Gay Erotic Stories

Ch. 11a: Waltz with the Demon's Pet 1 The room was dark and hot. The air was thick with vapor and scent of sulfur. The heat was so intense, even for the Dwarves. The cavern was located deep inside the bowels of the earth. It was a home of no one, for nothing could survive in these unfriendly environment, not even monsters or subterraneous beasts. A lone man walked along the cavern, his long dark cape flowing freely behind him. Around him the air crackled continuously from contact of the intense heat with his invisible force field. The conflicting force didn't bother him at all. The man just walked deeper and deeper into the cavern. And the air grew even hotter. At the end of the cavern, the walls were glowing in bright red, illuminated by the magma lake beyond the cavern. The ocean of magma rippled vigorously beneath. The lifeless magma chamber would not make a fine place to visit. But the dark man stood near the cave opening near the magma lake. He had a purpose. "Kastor!!" He screamed in his rich voice. "I summon thee! Wake up from thy slumber!!" The dawn was breaking. The sun crept slowly from its hiding place, spreading its wings of light over the land. Various birds appeared from their nests and began their chorus of praise to the land. The fragrance of the flowers filled the air as their petals opened to greet the sun. The nature began their wonderful songs as the Land of Lore welcomed another beautiful morning. For normal people, this was just another ordinary summer day, but for certain people, this was another day full of excitement. Atrus White Lion smiled widely. He was happy. Everyday was an excitement for him. He had everything under control. He had everything a man ever wanted. He had a job, a wonderful life, and a wonderful life-mate. Confidently, he rose his sword. "Give me your best shot!" he said. Adriana Freesland, the girl before him, tossed the object. Atrus leaped toward the flying object and swung the Rainbow sword. The enchanted sword flared as the magical force flowed through the metal. "Sword Dancer!!" Atrus delivered multiple short yet deadly cuts to the object, splitting and shaping it nicely thin pieces. Anna dashed forward and caught the pieces readily on her plate. "Perfect, honey!" Anna smiled while toying with the perfectly cut potato slices. "This will be the best potato chips we've ever had!" "Are you sure you'll be fine? Remember the steps?" Atrus reminded. "Don't worry, honey, I remember." She pecked his cheek. "Now go. Men are not welcomed here in the kitchen. Wait for me in the dining room." "Are you sure you'll be okay?" "Yes, now go! I need to prepare our breakfast!" Atrus reluctantly went out of the kitchen and into the dining room. He put his sheathed sword on the table and sat on the big chair. His eyes wandered around the spacious room, way too spacious for a dining room. It was more like a grand wedding hall with a long wooden table and a dozen chairs on its flanks. The table itself was covered with decorated tablecloth. A Tiras-made vase decorated the table, topped with flowers Anna picked herself from the garden. Three grand chandeliers hung over the table, and another dozen of candleholders were set around the room. He sighed. It had been six months since he took residence in the castle. Six months ago, he had been just a fighter fighting for the land against the demons and their undead army. Now he was Baron White Lion, the ruler of Southern Aragon and the master of his own castle. He even took the liberty of renaming the castle after his father's name, Castle White Lion. The task as a baron hadn't been easy. After the war with the undead army, Southern Aragon had been devastated. The zombies had destroyed most of the towns and slaughtered the citizens. The undead had been defeated, but the destruction had remained. The reinforcements from the north had arrived shortly after the battle and had secured the southern area. Citizens had been allowed to settle down again. Starting a community from a scratch was already tough, let alone starting from a ruin. Most of the town of Blackwell, however, escaped destruction, so the peasants had settled down there, increasing the city size. The kingdom had been sending settlers and volunteers to assist with the rebuilding. The Dwarves from the east had come and erected several guard posts along the southern border. Shortly as the security improved, villages began to sprout around those posts. The growth rate had been quite surprising, since the settlers had still had to cope with the harsh winter for months. The winter had passed now. Hamlets had become villages, villages had become towns, and towns had become cities. Blackwell herself had grown from a small city to the capital of Southern Aragon, matching the size of the old Tiras before the war. A loud clanking sound was heard from the kitchen. Atrus grinned. It had been several months since Maya left them. She had decided to take a vacation to visit Castle Stromgard. Neither Atrus nor Anna had forbidden her, but she still had knelt before them and 'requested permission from her master and mistress'. She is definitely most annoying when she is on her knees. And it had been several months since Anna decided to start cooking for them... or start learning how to cook. Atrus had been giving her a crash course in cooking. The result had been, so far, quite fatal. Throughout the winter they had called the local artisans at least twenty times to repair the kitchen. He simply couldn't understand how an explosion could happen in a kitchen, since the only thing burning inside was the stove, and it was made out of fine and strong bricks. She kept on claiming that the fire took too long, so she decided to use her magic whenever she could. Now he understood why magic books always advised using mini-burner for heating magical herbs rather than make-your-own fire. A knock on the door awakened him from his daydream. The double door opened shortly, revealing a young man wearing formal suit and long pants. "Ah, Leonard, good morning." Atrus saluted. "Good morning, Lord White Lion." The man bowed. "May I have a moment of your time?" Atrus grinned. He had met Leonard almost a year ago, when they were in a royal mission here in Blackwell. Leonard had been the leader of the local resistance against the wicked ruler at that time, Baron Anthony Stoke, Maya's slaver. When Atrus became the new baron, he had discovered the young man's talent in leadership and had appointed him as the governor of Blackwell. Leonard usually dealt with Anna most of the time, since governor's duties were mostly civil affairs, in which Anna excelled and Atrus dreaded. If the young man was looking for him, it should be either political affairs or military issues. "How many times should I tell you to call me Atrus?" "I'm sorry, Lord White Lion." The young man smiled. "I can't help it." "Yeah, right. How's the road construction going?" Atrus queried. "The road connecting Blackwell and Whitewater is almost completed, Lord White Lion." Leonard answered. "And the village chief Gordon expressed his deepest gratitude for the shipment of goods. They will begin building the fort as ordered once the stone shipment arrives." "And how about the recent trouble south of Kitaria?" Kitaria was a new town near the southern border of Aragon, somewhere near where Labrador had once been. The town had been a favorite target for the demon raids for the last few weeks. "We have sent squad four and five to reinforce the Dwarven fort there as you ordered. The frequency of raids has decreased rapidly. It was indeed a wise choice, Lord White Lion. I heard the little town was booming and our men received valuable experience." "Very well, Leonard." Atrus adjusted his seat. "Now why do you need me?" "A royal herald arrived last night, telling that Lady Murdock will come home this afternoon." "Okay..." Atrus frowned. "So Maya is coming home. Why should I know this?" "She's not coming alone, Sir." Leonard said. "A special herald from the kingdom is coming." Atrus sighed. The search for the last Warrior of the Guardian among the Humans had been so far fruitless. The kingdom had spread news to find the one, but instead numerous warriors had appeared from all over the kingdom, claiming that they were the Chosen One. Those warriors had been fighting the demons openly to prove themselves, and the number of unnecessary casualties had been high. Yet until now no one was qualified enough (or alive long enough) to be the possible candidate. If the royal court is sending someone, then they probably have some important news... "Thank you, Leonard. I will welcome them personally." "Forgive me for asking, Sir, but," the man hesitated, "Lady Freesland is... you know..." Atrus' brows twitched. "Yes, she's cooking breakfast." "Cooking, Sir?" "Well, I don't know how she's doing it, but she's trying to make breakfast." "Forgive me, Sir, because I won't actually call it cooking." Leonard peeked into the opened kitchen door. "She's torching the pan with her fingers, Sir, and she's trying to open the oil drum as well..." "Oh..." Wait a minute... oil DRUM? "What?" His question was answered instantly as a loud explosion was heard from the kitchen. Smaller pieces of wood flew out of the kitchen. Atrus hid behind the large chair and Leonard jumped for cover under the table. Smoke trailed out of the kitchen into the dining room. Atrus sighed. Had this happened five months ago, he would have stormed the smoking kitchen and started screaming for Anna and demanded if she's okay. Now he knew that this was just another regular event. "What happened, Sir?" Leonard asked. "Nothing special... It's the second time this month..." Atrus grumbled. "She got cooking oil and stove oil mixed up again. For some reason, her nose couldn't differentiate the two." "Is... is she okay?" "She keeps her magic barrier running when she's cooking." Atrus brushed the debris from his shirt. "Tell Thomas that we need him to fix the kitchen again." "Right away, Sir!" Leonard left the room. Anna appeared on the kitchen door. She was a mess. Her nightgown and apron was torn here and there. Her face was covered with black patches from the smoke. Her expression was threatening. "Don't you dare laugh..." she grumbled. "Why should I? This isn't new..." Atrus teased her. "How many times should I tell you to put labels on the oil drums?!" "Labels?! It's your fault that you can't smell that thing!!" "Smell?! I don't have the nose of a dog like you, Ranger!!" "It doesn't take a Ranger to... wait a minute! You said I'm a dog?!" Lord Daemon snorted as the view disappeared from his sight. Finally he couldn't help laughing. This was a rare sight to his subordinates. The demon lord had been furious since the defeat of his undead army at Blackwell. But he was indeed excited. His plan had gone well. "This is perfect." He hissed. "How's the gem?" "It's finished charging, but not full, sire." One hooded human figure, standing behind him, said in her steady tone. "It needs more power. We need more." "I'm sure it will be no problem for you." The demon lord said. "You'll have no problem while those clowns are occupied with their session." "Yes, Master." The woman replied. "Do you wish to observe the operation?" Lord Daemon nodded and made his way back to the main chamber in the Emerald Tower. The chamber had gone through some modifications in the last six months. A torture dungeon had replaced the old throne room. Multiple wicked devices filled the room, from various racks, torture tables, chairs and wooden horses. Chains and shackles hung from the ceiling. On the middle of the room was a young girl, sitting on a wooden horse. Her hands were shackled to the ceiling loosely so her weight pressed her tender pussy on the wood. Her ankles hung taut with additional weight attached to her ankle chains. She was whimpering helplessly as the wood dug painfully into her tender flesh. And at the corner of the room sat the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. He'd known her for twenty years or so, yet his opinion of her hadn't changed. Her grace remained despite the passing of age. The fact that she was shackled to a throne-like chair enhanced her beauty. The throne had no seat beneath, just simple padding for the back. The goddess' hands were bound behind the padding and her legs were spread wide and chained to the support extending from the padding, exposing her pussy. "Good morning, Goddess Gaea." Daemon smiled. "I hope you're well today?" Gaea, however, didn't answer. Her eyes stared blankly at the approaching demon. "Oh, how I enjoyed breaking you, my dearest goddess." The demon stroked her chin, making her shiver. "Don't tell me I've broken you totally." "Don't... hurt... her..." She answered weakly, almost unheard. "Remarkable. You still care for those beings until the end." Daemon said. "But well... I'll have to let you down... Finish her!" The woman in dark cloak approached the bound girl at the center of the room, carrying a long bullwhip. "Prepare yourself, bitch. Your pain is our power!" The young girl's howl filled the torture room as the first blow struck her ripe ass. The whip created a long angry-red stripe across her skin. Her muscles quivered uncontrollably, making the wood panel dig deeper inside her. She tried to lift herself using her hands, but another blow across her back threw her effort in vain. The woman walked slowly around her, sending well-placed blows at her bottom, back and breasts, targeting specially her protruding nipples. The girl was in pain. She struggled, quivered, and screamed in every blow with her parched voice. Yet the torture continued. "Mercy... mercy..." The girl pleaded as the torture was halted. "She's ready, Master." Lord Daemon approached the bound girl from behind and undid his pants. The hooded woman set her cloak away, revealing a beautiful young female human with long blonde hair and dark-brown eyes. She smirked naughtily at the bound goddess at the corner of the room. "Greetings, Goddess Gaea. It's been an honor to see you in person." "Traitor..." The goddess spoke up, angered. "Why?" The woman didn't answer. Instead, she knelt before her master and took his member inside her mouth. Gaea watched in disgust as the female Human, one of the being she'd been trying to protect, turned away from her and serviced her nemesis. The woman sucked the demon's member with lust, coating it with her saliva. She performed her duty well, making his member erect and rock hard. "And now is the time..." Daemon took his member and pressed it on the opening of the bound girl's anus. She quickly realized her next ordeal and squirmed for freedom, rewarded by sharp pain from her pussy. She whimpered and begged helplessly for mercy, but mercy was a stranger to her. She