L.P.: Hi, all! Another chapter's heading this way! Take that, writer's block! Jayson, disclaim!
Jayson: We all know the story. Lightpaladin does not own Soul Calibur II, Namco does. But he does own me, so if you take me, or even intend to, you WILL be sued! Got that?
Good, good. Now on with the fic!
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Angel
Chapter III: Embarkation
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The same nightmare had been plaguing Cassandra ever since she left her home on her journey. And now, she was having it again.
She was standing in part of the ruins of what appeared to be a huge castle. The sound of a giant bell resonated throughout the ruins. The air around her was frigid, but nowhere near as cold as the Hephaestus shrine back home. Sword and shield in hand, she walked through the ruins, uncertain of where she was going. Soon, she came to what looked like part of a two-floor church with part of the first floor's ceiling decimated, revealing part of the second floor. She looked up to that second floor, feeling called to something up there. She then looked to her right at the four tall pillars standing against what was left of the wall across the second-story ledge. She scaled one of the pillars, using her sword and shield as support. After what seemed like an eternity of climbing, Cassandra finally reached a jutting ledge next to the pillar.
From this ledge, Cassandra saw several other ledges lining this wall and the wall connecting it. She turned and saw the second floor. Its floors were stone grey with beige lines, and the three walls were set with stained glass images of unfamiliar warriors, with the left wall's images shattered. The center wall's stained glass was the most prominent, with a giant circle adorning the top and four warriors lining the bottom. In front of that image was a female person with long blonde hair. Cassandra recognized her immediately; it was her older sister, Sophitia! After a few careful jumps, she made it to the second floor and ran up to her.
"Sis?" she asked. "What are you doing here?" The woman known as Sophitia turned around, her azure eyes meeting Cassandra's own.
"I realized that…," Sophitia replied as she drew her sword and shield and got into a battle stance, "…I have to deal with this." Cassandra was shocked; her own sister was about to fight her just so she could destroy Soul Edge herself. She knew that it had to be destroyed, but after two journeys, Cassandra just couldn't let her sister bear that burden any longer.
"Sophitia…," Cassandra said after hesitantly getting into a fighting stance of her own. The bell tolled once more. They lunged for each other.
Cassandra couldn't remember well the fight that followed; it was all a blur. But then Sophitia stabbed Cassandra through the stomach. Blood slowly flowed out of her like a broken hourglass as she felt Sophitia withdraw the sword from her flesh.
"Go home," Sophitia said. "Everyone is worried about you. It's okay, Cassie. I'm just doing this of my own free will. I just can't let Soul Edge take the lives of those who I love. I want you to be safe, Cassie. Is that too much to ask for?" She then stepped back, and as she did, the surrounding area changed. They were no longer in the ruins of the castle; they were in a dark, barren wasteland surrounded by black mountains. They were standing on hardened lava segmented by thin lines of fiery liquid. A raging inferno began to build up around them.
"No, sis!" Cassandra yelled in agony, clutching her wounded stomach, tears forming in her azure eyes. "Don't go!"
"If I don't come out of this alive," Sophitia said, taking another step back, "watch over my family for me." She smiled, a single tear shimmering on her face. "Goodbye, little sis." She turned and faced the inferno. Then, sword and shield at the ready, she launched herself into it, her body consumed by hellfire.
"NOOO!" Cassandra screamed in anguish as tears started to flow from her eyes. She then saw a sword in front of her. It was a huge, grotesque blade that was made more of carnage and blood than metal. A fiery, evil eye opened in the center of the blade and stared right at her, and then everything went black.
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Cassandra jolted upright in her bed, covered in sweat. She breathed in and out heavily and touched her stomach, relieved that there was no wound there. She looked out the window and saw that it was still dark outside. She expelled a heavy sigh. Why do I keep having this dream? Cassandra wondered. What does it mean? She was too exhausted to think, for she lay back down and drifted off into a dreamless sleep.
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Daylight came in almost no time at all. Jayson rose from his bed and emanated a yawn, a tear welling up in his eye as he did so. Wiping it away, he donned his vest, greaves, arm wraps, boots, and sword. After tying his hair back into a low ponytail, he then hefted his small pack and headed out of the room, taking care to lock the door behind him.
By the time he got to the tavern part of the inn, Cassandra was already there, sitting at one of the corner tables.
"About time you woke up," she said as he approached the table. "Just how long do you sleep?"
"Depends," Jayson replied. "How long did I sleep?"
