The Princess And The Lord

Cavio and the others scouted the situation first to make sure there were no beasts around before they approached the sink hole later on they searched for any clues around the sink hole but they found nothing, and they felt a bit disappointed, but all of a sudden the ground started to trembles again and it even worst than before.

Everyone was tumbling down as they begin to panic, alas, one of them accidentally trip he almost fell down the sinkhole luckily Cavio managed to grab the man's hand then pulled him out of the sinkhole but it was then Cavio caught a pair of shining green eyes staring at him from within the dark holes.

"Back off - everyone Back off!" Cavio shouted intensely.

Without question they all backed away, Cavio then led his people as far away from the sinkhole but suddenly they were showered with large shards of rock that seems coming from the wide gaping hole, Cavio summoned the God's sword then swung his sword nimbly while smashing the rocks that fell on them.

Cavio's subordinates didn't stay idle either, together they summon their power and helped Cavio get rid of the falling rocks that rained down on them non-stop, all of a sudden they were shocked by an ear-splitting roar that reverberated to the air.

<strong>"KEEP GOING!"</strong> Cavio shouts anxiously.

They reflexively continued to run following Cavio's orders while the thunderous roar had not subsided and the earthquake even the air around them became heavy causing some of them to lose some of their consciousness, thankfully they were assisted by their friends to keep running including Cavio had to carry one of his subordinates that's too weak to move, only after they were far enough away the shaking lessen and the air turned lighter only then they could breathe again.

They were finally able to rest, they lean on the tree trunks to catch their breath, luckily everyone is alright, thanks to their leader, obviously.

"What was that…."

"Psst..." Cavio raised his finger to the air as a sign to be quiet, and immediately he covered his mouth before long a massive dark shadow loomed over them like a warning and everyone hastily hid under the thick trees and bushes while peeking at what creature was coming, as they looking up they saw a gigantic monster with a human-like body but with four long arms and long, twisted horns that curved at the ends.

The creature had a long body and very long thin legs with a height almost as tall as a mountain and its entire body was covered in long coarse gray fur like an animal's. Then the gray smoke oozed from the creature's mouth and eyes as he walked with heavy steps that shook the ground.

"B...B...By...roft..." one of his friends stared at the monster with growing horror in his eyes.

Cavio narrowed his eyes when suddenly a group of wyverns attacked the creature but of course, they were no match for Byroft then soon another group of cyclops join the attack but in terms of size alone they were no match for Byroft.

While the creature was kept busy by the monsters Cavio took this chance and said: "Let's return to the village, first!"

Cavio calm voice snapped them back from their shock they then remembered the family they had back home in the village so they nod firmly and follow Cavio back.

Byroft is an ancient creature that was first created in this world he is a greedy creature that lives only to eat, it is said that Byroft lives in the bowels of the earth and every thousand years he will wake up for one hundred days and in those hundred days, he will eat and destroy whatever he encountered until he fell into a deep slumber for the next thousand years.

Stories about Byroft have been passed down from generation to generation to scare naughty children but no one knows who started the story or who draw Byroft in the cave wall, however, there's no concrete proof of Byroft's existance so no wonder no one believes its existed until today.

In the village Arthea could feel a threatening aura coming from a distance then the smell of smoke mixed with the smell of rotting flesh and blood that only she could smell was not a good sign, the last time Arthea felt this way was when her sister-in-law was murdered because she knew this was the  God's way to send her a warning.

Arthea stood on the watchtower with a worried etched on her face, a moment later she saw a few black dots come from the distance she immediately recognized it was Cavio and his group.

the intensity on his face immediately decreased, Arthea was finally able to let out a sigh of relief "Open the gate" she said to the tower guard and the man shouted to the gatekeeper "Open the gate for the master and the others!"

Arthea came down from the watchtower in a hurry to find her brother but she was stunned to see cavio's gloomy face and is not just him.

"What is it?" arthea could feel the tense atmosphere around them.

Everyone was still in shock no one dared to say anything which only made the atmosphere even tenser than before and the villagers who were there became nervous.

Cavio then said: "A monster just awake and I'm scared soon or later that monster will reach our village"

"What monsters?" Arthea's gaze deepen.

Cavio took a deep breath before he spoke in a heavy tone "It's Byroft"

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"Zian! Zian, where are you? Zian, I need your help!" arthea went to Oblivion searching for the only man he knew can help her but no one is there only the door remains, "Zian!" she shouted louder.

"You are too loud Thea" a grumbling voice came from behind her but it was not the childish voice she used to hear, Arthea turned around in a hurry and her eyes widened in shock.

"Zi…Zian?" Arthea stared incredulously at the strange man standing before her. The man with white robes was much taller, he got a slender build but broad shoulders that exposed his strong wide chest, the man's hair was long and straight down below his waist, and his face has refined features even though it couldn't be said to be effeminate, it was more precise to describe him as beautiful than handsome but still he had the same black eyes with golden rims on the iris that she knew very well.

"Are you really Zian...but how could you...?" Arthea stared without blinking toward the strange man as she still find it hard to believe but those eyes...she cannot be wrong.

The man smiled mischievously he moves closer leaving only an inch between them then he pinches her chin gently "Now you cannot treat me like a child anymore"

Hot breath blew against her lips it startled her and then subconsciously make her blush. Arthea reflexively pulled her head away from Zian's long fingers for some reason her heart was beating fast she found it hard to face the new appearance of her friend but then she remembered her purpose in coming here "I...I need your help" Arthea tried ignoring the strange feeling in her heart.

Zian stared at his empty fingers for a moment then clasped them behind his back as he turned his expressionless gaze towards Arthea, "What do you need, Thea?"

"I think I know the cause of my brother's death," she said with a painful look, "I think Byroft was the cause of my brother's death"

'It's her brother, again'

There was an inexplicable glint in Zian's eyes but Arthea missed it due to her concern for Cavio's safety.

"Zian, help me..." she clutched his sleeve, "I can't let my brother die...he's all I have!" she begged desperately.

Zian's eyes darkened then the corners of his lips curved into a smirk, "So it's your brother..."

Arthea's forehead creased, "Yes, you know I always want to change his fate!" she didn't know why he looks... disappointed?

"Where there is death there will always be death, someone has to take his place... but it can't be just anyone because he is the first King in his world so it has to be someone who has the same values as him," Zian said with a teasing smile.

Arthea pondered, the only person who has the same value is none other than her, Arthea clenched her fist "Then... I will take his place" said Arthea firmly.

<strong>"WHY?</strong>" anger flared across his face, "Do you love your brother so much that you'd be willing to die for him?!" he said half shouting as he fixated his gazes on Arthea's beautiful face to see any slight hesitation or fear but unfortunately he got nothing only unwavering determination.

He didn't understand why Arthea love her brother so much, Weren't humans supposed to be selfish creatures they had seen how they hurt and killed their closest people even sacrificing their own child for greed and power but why Arthea didn't care at all even after he showed how much power he can give to her even if she said she wants one of the worlds he will find a way to give it to her but Arthea never budged.

"Of course, she's my only brother," Arthea said as if it was a natural.

But that only irritated Zian even more, he remembered that Arthea was only here because she needed his help, unlike her older brother who received all her sincere love.

That's not fair! what that man had done to earn her unconditional love was it because they share the same blood?!