Thus, the soldiers went to war, but they were no match for the enemy forces. Sir Elsian was slain, and the enemy soldiers stormed the castle.

Queen Crystal and Rei could hear the soldiers’ footsteps stomping up the stairs, as they hid in the queen’s chamber.

“They’re coming,” Rei exclaimed. “We must escape!”

Crystal looked out the window. “There’s no way out,” she concluded, as she saw soldiers blocking the exits outside. “We have to hide,” she concluded, “it’s our only chance.”

The two women hid in the bedroom armoire. Their hearts pounded and they sweated nervously, having little faith that the soldiers wouldn’t find them.

“This way, men!” The Arkhelzarin soldiers stormed the room. They immediately opened the armoire and found the women inside. “Lord Rhelzhar, we found her!” They called their leader over.

A tall man with long, wavy dark red hair, wearing pauldrons and a cape came over. His tiara and pointed ears made it obvious that he was the infamous emperor of the Arkhelzarin people. He ruthlessly grabbed Queen Crystal, giving her no chance to escape, and flung her over his shoulder.

“No! My queen!” Rei reached after her, as Rhelzhar walked away, with Crystal kicking and screaming.

“Give her back!” Rei screamed like a mad woman, as she chased the Arkh lord down the castle halls. Without stopping, she grabbed a vase that was on a pedestal, lifted it up, jumped into the air, and flung it down forcefully toward Rhelzhar’s head.

It crashed violently, but to Rei’s chagrin, not on Rhelzhar’s head. A female soldier with a dark pink ponytail had blocked the blow with her spear, just in time.

Before Rei had time to distance herself, the woman turned the tip of her spear against her and stabbed her in the shoulder. Rei collapsed in pain and disappointment, as she watched the villains walk away with her beloved.

“Well done, Liera,” Rhelzhar praised.

“Thank you, my lord,” the woman replied.

Rei found a shard of the broken vase by her knee. She grabbed it and wobbled to her feet. “I won’t give up,” she thought to herself, determinedly. She dashed toward the enemies once more. “Put her down, you monsters!”

The female warrior, Liera, looked back at her and swatted the ceramic shard out of her hand as though she were a mere fly. She quickly snatched the shard for herself and jabbed it into Rei’s thigh.

Rei fell to the ground once more, with a heavy thud.

Liera stood proudly, with her spear to her side. “That’s what you get for trying to hurt my lord.” She turned around and followed her master.

Queen Crystal felt helpless, slumped over the alien emperor’s shoulder. She looked back at Rei. In unison, the two women thought “how could I have let this happen? I feel so useless!”

With Queen Crystal Maka in hand, Lord Krelshis Rhelzhar went down the dark spiral staircase toward the castle’s dungeon.

“How ironic,” Rhelzhar said with a thoughtful smirk, as he tapped a long-nailed finger to his chin,  “to lock her in the special cage that she had built for us Arkhelzarins.” Before him stood a large golden birdcage. In it was the queen, trapped and helpless like a caged bird. “This will keep her out of our hair,” the alien emperor added, “and I’ll be free to rule Maka!”

The injured Rei was still kneeling in the hall of the upper level of the castle. “I haven’t lost hope,” she spoke aloud to herself, as though the queen could hear her. “There are more people who can fight for us: The Makans that we sent to Earth!” She took a Maka-Net out of her pocket. “With their help, I can find the keys to free you! And together, we can defeat Rhelzhar! Don’t give up, my queen!”