Hi,

This is my first dive into the FFML.  I have been lurking for a while 
and have been impressed with much that has been posted.  I'm hoping that 
the following will fall in line and equal the talent that is already 
existing.

My fist submission is based on the characters from the arcade and PSX 
game of Soul Edge/Soul Blade.  I have no idea who the owners of the 
characters are (probably Namco) but I will try not to tarnish their 
ideals.

I'm sending only the first two or so pages followed by a general outline 
that is used for the rest of the story.  Comments and suggestions will 
help me deside on how to carry the story to its completion.

Warning - My stories tend to be long, so there is alot of background 
filler.  Second, I have a small problem keeping tenses correct... Ie. 
past, present, and future tense.  I seem to switch back and forth 
without warning... I'm working on it.

Comments and Critique (along with painful thrashings) welcome.

Finding Your Soul - Part 1

	The evening wind kisses the reeds of tall golden grass as the lone 
swordsman makes his way towards his home.  His black hair and tall brow 
glisten with sweat as the setting sun finally starts to stop sending its 
pounding rays.  His sandaled feet carry him back to his home, a place 
that he has not seen in several months.  The golden light of the sun 
glides up the wooden scabbard of his katana.  He has hopes of reaching 
his home before dark, for Fort Mashin is only a few miles away.  The 
evening is peaceful.  The sky shows no warning of a storm.  The dry heat 
of the day is passing quickly, letting the air and ground cool.  The 
only sounds are the wind in the grass, his footsteps crushing the blades 
under his feet, and the sound of the two men trying to sneak up and 
ambush him from the tall grass.  The Samurai gently places his hands on 
the hilt of his katana as he stops and turns towards the approaching 
men.  The two men stand up letting the tops of the grass whip against 
their knees.  They were both dressed in dokis, with their clan�s mon 
showing on the breast.  The dokis fit loose at all the joints yet 
clinging tightly to their chest, hips, and legs.  They were the colors 
of earth and gold, like the grass and ground under their sandals.  
Looped around their hips is a black belt with a katana attached to the 
belt. One of the men, a good twenty centimeters inches taller than the 
other, draws his sword and points it at the lone Samurai.  The other 
places his hands on the hilt of his sword, but does not draw.
     "Mitsurugi�, the taller one speaks, �I Sato Homane, Champion of the 
Nichindo Clan, challenge you to combat.�
     �And I, Rashin Koma, champion of the Hemoru Clan.�, The shorter one 
interjects, �shall challenge as well.�
     Mitsurugi looks them over.  His eyes looking into their soul to 
judge their fighting spirit.  He draws his sword.  Its fine steel blade 
glows against the setting sun.  He holds it before him, it is a sign 
that he has accepted the challenge.
     �Do you really think that you are so far above us that you don�t 
reply with words?�, Homane yells at Mitsurugi, �Do you think that I will 
be threatened by your silence?  You think wrong Samurai...   Koma...  
Attack!�
     Mitsurugi guides his sword in front of his chest with the tip 
towards his back.  The two men charge at him across the grass.  They 
move with amazing speed covering the distance in only a few short steps, 
then the dance of the blades begins.  But it is a short dance.  Sato�s 
blade thrusts towards Mitsurugi�s chest as Mitsurugi instinctively goes 
into a move called trapping the soul.  Mitsurugi catches Sato�s blade 
between his blade and guard.  His sword then glides effortlessly across 
Sato�s blade towards his hands, all the time pressing Sato�s sword away 
from him.  He then snaps the sword free, by drawing it across Sato�s 
guard, easily slicing into Sato's neck.  Severing Sato�s chance for a 
long life.  Mitsurugi doesn�t stop the blades motion as he intercepts 
Rashin�s attack and glides into a techinque called the dancing swan.  
The tip of Mitsurugi�s katana cuts up across Rashin�s body from hip to 
shoulder, lightly splitting the skin.  The shock was enough for Rashin, 
that he did not even feel Mitsurugi�s blade as it made another pass 
across his chest, cutting him off from the life force.
      Mitsurugi stands looking down at his fallen assailants, and wipes 
their blood from his katana.  As the sword glides smoothly back into its 
home, Mitsurugi speaks to the dead.
      �I looked for your spirit and I saw none.  You were not ready for 
this challenge and now you will never be.  I will morn your loss, for it 
gives me no pride or honor to take your life this day.  May you find in 
death what you could not reach in life.�
      Mitsurugi, after a slight bow, walks away victorious, yet 
unfulfilled.  He did not feel any great victory this day.  The fight had 
no meaning, no purpose.  He must find something to fill the void.  The 
void has been empty for some time now.  He has proven himself a great 
and honorable warrior, but something is just not right, something is 
missing.  And maybe that something could be found at home. 

