Afterward, Catharina went to the warehouse deep under the palace, preparing the garments, medicines, and emergency foods for the journey. She bottled three pots worth of milks inside the Storage Ring. Since the time passage inside the ring was slowed by a hundred times, she didn't need to worry that the milk would get spoiled over time. Naturally, a Demon’s baby would need to be breastfed until three years old. But alas, Catharina had not mothered a child, she couldn't produce any breast milk for the baby princess.
Alice cried once again when Catharina put her into the basket.
“Shh, I know, I know. I understand, your highness. It's hard to be apart from your mother, but please hold it a little longer. I will bring you to safety very soon.”
Catharina pulled out a flask of Strength Elixir from the Storage Ring and drank it in one go. Though it's painful forcing her body to heal and regenerate, Catharina spread her wings outward from her back. They looked like a pair of giant bat wings with sharp claws at the end.
Alice stopped crying upon witnessing such horrifying looking wings, yet also beautiful and majestic at the same. She was wondering if she could grow her own pair. Her hands tried to reach out Catharina’s wings, and the maid brought the thick membrane closer so the baby could touch it.
“How strange…” Catharina looked at Alice’s curious eyes.
But suddenly, a loud explosion was heard beyond the castle walls. Catharina packed everything into the ring, and cradled the basket in her arm.
“The ride will be quite bumpy, but bear with me.”
Catharina weaved a spell on the wall, opening a secret passage that was known only to the Nightflame Family. Around a year ago, Queen Aleena taught the Head Maid about this tunnel. Catharina steeled her heart, and entered the dark, narrow passage.
Catharina flicked her fore fingers, a handful of blue flame ablaze atop her palm. Not too big, nor too dim, just enough to Illuminate the path in front of her.
Before long, the flame danced as she near the exit, the cold air caressed her cheeks when she pushed the lever, activating the secret door mechanism.
Catharina found herself at the forest edge west of the castle. The once serene deep blue sky was lit up by thousands of torches beyond the castle walls. She could feel her heart wrenching as her bond with her master was severed.
“Lord Aleister, Lady Aleena…” Tears began to flow on her cheeks, trickling down from her chin. She wanted to be by their side and fight alongside them.
Just when Catharina thought Queen Aleena had been felled by the hero and his party, a deafening screech followed by a powerful shock wave shocked the whole Diablo Realm into its very core.
A godly being soared high in the sky, spreading its wings to protect the castle. Catharina gasped, her breath caught in her gullet as she witnessed Aleena’s true demon form.
The demonic phoenix!
Her undying dark flame bathes the enemies, burning them into ashes indiscriminately.
“Our race might perish in this very night, but not with our legacy!”
Queen Aleena would do absolutely anything in her power to not let the humans take over Nightflame’s Castle and the Diablo. Instead of wasting her remaining Mana to fend off the enemy’s forces, Aleena opted to cast a very powerful imprisonment spell, encasing the Nightflame’s Castle inside an impenetrable black dome. The demons who fought alongside the queen received her will, and charged forward, sacrificing their blood and flesh to their queen so humans could not use the Castle as an outpost for their forces.
On the other hand, Catharina wanted to help the queen, but her psyche was forced to flee by Queen Aleena’s will.
“Leave! Bring my daughter to safety!” Said the queen through telepathy.
Notwithstanding the heart that had broken into pieces, Catharina flapped her wings, soaring high above the clouds to swindle the pursuers who might be tailing behind.
And it worked quite well for a while until dozens of Demon Hunters appeared before her. Each of them wore an anti-demon cuirass armour that allowed them to fly and maneuver. The latest magical technology of the Holy Church.
“Cease and desist immediately!” Said one of the hunters.
Catharina looked around to find a place where she could lose them. She’s aware that fighting in the air while holding onto the princess would be very risky. After a quick scan, she spotted a bramble forest not far down.
‘I can lose them in that forest.”
With that in mind, Catharina folded her wings and swooped down like a falcon diving its prey.
“Shoot her down! Don't let her get away!”
Magic bolts rained upon her mercilessly. She weaved to left and right, dodging the bolts with precision. But alas, one of the magic bolts took the right wing completely. She crashed onto the thorny plants at high speed.
Just when she got up after the crash, echo of shouting resounded not far behind her.
Her skin gashed deep, blood marred the pretty maid dress. Ignoring the pain, she summoned her [Scythe Of Endless Night]. A special weapon that could severe any material in its path.
Catharina smiled when the basket was unscathed. Fortunately, Alice knew what was happening outside, she suppressed the urge to cry out loud due to her instinct as a newborn baby.
She opted to run deeper into the bramble forest, making sharp turns every now and then, slashing the thorny vines in different direction to confuse the pursuers. However, no matter how hard she tried to lose them, they always managed to catch up with her.
‘I need to do something before they could ambush me.’
Catharina spotted a very dense colony of brambles amidst the forest. She quickly dashed over to put the basket within the thorny plants ever so carefully.
“Forgive me, your highness. I need to leave you here for a moment.”
It was so dark, Alice’s undeveloped vision couldn't see anything, but she could feel Catharina’s gentle touch when she caressed her cheeks.
Alice grabbed Catharina’s finger as tight as she could with her tiny hands. For the first time in her life, she felt a genuine fear of losing someone she cared about. ‘Was my mother not enough? How many people have to die because of me?! This is not what I wanted!’
‘No, please don't go!’ Alice finally cried after holding her emotion for too long.
Somehow, Catharina understood what Alice wanted to do. She could sense Alice’s thoughts albeit she was just a baby.
“I’m sorry, your highness. But I don't have the strength to keep running away from them. I will be back as soon as I defeat those Demon Hunters!”