The Ancient Prophecy Ch. 11b

"N...no..."

"Then come with us. We honor you as our guest in our sacred ceremony. But you must leave your weapons and followers behind. Sacred Sanctuary is the most sacred place in the shrine..."

"I want my guards to come along." Roberto suddenly said.

"But only guests are..."

"I insist!" Roberto hissed.

Ursula paused for a moment, then nodded. "Very well, Prince Roberto. Please..."

"Falstoff..." Atrus said. "You're not really Falstoff, right?"

"That's right, brother." The black knight grinned. "That's my human name."

"Brother?" Anna frowned at Atrus. "I don't recall you have a brother."

"He doesn't." Falstoff replied. "But the Champion of the Guardian does."

"Who are you?" Atrus asked.

"Why, brother, we come from the same mother, Goddess Gaea, the protector of the realm."

"What?!" Atrus was shocked. "It... it can't be!!"

"That's right." Falstoff grinned. "My father is no other than Lord Daemon, the supreme commander of the Army of Darkness."

"I can't believe it!" Lynn said. "You... you never told me this!"

"Forgive me, my fair lady." The dark knight bowed slightly. "The secret of my childhood was locked inside of me by my own father and would not be revealed until the secret of the Champion of the Guardian is revealed." He snickered. "And when it does, I'll be there to meet him, and slay him."

Suddenly a large black bubble rose from the ground, trapping the two warriors inside. The surface of the bubble was thin and transparent, allowing people from the outside to see the growing hostility happening inside. Anna and Calem tried to penetrate it using their magic, but their bolts exploded harmlessly against the surface. Lynn tried to smash through the bubble, but the surface zapped her with powerful electrical force, making the little Fairy jerk and scream in pain. Holgreb leaped toward her and snatched her lithe body from the bubble. The two forms fell on the sandy ground.

"Please do not hurt yourself, my fair lady." Falstoff mourned. "You are the least person I want to hurt."

"Then stop this now, Falstoff!" The Fairy cried. "If you hurt Atrus, you will hurt me!"

"As much as I agree with you, I'm afraid I can't submit to your demand." The dark knight replied politely. "The sole purpose for my existence is to slay the Champion of the Guardian."

"No, you can back away!" Lynn hovered near the bubble without being zapped. "You've been with us long enough! You know our cause is right!"

"That I cannot argue, indeed."

"Then join us! Join our cause! Forget your demonic blood! Join us for the survival of our realm!"

Falstoff was silent for a while, thinking of the offer. "Lynn..." He called her by name. "Lynn... you... you don't understand..."

"Of course I do understand!" The Fairy was sobbing. "I've spent some time together with you, and I know you're not a demon! You're a human! You belong with us!"

"I belong with you...?" He frowned.

"You're my friend, remember? We're friends, right? The song that night has blessed our friendship!"

His eyes suddenly met hers as if the gaze pierced through the bubble. "That is exactly the problem. Your songs hurt me."

"H...hurt you...?"

"You noticed how I felt pain when you sang that night. You noticed how my head hurt in the last battle when you sang in the air. You noticed how the bells back in the shrine harmed my stomach. And I believe that I'm the cause of the collapsing of magic barriers, both here and back in the shrine. My nature has caused Anna to suffer torment and villagers to die."

"M...my songs... hurt you...?" Lynn muttered, deeply horrified.

"Listen, people." Falstoff addressed everyone in the island. "I... I really appreciate the time we've spent together. I've learnt a lot. I've learnt too much. I've learnt what a demonic abomination like me shouldn't have learnt. I've learnt about friendship. I've learnt about teamwork. And most of all, I've learnt about trust." He specifically nodded at Atrus. "I've learnt enough... I've learnt enough to become one of you...

"But something inside of me remains the same. My demonic blood still runs in my veins. You are all creations of the Gods; I'm a demonic abomination. No matter how hard I try, I can never be one of you. I tremendously appreciate the offer, but the time has come for me to fulfill my own destiny. I must serve my purpose, just like all of you."

"No! Don't do this!"

Lynn slammed against the bubble again and screamed as the cruel current flowed through her body. To everyone's surprise, however, it was Falstoff who blasted the Fairy off the surface with his magic. Aurelia caught her just before she hit the dirt. The Fairy tried to struggle, but she was too weak.

"No... please... Falstoff, don't do this... I... I don't want to lose you!!"

The dark knight stared sadly at her, then faced his adversary. "Let's do this, Champion."

