The Ancient Prophecy Ch. 10

"Well?" Hawk asked. "How was it?"

"It was... very good... T...thank you..." She blushed again.

"I'm glad you like it."

Hawk kissed her forehead and was about to bid good night when she pushed him off her and onto the bed. In turn, she climbed on him and inspected his body.

"Not fair! You've played around with my body. Now it's my turn!"

Aurelia proceeded to copy his previous move. The problem was that her satin dress was far easier to remove than his thick leather armor. Hawk gratefully helped her with it. As soon as his armor was off, Aurelia kissed him passionately while massaging his broad chest. Slowly she trailed her tongue down his neck while her hands expertly massaged his chest. For a girl who didn't even know how to correctly please a Human male, she was doing a good job. Her position also allowed Hawk to get a clear view of her ample breasts. His member instantly grew hard, an occurrence she had never seen before.

"W...what was that...?" She pointed at it.

"Eh...?"

"This is interesting..." She touched the bulging part on his pants and giggled as it twitched. "Hey, look at that! This is interesting..."

"Um... Aurelia...? Shall... shall we continue...?"

"Hang on... let me check this out..."

She opened his pants and his member sprang free. She touched it with her hands, feeling its hardness. Her treatment, however, provided the necessary stimulation for him.

"You like that?" Aurelia asked.

"Uh... Yeah..."

"So if I touch this thing... Uh... what do you call this...?"

"It's a penis... it's sort of the male version of female clitoris..."

"Clirt... what? Uh, never mind. I'll never remember any of the Human words anyway. May I... uh... use my mouth?"

"By all means..."

The Elf carefully extended her tongue and gave a quick lick. After knowing that this 'object' was not poisonous, she proceeded to lick the entire head of his member. He let out a groan as she licked his penis eagerly, driven by curiosity and passion to please him. Without warning she put the entire head inside her mouth and sucked lightly. Her action was rewarded with a moan of pleasure.

"Aurelia... I... I can't hold on..."

He finally reached climax and shot his load into her mouth. She was taken by surprise, but swallowed it until the last drop. When everything was finished, he found her looking at him in fear.

"Is... is that okay...? I mean... I swallowed it..." She asked.

"No problem, sweetie..." Hawk soothed her. "It's not poisonous at all."

"Am... am I going to bear your baby...?"

"No." He chuckled. "You will not get pregnant by doing that."

"Last question..." She looked into his eyes. "Did... did you like that...?"

He kissed her forehead again. "That was wonderful, sweetie, thank you."

He called me sweetie... Her heart was flushed with joy. He was happy with her performance. That was all she needed to know. Slowly she joined him in bed and cuddled in his arms, enjoying each other's warmth.

"I wish this will last forever..." She muttered.

"Nothing is impossible, sweetie... nothing is..."

Soon fatigue overcame her and she began to feel sleepy. Hawk pulled the blanket over both of them and slowly stroked her long hair. She was in heaven. As she closed her eyes, she smiled, knowing that the man she loved would be there when she woke up.

What am I doing here?!

Atrus blinked his eyes, but only darkness greeted him. His head was dizzy. Carefully he reached out with his hand, but he found nothing graspable. He could not even understand why he could stand on his feet when he found nothing under them. Now he understood why this place was called Void. He was in the middle of nothingness.

And he had to navigate through it to confront Gareth and rescue Anna.

Confront Gareth? Is that why I'm here...?

No. That's not why he was here. In fact, if he had the chance, he would definitely dispose Gareth with his own hands. He was definitely here to rescue Anna.

She's probably dead...

NO! The thought pounded the back of his mind. He didn't know where it came from. He could see nobody nearby.

Forget it! It's not worth your life!

NO! He clutched his head in attempt to dispose the thought. His eyes wandered in panic to find the invisible intruder, but again, only darkness enveloped him.

"Who are you?!" He drew his sword. "Show yourself and fight me!"

Silence.

"Gareth Lightbringer! Fight me, you coward!"

You can't defeat me...

"What...?!" The voice definitely came from nowhere around him. It was inside his head.

You can't defeat me...

"Face me! I'll show you otherwise!"

You can't defeat me... for I am you...

"What?! Who are you?!"

I am you... Atrus White Lion... The royal knight of the kingdom of Aragon... The famed Demon Slayer... the great Prophet of the Guardian...

