The Coming Storm…

Glast Plains, Glast Heim west border, An hour after Chapter 8

Alice followed Grace through the crowd.

It was the largest swarm of humans Alice has ever seen, so many people were gathered in one place at the same time. People chatted about their lives and showed of their equipments. Some even waved at her and Grace's direction. Grace cheerfully waved back while Alice kept her head low, waving her hand slightly.

"Grace! Over here!" someone called from behind a wall of people.

"Valentine!" Grace raced ahead into the crowd, leaving Alice to chase after her. Alice followed her until she jumped into a wizard's arms.

"Hey ya', long time no see!" Valentine said joyfully as Grace hugged him tightly.

Alice watched the two curiously. They were engaged in a conversation about how much they've missed ever since they parted. They held hands together as the long lost friends walked together towards Glast Heim with the rest of the crowd, Alice scurry behind them.

"Has Auril been treating you right? He's always a jerk when it came to girls," Valentine said casually.

"He's alright, I guess, he keeps his promises to me at least…" Grace replied, "He went to my priest-ship ceremony at least…"

"Ah, I know it's a little late, but I'm sorry I couldn't make it back then. Abyss Well had a few tasks for me to do then. So," He looked behind, motioning to Alice, "care to introduce your new friend to me?"

Alice stepped back from Valentine. She didn't know what to say to him, much less who he even was. Alice just kept her head down, daring not to look at him.

"Her name is Alice, she's a little shy, so she doesn't talk or do much. Alice! C'mon over!" Grace waved toward Alice, beckoning her to come forward.

Alice hesitated at first, taking a few tentative steps toward Valentine. Grace pulled her arm to hasten her, and soon enough, Alice was standing only a few inches away from the wizard.

"So, you're Alice, the girl the Owl Baron wanted? I've heard a lot about…"

Grace pulled Valentine's ear down to her height. "Don't talk about it!" Grace whispered hoarsely into his ear. "It's a really touchy subject for her, so don't even try to ask!"

Rubbing his ear, Valentine nodded to Alice. "Sorry about that, I didn't know that you…"

Grace glared at Valentine with an angry look.

"Ah…I meant to say that I…think you have very lovely…" Valentine chanced a look at Alice's chest…

…and received a foot stomping from Grace.

Alice blinked as the Grace and Valentine started arguing. Why did friends have to do that? They were happy a minute ago, and now they're having a war of their own. This was so confusing…Alice thought friends were supposed to make you feel better, not brawl with you.

The duo turned their backs on each other, arms crossed and glaring at each other from the corner of their eyes.

"Pervert."

"Sissy."

"Humph!" they said in unison.

"C'mon Alice, we'll go first," Grace mentioned for Alice to follow her, leaving Valentine to disappear into the crowd again.

Auril looked at the army of volunteers given to him by the King. It was amazing; every job was present, from super novices to gypsies, swordsmen to paladins. Even the King's own General Managers (GMs) were present to direct and organize the crowd.

Auril had never asked so much from the King, only assistance.

Ah, well, as long as Auril got what he wanted, he was satisfied. He scrutinized his fellow followers, watching them all chat and prepare for the bloody battle ahead. They were so relaxed, but all of them were more then ready to attack.

Then, he spotted Grace and Alice running up to him. Grace held Alice's hand, running in his direction. Auril's mood relaxed the moment he saw them. Grace hugged him, Auril returning the greeting with a pat on the head. Alice stood at a distance, watching with that sad expression of hers.

"It's good to see ya' again, Grace," Auril said.

"You always say that," Grace complained, still hugging Auril.

"Ah, Alice, I've been waiting for you too," Grace spun her head around, body still attached to Auril. She nodded to Alice once, beckoning her forward.

Alice stepped toward Auril, head still hanging low.

"We'll be going in soon, are you sure you're okay?"

"I-I'm fine…thank you…"

"Alright then, I'll announce our entry now," Auril peered to the sky, "and it looks like a storm is coming…"

Alice looked up as well. It was true, dark clouds were rapidly scudding the sky, blocking out the sunlight. But something didn't feel right…it felt as if the clouds were gathered by magic…

…very powerful magic…

Alice kept it to herself, not wanting to mistaken it for nervousness.

Auril stepped forward, taking a deep breath. "Alright, soldiers! We are going to begin the invasion in a matter of time! Odin Legion, you'll be hunting for the Emperium in the castle! Aubis Legion, you'll be searching for it in the Knight Chivalry area! Zeus Legion! You'll be looking in the sewers and caves! And Abyss Legion, we'll be searching the Church! No questions? Then move out!"

A loud clamour of battle cries broke out as the warriors marched into Glast Heim. It has begun. The siege for Glast Heim began.

"Alright, Alice, you're going with that wizard, his name is Valentine. He's from Abyss Well and he'll be leading the Odin Legion. You know a lot about the castle, so you'll be most useful if you stick to them, okay?" Alice nodded, looking uneasily at Valentine. What could he have done to make the happy-go-lucky Grace so angry?

