The Ancient Prophecy Ch. 12a

"You heard those voices?"

She nodded. "I’ve never heard such voices before. So full of pain… excruciating pain…"

"Who are they?" Atrus asked.

"Spirits of the dead," Anna replied. "Spirits from the world ages ago, probably not long after the time of creation."

"After the Gods created the realm?"

Again, Anna nodded. "All races of the realm prospered and expanded rapidly after the creation. Cities grew and evolved quickly in the face of the world. Then the war started. The foul folks, backed by the demons, invaded the land. The Gods rallied the races of the realm to defense. The great battle between good and evil was inevitable, and the place was at the Northern Continent. The Gods’ races were unprepared and were decimated quickly, forcing the Gods to intervene and banish the foul folks to the depth of the Underworld. But the damage was done. The once-beautiful continent is now nothing but a large patch of wasteland surrounded by stormy oceans."

"And the voices…"

"… were those of the dead, those who were slayed during that first war," Anna said. "They were forced to endure centuries of imprisonment in this realm as lost souls, waiting for those who could bail them out."

"We are the ones they seek?" Atrus asked again.

"No, there’s nothing we can do…" Anna replied weakly. "Only the Gods can reverse the curse placed upon them by the demons. And the Gods, as you know, won’t betray their words."

"Unless…"

That caught Anna’s attention. "What are you planning?"

Atrus grinned, "If you borrow tons of money from me, how do you finish the deal?"

"I… I’ll pay you in full," Anna offered.

"Or you can always kill me," Atrus smirked, "And the deal is cancelled, right?"

"So you are saying…" Anna’s eyes suddenly opened. "You’re going to kill Agamesh, the Lord of Darkness himself?!"

"If the Gods can’t do it, we can do it, right?" Atrus concluded. "This will allow the Gods to save these poor souls, and probably seal the fate of the realm forever."

"But you just can’t do that!" Anna hissed. "You have to either invite him to this realm or go to the Underworld yourself to defeat him! And you can’t do either!"

"I can do the latter." Atrus smiled.

"But that’s crazy! I can’t let you do that!"

"Anna, if it has to be done, it has to be done."

"I know, but…" she hesitated, then hung her head, sobbing silently. "I… I don’t want to lose you… I’m just a selfish brat, aren’t I?"

Atrus knelt before her, lifted her chin and kissed her fully on her lips. She was quite taken by surprise, but gratefully received the kiss. Her hands quickly clasped against the back of his neck and pulled them even closer together. They broke the kiss later, completely breathless, but the message was sent.

"I don’t want to lose you, either," Atrus repeated. "But if I have to do so, I will. And you will be there with me, right?"

"Yes!" Anna smiled, brushing the tears from her eyes. "I will be there for you."

"My loyal slaves, the time is near," Lord Daemon announced. "The demise of the Gods is close at hand!"

Gaea, the former protector goddess of the realm, didn’t respond. Still bound on her mocking throne and spread wide open for all eyes to see, the defeated goddess could only stare into empty space. Ursula, the former priestess of Lycra, was in no better condition, being sandwiched between two bulky Ocrist warriors. Her plea of mercy had long gone, knowing that mercy would never come for her. She could only grunt in pleasure and disgust as the Orcs continued their vile act.

"No congratulations, my dear?" Daemon lifted Gaea’s chin with his finger, only to receive a well-placed spit in his eye. The goddess’ plot to anger him failed as the demon lord just chuckled. "I don’t have to deal with you now, Gaea. After I install my master as the supreme God, I will teach you how to behave. Perhaps in a few centuries, but in time, you will recognize my power over you."

"Unfortunately, you’ll spend the next few centuries refurnishing your apartment in the Underworld," Gaea countered. "I will enjoy the last few seconds of my life watching you die."

"The Champion of the Guardian is not a match for my superior skill," Daemon smirked. "And what can you do, my dear? You are my prisoner. I can do anything to you and there’s nothing you could do to stop me. Like this." With that Daemon inserted his erect member into her exposed vagina. Gaea couldn’t help but gasp at the sudden intrusion. Despite the disgust she was feeling, years of slavery had weakened her stubbornness and crushed her defense.

"P…please… stop…"

"Oh, please." Daemon grinned. "Just tell me how much you love it. I know you’re enjoying every second of it."

Gaea tried to struggle, but every struggle only enhanced the sensation in her loins. The Orcs, long grown tired of Ursula, tossed her weakened body onto the floor and turned to watch the show.

