Chapter 12

Anna found herself in the same position. She couldn't remember what happened after Ursula had left. She remembered a sharp, intense pain. Then she remembered sharp stings from different part of her skin, probably from the whip. Then she remembered nothing. She was glad that the unconsciousness had rescued her from further ordeal.

But the spell ... With the revitalize spell she was not supposed to faint. She took a glance on her body and gasped. Her naked body was decorated with red welts. Her nipples felt sore from the whipping and her throat was parched. She knew she had to have screamed like she never screamed before. Then the picture of the cruel whip came to her mind. The whip should have left bloody mess instead of normal welts. There could be one explanation to this.

She quickly found Sister Rosa standing next to her. "Sister Rosa ... you saved me..."

"That's a quick thinking, Adriana." The other priestess replied gloomily. "That's right. I lifted off the flame and revitalize spell so you would faint immediately. Simultaneous pain will overwhelm your brain. I'm quite amazed you're not insane after the terrible torture you've been through."

"And ... and the whip..."

Sister Rosa lifted a smaller whip in his hand. "This one will hurt you, but won't kill you. And if you haven't noticed, I've loosened your chains."

Anna still couldn't move, but at least she didn't have to endure the pain of her limbs being pulled out from their sockets. She quickly found the most comfortable state for her aching muscles.

"I ... Why did you do that... ?" Anna asked slowly.

"Because you won't be of any use if you're insane." The other priestess walked toward the sink at one corner and returned with a glass of pure water. "I will let you drink if you speak."

"Please, Sister Rosa, I'm innocent!"

"Adriana, I won't offer this twice..." She threatened.

"I'm telling the truth ... I'm innocent!"

The enraged priestess tossed the glass to the wall. The glass shattered into pieces, making Anna gasped. She stared hungrily at the water pooling on the stone floor. She recalled her parched throat from hours of torment. Her instinct told her to give it up, but she refused to listen. She had a determination to defend and she would defend it to the end.

"Adriana, I don't want to torture you further, but your foolish stance forces me to do so."

"I know the truth, Sister Rosa..." she sighed, "I can reveal this foolishness..."

"I don't want to hear it!" Rosa snapped. "Just confess, and everything will be over!"

"Will it?" Anna questioned. "I'll be damned if the truth I defend is lost."

"You give me no other choice, Adriana. I must torment you further."

"No, please listen to me!" Anna begged. "Have you seen the villages destroyed by the demons?"

The priestess thought for a while. "Three of them, I recall."

"Then you know the massive destruction those demons have caused."

"Yes..."

"Then why are you still alive?!"

Sister Rosa frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"Look, if I'm a demonic abomination, you probably have been turned into ashes by now! They're capable of destroying a village in no time, why can't I fry one lowly priestess like you?!"

The priestess thought deeply. "You probably will seduce me to do your bidding!"

"Demons don't seduce people!" Anna shot back. "They kill, not enslave! Look around you! This very dungeon is the actual demonic abomination! Only demons can invent such hideous torture! Only demons can suggest such barbaric execution!"

"How do you know?!" Rosa replied angrily. "You must be one of them!"

"No..." Anna looked away. "I ... I've been their prisoner ... many times..."

"You ... you have... ?"

Anna nodded slowly. "I can tell you that the torture they've implement on me is nothing compared to the one you imposed on me just now..."

"So..." Rosa frowned again. "You're referring..."

"Yes, Sister Rosa ... There's something wrong in this shrine ... That's what I'm trying to find out ... Please let me go. I must hunt this demon down!"

"You've told me, Adriana, but you haven't convinced me." Rosa shook her head.

"Perhaps I can help..."

Sister Rosa froze in her place when the tip of cold blade touched her neck. "Wh ... what?!"

"Nice dream, Sister Rosa..."

The priestess felt a slight jab on her neck and she suddenly felt really dizzy. She scrambled for her own revitalize spell, but the drug won the match and she went limp before even remembering the spell chant.

"Honey, what are you doing here?!" Anna hissed.

"Oh, you're welcome, dearest." Atrus scowled. "It's hard to get real appreciation these days."

"No, that's not it!" Anna replied. "I was in verge of convincing her into our side!"

"No time to waste. Can you walk?"

"I doubt it. My bones have been turned into jelly."