		*		*		*

       The great oaken walls of Castle Noshima-jo loom before Mitsurugi.  
Sharpened at the peaks, they look to be an imposing threat to all who 
would try to take the walls by force.  He can see the flag of the 
Noshima clan gently swaying in the breeze.  The Noshima clan was not 
Mitsurugi�s clan by birth, but it�s Diayamo has allowed Mitsurugi to 
live within its walls.  Mitsurugi often wonders why he keeps coming back 
to these walls.  He has no real love for the Noshima clan, he finds 
their politics boring and feels that they think too much when they 
should act more quickly.  He has no blood ties living here.  In fact he 
is the last of his blood.  He has no one to call sister, mother, 
grandfather, grandmother, or father for that matter.  Or does he.  As 
the large gates open for him to enter he can see many Noshima Samurai 
practicing in the open training fields.  He looks for a familiar face.  
One of wisdom, honor, and kindness.  He looks for the one man he might 
call father.  He turns to one of the Samurai guarding the gate.  He 
stands tall in his soft leather armor.  His soul hanging gently on his 
left side.
     �Where is Master Hee?� Mitsurugi asks while giving a polite bow.
     �He is probably in with the gaijin at his house.� the samurai 
replies quickly.
     �Gaijin?�, Mitsurugi responds inquisitively.
     �A huge man who claims he is from the New World says he was invited 
here by Master Hee.  The Master seemed to be expecting him.�, the 
samurai replied quickly and sharply.  Bending closer to Mitsurugi and 
using a very soft whisper �But between you and me, I think the fortunes 
made a mistake with this one.  He is so different from us and I don�t 
ever see Master Hee leave the castle walls.  How did these two meet and 
how did the tall gaijin know to come here?�
     �The fortunes work in their own ways.  As you know, one who 
questions the ways of the fortunes, may never find his own.� Mitsurugi 
responds with a smile and bows as he takes his leave of the guard.
     �Its good to have you back Heishiro.� the guard said as he smiled 
and bowed letting Mitsurugi into the castle walls.
     Mitsurugi went straight for Master Hee�s home.  Master Hee was the 
Grand Master of the Noshima clan samurai.  He personally over saw all 
the training of the samurai.  He was well respected though-out Japan and 
Mitsurugi knew first hand that he had contacts outside of the oceans 
surrounding Japan.  Master Hee always had an open door policy with 
Mitsurugi and he could come and go as he pleased.  Master Hee often 
said, in public, that Mitsurugi was the finest warrior he had ever seen.  
And he had tried on more than one occasion to officially adopt Mitsurugi 
into his own family.  Master Hee had shared techniques of Chi and Void 
with Mitsurugi that he had never shown another samurai.
Whether it was the lateness of the evening or the tired bones in his 
body that made Mitsurugi forget his manners, one could not say.  But 
without thinking he walks into Master Hee�s study and starts talking to 
the Master, interrupting the Master�s conversation with a mountain of a 
man.
     �Master Hee.  I�m ba-�, Mitsurugi pauses in mid sentence as he 
finds himself staring at the back of possibly the largest man he had 
ever seen.  The large man turns and looks at Mitsurugi, causing two 
pairs of eyes to fall on Mitsu all at once.  The large man had a bear 
skin cloak covering his back with the bears head still attached being 
worn as a hat.  The bear�s long white front fangs pointed down and 
stopped just above the tan skinned mans eyes.  The man�s face shows a 
person of age with wrinkling around the eyes and lips.  The man�s skin 
looks like tanned leather from constant exposure to the sun and 
elements.  The man�s muscles, while showing slack from age, still seemed 
hauntingly powerful.  His square jaw, despite the aged weathered look, 
looked as if it could splinter a thick log. Sitting across from the 
large man Mitsurugi could see the small frame of Master Hee.  Master Hee 
knelt on a mat wearing his formal green kimono with gold and silver 
dragons embroidered on the back.  His thin and aging frame showed in his 
wrists and neck.  But as young Samurai quickly learned, a lot of power 
can be hidden within a single twig.

End for now....

Rough outline of whats to come - 

Mitsurugi meets Rock
Mitsurugi fights Rock
Mitsurugi learns about Soul Edge and takes on a dangerious quest.
Mitsurugi meets Taki
Mitsurugi and Taki travel together and meet Hwang and Mina
Mitsurugi and Hwang fight
Mitsurugi and Taki meet Li Long
Li Long fights Voldo
Mitsurugi and Taki meet Sophitita
Taki and Sophitita fight
Mitsurugi, Taki, Sophitita meet Sigfried.
Sophitita and Sigfried fight.
Mitsurugi and Taki meet Cervantes
Mitsurugi and Cervantes fight
Mitsurugi and Taki fight Soul Edge
End story.

Thats a very rough outline of what is left to come.  I have made a 
few assumptions about the characters and tweeked some ideas.  My stories 
tend to have alot of background information because I don't assume that 
everyone who reads my works knows something about the characters 
already.  Even if the caracters are from a popular anime or manga or 
game.

Thanks for getting reading and I look forward to any comments. 



***    Knife Sharpens on Stone... Man Sharpens on Man     ***
***    - Tao                                              ***

Jayden Stormwalker



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