"You can’t resist it, slave!" Daemon hissed. "You are enjoying the whole thing. You love being violated, right?"

"N…no… Ugh…"

"Go on, slave… Tell the world how much you love it…"

"N…no…"

Despite her resistance, she slowly succumbed to the pleasure building inside of her. With a loud groan the demon lord reached climax inside of her, quickly sending her to the top as well. Her sweating body bucked wildly as the waves of pleasure overcame her. For a moment she was lost in the middle of Daemon’s roar and the Orcs’ sneering laugh. As the sensation left her, she collapsed to the throne, exhausted and overcome with grief and shame.

"The little slave goddess is enjoying herself a bit too much," one Orc jeered.

Gaea just hung her head in shame.

"Don’t worry, my slave," Daemon finally said. "I’ll deal with the Champion of the Guardian and his petty band soon, then nothing can separate us anymore."

Not willing to experience the nightmare anymore, Atrus had decided not to go back to sleep. Therefore, he was glad that Anna had agreed to accompany him. Together they just sat outside, enjoying the night and taking pleasure in each other’s presence.

"It’s almost dawn," Atrus said lazily. He was feeling very comfortable, having rested his head on Anna’s lap. "Time walks fast when I’m with you."

Anna chuckled lightly while stroking Atrus’ hair with her fingers. "I disagree. When we’re together, there’s no such thing as time."

Atrus turned to her. "You mean you just don’t care?"

"That’s right, honey," she replied. "You always occupy the largest space in my mind."

Atrus grinned. He carefully slipped his finger into her golden High Priestess badge collar and slowly pulled her closer, making her bow forward. As their lips touched, he felt her hands lifting his head, crushing their lips together. He’d never felt so happy before. He was here, with the woman he loved.

Yet he’d never felt so… uneasy before. Perhaps it was fear? Fear of losing the very woman he loved? Fear of losing his friends he respected? Fear that he would be fighting his last battle?

Fear is the first step toward defeat, he said to himself.Yet faith grants strength to overcome the worst storm. Anna’s presence in the upcoming battle was like a curse, yet a blessing for him. For countless times she had been by his side, cheering him up when he’s down, backing him up when he’s weak. He wouldn’t know how to fight without her by his side.

"Hmm…" Anna hummed softly, closing her eyes. "Lord Falagor just woke up. He knows we’re here, too. He just probed into my mind."

"I wonder why Master Falagor won’t assist us in the upcoming battle." Atrus asked.

"Perhaps it isn’t his battle," Anna offered. "It’s ours."

"That sounds scary," Atrus agreed. "It seems that we’re the only one fighting for the realm."

"Prince Roberto is rallying his troops to hold the demons, true?"

"Yes, but it’s different…" Atrus hesitated.

"You’re afraid, honey?" Anna looked at him intently.

"Yeah," he nodded. "It’s my turn to chicken out. I’m sorry if I bring you down."

"You’re here with me," Anna smiled. "Nothing can bring me down."

"That’s swee…" Atrus didn’t continue. He fell silent just abruptly. He was sure he just heard something, like broken branches. They were in the middle of a forest; the sounds of broken branches were normal, but repeated sounds of broken branches weren’t. And the sounds were heard in slow intervals, as if the subjects were trying to conceal them.

Anna sensed his worry. She quickly chanted her Eagle Eye spell. Her mind wandered far high, as high as an eagle could fly. Then she observed the surrounding area, as careful as an eagle searching for its victims.

"There’s a crowd of people, probably about fifteen or sixteen of them, heading this way."

"Villagers?" Atrus asked. The hamlet was located near the village of Whitewater.

Anna hummed softly, then frowned. "No… The villagers were still back in the village."

"Then this means trouble," Atrus concluded. "Warn Master Falagor about this."

"Already did," Anna whispered. "He’s going to wake everyone up."

"Good," Atrus nodded. "Stay here. I’ll be right back."

"Honey, you’re unarmed!" Anna hissed.

"I’m just going to spy on them. I’ll be fine."

Before Anna could protest, Atrus dashed toward the woods. He was glad he still wore his rubber-soiled shoes, as it gave away minimal sound. His old days in Ranger camp had also taught him a lot about stealth. With his sharp hearing, he pinpointed the direction of the uninvited guests and headed that way. When he felt that he was close enough to them, he climbed the nearest tree, knelt on a branch and stayed completely silent. And he listened.

