Wow. Been ages since I've updated. So sorry everyone. I bought a new house so I've been pretty busy getting it fixed up, really haven't had a lot of time. But whatever, time to stop procrastinating. Here goes…
Note: (()) denotes thoughts (ARgghghh… I used to use the square brackets but removes them now when I upload documents.. .aragsagdsafasfasgag)
The days passed, as the season slowly turned from autumn to winter, leaves darkening to brilliant oranges, browns, and golds before being swept out into the air by the elements, gracefully settling on the cold ground of the road. One of these leaves, a particularly large one, cracked and crumbled as Siegfried's reckless, booted foot stepped upon it. The sound went unnoticed by the armored warrior, whose thoughts were focused on other matters.
Many days of hard travel placed Siegfried, Sophitia, and the children on the outskirts of Sophitia's home village, fast approaching the town while Siegfried fumbled around with some blankets in a pitiful attempt to cover up his monstrous arm. Oddly, the children had not once even mentioned the growth coming from Siegfried's right hand, for whatever reason choosing to ignore it just as Sophitia and Siegfried chose not to press the girls about their parents. The journey itself had gone smoothly, only once was the group forced to stop, and that was due to a mudslide from the torrential rains that had finally ceased a few days ago. ((Sophitia's home town… if there is one place in the world where I must maintain control, it is here.)) Siegfried told himself, steeling his willpower, ((Even if she could forgive me and blame the sword, I could never forgive myself if I hurt her loved ones)).
As these somber thoughts passed through his head, Siegfried slipped slightly, getting his armor stuck in a portion of the blanket he was trying to use to cover his huge weapon. Tugging and twisting around in frustration, he managed to tip himself over and fall flat onto the ground with a crash of armor and metal. Alcina and Elina burst into giggling, while Sophitia laughed light-heartedly. Siegfried grunted in annoyance, pulling himself to his feet and trying to salvage whatever dignity he had left, finally managing to cover the massive Soul Edge with brown cloth.
A week and a half had passed since Siegfried's last attempt to escape his responsibilities and his fate, and now, the tormented warrior's mind was restless, a jumble of fears, worries, and pain. ((What if the demon wasn't lying… and we are too late? How can I possibly comfort her if her family has been killed? I can't even… I can't even comfort myself, let alone someone like her… and those damned children, what can we do with them…)) as his thoughts turned sour, he angrily shoved away memories of blood and death, instead favoring the here, and the now… doing his best to focus on what was important at this second. At who was important… his gaze lifted to Sophitia, who was just brushing a stray lock of her away from her ear.
Not noticing Siegfried's glance at first, Sophitia turned her head to the side, stopping for a moment as Alcina reigned Atheas to a halt. Sophitia had, for the last week, been teaching Alcina how to properly control a trained mount, using Atheas, of course, as the test subject. Atheas seemed immensely pleased with the situation, often taking the opportunity to bolt, shuffle, or otherwise annoy the young girl, while at other times being perfectly agreeable. Apparently a bit less stalwart than his master, Atheas certainly enjoyed his opportunity to make mischief.
Dropping to the ground from atop the great horse, Alcina stretched herself briefly, sore from the days of travel atop the beast.
"I'm thirsty. I'm going to drink." She said matter-of-factly, leaving no room for argument.
"Oh, me too!" Elina cried out, accepting Sophitia's help in carrying her off of the horse's back.
Siegfried sighed in annoyance at the delay, "Hurry it up," as the two young girls quickly pattered over to a sparkling brook nearby.
Kneeling near the stream, both girls lowered their hands into the cold water, cupping liquid and splashing it into their mouths. "Oh!" Elina exclaimed suddenly, standing up. Siegfried and Sophitia immediately turned their heads to the girl, surprised by her tiny yelp. "I'm…. wow, this footprint must belong to an awfully big lumberjack!" Elina said innocently, looking down to her feet, which, oddly, both stood within a massive boot track that had recently been imprinted on the mud near the stream.
