The golem stood at an intimidating height, nearly 7 feet tall. His skin was a sickly color between red and purple. On his forehead there was some sort of marking shaped like a flame. The marking seemed to be carved out of his skin, exposing something ghastly underneath - it was not normal flesh, but something that resembled lava. It pulsed orange and yellow, and it seemed as if fire and magma might pour out at any moment. The golem's eyes had the same effect, and on his chest, there was a much larger, but similar marking exposing the lava-like substance beneath his skin.

The golem wore a black mask that covered the lower half of his head. It was lined with spikes, and if it had a purpose besides protection, it was to increase his intimidating appearance. The mask did not cover his mouth, but the golem wore a smaller leather mask over the lower half of his face. The part of the leather mask that went over his mouth was lined with stitches, and his gritted teeth could be seen underneath. He also wore a mantle, gloves, belt, and boots that were similar in design to his black, spiked mask. Besides that, the golem was clad in nothing but his reddish-purple skin, lava markings, and rippling muscles.

Last, he wielded a giant axe, as tall as he was. The edge of the axe was split - it was unknown whether part of it was chipped off in battle, or if the split was simply part of the axe's design, but it made the weapon no less fearsome.

The three of them were in a long corridor, lined with pillars that reached the ceiling. Beyond the pillars were trenches of water. Light from nearby torches reflected off of the shimmering surface of the water, casting the reflection on the pillars and walls. It was a beautiful sight, but now was not the time to admire it.

The two sisters barely had enough time to take in the golem's appearance and their surroundings before he attacked.

Astaroth's first move was to swing his axe at Sophitia. His swing was powerful, but slow - Sophitia leapt back. Astaroth used the momentum of his swing to turn it aside and swing it in a different direction, at Cassandra - and luckily, she, too, was able to evade it.

Already enraged, Astaroth swung his axe at the ground in fury. The blow upturned the stone floor, and the impact was like an earthquake. Sophitia and Cassandra struggled to maintain their balance - and Astaroth saw a new strategy.

He swung at the sisters to make them dodge, and then he swung his axe into the ground once more. With them off-balance, he now had an opportunity to -

I only see one. Where did the other-

Astaroth heard footsteps behind him. He immediately whirled around and swung his axe into the girl who had run around him. Only the flat side of the axe's blade hit her, but it sent her flying through the air and into a pillar, the force of her impact causing it to crack.

"Cassandra!" Sophitia screamed.

Finding the woman's shriek irritating to his ears, Astaroth turned his axe on her. He rotated his wrist, causing the axe to twirl, and tried to slice it into her. She was again too fast for him, but he was gaining ground on her quickly. In just a few more seconds, his axe would tear into her body and -

Astaroth felt a sharp pain in his thigh.

Roaring in pain and anger, he twisted his head to the side to see the short-haired woman digging her blade into his leg.

He swung his axe level with her neck, aiming to sever her head from her body. At the last moment, she did a back flip, dodging the swing.

Eh? A backflip? What nonsense...Acrobatics have no purpose in a battle!

Astaroth let his axe's momentum carry him in a circle, and pirouetted towards the girl, swinging his axe as he did. Again she dodged by back flipping away - and Astaroth continued to spin, swinging his axe as he did, trying to slice it into the girl. Then, in the middle of a flip, the girl stumbled and landed on her back.

Ha! Foolish girl.

Astaroth raised his axe in the air, and swung it down at the girl. He missed. The girl had not moved - Astaroth's swing had gone astray. He would normally have never missed such an easy target, but the searing pain in his back had distracted him.

With yet another mighty roar, he reached around and tried to claw at the woman who had leapt onto him from behind and jabbed her sword into his back. She leapt off, and Astaroth turned to face her. More enraged by the moment, he beat his chest with his free hand chest to work off his fury, and then swung his axe at the woman. His anger increased the speed of his swing, and it connected with the woman, knocking her into the air. She bounced off of a pillar and hit another before she reached the ground.

"SIS!"

Now familiar with his enemy's attack pattern, he swung his axe around his back at the short-haired woman he knew was about to attack him from behind. However, his swing was way off, as the woman had already managed to scamper to a safe distance. Despite this, Astaroth didn't stop moving for a second, and charged at the short-haired woman, his axe in continuous motion as he swung it at her over and over. The woman managed to keep out of range of his blows, but the axe connected with pillars, chipping them, slicing them in half, or simply shattering them to pieces.

