Chapter Twenty-Four

Eyes Unclouded by Deceit

"And who the devil are YOU?" Emperor Mu purred venomously.

Rula arched her eyebrows as she stood face to face with the one man whose guts she'd hated every single day and night after what he'd done to her – she felt calm now as she gazed at him…deadly calm. And 'hate' was too mild to describe what she felt as she stared at the tyrant – she wanted to put a description on her emotion. A word like 'despise' or 'loath' but she realised that the fearsome tide that she was only just able to hold in check was just too intense to describe – it needed no description, it was enough that she felt it. "Who am I?" she repeated slowly and then grinned sarcastically as sparks jumped from her hand – little by little she fed more power into the Thundershot. "Why don't you…guess?"

Mu narrowed his eyes just a touch as he examined her –against all of the natural laws of order that he'd created himself this one had dared to attack him and even more baffling she showed not a trace of fear as she faced him. Despite the pain that was slowly dying away from him an almost hungered look entered his eyes – what he saw of her aroused his deepest appreciation and for now he decided to play her little game.

"You're a feisty girl – whoever you are." The tyrant chuckled as he eyed the stranger predatorily. "Would I be right in assuming that you're another one of Orlando's warrior-women?" his eyes narrowed slightly and he looked over at Emilia again. "Women are just the same the Universe over…you just can't realise and accept your rightful places any of you! I seem to discover more and more new qualities of your valiant comrades every minute my dear! Just how many of you possess such power?"

Emilia gazed back at him and hate and defiance gleamed in her dark eyes as she refused to answer his question – the fact that he'd guessed completely wrong and that she'd never seen the newcomer before either was neither here nor there.

Rula furrowed her brow thoughtfully as she gazed at the girl she'd come through so much danger to rescue…power?

"Nope." The huntress replied shaking her head so that her dreadlocks rustled together. "Try again."

Mu frowned and made another attempt at guessing her identity. "Did my worm of a brother put you up to this…whoever you are?" he spat as his eyes filled with suspicion. "Because I've recently noticed that he's been eyeing my throne…"

Rula broke into a scornful laugh – that was just like Mu. "Get real Mu! Darien's wet behind the ears! He's not even capable of having anybody offed let alone his own brother…even a brother like you!"

"Ahhh but you HAVE met him then?" Mu sneered.

"Sorry Mu…wrong." The huntress cut him short contemptuously. "Don't you see? Darien just ain't like you or me…he doesn't know what hatred is. Wrong, wrong, wrong! You're thinkin' along completely the wrong lines ya know. I'll give you one last chance to guess who I am and if you mess up just one more time…I'll fry you. But if you wanna clue then listen up…look into my eyes and I think you'll see things a little more clearly."

Mu scowled in puzzlement – to him the huntress's words sounded like nonsense but he was determined to beat this mouthy wench at her own game before he dealt with her. Leaning forward the tyrant narrowed his eyes into catlike slits as he gazed into the pair of glorious pools of dark brown light that were Rula's eyes – and sure enough a powerful certainty that he'd met this overbearing girl somewhere before gripped him.

Rula grinned saucily as she watched the mingling suspicion and confusion that rippled in his expression as he tried to work it out. "Can't figure it out huh?" she asked with a breezy laugh. "Okay then…this look familiar?"

Mu stared blankly as she kind of rearranged her expression and adopted an exaggeratedly charming look and batted her eyelashes girlishly at him…then with a jolt of mind-blown astonishment he understood.

"YOU!!!" he roared in disbelief as he stared at Rula, his eyes nearly hanging out of their sockets as he understood just who she really was. "B-but…how?!! I'd have known if…"

"You know I really doubt that!" Rula snorted derisively. "Know why? Cuz you're a jackass who judges everybody by appearances!"

Emilia was gazing at her in astonishment – slowly her heart began to pound in excitement, Mu was so shocked that this could only be…

"You're her!" Emilia gasped in awe as she rose to her feet in spite of the numbness that played at her limbs – she gazed at Rula her eyes growing wide as she took in every aspect of this legend come to life. "Oh my god…you're Princess Universe!!!! I can't believe it!"

Rula struggled to keep herself from laughing as the dark-haired girl looked at her in fascination – until tonight she'd never really thought about what it would be like to be seen as some kind of legend and she wondered if this was how Charon had felt the night that Mu and Darien had set eyes on her after thinking that she was nothing more than a legend their whole lives.

In spite of herself and the intense confrontation at hand Rula struck a pose so that Emilia had a great view of her profile and the dark-haired girl gasped in awe at the breathtaking vision of the heroine of her people – in her village every girl aspired to be a warrior as great as Princess Universe and now this great woman was standing barely a foot away from her!

"You'd better get outta here." Rula smiled as she shook her head in vague disbelief – if she didn't know herself better then she'd suspect that a tiny part of her deep down was actually enjoying being looked up to like this. "Go on – I'll be with you as soon as I've sorted this creep out."

Mu snarled sharply as a crueller look than ever before covered his face as he grasped the situation, "So…you finally show yourself to me in your true colours your HIGHNESS!" he laughed softly as he thought about the opportunities that now lay just within his grasp and then barked at Emilia, "Stay where you are girl! You're going nowhere!"

In spite of herself the dark-haired girl flinched and backed away from his sickening eyes – she wasn't afraid of getting hurt but what he'd threatened to do to her filled her with fear of those horrible eyes and she back away in terror, afraid that he'd burrow into her mind again…

Rula stared at her – the sight of what Mu had done to the dark-haired girl filled her with anger. "Does this make you feel like a great ruler Mu?" she spat. "Doing this to an innocent girl…one of your people?"

Mu just turned back and stared at her for a long moment…and then he broke into laughter as her eyes burned with fierce anger. "This? Merely a warm-up before the main entertainment my darling 'Princess'." He chuckled as he waved a belittling hand at Emilia and Rula's blood began to boil. "But messing up your little game in the Moon Kingdom? That made me laugh for days! Particularly since I finally got to pay Serenity back for how she, her friend and that idiot Char humiliated me years ago…that lasted for years and now my defeat of her Majesty tastes all the sweeter for it!"

"Like HELL you beat Serenity!!" Rula snarled savagely. "You don't have an ounce of her courage and integrity you total DISEASE!!!!" calming down she added, "But I believe you Mu…I mean what isn't there to laugh about what you did to me? Think about it – you ruined my life, took everything and everyone I cared about away from me…because of you I can never go back or see any of them ever again."

Mu sneered as he listened to this little speech – he was sure that among the people Rula declared to care so much about was Princess Mercury. "And have you come to weep and wail about the sheer unfairness of it all?" he mocked her. "Is that the reason you're here?"

With a crazy grin Rula pulled back her hand and suddenly the Thundershot flared intensely as she decided to throw it at last. "Not even close Jerkweed." She hissed as her gathering energy filled the tent with brilliant light…

Emilia could feel every hair on her whole body standing up on end as she watched in awe as the Warrior-Princess prepared to slay the tyrant…

"Wait!" Mu's hand shot into the air and there was now a thoughtful look on his sly face. "Why not listen to what I have to say before doing anything rash?"

"Shut…UP!!!!"

At the very moment a draft of heated air caressed Rula's back and she and her dark-haired companion both turned to look towards the tent-flap as they realised that it had been lifted by somebody…

"Oh my Emperor, oh my noble liege!" squealed a familiar high screeching voice that made Emilia cringe and Rula narrow her eyes and scowl darkly. "Fire, flames, infernos blazing everywhere you look! It's searing, suffocating, hot, hot, hot!!"

He was gangly and his thin front limbs were both planted on the ground front of him as if they were a pair of front legs, the hands caked in the dirt of the campsite and planted on the floor like a pair of grubby paws as their owner darted into the tent like an animal. His hair was a dirty brown and straggly and one of his eyes was half-closed in an eternal squint but the other was dark and beady like that of a rat as it darted between Emilia and Rula who it lingered upon greedily. His mouth hung wide open in a hungry leer and his long tongue moved from side to side as it brushed against his sharp teeth…it was Drut.

