Morning came as the sun rise over the horizon. Alathia woke up with a yawn and got up from the bed and wore her clothes. She then went downstairs to check on the others since Edith was not at her door and Ella was also not in her room.
The first thing that her was a hall overflowed with people! There was at least 19 people there in that little hall. Amused, she looked towards her companions on the left and they just shook their head. She then looked towards the right and saw that Brock was wearing a black cloak and Flinn was standing behind him with ten others. And on the center of the hall stood a man with leather armor and boots, a typical rogue, with a girl who seemed to be 12 years old and looked very sick that she couldn't even stand and was sitting on the chair.
Noticing her arrival, Brock looked at her and smiled. He got up and walked towards her and said in a low voice, "We need to talk and I need your help, your Highness" he then walked upstairs. Alathia hesitated a bit and followed him. The members of the Shadow Cause all nodded their heads that she trusts him, which was a good sign. The Ents frowned a bit and Ella decided to follow them. The Shadow cause did not stop her as they don't want to fight with their Highness's friends.
When three of them reached the second floor, they entered a room. Alathia finally asked, "Brock, what's going on? Explain!". Ella also looked at him with a questioning gaze. Brock then said, "Your Highness, the man in the hall is Duran, he's an assassin". Ella asked, "Why is he here with a little girl? Are they running from someone and asking for our help?".
Brock shook his head and said, "Your guess is wrong Miss Ella, he is here because his daughter is very sick and need help immediately and Shadow Cause has always helped rogues that ask for help if their reason is good! That's why, I want your help your Highness" he then bowed his head, which added more confusion to their question. Ella then asked, "How could we help her? We are not a gang of priests".
Brock said, "No Miss Ella, you are not priests, but at least one of you must have known healing magic!". Both of them were shocked by his words! Yes they know healing magic cause it comes under Nature magic and light magic, but they were surprised that he found out about that! So to dig more answers, she asked him, "How do you say that? You don't even know that if we can really cast that type of magic or not, so how do you have that confidence?". Brock then looked at Alathia and said, "Because Master Edith used nature magic, your Highness".
Now it all made sense to them! It was all because of that idiot who used Nature magic when he confronted him! Because of that idiot, their secrets is out in the air! He's in for it! But still..... They can't leave a sick girl just like that, they have a heart and that heart has feelings, so its impossible to leave someone asking for help from them, even if its their enemy.
Alathia took her time to think and she finally said, "We shall help them on one condition". Brock immediately asked, "Whatever you say, Your Highness!". She then said, "I'll treat her alone in this room, if they agree to it, we shall start right now".
Brock didn't speak another word and went out of the room. Both ladies waited inside the room while he went downstairs and said the condition to Duran. Duran didn't hesitate as he believed that The Great Shadow Cause will definitely cure his daughter. Brock helped her get upstairs to the room and lay her on the bed. Alathia then said, "Now leave! I'll come when I finish it". Both Ella and Brock didn't speak a word and left the room.
Alathia looked at the girl and remembered herself. She was also like this nine years ago, no one to help and in a helpless condition. But now, she has a very huge family and she's proud to a part of it. She then touched the forehead of the girl with her hand and started to chant.
Soon, green dot like lights appeared in the air and landed on the girls body. This is Nature magic, the Magic of life. More and more green lights landed on the girl and a black, evil type of energy, came out of the girl's body. Alathia frowned at the sight and intensified the chant. The black energy condensed into a ball, floating above the girl. She shouted, "SISTER ELLA! COME HERE AT ONCE!" Ella immediately bust into the room followed by Brock. When both of them saw what was happening, Brock opened his eyes and mouth wide in shock while Ella frowned. She looked at Alathia and Alathia confirmed her doubt by nodding her head. She immediately said to Brock, "Tell the rest of our companions to come here at once! And no one should enter! Hurry!" Brock nodded his and hurried downstairs, he knew that things were getting serious, very serious by their facial expression.
When he rushed downstairs, everyone looked at him dumbfounded, he looked a bit panicked and serious. Duran came up and asked, "Is something wrong!? How is my daughter!? Can she be cured?" he questioned Brock. Brock said in a serious tone, "I can't answer right now, but we will save your daughter! She looks critical right now!" he then turned towards the Ents and said, "She asked for you all to be up there with them, it seems serious!". When he said serious, the Ents didn't even ask what happened and rushed upstairs. The shadow Cause members looked at each other. They know something is not right and yet they don't want to ask because they trust their leader.
The Ents rushed upstairs and bust into the room. The scene before them shocked them, Alathia and Ella both were chanting magic, but the only difference was, they are chanting purification magic and a dark ball which reeks of not only negative energy, but also death energy, was floating before them.
The Ents know that this is serious, so they also stepped up and started to chant purification magic. The dark ball became even more darker and bigger. Their face also became very serious. Even if they are enemies with the human countries, even if they don't like the humans, there are things that they don't like more and hate more, such as death magic. The all the black energy condensed into a big black ball and was floating in front of them. Alathia quickly pulled the girl out of the bed to their side. The Ents drew their weapons and looked at the ball with cold gaze.
