Fire.
Chaos.
Destruction.
Agony.
Wailing.
Suffering.
Torment.
Harsh and unrelenting.
Fear and death personified within the flames of judgement.
Taki had no choice but to witness the terrible and spectacular as the flames devoured and consumed all. All her training to suppress her fear and anxieties was no match against the true power of the supernatural. The explosive blaze brought about by the stranger's hand was unbelievable and frightening. Before she could react, Taki was completely immersed in the bubble of crimson blaze. Instinctively, her arms went up to protect her face. The ninja was lost in the chaos that followed. The screeches were horrible.
Terrifying shrieks of death, Taki almost screamed herself. One voice added to the seemingly thousands of pitched wails that echoed throughout the vast realms of eternity. A dismal horrific song of death that Taki was compelled to be chorus to. Her hands were a blaze within the fires as was everything else. The tree's crackled to the might of the flames. Little could stand to it's power. There was nothing left except the fires and the shrieking. Hell had descended far to fast and Taki was overwhelmed.
"Dammit! Get a grip on yourself!"
Taki's felt like she was being pulled. Be damned if she could see through this hell though. The voice however was that of the stranger. The grip on her arm was most likely his as well. Taki stumbled once or twice clearly disoriented from the flames and the uneven ground. Link's grip hadn't faltered however as he picked up the pace.
The shrieks continued. The phantoms of soul edge where in agony. They would disappear, but the memory of that pain would be forever etched into the minds of the suffering. That consequence was far from the mind of Link as he continued to pull Taki away from the flames. There was something in that attack of his that sapped something out of her. She was in a daze and certainly off balance.
She's acting funny...
At last they were out of the chaos though Links grip only tightened further. With his free hand, two fingers went to his mouth and a sharp whistle followed. In the distance, a horse ear twitched boredly. Alas, her rider called. It wasn't the call of an ocarina which meant somehow yet again her master had found a way to get himself into trouble. Why does he always find trouble? The mind of a horse simply couldn't fathom it.
It wasn't long before Epona found her master on the run with a woman in toe. "Epona!" Link called out as the pair ran to meet eachother. The hylian grabbed hold onto the reigns petting her in understanding before motioning to Taki. "Get on!" He cried out to the ninja hoping against hope that pride wouldn't force her to make the stupid decision of trying to fend for herself. That wasn't the issue Link was concerned with. Link fully knew she was capable of taking care of herself. But these weren't ordinary circumstances. Argueing now would only waste precious time and he simply didn't have that right now.
And since when did I start caring about people who WANT to kill me!?
Link had no answer to that but somehow he felt better trying to aid the ninja anyway. Well... Link was never known for his intelligence. Atleast his heart was in the right place. Most of the time.
Taki said nothing. There was a slight hesitation but Link could see the struggle within before common sense prevailed and she mounted the horse. Her expression was the same as before though. Well hidden as it was, Link could see the veil of confusion Taki found herself trapped in.
The hell is wrong with her? It's as if she's never seen magic bef-
Ahh...
Damn it...
Link mounted behind Taki, his own common sense opting to keep the ninja in sight at all times. The second he let his guard down was all it'd take and the hylian would have fallen victim to a slit throat. And in all honesty, Link would have preferred he remained alive and in one piece. If that was possible. Epona kept a steady pace now that she had two riders on her instead of one. The sky had gone grey thanks to the smoky haze of Links own doing. Epona sprinted forward like a demon in madness as the forest around them was devoured in a vicious blaze.
"Change of plans girl. Get us out of here!"
Epona snorted with annoyance but complied.
The next five minutes found Epona galloping on the softened path. Her rider held on to the reigns with her left hand and with her right, Rekki-Maru gleamed in the light of a chaotic orange blaze. Link held gently, if firmly to Taki's waist. He was sure that in her right mind the ninja would have detested this action. And probably sliced his arm off. And that was in a good mood. There wasn't much of a choice at the moment though. Link needed to keep the ninja in his sights and both of them had to get out of the forest as quick as they could.
