Series Title: Monstrosities
Author: D.L. SchizoAuthoress
Rating: R
Notes: For the first time, Tira meets up with a character from previous games in this chapter, rather than a bunch of original characters. Oh, and as a warning? The pairing for this story is Nightmare x Tira.
Monstrosities : Willing Slave
a soul calibur 3 fanfic by d.l. schizoauthoress
Tira leans over the rail of the ship, letting the wind ruffle her blue-green hair. Her newest vehicle, called Soloro, is much smaller than the Dutch ship she'd boarded to come to Spain, but it is also faster. She needs to track down information on Soul Edge and Nightmare, quickly. Her Watchers had descended upon the port soon after she'd found out about Nightmare and, following her instructions, attacked the crew of this ship while she went after the captain.
She'd lasted longer than most, probably because the closed quarters of her cabin, where Tira found her, had restricted the attacks that the young assassin could perform. But now, the captain is simply a dead body nailed to the main mast, where Tira's Watchers feast on her rotting flesh. The mariners that survived the initial attack serve Tira out of fear. Tira smirks, knowing that they will all be dead by the time that she reaches her destination.
---
In a few days, Tira disembarks from the ruin of Soloro in a lifeboat, and crosses the remainder of the Mediterranean Sea alone, with only her Watchers for company. When she comes in sight of land, Tira continues her journey on foot.
Later, with several fire-gutted and otherwise destroyed taverns and dead men behind her, Tira has enough clues to piece together a map of events. It seemed that the immortal pirate, Cervantes de Leon, former owner of Soul Edge, had been defeated in combat nearly eight years prior, around the same time that Tira's unit of Bird of Passage had dissolved. Similar events had occured all over the world, and the whole phenomenon was being called 'the Evil Seed'. The appearance of Nightmare, also known as the Azure Knight, coincided with the 'Evil Seed', and he had terrorized Europe for many years--years that Tira had spent in the Joutenheimen. Even though Cervantes was believed to still hold one of his two Soul Edge blades, Nightmare had possession of the other, which had taken the fearsome form of a giant Zweihander-type sword. This style of sword was preferred by some of the men in Schwarzwind, which was a band of mercenaries and thieves.
Tira smiles as she sits down on the ground, knees drawn up close to her chest, her shining Aiselne Drossel flat on the ground around her. The silver, wing-shaped blades gleam red with blood in the sunlight as she counts out the money she scavenged from the bodies of Schwarzwind men. Enough to support her for a month! How greedy these men must have been, and how used to luxury! The slow and stupid way that they'd defended themselves spoke clearly enough on that point.
And now, Ostrheinsburg Castle awaits her--Ostrheinsburg, Nightmare's former headquarters, and where he is believed to be, even now. Tira reflects on the fact that many crossroads in her life have been in Germany--her first kill, the terrible rain that thrust her from her assassin's life into the ordinary world, and now what she hopes will be the gaining of a new master.
She can hardly wait.
---
In the prime of its existence, Ostrheinsburg Castle had been hailed as an equal to Venice in regards to the canal system. Boats and rafts had traversed the whole of the fortress, bustling with the business of normal people living normal lives. A city had begun to develop. Two decades ago, Sir Stefan had taken Ostrheinsburg as a refuge and ruled the surrounding lands with justice and mercy. During a siege of the castle in the same year that the Azure Knight came into being, Sir Stefan was betrayed by one of his castle guard, a talented young mercenary named Siegfried Schtauffen. Siegfried brutally murdered the noble old knight and stole Grimblade, Sir Stefan's legendary sword and most prized possession.
After the fall of Ostrheinsburg, the Bird of Passage converged on the ruins, only to die on that old battlefield like so many others. Nightmare came to the fortress soon enough, and perpetuated the horror. For three years, Ostrheinsburg Castle served as the base of operations for a loosely allied group of evil murderers. The dwellers of Ostrheinsburg's fledgling city abandoned the once-fertile lands, fearing for their lives. But suddenly, at the end of those three years, the partnership dissolved, and Nightmare mysteriously abandoned the old castle.
No one knew why the Azure Knight left his stronghold, but whispered tales of blessed warriors from the far East circulated, saying that he'd been weakened, in fact nearly defeated by the trio. Nightmare was next reported to be wandering the world, and for a time, he only killed under the cover of night, true to his name. He gathered much strength from the stolen souls of his victims, and vanished for a short time on a quest for even more power, only to reemerge on the scene like a beserker. Whole armies fell when he attacked them.
