Note: [] denotes thoughts
Siegfried let his gaze drift over the woman kneeling before him, who had just helped him beat back the horrible desires of the corrupt Soul Edge. As his eyes passed to the woman's face, recognition dawned..
"You're.. I know you!" He exclaimed, memories of his past flooding back to him, of the only person who ever tried to help him. "S-Soph-i-tia, right?" He said, awkwardly pronouncing the Greek name on his German tongue. It was her, from those years ago, when he had almost freed himself from the terrible weapon.. even back then, she was the only one who could help him. Just like now.. but.. as he moved to rise to his feet, his awareness fell to the arm still corrupted by Soul Edge, and he could feel the hatred and power of the beast even now, after it's retreat from the battle.
"G-go away!" Siegfried shouted, suddenly terribly afraid of the demon that still resided somewhere within his body, "P-please, leave now!!"
...
Sophitia backed up a half-step as the German boy.. the young man, began to shout at her to leave. [But he remembers me, that's good, that means he must still be intact even after all those years connected to that .. that THING] she thought viciously, glancing at the sword still held in Siegfried's hand.
"No, I will not leave." She held her sword firmly at her side, prepared to react in case of danger, but refused to show any weakness by reaching back to her shield.
"Wh-what!?" Siegfried replied in surprise, [No! She has to go, or I'll ..] "Go, or I'll kill you too!!" He hollered in desperation, feeling Soul Edge's power so close in his hand.
"You may try, if you wish." Sophitia retained her composure, standing straight, resisting the urge to step into a combat stance so as to not provoke Soul Edge from re-taking Siegfried so soon after its defeat. "But I'd like to talk.. if you do not mind."
Siegfried's thoughts broke through his panicked interior, [Talk.. that would be nice.. it's been a long time since I've talked with anyone]. As his breathing slowed and his panic began to calm, Soul Edge's power seemed to once again recede into its new hiding place, no longer able to feed on his fear and excitement.
"Talking.. I'll talk." Siegfried said levelly, not really sure what he'd be able to talk about.. [I don't remember what to do.. what should I say..? Oh..] "Th-thank you," he offered lamely, suddenly feeling rather guilty for threatening to kill the woman just seconds earlier.
"That's better." Sophitia smiled, relaxing slightly. Glancing up to the sky, which was now darkening into evening, "I shall make a fire, then we can rest and talk. Are you hungry?" She asked, trying to bring some normalcy into the situation, hopefully staving off Soul Edge even further.
[Am I hungry?] Siegfried pondered the question silently, and as the thoughts of the villagers returned to him,
"No," He said bluntly, then, suddenly realizing that he'd once again been rude, "Th-thank you." And he glanced around and behind him, looking for someplace to take a seat, suddenly feeling quite cold and rather tired. Locating a stump nearby, he rolled it over near to where Sophitia had cleared out a small patch of dirt to start a fire, seating himself upon it heavily.
"You should have something." Sophitia said gently, striking up a small flame with some flint and steel from a pouch of hers. Pulling out a loaf of bread that was now a few days old but still the freshest in her possession, she held it out to Siegfried, "Have this, it will help you."
Siegfried took the bread reluctantly, and, remembering the mystical feeling he experienced earlier while her hand rested on his shoulder, "Is it.. magic?"
Sophitia smiled, chuckling lightly, "It's bread."
"It's not magic?" Siegfried asked, just to make sure.
"No.. it's just bread. It's a few days old, but it's the best I have."
"Bread.." Siegfried said idly, nibbling on the end of the loaf. The memories of the morning seemed to fade away into a blur as he bit into this gift that the blond woman had given him, beginning to chew on the tough but satisfying exterior. [This is...] "Delicious!" He exclaimed, diving into the food, tearing great pieces off with his teeth.
[At least he likes it] Sophitia thought to herself, smiling inwardly as the young man devoured the bread that many would consider too stale to stomach. Pulling some hard jerky from another small pouch, Sophitia began to munch on her own parcel of food, starting to feel a bit hungry while watching Siegfried eat. Together they fed their hunger in silence for a few long moments, Sophitia pondering what she should ask about the young man, and Siegfried simply enjoying the taste of natural food for the first time in a very long while.
