Note: [] denotes thoughts
Waking up early to the cool morning air, Sophitia climbed to her feet and stretched gracefully, yawning with a hand over her mouth. Droplets of sparkling dew adorned the leaves and ferns that grew up alongside the clear stream nearby, occasionally falling to the earth in splashes of prismatic light. Siegfried was still asleep, [At least he seems to be getting a good rest..] Sophitia thought to herself, smiling inwardly as she adjusted her clothes and casually made her way around their rudimentary campsite, cleaning up and hiding all signs of habitation.
Shortly after she brushed the last bit of ash from the fire into the muddy ground near the stream, Sophitia heard a slight groan escape the mouth of Siegfried as he seemed to slowly wake up, twisting uncomfortably and pushing himself to his feet.
Glancing over to where Sophitia stood near the stream watching him, Siegfried tried confusedly to remember where he was and what the hell he was doing here as the remaining cobwebs of sleep continued to addle his mind. [It's been so long since I've really slept, without the cursed sword controlling my dreams.. ] and then, as Sophitia smiled at him, offering a short "Good morning" before bending to cup her hands in the stream and sip some water, the events and memories of the previous day finally returned to him.
"Good.. uh, morning," Siegfried said awkwardly, unused to greeting any living being aside from the Soul Edge in the morning due to his years of traveling in the wilderness. Moving to the stream to wash his face and hands and gulp some of the pure water, Siegfried enjoyed the cool feeling of wetness trickle down his face as he splashed the stream's contents over his head.
"You look like a drowned rabbit." Sophitia giggled unbecomingly as she turned to see Siegfried's wet hair hanging down around his face.
"I.. what?" Siegfried said in surprise, turning to face Sophitia, who had covered her mouth with her hand to avoid seeming crass as she laughed. Thrusting his hands into the stream, Siegfried entwined his fingers under the water and pulled up a pocket of liquid in his palms, tossing it over Sophitia's head.
Sophitia cringed as the cold water splashed over her, "Wh-what are you.."
"You look like a drowned rat!" Siegfried said in mild annoyance, wondering what possessed the woman to insult him like that.
"I do not!" Sophitia protested, bending over to look at her reflection in the flowing stream. Her now-wet hair hung down around her cheeks, as she reached back to push her ponytail over her shoulder. "I think I look more like a.. badger."
Silence ensued for just a moment before the two burst into laughter almost simultaneously, letting the tension from the previous days pour out of their systems for several long seconds in humorous bliss. As Siegfried's laughter began to die down, "A badger isn't right either.. in truth, you look like a..." and he paused, the word 'goddess' on his lips, [I can't say that, she'll think I'm some kind of.. cheap city swindler..] letting the phrase die out on his tongue.
"A... what?" Sophitia rose to her feet, looking at Siegfried with interest.
"A .. woman." Siegfried said, cursing himself for his pathetic people skills.
"That's not what you were going to say," Sophitia observed curiously, "What were you going to say?" As her pleasant voice reached Siegfried's ears, he realized how much it pleased him to hear her talk, [Why would I want to hear someone's voice? I must be going daft.. this damned sword is getting to me again..].
"Something." Siegfried said, unable to think up a tactful excuse, resorting to the pure and simple, but very vague truth.
"You.. don't remember?" Sophitia inquired, recalling several instances in her life when she began to have a conversation but ended up forgetting her original point halfway through the discussion.
"I remember." Siegfried stated evenly, not giving an inch.
"But you don't want to tell me?" Sophitia asked suspiciously, wondering what it could have been that he was going to say. [Was it really that bad? I wonder if I have something on my face...]
"I want to, but I'm not going to." Siegfried responded, wondering curiously why Sophitia was now touching her cheeks and forehead and glancing worriedly at her reflection in the stream.
"I wish you would," Sophitia pushed, now more curious than ever about what Siegfried almost said a moment ago. The two of them began the trek back towards the village, Sophitia to re-acquire her horse and Siegfried simply following the blond woman blindly.
Suddenly realizing that perhaps Sophitia thought he was going to insult her, Siegfried quickly pointed out, "It wasn't an insult," just to clear up any possible misunderstandings.
[I guess I don't have anything on my face, then..] Sophitia thought with relief, though wondering why she even cared what she looked like in front of this man – she had never felt her appearance was important while spending time with anyone else in her life. For some reason, although she knew that she should just leave Siegfried be and stop pushing, Sophitia couldn't resist finding out more about what he was thinking.
"Well, um.. whenever you decide to tell me, then.. tell me." [Well that sounded stupid, I can't believe I said something so dumb.. I'm such a stupid peasant] Sophitia thought to herself with a sigh.
"I'll do that, I promise." Siegfried said with a chuckle, for some reason pleased that he had managed to knock the woman off-balance with his banter.
"Thank you very much, sir." Sophitia said wryly, feeling as though she'd somehow lost this match, even though Siegfried's only strategy was pure stubbornness.
As they neared the village, Sophitia mentioned that she should probably go in to retrieve her horse alone, since the villagers would recognize the still-obvious form of Soul Edge hanging from Siegfried's hand. Agreeing with her wholeheartedly, Siegfried rested himself next to a tree trunk to wait for Sophitia's return, as she unassumingly slipped into the town and untied her horse from where she left it the previous day. It seemed that most of the village was still in shock, and Sophitia offered some prayers for the dead and wounded, stopping by the large memorial service that was underway for those that had fallen to the demon's axe. After paying her respects, Sophitia left the village and made her way back to Siegfried, feeling saddened that there was nothing more she could do to help the villagers.
Strangely, Atheas did not rear or show the least bit of fear as Sophitia held his reigns and led him to the tree Siegfried had chosen to lean against while waiting. Instead, Atheas lowered his head to sniff along Siegfried's chest, head, and arms, and the armored warrior stood awkwardly still, unsure of how to react to the animal's probing. As if to say that he trusted whom his master trusted, Atheas backed away from Siegfried after checking his scent, turning to other, more interesting things, such as the long tuft of grass near the edge of the road that looked so very appetizing.
Siegfried, noticing Sophitia's somber mood, said nothing, simply moving up to walk alongside her as she led Atheas down the road east, in the general direction of Delphi. They spent the greater portion of the day in silence, Sophitia not once mounting Atheas despite the rocks and ruts that littered the road they tread upon; since Siegfried was forced to walk, it was only fair that she walked as well.
Finally, as the sun descended below the far mountains and the orange evening sky shone overhead, the pair found a suitable camp ground, Sophitia watering Atheas at a nearby pond while Siegfried tried, rather unsuccessfully, to prepare some sort of fire for cooking.
"Here, like this.." Sophitia knelt next to Siegfried after taking care of Atheas, organizing the sticks and branches of the fire pit into a structure that resembled a tiny log cabin, stuffing the base with kindling and pieces of bark. Siegfried watched attentively, barely remembering how to survive in the wilderness alone after spending so many years lacking control of the majority of his body. After sparking her flint and steel several times, Sophitia managed to start a small flame, blowing on it softly to form a good-sized blaze. "There." She said proudly, stepping back to admire the cheery campfire.
Siegfried looked up from his kneeling position, watching Sophitia's triumphant, beautiful face reflected in the firelight. [I could sit here forever, watching her..] he thought to himself idly, losing himself in her chiseled features, forgetting to feel embarrassed that she might notice him staring. Luckily for him she did not notice, instead digging some bread and cheese from Atheas's saddlebags. Offering Siegfried a good-sized hunk of tasty cheese made from the milk of her families' cows, Sophitia sat herself gracefully by the fire, warmed by the orange blaze.
As Siegfried accepted the food from Sophitia's hand, he broke his gaze away quickly, cursing himself, [What the hell am I thinking, I have no right to look at her like that]. As he sat by the fire, memories returned to Siegfried, of a darker time.. a time when he was controlled by the sword, when the only thing he could remember was the face of a woman.. [A woman who has a fiancé waiting at home] he reminded himself once again, forcing an unwanted feeling of pain that existed in the bottom of his heart to the back of his mind, instead focusing on the fact that she would have a good and happy life once she was rid of him.