He couldn’t hear a thing!Could it be that they have somehow heard me coming? If so, then he was in trouble. He reached out for his left ankle and sighed in relief after finding his trusty dagger still tucked in its sheath.A Ranger never wanders around without a secondary weapon.

And the game began. The enemies he was facing were also masters of stealth and disguise. He could still hear weird noises, but not enough to allow him to pinpoint the source. This was just like his Ranger training years ago, when he had to play hide-and-seek with his Ranger fellow. This time, however, he was not familiar with the forest, especially at near dawn. And his life might be at stake.

His fear returned and urged him to come out from his hiding place and challenge his foes.With only a dagger? He cursed himself and waited again, trying to be as motionless as possible. He was one with nature and the nature was gratefully concealing him. But if he withdrew, the nature would reveal his position. He couldn’t afford that.

His heart almost jumped in excitement when he saw the silhouette of his foe passing through the forest path. The figure wore long dark cloak, perfect for near-dawn infiltration. The cloak covered its head, so Atrus couldn’t perceive his race, but the figure was as tall as a normal Human.Could it be that he’s just a normal traveler? No, he thought quickly as the figure stopped and drew its blade. The creature was hunting, probably for him.

With the alien figure standing close to his hiding place, Atrus couldn’t withdraw just like he had planned, at least without being discovered. If these uninvited guests were as skillful as he was in hide-and-seek game, he would be found sooner or later. However, he had a dagger in his hand, and the advantage of surprise was his. He could single-handedly thin out their number until his friends backed him up. He carefully shifted his feet, getting ready for his attack.

And Atrus leaped from his hiding place, landing near the cloaked figure. The figure didn’t even have a chance to flinch as the dagger reached its target and slit the figure’s throat. Fresh green blood spurted from the victim’s neck, staining Atrus’ shirt and cloak. The victim’s body collapsed noisily and Atrus turned to face the second victim.

There was no second victim. He was the only one standing on the forest path. His mind screamed in alarm. He had been a fool. This was a classic trap, using a bait to draw him out. Now the entire forest knew where he was, including his enemies. He went back to defensive, and his foes didn’t disappoint him this time.

The barrage of throwing knives came from all direction. Atrus quickly ducked and rolled away from his spot. One of the blades scratched his arm, causing a nasty burning sensation. He quickly checked the wound and found some green patches around the opening.The blades were poisoned! Following his survival instinct, he put his mouth around the wound, sucked the foul substance and spit it out. The burning sensation remained, but most of the poison was gone. Atrus decided that this was a good time to withdraw from battle. He pinpointed the direction home and dashed through the forest.

The second barrage came, and this time his eyes did their work. Atrus evaded the knives easily and found one of the sources, another cloaked figure hiding behind the bushes. Atrus leaped over the bushes past the victim’s surprised form, turned around and swung his dagger with all his might. The cloaked figure was on the verge of drawing its own scimitar when the dagger connected, leaving a clean cut across its chest. The second strike was fatal, a straight jab through the heart. Atrus didn’t even attempt to pull his dagger, but decided to take the scimitar instead with his blood-drenched hand. Another cloaked figure foolishly charged him, swinging its scimitar wildly in the air. Atrus parried the attack with his own blade, but his foe successfully made a small cut on his side. Atrus normally wielded a broadsword and therefore had little experience in using curved sword.

Atrus, retreat! Help is on the way!

Atrus’ thought snapped back.Master Falagor just called me telepathically! His opponent was still there, blocking the way back to Falagor’s shed. Atrus suddenly lunged forward, swinging his scimitar like crazy. The cloaked figure easily parried the blow, but was stunned by the ferocity for a moment. When it recovered and countered the attack, Atrus already went pass him and dashed through the forest. Not long after that he heard weird strange voice whistling in the wind, and quickly leaped out of danger’s way as three daggers landed near the tree trunk where his head would have been had he been late for another second. The cloaked figures quickly converged to his position, effectively trapping him in the middle.

And for the first time Atrus felt grateful at hearing the Dwarf’s usual war cry. Holgreb’s axe soared and landed a few feet from Atrus’ position. While the axe didn’t hurt anyone, it gave Atrus a split-second to knock down his nearest attacker with his fist and get out of the way. All hell broke loose as all the Warriors of the Guardian emerged from their hiding place and converged on the assailants.

