Chapter 10: Enter the Empire
                     ----------------------------

After defeating Enygma, and rather easily, Natasha wondered if that
creature was really a threat at all.  Rooks was stunned at how easily
he was defeated.

"That's it?" Natasha asked

"I guess so," Rooks frowned, "I expected him to at least put up a small
fight."

"No matter," Natasha smirked, "He is gone, and now I can finally find
out about my mother, and the truth of my existance."

"Correct," Rooks smiled, "You've come a long way, Natasha, I'm very
impressed."

"Thank you, Rooks," Natasha answered, "You have really helped me."

This victory over the vile Enygma was short lived, for the ground
began to shake, and screams and voices began to loudly enter the ears.

"What the hell is that?" Natasha sprung suddenly.

"Oh, no, I feared this," Rooks grabbed his stick, "Its the Empire!"

"Empire?" Natasha asked, "You mean the one that..."

"Yes, yes," Rooks looked at her funny, "Know of any other Empires
around here?  We must go into combat."

"But Rooks, you are in no condition," Natasha said.

"Pah, quiet," Rooks interepted, "If I die, there will not be a big
deal, my days are numbered now anyway, atleast I'll go down in a
fight, and I might even take a few of them with me!"

Natasha and Rooks exited the house.  The sight was horrifiying.
Imperial troops running rampant, destroying everything they could.
There were some battles taking place, with dead Imperial troops, but
Natasha did not have the time to look at who was fighting.  She drew
her sword and headed into combat.  Rooks was right behind her.

A small group, about 3 or 4, of troops caught glipse of Natasha had
headed to attack.

"Well, well, I don't know wether to skewer her, or fall in love," one
of the troops laughed.

"Quiet," the commander demanded, "They are to be apprehended, if you
can, save the girl for some, uh, 'questioning'"

"Gladly, sir," the troopers laughed.

Natasha drew her sword and took a battle-like stance.  The troops
headed for the assult.  The first trooper found Natasha'a foot in his
face, knocking him back about 5 paces.  The second one found the end
of her sword sicking through him.  The third stood back, and stared in
amazement at the quickness of the girl.

"You, you....WHO ARE YOU!?" the trooper yelled.

"I am Natasha Gestahl," Natasha smirked, "And your worst nightmare...."

"Gestahl?!" the Trooper looked stunned, "No!  You, you can't be!"

Before anymore words could be said, Natasha used her sword to quickly
take his head off.

"Ha ha!" the voice of the commander was heard behind her, "Good rest
to you Old Man!"

Natasha spun quickly to see a split cane with Rooks laying on his
back, bleeded from the gut, barely alive.

"You bastard!" Natasha screamed, "How dare you attack a defenseless
old man?!"

"Ah, I see you handeled my men pretty well...impressive," the
commander's eyes glew a bright green, "But Miss Gestahl, I am afraid
you will never take the crown of the Empire."

"How do you know my name?" Natasha asked.

"I know many things.." the commander snickered.

They started to duel.  Natasha noticed that his swordsmanship was not
very impressed, but his quickness was, like he knew what she would do
next.  Those eyes rang in her head like an alarm, she had seen them
before, and recently.

"ENYGMA!" Natasha yelled.

"Impressed," Enygma laughed, "You are very intelligent for a human.
I'm afraid our little game will have to be carried out at another
time, my dear.  Now that you've exposed me, these troops will slay me
as they will try to slay you.  Good luck, Empress-to-be Natasha, you
will need it here!"

Enygma laughed as his body changed before her.  In fact, all the
people, including the troops, seem to watch in amazement as Enygma
changed into a dragon, and fly off.  The fighting resumed.  Natasha
continued to fight and slay as many troops as she could, slowing
draging Rooks to the house.  If he was to live, this was not the place
for him to be.

She opened the door, dragging him in, and slamming it shut behind her.