"Mmm, my Emperor…was ONE not enough to satisfy your cravings for one night?" sniggered the bizarre rat-like Marauder. "Heehee…oh your taste is so divine, what an eye for the ladies you possess, I've never known you to choose anything but the best my liege!"

Rula stared at Drut as he moved around her, an unfamiliar girl, and inspected her from all sides…just the sight of his staring beady black eye made her stomach turn however she couldn't help but smile grimly. 'My, my...' she thought wryly.

Somehow the rat-like Marauder and the way he summed her up like this reminded her very strongly of Renald, Duchess Ashrals son...

"Drut…shut up." Snapped Mu as he reached over and grabbed Drut by the neck – hefting his arm back the tyrant pitched him out of the tent, a dull thud echoing as the rat-like Marauder hit the ground outside. "Get out…and tell the others to get in here."

Turning back to the girl's Mu smiled in a supercilious manner – the tyrant seemed quite confident for a person who was currently looking an agonizing, smoking death right in the face. "But I'm sure that the idea that just came to me will certainly appeal to a warrior such as yourself my darling. Why kill me like this? After all wouldn't you say that it is without honour to strike down a defenceless enemy?"

Rula had to laugh. "Don't tell me that you're thinking of saving your skin by appealing to my honour Mu – I don't think I could stomach that!" she replied sourly as she thought about how he'd been hurting Emilia when she'd burst in.

"What I propose is that we put your strength and warrior-pride to the test." Mu went on ignoring her mockery. "You'll face my strongest warrior in a duel with you holds barred…if you win then you can go free. What do you say to that?"

Rula considered it for half a minute. "I could put your lights out here and now and walk over your goons before I take the girl outta here." She replied dryly. "Let's up the stakes – if I win then you'll back off and let me take her out of here…and you'll lay off her village as well."

Inside she was laughing in disbelief – she knew that whatever Mu agreed to he'd never keep his word but she needed to act like she believed him.

"What a strange demand!" Mu remarked. "What reason do you have to care about her rabble? No, don't tell me…I'm really not interested! Very well…I accept your demand." He was lying through his teeth and all three of them knew it. "But to even the scales I think that I'll have to insist on upping YOUR stakes!"

Rula narrowed her eyes – something in the lecherous way that he eyed her made her stomach flip right over and stay there. "What do you have in mind?" she asked coldly.

Mu's eyes gleamed. "If you are subdued by my champion…then you will become my property." He breathed as he finally came out with it. "You my dear will become another of my slaves to do with as I please and then dispense with as soon as I tire of you. On no other condition will I accept your demand to fight on Orlando's behalf."

Rula gazed at him in silence as she weighed the huge risk involved her if she should accept the challenge…

Emilia was staring at her and slowly her stomach filled with ice as she realised that the warrior-princess was actually considering Mu's proposal. "Don't do it!" she cried horrified as she stared towards Rula, the fear of what Mu might do to her totally driven away by the thought that her heroine might lose her own freedom by fighting for hers. "I don't matter – get away from here!"

Rula didn't reply to the dark-haired girl's plea – her lips were pursed and she was sucking her cheek methodically. "One more term Mu…you let her go free before we begin." She declared firmly – at least she could get one good thing out of this charade.

"Oh but of course!" Mu exclaimed as he waved a hand in Emilia's direction. "What use is she compared to YOU…your Highness? Very well…just as you wish the peasant-girl is as of now free to crawl back to her hole."

"Done." Rula nodded her head decisively. "It's a deal – if I beat your champion then Orlando and his people don't have to worry about you ever again…if I lose then I become one of your freaks on a leash."

"Don't do it!"

"Do you give me your word Mu?" Rula asked ignoring the desperate protests of the girl beside her.

"You'd take my word?" Mu couldn't hide his surprise.

Rula's face was dark and her eyes gleamed in deadly earnest as she fixed him with her piercing stare, "If you try to doublecross me than I'll make you wish you'd never been born." She replied flatly and he was shocked to realise that he believed her as she released all of her power and the Thundershot crackled and died out.

"Will you just listen to yourself?!!" Emilia broke in – she walked right in front of Rula and gazed at her through beseeching eyes. "Listen to me Universe! You can't risk everything for me…you just can't!"

"I won't lose." The Warrior-Princess replied coolly. "I swear."

"But what if you do?" the dark-haired girl cried as she grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her. "I won't let you become a slave because I was too weak to save myself Princess Universe – I won't hear of it!"

Rula just stared at her for a while and then she did something that surprised Emilia – she smiled assuringly. "Em…can I call you that? Anyway, listen up." She said so firmly that the dark-haired girl stopped shaking and stared at her. "I'm no more special than you are – I'm not some example of honour or courage…I'm just here to help. If you should be looking up to anybody then that person should be Orlando. He's braver than I'll ever be because he's trying to give your people a life that they don't have to fight to keep every day. If it weren't for people like Orlando then guys like him…" she pointed towards Mu who listened in bemusement. "…would rule the Universe and turn it into a miserable pit of nothing but misery and evil. Your Chief's the one doing good…like I said I just want to help him. Now if you really care about what I want then go back to your village and do your best to do the same…okay?"

Emilia was silent as she thought about everything that she'd just been told – she felt more moved than ever before in her life and with a sigh she gave in to what her heroine wanted. "Okay…I don't want you to do this but I'll do whatever you say your Highness." She said sadly though her smile was proud as she knew that whatever happened now she and Rula were following the honourable path…the path of the warrior.

Rula sighed – wherever she went the name of Princess Universe followed behind her like a shadow.

"Promise me that you'll win Universe." Emilia's voice was suddenly intense as she took the other girl's hands into her own. "Win!"

Rula smirked – she understood now why she wanted to fight for this girl's freedom so badly when she could've just grabbed her and ran…because she couldn't just stand by while scum like Mu laughed at the honour and dignity that made them the good people they were.

Before she'd met this girl she'd only been here for herself but now she was helping her for a far more precious reason…

"They'll never take me alive Emilia." Rula replied seriously as she prepared to fight not only for her own freedom but for the honour of Orlando and his people. "Not while you're rooting for me…after all, you can't fight without a reason."

There was also her old debt to pay back here – a score that she ached to settle. "This is for Queen Serenity of the Moon Kingdom." She declared as she let go of Emilia's hands and turned to face Mu. "I'll fight your champion to prove her honour and that of the Moon Kingdom just as much as anything else Mu…this is for her, Charon and everyone else you've ever wronged!"

Mu snickered. "Are you done? I was just about to call the entire thing off because of my sudden case of stomach-churning." He mocked. "Are you sure that you don't want to give up now and give yourself over to me your highness?"

Rula smiled sarcastically – she could tell that for all his arrogance he hadn't suggested that she surrender purely as a taunt. "Let's just get this over with shall we?" she said coolly.

With a grin Emperor Mu called for his Guards who'd been listening to the whole confrontation in silence to get ready for what he promised would be an interesting show…

~*~*~

"Take a look over yonder your Highness!" exclaimed the blonde curly-haired man as he abruptly brought his horse to a halt upon finally reaching the top of the steep hill he and his companion had traversed. "That's something worth coming all this way to see isn't it?"

They and their other companions had all been a long distance from here when they had first caught sight of the angry red glow flickering over the horizon – in order to find out the cause of it the two of them had ridden ahead from the main group that they had been travelling in and now that they saw it both reeled at the spectacle they'd come so far to find out about.

"I see it Jadeite, have no doubt about that…I just can't believe it for the life of me!" murmured Prince Darien as he gazed at the flames that were roaring a short way off in the woody clearing below – his young face was bathed red in the fierce glare of the fire as he and one of his bodyguards looked on in disbelief. "How could such a blaze grow that large in such a short time?"

Jadeite shrugged as he watched the almost mesmerising inferno in fascination. "Beats me." He carelessly admitted – after all he was a General not a forester. "We should get back to the others now that we know what's going on. They're sure to be waiting on us Darien."

