...

Moulin felt shocked and anger boil inside him. He clenched his fingers around his sword. Silver eyes flooded with fury and apprehension sweep over the hundreds of black-robed people with poisonous claws. Moulin agilely evaded being scratched on the stomach and he swung his sword to slash the man's face. More blood tainted the snow as he forced himself to keep his guard up as more and more men charged at him. Moulin trudged through the snow and fought his way through.

Suddenly, lightning electrocuted the man who aimed to claw Moulin from behind. Like a chain, the electricity connected to the other men that surrounded Moulin. In less than a second, almost twenty men died on the spot. Their bodies were naked, charred, burnt to a crisp. Moulin recognized the attack and turned his head to find deep golden eyes staring at him.

Moulin witnessed the man brought down his black sword and sliced an enemy into two from the waist. The terrible strength from that one swing was unfathomable. Moulin returned his gaze to the battle before him and noticed from the corner of his eye how Lord Ordan cleaved his way through the sea of opponents towards Hadrian.

Making sure he doesn't let any of his body parts be touched by an opponent, Moulin swiftly beheaded an incoming enemy from his side.

"Ao!"

Moulin's eyes constricted and he spotted two little furballs swiftly scurrying through the mass of legs towards him. His heart thundered. Snow and the wolf pup were running towards him with their tiny legs trudging through the deep snow.

"Snow!" Moulin called as he gnashed his teeth.

At the order, Snow growled as a light flashed. Large jaws mauled on a nearby man and throwing it away. Screams and cries filled the air as large tails with steel-like force swept away the area around the beast, powerfully fragmenting and splitting bones, throwing several opponents a hundred meters back. With a predatory glower and bared teeth, Snow hastily bolted to aid his master.

Moulin stepped back as he noticed the black wolf pup sitting on Snow's back. It was shaking adorably with the same killing instinct as Snow.

A stream of fire burst like a river, curving and swiveling like a snake. A fire-wielding ability, Moulin recognized. His gaze briefly spotted the Lord of Dragor manipulating the fire serpent as it swallowed numerous enemies. Moulin was impressed but it didn't show on his face. There were too many opponents around him and his body was growing weak and numb by the second. Decidedly, he chose to use his ability to launch a widespread attack.

Raising an arm, Moulin winced as be materialized thousands of large needle-like ice. They appeared like sharp massive pillars floating in the sky. They glistened with a deadly glow. Before Moulin could drop it on the black-robed men surrounding them, he witnesses a violent charge of lightning engulfing the thousands of ice-needles. Sparks flew around them as electricity fused inside them.

Moulin watched as Ordan manipulated the serpent to elongate and surround the numerous enemies within the deadly zone under the floating needles. And with Hadrian's signal, Moulin clenched his hand and a rain of electric ice descended on the black-robed men. Stabbing through flesh and plunging deeply on the ground. The sight was horrifying as the men writhed and shook violently as the electricity burn through their skin, blood evaporating. The air rang with agonizing screams and harrowing suffering. The blood flowed endlessly within the fire serpent's circle.

Moulin and the lords were safe on the outside of the fire circle of Lord Ordan's serpent. Moulin's sword plunged into the earth as he kneeled in one knee. His jaw clenched as he felt the numbing pain of his shoulder.

Snow lowered his head towards his master in worry. The little wolf on the fox's large head tilted in distress.

Heavy steps neared, halting beside the kneeling youth. Moulin heard the tearing of fabric as he trained his eyes on the ground. He flinched as Hadrian grabbed his arm and squeeze out the blood from his shoulder. Blood mixed with purplish fluid flowed into the crumpled cloth pressed beneath his wound, catching the poison-filled blood.

Silver eyes shook in pain and irritation as they shifted to stare at the man beside him. "That hurts!"

"The poison can suspend your mana and weaken your body" Hadrian spoke deeply. Moulin shut his mouth as he felt slight anger within the man's tone. Hadrian's expressionless face held something grave and bitter.

"..."

Moulin lowered his head. "I didn't want to leave you behind..."

Hadrian briefly paused before he continued to wrap a clean strip of fabric around Moulin's slender shoulder. "Never do it again..."

Moulin let out a helpless sigh. 'I'd do it a thousand times more even if time would loop'

"Fine..."

As the clouds began to disperse in the sky, what was left of the battle was the sea of scattered black corpses, impaled by the large masses of ice-needles. Not a soul was spared.

Lord Ordan walked towards Hadrian and Moulin with a frown.

"Are you alright?"

Moulin glanced up and nodded. However, Ordan noticed the blood-soaked bandages on Moulin's shoulder. His brows lowered in a frown. The young man's body could not possibly handle such pain unlike Lord Hadrian and him. He looked too vulnerable.

