Gay Erotic Stories

Ch. 5: Tragedy at Gideon It was another beautiful day in the Land of Lore. The sun shone brightly in the cloudless sky. The wind blew lightly, creating a soft song as it flew past the autumn leaves. The Gideon vast green carpet of tall grass blanketed the land. The weather was perfect to spend time outside. However, the land around it was not as friendly as it seemed. South of Gideon were the same long chains of impassable volcanoes. The air was uncomfortably hot and thick with the strong scent of sulfur. The land seemed deserted. No single deer or cattle were found in the vast meadow. The sky was also scarce of birds. Only a few groups of birds were spotted flying to the South, seeking shelter from the harsh winter. From afar, the angry roar of the volcanoes could be heard, warning every traveler. Aside from that, the land was very silent, very lifeless. This, of course, bothered Atrus. He walked uneasily, observing the surrounding. His hand rested on his sword; ready to draw it anytime threats came. His eyes were spying on the vast grassland around him. He even slowed his breathing, trying to get his hearing to full sense. Slowly he walked along the well-paved road toward the mountainous region. Adriana Freesland walked next to him, sharing the same feeling. She kept on monitoring the terrain through her eagle eye spell. She had learned more spells on the way, and was very proud of her new fire bolt spell. She was not ready to let her magic missile go for she was very skilled with that spell now. Being weaponless, she had learnt to cast spells faster. Her constant training with Atrus had gradually increased her speed. But right now Atrus needed her skill. She kept on trying to survey their surrounding. Maya walked right behind her, protecting her six. She had her blade on her right hand and throwing knives between her left-hand fingers. She was also nervous with her surrounding. She had sworn that she would protect her master. This mission seemed to be dangerous, but she didn't care. She would follow him regardless of the danger. Gideon was a prosperous border town in South Aragon. It was located in the mountainous region near the Forbidden Land. It was well known for its rich vault of copper and tin. The volcanic region kindly donated a large amount of these metals inside many natural caves in the mountain. Miners from across the land came to reap the wealth, making the town flourish. Although beasts from the Forbidden Land infested the land around the caves, many brave souls established trading posts and forts near the town. The lack of flat land for farming forced the citizens to live from trading with the neighboring farming villages. And this was the real problem. The neighboring villages had lost contact with the town for nearly two weeks. According to the data from Tiras town hall, the citizens would have suffered from famine by now. Therefore the guild had asked them to go to Gideon and reestablish contact with the town and the citizens. The royal army would send a detachment in seven days and would rely on their report. The journey to the town took two days, and they had not encountered a soul in their way. Anna had felt the trouble since they started their journey, but Atrus had taken her warning lightly. Now he knew better than ignoring her. The sound of the wind was getting faint as if trying to whisper a silent warning to the party. It was slowly replaced by the angry roar of the volcanoes around them. In front of them the unbroken view of monstrous mountains welcomed them. The scent of sulfur was intoxicating. Anna produced three pieces of cloth to cover their nose and help breathing. The tall grass around them prevented clear view of their surrounding. "Master, wait!" Maya broke the long silence among them. She pointed at the vast green grass on their side. "There was a patch on the grass... there's something over there..." She was right. A small portion of the grass was gone. Something was indeed there, lying on the grass. Maya slowly made her way through the grass with dagger in her hand. When she reached the patch, she screamed in terror. Atrus and Anna rushed to her position. Anna arrived first and stood in her place, stunned by the view. It was a corpse of a man lying on his stomach. The body was in a very bad shape. His left arm was cut off from his body. His clothes were torn, his back was full of welts and bruises. A stone club was sticking on his right shoulder. A large pool of dried blood was formed on the grass. Anna stepped back from the body, still stunned from the view. Atrus slowly moved closer and pulled the club from his body. The sharp edge of the club was coated with dried blood. The club was pretty simple. It was a hard stone with sharp edge, tied into a wooden stick with strong rope. The dried blood produced unpleasant smell. Anna tried her best not to puke. "What do you think?" Atrus turned to Maya, who was still unmoved. "I... I think he had been dead for days..." she answered. Her voice was trembling. "True... He died three days ago, I guess. Looking at his condition, I don't think he died in peace..." "Whoever killed him... was a monster...!" Anna found herself saying. Atrus slowly turned the body around. The front part of the corpse was no better than his back. Multiple bruises were found on his chest. His eyes were staring blankly to the sky. His mouth was open wide as if trying to scream a silent wail. The expression in his face was full of pain and agony, and seemed alive in his lifeless form. Then he noticed something was sticking on his belt. It was a paper. He slowly took the blood-soaked paper and opened it. It was a short text that looked like a letter. Half of the letter was drenched with blood, but it was still in one piece. The handwriting was awfully ugly, showing that the author had written the letter in a hurry. Atrus withdrew from the body and joined the girls. Anna had regained her strength and looked at the letter curiously. "Is that his?" He nodded. "I found it on his belt. The handwriting is horrible, but readable. Whoever that man is, he died when he defended this letter." "Why don't you read it for us, master?" He nodded again, took a deep breath and then began reading. They just appeared from nowhere. We don't know where they came from. We don't know who they are, but they're certainly no elves. They are powerful warriors. We haven't seen such evil threat for ages. We are losing. Northern and western forts were destroyed. One by one our man vanished. We lost contact with the main cave. That might be the source of our trouble. By the time anybody read this letter, our town might have been ruined. Please avenge our death. If you receive this letter by accident, please pass it to the palace. Leonard Mayor of Gideon The party went silent for a while. Atrus silently said a prayer for the poor soul who had carried the letter to warn the palace. Now it had cost him his life. "He must be one of the villagers." Maya broke the silence. "And he tried to escape from whatever had attacked the town." Atrus stated. "If not elves, then who else?" "Or what else?" Anna spoke up. "They're monsters! Look at the dead body! Only monsters can do that!" They looked at the dead man again. Judging at his wounds, the killer couldn't be human. Even the strongest knight couldn't swing a stone club so that it pierced so deep inside the shoulder. The terror in his lifeless face showed that he had been in horrible pain in the brink of his death. Atrus approached the man, closed his eyes and mouth. "May you rest in peace, brother, your death will not be in vain." When he withdrew his hand, it was drenched with blood. Anna looked at his hand in disgust. "If I were you, I would have puked..." Atrus stared at her. "Aw, come on! The journey just started! You'll see many things like this later!" "Well, I'm not like you! You have the blood of a killer! That's why you're not scared!" "And what do you have? A blood of a coward?" "I'M NOT A COWARD!!!" She snapped. "MASTER!!! MISTRESS!!!" Again, Maya managed to stop the quarrel, but she was not looking at them. She was looking elsewhere. "Look! A smoke, coming from that way!" she pointed at the western sky... ...At the direction of where Gideon was located... "We're not too late! The town is under attack!" Atrus yelled. "Let's go!" The town of Gideon was losing the battle. One by one the town defenders were slaughtered. Arrows with flame on their