Auril ran off with Grace, leaving Alice to Valentine. Valentine looked at Alice with a small scowl, muttering to himself, "…too flat…"

"Pardon me?" Alice asked politely, but softly.

"Uh, no, it's nothing." Valentine sighed as he walked towards the Odin Legion. "This way, Alice."

The castle doors opened, revealing the dusty floor Alice always used to sweep. Memories flowed back into her, the first time she found Little Tails, the countless times the humans tried to attack her, the pain and agony every time the Owl Baron found a spot she missed…

She didn't like coming back; it was all too painful to bear. She remembered the first time she met Auril…how she gave away Little Tails…how her sadness consumed her into a state of oblivion…

Valentine put his hand on Alice's shoulder. "Okay, Alice, where do you think we should start looking first?"

Alice's thoughts returned to the current situation. She recalled every room there was in the castle. The Library was inappropriate, books and book cases were constantly being knocked down, revealing no secret chamber behind the walls. The guest room had rooms surrounding it, leaving no room to put a secret chamber. The prison, Alice last remembered, were full of prison cells, and in the torture chamber, there were doors leading to a place Alice has never been before…

That was where they should start.

"There are a few doors in the castle's prison. They're in the torture chamber area…"

"Alright then. Main group! We'll be in the Prisons! The rest of you, search this floor! I want every matt and brick lifted, every single one them, clear?" Valentine bellowed.

"Yes sir!" Odin Legion bellowed back. They scurried off in different directions, scouring the place for the hidden room to the Emperium.

Alice led the main group in the general direction of the prisons. Memories of past events flooded her mind…the priest that opened Alice's way to freedom, the place where countless of her friends died in the hands of the humans…

A Rideword came around the corner, meeting a group of fifty humans, staring at it with angry eyes. The Rideword lunged at the crowd, teeth bared at them. But it came to a sudden halt when it saw Alice.

'He still recognises me…' Alice thought to herself.

An assassin in the crowd lunged at the Rideword, slashing it into half with a well aimed Jamadhar. The Rideworm fell to the floor, pages fluttering down slowly, its cover landing in a heap.

"NO!" Alice screamed. She ran to the Rideworm, picking up the slain book in her hands. Al De Santra…the Rideworm carrying the ancient past of Al De Baran…Alice has read it a few times, and the Rideworm was very helpful in the library…it was one of he closest friends before Little Tails came into her life…

Alice fell to the floor, crying for her friend. She held the Rideworm's cover tight, never accepting what was done…the people who were helping her…killed her friend…

Valentine came up to her, ignoring her cries, she lifted her face up, revealing her tears to him…

SLAP!

Alice felt a sharp pain piercing her cheek. She forgot about the Rideword for that moment, feeling only pain and shock. Tears continued to stream down her face, for what reason, Alice forgot why.

"Alice! Get a grip on yourself! It's only a Rideword! There's nothing to cry about!"

Alice kept a shocked expression on her face. Her eyes were blank, her body numb. She dropped the Rideword unknowingly, only aware of her own thoughts now. 'I-I'm crying…why am I crying? Did…did I lose another friend...? No…please, no more…'

Valentine pulled her up to her feet. She hung motionlessly, supported only by Valentine's hands. Her head drooped to one side, still in a state of shock. She was carried by a blacksmith in the group, dragging her along in his cart.

"C'mon," Valentine called. "We'll find the Emperium ourselves."

They entered a door leading to the lower chambers. It must be the prison. All the spell casters lit up the passage with mage lights, illuminating the place with a strange orange glow. Valentine took the lead, exiting the passage to find a small flight of stairs…and below waited…

"The Owl Baron…!" Valentine cursed under his breath.

"Welcome to my castle, dear humans. You'll find your stay tantalizingly…agonizing. Please relish your last moments of life…as we will be dispatching you soon."

An army of Injustices marched forward. Their bodies had steel spikes protruding from their arms, legs and shoulders, as if someone had forcefully impaled the spikes in. Their arms and legs also had manacles, chains rattling as they advanced forward. Their eyes…or rather, eye sockets were dripping with blood. Some had removed the eyes, leaving a red, hollow space in their faces.

"We already know of your invasion, petty humans." The Owl Baron continued. "One of my slaves reported it…and we know you're trying to lock us up. Sadly, we'll never let you destroy the Emperium. And when I say we," The injustices' palms shot out two new spikes from either of their hands. "I mean, they."

The Owl Baron disappeared in a flash, leaving the Injustices to continue the march forward, towards the bloody fate awaiting them.

"Don't just stand there! Everyone attack!" Valentine bellowed.

The brave men and women charged at the wall of foes. A knight met his opponents first, swinging his broadsword at the injustices wildly. Three caught the blade on their shoulders, only to be saved from decapitation by the spikes protruding out of them. They flew back, hitting the Injustices behind them, creating a domino effect.

