The night was bleak and quiet as Starfire and Barlan made their way through
the town. When they finally made it to Raven's shop (or what was left of
it), Starfire nearly fainted. As the smoke rose from the rubble, she could
see small flickers of fire here and there. Swords and shields littered the
ground. "Raven..." Starfire immediately ran over to try and lift the rubble
away. She began to think of her alien super strength to try and regain it.
It made her head ache and she winced in the pain from her head but
channeled enough to begin lifting the debris. "Tamarina, I feel the same
pain that you do but your efforts in finding any survivors are futile." "I
don't care, if there's even the slimmest chance that someone is alive, I'm
going to look." "There is no need for it." Starfire then looked up to see
Raven and about a good 300 rebels hidden in a graveyard. "RAVEN! I-I-But
how are you still alive? They said your shop and base were destroyed. And I
saw Capt. Hallen with your pendant. It was bloody." "Well even though we
trusted Prince Robin, we always had a feeling that the King's spies were
keeping an eye on him. After he left tonight, some of our sentries in the
streets warned us that a spy had seen Robin leave. We knew Alhrik would
send a small army to destroy us. So we cleared out." "But I heard him say
that they had killed at least 50 rebels." "May their souls rest...they
volunteered to fight for the base until their end while we escaped with
what we could carry. There were women and young children among the dead."
"Well thank goodness that you are all okay." "Why would you care, the
king's own daughter care about our safety?" "I know what you truly fight
for. I know that Sla-err-Alhrik seeks only power. And even if I didn't
know, the simple fact remains." "What's that?" Raven said with serious
doubt in her voice. "That...I love him. And I trust whatever he tells me.
Which is why I have sought you out. Alhrik has found out that he was
helping you guys and he's imprisoned him. Now I know that you have all
sought to gain entry into the castle to foil Alhrik once and for all."
"That is true ma'am," one of the rebels said, "but what exactly do you want
in return?" "It's obvious isn't it," Raven said, "She wants us to rescue
her prince. Right?" "Yes. And I will show you how to get into the castle
and everything." "You must not fear death." Raven said. "I do what I must
for those that I love."
As Robin lay against the wall in the cell, his mind couldn't stop weeping over the dead. "How could I have let this happen? I led Slade's army right to them. GOD I'M SUCH AN IDIOT!" A tear ran down Robin's cheek. "WHY AM I HERE DAMNIT?! WHAT THE HELL DOES HE WANT WITH ME?!" "Your aura is what he seeks." "Who, who said that?" "I did." Robin looked over in the shadows to see a skinny old man in rags sitting in the corner. The old man looked up at Robin with a smile. He was easily near death. His eyes were clear white. Robin could already tell that he was blind. "Wha-what do you mean?" "Every person has an aura my friend. However the size and power of it depends on its owner's location. Aura can enhance the mind's power creating telekinesis and psychic power. And my friend the nation from which you come, its inhabitants are peaceful folk but each contain a high level of aura. An almost un-natural level. Alhrik seeks yours because of his own. He is the offspring of a half breed. His mother was a person who contained a high level of aura, while his father was a simple human. So he has aura but not a good enough level of it to do what he wants." "What is it that he wants?" "Control. Complete, total, unimaginable control. He knows that know physical weapon can harm one with a high enough aura. This is why he seeks to make an army of soldiers with high aura. With it, no force in this land can stop him. In order to do that he wanted his own blood and aura as a prototype. But in order for this, he needs the aura of another to increase his to the level he wants. That aura lies in you. Why do you think that he has sent for you? Why do you think he's accepted you so much? He's been trying to win your trust...to catch you off guard and steal your aura is what he seeks." It all began to make clearer sense to Robin. "How do you know all of this?" "You know who Barlan is don't you?" "Yes." "I once held the position that he held. But I knew that even if he had the aura he wanted, an army of aura enhanced soldiers can never work. Aura is completely genetic and can't be injected through the bloodstream. I tried to reason with him but his need for it simply blinded him. He locked me away in this prison almost 20 years ago and has since then continued his search for the aura he wants up to you." "How do you know it is me?" Laughing, the old man replied, "Well back in my younger years, I too had a small amount of aura. When I found out that my sight was fading, I channeled my aura to give me vision. A certain sight tat can only see the aura of a person, be it life aura or mind aura. And yours son, is like a bright blue sun. Have you ever noticed when you fight, you seem to enter a trance?" He was right; Robin had always ignored it until now. "I have heard stories from the guards of you. When you fought the assassins a few weeks ago, they said that your eyes glowed a fierce blue. Your sword was also a bright blue. Obviously you unwittingly channel your aura into your fighting, which makes you nearly invincible in combat." That Robin had never noticed. "Well it's good that I know this." Robin said to himself, "But what good will it do. Slade said himself that the procedure to take my aura would kill me in the process. And I feel too weak to fight him off." Robin began to cry. "I'll never be able to see her again..." "Do not cry my son, for there is always a hope." And that hope was coming in full force.