Sophitia wondered what could be said to someone who had been forced to slaughter hundreds of people in horrible ways, just today brutally murdering a number of weak village folk in a matter of seconds. Traveling the world year upon year, bearing the burden of a horrible demonic presence invading one's entire being, with whatever insatiable bloodlust might come along with it.. the terror and fear whenever the beast surfaces, the horror at watching one's own body fall to deformation and disfiguration, claws and veins tearing loose from what was once human flesh...
"Um, h-how's the bread?" She asked, unable to think of anything else that would be even remotely appropriate.
"It's great!!" Siegfried said cheerfully, feeling younger than he had in ages. [How old am I.. ?] He wondered idly, not being able to remember the last time he had a birthday, or who he had killed on that day.. sighing, he began to feel the joy of relative freedom wear away to the burden of all of the things he had done. "I .. don't know where to even begin to apologize," he began.
"Right here, Siegfried. Right now." Sophitia said reassuringly, [The best I can do is to support him, at least he's holding Soul Edge back for now.. and I have no idea what else to say to him] "I am an agent of Hephaestus.. if you wish to confess, I shall hear your words."
"Those.. those damned villagers!" Siegfried started, "I was .. I was under control until.. that.." he felt himself begin to grow angry, thinking of those ungrateful village folk tossing rocks at him and yelling for him to leave. Clenching a fist, he gritted his teeth as he felt Soul Edge's energy begin to pulsate ever so slightly. "Why did they have to.. if they had just let me BE!"
"But you came to save them, and save them you did. You may have.. harmed.. some of them, but," it pained Sophitia to think of things in these terms, for her code of moral conduct could hardly allow this, but it made sense, and if it would help Siegfried to feel at peace.. "if you had not arrived, many more would have been slain. Instead of killing three.. you've saved a village.. except for three." She choked out the last bit, replaying the image of Nightmare's scything blade sweeping through the poor folk that had stood in his way. As she gazed upon Siegfried's pained face, understanding that he wished to quell his guilt through anger, she began to feel an immense sadness for this hapless soul who had been caught up in a string of events leading to his awful fate.
Feeling his anger fade at the beautiful paladin's words, Siegfried shook his head slightly, sadly, "S-saved the village.. I'm.. very honored that you would award such a lofty praise to one such as I."
Sophitia shook her head, "No, what you did today was truly valiant, in spite of the havoc Soul Edge caused in the aftermath. Anyone would have fallen victim to the blade if given the chance to grasp the hilt.. I dare not think what atrocities I may have committed, had I picked up the evil creature that day we met. ."
"None. You would have tossed it down the deepest ravine, or destroyed it using Soul Calibur, or bound it forever in a shrine to your gods." Siegfried countered her firmly, feeling in his heart that she would have handled the burden better than he had.
Sophitia looked up from her seat on a fallen log, carefully surveying Siegfried's expression. He seemed sincere, and genuine.. [This young man truly feels that all this pain and suffering is his own doing.. it must be the dark influence of Soul Edge. That evil thing MUST be removed from Siegfried as soon as possible.. ] and then she recalled an ancient legend she had heard, some time ago, after returning from her first bout with Soul Edge. There was an old shrine, hidden deep in the mountains near Delphi, a place that the mythical Oracle was said to have visited long, long ago. The shrine was imbued with the power of the gods, a place so sacred and so holy that only the most pious and righteous were able to locate it. Perhaps there, the sword could be removed.. if they could reach such a place. Perhaps the gods would understand their plea, and guide them to this most holy of shrines. It was a faint hope, but at least it was a goal..
Just as she was about to voice this to Siegfriend, he spoke up suddenly, "Where did you get that sword?" nodding his head towards the sword Sophitia had now laid beside her, propped against her log seat.
"This..?" Sophitia grasped the hilt of the sword, lifting it upright in front of her, "This was a gift from my.. from my fiancé" [That's not exactly true...] she thought to herself, [but I can't reveal Rothion's secret so easily]. She ran her fingers along the blade, clearing a bit of condensation that had gathered on the edge, and laid it down horizontally across her lap.
