Chapter Two: Meet Again, Meeting Then ********** My second day in Japan was probably the third biggest day of my life. The second being the day I was bestowed with the Omega Sword and Elk Shield, and the first would be the day I gave birth to my children. I had no idea what awaited me. I clearly remember my excitement, my joy. I was still young and adventurous after all. Who could blame me for being anxious? Well... at the time, I was unaware of the suffering I would have to endure and cope with in my journeys. My fledgling nature got the better of me, and I was unprepared for my meeting with Taki. I did not know what would happen when I reached that shrine. All I knew was that Hephaestos had warned me of possible danger in that place. I had to inspect it. I am not sure if I should thank the gods for that day, or curse myself for blindly charging in there. There was no fierce beast, no demented pirate phantom, and no vacuous soldiers for the Japanese regular army... just this beautiful swordswoman... Just Taki... When we first met, she was my adversary... when we parted; she would be the owner of my heart... ********** The Tsuki no Hikari Ryokan, Aki (Chugoku Region), Japan Sophitia yawned impolitely, stretching out her arms as far as their length would take them. As she awoke she was gifted with the sweet sound of early morning birds from the outside. And the shining sun beaming its light through the small window just above her bed. Yes, it was a brand new day with brand new possibilities. But all the more, Sophitia knew what she had ahead of her. Hephaestos had warned her about a shrine filled with ghosts and demons that had been circulating around the east. It was suspected that the collective fall out would be disastrous if the seal upon that shrine were broken. Even though Sophitia's ultimate mission was to eliminate the Soul Edge before it plunged the world into darkness, she could sense that the gods had other purposes for her. The search for the Soul Edge was just a trail of problems that needed clearing up, all until she reached her final goal. Then that would be the end of it all. Sophitia rubbed the matter out of her eyes softly, and then leaned up. "I suppose I must be quick." The young woman shook her head a little, to spread out hair, already ruffled by sleep. Placing her two small feet on the cold flooring of the Inn room, Sophitia stood up and stretched out again. Her soft blue eyes then peered through the smoky glass window. The forests outside were even more beautiful. Possibly due to the nice day it seemed like it would be. And all things considered, Sophitia was surprised to see this place looking so vigorous. Japan was in the throws of quite a destructive war. Though the battlefields were drawn elsewhere, there was always trouble at home. The expenses of war took its toll on the lower orders, the people who could barely afford to live as they were. The peasantry. The costs were drawn up from them by the Shogun, whom would further finance his war efforts oversees. This led to new depths of poverty, despair, and an increase in famine, disease and social discontent. Even though Sophitia had come to terms with the realities of her world, she still felt the pain others suffered in her own heart. To watch her fellow people suffer and die for no apparent reason was like... agony. Which was why it uplifted her to see beautiful landscapes like the one she was observing through her window. It gave her hope that somewhere in these dark times... there was a shimmer of light that was waiting to be grasped by the people who were brave enough to fight for it. Sophitia took one last look out of the window before gathering together her battle paraphernalia. She was not sure if she would come into contact with anything in the shrine that she had been warned of, but all the same it was a possibility. She quickly changed into her things, but kept she sword and shield in her pack until she got outside. It might have scared some of the other people staying in the Inn if she came out with them in full view. With her pack over her back, Sophitia walked over to the door and swiftly opened it, locking it as she left. She then walked along the hall, giving brief smiles to the people who eyed her over as she passed, then treaded down the wooden stairs to the ground floor. As usual, the manager of the Inn was the front door, greeting who came in and out. His smile grew as he saw Sophitia walk by. "Good morning." "Good morning." Sophitia said sweetly. "I'm going to leave for a while, I have to take care of some business. But I'll be back shortly to do whatever jobs you want me to as we agreed." The manager nodded. "That's fine. I trust you to return here." After nodding back in return, Sophitia strode out of the Inn's front doors, out into the fresh green land of Aki. She dropped the bag over her