"Wait!" Darien said sharply as he leaned forward on his mount for a closer look at the clearing – his eyes which had always been remarkably keen had just caught a detail about the area surrounding the blaze that he hadn't been paying enough attention to notice a moment ago since he'd been hypnotised by the flames. "Take a closer look…what do you see?"

Jadeite grinned in amusement and gazed at the distance flames intently. "A lot of flames burning up everything around them." He joked after a fruitless moment and then he added with a little more sincerity, "What did you expect me to notice on closer scrutiny Darien?"

Darien made an excited gesture with his hand. "Don't you see?" he exclaimed. "There are tents around the fire…or what's left of them. They're the source of the fire!"

Jadeite stared down again and now in all seriousness he narrowed his eyes as he attempted to pick out the same shapes that Darien had made out…but without any luck. "I don't see a thing." He eventually told his charge bluntly.

"Let's take a closer look at them then." Darien insisted as he let go of his reins and began to lower himself from his magnificent steed.

Before Jadeite had managed to dismount grumbling all the while the dark-haired Prince had already walked to the top of the steep slope – even before the curly-haired General had arrived beside him he was positive that he was right about the shapes of tents in the flickering glow. "Come on Jadeite!" he ordered, ready and raring to go. "Those people down there need help!"

Pulling his face into a noncommittal frown Jadeite thought it through. "We really haven't time to go way out there if we're going to make it home before morning." He argued. "It's late enough as it is…besides I don't want to sound heartless but I doubt that those people are in need of help by now if you get what I'm saying."

"Jadeite…where's your sense of responsibility towards our people during their times of need?" Darien exclaimed. "Isn't protecting our people the purpose of an Imperial General?"

Jadeite shuddered and shook his head vigorously in response. "No your Highness, going off into battle and coming back with all your limbs intact and having plenty of wenches waiting to welcome you home…that's the reason for going through all the training and hard work that precedes the coveted position of an Imperial General." He said matter-of-factly. "And I'll have to start worrying about the Prince I'm duty-bound to protect unless he starts showing a strong sense of proper priority."

"Well that's okay Jadeite…you've always been a terrible bodyguard so I doubt that I'd be held responsible for the way my instincts have developed." Darien commented and then barely avoided a swipe of the back of Jadeite's hand. "But seriously I want to go and see if we can do anything for those people down there…who knows? Maybe the Marauders were responsible and we'll finally be able to catch them! At the very least we'll find out what we can about them from the campers and my brother would be thrilled if he heard that we managed to find some clues about them for the first time in years don't you think?"

Jadeite's eyes clouded and he held his tongue – honestly he wasn't sure about what he should say in reply to that suggestion.

Ever since Darien and Emperor Mu had returned from their trip to the Moon Kingdom three months ago he and his friends Malachite, Nephrite and Zoisite had noticed a sudden and strange change in the younger brother's behaviour. Since that night Darien had hardly been in the castle longer than an hour, preferring to go out into the lands and help his people with their problems, never seeming to notice the black looks that were often thrown in his direction from those who were especially haggard since they lived near their ruler.

Sometimes Darien spent weeks away from home and Jadeite was sure that he was trying to make up for the shame that Mu had brought upon their world that night in the Moon Kingdom – however he also felt sure that he'd been outside so much so that he wouldn't have to look his brother in the eye. Jadeite knew that during the years that had gone by since their father's death Darien had spent a lot of his time trying to convince himself that his brother wasn't the cruel and unjust ruler that their people said him to be…although the truth was that deep down he knew no matter how hard he tried to lie to himself and pretend that things were different, Mu was nothing but a malicious tyrant.

Holding back a tired sigh Jadeite nodded his head affably and tried to look as excited as his young charge was about the prospect of the sheer waste of time that was now at hand. "Okay Darien…you win." He cried with exaggerated bright cheerfulness. "Let's go to the rescue of those poor unfortunates down there who need our help…in digging their graves! Or helping them put out the huge fire…one or the other!"

"JADEITE!" Darien said sternly as he tried to hold back laughter.

"Craven scum! The only graves that shall be dug are your own!!!"

Whirling around as the ferocious roar that must surely have come from the lungs of some terrible beast Darien was just in time to catch sight of a large stocky man with a thick flaxen beard descending from a rocky outcrop behind him – the dark-haired Prince was so shocked that he could only stand there frozen to the spot as the huge man fell almost slowly towards him…

Reality came flooding back into his stunned senses as all the wind was knocked right out of him and he realised that he was now lying in the dirt, firmly pinned to the hard ground by a large knee that was pressing hard into his stomach.

Jadeite could do nothing but look on dazedly as he tried to come to terms with what he was watching - as the powerfully built man who had crept up on them both under cover of the darkness while they'd been bickering and chosen the perfect moment to pounce on Darien he raised his hand high over his head.

Jadeite could not possibly miss the gleaming head of the huge battleaxe that was gripped between the stranger's fingers as it trembled, as if the axe itself was eager to come slicing down.

Orlando wrapped his powerful hand around the breathless youth's throat and gritted his teeth savagely. "Dog…you and your depraved brother roam through our lands pillaging our towns, destroying our homes, murdering and shaming our wives and daughters! You're not fit to breath our air…your very lives disgrace the memory of our ancestors!"

The ferocity of the terrifying warrior's tirade shook Darien up so much that he barely realised the increasingly lethal situation that he was in as he stared confusedly at Orlando's fury-ridden mask of hatred.

Jadeite snapped back to his senses. "Who are you?" he barked as he took a stride towards them. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Don't…move…a…muscle!" Orlando growled at him without taking his eyes away from Darien's face as he finally released all of the anger that he'd been keeping pent up inside ever since the day he had come back to his home and discovered that the love of his life had died. "If you bat an eyelid wrongly he dies."

"You want to kill him anyway." Jadeite retorted. "So that's not much of a threat is it?"

Orlando laughed unpleasantly and now he did glance at the curly-haired General. "Let's try this then…if you try to stop me then I'll just have to cut his head off here and now – that way he won't get to understand just how much suffering and misery he and his brother had brought on all of us for the last eighteen years…but either way he's a dead man."

Without waiting for Jadeite to muster a reply the Warrior returned his eyes to Darien who had grasped what was going on at last but still lay helplessly on the ground pinned fast under the huge Chieftain. "But before you meet your maker I think that you ought to know the truth about those 'bandits' you hell-spawn." He snapped scornfully. "Since your swine of a brother is the man who formed the Marauders from members of your own Imperial Guards I really doubt that he'd be all that thrilled to hear that you've found out the truth about them DARIEN!"

Darien gasped as he realised what his attacker had just said – it couldn't be true!

His brother had done some bad things before it was true but even he wouldn't do such terrible things to their people for his own entertainment…would he?

Somehow Darien couldn't silence the loud cry of doubt that now called to his better sense as Orlando's words spoken in sincere rage echoed around his mind…

"That's…that's not true." The dark-haired Prince protested weakly, speaking for the first time. "My brother…he wouldn't…"

"Fool…fool!" Orlando snarled as he clenched his hand even tighter around Darien's windpipe, determined to make him accept the truth before he died. "You can't seriously believe that Mu's fit to rule Earth! Why do you think we all call him 'the tyrant' you idiot?!!"

Darien looked over to Jadeite for support but he felt a ripple of shock and caught his breath – or at least tried to – as he glimpsed his bodyguard's now deeply troubled eyes.

Jadeite had been startled by what Orlando had said but not surprised at all – he and the other Generals had heard rumours floating around the castle about just what Mu did on his occasional unexplained trips out into the countryside with a host of Guards on horseback and now that he heard it from one of the people wronged by the Emperor it all seemed to click into place.

"Jadeite…you can't possibly think it's true…can you?!!" Darien exclaimed in anguish as desperation washed over him – it was as if he needed someone else to believe that his brother was just misunderstood by his subjects in order to carry on believing so himself. "You've served Mu for years…how can you believe this of him?"

