Cold... so cold...
"Get up."
Why?
No answer.
Who are you?
"Get up!"
The pain was immense. Agony... so terrible... I don't think I...
"I don't want your excuses! GET UP!"
Sophitia grit her teeth. Even though she was shivering, her stomach felt like it was on fire! As her eyes opened, very little light had filtered through. Never the less, the chosen of the gods, winced just the same. Her head was pounding something awful, and she almost choked from all the blood in her mouth. Her eyes widened as she twisted on the ground on reflex. Blood splattered on the marble floor as Sophita let loose a fit of coughs. Pain throbbed within her stomach and spread to numb her arms and legs. When the numbness finally subsided, pain followed. Agonizing. Unstoppable.
Sophitia screamed. Blood curdling sobs echoing past faded columns under a greying sky. The warrior felt a lump in her throat but she batted it down angrily. Desperately.
Control... control IT!
But it hurts... it hurts... gods it hurts...
Focus!
Somewhere among the anguish Sophitia found some strength and with it she pressed off the ground trying desperately to stand. The slightest movement hurt. The extreme Sophitia was striving for hurt much worse. Through grit teeth she forced down the screams threatening to tear her asunder. But she stood. 'By the gods' but she stood.
But dizzyness followed and threatened to bring her down once again. Sophita spat and tensed her muscles. No, the ground wouldn't have her again. Once again pain jolted through her. She winced and took a deep breath. Eyes widened and she found out that that hurt too.
Short breaths then.
By the way the light had shone on the marble floors, and how dim it was, Sophitia had a strong guess that it could have been anywhere between late afternoon and dusk. The air had felt... stale...foul...
Old...
Sophitia's mood darkened further.
Vile... death...
Where am I?
Surprisingly that wasn't nearly as difficult a question as the chosen of the gods thought it'd be...
Oh gods...
--------------------------------------------------------------
Off in the distance past a forest blighted forever and cursed to die with the cancer of a blazing inferno. Past realms of comprehension as the voices of a million wailing spirits cried out and blasphemed against their gods "Why!? Why have you condemned us to such a fate? Is your greed not greater then ours?". Though these same souls were far from innocent to even speak such nonsense. Crimes against the gods. Crimes against the earth. An endless cycle that Link paid no mind to as he deemed far greater problems at hand. Such as the blade against his throat.
Perhaps he should have been thinking of ways to get around this kind of situation a tiny part of him mused. However blunt stupidity decided to rear it's ugly head and the only thought that came to mind was 'Wow that blade sure is sharp....'
Yep. It was times like this that you had to wonder if the elf had any gray matter in there at all.
Instinct however made sure he stayed put on the cold muddy ground unless he wanted to give the ninja any reason at all to use that blade of hers. Pressed firmly against his neck as it was, it'd only take the lightest whimsical flick of a wrist to cut through both flesh and windpipe and that'd be the end of it all. And Link was quite fond of living. Yes indeed.
On the other hand Taki was a woman that held no tolerance for such nonsense. This man... this demon that held a shard of Soul Edge. The sword that had corrupted and ruined the spirit of her former master Toki and had caused her to break the laws of her clan and in turn become a renegade ninja herself. The same sword that had caused ruin and death of the lives of countless innocent people. Men, women, and children. How many more of her friends would become dead, ruined or exiled because of that sword? Granted her friends were few but they were special. Especially Chie and Hachibei. Her long time friend and her adopted father alike? Too many she amended. Too many have suffered to entrust such a dark relic into the hands of this demon.
Her grip tightened on Rekki-Maru. It would be so easy to kill him and take the shard. So dreadfully easy. Her duty as a demon huntress and warrior would demand no less. So her mind kept telling her. But her conscience...
This man had saved her life. His methods were unnatural, yes, but his deeds were of honor. Before that she had tried to take the shard, killing him if necessary. But he bested her in a fair fight and even then... he could've abandoned her. Gods! He could've just used that technique of his and that'd very well be the end of it. He could've taken his horse and flee the woods and leave the onslaught of the damned to her. She would surely be overwhelmed and then what? What would those things do to her? She was...
Wait... she was thankful for his help? This demon!? This monster!?
But other then being a demon what was his crime? What did he himself do?
Other then save your life?
But then again would those monsters have attacked her in the first place had she not confronted this man...
demon.. AGHHH!!!
Taki wanted to scream. Instead it came out an aggravated snarl.
Link blinked. A moments curiosity and concern sharpening to an even deeper scrutiny. The ninja's eyes were full of conflict. Eyes flickering between the blade and her eyes, finally settling on just the eyes. She's at a loss.
Taki continued to stare at the elf as her honor conflicted with her morality and better judgement. Her cold unwavering stare was met with one just as frozen but there was something else. Resolve. The drive to continue on regardless of her decision. To complete the task given to him. Whatever the hell that was.