tips pierced the wooden roofs and engulfed them in fire. Corpses were collected in the town center and burned into ashes. Cries of men and women and children filled the sky. The small town of Gideon was turned into a sea of fire as the raider pillaged the town. A group of goblins raided and searched every house for valuables and survivors as the orcs shot flame arrows with their crossbows. Their monstrous roar joined the cry of agony of the town people. With their blood-thirst nature they savagely tortured the surviving villagers. As the last defender fell to the ground, the town was utterly destroyed. The goblins started to gather all females and maidens outside the burning town. Their pleas were ignored as manacles were fastened on their wrists, ankles, and necks. Slowly they were marched out of town and toward the volcanoes. Sometimes goblins would take maidens away from the group and raped them in the open. Jenna was one of the maidens in the last group. She barely escaped the assault, but was discovered by one of the raiders when she tried to cross the river. The intense heat of the fire made the water extremely hot, and her painful cry led to her capture. She was dragged to the center of the remaining group of maidens surrounded by dozens of foul folks. She couldn't stand straight as her legs were burning with pain. One of the goblins stepped forward and grabbed her long hair with his massive hand. She cried in pain as he pulled her hair, forcing her to stand on her toes. He wore a full body armor and seemed to be the leader of the raiding bands. "So you tried to escape...?" His voice was hardly audible. "You... attacked our village... You won't get... away with this..." She answered. "Ha! So who do you think will save you?" His answer was followed by laughter from the rest of the goblin bands. "Pitiful Aragon armies will be crushed under our mighty horde. You humans will never survive our wrath!" With one quick yank, the goblin tore Jenna's clothes from her chest to her crotch. Her young breasts sprang free from their confinement. Her hands tried in vain to cover her nakedness. "Perhaps we will let you all live... if you serve us,” he whispered under her ears. "I'd rather die..." "Alright, folks, GANGBANG TIME!!!" The raiding bands turned alive once more as the goblins attacked the captured maidens. Jenna watched in horror as her friends were bound and raped by the foul creatures. The view was horrible and she tried to look away, but the goblin leader held her face firm so she was facing the scene. "Watch, little one, for your turn will come..." "No. Please..." The agony of the prisoners before her was unbearable. Their wrists and ankles were bound by metal shackles, and a thick leather collar was placed on their necks. Each girl was raped by at least two creatures. Their bodies were thoroughly used and violated. "Okay, fun time is over. Now it's your turn. Prepare her!" Four goblins grabbed her trashing body and pinned her to the ground. Metal cuffs with short chains circled her wrists and ankles. The goblins pulled the shackles to four different directions, spreading her arms and legs. At the end of each chain was a metal stake that was quickly hammered deep to the ground as soon as her body was pulled. Now she was lying spread-eagled, so open to her assailants. Her muscles were throbbing as the chains pulled her body taut. To her horror, the goblin leader was now standing in front of her crotch. She could feel he was rubbing her panties with his filthy boots. His dark eyes were staring at her, drinking her fear. When he knelt down, Jenna knew what was going to happen. With a loud ripping sound, her panties were no more. Her pussy was now open and accessible for her assailants. She could feel the goblin's rough hand probing her hips and crotch. Two other goblins roughly grabbed her breasts and began playing with them. Against her will, she began to feel aroused as her body betrayed her. The leader plunged his finger inside her pussy, making her yelp in pain, before drawing it out. The finger is soaked with her love juice. She looked away in shame, sobbing uncontrollably. "Now... for the finale..." the leader pulled his filthy member out of his leather pants. Jenna's nightmare had come true. "No, please, I'm still a virgin," she begged. "Then I will pop your cherry with pleasure..." He placed his member in front of her pussy. It slowly spread her pussy lips and entered her vagina. She tried to close the opening with her muscles, but was rewarded with throbbing pain as he forced his member inside. Finally, the member reached her unbroken hymen. She looked at him with her pleading eyes, but he just sneered at her. The worst was about to come. "It's going to hurt..." he grabbed her breasts roughly," a lot" "NO!" "GRRRAWLLL!!!" She didn't feel any pain. She even felt the member inside of her was drawn out. When she opened her eyes, the massive body of the leader fell beside her. A silver knife was stuck on his neck, gushing with blood. When the second goblin fell on her chest and smeared her body with his blood, she figured out what to do and began crying out hysterically. Atrus dashed forward like a madman, slashing at everything that stood (assuming that all that stood on the ground were bad guys). Maya followed him closely with her combat knife ready in her hand. Adriana stood outside the scene firing fire bolts to any unlucky goblins that were still busy with their captives. "Anna! Try to put the fire down! Maya, follow me!" Anna ran to the burning village. It seemed too late, half of the houses had been reduced to ashes. Slowly she concentrated her power to summon the spell. Human were parts of nature. If they lived peacefully with nature, they might use the mighty power of nature to serve them. Priests of Lycra used this power to help others in need. She smiled as the power of nature enveloped her body, waiting for her order. "I hereby call the spirits of water, banish the fire with thee power!" As she uttered the spell, the wind blew hard from the east. Soon a group of dark clouds appeared from the eastern sea. The wind guided the clouds and put them over the burning village. To her delight, rain began to pour down, fighting the flame. Slowly the fire gave up and went out. However, the village was half-destroyed. Still upset, Anna ran back to the battlefield. Atrus was still attacking the goblins, while Maya secured all the prisoners. Suddenly she spotted a lone goblin ran toward her with a wicked looking club in his hand. Anna didn't waste anymore time. "Take this, bastard!" She let loose a fire bolt that hit the goblin right on his chest. He growled in pain, then fell to the ground and was still. Another goblin ran to her and swung his club, but Anna dodged it easily and countered it with her fire bolt attack. Slowly she made her way through the battlefield toward where Atrus was. The goblins were overwhelmed by their attack and began to disperse. Atrus had multiple welts and cuts around his leather armor, but seemed unaffected with them. His vicious fighting style quickly spread fear among the goblins, which began to abandon the captives and run away. As Anna approached him, he was looking at the fleeing party. His breath was heavy and uncontrollable. His hand gripped the bloodstained sword tightly. "Atrus...? Are you okay...?" Anna carefully asked. When she looked at his eyes, she could see the anger burning inside of him. He didn't answer her. An uneasy silent fell upon them despite the painful cry of the dying goblins or pitiful sob of the captives. She could recall the last time she had this kind of situation. The forest of Labrador... a sweet yet painful memory. There, she had been on the edge of despair. In that time, she had been about to meet her ultimate fate. Also in that time, Atrus had saved her life and vowed to accompany her in her quest. However, Atrus had terribly blamed himself for putting her life at risk. He, burned with anger incited by his guilt, had defeated the bandit king in one blow. The coldness of his heart was very apparent in her nightmare. Now she felt the coldness again. "Let them go, Atrus... They've had their lesson..." Anna said again. "We're too late. The village..." He left his answer hanging. "Don't blame yourself." She quickly replied, "There's nothing we could have done to save the village. Those captives should thank you for saving their lives." "I know..." "Come... We need to