"It can't be!" Atrus answered quickly. "I am Atrus! You mean I'm talking to myself?!"

I am you... and I am your worst nightmare...

"I don't have time for this!" Atrus replied. "I have to save Anna!"

Why do you have to save her?

"Because I... Why should I tell you!" Atrus shot back.

Perhaps because you love her...?

"Yes, I love her, now get lost!!"

You can't lie to me...

"What are you talking about?!"

You can lie to her, but not to yourself...

"I love her!" Atrus repeated. "And no one can change that!"

How about Maya, the slave of yours? How about that pretty girl Sylvia you met at Labrador?

"What...?" Atrus hesitated.

See... You don't even know why you love her. I'd bet you don't even know what love is.

"I love her and that's that!" Atrus couldn't hold his anger.

Want to prove it?

"I don't have the time to play around!"

I can help you find her...

Atrus was silent for a while. "You mean she's still alive?" He asked.

I don't know, but I can find her. You will help me.

"Why should I help you?!" Atrus asked angrily.

Because you have no other choice.

He tried to hold his anger. No matter how much he argued, the voice was right. He had to play the game, or else he and Anna would be trapped here forever.

"Very well."

And the nightmare began...

Prince Roberto stood on the castle courtyard, facing his troops. He had decided to oversee the entire training session himself. The condition was so critical that the training was held day and night, of course with reasonable rotation for the troops to get their rest. The rotation, however, didn't work the same for the trainers. He felt tired, and extremely stupid. Even the dumbest trainer in the realm would call training troops in the middle of the night the dumbest thing anyone would do.

But he could see some improvement. The soldiers now readily obeyed every command. That would decrease the chance of soldiers dispersing before the enemies. That, however, didn't eliminate the chance of them getting killed in the battle. And for those who could still think, when facing far greater odds, the first thing that came in mind was to retreat, or make sure somebody kept your last will.

Unfortunately, the undead army couldn't think, let alone feel fear and retreat.

He was about to drink his ninth cup of tea when one guard cried out, "The dragon is back!"

The golden dragon landed on the castle courtyard. Roberto was expecting to see the complete party to leap out of the dragon's back, but was surprised to see only the Dwarf.

"Where are the others?" He asked.

"We hovered around Tiras. Hawk and Aurelia decided to stay in the town to spy around. I was ordered back to report..."

"Wait a minute!" Roberto eyed him. "You mean they're staying in Tiras?!"

"Yeah, I mean, I tried to stop them, but they seemed to know what they're doing..."

"What do you mean?!!" Roberto roared, attracting some attention around the courtyard. "They don't know what they're doing!! Tiras was utterly destroyed two days ago!! The town was burned down to the ground and the citizens were slaughtered! The rest of them fled to Blackwell as refugees!"

"That can't be!" Holgreb countered. "The town was intact! We saw people walking around the streets..."

"When they realized there is a huge army of zombies heading their way?" Roberto asked. "But wait a minute... Are you sure the town was intact? Are you sure it was Tiras?"

"Hawk was very sure about it. He seemed to know the town."

Roberto's eyes opened suddenly. He called his head instructor. "Order all soldiers to have a rest for two hours, then rally the entire army! You are to march as fast as possible to Blackwell and mount a defense on Castle Stone! Be prepared for assault and wait for reinforcements!"

"Wow, what's with the rush, boy?" Holgreb asked.

"Get on the lizard! We have to go to Tiras immediately!"

The two warriors climbed the dragon's back. "Can't you tell me what's going on?"

"Agar, take us to Tiras as fast as possible!"

Agar the dragon lifted off and soared through the night air toward the south.

"If your report is true, then the town was just an illusion." Roberto answered coldly. "It was a trap, and they're in grave danger..."

He was marvelous. His member slammed in and out of her, drawing pleasure to the center of her brain. She was definitely enjoying herself. Her body was drenched with sweat from hours of lovemaking. Her breath was heavy. Her heart was flushed with passion and lust.

Another shattering climax swept over her brain, but she wanted more. Her pussy had become tender and she knew she wouldn't be able to walk well for at least the next three days, but who cared. She was on top of the world, and she wouldn't want to go down, ever.

But then he saw a figure staring at them from the immerse darkness. She couldn't read the expression, for there was none, but the voice was familiar... very familiar.

Anna...