Siegfried felt a strangely cold feeling wash over his body, "F- Fiance? You're going to be married?" He asked, trying to keep his voice level, [What the hell is wrong with me, so she's getting married, we only just met... well.. maybe we DID meet four years ago, but we barely know each other, and I'm acting like a fool] he cursed himself, wondering in surprise why her silly admission bothered him in the least.
"Well, um," Sophitia began, [How do I answer this honestly..], "one is typically assumed to marry one's fiancé eventually, right?" She smiled. [That was honest enough, a little misleading, though..] she thought to herself guiltily.
"I.. I see. I'm very happy for you." Siegfried said, smiling, and he did genuinely feel happy that people could still find love in this world, but, somehow, deep within, he felt very depressed as well.. [all these years, and the only one who's ever helped me is her.. and she belongs to another]. Laughing sarcastically to himself, he continued his internal monologue, [as if it even matters! I would never deserve one such as Sophitia, she's perfect, and I'm ... well, I'm a monster. And a murderer. I'm glad she'll be safe in the arms of another, FAR AWAY from me]. The more he pondered, the better he felt that Sophitia would be able to live a happy life, without him there to drag her down. [I don't deserve happiness, anyway, it's much better this way] he resolved to himself, feeling his spirit strengthen with his new perspective in mind, [all I can do is protect her from myself, and from any other of those damned demons that we meet with.. until I can drag this cursed Soul Edge to the pits of hell with me].
"Siegfried, is something wrong?" Sophitia asked with worry, noticing his expression change from melancholy to something that more closely resembled pain. [He must be thinking about the villagers again..] She stood up, walking over to where Siegfried was seated on his stump.
As Sophitia stood, her traveling skirt caught slightly on a small stub of a branch that was sticking from the log she had previously sat upon, causing the skirt to be pulled back enough to reveal a portion of her smooth thigh. Siegfried, upon seeing this, immediately averted his gaze, embarrassed to have caught a glimpse of the sight.
Sophitia smoothed her skirt easily, sitting down on her knees parallel to Siegfried and misinterpreting the motive behind his guilty look, "So how did you know to come to protect this village?" [If I can get his mind on the good he did, and remove it from the bad.. maybe that will help somewhat.. he seems so torn].
"I-I.." Siegfried started, shifting his mind to the new topic, and thanking Sophitia silently for the change in discussion, "I don't know. I just.. I knew he was there."
"You knew?" Sophitia responded, tilting her head upwards to shoot Siegfried a questioning look from her lower position.
"Soul Edge knew, and it told me.. I think." Siegfried said, feeling frustrated that his only means of detecting the foul beast was yet another foul beast, and that Soul Edge got what it wanted in the end..
"Good thing it didn't get what it wanted then, right?" Sophitia said lightly, folding her hands in her lap and staring out onto the nearby stream.
"It.. didn't?" As he thought to himself, Siegfried realized that this was probably true.. [Soul Edge wanted to slaughter the entire village but it failed, and it wanted to kill Sophitia.. but it failed.. the only thing it succeeded in doing was controlling me.. and that's not what it REALLY wanted.. that's just a path to its real goals..] "I guess you're right." And he immediately began to feel better again.
[He really does have a good heart, in there..] Sophitia thought to herself happily, [This is someone that is definitely worth saving... and someone who definitely NEEDS saving] and thoughts of the shrine returned to her mind,
"Siegfried.. I .. um, I may know of a place where you can rid yourself of Soul Edge.. for good."
"Wh-what?" Siegfried looked over at Sophitia sharply.
"Yes.. I heard of it several years ago.. a shrine near Delphi. I think that... maybe there, where the power of the gods is focused, Soul Edge could be weakened, maybe even removed."
Siegfried chuckled slightly, thinking to himself, [A shrine to her gods.. gods I don't even believe in, why would they help me? But any hope is better than none.. I can't go on like this forever].
"What is so amusing?" Sophitia asked curiously, watching Siegfried chuckle for an unknown reason.