[I wonder what he is thinking about?] Sophitia asked herself, watching a distant look play on Siegfried's hard features.
"What are you thinking about?" She voiced her internal question without realizing it, shutting her mouth quickly afterwards.
Broken from his reverie, Siegfried looked up into the dancing flames of the campfire. "Nothing." He said gruffly, adjusting his armor which had begun to chafe against his left shoulder.
"Oh.." Sophitia said in disappointment, tearing some bread with her teeth and chewing vigorously. Together they sat by the fire and took supper, neither feeling comfortable enough to start any sort of conversation, and, finally, as the fire died down, they settled in to sleep under the sparkling stars of the night-time sky.
...
Sophitia sat up suddenly, throwing aside the light cloak that she had overtop herself as a bedcover. Peering around intently and scarcely daring to breathe, she concentrated on the awful feeling of apprehension that had suddenly constricted her chest. Only twice had this feeling consumed her during her lifetime; once before her first journey to find the Soul Blade, and again when the azure-armored Nightmare appeared to her in a vision. Despite her fears, Siegfried appeared to be resting normally, sitting between two large roots with his back against a nearby tree. [What, then, could be causing this feeling?]
As she sat upright scanning the darkness at the edges of their campsite, a strange, ethereal vision began to form in her mind. Someplace.. where was it.. a small house.. to the southeast.. not far.. on the road.. something.. large, deadly.. something else.. hidden.. waiting.. seeking.. they're seeking something.. it's a trap.. they're.. seeking.. [Soul Edge! It's a trap!] Sophitia shot to her feet, grabbing her sword and shield from a rock near her bedspread. Taking a look at Siegfried's sleeping form, [I have to head them off, have to stop them before they can get to him.. if he fights again, Soul Edge will wake up, and .. and Siegfried will.. I can't let that happen!!] Sophitia swiftly, quietly padded past Siegfried's slumped body, taking careful steps so as not to crack any sticks with her calf-tied sandals or cause undue noise that might wake the restless knight.
Trotting down the road near the tree line, Sophitia kept her eyes open wide to allow maximum vision in the darkness of the night. Luckily, the moon shone strong overhead along with thousands of clear stars, providing a small amount of pale light that illuminated the path before her. As she traversed the dirt and rock path, a small farm cottage came into view around a sharp corner. The humble cottage consisted of thick logs stacked up on a stone block foundation which was caulked with horsehair, the entire conglomerate appearing cramped but cozy and comfortable nonetheless.
Sophitia cautiously approached the little house, using candle-light from one of the square-shaped windows to guide her steps. [They're close, I can feel it.. it was right here..] she recalled the vision she had just moments earlier, matching the cottage to the small house in her mind. A flicker, a squeal, and suddenly the light from inside the cottage was snuffed out like a thundercloud passing overhead on a summer day.
"Who goes there?! Show yourself!!" Sophitia called out boldly, adrenaline rushing to her veins. A hulking form passed across the window inside the house, blocking the moonlight momentarily, and was gone. [What if someone is inside?!] Sophitia thought frantically, suddenly becoming keenly aware of the potential danger to the cottage's inhabitants. Dashing forward with all attempts of stealth abandoned, Sophitia made for the door on the other side of the cottage, prepared to jump into battle at the drop of a coin. She could feel the evil behind that door, the hatred emanating from inside.. it felt just like the demon from the village the day before, almost like .. almost like Soul Edge itself, in its pure and most hideous form.
Just as Sophitia reached for the handle, the door of the cottage burst open from the inside out, slamming into her wrist painfully and knocking her back several steps. A huge, beastly yet armored figure loomed in the doorway, stepping out of the cottage with a low growl. Hiding the face and skin of the beast, the pale yellow armor of the hulking monstrosity shimmered slightly in the moonlight, complementing the huge, wicked axe clutched in the demon's fists. Beyond the creature, Sophitia could faintly make out the forms of two small girls huddled in the corner of the tiny house. They were shivering and looked scared to death, but at least they were still alive. [Thank the gods.. I got here in time] Sophitia thought to herself, not bothering to ponder whether or not it would actually matter in the end.
"Ahhh.. It is you!" A strange, hideously broken voice echoed from beyond the faceplate of the armored creature's helmet. "I will kill you, and the boy will come. He will soon succumb to my master, as all eventually do!!"
"He will never, not even if I die!" Sophitia shouted challengingly, [its master? Does it mean Soul Edge? What else could it be?]
"And die you shall." The voice behind the helm echoed once more, as the creature hauled its axe around, preparing to strike.
Shifting her shield further back on her arm to alleviate the pain in her wrist, Sophitia took a few steps back, preparing to defend against the armored hulk's initial strike. Faster than Sophitia had anticipated, the massive beast yanked his axe into the air, preparing to instantly cleave the woman in twain. Fortunately for Sophitia, the axe slammed into the roof of the house, lodging briefly in a large, knobby log. Taking the opportunity to evade, Sophitia dashed to the side as the armored creature pulled free the axe and continued its downward swing. The huge weapon crashed into the ground, causing a large stone beneath it to explode into thousands of pieces. Hauling its weapon up from its place among the broken stones, the beast whipped the axe wildly to the side, forcing Sophitia to dive to the ground to avoid losing her upper body. The axe bit into the side of the cottage, embedding deep in the wood and causing the entire house to shake precariously.
Sophitia stepped forward up off the ground, lunging forward to drive her blade into the hip of the armored beast while it tugged upon the haft of its axe. Black blood spilled from the wound as Sophitia pulled free her sword and raised her shield desperately, barely managing to block the metal- clad butt of the beast's axe. Leaping into the air as the armored berserker wrenched free its axe and hacked at her legs, Sophitia lashed upwards with a kick, slamming her foot into the demon's face and flipping head over heels to land gracefully and securely on the ground several meters away. [At least I've still got that much in me.. ] Sophitia allowed herself a small measure of pride regarding the amount of skill she had retained despite spending the last three years of her life at her home without a day of practice.
Shaking its head briefly to recover from the hard kick to its jaw, the armored beast lowered its stance, rushing forward in an attempt to completely overpower the smaller woman. Sophitia danced dexterously to the left as the beast rushed past, counterattacking with two hard horizontal slashes that scraped across the berserker's golden plate armor with loud clanking noises. Pulling her sword arm back for a hard thrust, Sophitia suddenly noticed rapid movement out of the corner of her eye.
Pain washed over Sophitia's body as a rogue sword slashed into the flesh of her left leg, then whipped up towards her face on its backswing. Raising her shield to block the attack with a loud clang, Sophitia stumbled backwards, dazed from the savagery of her new opponent's offensive. A darkly clothed figure crouched before her, face covered with a wrapped sash, holding a wide falchion clenched in its fist. Sophitia cursed herself for her stupidity, [Damn! I sensed two of them before, I should have been more careful!]. Together the cloaked attacker and the armored berserker came forward, falchion outstretched in an attack that Sophitia expertly knocked aside with her sword, and axe swinging diagonally upwards, barely missing the woman warrior's face as she dodged to the side.
Dancing backwards in a set of well-placed steps, Sophitia clipped attack after attack from the air with the sword of Hephaestus while slamming her shield into oncoming blows, desperately averting the deadly strikes of her opponents. Weapons clashed with resounding noise as Sophitia defended against the brutal assault, focusing all of her energy on avoiding death, leaving none left to strike even a single blow against her attackers. Letting her old combat instincts take over during the flurry of attacks, Sophitia ducked, dodged, parried and blocked with such speed and precision that her mind could not keep up with her body, [Hephaestus give me strength, allow me to defeat these demons and protect the..] her mind suddenly blanked as the berserker's axe smashed into her shield, knocking her flat over onto her back onto the hard ground. As the dark-clothed assassin's falchion lashed towards her unarmored head, Sophitia offered one final prayer to any god that was listening, [I guess this is it... please protect Siegfried and--...].
...