Atrus expertly cut her chains with his sword and caught her falling body in his arms. She squirmed in pain at the sudden jerk, but relaxed quickly as Atrus held her naked body close, content with the warmth. Her arms struggled to return the embrace, but his coordination hadn't returned completely that Atrus had to help her. She stayed in his embrace for a while, enjoying every moment. Then she knew how much she missed him.

"I thought you'd never come..."

"And let you have the live burial fun for yourself?" Atrus smiled.

"How do you know?" She looked at him, surprised.

"We're all watching you, dearest."

"Watching me... ?" Anna asked. "B ... but I thought..."

"It's all Maya's plot." Atrus smiled. "She saw you fighting Daemon in the Sacred Sanctuary. She convinced everyone to blame you, so we can uncover all the oddities that's been happening in this shrine."

"S ... she did?" She sighed in relief. "I ... I'm glad, then ... they don't hate me..."

"Hate you?" He grinned. "Maya is now blaming herself for putting you in such hideous torture!"

"I'm happy that you're here, honey." She kissed his cheek. "I thought I'd never see you again."

"As I said, I won't let you have all the fun." His ear twitched. "Someone's coming..."

"Oh no!" She went panic. "There is no other way out but the main door!"

"Unless we make one ourselves." He replied. "Ten more seconds..."

"Ten more seconds... ?" Anna frowned.

"Hold on tight..."

She did, or at least tried to tighten her embrace. Atrus lifted her small body in his arms. Precisely ten seconds later, a dimension door sprung open directly before them, and Atrus made a run for it. Anna could still hear the sound of angry priestesses as the dimension portal shut. Atrus carried her for a short run until the space around her exploded in bright light and they returned to normal dimension. They were in the middle of a meadow outside the shrine, and it was nighttime already.

"Anna!"

She saw the Fairy into view, and she looked worried. She touched her hand on her forehead and chanted one of her songs Anna hadn't heard before. She could feel her magical power returning to her and every cell in her body refreshed by the songs. She readily chanted the healing spell of her own and was pleased as the spell caressed her body, curing her aches and easing her pain. The spell was not enough to completely heal her, but at least she could stand again on her own.

"I ... I'm sorry, Mistress..." Maya approached, her head hung. "I didn't know..."

"Don't worry, Maya." She smiled. "You know what you're doing, right?"

"Of course!" She replied vigorously. "That Ursula fellow spooks me."

Everyone in the party was there, and all of them were happy to see her again. Falstoff was seen walking toward them. He also seemed fine from the last battle. A strip of cloth wrapped his right arm. He nodded slightly at Anna, acknowledging her presence, and turned to Atrus.

"There's an uproar in the shrine." He reported. "They're burning all the torches."

"That's probably for the High Priestess enactment." Anna guessed. "They'll be doing that this afternoon."

"We'll let them worry about that." Atrus said. "Calem?"

"I think I got it." The older man replied. "I might still need Lynn's help to keep the dimension door open, though."

"I can help, too." Falstoff added. "I can't cast magic, but I have the talent."

"Dimension door?" Anna looked at Atrus. "We're going somewhere, honey?"

"Yes." Atrus replied gloomily. "We're going to the Island of Paradise."

The last prisoner cried in mixed pleasure and pain as the tentacle pushed deep inside her vagina and shot its wad inside her. A pair of tentacles around her breasts bit into her flesh and sucked her nipples, making her moan louder. Finally her defiance collapsed and she exploded in a forced climax. Her soul surrendered to the ecstasy and her will was drained from her.

And the big gem at the center of the room glowed brightly. The pure gem now illuminated evil radiance throughout the room.

"Perfect!" Daemon exclaimed. "The Titan Gem is fully powered!"

The tentacles binding the girl vanished and the once-proud priestess collapsed to the ground. A bulky Orc warrior chained the girl's wrists and ankles and linked them together tightly, preventing her from standing. Then he put on a collar around her neck and attached a leash on it. The Orc tugged the leash, forcing the weakened girl to walk on all four like a dog. She was led outside the room toward the barracks, where she would spend the rest of her pathetic life as a demon's pet.

Daemon walked toward the bound goddess and casually stroke her pussy, enjoying her humiliation. "Aren't you excited? Really soon you will be my bride!"

