Julian looked at the knights and the students of Horizon covered in wounds and bruises and asked Alabaster "How is the situation?"
Alabaster bowed his head and spoke, "The situation was going out of control and if Highness had arrived a little bit late, we don't know what could have happened. I am afraid the fort of Aler would have fallen."
Julian nodded and observed around, the plain before the Fortress of Aler had been defeated and was full of cracks and craters.
The vegetation had also suffered along with the fortress wall which had been broken in various places still at least the wall was able to hold on and the walls haven't been breached so the citizens were still safe out there in the City.
Alabaster reported their situation and said, "Everything is under control for now but the only problem we are facing now are the wounds we have gotten from the monsters which are not healing even after using the potions."
Julian raised her brows and searched around as her gaze met with the golden-eyed boy.
Lucas noticing Julian's gaze smiled bitterly and nodded to greet her.
Julian gave a brief nod and after seeing the situation spoke"You don't have to worry about the wounds."
Alabaster looked at her and thought about what she was talking about.
Suddenly particles of golden dust rained from the sky as they hear a loud sweet voice of a lady.
"May the goddess of Earth bless you and take all your pains. Let your sorrow be erased by the forthcoming of sacred light."
By the end of her words, a pillar of light fell on all those present out there and their wounds started to heal at an incredible rate.
They felt a warm and cosy sensation that engulfed their whole body, calming them down and giving them a sense of solace.
Following the words, a lady made her away surrounded by many paladins that guided her.
Seeing the symbol on the paladin's shield and the lady who had blonde hair and was walking with, everyone presents out there bowed down and spoke.
"May the Goddess be with you, Saintess."
The lady gave a gentle alluring smile and tiptoed through her away and ran towards Julian.
Standing beside her, she cast her gaze all around and whispered near Julian's ear"Where is the one who asked me to come here?"
Julian frowned as she looked at her playful smile and spoke"He is not here. He must be in the city."
The saint giggled as she knows Julian's personality.
Taking Julian's hand she asked again"Come on, Julian don't be like that. I will just greet him. I will not steal him from you."
Julian widened her eyes and looked at her with sharp eyes.
The saintess took a step back and thought 'Hehe. I was just joking. Did I overstep a bit?"
"Are you going to tell me or do I have to search for him myself? Okay, it's fine, I can find him without your help." She spoke and was about to leave.
"Wait!! Don't mess around." Julian spoke as she looked around Lucas and signalled him to come here.
Lucas swallowed his saliva. His sixth sense was screaming for him to hide and don't go there but now he can't do anything about it.
The lady who was standing beside Julian was Saintess of Cyprus Kingdom, Luna.
The Church of Goddess Earth had separate branches in each kingdom where many Saintess in training is chosen.
On growing up, the Saintess in training fought for the position of Saintess. The Saintess hold absolute authority and is only below the pope.
Saintess are the lady who has healing power combined with holy powers.
Holy Powers are not hereditary and the chances of awakening them are very slim.
Luna's social status is nowhere below Julian's. As both of them stood beside each other, one can even feel sparkling holy light coming from them which looks like both of them were casting a charming spell.
He knew that Saintess must have asked to meet him. She and Julian were quite close and the Saintess had quite a playful personality.
Luna likes to tease Julian, seeing her looking for Lucas, he was sure Luna will add fire.
Lucas made his way through the crowd and stood before he kneeled on one of the knees and spoke "This humble one greet Saintess of the Nation and Your Highness."
"No need to be so formal. You can rise." Luna spoke as she fixed her gaze on Lucas.
As Lucas stood up, Luna circled Lucas observing him from head to toe as if he was material that has to be inspected before one is bought.
She looked at Lucas who was covered in blood and smiled after circling her as if she had found something interesting.
After the inspections, she put one of her hands on her waist and spoke"Hmm. You are quite a good material."
Lucas almost stumbled on his back as he heard what Luna said, his jaw was wide open and almost fell to the floor.
"Cough.Cough.."
"Saintess please mind your words." A paladin who was in charge of Luna's safety spoke and asked her to mind the surroundings.
"Ahem. I was just saying, his prospect was quite good and he may prove as a good asset for the nation." Luna spoke with an expression as he wronged.
But as she looked around, she noticed that no one believed her.
"Hey, stop giving such looks." She pouted.
"Enough," Julian shouted.
'She is getting on my nerves.'Julian muttered inwardly.
"Treat everyone. We still have to neutralize the source. This is not over yet." Julian spoke.
Being the Princess, she has access to ample information. Though she still doubted after Lucas's information she was quite sure it was the work of those vile hooded people who are preaching the religion of God of Darkness.
Just to reach here in time, she had used an artefact that can teleport a great distance and with the artefact's help, she along with 30 paladins of church and Luna were able to teleport quite close to Aler.
"Everyone get ready. I noticed some huge fluctuations in the ground." Julian spoke as she sensed something huge coming towards them.
Her ice walls were still in place so any ripple that occurred in the ground is transmitted to the ice from which she can know about the incoming danger.
Ami who had almost killed most of the tree monsters saw that the tree monster that was coming from the forest in swarms stopped coming and the monster around her suddenly died.
Just they were looking around a huge thick bundle of branches in the shape of a hand rose the ground that covered the entire sky before the city of Aler casting a huge shadow on the fortress wall.
The length of the hand was almost a hundred meters and it was only a hand.
Seeing a huge shadow covering them, all the warriors took a step back in fear and their pupils shrank as they saw a dark dried hand made of branches emerging from the forest.
Everyone has one word on their lips seeing the scene"Holy shit!!! What the fuck is that."
"I have never seen such a fucking monster."
The Paladins present out there sensed a huge amount of animosity and the negative energy coming from the giant hand and they gathered in a defensive formation surrounding the Princess and the Saintess.
Though both Luna and Juliana looked calm on the surface, they both were thinking about the same thing.
'The situation had taken the worst turn possible."
The ground trembled as another pair of huge hands appeared followed by a human-shaped tall figure made of the tree that stood up under the night sky which cast a huge shadow under the setting moon on the City of Aler, covering thier entire sight.
The figure was too huge to be unnoticed. With its enormous body and when the stare of its eyes, consisting of a pair of green burning flames fall on the ant-like humans near its feet, the entire world seemed to descend into chaos.
The citizens and people who took shelter inside the city, feeling the huge shadow headed out of their homes to notice a huge dark figure standing before them. It's amongst looked like a human which had been squeezed dry of blood.
Everyone who looked at it felt their soul tremble. A huge black flame was burning at its chest which looked like a core that provided it with energy.
Lucas gazed landed on the fierce dark flame on its chest. He didn't need to see with his eyes or read before about it to know what the black burning flame was.
'The Seed of Darkness.'
Luna's expression turned grim and her eyes turned cold, even colder than the ice beauty Princess.
If one looked at Luna now, one would feel her previous playful and teasing behaviour was just a facade to mask her real personality.
"We have to get rid of the black flames by any means. I can feel the flame is a harbinger of destruction, a darkness that will swallow human beings and corrupt their souls. We have to tidy it up now. I can feel as if the flame is alive and it wanted to plunge the world into darkness." Luna spoke with a cold and solemn expression.
Everyone nodded and looked at the giant figure before them.
The round bundle head of the giant looked down at the tiny ants like a human and emitting a shrill cry, raised his thick hand and threw it toward them.
The Paladins stood in the formation and looking at thick hands coming toward them and raised their shield at the same time and chanted a holy spell.
A thick golden shield appeared at the top, covering all the knights and students present out there.
Julian waved his hands and many layers of thick ice walls covered the bright golden shield.
Booooooommmmmmmmmmm.