As Siegfried drifted in the land of dreams, he watched helplessly as his once-powerful greatsword shifted and deformed into the terrible Soul Edge, cleaving down guilty and innocent alike in a swirl of bloody miasma. As the sword clashed against those of his opponents, the sound of steel upon steel reverberated through his mind, shaking him to his very core.. [Wait.. that's.. that's no dream!] Siegfried's eyes shot open as the sounds of battle reached his resting place on the damp forest floor. Pushing himself to his feet with urgent haste, he took a quick look around to scan for any danger. [Where's.. Sophitia?!] panic arose in his chest as he noticed that Sophitia's cloak had been tossed haphazardly to the side and her resting place lay unoccupied.
Taking a moment to pinpoint the location of the combat, Siegfried hauled Soul Edge over his right shoulder and set out in a dead run towards the sounds of battle, not stopping to spare even a single thought for what was likely to happen if Soul Edge entered another fight. Adrenaline shot through his body as Siegfried rushed down the dark, rocky road, filling him with energy and urgency, as his mind raced to calculate the nature of the opponents based on the sounds of the combat. A small wooden farm cottage came into view as he rounded a sharp corner on the road, illuminated only by the light of the moon and stars above. As Siegfried desperately peered through the night air to see what in the world was going on, the glint of moonlight off of sharp steel caught his eye.
The black silhouette of a massive, armored figure holding a brutal axe cut a hole in the forested backdrop of the scene, as the axe flew by the face of a smaller figure... [Sophitia!!!] and up into the air, missing its target. A cloaked warrior stepped from the shadows to Sophitia's left, lunging towards her with a brutal strike, which Sophitia expertly parried with her firmly gripped weapon. In the few heart-pounding seconds as Siegfried's vision adjusted to the darkness, Sophitia danced gracefully about her opponents, managing to avoid or deflect each and every oncoming attack with such precision that Siegfried could not help but look on in awe, [Incredible.. she's completely lost in concentration.. she's even more skilled than I remember]. The moment Siegfried's eyes adjusted to the point where he could strike without fear of hitting Sophitia, he rushed forward, hauling his blade behind him for a massive attack.
Just then, the golden-armored berserker's axe slammed directly into Sophitia's shield full-strength, knocking her into the air and flat onto her back. As Siegfried watched in horror, the dark-clothed assassin's blade lashed out towards Sophitia's exposed head..
Siegfried's heart jumped into his chest as he bellowed and swung his great blade forward with all his might, "Ahhhrraaahh!!!" in a desperate attempt to save the life of this valiant woman, his only friend in the world. Soul Edge crashed into the assassin's falchion, batting it aside like a fly, as the huge sword continued on to slash across the assassin's robed chest, knocking him a half-turn to the right as he spun in the air and landed on his side in a pile of dirt and rocks nearby.
Sophitia looked up from her position on the ground in surprise, expecting to feel the pain of the assassin's sword end her life, but instead watching as the mighty Soul Edge swung overhead into the cloaked rogue, sending him sailing through the air to hit the ground a number of meters away. [Siegfried?!] Her mind raced with surprise and renewed energy [He's come to save me!!] and she shoved herself to her feet, favoring her injured leg [But what about Soul Edge!? We have to end this quickly or it might overtake him again!!].
Lowering herself into a combat stance, Sophitia stepped up to Siegfried's side, "I shall defeat the vile assassin!" and she dashed forward, "No mercy!!" sweeping her blade up for the assassin's throat as he leapt to his feet, bloodied but still in fighting condition. The agile assassin raised his falchion to block Sophitia's strike, causing her sword to vibrate painfully as steel struck hard steel.
Siegfried pressed forward with his assault, raising his massive blade overhead and swinging for the armored berserker the moment the assassin hit the ground. Sophitia's words passed lightly across his fury-filled mind, and he barely comprehended her speech as his sword crashed into the haft of the berserker's huge axe. Rotating his body, he delivered another attack immediately following the first, which the berserker slammed to the side with the back end of its weapon. Coming in with a powerful knee-strike, the golden-armored demon slammed Siegfried in the stomach, but the wrathful warrior barely felt the attack, recovering quickly and returning the favor with a brutal swing using the flat of Soul Edge's heavy blade. Soul Edge crashed into the berserker, hurling the creature to the side due to the sheer force of the attack despite its massive size.
Meanwhile, Sophitia quickly recovered from the assassin's parry, bringing up her shield to defend against a high slash from her opponent. The moment the assassin's sword clashed against Sophitia's shield, the devious warrior reversed his swing, slashing for Sophitia's belly. The female warrior knocked the attack aside with her sword, stepping forward with a quick shield punch which connected with her opponent's cloth-wrapped face. Following up with a painful backfist to the side of dark assassin's skull, Sophitia continued the assault by spinning around and slamming her opponent once again in the face with the flat of her shield, knocking him clean off of his feet and onto the hard ground. Backing up out of caution due to her leg injury, Sophitia felt her behind touch against Siegfried's cold metal back-plates. [I'm glad he's here.. even if he's wielding Soul Edge, I'm still glad he's here] Sophitia thought to herself, feeling guilty towards Hephaestus for teaming up with Soul Edge's wielder, but unable to deny her relief at having Siegfried nearby and fighting as her ally.
Soul Edge's power surged within Siegfried as he tensed to prepare for his next strike, [N-no.. I have to fight it.. can't let it take control again..] as he felt something comfortable bump against his backside. Siegfried instinctively turned his head to check what had come upon him from behind, and, upon seeing Sophitia's weary but focused expression through her dangling blonde hair, felt the influence of Soul Edge recede away from his mind, returning to the hand that held the awful weapon. Feeling a wave of relief wash through his body, [She's alive..] Siegfried noticed a flicker of moonlight upon a sword blade in front of Sophitia and to her left. Acting on instinct alone, he hauled his huge weapon up and rotated his body, stepping past Sophitia in a rush of movement, blade flying through the night air...
As Sophitia bumped into Siegfried, she turned her head slightly in a habitual reaction, exposing herself to the assassin for just a half-second too long. Rolling up from his resting place, the cloaked rogue lunged forward, flicking his blade towards Sophitia's unprotected belly... just as Siegfried's immense sword cleaved through his small body, halving the demon in a mere fraction of a second. The berserker reacted immediately as Siegfried turned his back, raising its axe above its helmeted head for a final, fatal stroke. Sophitia, noticing the movement of the golden armored demon out of the corner of her eye, whirled around, lunging desperately for the beast before it could get the chance to strike Siegfried's exposed back.
"Repent!" Sophitia shouted as her blade pierced deeply through golden armor and into the berserker's stomach, yanking it out smoothly as black blood flowed from the mortal wound. "Foul demon, return to whence you came!"
The berserker, falling to its knees and clutching at the wound, laughed sickeningly, blood welling up from its mouth inside its metal helm. "You were lucky to have her this time, boy." And the demon turned its massive head towards Sophitia, "But your aid does not come without cost, knight of Hephaestus. Know that" the demon began coughing as blood filled its lungs and throat, "Know that your family will pay for your deeds so long as you fight against us... soon, you will be all alone in this world, but for that twisted boy!" Continuing to laugh in jerky spasms as it collapsed to the ground, the berserker breathed its final shuddering breath, coming to lie still on the rocky dirt road in a pool of its own congealing blood.
"You can threaten no one now, hellborn." Sophitia said to the corpse of the berserker, staring down upon the demon's huge form in disgust. Then, turning to check Siegfried's condition, Sophitia felt a pang of worry as Siegfried collapsed to a knee, holding the hilt of Soul Edge with a death grip. "Siegfried, are you injured?!" Pain shot through the slash on Sophitia's leg as she knelt down next to Siegfried, glancing over his mostly-armored body in worry to scan for any signs of blood or damage.
"I am.. I am fine." Siegfried panted, fending off the demonic energy he had absorbed just seconds ago from the evil assassin. "I will be... fine." He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to focus on the good things in life... [What are the good things in life? I can't remember..] and then, feeling Sophitia's hand a few inches down from the deformed hand that held Soul Edge, [There's one..].
"Do not fear, Siegfried. I am here." Sophitia smiled at the taller blonde warrior, trying to calm him and increase his chances of successfully fending off Soul Edge.