And again the grip on Rekki-Maru tightens.
Link's eyes widen. Just short of taking a breath as the ninja pulls the blade away. Stunned Link let out a ghost of a smile though that probably wasn't the best idea seeing her gaze. Sharp and penetrating as always.
"Umm..." Link tried to cut in to the silent debate. "Thanks for uhh... not killing me I guess."
To that, the ninja replied with a "Hmph."
Looking around Taki could note that the blaze had been catching up with them again, swallowing the forest greedily. "We can't stay here." She stated sheathing Rekki-Maru.
---------------------------------
Oh gods...
It couldn't be...
Oh gods no!
But it was.
Oh gods... no!
No matter how much she wanted to deny it.
Gods NO!!!!
The pain followed as always, but it seemed so much more insignificant now. Compared to what was laid out infront of her eyes. There were no words to be said now. They were stolen from her with her mouth agape. A single tear fell to drip onto the severed hand at her feet. One of the few limbs that went unnoticed by Alexandra.
Gods no gods no gods no no no gods no...
The location in which she stood was none other then the Eurydice Shrine. However it was only the briefest glimps of Hephaestus's altar that allowed her to discern the location before Sophitia was forced to look away... in revulsion. Her insides threatened to let looose on the already rancid ground.
There before her, vast as it was, the entire shrine was littered with piles twice her size... three times! Maybe...
bodies... so many bodies...
Sophitia involuntarily took a step back as two hands went to Alexandra's mouth choking back sobs. Shaking her head in disbelief at the sight before her... Impossible... this isn't happening...
Eyes half opened. Terror stricken. Lifeless. Faces sickly pale with with holes where there shouldn't be or simply hacked open. Infected, rotting flesh torn and hanging by blackened sinew. Severed heads ripped apart. Pools of blood flowing. Sticky fluid painting the greeks bare feet the color of their loss. Jaws snapped and hanging opened for the world to see. Eyes plucked out and smashed. Insides mashed and shredded, stamped and spat upon. Maggots, rats, vultures and all matter of vermin having their fill as they rip and pull apart and mutilate what little dignity these hideous mass piles of flesh had left.
She was dead Sophitia was convinced. What matter of evil had she done to deserve such a sickening display of horror?
It was more then she could bare.
Gods have I failed them all? was what she thought as she ran from the Eurydice Shrine, an arm still covering a slashed open abdomen, and legs stumbling over... well... sadly what was left of them all.
Run fool girl. Run for it is all you have left...
---------------------------------
Rothions gaze snapped up, heart tightening as screams of terror and death filled his ears. His reaction was one of reflex born of years of worry for his angel...
"Sophitia!"
Bolting from the chair, his hands instantly clasped one of hers. Eyes opened incoherent and unseeing as Alexandra, fevered and dillusional cried out heart rendering sobs. Her eyes had closed again but tears ran down her face just the same. Rothion doubted that she even knew he was there. Sophitia shivered, almost cringing from her husbands grasp.
Sweat dropped, his own hands shaking along with Sophitia's convulsions. "Doctor!" the black smith cried, his voice cracking but not without strength. The answer was almost instantaneous as the door leading outside the healing ward slammed open admitting three people.
The first one was a woman with short black hair with near almond shape eyes and green irises. If Rothion had to guess, she couldn't have been any older then 20. Over a lithe frame she wore white robes rimmed with blue. Her delicate lips persed with a frown as a hand went into the pouch at her hip. Rothion didn't get to see what she was pulling out as the second woman moved towards her patient, obscuring his view. Unlike the first, she was closer to about middle-age with long wavy brown hair and blue eyes.
At first Rothion thought it was Sophitia's mother Nike but there were enough differences to tell the two apart. Finally, the third was a man wearing long white robes and held several pouches along his sides. The man's hair was dark like the first womans but there was an obvious receding hairline. Blue-grey eyes stared at the patient with deep concern.
"Eupheme!" The older man turned addressing the younger woman. "Administer the tonic!"
---------------------------------
It was getting colder...
Chill had set into her bones freezing her blood as it numbed all the feeling in her body. However she refused to open her eyes. Everything hurt enough as it is. Every breath she took burned her and froze her just the same. A dry cutting sensation. Agony forcefully silenced. Pain and anguish threatened to lash out at her with the slightest of efforts.
At last she could feel something else though it brought her no relief. Hard, rough, unwieldy. Fingers scraping lightly... painfully against broken pavement. She winced, a spasm of coughs theatening to unleash itself. Cassandra's eyes opened in a flash. It hurt worse to hold it in. Instinct took hold, she twisted, coughing hard, hand planted against the jagged ground and cutting it worse against it. In her state she barely noticed the hands that held her gently back.