"That's…!" Sophitia breathed, ((Could it be… one of those demons? Or…)) "Y-yes, I think that it very well may be an oversized lumberjack.…" Sophitia mouthed, ignoring the irony of Elina's comment as images of huge axe-wielding terrors plagued her mind. Quickly exchanging looks with Siegfried, Sophitia rushed over to the stream to get a better look. "They lead into the forest… we cannot be more than an hour's walk from my village by now…" her heart beating worriedly, mind racing, trying to think come up with a plan, figure out what to do…
Siegfried felt an odd, unfamiliar sensation of pain in his chest, as Sophitia's worried eyes set upon him. "Don't be a fool." He said gruffly, "It's fresh, he can't have gotten far. I'll follow the tracks, you go to your home, in case I can't catch him in time. Your village folks would probably scream and run if they saw me, anyway." He said, smirking mirthlessly, ((This is the best way, I couldn't bear it if… why does she look at me in that way, that fool woman…! With luck, I can destroy this threat before she even lays eyes upon it…)).
Sophitia, passing the plan through her head, nodded once, "Right. Just… be careful. Alcina, you and Elina stay here, and keep yourselves hidden." Hauling herself onto her horse, Sophitia's skirt flew up briefly, exposing a smooth, attractive leg that Siegfried felt his eyes gravitate to in an instant.
((I wonder how she would look without that skirt…)) Siegfried found his mind unintentionally wandering, somehow, all thoughts of conflict and fear whisked away… ((What.. WHAT am I thinking? I have NO right to think such things about someone like her! Siegfried, you lowly cur!)) Tearing his gaze from her beautiful body, Siegfried growled, re-instilling the anger that had just fled him with rage towards his own undeserving soul. Snorting, Siegfried murmured darkly, "Careful? I think not. I'll tear this bastard's guts out and use his entrails to strap my boots." ((And if I'm lucky, he'll get me in the process…)).
"Beware, knight, for my wrath shall easily surpass that of any that you fight this day, if you prove to be careless against my warning." Sophitia's eyes glittered dangerously as she glared at Siegfried, ((Oh, please, do not be reckless…)), as the armored young man refused to meet her gaze, ((But now is not the time for argument.. lives may be at stake.)) "May Hephaestus's will guide our blades!" Sophitia shouted, kicking Atheas into a gallop, and she sped towards her home town, hoping to come there before another disaster, like the village where she met Siegfried, those weeks ago…
…
Cassandra sat bolt upright in her bed, an awful feeling constricting her head and chest. ((What… what is this horrible sensation?)) Clenching her arms under her breasts, she doubled over in her bed, feeling sick to her stomach. ((I've… never felt something so suffocating, so… unclean…)). Kicking off her simple cotton sheets and shifting her feet from the bed to the floor, Cassandra slowly stood upright, staving off the feeling of weakness and nausea encroaching upon her entire body. Moving towards the window, her toe pushed aside a small, stuffed animal in the shape of a horse, reminding her of the events from the previous night…
… The previous night, at Cassandra's house …
"It's been almost a month!" Sophitia's father shouted, standing up at the dinner table for the 5th time that evening, palms down on the hardwood surface.
"Achelous, sit down! Shouting about it won't help anything, she's made her decision, and now she's gone, the only person that can bring her back is herself." Sophitia's mother said calmly, trying to cool the nerves of her perturbed husband.
"How can I relax, Nike? She went off on that fool quest to chase that fool sword AGAIN, completely disobeying everything I said for the THIRD TIME! Do you not recall when she arrived home, wounds littering her body, muttering strange phrases on her lips, her wits addled? By Hephaestus, Nike, I dare to say my daughter has lost her MIND!"
Achelous's voice echoed in the kitchen, met by the dead silence of Nike, Cassandra, and Rothion, all of whom were seated at the same table enjoying some hard-earned supper.
"I.." Cassandra began, "I'm sorry... if I hadn't-.."
"Hush, child, it is not your fault." Nike comforted the distraught Cassandra, who had been all but bursting to run after her sister ever since Sophitia left weeks ago.
"She must have had a good reason." Rothion said calmly, taking a bite out of a nice loaf of freshly baked bread. "Sophitia is a reasonable… a wonderful… woman, and I am certain she would not make such a decision unless she was absolutely certain it was necessary."