"Your.. your leg," Siegfried said, upon seeing the slice on Sophitia's left calf. "I-I'm sorry, I took so long to get here." [Just a moment longer, and her life would have been ended..] Siegfried thought to himself grimly, [I cannot afford to be so slow next time].
"Siegfried, you saved my life." And then, looking down towards the ground, Sophitia continued, "I... I apologize for putting myself in such danger. I should not have been conceited to the point where I would try to defeat two powerful opponents at the same time."
"You couldn't have known there were two... why did you come here in the first place?" Siegfried asked curiously, Soul Edge's influence now only a tiny presence in the back of his mind.
"I could have known... I did know. I was just... I didn't want you to fight and then become.. I didn't want..." Sophitia didn't know how to continue, feeling awkward for being worried, and also not wanting to imply that she did not have confidence in Siegfried's ability to resist the evil blade.
"Sophitia.. thank you. I've never had anyone protect me before. N- not that I need protection." He said hastily, feeling like a fool for implying that he, Siegfried, who had wielded Soul Edge for years, needed to be protected by anyone. "B-but it's nice to have it, uh, sometimes." [What the hell am I talking about.. I sound like an imbecile]
Sophitia stared at him for a long moment, then, pushing off of a knee to stand to her feet, [I guess it must be hard for some people to admit that they need help..] she offered a hand to Soul Edge's kneeling wielder. Siegfried took her hand and allowed her to help pull him to his feet.
"What did that thing say about... your family?" Siegfried asked, afraid to bring up the topic, but also worried for Sophitia's loved ones.
Sophitia shook her head, "Idle threats from a dying creature, in all likelihood, but I will to check to be sure... if there exists any possibility that my family is in danger, I must go to them."
"I'll.. I'll come help. I'll just.." Siegfried began, glancing down to look at his deformed hand, still attached to Soul Edge, "I'll just stay in the woods nearby your home, or... someplace where people won't see me."
Sophitia, glancing at Soul Edge and the remaining parts of Siegfried that were still disfigured, felt sadness and guilt for agreeing that Siegfried would have to stay out of sight, but at the same time realized that there was no other way to go about it, "I would like it if you came along. I don't care much for Soul Edge, but it's best to keep it nearby.. and I do care for you." [Why did I say that? He's going to think I'm some foolish peasant girl now.. which.. I suppose I am..] She turned away slightly, avoiding Siegfried's eyes, looking instead towards the small farm cottage nearby.
Siegfried, at first startled by Sophitia's admonition [She actually.. doesn't.. hate me? ... why?], quickly became distracted upon noticing a small silhouette of a person at the door of the cottage. "Who..? Show yourself!" Siegfried shouted, turning to face the silhouette, [Damn it, if there's another fight, I don't know if I can hold Soul Edge back..].
"Siegfried, wait!" Sophitia said, taking a step forward. "It's .. it's a child!" Holding onto the edge of the cottage door stood a small slip of a girl dressed in pale blue working pants and a shirt, with tangled brown hair hanging down around her shoulders. Behind her, an even younger girl crouched down, peeking from between the first girl's knees. The older one looked no older than 10, and the younger could have been perhaps 6 years old. "Hi there!" Sophitia said sweetly, approaching the children slowly while trying to avoid looking like a threat. "It's fine, you are safe now. Those bad people won't be coming back." The 10-year old looked bravely at Sophitia, shivering slightly but not moving from her position by the door. "Come on out, we won't hurt you. Where are your parents?"
The older girl shook her head, "G-gone." She said softly, while looking up defiantly at Sophitia. Upon seeing the children, Siegfried immediately attempted to hide the massive Soul Edge behind his back, which met with very limited success given the girth of the weapon, looking almost comical. The oldest child looked out the door past Sophitia, gazing upon the corpses of the two demonic creatures that ransacked the house earlier. Glancing to her little sister,
"Come on, Elina. We're leaving." And she took a step back into the house, filling a small sack with some dry goods from a cabinet nearby, all the while keeping Sophitia within her range of vision cautiously.
The tiny girl backed up into the house as soon as her sister moved, "B-but.. wh-what about m-momma and papa? They s-said stay!"
"Momma and papa aren't coming back. They left, and they aren't coming back." The older girl said with a level voice, clearly attempting to control her deep emotions. Elina began to sniffle upon hearing her sister's words, curling up into a ball-shape and wiping at her eyes as her small tears fell towards the ground. "Come on, we're going with these people." Elina's older sister said in the same level voice. Elina nodded through tears, forcing herself up and about the house, collecting a small number of personal effects.
After gathering their things, the two children stepped outside of the cottage into the cool night air, the older sister standing defiantly before Sophitia while the younger continued to wipe tears from her eyes, sniffling lightly. Siegfried stepped forward, awkwardly 'hiding' Soul Edge behind his back,
"I'll carry your things," he offered, feeling horribly embarrassed about the disgusting sword held behind him [They must think I'm a monster.. any moment, they'll run away screaming] he thought to himself wryly, imagining the two children hollering and yelling and fleeing away into the wilderness.
Elina began to hold up her bag in compliance to the request, but her sister quickly pulled her own sack out of Siegfried's reach, slinging it onto her back, "I'll carry my OWN things, thank you very much." And glared defiantly to Siegfried, then to Sophitia, then back to Siegfried. Elina followed suit awkwardly, pushing the strap of her bag up onto her shoulder.
Sophitia glanced to Siegfried, who shrugged in bewilderment, astonished that the children still had not fled. Looking over to the sisters, Sophitia asked, "We need to travel quickly. Will you be able to keep up?" and then, thinking of a better idea, "Can you ride a horse?" Both girls nodded; apparently they had gained some skills from working on their small farm. "Good. Let us leave this place as soon as possible, then." Sophitia said, wiping the black blood from her sword on some nearby bushes and heading quickly back towards camp. Siegfried waited until the children began to trot after Sophitia, then followed behind them, careful to keep Soul Edge as out-of-sight as possible, [Maybe they haven't seen it, somehow..].
Quickly packing their things, the two blonde warriors scraped away all signs of their campsite, Sophitia taking a few moments to adequately clean and bandage her leg wound. After boosting both children up onto Atheas, where they sat comfortably, she took the reigns and made to walk down the path back towards the cottage.
"What do you think you're doing? Get on the horse." Siegfried said gruffly, annoyed that Sophitia would try to walk with such an injury on her leg.
"Wha-what?" Sophitia said in surprise, sending a swish of blond hair over her right shoulder as she turned to look at Siegfried.
"You are injured. Get on the horse." [That doesn't sound right.. maybe I'm supposed to say it differently?]
"Oh.. I can walk." [Even though he's being rude, at least he's thinking about me..] Sophitia thought with a small smile.
"It does not matter. Atheas is a strong horse, he can carry you along with those two." Siegfried pressed the point of Soul Edge into the ground, setting his other hand on his hip and looking straight at Sophitia, not willing to budge until she agreed.
"If you insist, sir." Sophitia said, pursing her lips externally but internally feeling very pleased that he would be so concerned for her over such a small injury. The two children shifted back slightly as Sophitia boosted herself up onto Atheas's back, "Pardon me, Elina, ...?" realizing she didn't know the other girl's name, Sophitia looked at the older sister awkwardly.
"Alcina."
"Pardon me, Alcina." Sophitia smiled, "My name is Sophitia, and this," She swept her hand towards the armored knight nearby, "is Siegfried." Alcina nodded silently, Elina simply hugging onto her back tightly. Together the party of four proceeded south, beginning their journey to Sophitia's home, all four sharing the hope that the trip would be peaceful and uneventful, all four also sharing the fear that somehow, it would not be.
End Chapter 6
Author's Notes:
Well I wasn't planning on including Alcina and Elina in the story when I began writing this chapter but they just sort of popped in there, so I'll try to use them well. I hope I'm doing the Siegfried/Sophitia relationship well, it's so hard for me to tell - this is my first fanfic and I didn't realize how difficult it would be to be objective when reading my own junk.