Anger was clouding Astaroth's mind, but he could see that his attack was getting nowhere. He would gather all his energy, and use it to destroy the woman in one blow.

"...How's...THIS?" He roared, his muscles bulging as he used every ounce of strength to aim a killing blow at the woman. She dodged it by a hair's breadth, but when the axe came in contact with the ground, it sent her flying. The incredible force of its impact caused three pillars to topple over, and the woman scrambled to her feet to avoid being crushed as they fell.

Once safe, the woman faced the golem, caught her breath for a moment, and then spoke. "...Not bad at all...but it's...my turn now!"

Tired of being on the defensive, Cassandra decided to fight aggressively. She lunged forward and delivered two quick slices to the golem's legs. He roared in pain and swung his axe, but Cassandra ducked to avoid it, and then thrust her sword forward into his stomach. When she drew it out, she noticed the lava-like substance oozing from the wound, and drops of lava on her blade. Was this the golem's 'blood'?

Knowing she couldn't leisurely stand around next to the golem, she rolled to the side, just in time to avoid a blow that had been aimed at her head. She held out her sword as she did, drawing it across the golem's skin. Now on his blind side, she attacked again. When Astaroth turned to swing at her, she knew she had to move, but knew that her feet wouldn't carry her fast enough. She planted a foot on the golem's knee and kicked off, tumbling backwards and avoiding what would have been a fatal swing of Astaroth's axe.

The battle continued in this manner. Cassandra managed to dash forward in time to deliver one or two quick blows, and then quickly drew back to avoid being hit. However, Astaroth's power and speed grew with his anger, and Cassandra knew that she wouldn't be able to keep this up for much longer. And her sister - was she hurt? Dead? A quick glance to the pillars she had been thrown into revealed a stirring Sophitia.

"Sis!"

Sophitia rose to her feet. "Keep him distracted - I have an idea!"

Cassandra ran behind a pillar, onto the thin strip of ground between the pillars and the trench of water. As she did, the golem matched her strides and swung at her. Pillars shattered and crumbled, but Cassandra avoided being struck. Astaroth's head snapped to the side when he sensed someone behind him, and he turned around and swung his axe at Sophitia. Sophitia attempted to run past him, and Astaroth swung his axe up from the ground to attack her, but missed. The axe instead struck the ceiling - and became lodged there. Astaroth struggled to dislodge his axe, as Sophitia ran over to Cassandra.

"I have a plan, but I need your help. The markings on his head and chest - they might be the key. I'll attack the head, and at the same time, I want you to drive your sword into the marking on the chest. Got it?"

"Got it!"

The two sisters nodded at one another, and then raised their swords in preparation. Astaroth pulled his axe from the ceiling, and faced the two sisters. They began charging at him at the same time.

Bold little insects. I'll swat them both with one blow!

Astaroth waited until they were within his range, and then swung his axe down. Both sisters jumped away in opposite directions, and then leapt at him. Sophitia drove her sword into the pulsing lava on Astaroth's forehead, and Cassandra sent her sword into the marking on his chest where his heart would have been.

Sophitia's speculation was correct - they had both struck fatal points on Astaroth's body. The golem dropped his axe and began to claw at the women, but he could no longer make his hands grip. The two sisters twisted their swords, digging deeper into the golem's enchanted innards. Astaroth let out one final roar of rage, fury, and pain, and then fell silent. The sisters leapt off of his body. He fell to his knees, collapsed, and lay still. The lava in its body eventually turned black and stopped pulsing. Astaroth was dead.

Sophitia and Cassandra stood over the giant corpse of their dead foe, panting from exhaustion. They began to hear the sound of running footsteps coming from two directions. They were alarmed at first, until they identified the newcomers. Siegfried from one direction, Tira and Ivy from the other.

Ivy looked down at Astaroth's corpse. "What the hell is that thing? What happened here?"

"...It looks...familiar..." Siegfried remarked. He walked closer to Astaroth's corpse, and looked down at its face. "...What? Can this be?"

"You recognize that thing?" Sophitia asked.

"Yes." Siegfried confirmed. "Ivy, look - it's Astaroth."

