Chapter 4:
For the next few days, Thomas, Christine, and their new allies journeyed through France on horseback, heading east towards Venice. The Spanish horses that Kyria provided were strong and fast, but even so, they were looking at over a week of travel.
Life on the road was quite an adjustment for Thomas and Christine, who had been living a lavish lifestyle since their previous journey ended nearly two years ago. The pair once again donned their outfits from their last quest; a blue coat-and-vest combination for Thomas and a red cropped jacket with black tights for Christine.
After hours of sprinting through the French countryside, the group found themselves in the heart of a thick forest, where the horses slowed down to rest. The group typically used opportunities like this to converse. Kyria rode her horse right next to Christine's.
"How are you holding up?" she asked the young woman.
"I get occasional flare-ups," replied Christine, "The headaches come and ago. Do you have any idea what this necklace is doing to me?"
"I don't know," replied Kyria, "It's still far too early to determine your fate."
"Well, what of the original owner, Harmonia? What became of her?"
"She and her mortal husband, Cadmus, were transformed into reptiles - Divine retribution for Cadmus' slaying of a dragon. After that, the necklace was passed onto Harmonia's daughter, Semele. She was smitten by Zeus, for openly doubting him."
"And then?"
"After that, the details are sketchy. Numerous myths and legends have been written about the necklace – The story of Oedipus and Jocasta come to mind – But most are purely fictional and thus cannot be taken seriously."
"What happens if the Fygul Cestemus find me?"
"They will not. We will see to it."
"I know, but…"
"They will use you as a vessel to channel its energies; you and the necklace have formed a symbiotic bond. Without you, the necklace will be useless and vice-versa."
"And you are certain it can be removed once we get to the forge?"
"Absolutely. Once we reach Lemnos, the necklace will guide us to the forge where we can use its fires to destroy it for good."
Christine took a deep breath and sighed. A brief silence followed.
"I understand you are nervous," said Kyria, "This is a lot for anyone to take in…"
"Tell me about it," said Christine, "Like many in France, I was raised Roman Catholic…To discover that Greek mythology is as real as you and I is Earth-shattering to me."
"I understand completely," said Kyria, "After all, the gods seldom show their faces anymore to mankind."
"What happened to them? If they really do exist, then why hide?"
"In the centuries after Soul Edge was forged, mankind grew far more powerful than they ever anticipated. The gods began to fear an invasion as chaos enveloped the Earth. And so, they permanently retreated into the abyss, choosing only to observe us from a safe distance."
"But some still worship them?"
"During the reign of Constantine, Christianity became the official religion for the entire Byzantine Empire, which included Greece. However, some Greeks continued to practice Paganism in secret. To this day, small pockets of us continue to thrive. Those of us who are chosen to serve the gods directly, like my companions and I, are referred to as 'Holy Warriors'."
"Have the gods ever spoken to you?"
"Yes. Hephaestus spoke to me in a dream once; he told me about your husband and all he had done. It is how I knew where to find you. Hephaestus is, understandably, ashamed of Soul Edge's existence and willing to do all he can to ensure its destruction. That is why, once we separate you from that necklace, we will destroy his forge to prevent it from ever being used again by mankind."
"I see."
As Christine and Kyria discussed, Thomas and Sarpedon rode together further up the path.
"I must confess," began Thomas, "Homer's epics are among my all-time favorite literature, although, there is something that has always bothered me. As a descendent of one its characters, perhaps you can answer this for me…"
"Go ahead," said Sarpedon.
"Your ancestor," said Thomas, "He was the King of Lycia, right?"
"Yes," replied Sarpedon.
"Yet, he fought on the side of Troy, despite having no quarrel with the Greeks. Why sacrifice so much just to get involved in a petty conflict?"
"'Petty conflict'? Pfft! Shows how little you know about the war. My ancestor fought bravely in the name of his almighty father to stand against those vengeful, war-mongering heretics, Menelaus and Agamemnon."