"Listen idiot – you can break a person's bones, shatter their spirit, kill them but to make them suffer agony throughout the long years is something that only the worst kind of scum alive is capable of doing with pleasure." Orlando spat as the Prince's stubborn desire to cling to the loyalty he felt for his brother the tyrant aroused his deepest disgust. "Think about it…fine farm-houses built generations long ago in the past burnt to the ground! Innocent and chaste young women robbed of their virtue and their dignity! That's the curse that's plagued us all since that man took the throne…you and your brother have both preyed on my people for long enough Darien! And for YOU it ends here TONIGHT!!!"

Darien's eyes shot open as wide as they could possibly go as the battleaxe that had loomed dangerously over him during the entire intense confrontation began to move slowly forward. "No…" he whispered helplessly, too winded and bewildered by what was happening to him, what he'd heard and too shocked and breathless to even start to try to make sense out it all. "Give me time…let me think…"

Jadeite froze in horror – he was too far away to do anything to stop Orlando…

"And do you give any of us this 'time' that you seem to think so precious to pay our tithes when we can't even afford to feed our children during the grip of winter?!! Pay for your crimes against us down below!!!!"

Orlando released the full ferocity of his rage and with an ear-splitting roar that obliterated the air he brought the blade of his gleaming battleaxe sweeping down on the unprotected neck of the brother of the scourge of his people.

Darien's eyes squeezed in terror as he waited for the deadly blow…

"Orlando…no!!!" screamed a desperate female voice.

~*~*~

The air of the ruined campsite was damp but still stagnant for several yards – however for the moment the Marauders had forgotten all about the choking, acrid air.

The so-called bandits had all gathered around the sole surviving tent which had been allocated to the slave-mistress so that she would have a place to prepare any women that the riders captured on their excursion – not a word passed between them as they tensely waited for somebody to come out of the tent.

Standing among his host for the first time since they had struck camp Emperor Mu the tyrant of Earth and the scourge of his people wore a malicious smile as he blissfully looked forward to what he had not a single doubt lay ahead that night.

The charred tents lay on the blackened earth in miserable husks – Mu had insisted that Rula used Death-Ice to put out the ravening flames that she herself had started and to keep him complacent until their business was done she'd reluctantly complied.

One of the complaints that he shared with his men was that they would now have to walk all of the rest of the way back to the castle since Rula had released their horses. Mu could easily have teleported the rest of the way home but held back from doing so because he didn't trust his host to head straight back if he wasn't there to keep them in line – after all if they got arrogant and were captured by the peasants they had terrorised for so long then his little secret would surely be exposed to the world.

In spite of the long march ahead he felt ecstatically gleeful – after all on top of the burning of his camp and the assault on himself he now had more reasons than he could hope for to enjoy crushing the spirit and pride of his newest slave-girl during the days ahead.

Already Mu was imagining how wonderful it would feel to pile humiliation after humiliation upon the girl who had cursed his name before the Royal Court of the Moon Kingdom once she was his submissive slave to command and use as he wanted – his mouth watered at the prospect and already he knew what he was going to do as soon as she was his property.

First he would just have to pay another visit to the Moon Kingdom, uninvited of course just to add to Serenity's anger when she saw him again…and he'd take Rula with him in chains. The tyrant could already picture the look of anguish on Serenity's face as she saw her precious 'Princess' as his helpless wench and he practically watered at the mouth for that day, that moment when he would see the pain etched into her beautiful face to come so that he could freeze the wonderful picture of it in his memory.

Suddenly the unbearable wait came to an end as the tent-flap was brushed aside briskly to reveal a breathtakingly nubile figure stalking out into the stares of the awaiting Marauders.

Rula's face was utterly cool and indifferent as she let go of the tent-flap and slid her arms almost coyly behind her – in the tent behind her the slave-mistress was leaning against the tent-pole with a dazed look and long scratches left by the huntress's fingernails on her face, burning.

The arrogant woman had been so used to having her way with helpless and frightened women that she had not been prepared for what she had received when she had tried to discipline Rula for her disrespect – now it would take more than a little eyeliner to disguise the little momento that the huntress had left on her cheek.

As they took in the knee-weakening new vision of Rula the Marauders cried out raucously and wolf-whistled as she walked through them – she was now wearing a top that was even smaller than the one she usually wore and was brown but trimmed with an even lighter shade. It had two narrow straps that went over her shoulders as well as two slim wire-like ones that stretched around the sides of her body to meet up with the other two between her shoulders. There was a light silver belt around her waist from which hung two narrow sheets of brown material that like the top were both dark brown. Rula's own clothes – the fate of which had been the bone of contention leading to her little argument with the slave-mistress – were in a small square leather bag that she had borrowed from the tent and she carried slung over her shoulder, the strap looped around her upper-arm.

"Nice ensemble." sneered one of the Marauders who was particularly fuming about the loss of his tent. "Think it'll stop a sword?"

As she passed him Rula found that his sword flickered just beneath her chin like an affectionate finger but she just smiled over at him. "What you mean the way your face would?" she replied before returning her indifferent eyes forward.

A shadow darted out from between a couple of Marauders standing in the crowd. "Heehee!" sniggered Drut as he ambled along behind the huntress in his nimble gait. "How the mighty have fallen! Heeheehee!"

Rula kept her eyes gazing straight ahead as she walked firmly onward ignoring Drut as he followed her darting to and fro around her as he stared at her legs. Albino freak… she thought in disgust and then to her surprise she actually felt an inward twinge.

The twisted Marauder and the way in which he was treated by his comrades had unexpectedly driven home to her the memory of her own plight when she had first discovered her hidden powers and how she had felt among her own 'normal' comrades the Star Raiders… "They'd think I'm a freak…"

Rula shuddered inwardly though outwardly she stayed calm and disdainful of those around her – she realised that she actually felt sorry for Drut, despicable though he was and kind of ashamed of herself in the right though she had been…what a screwed up place the world was.

Mu leered as Rula's gaze ran over the ground until they reached his boots, then travelled up until her fiery brown eyes met with his simmering golden ones. "How does it feel to be a lamb on the way to the pen your Highness?" he mocked her with an inexcusably smug look on his face.

Before any of the Marauders could guffaw – they had to laugh at all of their Emperor's jokes unless they wanted to drink deadly nightshade when they got home – Rula moved very, very smoothly and quickly…it was one fluid motion and took their breaths away once they'd managed to grasp what she'd done.

One moment her arms had been gently crossed behind her back and now she was holding the crossbow that she'd torn from a careless Marauder pointed right at the tyrant with unnervingly deadly accuracy.

"How does it feel to be a jerkweed Emperor Mu?" Rula asked with a dark grin as she cocked the gleaming weapon to her eye so that she squinted along the long silver shaft of that bolt which she could embed in Mu's windpipe at the release of a trigger.

Before he could check the impulse Mu took a nervous step back as he eyed the crossbow in Rula's hand in a great deal of surprise and an even greater deal of dismay. "Don't even think about it wench." He said far too quickly to sound confident. "You're totally surrounded – you'd be dead before you could pull back the trigger."

"My face is up HERE y'know." Rula smiled wryly as she helpfully pointed that out – she'd particularly liked the way that his voice had wavered uncontrollably at the beginning of his warning.

"I'll have the rest of your natural born life to see it my darling Princess." Mu growled – the crossbow aimed right at him bothered him like an itch in a place he couldn't reach and then he managed to grin and sneer, "I mean it wench – you wouldn't stand a chance against my Host. Need I remind you that without your little tricks at your disposal you're nothing but a little girl who's wandered far out of her league?"

Rula pursed her lips as she admitted that he was right – halfway right anyway. At her throat gleamed the collar that had previously been worn by Emilia. Before the Marauders had let the dark-haired girl go free just as Rula had demanded the slave-mistress had unlocked the cruel creation of dark magic and removed it, taking great pleasure in telling the huntress that she would be the next one to wear it.

Rula could feel the wicked will of the cold metal against her wind-pipe and without needing to be told she knew that her powers were useless as long as she remained locked in the choke-hold of the Anti-Magic metal.

Just for a moment her face twisted into a worried frown – thinking about the collar had reminded her of Emilia and she hoped that the dark-haired girl was on her way back to her village right now. She hoped so but she couldn't convince herself that it was true.

