The Ancient Prophecy Ch. 11b

It was glowing. As he moved it near the stone, the glow shone upon the surface. He closed her eyes slightly and saw the bright flash he'd seen earlier. Slowly he turned his head and saw that his entire body was also glowing. The light emitted warm and soothing light.

His other hand suddenly felt a touch of cold metal. He froze in fear. It's the Sword of Faith! He recognized the runes carved along the blade. But the curse never came. His hand found the handle and held it tight. The handle felt warm with his touch. Then he felt the surge of power flowing through his right limb and around his body. I feel like I can conquer the entire realm today!

Then Atrus felt sand entering his nostrils, and he sneezed.

He just stared in awe as the stone boulders before him were tossed away toward the sky just like a strand of feather.

"Atrus!!" He heard a faint voice from somewhere outside. "He's alive! Help him!"

His eyes were suddenly blinded by the sunlight as the thick clouds over him were opened. He could hear a series of surprised remarks from his friend, but he couldn't make a word out of them. Blinded and unable to perceive speech, Atrus could only groan in frustration. His discomfort grew as he felt another surge of power coming from his right hand. He struggled.

Then he yanked his feet free. Two more yanks and his arms were free. His first instinct would he to get back on his feet so he did so. He could feel the blinding light leaving his vision. He opened his eyes.

He found himself standing on top of a pile of boulder where the shrine had once stood. The red dragon was nowhere in sight. His friends were around him, staring at him in awe.

"Dear Guardian..." Aurelia mouthed.

Atrus glanced at himself and was surprised to find his body covered with bright aura. His leather armor was a mess from the dragon's fire breath, but his skin was unharmed. The legendary Sword of Faith, illuminated in silvery glow, stayed faithfully in his grip.

He was not turned into dust. He survived the curse. He was...

"The Champion of the Guardian!" Euclid declared. "Now I've seen you with my own eyes! Lord Guardian, now I can rest in peace!"

"A...Atrus..." Aurelia mouthed. Her knees suddenly went weak and she fell on her knees. "Lord Atrus... We have been waiting for you!"

And one by one the Warriors of the Guardian before him. The sky was opened and thousands of seraphs came down upon the party, bathing them with divine light. Soon their bodies were wrapped with the same bright light currently covering Atrus. They just stared in awe as thousand-year-old blessings of the Gods shone down upon them. The blessings crept into their skins and soared through their souls, empowering them from the inside.

And Atrus was anxious. "I... I am the Chosen One...?"

"You are indeed, Lord Atrus." Euclid smiled. "The Guardian's will is unpredictable, isn't it?"

"L...Lord Atrus..." Aurelia was staggered, then she fell on her knees. "A...Aurelia of the Elves of Elom... at your command..."

The Dwarf followed next. "Holgreb of the Dwarves of Seraphim, at your command."

"Lynn of the Fairies of Heaven, at your command." The Fairy saluted gracefully.

"And Old Calem from the Alliance of Wizardry, at your command." The wizard smiled. "If you ask me, I won't be surprised, Lord. You've impressed me too many times."

"I never expected this..." Atrus admitted. "I've been looking for him all these years!"

"And here's what you've found, Lord Atrus." Euclid smiled. "You have found yourself. It's the greatest discovery one can uncover."

"The greatest discovery?" Atrus asked. "What do I discover?!"

"You discover your being, your purpose." Euclid replied. "Understand your destiny."

"B...But this can't be happening... I thought the Champion of the Guardian is only revealed when all the Warriors of the Guardian are..."

He just couldn't believe what he was seeing. The last tendrils of light soared through the air and circled around Anna. Her body instantly glowed brightly with the divine light. She just stood there, staring in horror at her body, then at him. Her body was trembling with fear.

"Anna...?" Atrus mouthed.

"Atrus..." Her voice was quivering. "I... I..."

"You knew it, didn't you." Atrus said slowly. "All those dreams you've been hiding from me are real. They are not merely nightmares. They're the last Prophecy of the Guardian."

"Atrus, you don't understand!"

"You lied to me, Anna!"

"No, please listen to me!" She pleaded. "I have my reason... I can explain..."

"Then explain!!" Atrus roared. "We could have done this sooner! Many have died unnecessary deaths because of your hesitation!"

"Forgive me, Lord Atrus," Calem interrupted, "but we still have a red dragon flying over our head..."

