I will not... go quietly into the night. Not so long as there is a reason to keep moving. With all my strength and will, and even my soul, I will press on. For I know there is only one path to glory. However, I will not forget those who travel with me, for they are my charges. They come before my goal, and not the other way around. A life lived for friends! For justice! For honor! For love... This is the path I choose. I will not turn back. ~Excerpt from a page of the travel diary of Seong Mi-na Chapter 3- Iron Maiden in Silk ________________________________________________________________________ Searching for leads was harder than Mi-na thought. There was news abound about the conflict between Japan and Korea, but nothing about anything interesting. She knew that was happening; she needed to know about anything else that was going on. Anyone who was said to be of exceptional skill, besides Yi Sun-sin, the admiral. No doubt, he was a genius at strategy- and he was smart enough to know perfectly well that she was here. If she started moving now, it would be ill-advised. Instead, she looked for other clues- other situations of note. Of course, when asked why she wanted to know, she told them she was simply looking for something interesting to do. She had the feeling that no one would believe her if she told them her mission. Besides, those that did believe would begin blabbing their mouths, spreading the word to those that did not entirely... want to do good with such information. Thus, she had found out that Toyotomi Hideyoshi had a castle here in Osaka... storming the place was out of the question, though it was most definitely in her mind at the time. If someone sacked the place, this war would take a major shift in tides. However, she most decidedly did not want to bother with such things, seeing as she knew that the castle was virtually impenetrable at the moment. Over the next few days however, she noticed that armies from the castle were starting to get a move on. Watching from the inn that she and her companions had been staying at, she noticed that many of them had the resolved looks on their faces of men who would not be coming back home. But she didn't entirely care for the power-hungry nation, who had strove to dominate her homeland. Not to mention that there was little she could do about such a large force. Thus, she stayed perfectly still, not making a move against them. "Tragic, is it not?" Mi-na turned around suddenly, Talim and Xianghua quickly following suit. She had come along so quietly behind them that no one had heard them coming. Had she attacked, Mi-Na and Talim would not have heard or felt the attack until the last second. Something about her demeanor told of one who practiced the sword... yet she carried no weapons on her. Still, that was no reason to underestimate her. As they all calmed down, she continued speaking. Her skin was almost the complexion of snow- unclouded and almost a pure white, with her black hair tied above her head. Her oil paper parasol was open and lazily hanging above her, blocking the sunlight from reaching her. "They continually fight on, knowing that their lives are at stake. The forces they face will eventually overcome them- the most they can hope to do is hold their own ground. Perhaps they should just die- all life ends sooner or later, whether it be for a just cause or not." She sounded quite ambivalent about it all, a mixture of sadness and anger in her voice. Still, her face bore no expression. Realizing that she was not entirely out to kill them, Mi-Na casually asked, "You seem like you know quite a bit about the subject. Care to shed some light?" The woman shook her head. "No... At least, not yet. I still have many things to resolve before my tale can be told. In any event, since we have spoken thus far, what are your names?" They all awnsered, one at a time. Kilik had just come forth from his room after hearing conversation out front, and spoke his name as well. Mi-na had heard him, at least- he was not the kind of man who would train himself to be completely quiet. But the woman next to her was as silent as death, as if she had trained her steps to be like air. "Setsuka. It is... interesting to make your aquaintance, at the least." She bowed slightly- at least she had the grace to perform such a gesture. "In any event... you bear weapons, I see. I'm wondering if you have heard or seen a man known as Mitsurugi." Her voice carried no weight this time, just a question. Mi-na took some time to think. She figured this little piece of information would not be of any trouble, so she spoke. "Yeah- I fought with him a few times. He's a decent opponent, if not somewhat insecure. Why do you ask?" Setsuka nods her head. "I'm wondering where I can find him. He and I have some... matters to discuss." The four of them looked at each other in puzzlement. Mi-na was the only one who understood, after a while. She nodded and spoke again. "Well, I don't know where he is exactly, but the last place I saw him was in China. Though I'm not that sure that he's there anymore." Placing her hand on her chin and rubbing it thoughtfully, Setsuka replied, "I see... It seems I'll have to wait for him to come back to Japan, then..." This was mostly to herself, in a sort of mutter. With that, she nodded again. "I understand. Thank you for the information." With that, she looked at the procession once more before going back inside. "What was that all about?" Xianghua queried. Mi-na shrugged. Kilik shook his head. It was Talim that answered, making everyone turn their head. "She has such a melancholy wind around her... anger and sadness... someone she loved had died recently. Her heart can't accept it, and she's looking for solace." She looked at Mi-na