Rula felt sure that rather than getting the hell away from this place Emilia was watching every move that she made with baited breath.

Why did she have to be a role-model anyway?

~*~*~

As she watched the unfolding spectacle from a safe enough distance away Emilia's eyes reflected her feeling of nervous dread.

The dark-haired girl was unable to tear her gaze away from the middle of the camp where Princess Universe was standing in the middle of the gang of Marauders. She was rooted to the spot…a conflict that she would never forget was about to take place and anyway she hadn't promised Universe that she'd go straight home now had she?

Emilia had to stay and watch – there was no way that she'd ever be able to rest without seeing the outcome of what happened here with her own eyes even though she realised with a sinking heart that her people would find out if the Princess was defeated.

Emperor Mu would be sure to spread the word of their heroine' s enslavement in good time…if such a terrible thing could be considered 'good'.

As she watched the dark-haired girl absent-mindedly traced her throat where the metal collar had once been. Already she was imagining what would happen if the Warrior-Princess was defeated and as she pictured it happening Emilia wished that Universe had just left her to her fate.

Then she remembered what the Princess had told her before she had been allowed to walk freely from the campsite and she forced a firm expression on her face – she wasn't supposed to be thinking like that anymore.

Universe had asked her to stop worrying about her and instead do everything she could to help Chief Orlando. If there wasn't anything that she could do to help Universe then she would at least carry out her wish.

But that didn't mean that she would just forget all about her – how could she just turn around and head back for the safety of her home when there was a girl down there risking her life for her freedom?

Win Universe… the dark-haired girl bit her lip and prayed that the heroine of her people would be victorious that night. Win!

The determined look froze on her face as she felt a large hand clamp down on her shoulder from behind…

~*~*~

"Enough talk – it's time to seal your fate!" snapped Mu as he saw the troubled look on Rula's face and guessed – wrongly as it happened – that she was feeling nervous about what was to come. "Meet your challenger! Since that girl looked up to you so much as a champion I think it only courteous to pit you against my own champion!"

At the summons of his master one of the Marauders who had been standing right at the very back of the crowd started forward – as he walked through the other Marauders all anxiously stepped aside, clearing the way from him.

Rula stared as she caught sight of the man who now stalked through the campsite towards her and now she DID feel worried. The Marauder who now confronted the huntress was far more impressive than the others – his head was totally shaven and his shoulders so broad that as she stared up, summing him up his bulk eclipsed the stars directly behind him.

The huge Guard's face was feathered by a thick bushy, black beard and moustache that did nothing to hide the derisive sneer that he wore as he looked the huntress up and down – or more accurately down and going even further down.

Rula narrowed her eyes but her face remained faintly troubled as she summed her huge opponent up – his torso reminded her of a huge bear.

"Let me introduce you to the greatest that my Empire can offer such a valiant warrior such as your Highness…Gorban!" Mu roared as he looked forward to the entertainment ahead. "Let the show begin…are your weapons at the ready?"

"Ready to go my liege?" Gorban drawled as he raised his selected weapon a pair of iron bolas that were connected by a long extremely heavy-looking iron chain.

"I've got everything that I need right here." Rula said simply and shortly as she tapped the crossbow with her hand.

It was truer than the tyrant could realise – loaded into the crossbow were two bolts, one for Gorban and the other…for herself. Rula had made up her mind about one thing before she'd accepted Mu's challenge and it was that however this went she would never sink to becoming one of the tyrant's glassy-eyed wenches. If by some foul chance her aim went awry and she was defeated then she would aim the last bolt straight at her own heart and fire without hesitation. She'd rather die than become the slave of any man…and she was determined to end her own life if push came to shove and she needed to choose between losing her freedom to Mu or giving up her life for her own dignity and self-respect.

The huntress smirked – she's promised that if she lost this duel then she'd become Mu's slave. What she hadn't promised was that she wouldn't kill herself if that happened…

"Then let it begin!" Mu exclaimed as he threw wide his arms. "You'll both turn and advance five paces away from each other – then you may turn and attack in your own time. Think yourself lucky that your life isn't what's at stake your Highness for Gorban would have your head if it were a fight to the death."

"Oh really? And why's that?" Rula chuckled, even in her jeopardy she could find something to laugh at. "Isn't he satisfied with his own?"

Gorban growled menacingly. "You'll wish you never said that wench!"

Rula gave an indifferent shrug. "If wishes were fishes then there wouldn't be room in the sea for water." She replied airily. "I've regretted lotsa stuff in my life but somehow I doubt that pissin' you off'll be one of them pal."

Gorban's eyes gleamed unpleasantly as he made himself a silent promise to throw his bolas extra hard so that the huntress would fall as nastily as possible when they wrapped around her legs and threw her off-balance.

The moment had come at last and a heavy silence fell over the ruined campsite of the Marauders as the duel that would decide the fate of Princess Universe whose name had given rise to the rebellion of Orlando's village began.

The hush was almost suffocating as Rula and Gorban turned around and slowly, almost captivatingly began to march away from each other – their paces went by unbearably slowly seeming to last for centuries as Rula's feet touched the earth silently, her face totally empty of whatever might be passing through her mind as her freedom trembled in the balance of this moment seemingly frozen in time.

The first pace had gone by – now for the second one.

Mu's expression was one of the most swaggering confidence as he watched with folded arms smirking in infuriating mockery. The Emperor had no doubt that in the next few seconds the huntress would fall to the ground in defeat and become his slave for the rest of her life as she lay gasping in shock.

And the reason for his assurance on this was very simple indeed. As he watched Rula advance slowly away from her opponent his eyes glimmered slyly and he thought again about the plan that he had hatched back in the tent – just to make sure that Gorban threw his bolas before the huntress had the chance to fire a single bolt.

Mu would never know that Rula had a plan of her own to cheat him of what she had promised but the tyrant's plan was devious and ruthless – he would use his telepathy to read the huntress's thoughts so that he would know the precise moment that she decided to turn around and let loose with her crossbow. At that instant Mu would send Gorban a telepathic message – he'd made a point of establishing psychic connections with each of his Marauders so that he'd know if any ever attempted to betray or desert him – that Rula was about to make her move so that his champion would be able to catch the huntress by surprise and settle the entire duel.

Poor girl… Mu laughed under his breath as he watched Rula's expressionless stoic face. She had no idea that her fate is already sealed. So blissfully unaware that her doom is on the verge of swooping down and plucking away her freedom and confidence.

It would be over so swiftly that the Emperor felt almost sorry for the Princess who had caused him so much trouble…but not quite.

Rula could feel every muscle, every single bone, every last fibre of skin in her body tensing up as the fourth pace slipped behind her and she finally began the final one.

Her heart pounded but part of her was thrilled as her blood seethed in the excitement of the last step before the moment of truth…

That's right… Mu thought malevolently as he watched her move – his eyes narrow and he prepared to probe Rula's mind for the moment she would decide to turn and fire at Gorban. One more step and you'll have walked right into my hands little 'Princess'…

As the huntress raised her foot taking half of that final fateful step to her own doom one way or another the tyrant reached out with his mind and tried to push his way into Rula's thoughts. As he made the telepathic attempt to read her Mu chuckled – he wasn't trying to make any secret of what he was doing and any second now he expect to see a look of shock cross Rula's face as she realised that he was intruding in her mind.

The horror that he expected to see in her eyes, so confident that the moment would be wonderful…and so he was deeply shocked when he found that he was completely unable to use his telepathy to enter her mind.

Mu's face slowly drained of its malevolent expectation and now the only thing registered there was blank confusion as he realised that the way into the huntress's mind was completely blocked against his probing telepathy – no matter how relentlessly he tried to break into her thoughts he came up against some kind of powerful barrier and failed.

The tyrant's mind swam with confusion as almost numb with shock he was forced to give up the struggle. How could this be? His telepathy was the greatest on Earth and until now it had never failed him…

That she-devil Serenity must have put some kind of enchantment on this wench to stop me from getting into her mind! Mu thought as he began to tremble with boundless rage. How else could my peerless psychic powers fail to probe her mind?!!