check on the villagers..." She offered her hand. He didn't take it. "You go back and help Maya with them. I will secure the surrounding..." "No, you stay here with them." Anna answered. After thinking for a while, she continued. "I will do that." Atrus stared at her in disbelief. "What? It's too dangerous..." "Atrus trust me!" Anna quickly snapped back. She took his left hand and closed it in her palms. "I'll be alright, okay...?" Her assuring stare defeated him. He gave her a faint smile. "Okay, but get back here before dark. Don't make any contact with the creatures." "I promise..." She lightly kissed his sweated cheek before running toward the mountainous region. Atrus watched carefully as she disappeared from sight, trying to notice any danger, but he found none. Slowly, he sheathed his sword and walked back to the village. Adriana Freesland observed her surrounding for the fifth and last time with her eagle eye spell. The goblins were nowhere to be seen. Atrus's attack had to have scared them all like hell. She sighed in relief then turned back to the village. The sun was setting down behind the mountains and the land grew darker. Mist came down the mountain, trying to drift her from her path, but with her spell, she wouldn't get lost. She pulled her cloak closer to her body as the mist grew cold... ...Cold...? But this was a volcanic region... Her mind raced to find the reasonable explanation. She didn't really like the result, though... "Whoever you are! Show yourself!" The mist around her grew thicker until she couldn't see anything but herself. The chilly air assaulted her body to the bones, and she could feel her body quivering from the cold. Her spell power began to degrade as her skin grew numb. Slowly a shadowy form shaped in front of her. It was a form of a tall young human, but she knew better. "Lucius... the ruler of the Water Realm... I know you're him..." Anna slowly spoke up. The shadowy form cast the mist away, revealing a figure of a man with deep blue full body armor. His face assembled a handsome and charming young man, but his blue eyes told otherwise. "I'm amazed, Priestess Freesland... You are the first human who recognizes me..." "You're not welcomed here, Lucius... You are our sworn enemy..." "Yet you as my welcoming party will suffice... It seems to me that you're still looking for the man of your dream...?" "I will find him! Then he will destroy you forever!" Anna snapped. The man produced a hissing sound. "How pathetic... You haven't realized your effort is futile... Now you bring some friends to join your so-called holy quest... Shame on you..." "They come with me willingly! And we will succeed in our quest!" "Really...? You're wrong... They follow you because they have to... They have no desire to follow your ideals..." "You're wrong! You're just trying to incite tension between us! You will not succeed!" "Well, see for yourself..." The mist in front of her turned glassy and a vision appeared. It was the village of Gideon. Atrus was observing the land around him. His expression was as cold as before. In the background some girls were laying on the ground, sleeping with earth as their beds and torn clothes as their blankets. Maya was among them, tending the injured villagers. "Why are you showing me this?" Anna grew restless. "You said they followed you willingly...?" The image turned into Maya. She was patiently applying bandages on a maid, whose arm was injured by goblin's claws. The maid winced a little, then relaxed herself on the ground. She turned to Maya. "I must thank you for saving my life. But how do you know our village was under attack?" "We met one of your villagers..." She paused for a moment. "We found the letter..." "But why are you here? Isn't the letter enough to scare you away?" "No, of course not. I have no reason to be scared." Maya smiled and then turned to where Atrus stood. The two of them watched Atrus for a while. "You like him, I suppose..." The maid broke the silence. "More than that..." Maya blushed. "He changed my life forever. I vowed that I would follow him no matter where he goes or what danger awaits us. I'm even ready to surrender my soul just to see him live..." The words stabbed Anna to the heart. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. It, it, can't be... "A holy quest to save humanity... What a pathetic excuse... She doesn't know what she is here for... Blind love... What a nice reason for finding the Champion of the Guardian..." "It's a lie! This is not true!" Anna yelled. "You are dreaming something that will not come true, Priestess Freesland..." "What are you talking about?" "Your dream... your wish... your secret desire... your love... They will not come true..." "SILENCE!!!" She couldn't hide her anger. "Now you fear that they will leave you, true...? You fear that nobody will help you fulfill your quest... your dream... your love..." "SHUT UP!!!" The image flickered for a while before revealing the image of Atrus. He was sitting on a rock, looking nervously at his surrounding. His sword hung on his back. Unaffected by the darkness around him, he kept on staring at the mountainous region. Another figure approached him from behind. It was a maid from the village. Her long black hair was blown by the night wind, but Anna couldn't see her face. "Sir, may I know what you're doing?" Atrus didn't turn his head. "Looking at the sunset..." "But the sun sets already..." "I know." The maid sat on the ground next to his feet, looking at the same direction as Atrus. A moment of silence fell upon them. The maid began to shiver from the cold. Her clothes had been reduced into shredded rags. She tried in vain to warm herself up, but the cold air had their victory. Suddenly Atrus stood up, took off his cloak, then wrapped it around the girl's prone body and embraced it lovingly. "Sir...? What are you...”? "Your body is freezing, miss. Warm yourself up..." "Jenna... That's... that's my name... May I know yours...?" "Atrus, Atrus White Lion. It's nice to know you, Jenna." "No, Sir White Lion... the pleasure is all mine. You must be Captain White Lion's son, I presume..." "Yes. How do you know...?" Atrus asked. "Your father's name is well respected throughout the land, Sir. No soul in this world ever hears his name and doesn't tremble." "I know..." Then he fell silent again. "Um... Sorry, did I offend you in any means...?" Jenna asked nervously. "No." Atrus smiled. "I'm just thinking... Will I ever be like my father...? I suppose that's why I'm here... I want to be like him..." "You mean you're going to join the military?" "No. I mean everybody praises my father's name..." He stared into the darkness. "I... I want to be praised as well, you know..." Anna couldn't believe it. Now she knew Atrus' true intention. He was not there for her. He was not there for the sake of humanity. He was there for himself. Tears began to fill her eyes. "Perhaps one day you will be praised more than your father, Sir. You will be praised and loved..." "Excuse me...?" Atrus queried. "Praised... and loved..." She grabbed Atrus' neck and planted a deep kiss on his lips. Atrus was unaware of this intrusion and unwillingly accepted the kiss. Jenna, however, refused to let go. She quickly took off her torn dress and guided Atrus' palms to her soft breasts. Involuntarily, his hands started to massage her breasts and play with her nipples. Jenna's body created an erotic dance around Atrus'. Soft moans of pleasure escaped her lips. Then the image disappeared. Adriana just stood in place, unmoved. She was defeated. She used to have her friends to rely on. She used to have Atrus as a friend she could trust. Now she could trust nobody. In fact, now she had nobody. "As you can see... you're alone... they deserted you..." Anna didn't answer him. She was too much occupied by her own thought... her own pain. She hated Atrus. She hated Anna. Moreover, she hated herself. "Now... how can YOU alone find the Champion of the Guardian, eh?" "SILENCE!!!" There was no more love in her, no more compassion in her heart. Only anger and despair overflowed her feeling. "I will do this myself! I need no help from them! I'll show them I can do this by myself! I'll show them I can defeat you by myself!" The shadowy figure produced a silent smile. "Then... the challenge has been issued..." The mist around them subsided, and Anna felt her power returning. She let her power flowed through her body and prepared her best