Thomas scratched his head, baffled by Sarpedon's answer.
"Not quite the response I was expecting," he said, "What does the Trojan War have to do with appeasing the gods?"
"Everything," began Sarpedon, "Zeus granted Paris the divine right to wed the most beautiful woman in the world – Helen of Sparta – In exchange for his judgement. When Paris invoked that right, the Achaeans pursued him, instead of resigning to fate. For that, they deserved punishment."
"Forgive for being blunt, but…Are you mad?"
Sarpedon glared at Thomas.
"I fail to see how adultery is okay," Thomas said, "Even if it is permitted by a god. Menelaus and Agamemnon may have been war-mongers, but I do believe their anger at Troy was justified."
"Watch your tongue, boy," warned Sarpedon, "My ancestor died fighting for Ilios, yet you soil his memory by defending those clowns!"
"Clearly, you view the Trojan War as some sort of religious conflict. Yet, where was Zeus when your ancestor - His own son - Fought and died at the hands of Patroklos? It's rather convenient how the gods help start wars, then stand by and watch as we wipe each other out. Admit it, we were nothing but their pawns! No wonder humanity turned its back on them..."
Sarpedon growled and placed his hand on his scabbard. Pallene immediately intervened.
"Enough!" she said, getting in between their horses, "We are on a mission! You will put all of your differences aside, understand?"
Thomas and Sarpedon sneered at each other before moving apart.
"Unbelievable," Kyria muttered to Christine, "Not even three days into our voyage, and Sarpedon nearly beheads someone. What am I to do with him?"
"I must apologize on behalf of my husband," said Christine, "I don't know what's gotten into him."
"It's alright," said Kyria, "Sarpedon's always had a bad temper. That, and we are all quite exhausted. There is an inn not far from here. We shall…"
All of a sudden, more than a dozen men leapt out from the trees surrounding the path. Most wore green ninja robes, though some were shirtless or wore vests instead. They wielded katanas, daggers and giant shurikens.
"Bandits!" cried Kyria, "We must flee!"
Kyria and the others whipped their horses, forcing them to move quickly. However, as the gang made it further down the path, a spike trap activated. Thomas, who was at the front of the group, pulled back on the reigns in an attempt to stop the horse. The horse stopped inches away from the trap and Thomas fell backwards to the ground.
"ACK!" he yelled, "Damnit!"
The others stopped behind him and disembarked. They immediately drew their weapons, but were quickly surrounded by the bandits, who had arrows pointed at them.
"Who are these people?" asked Christine.
"The Manjitou?" suggested Thomas.
"No," said Kyria, "Someone else…"
Just then, a man stepped out from behind the crowd. He was tall and muscular, possessing spiky, jet black hair combed back into the shape of a cone and a light scruffy beard. He appeared to be of mixed Asian and European heritage and wore an open blue vest and green pants.
"Kyria," he said.
"Greed?" said Kyria, "Damnit, we had an agreement!"
"You know this man?" asked Thomas.
"We've crossed paths before," she explained, "He and his band of thieves stalk the countryside in search of victims. There is nothing he won't steal and nothing he won't do to get it."
"We helped eliminate a rival bandit group operating nearby," said Sarpedon, "In exchange for safe passage through these woods."
"A deal I had no intention of honouring," laughed Greed, "You see, I figured you three had come in search of something valuable and I want in."
Greed observed the gang for a few seconds.
"Well, hello," he said, eyeing Christine, "What have we here?"
Greed drew a small kunai and swiftly approached Christine. He placed the tip of the blade between her throat and the necklace in an attempt to slice it off.
"STOP!" yelled Thomas.
Greed turned to sneer at Thomas.
"Why waste time on mere trinkets?" asked Kyria, "When we have an even bigger prize for you to steal?"
Intrigued, Greed removed the kunai from Christine's neck.
"Go on," he said.