Link was thankful that the ninja atleast knew how to ride a horse. Or perhaps Epona is just that much more amazing. Suddenly Taki seemed to come to life gripping the reigns tighter. Through the blaze, a brighter light was gathering. Through her senses, tainted energy gathered in mass...
---------------------------------------------
Sophitia flipped over the tempest of Tira's ring blade as it split the air around her. Aiselline Drossel sang with delight hoping to taste the blood of the chosen of hephaestus. Though the attack thankfully missed, Sophita landed hard, unprepaired from the assassins assault. She recovered quickly enough however drawing a broadened shortsword. Her eyes narrowed fiercely and her calm demeanor quickly dissolved.
Sister...
Sophitia's sword was not the Omega Sword. Cassandra had stolen it from the shrine a year before much to the dismay of her family and the Greek Army. Forged by Rothion to near perfection, the Gladius had served her well as a substitute. Granted she hadn't a need to use it much, if only to train promising recruits of the academy and presenting them before the senate. Her elk shield, a circular buckler designed for caving in skulls as well as to protect herself and others was already strapped to her left arm. She held it out meaningfully a frown pressing upon her lips.
"Who are you!" Sophitia demanded of the poorly green clothed assassin.
Ripped in several "key" places, the girl could've passed for a prostitute, though a strange one. It was obvious that distraction was the intent and it succeeded even on her though she began to wonder. Behind violet eyes was an almost child like curiousity. Almost in the fact that Sophitia could find no innocence in the girl. Wisps of green hair fell into violet eyes giving them a darkening shadow. Curiousity gave way to a malicious, even murderous look. Insanity danced within her vision and never contrasting equally violet lips curving upwards. Tira's smile never wavered as she took slow, methodic steps toward Sophita. Time slowed. All noise fled the shrine save for the angry shriek of a ring blades edge dragging upon the marble floor and advancing footsteps. Haphaestus chosen looked on intently as she fell deeper into stance.
Sophitia would not be intimidated. "What do you want!?" She yelled her cry echoing upon the columns of the shrine.
"I just want to play." Tira replied maliciously.
Tira tossed her ring blade hard at the warrior who leapt out of harms way just in time. Instead, the strange weapon cut straight through a pillar to the side. Though the stone structure collapsed, the shrine still held up strong much to the chosens relief. The ring blade returned back to the assassin as if a boomerang and grabbed a hold of it with ease.
Sophitia blinked. What was she getting at?
"Play? Play what?" Sophitia asked taking the bait.
"Oh I'd thought you'd never ask." Tira gushed as she fell into a stance of her own. Awkward enough indeed to see a child's toy used as a weapon, the green haired, violet eyed assassin pulled it off. Such an odd styled weapon would make this fight tricky Sophitia could imagine. Tira held the inside rim of her ring blade on both sides while her hips swayed with an unseen rythm. Green feathered boots twisted along with an unheard melody.
The dance of death.
"Blood is so pretty. And I'd just love to see it on you. All over you and in the shrine."
Tira's smirk widened.
"Do you think the gods like blood? I bet they do. I bet they like lots of blood. I bet they taste it. I bet they thrive on it." Tira giggled in delight.
gods...
The assassin launched herself at Sophitia taking wild swings from left to right and left again. They were deflected easily enough, but Tira's aspiration had left a dull weight in Sophitia's chest.
"We get to play favorites! Whose blood will they like more? Yours or mine?"
Tira's wild swings slowly but surely turned into a more graceful style with a slow but methodical rythm of high and low strikes hoping to cut through artery and shins. Sophitia forced the ring blade away with her elk shield and lunged at an opening for Tira's side. With a dancers grace, Tira shifted away and moved with the momentum bringing Aiselline Drossel around. Sophitia cursed batting the strange weapon away a second time and flipping away as the ring blade came around for a third. Tira struck the marble floor hard as chips of it shatterd anywhere and everywhere.
"You know what kind of blood I like best?"
Sophitia lunged again hoping to clip something meaningful and gain the upperhand. She had no time to measure her opponent and therefore couldn't begin to fathom how the assassin was able to block a thrusting attack with a hollow weapon. Tira again managed to amaze her simply twisting the ring blade to give her a fan of defense when needed. Surprisingly simple, but effective. She didn't recover in time as Tira forced her to stumble back with a hard kick to the gut. Sophitia was no stranger to pain. Even so, the impact forced her to stumble back as an agonizing gnawing sensation filled her. Pain. Such a wonderful sensation. Oh how she knew it well.