spells. "Damn you, Atrus... I'll show you what I can do..." And the fight began... "Stop it, Jenna." "Sir...?" Atrus picked her small body up and away from him. Jenna couldn't understand it. She looked at him in disbelief. "Do... you find me unattractive, Sir...?" "No," Atrus answered, "You are very attractive, but the time is not right for that." "You... you lied... You find me dirty because I was almost raped..." She was sobbing uncontrollably. Atrus took the discarded cloak and put it back around her body. She gingerly accepted it. "It... it's all about that girl... right...?" "What girl?" "That... that sorcerer... You love her..." "What... I... I..." "You like her because she is strong and capable, and I am weak. That's why you don't like me, right? "No... you misunderstand..." SLAP!!! "I want to hear from you no more!!!" She cried after slapping him hard. Then she ran into the darkness of the night. Atrus stood alone, trying to figure out what was happening. "Did I pinch her nipples too hard...?" He sighed, then return his stare into the darkness. His palms rested on his sword. "Anna... where the hell are you...?" "Atrus...!" "Ow, mom... I don't want to go to the training today..." "MASTER ATRUS!!!" "Wha... OWW!!!" And Atrus was awoken from his childhood nightmare as his head bashed the rock underneath. When he was fully awake, he noticed that he had fallen asleep the night before, laying his head on a rock. His entire muscles were protesting, and his throat was sore. Maya was sitting next to him, looking at him merrily. "Rise and shine, master! And sorry about the rock... I couldn't stop your head in time..." "Never mind that..." The morning was beautiful. The sun shone brightly up in the sky, bathing the land with its warm sunlight. The vast carpet of green welcomed his gaze. Maya was also in her usual manner, happy all the time. She held a wooden bowl of soup. Atrus couldn't recall when the last time he had any meals. He slowly tried to recall why he had slept in the wilderness if he could have stayed warm in his tent. Then he remembered that he had been waiting for Anna to return until... Anna? "Where is Anna?" Maya's smile disappeared. "You mean you don't know, master? I thought she was with you all the time. I noticed her tent is empty..." "No... she hasn't returned..." Atrus answered. "Maybe she got lost..." "With her eagle eye spell running? I doubt it..." He thought for a while. "Unless she is..." "...In danger." Maya finished the sentence. She didn't like the sound, but that's the only reasonable answer. "Oh, no." Atrus quickly put his sword on and looked at the volcanoes far ahead. "I will look for her. You wait here until I get back." "You're not going without me, master..." Anna also put her dagger on her belt. Her face was full of defiance. "But you need to take care of the town-people..." "They'll be fine, master." She answered. "The town is destroyed. I believe those monsters have no interest in this area anymore." "How do you know?" Atrus challenged. "If you're a bandit, which do you prefer? Would you attack a well-flourished town or a ruin?" "But those women need us!" "Then we won't go for long. I will follow you halfway to the mountain. If we find nothing, I will leave you alone. How's that?" "We're not in position to make deals!" "Come on, master... If mistress Anna is in danger, I want to be there to help her as well..." She pleaded. Her hands were hugging his arm. Atrus thought for a while. Anna might be in trouble, but these women were vulnerable if the monsters decided to counterattack. He had to make a choice, and he hated to endanger any of them. Finally he came up with an idea. "If you can ensure me that the women will be safe, you may go with me. If you fail to do so in five minutes, I will go alone." Atrus proposed his deal. "Okay... I'll be right back, master..." Then she ran to the group. Atrus smiled quietly, thinking that she wouldn't make it. And he had lost the bet... Maya had found an underground storage room in one of the tavern at the town ruin. The tavern was badly destroyed, but the storage room was intact, along with small provisions inside. Atrus had checked the building carefully and had affirmed that the room could be used for a temporary shelter for the town-people. And now Maya walked merrily beside him. He didn't want to endanger her life, but a deal is still a deal, and he had to allow her to come. Stupid bet...! Sometimes he was amazed at Maya. She had had a lot of terrible experience in her life, just like Anna. But these two women were pretty much opposite in their behavior. Anna could be really gloomy in hard times, but Maya... happy all the times... regardless the situation. The roar of volcanoes and the eerie whistle of wind around them didn't seem to bother her at all. She was concerned about Anna's safety. She always came for his aid if he was in trouble. She didn't care for her own safety. Her concern was always for others. He was amazed that people like Maya still existed in these troubling times. He realized how grateful he was to have her as his traveling companion... or at least that's how he called her... Anna... a very enigmatic person. She had had a bad experience as well, and she had kept it for herself for a long time. She had been living for herself before he met her... living in pain and despair from her own childhood. He was amazed at how she had endured those pains, yet still had spirit to stay alive. Perhaps her desire to look for the fabled Champion of the Guardian defeated all of her despair. Her reason for this quest was also unknown, and sometimes Atrus himself wondered why he had to follow her. Her intention in this quest was to save the realm from the evil menace, and his intention was to look for fame for his ranger title. Why should he follow her...? "Why am I thinking about these...?" Atrus asked himself. "This is definitely not a good time for introspection." Perhaps because his initial intention in this journey had shifted. Perhaps because he actually cared for his friends more than his own fame. Perhaps he had treated them as his own family. Maya seemed to notice the change in his face. She looked into his eyes. "Something's wrong, master?" She asked innocently. He smiled at her, then stroked her pony-tailed hair. "No, everything is fine." Maya squirmed at his touch, then responded with a smile. "You're in a good mood, master, especially in this situation. May I know why?" "You want to know why...?" He answered. "Because I know we will win." A vibrant light shone into her half-closed eyes, and Adriana returned to the world of the living. The chill air around her body welcomed her. She tried to squirm, but something was holding her body in place. Her eyes desperately tried to adapt with the surroundings. She was in a big room... a hall... with walls made of stone... or boulders. Numerous metal poles with candles on top were around her. The candles seemed to make a certain formation... an inverted five-corner star inside a circle... a demonic symbol... with her in the center... Then she noticed why she couldn't move. She was hanging in the air, spread-eagled. Metal shackles that were hooked on the floor and somewhere in the dark ceiling bound her wrists and ankles. Soon she realized why the chill air bothered her. She was naked! Her priestess suit had been stripped off! To complete her fear, Lucius was standing behind her, enjoying the view. His armor was gone, replaced by casual blue suit. His deep-blue eyes were glowing in the dark. She couldn't read his expression, but she could notice a smirk in his smile. "Too bad... don't you think...? Such a remarkable body... and it belonged to a priestess..." "Don't you dare stare at my body!!!" she snapped. "And what can you do about it...?" He walked near and stroked her exposed ass. His touch was icy, making her body jerked. Slowly he traced her trembling skin into her private area. She cried in pain as her nerve turned numb from the incredible chill. When he touched her sensitive part, her body trashed around in pain. Tears fell from her eyes, and she began sobbing. Then she found him staring deep into her eyes. He was floating in front of her. His cold stare added to her fear. He seemed to enjoy her horror. He let out a small chuckle. "Oh... our little hero... now crying helplessly..." he mocked her. She didn't answer him. Her power didn't seem to work here. She turned away in disgust. He seemed enraged with