Thena looked around and noticed they were surrounded, by close to Thirty men and this time, they had more archers.
"Give us the princess or die" a Bald man stepped forward and said.
He signaled for the archers to draw their bow and get ready to attack.
"That's not going to happen" Henry replied.
"Stand behind me Princess"
We don't need you, we just want the Princess. Once we have her, we'll let you go, refuse and we'll kill you and then take her.
"Can you still fight?" Henry asked Thena
"I should be asking you that" Thena replied.
The knight was in worse shape than anyone of them.
"Princess, I'll hold them off on my signal run and don't look back."
"Can I put her in your care?" Henry asked.
"Are you sure you want to do that?" Thena asked.
"Why, I thought you were another monster like those two"
"Or can't you handle it" Henry asked.
"Oh, I definitely can" Thena replied, "and Just so you know I'm better than those two block heads" Thena said
"Alright Then, get ready to run"
"Whatever you are planning won't work, just surrender," the Bald mercenary said
"If you want the princess, Then you will have to kill me" Henry said
"No Henry, I'll surrender" The princess said.
"You would do no such thing your highness."
"But they'll kill you, I don't want another person to die for my sake" the princess said
"Wise choice princess, now come, before I lose my patience" The mercenary warned.
Henry gritted his teeth and turned to the princess.
"It would be an honor to die for your sake princess"
"But I don't want you to, you're more useful to me alive than dead. I don't want you too to die".
"I know you cared for Lady Ija, but I want you to know, she died with no regrets, she protected what she cared about and that's what matters"
"I care about you Princess, and if it will take my life to keep you safe, then my life will I give"
"If you surrender yourself here and now, what you are saying is that my life has no meaning" Henry said.
"I just don't want anyone to die for my sake." The princess replied
"You are the princess!!" Henry scream at Lena.
"Do you think giving yourself up is what will save my life, you are wrong, living with my failure is what real death means,
I failed to protect you before, don't let me fail again" Henry said.
Seeing that Henry was not ready to surrender, the man gave the signal for his men to fire and the arrows came flying down at Them.
Henry shielded the Princess and Thena, he was ready to take on all the arrows, but the attacks never landed, instead someone else had blocked all the arrows.
"You did well soldier", the man who blocked the arrows said.
"I heard what you said, and I agree."
"If we can't lay down our live for who and what we believe in, then what are we going to live for. We might as well die.
Look at these men for example, they believe so much in money that the risked coming all the way here, risking everything to get that they believe in. And that belief, will be their undoing" the man said.
" When Henry finally recognized the person speaking and an uncontrollable joy filled his heart. He knew someone was coming to save them, but he wasn't expecting a god sword."
"General Kindel.." Henry said in shock
Bale stared at the three of them and studied them thoroughly.
"It seems you will survive Your highness" Bale said.
"You can relax now, everything will end soon."
Thena stared at the man Henry called Kindel.
A name she had heard countless times, a legend, some even though he was a myth, like the other god swords, their feat were inhumane after all. But, he wasn't a myth, he was the lightless Kinght, Bale Kindel.
Bale faced the Mercenaries, who had this point we're shaking.
Of the people they thought would come and rescue the princess, he was the least possible to come. Not only had he not been in the capital, they had received solid Intel that the god sword was not going to return anytime soon. That was one of the reasons they had accepted this mission.
Now, the man they had least expected was standing in front of them.
As if Bale Sensed their worry, the God sword spoke in a somber but domineering tone.
Seeing as you were generous with your offer earlier, I'll also give you two choices
"Run and Die or fight... and die" Bale said
All the Mercenaries stared at each other, confusion filled the air, until the Bald man, who was their leader, turned in the opposite direction, and started running.
Immediately they saw their leader was running, the rest of the Mercenaries turned tail and ran.
"Pathetic" Bale Commented.
He summoned his divine sword, a prestine long sword.
The sword was a mesmerizing weapon, the beautiful golden hilt and its sharp and transparent blade.
It was as if the sword didn't exist but at the same time it did. One could see golden lines moving all around the seemingly transparent weapon.
Bale raised his sword, and without taking a step he spoke, before letting down his sword.
"Second sword. Mountain Rend".
Suddenly everything went quite, and then a loud clang followed, them what happened next was something they couldn't believe.
The mighty forest that once stood in front of them, might trees towering over every creature, every one of them was cut down, in just one attack, everything was suddenly gone.
Thena stared at the aftermath of the attack in shock, she remembered when she used mountain Rend against Hazel. She remembered what the god sword told her, he said he had never seen a mountain Rend this weak before. It turns out he was not lying. Compared to what Bale just did, her mountain Rend was like a small poke with a needle. Her attack -if it could still be call an attack- was nothing compared to this..
Bale unsummoned his blade and turned to the Princess.
"That should take care of that."
"Now, where is that stupid son of mine?" he asked.
"Son? Which son?" Thena and Henry thought.
"He's still fighting over there" my Lena said pointing at the area smoke was coming from.
"Oh, that's great."
"Some men will be here soon princess, they'll escort you back." Bale said and left.
After he left Thena turned to the princess.
"You heard him say son right?"
"Which of his sons is he talking about?" Thena asked.
"O was about to ask the same" Henry said
"Oh, yes, most people don't know. He's Gor's Father" she said.
"Ohh, That makes sense" She said
"Yes, the apple didn't fall too far from the tree, in fact I think this apple didn't fall from the tree at all." Henry said.
The princess and Henry waited for a while, and few minutes Later, Harry Laxe came with help. Henry told them everything that had happened, and that Bale had gone to deal with the rest. Major Laxe escorted the princess and Henry back to the capital since Bale was already taking care of everything else.
Henry turned towards Thena to ask if she would come to them, but when he looked towards the place she was, she had disappeared.
"It seems she left" he thought.
The night was finally coming to an end, and by then, the rain had began to fall.