"Warm steaming blood. Like a fountain as it bursts from the artery and veins and splatters on the ground. Blissful Nirvanna"
Tira ran forward with Aiselline Drossel prepeared. A glint caught in Sophitia's eye and she dived out of the way just as the ring blade thrashed about. With agility the assassin didn't expect, Sophitia kicked off the ground shifting around Tira and twisting about the other way. The elk shield slammed hard against Tira's jaw as she was sent sprawling onto the floor. She caught herself though and with a palm, simply flipped back onto her feat all the more ready.
"Enough of this insanity. Surrender! I have no interest in killing you but I'll do so if you force my hand."
As forceful as her words sounded, Sophitia still felt them hollow. Tira did as well as she threw her head back in laughter.
"Games are-" Tira laughed. "-So fun! Blood is so fun! But there's not enough to go around..."
The insanity continued. Malicious laughter hung in the air.
Tira lunged quickly, her ring blade gripped tightly for a wild swing. Sophitia jumped away, and the assassin turned into a tempest of blades. Tira lept forward with a brutal spiral and it was all Sophitia could do to avoid the strike. Tira would not be denied as she released the ring blade so that it spun around her wrist and came around for a second strike.
Blood had been drawn. Tira felt light headed with a sickening pleasure.
Sophitia stumbled back in shock as a deep gash was cut into her stomach. Aiselline Drossel was soaked with crimson life and a devilish smirk grew on the assassins lips.
"I knew it! Blood looks so pretty on you."
Red contrasted heavily with the white silk top strapped on her left shoulder. Sophitia grimaced in pain as her left arm held tightly to her abdomen.
"Don't tell me you're pooped out already? Oh well... I guess I'm do- AHHH!"
Sophitia made her shut up as a slash cut down Tira's arm.
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Silhouette's shot out from the corner. Like decayed struggling souls Link had no choice but to cut them down as he rushed forward. In a silvery flash the remains of the demonic phantoms struck the ground only for more of their bretheren to take their place. Though the forest blazed around them the Hylian could have sworn the temperature dropped several degrees. He blinked.
These phantoms were becoming alot more physical, abandoning their spirit forms for decayed flesh and rotting bodies. Like zombies and redeads but much faster. Much more dangerous. Link saw one charging in from behind to leap upon them both. It jumped, amazingly 20 feet high. As it lept, it screeched hard making Link all the more motivated to cut him in two as it landed. Several more shot out from the ground with agonizing moans.
Soul Edge... the life giver. Return it... to me.
"Gah! Shut up!"
Another decayed thing returned to the after life.
One more thing to note was the stench that hit Link so hard he almost fell off Epona pulling Taki right along with him. A mixture of burning leaves, moss, and scorched decayed flesh and organs. Link felt the bile rise in his throat. Taki herself was looking a little wild eyed. A focused individual like herself, it was to her own surprise as anger began to seep from within. Link's concentration broke for an instant as he felt an uprise in her power and soul. As it peaked, the tension snapped. At last her anger was unleashed unhindered as Rekki-Maru burst into flames itself. With practice and honed instinct she cleaved through the fleshy hordes that dared made itself known. A new haze clouded her mind. An insanity not her own.
This feels very familiar.
Epona was gaining speed. A falling tree was little hindrance to her as she simply leapt over it and continued on her merry way. A more light hearted take on the circumstances if you ignored the smashed in corpses left behind in her wake. Link swallowed. Even inspite of all this, it was too easy.
YOU... CAN NOT LEAVE!
Why did Link always have to be right? Link felt the contaminated energy gathering somewhere behind them. With Taki's gaze forced in front of her, it was up to Link to guard from behind. And a single glance was all it took to know they were still in deep trouble.
"Shit."
