Authors Note: Okay this is a turning point. More character will be introduced as they continue the search for the shards of the Soul Edge and Soul Calibur. While I plan on waiting for a little more information on the three new characters that will be introduced in SCIII, I already have something set up for a character I suspect will be involved. Also for those who have been on my back about it, Yoshimitsu and Voldo will be introduced sometime within the near future.
Soul Calibur II: Of Souls And Swords
Chapter Forty Seven: Back To Square One
The rest of the night at the cathedral had gone by rather quietly after it became apparent that their second wind dancer truly was not ally and was now their enemy. Kyle had managed to calm down after his dressing down of their second youngest member who had become very quiet and very reserved. Forming a group they had decided that they would return to where it had all truly began. They would head back to Athens and attempt to gather what information they could on what they could do next in their pursuit of the Soul Calibur shards. Kilik had also pointed out that autumn wouldn't last much longer and by the time they reached Athens, winter would have settled in. It was not wise to be traveling during the colder seasons so they would have to wait it out.
Link breathed as he gathered up his things that they had brought with him, he was getting some progress on the sketches from his memory and was feeling that they would do some real good. Glancing around the camp that they had set up however, it was obvious that nearly every member of the group had either a concern or tension about them. Without a doubt his tension was all concentrated on his brother and how after so much time they were once again at one another's throats. And the amount of helplessness that there was nothing he could do to stop him.
Siegfried and Sophitia. The fallen knight and the baker's daughter that essentially called the shots on what they would do and where they would turn. Siegfried was now burning to get his shot at Nightmare after everything that had happened, he also had an equel desire to mock him for the foolish act of handing over his shard of the Soul Calibur. Sophitia was in good spirits as they were heading home, it had been well over three months and she probably missed her husband deeply. While Link had only been there a short amount of time, he could feel the bond they shared with one another.
Taki Moyika and Heishiro Mitsurugi had their own concerned. The huntress and the mercenary were now both officially determined the bring Drake down the next time they saw him and demand anything he knew about Yugo Hitkiri. While Taki's interest was pretty obvious as they had shared a deep relationship so long ago and it was obvious that Taki was yearning to find him now that she knew he was alive. Mitsurugi was just interested in meeting somebody who could match Taki at her own style, having witnessed her cleave through several of the Fu-Ma who approached her. How could he possibly be any different from her or the others.
Seung Mina and Kyle Strife were both concerned about Yunsung. Neither of them wanted him to leave their side as he truly was skilled in the way of the sword, however his lack of discipline since setting out could clearly be seen at this point. It had become noticeable since they first met Drake and his jealousy of the younger man's obvious superiority began to show. Yunsung's wish to be powerful was something that gave Mina a heavy weight on her shoulders as she questioned if he could be trusted with even a sliver of the Soul Edge.
Raphael Sorel was worried about a lot of things. For one there was the group he had joined what seemed like years ago and how their unity was holding up with a betrayal and distrust spawning in the group. He was concerned about the mysterious creatures they had encountered so far that sought the Soul Edge shards, including one that could manipulate them. He was concerned about Isabella Valentine and how she became the monster that she was today. He was concerned about his foster daughter Amy, it had been so long since he had left her with Albert back in France and he was beginning to worry. Though he had never really voiced his concerns to the group openly.
Kilik and Xianghua were both worried about the future of the world. It had rested upon them four years ago and now it seemed that they were coming up pretty low on the totem pole with warriors such and Link, Kyle, Siegfried and Sophitia among them. While it was known that Xianghua could utilize the power of the Soul Calibur, they were both wondering if it would be ment for another. Burying her head in Kilik's chest, Xianghua was clearly concerned about a great number of things. Perhaps she was becoming overwhelmed.
Talim's concern clearly focused around Drake and Yunsung. She was still having a hard time accepting that he would do such a thing, and the simple fact that he had so horribly injured Yunsung to prove his point was another thing. Now Yunsung was prepared to go after Drake over his injured pride and being that she managed to defeat him the first time they met, she was very worried as to what the less merciful and far more experienced Drake would do to him should he be crossed again.