"Occupy him." Atrus ordered. "I will join you shortly."

The Warriors were confused at first, but they quickly went into action when the long-forgotten dragon prepared for another pass. Calem raised his staff and called for his magical power. The red gem on his staff glowed brighter than before. He was quite surprised with the new power he could harness. The divine blessings flowed through his body and into his magical reservoir in the gem, ready to do some serious spells.

Kastor hovered in the air and spitted three huge fireballs at the party. Calem chanted the spells and felt the sudden rush of magical energy being drained from the gem. A large portal popped open in front of the party, covering nearly the entire island with its immerse blackness. The fireballs were sucked into the hole harmlessly. A second later the same three fireballs shot back from the holes toward the dragon. Two of them missed their mark and splashed into the depth of the sea with explosions. The last one, however, exploded right on the dragon's chest. The beast roared in pain with its deafening sound.

While the dragon was paralyzed, Aurelia prepared her bow and armed three arrows. She could feel the blessings flowing through the weapons, strengthening and manipulating them. The bow adjusted itself in her pull and the bowstring remained taut and steady in her aim. As she released the arrows, the bolt tips instantly flared in blue flame. The bolts streaked through the air and hit the dragon squarely on three spots, his belly, his forehead, and his chest, right where his precious heart was.

And the Fairy took her turn. Lynn soared through the air, flapping her wings gracefully. She began singing her newly found song of divine. The seraphs of Paradise answered her rally and flew toward the dragon at her command. They flew around the beast, leaving streaks of magic that hardened upon contact with air. The seraphs instantly flew away, binding the red dragon with their strong magical rope. The dragon struggled, but effectively immobilized.

Holgreb the Dwarf sounded the loudest war cry that was ever sounded. With all his might he slammed his battle-axe to the ground, creating a slight quake to shake the little island. The follow-up was even more destructive. The ocean rippled vigorously from the shock wave. Suddenly a thin strip of rock blasted out from beneath the ocean and rocketed toward the sky. The sharp tip pierced the dragon's hide right on its belly and punctured through his body until it came out from the other side. The dragon was now spitted by a tall tower of rock standing in the middle of the ocean.

"Damn, I don't know I'm that strong..." The Dwarf amused.

"Explain, Anna." Atrus ordered.

The little girl was terrified. There was a battle going on around them, but the world seemed to single both of them out. There were only two of them, Atrus and herself. She looked into his eyes, looking for compassion, and found it. She had lied to him, but she couldn't find hatred in his gaze. Just sadness, utter sadness, from the numerous deaths this war had demanded. That fact made her feel guiltier than ever.

He cares for the world so much, and I only care for my selfish desire...

"It... it's not entirely a lie..." She started. "The nightmares were true... most of the time... But there is something else..."

"Something else?" Atrus asked, not affected by the battle occurring nearby.

"There is another dream... A dream you don't know..."

"Or a dream you don't want me to know." He accused.

"Yes, you're right." She admitted. "But you will... I hope you will understand..."

"Then tell me."

Anna took a deep breath, then began, "I was alone in the middle of nowhere, and darkness is around me. I could hear shouts of war from nowhere as the darkness was too much for my eyes to penetrate. Then just suddenly the shouting stopped completely. Then I saw a vast sea of fire stretching across the horizon, and a small streak of light came from the sky. The light was in form of a human, and it plunged into the sea of fire. Then came another roar, a barbaric roar of victory from nowhere. The roar filled my mind until everything went dark and I was taken back to reality."

Atrus was silent, probably trying to comprehend the last dream. Anna, however, was restless. She'd never thought that she would have to explain it to him.

"I don't understand why you should keep this from me." He finally said.

"Atrus, don't you understand?!" She finally broke in tears. "I... I dreamt of your death!"

"My death?" He was surprised.

"I was in the Underworld, the sea of fire! Then I saw you plunging into the fire and there was a roar of victory from the demons around you!"

"That's why you wouldn't tell me." He said softly.

She looked into her eyes. "Six months ago... you wouldn't tell me that you probably would part with me... H...how could you expect me to tell you the same thing right now?!" She sobbed. "I... I just don't want to lose you..."

To her surprise, she felt his arms wrapping against her body. She felt his warmth comforting her pained heart. Again, just like many years ago when they first met, she cried in his arms. And again, his hands stroke her hair, comforting her from her fear and sorrow.

