The monster could sense it. And it was approaching.
Normally a patient, enduring beast, the creature began to grow anxious. After waiting here for so long, a clue finally began to draw near. No use wandering around aimlessly, without an idea where to begin searching - the brute decided it was better to wait in one highly trafficked spot, and let the clues come to him.
However, since he'd begun his tenure in the ruins of his temple, nothing had come his way but weak souls. He couldn't smell or sense Soul Edge on them at all. But, patient and determined, he remained in his new abode, waiting for the day...
...Waiting for today.
The monster's claws found the handles of its axe and shield, and it sunk down into its hiding place to wait just a little longer, for the opportune moment.
---
Sophitia was not the only one who had received an oracle from Hephaestus. She was not the only one who the god had instructed to destroy the evil blade.
Hephaestus had appointed a total of twenty-four mortals the task of wiping out Soul Edge - one for every number of the Greek alphabet. Each of their origins was a unique one, from the daughter of a baker to a royal knight captain, yet each of their spirits were the same. Each was pious with all their soul, devout enough to hear the voices of the gods themselves.
Among the chosen few was a man named Aeon Calcos. Born in Sparta under the occupation of the Ottoman Empire, he was a powerful knight, gifted with incredible skill in the art of swordplay. Once he received the holy oracle from Hephaestus, he wandered the earth in search of the evil blade.
His journey eventually took him to a vast desert. The wasteland brought severe fatigue upon him, and as the harsh sands parched his mouth, his sight began to fade. He tilted his head toward the heavens.
"Ares, my lord...why do you abandon me?"
When he next recovered his consciousness, he found himself lying on a bed in a dim room. He then learned that a man of an oasis village found him buried in the sands and saved him from death. Since the village was frequently ravaged by robbers, he chose to repay their kindness by teaching them the art of swordplay. However, after only a week had passed, the catastrophe of the Evil Seed took place. The Evil Seed covered the oasis in a sphere of light, and showered pure evil onto the village.
Months later, a caravan crossing the desert carried a rumor of an oasis village drenched in blood, and a berserker there who rained terror upon any who came near. In fact, since the mysterious night of ominous lights, many a caravan had been lost in the desert. The rumor spread throughout the desert, and eventually reached the ears of Grand Priest Kunpaetku, the leader of a cult whose shrine was deeply hidden within the sands of that desert.
The Grand Priest quickly developed plans for the berserker. The Evil Seed had instilled madness and inhuman bloodlust inside of Aeon, but after several failed attempts, he was eventually captured by the cult, and brought before the Grand Priest. The Grand Priest saw that, even while bound to a huge boulder with several thick chains, the berserker violently resisted. "Splendid...I could not have asked for better material to work with. This man will be a royal guardian to me, once the synthetic experiment is a success."
Once the ritual was completed, Aeon was born anew. His limbs were given newfound power, his body was covered with scales, a reptile's tail hung behind him, and the head of a lizard rested on his shoulders. The Evil Seed swept away his memories, leaving him with nothing but bloodlust and madness, but his body remembered how to fight. The Grand Priest was pleased with the results, and decided to 'educate' him thoroughly. And thus, Aeon the sacred fighter, pious servant of Ares, became Aeon the Lizard Man, a loyal slave of the Grand Priest.
When the time came, the Grand Priest ordered his two most powerful servants, Astaroth and Lizardman, to search for the demon sword. When the two inhuman beings finally found Soul Edge in the hands of Nightmare, it had lost half of itself. Deciding that it would be unacceptable to return with the sword in this condition, Astaroth and Lizardman agreed to help the Azure Knight build its power by collecting souls through slaughtering countless victims.
When Astaroth and Lizardman were finally ready to betray Nightmare and take the Soul Edge from him, Nightmare was assaulted by Kilik and Xianghua, the latter of which using Soul Calibur to pierce the physical embodiment of Soul Edge's will, Inferno.
When the spirit sword struck down Inferno, the waves of energy unleashed by the spirit sword shook Aeon's consciousness from its long slumber, dispelling his thirst for death and returning his sanity.
The first thing he saw upon awakening was his own figure, transformed into that of a monster. Fragmented images that might have been either real or imaginary rose up from his memory. In these nightmarish visions, he served a grand priest who hid in a dark temple, and he had taken countless innocent lives.