howled as the cock forcefully entered her behind. The pain was too much. She bucked like a wildcat as he fucked her mercilessly. "Please... don't... hurt... her..." Gaea muttered. The goddess screamed as the whip connected, creating a long stripe across her vulnerable breasts. The traitor approached her with the bullwhip on her hand. "Oh, forgive me, goddess..." She smirked. "I really, really didn't mean to hurt you..." She screamed again as the whip slashed against her spread hip. The woman whipped her mercilessly, leaving stripes across various places until the goddess hung her head, completely defeated. The woman slid her panties aside, revealing her bald pussy. "Eat me, bitch goddess!" Gaea couldn't resist when the woman grabbed her head by her hair and pulled her against her pussy. She choked from the steel collar around her neck. The evil woman's unholy musk filled her nostrils. The traitor rubbed her face against her pussy, enjoying pleasure from the goddess' agony and humiliation. Meanwhile the rape continued. The girl hung limply as the demon lord fucked her. At the same time, her body glowed. Green tendrils circled her bound body and embraced her. She could feel her power draining. Daemon grunted as he reached climax and shot his load deep inside her. Immediately the evil force invaded her body and drained her life force. She moaned in frustration as her power and youthful determination was robbed from her. Then she hung on her chains, helpless and defeated. Daemon walked toward a corner of the room, revealing a big dark-green gemstone on top of a pillar. The gem glowed as he brushed the surface, radiating evil warmth. He hummed at the caress, yet it wasn't enough. It wasn't enough to overthrow the Gods. The Titan Gem was not finished. "We need more bitches." Lord Daemon approached the goddess and forced her to clean his member with her mouth. "I'm sure there will be no problem at all?" "No problem, Master." The woman bowed. "And what should I do with the bitch?" He glanced at the bound girl. "Discard her. Dump her to the barracks. Let the goblins have their fun with her." Atrus sat uneasily on the big chair. He had been a baron for six months, yet he was still not used to sitting on his 'throne'. Plus, his suit was quite uncomfortable. It was a tight, formal suit used by government officials all across the kingdom. The tight collar made breathing a bit difficult, and the pants fit tautly against his legs, leaving uncomfortable feeling around his crotch. He couldn't understand why the kingdom ever developed such torturing suit for its officials. He made a mental note to send such petition to the royal court when the war ends. Anna was standing next to his chair, her usual position during any legal event. Atrus had appointed her as his advisor. The decision had also demanded her to wear uncomfortable dress. The gown was hugging her waist and crushing her chest but showing her upper figure. The long and wide lower gown made her difficult to walk. No matter how civilized she was, she was still a priestess of action, forged in the heat of battle and therefore wore simple clothes to ease movement. Long gowns didn't work well with her. "Hard to breathe?" Atrus queried, listening to her ragged breathing. "Don't ask." She grumbled. "Every bit of air in my lungs is precious." "The guests have arrived!" The herald announced. Since Atrus had decided to welcome the guests himself, he approached the double door. Anna followed him slowly, trying not to stumble and embarrassed herself. Her high heel shoes clicked nicely on the marble floor, giving her a sense of superiority. Indeed, the official suits were designed for grace and authority, not comfort. Atrus held the door handle and opened, only to find that the door was swung open instantly. A figure leaped on him, pushing him backwards. He stumbled down and fell on his back while Anna jumped to stay out of the way. When he recovered, he found Maya hugging him tightly, grinning. She was still wearing her tight bodysuit, complete with her battle-set on her belt. Her ponytail swung freely behind. "Hi, Master Atrus! Long time no see!" The little girl suddenly planted a full kiss on his lips, catching him completely off guard. He struggled for a while. Anna noticed the grin in the herald's lips and quickly put it down with her best glare. Atrus quickly recovered and broke the kiss. "Maya, what are you doing?!" "I miss you, Master! It's been so long!" "Tell me that later, now get off me!" Atrus got on his feet quickly. "Not now, Maya!" "Sorry, Master..." She hung her head. "But I do have a surprise, though!" Then from the door came a man in a large silver plate armor. He reached out for his helmet and opened the hatch. The face behind it was familiar indeed. "Prince Roberto..." Atrus bowed. "Hail and well met." "I do not expect such welcome." Roberto frowned, noticing Atrus' governmental suit. "How did you know I'm coming?" "Our intelligence committee has correctly predicted your coming, Lord." Atrus answered. "You're using your intelligence agents against us. Your loyalty is under question." "If you want to demote me, Prince Roberto," Atrus said, "Now is the perfect time." "Why is that?" "I know more than I'm supposed to." He smirked. "And I'd like to be the first one to congratulate you in the engagement. You're a very lucky man." Roberto's face turned red, and he turned to Maya. "You told them?!" "No! How did he..." Maya instantly followed Atrus' stare to her finger, where a small yet lovely ring was tucked on it. "He's cheating! He's..." "I told you not to wear that until we get married!!" Roberto looked horrified. "But it's so nice!" Maya toyed with the ring happily. "I can't wait until next month!" "You get married next month?!" Anna's face was brightened. "Congratulation!!" Maya cowered under Roberto's glare. "Oops, sorry..." "Let's keep this to ourselves." Roberto smiled warmly. "How is it going, partner?" "Very good." Atrus gladly hugged the prince despite his constricting plate armor. "And it's a great honor to have you here in my humble hut." Roberto turned to Anna. "His diplomatic gesture is getting worse. You taught him this?" "Something's wrong with the potato he ate this morning." Anna smiled back. "You're well?" "I'm well, thank you. My father extends his best greetings and gratitude for your service." "So I'm free from my job?" Atrus asked. "No, in fact, my father was planning to promote you into a deputy minister of defense, helping General Kepfer. Since I know you won't work well in the royal court, I took the liberty of going against the plan and refusing the idea on behalf of you." "Thanks..." Atrus shivered. "That would freak me out." "Anyway..." Anna turned to the prince. "What is your business here?" "Ow, come on! Can't you see that I'm just visiting old friends to recount old memories?" Anna smiled warmly. "No." "Fine!" Roberto sighed. "There's trouble in Stromgard." "What's wrong?" "We think..." Roberto made sure he got everybody's attention. "We might have found a qualified candidate..." "That's great!" Atrus said, then studied the prince's expression. "You're skeptical?" "Wait till you see the guy, partner." The prince said slowly. "He's... weird." "So does everybody else in the team." Anna added. "That's nothing new." "No, he's different. You must see the person. Then you'll know what I'm talking about." "So you need us in the castle?" Atrus asked. Roberto nodded. "Holgreb is already in Stromgard. Calem is getting Hawk and Aurelia from Elom. We're here to get both of you and Lynn." "We're ready to go," Anna said, "as long as you don't mind waiting for us to change." "Not at all." Atrus and Anna went back to the bedroom they shared together. Atrus had made a special order from a local armor-smith to make a brand new piece of leather armor. His new armor was made from finest leather, reinforced with thin yet strong chain layer around the chest and back. A red artistic royal crest was painted on the front part. The armor was enchanted personally by Anna herself, strengthening the leather even further. A long, golden cloak adorned the armor with royal crest pattern on the back. Since his old boots had been decimated during the firestorm six months ago, the town people had made him a new pair. His faithful Rainbow Sword, covered in a brand new sheath, added the last touch. Anna still kept her old priestess costume. The dress fell to her hips while hugging her upper body snuggly yet comfortably. The belt circled her thin waist, turning the lower dress into a nice, short skirt. Her long gloves and boots came next, followed by her tight collar with a black gem on it. It was the general identity of a Priestess of Lycra, and although she was no longer one she still kept it. Her metal mace and leather backpack completed her preparation. "Here we go again..." she sighed. "You're worried, Anna dear?" Atrus asked. "I know this is coming..." "Don't worry, dear..." Atrus circled his arm around her shoulder. "We will fulfill our destiny. And when we do, I'll be there for you..." "Thanks, honey." Anna kissed him. "I'm glad I don't have to lose you." The couple returned to the main hall. Roberto couldn't stop whistling at Atrus' new outfit. "You should consider granting an award to your smith, partner..." He commented. "I did." Atrus said. "He has the second biggest house in town next to the governor's." "Oh..." Roberto quickly turned to Maya. "So you said you know how to call Lynn?" The girl produced a small pipe that looked like a flute, except that it was smaller. The flute seemed to be made out of wood, but the shiny white color suggested ivory. The design was simple yet amazing. It was the smallest yet finest flute they'd ever seen. "Lynn gave me this as a parting gift back at Stromgard." Maya said proudly. "She even taught me how to play it. She said I can use this to call her." "Okay, go on, then." Anna said, impatient. "Lynn said the tune from this flute should reach the Heaven. Now let's see if I can do it..." Maya took a deep breath, put the flute softly between her lips and blew steadily. Suddenly, the entire castle complex rattled in tremor as a high-pitch shriek came from the flute. Several windows were shattered in pieces. Both Atrus and Anna dove for cover behind the furniture while Roberto, who was unlucky enough to be standing right in front of her, was thrown backward from the powerful force. The sound waves echoed along the stone walls throughout the castle. "Wow, girl!" Anna said after the ordeal was over. "Is that what it's supposed to sound like?" "I hope not." Atrus said while looking nervously at the chandelier over his head, which was swinging frantically back and forth. "Or else, Lynn and I will be having a long, serious talk together." "It worked well before..." Maya inspected the flute. "I don't know... let me try again..." Roberto's head quickly popped out from the overturned table. "You know what, Maya... I thing we should... Maya?! No! Don't... Yikes!" Anna quickly created two magic barriers for Atrus and herself, but she was not quick enough to make one for Roberto. The prince leaped toward a long table and hid under it, just in time to evade the crashing chandelier behind him. The two magic barriers crackled as the sound waves pounded it with overwhelming force. The barriers held, but the occupants were forced to cover their ears tightly. The door was opened quickly and Leonard peeked inside the room. "Uh, Lord White Lion? Is everything oka..." His jaws dropped open when he saw the devastated hall. "Is that an honest question, Leonard?" Atrus scowled. "Uh... I think I'll leave you in private, Sir..." Leonard quickly disappeared. Suddenly a magical portal burst open in the middle of the room and a lithe form of a girl was thrown out from it. The girl wore thin satin dress with nylon rope around her waist. On her back, a pair of thin-yet-lovely wings extended gracefully. The girl crashed on top of a tumbled table and groaned in pain. "Lynn is here!!" Maya cheered. "The flute works! I told you that the sound reaches Heaven!" "Of course it does!!" Lynn growled while still lying on the broken table. "And because of you, Heaven almost lays in ruins! You should have seen the destruction you've..." The Fairy looked at her surrounding and noted the actual destruction. "Never mind..." Anna helped her stand up. "I suppose your trip here wasn't pleasant." She asked. "I was taking a nap when an earthquake occurred in Heaven!" The Fairy scowled. "My sisters quickly discovered the problem. They dragged me out of bed and threw me into the portal, and here I am." "The flute doesn't work!" Maya protested. "It's not my fault!" "Of course it doesn't!" Lynn advanced toward her, grabbed the flute and pulled the rubber plug off one end of it. "How many times should I tell you? Pull the plug first!" Roberto slowly stood up and looked at the mess around them. "Atrus, sorry about this... I'll have some men repair the castle..." "That can wait." Atrus nodded. "Lynn, can you take us back to Stromgard?" "Absolutely, Prophet Atrus." Lynn bowed gracefully before stealing another annoyed glance at Maya. "Just fill me in with the details later..." Hawk groaned in pleasure as the Elf softly sucked his member. He held her head and slowly caressed her hair as she pumped his cock with her mouth. Her warm and moist lips were wrapped around his shaft while her tongue teased it lightly. He could tell that her skill was improving well. She had learnt the way of the Humans quickly since her involvement in Atrus' cause, but he had taught her in this matter personally. Her willingness to please him was the main reason for her burning passion. However, an Elven princess had to stay virgin until her enactment as the rightful queen. She had to dutifully obey the rule, but it didn't stop them from becoming more intimate each day. They always found a way to express each other's love without doing intercourse. "Aurelia!" He warned as he felt his sensation rising. He groaned as the orgasm hit him. The Elf girl clamped her lips around his shaft, refusing to let go, and sucked hard. He exploded in her mouth. She willingly began to swallow his cum steadily, being careful not to choke herself and accidentally bite his member like the other day before. This time she did this perfectly. Hawk lay down on the bed, exhausted. His eyes wandered around the ceiling of the hut they shared together. He was happy to get away from his duty for a while. His task as the chief trainer for the Royal Army and now also the Alliance Army was hard. He had taken a holiday here in Elom last month and had been surprised to find that Queen Falencia welcomed him warmly as a hero and a personal guest. While the queen had been skeptical with the idea of him sharing room with Aurelia, the princess