While it was rarely brought up as to why Maxi so earnestly traveled with them, Link had already heard from Kilik that it was all about revenge. Astaroth, a creature of the Black Wind that Link had not had the privilege of meeting yet had decimated his ship and murdered his crew nearly six years ago and Maxi was still out for the monster's blood. This monster apparently was created by some vile sect and had been sent out to capture the Soul Edge, apparently however he had been seduced by Nightmare and brought under his control.
Last, but certainly not least in the eyes of Link. There was Cassandra Alexandra. She had gone out on this journey to experiance the world and be able to broaden her horizons, not to mention prove to her apparently doubting parents that she was not a younger version of her sister. She had shown her concern for the entire group and was constantly there to offer a world of advice or confidence in the group's ability. Her attitude was probably the only thing that kept Link in the frame of mind to get things done and not break to his own depression, which he had hidden away.
It was sunrise of the next day when the group headed out after Link had been sure that the creature that had used the power of the Soul Edge shards against the spirit that now remained dormant in him was on ice. He would be unconscious and frozen long enough for them to get a reasonable distance away, the last thing they needed was that man turned monster to be coming after them once again. It would be another week of travel before they got back to the Eternal Wind and the Nightwraith which were being taken care of for them. In this time the group would strictly travel and only concern themselves with their next step.
It was a bright day when the group arrived back at the port city where they had left their ships and met with the mysterious Heihachi, though it was doubtful that such and ancient, yet powerful warrior was still bedridden after two weeks. The town seemed to have also been repaired after the clash between the mysterious alter ego that Link carried and the aging martial arts master. Walking into town Link once again brought his cloak and hood over himself knowing that after such an event people would be on the look out for suspicious characters. In this world, as always, he was as suspicious as they came.
Coming back to the docks they found that their ships had not moved from where they had been left and a thin layer of algae had gathered around the edges of the wood. Jack Kutter was sitting on the edge of the Nightwraith when he noticed them coming and saw their green clad friend walking with them. He jumped from the railing just barely getting over the water and rushed up placing his hands on Link's cloak hidden shoulders shaking him. Link slapped his hands away demanding to know what was wrong with them "Holy Hell! Your alive!" he shouted before he ran back to the Eternal Wind to tell the others what was going on.
Sophitia chuckled as she walked towards the Eternal Wind dragging her horse behind her, it was of course the same horse that she had brought with her from Athens although until now Link had never really payed much attention. A horse by the name of Kalina it was a brilliant white horse that had been serving her well, the female horse seemed to be a good deal friendlier than the nameless horse that Mitsurugi had been using. Apparently it wasn't his, just a horse that the very last Fu-Ma assassin had been using before Mitsurugi had taken him off of Taki's hands. Either way they had both been easier to manage than the five they had rented.
Link lightly blinked as he pulled his bag back up onto his shoulder unable to figure out exactly what Jack's problem was, they had hardly really had any interaction with each another. Cassandra smiled lightly as she walked to stand next to Link looking up at him "Well it seems that we aren't the only people that are happy to see you. Whether or not you'd like to believe, you have a few fans in our ranks." the younger Athenian said to Link who was still a little stiff. Link smiled back at her before the two of them walked up the ramp to board the ship, Cassandra was happy to see him back in better spirits.
As the recently quiet Talim and the still sore Yunsung headed for the Nightwraith, Seung Mina watched this happen and couldn't help noticing the warmth in Cassandra's actions towards the otherworldly stranger, she turned to Kyle who had Silverbolt perched on his shoulder. He looked back at her as she spoke "It is just me, or have those two been getting a lot closer in the last few days? I mean they are constantly together and she is helping him get the feeling back into his body." Kyle cracked a light smirk at her choice of words and Mina groaned.
