ORIGIN OF BLUE LIGHTNING

 

 

Chapter 1

 

 

 

Odessa Silverberg was a fine young woman of aristocratic origin in the Scarlet Moon Empire. Due to her origin, she became unaware of the corruption within the Empire itself, until she met a man called Achilles, a member of an Anti-Imperial Movement. It was due to him that Odessa became aware of the situation and decided to fight the corruption alongside Achilles, who soon became her fiancee. However, one day, Achilles was killed due to a crime he didn't commit. Carrying his last wish to defeat the now corrupted Empire, Odessa continued to defy the Empire.

 

 

 

It's been a month since that day, the day that Achilles died. Odessa have established a base inside an underground sewer inside an inn in the town of Lenankamp, south of the capital of Scarlet Moon Empire, Gregminster, as her base operation to perform various sabotaging missions towards the Empire. However...

 

 

"This cannot continue forever." Odessa mumbled to herself. "If I am to defeat the Empire, I would need an army..." Odessa then took her bow and moved out of Lenankamp, in order to find some worthy men to join her cause. She managed to get several men to join her, and formed the Liberation Army. However, none of them provided her a good leadership quality, leaving her as the sole leader of the army without Lieutenants.

 

 

When she was about to return back to her base, one of her men approached her. "M'lady, we have spotted an Imperial carriage heading this way." he reported. Odessa nodded and said, "Can you lead me to them ?" Then, she led her remaining men to the direction that man pointed to her, and yes, she did see an Imperial carriage passing by.

 

 

"It must be another tax carriage. Those poor villagers must have been forced for these unnecessary taxes..." Odessa said to her men. She then gave some instructions, "We will ambush them, and reclaim their taxes, and bring them back to the villagers." The men agreed. They waited the carriage to enter their range, while they hide in the grasses... And yes, the carriage passed that way...

 

 

"Now ! Attack !!" As soon as she saw the momentum, Odessa gave the signal to begin the ambush. The Imperial guards this time was medium in terms of strength, but thanks to Odessa's skills at archery, and the rebels' teamwork, they managed to drive out the guards. Realizing that the guards has been decimated, the Imperial tax officer fell to his knees and begged. "Please, spare my life ! I don't want to die here !" Odessa then replied, "Get up, and return these taxes to the villagers."

 

 

"Yes ! I'll do it !" The officer then got up and tried to drive away from Odessa. However... she stopped him. "Wait." she said. "We're coming with you. I cannot trust you Imperial liars." The officers had no choice, but to let the Liberation Army escort her.

 

 

The tax officer brought them to the village of Rockland. The taxes were returned to the proper villagers, and the villagers thanked Odessa and the Liberation Army for their help.

 

 

Ever since then, Odessa and her army continued to make a lot of sabotation to the Imperial movement. Soon, the Liberation Army's reputation grew bigger and bigger in a short time, and Odessa was quickly hailed as a heroine by the people. But that certainly was not the case for the Imperial Army.

 

 

One day, Odessa learned about the corrupt official Kraze surveying the conditions in Rockland again. Sickened with his corrupt, weak, brown-nosing ideals, Odessa quickly devised a plan to sabotage him...

 

 

She first surveyed the situation of the Empire. There was a supply camp east of Rockland, which was used to battle the bandits at Mount Seifu, which became a problem to the Empire as well, because they keep attacking Imperial tax carriages . Kraze was there. "If we could disable the supply depot, they will have to pull back... and the people in Rockland will no longer have to worry about their money being taken away... I know the bandits have a good cause." Odessa said to her men. And soon, she came to a decision. "I'll go there and disrupt them myself."

 

 

"But, My Lady ! It will be dangerous !" One of her men said, but Odessa replied, "It's okay. A leader must sometimes be able to work alone and give example to her men." Odessa proceeded alone, however, one of her men secretly followed her, to spy on her, worrying about her safety.

 

 

Odessa arrived in the supply depot in the afternoon. She spotted two camps in front of her, but they were guarded. "That one won't do." Odessa mumbled and she hid behind the tent, to avoid being seen by the guards. She then spotted another tent, this time not guarded. "This one will do, then..." She walked slowly, and was able to enter the tent without being noticed. Just as she thought, it was a supply tent. She took an oily rag she took from her hideout, and set it aflame using a torch outside. And she threw it inside. Just in the moment that she threw the rag inside, she heard a voice... "Who goes there !?" It was from a guard !

 

 

"Oh no...!" Odessa then took her bow and arrows and shot the guard's legs, making him unable to move. She then ran off. At least one of their tents is already down, the rest will come soon, she thought. However, when she reached outside, she found herself surrounded with Imperial soldiers. "And where do you think you're going, woman !?" one of them threatened. But, Odessa wasn't terrified as she drew her sword, defending herself as the soldiers attacked her in close range, in which her bow won't do any good. However, enemy reinforcements soon came and Odessa was completely surrounded. She didn't stop, though, until a guard grabbed her from behind.

