Soul Calibur - Series Fan Fiction ❯ Cross Blade ❯ The Cross Blade ( Chapter 1 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Zeno carried Sakura on his back while they were heading to a town in Greece. He knew Sakura could be able to wield her Cross Blade, but he wanted to make sure she can hold a sword before holding the one she made on her own. Sakura was sleeping while her head was laying on his back. Zeno took a quick glance at Sakura while climbing a hill towards Athens, Greece. (Someday….you’ll be better then any Cross Blade holders. Especially me.)
The town was a busy place. Every men and women were working, keeping business open by selling products and being a blacksmith. Kids was playing around and chasing each other. Zeno looked around and thought if Greece was like this while he was studying it during High School. Sakura slowly opened her eyes and woke up. Zeno looked behind to realize that she’s awake. “So you’re awake. That’s good.” Zeno got to his knees to let Sakura stand up and stood up for the ground. Sakura looked around and wonder where they are. “Where are we?” “Athens, Greece. Our first stop to develop your skills. Here we can be able to find a blade so you can practice on wielding a blade.” “But why can’t I just use my sword?” “I could trust you on using your sword, but the Cross Blade holds many secrets. Secrets that I don’t even know yet and that you may not be able to handle. Don’t worry…” Zeno tussled her hair while Sakura kept an eye open to look at him. “You still have a long life, and you’ll develop those skills in no time.” Zeno stopped, letting Sakura look at him completely. “Come on. We need to find a blacksmith.” Zeno started to walk to a blacksmith while Sakura followed. Zeno looked around searching for a blacksmith to make some weapons, rattling some silver in the tips of his fingers, hearing conversations over those who were close to him while walking. He finally saw a blacksmith shop that might be worthy of making weapons. Zeno walked with Sakura to the blacksmith and looked at the man whose welding a blade. “Um….excuse me?” The man stopped his work and looked at Zeno. He smiled and placed his hammer down. “Welcome. How can I help you?” “Uh, yeah. I’m here to make a sword for my student here.” Zeno pointed at Sakura while the blacksmith looked at her. “Ok…but don’t you think she’s a young to be holding a sword?” “It’s no worries. She under my supervision, she won’t get hurt.” The blacksmith sighed and thought about the size, weight, and height of the sword. “Alright. It should cost you 50 silvers.” Zeno took a bag of coins from the side of his pants and toss it to the blacksmith. “That should cover it.” The blacksmith looked at it and nodded. “Ok. Come back in a while. I should have it ready for you.” “Ok. Thanks.” Zeno raised his arm to bid farewell for now. “Come on.”
Zeno walked into the streets of Athens with Sakura by his side. The two walked around, during window shopping and meeting new people. Sakura looked at Zeno’s necklace, a sapphire jewel that dangles while he’s walking. “What is that? Why do you wear it? When I get one?” Zeno looked at Sakura a bit confused. “Whoa, one question at a time. Anyway you’re asking about this right?” Zeno held the huge jewel while speaking to her. Sakura nodded and waited for his answers. “Well…this is a symbol. Telling everyone that you are a successors of the Cross Blade.” Sakura gasp and bounced in excitement with her eyes close and a smiled in her face. “I want one! I want one!” Zeno smiled. “Well if you, keep training and you’ll hold one yourself.” Zeno looked a bakery and thought about beard and water. “Over here.”
Zeno walked in with some change in his pocket. He looked around see what kind of bread they have. A woman walked in, looking the two customers. “Can I help?” “Uh yeah…” Zeno looked up to see Sophitia. He was stun in silence, thinking about her at first sight. “Excuse me, are you going to order or not?” Zeno shook his head, getting himself together. “Yeah. Um…a bread…foot long… you know?” Zeno was trying to demonstrate or show how long the bread should be but was too nervous and clueless to tell her about it since it’s his first time to see an woman like her in that year. Sakura looked at him then walked in front of him. “One bread and some cookies.” Sophitia giggled. “Ok. And don’t worry, it’s on the house.” “T…Thanks.” Zeno started to calm down. He felt hot since he couldn’t be able to tell her what he wants. Sophitia brought a bag of what Sakura asked for and bid them farewell. Zeno walked out with Sakura while holding the bag. At the streets, Zeno gave the cookie to her. “You get the first treat and bite for your help.” Sakura smiled with her eyes close and took a bite out of the cookie.
