Tainted Souls, Tainted Swords

Chapter Eighteen: A Harsh Lesson

Tira sat with the inner part of the Ring Blade resting on her shoulder (the inner portion of the ring, obviously, was not a blade), watching as the Greek mother rode and the woman in the blanket moved back into the barn. She bitterly watched Sophitia, unconsciously scratching the scar the Greek had left her with. Then she disappointedly turned her attention to the ninja, "the demon in the fog . . . I get my hopes up and travel all this way and for what? Nothing."

Springing up, she snatched the ring blade over her head and brought it down harshly upon a poor unsuspecting rodent. She held up her weapon, running her fingertips along the blade where the blood had stained it. "So disappointing." Tira had not come for the Greek mother – sheer coincidence had brought them back together – instead she searched after the monstrosity in the fog. A monstrosity that had been cured before she arrived. Someone with the same blood lust as her. But not here. Not anymore. The Greek had cured it, and all that remained was a harmless woman with dark hair.

Plunging the ring blade into the animal carcass, Tira slowly rotated the weapon so blood would streak across the entire circumference. "I bet that evil seed knight is just as pathetic as you. He probably walks in circles too for no reason. I could probably sneak up and kill him like I could you. Pitiful. Not worth my time." She was talking to herself again, but who cared? Who would know? Not that worthless lady in the village. Not anybody. "I'm wasting my time searching."

Nevertheless, the possibility of meeting another with the same mindset as her intrigued her. She held up her bloodied weapon, studying the random pattern of crimson upon it. Life was depressingly lonely and empty. Even the severely demented appreciated like-minded company, even if conversation never resulted. Just to have one person who didn't gasp in horror at her whimsical desire to murder. One person who simply nodded respectfully if she showed up with blood stains on her skin.

Tira rested her weapon upon her shoulder so that it crossed her body diagonally down (and she'd have to pull it over her head to fight), as she always did to carry it and started walking in the direction Sophitia went. Not necessarily to start another fight. She wanted to slash that Greek bitch to ribbons, but wouldn't bother trying until she had a way to get rid of the shield. In town there were people, and where there were people there might be leads to the knight with the oversized sword. The one holding Soul Edge. The one like her.

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And as one threat left, another threat arrived – one that would not let the weakened ninja be.

Just as Taki had hidden Mekk-maru and closed the trap door to the secret compartment containing contraband the main doors to the barn opened dramatically. Standing in Silhouette stood a tall figure cloaked in white and black robes. In one hand he held a large scythe that reflected sunlight from its blade in the ninja's eyes.

Taki instinctively whipped the cloak off and, still clad in her slashed red outfit, she drew Rekki-maru. "Who are you?"

"I've come for the shard within the sword," he said, ever so slightly adjusting his scythe to keep ninja blinded by the light, "surrender it, and you shall not be harmed."

With her free hand Taki shielded her eyes from the blinding light. "I surrender nothing."

A smile of faint amusement crossed the colored man's face – though Taki couldn't see it – as he continued, "Your dedication to this cause is admirable, even noble; however, the shard is too much for such a weak woman. I shall bear the burden for you."

"I'm strong enough to do what must be done," Taki answered out of defiance, despite the whole afternoon she spent pondering whether she truly could. Rekki-maru detected a dark aura – not demonic in nature – but still dark, none-the-less, in this man. An aura she'd not seen before. Sophitia she could trust with Mekki-maru. Her aura was pure. But this man, she knew not what his intentions were. "You don't know what you're dealing with. Leave or die. That is my final warning."

Zasalamel, shook his head at the irony of the situation – for it was she who knew not of the powers she messed with. Zasalamel knew all too well. But he did not answer with words. He stepped just inside the barn where he could no longer blind Taki with the dying daylight.

"I warned you," Taki said under her breath, and hopped onto a bail of hay then leapt into action. In midair she flipped, only to descend with a summersault kick a fatal swipe from Rekki-maru. She'd bring a swift end to this fight, but the Egyptian sidestepped much faster than Taki had anticipated. Her attacks struck abandoned air.

"Fool." Zasalamel commented. Before the ninja could recover from her acrobatic moves, the staff portion of his scythe struck the back of Taki's legs with tremendous force bringing Taki down to her knees. In the same instant he grabbed a handful of her raven hair and said, "You're no match for me in your current condition." Then to drive home his point, he used his scythe to hook the barn door. Taki's eyes widened, but it was too late. With a swift tug, Zasalamel slammed the barn door into the ninja's face. Then he threw the stunned woman to the ground. "The sword burdens and haunts you. You're weakened, warrior from the far East. You might have been a challenge before, but now you're crippled."

