The scene before him baffled him as much as it horrified him, with her grip tight on the head of a dangling demon was the very princess he had sworn to protect, an innocent girl whose terrible fate he was fighting to change. Batya didn't look so innocent and pure as she held a blacked-out demon in her grip, right she looked very beautiful and powerful, especially with those scalds gone off her, but this wasn't her, this was the very thing that left home, to stop her from becoming something like this.
"Use your sword knight…" the king commanded loudly and he frowned, hesitating.
"No, it will harm her…" he protested.
"Just do it. There is no time"… Sarah said as she entered the cave and spread out her arms, her essence enveloped the cave and suppressed the dark energy that filled the small enclosure. Caden lit up his sword and threw it in the black mist that surrounded Batya and the dangling demon, to their dismay the princess caught the sword with her right hand, and it did not affect her. She dropped the demon and charged towards the small group that came to rescue her, the king stepped forward the moment she got to them, grabbed her untainted arm, and pulled her into his embrace, a bright light appeared from him and covered her, she shrieked and struggled but his hold on her tight, it took a while but she calmed and her pupils went back to normal. Sarah cleared the atmosphere and joined them, laying Batya on the ground, the scald slowly appeared on her skin again, so it was that power that had cleared the scald on her. Batya opened her eyes and smiled at the group.
"I had it under control…" but it wasn't her voice that came out, the voice was male and deep yet pleasant to the ears. The king and Sarah were both alarmed, looking at each other with deep furrows both asked simultaneously.
"Garth?"
"She is okay, just a bit tired, she is safe"…the voice spoke again and the princess went into unconsciousness.
"Who is Garth and why was he speaking through her, does he live in her?"
"No Caden, calm down. He is not ay enemy'…. The king said softly and he sighed then to his surprise he smiled.
"Garth is the seed of the curse"…
"What?"
"We need to get her to safe grounds, the cave will collapse very soon"…. the wizard said and he went ahead to open a portal entered it, and found themselves on Sarah's territory. Hagar took Batya and tended to her.
The small group of four sat around a table, with the soldiers guarding the perimeter they were sure no one will dare venture.
"Lilith made the biggest mistake of her life and yet doesn't know it…." Sarah started.
"Accepting the wand?" …. the knight probed.
"No, making the deal with the devil" …
"But that gave her the power she wanted" …
"Indeed, but that also conceived Garth, it is written in the Book of Truth that he was once a faithful of Lilith but she abandoned him after hurting him, she betrayed him. Garth should be dead that is what I believed until a few days ago…." Sarah explained…
'When my powers were restored I felt a strong presence and I sort what it was that surrounded her, I knew it wasn't Lilith, this felt different, and to my surprise it was Garth, he has been guiding her even before you entered the portal, he has been protecting her…which explains the telepathy, someone capable of that is very powerful but as of now we have no idea where Garth is"…
"I inquire of my wizard to find why Lilith's cursed still roams in Thule freely"…
"Freely?" Sarah and Caden chorused.
"Thule over the years was invaded frequently by outsiders who sort to harvest the richness of the lands, to protect my people I cast a shield, anything evil that enters it is immediately destroyed, however, she survived when I found about Garth, I was at ease because it could only be him who could allow her in unharmed."
"Then the Feeder…"
"I just realized the feeder had been here since Thule entered the portal, his vanquishing had covered his scent very well and if he hadn't come out of his shell to track you I would never have known…" the king said smiling, he looked normal now, he wasn't that maniac who was obsessed with perfection.
"The people of Thule have suffered greatly under your rule Tristan, I was always scared you will harm me and my child if we mingled with them…" Sarah pointed out and the king gave a tight smile.
"Thule had everything, we were happy where we were, a land hidden behind the mist and then Lilith came, wrecked everything, she infected my people with a disease called greed and made some of them her subjects, they were tainted, they led her straight to our hideout and if it hadn't been for you Sarah, we would have perished. You left your land and protected the mine…after we entered the portal I was scared we had entered with greedy people and thus the fear of losing my people and the peace they had kicked in, I had to come up with something to protect them, so I became obsessed with perfection, everything has to be perfect, no more taints, our souls should be perfectly pure no taint only that could save us. I am deeply sorry if my actions caused any discomfort."
'It did but now we need to hurry…" Sarah said.
"Yes, we have to open a portal and send you out, but remember, the dangers will know no end and I am glad you have Garth on your side, the Holies of East End might have let you off at that time, but they will be back and this time with full force. Caden, Batya is your priority and nothing else does all it takes to protect her. The mysteries of her curse still haunt me and the intervention of East End gives me the chills but protecting her that is all is needed now. Protect her from danger, especially the ones caused by soldiers from East End"… King Tristan advised.