"Falstoff, listen to her." Atrus tried. "Join us. Your demonic blood means nothing to us."

"It's useless, and you know it, Champion. You have to kill me to reach my father."

"Your father is a demon!" Atrus exclaimed. "You are not. Demons have no friends. Demons have no dreams. You are not a demon. You are one of us."

"Then if I am, let me fulfill my destiny." Falstoff replied. "And if it really is my destiny, let me die in your hand."

"I cannot, Falstoff!" Atrus yelled in frustration. "You are my friend!"

"Champion, if you honor me as your friend, then kill this demonic body!" He cried. "For you only snuff the body, but the soul remains." He stared at Atrus. "If I stay alive, my father will kill me and put my soul in torment, and I'll be forced to fight you again in the underworld. Kill me now, so I may fulfill my purpose."

"Falstoff..." Atrus looked away. "You know I don't want to do this..."

"I know, and I'm grateful." Falstoff raised his sword, ready for the duel.

There was a silent pause. Aurelia purposely held the Fairy, preventing her from slamming the bubble and hurting herself again. The party was silent, waiting for the duel of the age. Everyone held their breath as Atrus slowly met Falstoff's gaze and lifted the Sword of Faith.

"Lord Guardian, stop me, for I'm about to kill one of my own." He muttered.

Falstoff dashed toward Atrus, his sword blazing with black energy. Atrus mimicked the action and the two warriors drew close with amazing speed. The party held their breath as both warriors raised their swords. Falstoff's sword flared with dark power while Atrus' Sword of Faith with the holy power. The two swords collided, and there was a bright flash that blinded everyone in the island. A thundering clash of the two forces, joined by Lynn's cry of despair, filled the sky.

The help from the Gods never came. What must happen will happen.

And all elements of nature came to mourn.

As the party recovered, they saw Atrus kneeling on one corner of the bubble, leaning on the Sword of Faith for support. Falstoff, however, was still standing erect, his sword remained firm in his hands. The dark knight lifted his head, formed a smile, then closed his eyes. His grip broke open and the sword fell to the ground, broken into two pieces. A long cut broke open on his body, stretching across his chest, and fresh blood gushed out. The body went limp and collapsed to the ground.

And the dark bubble was shattered. Lynn instantly yanked Aurelia's grip and soared toward Falstoff's unmoving body. The party quickly crowded them as well. Lynn desperately rolled his body over and began to call his name.

"Miss Anna, please save his life!" The Fairy pleaded desperately.

Anna quickly took his hand and felt his pulse. She fell silent. She'd seen no one with a life force this weak yet remained alive. Falstoff's soul was weak. His wound was mortal. Her magic wouldn't be able to heal him, let alone save his life.

She shook her head slowly. "I'm sorry, Lynn..."

"No, you must do it!!" Lynn said, nearly crying. "You're a priestess! You can heal everything!"

"But... but..." Anna hesitated. But with this wound he's supposed to die by now, she wanted to say. Then she felt the same jolt of life coming from the body. Falstoff weakly stared into her eyes as if trying to say something to her. There was something inside him, so powerful that it refused to surrender to death. And she knew what it was.

"Lynn..." She started. "Falstoff has... something to say to you..."

The Fairy stared at her in confusion, yet looked at Falstoff, who in turn had turned his gaze to her eyes. A streak of tears fell from his eyes.

"Lynn..." Anna choked. "He... he said he loves you... And... and his love for you... will never die..."

And as she finished her sentence, a weak smile blossomed from his face. He was smiling! With that he slowly closed his eyes. This time, it was for good.

Falstoff was gone.

Lynn cried and shook his body, but even she knew it was useless. The poor Fairy could only cry upon his chest, remembering the good times they had together, and regretting the times they could have had. Calem held the Fairy in his arms, patiently consoling her. Aurelia and Maya stood from afar, their eyes wet with tears. Even Holgreb, the least sensitive member of the party, seemed to be smashed by the loss of their friend.

Indeed, the nature came to mourn, for a fine warrior had been slain.

Anna stood up, although her heart felt heavy yet hollow. Her eyes quickly found Atrus standing far away, staring into the vast ocean. She could feel a greater despair gnawing him from inside. She could understand. It had been his hands that had killed Falstoff. It had been his sword that had made that mortal wound. And the worst of all, it was he who had snuffed a pure love from coming true.

She joined him in deep thought, standing just next to him.

"Why?" The question came raw from his mouth.