He rejected these memories and the form he now took. "I am not a monster! I am a human being!" He screamed, but instead of words, only inhuman snarls escaped his grotesque mouth. His memory was in chaos. He was a living nightmare from which he could not wake. Terrifying thoughts assaulted him. Was his memory of being human actually a dream? The sword and shield in his hands saved him from this horrible thought. The sight of the weapons bestowed to him by Hephaestus was definite proof that he had once been human.
"I am Aeon Calcos - I was entrusted with a duty by Hephaestus. I am a disciple of Ares."
And yet, as he made these declarations, he could not tell that a seedling of doubt had taken root deep in his heart.
Seeking a way to restore his cursed body to its original form, he set out on a journey, keeping hidden his monstrous, scale-covered form. He returned to his homeland only once. When he reached it, he realized that he was no longer the person for whom his family had waited for. Just what did he plan to say to them with his misshapen mouth, when he appeared before them with his terrible body? He fell into despair.
"The fate that the gods have cursed me with is too cruel!" He spat, though only snarls came from his mouth.
He continued his journey for a long time, but he could not find a way to return himself to his original form. It might be that the answer could only be found in a certain place...this whole time, there was a single location he had chosen to avoid. It was the evil temple where this nightmare had begun.
He feared going back to that place - if he returned, he might have his will stolen and be reduced a puppet once more. But even this fear was overpowered by the terrifying thought of spending the rest of his life in this form. If he went to that place, at least he might learn something.
As he approached the temple with a mixture of anxiety and curiosity, what awaited him was neither the light of freedom, nor the darkness of enslavement. The temple he returned to had been all but destroyed. Not a single soul was to be found among the corpses of the massacred cultists, and none of the cult's materials were in any shape to be studied or used.
With his last glimmer of hope extinguished, something tiny, yet important, crumbled within him. The seedling of doubt in his heart had grown, and he could no longer ignore it.
Why had Ares not aided him in this time of crisis? Why had Hephaestus remained silent?
He realized the truth - to the gods, he was no longer a disciple or a servant. The gods were the same as his family - with no need for an abomination such as himself. Cursed, steeped in darkness, he was nothing more than a monster.
"The gods have forsaken me!" The despair in his heart transformed now into anger...anger at the gods who had abandoned him.
The sword and shield that had served to reassure him of his humanity now represented nothing more than the gods' despicable betrayal. He looked down at his tools of combat, and shook his head in disapproval...
...For he would need more than that to take revenge upon the gods.
In his memory existed something that would serve his purpose easily...the ultimate weapon, possessing enough power to frighten the gods themselves...Soul Edge.
He would use the very weapon he had been sent to retrieve in order to strike down the gods who had forsaken him. It would be the ultimate revenge.
Awash in immeasurable anger, a brutal impulse welled up from the depths of his body. The idea of being a cold-blooded beast no longer frightened him.
---
To say the last, the region separating China from Europe and Western Asia is not the most hospitable place in the world. It can easily be considered one of the most hostile environments on the planet.
There is very little vegetation, and almost no rainfall; sandstorms are very common, and have claimed the lives of countless travelers. The locals have a very great respect for this 'Land of Death', and few who have crossed it have anything good to say about it. It covers a vast area, through which few roads pass; caravans throughout history have skirted its edges, from one isolated oasis to the next. The climate is harsh; temperatures soar in the sun, but drop very rapidly at dusk. The sand storms of the region are particularly dangerous due to the strength of the winds and the nature of the surface.
The Silk Road was developed to provide a safe path through this deadly environment. Several temples were built along the way for travelers to find solace from the harsh climate. However, bandits chose to seize these temples and use them to ambush passerby, transforming the temples from safe havens into deathtraps.
Siegfried and his companions had traveled for a long time without finding suitable shelter, and the ruins of a temple by the side of the road seemed appealing to them. They were well aware of the dangers of taking solace in one of these resting points, but no longer feared bandits. Their numbers and collective strength made them a rare target for outlaws, and those who did target them would only come to regret it.
The first ones to sense it were the ones who were the most attuned to sensing energy. Siegfried, who was one with evil energy for several years, could detect it as easily as he could see, smell, or hear. Taki, through a lifetime of dealing with malicious forces, was no different. When these two stopped walking and focused on the temple with apprehension spelled out by their every movement, the others knew that something was wrong.
"...Master?" Tira asked. "What's wrong?"
"There is something inside of that temple." Siegfried said. "I cannot tell if it is evil, but I can tell that it lusts for violence."
"It does not feel human...but it is no demon." Taki expounded curiously.