"That's why you wouldn't tell me." He said. "Because if you wouldn't, you thought it wouldn't happen."

"I'm the selfish one, Atrus..." she continued. "I wouldn't part with you after all these years... And because of my selfishness I nearly send the entire realm into its doom... Then if that's the case... then I am guilty..." She fell silent, waiting for her fate.

"Mention it no more," he said after a long pause. "I understand you."

She looked at him. "You do?"

"Trust me." He beamed at her. "If I were you, I would have done the same thing. But these are the Guardian's prophecies. What must happen will happen."

"I know... I... I'm just being selfish..."

"You're not." Atrus said softly. "If you are, you would have left us, therefor sealing the secrets of the Champion of the Guardian forever. You stay with us all this time, wishing that one day we will know, don't you?"

Her face was brightened. "I... I never thought the Chosen One would be you... but yes... I... I wished it were you who would discover me..."

"What must happen will happen." Atrus nodded. "I'm glad you've decided to be with us."

And Anna knelt before her best friend, her love of her life, and now her lord and master. "Lord Atrus, I, Adriana of the Humans of Aragon, am at your command."

"Rise up, Adriana of Aragon." Atrus ordered. "Prepare to accept your punishment."

She glanced at him with worried look, but found a playful smile forming in the corner of his grin. He pointed at the form of the wounded red dragon spitted upon the spire towering from the sea.

"Our friends have done their part." Atrus said. "Your punishment, Adriana of Aragon, is to deliver the final blow."

A smile blossomed in her face. Her guilt was gone, replaced by happiness. She bowed obediently, then raised her hands toward the sky. A bright light covered her body, brighter than before. She felt a surge of power from nowhere passing through her body and gathering in both her hands. Her heart was calm and her mind was settled. The chanting echoed in her brain as her concentration reached perfection.

"BANISH EVIL!!!"

Then she felt the power draining from her and leaving her hands. She watched as the spell soared through the air and approached the trapped beast. Then the spell was broken into smaller magical bolts of holy energy. The bolts circled around the dragon and pierced the beast at the same time, drawing a loud roar from the wounded lizard. The holy bolts robbed the dragon off its evil seeds and separating them from the body. Then the bolts soared through the sky toward different parts of the continent and plunged into the earth, sealing the seeds deep inside the ground. With the evil spirits stripped and dispersed, the body was hollow. Kastor, the mighty destroyer, exploded with bright flash reaching even the Human capital of Stromgarde and the Dwarven Castle Hloffeth and a loud blast that could be heard even as far as the Land of Elom. The tall spire collapsed to the ocean floor, destroying the last piece of evidence of the great battle that had just occurred here.

The party watched Kastor' demise in awe and turned to look at Anna in amazement. Anna just smiled to them all and again bowed obediently toward Atrus.

"Your order is done, Lord Atrus." She said.

Atrus beamed at her with pride. "Remember my promise. We will fulfill our destiny. And when we do, I'll be there for you."

Her eyes sparkled with happiness. She could feel, despite her joy, tears falling from her eyes.

"You're very weird." He said. "I accused you and you cried. Now I commend you and you cry. Now tell me what I should do to get the right response from you."

Anna smirked, then caught him with full kiss on the lips, ignoring the cheers and applause from the party. She didn't need to feel ashamed, for her feeling for him was true. She loved him so much. She held the kiss for a while and broke it once Atrus started to escape, probably from the lack of air. His face was red with embarrassment, but he was smiling.

"If I've done something wrong, then I'm ready for another punishment, Lord Atrus." She pouted playfully.

"I don't know, Master..." Maya moved close to him and whispered, "But if I were you, I'll spank her all night..."

"Relax." Atrus said, brushing away his embarrassment. "I'll deal with her later. Now let's all go home."

"Not so fast, Champion of the Guardian!"

Atrus' body quickly tensed at the voice and the entire party spun around to face the new guy.

"I believe..." Falstoff drew his sword, "we have an unfinished business..."