"...What?" Ivy inspected the golem's face as well, and recognized it. "It is - it's him."

"...Uh...did we kill a friend of yours?" Cassandra asked sheepishly.

Siegfried shook his head. "He was an accomplice from long ago, but he was by no means a 'friend'."

"Why was he here?" Ivy asked.

"This temple – the energy here – it reminded me of him. I think this is his 'birthplace'. Where he was created." Siegfried said.

Ivy looked up. "Siegfried! Do you suppose–"

"Yes. I think that Astaroth is what destroyed the cult." Siegfried confirmed. "Look at the size and shape of his weapon - it matches the wounds we found on the dead cultists. For some reason, Astaroth returned here to slay his own creators. We'll never know why, but I don't think the reason was relevant to us."

"...Some 'secret evil power of a dark cult' this turned out to be." Ivy sighed. "...This...reunion...was interesting, but this is only another dead end." Ivy turned her attention to something both she and Siegfried had been ignoring. "...And what about her? Why's she here?" She asked, indicating Cassandra.

"...Who wants to stay home while her sister is off having adventures?" Cassandra asked.

"...Adventures?" Sophitia asked.

"Yeah!" Cassandra exclaimed enthusiastically. "Epic journeys! Following rumors, exploring temples, and doing battle with giant golems! That sort of thing!" She pointed her sword at Astaroth's corpse. "I never would have gotten the chance to do this sort of thing if I'd just stayed at home!"

"...Sis..." Sophitia said. There was irritation in her tone.

"...What's wrong?"

"You do know that we're not just doing this for fun, right? You do know that we're trying to stop Soul Edge, and that we're risking our lives every day, don't you? Do you understand what might have happened in this temple if you had fought this thing alone? You could have been killed! Patroklos and Pyrrha wouldn't have an aunt anymore! I wouldn't have a sister anymore!"

"I don't see what the big deal is! We killed it, and I'm safe! And now I can adventure with you guys, so -"

"No! Go home!"

"...What?"

Sophitia's eyes were as fiery as the golem's had been. "Cassandra, leave here now, and go home right away."

"Why?" Cassandra demanded. "Is this about the kids? They're fine, both Rothion and Lucius are-"

"This isn't about them! This about you! Think about how sad our family would be if you died! I can't allow you to risk yourself out here!"

"Hey, don't you have much more to risk than I do? I only have a nephew, a niece, and a brother-in-law, but you have a son, a daughter, and a husband! If you die, how would THEY feel?"

"Are you trying to say that it matters less if you die?"

"What? No! I'm saying that you're being a hypocrite!"

"Look, Cassandra, I'm fighting to stop Soul Edge because it's a mission given to me by my god. I don't do this because I want to. I wouldn't do this if it weren't my god-given obligation! But you just want to be out here to have fun! Our 'adventure' isn't about having fun! We nearly get killed every day!"

"...Getting killed is better than living a life without meaning!"

The anger on Sophitia's face subsided. "...A life without meaning?"

"...You have everything." Cassandra said, her voice wavering. "You have a husband and two kids, you've saved the world, and you get to live a life that actually has action! You have a mission - your life has a purpose! I don't have any of that. I don't have any of the things you have." Cassandra's voice wavered more and more as she spoke, and her lower lip was trembling.

"...Cassandra..."

"You even get to have -" Her voice failed her and she was unable to finish her sentence, but her eyes darted towards Siegfried, and Sophitia understood her meaning.

"All I do is stay home, look after your kids, and bake bread all day! But I can fight! You just saw - I can fight! I can protect myself, and I can help you! Please, let me travel with you! Let me actually do something with my life! I don't care if I die - I'd rather die than continue living a life that doesn't have any purpose!"

When Cassandra finished, she was on the verge of tears. Both sisters looked down at their feet, unable to look each other in the eye. Siegfried, Tira, and Ivy merely watched, unsure of what to say.

"...I'm sorry." Sophitia said. "I won't. I can't. If I die - I want you to remain to take care of my children. And if you died...I just...I could never bear it. ...I'm sorry, Cassandra."

A silence came over the group. Just before it became unbearable, a voice was heard.

"Is Sophitia your Master?"

Cassandra turned to face Tira. "...What...?..."

"I asked you if Sophitia is your Master." Tira repeated.