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Tira's child like facade had completely dissolved to be replaced with a furious rage as she hacked away at Sophitia's hasty defense. With one of her arms covering her stomach wound and Tira's right arm almost completely disabled, the fight had returned to near even grounds. However Tira had struck Sophitia in a much more vital area and blood flowed more freely. There was no telling how badly she was wounded. Sophitia could only assume the worst. In a test of endurance, Sophitia would fail. She had to end this battle quickly.
Pain spasmed up and down Tira's arm and threw her entire style out of sorts. What was once a powerful, fluid series of strikes were now lapses in better judgement. Her blood dropped freely from her fingertips to the ground where it pooled into a mass of crimson. She watched to her dismay as her barrage came out empty handed against Sophitia's almost lazy dodges and sidesteps. The dance of death required incredible precision. Now that Tira's arm was rendered useless, her array of attacks became that much more limited and wild.
Sophitia had a similar disadvantage, however the effects understandably didn't weigh her down as much as Tira. Even though she had to resort to one arm as well, the gladius was a much lighter weapon. On top of that, her training allowed her to accomodate for such a circumstance with a considerable repretoire of unhindered swordplay. Sophitia was formidable even when wounded.
And so she pressed that knowledge to her advantage going for the offensive. With one hand, Tira was hard pressed to guard the onslaught as Sophitia hacked away at her defenses. Like a dart, the Gladius came forward snaking past the ring blade and gaining a strike at Tira's side. Tira winced as she suffered several light cuts to her side. Blood soaked into the green rags turning them a dull brown. A slash came at her neck but Tira deflected the short sword away, twisting around for a quick counter. The attack was slow and too obvious. Sophitia ducked under it with ease. She wouldn't let it off without punishment either as Tira felt Sophitia's leg kick hers out from under her.
Tira hit the ground hard, a grunt of pain now acknowledging a bruised side later. Though what took her attention immediately after was Sophitia's blade at her throat.
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"What is it!?" Taki called out to her 'partner'.
Link remained silent. Good question.
Even amongst broad daylight, these beasts were cloaked in the black of night. Demonic magic most likely the culprit, Taki shivered when she heard something between a snarl and a howl. They came at the pair and horse like a fang to strike all. In pairs of hind legs the pack approached. Glowing, green, pupiless eyes stared hungrily at the feast of flesh to reclaim what was lost. Most likely the soul edge shards. While their bodies resembled wild hounds or wolves, the creatures heads were like dragons. Some horned. Some not. All tainted with the evil energy that assoiated with the cursed sword. As black as nethergates, they stood easily at Epona's height.
All eight of them.
Crap...
"Faster Epona! Don't stop!"
Through the strangled path Epona led her pursuit, the blur of tree's mangled and ablaze the only source of cover for the approaching horde. Link witnessed the power they held as their legs crashed onto the dirt path leaving their indent and leaping forward in great bounds, their fangs intent. Green eyes hounded them from behind. Epona's controlled panic drove them forward and inspite of how fast they were already going, the beasts were gaining. Link took a deep breath. Before he realized what he was doing , smoke was inhaled and the hylian stopped throwing a spasm of coughs.
Taki looked back, noticed the opposition, and with widened eyes turned back towards the road ahead of her muttering curses in japanese. Epona was weaving around the woods left and right trying to throw off the demonic hounds but they were incredibly determined. Not one lost their sight. As a few of the beasts approached the horse, Epona grew wary kicking them away when they got to close.
Hell hounds. A simple incite. Link found the name fitting for them as they sprang from the cursed forest of flames.
Okay... shut up! Stop musing and get back to work!
Link grinned as he lowered the Master Sword at his left to the point where it was almost dragging onto the ground. Most of the hell hounds to that side backed away from the blade obviously wary.
"Hmph."
Obviously these beasts knew steel when they saw it and backed away in understanding. Link immediately knew he would need a bit more variety if he was going to take the things down. As the color faded from the forest, Link tore into the folds of his tunic and whipped something out. A high pitched whirling sound preceded the hard crack of impact on an approaching hell hound. Something snapped and the beast went down never to get back up again. One down. Seven to go.
Taki noticed it faster then Link did. They had out run the blaze, and an orange glow began to shrink in the distance. Amazingly both combatants came out of the fires physically unscathed. But Taki was alarmed at the rate the fires had gained. More so since it had rained the night before. Truly this curse was nothing to scoff at.