The others stopped, and tried to sense what their companions were detecting.
"...It's familiar." Ivy said. "I feel as if I should know who or what it is."
"If it's dangerous, should we avoid it?" Cassandra asked.
"That wouldn't be fun at all! I don't think we need to be afraid. What could possibly pose a threat to us?" Mi-na countered, apparently brimming with confidence.
"No use taking unnecessary risks." Setsuka stated. "...But then again, if it's deadly, it feels wrong to leave it here, where it may claim the lives of innocent passerby."
"...I have to go in. I'm obligated to."
The others were shocked to hear such a sentiment, especially from the speaker in question.
"...Why, sis?" Cassandra asked.
"...I sense rage...rage at the gods. My gods." Sophitia explained. "Whoever is in that temple - he is angry at Greek deities. I have a duty to investigate this matter."
The others could think of little to say. Several of them had seen Hephaestus with their own eyes, and retained no doubt of the existence of Greek divinity. While they could not determine the best course of action, if it involved the gods, they could think of no one better to handle the situation than Sophitia.
"You don't plan to go in alone, I hope." Mi-na said. "You'd be stealing all the fun."
"I know I've felt that energy somewhere before. I'm coming with you." Ivy said.
Sophitia nodded. "It would be for the best if you all accompanied me for protection. But please, try not to interfere if you can help it."
The others nodded in understanding, and as Sophitia began to proceed toward the temple, they followed.
The closer they grew to the temple, the more they could detect the energy that Siegfried and Taki had spoken of. It was not evil, but they could feel a thirst for blood and battle, as well as a furious rage, as deep as it was dark.
As they approached the steps leading up to the temple's entrance, it stepped out from the shadows, and stood in the arched opening at the front of the ruins.
The monster had a roughly humanoid body, but it was just as much reptile as it was man. Its body was covered in a hide of green scales, and what seemed to be yellow feathers grew in patches on a few areas. For a weapon, the beast held an axe, although the rest of its body seemed just as deadly, with clawed hands and sharp talons for feet; even the snout of the beast was adorned with a sharp horn. The creature wore no clothing, but armor was strapped to its chest, knees, elbows, and shoulders, and for further protection, it held a shield.
Siegfried and Ivy recognized the monster immediately. While Siegfried had not been conscious during the time he had traveled with this creature as Nightmare, he could recall the memories of voyaging with his beast. Ivy could not forget it, as she had loathed the beast severely during her time as a member of Nightmare's "Schwarzwind". This monster represented so many tragedies, and the sight of it sent their minds spiraling into the past.
A life devoted to massacre after massacre. Brave warriors simply seeking the truth, killed for their souls. Nightmare, Astaroth, and the Lizard Man...grotesque monsters, all. And Ivy, as well; she was no better than they were, for carrying out the same butchery to repay her debt to Nightmare. They were all vile beasts that carried out countless slaughters like cold executioners. The bloodthirsty giant enjoyed it, and the eyes of the reptilian man bore no emotion despite its heartless acts. It was easily the lowest point of their lives, and Siegfried and Ivy felt feelings of shame and regret well up at the sight of this reminder.
Those of Siegfried's cohorts who had listened to him recount his years as Nightmare recognized Lizardman as well, for the beast appeared exactly as Siegfried had described him. However, only Sophitia knew of the creature's connection to her gods, being the only one pious enough to sense such a link.
She ascended a few steps until she was between her companions and the beast.
"...I can sense that you are angry toward Hephaestus." Sophitia began. "I want to know why this is."
The creature stared at Sophitia in silence with unreadable blood-red eyes. Then, a hiss, a snarl, and a growl. If the beast was not snapping at her in anger, it was demonstrating that it could not speak.
"Is there anything I can do for you? What will ease your pain?" Sophitia asked.
Again, the beast was silence for a moment, before hissing. But this time, it appeared to be attempting speech.
"Ssssssssss...orrrrrl...et...ch..."
"What...?"
"...Sssorl etch..."
"Soul Edge?" Mi-na gasped.
The others went on guard immediately, and brought their hands closer to their weapons. The creature saw their hostility, and raised his axe and shield.
"Wait!" Sophitia said, raising her hands. The others stopped. "...Why do you want Soul Edge?"
"...Rrrrrrrrrr...eh...veh...tch. Revetch."
"...Revenge?"
"He wants to use Soul Edge for revenge, and it hates the gods?" Ivy reiterated. "One can easily tell who turned him into such a foul beast."