Sensing that Zasalamel would allow her to rise, Taki answered, "Soul Edge has weakened me, but it has not crippled me," and she pushed herself to her feet, where she took an en guard stance and faced the dark-skinned man, "I won't let you have Mekki-maru."

Zas stood casually, not in any type of en guard. Matter of factly he informed the ninja, "this is a fight you can't win."

"You're wrong," the ninja answered, talking solely to buy her time to analyze his weapon more closely – figure out its range, attack possibilities, and if he ever went back into a stance she'd study that too. Then formulate a winning strategy, "I'm still strong enough to hold my own. I'm strong enough to defeat you."

Almost sadly, the Egyptian shook his head. "A true warrior chooses his fights carefully," and finally he gripped his weapon for the coming battle, "you force me to teach you a harsh lesson today. You will pay dearly for your ignorance."

"We'll see," and both waited for the other to make a move, circling each other in the spacious barn that now seemed claustrophobic with weapons drawn. And then almost casually, Zasalamel advanced before making two vertical swipes at Taki. The ninja eased back, staying out of range, and bided her time. Zasalamel continued the advance with a low sweep that would have tripped Taki up had she tried to advance.

Her back touched the barn wall, and the ninja dove to the side, popped up, and circled again to keep herself from being cornered. "Take your time Taki." She told herself, knowing she couldn't rely on her honed battle instinct – she'd have to find the opening the hard way.

And the cycle semi-repeated – Zas performed two vertical swipes followed by another low sweep – this time a two sweep combo.

"Sweep to catch me in case I sidestep the vertical slashes," she said to herself, and now armed with that knowledge she awaited the next attack string. Wait, counter, kill. Easy enough.

For the third time, the Egyptian lead off with a pair of vertical strikes, and Taki guard impacted the low sweep that never came. He'd tricked her into leaving herself vulnerable. "Oldest trick in the book," Zas fiercely thrust the blunt portion of the heavy scythe blade into Taki's wounded midsection – the tender spot where Sophitia had run her through when she was possessed – and the ninja doubled over. "I would know," Zas stated as he twirled his weapon, and fluidly uppercut Taki before she could defend herself.

On her back, seeing stars, Taki rolled over and weakly attempted to rise to her feet out of instinct – but Zasalamel had extended all the generosity he intended to give her. He bludgeoned her with his scythe, and flattened Taki against the floor of the barn. She would have to scramble and struggle just to stand. Rolling to avoid another vicious bashing, Taki sprung to her feet but Zasalamel was upon her. His scythe forever in motion, striking at her with the speed and precision of a viper. Not to kill, but to bludgeon her into submission. To teach this foolish girl a lesson.

Taki had no room to breath, Rekki-maru never had time to go on the offensive. Zasalamel expertly attacked to draw her sole sword into blocking position so the other end of his scythe could smash her ribs. Taki stumbled back surprised to find the wall right there – as her mind took a second to register her predicament she suffered another bludgeoning blow to the midsection, sandwiched between the scythe and the wall. Her left arm wrapped around her wounded abdomen, and it took all her concentration from doubling over again. Zas brushed her sword out of the way, and flattened the battered Taki against the wall with another powerful blow. Her legs buckled, and Taki could barely bring Rekki-maru up to defend herself.

Zasalamel feinted, and lured Taki's sword to precisely the place he wanted – then he maneuvered the blade of his weapon around hers and ripped it from her hands. Then he buried the blunt end of the scythe into her midsection again – this time with all the strength he could muster, hammering the air from her lungs. Se doubled over virtually paralyzed from the force of that blow. She saw Rekki-maru come to a rest near the trap door to the hidden compartment, far from any hope of reaching.

Once again she'd lost miserably because of Mekki-maru – because of Soul Edge and the demon. Her refined instincts were not where she needed them. And now she was at the mercy of this colored man. Still bent in half, both arms around her sore midsection, she continued to fight to get her wind back. What hope did she have of winning now?

"Lesson's over, ninja." He stated, gripping her by the hair, and straightening Taki out against the barn wall. She made a vain attempt at an offensive, but Zas blocked with the scythe and she wound up punching the staff portion of it. Doing more harm to her hand. To her surprise, Zasalamel did not finish her with the blade. No, he used his weapon like a quarterstaff and pummeled the living daylights out of her. One end struck her left arm her, the other popped her right knee. The first end of the staff smashed her ribs, making her double over again and Zasalamel straightened her out and flattened her against the wall with an uppercut.

Zasalamel kept her pinned against the wall, and continued the vicious combo until the muscles in her legs finally gave, and she slid down to the ground still in a seated position. Out cold.