Not for the first time since they had first met long ago during their youths the tyrant of Earth cursed the name of the Queen of the Moon Kingdom who he was sure had humiliated him once again.

And now the twisted scheme that he'd lain so cunningly came tumbling down right in front of his eyes. As he waited impatiently for his liege's signal a puzzled scowl crept onto Gorban's face.

What was the hold-up?

Mu's telepathic message never came…as he waited in vain the huge Marauder realised that he'd taken the fifth pace and without stopping to think he turned around to see Rula who also spun around on her heel.

Rula stared at him in bemusement – why wasn't he doing anything? Still – his loss…

Gorban's face was blank as he stared at the huntress wondering all the while why the plan didn't seem to be going as it was supposed to – then he heard the metallic 'click' of a trigger being drawn back and he leapt back to his sense…precisely a second too late.

The next moment Gorban's mind went horribly blank as his world was blasted apart – time didn't seem frozen exactly but clogged up so badly that it trickled by unbearably slowly as Gorban the strongest and most brutal of Emperor Mu's host crumpled to the ground, killed instantly by the long, slender bolt that had just buried itself in his left eye-socket.

The only expression on Universe's face as she watched the huge brute slump to the ground dead was sheer puzzlement. That had been way too easy…

The sound of the cruel bolas clanking together as they fell from Gorban's lifeless hands came almost as a signal for reality which duly flooded back to the camp – and in an instant the outrage of the Marauders came in overflowing force.

"He's dead…that little wench killed Gorban!"

"The little serpent!"

"Look at her standing there all smug n' pleased with herself!"

Drut tensed like a cat on all fours - if he'd had fur then it would have stood up on his back like a million needles. "Death to the murderer!" he hissed rabidly.

Fury seethed among the Marauders but Rula simply looked at them in bemusement – these men had no qualms when it came to the murder and rape of their own people and the torching of towns where they themselves had been born and raised but became an army of righteousness when they saw one of their pillaging buddies lying stone dead as a result of a fair duel.

Rula clenched her teeth – she realised that counting on these scum to honour their end of the bargain would be about as optimistic as Jess's confidence in their chances in taking them on by themselves.

All things considered it was very fortunate for her that just about now something more incredible than her literally effortless victory of Gorban happened.

As Mu turned his head to roar at his host to seize Rula his eyes widened and he squeaked in shock, "Look out!"

Obediently the shocked Marauders all swivelled around…and all but one of them saw the head of the huge Battleaxe flash in the light of the moon as it was swung in a mighty arc. The Marauder who then fell to the ground in a growing pool of his own blood never fully took in the sight of the man standing tall and far more imposing than the thuggish Gorban as he went to join his old pillaging companion on the other side.

Contempt registered on Orlando's face as he stood face to face with the very men who had terrorised the people of his village the day before – the dark disgust and rage in his eyes made every last one of them cringe especially at the sight of the fresh blood that dripped from the edge of his great axe.

Barely suppressed excitement charged the tense air as his cold and marble-hard eyes swept from one of them to the next and he pierced every last one of their cowardly souls with his glare.

Rula would have been thunderstruck by the presence of the Chieftain but any surprise she might have felt was forgotten as she glimpsed his eyes. The passion that filled his entire being swelling to such extent and ferocity made her shiver in awe and for a moment she almost believed that he'd erupt and his rage would take the whole world with it.

But though the campsite didn't wither in flame more intense than the huntress had been responsible for nor the heavens came crashing down upon them all what did happen was far more intense and breathtaking than either could ever have been to the Marauders.

Orlando's eyes finally reached Emperor Mu who stood rooted to the spot on the far side of the clearing – the tyrant's expression was strangely blank as he stood face to face with the man who had declared rebellion to his rule and in his confusion he didn't realise the danger that he was now in. Orlando's nostrils flared like those of a horse that had been whipped by a cruel master until it had gone berserk – until this moment his cold eyes had been deadly calm even though they had been filled with passion and hatred. Now however as they sighted the tyrant they changed and so did he – beyond all possible imagination.

Ever since this man had gained the power to make lives of those dear to him an endless cycle of suffering the man whose name was Orlando had lived side by side with his hatred which had grown with every evidence of the pain brought by the reign of the tyrant yet over the slow years he had held it in check for the sake as his people – as long as his beloved wife had been by his side he'd been able to live with it, keep the demon pent up. Over time it had become almost like his second shadow yet pulsing with heat and passion that would one day be too great and terrible to be kept held inside any longer.

Now as Orlando glowered murderously at Emperor Mu he could feel the rage, hatred and despair that he been able to control for so many years beginning to move – and it overwhelmed his natural calm and filled him with a new kind of rage, a fury that transcended hatred. His eyes burned with this pure new emotion like fire on the surface of a river and up until this moment silent rage came churning out of the depths of his soul…and he rejoiced its release.

"Muuuuuuu!!!!!!" bellowed Orlando, his face demonised and twisted with hate. "Fate brought us together here – this is the end for you tyrant of Earth I'm coming for you now so prepare to pay for all you've done!"

No doubt or better sense stopped the great Chieftain as he hurtled towards the stunned Emperor – as the hulking warrior charged in their direction the Marauders fell aside like blades of grass beneath the force of a tornado and their cowardly reactions gave him a clear path to their liege.

All of them were so used to bullying peaceful villagers and the mere sight of the rampaging axe-bearer only naturally filled them with dismay.

Frozen in blank astonishment Mu was helpless to do anything but gawp as Orlando charged right at him with horribly unstoppable intent in his eyes. Just one glimpse of his face had the effect of emptying the tyrant's mind of coherent thought and so he didn't think of teleporting or even backing away to safety which would have been an inestimably good reaction as he realised in a few moments time.

Sure enough Orlando was on him in a flash – the closeness between the two as the Chieftain came to a stop in front of him was accented by the fact that he could feel Orlando's breath on his face as the warrior glared ferociously at his mortal enemy.

Before Mu could even blink he was felled to the ground – kneeling on all fours he gawped up at Orlando who loomed over him and realised in a flood of clarity what was going on – unfortunately the sight of the mighty axe that was poised in the air above him froze him where he cowered.

"Crawl like the snake you are!" Orlando roared with laughter that contained no trace of merriment as he glared down at the fallen tyrant in scorn. "You know I once met a boy who was the only person left alive after you and your dogs paid his hometown a visit." He breathed nastily and his eyes suddenly narrowed in a way that sent a new and even more thrilling shiver up Rula's spine as she watched him in awe. "Not that I think he was lucky to have survived – oh no! See he'd been beaten to within an inch of his life by your men and by the time we got him back he hadn't long to live. We did what we could for him but before the night was over he died."

Mu felt as if the warrior's eyes would drive him straight into the ground if he continued to look at him like this. "You're no Emperor…no, I call you the scourge of our beloved Earth. And you know what they say Mu. What goes round…" the axe-head flashed as he carelessly spun it in a complete circle – Mu yelped in fright and scrambled back in a way that would have struck any of the other rulers of the galaxy as unbecoming for an Emperor. "…COMES around!!!"

Orlando laughed and reaching down he hauled the tyrant back to his feet with his free hand – Mu couldn't believe what was happening to him. The disbelief that dogged him was only intensified when Orlando brought the side of his axe down on his back with crushing force.

The tyrant staggered senselessly and Orlando followed him, hauled him back up and pulled his weapon back a second time…CRASH!!!!

A high-pitched yelp echoed across the clearing as the heavy handle was driven into the pit of Mu's stomach and knocked him into the dirt once again. "Done in already?" Orlando mocked the dazed tyrant as he folloed him. "The child I mentioned never cried out even once even though his whole body burned with pain whenever he so much as drew breath…why are YOU yowling when you're getting a taste of your own medicine?!! Chew on this for free you dog!"

Rula watched in fascinated horror as Orlando smashed the flat of his axe into Mu's ribs – she couldn't believe it! Orlando actually meant to thrash the tyrant to death!

The hatred he felt was too great and terrible to allow him to kill Mu swiftly – he wanted to make the tyrant suffer the agony that he had given many of the Chieftains fellow villagers.