back to the ground, checking if anyone was able to see her. Now that she was out of sight, the brave young woman pulled out her weapons. Sophitia slid on the Elk Shield and clasped the Omega Sword, giving a quick slash in the air to check its strength. Perfect. Sophitia placed the pack in the long weeds just at the northern wall of the Inn, then walked out onto the cobbled pathway just a few metres in advance. The pathway was forked into three paths. One path led to the village, the one that lay next to the seaport, which was the place Sophitia was heading to once all of her duties had been taken care of at the Inn and the shrine. The second path led back into the mainland, and third path led to the bank an enclosed lake. It wasn't quite a lake though, because it had an offshoot into the sea, but that was Sophitia's destination. The Greek swordswoman walked towards that third path, heading for the so-called lake. The shrine she was being called to investigate was on that lake; Sophitia just wondered how she might get there. The walk to the lakeside was much, much longer than she had expected it to be. In fact it took at least an hour to get there, but eventually Sophitia was successful in reaching it. The blonde girl was in awe of what she was seeing. The grass and trees had gotten thinner and father from sight as she proceeded; by the time she had arrived they were all but gone. The ground was a lot rockier, and soon Sophitia realized that she had been walking up to an edge. The rock-strewn land split out into a horizontal slide downwards, the higher cliff face circling around the huge lake but separated slightly at the other side. From this position, Sophitia got a clear view of the lake and her surroundings. The shrine had to be on that small island floating above the clear blue water. Now the only problem was getting to it. "How..." Sophitia mumbled privately. "How in the name of the gods am I going to be able to get there? I can't swim across it. That would take quite sometime... if only I could... huh? What's that?" The bright azure eyes of Sophitia saw something down below. A square shaped thing, just beside the bank of the lake. Whatever it was, she was sure that she should at least see it. Stepping carefully, the blonde swordswoman inched down the rocky terrain towards that object. The ground she stepped on was slanted, not vertical, so at least she wouldn't have to do any climbing. After a while, Sophitia had reached the even surface of the ground below. The rough rocks ended on the trip downward, the ground near the lake was now much smoother, covered by rocks and seaweed dragged into the lake from its small connection to the sea. She then but her focus back on that object she had caught sight of from up above. It was a raft. A set of five large logs roped together to form a raft. This meant that Sophitia could reach the island and the shrine. But it also meant that other people might be there. "No matter what... I have to make sure that the shrine is safe." So it was decided. Sophitia carefully stepped on the rather large raft, just making sure that it was able to say afloat on her weight. Which it was. Sophitia didn't much like the idea of using this raft without its owner's permission, but she had to get to that island. She put the Omega Sword down and took one of the oars in hand, then placed it in the water, pushing it back. There were no tides, so the raft moved easily through the water. Sophitia then turned her attention back to the island to which she was headed. Through all her efforts, it only took Sophitia about twenty minutes to reach the small island. It was barely worth all the fuss. As the raft reached the bank of the island, Sophitia stepped off it, picked up her sword, and studied the place through her eyes. The island was very small, more like an islet, probably about three hundred metres in diameter. The only thing that made it hard to get around would be the thicket of bamboo surrounding the island. "Looks like my sword won't be sleeping after all." Sophitia thought with a smile. The young Greek walked over the grass toward the bamboo forests, readying her sword. As she came to the first few shoots of the plant, she gave one quick swipe with her blade, and the rods of oddly grown flora came to rest on the ground. Sophitia continued to slash and hack at the forest, carving a way forward to gain access to the inner parts of the island. It was a slow process, but with the composed yet furious power of the Omega Sword. Soon the bamboo shoots were no longer a problem, and Sophitia stopped her actions. There was a clearing ahead. The bamboo grew in such a way that it circled the inner portion of islet, which just happened to be the location of the shrine. Sophitia smiled. She had reached it. The shrine wasn't large, more or less a stone building designed into