"They have become smarter..." Ordan glanced at the scorched earth where the enemies' corpses laid. "To use strange venom to weaken their enemies..."

Moulin furrowed his eyes. "You speak as if you know what they are..."

"Do you not?"

Moulin shook his head.

"Veialeans..." Hadrian answered as he stood up. The ends of his black furred-cape fell elegantly to the ground. Blood stained his body and his face. His golden eyes narrowed as he stared far beyond the area. The woods.

Moulin's eyes widened. "Impossible. Their appearances don't match those of the people of Veial..."

However, he stopped. There was something that Moulin had found familiar. Their style of fighting, the sharp claw-like nails, those blood-red eyes...

But unlike the Veialeans that attacked the midnight gardens in Faerim city, there weren't black veins marring his faces and bodies... like how the Kron affects the body.

"More are coming..." Ordan gazed at where Lord Hadrian had fixed his eyes. At the woods, miles away from them. He turned to faced Hadrian with a lowered gaze, "I believe I can't aid you enough. I too have been infected with the poison."

Hadrian raised his brows nonchalantly. "So have I. These ingrates have indeed become more intelligent. They used to be like foolish flies... now they have become quite annoying..." His golden eyes glanced at Moulin's wounded shoulder.

Moulin's eyes widened. "You're hurt?"

"Even a scratch on the knee will be able to disrupt your mana," Hadrian replied.

"This poison that they have developed would bring quite a disadvantage to maeruthans..." Ordan spoke with a hint of bitterness. "Nevertheless, we need to find a place of refuge... perhaps after a few minutes, our mana will be depleted..."

Silver eyes narrowed in dread. What were they going to do? They were in the middle of open land. The woods were a few miles away from where they stood. They were exposed and vulnerable.

Snow transformed into his smaller form and both the wolf pup and him snuggled into Moulin's arms. Afraid that the small pup would feel cold in his arms, Moulin took off his cape and wrapped it around the little creatures. Both nestled together like siblings.

Ordan had noticed it at the corner of his eye. The little snow fox that belonged to Lord Hadrian comfortably snuggled in the aphrodite's arms. Confusion etched his solemn expression. When his eyes glanced at the Lord briefly, he realized that Lord Hadrian does not seem to be bothered by it.

"...?"

Hadrian turned around and he unsheathed his sword. As he did, he spoke "I am able to evoke a portal. However, this will be the last time I will be able to use my mana. When the poison sinks deeper in my body, I will not be able to activate my power unless the poison is extracted..."

With the sharp tip of his sword, he drew a large circle in the air before him. Golden threads were drawn from the tips of his sword as it moved. It glowed with rich golden energy. When the golden circle was finished, a white glowing gateway opened within the interior of the circle. The other side of the portal was not visible.

Hadrian released a sigh as he turned to face the two of them. "The portal will last for only half a minute. Both of you can now enter. The portal will only close once I enter it"

Both Moulin and Ordan nodded at him. With the little furballs in his arms, his arms hugged them tighter and his eyes darted at Ordan.

"Let's go..." Ordan led Moulin into the gateway. Once the both of them walked inside, there was a feeling akin to being robbed from air.

Their throat clenched and they hurried to step to the other side of the portal. Moulin's body trembled as his knees almost gave away. His feet stepped on solid ground and cool air caressed his face. There was the essence of the saltwater in the air and the soothing heat of the sun on their faces.

Moulin felt solace wash over him as air entered his lungs. His breaths were rapid and his arms hugged the two little brats in his arms tighter. Silver eyes immediately observed their surroundings. They were standing on a sea cliff. The wide ocean seemed to stretch endlessly before them and the height from where Moulin stood was terrifying. However, the view was magnificent.

Moulin felt his knees weakened. He didn't mind. There was a comfortable sensation of feeling the grassy ground beneath his legs.

However, before his knees could hit the ground, he felt arms circling him, stopping his fall. The touch was warm and gentle. Moulin's face fell.

It wasn't Hadrian.

"Are you alright?" Ordan furrowed his brows as he looked into the frowning expression on the youth's face. "It is the poison?"

Moulin's shocked eyes transformed into fury.

At the same time, the portal closed as its conjurer exited. Boots heavily stepped on the grass and the warm black cape swayed on the man's back.

Moulin heard the faint sound and he immediately stepped away from Ordan's hold. A frosty air surrounded him making the Lord Ordan detect the sudden hostility.

Seeing the scene in front of him, golden eyes narrowed in dangerously.

...

...

1.Veial: Organization. Demon-infected people who are all born with a manic obsession over flesh and blood like a demon.Appearance: Blood-red eyes, visible black veins on every part of the body, & long claw-like nails.