"N-nothing," he said nervously, not wanting to offend the paladin's beliefs, "I'd like to go to that shrine.. any hope is better than none." [And perhaps along the way, someone will come with Soul Calibur and destroy me once and for all..] "Just tell me how to get there and I'll be on my way."
"I'll show you how to get there," Sophitia said supportively.
"No." Siegfried stated firmly, [She'll be in danger if she's around me like this, especially with her guard down], "No, I'm going alone."
Sophitia looked up at him, not moving from her position on the ground. "You cannot get to the shrine alone, only believers of the Greek pantheon can find it."
[Damn, I can't let her come... I have to show her how dangerous it is] Siegfried thought to himself, shifting Soul Edge slightly to a clear position. Whirling the blade around with all his might, Siegfried swung Soul Edge towards Sophitia's neck, planning to stop a small distance before the blade would touch her, thus proving his point that she was too off- guard.
Sophitia, having noticed the slight shifting of Siegfried's weapon, reflexively reached to the handle of her sword, pulling it out smoothly. Soul Edge crashed against the surface of Sophitia's weapon loudly, stopping short a few feet from Sophitia's neck, as the lady warrior held her weapon firm against the demonic blade.
"I'm coming." Sophitia said with conviction.
The two held their blades together for a long moment, staring into each others' eyes challengingly. "Fine," Siegfried stated. "Fine, you can come. But if you get too comfortable, you may end up dead."
"I don't need your permission. I am coming whether it is fine with you or not." Sophitia said, pulling her blade away from Soul Edge and re- sheathing it skillfully. "You need help, Siegfried, and I am NOT going to wait somewhere while you let yourself be consumed and destroyed by that sword."
"I'll not LET myself be-" Siegfried began in anger, then, realizing the nature of her words, [She's coming for ME.. not to protect the people I might kill, or to destroy Soul Edge.. she said she wants to help ME..], he took a deep breath, calming his inner fire. "Sophitia, thank you. I apologize, I'm.. I'm not good at this."
Sophitia let her expression soften, settling down comfortably in the grass, watching Siegfried stumble and bumble around his own words and feelings. "Not good at what?"
"At.. people. Talking, spending time with people."
"I'm not people. I'm just a girl." Sophitia smiled slightly, trying to make Siegfried feel more comfortable.
"A woman." Siegfried corrected, glancing at Sophitia's well-developed form, then averting his eyes quickly so as not to stare.
"A woman.. thank you for the observation, sir." Smiling inwardly at Siegfried's silly comment, [At least he seems to be feeling better.. despite that monstrosity on his arm], Sophitia began to feel very weary, the travel of the past days finally beginning to take its toll. Stifling a yawn with the back of her hand, "Siegfried, I'm getting tired.. I'm going to try to sleep. Will you.. will you be fine?"
"I've spent many nights with this abomination on my arm, another will be no different," he said dully, preparing for the usual fitful slumber that was the only rest he managed to procure in his travels with Soul Edge.
"But this night, a friend is nearby. Remember that, young man." Sophitia said reassuringly, stepping away to find a nice patch of ground to lie upon, regretting the fact that her camping gear was back with her horse Atheas in the village they had.. visited.. earlier in the day. Finally gathering up enough leaves for a proper pillow, Sophitia laid her head down and rested upon the grassy forest floor, but remained awake for several hours to make sure Soul Edge did not regain the upper hand during her rest.
Siegfried simply sat with his back to a tree nearby, still dressed in full armor, not even bothering to make himself comfortable. [I can't feel anything except pain and restlessness while I sleep anyway, regardless of how soft the ground I lay upon is..] he thought wryly, letting Soul Edge lie upon the wet grass nearby, its tip dragging in the mountain stream. Taking one last glance at the beautiful, resting form of Sophitia, lying on her side with one leg bent slightly at the knee, he shut his eyes with a sigh and resolved to at least try to get some rest this night, for tomorrow would be the start of a long journey, one in which his awareness and control over Soul Edge was paramount, even in the depths of the wilderness.
...
Late that night, just as Sophitia had finally closed her eyes, a terrible scream ripped forth from Siegfried's resting form...