They walked around since the blacksmith isn’t done with the sword yet and saw the gates to the Athens empire. “Hey look.” Zeno pointed so Sakura could see two statues. “The two gods who protected Athens during a war.” Sakura said. Zeno felt stupid from her intelligent response. He looked at her, wanted to know how she knew. “I read some books while I was at my home.” “Ok.” A shocking sense went through Zeno. He looked around feeling some evil sense that’s around him. (Ok this doesn’t feel right. What could be making this sense going wild?) He continue to look for it while not making Sakura suspicious. Sakura looked at two kids playing in front of the gate. Zeno looked at Sakura and wonder what she is looking at. He then saw two kids playing and thought about them being at a place like this. He sense snapped, telling him to looked at the sky as his head did. He saw a girl coming down a ring made up steel and blade. She landed besides the kids as they screamed and tried to move away quick. However, the girl snapped one of them by the shirt and smiled with a thought of nothing but madness in her mind. “Sakura you stay here.” Zeno dropped the bag beside Sakura as he ran to the girl holding the child. Just as he got close, she looked from the corner of her eyes and saw him. She dropped the child and swing her ring at Zeno, attempting to slice him in half. Zeno moved back quick before getting hit. He looked at her carefully and knew who she is. “Pesky bug. Why are you trying to get in my way?” “I should ask you the questions here. Like why you are attempting to kidnap that kid? Family issues?” “It’s none of your business!” She swung the ring at him again but missed. “CROSS BLADE!” Zeno summoned his sword and blocked her attack. They both looked at each other, struggling to get an advantage. Then they bounced away and charged in. Zeno swung first, trying to get her but was parried as the girl raised her ring and tried to chop his head off. Zeno got close to prevent himself from death but got a cut on his cheek instead. He used his shoulder strength and flipped her to her back. Zeno tried to stabbed her but she rolled away and got to her feet. “GOT YOU!” Zeno raised his sword to strike her down but she countered by throwing her ring at him. Zeno quickly blocked the huge ring as it spins, hitting his blade and grinding like a buzz saw. Zeno pushed it back to the girl, but she was running and grabbed it after he pushed the blade. She raised it for a fatal blow, preparing to finish the fight. Zeno knew he couldn’t block it so he swung at it, trying to block it by attack her blade. He was able to protect himself but for a prize. A huge clang sound was made as a piece from Zeno’s Cross Blade flung in the air and stabbed at the ground, several feet away from them. Zeno looked at his blade, not believing that it happened. Sakura couldn’t even believe what happen, seeing her master’s blade shattered badly. The girl looked at her blade as she had a crack on it. “Humph. Next time I’ll get those two, and I’ll kill you if you get in my way again.” She started to run away before Sophitia arrived. “Patroklos! Pyrrha! Thank god you two are safe!” She hugged them as they hugged her. “I told you to stay near our shops.” “Yeah but that man saved us.” Pyrrha pointed at Zeno. Sophitia looked at Zeno and couldn’t believe it was the man who was at her shop. Zeno looked at his blade, on his knees, speechless to see it in this condition for the first time. “How…how could this had happen?” Sakura walked over to him and hugged him behind, telling him not to worry about it.
