pull back on the blade almost trying to bend Talim backwards. Reaching instinctively Talim's hands grabbed hold of the area in-between the blades in order to keep from choking to death.
"Scream!" Ivy shouted with glee.
"Over at the Camp a piece of rests ready to become part of us go there now Nightmare make us whole again." Commanded the evil demonic blade Soul Edge. It however was far from complete, but with another piece of its self it would grow stronger.
Following the order's given to it by the sword Nightmare, The warrior of Soul Edge, stomped towards the fire of the camp. While the body acted as some mindless drone a battle waged in Nightmare's head between the evil soul of Nightmare and the good soul of Sigefried. Sigefried had wanted control of his body so that he may stop the massacres that were being committed by his sword. The sword on the other was too strong for him to beat and he had lost numerous times. The sword had control.
At the camp Soul Edge and Sigefried could see that Ivy was "playing" with an Asian girl. How refreshing were the screams of the girl to Soul Edge. When he entered the fire's light Ivy and Asteroth both turn towards him.
"What do we have here?" Nightmare said grinning under his helmet.
"I found her sleeping not far from here, just as you said."
Soul Edge's eye opened wide and stared at the girl. "She has the shard get it from her now!" the blade ordered.
"Ivy release her."
"Fine." She said disappointed.
When the serpent like blade released its grip on her throat Talim choked on the air. Having no idea what Nightmare looked like, she was shocked by the hand that had gripped her lower jaw and forced her to look at him. It was an ugly monstrous hand with three claw-like fingers. Those red eyes of his frightened her. What was even scarier was his laugh when he did so at her.
"Such a little delicate thing you has a piece of soul edge," Pausing he let go of her face and stretched out that disfigured hand of his, "Give it to me or you will face a fate worse then death. You will beg for death when we are done with you."
Talim was scared for her life, she knew she had to give the shard to Nightmare it was what the wind had asked of her. But, she would be killed once she did. What was she to do?
"Fine I will take off your corpse!" Shouted an angered Nightmare.
He was ready to remove her when she decided to speak up.
"Okay you can have it." She said in a sad low voice.
Nightmare halted his attack and said " Then hand it over, and you might live."
"On one condition." She said trying to sound confident.
"And what might that be?" anger shot through his voice.
"That I may join you, and help restore Soul Edge."
There was silence for nearly a minute.
Sigefried battled his alter ego in another plane of existence. Swinging Soul Edge at each other Nightmare and Sigrfreid matched each other blow for blow. Until Nightmare brought down his sword in a huge over head slash, side stepping Segfried dogged the blade and hooked nightmare in the back with his sword and completed the Unholy Terror on Soul Edge. With control for a brief moment he decided to accept the girl, for something about her made him think for a moment that this girl was almost here to help him.
"I will allow you to join us-" Nightmare started.
Soul Edge in its rage preformed the Witch-Hunt on Sigefried but instead of just removing the sword from his body Soul Edge tossed his soul into the abyss where he would not bother him for awhile.
"Only if you can complete the trails given to by myself, Ivy, and Asteroth." He laughed maniacally at her knowing no way this girl would ever accept his offer.
Knowing that if she did not agree to do the trails set before that she would surely be killed and her soul absorbed by the evil blade.
"I will do it." She said in a soft voice.
Silence fell once again. Then after what seemed like ages Nightmare broke the silence.
"Fine. Since you have three to do I'll make mine easy. You just have to give the shard."
Talim crawled over to her knapsack and removed the shard. Kneeling on both knees she offered it to him. Reaching out with his evil hand Nightmare eagerly awaited the shard. The shard fell into his hand. She watched as he laughed.
Raising the shard into the air Nightmare shouted, "Now I am one more step to becoming whole again." Then in a burst of electrically energy the shard fused with the sword.
"You have completed your first task, now I do believe its Asteroth's turn." He chuckled evilly.
"I will pass for now, I want to make mine impossible." He said just before leaving the campfire.
Ivy grinned evilly at her. Talim's haert filled with anguish and fear for what this evil woman might ask her to do.
"I want you be my personal servant. You will what I ask of you no matter what. And, only I shall say when your servitude is finished. What say you?"
Talim on her knees and beaten already looked at Ivy's feet, and fell quite. Ivy's blade how ever changed into its whip form and was ready to lash out at her.
Sounding like a mouse Talim said, "I-I will…be your servant."
"Good now get up grab your things and follow me." She said with a sly grin.
Taking up her knapsack she followed Ivy off into the night to wear Ivy was sleeping.
"These woods are such a bore and are rather uncomfortable to sleep in." Ivy started, " There is Inn about 2 miles from in a little coastal town. It's been awhile since I've slept in a bed." Ivy turned to face Talim. "Now first thing first you are going to have to wear this." Rummaging in her bag Ivy pulled out a dog collar with a leash. " You are going to every thing I say or else." She snickered.
Talim felt lower then dirt accepting these conditions, but she had no other choice. The leather felt weird around her neck. Ivy tightened it on purpose at first before losing it up a bit. The black leather stood out against her white and blue clothes. Being jerked to the ground Talim fell to her hand and knees.
"Now lay down at the top of my blanket." Ivy commanded.
Talim did as she was told.
Climbing into her blankets Ivy rested her head on Talim's stomach. She even tugged lightly on her leash.
It was odd being at the mercy of others heck even being a servant. No longer able to roam freely like wind. Talim deep down hopped that this was just a nightmare as she drifted off to sleep.
A sharp heel dug itself into her hip jolting her from her sleep followed up by a hard pull at her leash causing her to choke. It was no nightmare it was a harsh reality.
"Gather your things, and mine. Hurry!" demanded the cruel woman.
Once she got everything Ivy had her follow her back to where the campfire roared the night before.
"So are you enjoying your new pet?" Nightmare said evilly.
Grinning Ivy answered. "She could use a bit of training, but it looks like she might last longer then a day."
"Let's kill now!" Roared Asteroth.
"Kill what?" questioned Talim, she then felt Ivy jerk her neck.
Ivy then scolded her as if she was child again. "Do not speak out of turn!"
"Heh, we are going to massacre that village over there." Nightmare pointed to a small village with a large harbor that was just down the hill. " Apparently they had the idea that we where coming so only men remain to stand guard over their pitiful town."
Asteroth broke in with glee in voice; "The three of us can handle such a small town guarded by a few fishermen."
"You wrong." Said Ivy "The four us shall make that town's streets run with blood." Reaching into her knapsack ivy pulled Talim's Elbow blades. "I want to see what this girl can do in battle."
Talim was frightened not by them but the atrocities she was going to have to commit. All three of them looked at her and smiled.
"Perfect the faster I get these weak souls the faster the news will travel to the stronger ones around the world." Nightmare shouted and laughed as he prepared to slaughter the villagers.
Commentary: Well what do think thus far? R&R please, just don't be a dumb ranting flamer cause you can't write P.
Next Chapter: Bloodbath!
"Blood shall run in the streets"