The Ancient Prophecy Ch. 11a

"I do not expect such welcome." Roberto frowned, noticing Atrus' governmental suit. "How did you know I'm coming?"

"Our intelligence committee has correctly predicted your coming, Lord." Atrus answered.

"You're using your intelligence agents against us. Your loyalty is under question."

"If you want to demote me, Prince Roberto," Atrus said, "Now is the perfect time."

"Why is that?"

"I know more than I'm supposed to." He smirked. "And I'd like to be the first one to congratulate you in the engagement. You're a very lucky man."

Roberto's face turned red, and he turned to Maya. "You told them?!"

"No! How did he..." Maya instantly followed Atrus' stare to her finger, where a small yet lovely ring was tucked on it. "He's cheating! He's..."

"I told you not to wear that until we get married!!" Roberto looked horrified.

"But it's so nice!" Maya toyed with the ring happily. "I can't wait until next month!"

"You get married next month?!" Anna's face was brightened. "Congratulation!!"

Maya cowered under Roberto's glare. "Oops, sorry..."

"Let's keep this to ourselves." Roberto smiled warmly. "How is it going, partner?"

"Very good." Atrus gladly hugged the prince despite his constricting plate armor. "And it's a great honor to have you here in my humble hut."

Roberto turned to Anna. "His diplomatic gesture is getting worse. You taught him this?"

"Something's wrong with the potato he ate this morning." Anna smiled back. "You're well?"

"I'm well, thank you. My father extends his best greetings and gratitude for your service."

"So I'm free from my job?" Atrus asked.

"No, in fact, my father was planning to promote you into a deputy minister of defense, helping General Kepfer. Since I know you won't work well in the royal court, I took the liberty of going against the plan and refusing the idea on behalf of you."

"Thanks..." Atrus shivered. "That would freak me out."

"Anyway..." Anna turned to the prince. "What is your business here?"

"Ow, come on! Can't you see that I'm just visiting old friends to recount old memories?"

Anna smiled warmly. "No."

"Fine!" Roberto sighed. "There's trouble in Stromgard."

"What's wrong?"

"We think..." Roberto made sure he got everybody's attention. "We might have found a qualified candidate..."

"That's great!" Atrus said, then studied the prince's expression. "You're skeptical?"

"Wait till you see the guy, partner." The prince said slowly. "He's... weird."

"So does everybody else in the team." Anna added. "That's nothing new."

"No, he's different. You must see the person. Then you'll know what I'm talking about."

"So you need us in the castle?" Atrus asked.

Roberto nodded. "Holgreb is already in Stromgard. Calem is getting Hawk and Aurelia from Elom. We're here to get both of you and Lynn."

"We're ready to go," Anna said, "as long as you don't mind waiting for us to change."

"Not at all."

Atrus and Anna went back to the bedroom they shared together. Atrus had made a special order from a local armor-smith to make a brand new piece of leather armor. His new armor was made from finest leather, reinforced with thin yet strong chain layer around the chest and back. A red artistic royal crest was painted on the front part. The armor was enchanted personally by Anna herself, strengthening the leather even further. A long, golden cloak adorned the armor with royal crest pattern on the back. Since his old boots had been decimated during the firestorm six months ago, the town people had made him a new pair. His faithful Rainbow Sword, covered in a brand new sheath, added the last touch.

Anna still kept her old priestess costume. The dress fell to her hips while hugging her upper body snuggly yet comfortably. The belt circled her thin waist, turning the lower dress into a nice, short skirt. Her long gloves and boots came next, followed by her tight collar with a black gem on it. It was the general identity of a Priestess of Lycra, and although she was no longer one she still kept it. Her metal mace and leather backpack completed her preparation.

"Here we go again..." she sighed.

"You're worried, Anna dear?" Atrus asked.

"I know this is coming..."

"Don't worry, dear..." Atrus circled his arm around her shoulder. "We will fulfill our destiny. And when we do, I'll be there for you..."

"Thanks, honey." Anna kissed him. "I'm glad I don't have to lose you."

The couple returned to the main hall. Roberto couldn't stop whistling at Atrus' new outfit.

"You should consider granting an award to your smith, partner..." He commented.

"I did." Atrus said. "He has the second biggest house in town next to the governor's."

"Oh..." Roberto quickly turned to Maya. "So you said you know how to call Lynn?"