"This is what you've done to every single one of your subjects over the last two decades FILTH!!!!" roared Orlando as he prepared to strike the cringing man once again. "This is the last wish of everyone who you've killed…"

Suddenly Rula remembered and with a silent gasp she stole a sidelong glance at the Marauders – to her relief every single one of them was so amazed by what was going on that they simply watched spellbound as Orlando beat their ruler like a dog. "Orlando!" exclaimed the huntress as she ran towards the Chieftain. "HEY! Knock it off!"

Orlando glared as she reached him and grasped him by the arm to stop the beating from continuing. "Stand aside girl!" he barked, his voice gruffly stubborn as he tried to shake off her hands. "This craven cur's life is mine for the taking!"

"We don't have time for him now!" Rula yelled as she tugged ferociously. "How long do you think those idiots are gonna stand and watch?! We've gotta fly before that happens!"

Orlando stared at her as he realised that what she said made sense – he bit his lip savagely. Even though he knew that she was right he was unwilling to let Mu go now that the tyrant was finally at his mercy. "This murderer and rapist will be dead long before they gather their scattered wits!" he growled.

"Orlando!" Rula's tone had changed and now she sounded suddenly stern as she gazed at him. "Don't let your emotions get so ahead of you that they make you forget the big picture! That's how things always turn sour!"

Orlando stared speechlessly at her – what she'd just said reminded him of a man he'd known long ago. "I wonder where I heard that before…" he muttered but a small smile crossed his face – actually he knew well enough since he'd recently been informed about this girl's true identity.

"Come on…he'll keep!" the huntress cast a scornful look at Mu and then looked pleadingly at the Chieftain. "Without you the Freeborn won't have a chance. Live to fight again another day!"

Orlando sighed and decided to do as she said – after all it was this girl who he had to thank for getting him started on the path he'd chosen to lead his people down. "Dented your pride old fellow." He growled at Mu as he backed away to stand with Rula. "Never mind though – you've still got your life for all that's worth."

"Next time you won't be so lucky." Rula added with a vindictive grin.

Mu staggered to his feet as his head throbbed in agony – as he gasped for breath he struggled with the reality of what had just happened.

Mu couldn't accept it – it was just too impossible for him to believe that he, the ruler of this entire planet had just been beaten into the dirt, thrashed by some untouchable peasant!

A voice that struck him as vaguely familiar beat into his skull as its owner burst into laughter from over by Rula and Orlando. "That's your reward for beating up on the working class you SWAB!" sniggered the newcomer. "Have you had enough yet or do you want some MORE?!!"

Rula gasped – what the hell was SHE doing here?

Jess grinned impudently as Mu spun around and stared at her in shock, stung by her taunting – she'd arrived just in time to see Orlando thrash the tyrant one last time and as she'd hurried up her admiration for her Chief had driven away any nervousness at the sight of the Marauders.

Flabbergasted by the laughing girl Mu felt anger boiling in his guts and the fire flowing through his veins finally jolted him back to sense. "PEASANTS!" he roared, staggering to his feet in spite of the almost unbearable pain in his back and stomach. "I swear that you will all die for this!"

The dreaded anger that trembled in their liege's voice broke the spell of bewilderment that had held the Marauders frozen where they all stood – with growls they began to advance menacingly forward.

Rula's eyes widened in horror as she spotted one of the Guards coming up behind Jess. "Jess!" she screamed frantically, too far away to intercept the attacker. "Go back!!"

But she was too late – the Marauder moved swiftly and before she could blink Jess felt his brawny arm wrap around her neck, hauling her from her feet. The dark-haired girl instinctively gripped the powerful arm locked around her throat as she gasped in wide-eyed panic. Her trembling fingers froze as she felt the savage edge of a knife brush against the tender skin of her throat as if it was a flitting butterfly.

"NO!" Rula screamed frantically.

"JESS!" Orlando roared in horror.

Mu glowered as he looked on – the pain pounding in his skull killed any satisfaction that he'd have felt at this new turn of events.

But the trembling knife never got any closer to Jess's throat – the dark-haired girl suddenly felt the arm go stiff around her throat and impulsively she looked up. To her surprise the eyes of the man who had accosted her were strangely blank – slowly he leaned slackly away from her and slid to the ground.

As the stiffened arm of the now dead Marauder slid from around her Jess gave a sharp intake of breath and backed away towards her two companions staring at the lifeless body that lay crumpled in the grass.

As Prince Darien stood stock still holding the handle of the crimson-drenched sword that he'd buried in the Marauder's back his eyes were if possible more distant than those of the man he'd slain – moving like a man in a dream he inclined his head and his slate eyes ebbed to the left, passing the face of the girl whose life he had only just saved by taking another over with no reaction.

There was only one person in his mind as his gaze strove this way and that – and this person was the one he hoped he would not find even though his heart was resigned. His hopes were heavy and like stones in his stomach but he knew that they were all futile – so when he locked his sorrowful eyes with those of his elder brother he didn't feel shock but an inward cry of indescribable despair which filled him.

The Marauders had stopped their advance and were all standing and staring in dismay at the dark-haired Prince as he stood in anguish. What the hell… thought the huntress for what must have been the millionth time since she'd set foot on this planet the day before.

It was Mu who finally broke the terrible silence – from the moment that he had glimpsed his brother he had been thrown into turmoil but as he looked into Darien's eyes he was assured of one thing. "So…your journey through treachery is now completed." He spat venomously. "So now you fight for the lives of these worthless troublemakers."

"Shut…up…" Darien breathed softly yet distinctly as he stared at his elder brother, his blue eyes horrified yet acceptant as he finally saw him for what he truly was.

When Orlando had told him the truth with such terrible passion he hadn't wanted to believe it but no matter how desperately he had wanted to deny it he'd known it to be the truth all along. Darien had thought that if he'd told himself strongly enough that it was a lie or a misunderstanding then it would be so but now seeing his brother standing here with these bandits about to take the lives of Orlando and his companions he finally accepted the truth.

It left him feeling sick at heart but also coldly calm – if everything that he'd ever believed about his brother and his Kingdom was a lie then at least he could stop lying to himself from this moment on. One thing he knew for sure that whatever happened now it was over…denial of the truth about his evil brother who he had idolized.

"Just explain one thing to me 'brother'…" Darien said coldly as he narrowed his eyes in bitter contempt. "…you look upon our people as if they are nothing but animals suitable only for amusing you in their suffering. So in your twisted mind which people was it you, I and all of the people gathered in this clearing descended from?"

Mu's face was sheer malevolence – a startling contrast of emotions between the pair of brother's – as he stared evilly at his younger brother but hesitated to reply.

"Traitor! Blood-betrayer! Faithless dog!" Drut hissed.

"Is hating each other the only thing that you and I will ever do together Mu?" Darien asked of the tyrant as he ignored Drut, his voice sad and questioning though his disgust for this man remained.

Jadeite now arrived and stood beside him – the eyes of the General were normally wry but now a rare sorrow was present in them as he saw the pain in Darien's face, he'd known in this heart that the whispering about his liege had all been founded on truth but he'd never thought that it would be so terrible for Darien to realise the truth. "Darien…" he began compassionately.

"Not even that…JUDAS." Mu growled murderously as he made up his ruthless mind – now that Darien knew the truth he couldn't leave this place alive and so pointing at his younger brother he passed sentence on both him and the General. "You have chosen to side with these traitorous dogs and so you'll join them in their fate! Die! My men take the collared wench alive - riches unimaginable to the man who slays Prince Darien, traitor to the Empire of Earth! Whoever kills the treacherous Jadeite shall become the fourth General of the Imperial Army in his place!"

At this proclamation the doubt that had stopped them in their tracks was banished and unsheathing their swords the Marauders gave cries and resumed their advance – there was now nothing but blood on their minds,

Mu laughed madly. "You see Orlando? Even a tyrant is merciful when dealing with traitors! This is the dream of every warrior – to die in battle!"

