Chapter 258: Change In Plans

Sei wiped her tears and bowed her head: "I must beg of you to bring Yuthia back. She is someone who is dedicated to a task and will not give up no matter how bad her condition gets." 

"I will do what I can. But if she has lost her mind, I can only return without her. I am not saying this to be cruel, but if she has indeed lost her mind, you will need to either settle her or wait until she turns into a ghoul." Creige knew the effects of the death element were not something many could withstand. If Yuthia was lucky and her will was strong, she would still be able to keep her mind about her for a little while longer. 

"Whatever the case. I will await your return." Sei's lips trembled as she held back her tears. If she knew of all of this earlier, she would not have let Yuthia go alone. But what she did not understand was why Fox High God Methiesee did not tell them any of this information.

"Then I will be off." Creige said and tapped the air in front of him, causing the space to break. He went to step forward but paused and turned towards Claine. "Don't forget to welcome the army from the Stone Hammer Kingdom. They will be at your borders sometime soon." 

"I will. And thank you. I know you are only doing this for your wife. But I still wish to thank you." Claine stood up and bowed his head to Creige. 

Creige waved him off as he stepped through the crack in space, leaving behind a few words. "A true king does not bow their head. Hold your head up high. You built a kingdom that keeps my wife safe."

When Creige disappeared, and the crack in space was gone. Claine shook his head and wondered just what magic Kanna used to make such a powerful man so devoted to such an extent. "Alright, you all heard what is going on. Send people to meet the reinforcements from Stone Hammer. Change the evacuation from just women and children to all citizens, especially at the border that connects to the Yuthia Theocracy. Run checks on all people before bringing them to the shelter for spies. You can also pull back all the men we sent to investigate the underground training facilities. Our most important task is to make sure the borders of the Rural Kingdom are secure." 

"Your Majesty, what about the Botus Empire?" One of his officials asked. 

"Have the current head of state do the same and also have a platoon sent to the towns run by beastkin. Evacuate them as well. I do not know how much of the Botus Empire side has been infiltrated. Right now, we need to make sure we do not have internal strife. Have all soldiers also scanned as well. This is a major undertaking. We will pull out of every town and city on both the Rural and Botus sides. We can not afford any mistakes. If people resist being scanned, arrest them and deny them access to the shelter. I do not care if they are beastkin or human. If they resist, they will be charged with being a spy." Claine gave out his orders, and the officials all began running around trying to fulfill this order. Now was the time to try to save as many as possible. 

In another town outside the capital, Kiliffia, Tilia, and Tia were trying to persuade another group of people when a squad of soldiers came rushing into town. "Princess!" The squad leader walked over to Tilia and knelt on the ground. 

"What is going on? What did you bring so many men here?" Tilia was confused as to what was going on. She knew the soldiers should not be going town to town. That was her job. 

"There has been a change in orders. All citizens are to be scanned to see if they are a spy. If they are clean, they will be immediately evacuated. Right now, the borders have full platoons working on scanning and evacuating all the citizens." The squad leader answered.

"This… What happened? Why such a drastic change?" Tilia was even more confused now. 

"I am not sure. I only know what I was ordered to do." The squad leader replied.

"Then I must head back to the castle. Miss Kiliffia  and Miss Tia, I must ask you to accompany me." Tilia looked at both Kiliffia and Tia as she asked this. 

"No problem, I would also like to know what is going on." Kiliffia answered. Tia also agreed. 

"Then I will be under your care." Tilia gave a worried smile. She had a feeling something big was going on. She just hoped that her new homeland would be able to survive whatever was about to happen.

Inside the Yuthia Theocracy in its capital city, just inside the gates of the cathedral, Yuthia was getting a bad feeling from this place. "I am really not wanting to enter this place..." Yuthia rolled up her sleeve and frowned. What started off as a small mark now covered her whole arm. She rolled her sleeve back down and gritted her teeth as she continued forward. No matter what, she needed to find some clues as to what was happening here.

The surroundings were dead quiet. The only sounds were those coming from the shuffling and moaning of the undead out in the city. She walked up to the golden doors that had many humans kneeling and praying towards a figure in the sky carved into it and pushed it open. They opened to reveal a dark corridor lined with many paintings. Each one depicting some holy scene of the fake human Yuthia. Yuthia ignored all of this as she slowly made her way down the hallway just in case there was some kind of trap laid out. But the further she went into the cathedral, the denser aura she was feeling got. She did not know what it was that she was dealing with, but she was starting to feel light headed and sick.

After walking down the long corridor, she finally reached a large room that had a spiral staircase that led up and down. To the left and right of this staircase were many doors and a hall on each side. "If I am correct, what I need to go is downstairs..."

"I wouldn't go any further if I was you..."