and frowned, a bit worried. "Could it be that..." The Korean put two and two together and nodded. "It's highly possible. I'm sure the guy died without regrets- Mitsurugi is someone who fights for his own personal honor, not just for a strong weapon. I'm sure he's come to the realization by now that firearms aren't as strong as he himself is." They all nodded, but Talim was still worried. "She walked as if she had some skill about her. You noticed it, didn't you? Could he be in real danger this time?" Mi-na shrugged. What the mercenary did was none of her business... "He's got enough skill to take on anyone. If anything, I'm sure the two of them are an even match. Anyways, he's none of our business unless he becomes a problem. Let's just go back to our rooms and such." They nodded, and parted ways. ________________________________________________________________________ Setsuka had heard everything. She was pissed... (They mock my skill! It is a blatant disregard for what my master had taught... but they are not my enemy. I must avenge him... my heart cannot rest until my memories of him are sated. Still, they have a point. I have no idea what his level of skill is, compared to mine. If Mitsurugi were able to defeat him... he would give me no more than a fleeting thought! I must train harder!) With that, she walked towards her room, a determined and vengeful scowl twisting her once graceful features. The ones outside had hit closer to the mark than they realized. Setsuka was heavily underestimating her opponent. She had to continue training and keep improving, until her technique was flawless and had no holes in attack or defense. She would do so tonight, while the others were asleep. She did not want to reveal her aims thus far... especially not to a coulple of strangers, however talented they seemed. Indeed, the casual and easy stances with their weapons suggested that they had several years of training under their belts, and the various gazes and glints in their eyes spoke of combat. Lots of it. Far more than her. She sighed as she entered her room, taking the pins out of her hair. Before she slept, she had the decency to admit she was anxious; afraid. If she lost... or even died... the training would be for nothing. She had one shot at avenging the master who had raised her and taught her everything she knew. (Master... father... give me strength.) ________________________________________________________________________ Of course, that night brought Talim to wakefulness. The wind of the night brought the sounds of the night with it, and all the world's souls, though it was an age of tumultuous battles and great evil, were still and at peace. Her eyes opened, an almost excited gleam in them. She had a smile- nay, a grin on her face as the air that swept through the halls and the rooms- every cell of her being took it in and turned it to power and energy. Her body had been trained to respond to the winds- such a pure, clean wind was invigorating. Her very soul wanted to cry out in joy at the cleansing aura of the evening breeze. She breathed in deep while she lay still. Her eyes closed as she began hearing sounds in the back of her head- the distant murmurs of conversations, warmth and cheer. For the moment, at least, the world was at peace and all was right. She stretched her senses outward, extending them to the farthest reaches that she could achieve. More distance meant more power and clarity of the voices and sounds in the immediate area. She felt life in this wind. Sheer, untainted life. It flowed through her like some kind of river that was made only of energy, and she sighed happily as she stretched out. Talim rose to her feet slowly, as if weighted down by all that she heard and felt- the power that flowed within her was so great tonight that she could not endure it- not while she was asleep. She had to dance, sing... do something to celebrate this temporary rebirth of the world. However, before she could take one step outside, something in the wind shifted. Another emotion... another voice. The overwhelming sense of loss and searing anger filled her, and she knew at once who was walking past her door. The woman from before. It was not obvious at first what she was feeling or thinking at the time, but it was clear that she had things on her mind. She could not read minds- that was not the aim of the wind, or so she had been taught. What she could do was read hearts and read emotions. Read whether someone was tainted with evil or not. She could even read what was wrong with them physically- she was a shaman in training, and was meant to cleanse evil and heal wounds. The very essence of healing was within the Krita-Yuga; that much, she could tell. She could perhaps, use it to some extent- but she did not know. For the moment, all she knew was that someone was in pain, and as her very nature demamded, she would try to console them- try to get to the heart of the matter and settle it. She did not count the danger to herself- Talim never did. She was constantly worried about others, always seeking to find some point of balance within them. (This woman... she has been undone by the death of this person. I have to solve this- find out what is wrong.) Silently, Talim followed the Setsuka until they were both outside, with the woman in the elaborate silk kimono outside in the courtyard and her in the wooden walkway, watching. For a while, everything was silent. Nothing but the fireflies stirred in the night, with the paper lamps in the corners and walkways of the courtyard and in the alleyway being the only things lighting the area, besides the moon itself. Then, without warning, Setsuka held the back end of her parasol, and there was a flash of steel. Talim felt the intent