---
Nightmare has travelled the long, difficult path from the Lost Cathedral to Ostrheinsburg, harvesting souls and recreating his notorious reputation as he goes. And finally, having achieved some stability in his new corporeal form, Nightmare rests. The despoiled cathedral in the castle ruins is his chosen haven.
'And fittingly so,' he decides, 'since I died and was reborn in another abandoned place of worship.'
Day by day, with each soul he feeds to his blade, Nightmare's physical body strengthens. Soon, he will be able to remove the blue armor that hides his twisted form. Then he will be ready to begin his quest, ready to reclaim the true blade of Soul Edge. Red eyes glare out at the world, ever searching for souls to appease his terrible hunger.
And day by day, though it is unknown to him, a willing slave makes the long, difficult journey to be by his side.
---
Tira's hopes are fulfilled as she approaches the old castle. She recognizes the location from her memory, and knows that Nightmare resides within from the rumors that she has followed, but it is more than knowledge that allows her to identify the man. She has boarded a small raft, carrying only Bifrost with her, and is floating along with the currents when he appears outside the wrecked chapel.
The moment she sees him and locks gazes with those glowing eyes, red and hot as freshly spilled blood, an unholy voice from within her whispers...kindred soul!
For a moment, one of Tira's hands rests on a spot just below her left breast, trying in vain to cool a sudden, sharp pulse of pain. Uncertain of why she hurts there, Tira nonetheless leaps out of the raft onto the bank of the canal. Nightmare lifts his huge blade, and, realizing that he is about to attack her, Tira flings her ringblade away. She prostrates herself on the ground, crying out,
"Master!"
This declaration gives Nightmare pause. On one hand, he could kill this girl easily, feed her soul to his blade and rip the Soul Edge fragment from her body. But...
"Oh, Master! Oh, Nightmare," Tira cries, overcome with emotion. "Please accept this humble slave's offer of servitude! If I can serve you in any way--mind, body, or soul--I beg you, become my master, please!"
Nightmare stares down at the scantily-clad young woman kowtowing in the mud. He senses in her a roiling storm of conflicting emotion. She feels both joy and terror at facing him, mixed with fear and despair lest he reject her. If he was at full strength, instead of weakened by his resurrection, he wouldn't even have hesitated. But he speaks to her, a low growl that is not without curiousity.
"Look at me."
Tira's heart lightens at the authoratative note in Nightmare's deep voice. She lifts herself onto her knees and stares up at him. Even if she wasn't kneeling on the ground, he would tower over her. From this vantage point, though, he looks like a dark, netherworld god passing judgement upon her. Tira is suddenly, embarrassingly aware that her face and green outfit are splotchy with mud, but she doesn't dare wipe it away, doesn't dare act without his command.
'Such a dark soul, so stained with death and pain.' Nightmare muses as he stares into her wide purple eyes. 'Such a strong fighter, and so young...' He smirks, though it goes unseen behind the face-guard of his helm, 'So submissive and pliant to my will, if I wish.'
Nightmare reaches down with his monstrous right hand, slips a single clawed digit beneath the girl's chin, and tilts her face upward, studying her profile. She trembles violently, but it is not from fear. The look on her face is one of rapture, and she breathes softly, "Master..."
"Tell me your name, and why you are worthy to serve me."
"I am Tira," she answers him, "I was once an assassin of the Bird of Passage. The Evil Seed wiped them out, at least those of us who were here. I lived with a foster family after that, but I've killed them all. Since then, I've wandered the world, looking for someone to be my master. I know..." Here she pauses, as if wondering how best to phrase the next portion of her reply.
She takes a breath, and continues. "I know that you kill to feed your demonic blade. I kill because it is all I have known, since I was very young, and I am very good at it. I will kill for you, for Soul Edge...I will do whatever you ask of me, because we are the same kind of creature, but you are much greater than I. Let me serve you, Nightmare! I will be a good slave, I swear it!"
Without a word, Nightmare grabs her by one shoulder and lifts her high in the air. His huge, misshapen hand tightens around her body, squeezing the life from her. Tira convulses as greenish-white bolts of lightning--her soul-energy--course through her body and into Nightmare's.