her lack of response. He pinched her left nipple as hard as he could. Her back arched as she squealed uncontrollably. "ANSWER ME WHEN I SPEAK TO YOU!!!" He roared. In response, she spat at him. Her saliva was instantly frozen on his face. "That's an answer I can muster. Satisfied?" She bravely answered. Now he pinched both nipples and her body trashed around again. But he didn't let them go. She kept in squirming in her bonds, trying to pull her tortured nipples away from his grasps, but it only added to her misery. After a while, her resistance ceased. She just hung there, defeated. Her nipples were numb from the chill. Her squeals had been reduced to protesting moans. Her nipples, despite the harsh torture, stood erect. Her body had been defeated, but her mind hadn't. "Why don't you just give it up...?" He whispered in her ear. "Just give up this worthless quest... Why do you do something you don't know why you do it...?" She turned to face him. "I have my own reason for my dream and I will not stop until it is fulfilled..." She answered in her weak voice. "Ha...! Dream...! You humans are pathetic..." He sneered. "Let's make a deal... I'm willing to release you and all the town-people... if and only if you are willing to forget about your... dream..." "And you will capture us again in your next raid... What kind of deal is that...?" He let out an evil smile. "Well... of course our next meeting will be in a more... friendly environment... Or perhaps you will gain some... privilege..." Anna gave him a weak smile. "Here's my deal... I am to go home safely with all the town-people... and you're dead..." In response, Lucius grabbed her left breast and roughly shoved two fingers into her vagina. Anna had no more power to resist, and she could only whimper to welcome the pain. Her breasts, numb from previous torture, felt as if they were pierced by thousands of spikes. Lucius kept the treatment for a while. Her moan turned more and more... inhuman. Agony had been carved in her face. She even wondered why she hadn't died yet. Finally he let go his grasps, although the pain remained. When she opened her eyes, a group of goblins had joined Lucius in the room. "You all may play with her, but don't kill her... yet... We need her alive when her friends come..." Lucius ordered. "My... my friends...? A... Atrus...? Maya...?" He smirked at her. "That's true, to my surprise, they're coming to look for you... But that's okay... They will be my honored guests in your execution..." Then he vanished from sight. "Atrus... Maya... Why...?" Then she hung her head in exhaustion. And she knew that the goblins grew near... The hot air around them made breathing almost impossible. Sweat covered their body and soaked their armors. The ground around them seemed unstable, ready to swallow anything on its surface. The volcano chains filled the background. Atrus and Maya were standing in front of a huge cave mouth carved on the surface of a volcano. The cave had used to be the biggest copper mine in this area. This land around the mine was extremely dangerous because of the creatures infesting the Forbidden Land nearby. A tall deserted wooden watchtower was in front of the cave. It had used to be occupied by hired mercenaries to secure the labor settlement nearby and discourage the creatures to attack. Now both tower and village were deserted. Human bodies were lying on the ground. Most of them were in a very bad condition. Several bodies were hung on the cave mouth. The strong scent of rotten flesh and dried blood polluted the air, making breathing even harder. "I believe this is the main cave that the letter mentioned..." Maya said. "I have no doubt about it... This place is like a slaughterhouse..." Atrus climbed a nearby cliff and looked at the surroundings. Maya joined him by his side shortly. From afar, an image of another ruin could be seen. The burnt houses and buildings were the only things that were left. Piles of wooden poles that had used to be protective walls were now scattered around the complex. As the wind passed through the burnt structure, an eerie sound was produced, as if it was created by the souls who had once settled the place. "Western fort... Nothing's left from it..." Atrus mumbled. Maya was silent. She could imagine what those creatures had done to the mercenaries. Those creatures were savage enough to be called monsters, but they were... different. Monsters never raided a town in such a huge group as before. Those creatures were more like an army... "Do you think Anna came inside that cave?" Atrus asked her. "Well, master, the letter said this cave is probably the source of the trouble, and mistress read the letter as well. So... I think we might as well check it out..." "Good point... Come on!" They walked back to the cave mouth. The place seemed deserted, but faint noise could be heard. Footprints were numerous on the cave floor, but since this was a mine, it could be anybody's. The inner cave was cold and dark, with no place to hide... a perfect place for an ambush. Atrus slowly walked inside the cave, trying to notice any traps. Maya followed him, covering his back. "Welcome to my playground..." The voice surprised them. Atrus spotted a man floating near the cave ceiling. The man wore a complete plate armor and a long sword was strapped on his back. Nothing was special about the man except for his deep blue eyes. "Atrus White Lion and Maya Murdock, I presume... My name is Lucius. It is a great pleasure to know you all..." Atrus stepped forward. "And you must be our... welcoming committee?" The man smiled. "No... THIS is your welcoming committee..." Instantly the cave was filled with dozens of goblins. Their clubs and maces looked vicious. Around the cave mouth, a group of orcs appeared with their crossbows, effectively pinning them both down inside the cave. "I think you deserve some more of my self-introduction... My name is Lucius, the..." "...Lord of the Water Realm... The Army of Darkness... I should have guessed it from the start..." Atrus finished. "You know me... I'm honored... You're the second human who actually knows me..." Lucius answered. Maya spoke up, "The second human...? Then the first one must be... mistress Anna..." "Very clever, little girl... And don't worry, you will be reunited once again..." "You're not welcomed here, Lucius... You belong to the underworld!" Atrus snapped. "Well, haven't you heard...? The Dark Age is coming... The world and the underworld will be one once again..." "I have no interest in hearing a new prophecy from a guy from the Nether Realm! Now I believe you have something that belongs to us!" Lucius' smile grew wider. "Such rudeness... You refused my sincere hospitality... I have prepared a guided tour around the cave... I hope you don't mind the mess..." "GIVE ANNA BACK TO ME!!!" Atrus yelled, then wielded his sword. His action was welcomed by angry growls of the foul creatures around them. Maya quickly grabbed her blade and warned the creatures not to get any closer. Her threat seemed to work... for now... "Violence... The main thorn in humanity... You call your race civilized...?" Lucius sneered. "Quality is not determined by the actions, but by the intentions behind the actions..." Atrus answered. "Killing a villain like you is a sufficient reason for a civilized person like me to use extra violence." Lucius' smile vanished and anger appeared in his voice. "You are getting annoying, sir White Lion... I will enjoy this fight until the end... But as you can see, you are fairly outnumbered here... And I believe you don't want your little friend to get hurt..." Atrus turned at Maya, but she yelled back. "Don't worry about me, master! I will be right behind you! Let's just kill these bastards and free mistress Anna!" Atrus thought for a second. He didn't want to cause Maya get hurt, but surrendering sounded stupid in this situation. Meanwhile Maya was ready with her blade... ready to fight to the death... There was no way that she could make it through this battle unhurt. He had to make the choice, but he hated to do so. Lucius drew his sword. It generated blue glow from the metal surface. It looked vicious. "The choice is yours, young Ranger..." He threatened. He finally made the choice. "I surrender." He was struggling to hold the pain. His entire muscles were aching. It felt as if his body was being incinerated, although what he felt exactly contradicted the actual situation. Atrus was