Lord Stephen came into the room saw his son In the freezing tub and frowned.
"I already assumed you were not going send for me. Why now?"
"Don't gloat about anything, I am not going to ask you for help. I need answers to few questions. "
Lord Stephen walked towards him and transferred energy to him. His frown deepened. "Your body is bustling with demonic energy at this point your core won't be able to take it"
"That, I already figured out already." Answered Alden. " But then....."
"You'll come with me to mount neosicle . I will purify your energy with the cold."
"That's only a temporary solution."
"More reason why should avoid dark powers. " Lord Stephen stated Angrily. "What were you thinking using such powers in the castle ? "
"There was a dragon demon. If I hadn't stopped her she would have burnt everybody's useless soul to ashes. Including yours. She wasn't ordinary."
"You fight Darkness with darkness? That's not the way of mystical masters. We fight darkness with light. The stronger the light the more vulnerable darkness shall be."
Alden stayed silent.
"I need you to recover soon and come back to court, things are really tensed right now."
"What has happened?"
"About to happen" corrected the older man "Captain Morris has proposed for the destruction of the dam that will flood sketingham. I know you have a soft heart towards that place. But the demon rebels hiding there is really annoying the king. Instead of risking a battle he thinks it would be better to destroy flood the town"
Alden sat up abruptly " But there are people living there? That's a small peaceful town who work through sweat every year to pay taxes to the king"
"Sketingham is part of Holostoria's territory. So it's only natural that the king is angry."
" I grew up in that town with mother. How could I let him destroy it?" Alden muttered. His skin was starting to freeze with the ice so he rose up and grabbed his robe.
"He is the king. His word Is final. You must never forget that." Lord Stephen stood up and turned back deep in thoughts "You are very popular in court. If you go against the king one more time I am afraid that he would see you not as a general who brings him glory but as an enemy who might try to steal his throne"
Alden balled his hands into fists and suddenly smashed it on the wall three consecutive times. Lord Stephen just stared rigid.
"I have sinned against mother for the past few years. I have killed her people and terrorized them for the king. Now you want me to destroy the place we made our memories?"
" Your mother was different. She was never like this cold demons who would stop at nothing to destroy us." Lord Stephen walked to his son and looked him on the eye. " So we kill them first. That's fighting for justice "
Alden laughed coldly and bit his bloody hands like a maniac."Justice?"
He staggered like as if he was possessed, which in a way he was. The dark energy in his body was too much to bear that it was threatening to burst out.
Lord Stephen immediately tried to stabilize him with a tranquility spell, but it was difficult.
"Control it Alden. You are the greatest mystical master in Holostoria. A defender of light. You can beat it. "
Slowly Alden calmed down and few minutes later he was stable and sitting down catching his breath.
"You are right. We need a long term solution to purify your core completely."
Alden much calmer now said: "I might have found one. That's why I called you here. "
Seven blades palace. It was the highest point in the demon realm. The young demon king had just ascended the throne a year ago and the demon clan seemed have to laid low with his reign.
The demon king Astaroth sat lazily on his throne admiring a new dagger in his hand when his right hand man rushed in.
"Your majesty, the second lady of the Nine scales Dragon clan seek audience with you."
The king raised his drowsily beautiful brown eyes to his right hand man Draven. Then pushed his mane of soft dark hair from his face.
"What do you think of my dagger Draven? Sharp enough? " He raised it up and it gleamed in the light.
"It's brilliant, your majesty. "
"Do you think it's a worthy birthday gift for queen mother?"
Draven was silent.
The demon king laughed. And put the dagger away.
"Let the bitch in."
Draven bowed and left quickly. He returned with the second lady of the dragon clan,Lady Corvina.
"Your majesty. "She bowed. She was a strikingly beautiful woman with sharp features and firm figure.
The king stared at her for a while then waved Damien away. When he left Corvina fell on her knees in anguish.