The zombies had not relented. Taki was given the privilage of cutting them down alone while Link held the hounds at bay. Most of the shadowed beasts kept their distance noting the defenses their prey carried. Mainly that of the short bow that Link had drawn and picked off a second one of their own. When it went down, a third tripped over the body and slammed into a tree. Even if it got back up again, Epona and her pursuers would be long gone.
Five left.
Angered at their fallen comrades, the beasts roared in defiance as they kept pace with Link's horse. Link caught a glimps of green as some of the light filtered into the beasts dragonlike maw. Link's eyes widened in realization.
"Left! Go left now!"
Taki was caught unprepared by Link's outburst but Epona followed her masters wishes to the letter. And relieved they both were as an explosion of neon green erupted just a few yards away. The ground quaked from under them. The trio groaned in uncertainty as Epona was forced away from the main road and down uneven turf. The hell hounds took it in stride making it all the easier for them now to reach Epona.
These things shoot bloody fire balls!?
Several blasts followed in the wake, each missing by just a few feet. Each blast shot created a three foot crater to fall in. The noise however was far worse, easily on par with a lightning strike only a few feet away. And frozen silence that followed afterwards. Epona's path was far less certain now and she was forced to slow down. Link desperately bought time sending wave after wave of arrows.
Another beast went down but the remaining four still wouldn't give up. Link found archery done behind Epona while riding was next to impossible. To hell with accuracy. If you managed to hit atleast one or two targets you might as well have pat yourself on the back and call it a day.
Four left. They were gaining, and Link was running out of idea's. Epona's was thrown off the main road and it was just a matter of time before the beasts got lucky and one of those shots simply obliterated them. All and all Link could conclude that for now, life just sucked.
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"Get up." Sophitia demanded while her Gladius was pressed meaningfully at Tira's neck. Tira complied... slowly.
Not fast enough.
"Get up!" Sophitia yelled a second time which made the girl start. At last she stood as straight as possible but the glare she sent Sophitia's way was unmistakable. Sophitia ignored it. She was going to get every ounce of information out of this girl even if it killed her in the process. Sophitia wasn't sure who she was referring too but that didn't matter.
"Your name!" She demanded of the assassin who only seemed to brighten at the question.
"Ooooh is this another game!?"
The blade pressed tighter.
"NAME!" Sophitia would not be denied.
"Tira." The girl scowled.
"Alright Tira." The chosen hissed. "Why did you attack me?"
"I told you before. I wanted to play a game."
I'm through with games.
"Enough games! Why were you really here!?"
"You don't listen very well."
The Gladius cut into Tira's neck... lightly. The green clothed assassin hissed as dark red almost purple blood trickled down her neck.
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Link noted with some satisfaction that one of the hell hounds blasts went wide exploding into a mass of zombies on their right. A mess of human limbs were left in it's place. Okay, so it was a little gross. Some how Link got a kick out of it anyway. The hell hounds weren't the least fazed by the misfire. They continued their merciless charge, if a bit worse for wear. They had realized that their prey wasn't so helpless as they last suspected. Their merry group of eight was reduced to half it's size all because of the green one. As powerful as they were, Link had found ways to defeat them just the same.
Several more blasts rattled Epona's path causing the mare to shift awkwardly at inoppurtune moments throwing off Link's aim. The hylian cursed. This wasn't working. Link reluctantly returned his bow behind his shield thinking furiously on how to take out the remaining monsters. Something in the back of his mind clicked. A hellhound would get lucky and his fears would be realized if he didn't do something quickly.
Time slowed. Epona's hooves struck the rough dirt path at a snails pace her breathing longer. Deeper. Green destructive energy filled the beasts maw. Wisps of Taki's hair flailed wildly behind her. Her eyes were wild, fixated on the road a head of her. Rekki-Maru was still ablaze with power, but the aura itself became more etheral. Glowing threads of energy and life being leeched straight out of the ninja and into her weapon. In this prelude to disaster, Link found his feet and kicked off of Epona.