had finally overwhelmed her mother. After the sensation subsided completely, he felt something still clamping on his member. "Uh, sweetie? You can let me go now..." "Mmmfh..." Aurelia mumbled. Hawk rose up and looked at her, finding her horrified look. He followed her gaze to the corner of the room behind him and was also horrified to find a tall human wearing long dark robe, standing there, staring at them. A swirling magical portal was still open behind him. "Calem? What the? What are you doing here?" Hawk yelled. The old wizard was completely lost in his thought. "So that's how people do that..." "What?! What are you talking about?!" "I've been studying this subject for a while." The wizard said. "Would you two be my specimen for my study?" "What?!" "Old Calem..." Aurelia growled. "You're pathetic, old man..." "Anyway..." Calem's expression turned serious. "We have a problem..." King Edward of Aragon sat uneasily on his throne. It was clear that he had been stressed out, but he was so happy to see the party before him. At least, these were people he could trust. "Thank you for your hasty presence." The king announced. "I trust your holiday was fun." "Thank you, your majesty." Everybody chorused. "Sir Atrus and Lady Adriana, I must thank you for your service to the alliance and the people of Southern Aragon." Edward smiled. "Your dedication will not go unnoticed." "Thank you, your majesty." Anna bowed. "Without your help, we would have failed." "And I hope everything is well with your mother, Princess Aurelia?" "Yes, Sir." The Elf smiled. "She sends the best greetings from our kingdom." "While I have spent some time with the rest of you, I haven't met you before." The king said to the Fairy. "I must thank you for helping us in the war six months ago." "Lynn the Fairy, at your service, your majesty." The Fairy bowed. "The legion of Heaven is at your disposal." "I have heard stories from my son and subordinates about your bravery." The king nodded to Roberto and Captain Hawk. "It is my greatest honor to meet you personally. And I want to introduce to you all, the royal advisor, Lord Garth." The middle-aged man standing beside the throne nodded. "My honor to know you. I believe either Prince Roberto or Calem have filled you in on the matter, I'll repeat myself. You know that our kingdom has been looking for the possible candidate for either the last Warrior of the Guardian or even the Champion of the Guardian. Our agents finally have found one man, but... he's... weird..." "So we've heard." Atrus said. "He's a very dark, mysterious man, Sir Atrus." The alchemist explained. "You might want to take a peek. Guards, let him in!!" The door south of the royal courtroom was opened, and all held their breath. A tall well built man stood behind it. The striking detail was his black plate armor. It was... weird. The armor covered his body almost completely. The breastplate, arm-plates, and leg-plates seemed to be welded as one piece, as well as the connecting elbow-braces and kneepads. The long boots and gauntlets completed the limb coverings. The helmet covered most of his head, revealing only his young face and his long hair flowing from behind the helmet. A sheathed long sword was tucked on the man's hip. The man looked around the room before his gaze was fixed on Atrus. Suddenly Atrus felt a rush of mixed feeling inside of him, so strong it almost knocked him off his feet. He couldn't understand it. He'd never felt anything that could do that. The flinch in the man's figure told him that he also felt the same. He reminded himself to talk to Anna about this. "His name is Sir Falstoff, a honorary Royal Knight of Aragon." Lord Garth said. "Sir Falstoff, these are the people who will accompany you in your assignment." He eyed the party one more time, paying special attention to Atrus. "Hail and well met." He answered darkly, clearly displeased to meet them. "But I need no help." Then the man, without anybody's consent, without even addressing the king, left the room. How rude, Atrus thought. Roberto wasn't kidding when he said the man was weird. "Forgive me, people, but there's nothing we can do." Lord Garth said slowly. "He's a very rude, ill-mannered loner. He came from the less civilized area of Northwest Aragon, near the Elven border. Rumors said he had been fighting beasts and demons for years, all by himself. The man was still a loner, having no friends at all. Our agent found him when he slayed a group of raiding orcs single-handedly." "Quite a spirit." Holgreb said. "That reminds me when I attacked the bandit camp with..." "Does he have any weird dreams?" Atrus cut him off. "He denied it." Roberto answered. "We've asked him many times." "I want you all to go with him." Lord Garth said. "We have an important task for you that might be good for Sir Falstoff to prove himself. Have you heard the news from the north?" "Not exactly..." Anna frowned. "We have reports about a weird attack from the villages up north." Roberto said. "We thought they're just normal raids from the demons, but one report claimed that the raiders also included a red dragon." "What?!" Aurelia was horrified. "Wow..." Hawk said. "One dragon was enough, but another one?" "Are you sure about this?" Lynn asked. "We have little reason to disbelief it." Roberto said. "Especially the report was filed by... forgive me, Anna... the priestess of the Order of Lycra..." "No problem..." Anna was silent for a while. "You're right. It's not likely that they lied..." "It can't be..." Aurelia said slowly. "Agamesh couldn't have escaped the Underworld... But could it be Kastor?" "Who's Agamesh?" Holgreb asked. "Known as the Lord of Darkness. He's the renegade god who rebelled against Lord Guardian." Lynn explained. "Kastor is his pet, a red dragon destined to destroy the realm. Kastor was imprisoned in the depths of the earth while Agamesh was exiled to the Underworld." "Can anybody but Agamesh release him?" The Dwarf asked again. "Less likely, but possible." Aurelia said. "That's what I'm afraid of." "Can't Agar defeat him?" Hawk proposed. "I mean they're dragons..." "No, I don't think so!" Aurelia quickly shot back. "Agar is the Guardian of Earth! It's right that he's Kastor's match, he was not made to battle Kastor. Agar is here to protect the realm!" "I have a feeling that the duel is inevitable..." Maya mumbled, then her jaws dropped open. "That's right!! Master Atrus, remember Lynn's prophecy? She said she saw two lights, golden and red ones would slam against each other and created a bright flash. I think it prophesied about the duel!" "It can't be..." Aurelia rubbed the dragon statuette in her pouch. "Not my Agar..." "I'll leave the discussion for you." Lord Garth interfered. "You are to go there and investigate the matter. Prince Roberto and Hawk will remain here and prepare the Alliance Army. They will depart to meet you in three days in the Shrine of Lycra. They will be bringing soldiers to man the new fort at that area, and if necessary, expedition to battle the dragon. They will need your report before that time. If they don't hear anything, they will assume the worst and bring along the extra troops." "This task is very important, people." King Edward concluded. "If the report is true, this dragon can cause destruction throughout the realm, even worse than those damned zombies. You have to find a way to defeat that dragon, so the alliance can concentrate in more important issues. The war has cost us all, and we want to end it as soon as possible." "Plus, there is one more thing." Lord Garth smiled. "You heroes all have been invited to the Order of Lycra high priestess enactment ceremony. This is a great honor, for such thing only happens once in eighty years or so, and only a few outsiders could witness this. Attend when possible." "Good luck, heroes of the land." The king saluted. "And come back with victory." King Edward staggered toward the door, Lord Garth following behind. The party was left in the empty room. Each of them had their own thought, but they shared the same impression on the new man. "That really reminds you of old times, right buddy?" Hawk grinned toward Atrus. "That guy is just like Roberto before the whole ordeal." "Don't talk about me when I'm around." Roberto warned. "Here, I'm the prince of Aragon." "Is the king okay?" Calem asked. "He looks very tired." "Honestly he's not." The prince answered sadly. "He's sick. That's why he's been handing most of the governmental affairs to me. He must have preserved all his power for this audience." "That does make me feel bad." Aurelia said. "How's a treat before the trip? My treat." "I'll catch you guys later." Atrus said. The party left the room, this time leaving only Atrus, Anna and Maya. Anna was leaning on the nearby table, staring at the ground. She seemed quite devastated. Atrus knew she always felt bad upon a mention of the Order of Lycra since her banishment from it. But he'd never seen her so sad before. "Okay..." Atrus nodded at Maya. "We're ready to listen." "It's over, Atrus..." Anna touched the black gem on her collar. "I will never be a priestess of Lycra, ever... They will never accept me back..." "What do you mean, Mistress?" Maya asked. "I always wish to be a full priestess one day, but that day will never come..." she sobbed lightly. "When I lost my virginity, several priestesses framed me to the high priestess... They succeeded and they kicked me out the shrine... I've been wishing to go back one day, hoping to find forgiveness..." "Wait a minute..." Atrus frowned. "Your fellow priestesses framed you? How could they do that? I mean... they're supposed to support you!" "I... I have a very close relationship with the high priestess... So they deliberately accused me before her... In her position, she had no choice but to banish me..." "She had no choice? So the high priestess basically knew that you're innocent?" Atrus asked. "Of course! I mean... I just don't go around, begging people to rape me!" "I believe that's not what Master Atrus asked, Mistress..." Maya said slowly. "We mean why don't you just expose the entire fraud? I mean, the high priestess in on your side, right?" "Not anymore..." Anna sobbed. "She's the only one who still believes in me..." "That doesn't sound too good." Maya mumbled. "Now she's about to be replaced... The secret of my innocence will be lost forever..." "It's not true!" Maya said. "We can tell them!" "They won't believe you, because you're outsiders. Such matter is an internal issue, and no feedback from outside is accepted, let alone appreciated." "We'll figure something out." Atrus said, then circled his arms around her waist. "Meanwhile, don't worry about it, Anna dear. We know the truth, and we will expose it." "I hope you're right, Atrus..." Anna pressed her palm on the fabric on her chest. "Or else, this will be the last time you see me in this uniform..." The journey to the north was uneventful. The area of Northern Aragon was the least developed part of the kingdom. The region was mostly vast meadow with hard and rocky ground, therefore unsuitable for farming, so only a few cities could flourish here. The climate was less friendly as they approached the Northern Sea, which was famous for its deadly storm. The wind blew hard, and the sun parched the land mercilessly. The only place that was quite habitable was the beach along the Northern Ocean, where several fishing villages sprouted there. One of them, a city called Tymm, was the unofficial capital of Northern Aragon. It was famous for its aquatic products, such as fish, pearls, and the mostly needed salt. The town was prosperous from their fishing activity and trading. Some people even said that if the area decided to rebel against the government, the town's wealth was enough to support their own army. But the rebellion never happened, mostly because of the good moral and teaching the town had. Tymm was the center of activity of the group of priestess loyal to the Guardian, known as the Order of Lycra. The Shrine of Lycra was located south of the city, but the party decided to bypass it and went to the city instead. They were exhausted. They had the best horses (a pony for Holgreb) in the land, Roberto had told them, but even the best mounts would be tired after a continuous two-day trip. They had decided not to employ Agar's dragons because of the possible encounter with the rumored dragon. They wanted to evade bloodshed if necessary. "Finally, a sign of civilization!" Aurelia said while they were looking at the city from a top of a small hill. "I got bored seeing the prairie..." "If you've lived most of your life in the desert, prairie is like heaven." Holgreb muttered. "The thing is, I'm glad we're here." Lynn heaved. "Honestly, using portals are easier..." "If the demonic presence is strong here, they will notice our magical force." Calem pointed out. "There are times when we want to be in low profile." "Well, we're here." Atrus concluded. "Get rooms in the inn and get some rest. We'll visit the shrine tomorrow morning, then we should be ready for some action." He glanced at the new guy. Sir Falstoff rode silently on his black mount. He hadn't spoken a word throughout the journey. Atrus couldn't be sure, but he could feel the tension rising between the new guy and the rest of the party. Just like Roberto, Hawk had said. He would say Roberto was cheerful compared to this guy. "What do you want to do?" Atrus asked, keeping his polite composure. "It's none of your business." The man grunted. "I'll see you tomorrow." Atrus fought to resist his annoyed feeling as Falstoff rode away toward the city. The party departed for the city. Atrus rode his horse slowly, both because he wanted to see the sunset, and because he had Anna riding in front of him. She also had been very quiet through the journey she didn't even protest when they rode their horses faster. He could understand her distress, but he couldn't understand her total silence. "Does it bring memories?" Atrus asked. "I mean going back to your hometown." "Bad ones..." she answered quietly. "A small village west from here... That's where I was raped..." She choked. "Yes... I wish I would forget it..." "Is there anything I can do to make you feel better, dear?" Atrus asked again. "You've been very quiet I'm starting to worry about you." "That's sweet, honey." Anna kissed his cheek lightly. "But let's get the job done." Anna had changed her clothes to normal attire, stripping off all her Lycra identity. People in the town were familiar of Lycra costume and priestess collar, and they didn't want any unwanted attention. They headed to a small eating establishment in the outskirts of the town. It was a nice, quiet restaurant, serving local seafood. They were quickly seated. The restaurant was lit by little candles