The girl produced a small pipe that looked like a flute, except that it was smaller. The flute seemed to be made out of wood, but the shiny white color suggested ivory. The design was simple yet amazing. It was the smallest yet finest flute they'd ever seen.

"Lynn gave me this as a parting gift back at Stromgard." Maya said proudly. "She even taught me how to play it. She said I can use this to call her."

"Okay, go on, then." Anna said, impatient.

"Lynn said the tune from this flute should reach the Heaven. Now let's see if I can do it..."

Maya took a deep breath, put the flute softly between her lips and blew steadily. Suddenly, the entire castle complex rattled in tremor as a high-pitch shriek came from the flute. Several windows were shattered in pieces. Both Atrus and Anna dove for cover behind the furniture while Roberto, who was unlucky enough to be standing right in front of her, was thrown backward from the powerful force. The sound waves echoed along the stone walls throughout the castle.

"Wow, girl!" Anna said after the ordeal was over. "Is that what it's supposed to sound like?"

"I hope not." Atrus said while looking nervously at the chandelier over his head, which was swinging frantically back and forth. "Or else, Lynn and I will be having a long, serious talk together."

"It worked well before..." Maya inspected the flute. "I don't know... let me try again..."

Roberto's head quickly popped out from the overturned table. "You know what, Maya... I thing we should... Maya?! No...! Don't... Yikes!"

Anna quickly created two magic barriers for Atrus and herself, but she was not quick enough to make one for Roberto. The prince leaped toward a long table and hid under it, just in time to evade the crashing chandelier behind him. The two magic barriers crackled as the sound waves pounded it with overwhelming force. The barriers held, but the occupants were forced to cover their ears tightly.

The door was opened quickly and Leonard peeked inside the room. "Uh, Lord White Lion? Is everything oka..." His jaws dropped open when he saw the devastated hall.

"Is that an honest question, Leonard?" Atrus scowled.

"Uh... I think I'll leave you in private, Sir..." Leonard quickly disappeared.

Suddenly a magical portal burst open in the middle of the room and a lithe form of a girl was thrown out from it. The girl wore thin satin dress with nylon rope around her waist. On her back, a pair of thin-yet-lovely wings extended gracefully. The girl crashed on top of a tumbled table and groaned in pain.

"Lynn is here!!" Maya cheered. "The flute works! I told you that the sound reaches Heaven!"

"Of course it does!!" Lynn growled while still lying on the broken table. "And because of you, Heaven almost lays in ruins! You should have seen the destruction you've..." The Fairy looked at her surrounding and noted the actual destruction. "Never mind..."

Anna helped her stand up. "I suppose your trip here wasn't pleasant." She asked.

"I was taking a nap when an earthquake occurred in Heaven!" The Fairy scowled. "My sisters quickly discovered the problem. They dragged me out of bed and threw me into the portal, and here I am."

"The flute doesn't work!" Maya protested. "It's not my fault!"

"Of course it doesn't!" Lynn advanced toward her, grabbed the flute and pulled the rubber plug off one end of it. "How many times should I tell you? Pull the plug first!"

Roberto slowly stood up and looked at the mess around them. "Atrus, sorry about this... I'll have some men repair the castle..."

"That can wait." Atrus nodded. "Lynn, can you take us back to Stromgard?"

"Absolutely, Prophet Atrus." Lynn bowed gracefully before stealing another annoyed glance at Maya. "Just fill me in with the details later..."

Hawk groaned in pleasure as the Elf softly sucked his member. He held her head and slowly caressed her hair as she pumped his cock with her mouth. Her warm and moist lips were wrapped around his shaft while her tongue teased it lightly. He could tell that her skill was improving well. She had learnt the way of the Humans quickly since her involvement in Atrus' cause, but he had taught her in this matter personally.

Her willingness to please him was the main reason for her burning passion. However, an Elven princess had to stay virgin until her enactment as the rightful queen. She had to dutifully obey the rule, but it didn't stop them from becoming more intimate each day. They always found a way to express each other's love without doing intercourse.

"Aurelia...!" He warned as he felt his sensation rising.

He groaned as the orgasm hit him. The Elf girl clamped her lips around his shaft, refusing to let go, and sucked hard. He exploded in her mouth. She willingly began to swallow his cum steadily, being careful not to choke herself and accidentally bite his member like the other day before. This time she did this perfectly.

