Chapter 17: The Princess meets the Dragon Knight
At the top of the fortress within Higheast Palace, Asher watches the view while he looked over his Lightning Rune. Whenever he looked at Seed when he arrived in their world, he seemingly knows about him very well.
"This time displacement man. I guess you knew him that much, don't you... I maybe a descendant from you, a General who works on the fallen royal Highland Kingdom, perhaps I would recognize your best war buddy who ended up in our time."
To his shock, a bright light emerge in the sky which it comes from Muse City and seeing the Rune symbol and noticing that it was similar to Lene when she discover the Rune she had carried.
"Something is not right... I just hoped I might inform the King tomorrow morning."
The next day, Lene decided to go to Muse City along with Agatha and Xian. She felt something about last night when Seed had hugged her amorously following his recovery from getting poisoned and she then continue to move away. Meanwhile Sean alongside Gojyo and Jules who construct a room for his chinchirorin game and other place where Terrence and Yako are gonna participate the dance.
"Gladly, that this castle is huge and turns into a fortress. This game will give me bonus for everyone to play."
"Yep... I guess Grimtooth is also aiding him to construct this room. The Vikings are experts of logging." Sean shrugged until someone kicks his butt, knocking him out. "Hey! Who kicked my butt without a reason?!"
"A blue headed mockingbird is always given an angry reaction." Seed arrives to see him while remarking Sean for being mad as he gives him an annoying look.
"So what if I got mad, red head... What's your problem?"
Therefore, they looked to see Agatha and Xian returned and with them is an injured Daniel which is the mayor of Muse.
"It's the mayor of Muse... he's severely injured... who could have done this?" Sean said as Agatha tells him.
"According to him, the entire citizens were wiped out by a very powerful magic spell and others were massacred either from the Silverian soldiers or creatures were summoned by the same spell. Thank goodness we found him at the Muse-Matilda border."
"Hold on... where's Lene... she's with you when she goes to Muse." Sean asked which Xian tells him.
"She told us to get back to the palace right away and she goes off alone to find out who is behind the massacre."
"You idiots! Don't try to leave her off like that! Can't you see it was too risky...?!" Seed angrily scolds on both of them and he sighs for her stubborness. "She's so stubborn..."
Seed then goes off to find her once again and they watch him leave.
At Muse City, Lene arrives just in time to investigate behind the massacre last night until one of the citizens collapses due to its mortal injuries.
"Are you all right?"
"Unghh... a monster... it was overrun by monsters... everyone... has been slaughtered..."
"Hey! What are you doing her-?" One of the soldiers questioned Lene as she kills it by blasting the soldier with her left double-sided tonfa, seeing who's behind the massacre.
"Doug! I know you're the one behind this mess...! You seriously injured Lord Daniel and you killed everybody within this city! Now, Show yourself!"
"I was expected to see you, my half-niece!"
Lene looked to see Doug was on top of the Jowston Hill and he berates her for coming here.
"Looks like you really need a death wish, Lene. Just like in the history books that Luca Blight was behind the massacre for absorbing life souls within the citizens of this city due to the usage of the Beast Rune. And now I'm the one who's gonna ruin this entire city into chaos."
"..."
"This Rune in my hand... this is how I slaughtered everyone within this city in full throttle." Doug said as he unleashes the power of his Titanus Rune, the incarnation of the Sovereign Rune that also inherits the power Front Gate Rune as he summons demonic creatures to face her.
Lene battles them with her hand-to-hand combat techniques and hitting them with her double-sided tonfas. One of the creatures tried to attack her with a powerful blast as she backflips to avoid it. Lene then casts Shining Moonlight from her Divine Dagger Rune which obliterates the creatures and seeing their weakness. More creatures are summoned because of the powers of the Titanus Rune, Lene casts both Piercing Light and Flying Arrow from her Divine Dagger Rune once again as she became exhausted for wiping them out. As the last monster tried to attempt to attack her, a fire chakram incinerates the monster into dust as well as the other creatures. Lene looked to see it was Seed who casts Rising Sun from his Rage Rune.
"Seed!"
"Lene, we better get out of here!" Seed exclaimed as Doug sees him.
"It looks like you were standing in my way... you obliterated my men before and now you interrupted me." Doug yelled furiously until Seed angrily gives him a dirty look.
"Not this time of age, old fool! You haven't seen it coming!"