placed in each table, giving a romantic sense to the customers. Atrus took some time staring at Anna. She was indeed so beautiful by the candlelight. He could see the flicker of the fire in her eyes. "Anna... you're beautiful..." Atrus commented. "Thank you, honey." Anna blushed. "For a moment I just forgot my fear." "For this moment you should forget your fear." Atrus smiled. "For the first time we can eat together by the candlelight without worrying that something is also on fire in the kitchen..." Anna chuckled lightly. "You'll pay for that, Ranger..." The waiter came by and took their order. Atrus used the chance to dig something. "Is there anything else, sir?" The waiter asked. "Yes. We're just married..." Atrus said, then looked at Anna who was blushing. "So my wife and I want to go for a vacation somewhere around here. Can you give us any suggestions?" "What is your original plan, sir?" The waiter frowned. "If you're content with the seaside view, may I suggest the Grand Rock, a tourist establishment west from here? It's an excellent place for a honeymoon, sir. A few Elven couples went there last week, and they said they enjoyed their time there." "How about the east part?" Atrus asked again. The waiter quickly turned pale. "You... don't want to go there..." "What's wrong?" Atrus mimicked a suspicious frown. "I'm sorry, sir, we just don't tell our customers this. Fear is bad for business." The waiter hesitated. "We have a problem... a big one..." He lowered his voice. "We have a dragon..." Anna posed the best freaked-out look Atrus had ever seen. "What?!" She hissed. "Don't worry, you're safe here..." The waiter said quickly. "For some reason the dragon leaves this city and the rest of the western cities alone, so I'd suggest going west, but not east from here." "How bad is the problem?" Atrus asked casually. "It fried a few villages... It was a red dragon, and it could spit fire... Don't spread this news. This city is already in uproar from that rumor. As I said, fear is bad for business." They continued their dinner in silence. An evil dragon would be the last thing they ever imagined to fight against. No further conversation was needed, for they knew what in each other's mind is. They'd learned one more thing; fear is bad for appetite. Lynn hovered across the room and toward the bathroom. She was happy to be able to fly again. Throughout the journey she hadn't been able to fly so they wouldn't attract unwanted attention. Even worse, she had to fold her wings beneath her satin dress. But she really enjoyed her time with the party. It offered her new experience and view of the realm she vowed to protect. The entire realm was more magnificent than her home in Heaven. Clouds... clouds everywhere! She looked at the bathtub and tried to figure out how it worked. She had asked Aurelia earlier how to use the kitchen sink and she was embarrassed to ask the Elf again. It was far simpler in Heaven. You wanted something, you prayed to the Gods for it, and it would come true. Gingerly she toyed with the metal mechanism, trying to make it produce hot water. Her antennas on her head twitched as she sensed someone coming. She was supposed to share the room with Maya, but she was supposed to be away until late at night. She frowned when she heard the door opened. She readied several volleys of magic missiles and met the unwanted guest. "Stay where you are!" She yelled as she popped out of the bathroom. The new guy stood near the door, staring at her, completely petrified. He still wore his black plate armor and carried his backpack. After a while, she realized that he was staring, specifically, not at her. "What are you looking at?" She said, annoyed. "You're..." Falstoff hesitated, "Naked..." She looked at her body and remembered that she forgot to put on her dress back, but made no attempt to cover her nakedness. "Okay? So?" "It's... uh... unusual for Humans... to... uh..." "Then how do you guys take a bath?!" "No... I mean... not in the public..." "I'm not in the public! This is my room!" "Oh..." The new guy looked along the hallway nervously. "I... I thought..." "Your room is at the end of the hallway, next to Holgreb's, by the stair." "Uh... thanks..." The man hesitated, but his gaze remained fixed on her body. "Do you need anything else?" Lynn asked again. "Why are you looking at me?" "Because..." He swallowed. "You're beautiful..." She tried to act as calm as possible, but couldn't hide the blush in her face. "W...what?!" "Never mind..." Falstoff quickly left and strode across the hallway. Lynn closed the door and heaved. Her face was hot and her heart beat faster. She had never felt this before. She couldn't be sure what's wrong, but she had a hint. She couldn't stop thinking about him, and when she did, it got worse. She approached the mirror and looked at her body. Am I really beautiful? Her hands found her well-rounded breasts and tweaked her nipples. She'd heard that breasts were the ones that made a woman pretty. Her heart almost jumped when a pair of gloved hands circled around her shoulders. "Don't scream yet, it's me." Maya said quickly. "What are you doing here?! Can't you knock first?!" "I didn't use the door." Maya gestured at the opened window. "And what are you doing, standing naked before the window?" "Just wondering..." She hesitated. "D...do you think I'm... uh... pretty?" Maya looked confused. "Um... I don't think I can answer it correctly..." "Why?" "Because I'm a girl. If you want a true, reliable answer, as the guys!" Maya looped her arms around the Fairy's waist. "But if you're that desperate, I say you're beautiful. You're in love?" "No!" She said hastily. "Are you tired? Do you need a bath?" Maya smirked. "You can't operate the bathtub, can you?" "How did you know?" The Fairy was surprised. "Of course I do." Maya guided her friend to the bathroom. "It's a common Fairy problem..." The girl squirmed and cried in pain as the dark lord thrust his member deep inside her womb. She struggled, but the chains kept her spread-eagled on the air. The dark lord stared deeply into her eyes, making her wince in fear. The pain didn't go away. Instead, fueled with the fear in her eyes, the demon jammed his cock deeper inside her. On the background she could hear the pleading cries of dozens of other young girls being violated elsewhere in the dreaded building. The girl glanced at another form, pleading for help, but her hope collapsed when she saw that the woman was also bound on her chair. The goddess could only stare in horror as the girl was violated before her. There was nothing she could do. She only said a prayer she knew would come unanswered. "You're mine now, bitch!!" Daemon roared. The girl's body glowed brightly as the evil magic worked on her. She screamed as she reached an unwilling orgasm and felt the demon exploded inside her womb. The greenish tendrils sucked her power greedily, stripping off her youthful dignity. She slumped on her chains, defeated. Daemon spotted the hooded woman standing on the door. "Your report?" "They have arrived, Master." The traitor bowed. "What is your order?" "Stick to our plan. They will offer no threat to you. In fact, my pets will occupy them while you do your part." Daemon stared at her sharply. "That is, if you do your part..." "Don't worry, Master, I will!" The woman said quickly. "Then make it so. It's your only chance of surviving the wrath of the Underworld..." The great gate of the Shrine of Lycra welcomed them. The shrine was located on a small hill overlooking the city of Tymm. The complex itself stretched about a mile across the hill. It was worthy to say that the Order of Lycra was the biggest kingdom-approved religion in the land. A big hexagonal building served as the main building, connected to the rest of the complex with a network of tunnels and walkways. The rest of the buildings were located behind, separating the shrine from the living quarters for at least two hundred priestesses. A pair of tall towers stood between the main building which, Anna claimed, housed the two gigantic bells used to signal certain daily events in the shrine. "Sleep well?" Atrus asked, noticing the outline around the wizard's eyes. "No!" Calem snapped. "That Dwarf snores!!" "I wasn't that loud!" Holgreb shot back. "The sound pierced the magic barrier." The wizard added. "You know how bad it was." Atrus looked at the nearby sun clock at the courtyard. "Ten o'clock... We're in time..." "What?!" Anna yelled. "Cover you ea..." Too late. There were two loud bangs followed by a stream of loud howl from the twin towers. While Anna was prepared, the rest of the party had to suffer the preliminary bang. "What in the name of Guardian is that?!" Holgreb howled after the sound ceded. "That's the bells', so get used to it..." Anna grunted. "It's ten o'clock, the end of the silence session in the shrine and the beginning of the routine daily activities." "Make sure you make a copy of the schedule to each one of us..." Aurelia growled. "It won't be as bad inside the shrine." Anna said. "They're supposed to be accepting guests by now. Come on!" Lynn stole a glance at the new guy at the corner of her eyes. She wasn't sure, but when the sound waves reached them, she'd seen Falstoff unaffected. He'd never moved from his place. Did he have immunity to such waves? Suddenly Falstoff turned around and locked his gaze to her. Her heart jumped and her nicely folded wings jerked under her dress. She quickly turned away, her face blushing. A massive double-door served as the main entrance to the shrine. Already a large group of people had been gathering around the courtyard. Anna said the shrine was always crowded with worshipers and volunteer workers. Such influence was remarkable for a shrine in a small town. "Do we have a special appointment with them?" Calem asked. "Not really. But they know we're coming." Atrus replied. "Mistress Anna, are you sure about your outfit?" Maya asked. Anna looked sadly at her costume. She was wearing her priestess uniform, complete with her badge collar, gloves and boots. She fingered her collar dearly. "Honestly, no, Maya... I... I'm not even sure I'm welcomed here..." "Nonsense." Atrus circled his arm around her. "Besides, you're here to help them!" "No... I feel... so dirty..." She looked sadly at the shrine. "This place is a holy place..." "And you think you're dirty just because you've been raped?" Aurelia whispered from behind. "It's not your desire to be raped, then why blame yourself?" "I don't..." Anna sighed. "They did..." The door swung open gracefully, revealing two tall women wearing almost the same costume as Anna's. It appeared that the uniform had evolved through time... although in a questioning way. The upper hem of the dress was slightly lower, revealing more of their bosoms. Their skirt was also shorter and tighter around the hips, unlike Anna's wider skirt. Atrus frowned at the sight of the priestesses. This was not something he was expecting to see from the priestesses of the most honorable order of the land. One of the priestesses came toward Atrus and bowed gracefully. "We extend our welcome, Prophet of the Guardian. The Order of Lycra is on your disposal." "How do you know I'm coming?" Atrus frowned. "Our future High Priestess has seen your coming, Prophet of the Guardian. She's expecting you, and extends her regret of not being able to welcome you herself." "Unfortunately, I'm not coming alone." "The welcome is for everybody, Prophet of the Guardian." The priestess glanced at Anna. "Except for her..." Atrus knew this one was coming. "Oh, why is it?" The priestess stared sharply at Anna, making her cower. "She's a disgrace to our shrine!" "She's a normal human and she wants salvation!" Atrus said loudly, making sure the people in the courtyard could hear. "Are you saying that you don't accept her before Lord Guardian?!" The priestess quickly went pale as the crowds began to talk among themselves. The party began to play along, talking to each other silently. The panicked priestess quickly changed her mind. "Of course... uh... Everybody is equal before Lord Guardian!! Now come inside!!" "I don't think this is such a good idea..." Anna whispered while they went inside. "Mistress, don't worry too much. Just play along!" Maya answered. "That's right." Atrus nodded. "I'm sure they'll try again later." Lynn walked along the hallway while talking to Calem when she noticed that the new guy wasn't with them. "Calem, do you see Falstoff?" "Not exactly." The old man grinned. "I thought you've been spying on him." Lynn blushed. "Don't say that... I mean... I thought we're supposed to keep an eye on him." "I'd have to say he's not very friendly himself. Not a typical type of someone needing help." "But that doesn't mean he doesn't need us!" Lynn insisted. "Right." Calem sighed. "Let's face what the shrine has in store, then we'll talk to him." Instead of the general sanctuary, the priestesses took them to a huge auditorium. The dome-shaped room with high ceiling gave spacious feeling to its occupants. Various sculptures filled the walls and some part of the ceiling, illuminated by sunlight passing through the windowed ceiling and nearby torches. The priestesses seated them on the rows of chairs and excused themselves. "They said they're expecting us." Maya complained. "And they asked us to wait." "Save your concern for now." Atrus warned. "There's a lot of time for comments later." "I share your concern, though." Aurelia whispered. "This building is spooky." "The design is quite tasteful, if you're asking a Dwarf's opinion." Holgreb said. "Yeah, huge cozy halls connected by cramped tunnels. Just like underground mines." "Hey, I don't mind living in the mines!" "Yeah... and the rats, moles, worms, salamanders..." The Elf chuckled. Before Holgreb could counter, three female figures entered the hall. Again, they wore the same uniform as before. Atrus could feel Anna's stomach tighten in his hold. Whoever these priestesses were, they had play parts somewhere in her childhood. "I, Priestess Ursula, extend our warmest welcome to you, O Prophet of the Guardian." Ursula looked like a middle-aged woman with fine appearance. Her blonde hair flew gracefully against her well-formed and slightly revealed bosoms. Her light-blue eyes stared intently at Atrus. Then she gracefully fell on her knees, took his right hand and kissed it. Atrus frowned. He'd never heard such culture before, especially when it involved a full, passionate kiss. "I'm honored, Priestess Ursula," Atrus quickly took his hand back, "but I'm no longer a prophet. The word of the Guardian has been spoken, and my task is done. I'm just a commoner." "But you're heroes of Lord Guardian!" "They're the heroes." Atrus pointed at the party behind him. "Go on and kiss their hands." "Ah, you