Cassandra looked over at Rothion oddly, remembering how he handed Sophitia a wrapped weapon just before she rode off on Atheas three weeks ago. ((Doesn't he know why she left? Why did he give her a sword?)) "Weren't you-.." Cassandra began, but was abruptly cut off as Rothion spit out a chunk of bread, choking and coughing violently.
"I-I am sorry, I must have choked on a seed. I need some water… please pardon my rudeness." And Rothion stood up, quickly heading outside to draw water from the well, leaving Cassandra watching open-mouthed as the door shut squeakily behind the blacksmith.
"At least Rothion seems to be holding up well… he's such a strong man." Nike commented absently.
Achelous seated himself tiredly, "Yes, at least one part of this family has a good head on his shoulders. Maybe it will eventually rub off on our daughter." And sighing, took a long swig of mead, leaning back in his chair and trying to forget his worries for the moment.
"I'm… I'm tired, I'm going to go to bed." Cassandra said, having no desire to once again deal with the conflict that had continuously pursued nearly every night in the house since Sophitia's departure. Pushing her wooden seat back and standing to her feet, her parents barely gave her a second glance as she quietly padded up the stairs to her bedroom. Pushing the door open with a creak, Cassandra silently slipped into her room, flopping down upon her old, comfortable bed with a sigh. ((Damn it, Sophitia, why did you have to run off like that…)). Reaching down beside her bed, Cassandra plucked up a small, brown stuffed horse, one that Sophitia had purchased for her from the morning market many years ago. Gazing at the black beads that were sewn into the horse's face as eyes, Cassandra suddenly hugged the toy animal to her chest, biting back tears as they unbiddingly dripped down her cheeks.
"Sophitia… I wish you would just… come home…" Cassandra mumbled aloud, clutching the horse to her, and lying back in her back, shifting to her side. Finally allowing the tears to fall freely, Sophitia's little sister sniffled and sobbed, eventually crying herself to a fitful, restless sleep.
… Present time ….
Shaking her head quickly to clear her mind, Cassandra tore her gaze from the small stuffed animal, trying to purge her head of all sentimental thoughts. ((Something is here… something TERRIBLE…)) was all she could think, as she pushed the storm shudders of her windows open. Sunlight poured in, ((Morning, already? I must have overslept…)), as Cassandra swept her eyes across the tree line nearby, searching for what she felt… what she KNEW… was out there…
A huge shape, just beyond the trees, in the cover of shaded darkness, slunk back into the woods, disappearing into the vast expanse of underbrush that bordered Cassandra's small hometown. ((His skin… was it… purple? Or… red, or something? What sort of creature has skin like THAT?)) Cassandra's heart raced as the demon she knew in her heart was as hideous as it was deadly escaped, probably to lay siege to the peaceful village at a more opportune time, or place…
"Mother, FATHER!" Cassandra shouted, rushing down the stairs as she pulled on a tunic, but no one answered her call. ((Damn, they must have already gone to the morning market… there's no time, I have to… I have to go!)). Slipping her feet into her soft suede boots, Cassandra rushed out to the barn, letting the door hang open on its hinges behind her as she pushed open the large wooden barn door. Chickens clucked and scuttled aside as the young woman threw bales of hay out of the way, uncovering a locked wooden strongbox that Sophitia did not realize her sister was aware of. Grabbing the lock, Cassandra fiddled with it briefly, becoming more and more frustrated with her inability to open the rusted contraption.
((Damn…)) she thought to herself, then, "DAMN!" She shouted aloud, searching around desperately for a method of opening the box, and, more importantly, gaining access to the contents therein. Grabbing a heavy iron maul from its place leaning against the side of the barn, she hefted it overhead with both hands. "How about THIS!" swinging the maul down with all her might, the massive metal head smashed into the lock, breaking it open in a single strike. Tossing the farm tool aside haphazardly, Cassandra quickly yanked open the lid, reaching inside the box and pulling out Sophitia's old sword and shield, which she had hidden there years ago. Though badly worn and battered, ((Wow, she must have really been through a lot…)), the fighting implements were still in usable condition, surprisingly, after sitting in the barn for almost 4 years. Strapping the shield to her arm and taking up the blade in her right hand, Cassandra rushed from the barn, running across the cold ground towards the place she last spotted the demonic creature, her heart pounding wildly with fear and apprehension. ((What if… what if I really FIND it? What then? I can't fight as well as Sophitia…)) Her time training with Rothion, though well-spent, still left her a far cry short of her older sister, and she knew it. ((But what choice do I have? I can't just let it roam, whatever it was… oh Hephaestus, please protect me…)).