"...I don't understand what you're talking about."

"Is Sophitia the one whom gives you orders? The one whom you obey? Have you devoted yourself to fulfilling Sophitia's every desire?"

"...I think I...I think I see what you're getting at..." Cassandra said.

"If not, I don't see why you'd let Sophitia stop you." Tira finished.

"That's right - that's right!" Cassandra said. "I don't have to obey you, Sophitia. I don't have to go home just because you're telling me to!"

"Wh - what?"

Cassandra turned to Siegfried. "Siegfried!"

Siegfried was surprised to find Cassandra addressing him. "...Yes?"

"Will you let me travel with you?"

"...You're asking me?"

"Well, you're the leader of this group, aren't you? Then it's your decision! Can I come with you, or not?"

"...I..." Siegfried hesitated. He seemed to gather his thoughts for a moment, and then spoke. "...I know what it's like to feel as if you are without a meaning. It's not my place to stand in the way of someone's search for their purpose. And if we could gain another ally..."

"What?" Sophitia asked. "This is stupid! I-"

"How would you stop me, sis? Would you fight me?" Cassandra responded.

"...I..."

"How can you stop me from following you? Will you tie me up and carry me back home? It really won't be so bad if I come with you, sis! We can watch out for one another, and I'll help you guys! I won't be a burden, I promise! And if I am, then I'll leave!"

Sophitia sighed, and looked down. "There's absolutely no stopping you when you've got your mind set on something...you're so stubborn..." She looked up. "...But, fine. I'll let you come with us...as if you were giving me a choice."

Cassandra smiled. The smile was contagious, and Sophitia smiled back. The two sisters loved one another dearly - neither of them wanted to argue; they just wanted to be friends, like always.

"...Welcome to the group, Cassandra." Siegfried said. "...Now, let's get out of here. It'll be getting dark soon, and we need to set up camp."

---

Siegfried sensed someone approaching.

He was lying in his tent. He could hear footsteps coming closer. He, like many others exposed to his kind of lifestyle, could sense evil intentions, and here he sensed none. The person approaching was not a bandit that had snuck into the camp. It was one of the others. Who? Tira? She often snuck into his tent just to sleep beside him. If it wasn't her, there was a chance it might be Ivy or Sophitia. They had requested his 'comfort' a few times in the past.

"...Siegfried. It's me, Cassandra."

Yet it was the one other possibility he hadn't considered.

"Are you awake?" Cassandra whispered.

Siegfried nodded.

"I want to talk to you. It's about finding meaning in life."

Siegfried turned his head to face her. "Can we discuss this in the morning...?"

Cassandra's expression looked pained. "No, please, I want to discuss this with you now."

Siegfried sighed gently. "Alright."

Siegfried crawled out of his tent, as soon as he did, Cassandra took his hand and began practically dragging him out of the camp. He thought that her eagerness was suspicious, but allowed her to lead him to an empty spot a short distance from the camp, anyway.

"...Siegfried...Do you remember all the things I said to Sophitia today?"

Siegfried nodded. "Yes."

"How...she has everything I don't have...everything I wish I had?"

Siegfried nodded again. "I remember."

"...I want to...have one of the things she has. ...Or, maybe I should say, I want to lose one of the things she's lost."

Siegfried was perplexed. Despite his vast experience, he was still naive in a few ways.

Cassandra fell silent, and looked down. Siegfried simply stared at her, waiting for her to speak, almost feeling irritated. However, the more he looked at her, the more he forgave her. It was dark, but the moonlight allowed him to see her clothing - loosely worn, and exposing. The neckline of her shirt had seemingly been pulled down to expose as much of her cleavage as possible. Her body was not as 'developed' as her sister's, but it was well on its way. Her face was not as beautiful as Sophitia's, but held a certain girlish cuteness that appealed to Siegfried almost just as much.

Not again...why can't I stop myself from doing this?

"...Siegfried, I've...wanted you...since I first saw you..." She began nervously tugging at the fabric of her shirt, exposing her nipples. "...I want you to...be the one...to take my maidenhood..."

Siegfried knew that he should be refusing her, but his mouth was once again unable to form words. ...With her sister, and only hours apart...