Kyle then looked up and decided to speak up "They were pretty close before we thought he was lost from this realm. She loves to hear about his world and she isn't the only one that enjoys hearing his story, to be honest I wouldn't mind seeing his homeland someday. Those two see something within one another that reminds them of themselves, it is something that we clearly cannot see with our eyes." Mina's jaw lightly opened unable to believe that Kyle could possibly be this poetic with such things. She didn't even notice that his eyes were intensely locked with hers during the whole time he spoke, when she noticed him looking at her he averted his gaze.
"No." Kyle suddenly said. Mina looked up about to questioned when he chuckled standing up and stepping towards her, his loyal hawk took off and flew up towards the mast of the Nightwraith. Seung Mina was growing more and more confused as the mysterious Kyle Strife stepped closer to her looking down at her "I think it would be best if you not try to set Link and Cassandra up as you do your friends. Don't forget that Link is not a being of this world, we can't assume that the two of them would ever be able to have anything more than just a friendship." Kyle explained.
Mina looked towards Link and Cassandra as the two of them stepped on board the Eternal Wind and looked down at the ground "I really pity Link. He comes here to destroy a threat to his world only to find that he is trapped here and then his own brother shows up to challenge him. I cannot imagine what kind of anxiety he must be going through." she breathed out making sure only Kyle could hear. Unlike the others of the Four Blades Link had told his story to them though he kept it secret from those that he knew wouldn't easily accept it such as Yunsung and Raphael. It was not their need to know.
Kyle breathed as he stepped behind Mina and placed his hands on her shoulders rubbing slightly causing Mina and close her eyes comforted "I don't think that we need to worry about either of them, just make sure that they are ready to continue. Your good at keeping people in better spirits, heart and soul girl." he told her. Hwang's nick name that was derived from her personality rewarded Kyle with a weak elbow into his chest. Like Yunsung the fact that she was never able to defeat or even take Hwang on infuriated her and any reminder didn't do much. Mina looked back at Kyle and smiled, he smiled back.
While those two were spying on Link and Cassandra neither of them noticed the likes of Sophitia and Taki looking down at them from the steering wheel of the ship. Sophitia was happy to see that her sister and Link were getting along well, but hoped that things wouldn't get out of hand. Taki looked and say the way that Kyle acted around Mina, she had noticed a long time ago that the two of them were rather close and were perfectly fine with just a friendship. She could see affection creeping up from a mile away as it was far too familiar to the origin of her only real relationship.
The demon huntress chuckled lightly as she noticed Sophitia's concern "Just tell Maxi and Naoyuki to be prepared to leave as soon as possible. I'm sure that any of those four know better than to start something at such a point in time. Xianghua and Kilik concern me very much however." she said. Sophitia understood perfectly as she had seen the two of them expressing their affection more than a few times while they were still in Athens. Not that she was going to hold it against them, it was a beautiful thing that they were going to bring out once this war was over.
It didn't take long before they were all boarded up on their respective ships and headed back to Athens, which would take around three weeks of travel if the winds were with them the whole way. It would be another five weeks before the cold season really began and they knew that both them and the Black Wind would be forced to take refuge for those three months before the spring came along. Everything had already been planned out and they would be staying in Athens under the request of Sophitia, it wasn't a request that the temple could afford to just turn down after all she had done for them. It would also give them time to recover and repair themselves from the hardships that they had gone through.
During their time on sea the Eternal Wind lead the way and both ships were constantly within a fifty yards of one another as they didn't want to get separated and they wanted to be ready in the event that one of the ships was attacked. Silverbolt became useful for flying messages from one ship to the other as Kyle had taught the hawk to work with Taki as well as Sophitia. Maxi and Kilik had attempted to work with the bird, but for lack of better terms the bird just didn't like either one of them. One night they had Sophitia send the message over while Link was busy immortalizing yet another person that he had seen in his visions.
