Chapter 10

A little girl stood alone in the darkness. Her small body shivered from the chill. She was standing, cold and lonely, in the middle of nowhere. Her eyes tried to penetrate the darkness, yet they failed. She was trapped here, and she could do nothing. She was helpless.

The lonely girl began to wander around, trying to find her way through the dark. She couldn't tell which way she was going, or what she was going to see. Her mind was blank. Her heart was in deep panic. Her soul was hopeless.

Finally her eyes caught something beneath the darkness. There were at least three figures sitting down on the invisible ground. The girl slowly approached them. When she got a closer look, she discovered that the three figures were soldiers, and they were badly wounded. Multiple cuts decorated their bodies. She felt pity of them, so she approached them, tore a section of her sleeve and bandaged the closest man's arm. The man turned to meet her gaze. She was expecting a warm, grateful look...

Instead, she received a cold, menacing look. Her face quickly grew pale. She stepped back, but the other two men blocked the way and quickly seized her arms. But she couldn't move. She was too shocked to move. She gave her pure, honest love, yet she received menace in return.

The two other men quickly pinned her down on the ground. A rough hand clamped around her mouth, silencing her scream. The man she had bandaged got between her legs, reached out beneath her short skirt, and tore her satin panties off her. She was petrified. Her mind went numb. She was going to be raped...

Raped... ?! Again... ?!

The thought hit her at the back of her head. She couldn't comprehend it, not know where it came from, but that didn't stop the men from doing their filthy job. They tore her blouse in a single jerk, doing their best to hurt her. Her pert breasts came free, her nipples rigid upon contact with the cold air.

"Please ... don't do this ... I can't..."

"Shut up, bitch!" One man barked. "You little teaser! We'll give what you want!"

"That's right ... A priestess of Lycra ... must be a virgin..."

"No ... please..."

The man slapped her hard and her head slumped weakly against her shoulder. "That should shut you up for the duration..."

"Yeah ... we should decide ... who's going to drill her hole first..."

She sobbed as the men tossed their coin, trying to find the one who would pop her cherry. Then the rough hands pinned her down again, preventing any movements; another pair spread her legs wide, revealing her pussy to the assailants. She could feel the man's member touching her pussy. She began to struggle frantically, but her power was no match for the men.

"No... ! No... !"

And the filthy member thrust inside of her. She screamed as the cock tore her tender hymen and her virginity was stolen from her. She cried and wailed uncontrollably. Her rapist fucked her mercilessly, slamming his cock deep inside her vagina using her blood as lubricant. Her body jerked from the pain in every thrust he made.

Then suddenly she saw the man's face again. She'd seen him somewhere. In fact, she'd seen these men before. She met her rapist's gaze, and then the memory flooded back to her. She'd seen him in her countless nightmares. His was the face she'd never hope of seeing again. He was her ... rapist...

She threw her gaze away, only to look at another person holding her, and her eyes stared in horror. It can't be... ! That face ... That grinning face ... belongs to one man she loves ... Atrus... !!

NO... !!!

The dimension door sprung open and the view of vast, unending clouds filled the landscape. The party quickly shielded their eyes from the sudden glare from the sun. The sunlight was almost twice as bright, but the party quickly adapted to the light.

"We're standing on the clouds!!" Hawk declared.

"Yikes!!"

The party staggered to find solid ground, but found that the ground was indeed solid. "Don't worry." Lynn the Fairy giggled. "You can stand on the clouds."

And the view before them was stunning. A large gate stood before them. The gate was arc-shaped, probably made of pure gold and richly ornamented. The poles on each side supported two large, beautiful statuettes of angels, each bearing a long sword and a war banner. The legend of the marvel of the gate was indeed true. This was the one.

The Portal of Heaven...

Yet there was only one detail that bothered them. The gate was open.

"We're too late!" The Fairy screamed in her small, yet high-pitched voice. "The Portal of Heaven has been breached! Come! We have to rescue my sisters!"

"Get ready, people!" Atrus ordered, and everybody prepared their weapons.

The party raced past the gate and began to move between the clouds. Although it felt funny, the clouds in this region were fully solid, allowing them to stand on them. Hawk made the first mistake by charging through a seemingly thin wall of cloud that quickly knocked him back.

