As Starfire laid out the infrastructure of Alhrik's castle to Raven and the
rebel lieutenants, the rest began to suit themselves up. They were ill-
equipped. Most had simple wooden shields and hatchets. Swords and spears
were in short status. Many crafted pikes out of wooden poles. The only bows
and arrows available were that of the assassins, and they had no desire of
giving them up. But one thing they all had with them was their will to
fight. "Barlan, are you fighting too?" Starfire asked. "I must say that I
am not. I feel as though I have assisted too much in this conflict. I'd be
betraying my former lord by helping you. But I've been betraying you by
helping him achieve what he wants. So I leave yours, his, and the rebels
fates in your own hands." With that Barlan left. "Let him go Tamarina. It's
his choice." After seeing him leave, Starfire immediately scrounged around
for weapons. She found a small arm gauntlet and put it on. It was snug and
a bit uncomfortable but she had been through worse. "Just what do you think
you're doing? I understand your urge to save him. And I thank you for the
information you've given, but this isn't your fight." "I don't care. I will
not sit back and watch you guys put yourselves in death's path. Like it or
not, I'm coming with you." She said firmly. It was then that Starfire found
an elegant rapier stashed in a barrel. It was lightweight and easy to
swing. It could be used to slice or stab. "Just hang on Robin...we're coming
for you...I'm coming for you."
The elites roughly grabbed Robin and dragged him out of the cell. He struggled to fight back but they were too much. The old man reached out his hand and for a split second touched Robin's. Robin then felt a small surge of energy channel through his body. He immediately tried to break free of the elites' grasps. He managed to knock one against a wall, rendering him unconscious. But two more immediately took his place. Robin prepared to try to break free again but then he heard a voice in his head. "Do not waste what I have given you now. Save it. You'll know when the right moment is to use it." Robin knew that the voice was the old man's but he had no clue what had been given to him. But he knew that the old man knew what he meant and allowed himself to be carried off. One of the elites rammed the handle of his sword into Robin's stomach, knocking the wind out of him (and knocking him out cold) as they carried him off to Alhrik.
When Robin awoke, he found that he was in a large room. A chamber of some sort. Across the walls were grime, weapons, torture devices, and smears of ash and blood. Torches lit the room as the elites stood at the 4 corners of the room. Robin then realized that he couldn't move. He was strapped to some table of some sort. His arms and legs were strapped down. He was topless and a tattoo of some symbol had been painted in a bluish- purple color onto his chest. He struggled to free his arms but the harnesses only dug deeper into his wrists. "Don't bother struggling. Unless it's painful, then by all means continue." The voice belonged to Alhrik. He was next to a cabinet gathering things. He was dressed in a ceremonial robe. He still had his blades strapped to his back. Alhrik turned around and walked towards Robin with a handful of items. He sat them on a table next to Robin and began reading an incantation from a very old book. Robin then felt weirder. Then the pain came. A pounding in his head came as fast as Beast Boy's need for tofu. "The entire process won't take long. But (laughing)...it will be like a pain you've never experienced before." Suddenly an explosion rocked the castle. Alhrik looked out of a window to see fires sprouting up around the castle. An army of rebels had broken through the defenses. "HOW!?" Alhrik thought. The defenses are nearly impenetrable...unless..." Alhrik then saw Starfire. She was with the rebels...and she was attacking the guards as much as they were. "So daughter...you have sided with them. I shall spare you no less then I will your prince. Elites!" "Sir!" "You 20...assist the guards. Drive away these bastards. You 3 however, stay here. I will continue the procedure, and I cannot have any interruptions. I will need your protection." "Yes sir!" "And one last thing...my daughter has joined them. Do not hesitate to kill her." With that the elites went off as Alhrik continued the incantation. The beating in Robin's head continued. The pain in his heart grew too. "Star...fire..." He fell unconscious
Starfire ran through the corridors with her rapier ready. A guard saw her and charged her with a spear. She sidestepped and cleaved the spear (along with the guard's hands) clean off and knocked him out. "Hmmm, now I know what humans feel when they hold a weapon in their hands." She thought to herself. "What I wouldn't give to have my powers and superstrength..." But as soon as she thought of this her head began to hurt. "AHHH! Damnit! Why does my head hurt whenever I think of it?" "Tamarina are you ok?!" Raven came to Starfire's side and helped her to her feet. "I-I'm fine." "Well you won't be when I'm through with you." The two girls looked over to find Capt. Hallen standing at the end of the hall, scimitar drawn, and battle ready. "Tamarina...go...he's mine." Raven then drew a katana from the sheath strapped to her back. "But, but Raven, I want to..." "GO! He needs you more then I do." Raven then looked up at Cyborg and smiled. "Besides...this shouldn't take long." Raven then shoved Starfire back. At that same time, the roof caved in blocking Starfire from Raven. "RAVEN!" "Good luck..." Raven said to herself. "I won't be as easy as you think future-seer." "Just don't make the mistake that me being a simple future-seer will make me unable to handle myself in combat." Raven brought her sword up. "Besides (smiling) I want my pendant back." "You want it... get it." Raven blew him a kiss then charged. Cyborg brought his weapon up and charged. Their duel began.