have a good sense of humor, Sir White Lion..." The priestess chuckled freely. "And I must extend our finest gratitude for defeating the zombies. The land is in your debt." "Let's talk about the current problem rather than the glory of the past, shall we?" Calem said. "Ah, Old Calem is back." Ursula grinned. "You decided to abandon your exile, I see." "I'm fine." Calem said quickly. "Now about the problem..." "We already have one solved." Her face turned serious at once. "I see you've brought along the accursed one." It was clear that she was talking about Anna. Atrus was ready to argue, but he remembered Anna's warning about the order's internal policy. He decided to observe. "It's been a while, Sister Ursula..." Anna said awkwardly. "And I still don't miss you." Ursula answered darkly. "And I'm no longer your sister. You've escaped once, but you're a fool to come back. You're not welcomed here, Adriana!" Anna didn't answer. She didn't even dare to look at her in the eye. "I'm going to make your coming a decision you'll regret for the rest of the eternity!" The priestess stared at her. "We will arrest you immediately for your crime against the Guardian!" "Wait a minute, you can't do that!" Calem interfered. "She's a guest, just like us!" "She's no longer a priestess, but her sin remains!" Ursula shot back. "There must be a mistake!" Calem replied. "I know her! She's a fine girl!" "Well, she might have seduced you just like a spider she was!" "Enough!" Atrus roared. "We're representatives from the kingdom! You can't do this!" "Forgive me, Sir White Lion, but this is an internal matter of the Order of Lycra." Ursula bowed reluctantly. "Your jurisdiction has no effect here." "But mine does..." Everybody in the room quickly shifted attentions to the old woman standing at the corner of the auditorium. Unlike other priestesses, she wore plain satin dress. Her eyes were shut closed, but Atrus had this funny feeling that she was staring intently at him. Her old figure seemed fragile, but from her shone unspeakable authority. "You have no power here, Ursula, not until your enactment. Now leave our guests!" Ursula grunted, stole another piercing stare at Anna before turning on her back and left the room hastily with the other priestesses. Atrus heard Anna heave, not knowing that she'd been holding her breath. He turned at the old priestess and found her paying special attention to him. "Young man, I'd like to talk to you personally, if you don't mind. Your friends can wander around the shrine freely, as long as they don't enter the Sacred Sanctuary." Her voice suddenly turned serious. "Adriana, you too follow me! You have a lot to explain, lady!" Anna tensed and winced at the order, but dutifully approached her. Atrus nodded at the party and followed Anna and the priestess through a smaller door at the side of the room. The door led to a long hallway illuminated by candles on the walls. Anna took the old lady's hand and walked silently with her toward another door at the end of the hallway. The door revealed a large cozy bedroom with little furniture around. The lady sat on a rather-large chair with Anna on her side. Atrus remained standing by the door. "Where's your manner, Adriana?!" She suddenly barked. "Introduce us!" Anna almost jumped on her feet, but regained her composure. "This is Atrus White Lion, the Royal Knight of Aragon and... uh... former Prophet of the Guardian... Atrus... I want you to meet the current High Priestess of the Order of Lycra, Elizabeth Freesland..." Atrus bowed. "Well met, High Priestess Freesland..." Atrus suddenly frowned. "Excuse me... Freesland?" "That's true..." Anna hung her head. "Atrus... I want you to meet my mom..." The man stood silently along the aisle, watching other people around the room. The large room was illuminated by multiple rows of candles lined against the walls. Not so many people were in the sanctuary, giving a nice peaceful environment... but not for him. He clenched his fists. He was furious. He was restless. But he didn't know why. This was a room reserved for believers. This was the room made so that people could be one with their gods. But he felt wrong. He felt he didn't belong here. He felt... rejected. "Falstoff?" His heart almost jumped even at the soft, soothing sound from behind him. There stood the girl he'd met before in the inn. She was staring at her in fear and confusion. He couldn't help but notice her small yet attractive body and her sweet innocent face. So innocent, indeed. He could notice her neatly folded wings under her dress. Suddenly he realized that he was freaking her out by staring intently at her. "Sorry..." "No, I'm sorry!" Lynn said quickly. "I mean... if you want to be alone..." "No..." He managed to say. "I... I could use a company..." Lynn's eyes brightened and she took her place beside him. "Aren't you going to sit down?" "No..." He replied nervously. "I prefer to stand..." "I have a question for you." Lynn stared at him. "Why don't you hang around with us?" "Huh?" "I mean, you're such a loner! Why don't you talk with us?" "Talk?" He repeated. "There's nothing to talk about." "Well, that's a good way to start making friends." "Friends..." He looked away. "I don't know..." "What's wrong?" Lynn asked quickly. "Have I offended you?" "No... it's my personal problem... All this time I managed to survive without friends." "You should try making friends!" Lynn said merrily. "It's wonderful that you have someone you can rely on... someone you can share your troubles with..." "I suppose it won't hurt, then..." He stared at her. "D...do you want to be my friend?" She blushed at his request. "I... of course... I mean... sure..." "Thank you... although you'll have to show me ho..." The sentence was cut off when a loud bang was heard again throughout the room. The annoying bell rang again. Lynn had to close her ears to keep her eardrums intact. The weird thing was that the other Humans in the sanctuary were not so affected by the sound. She cursed herself for being a Fairy, therefore highly sensitive to sounds. "There are times when I envy you Humans..." She said to Falstoff. Unknown to her, he was in extreme pain... "The bell has rung, Adriana. Do you know what it is?" The High Priestess asked. "Yes, mother." Anna snapped to attention. "It's time for pre-afternoon prayer." "Then go! I'll entertain him personally." Anna looked at Atrus nervously, then rushed out of the room, leaving him with her mother. Atrus began to feel nervous himself, but felt better when he saw the motherly smile in her face. "I'm freaking you out, aren't I?" "Uh... I..." "Don't worry, I don't bite. I must extend my welcome to our shrine." "I'm just thinking..." Atrus dared himself. "Don't you think you're too hard on Anna?" The High Priestess smiled dreamily. "I have my reason for that... I'm sure Adriana never tells you about her mother, right?" "You're not her real mother, aren't you?" "I still remember the first time I saw her..." The lady chuckled. "She was just a little baby, lying on a small wooden basket, crying in the rain, her clothes were soaked wet... She's so small... so fragile... yet so pretty... No parents in the realm would give away such a pretty girl..." "You mean her parents just left her here?" Atrus asked. "It was all a sign from the Guardian..." She said slowly. "A pretty little baby, left out in the rain crying for a motherly love... This foretold her fragile nature... She had a true destiny written for her, and she will suffer great pain before she attains it..." "That's why you're so hard on her." Atrus concluded. "When I took her as my daughter, I promised Lord Guardian that I would turn her into a woman of virtue, strong in will and determination. I promised Lord Guardian that she would fulfill her destiny, enduring the pain, no matter how hard it would be..." "You did it! She's the strongest girl I've ever seen!" Atrus said. "Except for that..." "I know..." She admitted. "Her rape was a disaster for her, since she valued virginity highly. I could see how much she was smashed. I could see how much she suffered. Her friends despised her, and her enemies laughed at her. I'm helpless in defending her. Then I knew... her ordeal had begun..." "But it's not fair! She didn't want the rape! It's not her fault!" "She was destined to be rejected, Atrus." She replied. "The moment I saw her again after her exile, I could see the pain. I could see her fatigue. Yet she survives it, and it's all because of you." "Me?" "You're there for her, Atrus. She has you to count on through her troubled times. But that's all you can do. You can only be there for her, but you can't change her." "That's not true!" Atrus said defiantly. "I believe that we are responsible to our own destiny! There is no such thing as predetermined destiny!" "Atrus, you don't understand..." The bells rang again, but this time it wasn't as nice as before. Whoever pulled the bells seemed to jerk them violently, making loud, overlapping sound. Something was wrong. "We have trouble." The High Priestess said slowly. "You must go." "Yes, High Priestess." "Remember, Atrus..." She smiled. "Be there for her." With a wave of her hand, Atrus suddenly found himself standing outside the shrine. He could see several peasants running madly inside the building while several priestesses were running outside. Ursula was there. She quickly spotted him and ran toward him. "What's wrong?" Atrus asked. "The dragon is approaching!" She cried. "We erected a gigantic protective barrier to keep it out, but it just collapsed suddenly! Now the shrine and the town surrounding it are vulnerable!" "How can a protective barrier just collapse suddenly?!" Atrus asked again. "There's no time to investigate! We need to defend the shrine at all cost!" The party soon joined them in the shrine courtyard; Falstoff included. All of them were ready with their weapons. Anna, however, was nowhere nearby. "Kastor is really here?!" Aurelia shrieked. "And it's coming?!" "We're trying to erect an emergency barrier." Ursula explained. "Hopefully it will hold." "We're expecting an army, but it won't arrive in two days!" Calem said. "Trust me, if we're fighting Kastor, an army won't be enough." The Elf grunted. A large bluish magic bubble was formed around the shrine, covering it to the base and sealing it from the outside world. More priestesses ran outside and prepared to mount resistance. Atrus felt uneasy about this. The sky was cloudy, so he couldn't see anything, but he knew something was around. A loud roar from above confirmed his fear. A large form descended from the clouds. The dragon was massive! It was even bigger than Agar, but retained its cousin's figure. The scales were dark red instead of bright gold, and the horns and spikes were longer, representing ferocity and barbarity rather than authority. The eyes were bright red, as if flaming with anger and lust for destruction. "I don't think it's very happy to see us..." Holgreb grunted. Suddenly they felt a rush of air passing them, as if the air had been sucked into the dragon. A large moan was also heard from the giant lizard as it retracted its head upward. Aurelia suddenly realized it. "Everybody down!! It's going to spit fire!!" All hell broke loose as a rush of hot air flew back toward them, tossing the party off the ground. Atrus could only catch a glimpse of the large flame coming out of the dragon's mouth. The flame slammed the barrier and everything went bright in a flash. He could hear the cry of anguish from nearby, but couldn't tell for sure. The pain from the heat was too intense for him to concentrate on anything else. When he recovered, he found another bubble surrounding them. Calem stood proud, holding the barrier open. While just in time, he couldn't cover everything alone. Outside the barrier, the ground was scorched. Several burnt bodies lay on the ground, and Atrus knew several priestesses had fallen. "Fire back!!" Ursula barked. The priestesses around the courtyard raised their hands and propelled multiple magic bolts toward the lizard. Most of them missed the mark, but it didn't make any difference since those that didn't miss exploded harmlessly on the dragon's scale. The dragon approached them again and flapped its wings hard, sending everybody backward. The barrier popped open when Calem couldn't hold his stance and stumbled backward. "Say your prayer..." Holgreb grunted. Suddenly the new guy stood up and ran toward the lizard. Falstoff raised his hand and created a large black sphere of magical force. As the dragon descended for the second strike, he threw the sphere. It hit its belly, creating small explosion yet tossing the dragon backwards. The lizard shrieked in pain and howled angrily. For a moment both contenders just stared at one another. Falstoff was ready with another magical sphere on his palm, while the dragon remained on the air, studying its enemy. The fight turned into a standoff battle between the giant lizard and the unknown warrior. Everybody went pale as the dragon spoke in its heavy and thundering voice. "The Island..." It gnarled. "Stay away... from the Island..." Then the red dragon quickly ascended and disappeared beneath the clouds. Instead, two small swirling circles were formed near the shrine entrance. To everybody's horror, the swirling holes began to spit a steady number of Goblin warriors out. "It can't be!" Aurelia yelled. "They just opened two Gates!" "Everybody charge!!" Atrus ordered. Lynn set her wings free, hovered over the ground and cast her Fairy blessing to her allies. Calem chanted barriers around the party. Aurelia and Maya stood in a distance, readying their bows and knives. Atrus and Holgreb, the main combatants, charged fearlessly against the advancing horde of Goblins. Although highly outnumbered, their combined ferocity kept the foul folks at bay. The priestesses of Lycra quickly regrouped and supported the party with heavy barrage of magic bolts. "Master Atrus!!" Maya suddenly yelled. "Mistress Anna is here!!" Anna quickly ran out of the shrine and dashed toward Maya. "Maya! Fetch me my mace!" Anna got the mace and arrived in the battlefield just in time to see a group of Goblin warriors readying their bows. She quickly invoked her newest spell, the Divine Wind. A large whirlwind magically appeared between the party and the archers, keeping the arrows away and tossing the Goblins unlucky enough to be on its path. Calem quickly spotted the problem and cast his favorite Rock Shower upon the Goblin archers, killing most of them and scattering the rest. "Where have you been?! Taking a holiday?!" Atrus blurted as Anna joined him by his side. "I got my reason!" She smirked. "But I'm ready for action!" Her six-month practice with Atrus finally paid off. She danced gracefully through the Goblin