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Soul Caliber: Of Souls And Swords
Chapter Two: The Elven Swordsman
The Eurydice Shrine that served as the base of operations for the infamous White Wind was indeed grander than anybody could have ever expected it to be, crafted from the whitest marble and granite it was indeed worthy of their deities' attention. Lined with statues of their otherworldly creators and caretakers that were apparently all connected as a family, it sparked his interest after traveling as far as he had. Now he was just a few steps and a few doors from this group that he had been seeking, he just hoped that they would hear him out.
A young man walked up the stairs to the temple that came up from the streets of Athens, it had taken him a while to adjust to how closely the structures of the city had been built and then there were the stone laid streets. He had been warn far earlier that his abnormalities would turn heads and he remedied this by covering himself in a cloak and hood of olive green. It also covered the weapons held on his back and most of his clothing, his face could be seen but his most distinguishing feature was left in the shadows. He stepped toward the main entrance of the temple and moved by the lodging for travelers, however there was another obstacle in his way.
As he placed his foot at the large doors to the temple three Athenian soldiers suddenly stepped in front of him each of them holding gripping the swords at their sides, one placed a hand on his chest holding him from walking further. The traveler stepped back as he was wordlessly ordered to halt, he complied and placed one hand on his hip in a casual stance. He had already gone through a good number of stopping points while moving from town to town on his way to this grand city. He didn't believe that this would be any trouble.
The guards conducted the normal questions to the young man that he had heard several times before during his travels "What is your business here sir?" the man requested to know. The young man was hesitant to answer but eventually did. The language this man spoke was still a blur to him, and although he truthfully could not place meaning to the words he understood perfectly what was being said and replied in the same language "I must meet with the group called White Wind." He said. Each of the soldiers seemed to tense up, one drew his sword and looked at the boy.
"Show your face." He demanded in a serious tone. The boy slowly reached up and brought back his hood allowing light to come upon his face. He wasn't exactly what you'd expect to see around Athens. He was tanned lightly from his travels and held the expression of somebody who has seen a lot in his time on earth. His eyes were a deep sapphire blue and while they looked like a pair of priceless gems they also held a glint of a soul hardened through warfare. Dark blond locks of hair adorned his head as well, he seemed normal enough, but it was nobody that they had seen before. Either way he did not have the look of somebody sent to endanger the group.
The guard noticed the boy's weapon a full length double edged sword, designed specifically to be used with one or two hands depending upon the desires of the user. The guards discussed and nodded "I'll have to go and seek their permission to allow you entrance. After a few incident I'm afraid that it is standard procedure. I'm sorry but, you'll have to wait here." The boy nodded in understanding and made a motion of his hand for the guard to hurry on.
The entrance guard entered one of the doors and followed the stairs up to the third floor and to the double doors leading into the central hall which had been specifically cleared out for the efforts of the White Wind. He pushed the doors open everybody looked at him, two of the foreigners lowering their weapons showing that he had interrupted practice. He spoke anyway "Lady Sophitia. Somebody is at the main gates requesting to meet with the White Wind. I don't think he is one of the group though." Xianghua thought about it bringing a hand to her chin.
Maxi spoke up first however, his voice carrying a tone of annoyance "The White Wind is not a group that will take anybody in and we don't want any of Athen's youths. Tell them to go home. We don't have time to watch after people seeking fame." the buccaneer explained. The popularity of Sophitia had lead several of the Athen's youth to take up the sword including the sisters younger brother. They had been taking turns in sending them away.
The guard turned but Sophitia stopped him. "Wait. Can you describe him please?" She asked probably hoping that it would be one of the other seekers that she had heard of during her brief travels to retrieve shards.
The guard scratched his head "Alright. First off I don't think he is from Athens, I'm guessing that he is a traveler. He has dark blond hair, blue eyes, about five foot eight inches. My guess is that he is from the north, but I haven't seen a sword like that in quite a while." Sophitia gasped lightly. The guard looked back at her with a questioning look. Give or take a few words, that would have been the exact description she had heard of Siegfried. That was of course back when he was looking for her.
Xianghua walked over to Sophitia taking her hand as a friend "Sophitia. I know what your thinking about and you know that it isn't possible. I'm sorry." the warrior woman nodded lightly. For months after they met Sophitia had been coming up with theories and thoughts that Siegfried might still be out there in the void, in denial that he was indeed Nightmare. Xianghua had sent him into the endless shadows of the void and she knew that he would never be coming back. Sophitia had accepted that much.
Finally Sophitia looked up and breathed before speaking to the guard "Tell him to go home." the guard nodded and left the room, not questioning Sophitia's mood. The elder of the Alexandra sisters sat down placing her hands on the sides of her head. Kilik sighed as he looked at Sophitia, he hated seeing such times of depression and he knew of the close friendship that she and this Siegfried had for one another. Maxi proposed that there was probably more to it, but he didn't pry of attempt to tempt Sophitia with what might have been. She was after all happily married and was contemplating children once things managed to calm down..