For instant her concentration was broken, yet the desire took over her again. Her hips rocked uncontrollably as another climax was approaching.

Anna...

"Atrus...?"

Her brain cried out, annoyed with the interruption. Her lips closed tightly as her mind tortured her with the unsatisfied desire. She looked at her current lover. He was so strong. He could satisfy her hunger whenever she needed it. She loved him so much...

Another pain rocked through her brain. Love...? What is love...? Again confusion swept over her. Beneath her, her lover's member kept on thrusting inside of her, keeping her stimulated, yet unsatisfied.

Anna...

"Atrus, stop it!!" She cried. "Can't you see I'm busy?!"

Anna...

"Atrus, you're delaying my release! I want my release!"

Anna...

"Atrus!!"

Anna...

"Atrus White Lion!" She cried with rage. "I hate you!!"

Suddenly the image of Atrus disappeared in the darkness. Unfortunately, her lover also disappeared, leaving her alone in the darkness, crying, still unsatisfied. Another feeling swept through her, a feeling she hadn't felt before since the nightmare began. Her inner heart cried out in agony, supplying her, not with lust and desire, but with guilt.

"What have I said...? What have I done...?"

You're a slut!

"No, that voice again!" She cried. "Get out of my head!"

You're a slut! You know nothing about love!

"What?! I know about love! I know I love..."

She hesitated. Somewhere in her heart, she knew that she had loved Atrus White Lion before. But something in her brain told her otherwise. The two forces struggled for supremacy, filling her with desire, lust and guilt.

You love Atrus, but he never loves you...

"What?"

He loves other girls... You're not one of them...

"No..." She replied weakly.

You can't change the fact. You have a desire, and it is unsatisfied. Then why bother?

"Why bother...?"

Why do you live a wretched live waiting for fulfillment that may never come? If he dumps you, he ruins your life. It's not worth the risk...

The tingle in her crotch reminded her of the unfinished session of lovemaking. Soon she realized that there was nothing more in this world than pleasure. Slowly her hand reached out for her pussy and began teasing it.

The guilt lost, and the lust won the match.

Hawk lay peacefully on the large bed, thinking of his past life. He remembered how he'd left home to work in the military. For a family as poor as his, his dad couldn't afford good education, and the military was the only hope for Hawk to get a proper schooling. He had made his way through the military, achieving the title of the youngest Captain in the history. He had to admit that the responsibility as a Captain was a hard one. He was responsible for his own troops in his detachment. He had to work twice as hard to gain the respect from his troops. A Captain at the age of 25 rarely got any respect from his men.

But after he met Atrus, his life had changed. He had found new courage. He had succeeded in many tasks, finally giving him the title of the chief trainer for the elite royal army. His further involvement in Atrus' cause had also caused him to meet this beautiful Elf-girl, who was now sleeping peacefully in his arms. Aurelia was clutching him so close that he could feel her heartbeat. Her silky long hair lay on his chest. Tirelessly he stroked her hair, wanting to please her in every moment. He loved her so much...

Soon drowsiness took control. He had to admit that training troops for almost all day long was very exhausting. He began to feel really sleepy. As he nearly closed his eyes, he enjoyed, probably for the last time, the vast space and the beautiful sparkle of stars in the sky...

Stars in the sky...?!

His eyes opened suddenly. He inspected his surrounding, but the room was quite normal. And the ceiling was fine. But he could swear that he just saw open sky. His drowsiness demanded attention but he ignored it. Just like his own trainer used to say; if you feel that you are in danger, you probably are.

"Aurelia..." He whispered.

No answer.

"Aurelia...!"

She let out a soft whimper. He knew that waking a girl up this late after a very satisfying lovemaking session was a dumb idea. But he knew something was very wrong.

"Aurelia...! Wake up, sweetie...!"

"What time is it...?" Aurelia asked softly.

"I don't know... probably around midnight..."

She gave him a blank look. "So... do you know what you're doing...?" She asked.

"Don't give me that look!" He lowered his voice. "I think something is really wrong here."

"Are you okay...?" She put her palm on his forehead. "It's perfectly fine here..."

"I don't think so..." He thought for a while. "Dress up. We're going."

"In the middle of the night?!" Aurelia was confused.

"If trouble arises, I don't want to be inside this build..."

He couldn't finish his sentence when he heard a strange croaking sound from somewhere downstairs.