Silverbolt came back landing on Sophitia's arm, the hawks claws not piercing the leather guard that she wore on her forearms. Taki took the message that was tied to the bird and Sophitia held the bird as she stepped up to the small group of Cassandra, Xianghua, Maxi and Kilik that had gathered around Link. She breathed as she unfolded the message and read it as it had been written in Korean which she had difficulty with. Then a smile came across her features "With the exception of myself. Silverbolt is a great deal like his master, he is only fond of pretty women. Signed Kyle Strife." Xianghua and Cassandra both laughed as this was said. Link chuckled as well as he added shading to this individual's hair.
Kilik rolled his eyes lightly as Taki read it once again just to rub it in and the females in the area all laughed again. Mitsurugi looked up a rare smile crossing his face as well "I think you've kicked the obvious into them enough." Taki smiled before crumpling up the paper and walking back to continue her conversation with Sophitia. Link smiled as he spoke as well "Without a doubt I'd trust the females of this group over most of the others at first glance. No offense to the guys of course." he laughed lightly.
Siegfried chuckled from where he leaned against the railing of the ship and glanced down at Link's work spying something different from what he had of Hwang "The last few that you did all start with the face. Why does this one have the subject with his back turned towards us?" he questioned lightly. Indeed the subject was facing away from Link in the portrait and the elf could only answer that it was the way he had seen this man as his face was covered. He possessed shoulder length hair and wore some sort of strange armor that took up his entire left arm, the only real thing that pointed him out was a large burned in scar on his back which came out in an X shape.
Link darkened in the specific scar and took a breath before he held it out to the group that had gone and surrounded him "This is all I have of him, I don't suppose any of you would know this guy just by seeing him from this angle." he breathed out slightly feeling a somewhat doubtful as only a fraction of the subject's face could be seen. Everybody in the group shook their head, but agreed that he was without a doubt of eastern decent, Link breathed before he stood up and approached Sophitia and Taki "Do either of you recognize this man?" he questioned holding it out to Sophitia who shook her head.
Taki however looked and felt her hard twist sharply within her chest as she snatched it away from Link and looked at it unable to believe what she was seeing. She began denying what she was seeing under her breath as Link put his hand on the wooden board he used to draw while sitting "Taki...do you know this man?" he questioned. Taki couldn't find the energy to speak as the middle of her back came to meet the railing of the ship and moved one hand to her forehead to comb through her bangs. She adjusted the casual kimono she wore on her shoulders before she slid down the railing to sit on the floor of the ship. She spoke a single word, a single name, a single person.
"Yugo..."
Mitsurugi heard this and moved up to her picking up the drawing which she had allowed to come to rest on her legs and examined it, he could have been anywhere between her age and three years back and he was clearly a powerful looking person. A serious expression adorned what could be seen of his face and he wore a pair or rather simple pants as he went shirtless, much like their demon armed friend Siegfried. The only weapon present on his being was the single edged sword that was gripped by his left arm at the ribboning, however it was not a traditional blade used by the Fu-Ma. It wasn't something that Taki did not expect him to wield due to his upbringing and Mitsurugi didn't expect due to his reputation.
He was handling what was definitely a samurai sword which would have forced him to change a good deal of his style all together, no group such as the Fu-Ma would ever allow one of their own to use such a weapon due to those it was made for. To Taki this picture only ment three things. He had clearly continued to grow into being a powerful warrior and it was clear that he would only have more skill than before. The weapon essentially announced that there was trouble between him and the Fu-Ma as he was not only disobeying a rules, he was defying a principle that Toki had fought to keep up. But nothing was more important than the fact he was alive.
Maxi scratched his head lightly as this was all brought up, aside from those she trusted she had not told anybody of Yugo. Sophitia knew through what was basically girl talk. Mitsurugi knew out of the powerful mutual trust they shared, explaining why she was so suppressing of herself and her emotions. Link knew because she had told him back in Venice when they finally managed to gain trust after their initial meeting. Siegfried knew because she had pulled him aside and asked if there was any information from his knowledge of Soul Edge, out of fear that he might have attempted to take it and failed.