Bursting into the underbrush, Cassandra soon realized that the demonic creature causing the terrible feeling of dread and dirtiness in her chest had already moved on, perhaps closer to its prey, but, thankfully… or, perhaps not thankfully… it had left a clear trail for her to follow. Taking a deep breath and steeling herself, trying not to think about what would happen if the demon tore off her limbs… or… or ate her head, or crushed her torso or… shaking her head violently, Cassandra set off into the forest, quickly jumping over the clear, sparkling stream that led through the heart of the village, and following the tracks of the monster.
…
Galloping Atheas into town with reckless abandon, Sophitia stopped at nothing, leaping her horse over brush, fallen limbs, and piles of other debris that had littered the ground during the recent storms. Atheas, sensing her urgency, offered no argument, quickly and crisply obeying the commands of his worried master. The two of them soon reached Sophitia's old farm house on the outskirts of town, Sophitia reigning Atheas to a skidding halt, the large horse's hooves sending dirt and chunks of cold mud spewing everywhere as he scrambled for footing. Sophitia dismounted, hitting the ground with a light tap, quickly jogging over to her house, worry creasing her brow.
"Cassandra? Mother, father!" Slapping aside the door, ((Why was it left hanging open? Did they… are they already?)) Sophitia rushed into her home, carelessly tracking dirt and mud from the road onto the carefully swept wooden floor. Taking only a moment to traverse the house, she soon realized that the old building was completely unoccupied. ((Where could they have… Perhaps they fled? But nothing seems out of order… Am I overly paranoid? That footprint could have belonged to… no… no, it was definitely either one of those demons, or … HIM…)).
"The market… Of course, they must have gone to the morning market!" Sophitia exclaimed aloud, hurrying out of the house, flinging the door shut behind her out of old habit. Rushing across the ground, she stepped into Atheas's stirrup, throwing her other leg over the beast and kicking it into a gallop before she had even become settled in the saddle. Reaching back to secure her hair behind her head, Sophitia's heart pounded with urgency as she raced towards the center square of the village, hoping that this time, she would be there in time.
((With luck, the demon has not yet reached the village, and Siegfried will find it in the forest…)) Feeling sudden worry for her companion, Sophitia tried to push the emotion to the back of her mind, ((Siegfried can handle himself… But.. can he handle the Soul Edge? What if it… what if it takes him again! I'm such a fool, I should not have let him go off alone! But what choice did we have?)) Gritting her teeth in frustration, the warrior woman's worry and indecision disappeared in an instant, as a massive splotch of blood dripping from the side of a small baker's cart came into view. ((He's HERE!))
Leaping down from Atheas, Sophitia rushed into the tangle of small tents, carts, and buildings that made up the center square of her village. On this day, once per week, the morning market teemed with activity, salesmen peddling their wares, travelers from afar spreading story and rumor alike, townsfolk picking up dry goods for their home and families. But today… today was different. The market was deathly quiet, no children's laughter, no prices shouted from push carts… no, the market was empty, abandoned, or so it seemed to Sophitia, almost as though the vibrant strand of life that ran through the square had been plucked and left in the air, still humming slightly, its player absent, abandoned in mid-song.
Trotting quickly but carefully through the square, Sophitia kept her eyes and ears opened, watching and listening for any sign of the demon that would soon be her opponent.
"S-stay back!" She heard a familiar face say shakily from just beyond a small shop to her right.
"Father!" Sophitia shouted, ((Thank goodness, he is still alive!)), turning the corner with shield raised, expecting an attack at any moment. "Are you hurt?" She called out to her father, who was standing only a few meters away, dented pot in hand, body shaking from fear and exhaustion. His wife had fallen behind him, clutching her leg with one hand and gritting her teeth in pain, blood oozing from a wound beneath her fingers.
