Dalton

**Dalton** (ダルトン, Daruton) is a character in the Astral Lineage series of fighting games. He is set to make his first ever appearance in Soulcalibur VI, which is the start of the new, rebooted timeline.

## Biography

### Early Life

*Dalton* was born on All Hallows' Eve in 1564. The night of his birth however, his parents began to hear the call of Soul Edge, that as well as the mystical events happening on *All Hallow's Eve*, led his parents to unknowingly venture from their home, leaving *Dalton* there. Later in the evening *Dalton's* parents returned, still in their dazed state, and placed a jewel on *Dalton's* chest. The jewel emitted an aura around *Dalton* and tied his soul to it, his parents then went to pick up *Dalton* and begin a special ritual. However, before they could begin anything an an assassin from The Birds of Passage swooped in through the window and abducted *Dalton*, taking him to their lair. After the bird member left his parents snapped out of their dazed state with no recollection of even giving birth to *Dalton* or any events that transpired. However, they would still hear the call of *Soul Edge* and one year later would give birth to *Dalton's* brother, Giles.

*The Birds* raised *Dalton* until he was old enough to go through initiation. At a very young age *Dalton* was thrown into a dungeon with a bunch of other children and denied food for a long time. Eventually, one of the other children died from starvation and the remaining children were fed. After that meal, *Dalton* and the other children were left to starve again, until another child died from starvation and he was once again fed. This process repeated and *Dalton* realized the pattern, so to stay alive and be fed, he began to kill the other children and just as he thought he was rewarded with food. Eventually all the other children were killed by *Dalton* and he was officially initiated into the birds.

*Dalton* was placed into the third unit, the unit tasked with "clean-up", the most dangerous unit of them all. During his time in this unit he was named: "Spiteblade" due to his hostile, hateful personality caused by the torture he suffered in the dungeons. It was in this unit that he met a young girl known as "Eiserne Drossel", who would later be known as *Tira*. *Tira* was a highly skilled assassin, matching the skills of *Dalton* himself who was among the best in the ranks. *Dalton* and *Tira* began to work together during missions, bonding over the kills they made together, the mutilation of bodies. *Tira* had some disgusting ideas for mutilation on their targets, and *Dalton* loved it.

During an assignment with his unit, the Evil Seed was released, burning the mind of their leader *Solnhofen* and dissolving the chain of command. This ultimately destroyed *The Birds of Passage* and *Dalton* was freed. He and *Tira* ransacked *the birds'*  lair of valuable objects and money, during their ransack *Dalton* came across a jewel, the same jewel he had when he was newborn. *Dalton* was instantly drawn to the jewel and went to pick it up, as soon as he touched it he entered a trance and images flashed in his mind of everything that has happened in his life, however he also learnt things he never knew before. He learnt of his brother: Giles, the jewel showing him what happened to his brother and how they are both connected to each other via their jewels. Learning that *Giles* had a privileged life of wealth and happiness turned *Dalton* even more mad and a deep hatred ran through his body. He wanting nothing more than to kill his brother.

*Dalton* told *Tira* about what he saw and showed her the jewel. The *evil seed* prevailed through the sky and the evil coming from it enraged *Dalton's* soul even more. A shard of *Soul Edge* flew down from the sky landing near *Tira*, she picked it up and showed *Dalton*. *Dalton* smiled darkly and asked *Tira* if she would join him on his quest to kill his brother and cause as much death and malice to the world as possible, also asking her if she will be his sworn sister. *Tira* was more than happy to agree and so, to swear loyalty to each other the pair went off to begin a blood ritual. They entered a forest were many rituals of evil were performed, the same forest that his parents were in many years ago with *Giles*. *Dalton* began the ritual, he grabbed the shard of *Soul Edge* that *Tira* held and took the sharpest point to his wrists. He slit both his wrists with the shard, not even wincing in pain, he then passed the bloody shard to *Tira* who done the same.

*Dalton* then grabbed the chalice and threw the shard in there, him and *Tira* then put their slit wrists over the chalice and let their blood drip into it, mixing together. Their blood in the chalice began to glow bright red as the shard of *Soul Edge* reacted with it, causing a bright red aura to cover the chalice. *Dalton* then grabbed the chalice and began to pour the contents over *Tira's*  face, mouth open. *Tira* then did the same to *Dalton* and finally, they held hands, letting the slit wrists connect. Suddenly, a bright, evil red aura emitted from *Dalton* and *Tira*, they were now sworn siblings under the name of *Soul Edge*. *Dalton* renounced his *birds* name: "Spiteblade" as did *Tira* with "Eiserne Drossel" and thus took up their new names; "*Dalton*" and "*Tira*".

## Relationships

* Never knew his parents as he was abducted by The Birds of Passage and raised among them.
* Is the older brother to Giles and has a deep hatred for him.
* Swore a blood oath with Tira, whom he met in *The Birds of Passage*.
* Is infamously known as being a part of the trio Avis Mortem; "Bird of Death", alongside *Tira* and Teo.