The black ball turned into an eye and looked at them. The eye spoke, "Ents.... Why are you butting in our work? Don't you also hate humans.... After all they done for you... You still want to save them?... Did you all become saints all of a sudden...?". The eye then looked at Alathia with a curious look and said, "A human girl.... With a group of Ents... What a surprise....! Now I get it.... You are doing this for her..... What did she do to you... For you to treat her like this.....? Don't you know that humans always lie?.... She could be lying to you.... I never kne-" the eye was cut off by Edith, "One more word about her and I'll cut you into a hundred pieces!". The eye was shocked! The eye was a servant of the Demon Lord and he was sent here to infect the humans with plague and cause chaos among humans.
But it never in its life, thought that there would be Ents disguised as humans here and moreover, defend them when they are actually their sworn enemy. The eye want to report this back to the Demon Lord so bad! But he knew he can't because he was now facing five Ents and they won't let him leave just like that. He thought for a bit and said, "Ents..... How about we make..... A deal...? Let me go and... I will talk to my... Lord and form an.... Alliance with the Ents..... We can rule over the humans world!.... What do you say?". Ewwin smiled bitterly and said, "What a tempting offer! But if you think we will let you, a demon, go just like that, then we can't call ourselves creatures of life" the others smiled at his words.
What he said was true, the Ents were indeed the creatures of life and that's why they can use nature magic more effectively than the elves. They can let anything that's anti-life go just like that because it offered a tempting offer. Alathia then said, "Finish it brother Edith". Edith smirked and said, "With pleasure!" he brought his sword up and focused his energy on it. The eye panicked and said, "No!... Please!.... Let me go.... I will be your slave!.... Please!" its pleading went to deaf ears as the sword covered with green light came down on it, Judgment of life!
The sword cut through clean. The demon then vanished and that was the end of it. And of course the scene cause quite a bit of sound so everyone of the Shadow Cause that was present and Duran came upstairs running. What they saw was a half destroyed room and Duran saw his daughter unconscious. He immediately rushed to her and held her as he asked Alathia, "is she.....?". Alathia knew exactly what he was asking, so she smiled and said, "Don't worry, she's totally fine, just a bit exhausted, a day rest should do her great". Duran's eyes was filled with tears of joy and great fullness, "Thank you.... Thank you... Thank you very much! I owe you my life!" he then started to cry as he hold his daughter tight. The Ents thought that humans would do anything for money and resources as long as it benefited them, but looking at the scene before them now..... It seems there are good things among humans, it was worth coming to this city.
Brock sent Duran back home with his daughter and sent two of the Shadow cause Assassins for escort. He then came inside and looked at Alathia. She knew he wants to know what happened that cause such a fuss. A simple healing magic won't do that much damage to the room, something must have happened.
The Ents now trust Brock because they know about him and everything that happened and he was open to them that he even let his guard down around them, which means he trusts them. Alathia then spoke, "What that girl had was not just any sickness, it was a demon sent by the Demon Lord to spread a plague among the humans and cause chaos" her words shocked, not only Brock, but everyone that was present, except the Ents as they saw everything.
Brock immediately asked, "Your Highness, does that mean...?". She said in a serious tone, "Yes! The Demon lord has been quiet for long and now he's on the move! He just moved his first piece and we countered it, but that doesn't mean he will give up and go home, he will make his biggest move soon enough! We have to prepare for it" cold sweat run on the back of the Shadow cause members. They knew that things will get ugly if the Demon Lord made his move.
It took them time to notice something. Brock called the girl before them "Your Highness" they all looked at him with a questioning gaze. Noticing their doubt, he nodded his head. Everyone had their eyes wide open, did he just say that she is the princess!? They all looked at Alathia in unison and went in their knee and right hand on their chest, "Shadow Cause at you service, your Highness!" they said in unison.
Alathia and Ents were used to it already so she said, "Its fine just get up already!". They all stood up with tears in their eyes. They finally found their princess! Now they have their reason to be alive again. Alathia then looked at Brock and asked, "So this is them?" Brock nodded his head. She then asked, "If that's all then we should leave as soon as possible and before that I would like you to do something". The Shadow Cause got serious and said, "Whatever it maybe!".
Alathia then said in a serious tone, "I need information on what Glamancia is planning! I want it as soon as possible! The quicker the better! Can you do it?" She looked at Brock. Brock didn't hesitate and he immediately said, "Black, Mist, Dark! You guys will go to the capital and spy on them! Bring back whatever you find and tell our men in the capital to meet us at the Camp! The rest of you guys, split up and inform our people throughout Glamancia and this action should be unnoticeable be the Glamancians! Flinn and I will escort her Highness to the camp! Now go!". They kept their right hand on their left chest and said in unison, including Brock, "For Dorgan! And the Royalty!" they left quickly with that, leaving Brock and Flinn with the Ents and Alathia.