Sister Rosa was a mess. She was hanging spread-eagled, held by chains dangling from the ceiling and anchored to the floor. Her body was as taut as a fully stretched rubber band in the verge of its elasticity. In fact, it probably only took one firm jerk to dislocate one of her joints. Her once-proud costume had been reduced into tatters of linen now hanging from her limp body. Aside from her gloves, boots, and seemingly worthless badge collar, she was stark naked. Her private parts were all exposed, and had been prime targets for the whips. Her body was just like a canvas, now decorated with angry welts and bruises from the last torture session.

And she was in the brink of madness. Her eyes stared blankly into space. Her body twitched uncontrollably from the invisible threat. Her tear-streaked face was quiet, emotionless. She had given up struggling and pleading her case, for she knew it was useless. Her fate had been sealed.

Her brain could not perceive sight or sound. Her brain could not perceive smell or taste. Only pain, and pain alone. There was only a moment of pain and a moment of relief. The latter one, she perceived, could only happen when she expired and descended to the Underworld. Yet her fate would not be like this. She was to die in the casket, the accursed one, and a victim of the terrible life burial.

Her body jerked again as the whip landed near her bruised vagina. Her throat was too parched to produce something humane. Again and again, despite the lack of determination from her brain, her exhausted tendons maintain the losing struggle to keep her joints together.

Somewhere deep inside her mind she made a promise. If she would survive this fight, she swore she would come to Sister Adriana and begged her to kill her. Now she knew Adriana was innocent, framed by her fellow sisters. She had tortured an innocent woman mercilessly, and she would pay for her crime.

Suddenly she heard, between the storms raging in her mind, the accursed woman crying and screaming in frustration. Rosa was prepared to receive the final blow, but it never came. Instead the woman just flung the bullwhip on the floor, marched toward the door and slammed it shut. A loud bang indicated that the door was locked from the outside.

Relief, relief, her mind screamed in celebration. But her body was too weak for her to do anything else. She just prayed silently that the darkness would take her away from this desecrated place. A slight smile was formed in her lips as darkness clouded her mind.

And she remembered nothing.

Ursula ran along the long hallway.

Prince Roberto is here... she thought. How could this be?!

She could hear the echoes of the heated argument happening at the end of the hallway. Her assistants had been handling Roberto while they had also silently contacted her through telepathic message. The young prince, however, was quite stubborn at seeing her.

As she approached, she could see the prince flanked by two axe-wielding battle Dwarves and an Elven warrior carrying a long lance and a short sword. Her two assistants were trying their best to keep the prince from storming inside. While they were quite insistent, they seemed to also be disheartened by the sight of the gigantic Kaiser Sword strapped on the prince's back.

"Now, now, gentlemen..." She announced her arrival. "I'm Priestess Ursula. You are in the sanctuary reserved for Lord Guardian. Please refrain yourself from the use of violence."

"I'm Roberto, the Prince and the Foremost Knight of the Kingdom of Aragon, and I demand some explanation!" The prince exclaimed angrily. "There has been a battle outside and we've been fighting for hours trying to save the town of Tymm, yet we received no help from you! I demand to know your true affiliation in this war!"

"Calm down, Prince Roberto..."

"I cannot calm down!!" He roared. "I lost most of my men trying to defend this place! I lost my second-in-command trying to reach the front door, and if I don't get a sufficient answer I will soon lose my patience!"

"You lost your second-in-command?" Ursula frowned.

"Captain Hawk, the most decorated knight I've served with all my life!" Roberto said while pounding his bare fist against the pillar, drawing blood. "He's my best friend and my best mate! Now I demand a good reason!"

"And you will have one, Prince Roberto." Ursula bowed. "You see, we are having an important ceremony, my enactment as the High Priestess of the Shrine of Lycra, in just a few minutes. Orders have been sent that all priestesses in the shrine to do fasting and be isolated from the rest of the realm since this morning for, let's say, a long moment of prayer for guidance from the Gods. We have erected a large force field around the shrine to keep evil forces away. That's probably why the demons cannot invade us. The same force field has probably kept us from hearing the raging battle outside."

"This isn't fair!" Roberto wailed, then fell on his knees, only to be supported by his followers. "This... just... isn't... fair..."

"Prince Roberto, come..." Ursula said soothingly. "I understand the pain you're feeling for the loss of your best friend... But I assure you that Lord Guardian will keep his soul at rest, for he has fought bravely for your safety. Come, join us in the Sacred Sanctuary. Let the peace of the sanctuary calm your troubled mind. I'm sure your best friend won't want to see you troubled like this, right?"