"Do you usually run through walls back in Aragon, O mighty warrior?" Aurelia the Elf smirked.

"Very funny."

The Fairy raised her hand, silencing the party. They could hear footsteps coming from beneath the clouds ahead. The Fairy flapped her small wings before them, signaling that Fairies usually flew even among solid clouds. Then footsteps could only mean one thing. The enemies were near.

"Master! Over there!" Maya pointed at a small opening between two cloud walls.

Atrus and Roberto hid behind the opening in the clouds, ready to ambush the attacker. The two men, although used to dislike each other, had developed a good partnership since the young prince joined the quest. Roberto's reliable Kaiser Sword was a fine partner of Atrus' magical Rainbow Sword. The rest of the party hid behind another patch of clouds near the opening.

The footsteps were getting near. With one signal, the two men jumped from their cover and charged with their swords ... only to find that they were facing a pair of green, muscular knees. They looked up and found that they were staring at a...

An Ogre...

Everybody in the Land of Lore knew that fighting an Ogre in a close melee combat was a bad, bad idea, let alone standing before one and staring at it as if it was a clown. Being the first smart person in this scenario, Atrus quickly dove at the stunned Roberto and pushed him out of the way before the gigantic stone club smashed the ground.

"What is that Ogre doing here in Heaven?!!" Hawk demanded.

Another pair of Ogres appeared behind his companion, wielding the same stone clubs.

"Correction ... Ogres." Hawk added. "Hmm ... I thought they're an endangered species..."

"Prepare to fight, people!" Aurelia yelled. "And keep your distance!"

The Elf prepared her trusty bows and arrows while Maya wielded her throwing knives. Hawk and Holgreb the Dwarf, possessing no long-range weapons, stood before them to give them cover. The two girls began firing their weapons, giving cover as the other two men retreated.

"D ... Did y ... you see the size of that ... thing?!" Roberto blurted out.

"Foul folks have touched their feet on Heaven!" The Fairy cried. "We have been disgraced!"

"Arrows and blades will slow them down," Atrus said, "but will not kill them. I'll have to confront them. Cover me, girls!"

"Prince Roberto, wear this!" Maya gave him her magical talisman, the last gift from her late father. "This will speed you up despite that heavy plate armor you're wearing. Go and help Master Atrus!"

Three Ogres marched at them, swinging their clubs wildly in the air. One of Aurelia's arrows found its mark right on the Ogre's head and the creature collapsed instantly. Atrus and Roberto rushed to meet their opponents. The Ogre's terrible speed was not a match for Atrus' agility. Atrus dashed around the creature, sending blow after blow against the creature's thick scale. The Ogre roared in frustration. Atrus quickly ended its misery by sending a Lightning Slash attack toward the creature's neck, beheading it.

Roberto fought a harder fight. Despite the talisman, he was not as fast as Atrus and had a hard time coordinating his attack. The Ogre kept maintaining its close distance, limiting the Kaiser Sword's effectiveness. One powerful swing from the club found its mark and threw the prince back on the ground. The plate armor he's wearing softened the blow, yet the force was enough to paralyze him for a while. Maya quickly threw a rapid wave of throwing knives, attracting the creature. The time she bought was enough. Roberto was back on his feet, wielded his sword and dashed toward the Ogre. He leaped and swung the Kaiser Sword with all his might at the Ogre. The sword flared as it regained its true power and sliced the creature in half. Blood spurted from the carcass, smearing the clouds.

"Now I'm mad!" The prince roared. "Thanks, girl!"

Two Ogres charged at Aurelia, trying to prevent her from firing more arrows. Hawk who was standing before her leaped to the side, swung his long spear and, thanks to his constant training back in the castle training ground, hit the creature squarely at the back of its neck, knocking its nerve system and killing it instantly. The other Ogre charged at the defenseless Elf princess, but a short creature hit its belly with his head and threw it backwards. For a Human, challenging an Ogre's might was considered foolish, but Holgreb was a Dwarf, and a Dwarf possessed far more strength than a normal Human did. The Ogre didn't expect that the Dwarf could match its strength and was taken back. Before it could recover from the blow, Holgreb brought down his trusty old axe and beheaded the creature.

The party regrouped again, only to find that the enemy ranks had been replenished. More Ogres appeared from the clouds, carrying more wicked spiked clubs. Now they definitely couldn't afford getting hit, for it would be fatal.