ground, maybe thirty or forty years ago. She just had to wonder though, what kind of dangers existed here? There seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary. Until... "You! How dare you come here!?" Sophitia dropped her concern on the location and darted her head to the direction that voice came from. It came from the shrine. A figure was standing on top of it, a female figure, dressed from head to toe in crimson fabrics. Her long dark hair had been tied into a loose ponytail. Her face was partially obscured from view by a black mouthpiece. The woman's dark eyes glared out the anger in her disposition. Her hand was poised behind her back, as if to draw a sword, and she was crouched down to get a better look at the supposed 'intruder', Sophitia. Sophitia herself was slightly unnerved by the quickness with which this woman had slipped into the area. It was obvious that she was a fighter... but Sophitia really didn't want to have to fight with anyone without need. This stranger continued to jab verbally at Sophitia when she got no response. "Can you hear me?! You're trespassing on grounds that do not belong to you! You had best leave before you suffer the taste of my steel!" Sophitia reflexively drew up her shield. "I haven't come here to fight you..." "Then you should not have come at all. Leave and no blood will be spilt." "...There's no way to avoid this... is there?" Sophitia thought, readying her sword again, in preparation for what was to come. "I... cannot leave." ********** Hmm... I… I can remember. The strong chilling winds, the harsh sound of it passing through narrow gaps between the shoots of bamboo. I can remember the anger I felt at someone interfering with the seal I placed on the demons I locked away. But most of all... I can remember the angel that was given to me by the Kami. I remember that day like a branding emblazed on the centre of my soul. It was the day that I met Sophitia. Now that I think of it... I was oblivious to her at the time. Or at least what she stood for. When I first met her, all I thought of was my anger at someone who would dare to violate the hub of my efforts. The Sealing Shrine was territory that no one should have stepped across. It had nothing to do with my pride; I am in no way possessive. It was for the safety of the people of Japan. If the seal had been broken... who knows what kind of damage might have been done. At the time, I felt nothing for Sophitia but contempt. Of course, if I had any idea on the path she and I would walk along... ********** "Yaaaah!" Taki leapt from the roof of the shrine, jumping down to the floor. The blonde woman across from her only stood, her shield in readiness, and her sword poised defensively. Though she didn't seem like much of a thief, robbers did tend to come in all different shapes and sizes. The Ninjutsu girl had come to the Sealing Shrine today to make sure that the seal was holding up well. It needed renewal, but for now it was safe. Then she heard the sound of a sword chopping the surrounding bamboo. Taki knew full well that someone had managed to steal one of the two rafts she left at the bank, and sneak onto the island. Taki grasped at her greatest partner, Rekkimaru, and narrowed her eyes down on the foreign intruder. "I'm losing patience." Taki declared sternly. "Get out of here now and no harm need come to you." The blonde stranger gave Taki a self-protective glare. "Please don't force me to do this. I don't want to hurt you... I just need to make sure that-" "Silence!" Taki interrupted. "If you don't leave I shall force you away!" There were no more words that needed to be spoken. Taki lunged forward, toward that blonde girl, tightly holding her Rekkimaru. Soon as she came into range, Taki withdrew Rekkimaru at lightning fast speeds, slicing at her target. The stranger brought up her well-rounded shield, blocking Taki's attack with it. With a 'clang' the two articles of metal rebounded, and Taki drew back, and lunged at the other woman a second time. The blonde-haired girl dove to one side, avoiding the thin steel of Rekkimaru, and then took the opportunity to launch her own attack. Pushing forwards, the stranger thrust her thick sword at Taki's arm, narrowly missing its target. In the split second in took for Taki to adjust, she thought about that. "This woman had a clear opening and she missed? Either she's holding back or..." Taki couldn't get her head around it. But there was not time to thick. The blonde woman swung her sword, and Taki reflexively ducked to avoid it, even though the other woman's aim was, once again, lacking. With all her ninja speed, Taki placed both hands out flat evenly over grassy ground, and spread out her long right leg, whipping around swiftly. The blonde woman let out a gasp as she was knocked right off her feet, and onto the verdant ground. Now was the time to