Zeno continue to work on his Cross Blade, trying to weld them together into one at the blacksmith shop. Zeno banged the heated sword with a hammer, feeling that it’s coming together and being relived. He lifted his sword to check it’s condition, but the piece easily fell off within seconds. Zeno became frustrated with all his effort and work, he struck blade with a hard swing with the hammer, breaking it again and leaving the sword with three broken pieces. Zeno stopped and looked at his sword. He felt hopeless now that his sword was long gone.
At Sophitia’s home, Sakura, Pyrrha, and Patroklos were playing near Sophitia’s and Rothion’s close eyes. Zeno came back with what’s left with his sword. Sophitia walked to him while washing a dish. “How did it go?” Zeno looked down and shook his head. “I made it worse then before.” He was holding the bag of his broken pieces and shook it to let her know the condition. Sakura was peeking at his conversation. She felt worried that he might not even defend himself when it someone like Tira comes back to attack him again. “Don’t worry. Just rest here for a couple of days before you travel. I know you have important things to do but you’ll wear yourself out too if you two don’t rest.” Sophitia said. “Alright. We’re not in a rush to do anything now are we?” Zeno peeked over Sophitia to see Sakura eavesdropping. Sakura noticed she was caught and slipped herself away from them quickly and ran back to the kids.
The next day Zeno took care of Pyrrha and Patroklos while Sophitia and Rothion was working. The three of them pulled Zeno around as he was under their mercy. “Come on Mister, lets go to the plains.” “Yeah lets hurry.” Zeno laughed as he tried with move fast while they were pulling him. At the plains, Sakura and Pyrrha were picking flowers to make a bouquet for Sophitia and Cassandra. “Who is Cassandra, Pyrrha?” “She’s my aunt. She’s always fun to play with but she hasn’t come over to visit in days.” “Why is that?” “She said she was going to do some business.” Several feet from them, Zeno was playing with Patroklos just like any boy would play with someone else. Patroklos charges in to tackle Zeno, but Zeno stepped aside from him. “I’m going to get you.” Patroklos turns to tackle Zeno again, but Zeno grabbed Patroklos and lifted him upside down from the ground. Patroklos laughed and was having fun while trying to beg to get down. Zeno let him down and laughed. “You’ll be just like your mom someday.” Zeno tussled his hair and walked towards Pyrrha and Sakura. “You two are ready?” “Almost finished.” Pyrrha said as she and Sakura put the finishing touches to their bouquet. “Done.” They said as they show both Zeno and Patroklos their flowers. “Alright let’s go.”
“Sister? Are you here?” Cassandra asked for Sophitia while entering her bakery. It was silent and glooming shop, Cassandra searched in the back to see if Sophitia was in the back but no one was there. Cassandra started to feel that something bad happen to Sophitia and walked back to the counter. “Cassandra?” Cassandra screeched a little from Sophitia’s voice. She saw her sister and sighed in relieve. “Where were you?” “I was out buying ingredients for a new cookie.” “Oh.” Sophitia dropped her grocery and headed behind the counter. “What brings you here?” “I’m just checking on you and your children. Where are they?” “Someone is taking care of them.” “What!?” Cassandra was shocked to hear that Sophitia left her children with someone she doesn’t know. “Why you did that!?” “Don’t worry. He saved my children from that wild woman.” “Hello.” Zeno said as he saw Cassandra and Sophitia arguing. “This might not be a good idea to come in huh?” Zeno said. “Auntie Cassandra!” Pyrrha and Patroklos ran to Cassandra and hugged her. “Pyrrha. Patroklos.” Cassandra smiled and hugged them too. “It’s good to see you two safe.” “Here auntie Cassandra.” Pyrrha gave her bouquet to Cassandra. Cassandra smiled and thanked Pyrrha. Sakura walked over to Sophitia and gave the bouquet her. “Aw. Thank you.” Zeno smiled as he saw a family like that in front of him. (For the first time, I see Sakura smiling with a family that she doesn’t know. Playing with the children, accepting the offers that Sophitia give. I believe she knows how it feels to be companionate with someone she doesn’t know at all.)