"Suggestions, anybody?" Atrus asked.

"Is retreat an option?" Hawk offered.

"We've gone too far to retreat now..."

"I'll help you!" The Fairy said. "Fear not, mighty Warriors of the Guardian!"

The Fairy raised her hand and the party began to glow in bright light. Atrus could feel strange power creeping inside his limbs. Roberto also felt the same force supporting his weight and making him unaware that he was still wearing a plate armor. The two men quickly charged at the Ogre ranks with renewed ferocity. This time the Ogres couldn't match their ability. One by one the foul folks fell to the ground.

"Wow..." Hawk mumbled.

"Now that's a slaughter..." Holgreb agreed.

"What did you do to us?" Atrus asked.

"It's a Fairy blessing." The Fairy answered. "It enhances your ability. Because you all have fought for my home, I will gladly lend my assistance."

"Excuse me, Miss ... But you haven't told us your name." Aurelia said.

"You can call me Lynn." The Fairy bowed at Atrus. "I am one of the chosen Warriors of the Guardian. O Prophet of the Guardian, I salute you."

"What? You know that you are the one?" Atrus queried.

"Fairies are loyal servants of the Gods, O Prophet of the Guardian. We serve and receive orders directly from Lord Guardian. We therefor gain access to such information."

"Then you have the dream from the Guardian, then!"

"Oh, the prophecy, you mean?" Lynn thought for a while. "I once had this dream. I saw a bright golden light flying in the sky. Then I saw another light, this time it was dark red, just like the color of blood. The golden light and the red one twisted around and slammed into one another and a bright flash blinded me and awakened me instantly."

"Hmm ... I honestly don't know what that means..." Maya muttered.

"Honestly, guys..." Hawk interrupted, "It's not a good time for deciphering a dream now."

"Well, it's been nice to know you, Lynn." Atrus agreed. "But we'd better be hurry. If there are still enemies around here, we'd better get rid of them quick."

"They must be in the Inner Sanctum right now. They had to be after the Holy Fire of Love! We must preserve the fire, or the wrath of the Gods would be upon us! Follow me!"

The party moved quickly between the clouds unchallenged for the moment. But soon they heard grunting and groaning sound from beneath the rows of clouds ahead. Finally they reached the end of the labyrinth and gasped at the sight. The majestic Inner Sanctum of Heaven stood before them, more exquisite than even the greatest storyteller could ever describe. The tall pillars of clouds supported the large conical roof. Various golden statues of angels in various positions filled the courtyard and carved on the pillars. A large golden altar stood proud in the middle of the temple. On top of it stood a large pit made out of metal. And just like Lynn feared, the fire had died.

"The Holy Fire of Love..." Lynn yelled. "It's gone... !"

The view of the courtyard was worse. Many Fairies were there, captured by the foul folks. The Ogres were torturing them viciously with clubs and whips. Most of the Fairies were being raped violently on the ground. Fairy blood smeared the courtyard. Ogres' groans and captured Fairies' pitiful scream filled the air.

"Dear Lord Guardian..." Lynn sobbed. "My sisters... !"

"Damn those Ogres! Let them pay!" Aurelia cried.

"Come on, people!" Atrus raised his sword. "Charge!"

Lynn raised her hands and cast blessing to the party. Then the party poured into the Inner Sanctum courtyard and engaged the unsuspecting enemies.

The first prophecy of the Guardian, the Siege of Heaven, had been fulfilled. Now they had to retake it.

The flame grew brighter as the Dark Lord approached the pit. Daemon took off his cloak from his body, feeling the warmth of the unholy fire. The violent snowstorm was raging outside the Emerald Tower, devastating the wasteland. He let out a simple smile. Destruction ... How I love the word...

The blue flame flickered, revealing a face of a demon he knew as one of his loyal subordinates, wearing a long dark cloak. "Greetings, Supreme Commander Daemon."

"Report." The demon simply ordered.

"The assault was a success, my Lord." The demon hissed. "The Humans were caught unprepared of our attack. The town of Blackwell stood before us and Stromgard. The castle north of the town is lightly guarded and shouldn't pose any threat. Soon the puny Humans will fall."

"Excellent ... And I must praise you for your finest selection. You know my taste."