To Be Continued...
As Robin lay against the wall in the cell, his mind couldn't stop weeping over the dead. "How could I have let this happen? I led Slade's army right to them. GOD I'M SUCH AN IDIOT!" A tear ran down Robin's cheek. "WHY AM I HERE DAMNIT?! WHAT THE HELL DOES HE WANT WITH ME?!" "Your aura is what he seeks." "Who, who said that?" "I did." Robin looked over in the shadows to see a skinny old man in rags sitting in the corner. The old man looked up at Robin with a smile. He was easily near death. His eyes were clear white. Robin could already tell that he was blind. "Wha-what do you mean?" "Every person has an aura my friend. However the size and power of it depends on its owner's location. Aura can enhance the mind's power creating telekinesis and psychic power. And my friend the nation from which you come, its inhabitants are peaceful folk but each contain a high level of aura. An almost un-natural level. Alhrik seeks yours because of his own. He is the offspring of a half breed. His mother was a person who contained a high level of aura, while his father was a simple human. So he has aura but not a good enough level of it to do what he wants." "What is it that he wants?" "Control. Complete, total, unimaginable control. He knows that know physical weapon can harm one with a high enough aura. This is why he seeks to make an army of soldiers with high aura. With it, no force in this land can stop him. In order to do that he wanted his own blood and aura as a prototype. But in order for this, he needs the aura of another to increase his to the level he wants. That aura lies in you. Why do you think that he has sent for you? Why do you think he's accepted you so much? He's been trying to win your trust...to catch you off guard and steal your aura is what he seeks." It all began to make clearer sense to Robin. "How do you know all of this?" "You know who Barlan is don't you?" "Yes." "I once held the position that he held. But I knew that even if he had the aura he wanted, an army of aura enhanced soldiers can never work. Aura is completely genetic and can't be injected through the bloodstream. I tried to reason with him but his need for it simply blinded him. He locked me away in this prison almost 20 years ago and has since then continued his search for the aura he wants up to you." "How do you know it is me?" Laughing, the old man replied, "Well back in my younger years, I too had a small amount of aura. When I found out that my sight was fading, I channeled my aura to give me vision. A certain sight tat can only see the aura of a person, be it life aura or mind aura. And yours son, is like a bright blue sun. Have you ever noticed when you fight, you seem to enter a trance?" He was right; Robin had always ignored it until now. "I have heard stories from the guards of you. When you fought the assassins a few weeks ago, they said that your eyes glowed a fierce blue. Your sword was also a bright blue. Obviously you unwittingly channel your aura into your fighting, which makes you nearly invincible in combat." That Robin had never noticed. "Well it's good that I know this." Robin said to himself, "But what good will it do. Slade said himself that the procedure to take my aura would kill me in the process. And I feel too weak to fight him off." Robin began to cry. "I'll never be able to see her again..." "Do not cry my son, for there is always a hope." And that hope was coming in full force.
To Be Continued...