The boy looked up as the guard appeared and awaited his answer, but he never got it as the guard suddenly pushed him back "You're going to have to go home. The White Wind has no time for your kind, their purpose is more dangerous than you think."
The young man was not pleased as he narrowed his hardened eyes and spoke in a stricken tone as he crossed his arms over his chest "Tell them to make time." He snapped. He had been traveling for a long time since learning that there was actually a group of people who were wise enough to wish the destruction of the sword, he was not going to be turned away by these clueless fools. It wouldn't have been the first time that he had been forced to fight his way through the local authorities.
The guards once again ordered him to go home and as one gave him a solid push he moved forward grabbing the guard by the neck part of his armor pulling him off balance"It is a matter of urgency and I will not be turned away." the other two brought out their swords.
"Release him down or else!" One shouted. The boy didn't hesitate to push the one he held into the others with a decent amount of force, the weight of the armor adding to the impact. One of them found himself unable to stand while another moved to attack, only to have his arm grabbed and a knee slammed into his exposed side. He dropped to the ground never managing to get his sword drawn, the remaining soldier was quickly put down by a stomping boot to his chest, forcing the wind from his lungs. While silent and without blood, his actions did not escape the notice of the tower.
A large bell sounded as they witnessed the boy marching right through the main double doors, this called the temple to alert rather quickly. Such urgency was felt that upon entering, the stranger was confronted by five soldiers that were ready for battle. The boy narrowed his eyes as he moved quickly running at the nearest one realizing that talk would not get him any closer to his goals. The guard brought up his blade just as he expected.
With fluid movements crafted by experience and hardship he pulled the sword arm away to smash his knee into the aggressor's stomach, unprotected by armor. He took the crumpling soldier's sword before pushing him onto his back allowing him to become another pained pile on the floor. Two more rushed at him and he attempted to ward them off as they grabbed him and both went for their blades, seeing his life in danger the boy pulled away and the cloak was torn from him, the broach tearing the edge of the collar.
They all looked at him as his being and his attire was revealed. His cloths were similar yet different by their standards. He wore a deep green tunic over his chest and back, long greyish undergarments covered what flesh was visible between where the tunic ended and the boots and gauntlets began. He wore a long cap on his head over his well groomed hair. On his back was a well decorated and crafted sword which showed further that he was a force to be reckoned with. To match his blade there was also a shield with several designs on it. However these things barely caught their attention as much as something else.
His ears, they weren't normal. They were long and stuck out an inch or so from the side of his head, just like those elvish beings spoken of in those legends and fairy tales from the north. Many of them murmured names of their gods in surprise and confusion, wondering if this was a birth defect or an abnormality caused by the Evil Seed. One of them spoke in a shout "What are you!" he pointed out his sword to push the demand.
The boy did not answer right away. Rather than speaking, he reached back to draw his sword which glowed in a light blue aura as if it was a holy weapon once it was taken from the sheath "I hail from a world which rests beyond the veil of your own. I have been placed here to find and destroy the Soul Edge. Now get out of my way or I'll be forced to make you!" he demanded. They didn't know what to make of his words as he spoke of another world. Could he have meant another country or something of the like.
They held their ground then rushed into attack, the elf eared boy narrowed his eyes as he jumped into the air "Don't be ridiculous." he said as he landed and slashed once with his sword. His blade hit two of theirs and the short blades were shattered in an instant, the boy of about twenty-one stood there obviously the victor as they stumbled back. A few of them ran, but he managed to grab one with his right hand and hoist him up "Now. Tell me. Where is the White Wind?"
The guard, fearing for his life pointed to the stairs "Go up those stairs they should be on the fifth floor right now." he choked. The boy nodded and pushed the guard to the ground then started up the stairs. The guard grunted as he got to his feet finding that his voice refused to give the call for an intruder, so easily that blade had cut through their own. Not the finest swords in all of Greece, but there was no great number of blades that could so easily scrap others.
The servant's shoulder rammed through the doors only to be suddenly cloths lined by the Kali-Yuga as he rushed in. He landed right on his back and the young warrior called Kilik stepped back as he noticed he had struck one of the temple's acolytes "What the hell is going on!" he demanded to know.
The servant stood to his feet brushing himself off giving no ill-will towards the foreigner, instead he turned to the only other native in the room. He spoke with a panicked voice "Lady Sophitia, somebody at the gates just charged in. I don't know what is going on, but the guards are helpless to stop him. Apparently he just keeps cutting through their shields and armor!" These reports had come from a collection of panicked rambling, but it was obvious that something was amiss.
Maxi brought out his weapon and slung it under his arm, a pair of sharp eyes narrowing under his brow "Just point me at him." He said as if ready to take on an army. Before they could discuss this further, there came yelling from outside the room as the intruder seemed to be drew closer. However they screamed eventually fadded, rising above their heads as they chased him higher in to the grand structure.