Cassandra looked up at Siegfried with pleading, begging eyes. "Siegfried, would you...would you be the one?" She stepped forward, pressing her body against Siegfried's, forcing a sigh out of his mouth when he felt her breasts press against him.

Cassandra put her arms around Siegfried, and began to let her hands wander. Siegfried's arms involuntarily did the same. Cassandra tugged the fabric of his clothing down, half in an effort to motion for him to get on the ground, half in an attempt to get it off. Siegfried obliged, and lowered himself to a sitting position on the ground. Cassandra sat in his lap.

"...I might not be good at this, but I promise to get better, okay...?...Teach me what to do...And...please, be...gentle..."

She pressed her lips to his, and Siegfried began to passionately kiss her.

Here I am again.

His hands slid up into her shirt, cupped around her soft breasts, and squeezed them gently.

In the same situation I always allow myself to get into.

Cassandra began to gyrate her hips against Siegfried's to relieve some of the tension building up inside of her.

I'll be like this until I die - a slave to my own primitive desires.

Aroused by her movements, Siegfried kissed her harder and with more passion.

An endless cycle that will never be broken.

"...No."

The word made Cassandra become as still as a statue. Her lips and tongue awkwardly froze in place, and her hand stopped on Siegfried's inner thigh. She pulled her head back slightly to look into Siegfried's eyes.

"...Wh...what?"

He shook his head gently, knowing that he could hurt her if he was too harsh. "...Cassandra...You shouldn't."

Siegfried watched a look of confusion slowly develop on Cassandra's face. "Why? What do you mean?"

"...This isn't right. You don't want this for the right reasons."

"Not right? Right reasons? What are you talking about?"

"...You only want this because you feel like you're missing out - left out. You only want this out of jealousy. But those...aren't the right reasons. That's not why you should want to do this."

Cassandra's face showed slight signs of irritation. "You're deciding whether or not my feelings are right? You're deciding what I should want? ...You're no different than my sister..."

Siegfried shook his head again. "That's not what I mean. All I'm saying is that...this would be so much better if it were...with someone you loved."

"...Loved...?"

"...I've done this...many times. Each time, it felt so wonderful, but then...I started to feel regret for what I was doing. I began to feel...disappointment. Disappointment for allowing myself to view women in this manner. Disappointment for letting my desires control me. Disappointment that I couldn't stop doing it, over and over, even though I knew that it was wrong.

"It felt wrong for so many reasons, and the guilt tore at me afterwards, no matter how much I enjoyed the act. It's taken me a long time, but I've realized that one of the reasons why it feels bad is because something is missing...I don't have feelings for the woman I'm doing it with. It would feel so much better if I wanted it because it felt right - if I wanted it because I had strong feelings for that woman. But instead, I just want it out of an instinct, a base desire.

"...Not too long ago, my body was a monstrosity. I was an abomination that would make any normal woman scream in terror and run away. I didn't think that any woman would ever want to touch me. ...But...for the first time in my life, I find myself the subject of women's desire. I never would have thought this possible...But, as much as your affection flatters me...I can't do this with you, Cassandra.

"I don't want you to feel what I've felt. Regret, self-disappointment, shame. I want you to share yourself with a man whom you love, and whom returns your love. Don't do this with someone just so you're no longer 'missing out' on the experience. Do this with someone because it's right. Because of love. ...Once again, I'm sorry, Cassandra, but I won't do this with you."

As Siegfried spoke, Cassandra slowly removed herself from his lap, knowing that her position was inappropriate for the new mood. At first, Cassandra felt rejected, but as Siegfried spoke, and she learned his reason for denying her, she felt relief, as well as a tremendous amount of respect for him. She understood the wisdom behind Siegfried's words, and his speech did much to soothe her insecurities. Even so, she could not help but feel a small degree of disappointment that she didn't get to do as she'd wished.

"...Cassandra...I haven't...hurt you, have I?"

"Oh, no, it...I understand. ...You're right. It's better to wait. Thanks, for...stopping me."

Siegfried smiled slightly. "I'm glad you're taking this well. ...Let's go back to camp, and go to sleep."

Cassandra nodded, and the two of them got up and began walking back to camp. As she walked, Cassandra considered Siegfried's words.

...You said I should make love to a man I've fallen in love with. ...Well, after tonight, I think I've found that man...And, if he must love me, too, then I'll just have to find a way to capture his heart...