"Please, Daemon..." Gaea pleaded. "Don't do this ... You can hurt me ... You can have me ... but don't hurt my people..."

"Your people?" The demon lord frowned. "Soon they will be nothing but rotten flesh and bones laying around burned rubbles! Those who survive will serve as our slaves!" He leaned toward her. "Don't worry ... you're still my favorite pet..."

"The Champion will stop you, Daemon..." The goddess claimed. "And I'll be the witness."

"Dream on, bitch, for you will live your immortal life in nightmare..."

"The sun is almost up." Aurelia reported. "You haven't found him?"

"Eagle's eye is a hard spell to master!" Calem said. "Especially if you want to stretch the distance all the way across the ocean."

Calem, Lynn, and Falstoff were laying their hands on Anna's shoulder while the priestess was concentrating on the spell. With plenty of magical power channeled for her use, her soul could soar high enough toward the direction Aurelia had given her earlier. She had found the thick cluster of clouds where Kastor was presumed hiding inside, but she hadn't found the mythical island. The renowned Northern Ocean was violently windy today. Her magical soul was not affected at all, but she could imagine what would have happened had they decided to use a boat to sail there.

Then she spotted a small patch of land beneath the thick clouds. "I found it!!"

The sudden movement startled everybody and they gathered around her. Nobody talked for a while, afraid to be blamed for her failure.

"Wait a minute ... There's something..." Anna frowned. "Something's resisting me..."

The three people pumped more magic into her, but they could also feel the pressure. "It's strong..." Calem noted. "Very strong ... even for the four of us..."

"Is it the dragon?" Holgreb asked impatiently.

"No ... something else..."

An invisible force suddenly threw the four backwards. A bright light appeared in the air, hovering before them. The light was so bright they had to shield their eyes. Some of them were ready to draw their weapons, but the thundering voice coming out of the light stopped them.

"Who are you?!" The voice yelled. "Why do you bother me?!"

Atrus took the initiative. "My name is Atrus White Lion, and I come with my friends, some of them are the Warriors of the Guardian. We want to go to the Island of Paradise."

"I am the guardian of the Island of Paradise." The voice said. "And my order is clear. Only the true Champion of the Guardian and the loyal Warriors of the Guardian can enter the island to fulfill the prophecy. Do you have them among you?"

"Er..." Atrus thought for a while. "We're short of one warrior. And we're not sure who the real Champion of the Guardian really is."

"Then you're not welcomed here!!" The voice roared again.

"No, please!" Anna quickly said. "We suspect that the right man is among us, but we are not sure. Please let us in! We need your guidance!"

"You don't need any guidance! The prophecy tells it all."

"No, please listen!" She tried again. "The real Champion of the Guardian is presumed lost during his birth. He may have forgotten his true heritage, and the prophecy doesn't help. We need you to tell us where to find him!"

There was silence for a while before the voice answered. "In that case, very well. I will open a dimension door for you to come in."

The light vanished, replaced by a big magical portal hovering in the air. The party wasted no time and entered the portal one by one. During the short journey they felt an invisible wall that gave a nasty jolt, and they perceived that they just went through the magic barrier, probably weakened for their passage. Had they made their own portal, they might have not survived the trip.

The tunnel flashed and they arrived in the Island of Paradise, which was not really worthy of its name. The island was really a small patch of land in the middle of the ocean. There were no trees, bushes, or other amenities. The sky was dark and cloudy, even though the sun was rising. The sky also seemed to be glassy, presumably from the magic barrier. A small shrine made out of rough stone stood proud on the sandy ground. The design was simple, just several stone pillars supporting the high ceiling. The pillars, however, were full with runes and sculptures of symbols unknown to them. The stone seemed to be the strong type found around the riverbanks. The question of how it had gotten here arose.

A tall man with long white beard stood near the shrine and bowed, letting his long white robe hang freely from his feeble body. "Euclid, an old hermit loyal to the Guardian, welcomes you."

"Euclid... ?" Anna frowned. "You ... it ... it can't be... !"

"Indeed, Miss Freesland. I am the one who spoke about the Ancient Prophecy."

"You ... you know my name..."

"I know all of your names." The old man smiled. "My affiliation with Lord Guardian grants me this ability."

"But it can't be!" Aurelia added. "The Ancient Prophecy has been around for many years!"