The lizard man's head whipped to face Ivy, and then it growled and snapped.
"Ivy, be considerate. He still has dignity." Sophitia said. She turned back to the monster. "Do you blame the gods for your current form?"
He nodded his reptilian head emphatically.
"Did they do this to you?"
His head jerked back and forth.
"So you blame them for allowing this to happen to you."
An affirmative snarl.
"Were you loyal to the gods?"
Yes.
"Did you offend them? Do they have a reason to punish you?"
No.
"Then I cannot determine why they would allow you to be cursed in such a way." Sophitia concluded.
The creature stamped one of its talons in anger. It was obviously infuriated, and there was not a soul present who could not tell that it felt wronged and betrayed.
It jutted its axe out, pointing it toward Siegfried. "Sssorl Etch!"
"...We cannot give it to you." Siegfried said simply.
"SORL ETCH!" The creature rasped, stamping its talons. Its rage toward the gods was apparently rekindled by this 'discussion', and it burned with a desire to fulfill its resolve of revenge.
The others grasped the hilts of their weapons in caution. Lizardman interpreted this as a hostile gesture, and dropped into a combat stance. Sophitia turned around, and tried to convince her companions to refrain from any aggressive motions. As she did so, Lizardman obtained a view of the shield that was strapped to Sophitia's back, and the symbol imprinted on it.
"...Ormerra?"
Surprised, Sophitia turned around. "...Did you say...Omega?"
The creature pointed at itself with its axe. "Ksi."
"...You are Xi?" Sophitia asked, her eyes widening in surprise. The others looked at each other in confusion.
"You're one of the others! One of Hephaestus' Twenty-Four! He set you upon the task of destroying Soul Edge, as well?"
Lizardman nodded vigorously.
"I've never met another one of the Twenty-Four..." Sophitia said breathlessly. "...But how could he have allowed such a fate to befall you...?"
As if to echo Sophitia's words angrily, Lizardman returned to his wild, animalistic snarling and stomping.
"Please, wait. Hephaestus responded to our pleas once before. I think he will listen if I beseech him."
Lizardman became calm in a moment. While the others had refrained from speaking, now they became even more silent as they made themselves as still as possible. There is a certain reverence mortals have for the divine.
Sophitia walked down the steps of the temple, and planted her Omega Sword into the ground before her. She dropped down to one knee, and rested her hands on the hilt of the blade in a praying position.
O Hephaestus, please hear me. I have encountered a disciple of the Olympians, one whom you chose to entrust with a duty. He is suffering greatly, and I would ask you why he has befallen such a fate.
Hephaestus' reply came swiftly, but he did not manifest himself as he did previously. The most attuned among them felt something divine in the sky, and tilted their heads back. They beheld a white orb of light bordered by a yellow glow. It descended very rapidly, and slowed to a stop in the air before Sophitia.
The others were quite surprised by the divine response. They were witnessing a miracle, after all. For another thing, it was flatteringly sudden, considering that a god chose so quickly to grace mere mortals with his presence. And third, Hephaestus had arrived in a different nature and a different form than he previously had. Presumably, he was only able to make such a grand entrance at his temple because his power was strongest there, whereas his presence would be slightly underwhelming out in a barren desert.
As before, all present kneeled, understanding the respect due to a god. All except Lizardman, choosing not to pay any respect.
"...Rise." Hephaestus growled.
The mortals looked up at the god fearfully as they stood, wondering what had elicited his anger. Was it Lizardman's lack of respect?
"...Disregard my harsh tone. I am not displeased with anyone here; it is another who has drawn my ire. ...Ares." The god said, rage dripping from every syllable.
Lizardman gave a curious growl.
"He has trespassed against me in a manner most foul. He has stolen one of my servants for a purpose of his own. Ares pulled a veil over this follower, preventing me from being able to see him. I could only assume that this loyal disciple had fallen while serving the duty I gave him. And yet, today I learn that this man lives still, distorted and perverted by Ares' grotesque plans.
"While I recognize Soul Edge as an abomination, Ares, in his greed for power, hungers to possess Soul Edge. It is for this reason that he stole my follower from me, to induct him into a nightmarish cult.
"You, Aeon Calcos, are that follower. The injustice that has befallen you is the fault of Ares, the god to whom you pledged your worship to. It is a betrayal most foul, although I would suspect nothing less to result from the desire to obtain Soul Edge; it taints even the gods with an unholy lust to acquire it.