Hawk lay down on the bed, exhausted. His eyes wandered around the ceiling of the hut they shared together. He was happy to get away from his duty for a while. His task as the chief trainer for the Royal Army and now also the Alliance Army was hard. He had taken a holiday here in Elom last month and had been surprised to find that Queen Falencia welcomed him warmly as a hero and a personal guest. While the queen had been skeptical with the idea of him sharing room with Aurelia, the princess had finally overwhelmed her mother.

After the sensation subsided completely, he felt something still clamping on his member. "Uh, sweetie...? You can let me go now..."

"Mmmfh..." Aurelia mumbled.

Hawk rose up and looked at her, finding her horrified look. He followed her gaze to the corner of the room behind him and was also horrified to find a tall human wearing long dark robe, standing there, staring at them. A swirling magical portal was still open behind him.

"Calem?!! What the...? What are you doing here?!!" Hawk yelled.

The old wizard was completely lost in his thought. "So that's how people do that..."

"What?! What are you talking about?!"

"I've been studying this subject for a while." The wizard said. "Would you two be my specimen for my study?"

"What?!"

"Old Calem..." Aurelia growled. "You're pathetic, old man..."

"Anyway..." Calem's expression turned serious. "We have a problem..."

King Edward of Aragon sat uneasily on his throne. It was clear that he had been stressed out, but he was so happy to see the party before him. At least, these were people he could trust.

"Thank you for your hasty presence." The king announced. "I trust your holiday was fun."

"Thank you, your majesty." Everybody chorused.

"Sir Atrus and Lady Adriana, I must thank you for your service to the alliance and the people of Southern Aragon." Edward smiled. "Your dedication will not go unnoticed."

"Thank you, your majesty." Anna bowed. "Without your help, we would have failed."

"And I hope everything is well with your mother, Princess Aurelia?"

"Yes, Sir." The Elf smiled. "She sends the best greetings from our kingdom."

"While I have spent some time with the rest of you, I haven't met you before." The king said to the Fairy. "I must thank you for helping us in the war six months ago."

"Lynn the Fairy, at your service, your majesty." The Fairy bowed. "The legion of Heaven is at your disposal."

"I have heard stories from my son and subordinates about your bravery." The king nodded to Roberto and Captain Hawk. "It is my greatest honor to meet you personally. And I want to introduce to you all, the royal advisor, Lord Garth."

The middle-aged man standing beside the throne nodded. "My honor to know you. I believe either Prince Roberto or Calem have filled you in on the matter, I'll repeat myself. You know that our kingdom has been looking for the possible candidate for either the last Warrior of the Guardian or even the Champion of the Guardian. Our agents finally have found one man, but... he's... weird..."

"So we've heard." Atrus said.

"He's a very dark, mysterious man, Sir Atrus." The alchemist explained. "You might want to take a peek. Guards, let him in!!"

The door south of the royal courtroom was opened, and all held their breath. A tall well built man stood behind it. The striking detail was his black plate armor. It was... weird. The armor covered his body almost completely. The breastplate, arm-plates, and leg-plates seemed to be welded as one piece, as well as the connecting elbow-braces and kneepads. The long boots and gauntlets completed the limb coverings. The helmet covered most of his head, revealing only his young face and his long hair flowing from behind the helmet. A sheathed long sword was tucked on the man's hip.

The man looked around the room before his gaze was fixed on Atrus. Suddenly Atrus felt a rush of mixed feeling inside of him, so strong it almost knock him off his feet. He couldn't understand it. He'd never felt anything that could do that. The flinch in the man's figure told him that he also felt the same. He reminded himself to talk to Anna about this.

"His name is Sir Falstoff, a honorary Royal Knight of Aragon." Lord Garth said. "Sir Falstoff, these are the people who will accompany you in your assignment."

He eyed the party one more time, paying special attention to Atrus. "Hail and well met." He answered darkly, clearly displeased to meet them. "But I need no help."

Then the man, without anybody's consent, without even addressing the king, left the room. How rude, Atrus thought. Roberto wasn't kidding when he said the man was weird.

"Forgive me, people, but there's nothing we can do." Lord Garth said slowly. "He's a very rude, ill-mannered loner. He came from the less civilized area of Northwest Aragon, near the Elven border. Rumors said he had been fighting beasts and demons for years, all by himself. The man was still a loner, having no friends at all. Our agent found him when he slayed a group of raiding orcs single-handedly."

"Quite a spirit." Holgreb said. "That reminds me when I attacked the bandit camp with..."

"Does he have any weird dreams?" Atrus cut him off.