"It's been my greatest pleasure, my Lord."

"I await for the news of your victory. Now do what you have to do."

The demon disappeared from the flame. The Dark Lord walked slowly toward the next room. He was in a good mood. For once his subordinate didn't screw up in his task. And his artisans had finished refurbishing the new room, his playroom. For once he was truly happy.

The room was exactly where the old throne room used to be. Replacing the throne was a high stone chair. Gaea, the Protector of the Realm was sitting there, dressed in majestic gown and crowned with a pretty golden headband. Yet one detail stayed the same. She was shackled to the throne. Her body shivered on contact with the cold stone. The shackles on the feet of the chair forced her legs wide open. The gown had open slits in certain places, revealing her breasts and bare pussy. She just sat there weakly, defeated and completely humiliated.

Before her stood a wooden table. A young girl was strapped into the table with various shackles. Her mouth was gagged with her own panties. She was blindfolded, and was struggling against her bondage. Two small pins plugged her ears, cutting her from any contact from the real world.

She was the only survivor from the last raid. Yet her life would not last for long. She would hope that she would have died in the attack. Now she would beg him to kill her.

"How ... magnificent..." Daemon muttered.

"Leave her alone, Daemon!" Gaea cried. "She's innocent! She has nothing to do with this!"

"Why, it will make the matter more interesting, will it not?"

The Dark Lord touched her pert breast. Her protest came instantly. She squirmed and let out a muffled scream. The demon lord chuckled, satisfied with the reaction.

"Please ... let her go!" Gaea begged. "Just ... do me instead..."

"Ah ... you're offering yourself?" Daemon sneered.

"Y ... yes ... Please let her go ... You can do anything to me..."

Lord Daemon approached the defeated goddess, lifted her head and forced her eyes to look into his. Determination quickly vanished from her eyes, defeated by fear.

"You are getting meek, my princess..." Daemon said softly.

"Y ... yes ... whatever you say..."

"Whatever you say, what?!"

"W ... whatever y ... you say ... Milord..."

The demon lord smiled. "That's right. You are weak. You're not worthy as the Protector of the Realm. You're just a slave!"

"Y ... yes, Milord..." Gaea hung her head in shame. "I'm just a slave..."

"And you will obey me! You will observe closely as I rape her!"

Gaea's eyes flared in fear. "No... ! Milord, please let her go!"

The discussion was over. Daemon approached the bound girl and undid his trousers. His raging hard member stood in attention. He roughly licked the girl's dry pussy despite both girls' protest. Then without warning he slammed his penis deep inside the girl's pussy, stretching it to the limit. The gag couldn't stop the shattering scream of pain from escaping her lips. Gaea could only watch in horror as the demon lord raped the innocent girl mercilessly. The wave of guilt swept over her mind. She was the Protector of the Realm, yet she couldn't do anything to stop the horror before her. She had failed to do her job. She had failed the Guardian. She was not worthy as a goddess. I'm just a useless, wretched slave.

And as the demon lord reached climax, three screams joined together to form a perfect chorus: pleasure, pain and despair.

Atrus sat on the smooth, white marble of the Inner Sanctum and slowly took off his armor. The once-proud leather armor he'd received from a good fellow back in Labrador was now decorated with dents and scratches. That armor had seen many battles before, and had seen many more with him. Now it was hardly enough to deflect an arrow. It's time to buy a brand new armor, he thought.

The thought of Labrador brought back the memory of his first battle. He remembered fighting the bandits that had been pillaging the towns around the border. He remembered the kind people who had helped and supported him in his journey. He remembered the faith they had put in him when they elected him, just a young naïve boy, as their leader.

The thought also reminded him of Anna. It was the first time that he'd met her. The first meeting hadn't been very pleasant, but he'd gained her trust and respect, through tough battles and dire dangers, many of which could have got either of them killed. By any chance, he'd almost always been there for her in times of danger. Now Anna was nowhere near him. He didn't even know what had become of her. He didn't even know whether he would ever see her again.

The thought of Labrador bothered him deeply. Roberto had just confirmed that the army of the undead had raged through the south countryside and had pushed through the Great Forest. Now the small town of Blackwell, Maya's hometown, was the only town standing between the destruction and the capital of the Human kingdom of Aragon, Stromgard. Knowing that the enemy had pushed so far into the territory, Atrus was sure that among all towns in the south that had fallen, Labrador could be one of them.

