The Ancient Prophecy Ch. 05

"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, 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 travelling 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. Her wrists and ankles were bound by metal shackles that were hooked on the floor and somewhere in the dark ceiling. 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, a long sword was strapped on his back. Nothing was special about the man except for his deep blue eyes.