Anna knew that she couldn't offer any better answer. "What must happen will happen."

"No, that's not it." He said. "He... he embraced death willingly..."

"What do you mean?"

"Don't tell Lynn." Atrus warned. "He... he met my sword with his... He knew that my sword is the weapon of the Gods... He knew that his sword is not a match for mine... yet he met my sword... He... he committed suicide..."

Anna peeked at the group behind them, making sure Lynn wasn't listening. "But why?"

"He did it for her." Atrus choked. "He wanted to die like a true warrior rather than a fool who fought half-heartedly. He didn't want to disappoint her. He... he wanted her to be proud of him..."

"He... he did that?"

"He is a fine man." Atrus said slowly. "May his soul rest in peace."

And the Fairy opened her mouth and sang the song of love, despair, and hope for the man she loved. The requiem filled the air with unspoken sorrow and reached the Paradise, where the Gods finally let out their comforting hands. The wind around the island died instantly. The clouds were opened and a streak of heavenly light came from the sky and illuminated the small island. And the party felt the warm feeling in their hearts. The Gods had come and consoled their sorrow.

And their prayer had been answered. Falstoff was at peace.

Anna sighed in relief and wiped the tears from her face. She looked at Atrus, but was surprised to find the same sorrow sculptured in his face. And there was something else. Anger.

"Daemon..." He gritted his teeth. "I'll make you pay every single minute of this...!"

"Honey..." Anna held him from behind. "Let's concentrate the matter at hand. Remember, don't let anger hinder your judgement."

She was pleased to find his anger declining slowly. Then she felt his hand firmly gripping hers. He looked at her, smiling.

"Right. And we'll start with your case. We're going back to the shrine."

They walked back to the party. Anna wasn't surprised to find Lynn avoiding their gaze. The Fairy was too drowned in her sadness that it was wise not too push her too far.

"We're going back to the shrine." Atrus announced. "I'm determined to uproot the demonic influence in that shrine. Are you all with me?"

"Of course, Lord Atrus!" Calem said. "You are the Champion. We will go wherever you go!"

"I'll follow you, Lord Atrus." The Elf said humbly.

"No problem here, kid!" Holgreb replied casually. "Uh... I mean, Lord Atrus."

It took a few seconds for Lynn to regain her composure and replied. "Forgive me if I'm still hindered by my despair..." She sobbed for a while. "B...but I will follow you, Lord Atrus..."

"Thank you, Lynn, thank you everybody." Atrus smiled. "We'll make them pay."

Roberto took his seat at the front row of the Sacred Sanctuary, reserved only for guests. His guards were sitting at the back row. Between them also sat nearly two hundred priestesses wearing costumes of various colors, from dark blue to pure white. He was guessing that the color symbolized the rank, although he wasn't really sure.

He felt dwarfed. The Sacred Sanctuary was just like an amphitheater. Each seat row was built higher than the next one, with the main podium and the altar lying on the lowest ground. From his position he could see the entire horde of priestesses, who in the same time were all staring curiously at him. It was understandable, since he's the only one in the room wearing a full set of plate armor and battle gear. Plus, most of the priestesses here probably hadn't seen any males for a long time. He felt dwarfed. He wanted his Kaiser Sword back.

An older lady sat next to him. She had introduced herself as 'former' High Priestess Elizabeth. He liked her. While the entire horde of young women seemed quite threatening to him, the old lady was very friendly. But he was restless. From time to time he looked nervously at the back of the room, making sure everything was save and his guards were there.

"Something is troubling you, young prince." The old lady said.

"Oh, I'm just saddened by the loss of my friend, my lady." Prince Roberto replied.

Priestess Elizabeth nodded, but the grin she was trying to hide made him feel worried. Yet her gesture was not threatening. In this 'hostile' environment, even a 'slightly hostile' figure could be considered a welcome sight.

A young priestess came up before the altar and addressed the audience. "Today we will enact the new High Priestess of the Holy Order of Lycra. May the Gods receive our fasting and prayer, so that they will guide us in this ceremony."

Roberto frowned. Although he hated it, he was expecting a long welcoming speech that last for at least a few hours. Everything seemed a bit... rushed. But he didn't complain.