Time stayed unbearably slow. Link's vision turned upside down in mid flip. The closest beast was just beginning to raise it's head and follow the hylians path. The green energy remained just waiting to be released by the hell hound. His line of sight strayed upwards. Link's sight found the ground as Epona continued to kick out patches of mud and dirt fighting to keep away from the hunters. Then he saw Taki as she slowly turned her head around.
Link took a breath. The only sound that he could hear but he found it equally unbearable. Link completed the rotation of a flip and found himself mounted forcefully on one of the beasts. The oppositioned stunned, Link didn't waste any time grabbing the beasts neck and forcing it's maw to directly line against one of their own.
The shot fired and with a breath Link didn't know he was holding, the green bolt of destruction struck hard. A painful screech and pathetic whimper followed by a small pressured explosion. Immediately two of the dragon mutts collapsed upon the ground, dead. A third hell hound broke off the attack immediately. In fear for it's own life, it fled deeper into the forest never to be seen of or heard from again. Link grinned, not missing another opportunity. He drew the Master Sword and raised it above his head with both hands, blade facing forward. The final hell beast tried desperately to throw Link off but it was useless. The Hero of Time plunged the sword into it's skull, darkened blood splattering on his tunic. An agonizing roar turned into a fading gurgle, the beast fell. Too late now, Link was thrown off from the momentum where he dragged and rolled on the ground several times earning him a few cuts and bruises. Finally it all stopped. Somewhere in that madness Link had lost his hood and cloak and any other means of disguise. A few cuts were drawn on his cheek handsomely.
The Hero of Time felt the cold wet ground soak into his already ruined tunic. With the danger gone Link felt his heart ease. The adrenaline was still high but something struck him rather funny. Link laughed. Full and hard. Somewhere nearby footsteps approached. He didn't care. He just laughed all the more.
He continued laughing as Taki stood over him, Rekki-Maru held towards his neck.
Somehow, Link found that funny too.
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"Are you acting alone? Or is there more of you?"
Tira blinked, Feigning mock confusion.
"Actually, I'm not sure. You mean my attacking you? That was just me."
"In general."
"Not a clue. But that would make things much more interesting now wouldn't it?"
Sophitia grunted. She was feeling a little light headed. If she faultered the interrogation would fall apart if she didn't do something.
"Was someone paying you to assassinate me?"
"I've recieved no payment. Nor do I need it."
"Then why kill me?"
"Why not? Could you just imagine the fear and controversy I could cause if all of Greece woke up to find their hero dead?"
At that, Sophitia felt a seething rage for this woman. Some where deep down, a voice demanded to silence her. To end her life and rid the world of yet another pitiful existance. But killing in cold blood...
No matter how much she wished it, there was a duty to uphold and with it a mindset to follow. At least that's what she told herself. As strong as she was, Sophitia was a pacifist at heart. She only learned the ways of the sword as the gods had requested of her. Her journey to rid the world of Soul Edge had hones those skills turning them into a formiddable force in it's own right. No matter how much she wished death on this woman, her heart would never allow it.
I'm going to regret this somehow. I know I am.
"Does that upset you?"
"Of course it does."
"Yet you won't do anything about it. Why?"
Sophitia said nothing.
"Well?"
"Turn around."
"Huh?"
"I said turn around!"
Tira shrugged and did so. A few feet away Aiselline Drossel laid flat amongst the marble floor. Sophitia sighed. All that was left was to turn her in to the city guard. They'd finish the interrogation and she'd seek medical help. However she felt her grip on the Gladius loosening. In fact she felt weak all over. How much blood had she lost? Sophitia decided not to look behind her.
"Move."
And so Tira was marched to the entrance of the shrine. She stopped at the center of it however as someone else was entering.
Rothion was worried. Again. Sophitia had been acting strangely all week. Mostly distracted when she shouldn't be and single mindedly focused when it wasn't necessary. There where other times when she snapped at the children for little or no reason at all. Constant pacing. When he asked her what was wrong, she'd simply say "Nothing." and give a false smile. Then the pacing would continue. Edgy. Extremely edgy. Cassandra's dissappearance couldn't have caused all this could it? A year has gone by and she hadn't been acting like this before.