"I will convene with the other Olympians, and inform them of Ares' deeds. Know, Aeon, that Ares will be punished for his transgressions. I recognize that you have suffered for many years, and as of this moment, I relieve you of the duty I entrusted you with seven years ago. But, above all else, you would wish to return to your true form, would you not?"
Enthusiastic snarls from the reptile.
"Approach me, Aeon. I cannot undo your years of suffering, but I can end them now."
Lizardman scrambled down the steps of the temple, around Sophitia, and underneath the glowing light that embodied Hephaestus. The light descended, grew, and encompassed the lizard man.
The light glowed with a bright, dazzling light, and for once, seemed befitting to personify a god. The others were forced to shut their eyes, unable to bear the intensity - and when they opened their eyes again, they did not behold a monster, but a man.
His hair was short and dark brown. The lower half of his face was adorned by a thin beard, although he was by no means a hairy or filthy man. His figure did not change drastically during his return to human form; his musculature was largely the same, and the armor clad on his body still fit him. Hephaestus had generously bestowed him with a red tunic so that he might retain his dignity, and indeed, he now appeared as a dignified man rather than a barbaric berserker.
That was, at least, until he opened his mouth.
"Raw?" He snarled incredulously while examining his body with clear wonder and elation. Feeling himself move lips for the first time in years, the sounds "Aye kahn tawk?" spilled from his mouth. Many of his following exclamations emerged just as ill-pronounced as the first, but as he continued to speak, he once again gained control over his long-lost mouth, saying, "Thank you, Hephaestus!" many times over.
He seemed too elated to feel shame over the somewhat ungraceful handling of his newfound speech, and he certainly did not feel enough shame to dance merrily, which is what he then proceeded to do. Aeon fell over several times, no longer possessing a tail on which to rely for balance, but the disappearance of his tail only seemed to exhilarate him further.
While the others might have considered this display to be improper behavior under most circumstances, they recognized that they had no idea what Aeon had been through for the past six years, and that they might react in a similar manner upon receiving such a miraculous favor. Siegfried was the only one present who came close to relating personally to Aeon, as he was the only other person present who had ever been forced to inhabit an inhuman form for an extended amount of time.
Once Aeon had exerted himself to the point at which he was unable to continue his ecstatic celebration, he turned upon Sophitia, threw himself at her, and wrapped his arms around her tightly. He sobbed openly and loudly, and thanked her as many times as he had thanked the god. While his manner was uncouth, he could not be blamed for it, and Sophitia returned the embrace gently.
For Siegfried and Ivy, the sight of Lizardman being returned to human form was encouraging. To see a hallmark of their darkest days transformed from a bloodthirsty beast into an euphoric man was undeniably uplifting. The others felt that the sight, as awkward as it may have been, was a touching scene to behold.
Now exhausted, Aeon sat down upon the steps of the temple, and caught his breath.
"...What will you do now, Aeon?" Sophitia asked.
"...My family. I can return to them now." Aeon said, his speech retaining only a fraction of its former slur. "I will return to my homeland as quickly as possible." A pang of guilt seemed to strike him. "I...can't help but feel irresponsible, since I will be giving up the duty Hephaestus gave me - but it was his decree, and so I must obey. ...Can you believe it? I'm talking! That's fantastic!"
Aeon's bursts of joy continued for a short while, but after embracing and thanking Sophitia once more, he bid everyone good luck and farewell, eager to return to his home and family. He shook Siegfried's hand, did the same to Ivy before she could elude him, and then he was off, singing and dancing his way down the Silk Road.
"...Wow." Mi-na remarked. "A man that was half-lizard, a god, and then...that whole song and dance at the end, literally. This is amazing. I can tell that traveling with you people is going to be the most fun thing I've ever done."
On another day, the others might have reminded Mi-na that their journey would not always be a pleasant one, but presently, the mood was too good for that.
"Geez, sis." Cassandra said. "If it weren't for you, we might have ended up killing him or just passing him by."
"Hephaestus deserves the most credit here." Sophitia said, remaining humble as always.
Setsuka and Taki were both overwhelmed by the experience of encountering a god, and seemed speechless. Siegfried and Ivy's commentary was internal. Tira had no remarks, but seemed quite amused by the uncanny spectacles that had unfolded.
Now that the diversion was over, the group finally proceeded into the temple as they had originally intended, and rested.