"You're right," continued Kyria, "We did come searching for a treasure; a cache of gold coins lies somewhere in these woods, far more valuable than that necklace. In exchange for letting us go, we can help you find it."
"Careful, sir," said one of the bandits, "She could be lying!"
"How do I know you're telling the truth?" asked Greed, "How can I be sure this treasure is real, huh?"
"You have my word," assured Kyria, "But, if you still don't believe me, then take us along with you. If you don't find what you're looking, you can just rob us of our goods instead."
"Hmmm," pondered Greed, "Yes, like an insurance policy."
"What will it be?" asked Kyria, "Kill us and rob us, or wait to claim the bigger prize…The choice is yours."
"Alright," said Greed, "Show us where this treasure is located!"
As the group began to mobilize, Greed drew his kunai once again and pointed it at Kyria's face.
"But don't screw around with us," he warned, "Or I'll make sure your death is slow, understood?"
Maintaining a straight face, Kyria nodded
"Good," said Greed, "Alright, let's get moving!"
For the next few hours, Kyria led both her group and Greed's bandits to the supposed location of the "treasure". Thomas approached Kyria and walked alongside her.
"I really hope you know what you're doing," he whispered, "Because if this doesn't work, we'll all be killed."
"You can relax, Thomas," said Kyria, "I got this."
"You assured me we'd be safe on our voyage!"
"I told you, I have a plan. Now, calm down."
Greed suddenly appeared behind Thomas, startling him.
"Well now," he said, "Someone is not willing to part with the treasure, I see?"
"You can all the damn treasure you want," said Thomas, "Just let us go!"
"I told you," began Greed, "I can't let you go – Not until I confirm it's real."
Greed then stepped in front of Thomas and examined the young man.
"I take it," he began, "You're afraid of death?"
"Aren't we all?" asked Thomas.
"Heheh," chuckled Greed, "Not your lady-friend here. Look at her eyes; not an ounce of fear…"
As Greed spoke, he waved his kunai in front of Kyria, trying to get a reaction.
"I can say the same for you," laughed Sarpedon, from further behind.
"Who asked you?" snapped Greed.
"Just an observation," continued Sarpedon, "When was the last time you encountered an elderly highwayman? Thievery is a dangerous profession, my friend, and the lifespan of a thief is a short one. All it takes is one botched robbery and it's over."
Greed swallowed hard and chuckled nervously.
"We're here," said Kyria.
The path ended at a river running through the forest. A small building with an attached waterwheel sat next to the river.
"This is the great treasure you spoke of?" demanded Greed, "You lying, deceiving…"
"The treasure is inside the watermill," explained Kyria, "You see, the mill belonged to Thomas and Christine's father before he passed away. Now it is their property. Of course, they care not for the mill, but rather, the gold coins he reportedly stashed inside of it. Thus, they hired us to escort them to it."
"Um, yes," Christine played along with Kyria's story, "My, er, 'brother' and I ask that you do not, uh, plunder the treasure that is rightfully ours…"
"Well, too bad for you," taunted Greed, "You two! Go inside and get me my treasure, now!"
Two of Greed's bandits nodded and ran inside the watermill. Almost immediately upon entering, they found a large stone chest.
"Those sons-of-bitches were telling the truth," said one of the bandits.
"Come on," said the other, "Let's take it outside!"
Even with all of their strength, the two bandits were unable to hoist the chest.
"It's too heavy," noted the first bandit.
"That just means it's really full," chuckled the other, "Let's head back out."
The two bandits ran back outside and approached Greed.
"Uh," said the first, "It's a bit heavy…We're gonna need some help."
Greed turned to the other bandits and frowned at them.
"Useless!" he snapped, "All of you, useless! Get another three guys in there, damnit!"
Three additional men entered the mill.
"You might want to back away," Kyria whispered to Thomas and Christine.
The two nodded and began to step back.