"Soph.. Sophitia? Sophitia, RUN, NOW!" Her father shouted in surprise, head swiveling to take his runaway daughter into view. "There is a… a DEMON, or, or SOMETHING! You must go, GET AWAY from here!" He screamed at her, shaking his pot for emphasis.
Noticing a massive shape emerge from the shadows between two large market tents out of the corner of her eye, Sophitia stepped forward, turning to behold the immense, familiar form before her.
"N-NO, STAY BACK!" Her father cried out, voice cracking as the hulking monstrosity came into view, grinning through wicked, sharpened teeth. "Sophitia, PLEASE, RUN!"
"I would NEVER!" Sophitia screamed, reaching back to draw her blade out viciously, the sound of steel scraping on leather ringing clear through the market square, "Astaroth! This time, you shall not escape the wrath of the Sword of Hephaestus!" stepping in between her father and the servant of Ares, Sophitia took a deep breath, preparing for the terrible battle that was soon to come.
Astaroth chuckled mirthlessly, smirking derisively as he brought his immense, bloodied axe around from his shoulder to hold in both hands.
"Sophitia, please, he is not HUMAN! You cannot defeat him! Do not be a fool, damn you, daughter, as your father I'm ordering you to GO!" Achelous shouted, trying whatever means he could to get his daughter to flee, thoughts racing through his mind, ((Sophitia, please, just this once, listen to me, I could not bear for you to die here as well… you fool girl, don't you realize how worried we've been…))
"No, father. I shall show you what I have been doing while you claim I run off on fool quests for imaginary swords." Sophitia said coldly, dropping into a practiced combat stance. ((I did beat him before, but that was years ago when I was in practice… I hope the past few weeks of training with Siegfried were enough…)). "Come, Astaroth, let us finish what we began five years ago. You disgusting coward, you attack my people to draw me in? You do not deserve repentance, only DEATH!"
Astaroth laughed, a low, baritone rumble, speaking in a hideous, gravelly voice, "Hello, little girl. It has been… a long time. Where is he?" the massive demon queried, seeking the whereabouts of Sophitia's companion.
"Far out of YOUR reach!" Sophitia practically spat at the demon, ((I pray he is… there is no telling what Soul Edge might do if it encountered Astaroth at such close proximity.. Oh, Siegfried, please, do not come to my aid… for your own sake…)).
"It is no matter." Astaroth rumbled, "You will die, and he will come. Then, the sword will be mine. I have heard, and see, how close you have become to the weapon. Perhaps you are sneakier than I suspected… you plan to kill the boy, and take the blade?" Astaroth laughed, provoking the woman.
"NEVER!" Sophitia's voice rang clear in the morning air, "By Hephaestus, I will free that valiant young man from Soul Edge's clutches even if it costs me my own life!"
"And what of the lives of your friends, family… innocents? Will you sacrifice their lives as well?" Astaroth sneered, his disgusting voice rolling over the quiet square like the screams of a thousand tortured souls.
"I shall vanquish ANY who DARE threaten the lives of the innocent! I have had ENOUGH of your twisted chatter! DIE, DEVIL!" Sophitia screamed out in anger, charging forward to engage the massive monster before her.
((By Hephaestus, I have never seen her so full of wrath… is this truly my Sophitia… my little girl?)) Achelous thought to himself with awe, looking on, stunned, as his beautiful daughter leapt into battle with the hideous demon. Nike simply grit her teeth in pain, watching helplessly as her child engaged an incredible opponent thrice her size, wielding an axe as large as a barn support, in mortal combat.