As Rula, Darien, Orlando, Jadeite and Jess stood in a circle and watched the advancing Marauders the chieftain gritted his teeth – he was ready and prepared to fight until his last ounce of strength but he knew already that the upcoming struggle would be hopeless.

With such superior numbers at his command Mu couldn't lose…it was over.

"This is it…" Darien breathed quietly as he watched death stalking towards him in the form of Imperial Guards many of which he recognized. "Jadeite…I'm sorry about dragging you into this."

"Forget it…" the General replied as cheerfully as he could manage in the knowledge that he was about to die by the sword at hands of the men he himself had once commanded in battle.

"It will be an honour to die by your side Rula." Orlando said to the huntress as he glanced over at her, a grim smile on his face. "Come…if nothing else we can give good account of ourselves before the curtains fall for the last time! Let's built a wall of dead Marauders around us before they take us down!"

Rula didn't answer him right off – her eyes were closed as she stood surrounded by the enemy and she was thinking of a place far, far away from here where she hadn't needed to fight…a place where the need to fight had never been present though she had felt uncomfortable enough without it to seek one out.

A place and people she had been happy to live among and be a part of their lives…

I never asked for this… she thought bleakly as she opened her eyes and tightened her finger around the trigger of the crossbow. I didn't ask for these people to look up to me as an example of how life ought to be for everyone in the world…hell, I didn't even ask to be born. Mercury…I'm sorry. I won't ever be able to come home…

"See ya on the other side Chief." Rula smirked as she opened her eyes – nonchalantly she reached down to Gorban's lifeless corpse and plucked free the crossbow bolt that she'd felled him with, slamming it back into the crossbow so that she could face the host. "This is it…we live together, we die together!

Mu sneered as he heard her – there it was again, that pride and utter refusal to give into the inevitable. "You know girl ever since I graced the Moon Kingdom that night I've been thinking that it's truly time for me to settle down and take a wife." He called out antagonistically to Rula and added with a provocative grin, "Actually I have the perfect candidate in mind…none other than your dear friend Princess Mercury!" Rula whirled around and stared at him in hate as her eyes narrowed. "Meek, pliant and I'm also certain that unlike certain women she won't speak until she's spoken to…I do believe that she will be the perfect bride for me! One who shall know her place!"

Rula's fury was building up – the thought of Mercury, the innocent and kind-hearted girl who had been her friend being reduced to becoming this swine's bitch, her wonderful mind and everything that she had learned being wasted filled her with murder.

Seeing the effect that his taunts aimed at her beloved friend where having on her Mu added with an extra touch of spite, "The best part is that she won't even have to worry about being lonely in my castle – after all she'll have you for company my dear! Perhaps I'll even make you her personal servant…or maybe you can even share our…"

Rula's self-control snapped and snarling she decided to throw herself towards the tyrant and fire her crossbow at his black heart before her blood was spilt on the ground…if she was fated not to see the end of this night then at least she could protect her friend from ever falling into this beast's clutches. It took Orlando AND Darien to grab both her arms and hold her back to stop her as she fought to get at the tyrant...

"Everyone…don't despair!" Emilia told them all, her voice crisp and clear as she suddenly stood in the middle of their circle. "If you do exactly as I say then we'll all see another day yet."

Rula glanced irritably over at her before returning her eyes to the jeering Emperor – then she blinked and stared back at her in shock. "Where the hell did you…?!!" she began, baffled as she stopped fighting against the Prince and the Chieftain.

"Don't think about it now!" Emilia snapped, brushing off her question. "Just do what I say and I'll get you out of this!"

From where he stood watching savagely as his host closed in around his enemies Mu stared in puzzlement – he was sure that he'd been on the verge of goading Rula into breaking the circle and being captured by the host…why had she turned away from him and why were the rebels suddenly joining hands?

Then he saw Emilia and gave a jolt of shock – he'd just spotted the slave-girl whose freedom he had used as leverage in order to lure Rula into his trap! "Get them!" the tyrant roared in sudden alarm and rage as he faced the prospect of losing them all. "Do something you fools!"

"I am my noble liege, I am!" came the squeal of Drut. "Look at me, I'm throttling mysel...URK!"

Rula keenly noticed that as they reluctantly joined hands with Jadeite and Darien neither Jess nor Orlando seemed at all surprised that the other dark-haired girl had suddenly appeared among them right out of nowhere – also their expressions were now filled with renewed hope…

Wondering what Emilia had in mind the huntress obediently linked hands with Orlando and Darien and stayed put…meanwhile the host were nearly upon them.

With the hands of Darien and Jadeite held in her own Emilia closed her eyes and concentrated more deeply than she'd ever done in her life- now that she was no longer wearing that foul collar she'd had no trouble at all in reaching her friends. However using her gift to take all five of them along with herself out of here was a completely different story…even as she tried to get started she could feel that the strain would be the hardest she'd even gone through while doing this.

Just hoping that she could pull it off she began to breath slowly and steadily as she emptied her mind of all thought and channelled her full concentration into what she was now struggling to do – she had to do it, the lives of her friends and chief all counted on how well she did now…

Jadeite watched blankly as she breathed laboriously. "Oh I get it – a séance!" he exclaimed. "Here we are about to die and she wants to talk to the dead to get a sneak look at how…"

"Shut up!" Jess snapped as she watched Emilia anxiously and prayed that this would work.

Emilia suddenly gasped sharply and closed her eyes – she'd managed to get past the first stage! Now all that she needed to do was concentrate hard enough on the memory of her town which she'd visualized perfectly in her mind and held it there like their lives depended on it…which they actually did.

As she watched the sweat that appeared on the dark-haired girl's body Rula suddenly felt strange – a peculiar sensation of lightness and tingling in her body. As she glanced at her companions, wondering if they were feeling anything like this she widened her eyes in surprise. Their bodies were shimmering and for brief moments she could actually see right through them to the Marauders all around them!

In fact she realised that she was doing the same thing herself as she glanced down at her body and realised that this was the cause of her strange sensation – yet what interested her most was the fact that the flickering of their bodies was happening in time with each strained look that crossed Emilia's face.

The vague suspicion that she'd had about this girl seemed to fall together with what she'd heard about her and as she realised what Emilia was trying to do Rula felt her hope return to her in a surge. "Em…don't give up!" cried the huntress as she leaned toward the dark-haired girl in mounting excitement. "Keep trying…I know you can do it!"

A weak smile appeared on the suffering girl's face for just a moment before it disappeared again – the confidence of the huntress added to her strength and as she pushed against the constraints of the material plain one last time she struck the breakthrough.

"W-what's happening?" Darien yelled as his body began to fade into nothingness. "We're…disappering!!"

"Don't let go!" Emilia cried desperately as she began to shift out of this plain taking her passengers with her through space. "If anybody breaks the chain then we could end up anywhere…in the sea, who knows?"

Rula narrowed her eyes but she kept still as she put her life in the dark-haired girl's hands…

An icy wind froze the bloodlust that had been pounding from the eyes of the Marauders as it struck them – before they could figure out what was happening the cold torc built up in intensity and then abruptly a ferocious gale nearly swept all of them off their feet.

Before Mu's stunned eyes the six disappeared in a brilliant flash of blue light – sweat stood out on his face as he realised that the five rats he'd marked for execution and the vixen he had collared for himself had all slipped through the inescapable net that he'd laid for them all. "M-my liege…" stammered the youngest of the Marauders as he approached his seething Emperor – all the others were staring incoherently at the spot their trapped quarry had been mere seconds ago "I am here to report that your enemy Orlando, the traitors Prince Darien and General Jadeite and those three others all seem to have…gone."

Mu had been shaking in blind inner fury but at this his vision reasserted itself especially so that he could turn and stare at the Marauder. "Then I can only say that you have either not looked properly for them…" he breathed in soft sibilant tones of barely suppressed white-hot contempt and then thrust his face right into that of his hapless subordinate. "…or that they have escaped you IDIOT!!!!"

The Marauder was almost blown from his feet by the ferocity of his Emperors roar. There goes the candle-lit dinner for two I had planned… he thought sadly. I'm never going to be able to propose to her…