"He denied it." Roberto answered. "We've asked him many times."

"I want you all to go with him." Lord Garth said. "We have an important task for you that might be good for Sir Falstoff to prove himself. Have you heard the news from the north?"

"Not exactly..." Anna frowned.

"We have reports about a weird attack from the villages up north." Roberto said. "We thought they're just normal raids from the demons, but one report claimed that the raiders also included a red dragon."

"What?!" Aurelia was horrified.

"Wow..." Hawk said. "One dragon was enough, but another one?"

"Are you sure about this?" Lynn asked.

"We have little reason to disbelief it." Roberto said. "Especially the report was filed by... forgive me, Anna... the priestess of the Order of Lycra..."

"No problem..." Anna was silent for a while. "You're right. It's not likely that they lied..."

"It can't be..." Aurelia said slowly. "Agamesh couldn't have escaped the Underworld... But could it be Kastor?"

"Who's Agamesh?" Holgreb asked.

"Known as the Lord of Darkness. He's the renegade god who rebelled against Lord Guardian." Lynn explained. "Kastor is his pet, a red dragon destined to destroy the realm. Kastor was imprisoned in the depths of the earth while Agamesh was exiled to the Underworld."

"Can anybody but Agamesh release him?" The Dwarf asked again.

"Less likely, but possible." Aurelia said. "That's what I'm afraid of."

"Can't Agar defeat him?" Hawk proposed. "I mean they're dragons..."

"No, I don't think so!" Aurelia quickly shot back. "Agar is the Guardian of Earth! It's right that he's Kastor's match, he was not made to battle Kastor. Agar is here to protect the realm!"

"I have a feeling that the duel is inevitable..." Maya mumbled, then her jaws dropped open. "That's right!! Master Atrus, remember Lynn's prophecy? She said she saw two lights, golden and red ones would slam against each other and created a bright flash. I think it prophesied about the duel!"

"It can't be..." Aurelia rubbed the dragon statuette in her pouch. "Not my Agar..."

"I'll leave the discussion for you." Lord Garth interfered. "You are to go there and investigate the matter. Prince Roberto and Hawk will remain here and prepare the Alliance Army. They will depart to meet you in three days in the Shrine of Lycra. They will be bringing soldiers to man the new fort at that area, and if necessary, expedition to battle the dragon. They will need your report before that time. If they don't hear anything, they will assume the worst and bring along the extra troops."

"This task is very important, people." King Edward concluded. "If the report is true, this dragon can cause destruction throughout the realm, even worse than those damned zombies. You have to find a way to defeat that dragon, so the alliance can concentrate in more important issues. The war has cost us all, and we want to end it as soon as possible."

"Plus, there is one more thing." Lord Garth smiled. "You heroes all have been invited to the Order of Lycra high priestess enactment ceremony. This is a great honor, for such thing only happens once in eighty years or so, and only a few outsiders could witness this. Attend when possible."

"Good luck, heroes of the land." The king saluted. "And come back with victory."

King Edward staggered toward the door, Lord Garth following behind. The party was left in the empty room. Each of them had their own thought, but they shared the same impression on the new man.

"That really reminds you of old times, right buddy?" Hawk grinned toward Atrus. "That guy is just like Roberto before the whole ordeal."

"Don't talk about me when I'm around." Roberto warned. "Here, I'm the prince of Aragon."

"Is the king okay?" Calem asked. "He looks very tired."

"Honestly he's not." The prince answered sadly. "He's sick. That's why he's been handing most of the governmental affairs to me. He must have preserved all his power for this audience."

"That does make me feel bad." Aurelia said. "How's a treat before the trip? My treat."

"I'll catch you guys later." Atrus said.

The party left the room, this time leaving only Atrus, Anna and Maya. Anna was leaning on the nearby table, staring at the ground. She seemed quite devastated. Atrus knew she always felt bad upon a mention of the Order of Lycra since her banishment from it. But he'd never seen her so sad before.

"Okay..." Atrus nodded at Maya. "We're ready to listen."

"It's over, Atrus..." Anna touched the black gem on her collar. "I will never be a priestess of Lycra, ever... They will never accept me back..."

"What do you mean, Mistress?" Maya asked.

"I always wish to be a full priestess one day, but that day will never come..." she sobbed lightly. "When I lost my virginity, several priestesses framed me to the high priestess... They succeeded and they kicked me out the shrine... I've been wishing to go back one day, hoping to find forgiveness..."