strike. Taki withdrew Rekkimaru, flipped it around so it faced downwards, and lunged to attack the stranger. The eyes of the blonde stranger widened, and she did the only thing she saw fit do. She animatedly dragged up her shield to defend herself with. Time seemed to slow down right about then. As the blade of Rekkimaru came down, the shield of the stranger began to glow. It was a pure... bright, almost unearthly light, one that started out as a glow, but then developed into something more. Taki blinked harshly, and the second before Rekkimaru hit the shield, that light was blinding. Like an explosion of holy luminance, Rekkimaru, and the ninja holding it, were both blown away violently by the force. Taki slammed against the stonewall of the Sealing Shrine, coughing up a little blood. A second later, Taki managed to adjust, opening her eyes partially. "W-What happened?" As Taki looked over to the blonde intruder, she saw that the girl was just as surprised as she was. But what Taki failed to notice was how loose the stone blocks of the shrine were above her. Instead she focused only on the girl and her shield, a shield that was somehow able to magically repel her attack. The blonde girl stood up also, equally astonished by the powers of her shield. Taki searched the eyes of this woman. Though she seemed unwilling to fight… she also seemed... somehow resolute. "Who is she...?" Taki thought curiously. The determination in the eyes of the girl then changed to fear. Taki blinked as the younger girl dropped her sword and ran toward her. She screamed 'look out!' and dove into Taki, so quickly that the ninja could react in no way. Her eyes were jerked backward, and then she saw stray bricks and stones falling from the wall, ones that knocked straight into the head of the blonde swordswoman. Taki and the foreigner crashed into the ground and grass, but only one of them maintained their consciousness. The ninja girl looked up, still breathing a little harder. She then looked downwards. The stranger's head was nestled between her breasts, both of her lithe arms wrapped around Taki's waist. She had been knocked insentient by the hit from those stray bricks. Taki couldn't believe it. One minute they were fighting, and the next... Who was this woman? ********** If I lifted up the hair at the side of my head, I'd uncover the small scar I gained from protecting Taki. My family would say that's typical of me; I would run my own torso onto the tip of the devil's blade if it meant defending the ones I care for. Taki was different somehow. At the time, I protected her because I did not want to see anyone killed or injured when I had the chance to prevent it. What I did, I did from instinct. But I still do not understand what brought me to rescue someone who had attempted to kill me. Why did I do that? Well... in spite of my foolishness and haste I did what I did. I had no idea doing that would have changed me so drastically, however. It was the start of something I was not prepared for. It was the beginning of my love for Taki. ********** "Oh… w-what... happened...?" Sophitia's eyes fluttered open, awakening from her previous comatose state. She barely remembered what happened. What she could recall was seeing a bunch of loose rocks about to fall on the woman who had attacked her. The moment she saw that she ran forward, before she even knew what she as doing, and shoved that brunette woman out of the way. Before anything else, Sophitia rubbed her head. It was sore, very sore, and there was cut there to. But she wasn't bleeding. A thick, sticky substance had been spread over her head wound. "Has... has someone been treating me...?" Sophitia questioned, to no one in particular. Then Sophitia just started to question her location. Where was she? The young woman's sapphire eyes looked up. She was in someone's home, no doubt about that. She was also rested on their bed, whomever it was. The room was nothing out of the ordinary. But there were quite a few articles in there that Sophitia was unfamiliar with. Must have been part of this country's culture. It was then that Sophitia realized that it had to have been that swordswoman that brought her here. But why would that woman do such a thing after she went to such lengths to force Sophitia out of the shrine? "...Wait a minute... where is the Omega Sword and the Elk... ah." Sophitia stopped herself from overreacting when she saw her weapons at the other side of the room, resting quite peacefully on a wooden table. Such courtesy was seemingly strange to Sophitia, in regards to the one who did all this for her. That woman... but where was she now? Sophitia did let one more second of speculation take place, and heaved herself off the bed. She had to at least find out where that woman was. Though she left her sword and shield behind, Sophitia was still cautious, so