Astaroth hauled his axe around, throwing his large body weight into in a huge slash, intending to cleave the small girl in twain before she could close the distance between them. Though arrogant and immensely strong, even Astaroth remembered how devastating the young woman could be when allowed to come within reach of her biting blade. Sophitia threw herself to the ground, rolling under the powerful strike, and whipped her sword across Astaroth's leg, drawing a line of dark red blood through his thick leather boot. Growling in pain and rage, Astaroth slammed the head of his axe onto the ground as Sophitia rolled aside, nearly crushed by the blow. Easily springing to her feet, Sophitia pressed the attack, chopping twice into the haft of Astaroth's axe as he raised it to fend off her assault. Dropping down to lunge, Sophitia flung her body forward, thrusting her blade in front of her as Astaroth twisted his body to the side, barely avoiding the attack. Coming up with his knee in her gut, the massive demon lifted Sophitia into the air, but the agile woman easily pushed her hands off of the wide expanse of Astaroth's leg, flipping backwards in the air to land squarely on her feet several meters away, unharmed. ((I can feel it!)) Sophitia thought to herself with elation, assessing her next attack. ((This is how it was, back then! I can feel my reflexes, I can see his moves! I remember… what it is to be a warrior!)).
Astaroth chuckled in his low, rumbling voice, "I thought you would have lost some skill, over the years since we last met, loafing around in this paltry village. Hmph.. Perhaps I was mistaken. However, your old skill will not win you this battle… my power has doubled since our last meeting." Grinning a wide, toothy grin, Astaroth flicked his huge axe to the side, sending a spray of blood from the blade onto a nearby wall, then clasped the weapon once again in both hands, eyeing his opponent eagerly, licking his lips in anticipation of her next attack.
Sophitia shuffled to the side, carefully attempting to gain a strategic position over the huge creature. ((Doubled? No… he must be lying, it is a trick, to demoralize me, and gain an advantage… it MUST be! Hephaestus, grant me the strength to fell this monstrous being!)) Darting forward, she feinted a lunge for Astaroth's head, quickly turning her attack into a cut for the beast's unarmored leg. The huge servant of Ares brought his axe around with a single hand, smashing the haft of the weapon across Sophitia's sword as the axe head slammed into the stones of the jeweler's shop protecting the young woman's flank. Pieces of stone flew everywhere, knocked apart by the immense, pick-like axe wielded by Astaroth. Sophitia ducked low as the demon hauled back his axe, swinging fast for her head, the entire upper half of the weapon smashing through a merchant's tent as it flew well beyond its intended mark. Instinctively acting upon the opportunity, Sophitia reflexively thrust for Astaroth's gut, cursing inwardly as her blade skipped off of the hard metal armor worn at the creature's waist. Whirling around and raising her shield just in time to block a massive blow from the butt end of the overly large axe, Sophitia stumbled backwards, nearly stunned from the force of the attack. The two warriors glared at each other, circling, seeking an opening, any opening, any provocation for another strike…
Feeling her limbs burn with inner fire, Sophitia felt all of her old skill return, there were no gaps, no questions, no doubts… only the adrenaline flowing through her veins, and the victory that lay at the end of the awful struggle…
"I would offer you surrender, but you are not worthy of an act of such mercy." Sophitia said coolly, keeping her eyes focused on Astaroth's great weapon.
"You are the one who should beg for mercy, little GIRL!" Astaroth shouted angrily, beginning to lose his battle calm to frustration, ((Why isn't this damned girl DYING? I should have easily crushed her by now!)). Bringing his axe behind and over his head, "I will DESTROY YOU, WORM!" the demon focused all of his soul energy and might into a single, devastating attack, orange and green flames spinning along the head of his humongous cleaver. "RAAAAAHHH!" Letting out an awful, horribly loud demonic growl, Astaroth lifted his foot, hauling his weapon into the sky with all of his power, bringing it down upon the slender, athletic woman who dared defy him.
Sophitia, seeing the attack coming and recognizing its deadliness, flung herself to the side, hitting the ground hard and rolling away, back on her feet in an instant. The huge, fiery axe slammed into the ground, erupting into flame and molten rock like a volcano bursting from the earth. A huge crack opened in the ground, creeping underneath the front wall of the jeweler's store, causing the entire structure to collapse in on itself in a cloud of dust, dirt and debris. Seething in rage from his failed strike, Astaroth heaved his weapon around, swinging it overhead as Sophitia backpedaled out of reach, the axe head crashing through two support beams for a nearby awning.
Achelous covered his head with his hands as the awning fell down, nearly striking him in the forehead, and he quickly scrambled back to position himself once again in front of his injured wife. ((I cannot believe… by Hephaestus, my daughter is still alive..! How can she fight such a creature…! Such skill… I had no idea!)).
