Chapter 19: One of mine
Just like he had said, Raphael took Amy to Fleuret's house early in the morning.
He carried her in his arms while she was sleeping, because now it was quite difficult to deal with her while she was awake.
Raphael knocked at Fleuret's door and he opened it a few seconds later.
Fleuret looked very tired, but he didn't seem to have just woke up. Raphael supposed he had stayed awake the whole night.
- There you have. – said Raphael, leaving her daughter in Fleuret's arms.
- Go in peace. I'll took good care of her.
- Take care of yourself too. I don't have to remind you why I'm doing this, right?
Fleuret shook his head.
- I don't know how much time I will be away. Probably months. Maybe a year.
Fleuret sighed
- Last chance, Raphael. Are you completely sure about this?
- Of course.
- Good luck, then. I'm doing it for Amy's good…and for mine.
Raphael held Amy's hand tight and finally he loosened it. Fleuret carried the girl inside his house leaving Raphael alone.
After gazing at the door for some seconds, Raphael got away with steady steps.
...
He hadn't gone much far away when he heard someone calling him.
- Raphael Sorel? – asked a soft voice, which made Raphael shudder.
Raphael turned around and saw who was talking to him. It was a man wearing a hood.
- What do you want from me?
- You are going after Soul Edge, aren't you?
Raphael didn't answer.
- You won't succeed.
- Why not?
- The power of that sword is too strong. It would bow you down.
- That power you say is already inside of me. – replied Raphael. – And I know how to deal with it.
The hooded man laughed.
- What is inside of you is just a little warm-up of the power inside the sword. Furthermore, you're wrong if you think that being possessed by the Evil Seed will make you more resistant to Soul Edge. Instead, it will make you more vulnerable.
- How do you know all that? Who the hell are you? – yelled Raphael, who was getting nervous.
- If you really love whom you call your daughter, you'll take care of her and keep her away from that sword. Some day, its power will waste you away, but you can hold on for a long time.
Raphael was confused.
- Believe me. I know because…you're one of mine.
At that moment, the hooded man looked at Raphael in the eyes. Raphael didn't manage to see anything else in his face, but in that man's eyes there was something unmistakable: the glare of the Evil Seed.
Suddenly, a crow passed flying by Raphael's head, cawing loudly.
Raphael was startled by it and fell to the ground.
The crow flew towards where the hooded man had been, but now he was gone.
Raphael stood up, while watching the crow flying away. Then he thought something. He didn't have any idea where to go, but he had a hunch. That crow had to be the hooded man's. It couldn't have appeared by chance, and it was obvious that the hooded man knew a lot of things about Soul Edge.
So Raphael decided to follow the crow.