Imperial Capital
After two weeks of traveling, the young warriors finally arrived at the Imperial Capital of Vilyane. Once there, Bit and Leena were sent in for reconiscence in order to find a way into the castle. They began talking to people and asking their opinions on the empire as well.
The duo soon learned that many people in the slums loathed their emperor, while the people living in the grand upper city were all totally supportive of him. But the greatest thing they could find was the small run down house in the southern part of the slums. That's where they met the rebel forces that were plotting against the empire.
"Greetings," said the green haired woman who they met at the rebels' hideout, "My name is Pierce. I'm a former Lieutenant in the Imperial army, but left after it became corrupt. In fact, all of us higher ups in the rebellion are." She gestured to an older man who was reading the paper, and a young man who was playing solitaire. "I'd like you to meet General Stoller, and his nephew Sanders. The three of us run things around here."
"It's always good to see new faces. What's your name?" inquired Stoller.
Bit replied, "My name is Bit Cloud. And this here is Leena Toros."
"Of Jatiran!" exclaimed the trio of rebels.
"Yes," said Leena, "How about we get our other friends in here. We'll help you take down the empire if you want."
* * *
"So you're the famous General Stoller. I've heard many things about your competence in battle from my father and my superiors," stated Leon.
"Yes," replied the general, "You see, ever since about a year ago, the emperor has been acting weird. He's lost the caring for his citizens, and only wants more territory and more money. The three of us left the army after we found out about his changes in behavior. Once we saw the extent of what these changes were doing to the empire, we began the rebellion. So will you help us?"
Bit exclaimed, "Of course we will. We need to rescue anyone who was captured from Jatiran and get the Imperial Army out of their capitol anyway. Since our goals are the same, I see no reason why we can't work together."
* * *
Some time later, the eleven heroes were crawling through the sewers under the capital. Stoller had found a secret passage into the dungeons from the sewers, and had told them about it. He figured that if they were looking to free any prisoners taken in the raid on Jatiran, they'd best do that now. When the emperor realized his prisoners had escaped, he'd send his guards out on a search. With security down, it would be an easy thing to sneak into the castle and defeat the emperor in combat.
"It's smelly here, why do we have to walk in this slop?" groaned Fara.
"Princess, it was your idea to come on this venture," reminded Jamie, "You could have stayed nice, safe, and clean in the castle."
Fara lobbed some of the sewer slime at him. "Well, how was I supposed to know we'd have to walk in something smellier than monster carcasses roasting in the hot sun for a few days?" That comment was met with gagging sounds from all the others.
"Just be grateful we didn't have to bust strait through the front door and slaughter every guard that comes our way," said Jack.
"Actually," admitted Jamie, "She'd probably prefer that. For all of her beauty, intelligence, grace, and kindness, her majesty is one of the most bloodthirsty warriors I've ever met." That comment was met with another ball of goo hurled at him, courtesy of Fara.
* * *
Finally, they arrived at the hidden entrance to the dungeon. It led to a small hole behind a group of barrels that had been carelessly thrown in a corner and never really inspected. Bit hypothesized that an escaping prisoner had dug the tunnel a long time ago, and he'd used the barrels carelessly left around as a concealer. Leena on the other hand believed that the prisoner had put the barrels there himself in order to conceal his tunnel out.
One by one the warriors exited the tunnel. Once inside, they went to the cells. Inside were many fine, strong, and sturdy young men from the Jatiran army. Strewn around the cells were the armor that the soldiers had worn. But there was many more armor pieces than there were men to wear them.
"Help us Leon. The emperor is mad. He's sacrificing the soldiers he captured to some sort of demon. A new one is killed every night. Get us out before we're victims too," begged a soldier.
"Aren't you Jack Cisco?" asked another soldier, "Great, we're definitely saved now."
Bit silenced the man with his finger. "We must be quiet or the guards will here. Now where is the key to your cell?"
The young man pointed to the wall. Bit went to retrieve it, and unlocked the cells and chains keeping the soldiers prisoner. All of the young men began to stretch their arms for pure joy. Then Bit pointed to the hole and they all began to escape. "Split up after you get out," he warned, "Leave the sewer in small groups only. And meet back at the rebel base."
Finally, the last of the soldiers had entered the tunnel. Then came Fara, Jamie, Julianna, Leon, Naomi and Brad. Bit and Leena waited until all their friends had gone in before preparing to escape themselves. But that's when disaster struck.
Just before Leena could enter the tunnel, who should pop out but Harry. "Leeeeeeena!!!!" he screamed, and gave her a big hug.
"Get off me Harry," warned Leena, "Do you want us to get spotted?"
As if on cue, a group of soldiers surrounded the trio of intruders. "Don't move. Surrender immediately and you'll be allowed to live," said the commander. Bit, Leena, and even Harry put there hands in the air, and didn't dare fight back.
- - - -
That's Harry for you, eh? Oh, and we'll meet the emperor and his advisor next chapter. Since he doesn't have any name in the show, I might as well tell you now that the Count is playing the emperor (since sometimes my descriptions, while accurate, aren't enough to draw the conclusion on who it is).
