The Ancient Prophecy Ch. 08

Hawk came later on his horse, towing two other horses. He wore simple suit and trousers. A chain armor covered his torso. On his right hand he held a fine spear with crescent-shaped blade at the end. He also wore thick leather boots and metal gauntlets. His cloak bore the crest of the kingdom of Aragon.

"Good morning. I'm ready to go. The prince is coming shortly."

Atrus helped Maya load their stuff on her horse. Atrus then mounted the other horse. Anna was to ride with Atrus for the time being until she could ride by herself. As usual, she instantly clasped her hands around Atrus, cutting his breath.

Prince Roberto arrived later on his black horse. He wore a full body armor, complete with helmet, steel boots and gauntlets. His long cloak greatly enhanced his dark appearance. On his hip hung the long sword: the four-foot-long Kaiser Sword. He stared at Atrus darkly.

"You win, Ranger. I'm no longer a royal prince. Are you happy now?"

"What do you mean?" Atrus challenged.

"Don't push me, Ranger..."

"Enough!" Hawk snarled then stared at the prince. "Roberto...?!"

It was clear that the prince somehow feared Captain Hawk. He held his anger and nodded toward Atrus. "I'm ready to go."

"Okay, here's the plan." Atrus began. "If we will move quickly, we can reach the nearest town, Lyrus, before dark. We will rest at Lyrus for a night before resuming our journey tomorrow to the border. If we do it right, we will reach the border somewhere at noon tomorrow."

Once the direction was given, Prince Roberto raced his horse away, followed by Hawk. Atrus looked at the frightened Anna behind him.

"Hold tight, Anna. We have to ride quickly. Tell me if you want to stop, okay?"

Anna nodded nervously, and Atrus raced his horse toward the other two men as Anna's cry echoed across the town. Maya giggled at the sight, and paced her own horse.

The journey went well. They stopped for lunch somewhere in their journey. Maya made a quick lunch of buttered bread with ham and lettuce. Roberto didn't join them for lunch. He seemed to bring his own ration. Maya didn't mind. She didn't really like the prince. Her other friends, however, were engaged in an interesting discussion, so she merrily joined them.

They arrived at Lyrus on time. Lyrus was a small satellite town near the Human-Elven border. It was heavily fortified by a mix of soldiers and mercenaries, therefor slightly hindering the town's growth. They rented three rooms at the inn. The girls would share a room, and Atrus and Hawk would share the other, since nobody wanted to be in the same room with the prince.

The party gathered again in the inn dining hall. Atrus and Hawk seemed to get along well, sharing their war stories and experience. Anna and Maya were also engaged in rather naughty conversation, with Maya teasing her about Atrus. A maid came to them with the dinner menu, and Maya busily inspected them, trying to find anything interesting to learn.

"Diced beef with mushroom cream and vegetables... this sounds good..." Maya looked at the maid with his pleading eyes. "Can I watch while you prepare this meal? Please?"

The maid blushed. "Of course... I guess..."

"Don't worry, I'm not going to open a restaurant. I just want to learn."

"Okay... I can teach you... The kitchen is..."

The party fell silent as Prince Roberto approached. He found the maid standing next to Maya. He took the note from the maid's hand and read it.

"Diced beef with mushroom cream and vegetables?! Doesn't sound like your stuff!"

"What's your point, Roberto?!" Atrus said coldly.

"She's a slave! A slave should eat leftover food, not main course!"

The party stared at the prince in disbelief. Tears sprang from Maya's eyes and she began to sob softly. Atrus couldn't hold his anger anymore and stood up to challenge the prince, only to be stopped by Anna. Captain Hawk was speechless, unable to figure out what to do.

"Roberto... Have I not make the vow to the king, you would have been dead by now!"

"Atrus, take it easy..." Anna tried to calm him down.

"Roberto, do you aware of what you just said?!" Hawk snarled.

"What? I said the truth! She's a slave!"

"Damn you, Roberto!"

"Master, stop it!"

Atrus turned to Maya, who were looking at her with her teary eyes. "I thank you Master... But he was right... I... I'm not supposed to eat with you... Good night..."

"Maya!" Atrus stopped her just before she left the dining room. "You are a slave. You are to obey my orders, right?"

"Yes, Master." Maya answered.

"You will do whatever I tell you, right?"

"Yes, Master."

"You will obey only me and people I tell you to obey, right?"