"What was that...?" The Elf asked.

"You heard that too?"

Elves were gifted with superior senses, making them great hunters. But their senses worked better in detecting danger. Her long ears twitched repeatedly as she tried to listen carefully. The voice came again, this time stronger. It was something she had never heard before. That could mean trouble.

"Dress up!" Hawk ordered. "And keep your ears open!"

This time she obeyed. Hawk also put his armor on. He didn't bring his spear along for this journey, but further investigation yielded an old mop under the bed which, probably, could be used in a similar way, although it wouldn't produce similar result. Aurelia, on the other hand, did bring her bows and a few arrows. Her trusty short blade was still strapped on her belt. A hunter never left home without it.

The creaking sound continued, this time coming from the nearby stairs. It seemed as if something was moving toward their room, very slowly. Then came the knock on the door.

"Answer it, but be careful." Hawk whispered.

Aurelia approached the door, but it swung open right before her face, knocking her backward. When she recovered, her eyes were fixed on the creature before her. Her body tensed and shivered with fear. She had never seen a zombie before. The creature was a man, or what was left of it. His clothes were torn here and there. Most part of his flesh were rotting off and hanging on the dirty bones. The face was highly disfigured, with one of his eyeballs missing. The foul smell of rotten flesh invaded her nostrils. It was definitely not a pretty sensation.

The creature groaned with whatever was left in his voice cords and raised his hand, ready to strike her. Although the movement was sluggish and slow, Aurelia was completely paralyzed with fear. Her body refused to move. She could only watch in horror as the zombie swung his hand toward her head.

The mop met him. Hawk hacked him with the mop head, pushing him backward toward the hallway. There he could see at least two more zombies trying to make their way up the stairs. Hawk returned to his original target and hacked the zombie toward the stairs. He hadn't practiced his mop skill for years, but his ferocity overwhelmed the creature. With a final blow, the zombie fell down the stairs, bringing his two other fellows with him.

Hawk returned to his friend and slapped her cheek lightly several times, "Aurelia...! Come on! We have to get out of here!"

"Wha... what was that....?"

Hawk picked a footstool, broke it apart, slammed the door shut and jammed the handle with the piece of wood. "One of the undead, probably. I'll try to hold them up. Start planning our escape route!"

Aurelia carefully approached the window and peeked outside. "Oh dear... Hawk... you... you've got to see this..."

Hawk joined her near the window and was stunned. The proud town of Tiras was gone. There was nothing but ruins. The buildings had been burned into the ground, leaving black piles of planks and stones. The entire town had been turned into a ghost town.

And ghosts crawled all around the town. The streets were now crowded with zombies, all heading toward the inn Hawk and Aurelia were staying in.

"Illusions..." Hawk mumbled. "They were all illusions... I wasn't dreaming just now... The town was gone..."

"We're trapped," Aurelia said, "They got us surrounded."

Somebody had already started slamming at the jammed door. "I'm not going to give up easily!" said Hawk. "We're going down, and we're going through them!"

Hawk opened the nearest cupboard and got some dirty leather cloths and bedcovers. Quickly he put them all on around his shoulders as cloaks. Then he ran toward the Aurelia, hugged her tight and secured his grip with the mop.

"Uh... honey... I know this is nice, but... what are you doing...?"

"You don't want to know," said Hawk. "Close your eyes."

As the door slammed open behind them, Hawk ran toward the window and, ignoring Aurelia's protest, leaped toward it. She expected a loud crashing sound and nasty wounds from breaking the glass, but none of those came. They just somehow went through the window. Hawk bent his body slightly to provide full protection for her. And with precise, careful, and lucky calculation, he landed on the hard ground directly on his back just down his neck. Normally, jumping from second floor and landing in this position could be fatal, but the multiple cloaks on his back absorbed most of the blow. Using his inertia he rolled down the street and stopped safely on his bottom, still hugging the frantic Elf.

His back ached so badly, but he forced himself on his feet and hacked the nearest zombie on the head with the mop. Another leap followed by a complete swing quickly secured the landing area from the zombies.

"Are you going to sit there forever?!" he yelled.

"How... how did...?" she mumbled.

Another unlucky zombie tried his luck. Hawk hacked his neck with all his might that the head fell over and landed next to Aurelia. The Elf shrieked and was instantly on her feet.

"Okay! I'm up! Just get me out of here!"