And right now they were defenseless. Heaven, the home of the High Fairies, had been ransacked. They had driven out all the Ogres, but the price was heavy. Many Fairies were gravely wounded in the assault, but greater wounds lay inside. The Ogres had raped many of them before the party arrived. Plus, their holy symbol, the Holy Fire of Love was gone. Their physical wounds could be treated, yet their honor and dignity had been seized from them. Now they're reluctant to offer their support for the alliance.

Right now Maya, Aurelia and Hawk were tending the injuries. The rest of the people helped rebuild the Gate of Heaven. The pitiful moan of pain and despair filled the air. If only Anna was here...

"I'm sorry to interrupt you, O Prophet of the Guardian..."

"Lynn, how many times should I tell you to call me Atrus!" He snapped.

"My fault, O ... Prophet Atrus..." The Fairy cowered.

"Atrus!" He insisted.

"Atrus ... I want to express my gratitude for your assistance to our race."

"Don't mention it." Atrus replied. "We have another important matter to attend."

"I agree, but as you can see, our home is destroyed. The enemies have ... hurt us..."

Atrus stared at her. "What do you mean... ?"

"I mean..." The Fairy couldn't look at him in the eye. "I'm afraid ... we can't offer our support in your alliance..."

"What?!" Maya, who was tending a wounded Fairy nearby, couldn't help but cry.

I know this one is coming. "You know how important the alliance is for us?" Atrus asked.

"We understand, yet there is nothing we could do to assist. We've been ... defeated..."

"No, you haven't!" Maya answered quickly. "We can still fight together!"

"Our purity has been robbed. The Holy Fire of Love from the Gods has been extinguished. We have betrayed our vows. It's only a matter of time until the Gods decide to punish us..."

"Nonsense!" Maya shouted.

"Is there anything I can do to prove you otherwise?" Atrus interrupted.

"You have passed our test by defeating the invaders..." Lynn answered slowly. "But we can't help you. We are sorry. Please understand..."

"But without your help, we all will fall!" Maya insisted. "Please help us!"

"Young lady, you don't understand what we've been through!"

"Yes, I do!" There was a hint of deep pain in Maya's voice. "I ... I've been through things worse than this and I ... I survived them!"

"I don't mean to offend you, young lady, but purity means everything to us..."

"So what?!" Atrus had never seen Maya so mad before. "What are you going to do right now?! Commit a mass suicide?!"

"Now, girls!!" Atrus finally decided to interfere. He looked at both contenders, then sighed. "There was a fight out there in Aragon and many innocent people were killed. Now that I'm sick of it, I don't want to hear another one happening here between us!"

When both girls finally settled down, he resumed, "Maya, I'm afraid she's right. We can't force anything from them after what they've been through."

"But, Master..."

"No buts!" Atrus said quickly. "And Lynn, I understand. We will do our best to defend the realm without your help." He stood up. "I believe my task is done here. We must go."

"Wait..." The Fairy hesitated. "I mean ... you're just going to leave, just like that... ?"

"I have done what I'm supposed to do." Atrus answered calmly.

"I ... I'm very sorry." Lynn hung her head. "I really want to help, but..." She hesitated.

Atrus put his hand on her shoulder and gave her, despite the grueling feeling inside him, his best encouraging smile. "I know ... Listen to your heart. That's what my father always says."

The party quickly regrouped at the temple courtyard. The repair of the Gate was halfway done, but they had to go. Another pressing matter was to be attended.

"Undead army had attacked Southern Aragon, destroying many towns in that area. We need to go and mount some sort of defense." Atrus said. "Roberto, I believe your kingdom needs you right now."

"Yes. I have to go home and rally the army. I would appreciate if Captain Hawk would come with me." The young prince said.

"No problem." Hawk nodded. "I'll go."

"Princess Aurelia, could you go to Elom and inform the queen about this" Atrus asked.

"Sure." The Elf nodded. "I'll rally the Elven defenders to reinforce your army."

"And I suppose I should inform King Hloffeth about this?" Holgreb asked.

"Please." Atrus nodded. "I can't come with you people, because I have another matter to attend. I have to go to the fifth and last race."