The acolyte looked up "If he heads up the stairs he'll end up in the Gallery, right?" Sophitia took in a sharp breath as her thoughts went to her sister, and no sooner after the thought had struck her she had vanished from the room. The door swinging lightly in her wake.
His hand dropped down on the shoulders of a guard to toss him backwards against a column, giving the stranger the freedom to vanish down another hall. He breathed knowing that he would have to lose them and lay low for a short while. He moved up another set of stairs hoping that it would lead to another floor that had yet to be alerted, instead he was greeted with a rather unique area. It was an open air gallery of sorts, looking around he saw that in this room was flowing water and a statue of a woman was there. The fridged air snapped lightly as he took in his breaths, the height of the temple at this point made a significant temperature difference. He slowly walked out from the stairwell and then to his right and came around the fountain not expecting another to be in the area.
Cassandra breathed as she looked up at the statue of her sister trying to figure out how she could have done so much in her earlier years, in fact only at the age of eighteen. She had worked hard and Cassandra respected that very much, unfortunately it lead to so much being unreasonably expected of her. It always seemed that she had a fault of some sort in her style although there were few in the Athenian army could match her blade to blade. Only Sophitia herself was a guarenteed victor when it came to such a match up.
It wasn't that combat was the problem, just that ever since Sophitia had married Rothion her parents had constantly been after her to get married soon. It was as if being wed and bearing children was all they wished of her. Though she had more than enough talent to match Sophitia's deeds, the rest of her family was pretty much content for the younger of the sisters to follow the elder step for step. Sophitia. Her sister. It seemed that whenever her family got together, everything seemed to revolve around what she had done and how Cassandra should be following.
It infuriated her to no end.
Cassandra slowly drew the Alpha sword looking at the Greek writing on the blade, she had been living by the blade and was not a simple girl. She wasn't like so many of her friends who just wanted to speed life on, if she was going to fall in love and move into family life anytime soon she was going to take her sweet time doing it. Her personal peep talk was interrupted as she noticed the sound of footsteps coming around the fountain. The sound of medium weight boots like Maxi wore, however she knew that the weight was too light to be her sister's friend.
Cassandra swiftly turned as she heard the sound, most of the temples guards wore that armor that was impossible to sneak around in and nobody of the team would just sneak up on her. She slowly pulled up her shield but at the last second brought it up fast as she caught a glimpse of somebody she had never seen before. It was an intruder, pure and simple. Another that had come seeking the shards of the cursed sword.
"Who...?" She began with a voice that should have been demanding and authoritive, but it was shaken by the sight of his ears. Cassandra was quick to shake it off and put her attention on the green clad boy "Who are you? What are you doing here?" she demanded to know. Cassandra looked at the boy, her eyes seeming to be trapped by her own as she locked gazes with him. He didn't appear to be one that would be seeking the Soul Edge for his own ends, but she wasn't going to let herself be fooled again by a seemingly innocent face.
He eventually spoke as he held up his hands, the fingerless gloves spreading out to reveal nothing hidden in his palms "I mean no harm, but I must speak with those of the White Wind." He said seriously hoping that he wouldn't have to fight this girl. Cassandra lightly thought it through before she reinforced her stance and strapped her shield to her arm, able to see him tense at the obviousness that there was going to be conflict..
Cassandra looked at the young man easily around her age but those ears, something about them didn't seem normal. Though she was pretty sure that he wasn't a demon or anything "What do you plan to do if I refuse." she said. The boy said nothing as he moved his hand to the sword mounted on his back to be drawn out swiftly and with perfect accuracy, obviously he knew his style and his weapon well. His actions seemed to scream out the message that he would be going through her.
Cassandra raised her own weapons and narrowed her gaze "Fine then. But before we start, tell me who you are?" Her voice was demanding and almost scary, he decided it was in his best interest not to anger her.
The boy lightly took in a breath as he brought one foot back into a stance with his sword and shield which was now on his right arm "My name is Link." he said, a light smile coming to his face. It was an different, yet fitting name for this strange boy. He tilited his head lightly as he locked his eyes with her once again "What should I call you Milady?"
Cassandra lightly smiled as she was addressed and had to fight herself not to blush or giggle, she just acknowledged that she would try not to seriously hurt him "Cassandra Alexandra, Milord." she said allowing the address of respect and chivelry to flow off her tongue, thought it wasn't said anywhere nearly as natural as this boy that stood before her. A wind blew and tossed their hair, their bangs batting at their eyes before both of then snapped their weapons down at the floor and moved at one another.
Next Chapter: The Shards of the Forsaken Swords
(Voice of Kilik) "What do you mean that the Soul Edge is still in this world? What about the shards! What about Cervantes! How can Nightmare and the Black Wind possibly still be around! These questions asked in response of a revelation brought to us by this strange newcomer that wields a holy sword. He comes and confirms my darkest fears and visions that I had been hoping were simply bad dreams. Who are you and why are you helping us? What is your game elven swordsman!"