End Chapter 4
email me with questions and comments: kelaros@mail.com
Siegfried let his gaze drift over the woman kneeling before him, who had just helped him beat back the horrible desires of the corrupt Soul Edge. As his eyes passed to the woman's face, recognition dawned..
"You're.. I know you!" He exclaimed, memories of his past flooding back to him, of the only person who ever tried to help him. "S-Soph-i-tia, right?" He said, awkwardly pronouncing the Greek name on his German tongue. It was her, from those years ago, when he had almost freed himself from the terrible weapon.. even back then, she was the only one who could help him. Just like now.. but.. as he moved to rise to his feet, his awareness fell to the arm still corrupted by Soul Edge, and he could feel the hatred and power of the beast even now, after it's retreat from the battle.
"G-go away!" Siegfried shouted, suddenly terribly afraid of the demon that still resided somewhere within his body, "P-please, leave now!!"
...
Sophitia backed up a half-step as the German boy.. the young man, began to shout at her to leave. [But he remembers me, that's good, that means he must still be intact even after all those years connected to that .. that THING] she thought viciously, glancing at the sword still held in Siegfried's hand.
"No, I will not leave." She held her sword firmly at her side, prepared to react in case of danger, but refused to show any weakness by reaching back to her shield.
"Wh-what!?" Siegfried replied in surprise, [No! She has to go, or I'll ..] "Go, or I'll kill you too!!" He hollered in desperation, feeling Soul Edge's power so close in his hand.
"You may try, if you wish." Sophitia retained her composure, standing straight, resisting the urge to step into a combat stance so as to not provoke Soul Edge from re-taking Siegfried so soon after its defeat. "But I'd like to talk.. if you do not mind."
Siegfried's thoughts broke through his panicked interior, [Talk.. that would be nice.. it's been a long time since I've talked with anyone]. As his breathing slowed and his panic began to calm, Soul Edge's power seemed to once again recede into its new hiding place, no longer able to feed on his fear and excitement.
"Talking.. I'll talk." Siegfried said levelly, not really sure what he'd be able to talk about.. [I don't remember what to do.. what should I say..? Oh..] "Th-thank you," he offered lamely, suddenly feeling rather guilty for threatening to kill the woman just seconds earlier.
"That's better." Sophitia smiled, relaxing slightly. Glancing up to the sky, which was now darkening into evening, "I shall make a fire, then we can rest and talk. Are you hungry?" She asked, trying to bring some normalcy into the situation, hopefully staving off Soul Edge even further.
[Am I hungry?] Siegfried pondered the question silently, and as the thoughts of the villagers returned to him,
"No," He said bluntly, then, suddenly realizing that he'd once again been rude, "Th-thank you." And he glanced around and behind him, looking for someplace to take a seat, suddenly feeling quite cold and rather tired. Locating a stump nearby, he rolled it over near to where Sophitia had cleared out a small patch of dirt to start a fire, seating himself upon it heavily.
"You should have something." Sophitia said gently, striking up a small flame with some flint and steel from a pouch of hers. Pulling out a loaf of bread that was now a few days old but still the freshest in her possession, she held it out to Siegfried, "Have this, it will help you."
Siegfried took the bread reluctantly, and, remembering the mystical feeling he experienced earlier while her hand rested on his shoulder, "Is it.. magic?"
Sophitia smiled, chuckling lightly, "It's bread."
"It's not magic?" Siegfried asked, just to make sure.
"No.. it's just bread. It's a few days old, but it's the best I have."
"Bread.." Siegfried said idly, nibbling on the end of the loaf. The memories of the morning seemed to fade away into a blur as he bit into this gift that the blond woman had given him, beginning to chew on the tough but satisfying exterior. [This is...] "Delicious!" He exclaimed, diving into the food, tearing great pieces off with his teeth.
[At least he likes it] Sophitia thought to herself, smiling inwardly as the young man devoured the bread that many would consider too stale to stomach. Pulling some hard jerky from another small pouch, Sophitia began to munch on her own parcel of food, starting to feel a bit hungry while watching Siegfried eat. Together they fed their hunger in silence for a few long moments, Sophitia pondering what she should ask about the young man, and Siegfried simply enjoying the taste of natural food for the first time in a very long while.