Atrus quickly located Anna, who was having trouble carrying his stone sword. She launched her magic blasts at the pursuing figure, then tossed the heavy sword at Atrus. The moment he touched the sword grip, the stone surface exploded in bright light, and instantly turned pure crystalline. With the Sword of Faith in his hand, Atrus rushed back to the battle, joining Holgreb who was creating havoc in enemy’s ranks. Lynn appeared and hummed her magical song of valor, and Holgreb roared his famous war cry. By the time Atrus arrived by his side, he had dispatched three cloaked figures single-handedly. There was only one odd thing.

Atrus wasn’t empowered by Lynn’s song.

One assassin approached and tested his might, and he responded. He swung his Sword of Faith first, and the creature took defensive move. This time his crystal sword obeyed him and flared brightly as it cut through the thin scimitar blade, the linen cloak, and finally the creature’s belly. Bright green blood spurted from the doomed creature, staining the blade and Atrus’ clothes. He immediately took defensive stance and scanned his surroundings for immediate threat. There was none, but he felt a surge of energy coming from his sword. The Sword of Faith was glowing wildly! For a moment he was so dazed he didn’t see an assassin coming toward him until Aurelia planted an arrow right into its skull.

"Atrus, stop dreaming!" she scolded. "We’re in danger here!"

Calem the Wizard stepped out and cast a paralyze spell, freezing the assassins in place. Atrus and Holgreb simultaneously charged ahead slaying the immobilized demons around them while the rest of the party sniped from afar. The battle ended quickly, leaving no one but the party itself standing.

And Atrus was still troubled. The Sword of Faith hadn’t stopped glowing. Atrus tried calming himself and easing his breath, yet the sword refused to turn back to stone. The party, sensing that something was wrong, gathered around him.

"That is odd," Calem observed. "According to the legend, the Sword of Faith always obeys the Chosen One without question."

"Even though it has the power of the Gods flowing inside?" Aurelia asked.

"Yes, it’s the sign of the Gods’ commitment of resisting Agamesh and his minions, even after the treaty," Lynn nodded. "The Chosen One will wield the power of the Gods stored inside the sword."

"Then why doesn’t the sword obey him?" Calem asked.

"Look!" Anna pointed at the green stains on the sword surface. The sword blazed fiercely around the stains, slowly disintegrating the green substance. "The sword seems to be eating out the blood."

For a moment Atrus was quite fascinated. It quickly changed, though, as he started feeling lightheaded. He quickly brushed the feeling away, yet it refused to leave. He slowly felt his feet betraying him.

"Atrus!!"

Anna’s panicked cry was the last voice he heard before he slammed his back against something bulky that smelled like a Dwarf. Then darkness enveloped him.

Roberto woke up, fully refreshed, just in time to see his troops returning home after the battle at the Temple of the Magi.

He quickly went nuts when he saw his troops wounded and disheartened. He quickly found his friend Captain Hawk and sighed in relief to find him alive, wounded, but not badly. Maya who was with him quickly volunteered to help the Priestesses of Lycra in tending the wounded, leaving Roberto alone. He then proceeded with the normal formality to Lord Garmeon, expressing regret for the loss of his temple to the demons, and making promises for the future. The wizard, weary and sulky, held nothing against the prince, but his utter disappointment was apparent. He promised not to withdraw his support for the Alliance army, then left for his quarter.

The vice-commander of the army then approached the prince for the battle report, but Roberto quickly dismissed him. Reports could wait, and knowing that his friend Hawk survived the battle was enough. Hawk would definitely tell him the story later, and he wouldn’t exaggerate.

"Just check on the soldiers," Roberto ordered the vice-commander. "Send the wounded ones to the healer. Gather the rest on the courtyard. I would like to address the troops."

The vice-commander acknowledged the order and left.

Then he spotted Maya running back to him.

"I dropped Hawk off at the healer’s tent. They don’t have a room for me, though," Maya pouted. "There are already plenty of helpers, and they need professionals."

"Aw, come on, hon… They’ll see you as a professional once you show them your massage trick," Roberto offered.

She smiled cutely. "Nah… I usually reserve it for someone special."

Roberto just grinned. "Maya… What are you going to do for the upcoming battle?"

"Well… I suppose I’ll be helping the wounded…"

"Maya… I’d like to ask for a favor."

Maya blinked. "Why sure! Ask me anything!"

"Don’t be a helper," Roberto said slowly.

"What?!" She frowned. "You’re starting to sound like Master Atrus! You can’t just keep me away from action while you are doing your stunts! I want to go to the battle, too!"