horde, whacking the creatures with her mace and shooting magic bolts across the battlefield. Holgreb the Dwarf, as usual, had made his way inside the Goblin horde. He happily unleashed his favorite round attack, swinging his axe around his small body, cutting anything foolish enough to be near him. The horde was separated into two parts as the Goblins dispersed, and Calem easily picked on them with his spell. "They're getting away!!" Aurelia yelled. The Goblins ran toward the holes and escaped inside. When all of them escaped, the holes shrank slowly before vanishing from sight. The battlefield was littered with corpses of dead Goblins. "That was amazing!" Ursula claimed when the party regrouped. "Your reputation is well deserved. You just defeated at least two battalions of those foul creatures!" "Fighting while being outnumbered is our specialty." Holgreb said while cleaning his axe. "Not exactly a specialty." Aurelia countered. "We do this all the time." "We will start investigation on the collapsed barrier..." Ursula suddenly stared hard at Anna. "Although I do have possible suspects..." "But I didn't do anything!" Anna countered. "Then where were you at the first half of the battle?!" "Not being there doesn't mean she did that, Ursula." Calem interfered. "We'll see about that!" Ursula spat. "Once I become the High Priestess, neither your mother nor you friend can save you!" The party watched silently as the priestesses returned to the shrine and grunted in disgust when they were far enough. "I can't believe they're the Priestesses of Lycra!" The Elf commented. "I can't believe they're actually loyal to the Guardian!" The Fairy commented. "I can't believe it's past noon and they still haven't served lunch!" The Dwarf commented, followed by a growl of agreement from his stomach. "If you like roast Goblin, you're welcome to start first." Atrus said. "Let's get back." He quickly noticed the worry in Anna's eyes. "Don't worry, Anna dear..." "No, you don't understand... If Ursula becomes the High Priestess, I'm doomed!" "Anna, I know the truth! You're not guilty in this case! We'll expose the truth!" "I'm scared..." She held him close. "If... if they find me guilty... they'll execute me..." Roberto sat uneasily on the throne. He hated this seat. Although padded with leather cushion, the large chair was still uncomfortable. The curve along the back hurt his butt, and the lower part was too short for his tall figure. He made a note to replace the chair once the war was over. He'd rather train the entire royal army all day rather than sitting on this chair for an hour, but he had to. The Kingdom of Aragon was having a very important guest. It had been half a year since Aragon made an alliance pact with the Elven kingdom of Elom. Four months ago, the Humans had sent their first tribute, around two hundred sets of heavy plows and horse collars for farming, and a team of volunteer engineers and master-farmers. The gift had overwhelmed the Elves, who had been quite new to farming. The entire wasteland around the dreaded Mount Karigor had been terra formed in the first three weeks, and in the fourth week the planting had begun. The wasteland and the swampy region had been replaced with rows of green farmland. The gift had created uproar in Elom as almost every single Elf had enlisted for the alliance army to repay the Humans, even the teenagers and elders. Three months later, now, the Elves of Elom honored the Humans by sending a formal delegation team, the queen herself. And they'd been talking for hours!! He missed being an adventurer and warrior like Atrus. Warriors usually traded taunts for a minute or two before exchanging blows. Diplomats exchanged charms for hours and frowned at violence. People said he had a diplomatic blood in him. He made another note to suck his blood out and replaced it once the war was done. Hawk's poke on his ribs alerted him that the queen was still there, demanding response. "Uh, of course, Queen Falencia. That... is a very bright idea!" "Of course, Prince Roberto. Such plan will benefit both our kingdoms. I will have the plan for the buildings ready in a week or so." Building? What building?! "Uh... of course, Queen Falencia." He made another note to ask Hawk what was going on. Three notes in a day, and it's still morning... I hate this job... His mind went back to his primary concern. Today he'd supposed to bring a full contingent of alliance army to the new fort north of Aragon to guard the northern coastline from the demons. The problem was the recent conflict with a rumored red dragon in the area. Atrus' party hadn't reported back, and the deal was that he would bring extra men to defy the dragon. The problem was that he didn't know how his men could do it. The Human contingent didn't have pikes long enough to reach the sky, and the Dwarven warriors couldn't even catch a butterfly, let alone kill a flying dragon. "Prince Roberto, I hope our counter-gift will benefit the alliance better..." "Uh... counter-gift?" Roberto blinked. "What count... Oh! That! Of course! That... uh..." "The bows..." Hawk quickly whispered. "Right! The bows!" Roberto exclaimed. "Really fantastic bows they are!" "I'm glad." The queen smiled. "Those longbows are our finest invention. You should see those longbows in our demonstration this afternoon." Suddenly Roberto's eyes brightened. "You know what, Queen Falencia? How do you say if we test the longbows using live target?" Atrus instantly woke up as Anna's body jerked beside him. He found her sitting on the bed, quivering. Her forehead was drenched with sweat, and tears wetted her cheeks. He put his arm around her tenderly and pulled her close to him. She didn't resist and fell to his embrace. "It's the dream again." Atrus said. Anna nodded. "I don't know what's wrong... D...do you think... I'm going insane?" "No, you're not insane, Anna dear." Atrus stroked her hair. "People have nightmares sometimes. You want to share it with me?" They were sitting in the bedroom in the town inn. Despite Ursula's persistent offer, they'd decided not to spend the night in the shrine due to the huge number of refugees asking for shelter. Kastor had burned down two more villages east from Tymm. Many had died, and most of those who survived suffered from trauma of their lost homes and families. The party had decided that those people required more attention than the shrine's guests of honor. "No..." She hesitated. "It's just the same old story... I don't want to make you worry..." "That's not it, dear." He soothed her. "I'm your soul-mate right now, so I want to share your fear with you..." "That's sweet, honey." Anna kissed him. "But I'm fine." "Are you sure?" He asked again. "Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?" She beamed at him naughtily. "Now that you mention it, help me forget my dream." Atrus frowned at her. "I do hope this is not some kind of a plot." "Why, honey, do you think I'm that low?" Atrus chuckled lightly. "No, but you sure are sneaky." Before Anna could respond, Atrus silenced her with a kiss. She moaned slightly as his tongue sneaked into her mouth and met hers. His hand found her pert breasts and began to play with them. As usual, be began by tracing his index finger around her mounds, purposely avoiding her nipples. Anna moaned in frustration as her body was teased but denied from reaching ultimate pleasure. She'd lived with him for six months, so she'd known how he liked to play his game. She knew how he loved to tease her, but it still frustrated her. "Atrus, please don't tease me..." She begged once they broke the kiss. Atrus gave her an evil grin, then sneaked his tongue around her breast, still avoiding her nipples. She moaned in distress. Her hands reached for her tits to find relieve, but he slapped them away. "Naughty, naughty, Anna dear." He sneered. "No touchy now." She pouted, but he ignored her. Instead, he continued his cruel treatment on her breasts. Her nipples were on fire, and her body was burning with desire. Her hand found his member beneath his long pants and began stroking it into hardness. In return he kissed the nape of her neck and she squealed in delight. He peeked at her nether region and was pleased to find it soaked with her juice. Deciding that she was quite ready, he clamped his mouth over her right nipple and sucked lightly. This quickly brought her to the edge. She gasped as the waves of sexual pleasure bombarded her brain. Atrus kept doing his sucking while stroking her pussy, pleased to find it contracted and spasm on his finger. Once the sensation subsided, she collapsed on the bed, exhausted and spent. "Any comments, Anna dear?" Atrus asked. Anna beamed at him. "Six months, Atrus... I've been with you for six months, and you still know how to please me." "You're too easy to please, dear." Anna frowned. "Wait... Did Maya tell you that?" Atrus just chuckled. "Sweet dream, dearest." Anna snuggled in his arms, enjoying the warmth. She purred happily as Atrus stroke her long hair, sending her to sleep. She was happy. At least she knew he would be there for him when she woke up. Falstoff sat in silence on the porch. The night was quiet. The sky was covered with clouds. The stars hid from sight. It wasn't a very desirable night to enjoy, but he still loved it. Something drew him to it, and he couldn't resist. His ears twitched as his hearing penetrated the stillness. "You don't have to hide." The Fairy popped out from behind the door and walked nervously toward him. "I'm sorry." "Will you stop spying on me? I thought you want to be my friend!" "I want to be your friend!" Lynn countered. "That's why I don't want to disturb you. You look so thoughtful I don't want to interrupt." "You're just like everybody else." He looked away. "You're here to spy on me." "No!" Lynn ran to face him. "I didn't mean to offend you! Please, you've got to believe me!" Falstoff studied her for a while. For a while, Lynn felt something itchy in her head as she became more nervous, but she sighed in relief when his gaze softened. "You're right..." He looked away. "I'm just being silly. I mean with all these people spying on me from the beginning." "No, actually you should get to know them!" Lynn sat happily beside him. "Atrus and the rest are good fellows!" "I know why they're spying on me." He grunted. "They can't fool me." "Give them a chance!" The Fairy smiled. "You won't regret it!" He sighed, then looked at the dark sky. "Why are you up so late? You enjoy nighttime, too?" "Actually, night is still a weird thing. In Heaven, we Fairies have no night. The light from the Inner Sanctum shines all day long." "That must be really annoying." He chuckled. "I mean, you can't sleep and stuff..." "Falstoff..." She blushed. "C...can I... uh... s...sing you a song?" He blinked. "Huh?!" "Never mind!" She quickly looked away. "It's late, and I just asked a silly question..." "No!" He held her hand. "Please continue..." She blushed even further. "Okay... this is the song of friendship. We Fairies sing the song to ask for a blessing of a long lasting friendship, throughout and beyond this life." "I should feel honored, then." He smiled. She smiled, then began to sing. The language was unknown to him, but the melody was beautiful. Her voice was soft and pleasant, and her skill was excellent. He let the song enter his darkened soul and his fond of her rising. For the first time in his life, he felt something called passion. Then it came. He didn't know what it was; it just came. He felt a sudden cramp on his stomach. He couldn't explain it. Then the pain in his belly made him wince. Lynn noticed it and quickly stopped singing. "Are you all right?" She asked. "No, please continue!" He urged. "I'm fine." She resumed singing while keeping her eyes on him. He tried to keep his composure despite the pain in his stomach. Her voice was beautiful, too beautiful, that he would endure the pain just to hear it. He could feel his burning passion for her. He wanted her. He wanted her badly. Without warning he grabbed her and planted a deep kiss on her lips. The Fairy squealed in surprise, struggled a little, but relaxed when the kiss hit her. Driven by passion, she accepted the kiss and allowed him to explore her. They broke the kiss due to the general necessity to breathe. "I... uh... don't know what to say..." Lynn said. "Then don't." He lifted her chin. "I'll do the work." He kissed her again, probing her mouth. His hand pulled the back of her dress, letting her wings unfold gracefully from their confinement. His other hand sneaked inside her dress and found her pert breasts. Her wings twitched as he touched and toyed with her nipples, making it rock hard. Her mouth was too occupied to moan. He broke the kiss and shifted attention fully on her breasts. She moaned lightly, welcoming the pleasure unknown to her. He sucked her nipple and tugged it with his tongue, making her jerk in pleasure. His hand reached for her nether region and touched her delicate pussy lips. But then she grasped his hand. "Falstoff... wait... This... this isn't right..." "What? Why?" She tossed his hand away and moved back. "No... I... I don't know... I... I just feel uncomfortable... I mean, we just met..." "It's just a game, isn't it?" He frowned. "You're not attracted to me." "Please, don't get me wrong!" She pleaded. "You're attractive, but there's a right time for everything! I... I don't think now is the right time for it." "You're just trying to be nice to me, right?" He accused. "No! I think you're really nice, but until now I just want us to be friends, that's all!" Again, Falstoff stared at her for a minute before nodding. "Friend it is, then." "You're not mad at me, are you?" "Are you still willing to be my friend?" He asked. "Oh, yes!" Lynn replied happily. "Friendship is forever!" He smiled warmly. "Thanks, Lynn... Thanks..." "Two battalions of my handpicked Goblin warriors I've personally trained for six months, and you've just wasted them all in fifteen minutes!!" The Dark Lord howled. "What a feat!!" "Forgive me, my Master, but my plot is working!" The woman claimed. "Your failed plot is working! I should think twice before trusting you to plan the next move!" The sound of the howling woman from below was heard. The Goblins were certainly toying with the latest prisoner, torturing and raping her. The scream reminded her of her own safety if she failed again. This time she had gone too far. "No, Master, please give me one more chance! I promise you won't be disappointed!" "I'd better not." He answered coldly. "Your petty life depends on it." "All right, people, this is what we're going to do!" Atrus barked. "Aurelia and Holgreb, you're going to patrol around the area with Agar! Report any sightings you can find, but don't fight Kastor! Retreat if you encounter it. Got