The knight's victory was short lived. An Injustice thrust its spikes into the Knight's chest. The knight screamed in pain as an assassin hacked away the Injustice, spewing blood onto the cold prison floor. The knight lay motionless as the assassin pulled the spike out of his body.

The blacksmith carrying Alice took her off his cart, putting him in a safe corner. He bellowed a battle cry, charging into fray. Hacking away furiously at the Injustices, ten were severed by his axe, staining blood and flesh onto it. One Injustice managed to get behind him, and killed him instantly with a spike through his head. Bits of the blacksmith's brain joined the Injustices; the rest of his body joined them shortly.

Valentine blasted the Injustices at the back with his Lord of Vermillion spell. Lightning ripped open the Injustices like a balloon, leaving a bloody patch of corpses behind.

This wasn't good, the Injustices kept coming, and almost three quarters of his soldiers where dead. Only a hand full of knights and assassins were fighting at the front line. Everyone else was shooting arrows and mana at the Injustices. If they managed to defeat the melee warriors, then they were done for.

Valentine created an ice wall, blocking the Injustice's path. "Fall back!" He shouted. And everyone ran back to the passage way…

…only to find it was blocked.

An energy field surrounded the entrance, glowing an ugly red…

Valentine couldn't dispel it. It was magic far greater then he could cast in an instant. The Owl Baron must have set up a trap here…it was impossible to make that barrier in an instant.

Valentine turned around again. The Injustices have broken his ice wall, and were closing in fast. They trampled over the dead emotionlessly, mouths hanging hungrily in the Odin Legion's direction.

"If it's a fight to the death you want, then a fight to the death it is," Valentine muttered to himself. "Everyone! ATTACK!"

Valentine mumbled his spells in utter concentration. He was one of Abyss Well's most valued wizards for one special ability; he could cast two spells at once.

His first spell flung twenty Injustices to the ceiling, spikes of earth protruding from the ground. He finished them off with his second spell, summoning his Lord of Vermillion again.

Flesh and bone rained down on the Injustices, but they didn't even seem bothered by their comrades' deaths. They marched on, slaying the last of the melee fighters, advancing toward Valentine and the others.

"Shoot…" Valentine whispered to himself. The Injustices were only ten metres away from him. Not a shower of arrows, not a bombardment of elements, not the second strongest Abyss Well wizard could hold them off. Valentine made a last ditch effort, creating fire walls to block their path. It was useless. The Injustices marched through the wall, feeling as if there were no pain.

The first Injustice cornered a hunter into a wall. The hunter desperately shot arrows into its chest, but never stopped its assault once. It pulled out the hunter's eyes, letting him wither to the ground in pain. Then, it drew out its spikes again, continuously adding holes into the hunter's head. His tongue, eyes and ears lay on the floor, joining the bloody mess.

The rest of the Odin Legion met the same fate as him.

Only Valentine was left now, desperately casting Frost Novas and Jupitel thunders in every direction. His last stand proved futile as the injustices broke out of their icy shell, still marching toward the wizard.

'Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn…' Valentine thought to himself. Just as he raised his hand, preparing to launch another Frost Nova, an Injustice cut it off for him. His arm was a bloody stump, blood flowing out furiously. But he wasn't beaten yet, he charged his other spell, the Jupitel Thunder, at the Injustice in revenge, blasting open its chest, spilling flesh and organs onto valentine. He smiled as he let the blood drip down his face. He was surrounded, and there wasn't a hope for him left.

The Injustices nearest him sliced at his body, severing his limbs off, only cutting off tearing off his head when there was no other part of his body to remove…

Alice sat at her corner, crying in fear that she would be killed again…she didn't like the pain…she didn't like what the Injustices did to her when she was being tortured…they didn't care if she died, she could be resurrected. She didn't like dying at all…

The Injustices suddenly stopped, parting a small space around Alice. Then, in a flash, the Owl Baron appeared before her.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the slave that escaped," the Owl Baron sneered.

Alice felt fear course through her veins, watching as her old master stared down at her.

"You've been a naughty little girl, Alice, and naughty girls get punished, you know. Take her to the torture chamber."

Two Injustices came forward, pulling Alice up. Alice cried for help, kicking and wrestling the two Injustices. The two Injustices had a hard time holding her down, but the Owl Baron waved his wing once, and Alice froze still, unable to move or speak.

"As I said, naughty girls get punished. Give her the 'Eternal Pain' treatment. If she dies, resurrect her. Another thousand years of torture shall satisfy me. And you," the Owl Baron said to Alice, "Will pay for your betrayal to me."

The Injustice dragged her off, throwing her into one of the torture chambers.

One of the robotic Alice's came in, sweeping the mess that was made. She could hear screaming from one of the cells, but ignored it. Her function was to clean up Glast Heim, and that is what she will do.

Outside, the storm cloud began to rain…