 

 

"Stay put if you do not want your pretty face being scarred forever !" The guard threatened her as he pointed his sword to her face. Left with no choice, Odessa dropped her sword. She didn't do any forms of resistance as the guards bent her hands behind and tied them on her wrists in four circles, as well as her elbows with strong black cords of rope. Some other guards then prepared another black ropes and tied her legs on her ankles, her knees and her thighs, each forming three to four circles. Then some other guards tied her body on her shoulders and waists, between her breasts, all in four circles, binding her body to her arms. One of the guards that tied her body accidentally touched her breasts. This disgusted Odessa and she spat on that guard.

 

 

"Get your dirty hands off me !" she scowled. The guard then threatened her, "So, you really want to die, huh !?" With all that, Odessa wasn't even scared a bit. "I do not need to be scared with the likes of y-Mmmphh !" She didn't get a chance to finish her words, as another guard pulled a thick black cloth and circled it around her mouth, cleave-gagging her. "I suggest that we see Commander Kraze now." The guard suggested and soon they started dragging Odessa deeper into the camp.

 

 

The main camp was quite a luxury one. Kraze reserved it for himself, as he likes luxury. Just then, a guard came in. "Commander, there's someone who burned one of our supply tent." the guard reported in. Kraze was a bit exparasted and he yelled, "Then what are you waiting for you fool !? Capture that person !!". "Um... Actually, she's right over here." Then several more guards came in, bringing Odessa along. They pushed her from behind, forcing her to kneel down.

 

 

"Mmmph !" she moaned, as obviously being forced to kneel down kinda hurted her knees. Kraze was quite excited, as not only did his guards captured the source of the mess, the culprit was a beautiful woman as well. "Good job, men. Now... Let me see..." Kraze then approached her and stared at her for quite long, until Odessa started sweating. "Mmmmmmpphh !?" she made a muffled voice, signalling that she was disgusted with the stare. But, Kraze ignored her.

 

 

"You're beautiful. You can give me a pleasure for your punishment... Let's start with this." Kraze then moved his head towards Odessa, as if he was trying to kiss her gagged mouth. However, she acted quick and smashed her head to Kraze's. "OUCH !!" he yelped in pain, as the guards pointed their swords in front of Odessa's neck. When Kraze regained control of himself, he took a closer look to Odessa.

 

 

"Say, you look familiar..... Now I remember ! You're Odessa Silverberg, aren't you !?" Kraze exclaimed. Odessa nodded without fear. Then, Kraze continued, "Men, this woman is on our wanted list ! She's a friend of that rebel Achilles !". Then, the guards on the camp began to whisper, wondering how come she's alive even after all this. Kraze then spoke to Odessa again, "You have got the honor to be the criminal that will be executed tonight in our bonfire event. Take her to the mobile cage !"

 

 

The guards then went out and came back with a wooden cage with four long sticks to carry it, resembling a mobile throne as in ancient Egypt (the sticks). They brought moved Odessa inside the cage and locked her inside, leaving her sitting down. As the guards carried the cage to the outside, Kraze said something to her, "Moan while you can. Even though you're gagged, they will be the last indechiperable words you'll ever say from your gagged mouth ! Hahahaha !!"

 

 

"Mmmmmpphhh ! Mmmmmmpphhh !! Mmmmmmmmmmmmmpppphhh !!" Odessa scowled under her gag, cursing her captors and the Empire. As the guards continued carrying the cage exitting the camps, she continued to mutter a lot of curses on the Empire, as well as struggling and trying to break free. However, it resulted nothing at all. She's still helplessly bound and gagged. Unknown to her, one of her men who spied on her saw the scene, and returned to their hideout quickly.

 

 

As the man arrived, he brought the news and the Liberation Army was demoralized, seeing that their leader has been captured. However, the man said, "We have to rescue Lady Odessa at all cost !". The idea was accepted, but they doubted their strength. None of them was as strong as Odessa. However, luck strikes as suddenly a figure entered the place. The figure was a fine young man with blue bandanna and blue cape, and a black vest.

 

 

"What's this place ?" The blue man said, and he was suddenly asked by one of the rebels, "Who're you !?". "Me ? I'm just a mercenary who stumbled here by accident."

 

 

Surprised, the rebels tried to get the man in blue to rescue Odessa. "Unfortunately, we only got 1000 Potch to spare..." the rebels lamented, but the man cutted in, "That's no problem ! If it means to save a heroine like her, I'll take any price." "Thank you ! We will never forget your help !" The rebels thanked him, and then, one of the rebels asked him again, "May we know your name, kind mercenary ?"

 

 

"... Call me Flik."

 

 

 

To be Continued