"Which is... ?" Aurelia asked.

Atrus fell quiet for a while. "Good question. We've visited the Humans, Elves, Dwarves and Fairies. But there are supposed to be five races, or that's what Lord Guardian told me."

"Could it be the Gods?" Roberto offered.

"Nah..." Holgreb the Dwarf sneered. "Those stupid creatures won't even care!"

Everybody looked at the Dwarf for the moment. "Er ... atheistic, I suppose?" Hawk asked.

"Very."

Maya spoke up for the first time. "Master, why don't you ask the Fairies? They said they have access to such information."

"Lynn... ?" Atrus turned to the Fairy.

"I'm not sure that such information is ... valid for you..."

"Well, I tell you this..." Atrus stared into the Fairy's eyes. "There's a war going on out there and people are being killed! Now I'm not going to sit here, wasting my time, thinking about where I'm supposed to go! Now if you really care about those poor souls, let me know where to go!!"

Silence covered them for a while. After being with Atrus for a while, everybody knew that no matter how a nice person Atrus could be, he was the worst person to be around with when he was in a bad mood. Especially when Anna wasn't around to counter his anger.

"All right, I'll tell you..." The Fairy cowered. "You've visited all high races in the realm and done what you have to do. The time has come for you to visit the last race, the race of the outcasts ... the mages..."

"What?!" Roberto choked on himself. "Oh boy..."

"What's wrong?" Holgreb asked.

"Humans and Elves hated each other." Aurelia explained. "But they shared the same hatred against the mages."

"Why?"

"We thought that the mages were responsible for all the chaos that had been happening at that time. It was mostly political stuff. But an allied army of Humans and Elves really attacked the Great Temple of Magi in Northern Aragon, destroying the place. Now the Order of Magi settled down in far northeast of the land in a small peninsula bordered by mountains and the treacherous Northern Ocean."

"So I assume they won't be very excited with the idea of this alliance?"

"Definitely not." Roberto replied. "Atrus, do you want me to go with you to apologize?"

"That will do no good." Atrus answered. "If they don't want an alliance, they don't want it, even if you're there. I'll confront them. Now we'd better get going..."

"Wait... !" Lynn hesitated for a while. "I ... I can help ... I can open a set of dimension doors here to send you all to your destinations. I suppose that's the least I can do to assist..."

"Thanks." Atrus nodded. "Maya? Are you going with Prince Roberto?"

"No, Master ... I think I'll stay here for a while to help ... that is, if you don't mind..."

"Why, you're heroes!" Lynn answered quickly. "You're always welcomed in Heaven!"

"All right, people, let's move!"

Four magical dimension doors was opened before them. Prince Roberto and Hawk went in to Castle Stromgard to rally troops. Aurelia went back to Elom to prepare reinforcement while Holgreb proceeded to Castle Hloffeth to warn King Parson of the threat. Atrus faced the last dimension door that Lynn claimed to connect to the Land of the Magi.

"Be careful, Master..." Maya called.

Atrus gave her an encouraging smile, then entered the dimension door. The magical door was quickly closed behind him. He ran through the magical tunnel, ignoring various flashes and glows of the shrunk objects in the realm as he traveled through space and time. Everything flashed in bright light, signaling the end of the tunnel. Just in case, he reached out for his sword and prepared his fighting stance.

He failed. The ground wasn't there.

Atrus stumbled and fell instantly after going out of the dimension door. The door seemed to hover above the ground. He landed, thankfully, on a grassy ground. The height of his fall wasn't fatal, but the pain was enough to make him grumble. I'll deal with that Fairy brat later...

When he completely recovered from the fall, he knew he wasn't alone. In fact, he was surrounded by at least a dozen other men. They were all wearing long robes and high collars. Each of them held a long staff topped with a gem. They all didn't look very pleased with his sudden appearance. Atrus had heard stories about wizards. He'd thought wizards were just street magicians wearing long robes, thick beard and pointy hats. Now, facing a group of angry wizards, he knew he was in trouble.

His hand still rested firmly on his sword on his back. He could ignite his inner power any time, giving him an advantage in battle and offered partial protection against magic. But he knew he wasn't there to fight. He was there to plea for help from his race's greatest archenemy.

He put his hand down. "I surrender. Lead me to your leader."