"I've been waiting out here for an hour," Cassandra replied as she handed him a plate with eggs and bread.
"Hmm, so ten hours, then? That was long," he said as he dug in.
"It was," she said.
"So, do you know where the next town is?" Jayson asked between bites.
"Depends on what direction you're heading," Cassandra replied. "If you travel west, you'll find the town of Thuban. Go east and you'll see Benetnasch."
"I see," Jayson hummed thoughtfully. "Well, I'm heading east, so you know, and I was wondering—."
"East is same direction I'm traveling," Cassandra interrupted, "so no, it won't be any trouble for me."
"Alright," he replied. As soon as he finished his food, Jayson stood up. "Shall we go?"
"Fine with me," she answered. She rose from her seat, lifting up her own backpack, which had her sword and shield strapped to it. Jayson flashed a smile towards her, and they made their way to the front counter, where the barkeep was washing away the countertop. He looked up to then, his auburn eyes meeting theirs.
"Ah, leavin' together, eh?" he asked.
"If you're thinking what I think you're thinking, then you've got another thing coming, barkeep," Cassandra shot.
"No, no, no, ye have it all wrong," the barkeep said, holding his hands up. "I saw both o' yer fights yesterday, and it was the first time in my twenty years of not fighting that I was impressed."
"You were a swordsman, too?" Cassandra asked, stupefied.
"Indeed," the barkeep replied.
"So age took the better of you, huh?" Jayson said.
"Yep, I'm 68 and I'm not gettin' any younger," the barkeep sighed. "Fightin' was all that I had, and time took it away from me. And I was a damn good one, too. I fought ever since I was a lil' boy. But now, I have no regrets, cuz I put that skill o' mine to good use. Don't waste yer abilities. Make good use of them."
"We will indeed," Jayson said, smiling.
"Okay," Cassandra said, moved by his words.
"Alrighty, then," the barkeep said, "I shall bid ye farewell. May yer journey be a fulfillin' and safe one." Jayson flashed another one of those peaceful smiles the barkeep's way. Then, in the next moment, they were out the door and onto the crowded streets.
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The sun was near its highest point a couple of hours after Cassandra and Jayson left the village. The air was warm, yet a northerly breeze offered comfort from the warmth. The occasional cloud temporarily blotted out the sun, but it went as quickly as it came.
As soon as they were on top of a gently rolling hill, Cassandra saw fit to begin speaking:
"Okay, so we're on the road and all," she started.
"So?" Jayson asked in a friendly way.
"So, maybe now you can tell me why your ears look the way they are," she replied.
She probably won't believe me, Jayson thought, but if I don't tell her, she'll probably keep bothering me until I do. Hmm…let's give it a try. "You probably won't believe me if I told you," he said.
"Try me," she replied somewhat indignantly.
Well, damn. Oh well. I might as well tell her. "If you insist," Jayson replied. "But let's rest for awhile." He took his backpack off his shoulders and sat down into a cross-legged position. Cassandra, seeing that it was almost noon anyway, sat down on the green grass as well. Jayson took out a canteen of water and took a swig of it, quenching his thirst almost immediately.
"Let's see…where to begin…," Jayson hummed thoughtfully. "Ah yes. The reason why my ears are long and pointy is because I'm not of this world."
"You're not?" Cassandra said. "Then where are you from?"
"My world is called Valorius," Jayson explained. "It exists far away from this world, and coexists with two other worlds, named Zooman and Healius. My world is peaceful and serene, with some people even stranger-looking than myself. I'm not really sure how else to describe it, but Valorius is what you would call 'not perfect, but not bad either.'"
"You don't have to go into further detail if you don't want to," Cassandra said. "I just wanted to know if you were from this place or not. Now that I know, your ears don't bother me anymore." And they do look kinda cute on him…hey, wait, why am I thinking this? Keep it off your mind, Cassandra.
"I'm surprised that you're taking this rather well," Jayson replied.
"Yeah," was all Cassandra said. She then paused for a moment. "So why are you going after Soul Edge, anyway? Why did you come all the way to this world to destroy it?"
Jayson hesitated. Then he replied, "I'm rather uncomfortable speaking about it right now. Maybe some other time."
"Well, you can't keep secrets from me forever," Cassandra said. "You better tell me sooner or later."
"Probably later," Jayson chuckled. Then he asked, "Where are you from Cassandra?"
"Where I'm from? I never had anyone ask me that before," Cassandra replied. "I'm from a place called Athens, which is in a country called Greece. It's southwest of here."