"Yes, Master."

"Then I order you to eat with us. Don't listen to this nonsense."

Maya stared at her master for a while, then nodded. "I hear and heed, Master. Thank you..."

Anna approached her. "Maya, the sun is still high. Why don't we eat dinner outside, just near the forest? I will spread several blankets for us to sit on. You can use the kitchen and learn how to cook that beef thing. You can even make your own dishes!"

Maya's face brightened and she nodded readily. "That's a wonderful idea, Mistress... Master, can you take me to the market? I have some stuff I need to buy for my dishes."

Before Atrus could answer, Maya grabbed her master's hand and dragged him outside the inn. Anna left the dining room to fetch the blankets. The maid left for the kitchen to prepare the meal.

Prince Roberto turned to Hawk, but was welcomed by his fist. Hawk punched the prince on his jaws, sending him crashing on the wooden floor. The prince was ready to fetch his sword, but the young captain's cold stare stopped him.

"Go on, Roberto! Kill me and make you father proud!"

The prince didn't move.

"You're a disgrace to your family! I can picture how happy your father will be when he hears this incident. I'm ashamed to hear such thing being said from a mouth of someone who will inherit the throne of Aragon! You're nothing but a damn little rascal!"

Hawk grabbed Roberto's shirt, lifted it, and slammed his body against the wall. "Now I don't have time to baby-sit you. We're going to trust our lives on each other, so if you want to see them save your ass, you'd better change your wicked behavior right now! Lecture's over!"

The knight dropped the prince down on the floor and left him. "One last thing." He said before he left for the door. "If Sir White Lion decides to kill you, the second blow will come from me."

Hawk opened the door with a crash. Anna, who had been watching the few last actions, stepped down the stairs, dragging a pair of blankets with her. She stared coldly at the prince for a while before exiting the inn. The entire inn had been quiet since the incident started. All eyes were looking at Roberto. But he just stood up and walked toward the stairs and into his room.

The dinner was wonderful. Maya memorized the recipe quickly and even added her own vegetables from the market. They ate while watching the sun go down. Hawk brought his wooden flute and played several songs, charming the party. They went to bed early, for they had to wake up early tomorrow.

The journey continued as they paced their horses past the fort of Lyrus and toward the border. Different from the area around the village of Whitewater which was covered with thick forest, this area was entirely grassland. The humans had erected a long chain of guard towers across the grassland to fortify the border. Although both nations were in cease-fire, the towers were all manned and alert.

Beyond the grassland lay a small patch of swamp, the border of the nation of Elom, the Elven kingdom. And beyond the swamp, the unbroken view of dense forest of Elom filled the landscape. The swamp served as the border and a trap for any intruders. Atrus had heard the story of the Elves thwarting an entire human invasion by charging them when they were crossing the swamp. The defeat had become the thorn inside all older human generals.

Atrus had learned many things about the Elves from Anna lately. The Elves allied themselves with their Mother Nature. They preferred staying in simple dwellings inside thick forests rather than cutting down trees to make better towns. The action of Humans destroying the nature was actually the main cause of the Human-Elven war. The Elves blamed the humans for destroying nature for their own benefits while the humans condemned the Elves' act in preserving the forest for themselves.

The Elves were somewhat similar with humans, except for several things. The easiest detail to spot was their pointed ears, which were their primary identity. Humans also found the way the Elves talked interesting, as their words flowed in melodious tone, just like a song. Their hearing was also excellent, making them great hunters.

Living inside their natural habitat, the Elves lived longer than normal humans did. An Elf usually died when they were around 300 years old. That was why the Elves were known to be highly skilled and wise in words and manner, for they used their time to develop their talents to the fullest. Fearing to ruin their Mother Nature, the Elves did everything to prevent destruction to their land. They wore leather suit from hunted animals. They gathered food from the forest, but didn't make room for farming. Their dwellings were made of logs taken from selected trees in the forest. Their industry was also environmentally friendly. Mining operations were performed carefully. A few paths were cleared around the jungle to ease the transportation, but they didn't have any paved roads or tiled streets in their land.

The guards from one of the towers stopped them, but let them go as soon as they saw the royal crest in Captain Hawk's hand. The party descended toward the swamp and dismounted. They had to walk from now on, for the horses couldn't pass through the forest. They got all their stuff off the horses and started walking across the swamp. The mud engulfed their boots and covered their lower legs, but they found solid ground beneath the mud. During wartime, they could expect to see a wave of arrows, the Elves' favorite weapon, flying from beyond the trees into the swamp. But now everything was quiet.