kept her eyes peeled for anything as she opened the door. The Greek woman walked through the small hallway of this tiny house, then over to the open door that outwards. Sophitia stepped through it, and reappeared outside. The first thing Sophitia noticed was the climate. It was still light out there, so perhaps she had only been unconscious for a few hours? The second thing Sophitia managed to notice was a young woman just across from her. This woman was hunched over a large wooden bucket, soaking what appeared to be a cloth. The third thing Sophitia noticed was the beauty of this woman. It was hard to believe that such a girl would be out here all on her own when she could be out on the mainland. Just then, the woman turned around and stared at Sophitia blankly. Sophitia blinked. It was the woman who had attacked her! Well, she certainly looked less intimidating now, that was a certainty, but... "...Are... are you the one that brought me here?" The woman just pointed up at Sophitia's head. "How does it feel?" "Huh?" Then the blonde realized that she was talking about the wound. "Oh… it's better now. Thank you so much…?" The brunette didn't let Sophitia wonder too long. "It's Taki." Sophitia nodded politely. "I see. Thank you so much... Taki. I am Sophitia Alexandra." "You shouldn't be making any apologies." Taki admitted calmly. "I was the one that attacked you. Please forgive my misgivings... I do not meet too many people in these areas, and the ones I do meet tend to be thieves who are unaware of the problems they cause when they disturb the shrine." "I understand. But I was merely making sure that the shrine was secure..." Taki raised an eyebrow, curiously staring at Sophitia. "What exactly does that mean?" "It's sort of a complicated matter..." Sophitia said awkwardly. "I could explain it, but..." Taki shook her head. "No. You've no need to. And you have no need to concern yourself with the security of the shrine. I have spoken the incantations necessary to seal away the spirits there for quite some time. I only came back here to make sure it was taken care of before I left." "Left?" Sophitia said questioningly. Taki said nothing; she simply turned her head back around, and focussed on the water bucket. A silence fell on the two, one that was almost uncomfortable, until Taki spoke once more. "Tell me... you are from the west, are you not?" Sophitia nodded, though Taki could not see it. "Yes." "Then... would you, by any chance, happen to know of a weapon... called Soul Edge?" It was then that Sophitia grew suspicious. "...Why do you ask me this?" And in return, Taki simply smiled. "I wish to meet with the blade that can destroy armies." Sophitia's worry increased. Hephaestos was not romanticising the truth when he spoke of the influence that Soul Edge was having on people. Swordfighters as Far East as Japan were learning about the evil weapon. If the situation was like this here, what was it like back in Europe? The blonde woman stepped over to Taki slowly. "You... really don't want to tempt fate like that... the Soul Edge is not what you think it is." "That's not an issue with me." Taki said, proceeding to ring her cloth. "As long as it does what I need it to, then I will use it." "You're a demon slayer, aren't you?" Sophitia asked sharply. Taki simply nodded in response, preferring not ask how Sophitia had known that. So, Sophitia continued on. "Then you should know how dangerous Soul Edge is. It's not a weapon that the gods look favourably on. It brings calamity to the world and will leave nothing in its wake but destruction." Sophitia watched a wordless Taki stand, then walk up to her. Taki revised Sophitia for a brief few seconds, until the blonde woman spoke up again. "You don't believe me, do you?" The Japanese woman merely smiled, tugging some stray strands of hair from the side of Sophitia's head. The younger woman was startled but said nothing, as Taki's placed the damp cloth against the slight cut that Sophitia had taken to the skull. "Try not to overexert yourself." Taki stated simply. "Should you not do so, the wound will heal in a few days. It may or may not leave a scar, however." Sophitia cast her eyes downwards. "Why... do you do this for me? I would have thought that... after the way we fought-" "You helped me when you had absolutely no need to." Taki cut Sophitia off. "I'm repaying a kindness with another kindness, that's all." Sophitia smiled slightly, as Taki gently rubbed the soft, damp cloth over her head wound. Taki wasn't so bad after all. Though she did seem to have some misconceptions about the nature of Soul Edge. Well, notwithstanding of that, Sophitia let some of her defences drop. Though her mission to destroy Soul Edge had been postponed slightly, it seemed she had acquired a new friend along the way.
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