of the attack before it came, and knew at once what Mi-Na had guessed for a brief moment, earlier that day. She was indeed armed, and could have killed them on the spot, were they less trained in a physical sense and even less prepared mentally. Flashes of steel amongst the silk and oil paper parasol could be seen as Setsuka fought off hordes of invisible enemies, whirling and dancing as if she were the center of a storm. Each blow was filled with malace and hatred, as if every unseen target she carved into were an object of her ire. As if they were all the man who killed the one that were dear to her. Talim was hit with this anger and malice as if it were a tangible force, and she had to stop herself from crying out. She simply watched as Setsuka sharpened and honed her rage, nursing her grudge against her future opponent. She could not let this continue, but she knew not how to stop it. The only thing she could do was hang on for dear life- sometimes the vengeful emotions and thoughts of someone this focused could become a part of the shaman... It was a form of possesion worse than being inhabited by a demon. However, the dance of death slowed... then stopped. Setsuka had trained in this art for so long and so often that the routine was over before it had begun, and yet every movement flowed into the next as if each was made for the other. However, as she heard a noise- as if someone's legs were giving out against the wooden floor- she turned and looked towards Talim. "Please," she said as a tear fell from her eye. "Please... no more." ________________________________________________________________________ Setsuka did not notice anyone behind her. She was so entirely focused on her training that she heard nothing. And Talim had hidden her steps in even the soft sounds of the breeze anyway- she couldn't have heard unless she had listened quite intently. And she could do that. But for now, she was qutie focused on perfecting her technique Her mind blurred with images of her master- the sword master who had raised her and trained her. When she heard that he had lost to a man named Heishero Mitsurugi, she wondered if he had lost his talents. He was the best that she had ever seen, and he came home with such injuries that he was on the brink of death. Setsuka's eyes hardened, turning into angry, glinting gemstones instead of brown eyes. Once she reached the outer courtyard, her eyes closed, focusing on her opponent. She had never met the man before, but had heard descriptions of him. His style, his armor, his hair and eyes. She almost had a clear picture of him in his mind now... And once she did, she began her kata. It was a blur of motion, her blade flashing as if it moved on its own. She just plain moved that fast. Each cut and slash was meant to cause so many wounds and injuries, it was completely impossible to recover in the last few minutes that her opponent had left. There would just plain be too much blood loss. There was no more painful or disgraceful way to die... and it was exactly how she liked it. She focused her rage into every cut and slash, making each part of her sequence count. (You will die for this, Mitsurugi. I will destroy you until there is nothing left. But first... I will make you suffer. You will watch as I cut out your heart with one movement... and then pierce it with my blade. I will make you pay for killing my master!) Her breathing was labored as she finished her movements, sheathing her weapon again. However, as soon as her iaito made a quiet click, she heard something behind her. As she turned in a slight surprise, she saw the little girl from earlier, on her knees and crying. She quirked an eyebrow as the tears fell, and noticed that the girl was looking at her with a mixture of horror and pity. "Please... please, no more. I don't want to feel any more of it..." Setsuka looked over at Talim with a quirked eyebrow. What was she blabbing about? She was interesting, that was for sure. In any case, she decided to ask her what she was talking about. "Feel what? What ails you?" She could see no cut or bruises... unless the ailment was of the mind. Still, she waited for the girl dressed in green to awnser. "You," she said. "Your pain is clear to me... I can feel it as if it were my own. The wind cries.. it weeps for you. Can't you hear it?" Indeed, the wind did seem to increase and decrease in intensity, as if it had a voice. She heard... and looked at Talim in a mild shock. Well, not entirely a mild shock. "Did you..." Talim wiped her tears away and stood shakily. "Someone you loved was taken from you, wasn't he?" Setsuka gasped. Now, that was unexpected. "What... what are you talking about? How did you know-" But she was cut off. It had been confirmed, and Talim continued to avoid being interrupted. "You are in pain and suffering because no one cared for you; no one truly understood you but him. The wind mourns for you- you need not drown yourself in sorrow..." At this, she got angry. "You know nothing. You have not been through what I have; have not had people look at you in fear. What would you do if you were looked at in fear for most of your life? If no one tried to extend their hand to you, for fear of being diseased by your very skin?" Talim shook her head. She would not be swayed. "No. I don't. I'm not you." She walked over to Setsuka, knowing perfectly well the speed of her draw. Setsuka immediately turned her face to stone. She had re-applied her emotionless, arrogant mask... the one she usually wore before she struck at the draw. However, Talim did not attack. She held the goddess of death, wrapping her arms around her midsection and stroking her back fondly. Talim was in the arms of death at the moment, and she did nothing but soothe her