"I can't even remember how old I am."

"Are you an immortal?" Calem asked.

"No." Euclid chuckled. "I'm just an old man sent by Lord Guardian to be the laughing stock of the entire realm because of my words. Then I'm doomed to live until the day my prophecy is fulfilled."

"But no one laughs at you anymore!" Aurelia said again.

"Of course." The man smiled. "Regret always comes after, never before."

"So, Sir Euclid..." Atrus began.

"Euclid." He cut him off. "Or call me old man."

"Er ... old man ... Do you know anything about the Champion of the Guardian, then?"

"The secret, unfortunately, is also kept well from me."

"Then we're stuck..." Atrus said mournfully. "The time has not come yet."

The poor priestess jerked in her chains as the cruel whip dug painfully to her flesh and made a long cut along her thigh, leaving a long, ugly welt. The chains tugged her weakened limbs painfully in all four directions, threatening to dislocate her joints at any moments by now.

"You've disappointed me, Sister Rosa."

"Please, Sister Ursula, have mercy!" The priestess in chains begged. "It's not my fault! That cursed knight drugged me and put me to sleep!"

"Silence!" Ursula roared. "You've let an important prisoner escape with her petty band of mercenaries. Those people might be dangerous to our existence."

"But why do you make me a subject of this hideous torture?" Rosa pleaded. "Please, Sister, I've had enough ... My limbs are on fire, my skins are burning with pain ... Please let me go..."

"Not yet..." Ursula sneered while walking toward the chain slot machine. "However, I intend to make you feel more ... comfy."

Rosa's eyes were widened with fear and she begged for mercy, but Ursula ignored her and casually turned the wheel two more slots. The chains went taut and stretched the poor girl in all directions. Rosa screamed in pain as her limbs were jerked and extended even further. Her muscles were on fire and she could feel her joints in the verge of dislocating.

"How is it, Sister? Much better, isn't it?"

Sister Rosa looked at her with tears in her eyes. "It ... it's true..."

"What's true?" Ursula frowned.

"Adriana's ... S ... something's ... wrong ... with ... this ... shrine..."

"Ah, I see..." Ursula smirked. "So our little priestess has succumbed to that demoness!"

"No, please li ... Mmmph!!" Rosa was about to explain more, but Ursula magically gagged the priestess' mouth.

"I will make sure that none of your ... demonic influence, affect this shrine again. In fact, in a few hours we'll be having a special moment, my enactment as the High Priestess of this shrine."

Rosa tried to protest, but her jaws were jammed close.

"Furthermore, I suppose I should subject you to the same treatment Adriana received earlier this morning." Ursula said. "In fact, your life is now in her hand. If she doesn't surrender herself by noon after my enactment, I'm afraid you'll be replacing her in the burial casket."

Rosa was now crying freely, knowing her horrible fate. She didn't even attempt to escape, knowing the terrible pain it would inflict to her.

"Now, we've had such a nice chat..." Ursula walked toward her, a wicked-looking bullwhip on her hand. "Where were we... ?"

The sight of the renowned Shrine of Lycra looked pretty with the sunrise as the background. Although the clouds looked ugly, the welcome view of the ocean refreshed every soldier, who had been content with the sight of the prairie for the last three days.

Roberto was pleased to find a group of priestesses welcoming their arrival. They all wore suits just like Anna's, only a bit more ... sexy. The low-cut dress and the short skirt made him grasp. Hawk, riding beside him, shared the same wonder, staring at the priestesses in disbelief.

"We welcome you to our humble Shrine of Lycra, Prince Roberto of Aragon."

Roberto nodded, but frowned. "Where are Atrus and the rest of the party?"

The priestesses murmured among them for a while before answering, "We're not sure, your majesty. But they are under our suspicion for treason against the shrine codes."

"Treason? That's impossible!" Hawk exclaimed. "Not Atrus!"

"We understand your concern. We are currently investigating the matter."

Roberto looked around and noticed the newly installed fence. "Is everything all right?"

"Oh yes!" She said quickly. "Everything is under con..."

Before the sentence was complete, no less than nine smaller versions of the Gate appeared around the shrine. And in just a few minutes the Shrine of Lycra was surrounded by hundreds of angry Orcs and Goblins.

"Yeah, right..."

