She waited for death.
The wind let out a dangerous howl and Maltilda suddenly found herself thrown away. It seemed the demon had released its hold on her.
She spat out blood gasping for breath, when the demon let out a shrill wail.
Matilda looked up. The Demon was suspended in the air looking like the mask of death writhing as if her insides were been burnt.
Behind her stood Lord Alden with a calm expression on his face. He had felt the demon earlier in the ballroom and dashed out immediately.
Maltilda was surprised. "So he knows mystic arts. Not many lords do."
Maltilda felt a raw pain gnawing at her insides and wondered if the demon took her soul already.
The demon in the air kept screaming as Alden drained her energy. She kept trying to get words out.
"You... puny mystical masters " She spat "I won't spare you"
She let out an earth shattering howl and transformed into a dragon. Maltilda was blacking out fast but she felt she had to help the Lord.
" if I could just call others for help" She sat up and started crawling painfully slow.
Now the demon who was more stronger in her dragon form started striking Alden with fire but he countered it easily. He looked briefly at Maltilda and saw her trying to crawl away. He decided that she must have internal injuries and was barely going to last long.
Because he was momentarily distracted he failed to dogde a strike which the dragon demon threw in rapid succession. He was unsteady for a moment but recovered quickly. Now he was mad.
The demon let out a sigh of pleasure and decided to go for the kill. She gathered her heat energy conjured a large fire and threw it towards Alden. It was then he knew she wasn't an ordinary demon. Demon has ranks according to their powers. This one was a dragon demon and was able to fight him even with injuries so she must be a person of high rank . But then why would she take a risk sneaking into the castle when she knew it was bustling with mystical masters?
He shielded her strike when it came and viciously returned it back. She didn't expect t it. It made her weak. She quickly started looking for a way to distract him so she could escape. She saw the weak princess still trying to crawl away and got an idea . With her powers she transformed back to a human in a swift motion, raised her up and threw her into a flower bush done in a circle form. Then she set it on fire.
Seeing what she did in that swift motion took Alden back in time. When demons came to the house he shared with his mother and set it on fire in a circular form he couldn't escape. He thought was going to die.
Filled with an unimaginable rage he charged towards the demon and conjured extremely dark energy. A sword appeared in his hands. His eyes glowed red and a mark of a sword appeared on his forehead.
The demon looked surprised. She didn't expect that. "God slaying sword? How is that possible? Unless he is a demon . He isn't just any demon he's a demon of rank." In her final moments the demon knew she has underestimated the mystical master. He struck her and plunged the sword deep into her. She thought he would have gone to save the girl, first giving her a chance to escape but he didn't and she was about to be killed.
With her last breath she gasped "The God slaying sword is intended to protect demons its a taboo to kill them with it"
Alden gave her a cold smile. "Dont worry. The sword is a taboo it self. You shall not be the only demon to die by it."
"Traitor" She gasped as she took her last breath and slowly turned into ashes fading away. Alden watched her being taken by the wind and found out his hands were trembling. He never intended to use the sword or dark energy for that matter but he got so angry earlier he couldn't control it.
It was then he remembered there was lady about to be cooked by a fire. He turned back and walked towards her, putting out the fire in one swift move.
When he reached her, her eyes were barely opened. He checked her body for internal injuries when her hand went to his face. His forehead. He froze. She was touching the sword mark
" I .... i ....can perceive, a demon.....is here..... go... go fast. "
Alden knew there weren't any more demons, just him. He sighed and the sword mark faded. He started healing her and try as she could she couldn't keep her eyes open. She faded into darkness.
It was pitch black and little Maltilda stood in the darkness afraid and alone. "Mother! Mother!" She called out in the darkness but no one answered her. A door opened suddenly sending blinding lights in the darkness and there Maltilda mother stood.
Maltilda sighed in relief and rushed forward happily "Mother you're here"
But then a sword plunged into her mother from behind just before Maltilda could reach her and she fell backwards reaching out her hands to Maltilda.
But she couldn't touch her. " No!" Cried Maltilda. "Come back Mother! Mother! Mother!"
She awoke in a cold sweat and realized she had been dreaming. She was on her bed. And it was broad day light.
"My lady!" Called Vivian beside her.
She looked at Vivian confused. "Vivian?"
Vivian looked like she had been crying. "I'm so glad you are finally awake. Thank goodness. "
Maltilda was confused. "What happened?"
"You've been in a nightmare for so long. "
"Nightmare? So long?"
"You have been unconscious for four days and I was so worried. "
"Four days? What happened to me?" Maltilda was shocked
" You don't remember? You were in in an accident on day of Third princess engagement. You were found unconscious in a secluded garden covered with bruises and burns." Vivian explained.
"I..... I don't remember anything."
"Don't worry, My lady recover first." Vivian smiled "Thank goodness you're awake it would be so ,such easier to feed you medicine. I will get it right now."
She walked out of the room. Maltilda sat up holding her head which was hurting. She tried to think of how she fell unconscious but she couldn't remember anything about it. It was strange.
The room temperature was almost unbearable for lieutenant Damien as he came to report to lord Alden. He had always found the Lord a strange person. Apart from being a Lord he was the commanding general of the army of Holostoria and one of the most renowned masters of mystic arts.
It was not very common for soldiers for practice mystic arts but the Lord was very excellent at it. It made victory in the battle field so much easier.
But the lord had a very strange personality it was very scary. He hardly spoke except to issue orders, he tolerated no mistakes no matter how small. He was always deep in thoughts and was very unpredictable. Apart from his Father,Lord Stephen who was very powerful in court,Lord Alden never had any criticisms.When he was not at war he was always in dark spaces silently brooding. And when he emerged he came up with the must inhumane and brutal way to kill enemies.
He was also greatly favored by the king who although he couldn't understand him he knew Alden was the best general Holostoria ever had.
And now he sat in icy silence in an ice water tub in the darkness. The room was so cold that the lieutenant was shivering as a spoke. How could a normal human being stay in the ice like that? The lieutenant felt the lord might be really sick.
"My Lord," The lieutenant was saying " Lord Stephen has sent a physician. Should I invite him in"
"Send a message I need to see Lord Stephen now!" He answered sharply his teeth clattering.
"Yes, My Lord" He bowed and left quickly.
Alden let out a deep breath regulating his energy with tranquility spells. He always had a backlash whenever he used demonic energy. It had been a long time since he used demonic energy. His father had strictly warned him never to. But then he did. And of all places in the castle?
Not many people knew that the king must favored general was half demon. The king inclusive. To them he was a talented young man who dispersed evil. When Esme snuck him Into holostoria years ago, she secrectly arranged a meeting with Lord Stephen who was a renowned mystical master. At first Lord Stephen thought it was a trap but when he saw the trembling child he was reminded of the starry eyed demon princess he fell helplessly in love with. Esme told Lord Stephen Asiya was dead. And her last wish was that he took care of the child. Esme had told Alden to go along with the story.
And so Lord Stephen took the frightened child back to the holostoria's capital and fiercely trained him into a demon slaughtering weapon.