I'm very tired and very busy this week so I'm not sure when I'll get the next chapter out, it'll probably take longer than usual, but I'll try to make it quick.
email questions and comments: kelaros@mail.com
Waking up early to the cool morning air, Sophitia climbed to her feet and stretched gracefully, yawning with a hand over her mouth. Droplets of sparkling dew adorned the leaves and ferns that grew up alongside the clear stream nearby, occasionally falling to the earth in splashes of prismatic light. Siegfried was still asleep, [At least he seems to be getting a good rest..] Sophitia thought to herself, smiling inwardly as she adjusted her clothes and casually made her way around their rudimentary campsite, cleaning up and hiding all signs of habitation.
Shortly after she brushed the last bit of ash from the fire into the muddy ground near the stream, Sophitia heard a slight groan escape the mouth of Siegfried as he seemed to slowly wake up, twisting uncomfortably and pushing himself to his feet.
Glancing over to where Sophitia stood near the stream watching him, Siegfried tried confusedly to remember where he was and what the hell he was doing here as the remaining cobwebs of sleep continued to addle his mind. [It's been so long since I've really slept, without the cursed sword controlling my dreams.. ] and then, as Sophitia smiled at him, offering a short "Good morning" before bending to cup her hands in the stream and sip some water, the events and memories of the previous day finally returned to him.
"Good.. uh, morning," Siegfried said awkwardly, unused to greeting any living being aside from the Soul Edge in the morning due to his years of traveling in the wilderness. Moving to the stream to wash his face and hands and gulp some of the pure water, Siegfried enjoyed the cool feeling of wetness trickle down his face as he splashed the stream's contents over his head.
"You look like a drowned rabbit." Sophitia giggled unbecomingly as she turned to see Siegfried's wet hair hanging down around his face.
"I.. what?" Siegfried said in surprise, turning to face Sophitia, who had covered her mouth with her hand to avoid seeming crass as she laughed. Thrusting his hands into the stream, Siegfried entwined his fingers under the water and pulled up a pocket of liquid in his palms, tossing it over Sophitia's head.
Sophitia cringed as the cold water splashed over her, "Wh-what are you.."
"You look like a drowned rat!" Siegfried said in mild annoyance, wondering what possessed the woman to insult him like that.
"I do not!" Sophitia protested, bending over to look at her reflection in the flowing stream. Her now-wet hair hung down around her cheeks, as she reached back to push her ponytail over her shoulder. "I think I look more like a.. badger."
Silence ensued for just a moment before the two burst into laughter almost simultaneously, letting the tension from the previous days pour out of their systems for several long seconds in humorous bliss. As Siegfried's laughter began to die down, "A badger isn't right either.. in truth, you look like a..." and he paused, the word 'goddess' on his lips, [I can't say that, she'll think I'm some kind of.. cheap city swindler..] letting the phrase die out on his tongue.
"A... what?" Sophitia rose to her feet, looking at Siegfried with interest.
"A .. woman." Siegfried said, cursing himself for his pathetic people skills.
"That's not what you were going to say," Sophitia observed curiously, "What were you going to say?" As her pleasant voice reached Siegfried's ears, he realized how much it pleased him to hear her talk, [Why would I want to hear someone's voice? I must be going daft.. this damned sword is getting to me again..].
"Something." Siegfried said, unable to think up a tactful excuse, resorting to the pure and simple, but very vague truth.
"You.. don't remember?" Sophitia inquired, recalling several instances in her life when she began to have a conversation but ended up forgetting her original point halfway through the discussion.
"I remember." Siegfried stated evenly, not giving an inch.
"But you don't want to tell me?" Sophitia asked suspiciously, wondering what it could have been that he was going to say. [Was it really that bad? I wonder if I have something on my face...]
"I want to, but I'm not going to." Siegfried responded, wondering curiously why Sophitia was now touching her cheeks and forehead and glancing worriedly at her reflection in the stream.
"I wish you would," Sophitia pushed, now more curious than ever about what Siegfried almost said a moment ago. The two of them began the trek back towards the village, Sophitia to re-acquire her horse and Siegfried simply following the blond woman blindly.
Suddenly realizing that perhaps Sophitia thought he was going to insult her, Siegfried quickly pointed out, "It wasn't an insult," just to clear up any possible misunderstandings.
[I guess I don't have anything on my face, then..] Sophitia thought with relief, though wondering why she even cared what she looked like in front of this man – she had never felt her appearance was important while spending time with anyone else in her life. For some reason, although she knew that she should just leave Siegfried be and stop pushing, Sophitia couldn't resist finding out more about what he was thinking.
"Well, um.. whenever you decide to tell me, then.. tell me." [Well that sounded stupid, I can't believe I said something so dumb.. I'm such a stupid peasant] Sophitia thought to herself with a sigh.
"I'll do that, I promise." Siegfried said with a chuckle, for some reason pleased that he had managed to knock the woman off-balance with his banter.
"Thank you very much, sir." Sophitia said wryly, feeling as though she'd somehow lost this match, even though Siegfried's only strategy was pure stubbornness.
As they neared the village, Sophitia mentioned that she should probably go in to retrieve her horse alone, since the villagers would recognize the still-obvious form of Soul Edge hanging from Siegfried's hand. Agreeing with her wholeheartedly, Siegfried rested himself next to a tree trunk to wait for Sophitia's return, as she unassumingly slipped into the town and untied her horse from where she left it the previous day. It seemed that most of the village was still in shock, and Sophitia offered some prayers for the dead and wounded, stopping by the large memorial service that was underway for those that had fallen to the demon's axe. After paying her respects, Sophitia left the village and made her way back to Siegfried, feeling saddened that there was nothing more she could do to help the villagers.
Strangely, Atheas did not rear or show the least bit of fear as Sophitia held his reigns and led him to the tree Siegfried had chosen to lean against while waiting. Instead, Atheas lowered his head to sniff along Siegfried's chest, head, and arms, and the armored warrior stood awkwardly still, unsure of how to react to the animal's probing. As if to say that he trusted whom his master trusted, Atheas backed away from Siegfried after checking his scent, turning to other, more interesting things, such as the long tuft of grass near the edge of the road that looked so very appetizing.
Siegfried, noticing Sophitia's somber mood, said nothing, simply moving up to walk alongside her as she led Atheas down the road east, in the general direction of Delphi. They spent the greater portion of the day in silence, Sophitia not once mounting Atheas despite the rocks and ruts that littered the road they tread upon; since Siegfried was forced to walk, it was only fair that she walked as well.
Finally, as the sun descended below the far mountains and the orange evening sky shone overhead, the pair found a suitable camp ground, Sophitia watering Atheas at a nearby pond while Siegfried tried, rather unsuccessfully, to prepare some sort of fire for cooking.
"Here, like this.." Sophitia knelt next to Siegfried after taking care of Atheas, organizing the sticks and branches of the fire pit into a structure that resembled a tiny log cabin, stuffing the base with kindling and pieces of bark. Siegfried watched attentively, barely remembering how to survive in the wilderness alone after spending so many years lacking control of the majority of his body. After sparking her flint and steel several times, Sophitia managed to start a small flame, blowing on it softly to form a good-sized blaze. "There." She said proudly, stepping back to admire the cheery campfire.
Siegfried looked up from his kneeling position, watching Sophitia's triumphant, beautiful face reflected in the firelight. [I could sit here forever, watching her..] he thought to himself idly, losing himself in her chiseled features, forgetting to feel embarrassed that she might notice him staring. Luckily for him she did not notice, instead digging some bread and cheese from Atheas's saddlebags. Offering Siegfried a good-sized hunk of tasty cheese made from the milk of her families' cows, Sophitia sat herself gracefully by the fire, warmed by the orange blaze.
As Siegfried accepted the food from Sophitia's hand, he broke his gaze away quickly, cursing himself, [What the hell am I thinking, I have no right to look at her like that]. As he sat by the fire, memories returned to Siegfried, of a darker time.. a time when he was controlled by the sword, when the only thing he could remember was the face of a woman.. [A woman who has a fiancé waiting at home] he reminded himself once again, forcing an unwanted feeling of pain that existed in the bottom of his heart to the back of his mind, instead focusing on the fact that she would have a good and happy life once she was rid of him.