Suddenly two small Gates appeared over them and six black-furred beasts came out. They faced the two men and snarled and hissed, showing their sharp fangs. This distracted the two knights, as they concentrated to control their agitated horses. The beasts quickly snatched the frightened priestesses and retreated through the holes. The Gates were shut closed before the knights realized what's happening.

"Those monsters just kidnapped the priestesses!" Roberto mused.

"Alliance army!!" Hawk barked. "Defensive posture, execute!!"

Although the soldiers were never trained together, they quickly assumed the standard defensive formation. The Humans stood in front, presenting their long pikes forward. The Dwarves stood among the Humans, offering protection with their shields. The Elven warriors lined up behind them, ready with their longbows, and the knights waited patiently behind, ready to charge the enemy with their horses at the right time.

"Fire!!" Hawk ordered.

The longbows proved their versatility as hundreds of arrows filled the sky and rained the field where the evil folks made their advance. Hawk could see a good number of creatures collapsing already. Each Elf retrieved no less than three arrows for each longbow and armed the weapon again. Another order was issued and multiple arrows blitzed the hellish horde and claimed more lives. The creatures now acknowledged the alliance's presence and marched to attack, leaving the shrine alone.

"Alliance army, slow advance, execute!!"

Then the longbows finally met their match. Instead of arrows, the Orcs began to throw ... axes! The two leaders could only watch in horror as several axes were flung toward them. Most of them were deflected using the shields, but several Human pikemen collapsed from the attack. The axes were light and smaller than battle axes. The long handle made them easy to propel, although special training was needed to use them properly. It was clear that they were fighting professional army now.

"Maximum defense, execute!!" Hawk barked.

The Humans quickly abandoned their pikes and armed their shields instead. The Dwarves angled their shields slightly toward the sky, therefor completing a long line of shield wall on the front line. The knights stuck close to the army, using the shield wall as cover. The shield opened occasionally, and waves of arrows soared through the air, running the battlefield with deadly bolts.

"The dragon!!" One Elven scout screamed in horror. "The dragon is coming!!"

Roberto could see the silhouette of a dragon against the dense clouds. For an instant he wished he was seeing Agar, but his hope collapsed when the angry-red color was clearly visible.

"That's the red dragon." He muttered under his breath. "We're doomed..."

"Wrong. The time is near." Euclid said. "All five Warriors of the Guardian are present here."

"Yeah, but ... What?!" Atrus exclaimed. "I ... I thought we're short of one person!"

"You're wrong." He smiled. "The Champion of the Guardian is indeed near."

"No, it can't be..." Atrus frowned, then looked at Falstoff. "Unless..."

The new guy instantly stepped back. "Now if you're going to ask me again about weird dreams just like Roberto did, my answer remains the same! No, I haven't had any weird dreams!"

"Are you absolutely sure?" Lynn asked.

"Honest!" He said to the Fairy. "You know me! You know how much I love looking at the stars in the night! I have no time to dream away!"

"But you weren't born yesterday!" Holgreb spoke up. "You're what ... nineteen, right? How about the dreams when you're small... ?"

Falstoff fell silent, but Atrus could notice the sudden flash in his eyes. "What?"

The warrior remained silent, but Holgreb answered for him. "When the royal advisor interviewed him in the castle, I was there. He claimed that he lost his memory somewhere in his childhood. He can't remember anything from the time of his birth until..."

"Enough!!" Falstoff roared, his eyes fiery in anger. "That matter is not for discussion!!"

"Can't you understand, kid?!" The Dwarf persisted. "Your dream might be the final key to the entire prophecy! Your dream might save the realm from those demonic critters!"

"My childhood is my problem!" The warrior shot back. "It's lost, and it's lost forever!"

"I don't care about your childhood!! I care about the final prophecy!!"

Without warning, Falstoff drew his blade and was about to attack the Dwarf when the ground shook. Suddenly the sight of the sky around them turned crystal clear.

"We have a problem..." Euclid muttered gravely. "The magic barrier has just collapsed."

"Cover!!" Hawk barked.