Keeping her mouth shut, Nike quickly pushed aside the fallen cloth and wood from the awning, freeing up her hands so that she would have at least some chance of defending herself if the need arose. Attempting to put weight on her leg yielded poor results, for she felt the limb quickly collapse underneath her. Resigning to wait behind her courageous husband, and pray for her valorous daughter, Nike curled her leg underneath her and pushed herself as far back as possible against the building behind her.
((He HAS gotten stronger…)) Sophitia thought to herself, ((I'll need to be quick about this if I am to defeat him… I will not be able to withstand a prolonged fight…)). Holding up her guard in front of her, Sophitia darted forward in a mock attack, hoping to provoke the enraged Astaroth into striking out and losing his balance. The massive demon, approaching anger beyond reason, fell for the simple stratagem, sweeping his axe downwards in a crescent-shaped motion, howling like a spawn from the deepest pits of hell. Side-stepping the attack agilely, Sophitia swung with all her might, slamming her shield across the monstrosity's face, sending droplets of blood spewing from the demon's mouth across the ruined buildings nearby. Leveling her blade for the final, fatal strike, the warrior woman was momentarily distracted by a shape, flitting between buildings out of the corner of her eye. And there, another, ten meters up and to the right… ((Damn, assassins? Why did I not notice them earlier? There are at least two of them…)).
Using Sophitia's distraction to quickly recover from the stunning blow to his jaw, Astaroth brought the haft of his axe back around in a powerful sweep, intending to knock the smaller woman clean off of her feet and onto the sharp rock-strewn ground. Acting upon reflex alone, Sophitia crossed her blade behind her shield, holding them both up together just barely in time to block the huge beast's strike. The wooden haft of Astaroth's immense axe plowed into Sophitia's shield with a crashing noise of wood hitting metal, throwing the woman backwards several steps to slam into the side of a small stone building painfully. Head smacking back to against the rocks, Sophitia stumbled to the side, dizzy and reeling from the attack, trying desperately to keep her guard up.
Luckily, Astaroth was, by now, wary of the agile woman's skill, and kept several steps back, using his range to his advantage rather than closing with the woman and risking close-quarter devastation. Seething with rage, the huge demon spat blood onto the ground from his mangled mouth, "You will pay for that, human." Hauling his axe back into position, the demon glanced to the left and right, seeking any sign of his stealthy companions.
Their presence was quickly revealed by the scream emitted from Nike's mouth, as both hellish assassins converged from between the snaky alleys of the market square, scampering out directly in front of Sophitia's father Achelous.
"Mother!" Sophitia cried out, watching both demonic creatures advance on her parents with wickedly sharp falchions. Gritting her teeth in frustration, Sophitia watched helplessly, ((I cannot reach them without going through Astaroth! Hephaestus, please, help us!)), forgetting about the risk of Soul Edge consuming Siegfried's body as her parents lives hung by a thread, ((Siegfried…where are you? We need you!)) as Achelous hollered threats to the pair of deadly warriors,
"Stay back! I warn you, I will not take mercy on you!" As if bolstered by his daughter's words of earlier, Achelous found the courage to stand his ground, waving his dented pot menacingly at his opponents.
"And now what, little girl? Now you ALL die." Astaroth rumbled in his awful voice of iron and gravel, smirking an evil, twisted grin.
But then, suddenly, "Halt! In the name of Hephaestus, I challenge thee, devils!" A voice, somehow familiar, echoed through the market square, as the figure of a man wielding a blade and shield rounded the corner in a dead sprint, skidding to a stop between the assassins and Sophitia's parents. "I shall not allow you to take another step forward! Have at thee, villains!"
…
Elsewhere, two valiant souls were about to collide…
End chapter 8.
Who is this mysterious person who has shown up to give aid? Most of you probably already know who it is.
Oh well, originally I had this chapter and chapter 9 all as one big chapter, but I decided to split them in half because I felt like an 18 page chapter was a little too long for a fanfic. I hope you enjoyed it. That's why this one ends a little abruptly. Sorry about that. I might go and touch it up a bit later.