[I wonder what he is thinking about?] Sophitia asked herself, watching a distant look play on Siegfried's hard features.
"What are you thinking about?" She voiced her internal question without realizing it, shutting her mouth quickly afterwards.
Broken from his reverie, Siegfried looked up into the dancing flames of the campfire. "Nothing." He said gruffly, adjusting his armor which had begun to chafe against his left shoulder.
"Oh.." Sophitia said in disappointment, tearing some bread with her teeth and chewing vigorously. Together they sat by the fire and took supper, neither feeling comfortable enough to start any sort of conversation, and, finally, as the fire died down, they settled in to sleep under the sparkling stars of the night-time sky.
...
Sophitia sat up suddenly, throwing aside the light cloak that she had overtop herself as a bedcover. Peering around intently and scarcely daring to breathe, she concentrated on the awful feeling of apprehension that had suddenly constricted her chest. Only twice had this feeling consumed her during her lifetime; once before her first journey to find the Soul Blade, and again when the azure-armored Nightmare appeared to her in a vision. Despite her fears, Siegfried appeared to be resting normally, sitting between two large roots with his back against a nearby tree. [What, then, could be causing this feeling?]
As she sat upright scanning the darkness at the edges of their campsite, a strange, ethereal vision began to form in her mind. Someplace.. where was it.. a small house.. to the southeast.. not far.. on the road.. something.. large, deadly.. something else.. hidden.. waiting.. seeking.. they're seeking something.. it's a trap.. they're.. seeking.. [Soul Edge! It's a trap!] Sophitia shot to her feet, grabbing her sword and shield from a rock near her bedspread. Taking a look at Siegfried's sleeping form, [I have to head them off, have to stop them before they can get to him.. if he fights again, Soul Edge will wake up, and .. and Siegfried will.. I can't let that happen!!] Sophitia swiftly, quietly padded past Siegfried's slumped body, taking careful steps so as not to crack any sticks with her calf-tied sandals or cause undue noise that might wake the restless knight.
Trotting down the road near the tree line, Sophitia kept her eyes open wide to allow maximum vision in the darkness of the night. Luckily, the moon shone strong overhead along with thousands of clear stars, providing a small amount of pale light that illuminated the path before her. As she traversed the dirt and rock path, a small farm cottage came into view around a sharp corner. The humble cottage consisted of thick logs stacked up on a stone block foundation which was caulked with horsehair, the entire conglomerate appearing cramped but cozy and comfortable nonetheless.
Sophitia cautiously approached the little house, using candle-light from one of the square-shaped windows to guide her steps. [They're close, I can feel it.. it was right here..] she recalled the vision she had just moments earlier, matching the cottage to the small house in her mind. A flicker, a squeal, and suddenly the light from inside the cottage was snuffed out like a thundercloud passing overhead on a summer day.
"Who goes there?! Show yourself!!" Sophitia called out boldly, adrenaline rushing to her veins. A hulking form passed across the window inside the house, blocking the moonlight momentarily, and was gone. [What if someone is inside?!] Sophitia thought frantically, suddenly becoming keenly aware of the potential danger to the cottage's inhabitants. Dashing forward with all attempts of stealth abandoned, Sophitia made for the door on the other side of the cottage, prepared to jump into battle at the drop of a coin. She could feel the evil behind that door, the hatred emanating from inside.. it felt just like the demon from the village the day before, almost like .. almost like Soul Edge itself, in its pure and most hideous form.
Just as Sophitia reached for the handle, the door of the cottage burst open from the inside out, slamming into her wrist painfully and knocking her back several steps. A huge, beastly yet armored figure loomed in the doorway, stepping out of the cottage with a low growl. Hiding the face and skin of the beast, the pale yellow armor of the hulking monstrosity shimmered slightly in the moonlight, complementing the huge, wicked axe clutched in the demon's fists. Beyond the creature, Sophitia could faintly make out the forms of two small girls huddled in the corner of the tiny house. They were shivering and looked scared to death, but at least they were still alive. [Thank the gods.. I got here in time] Sophitia thought to herself, not bothering to ponder whether or not it would actually matter in the end.
"Ahhh.. It is you!" A strange, hideously broken voice echoed from beyond the faceplate of the armored creature's helmet. "I will kill you, and the boy will come. He will soon succumb to my master, as all eventually do!!"
"He will never, not even if I die!" Sophitia shouted challengingly, [its master? Does it mean Soul Edge? What else could it be?]
"And die you shall." The voice behind the helm echoed once more, as the creature hauled its axe around, preparing to strike.
Shifting her shield further back on her arm to alleviate the pain in her wrist, Sophitia took a few steps back, preparing to defend against the armored hulk's initial strike. Faster than Sophitia had anticipated, the massive beast yanked his axe into the air, preparing to instantly cleave the woman in twain. Fortunately for Sophitia, the axe slammed into the roof of the house, lodging briefly in a large, knobby log. Taking the opportunity to evade, Sophitia dashed to the side as the armored creature pulled free the axe and continued its downward swing. The huge weapon crashed into the ground, causing a large stone beneath it to explode into thousands of pieces. Hauling its weapon up from its place among the broken stones, the beast whipped the axe wildly to the side, forcing Sophitia to dive to the ground to avoid losing her upper body. The axe bit into the side of the cottage, embedding deep in the wood and causing the entire house to shake precariously.
Sophitia stepped forward up off the ground, lunging forward to drive her blade into the hip of the armored beast while it tugged upon the haft of its axe. Black blood spilled from the wound as Sophitia pulled free her sword and raised her shield desperately, barely managing to block the metal- clad butt of the beast's axe. Leaping into the air as the armored berserker wrenched free its axe and hacked at her legs, Sophitia lashed upwards with a kick, slamming her foot into the demon's face and flipping head over heels to land gracefully and securely on the ground several meters away. [At least I've still got that much in me.. ] Sophitia allowed herself a small measure of pride regarding the amount of skill she had retained despite spending the last three years of her life at her home without a day of practice.
Shaking its head briefly to recover from the hard kick to its jaw, the armored beast lowered its stance, rushing forward in an attempt to completely overpower the smaller woman. Sophitia danced dexterously to the left as the beast rushed past, counterattacking with two hard horizontal slashes that scraped across the berserker's golden plate armor with loud clanking noises. Pulling her sword arm back for a hard thrust, Sophitia suddenly noticed rapid movement out of the corner of her eye.
Pain washed over Sophitia's body as a rogue sword slashed into the flesh of her left leg, then whipped up towards her face on its backswing. Raising her shield to block the attack with a loud clang, Sophitia stumbled backwards, dazed from the savagery of her new opponent's offensive. A darkly clothed figure crouched before her, face covered with a wrapped sash, holding a wide falchion clenched in its fist. Sophitia cursed herself for her stupidity, [Damn! I sensed two of them before, I should have been more careful!]. Together the cloaked attacker and the armored berserker came forward, falchion outstretched in an attack that Sophitia expertly knocked aside with her sword, and axe swinging diagonally upwards, barely missing the woman warrior's face as she dodged to the side.
Dancing backwards in a set of well-placed steps, Sophitia clipped attack after attack from the air with the sword of Hephaestus while slamming her shield into oncoming blows, desperately averting the deadly strikes of her opponents. Weapons clashed with resounding noise as Sophitia defended against the brutal assault, focusing all of her energy on avoiding death, leaving none left to strike even a single blow against her attackers. Letting her old combat instincts take over during the flurry of attacks, Sophitia ducked, dodged, parried and blocked with such speed and precision that her mind could not keep up with her body, [Hephaestus give me strength, allow me to defeat these demons and protect the..] her mind suddenly blanked as the berserker's axe smashed into her shield, knocking her flat over onto her back onto the hard ground. As the dark-clothed assassin's falchion lashed towards her unarmored head, Sophitia offered one final prayer to any god that was listening, [I guess this is it... please protect Siegfried and--...].
...