encased in a big cube of frozen ice. His entire body was trapped inside the ice; only his head was not. The chilly ice forbid any movements from his lower body part, and also effectively caused terrible pain and numbness across his body. His armor did little in minimizing the pain and chill. He didn't know how he was trapped inside this giant ice cube, but he knew who did this. Lucius was floating in front of him, enjoying his agony. He still wore his armor, and his sword was still strapped on his back. Behind him stood the entire Army of Darkness under his command. Goblins and orcs were gathering around the cave. Their laughter echoed along the cave walls. "Feeling comfy, young Ranger...?" He mocked. "Not bad... Want to join in?" Atrus answered. "Very impressive... A fine sense of humor you're having..." "You can tell me what you want. I will listen patiently before refusing it." "Ah... My term is simple... Bring the girls!!!" A few minutes later, a big group of girls were brought before him. Metal cuffs on their necks bound them and their cuffs were connected to each other by short chain. They were mostly naked, except for their cuffs and some torn rags that were wrapped around their hips. They were hugging each other, sobbing and shivering both from cold and fear. "You want your fame, right...?" Lucius whispered in his ear. "I'm willing to let these women go, so you can hand them over the royal army and make a name for yourself... I can even brainwash them so they will tell many great deeds you have done... You just saved an entire village... You can be a Ranger... You can fulfill your dream... Your father will be proud of you..." Atrus didn't answer. "Your part of the deal is simple... It's even something you really want deep inside... Forget about that Champion of the Guardian crap... You hate myths, don't you...? You can live a happy life as a Ranger without being bothered by those myths... And perhaps our next meeting in the battlefield can be more... challenging... What do you say...?" Atrus turned to face him. "I used to think that the prophecy was just a myth. Now that you mentioned it, I'm getting curious... So... no." Lucius' eyes were blazing with blue glow. "Very well, then... I have to use my next term. It's your... beloved ones... Adriana Freesland and Maya Murdock... You will agree to my term... or they and the entire villagers die before your eyes..." Lucius raised his hand, and shortly after that two figures were brought before him. They were Anna and Maya, but in very bad conditions. Maya had her suit torn here and there. Her arms were tied behind her back by rope. Her hair and body was soaked. It looked like the monsters had raped her terribly. She was sobbing, but she did a good job not to cry. However, she looked at Atrus' torture in terror. Anna's condition was worse. She was crying. Her suit was gone. She was cuffed by heavy metal shackles and collared on the neck like an animal. Her body seemed to be in a great pain that she couldn't even stand straight. Otherwise, her condition was pretty similar to Maya's. She looked away in humiliation. "Let's have fun with them first, shall we...? Boys...!" Lucius signaled. A group of goblins rushed forward and grabbed both bodies and pinned them down on the ground. Maya struggled as hard as she could, but were no match for the foes. Anna, on the other hand, had no more strength to resist. Both girls were once again violated, right before Atrus' very eyes... The girls were quickly violated on their pussy and mouth. The goblins' filthy members quickly muffled their cry. Their bodies bucked involuntarily in every thrust. More goblins waited for their turns by playing with their breasts. Maya was now crying uncontrollably. The goblins ravaged her body viciously, but despite her diminishing strength, she still tried to resist. She didn't want to destroy Atrus' trust for her. She didn't want to enjoy the rape just like those girls she had known in the brothel. She was not like them, and she didn't want to be like them. Her loyalty was only to Atrus alone. Her consequence was, however, that she had to endure a painful rape. Anna was already defeated. She had no more strength to resist or will to do so. She had nobody, and her friends were here not for her. Her body had been badly tortured and abused, and her mind and soul were destroyed and hopeless. She had no more desire to live... Atrus was in the biggest conflict in his life. He had to decide what to do. His friends were being raped to the death. His friends... who he had treated as his family... were in trouble... and he couldn't save them... He was worthless... he couldn't do anything... "STOP IT!!!" He cried. With a short signal from Lucius, the goblins stopped their work. "Have you decided...?" "I will do what you want... just... stop it...!" He could feel tears fell from his eyes. He was crying... A brave man never cried, his father usually said. He was no brave man. He was now just a coward... "Is that all you've got, Ranger?" Anna suddenly yelled. "Anna...?" "You disappoint me, Atrus... I thought you were a mature, honorable man... You are not..." "Anna... what do you mean...?" He didn't understand. "Fame, damn you! Is that your only goal in life? So that you will be a famous Ranger like your father?" "Anna, what are you talking..." "I'M TALKING ABOUT YOU, JERK!!!" Anna was crying now. Her words were hardly audible. "My dreams... my quest... EVERYTHING!!! They're all gone now..." "Mistress Anna, that's not true..." Maya interfered. "DON'T ARGUE WITH ME, SLAVE!!! She snapped back. "I know you will die for your... your... worshipful master! You have no dream! You have no ideal! You have no soul!" Her words silenced Maya instantly. Anna turned back to Atrus. "Go to hell with you, Ranger... Once you set everybody free, I want you to kill me... Or I will do that myself... I have no reason to live... My quest is over..." "Anna... We came to save you!" Atrus insisted. "Then why? TELL ME WHY, DAMN YOU!!!" Her cry was getting more violent. "Why do you come to save me if you're going to leave me afterwards?" "BECAUSE HE LOVES YOU!!!" The entire room was shocked with the new intrusion. Near the mouth cave, a young girl stood alone... "Jenna...? What are you doing...?" Atrus was shocked. "I'm here to let her know how much she has been fooled by them! Whatever you're thinking, lady, you're WRONG!!!" Jenna yelled. "SHUT UP, BITCH!!! You were teasing him that night! I've seen everything! You can't fool me!" "Are you sure you've seen everything? Did you see how he rejected me because he was worried about YOUR safety?" "YOU LIED!!!" "Then look at HIM!!!" She pointed at Atrus. "See that mark on his left cheek?" Anna was now in great confusion. She knew that deep inside she wanted to believe her, but the pain in her heart... She didn't know what to say... She didn't know what to do... She didn't know whom to trust... Atrus... that girl... or herself... However, the intrusion was enough to annoy the demon. Lucius was enraged. He roared in anger, and his form suddenly changed. His body armor was gone, replaced by dark-blue skin. A pair of horns appeared on both sides of his now-hairless head. His eyes were now blazing with fiery-blue flame. His jaws were now filled with vicious-looking fangs. His demonic form spread terror even among his army. "YOU HAVE FOILED MY PLAN! YOU WILL DIE!" He drew his sword, then threw it toward Jenna. The blue-glowing sword pierced her chest and easily went through her small body. Her figure instantly fell to the ground and stayed still. Silence swept upon the room. The scene shocked Atrus badly. He couldn't believe his eyes. One of his friends had been killed before his eyes. The friend who had defended him... who loved him... whom he had rejected... had died for him... and he could do nothing to stop it... nothing at all... He was worthless... Suddenly deep inside his heart he could feel a rush of feeling that swept over him. He couldn't understand what it was... He couldn't understand why... The feeling was cold... unfriendly... dangerous... deadly... but who cared... Nothing really mattered right now... He slowly let the feeling overcome him... ...And he cried like he never cried before... Anna had been shocked by Jenna's confession. The scene of Jenna’s terrible death had shocked Anna. Now she was shocked by what had happened to Atrus. He cried so loud that his cry was... inhuman... more like a roar. The