The party walked silently into the woods. Atrus led the way, followed by the girls. Roberto guarded the rear. The forest was very quiet. They might not be able to hear anything or see anyone, but somebody got a second pair of eyes.

"A few life signs, dead ahead." Anna reported. Her eagle eye spell had never let her down.

Atrus led the team forward. They had to find an Elf, for they didn't know the way to their capital. No humans had ever done that before and lived.

"Wait a minute... a man... and a girl... She is frightened... I'm not sure..."

She became really sure when they heard a girl's cry for help. The party dashed inside the woods toward the sound. A moment later, they found a middle-aged man holding a young girl in his grasp. The man was fully clothed, but the girl was naked. Her hands seemed to have been bound behind her back. Her beautiful breasts jiggled as she struggled for freedom. The man, seeing Atrus' coming, quickly placed a blade on the girl's neck, threatening the party.

"Move a little closer, Mister, and the girl's neck will become a blood fountain!"
"Please help me...!" plead the girl.

The party didn't move. Atrus couldn't possibly attack him quickly enough to save her, and Anna couldn't use her spell without endangering the girl.

"Slave traders..." Anna muttered. "These inhuman merchants deal in slaves. They don't recruit. They kidnap."

"Subdue will be a better word, Lady!" The man grumbled. "By the way, you're quite pretty. We can sell you for a lot of money..."

"Sorry, but I have something that occupies me right now." Anna answered.

"Well, too bad... Your boobs are rather small, anyway..."

Anna was clearly insulted and angered by the taunt, but Atrus took over. "Easy, lad, we're just nice travelers... You see, my friend Anna here is rather annoyed by the treatment, but my pal Hawk and I don't really mind with that... And my girlfriend Maya... Maya... Where is she?!"

Atrus looked behind, but didn't find her. The man began to panic. "What do you mean? There is another one? Where is..."

When the man was distracted, Anna used her magical force and knocked the blade from his grasp. Before he could react, a silver blade was pressed on his neck. Behind him, Maya stood calmly.

"I believe you will make a better blood fountain..." Maya sneered.

The girl let herself go and fled toward the group. Anna nodded at Maya. "Nice move."

"Not bad, Mistress... And thanks for the distraction, Master... Very convincing indeed..."

"Anytime." Atrus walked toward the man and studied him carefully. Then he turned at the girl. "Well, let's hear your story. What's your name?"

"I'm Wilma, Sir... I'm just a servant... I live in a farm near the towers... I just came here to get some water off the spring near the swamp when that man caught me and caged me. They said they're going to sell me to slavery!"

"They?" Captain Hawk asked her.

"Oh yes, Sir... He has friends... In fact they erected a camp nearby from here. I believe they still have some captives there..."

Anna got some clean clothes from the backpack. "Wear these. We're going to free those girls. I believe this gentleman will lead the way..."

"DIE!!!"

The man suddenly reached out for Maya's belt, trying to get her one of her throwing knives, but he tripped his feet off. His body fell forward, and Maya didn't pull her silver blade on time. The blade slit his throat, and he died instantly.

"Master... I... I'm sorry... I didn't..."

"Not your fault." Atrus nodded and searched the dead man. He found nothing valuable.

"Excuse me, Sir..." Wilma was now dressed in one of Anna's casual dresses. "I might be able to lead the way... I guess..."

"Good. She can lead the way until I catch something with my spell." Anna proposed.

"Sir White Lion..." Roberto suddenly spoke up from behind. "I must remind you that some of these traders are working legally. Slavery is one of Aragon's most profitable activities."

"Stealing girls from their families to be sold as sex slaves?" Atrus asked. "I don't care if they do that legally or illegally. Slavery is slavery, and it is wrong."

"It's a strong business! It provides the backbone to Aragon's economy!"

"Strong perhaps..." Atrus answered coldly. "But it's morally poor."

"I don't think this is wise, Ranger!"

Atrus stared at the prince. "Wise? I'll teach you about wisdom, but I don't have time right now. If you can't wait, then stop me."

Before Roberto could respond, Atrus left with Wilma, followed by others. It didn't take too long for Anna to find the slavers' camp. The slavers had built their camp near the border, but deep enough inside the jungle not to attract attention. The camp consisted of three caravans, neatly arranged around a simple fire-pit. Six humans sat around the site, roasting something by the fire. Wilma was to stay with Roberto and Maya, while the other took the action.