"You are of no use to me," Nightmare roars. "Only your soul is of any value, and Soul Edge hungers for that!"
"Take it!" Tira screams ecstatically, thrashing in his grip. "Take it, Master; my life is yours!"
At this, Nightmare smiles. New vitality--stronger than most, freely given--fills him. He ceases to drain the young woman's lifeforce and lowers her to the ground. "Tira," he says, his voice surprisingly gentle, "you have proven your worth to me. I accept you as my slave."
Tira's whole body shakes, both from the physical strain of having her lifeforce siphoned off and from the emotional exhaustion of winning over her new master. But she stays on her feet, though she sways a bit as tears spill onto her cheeks. "Oh, Master..." she chokes out, "Thank you, master mine."
"Come, Tira," he commands, "Bring your weapon and follow me."
Nightmare leads his new slave into Ostrheinsburg Chapel. Tira stares with wonder at the place, ignoring the fact that it is partially destroyed. The vaulted roof is still whole, though some of the non-supporting pillars have been cracked or smashed, and the stained-glass windows are missing a few panes. Several of the pews are ripped from their moorings and broken to mere sticks of firewood. It is still impressive and beautiful.
'And,' she thinks, taking in a deep breath and tasting the blood and death on the air, 'it smells like home.' Aloud, she asks, "Master?"
"Yes, slave?"
"You don't live in the castle, Master?"
Nightmare turns to look over his shoulder at her. "I did, once. Not now."
"I like this place!" Tira exclaims, to reassure him that she does not imply any criticism of his living arrangements. She dares to ask a few more questions. "Master, where do I sleep? Will you need me to stand guard?"
Nightmare indicates the wide steps leading up to the altar of the church. At the foot of the altar itself, there is a pile of bedding. "You will be here, near me. And there is no need to stand guard, for no one would risk approaching this fortress."
Tira nods, but makes a mental note to have her flock of Watchers keep a lookout for tresspassers anyway. She walks over and sits on the altar steps, hugging her knees. Unbidden, her head hangs low and her eyelids droop.
"I suppose," Nightmare says, "that you are tired. The fragment of Soul Edge that you carry in your body gives you more endurance, but not that much." He stops, amused by the shock on her face. "What? Did you not know of the shard embedded in your flesh?"
"No. No, Master."
Nightmare reaches out with his left hand and caresses her breast, lifting it slighly. His hand then drifts down to touch the narrow, reddish scar hidden just below, right where she had felt that sudden pain upon seeing him. "It is right here. I hear it calling to me, singing out to me..."
"If you need it, I will cut it out of me!" Tira murmurs, once more trembling at his touch.
"No..." Nightmare replies, "Not yet. Through this shard, I will always know where you are, my slave. In fact..." The man goes up the stairs and overturns a pouch sitting on the altar. Several fragments of metal, all of different sizes, but all of the same dull red color, spill out of it. He turns back to Tira, "These shards, which I gained after killing a creature known as Charade, are of no use to me until I can reclaim the true blade of Soul Edge. Later, I will give you some as a gift. For now, Tira, you must sleep."
"Yes, master mine," Tira says softly. "You are kind to your slave."
Nightmare looks down at the young woman curled up at his feet. Tira lies with her head pillowed on her folded arms, the hard lines of her face softened by sleep. He has only been gone a few hours, mostly to gather the souls of some bandits he sensed on the outskirts of Ostrheinsburg. But he has also seen evidence of Tira's handiwork, which was probably why the bandit group had come so close to his fortress--they had wanted vengeance, but had only found death by his blade.
Also, he'd discovered Tira's camp, hidden in the forest on the southwestern edge of his territory. What gave him the most trouble was transporting her mount and pack animal, a spirited coal-black stallion. The beast was like his mistress, small in size, but he more than made up for it in spirit and stubborness. Nightmare had tethered him outside on a long lead, and the stallion had settled down for grazing.
Suddenly, Nightmare wonders why he bothered. He should have returned and wakened Tira, and ordered her to do it herself. She is, after all, his slave. A very beautiful slave (of that there could be no doubt), but a slave nonetheless.
"Tira." He says, testing the sound of her name.
Immediately, the assassin jolts awake, and springs into a ready crouch. She gazes around the cathedral, and replies with a crisp, "Yes, Master!" as she determines her surroundings to be safe.
Nightmare smiles. 'I could get used to this.'
TO BE CONTINUED...