Chapter 29- Blood Stains

On a dirt path in the east two figures and a white wolf stagger on towards an unknown destination. They're naturally Roen, Tyor, and Engil. Engil had turned into a wolf from his once human body one night and has been sulking ever since.

"Roen~ why am I still so hungry even after I ate all that dried meat? Why did I turn back to a wolf? Where's a map?"

"You are an idiot right? Don't you listen to anything I tell you? Your body formed around your soul like mine does, so you have to consume souls to keep on living on the upside though you won't die unless your soul is destroyed. And I don't believe many people on this continent have the power to do that, that is except for Nightmare races... Anyways as for your wolf body, I don't know enough about merged souls, so figure that part by yourself."

"Grrrr... Where is Purply?"

"They are currently absorbing the leftovers in a special place. Also don't name him that. "

Engil didn't stop his grumbling till Roen gave him a couple souls to eat. Tyor had a grumpy expression on his face throughout the whole conversation.

"You're not still mad about me burying you? I did it for your own safety not out if a grudge or anything prior to that!" Engil interpreted Tyor's expression as his fault and explained his righteous reasons.

"No I'm not mad at all~"

"Really! That's great, but Roen... Are we lost?"

"Tyor I think Engil needs time to cool off."

"With pleasure master."

Without a moment of hesitation Tyor surrounded Engil in thick red vines and pulled him under the ground till only his head was popping out of the ground. Roen and Tyor then began to walk to their unknown destination.

"He's still mad isn't he...... Guys?"

Ignoring Engil's cries for help the two walk for awhile.

"Master, I do believe we are lost."

"Shut up, or you'll end up like him."

Roen and Tyor had returned to Engil's position and had been walking in circles for hours. Their long journey had just began and had already hit a major impasse.

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~ Higloas Kingdom Royal Court ~

A man in merchant attire explained the circumstances of the king's youngest daughter the way his son had told him. The nobles and generals in the room all listened intensively afraid to miss a single word. Some had looks of utter shock at the mention of an assassination attempt, others had faces with mixed emotions, and the king wore an expression of joy and relief at the mention that his daughter was still alive and on her way home. However details such as Roen and her awakening her aura was withheld.

"Hahaha~ thank you for your information. Guards he means no harm you don't need to stand so close to him." The king's mood was joyful and a huge smile was plastered on his face. He invited the merchant to sit down at the feast however the merchant declined.

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"Fine you don't need to sit if you don't what to. However for giving such critical information may I know your name?"

"William Whitewater, I received information from my son that your daughter was traveling to Thaolos, then back. Now that I have told you this I will take my leave, I bid your highness farewell."

The merchant bowed and left as fast as he came. The court room was silent, all eyes were on the king awaiting his next action. Looking into the eyes of his retainers the king gave his command, "Russ, take twenty of your men and twenty of my best horses, bring back Eliana safely!"

"If it is your will, I will serve!"

The hot blooded man with the huge shield stood up and knocked his right fist on his left chest. He left the room quickly as if afraid someone would stop him. The king clenched his fists tightly as he watched Russ leave the room; he prayed that nothing would go wrong.

~ P.O.V. Of Russ ~

I urge my men to move faster. Based on the route the princess will take we will meet her at the province of duke Weller. The problem is that the duke is one of the main suspects of the assassination attempt on the princess. I am worried he will attack her to make sure we don't hear her confession.

Two months of almost constant running we arrive at the entrance to the main city to duke Weller's province. The meeting point of where the princess should be at.

However instead of calm city life, we are greeted by screaming and the stench of blood. My insides start to twist and my face grows pale.

"Hurry men!"

My trusted soldiers understand my unease and silently follow my rushed orders. We charge to the origins of the blood smell. What we see shocked us all to the core. Bodies were strewn here and there, blood stains were littering the ground presenting a massive struggle. However the dead all belonged to duke Weller's men.

There were around 30 men in various armors ruthlessly killing those that tried to run. They each appeared to be as strong as my trusted 20 strongest men. If we fought I doubt we would have a low amount of casualties on both sides. Judging that they ignored the shocked civilians, they are not bandits. I didn't move a muscle and my men just watched them finish their slaughter.

They all turned towards our direction when the duke's men were killed. A shiver ran down the spines of us all as we looked at their uncaring eyes that didn't even bat an eye at their previous atrocities. We may be soldiers however such an slaughter is not a common occurrence. I must handle this situation carefully.

"WE GREET THE GENERAL!!"

However before I could do anything, the men saluted and greeted me.

What... What's going on?

One of the men slowly went up to me showing he meant no harm and respectfully said, "General, the princess is over there, she has been waiting for you." The man pointed deeper into the center where the blood painting the ground got thicker.

I quickly thanked the man and left for the direction he pointed in. Although I was wary of them and prepared for any tricks, they just let us pass without even glancing at us. Who were these men?

The scent of blood painted the air and made some of my battle hardened soldiers gag. That was when we met three people. Two of whom were large men, one had a large scar on his chest and the other only had one arm. However the pressure I felt from them was much greater than the group we had met before.

'Aura users!?'

The thought invaded my mind. I had the pleasure to meet the king's five protecter aura users once, and now these two men have the same presence as them. The two aura users were much worse than the group we had met earlier; the two could easily decimate my entire squad. Was this all a trap? How was I supposed to guess they had aura users!?

"You must be the general the princess has told us all about you ever since she heard you were coming to pick her up. We are her friends, you have no need to be fearful of us." The man with the scar on his chest spoke words to lessen our ease, but it only served to add more questions than answers.

"Uncle Russ!! Over here!" A familiar voice woke me up from the shock of the aura users and all our eyes landed on the source. A woman in the middle of a bloodstained floor with white armor stained in blood that is glistened red when the sun hit it. She carried a saber on her waist and a powerful presence that definitely overpowered that of the two we had seen before. The had long auburn hair the had flecks of blood painting it like was a canvas, and two hazel eyes that reminded me of the king's.

"P,princess Eliana?"

Remembering the young and kind princess in my head, I couldn't tie the two together. What happened? Is this really the princess? Eventually the facts presented themselves and the notion that this woman was the princess. Given the exception of the two aura users from before, the princess's change made everyone stare dumbfounded with mouths agape.