As Siegfried drifted in the land of dreams, he watched helplessly as his once-powerful greatsword shifted and deformed into the terrible Soul Edge, cleaving down guilty and innocent alike in a swirl of bloody miasma. As the sword clashed against those of his opponents, the sound of steel upon steel reverberated through his mind, shaking him to his very core.. [Wait.. that's.. that's no dream!] Siegfried's eyes shot open as the sounds of battle reached his resting place on the damp forest floor. Pushing himself to his feet with urgent haste, he took a quick look around to scan for any danger. [Where's.. Sophitia?!] panic arose in his chest as he noticed that Sophitia's cloak had been tossed haphazardly to the side and her resting place lay unoccupied.
Taking a moment to pinpoint the location of the combat, Siegfried hauled Soul Edge over his right shoulder and set out in a dead run towards the sounds of battle, not stopping to spare even a single thought for what was likely to happen if Soul Edge entered another fight. Adrenaline shot through his body as Siegfried rushed down the dark, rocky road, filling him with energy and urgency, as his mind raced to calculate the nature of the opponents based on the sounds of the combat. A small wooden farm cottage came into view as he rounded a sharp corner on the road, illuminated only by the light of the moon and stars above. As Siegfried desperately peered through the night air to see what in the world was going on, the glint of moonlight off of sharp steel caught his eye.
The black silhouette of a massive, armored figure holding a brutal axe cut a hole in the forested backdrop of the scene, as the axe flew by the face of a smaller figure... [Sophitia!!!] and up into the air, missing its target. A cloaked warrior stepped from the shadows to Sophitia's left, lunging towards her with a brutal strike, which Sophitia expertly parried with her firmly gripped weapon. In the few heart-pounding seconds as Siegfried's vision adjusted to the darkness, Sophitia danced gracefully about her opponents, managing to avoid or deflect each and every oncoming attack with such precision that Siegfried could not help but look on in awe, [Incredible.. she's completely lost in concentration.. she's even more skilled than I remember]. The moment Siegfried's eyes adjusted to the point where he could strike without fear of hitting Sophitia, he rushed forward, hauling his blade behind him for a massive attack.
Just then, the golden-armored berserker's axe slammed directly into Sophitia's shield full-strength, knocking her into the air and flat onto her back. As Siegfried watched in horror, the dark-clothed assassin's blade lashed out towards Sophitia's exposed head..
Siegfried's heart jumped into his chest as he bellowed and swung his great blade forward with all his might, "Ahhhrraaahh!!!" in a desperate attempt to save the life of this valiant woman, his only friend in the world. Soul Edge crashed into the assassin's falchion, batting it aside like a fly, as the huge sword continued on to slash across the assassin's robed chest, knocking him a half-turn to the right as he spun in the air and landed on his side in a pile of dirt and rocks nearby.
Sophitia looked up from her position on the ground in surprise, expecting to feel the pain of the assassin's sword end her life, but instead watching as the mighty Soul Edge swung overhead into the cloaked rogue, sending him sailing through the air to hit the ground a number of meters away. [Siegfried?!] Her mind raced with surprise and renewed energy [He's come to save me!!] and she shoved herself to her feet, favoring her injured leg [But what about Soul Edge!? We have to end this quickly or it might overtake him again!!].
Lowering herself into a combat stance, Sophitia stepped up to Siegfried's side, "I shall defeat the vile assassin!" and she dashed forward, "No mercy!!" sweeping her blade up for the assassin's throat as he leapt to his feet, bloodied but still in fighting condition. The agile assassin raised his falchion to block Sophitia's strike, causing her sword to vibrate painfully as steel struck hard steel.
Siegfried pressed forward with his assault, raising his massive blade overhead and swinging for the armored berserker the moment the assassin hit the ground. Sophitia's words passed lightly across his fury-filled mind, and he barely comprehended her speech as his sword crashed into the haft of the berserker's huge axe. Rotating his body, he delivered another attack immediately following the first, which the berserker slammed to the side with the back end of its weapon. Coming in with a powerful knee-strike, the golden-armored demon slammed Siegfried in the stomach, but the wrathful warrior barely felt the attack, recovering quickly and returning the favor with a brutal swing using the flat of Soul Edge's heavy blade. Soul Edge crashed into the berserker, hurling the creature to the side due to the sheer force of the attack despite its massive size.
Meanwhile, Sophitia quickly recovered from the assassin's parry, bringing up her shield to defend against a high slash from her opponent. The moment the assassin's sword clashed against Sophitia's shield, the devious warrior reversed his swing, slashing for Sophitia's belly. The female warrior knocked the attack aside with her sword, stepping forward with a quick shield punch which connected with her opponent's cloth-wrapped face. Following up with a painful backfist to the side of dark assassin's skull, Sophitia continued the assault by spinning around and slamming her opponent once again in the face with the flat of her shield, knocking him clean off of his feet and onto the hard ground. Backing up out of caution due to her leg injury, Sophitia felt her behind touch against Siegfried's cold metal back-plates. [I'm glad he's here.. even if he's wielding Soul Edge, I'm still glad he's here] Sophitia thought to herself, feeling guilty towards Hephaestus for teaming up with Soul Edge's wielder, but unable to deny her relief at having Siegfried nearby and fighting as her ally.
Soul Edge's power surged within Siegfried as he tensed to prepare for his next strike, [N-no.. I have to fight it.. can't let it take control again..] as he felt something comfortable bump against his backside. Siegfried instinctively turned his head to check what had come upon him from behind, and, upon seeing Sophitia's weary but focused expression through her dangling blonde hair, felt the influence of Soul Edge recede away from his mind, returning to the hand that held the awful weapon. Feeling a wave of relief wash through his body, [She's alive..] Siegfried noticed a flicker of moonlight upon a sword blade in front of Sophitia and to her left. Acting on instinct alone, he hauled his huge weapon up and rotated his body, stepping past Sophitia in a rush of movement, blade flying through the night air...
As Sophitia bumped into Siegfried, she turned her head slightly in a habitual reaction, exposing herself to the assassin for just a half-second too long. Rolling up from his resting place, the cloaked rogue lunged forward, flicking his blade towards Sophitia's unprotected belly... just as Siegfried's immense sword cleaved through his small body, halving the demon in a mere fraction of a second. The berserker reacted immediately as Siegfried turned his back, raising its axe above its helmeted head for a final, fatal stroke. Sophitia, noticing the movement of the golden armored demon out of the corner of her eye, whirled around, lunging desperately for the beast before it could get the chance to strike Siegfried's exposed back.
"Repent!" Sophitia shouted as her blade pierced deeply through golden armor and into the berserker's stomach, yanking it out smoothly as black blood flowed from the mortal wound. "Foul demon, return to whence you came!"
The berserker, falling to its knees and clutching at the wound, laughed sickeningly, blood welling up from its mouth inside its metal helm. "You were lucky to have her this time, boy." And the demon turned its massive head towards Sophitia, "But your aid does not come without cost, knight of Hephaestus. Know that" the demon began coughing as blood filled its lungs and throat, "Know that your family will pay for your deeds so long as you fight against us... soon, you will be all alone in this world, but for that twisted boy!" Continuing to laugh in jerky spasms as it collapsed to the ground, the berserker breathed its final shuddering breath, coming to lie still on the rocky dirt road in a pool of its own congealing blood.
"You can threaten no one now, hellborn." Sophitia said to the corpse of the berserker, staring down upon the demon's huge form in disgust. Then, turning to check Siegfried's condition, Sophitia felt a pang of worry as Siegfried collapsed to a knee, holding the hilt of Soul Edge with a death grip. "Siegfried, are you injured?!" Pain shot through the slash on Sophitia's leg as she knelt down next to Siegfried, glancing over his mostly-armored body in worry to scan for any signs of blood or damage.
"I am.. I am fine." Siegfried panted, fending off the demonic energy he had absorbed just seconds ago from the evil assassin. "I will be... fine." He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to focus on the good things in life... [What are the good things in life? I can't remember..] and then, feeling Sophitia's hand a few inches down from the deformed hand that held Soul Edge, [There's one..].
"Do not fear, Siegfried. I am here." Sophitia smiled at the taller blonde warrior, trying to calm him and increase his chances of successfully fending off Soul Edge.