After two weeks of traveling, the young warriors finally arrived at the Imperial Capital of Vilyane. Once there, Bit and Leena were sent in for reconiscence in order to find a way into the castle. They began talking to people and asking their opinions on the empire as well.
The duo soon learned that many people in the slums loathed their emperor, while the people living in the grand upper city were all totally supportive of him. But the greatest thing they could find was the small run down house in the southern part of the slums. That's where they met the rebel forces that were plotting against the empire.
"Greetings," said the green haired woman who they met at the rebels' hideout, "My name is Pierce. I'm a former Lieutenant in the Imperial army, but left after it became corrupt. In fact, all of us higher ups in the rebellion are." She gestured to an older man who was reading the paper, and a young man who was playing solitaire. "I'd like you to meet General Stoller, and his nephew Sanders. The three of us run things around here."
"It's always good to see new faces. What's your name?" inquired Stoller.
Bit replied, "My name is Bit Cloud. And this here is Leena Toros."
"Of Jatiran!" exclaimed the trio of rebels.
"Yes," said Leena, "How about we get our other friends in here. We'll help you take down the empire if you want."
* * *
"So you're the famous General Stoller. I've heard many things about your competence in battle from my father and my superiors," stated Leon.
"Yes," replied the general, "You see, ever since about a year ago, the emperor has been acting weird. He's lost the caring for his citizens, and only wants more territory and more money. The three of us left the army after we found out about his changes in behavior. Once we saw the extent of what these changes were doing to the empire, we began the rebellion. So will you help us?"
Bit exclaimed, "Of course we will. We need to rescue anyone who was captured from Jatiran and get the Imperial Army out of their capitol anyway. Since our goals are the same, I see no reason why we can't work together."
* * *
Some time later, the eleven heroes were crawling through the sewers under the capital. Stoller had found a secret passage into the dungeons from the sewers, and had told them about it. He figured that if they were looking to free any prisoners taken in the raid on Jatiran, they'd best do that now. When the emperor realized his prisoners had escaped, he'd send his guards out on a search. With security down, it would be an easy thing to sneak into the castle and defeat the emperor in combat.
"It's smelly here, why do we have to walk in this slop?" groaned Fara.
"Princess, it was your idea to come on this venture," reminded Jamie, "You could have stayed nice, safe, and clean in the castle."
Fara lobbed some of the sewer slime at him. "Well, how was I supposed to know we'd have to walk in something smellier than monster carcasses roasting in the hot sun for a few days?" That comment was met with gagging sounds from all the others.
"Just be grateful we didn't have to bust strait through the front door and slaughter every guard that comes our way," said Jack.
"Actually," admitted Jamie, "She'd probably prefer that. For all of her beauty, intelligence, grace, and kindness, her majesty is one of the most bloodthirsty warriors I've ever met." That comment was met with another ball of goo hurled at him, courtesy of Fara.
* * *
Finally, they arrived at the hidden entrance to the dungeon. It led to a small hole behind a group of barrels that had been carelessly thrown in a corner and never really inspected. Bit hypothesized that an escaping prisoner had dug the tunnel a long time ago, and he'd used the barrels carelessly left around as a concealer. Leena on the other hand believed that the prisoner had put the barrels there himself in order to conceal his tunnel out.
One by one the warriors exited the tunnel. Once inside, they went to the cells. Inside were many fine, strong, and sturdy young men from the Jatiran army. Strewn around the cells were the armor that the soldiers had worn. But there was many more armor pieces than there were men to wear them.
"Help us Leon. The emperor is mad. He's sacrificing the soldiers he captured to some sort of demon. A new one is killed every night. Get us out before we're victims too," begged a soldier.
"Aren't you Jack Cisco?" asked another soldier, "Great, we're definitely saved now."
Bit silenced the man with his finger. "We must be quiet or the guards will here. Now where is the key to your cell?"
The young man pointed to the wall. Bit went to retrieve it, and unlocked the cells and chains keeping the soldiers prisoner. All of the young men began to stretch their arms for pure joy. Then Bit pointed to the hole and they all began to escape. "Split up after you get out," he warned, "Leave the sewer in small groups only. And meet back at the rebel base."
Finally, the last of the soldiers had entered the tunnel. Then came Fara, Jamie, Julianna, Leon, Naomi and Brad. Bit and Leena waited until all their friends had gone in before preparing to escape themselves. But that's when disaster struck.
Just before Leena could enter the tunnel, who should pop out but Harry. "Leeeeeeena!!!!" he screamed, and gave her a big hug.
"Get off me Harry," warned Leena, "Do you want us to get spotted?"
As if on cue, a group of soldiers surrounded the trio of intruders. "Don't move. Surrender immediately and you'll be allowed to live," said the commander. Bit, Leena, and even Harry put there hands in the air, and didn't dare fight back.
- - - -
That's Harry for you, eh? Oh, and we'll meet the emperor and his advisor next chapter. Since he doesn't have any name in the show, I might as well tell you now that the Count is playing the emperor (since sometimes my descriptions, while accurate, aren't enough to draw the conclusion on who it is).