"Interesting," Jayson said. "Tell me more."
"Why should I?" Cassandra asked.
"I'm curious," he replied with an innocent smile planted on his face.
"Well, alright," she said. "It's a large city. Very large. There are many statues portraying our gods and goddesses."
"How many do you worship?" he asked.
"Well, let's see," Cassandra hummed. After a long pause, she replied, "There are twenty-one gods and goddesses that I know of."
"Wow," Jayson said. "Your religion must be vast."
"It is," Cassandra replied. "But some families worship only a few of them more often than others."
"Which do you worship?" Jayson asked.
"Oh, I worship Hephaestus, the god of fire and forge, the blacksmith of the gods," she replied. "I was told that this sword and shield," she held up her short sword and small shield, "were forged by ore blessed by him."
"Interesting," Jayson said. "Do they have names?"
"They do. Omega Sword and Nemea Shield," she replied.
"Those are good names," he said.
"Yeah, though I didn't name them," she replied. "I've been learning how to fight with a sword and shield since I was young, and I took these before I started my journey for Soul Edge."
"I see," Jayson said. "Hmm, I think I started wielding a sword when I was about six or so."
"And when did you get that sword?" Cassandra asked, pointing to the oddly-designed sword at Jayson's waist. "I've never seen anything like it before."
"Oh, this?" Jayson said, drawing it out of its sheath. "I don't remember, exactly." He caressed the sleek, shimmering blade.
"Does it have a name?" she asked.
"Yep. It's called the Trinity Sword," he replied.
"I see," Cassandra said. "And what do those three orbs mean?"
"How should I explain it," Jayson muttered. "Oh yes, they represent the three great gods of my world. They are Vajora, the god of creatures and valor, Skyefyre, the god of nature and faith, and Slayoro, the god of earth and spirit. They watch over Valorius somewhere in the heavens."
"It must be a very sacred sword," Cassandra said with interest.
"It is," he said. "I'm the only one who can wield it."
"Why's that?"
"Well, if anyone tries to even touch it, a surge of magic burns his hand," Jayson replied. "But if I wanted someone to wield it, it doesn't harm him." He then placed the Trinity Sword in front of her. "Go ahead. Try picking it up."
"Um…okay," Cassandra said rather hesitantly. She reached out slowly towards the hilt of the sword. She was cautious at first, for she did not want to be hit by this "magic" he was talking about. She bit her lip, closed her eyes, and grasped the parchment-colored hilt of the sword. She waited for a reaction. After about five seconds, nothing happened. She opened her eyes and saw her hand wrapped around the hilt.
"See? What'd I tell you?" Jayson smirked. Cassandra picked up the blade, and was surprised to find it no heavier than her own sword.
"It's so light," she said as she stood up and swung the Trinity Sword with ease. She then moved her hand towards the oddly-shaped knuckle guard. Jayson's eye went wide.
"Ah! Don't touch the edge of it!" he exclaimed. "I forgot to tell you; that knuckle guard also acts as a blade, and it's razor-sharp. So is the entire side of the blade it's on." Cassandra's hand stopped mere fractions of an inch away from the knuckle guard.
"Oh, it is?" she said. "Well, thanks for the warning. Why is it there, anyway?"
"It's there as a defensive measure," he replied. "It's also used for knocking opponents off-guard."
"I see," Cassandra said. After swinging the Trinity Sword a few more times, she handed it to Jayson. "This is a nice sword."
"It is," Jayson said after he slid it back into its scabbard. He then stood up. "Shall we continue?"
"Sure," Cassandra said as she stood, pack in hand.
"Alright, then," Jayson said with enthusiasm. "Let's get go—ACK!" His foot lodged itself into a small ditch, causing him to fall face first onto the ground. The sudden forward momentum then caused him to tumble down the hill, grunting all the while. He didn't stop until he hit the bottom of the hill some eighty feet down. He then slowly lifted himself up to his feet, brushed some dirt off his clothes and hair, and, waving to Cassandra, yelled, "I'm okay!"
Cassandra stared at him in confusion. The next moment, she chuckled to herself as she carefully made her way down the hill. He sure is a mystery, she thought.
As Jayson straightened out his hair, he sighed and thought to himself, I have a feeling that this is going to be a long journey. He then turned to Cassandra and smiled.
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Okay, this was a kind of sappy and sucky chapter, but I didn't know what else to do. The next chapter is going to be much better. Anyhoo, please Review! And no flames!
Lightpaladin;)