wounds. Setsuka still had the mask on... but it had cracked signifigantly. She began shedding tears. "You are foolish, girl. I am capable of killing you before you draw breath." Talim nodded. "I know... but you must have someone to bear your pain. You cannot survive alone forever... and you must let go of this vengeance. I can hear the voice of your beloved..." Setsuka almost drew her weapon. This was going too far! She was crossing a bad line... "He says to release your grudge. He tells me that he told you not to hold a grudge or be vengeful. The battle he fought... was the most honorable and satisfying fight he had ever had. Though he died from the wounds, he doesn't feel as if he died dishonorably." Setsuka gripped her parasol tightly as the words that he had said before he died came back to her in full force. The tears began coming in earnest, the mask breaking entirely. She sobbed as her eyes closed and she dropped the parasol to the ground. All she did was let Talim hold her as she sank to the floor. She managed to ask... "Who are you?" The priestess smiled and continued stroking the woman's back. "My name is Talim." For tonight... she had a shoulder to cry on. ________________________________________________________________________ The next morning, Seong Mi-na walked- no, she crept silently into Talim's room, grinning as she did so. She too had learned how to be perfectly quiet when the need called for it, though the need was rare and times for sneaking were few and far between. Nevertheless, she enjoyed doing it. She knelt silently and leaned over to nuzzle her friend's cheek softly... before moving towards her earlobe and biting gently, pulling and tugging slightly. Talim's eyes opened with a gasp as the small shockwave of pleasure shot through her. Mi-na quickly pulled away to avoid having her nose bapped and grinned at the shocked look on Talim's face. "Nice way to wake up, huh?" Talim blushed slightly, but grinned all the same. "Yes... it most definitely is. But I would rather have the wind wake me up than anything else." Mi-na shrugged and got up from her kneeling position, offering her hand as she did so. "Come on- let's go and greet the day." Talim nodded and walked with Mi-Na, but as they exited the room, she was exiting hers. A brief moment of tension and silence filled the hallway before Setsuka spoke. "Good morning." She bowed slightly. "You are leaving today, I assume?" Mi-Na nodded and smiled warmly. "Yeah. We have a lot of ground to cover- the best thing to do would be to head for Tokyo and see if we can't get any pertinent information there." Setsuka nodded, and rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "I do believe that those armies from yesterday were headed to sea..." Mi-na quirked an eyebrow and listened closely. "The last I heard, they were being disgraced by the Korean Costal Defense in one battle after another. No one had seen tactics like theirs before- it is as if they are invincible, in one way or another." Setsuka shrugged and walked towards the front entrance. "If you ask me, it's not worth it for them all to leave like this..." As she exited, Mi-na suddenly felt an urge to head after the Japanese armies. This was it! Her chance to prove herself! She was so close... A battle was going to happen- she knew it. She had the experience; the Seong heir had been in battle after battle, and was experienced enough now to devastate an entire force. Remembering that, though... brought her back to reality. That incident did not need to be repeated. However, the time might come when she needed to defend herself against an entire horde of possesed and crazed fighters, and they would be much more experienced. She steeled herself, and began walking towards Xianghua's room, then Kilik's. When they were all awake, a quite determined Mi-na exited at the front of the group as they made their way onto the open road once again. It was time to start looking for the fourth member of their group. Though whoever this was did not know of their position, they would soon, and would have to bear it. The four of them had no idea what was to befall them in the island nation... but there was only one way to find out. "Let's get moving, guys. No time like the present!" She could not have been more right about her situation. In the next six weeks while she was in Japan, the tide of the Seven Year War would change forever... and Toyotomi Hideyoshi would be denied entrance to his goal of Ming Dynasty China. ________________________________________________________________________ But that's neither here, nor there... For they were being followed again. Ten warriors, dressed in the garb of the ninja, pursued them from the inn, crossing the rooftops of Kyoto and slinking through the alleyways in utter silence. By day, they would dress as commoners. By night, they would move as swiftly as the wind, acting as shadows. They knew that fragments of Soul Edge were in their posession. Four of them. And they were ordered to take them- either by coersion or by force. It was obvious which path these seven chose. To be continued... ________________________________________________________________________ WHOOOO! Yeah, this one was awesome. Kinda a bit of a tale of their landing in Japan. The current year, of course, is 1592, and for a total of 21 weeks (May 1- Nov. 1), the Japanese got their asses handed to them in a series of naval campaigns that is still the unbroken winning streak. The third set of battles at Hansan-do happens to be the turning point in the Seven Year War- this battle happens to be where the Japanese are currently headed to their impending doom at the hands of Yi Sun-sin.
Back to The Seeds of Evil: Dragon Rising Index - Back to Soul Caliber Shoujo-Ai Fanfiction