"Alright," said one of the bandits from inside the mill, "On the count of three: 1…2…"
Suddenly, there was a loud explosion that rocked the mill. The impact shook the ground, causing all of the bandits standing near the mill to nearly fall down.
"NOW!" ordered Kyria.
Thomas and Christine each drew their rapiers and stabbed a bandit next to them. Kyria and her companions drew their own weapons and began taking on the others.
"WHAT?" yelled Greed, covering his ears, "GODDAMNIT! KILL THEM NOW!"
The bandits drew their weapons and fought the group of travelers, but with their numbers reduced from a dozen to just five, they were no longer at full strength.
"Grrr…" growled Greed.
Drawing both of his kunai, he flipped into the air and landed next to Thomas, surprising the young man.
"Prepare to defend yourself!" he announced.
Greed swung both of his kunai, prompting Thomas to block with his rapier. Greed followed up with a leg sweep that knocked Thomas to the ground. Thomas rolled backwards to dodge Greed's follow-up.
"You lying bastards!" he yelled, "I'm going to enjoy cutting you to shreds!"
Christine, meanwhile, fought a female bandit armed with a shuriken. The young woman pulled the giant star from her back and hurled it at Christine, forcing her to sidestep it.
"Look out, Christine!" Kyria yelled, while fighting a bandit of her own.
"Huh?" asked Christine.
Looking behind her, Christine saw that the massive shuriken was making its way back to its owner, much like a boomerang. Christine threw herself face down to avoid being cut by it. The young bandit smiled as she caught the shuriken, then moved in for the kill…
"Why won't you die?" demanded Greed, as he unleashed a fury of strikes.
Thomas remained on the defensive, desperately trying to block Greed's blows. The bandit leader was fast and cunning, but was allowing his rage to get the better of him.
"Come on, Thomas," he thought to himself, "You can do this! I just have to find an opening…"
Greed leapt into the air and attempted to perform a downward slash with both of his kunai. Thomas saw an opportunity to strike back; he twirled backwards, causing Greed to not only miss, but also to stumble. Thomas followed-up with a strike that left a gash Greed's shoulder.
"ACK!" yelled Greed.
Meanwhile, Christine managed to roll out of the way of the impending attack. She placed her rapier against the bandit's heels and sliced deep into them, causing the woman to scream and fall to her knees. As Christine stood up, the bandit reached for her shuriken once more, forcing Christine to stab her through the chest and finish her off.
With only three bandits remaining alongside Greed, hey had no choice but to retreat.
"Come on!" ordered Greed, "Let's go! RUN!"
Greed and the three bandits leapt into the nearby treetops and disappeared. Greed turned to face the group one last time before leaving:
"This isn't over," he warned, "Not by a longshot. Do you hear me? You will pay for this!"
Once Greed was gone, the group gathered together.
"That was more excitement than I'd hoped," said Thomas, "Especially considering we're only on the first leg of our trip."
"Unfortunately," began Kyria, "Bandit encounters are all too common in these parts. Greed's organization happens to be among the better-funded and more dangerous."
"We made a deal with Greed for safe passage through the forest," began Pallene, "But we knew he was going to betray us, so we planted a chest in the watermill and rigged it with an explosive compound, hoping to catch him off-guard."
"Wait," began Thomas, "You suspected Greed's betrayal? And yet, you still took us through this part of the woods?"
"This is the fastest known route across France," said Kyria, "So, yes."
"But we nearly died!" whined Thomas, "What if your exploding chest trick didn't work?"
"But it did," Kyria said, flatly.
"Argh!" Thomas groaned in frustration.
"Relax, Thomas," said Christine, placing a hand on his shoulder, "Greed and his men won't bother us anymore. Let's just focus on getting to Venice."
"Christine's right," said Kyria, "The inn I mentioned is not far ahead. We will spend the night there, then resume our voyage on horseback tomorrow morning."
As the group set off, Thomas shook his head and sighed.