Chapter 51: On the way events
When Mi-na opened her eyes, it was already at night.
The hooded man had smashed her head very strongly. She was dizzy and had a headache.
There was somebody above her, helping her to recover.
She finally managed to focus her look. It was Yunsung.
- Mi-na! – he exclaimed. – You finally woke up. What happened?
Yunsung was speaking in a quite worried tone.
- I don't remember... – whispered Mi-na from the ground, while touching her head where she had been hit. – There was a man…a hooded man…
- Did you manage to see his face?
- No. He…he took the owl. – she remembered.
That memory seemed to clear her mindand she finally managed to open her eyes completely without the moonlight bothering her.
- Did you find a city? Why have you taken so long? – asked the girl.
- See for yourself. – answered Yunsung, pointing at aside of the path.
When she looked there, Mi-na felt equally surprised and displeased.
There were three men sleeping on the road shoulder, and the same amountof horses tied to a tree.
Mi-na knew the three men. Two of them were employees of her father's. The third one was no other than Hwang.
- They found me while I was exploring the surroundings. – explained Yunsung. – They ordered me to bring them here and when they saw you were unconscious, they told me to take care of you and they went to sleep.
- Hwang did the same?
Yunsung pursed his lips. He didn't like Mi-na mentioning Hwang.
- Yeah, Mi-na. Hwang did the same.
Mi-na sighed, disappointed, and stood up.
- We have to go before they wake up.
- Mi-na, they'll reach us soon. – said Yunsung,resigned. – Your father didn't choose these men randomly. One of them is an expert tracker. The second knows the surroundings like the back of his hand. The third…
- The third was chosen to lureme, because my father knows I'm in love with him. – Mi-na finished the sentence.
- Yeah, I guess. – Yunsung sighed, sadly. – Furthermore, they have horses and we're on foot.
- Well... – Mi-na thought looking at the horses. – That can be easily fixed.
- Can you ride? – asked a surprised Yunsung.
- Course. Can't you?
- Yeah, yes, I can. But…I hadn't expected you could.
- You have a long way to go ahead, kid. – she laughed while approaching one of the horses.
Yunsung followed her and they untied a couple of horses.
They picked up their supplies, stole some from Hwang's men and they got ready to ride.
Mi-na rode herswith a quick jump.
Yunsung was spellboundlooking at her.
Mi-na noticed it and laughed.
- Are you riding, idiot? – she mocked.
Yunsung reacted and, he had just put a foot on the stirrupwhen he heard someone saying:
- Not so fast.
It was Hwang. He had just woke up because of the noise and he was threatening Yunsung with his saber.
- Are you going to kill me, Hwang? – asked Yunsung insolently.
- I'm not a murderer. Not even with brats like you. – said Hwang scornfully. – Mi-na, get down the horse.
- But...
- Now!
She jumped down from the horse, disappointed.
- You two, wake up! – yelled Hwang to his two men.
In a few seconds, both of them were standing, as fresh as if they had been awake for hours.
- Mi-na, we're taking you home. – explained Hwang. – Your father is really angry.
- We are not going back! – exclaimed Yunsung.
- Don't worry. – said Hwang smiling. – You are not going back
- What? – asked Mi-na.
- He's expelledfrom the dojo for disobedience, desertion... – he took Yunsung's saber, which he had stolen from the armory. - ...and stealing.
- That's unfair! – yelled the girl.
- It's not my decision. –apologized Hwang, although it seemed clear that he was glad with it.
Mi-na, for the first time in her life, looked at Hwang with new eyes. His obedience to her father had turned the man she loved into someone despicable.
- We're going back to the dojo and then I will go after Soul Edge. – he explained, emphasizing the word "I".
- Soul Edge? – said a voice which didn't seem human.
Everyone looked around trying to find out who had spoken.
Before they could notice it, someone came out from among the trees and, with quick movements, left Hwang and his two escorts on the ground, unconscious.
Mi-na and Yunsung looked terrified at the person who had done that: he had human body, but… his head was that of an owl.
- Calm down, don't panic. – he said.
- Who…or what are you? – asked Yunsung.
- My name is Olcadan. – he introduced himself. – And despite of having an owl head I have much more brains than you, boy.
Mi-na and Yunsung opened their mouths, offended by the impudence of that man.
- Who do you think you are? – replied Yunsung.
- You were mocking someone who had a saber on your neck. – reminded Olcadan. – That's not what I call intelligent.
- What do you want from us? – asked Mi-na.
- I want you to tell me everything you know about Soul Edge. These men I've just knocked out don't know anything, I'm sure, so I decided to ask you.
Yunsung and Mi-na thought it over for a few seconds, until he asked:
- Why do you want to know that?
- The sword must be destroyed. The hooded man who knocked you out is looking for it, and also for Soul Calibur. - explained Olcadan pointing at Mi-na.
- Soul Calibur? – asked the two youngsters at the same time.
- I know it's hard to believe, but that man…is immortal.
- I'm talking to an owl. I can believe anything. – said Yunsung.
- His intention is to use the combined power of the two swords to kill himself and rest in peace. – retold the owl-man, ignoring Yunsung. – However, the power of both Soul Edge and Soul Calibur together could be so strong that...who knows what could happen.
- So why do we have to destroy Soul Edge and not Soul Calibur? – asked Mi-na.
- Soul Calibur is a good sword. It's a very very powerful weapon, but nothing else. However, Soul Edge… – Olcadan closed his eyes. - ...Soul Edge is equally powerful, but much more evil. It can possess whoever wields it. It can resurrect dead people. It can do a lot of things…a lot of horrible things. Soul Calibur is the only thing which can face up to it.
- Why do you know so much about the two swords? – inquired Yunsung.
- Because…I created them.