Sophitia wondered what could be said to someone who had been forced to slaughter hundreds of people in horrible ways, just today brutally murdering a number of weak village folk in a matter of seconds. Traveling the world year upon year, bearing the burden of a horrible demonic presence invading one's entire being, with whatever insatiable bloodlust might come along with it.. the terror and fear whenever the beast surfaces, the horror at watching one's own body fall to deformation and disfiguration, claws and veins tearing loose from what was once human flesh...
"Um, h-how's the bread?" She asked, unable to think of anything else that would be even remotely appropriate.
"It's great!!" Siegfried said cheerfully, feeling younger than he had in ages. [How old am I.. ?] He wondered idly, not being able to remember the last time he had a birthday, or who he had killed on that day.. sighing, he began to feel the joy of relative freedom wear away to the burden of all of the things he had done. "I .. don't know where to even begin to apologize," he began.
"Right here, Siegfried. Right now." Sophitia said reassuringly, [The best I can do is to support him, at least he's holding Soul Edge back for now.. and I have no idea what else to say to him] "I am an agent of Hephaestus.. if you wish to confess, I shall hear your words."
"Those.. those damned villagers!" Siegfried started, "I was .. I was under control until.. that.." he felt himself begin to grow angry, thinking of those ungrateful village folk tossing rocks at him and yelling for him to leave. Clenching a fist, he gritted his teeth as he felt Soul Edge's energy begin to pulsate ever so slightly. "Why did they have to.. if they had just let me BE!"
"But you came to save them, and save them you did. You may have.. harmed.. some of them, but," it pained Sophitia to think of things in these terms, for her code of moral conduct could hardly allow this, but it made sense, and if it would help Siegfried to feel at peace.. "if you had not arrived, many more would have been slain. Instead of killing three.. you've saved a village.. except for three." She choked out the last bit, replaying the image of Nightmare's scything blade sweeping through the poor folk that had stood in his way. As she gazed upon Siegfried's pained face, understanding that he wished to quell his guilt through anger, she began to feel an immense sadness for this hapless soul who had been caught up in a string of events leading to his awful fate.
Feeling his anger fade at the beautiful paladin's words, Siegfried shook his head slightly, sadly, "S-saved the village.. I'm.. very honored that you would award such a lofty praise to one such as I."
Sophitia shook her head, "No, what you did today was truly valiant, in spite of the havoc Soul Edge caused in the aftermath. Anyone would have fallen victim to the blade if given the chance to grasp the hilt.. I dare not think what atrocities I may have committed, had I picked up the evil creature that day we met. ."
"None. You would have tossed it down the deepest ravine, or destroyed it using Soul Calibur, or bound it forever in a shrine to your gods." Siegfried countered her firmly, feeling in his heart that she would have handled the burden better than he had.
Sophitia looked up from her seat on a fallen log, carefully surveying Siegfried's expression. He seemed sincere, and genuine.. [This young man truly feels that all this pain and suffering is his own doing.. it must be the dark influence of Soul Edge. That evil thing MUST be removed from Siegfried as soon as possible.. ] and then she recalled an ancient legend she had heard, some time ago, after returning from her first bout with Soul Edge. There was an old shrine, hidden deep in the mountains near Delphi, a place that the mythical Oracle was said to have visited long, long ago. The shrine was imbued with the power of the gods, a place so sacred and so holy that only the most pious and righteous were able to locate it. Perhaps there, the sword could be removed.. if they could reach such a place. Perhaps the gods would understand their plea, and guide them to this most holy of shrines. It was a faint hope, but at least it was a goal..
Just as she was about to voice this to Siegfriend, he spoke up suddenly, "Where did you get that sword?" nodding his head towards the sword Sophitia had now laid beside her, propped against her log seat.
"This..?" Sophitia grasped the hilt of the sword, lifting it upright in front of her, "This was a gift from my.. from my fiancé" [That's not exactly true...] she thought to herself, [but I can't reveal Rothion's secret so easily]. She ran her fingers along the blade, clearing a bit of condensation that had gathered on the edge, and laid it down horizontally across her lap.
