"Do you wish to be free from it?"

"Are you an... Oracle?" Was Moulin's first words to the elder naga.

The darkening of his tone could be perceived as he spoke. There was a sliver of suspicion in those striking silver eyes as they laid on the calm figure of the elder female.

The woman smiles when Moulin ignores her question. Her beaded neck made a sound as she shook her head.

"Oracles speak to entities... I am not one. Derived of the will to do so because I treasure my people more than those spirits." She explained. "But I can determine a person who had suffered when I see one..."

"You think I had suffered?" Moulin frowns. "Pain is part of living." He shakes his head as he moved to turn around. "I've had enough of people telling me what I need to foresee in the future and what must be done to save myself..."

He turned his heels and began to take a step away from the naga. It was just some strange person again. Hadrian who held his hand began to follow Moulin silently.

"Your bond is strong."

The naga said. Her voice was raised when they were already a couple of meters away from her. Both of them stopped. Turning around simultaneously. Their heels dug deep into the around. Moulin stares at the woman. Of course, Hadrian and Moulin would be curious about anything that involves the both of them. Moulin slightly tilted his head. His eyes bore deep into the female.

"Your fates are tied together. Even if you are separated by death or by the laws of the heavens, you will come to find each other... "

Moulin stares at her questionably. "Do you think so?"

"Do you doubt it?..." Hadrian said as he shifted his gaze to Moulin.

The youth raised an eyebrow at the man beside him.

A chuckle rang in the air. The wind blew around the elder naga as her laughter faded. "Both of you truly treasure each other..."

"We do..." Hadrian nodded. The solemnity in his eyes was evident as he spoke.

Moulin rubbed the space between his eyebrows and sighs. What the hell is wrong with this man?

"Your devotion to each other will indeed surprise you in the future." Her eyes met Moulin's gaze. "It will save you..."

Save me?

What did she mean by that? Was it was she sees in the future ahead of them? Moulin was plagued by questions even when they finally returned to Hadrian's room. It sounded absurd the more he thought about it. However, at the same time, something warm sparked inside him as the phrase 'love conquers all' enters his mind. Not even the softness of the feather cushions that supported his head could compare to the softness inside his chest.

The moonlight loomed toward's himself as Hadrian's arm kept him close to the man's chest. The treetops kissed the starry skies from where he laid. Warmth filled the place from where his back touched Hadrian's chest as the man whispers to his ear.

"Are you still thinking about it?"

Moulin's eyes turned half-lidded. He nodded with a sigh. The arms around him pulled him even closer and he could feel the warm breath of the man on his hair. It felt ticklish and comforting, knowing that his lover was there for him.

"Rest your mind and sleep..." Hadrian's voice was husky and deep as he spoke. The affection in his tone was boundless. It made Moulin feel safe and cherished. It was so comforting to the point that sleep began to overwhelm him.

"Don't do anything indecent..." Moulin reminded. His voice began to soften. Eyelids slowly closing, the twinkling stars beyond the window were what he saw before slumber took him.

Kissing the top of the slumbering youth's head, a faint smile appeared on Hadrian's calm countenance.

...........

Under the bright day, the lulling clouds filled the bright sky. The wind, warm on one's skin. A feeling of freshness and calmness filled the morning.

The morning dew made the grass glisten and the flower glitter. It was a lovely sight, enough to make two playful little beasts want to play while they tease the children playing with them. Snow and Keir chased each other as the naga younglings giddily chased them with playful smiles. Their slithering frightened the two pups greatly making little brats hastily run as if their lives depended on it.

Taking shade and leaning on a tree was Moulin with a worried gaze. He was staring as Seryu's cousins played with the little pups in the field. He took Snow and Keir with him when Seryu invited him to search for herbs with his cousins. He had the intention to spend time with the little brats only for the children to monopolize Snow and Keir's time.

However, it was a merry sight to witness. The terrified looks of the little pups when they realized that the children were born to be hunters brought a bit of joy to Moulin. They were fast and their alertness was outstanding. The proud pups who thought that they had the upper hand were now filled with shock and panic. It was their fault to choose to play with the children than help to find herbs with him. Moulin almost wanted to laugh.