that?!" "No problem!" The Dwarf and Elf chorused. "Lynn and Calem, get the rest of the villagers and move them to the shrine!" He said. "And Lynn, go on and set your wings free!" "Yes, O Prophet of the Guardian!" She winked. "And the last thing..." He turned to the crowds behind him. "I want you all to build emergency fortification around this shrine! Cut trees and make walls! I want this shrine fortified by noon!" Then he turned to the new guy. "Sir Falstoff, could you supervise this?" He blinked. "You want me to supervise?" "Can you do it?!" Atrus said impatiently. He hesitated, then smiled. "Sure." "Good! We're counting on you. Let's go people! Let's move!" The crowds dispersed immediately. The Elf summoned Agar, the great gold dragon, and another lesser dragon for Holgreb. They climbed their mounts and lifted off. Calem and Lynn were gone already, using dimension portal to travel to the city. Falstoff began to round the men and led them to the nearby forest. Everything went well... for now. "What should I do, Master?" Maya asked. "Make lunch." He answered. "Tons of them. These people will be starving after the work. Ask the priestesses in the shrine to help you as well." The girl bowed, then left. "Come, Anna." Atrus said to his companion. "We'll have a serious talk with your mother." The priestess nodded and followed him inside the shrine and along the winding hallways to the high priestess' room. Priestesses and civilians ran wildly along the hallways, either looking for refuge or helping with the operation outside. Atrus quickly found the auditorium and proceeded to the door. The door, however, opened slowly before he could knock. The high priestess was there, smiling at him. "Atrus, Adriana, please come in." She said softly. The two entered the bedroom, with Anna closing the door. Atrus stood nervously in the room. He knew, from her eyes, that the high priestess knew what he was trying to say. "I suppose you know what I want to ask." He said gravely. "Atrus!" Anna warned, but the high priestess ignored her. She smiled. "Which one, Atrus?" "The island." He replied. "The dragon mentioned about the island. Do you know anything about this?" "And what makes you think I know the answer?" He thought for a while before answering. "They don't make you the high priestess for nothing." She nodded. "I suppose the time has come, indeed. The time is near." "What do you mean?" "The Champion of the Guardian is near." She said seriously. "Northeast of this continent, near the land of the Mages, there was a lone island in the middle of the sea, the Paradise Island, the island of the Gods." "The island of the Gods?" Anna frowned. "The legend claims that the island was once the link to the Paradise. The island, however, was unreachable from the land, since it was surrounded by constant storm of the Northern Sea. A lone wizard was also rumored to be guarding the island for centuries, keeping an impenetrable force field over the island." He frowned. "Then what's so special about the rumor?" "The island is the final resting place for the Sword of Faith, the weapon of the Gods. Those weapons will aid the future Champion of the Guardian in defeating evil. Even you don't know who the particular person might be, the Island of Paradise is his final destination." "That's why Kastor the dragon is guarding it." Anna muttered. "If he can't penetrate the force field, he will prevent the Champion to do the same." "And if the Champion fails to fulfill his destiny, all will be lost." Atrus added. "Is there any chance for commoners to enter the island?" "The wizard of the island is a servant of the Gods. He will admit only those affiliated to the Champion. The only way to get there is by magic. If, however, a wrong person enters the island, the force field will devour him to dust." "Quite a risk." Atrus claimed. "We have several Warriors of the Guardian. They might be able to get inside." "I must warn you, Atrus, although the wizard would probably do the same. Do not touch ANYTHING!" The high priestess said. "The Sword of Faith is the weapon of the Gods. The legend says that only a person with divine heritage could touch it. If mortals, even the Warriors of the Guardian, touch it, the person will be burnt to dust. The sword itself was jammed to stone acting as a seal of destiny. Only the Champion can pull it out, and he can do that only if all of the Warriors of the Guardian are present." Atrus looked at Anna nervously. "We're short of one person..." "But we can't waste anymore time!" Anna insisted. "If we don't act now..." She paused when she saw the wince in her mother's face. "Mother, what's wrong?" "A powerful force of evil..." She said silently. "It's here and near, in this shrine." Atrus frowned. "Could it be it's the one that collapsed the magic barrier yesterday?" He turned to Anna. "You can clear your name!" "Mother, please let me look for it!" Anna pleaded. "Then go! Take Atrus with you." The high priestess nodded. The two quickly headed toward the door. "And Anna?" Anna stopped just before the door and looked back at her mother. "Please be careful." The high priestess said. Anna was quite startled by the kind words and nodded. "I will, mother." And they left the room. "Be very careful..." Maya sighed again; her hand tirelessly mixed the soup in the cauldron. The strong scent of the soup invited murmurs from the crowds around her. She shook her head. All the questions in her head were clear now. Fifteen minutes ago she had come to the kitchen, asking for help to make lunch for the volunteers working outside. Fifteen minutes later, she was holding a lecture for the priestesses of Lycra in how to make simple cream vegetable soup. She couldn't believe it. That really made her mistress' image better in her mind. At least Mistress Anna can cut potatoes without trembling... "So let me get this straight..." One priestess asked for the sixth time. "You put the spices in after you cut the... uh... leaf-thing?" "No, you put the cut spices in after you put the rest of the vegetables in." Maya growled. "And it's celery, not leaf-thing." "And it's two cups of salt and three spoonful of milk, right?" "No, it's two cups of milk and three spoonful of salt. And you remember to use full cream milk, don't you?" "Oh, of course I remember!" I doubt it... Suddenly all her senses snapped into attention. What was that?! She thought she heard a scream from somewhere outside the kitchen. "Did you hear that scream?" She asked. "I don't think so..." The priestess said. "If it is, Sister Ursula is gathering the people in the sanctuary. Some of them are probably crying from grief." Another scream was heard. It was very faint, but her involvement in Atrus' cause had granted her part of his talent. The same talent also told her that the scream was in distress. "I don't care, but I'm going to check." Maya walked to the counter and picked her combat belt. "Anybody wants to join me?" "But the soup! Who's taking care of the soup?!" "Keep on mixing!" Maya growled. "You can't screw up. Not at this point." "B...but... how if it explodes?!" "Oh, that's a good tip." Maya said when she reached the door. "Stay away from the oil." "Ah!" The priestess nodded as Maya disappeared. "Wait a minute... which oil?!" Falstoff drew his sword. The dark metal emitted strong magical energy. Even years after mastering the blade, he still couldn't understand the magic beneath the surface of the sword. Then again, he didn't care as long as it did its purpose. He eyed the tree before him carefully. He didn't really need to do that, but dozens of eyes were staring at him right now. The tree trunk was small, but firm enough, perfect for making barrier walls. He raised his sword and made a quick, diagonal cut across the trunk, cutting it in half and leaving a sharp tip on the upper part. The tree fell down and crashed on the ground. He turned back and faced the crowds behind him. "That's how you do it! Any questions?!" The crowds murmured to each other, but no one said no. Most of them were swinging their swords experimentally. He sighed. He couldn't believe these people didn't know how to use a sword, except for the ones used to cut the fish. Then again, they're fishermen, not soldiers. "So we'll pick the logs and place them around the shrine, with the sharp tip facing outside. That should provide enough protection until help arrives." He continued. The crowd's eyes lighted up at the mention of the coming help. They were refugees, weary and worn out by the war. They could use some encouragement that they would survive the war after all. "Well, get started, people! We haven't got all day!" He barked. "And be careful with them!" The crowds began to pick their trees and started cutting. It didn't work quite well, but they were learning. Falstoff could only saw three actual saws among the tools. Again he sighed. The town of Tymm was a coastal town, but they didn't make their own boats. The shipyards were located in other cities to the east, now probably lying in ruins. Using swords, especially curved swords to cut trees was a stupid idea, but it had to be done. I can't betray the trust my friends have put in me... He couldn't remember the last time he felt like this. He'd never felt secure among his friends before. He'd always been a loner, capable of dealing with anything himself. He'd had no friends, no families, no one to rely on. Now he knew how good it felt to know someone was relying on him. He grinned at the thought of her. Lynn had showed it all to him. She had pulled him out of his world of isolation. He owed her too much. He had been foolish last night. After the war he would approach her again, and when the time came, she would be his. But then again, they didn't have forever. He raised his sword and cut the next tree. Agar extended its wings, making a nice level pass through the air. Aurelia held her hair-band, not willing to lose it. The wind was incredibly strong. She'd heard about the famous stormy Northern Sea, but having lived most of her life in the forest she'd had no idea how bad it could be. Now they were in the middle of the ocean, and the storm could struck anytime now. But Agar flew fearlessly, and she knew that with it she wouldn't need to fear anything... But the red dragon... They'd been scouting for hours, but there was no sign of Kastor. The initial scout was horrible. They'd flown over the coast, watching one devastated village after another. The villages had been reduced to a field of craters, presumably from the dragon's fire breath. She shook her head. It was too late to mourn for the dead. A groan for nearby shifted her attention to the accompanying dragon. Holgreb, riding a lesser dragon, was pointing at the horizon. A cluster of dark clouds covered the section of the sky. They'd wandered too far from the city. The choice was clear. She should either resume the search or retreat. And she'd made the decision. "We're going in!" She cried. "The storm can hit anytime!" Holgreb replied. "Then wait for me! I'll just make a short pass near those clouds!" Agar flew low to avoid strong wind current. The Elf held the dragon's spikes tightly, making sure she wouldn't lose her grip. The ocean wave was strong today that she had to shield her eyes to keep the salt water away. The dragon flew contently, skimming over the water and toward the thick clouds. Then the attack came. Three massive balls of fire were shot out from beneath the clouds. Agar banked to the side, carrying the screaming Elf as fireballs splashed on the water and exploded seconds later. Another trio fireballs soared, missing the dragon just barely. Agar returned fire with its energy ball, but hitting anything beneath the thick cover of clouds was near impossible. "No, we can't win! Retreat now!" The Elf said frantically. Agar made a race away from the clouds, trailed by numerous underwater explosions from the fireballs. Holgreb's lesser dragon was already spitting smaller energy balls to cover their retreat. Aurelia could hear the loud roar from the clouds. But the attack finally ceased as she approached Holgreb's position. She was lucky Kastor didn't pursue her. In fact, they'd been pushing their luck too far. "We're pulling back!" Aurelia ordered. "Return to the shrine now!" Anna crept along the deserted hallway, her mace ready in her hand. She hated being by herself. Atrus had suggested that they separated, just to cover the ground quicker. She had agreed, and now she regretted it. She hated to be away from him, since her own home was unfriendly to her. But finding the culprit might be her only chance to prove her good will. She peeked inside a storeroom, dodging the mops and brooms scattered on the floor. She was just about to check the nearest closet when she heard a scream. She was back on the hallway when she heard another whimper. She quickly picked the direction and ran across the hallway. The hallway ended with a big wooden door at the center of the shrine. She hesitated. She knew what was at the other side. It was the Sacred Sanctuary, the most holy place in the shrine. She knew she was an outsider here. She knew that entering the Sacred Sanctuary was the worst offense to the Order of the Lycra. Another scream was heard, and she made up her mind. There was a life at stake. She opened the door and barged into the room. The Sacred Sanctuary was the central worship site in the shrine. The room was bigger than any other room in the shrine, with higher glass ceiling, allowing sunlight to enter. A large altar decorated the main stage at the center of the far wall. The chairs could seat hundreds of audiences, although such occasion was rare. Under normal circumstances, no commoners were allowed inside, and the priestesses did most of the worship in the main sanctuary. This time, however, was not normal, for a man and two women in priestess suits were there. The man turned at her and smiled. His dark cloak almost entirely covered his body. She could see the dark armor beneath the cloak. From his back, multiple tentacles slithered and bound the two priestesses. They were struggling hard, but not a match for the demon. "Sister, help me!" One of them cried. Anna prepared her magic missile, but halted when the tentacles shook the captives frantically. It was too dangerous. She could hit her friends. "Good day, Anna." He smirked. "It's my honor to see you." She was surprised. "You know me... Who are you?!" "Why, Anna, my name is Supreme Commander Daemon... your nemesis..." Atrus was ready to begin his second search around the shrine when the darned bell rang again. This time, however, it was followed by a cry of war. "The Orcs are here!!" One man cried. "The Orcs are here!!" Atrus drew his sword and ran across the courtyard. He was overwhelmed by the wave of the civilians running inside the