Siegfried felt a strangely cold feeling wash over his body, "F- Fiance? You're going to be married?" He asked, trying to keep his voice level, [What the hell is wrong with me, so she's getting married, we only just met... well.. maybe we DID meet four years ago, but we barely know each other, and I'm acting like a fool] he cursed himself, wondering in surprise why her silly admission bothered him in the least.
"Well, um," Sophitia began, [How do I answer this honestly..], "one is typically assumed to marry one's fiancé eventually, right?" She smiled. [That was honest enough, a little misleading, though..] she thought to herself guiltily.
"I.. I see. I'm very happy for you." Siegfried said, smiling, and he did genuinely feel happy that people could still find love in this world, but, somehow, deep within, he felt very depressed as well.. [all these years, and the only one who's ever helped me is her.. and she belongs to another]. Laughing sarcastically to himself, he continued his internal monologue, [as if it even matters! I would never deserve one such as Sophitia, she's perfect, and I'm ... well, I'm a monster. And a murderer. I'm glad she'll be safe in the arms of another, FAR AWAY from me]. The more he pondered, the better he felt that Sophitia would be able to live a happy life, without him there to drag her down. [I don't deserve happiness, anyway, it's much better this way] he resolved to himself, feeling his spirit strengthen with his new perspective in mind, [all I can do is protect her from myself, and from any other of those damned demons that we meet with.. until I can drag this cursed Soul Edge to the pits of hell with me].
"Siegfried, is something wrong?" Sophitia asked with worry, noticing his expression change from melancholy to something that more closely resembled pain. [He must be thinking about the villagers again..] She stood up, walking over to where Siegfried was seated on his stump.
As Sophitia stood, her traveling skirt caught slightly on a small stub of a branch that was sticking from the log she had previously sat upon, causing the skirt to be pulled back enough to reveal a portion of her smooth thigh. Siegfried, upon seeing this, immediately averted his gaze, embarrassed to have caught a glimpse of the sight.
Sophitia smoothed her skirt easily, sitting down on her knees parallel to Siegfried and misinterpreting the motive behind his guilty look, "So how did you know to come to protect this village?" [If I can get his mind on the good he did, and remove it from the bad.. maybe that will help somewhat.. he seems so torn].
"I-I.." Siegfried started, shifting his mind to the new topic, and thanking Sophitia silently for the change in discussion, "I don't know. I just.. I knew he was there."
"You knew?" Sophitia responded, tilting her head upwards to shoot Siegfried a questioning look from her lower position.
"Soul Edge knew, and it told me.. I think." Siegfried said, feeling frustrated that his only means of detecting the foul beast was yet another foul beast, and that Soul Edge got what it wanted in the end..
"Good thing it didn't get what it wanted then, right?" Sophitia said lightly, folding her hands in her lap and staring out onto the nearby stream.
"It.. didn't?" As he thought to himself, Siegfried realized that this was probably true.. [Soul Edge wanted to slaughter the entire village but it failed, and it wanted to kill Sophitia.. but it failed.. the only thing it succeeded in doing was controlling me.. and that's not what it REALLY wanted.. that's just a path to its real goals..] "I guess you're right." And he immediately began to feel better again.
[He really does have a good heart, in there..] Sophitia thought to herself happily, [This is someone that is definitely worth saving... and someone who definitely NEEDS saving] and thoughts of the shrine returned to her mind,
"Siegfried.. I .. um, I may know of a place where you can rid yourself of Soul Edge.. for good."
"Wh-what?" Siegfried looked over at Sophitia sharply.
"Yes.. I heard of it several years ago.. a shrine near Delphi. I think that... maybe there, where the power of the gods is focused, Soul Edge could be weakened, maybe even removed."
Siegfried chuckled slightly, thinking to himself, [A shrine to her gods.. gods I don't even believe in, why would they help me? But any hope is better than none.. I can't go on like this forever].
"What is so amusing?" Sophitia asked curiously, watching Siegfried chuckle for an unknown reason.