Then the woman he knew as Priestess Ursula came toward the podium followed by at least seven other followers. She wore the most decorated costume. She wore a high collar made from fine metal and decorated with sun-shaped sculptures. Her snow-white cloak fell to the floor, nearly covering her front. Her gown was made out of soft silk and hugged her body gracefully. She looked around the room and suddenly fixed her gaze to him. Roberto swallowed hard. Despite her wide smile, her gaze was sharp, deadly piercing, seeking to tame him. He wished his metal boots had had laces, so he would have a good reason to tie them up, effectively breaking the eye contact.

"Priestess Ursula had been with us for twenty years." One priestess announced. "She has been serving Lord Guardian along with all of us since she was just a toddler. She is a loyal member of our order. Now, sisters, I am proud to present Priestess Ursula for the position of the High Priestess of the Holy Order of Lycra."

Again, he was expecting a cheer from the fellow priestesses, but the room was dead quiet. The only sound he could hear came from his nervous stomach. In fact, he hadn't eaten since last night.

"Now sisters, let's all pray together for Gods' blessings for our new High Priestess, so she may lead our order, and eventually, all races of the Guardian, along the way of the truth."

One priestess came forward, carrying a tray with a cloth-covered object. The cloth was soon lifted and a golden mace came into view. The mace was made from strong metal and covered with gold plating. The sun-shaped head was filled with beautiful sculptures of sunrays. Roberto knew the mace well. It was the Sun Mace, the holy artifact of the Order of Lycra. A royal gift from the court of Aragon many years ago, the artifact symbolized the loyalty of the order to the kingdom. Inside the order, carried by the High Priestess, the mace also symbolized the power and authority of the wielder. While largely untested in close combat, the enchanted mace was known to amplify the wielder's magical ability.

"And Prince Roberto of the Kingdom of Aragon will personally give the holy mace to our new High Priestess."

Roberto blinked. Nobody had told him that he was supposed to participate in the ceremony. Just suddenly, all eyes were turned toward him. Priestess Elizabeth just touched his arm and motioned him to go forward.

"Please, we will be very honored." She smiled.

Roberto clumsily walked toward the altar and received the offered mace. The artifact looked heavy at first, but was as light as a feather in his hands. He admired the enchanted weapon for a while, then faced Priestess Ursula. She was smiling at him warmly.

"Priestess Ursula," he began. "Uh... I... We're all aware that the Holy Order of Lycra is... I mean... has been a loyal member of our kingdom... And... and so... uh... we really appreciate it..."

Cut it out, his mind scream. He could feel beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

"And so, with power bestowed upon me by the royal court of Aragon, I..."

Just suddenly a magic portal appeared exactly above the holy altar. Anna popped out first, crashing on top of the altar, head first. Atrus followed later. He was supposed to land nicely on his feet, but with Anna on the way he crashed on her, sending both of them sliding along the altar and into the floor. Lynn flapped her wings as soon as she arrived, yet Maya crashed into her, nearly squishing the Fairy. The Elf landed on the edge of the altar and quickly fell to the floor. The Dwarf landed with a loud crash that Roberto thought that the altar had been broken into two. Finally Calem landed on the altar, got tripped by Holgreb's prone body, and both of them stumbled to the floor.

"... I propose that we deal with the current problem justly and properly." He finished.

"Calem!!" Atrus groaned from behind the altar. "You'll pay for this!!"

"Get off me, Ranger! You're sitting on my head!"

"Who touched my butt?!" The Elf cried hysterically, followed by a sound of a slap. "You perverted Dwarf!!"

Ho boy...

"What is the meaning of this?!" Ursula cried out.

Aurelia, who recovered first, stood up only to find two hundred angry priestesses glaring at her. She desperately looked at Roberto for help.

"Halt!" Roberto cried once seeing that some of the priestesses in the front rows had prepared their magic missile spells. "Let them speak!"

"There's nothing to say!" One priestess cried. "Those people have defiled the holy altar!"

"The altar looks fine..." and the stone altar collapsed into two parts, directly where Holgreb had landed earlier, "... a few minutes ago..."

"Sisters, arrest them!!"

"Wait!" Aurelia cried. "Behold, you are facing the Champion of the Guardian!!" She pointed at the empty spot behind the altar. "Uh... Lord Atrus, get over here!" She hissed, then faced the crowds again. "Behold, the Champion of the Guardian!"

Atrus clumsily stood up, using the altar for support. His hair was a mess and his cloak was all over his shoulder. The audience quickly exploded in loud laughter.

"Does it say in the prophecy that I can deliver curses to the people?" Atrus asked Anna.

"Nope... you're a savior, not a witch doctor."

"Sisters, decimate this two devils!" Ursula ordered.