shrine, but quickly found his way. The gate was incomplete and offered minimal protection. Across the field, two small versions of the Gate hovered over the ground, spitting Orcist warriors to the realm. Falstoff had already led several men to hold them off. Two dimension portals were opened and Calem and Lynn jumped out of it and ran to assist. Atrus made his way across the field and charged the foul creatures. "Good to see you here!" Atrus cried at the new guy. "About time you show up." Falstoff grunted. "Sorry about the walls." "Those should hold them off!" He answered while slicing his opponents. "You've done what you can!" The two warriors fought side by side, holding off the Orcist warriors. A group of Priestesses of Lycra entered the fray and a barrage of magic bolts bombarded the field. The priestesses concentrated their fire on the Gates, preventing more reinforcements while Atrus and Falstoff massacred those on the ground. The spirit of the frontline was raised considerably when Lynn entered the conflict and lent her voice of blessings. Calem arrived shortly and rained the battlefield with fire bolts. "Atrus!!" Lynn suddenly cried. "Falstoff is down!!" Atrus located him, overrun by the Orcs. His sword flared as he dashed toward the downed warrior, killing anything that stood on his way. Falstoff was on his knees, clutching the back of his head. Atrus stood beside him and kept the critters away. "You're okay, buddy?!" "I'm fine..." He said slowly. "Don't care about me! Go on and kill those Orcs!!" "No way, buddy! I'm not leaving you behind!" Lynn arrived in the scene and knocked the remaining Orcs with her magic. "I got him, Prophet Atrus! I'll take care of him!" Atrus was ready to return to the battlefield when two successive explosions occurred in the field, scattering the creatures. Agar and a blue dragon flew low and knocked several Orcs with their claws. Holgreb leaped from the blue dragon and charged the evil folks. The Orcs, realizing that they were outnumbered, made their way back to the Gates. Once the last Orc left the realm, the Gate vanished. "Another good yet futile attempt." Calem sighed. "Falstoff, you're okay?" Atrus asked. "What happened?" He smiled while still clutching his head. "I'm fine. Those monsters showed up when we're setting up the walls and getting ready for lunch." Ursula approached them, half-running. "There's a problem in the shrine! Somebody has sneaked in and collapsed the emergency barrier again!" Atrus was about to tell the same thing, but refrained from mentioning the high priestess' warning. "Okay, we'll check it out. Lynn?" He turned to the Fairy. "Join us later." "Yes, Prophet Atrus." The Fairy bowed, still holding Falstoff. "I'll stay here as well, Atrus." Aurelia said. "We'll catch you up." "All right." Atrus nodded. "Let's catch the scoundrel." Anna cried as multiple fire bolts pierced her magic barrier and exploded just an inch before her chest. She staggered from the blow, but regained her composure and erected a new magic barrier. "My dear, you can't win with only defense..." The fight was uneven for her. Daemon attacked her without mercy. The problem was that she wasn't evading his blows, but containing them. She couldn't afford having the demon lord destroying anything in the Sacred Sanctuary. The same reason, unfortunately, also forbid her from counterattacking. This was one fight she couldn't win. Or at least easily. Anna had confidence in her accuracy with magic missiles, but every time she was ready to fire the demon swung the captive priestess for cover. She couldn't afford hurting her sisters. There was only one way left. "Okay, Daemon, let's play dirty!" Anna prepared her mace. "I'll make you sorry..." The demon grinned. "We'll see if you can actually touch me." Anna dashed at him, got a clear shot, but the demon vanished as she swung the mace. She stumbled forward, almost hitting the main altar. He reappeared seconds later, hovering in the air, still carrying the captive priestesses with his tentacles. His evil grin flashed in his face. "Good try, but not good enough. Too bad I don't have much time. I'm afraid I have to leave." Anna just stared in horror as the demon lord raised his hand and released a barrage of fire bolts toward her. The barrier provided cover, but the blow shoved her backward and crashing on top of the altar. She cried in pain as her body swept along the altar, scattering the candles and chalices around the floor before falling on the floor behind the altar. "Pathetic." Daemon sneered. "I never thought you've caused me trouble so far." "Wait..." Anna staggered on her feet. "I'm not ready to give up..." She found support on the altar and unleashed her magic missile. The demon lord was surprised, and took full blow. It wasn't strong enough to hurt him, but was enough to make him furious. "Did that change your mind?" Anna growled. Daemon stared at her angrily. "See you in the Underworld, bitch!" The demon lord raised his hand and suddenly vanished from sight, along with the two captives. This time he didn't reappear. Anna looked at her surrounding in dread. The battle had ruined the main altar badly. Things didn't go as planned. And she heard footsteps. She could only stare in horror as Atrus, Ursula, and a group of priestesses entered the Sacred Sanctuary. She stared at her mace in her hand and hung her head. She didn't know how to start. She had been framed perfectly. "Adriana!" Ursula roared. "What have you done?!" Atrus was speechless himself. He thought hard to defend her, but there seemed to be little hope. She had gotten into terrible mess this time. "Adriana, this is a felony!" Ursula yelled. "Sisters, arrest her!!" "Wait, Daemon was here!" She tried desperately as the priestesses bound her. "Wait..." Atrus frowned. "Daemon, the commander of the Army of Darkness?" "He kidnapped two priestesses with him!" She said. "Atrus, you must find him!" "Good story, Adriana, but you can't fool me!" Ursula snarled. "Take her away!" "Wait!" Atrus yelled. "Give her a chance to tell the story!" "Anna!" Lynn and the rest of the party popped out from the door. "Anna?" "We found the culprit!" Ursula said. "Anna was found destroying the Sacred Sanctuary!" "Anna?" Aurelia staggered. "Is... is this true?" Anna shook her head desperately. "No... I... I can explain!" Maya popped out behind the Elf, her eyes wet with tears. "Mistress... why?" "Maya, no! I'm innocent!" "Innocent?!" Lynn snarled. "You dropped the magic barrier and the Orcs attacked! Some people were killed and Falstoff got injured!" The Fairy pointed at Falstoff behind her. "No... I didn't do it! Lynn, you have to believe me!" "Take her away!!" Ursula roared in anger. "Lock her up in the Dungeon of Inquisition!!" Anna's body went limp as she heard the dreaded name. She had heard many terrible stories from the Dungeon of Inquisition, mainly used to interrogate witches and foul heretics during the ancient time. She stared helplessly at Atrus as the priestesses dragged her out, but she knew there was nothing he could do. The rest of the party watched her in disbelief while Lynn glared at her especially with anger and hatred. Anna looked away in shame and fear. This time, she was doomed. Atrus watched silently as the priestesses took her away. His hand rested on his sword, which he could draw in a second and rescued her. Then he saw the form of High Priestess Elizabeth at the corner of his eyes. She gave him a weak smile, and he understood. He let his grip go. I can be there for her, but I can't stop her from facing her destiny... Anna hung limply in the air. Chains encircled her ankles and wrists, pulling her taut and spread-eagled. She squirmed helplessly, trying to find a comfortable position and discovered otherwise. She couldn't even move her limbs. She restrained herself from moaning, for that's what her enemy wanted. "Feeling comfy, honey?" Ursula grinned. "Very." Anna grunted. "Care to join me?" The priestess snorted. "Good joke... Three more slots, Sister Rosa!" The other priestess at the corner of the room turned the giant wheel three more slots and the chains tugged Anna's body to all four directions. This time she couldn't hold back from crying out loud. Her body was stretched painfully. She howled on the air for a while, twisting restlessly to ease the pain without realizing that she was actually causing more. Ursula laughed lightly, enjoying her suffering. It took a while until Anna regained her sense and tried to stay very still. "How's now? Comfy enough?" Anna didn't answer. Instead she spitted at her nemesis, and after being a prisoner of the demons in many occasions, her accuracy had improved. She hit her right in the eye. "Two more slots!!" Ursula roared in rage. Anna let out a piercing scream as her limbs approached the breaking point. Experience taught her well and she struggled to remain still. "And you're no longer a priestess of Lycra." Ursula smiled as she touched Anna's skirt. "Sister Rosa, I want you to disrobe her... in style..." Anna watched in horror as Sister Rosa approached her with a wicked-looking whip. The whip was made of strips of leather bound together with metal plates on the tips. The design was to ensure that each lash was a painful one. "Sister Rosa..." Anna pleaded. "Please listen to me... I didn't do it..." "Don't call me sister!" The priestess snarled. "You betrayed us, Adriana!" "No... no... no!!" She howled in pain as the first strike came. The whip lashed along her chest. The metal tip caught the hem of her dress and tore it painfully down to her belt, revealing her breasts, slightly flattened by her stretched limbs. The strike also tugged her from her chain, hurting her further. The object of the torture was clear, to hurt and humiliate her. "Don't even mind your breasts, Adriana..." Ursula snickered. "I'm sure so many men around the realm have put their hands on them." Anna recovered from the blow and felt the tingling sensation in her muscles and nerves. It's the revitalize spell!! She whimpered helplessly. The revitalize spell would magically sustain her body, therefore preventing her from fainting. This is too cruel... way too cruel... She cried again as the second strike came, this time cutting her skirt in half almost meeting the cut made earlier. The third lash, while not touching her skin, caught her belt and yanked it forcefully from her. She screamed in agony as the muscles in her limbs were stretched farther than ever. The belt finally gave way and her once-proud dress fell to the ground, leaving her naked save for her panties, boots and gloves. Her body bounced back in the chains, causing another searing pain for the tortured girl. "Sister Ursula, is there specific information you're trying to extract from her?" Ursula frowned at Rosa's honest question, but nodded. "I'm sure she will refuse to answer it... right, Adriana?!" She asked Anna. "Answer me! What do you know about the demon's plan?!" "I..." Anna spoke weakly, her throat sore from screaming. "I... don't... know..." "Liar..." Rosa said somberly. "You are truly a demonic abomination!" "Take it easy, sister Rosa." Ursula gave Anna her most wicked grin. "She's not going to tell the truth... yet. Torture her all night long, and we'll continue tomorrow, after my enactment as the new High Priestess of Lycra." Her smile grew wider. "In fact, I'm going to give you a hint of what you're going to go through... You're going to be the actual victim of the inquisition for the renegade priestesses..." Anna's eyes grew wide. "N...no..." "That's right, Adriana... The rule dictates that the renegade priestesses will be executed... by live burial..." Ursula took a moment, enjoying her victim's terror. "Imagine... tightly bound inside a punishment suit, strapped inside a magic-warded wooden coffin and trapped several meters under hard ground. Then again, of course, we'll keep your mouth open, so you can beg the worms and the ants to let you go... or finish you quickly... Then again, you'll never know..." Anna was now crying uncontrollably at the thought of her next ordeal. She'd rather thrust her belly upon a goblin's spear than enduring such cruel execution. Sister Rosa looked quite shaken with the proposed torment, but decided to say nothing. "I really love to watch you suffer, Adriana..." Ursula whispered. "But a loyal servant of Lord Guardian like me never rests. I will leave you with Sister Rosa for the night and I hope, when the morning comes, you two will be better acquainted..." Ursula walked casually toward the door but stopped near the stair. She opened her palm and created a small flame in it. "One more thing... just to keep you... occupied..." The fire bolt soared through the air and hit Anna on the chest. She screamed instantly as intense pain soared through her body. Her naked body rippled uncontrollably as terrible heat of the flame tortured her nerve. She felt like she was being cooked alive, yet not really. Her body remained intact. The magic was designed to make her senses suffer. "Ta ta, Adriana..." Ursula winked. "Sister Rosa, you may continue the whipping..." "We're in the right trail." Hawk pointed at a small hill near the horizon. "Beyond that hill we should be able to see the Northern Ocean." Roberto frowned while controlling his steed. "This is odd... I was here many years ago with my father. I recognize that hill, and I remember seeing seagulls flying around here. Now there's none." "As far as I remember, this is close enough to the shore." Hawk nodded. "We should have seen seagulls by now... except if the dragon had them for supper." "Don't start putting that thought in my head." The prince grunted. "We stop here." Hawk took a glance at the army following them. A large horde of alliance army stood in groups, waiting for orders despite the long journey they'd been through. He smiled. They were indeed the alliances very best. The sight of three high races fighting side by side pleased him. He could even feel the old rivalry between Humans and Elves declining. Perhaps Aurelia and he had a future after all. "Soldiers, dismount!!" He barked the order. "Erect the camp! We're stopping for the night!!" "Good. Let them rest." Roberto concluded. "I have a bad feeling of what is waiting for us." "Do you think our friends are fine now?" "I hate to think otherwise... But something's telling me that they're going to be very happy to see us again..." To Be Continued... * * * * * Author's note: Not much to say but sorry for the delay. I've been really busy lately. And I'm stuck at the story, so I decided to split it into 2 parts. You just read the first one. And to those who are wondering, I WILL finish this story. This little story has gone way too long to be abandoned. I will post the next part when my mind clears up. Take care now. Contributed by vipers101@hotmail.com