"Your.. your leg," Siegfried said, upon seeing the slice on Sophitia's left calf. "I-I'm sorry, I took so long to get here." [Just a moment longer, and her life would have been ended..] Siegfried thought to himself grimly, [I cannot afford to be so slow next time].
"Siegfried, you saved my life." And then, looking down towards the ground, Sophitia continued, "I... I apologize for putting myself in such danger. I should not have been conceited to the point where I would try to defeat two powerful opponents at the same time."
"You couldn't have known there were two... why did you come here in the first place?" Siegfried asked curiously, Soul Edge's influence now only a tiny presence in the back of his mind.
"I could have known... I did know. I was just... I didn't want you to fight and then become.. I didn't want..." Sophitia didn't know how to continue, feeling awkward for being worried, and also not wanting to imply that she did not have confidence in Siegfried's ability to resist the evil blade.
"Sophitia.. thank you. I've never had anyone protect me before. N- not that I need protection." He said hastily, feeling like a fool for implying that he, Siegfried, who had wielded Soul Edge for years, needed to be protected by anyone. "B-but it's nice to have it, uh, sometimes." [What the hell am I talking about.. I sound like an imbecile]
Sophitia stared at him for a long moment, then, pushing off of a knee to stand to her feet, [I guess it must be hard for some people to admit that they need help..] she offered a hand to Soul Edge's kneeling wielder. Siegfried took her hand and allowed her to help pull him to his feet.
"What did that thing say about... your family?" Siegfried asked, afraid to bring up the topic, but also worried for Sophitia's loved ones.
Sophitia shook her head, "Idle threats from a dying creature, in all likelihood, but I will to check to be sure... if there exists any possibility that my family is in danger, I must go to them."
"I'll.. I'll come help. I'll just.." Siegfried began, glancing down to look at his deformed hand, still attached to Soul Edge, "I'll just stay in the woods nearby your home, or... someplace where people won't see me."
Sophitia, glancing at Soul Edge and the remaining parts of Siegfried that were still disfigured, felt sadness and guilt for agreeing that Siegfried would have to stay out of sight, but at the same time realized that there was no other way to go about it, "I would like it if you came along. I don't care much for Soul Edge, but it's best to keep it nearby.. and I do care for you." [Why did I say that? He's going to think I'm some foolish peasant girl now.. which.. I suppose I am..] She turned away slightly, avoiding Siegfried's eyes, looking instead towards the small farm cottage nearby.
Siegfried, at first startled by Sophitia's admonition [She actually.. doesn't.. hate me? ... why?], quickly became distracted upon noticing a small silhouette of a person at the door of the cottage. "Who..? Show yourself!" Siegfried shouted, turning to face the silhouette, [Damn it, if there's another fight, I don't know if I can hold Soul Edge back..].
"Siegfried, wait!" Sophitia said, taking a step forward. "It's .. it's a child!" Holding onto the edge of the cottage door stood a small slip of a girl dressed in pale blue working pants and a shirt, with tangled brown hair hanging down around her shoulders. Behind her, an even younger girl crouched down, peeking from between the first girl's knees. The older one looked no older than 10, and the younger could have been perhaps 6 years old. "Hi there!" Sophitia said sweetly, approaching the children slowly while trying to avoid looking like a threat. "It's fine, you are safe now. Those bad people won't be coming back." The 10-year old looked bravely at Sophitia, shivering slightly but not moving from her position by the door. "Come on out, we won't hurt you. Where are your parents?"
The older girl shook her head, "G-gone." She said softly, while looking up defiantly at Sophitia. Upon seeing the children, Siegfried immediately attempted to hide the massive Soul Edge behind his back, which met with very limited success given the girth of the weapon, looking almost comical. The oldest child looked out the door past Sophitia, gazing upon the corpses of the two demonic creatures that ransacked the house earlier. Glancing to her little sister,
"Come on, Elina. We're leaving." And she took a step back into the house, filling a small sack with some dry goods from a cabinet nearby, all the while keeping Sophitia within her range of vision cautiously.
The tiny girl backed up into the house as soon as her sister moved, "B-but.. wh-what about m-momma and papa? They s-said stay!"
"Momma and papa aren't coming back. They left, and they aren't coming back." The older girl said with a level voice, clearly attempting to control her deep emotions. Elina began to sniffle upon hearing her sister's words, curling up into a ball-shape and wiping at her eyes as her small tears fell towards the ground. "Come on, we're going with these people." Elina's older sister said in the same level voice. Elina nodded through tears, forcing herself up and about the house, collecting a small number of personal effects.
After gathering their things, the two children stepped outside of the cottage into the cool night air, the older sister standing defiantly before Sophitia while the younger continued to wipe tears from her eyes, sniffling lightly. Siegfried stepped forward, awkwardly 'hiding' Soul Edge behind his back,
"I'll carry your things," he offered, feeling horribly embarrassed about the disgusting sword held behind him [They must think I'm a monster.. any moment, they'll run away screaming] he thought to himself wryly, imagining the two children hollering and yelling and fleeing away into the wilderness.
Elina began to hold up her bag in compliance to the request, but her sister quickly pulled her own sack out of Siegfried's reach, slinging it onto her back, "I'll carry my OWN things, thank you very much." And glared defiantly to Siegfried, then to Sophitia, then back to Siegfried. Elina followed suit awkwardly, pushing the strap of her bag up onto her shoulder.
Sophitia glanced to Siegfried, who shrugged in bewilderment, astonished that the children still had not fled. Looking over to the sisters, Sophitia asked, "We need to travel quickly. Will you be able to keep up?" and then, thinking of a better idea, "Can you ride a horse?" Both girls nodded; apparently they had gained some skills from working on their small farm. "Good. Let us leave this place as soon as possible, then." Sophitia said, wiping the black blood from her sword on some nearby bushes and heading quickly back towards camp. Siegfried waited until the children began to trot after Sophitia, then followed behind them, careful to keep Soul Edge as out-of-sight as possible, [Maybe they haven't seen it, somehow..].
Quickly packing their things, the two blonde warriors scraped away all signs of their campsite, Sophitia taking a few moments to adequately clean and bandage her leg wound. After boosting both children up onto Atheas, where they sat comfortably, she took the reigns and made to walk down the path back towards the cottage.
"What do you think you're doing? Get on the horse." Siegfried said gruffly, annoyed that Sophitia would try to walk with such an injury on her leg.
"Wha-what?" Sophitia said in surprise, sending a swish of blond hair over her right shoulder as she turned to look at Siegfried.
"You are injured. Get on the horse." [That doesn't sound right.. maybe I'm supposed to say it differently?]
"Oh.. I can walk." [Even though he's being rude, at least he's thinking about me..] Sophitia thought with a small smile.
"It does not matter. Atheas is a strong horse, he can carry you along with those two." Siegfried pressed the point of Soul Edge into the ground, setting his other hand on his hip and looking straight at Sophitia, not willing to budge until she agreed.
"If you insist, sir." Sophitia said, pursing her lips externally but internally feeling very pleased that he would be so concerned for her over such a small injury. The two children shifted back slightly as Sophitia boosted herself up onto Atheas's back, "Pardon me, Elina, ...?" realizing she didn't know the other girl's name, Sophitia looked at the older sister awkwardly.
"Alcina."
"Pardon me, Alcina." Sophitia smiled, "My name is Sophitia, and this," She swept her hand towards the armored knight nearby, "is Siegfried." Alcina nodded silently, Elina simply hugging onto her back tightly. Together the party of four proceeded south, beginning their journey to Sophitia's home, all four sharing the hope that the trip would be peaceful and uneventful, all four also sharing the fear that somehow, it would not be.
End Chapter 6
Author's Notes:
Well I wasn't planning on including Alcina and Elina in the story when I began writing this chapter but they just sort of popped in there, so I'll try to use them well. I hope I'm doing the Siegfried/Sophitia relationship well, it's so hard for me to tell - this is my first fanfic and I didn't realize how difficult it would be to be objective when reading my own junk.
I'm very tired and very busy this week so I'm not sure when I'll get the next chapter out, it'll probably take longer than usual, but I'll try to make it quick.
email questions and comments: kelaros@mail.com