sound violently shook the entire cave. Suddenly a bright light came out of him with a thundering blast. His form was now engulfed with flame! She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Atrus' body was blazing brightly with flame. The ice that trapped him quickly melted down, and he was free. His eyes were blank and his expression was empty. He slowly descended from the ice. Once he touched the ground, the battle began. Unarmed, Atrus charged the enemies before him. The goblins, paralyzed by the scenes, were unready. Atrus viciously attacked the nearest goblin, but his fighting style was not the Ranger style. He grabbed the goblin's armor, easily tore it from his body and then thrust his palm to the creature's belly. The palm went through his body, and the goblin died in a terrible pain. Atrus discarded the body, roared again, then attacked the next creature. Anna was stunned. Atrus' style was very... savage... She watched in horror as Atrus shredded the next victim's body. Atrus had gone berserk...! He had turned into a monster himself...! Maya, however, quickly reacted to the situation. She kicked her paralyzed rapist, grabbed the short blade from his belt, and slit his throat. She dashed into Anna and freed her as well. Anna, however, was still stunned. "Mistress! Let's go!" "A... Atrus..." That was what she could muster to say. "Master!" Maya called. "Give me some more knives, and I will help you!" But Atrus didn't hear it. He could have heard that, but he didn't react to her request. He just leaped from one creature to another, drawing more blood. "I can't believe it... Atrus..." "Mistress! We must secure the villagers! Come on!" "Uh... right!" Anna suddenly gained her fighting spirit back. She got up, cast a protective spell on Maya and herself, and then ran toward the villagers. The orcs guarding the villagers didn't notice them coming and became preys for Anna's fire bolt and Maya's blade. The rest of the orcs drew their crossbows and began pouring the villagers with arrows, but Anna deflected their shots with her magic barrier. Their attack didn't last for long, however, because suddenly Atrus appeared behind them and wreaked havoc their ranks. Anna released several fire bolts at the creatures that guarded the cave mouth. Maya quickly herded the panicked villagers out of the cave. The creatures had no more intention in stopping them anymore as they began to disperse and flee to any directions. Anna guarded the cave mouth, spitting fire bolts at anybody who dared to fight her. Maya joined her later with several knives in her hands. "The villagers were safe in the fort ruins... Oh my..." Before them laid a pile of dead creature corpses. The stink smell of blood filled the air. Atrus, unaware of the situation, was still busy with his killing business. He killed anything before him with tremendous hatred and cruelty. His anger was the only thing that was alive in him. Until now nobody could hurt him at all. Lucius had been a spectator to the fight so far, and he was surprised to see how his army was slaughtered. With anger, he raised his right hand and formed a big blue hall, then released it toward Atrus. "ATRUS!!! WATCH OUT!!!" Anna screamed. The ball erupted in contact and for some time Atrus' form was covered with blue smoke. But shortly after, the flame around his body ignited again. The flame seemed to protect him from any blows. The attack was enough to divert his attention and he turned to face Lucius. His eyes were burning with anger and hatred as he dashed toward him. Lucius delivered a direct blow on his belly, but it did little to stop his advance. Atrus responded with his own blow on Lucius' head and hurled him across the room. Lucius stood up again, only to find Atrus standing right in front of him. The second blow struck home on his chest, creating a cracking noise and a loud groan. His demonic form crashed on the far wall of the room. Limp from the previous blow, Lucius created another blue flaming ball, far bigger than before, and propelled it toward Atrus. To his surprise, Atrus created a similar ball of fire in his palms and propelled it toward Lucius' ball, creating a huge explosion that rocked the entire cave. After the smoke was gone, so was Lucius' ball. "Impossible...! Nobody could have done that...! Not even the demons...!" Atrus gave him no chance to think any further. He dashed toward the stunned demon and sent another blow on his belly. His hand tore his skin like a piece of paper, and his hand was jammed inside his belly. Lucius' roar of pain was followed by Atrus' angry wail, as the blaze around him was getting bright. Suddenly smoke came out of Lucius. Atrus was creating another ball of fire, right inside Lucius' belly! "It... it can't be... You... you... are... AAARGH!!!" Shortly Lucius' form was incinerated from inside. With a large explosion, it was disintegrated into the thin air. Atrus stood on his place. His breathing was slow and heavy. Both Maya and Anna were shocked at the view. Was that what Atrus could do when he was angry? What he had done was terrible... He was definitely not Atrus they had known... They thought everything was over now. They were wrong... The death of their leader made the surviving Army of Darkness panic even more. Their growls attracted Atrus' vicious nature again and he dasher toward the monsters. Both Maya and Anna had to watch the slaughter in disbelief. "M...mistress... What happened to master...?" Maya was shivering from her fear. "He was controlled by his anger... He will kill anybody he hates... There's nothing we can do the stop him until... he is satisfied..." Anna slowly answered. "How... how do you know...?" "I can feel it... I can feel his anguish... I can feel his hatred..." A few minutes later, the last of the Army of Darkness fell to the ground. Only Atrus, Anna, and Maya were left in the cave. Around them were the corpses of the goblins and orcs that had become preys from Atrus' anger. Suddenly Atrus turned to face Anna. He grabbed a sword from a dead goblin and walked toward her. "Mistress... He didn't recognize us... Let's get out of here!" Maya pulled her arm. But she refused it. "You go, Maya. I will stay." "Mistress! He will kill you!" "If that's what he wants, let him have it. I don't mind..." Atrus stopped just in front of her. His eyes were blazing with anger. The air around him was uncomfortably hot from the flame around his body. The grip on the sword tightened as he raised the sword over his head. "Do it, Atrus, if that's what you want." "Mistress! Master Atrus... Please stop this..." Atrus didn't move or answer. "I know you were angry at me. I know you hate me for what I've done. What are you waiting for? KILL ME!!!" Anna cried. Atrus roared again, then swung the sword with all his might... "MISTRESS!!!" ... Only to stop an inch before her head. "What's wrong? Are you not man enough to kill me?" Maya fell on her knees and cried, "Please master... don't kill her... She was fooled by the demon..." "Kill me, Atrus... I have nothing to fight for..." Anna continued. Her eyes were filled with tears. "I have doubted you... I thought you betrayed me... I have accused you for things you didn't do... I... I feel so... worthless... I have betrayed you... I almost got us all killed..." "Master... please return..." "So kill me, Atrus... I will die without honor if I perform suicide... But I want to die in your hand... I want to die in the hand of a friend I trust most... I just want you to know that... you're my best friend... and I will never feel sorry for meeting you... Now kill me..." Anna fell on her knees before him. The sword was only an inch to her neck. Only a quick stroke and everything would be over... But suddenly the fire around him subsided. Slowly his grip loosened and the sword fell to the ground. The sound of the sword as it hit the ground made Anna's heart jump, but she was surprised that Atrus hadn't killed her. She looked at his eyes... And his eyes were there. His eyes were not blazing with flame anymore, and his gaze was no longer blank or filled with anger. His eyes were well focused, looking straight through her eyes. Those deep-blue eyes... the eyes same eyes that belonged to Atrus she had known... He had returned! He was looking at her with a great concern. "A... Anna... what... have I done...?" He turned to see his hand and the sword on the ground, then turned to face her with fear in his gaze. "Oh my... could it be...? I... I almost..." His words were interrupted as Anna hugged his legs tightly. Atrus quickly knelt down and embraced her tightly. She was still shaking with fear. He tried to share her fear, but the his fear was far greater than hers. "Atrus... I don't know what to say... I... I'm so sorry..." Atrus was speechless. Anna was very terrified that she hugged Atrus very tightly. Then he could feel another pair of hands touched his shoulder. When he turned, he saw Maya. She was looking at him with a great concern, but she was smiling despite the tears in her eyes. "Master Atrus... I can't say how glad I am to have you back..." Then Atrus looked around him. The cave was full of corpses of the army of darkness. He tried his best, but he still couldn't remember a thing. What had he done? Was this his doing? How could this be? The horror written in Anna's eyes told him what he needed to know. Something horrible had happened on him, and he didn't know what it was... Suddenly he remembered something. "Jenna...!" Maya quickly stood up and searched the cave. After some time, she yelled, "Master! She's still alive! Come here quick!" Jenna was still lying on the ground. The blue sword was still on her chest. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was very faint. Anna quickly sat beside her and focused her power. Her spell flowed from her hands through her body, but no change was made. "I can't... Come on... Wake up..." Anna tried again harder. Atrus grabbed her cold palm and squeezed it softly. It appeared that her wound was far too serious... She might not make it... Anna tried her best, but the result was no good. Her body swayed as her power diminished and Maya had to hold her body to keep her balance. Tears filled her eyes again as her hope of success vanished. She just cried beside Jenna's body. "I'm sorry, Atrus... I... I can't reach her soul..." Suddenly Jenna's palm responded to Atrus' squeeze. Her eyelids slowly opened, revealing a weak stare. Her mouth tried to speak. Her voice was weak, but audible. "Sir... the battle..." "We've won, Jenna! The demon is dead! Your village's destruction has been avenged!" Atrus said. "You hang on there... you'll be fine..." He knew how bad he lied. Jenna gave him a weak smile. "No... my time has come..." She stopped, then continued. "You know... I used to think... a weak girl like me... would never be useful for you..." "Don't say that! Your bravery astonished me... You are already a hero..." "I'm glad then..." she said. "If I can't win your love... your praise means everything for me... Sir, please remember me always..." "Forever, Jenna... forever..." Atrus answered. "I'm sorry... I'm just so sorry..." That was all Anna could say. Jenna just smiled at her. "It's... not... your... fault... Please... take... care... of... him..." Then Jenna exhaled a long breath... her last breath... and she fell silent with a smile carved in her pretty face... And the battle of Gideon was over... The big stone was erected together by the women. Jenna's name was clearly carved on the metallic surface. The monument was placed on a high flat ground next to the road that led to the town ruins. One of the women placed a bundle of flowers before the monument. The bright-yellow petals added beauty to the otherwise-dull stone. The wind played a slow sad lullaby, as if the nature joined the group in their sadness. Anna stepped forward and blessed the monument with her spell so that it will last for years to come. Then one by one the girls stepped forward to pour some more flowers. "We are here to let go one of our friends who has bravely given her life to save ours..." Atrus slowly said. Even he tried to be as strong as he could be, a scent of grief existed in his voice. His eyes were moist with tears. The girls were now sobbing softly, even Maya and Anna. "We are not here to... cry and let our sadness controlled us... because Jenna didn't want to see us like that..." He stopped for a while. "We are here to... say goodbye... because she will go in a long journey before us... and we know we will follow her one day... and we will be reunited once again..." "And according to her last wish... her name will be remembered in our heart... and her spirit and courage will live in us... forever..." Anna couldn't sleep that night. Many things were bothering her mind. It was not the safety of the villagers. The royal army detachment would come in three days, and they had enough food for at least another week. The area around them was pretty safe since all foul creatures were killed in the cave. It was Atrus that was bothering her mind. After the funeral, Atrus left the camp and was nowhere to be seen. He didn't even show up for dinner. She could remember how disappointed Maya had been because she had made his favorite meal for dinner. She could understand how he felt after the battle in the cave. He knew what had happened, but he couldn't understand why. His heart was in a big conflict and she couldn't help. She was one of his main problems, and helping him only got the problem worse. She could remember how he had nearly killed her. She could remember how shocked he had been when he had realized what he could have done to her. She still felt bad about what she had done, though. Her... treachery... had become thorns in Atrus' mind. Her treachery and the death of Jenna had been the reason for him to go berserk in the cave. He hadn't hurt her, though, or perhaps she had been lucky. Next time she might not be that lucky anymore... Both Anna and Maya had to realize that now they feared of Atrus more than ever. His anger was dangerous both for his enemies and allies. He could endanger the party any time, and she knew he was quite aware of that. And in the next morning, her worst nightmare came true... She found Maya sobbing in front of the fire. Maya looked at her with a weak gaze. Her words were trembling. "Mistress... master Atrus... he... he's gone..." Beside her was a piece of paper... a letter. She quickly grabbed it and read it. I'm sorry I have to go without saying goodbye. I don't want to leave you two, but I have a strong reason for my action. What I have done in the cave was not in my intention. I don't know how or why it happened. I know that my new power saved our life, but I am afraid that it can be dangerous. Therefore I have decided to go on a journey myself. I can endanger your safety if you go with me. Please don't stop your quest in searching for the Champion of the Guardian. I'm sure you will succeed one day. Once I can control my power and use it properly, I will join you again. Anna, I'm very sorry for what has happened in the cave. I know it is hard for you to forgive me, since I almost killed you. I can ensure you now that it will never happen again. Continue your journey to fulfill your dream. Maya, I know you are saddened with my leave. I can only ask you one thing. Please take care of Anna for me. You have got me out of trouble many times and I trust you can do the same for her. If our destiny dictates that, then we will cross paths again. Farewell... - Atrus White Lion She couldn't believe it... Atrus had gone... He had left her... "I forgive you, Atrus... It's not your fault... It's mine... But why do you have to leave...?" she asked quietly. But he hadn't left because he hated her. He had left because he was worried about her safety and Maya's. Even in his great depression, his nobility as a Ranger was still in him. And he left before the royal army came. He didn't care about being famous. Fame is no longer his reason for the journey. He had changed... a lot... Despite her sadness for losing him, she was proud of him. She admired him so much. And she would be waiting for their next meeting... Anna shed the tears away. "Maya... There's a slight change in our plan..." "Mistress...?" "We will have to postpone our search for the Champion of the Guardian... We will look for Atrus White Lion..." "But mistress, he said in his letter..." "I don't care about what he said!" Anna snapped. "We have shared the same dream together. I want all of us to fulfill it together as well..." "Yes, mistress... I agree..." Maya answered. Anna stood up and looked at the eastern sky. The sun slowly rose from the horizon and spread warmth across the land. A new day had come, and a new search had begun. "We will find you, Atrus... If it will take forever, then forever it will be..." To Be Continued... Contributed by vipers101@hotmail.com