Kilik moved to rest a hand on Taki's shoulder as she breathed heavily clearly in shock that they would have to go about tracking him down "Are you absolutely sure that is the man?" he questioned having fig
Mitsurugi crossed his arms lightly as he looked at this and then questioned "So the spirit within Link's body has shown up that not only this Hwang, but also Yugo are somehow connected to a shard of Xianghua's sword. Link, you have already finished the backdrops of the areas these people were standing in, where was this man standing?" he questioned. Link searched lightly before drawing one out and holding it out to them. It showed a large eastern style temple of sorts, but it was not that the Hoko Temple where the Fu-Ma trained. It appeared to be a lot simpler and it was surrounded by the forests.
Siegfried moved to say something when suddenly Taki stood to her feet and looked at them her entire body becoming tense "Don't even make an offer knight. When the winter has ended I will go to find him myself, you have already done enough in staying with me long enough to know he is alive. This is my task and I will not force you along on it." she said. Mitsurugi suddenly shook his head and the others all did the same as it was obvious that they would not be pushed to the side so easily after they had all been curious since she began to worry so much. Upon being reminded and Xianghua and Kilik were feeling guilty for pushing her to answer that question back in the desert so long ago.
Mitsurugi spoke before he motioned to Link "We still have no clue as to where the other two that hold the shards might be and I think it would be best if we not make plans so soon. Besides that a group has to speak with Hwang and get his shard of the sword, and far be it for me to not meet this man I've heard so much about." Taki lowered head saying a few words of thanks. She just couldn't seem to grasp why they were so concerned about it. Link smiled before he took a long hard look at the picture before removing it and handing it off to Taki, he then stepped back towards the front of the ship.
Maxi headed to follow him figuring that they couldn't just count on the wind to stay down forever as they had stopped for the night. Kilik and Xianghua stood up and the two of them were clearly going to dismiss themselves Kilik however placed a hand on Taki's shoulder smiling lightly "Don't worry Taki. If you two are going to be getting close we'll be sure to stay out of your way. We're all adults here after all." Taki shot him a light glare at him, but suppressed the need to drop her elbow into his chest. He knew it was a message that Maxi probably wanted to be delivered, and she had too much respect for Kilik to strike him for being gullible.
This took place around a week before they finally arrived in Athens and Link was still putting touches on the other two sketches that were still unable to be recognized by the group, this included those among the Four Blades. He figured that he would have more time and a better place to continue once they arrived in Athens, it was quite difficult to get anything effectively done when you were rocking constantly. He was also looking forward to returning to the beautiful city where he had first met this group, he had wanted to see more of it.
It was the early morning when they came up upon the docks that were just a few miles from Athens and they were greeted by a good amount of the city's inhabitants who knew who they were just by the sight of the ship. Several of them offered their services as they began unloading the ship of what they would need as most of them had decided to head for the city and check things out before returning. If things went well they would be able to find lodging in the temple, otherwise many of them would have to spend the winter onboard the ship. This arrangement would be quite disagreeable.
Sophitia seemed rather anxious as she packed up her things which she had been using for the past few months and stepped down off the ship, while some of the group remained behind to handle unloading the others would check on lodging. Sophitia, Taki, Siegfried, Kyle and Mina decided that they would go figuring that they best represented the groups as a whole. When the others were done they would come to the temple right behind them which would put them about an hour behind. The first five moved down the road at a slow pace, taking in the fresh air that came over the mountains and basking in the glow of the sun. Sophitia however, just wanted to get back to her husband.
Next Chapter: Complicated Jealousy
(Voice of Taki) The love between a man and a woman. It is not something that can be imagined or placed on a canvas, the true essence of such a thing can only be experienced between two partners. Seeing Sophitia's happiness stirs my own heart, but words of another churn fire within it. It is not my place to judge the foolishness of some people, perhaps this love is not something that I am destined to ever feel again.
WEBSITE: Partial Profile for Yugo Hitkiri uploaded.