Then, taking a sword from a slain trooper, she stabbed it through the
door, to make it appear that the people in this house were already
captured or dead.

"Rooks, are you gonna be OK?" Natasha asked.

"I don't think so," Rooks coughed, "That bastard ran me through pretty
good."

"What am I going to do without your guidence?" Natasha got a tear in
her eye.

"You will find another guide, my dear," Rooks smiled, "You are still
young and many adventures lie ahead for you.  Beware, Natasha, Enygma
is much more powerful than he leads on.  He is not human, he is a
demon, and very clever.  He will haunt you until you run him through.
He works for a greater evil, I can sense this."

"Yes, I understand," Natasha's tears kept comming.

"You must also keep your identity as secret as you can, until the time
is right," Rooks continued, "Not many will think highly of you if they
know that you are the offspring of Gestahl.  Enygma will try to expose
you, if he already hasn't.  Many may think you are just as dangerous
as the Empire is now.  Take caution."

"Yes, Rooks," Natasha now began to cry.

"Keep faith, my dead," Rooks coughed, "You have a bright future...."

With those words, Rooks stopped breathing.  Natasha was overcome with
feelings, of hatred and sadness.  Wiping the tears from her eyes, a
serious look appeared on her face.  She would find Enygma and make him
pay for this outrage.  She looked in her pouch at the magicite of the
goddesses, her identity would have to wait.  Innocent people cannot
die here.  Rooks, was a kind and gentle man, she would kill every
trooper in the Imperial Army if she had to find Enygma.  Of course,
he's probablly long gone.  She drew her sword and stormed out of the
house.  Her bloodshed of revenge began.  She tore into anything with
an Imperial crest, like a house of fire, not only killing them, but
brutally doing it. Bloodshed was great, but not as great as the rage
that had built up in Natasha.  Her sword dripped with blood and her
once black armor had spots of stained red.  For the first time, she
let her feelings take control of her actions, and many heads rolled.
Blood dripped from her body like sweat.

She came upon a familiar place to her.  Her foster parents home.
Voices came from inside.  Something was wrong inside.  This is where
her inner feelings stopped.  Should she save them?  After all, they
did take her in. However, after years of being beaten and mistreated,
they deserve what they are getting.  No, the Karns are innocent, just
as Rooks was.  They must be saved, no matter the wrongs they have
done.  She stormed into the house, destroying any person with the
armor of an Imperial trooper.  She found her her foster parents, with
their son, Paul, in the back room.  They had furniture pushed up
against the door, preventing the troops from comming in.

"Open up," Natasha yelled.

"Not for the Empire," Paul yelled back.

"Paul, I'm not of the Empire," Natasha replied.

"That voice, you sound familiar," Paul quickly jumped in.

"Its because I'm your foster sister, you jackass," Natasha yelled,
"Now open up or I'll do to you what I did to these troopers."

"Natasha!?" Paul asked, "Sure, we'll be right out."

The door quietly and slowly creeked open.  An eye came out first, then
after seeing it WAS Natasha, they came out.

"Thank you," her foster mother said, "You saved us, Natasha."

"I know," Natasha frowned, "I thought even you guys didn't deserve to
die in this battle."

"Natasha," her foster father spoke up, "How did you learn to fight
like that?"

"I learned as you were beating me up back when I was a child," she
snickered, "I don't know wether to thank you or kill you."

"Natasha!" Paul answered, "Lighten up, people change."

"For you sake," Natasha chuckled louder, "I hope you have."

"How can I repay you for this act or heroism, my dear," her foster
father asked.

"Well, some shelter for the night or so would be nice, along with some
new armor," Natasha answered, "This armor is soaked."

"Done, as soon as the fighting as stopped, and if we all survive," her
answered back.

"I do have good news for you," Natasha smiled, "I will find out who my
parents really are, as soon as this assult stops."

About this time, more Imperal troops entered, and Natasha began to
once again fight gallently to save the people who took her in as a
child...