"Fortunately for you, I'm concerned only with my own death." And he left the unconscious ninja where she lie in pursuit of what he came here for. Zasalemel immediately went to the trap door and opened it up. The secret compartment, the 'basement', opened up to him. Glowing with the golden aura of all its contraband and hidden treasures, but he never regarded them as anything more than a hiding place for the sword. Where did she hide Mekki-maru? Indeed, she had found an excellent hiding place. A quick glance did not reveal its location, nor did a thorough search.

But that wouldn't stop Zasalamel. He'd discovered and unlocked the secretive arts of reincarnation, his memories extend through the millennia, a mortal could not hide a fragment of Soul Edge from him for very long. From within his cloak, he produced a pouch with ingredients for his spell. He spoke the forbidden words, and his hands shaped the magic that would reveal Mekki-maru's location. Within minutes, his form glow blue with the magical energy and no more than half an hour had passed and Mekki-maru was in his hands at last.

Magic he could not call upon for a fight, but he never needed to rely on such sorcery for battle.

Emerging from the hidden room, he found the battered ninja dragging herself to Rekki-maru. Her hand was only inches away when he scooped her weapon up, and tucked it into his belt next to Mekki-maru. Taki bit her lip, and balled up her outstretched hand into a tight fist. Then weakly, she looked up at Zasalamel who shook his head, "Apparently you haven't learned your lesson . . ."

Taki bowed her head and gulped.

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The most unnerving moments involve drawn weapons, but no actual combat. Sophitia saw her from a distance – the assassin she had encountered previously – and without thinking she instinctively drew her sword. Shield gripped tightly, and her horse quickened its pace.

The assassin walked at a relaxed but steady pace, the weapon slung over her shoulder. The green clad youth kept her head down, seemingly not paying attention to the world around her. Needless to say, this triggered Sophitia's suspicions and she slowed her horse to proceed with extreme caution. When Tira was roughly fifty feet away, the Greek called out calmly but firmly, "Halt you!" Her emotions had calmed since the previous encounter, and she quietly vowed not to let this assassin manipulate her into another rage. No matter what she said – no matter she threatened – Sophitia would act dutifully in the name of Hephaestus.

But Tira didn't acknowledge at all. She continued walking, her gaze stayed glued to the path in front of her. There was no doubt in Sophitia's mind that Tira was keenly aware, though.

"I said stop!" No response. "I'm warning you!" But it was useless, leaving Sophitia at a loss for what to do. She didn't want to outright attack this clearly disturbed girl unprovoked, but at the same time Sophitia knew plain as day the threat Tira posed. This girl, this assassin, had something in mind. Some sort of trap set. That's why she's not acknowledging!

The Greek scanned the area nearby – no tree line nearby, no hiding places. Just open fields for at least fifty or so yards. Despite the deceptive surroundings, danger lurked . . . right? 'It's a lure to get me close.' That had to be it. If she gets close enough, she'll spring her attack. Sophitia called out, "If you come any closer, I will strike you down!"

That made Tira stop and look up at her as though Sophitia were some psychopath suffering from severe hallucinations. Matter of factly, the assassin shrugged, "Whatever." And changed directions – moving from the roads to the open fields to circle around Sophitia.

What the . . . ? "What's your game?" Sophitia called out, standing her ground. For the life of her she could not make sense of this weird blue-green haired girl. One night she attacks for no reason while making small talk, and now she's acting like they'd never met. Something was seriously wrong with her. "Answer me!"

"Leave me alone."

"Answer me first!" Sophitia could go without a fight, but she deserved an explanation for the attack on the mountain top and the threat against her children. "What are you doing?"

Tira walked a few paces, apparently warring with herself over what to do – she did have something in mind! A decision came with a heavy sigh. The glare she gave was hateful, and the tone in her voice filled with venomous mockery, "But I don't wanna fight mommy!"

Even though she had mentally prepared herself for the verbal provocation, Sophitia's jaw dropped. She remembered her vow on the mountain that one of them would not survive their next encounter, and adjusted her sword and shield. The Greek wouldn't attack just yet. But if this kept up, blood would spill—

"I'd be more worried about your raven-haired friend." The Assassin bluffed, having no knowledge of the Egyptian Zasalamel's visit with Taki. Tira never slowed her pace as she looked on to the town down the road, "Should have left your shield with her. But don't worry. I didn't kill her. I stopped when she passed out from blood loss. Maybe if you hurry she won't bleed to death."

"You're lying!" Sophitia snapped defiantly, but she looked down the road and her heart went out to Taki. The ninja could take care of herself . . . uninjured.

And Tira held up her ring blade, showing off the drying blood.

No! Not Taki! Sophitia didn't save her just to let her die. Her tone of voice changed to one alien to her personality. Her words had nothing to do with justice, valor, or duty to the Gods. No, this was personal. "Mark my words, I'll get even with you."

And as the Greek rode away, Tira commented, "Idiot."

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