MEANWHILE
With storm brewing in his eyes, Prince Galen salvaged every path he come across. Chasing the night, he flee on his great warhorse along with his blind faith to find Helena. Not even the fearsome demons or the shadow creatures could stop the blazing rage thriving in Prince Galen for losing his beloved soul traveler.
Desperate, the deranged prince led the hunt together with twelve of the imperial's deadliest royal knights. He even ordered to fetch him the sword of the kings to signify his imperial authority and power, that he much presume anyone would bow to apart from the crown on his head. He very much preferred for the paladins to escort him to make the tracking simpler, but their truancy kept him from being excessive. Truly, the prince's compulsion on Helena made him start to lose his element through his outrageous and despairing measures to have her in his tight grasp.
Sooner, the prince and his men arrived in a small village with huts made of bricks and straws. There were glowing lights in every house, yet no one seems to be home. From where they stood, they can hear cries and voices of people who sounded like they were mourning. As they try to set foot inside the village, a strong force appear to be protecting their settlement forbidding their way in.
"Your Highness", one knight said as he catch his breath. "I know that you are certainly aware that no one can easily enter Wicce", he said. A curious barefoot young girl in an ankle-lenght gray dress appeared before them staring at the palace knights from inside the village.
"I didn't have the sword of the kings for nothing", Gaelan unsheathed his gold sword with a split blade and strike the force protecting the village. The girl ran off as soon as the knights finally made their way in.
Circling with hold hands, the eclectic crowd stopped chanting their lamentations when the prince in white raiment and trousers with gold epaulets under a red jacquard coat arrived, followed by the fearful royal knights in red cape. The village people, young and old, wearing black cloaks under dark dainty clothing shuddered in panic and alarm. Surrounded by hand painted candles with embedded rose quartz, each of them moved to the side breaking the circle.
"Greetings your Majesty.", an old lady with short grey hair welcomed the young prince and his knights. Her face hardened at the recklessness of the Prince costing them their centuries old shield that protects them not only from the deadly creatures and monsters, but also from non-Wiccans as well.
Long ago, a deal has been made between the previous Kings of the kingdom and the Coven of the Witches. The Wiccan's shall side the imperial palace and protect them with magic, and in return, no one shall set foot in Wicce through the seal of protection that shields the village from everyone else.
"To what do we owe the pleasure of your presence at this time of the night? Must be very important for you to break our seal of protection", she asked with her hands clasped behind her. The village people clamoured in worry now that the protective barrier is destroyed.
"Enough with the pleasantries, Iaso. We both know none of us have the pleasure to see each other.", Galen bitterly told the head of coven without dismounting his horse. "I'm looking for someone. She's like no other for she dresses like a man, and even acts like one. She have this subtle peculiarity that outshines in a sea of faces. She calls herself Haelan. Was she welcomed here?", Galen held his sword up as he scan the faces in the crowd.
Iaso squinted her eyes at the unrecognizable name. "You know damn well that no one can enter this place freely. Give or take, if such blinding beauty that compels the prince would be hard to miss, I suppose that outstanding person is noticeable at this very moment", Iaso curved her lips down and raised her hands midair as she point to her people standing around.
"Haelan have a number of absurd tricks. Nothing is futile with her anymore. Search the area!!! Check all the huts, don't miss any corners, not even wells!!", Galen ordered. He wanted to see in own eyes that Helena isn't here. The knights moved along at the prince's command. Some dismounted and scrabbled around in untidy manner, while some rode their stallions while they ransack the village.
"Prince Galen, even if you are the son of the King, you cannot just rummage our homes freely. We have laws", Iaso disapproved of violating their liberty without any acceptable reason.
"Do you really think I care about those laws right now? I need my woman, and I need her now!", Galen gave a cynical look with a very dangerous stance at a swordpoint.
"Please calm down, Prince Galen. You are scaring my people. There are children here", Iaso appeased with the ludicrous prince who's acting strangely uncontrollable and dangerous.
"You must be mistaken, Prince!", a woman with long fiery hair and freckled face removed her hood and stepped forward. "No person of your interest would come to this place", she insist.
"Stay out of this, Cora", Iaso said lowly. The head of the coven knew that the Prince won't have ears to hear their pleads. Knowing Galen, the young prince may be young but he's ill-tempered and despises Wiccans. Engaging with him more would be like provoking to end things in a bloodbath.
"That's true, Prince Galen! No one has dared to come near us recently", another woman with jet black hair and plaid dress seconded.
"I said, back away", Iaso warned her disciples one last time. She wanted to settle this misunderstanding rationally and calmly.
"I'm going to do the hell I want!!", Galen furiously bawled his eyes out at the witches whose voices kept ringing in his ears.
"Prince Galen", Iaso met Galen's raging gaze. "It is known that Wicce is isolately beyond reach to everyone. Unless your dear friend is a Wiccan, I would personally deliver her to you at your feet. But since, such name do not exist in my knowledge, I'd like to know what exactly do you want from ys?", Iaso said as she breath shakily.
"Ahh still sharp as ever, Iaso. You might be very old but you've always quick-witted for a Wiccan", Galen spit on the ground with a feeling of revulsion at the old woman.
"How dare you speak to Iaso that way!!", Cora harnessed her ability to summon her black magic in her finger and tried to mind control the sword in the prince's hand.
"Cora, No!", Iaso tried to stop Cora but it was too late. The old woman knew that no Wiccan magic can work on the royals because of the treaty between the Kings and the Witches.
Galen felt a little force that makes him point his sharp end of his sword towards him. Then again, it was still weak to have the magic completely affect him. "Your bloody magic doesn't work on me", Galen gripped tight on his sword, kick on his horse and slit Cora's throat in an instant.
"No!! Cora!!", Iaso cried as she fall on her knees. The village people gasped in horror as the blood of their dear sister splatter on the ground and on lighted candles.
The knights came back emptyhanded, as expected. Surged with inexplicable desperation to find Haelan, Galen had no remorse and was willing to everything to get his hands on her. "Listen up! I want you all to do something for me. This is not a request, but a direct imperial order from the one and only heir of this kingdom", Galen announced as heed at everyone's dreadful eyes. "Find Haelan and bring her to me. I don't care whether you use your witchcraft, black magic or sorcery! One day without her, costs one life of a Wiccan!", Galen furiously ordered as he sheathe his bloody sword back. "Now that's one more body to mourn for. Continue praying!", he left followed by his faithful knights leaving the Wiccans in distraught and fright.