"Easy... easy now. You're hurt pretty bad."
Cassandra groaned in spite of herself. Her head was pounding and her throat dry. She turned lightly to face the newcomer, as all her wounds would allow. She blinked, trying to gather her bearings. Dark hair tinged with green framed the face of a child no more then sixteen. Her light brown eyes watched with great concern. She wore a red, blue and gold amulet over a white cloth vest that stopped just short of the middriff save a strip of equally blue and gold fabric that went along with the white silk pants and red ribbons with tassles on the end. Red and gold wrist bands donned each arm holding Cassandra as gently as possible. A correction. One arm held the wounded Alexandra while the second one was holding a flask.
"Drink this... It'll help with the pain."
Talim brought the flask to Cassandra's mouth. Not thinking too hard of the contents Cassandra drank the fluid greedily letting it slosh in her mouth. She smiled as the soothing berry taste relieved the sore dryness associated with thirst. With a gulp she felt a tear run down her cheek. Instinct or afterthought Cassandra found the strength to sit up... slowly. The pain however was still tremendous.
"Easy! I said." Talim soothed hoping not to harm her further.
Cassandra turned slowly, still disoriented. "Who are you?" she asked.
"My name is Talim." the girl spoke plainly as her gaze caught upon the surroundings once more. Involuntarily she gagged at the sight of decaying bodies of men, women, and children. Some with their eyes half open. Others with a permanent look of terror etched on to their faces. Arms and legs severed and strewn about as darkened blood pooled around them. The buzzards were already having their fill. The stench of rotting flesh was a blow to the girls psyche. Closer still the remains of hulking beserkers in partial armor with axes and cudgels and the winds knew what.
Talim closed her eyes and shook her head. "Some things can only be conveyed through battle..." she spoke softly. Sadly.
"Excuse me?"
Talim shook her head trying to detach herself from the horror stricken sights before her. "It's nothing." she said.
The winds had been merciful so far but Talim could all but feel the impatient anxiety in the air. She jumped slightly as a flash of lightning pierced the sky of eternal night to be accompanied by the roar of thunder that followed. Talim shook her head again with a deep sigh. The rains would follow this time and hinder their journey immensely.
"I know you're hurt but we can't stay here." The wind priestess pleaded.
"Huh?" Cassandra asked still not quite following this sudden change of events. "Oh.. yes... yes of course."
Indeed the rains did follow. As Talim did her best to pull Cassandra to her feet without hurting her, the first drops turned into a drizzle. The pair stepped out of the alleyway slowly, gingerly. The rains immediately picked up to a healthy down pour and it wasn't much longer till they both were drenched.
At least the smell wasn't as bad Talim thought as locks of wet hair fell into her eyes and dripped along with the rains. Cassandra remained silent, too tired and too in pain to say much of anything useful. A year had passed and she was no sooner to stopping soul edge or saving Sophitia from the ghosts of her past. At this rate she never would be. She had vowed to ease her sisters heart and mind by destroying that blade but secretly Cassandra had her own reasons for this journey. One's more selfish.
I'd never measure up to her. Never...
She had never believed that more then now. The gods had laughed at her. Judged her unworthy. Not even to be their willing puppet. How else could she explain the shattered Omega Sword? A force for good? She hardly escaped that village with her life! And now she needed a girl... no... a child to help her walk.
A single tear disguised itself in midst of the rain.
I curse the gods. I'll curse them to the ends of the earth!
She grit her teeth.
And once I destroy soul edge...
Her heart began to doubt. To fear the punishment she would recieve for thinking such blasphemy. Who was she to judge the will of the gods? She was nothing more then an insignificant speck unworthy of the lungs she was born with to spout such rubbish.
And... once I... destroy soul edge...
Talim stumbled tripping over a rock hidden in the quickly growing puddles sending them both crashing to the ground. With a quick shriek the wind priestess scraped her knees on the wet stone but that was nothing compared to the racking pains that Cassandra was going through.
Piercing screams of shear torture.
Damn them! Damn them! Damn them for ruining my family! Damn them for making my sister their puppet! Damn them for not protecting her children! Damn them for making us suffer! Damn them all!
Talim had winced but she pleaded with the greek. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"
Cassandra snarled, her anger more directed towards the treacherous gods then to her rescuer.
And once I destroy Soul Edge! The gods are next!
A/N: I'm a terrible person for making you wait this long. I have no real excuses for it either. I blame it on a terrible case of writers block. Not that it changes anything. I'm sorry. I'll try to get the next chapter out ASAP. If I take too long, usually a proverbial kick to my ass will set me straight. If that's the case send me a review or an email and vent your frustration away.