Chapter 1

The innkeeper suspiciously eyed the slight, twin scimitars that hung on the girl's belt as she bent over the counter to pay. She slid the lump of coins across the counter, then tossed him one more for a tip. He shrugged. He didn't care what weapons she brought into the inn, she had come and gone without any stir, and paid well to boot. Still, he examined her as she finished her drink and made to walk out onto the street. She was small built, and looked to be very young, not yet twenty. The hood or her cloak was pulled down low over her face, hiding her facial features save the black, focused eyes. She had obviously seen much travel, as her boots were well-worn and muddy. Her pack hung on her back comfortably, as if she had worn it for many miles.

She glanced back at the inn once more before walking out. The innkeeper shrugged again and went back to his cleaning.

Yunsung was looking out from the rail on the deck of the small boat he and his companions were sailing on. His companion Kilik was practicing forms with his staff when it slipped and clipped the unsuspecting Yunsung on the back of the head. "OW!" yelped Yunsung, and then with a look of rage on his face he turned angrily towards Kilik.

"Well, I'm sorry!" Kilik said in a tone that showed he really wasn't at all. "You shouldn't have been standing in my way!"

"In your way?" Yunsung bellowed. "I was just sitting here, minding my own business, when--"

"Your big butt was in my way!" Kilik reiterated, abandoning all hope of keeping peace.

Just then, Talim walked up, seemingly oblivious to the argument. "Do I have a big butt, Kilik?" She looked up at him with big, sparkling eyes.

Kilik didn't want to answer yes or no to this flirtatious little girl, and he didn't have to, because when he made to speak she had already turned her attention to Yunsung.

"Bend down. Let me see your head. Does it hurt? It looks kind of red--"

"It always looks like that, Talim! I've got red hair!" He roared, not in the mood to deal with her attention.

The entire party on the ship, which numbered nine in all, was on the deck at that time, though none of them even gave a second thought to the commotion. They had all grown used to arguments between the cocky Yunsung and the more peace-loving Kilik. The boys knew the importance of the mission they were on, but try as they might, they just couldn't bring themselves to get along.

It was surprising that they were the only ones that didn't cooperate out of the bunch. They were all of different nationalities, ages, and opinions, but other than Kilik and Yunsung, they pretty much left each other alone. They had all come together for one purpose: to eliminate The Inferno and destroy Soul Edge.

Raphael was the oldest, and in a way the leader of the mission. In his early thirties, he was more mature and experienced than everyone else, and he was also the most determined. He was from Rouen, France, and his refinement only added to his respectability.

Kilik, in his early twenties, was also mature in a way, but he had yet to shake the boyish confidence and pride that caused him to clash with Yunsung. Kilik was from China, and he was very reputed for his fighting ability all over Asia, causing a built-in reason for Yunsung to be envious.

Then there was Yunsung, from Korea. Eighteen and a well-trained fighter, he was extremely cocky and somewhat self-absorbed. He took pride in his fighting ability, though it never failed to upset him that Kilik's name was more well-known.

Much adoring of the two young men was Talim, hailing from Southeast Asia. At 15, she was a determined little flirt, and did everything in her power to make the two boys notice her. Though she would like them to believe she was a good fighter and could take care of herself, she was much dependent on those around her, especially Raphael, who had taken her under his wing.

The other female on the trip was the harsh, arrogant Ivy. She came from London, England, and she was thoroughly unpopular within the company. Her sole purpose for wanting to destroy Soul Edge was because the wielder of one of the Swords was Cervantes, her father. Her only thought was destroying him. The only reason she teamed up with everyone else was because she knew each one's worth in battle. She did, however, provide the company with a strong, independent female warrior.

The last of the company was Nightmare. Not much was known about this quiet, pensive, blonde-haired wielder of Soul Edge. He didn't socialize much, and when he did it was to tell some dark tale of the world long ago. He seemed to be ashamed of something constantly, and he had much to be ashamed of. The whole company knew his reputation, though they didn't speak of it at all.

Aside from this company, on the ship, the Red Wing, there was the captain and two crew members they had hired to take them across the sea to the ends of the earth where their mission was to take place.