"N-nothing," he said nervously, not wanting to offend the paladin's beliefs, "I'd like to go to that shrine.. any hope is better than none." [And perhaps along the way, someone will come with Soul Calibur and destroy me once and for all..] "Just tell me how to get there and I'll be on my way."
"I'll show you how to get there," Sophitia said supportively.
"No." Siegfried stated firmly, [She'll be in danger if she's around me like this, especially with her guard down], "No, I'm going alone."
Sophitia looked up at him, not moving from her position on the ground. "You cannot get to the shrine alone, only believers of the Greek pantheon can find it."
[Damn, I can't let her come... I have to show her how dangerous it is] Siegfried thought to himself, shifting Soul Edge slightly to a clear position. Whirling the blade around with all his might, Siegfried swung Soul Edge towards Sophitia's neck, planning to stop a small distance before the blade would touch her, thus proving his point that she was too off- guard.
Sophitia, having noticed the slight shifting of Siegfried's weapon, reflexively reached to the handle of her sword, pulling it out smoothly. Soul Edge crashed against the surface of Sophitia's weapon loudly, stopping short a few feet from Sophitia's neck, as the lady warrior held her weapon firm against the demonic blade.
"I'm coming." Sophitia said with conviction.
The two held their blades together for a long moment, staring into each others' eyes challengingly. "Fine," Siegfried stated. "Fine, you can come. But if you get too comfortable, you may end up dead."
"I don't need your permission. I am coming whether it is fine with you or not." Sophitia said, pulling her blade away from Soul Edge and re- sheathing it skillfully. "You need help, Siegfried, and I am NOT going to wait somewhere while you let yourself be consumed and destroyed by that sword."
"I'll not LET myself be-" Siegfried began in anger, then, realizing the nature of her words, [She's coming for ME.. not to protect the people I might kill, or to destroy Soul Edge.. she said she wants to help ME..], he took a deep breath, calming his inner fire. "Sophitia, thank you. I apologize, I'm.. I'm not good at this."
Sophitia let her expression soften, settling down comfortably in the grass, watching Siegfried stumble and bumble around his own words and feelings. "Not good at what?"
"At.. people. Talking, spending time with people."
"I'm not people. I'm just a girl." Sophitia smiled slightly, trying to make Siegfried feel more comfortable.
"A woman." Siegfried corrected, glancing at Sophitia's well-developed form, then averting his eyes quickly so as not to stare.
"A woman.. thank you for the observation, sir." Smiling inwardly at Siegfried's silly comment, [At least he seems to be feeling better.. despite that monstrosity on his arm], Sophitia began to feel very weary, the travel of the past days finally beginning to take its toll. Stifling a yawn with the back of her hand, "Siegfried, I'm getting tired.. I'm going to try to sleep. Will you.. will you be fine?"
"I've spent many nights with this abomination on my arm, another will be no different," he said dully, preparing for the usual fitful slumber that was the only rest he managed to procure in his travels with Soul Edge.
"But this night, a friend is nearby. Remember that, young man." Sophitia said reassuringly, stepping away to find a nice patch of ground to lie upon, regretting the fact that her camping gear was back with her horse Atheas in the village they had.. visited.. earlier in the day. Finally gathering up enough leaves for a proper pillow, Sophitia laid her head down and rested upon the grassy forest floor, but remained awake for several hours to make sure Soul Edge did not regain the upper hand during her rest.
Siegfried simply sat with his back to a tree nearby, still dressed in full armor, not even bothering to make himself comfortable. [I can't feel anything except pain and restlessness while I sleep anyway, regardless of how soft the ground I lay upon is..] he thought wryly, letting Soul Edge lie upon the wet grass nearby, its tip dragging in the mountain stream. Taking one last glance at the beautiful, resting form of Sophitia, lying on her side with one leg bent slightly at the knee, he shut his eyes with a sigh and resolved to at least try to get some rest this night, for tomorrow would be the start of a long journey, one in which his awareness and control over Soul Edge was paramount, even in the depths of the wilderness.
...
Late that night, just as Sophitia had finally closed her eyes, a terrible scream ripped forth from Siegfried's resting form...
End Chapter 4
email me with questions and comments: kelaros@mail.com