To Be Continued...
The elites roughly grabbed Robin and dragged him out of the cell. He struggled to fight back but they were too much. The old man reached out his hand and for a split second touched Robin's. Robin then felt a small surge of energy channel through his body. He immediately tried to break free of the elites' grasps. He managed to knock one against a wall, rendering him unconscious. But two more immediately took his place. Robin prepared to try to break free again but then he heard a voice in his head. "Do not waste what I have given you now. Save it. You'll know when the right moment is to use it." Robin knew that the voice was the old man's but he had no clue what had been given to him. But he knew that the old man knew what he meant and allowed himself to be carried off. One of the elites rammed the handle of his sword into Robin's stomach, knocking the wind out of him (and knocking him out cold) as they carried him off to Alhrik.
When Robin awoke, he found that he was in a large room. A chamber of some sort. Across the walls were grime, weapons, torture devices, and smears of ash and blood. Torches lit the room as the elites stood at the 4 corners of the room. Robin then realized that he couldn't move. He was strapped to some table of some sort. His arms and legs were strapped down. He was topless and a tattoo of some symbol had been painted in a bluish- purple color onto his chest. He struggled to free his arms but the harnesses only dug deeper into his wrists. "Don't bother struggling. Unless it's painful, then by all means continue." The voice belonged to Alhrik. He was next to a cabinet gathering things. He was dressed in a ceremonial robe. He still had his blades strapped to his back. Alhrik turned around and walked towards Robin with a handful of items. He sat them on a table next to Robin and began reading an incantation from a very old book. Robin then felt weirder. Then the pain came. A pounding in his head came as fast as Beast Boy's need for tofu. "The entire process won't take long. But (laughing)...it will be like a pain you've never experienced before." Suddenly an explosion rocked the castle. Alhrik looked out of a window to see fires sprouting up around the castle. An army of rebels had broken through the defenses. "HOW!?" Alhrik thought. The defenses are nearly impenetrable...unless..." Alhrik then saw Starfire. She was with the rebels...and she was attacking the guards as much as they were. "So daughter...you have sided with them. I shall spare you no less then I will your prince. Elites!" "Sir!" "You 20...assist the guards. Drive away these bastards. You 3 however, stay here. I will continue the procedure, and I cannot have any interruptions. I will need your protection." "Yes sir!" "And one last thing...my daughter has joined them. Do not hesitate to kill her." With that the elites went off as Alhrik continued the incantation. The beating in Robin's head continued. The pain in his heart grew too. "Star...fire..." He fell unconscious
Starfire ran through the corridors with her rapier ready. A guard saw her and charged her with a spear. She sidestepped and cleaved the spear (along with the guard's hands) clean off and knocked him out. "Hmmm, now I know what humans feel when they hold a weapon in their hands." She thought to herself. "What I wouldn't give to have my powers and superstrength..." But as soon as she thought of this her head began to hurt. "AHHH! Damnit! Why does my head hurt whenever I think of it?" "Tamarina are you ok?!" Raven came to Starfire's side and helped her to her feet. "I-I'm fine." "Well you won't be when I'm through with you." The two girls looked over to find Capt. Hallen standing at the end of the hall, scimitar drawn, and battle ready. "Tamarina...go...he's mine." Raven then drew a katana from the sheath strapped to her back. "But, but Raven, I want to..." "GO! He needs you more then I do." Raven then looked up at Cyborg and smiled. "Besides...this shouldn't take long." Raven then shoved Starfire back. At that same time, the roof caved in blocking Starfire from Raven. "RAVEN!" "Good luck..." Raven said to herself. "I won't be as easy as you think future-seer." "Just don't make the mistake that me being a simple future-seer will make me unable to handle myself in combat." Raven brought her sword up. "Besides (smiling) I want my pendant back." "You want it... get it." Raven blew him a kiss then charged. Cyborg brought his weapon up and charged. Their duel began.
To Be Continued...