"They will be okay. Your little beasts are quite intelligent the children would be able to hurt them"

Seryu appeared beside Moulin. Moulin turned his head. On the naga's back was a weaved basket filled with herbs. The basket was securely strapped to his shoulder. There was a bag tied to the makeshift belt made of ropes. It was slightly open revealing a palm-sized white seashell.

Seryu had noticed Moulin's worried look and wanted to comfort the young man who had saved his life.

"I'm more worried about the children. Those little brats are nothing but trouble they could lead the children elsewhere, luring them with their scheming little eyes" Moulin frowned with narrowed eyes.

So he was more worried about those little troublemakers that were his cousins than those cute naive beasts? Seryu thinks his cousins were the scheming ones than that adorable snowy fox and that little back wolf.

Moulin's words weren't the response Seryu was expecting but he only nodded his head in understanding. He shouldn't have brought those kids with him.

"Seryu..." Moulin suddenly calls his name.

The young naga blinked and smiled as he turned to face the beautiful young man. His heart pounded as he did. "Yes?"

"Back in the cliff, when Hadrian had killed the Devil Worm. I seem to recall your people holding.... shells" The youth glanced at Seryu's bag. His gaze was instantly noticed by the young naga and Seryu then understood what Moulin was trying to ask.

"These are mana shells." Seryu took out the seashell from his bag and held it up for Moulin to see. Up close they weren't purely white as Moulin thought they'd be. It had a blend of amaranth in them as if fused with free crystals. "The merfolk tribe traded them to us for beast skins. These shells wield the power to garner energy from the forest. We use them to wield mana and strengthen our tribe."

Moulin stared at the shell in surprise. Merfolk? It was true that the sea was not far from the tribe. It would take a few days to travel by foot but with the naga's speed, perhaps it would only take a day for them to reach the beach. To think that some tribes cooperate well with each other was surprising. Moulin originally thought these tribesmen in Skilis were too prideful to even talk to anyone other than their own kind.

So it was true that only a small percentage of beastmen possessed a mana core. The rest would have to rely on mediums to use mana like other beings who don't wield mana.

Seeing Moulin's curious look. Seryu grinned and began to explain more. "It is particularly useful to transfer mana into objects. The mana we gather from the forest using the shells is adaptable to the species who would manipulate the mana. We, the nagas, can use the mana to control wood, stone, and even move the earth!"

"I see... How intriguing..." Moulin rubbed his chin as Seryu handed him the seashell. It looked exquisite. "Adaptable... Perhaps it aims to determine the inner soul of the person wielding it."

Maybe... That was how when Hadrian held the green glowing spear infused with mana, the energy in it transformed into a perilous shock of electricity. It must have adapted to the aptitude of Hadrian's inner soul...

But then... Why was there the presence of ice? The ice coffin that enveloped the Mother devil worm... Did the mana recognize it from Hadrian's spiritual soul too? Is that possible?

The ice coffin appeared right after the electric shock. The frigid crystal felt familiar. Moulin recalled the feeling of intimacy with the ice before pain overwhelmed him. Moulin furrows his brows.

...

'He looks stunning even when he is being serious.' Seryu thought with a smile as he watched Moulin examine the seashell.

He abruptly straightened up when Moulin groaned in frustration. "...?"

Honestly... Moulin sighed. Everything was confusing him to an imaginable degree. The WHYs and WHATs that he yearned to find the answer to were going to drive him insane...

Boom!

Moulin was startled at the sound of roaring thunders in the sky. The clouds darkened and swarmed the supposedly bright skies. Anyone would find it unusual.

"Children!"

Moulin lifted his gaze to see Seryu beckoning the younglings towards him. Seryu's cousins began to hurry towards him, afraid of the flashing lightning within the dark clouds. Snow and Keir hastily ran towards Moulin. They jumped into the youth's arms when Moulin crouched down to pick them up.

With a suspicious look, the youth stared at the dimming skies. A name entered his thoughts before he could think of anything else.

"Hadrian..."