She missed dinner today too... so he went to the shrine to fetch her. It was a long troubling month. The senate had been pressing her to finish training the new recruits. The bastards didn't even take into account that this was simply being done as a favor for the government and that she could pull back her help at any time. On a whim if she so desired. Her popularity would demand that she be treated as such.
They ignored that. Something was up and no one was talking. Not even his wife. That hurt him most of all. Rothion climbed the steps to the Eurydice Shrine with a heavy heart and a deep depression all but expressed through words. When he reached the shrine gates though, the site before him filled the black smith with terror.
Sophitia was wounded. Badly.
Another girl covered in torn green rags was there too, but he didn't care to take another glance. Not even to surmise the situation.
"Sophitia!" Rotion cried out rushing towards his wife without a second thought.
"Rothion... wait." The chosen called out weakly. Her energy was fading. Her face was pale. Her life was hanging by a thread once more.
Tira chuckled. Perfect timing. In an instant Tira brought a hard elbow to an already wounded abdomen. As expected Sophitia cried out in pain and stumbled back. Rendering the chosen of the gods off balance Tira dove for her ring blade grabbing it successfully, then flipped further away. Sophitia, weak as she was was giving chase but a black blur of... something cut into her arm stopping her. Rothion had been running towards his wife when suddenly he was stopped by the same exact thing.
It took only a moment to recognize the source. Ravens. Dozens of them. They circled around the black smith mockingly, concealing his vision of the assassin and Sophitia. Sophitia in her state could do nothing to fight away the tainted fowls. They weren't circling around her like Rothion, but in a massive storm of black feathers, they were concealing the assassin.
Tira laughed.
"I have to thank you Alexandra! I've had such a good time. Maybe next time your children can join in the fun too. I'd bet they'd love to play!" She gushed.
Sophitia snapped. Outrage filling her with the energy necessary she charged at the mass of black. With in the storm of hatred, a raven fell, dead. Laughter echoed through the shrine. Tira's laughter. Cackling insanity. As the raven's fled, her laughter died down. Soon all the ravens were gone. Tira had disappeared from with in. A cowards trick. The laughter had stopped but the damage had been done.
The shrine was stained with blood. Her own and her would be killer. Sophitia was terribly wounded. Possibly fatal. Her husband had been traumatized and her children had been threatened. And the assassin got away.
"Sophitia?" Rothion called to her. But he seemed to be a million miles away.
The woman turned to him, seemingly a shell of what she was. Pale. Tired. Devastated.
All energy was lost. What was worth standing for anyway?
"Sorry... I was...late."
Sophitia felt her vision fade as well as a brief pain when the back of her head smacked upon marble. Eyes closed, as if sleeping.
"SOPHITIA!" Panic overwhelmed Rothion as he finally could reach his wife. Tears threatened to fall as he held her in his arms. All the blood she lost...
It was a nightmare.
"Sophitia! Wake up please!"
No response.
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A/N: If you had any idea how much I struggled with this chapter... No matter what I did, the writing wouldn't come any faster then a snails pace. Not fun! Well this chapter at least. I had to think and rethink Link's segments countless times. Some scenarios having Link knock out Taki or vice versa. Weather Link was riding in front or Taki. Common sense forced me to have Taki ride in front so Link could watch her. Some planned scenes just didn't work out like I hoped for. The hell hounds just didn't seem to come off as a major threat, no matter what extremes I put Link against. For instance, I just simply threw in the exploding fire balls to put a bit more challenge to the chase. That didn't work well either but I couldn't let these miscellaneous no name minions get too powerful. That'd be bad plot mechanics. I even had to debate on the oppossition they were going to be facing. Countless hordes? or One big mutha f----- monster?
The original idea was to out run a nasty larger then life fire demon while having some serious complications with the fire around them. Combine that with Link and Taki's already growing hostilities and that would spell complete chaos. But that didn't work out either. Arggh!
In the end I went for a compromise of the two.
Link's character is a bit of a difficult issue for me. Many of the good fanfics that I've read had the protagonist Link, as a very angsty individual. Even though I like this kind of Link as well, the writing style is simply way too overdone.