Therefore, Siegfried arrives to protect Lene much to the latter's surprise as Seed casts Protection Mist from his Flowing Rune to protect themselves, allowing Siegfried to cast White Priestess from it's Blessed White Lady Rune on it's forehead to obliterate the enemy in a lightning strike. Doug was furious upon seeing them as Siegfried allows it to be mounted by Seed as he climbs up and takes Lene's hand to climb with him.
"Curse you!"
"That's what you get for attacking Lene! You degenerate old fool!" Seed yelled sarcastically while he gave Doug a bad finger much to his fury as he rides away with Lene by riding Siegfried to escape the city.
On the way to the Higheast City and it's palace, Siegfried neighs upon seeing his maiden was safe, Lene was clearly upset when Doug acquires a Rune which is similar to her and Seed tried to encourage her.
"Don't feel upset, Lene. I'd never expect the old fool has a new toy with him to get rid of you. This time, I'm going to protect you personally."
"I have a question, Seed. How come Siegfried is with you?"
"Oh, the unicorn... it was following me when I was at the Muse-Matilda border, by myself." Seed answered and he looked at her. "He knows you were in danger. You're really a very stubborn person, Lene."
Siegfried neighs at Lene because of her actions and she became saddened over the loss of the Muse citizens. Back at the Higheast Palace, Lars, Tougou, Sean, Rena, Risho, Melvin, Damian, Kai and Asher to see both Lene and Seed and Lars was worried for his daughter's safety.
"I"m glad that you're safe, Lene."
"How's Lord Daniel?" Lene asked Tougou about the Daniel's recovery which he replied.
"He was taking recovery from the infirmary, your highness. He told me about the obliteration happened in Muse."
"I'm sorry, father... half-uncle just obtained a Rune like mine."
"That's impossible... Doug would never obtained a Rune a long time ago. You mean to say that he's behind the massacre on the city of Muse." Lars said and wants to confirm if it's true which Lene nods the truth. "Damn him...!"
"I've been witnessed that massacre in one night, sire." Asher said informing him about the Rune that Doug had carried. "Like your daughter, who wields the Rune she had discovered. Doug also carries a Rune like hers. Literally, a powerful sorceress was the one who gave that Rune."
"..."
"So what's the plan, Lars?"
"We have to stop Doug no matter what happens. We need the Matilda Knights to join our side." Lars said while maintaining his composure and he gives Lene a mission. "Lene, I want you to go to Rockaxe to meet with Sigurd."
"Yes, father..."
"As for you, Seed. Since you rescued my daughter for all her troubles, you better look after her. I'd never expect she would go off alone like this." Lars said allowing Seed to watch over Lene.
"It's fine with me. I really love to babysit a feisty princess."
"I would come along with these youngsters, sire." Asher said finally decided to come along to their entourage as a convoy. "Going to Highland-Matilda border has a lot of restriction within their territory."
"It is settled... Just make sure you need some back up." Lars said letting Lene to allow her comrades to join which happens to be Sean, Rowan and Agatha.
Arriving at the Muse-Matilda border, both of the Matilda guards recognizes Asher's appearance and he allows Lene's group to get through Matilda. They finally arrived at the Highway Village and they noticed someone cause a ruckus within the town.
"Listen, the hydra poison is extremely dangerous. You must get back to their respective homes, immediately!"
"Hydra poison? What's that supposed to mean?" Lene wondered as Sean tells her.
"It's a poison coming from a Hydra..."
"Despite his cool looks like mine... he must be dragon knight just like Lord Riou's one of his comrades." Seed said until a giant Hydra showed up and attack everyone with its breath as everyone dodges the attack including Lene's causing the citizens to hide from their homes.
Sean tried to fight it with his Tokkosho only to be grazed his shoulder by the Hydra who immediately leaves. Seed wanted to assists Sean for the fight.
"Dang! I love to fight this monster, mockingbird! Now I'm starting to get bored..."
"That thing had scratched me before flew away. I wonder where that thing went off too..."
"You must be a Dragon Knight are you?" Lene asked which the latter replies.
"Yes, I am... That monster had went to the Mt. Rakutei."
"I thought so... that organization of the Dragon Knights remains to be secret at this time of age." Asher commented at his appearance until Sean collapses causing Seed to come to his aid.
"Sean... hey mockingbird!"
"Ughhh... I think... I've been poisoned..."
Lene was horribly shocked and the man knows his warning to everyone regarding about the hydra poison and they take them to the medicine shop where Sean would be treated his hydra poison.