All raised their shields just in time to face the mighty wrath of the red dragon. Kastor flew low and released a stream of flame from his gaping mouth. The flame hit the shield wall with tremendous force. Most of the wall section held and those who got knocked back suffered the consequence of being burnt to ashes. The Dwarves and Humans worked together well in holding the shield wall thanks to the special Dwarven metal alloy for their shields. The Elves, possessing shields made out of wood, had to duck for cover among their fellow races and popped back afterwards to shoot their longbows toward the dragon. Many lucky arrows met their marks, but none seemed to inflict serous effect on the beast.

Roberto frowned at the sight before him.

The demons had opened nine Gates near the shrine courtyard and unless the demons are extremely dumb, the Shrine of Lycra should have been turned into rubbles by now. But the demons seemed to refrain from attacking the shrine. They loosed arrows and throwing axes occasionally, but not intended to cause real damage. It looks more like they're defending the shrine ... But the small town of Tymm was already ablaze. Why are they destroying the small town with such a huge army... ? If they just want to destroy the small town, why use the dragon... ?

"Prince Roberto!" Hawk called. "I can't believe it! Kastor is leaving!"

He was right. The red dragon shrieked in anger and flew toward the east. The lizard soared through the air in great speed and soon disappeared beneath the clouds. Things are getting more weird...

"Let's go, people!!" The prince raised his sword. "We have a village to save!!"

"Warriors of the realm, I present to you, the Sword of Faith, the weapon of the Gods..."

The party gasped at the sight ... not for long, though. The sword was jammed into the marble altar located at the center of the small shrine. The legendary sword of the Gods was merely a sword made out of stone. The design of the handle was remarkable, with safety pins at the end, fine and decorative handle, and even blood groove along the slightly revealed blade. The dark color of the sword contrasted with the pure white marble, but the blade seemed welded in one with the altar.

"Um..." Maya tried to break the silence. "Very ... original..."

Euclid laughed lightly. "You haven't seen the actual sword. Only the Chosen One can use it."

The Dwarf eyed Falstoff angrily. "We could have known if this hunk had told everything..."

"You can't say that! He might be telling the truth!" Lynn protested.

"Now you're defending him!"

"Stop acting like children!!" Atrus yelled angrily, then turned to the hermit. "Continue."

"As the Warriors of the Guardian, you all must defend this site. I'm sure the dragon will soon return to claim his prize. The weapon of the gods must remain intact until the Chosen One arrives."

"Very well..." Atrus nodded.

"One warning." Euclid produced a small rock, tossed it into the sword and smiled at the party's amazement when the stone was zapped into dust. "Only the Chosen One and the Chosen One only can touch the sword. Anything else will be burnt to dust instantly. Understand?"

It took a while until Atrus could find his voice again. "All right, we'll do this. Holgreb, Falstoff and Aurelia, secure the perimeter. Calem and Lynn, try to erect an emergency magic barrier around the island. Do it, now!"

Everybody spread out to do his or her tasks. Atrus stared weakly at the sword on the altar. They had to protect that thing, he thought. And the odds were against them. For the first time during the time of his travel, he was afraid of losing.

"Honey..." Anna said slowly. "I'm sorry I can't help..."

"It's okay, dearest." Atrus put his arm around her shoulder. "You're still recovering."

"Master Atrus..." Maya came to him. "D ... do you think ... Prince Roberto is the one... ?"

"We are just as clueless as you, Maya." Atrus admitted.

"But if he is, then we should bring him here! He's to arrive today!"

Atrus paused, then looked away. "That makes sense. I should have left someone to tell him."

"Master, I don't blame you!" Maya said quickly. "I ... I'm just worried of the outcome..."

"Look at the bright side, Maya." Anna pointed at the altar. "Remember three years ago? We were merely mercenaries looking for money and fame. We just dreamed that we would find the fabled hero bound to save the realm. And now, we are fighting for the realm itself. Now, we are standing before the weapon of the Gods. Now, we are bound to be the witnesses of the salvation."

Maya smiled. "You're right, Mistress ... We've gone this far. We can't give up now."

"You're not being yourself." Atrus grinned at her. "That's supposed to be your line."

"Let's just say..." Maya said. "This war has changed us all."

Atrus drew his Rainbow Sword and glanced at the blade. "You're right. Three years ago I'm just a Ranger-in-training, fighting for money and fame and skill to be a full Ranger. Now, I've forgotten all about the fame. After the Chosen One is revealed, my task for the Guardian is done."