That, and I just don't see Link being THAT depressingly emotional. Not all the time. Sure he'll have his moments, but I think that a Peter Parker complex seems to be a much more fitting attitude. The TV series had Link as a bit of a flirt and a pervert. So a little bit of that went into this character too. Not in the extremes of the series but in general, Link is very conscious of the women around him. If there's alot of women around him? It's gonna cause some sort of effect on him. And no, not just innocent blushing. I don't care how innocent he pretends to be.
At the very least Sophitia's segments were a bit more fun to do. Please excuse the fact that she's a bit OoC.
For those that did not like the outcome of the match, let me explain. Tira had to become a palpable threat to Sophitia or else she would continue on a bit more confidant and with almost no plot progression at all for such a large segment. Can't have that now can we? On top of that I'd have to throw some bigger nastier enemy at her for no other reason other then to bother her. I want this fic to atleast make a bit of sense and doing that wouldn't help me much. So even though it's doable, it'd take a lot of explaining to do. That and I don't have the time or the patience to do it.
Bottom line? Sophitia had to feel threatened.
And as for Tira? Well... she's insane. I can do whatever evil thing I want with her and it fit's her character perfectly. She's evil. Her conscience is constantly hurt from it all but is silenced from a life time of programming and brain washing . Pain and death go hand and hand as an assassin, It's all she understands. To hurt. To kill. Period. Who and why take a back seat.
Another thing I noticed is that I really have to cut the philisophical crap. The first paragraph before I did a bit of editing was completely about fire and general symbolic history of it. Then I read it. Wondered what the hell was I thinking and did my best to rewrite it and make the chessy stuff go away or atleast make it a little easier to swallow.
Probably didn't do a good job of that but oh well...
And I know. Some of the content, especially in the fight scenes feel's very forced. I realize that. To go back and correct it now... well... it'd take quite a bit longer to get this chapter up then. And honestly? It doesn't detract from the chapter as much as rewriting it would demand.
So I'll choose to ignore it. For now and concentrate on getting this plot going. There's plenty of more fight scenes to write and so much more drama to move on to and frankly I don't like waiting. And I know you guys don't either so I'll post what I have.
Don't be surprised if you see some spotlight on some of the games lesser known characters. Who knew that Sophitia had a brother named Lucius? What about Arthur and all those other guys like Miser and Greed? Patroklos and Pyrrha anyone? Hwang? They're getting screen time... some how. Haven't figured them into the plot yet but you'll definitely see them in there at some point.
Yes, Siegfried is in this story. But as is the nature of my story, early on his role is going to be fairly minor. What? How dare I do that? err... sorry about that. Nothing I can do about it. This story is mainly about Link and those he interacts with. And how his interactions have an impact on their lives and futures be they large or small.
Once proud enemies may one day stand along side Link as allies. Tried and true souls may end up corrupted and ruined. Death waits for no man, and comes and goes as it pleases. Take everything you know about Soul Calibur and leave it at the door. I'm trying to show you elements and possibilities that this saga has yet to have seen either in fanfiction or the game itself. Stuff you haven't considered. When some one cuts you, it's going to hurt. It most likely is going to bleed too. If you lose a body part, there isn't much anyone can do in this day and age to heal it or replace it. Disease and plague are very real. Racial and gender discrimination is still common practice. Battles are waged day in and day out not just on the concept of good vs. evil but in the name of politics and pride. Good does not always win. And the customer is not always right. No matter how much they tell you. Perhaps the only thing I can assure you that I won't delve into too much in this fanfic is religion. It's a touchy subject and my knowledge is simply too limited to make a respectful fanfic based upon it.
And don't take the above paragraph too much as a forshadowing of events to come. These are just possibilities. Stuff you don't consider when you're not reading a serious fic.
And I realize that I'm rambling so let me move on.
And finally, sorry for the delay. I'm still getting over the flu. On top of that, I'm faced with more then my fair share of distractions around here. Some of it a bit too personal to tell you. So I won't. Hopefully the worst of it is over for now and I can continue writing without being bothered. Thanks for the support everyone.
Shadow Rave