"Your majesty. Since my sister failed to return from the mortal realm I assumed she was in trouble. So I checked her life thread. It wasn't glowing anymore. She's dead" she cried.
The demon king looked unfazed and brought the dagger once more running his slender fingers on the sharp edges.
" Did she absorb the immunity soul?"
" She was unable to, my lord. She was killed brutally. " She sobbed. "Your majesty, please permit me to go to the mortal realm. I want to avenge my sister. Please I must take revenge for the dragon clan" She said and bowed with her head on the ground.
King Astaroth looked at her expressionlessly and said "Rise."
Lady Corvina quickly dried her face with a handkerchief and rose up . Astaroth stared at her in icy silence watching her fidget under his gaze then suddenly he threw the dagger at her piercing her in her upper arm.
In pain Corvina fell to the ground bowing with her head. Trembling.
"Revenge?" The king yelled angrily "I gave your useless sister one task. Bring me the soul of that weak useless human and she failed! A nine scales Dragon couldn't bring a weak human. She ended up dying. Curse her damned soul in hell !"
"I could get you another soul ,your majesty. Or hundreds of them." Lady Corvina said trembling "I shall make up for her sins your majesty please. Give me another opportunity. "
Astaroth stood up from his throne and walked towards the frightened Corvina. He reached her and grabbed her jaw like he was going to tear it off.
"Her soul is an Immunity soul. If I ever want to bring those useless mystical masters to their knees and restore the superiority of the demon clan, I need the nourishment of that soul. So even if thought give me ten thousand souls they are not worthy! " He yelled.
He walked back to his throne then snorted "My spies informed me Lord Alden, was in the capital that night. Your sister could have just killed the useless princess silently and got away with, but she had to grab his attention and paid with her life."
Corvina looked at him "She encountered that horrible mystical master? Her death must have been brutal. "
" That bastard is getting more arrogant. I can't wait to slowly kill him " Astaroth spat.
"Guards! " three guards along with Draven rushed in. "Take this useless dragon and give her lightening strikes."
"No! Your majesty please allow me redeem myself. Please your majesty. Please!" She started yelling at they dragged her away.
When they were gone Astaroth stood up from his throne with a sinister smirk. Then said aloud. "I know the perfect gift for mother. How about Alden's head chopped into pieces?" He laughed aloud " It would be the perfect reunion."
"You found a solution? " Asked lord Stephen genuinely surprised.
"Isn't it strange that a dragon demon would come all the the way to the castle just to steal an ordinary soul ?" Alden said.
"There's a hidden motive?"
"When I tried to revive the lady hurt by the demon I found out something. She has a special immunity soul. So that's why the demon was trying to take it. "
Lord Stephen sat down abruptly lost in thoughts "The immunity soul could purify your core. That's brilliant. But not many people has that special soul."
"Do you know who the lady is?" Asked Alden
Lord Stephen nodded. "Of course. Naturally I was curious as to who she was that made you use demon energy for the first time in years. She is the fifth princess of Holostoria, Princess Maltilda the daughter of concubine Freya . Now here is something intriguing. Concubine Freya was kidnapped years ago by demons and tortured to death which was odd "
"I need her soul. Urgently. " Alden stated
"Ironic." Said lord Stephen "You saved her life to to take it back.But it's not that easy. The king has set up a shield on the outlayer of the castle unless you find the right time it would be almost impossible to get her soul."
"I will find a way. " Alden said shortly.
Lord Stephen got up immediately and went to where Alden sat. "You can't just go Break in a take her soul. How about... I propose marriage to the king. That way you could keep her close and purify yourself with her essence"
Alden eyes turned hard . " Marriage? What a joke. Like hell I would marry some puny princess. "
"It's a good plan. Instead of killing her directly you could absorb her essence without arousing suspicions. "
Alden stood up and started walking back to the ice tub. He pulled out his robe and got in.
" Marry her? What a bad joke !"