The men were quickly alerted by their presence. "I don't recall that we are expecting guests..." One of them said.

"And I don't recall that this is a legal camping ground..." Hawk countered.

The other man laughed. "You're new, I see... You don't know who we are..."

"We don't care. I'm afraid you'll be out of job really soon." Anna said.

"Look at how the bitch talk!" One man yelled, and all men laughed. "A bitch like you should be properly trained to behave! We can teach you how to suck cocks!"

Before Anna lost her patience, Atrus took over. "We don't want anymore bloodshed here. Leave immediately, and we will spare your lives."

Atrus' offer was welcomed by mocking laughs from the men. "Guess what, he's trying to be a hero! See? You're outnumbered! Or perhaps we'll teach you how to count. BOYS!!!"

Three men drew their short sabers and charged them, but Anna easily propelled them backwards using her magical force. The other men fetched throwing knives and threw them at Anna, but Atrus and Hawk whacked the knives away with their weapons. Hawk stayed at Anna's flank as Atrus dashed toward the nearest men and smacked him with the back of his sword. Two other men dashed toward him, but their cheap sabers were not a match for Rainbow Sword. Atrus parried their blows, and the swords were turned to bits upon contact. They were dazed by the destruction of their weapons, and before they could react, a pair of magic missiles hit them on the chest, knocking them down.

"H... halt...!!"

The fight stopped when the leader of the men gave the order. He stared fearfully to the other side of the forest and saw Prince Roberto standing there, flanked by Maya. Roberto held the Kaiser Sword tightly in his grip. Wilma, the little girl, stood behind the prince.

"Prince Roberto...?" The man fearfully asked. "I can't believe it...!"

"State your business here!" The prince barked.

"We are here to collect prisoners of war, under the command of Baron Anthony Stoke of Blackwell. We are to catch wandering maidens to be sold to slavery."

"And the reason?"

"We're just following orders, Prince Roberto." The man smirked. "Plus, this can be a lucrative business..."

Roberto found Atrus staring at him, and he regained his composure. "Lucrative, perhaps, but it's morally wrong."

The men were shocked at the prince's statement. "But, Prince, The baron clearly said..."

"The baron is dead!" Roberto barked, bringing more surprised expression from the men.

The men didn't move for a while, staring at each other. The prince resumed his command. "As the heir of the throne, I order you to close your business and set the prisoners free!"

"Prince, you can't..."

"NOW!!!"

The men rocked in fear and started walking away. Atrus found Roberto looking at him and he nodded approvingly. But in the corner of his eyes, one of the men suddenly drew a long knife from his belt.

"Roberto, GET DOWN!!!"

It was too late. The man dashed toward the prince and jabbed the knife on his back. The prince turned around and cried as the knife pierced his back shoulder. The slaver jumped back and produced three knives and propelled two of them toward the prince, but Maya stood on the way and whacked the knives away. He didn't have a chance for the third throw for Maya arrived first and knocked the knife down from his grasp. The man found a silver blade pressed on his neck and stayed still.

Yet the prince refused to stay still. He grabbed the sword with his other hand and swung the sword toward the dazed man. The Kaiser Sword dove sharply, meeting no resistance. Maya felt tendrils of magical power encircling her body as Anna grabbed and pulled her away from the man. She could only watch in horror as the sword cut through the slaver and split him in half before her eyes. The man died instantly, his blood spurting all over the place.

Atrus had had enough. He approached Roberto and hit him on his jaws. The prince crashed against a big tree, completely dazed.

"What do you thing you're doing?!!!" Atrus snarled.

"That man!!" Roberto pointed at the dead man. "He's trying to kill me!!"

"But you could have killed her!!" Atrus pointed at the frightened Maya.

"Master, I'm not hurt. It's okay..."

"Silence!" Atrus barked. "What can you say about this, Prince Roberto?!"

The prince stared at Atrus darkly. "It's war. People die."

The party was surprised at the prince's statement. Hawk was ready to swing his spear, but was shocked by the sight before him. Atrus' body was covered with bright tendrils of fire, fueled by his anger. His grip tightened and the sword was engulfed by the flame. He was ready to charge when a hand softly caressed his shoulder, unaffected by the flame.