|| Chapter 418|| Scurry
|| Chapter 418|| Scurry
The light blue energy wafted from the vibrant ring, trembling with mana, hovering above its runed platform.
Moulin turned his attention away from Erik, who was about to leave. He gazed at the three sentinels who were flinching under Ghana's oppressive scrutiny while they slowly carried the demon's tied-up body towards the open portal. He stared at Nara's body wrapped in a coarse cloth and tied securely with a rope.
The three men talked and argued as they slowly and carefully transferred the demon through the portal.
However, something felt off.
"Are you ready to go?" Ghana approached and placed a hand on Moulin's shoulder. She sensed her friend's sudden uneasiness.
Moulin retracted his gaze from the portal and nodded. "Let's go..."
The unconscious children had been transported through another portal at the front of the house. They needed to be cleansed and examined by healers and physicians for any abnormalities that came from being influenced by dark magic. Moulin made sure every one of them made it through safely. He recalled coaxing Erthyl to sleep before he would be taken away. The fear on the little boy's face broke a part of Moulin. He failed to protect them...
He sighed.
Ghana furrowed her brows and hesitantly patted her friend's back. A sort of comfort. She shared a look with the Grekellian man near them, unsure of what to do. The man only revealed a soft smile.
All of a sudden, a loud noise interrupted them both.
"Did you do something?"
"N-No, I'm not doing anything!"
"What's happening?!"
Suddenly, the three men transporting the demon shouted, drawing attention to the people around them. Moulin and the others warily assessed the situation.
To their surprise, Nara's body within the carrier's arms began shrinking into the cloth. Her weight lightened significantly until they felt they held nothing at all.
Erik hurriedly strode towards the three and hastily removed the cloth from their arms. He shook it twice before clenching his jaw. With dark eyes, he turned to Moulin and Ghana. "She has escaped."
The knowledge rushes up to them as fast as light.
Ghana is red with rage and shouts, "Spread Out!! Find her!"
The men chaotically moved and searched every corner of the courtyard.
"So she still has a bit of a fight in her, it seems. You could have made sure she was completely unconscious, young master." Erik narrowed his eyes.
However, she is weak and powerless. Where could she hide from them?
Moulin sharpened his gaze, "Erik, can you find her?"
"I shall try." He responded.
The Grekellian man closes his eyes, spreading his awareness far and wide. The pointed tips of the grass under them trembled as waves of his mana spread throughout the area in a blink of an eye.
"Where the hell is she?!" Ghana fumed, approaching Moulin and Erik in frustration.
Moulin was about to speak when Erik's eyes finally snapped open. "She's heading to the front of the house."
Instantly, they rushed inside the house, constantly spreading their awareness.
"She's at the entrance!"
"After her! Quick! Do not let her escape!" Ghana ordered.
Confused faces greeted them when they reached the front porch. The men murmured and clamored, uncertain of the situation as their fellow warriors poured around them, searching in haste.
A man shouted when he felt something sweep past his feet. A slithering entity, dark and gaseous, left burns on the surface of his leather boots. He curses briefly before shouting his findings to the other sentinels.
Moulin and Ghana approached only to spot a tiny swift creature scurrying past the feet of many clueless sentinels.
Ghana's pupils constricted. "That rat! Capture it!"
She still has the energy to shapeshift? Moulin gritted his teeth, hastily avoiding the people in his way as he chased the demon. However, she was swift. He watched her cleverly head towards the barrier mechanism that kept the area closed and isolated from outsiders. She wriggled her way inside, and the thought of her damaging the barrier irked him.
Moulin cursed internally. His feet pounded the ground until he finally reached the device.
However, an explosion of mana almost toppled him back. The sentinels are knocked off their feet, shocked and confused. The barrier shattered, and its mana dissipated. The anxiety within the men heightened.
Ghana brought her arms down from her face. Her brows are drawn together, perplexed. "Moulin?"
Moulin relaxed his stance and turned to her, "She broke the core. Close off the area. She'll head towards the nearest neighborhood, and if we don't catch her now, she'll blend with the people, and we'll lose her."
Ghana nodded. The situation actually worsened. If they don't finish this quickly, they will endanger innocents.
People were slowly pouring into the neighborhood streets next to Jagra's home. People left their homes to set up their stalls in the market, children and adults went to do their chores, and more went to work. The streets remained calm despite the change.
"Ah! What is that?" A woman cried out in alarm, lifting her skirt slightly.
The man beside her comforted, "Dear, it's just a rat."
"Make way!"
They were startled when groups of soldiers began chasing the tiny animal that scurried off.
"Clear the streets! Stay in your homes! Shut the doors and windows!"
Surprised, the couple and the other people in the streets quickly hurried back into their homes. They knew how much the authority kept their safety in check.
However, Nara didn't stop. The people stepped back, fearing her large red-blood eyes. She scurried past their legs, climbing up pots and trousers before jumping off and fleeing.
"She's heading for the market." Ghana panted. Cerulean eyes are filled with unrestrained anger.
Within a slightly crowded stall, a child patiently waited in line, clutching a worn-out basket in his arms. He sniffed, wiping the dirt off his cheek with his shoulder. The adults around him were noisy, chattering nonstop.
When his eyes fell on his basket once more, he faced a pair of two large red eyes, unblinkingly staring at him. Its twitching snout moved too close to his nose.
"AAAAHHHHH!!!"
His scream startled the crowd, and almost immediately, many were alerted.
Moulin hastily squeezed through the crowd and froze.
"It's on him!"
"Shoo it off! Scare it!"
"It's not even moving!"
The fat rat was screeching at the little boy's tear-streaked face, staying on his upper chest. He was trembling, lying on the ground in fear.
The sentinels ordered the people to back away, having them wonder why there was such a big fuss over a single rat.
Within the crowd, a curious figure looked over the shoulders of the sentinels blocking her way. Ah? What is all the commotion?
"Nara!" Moulin called with cold eyes.
The rat shrieked at him, baring its teeth, snarling like a rabid animal. Staring at Moulin's cold expression, she stopped. Drowning in boiling resentment, she looked at him in silence.
Moulin realized something was wrong.
A distinct wave of mana wafted from the rat. It rose, growing heavier and heavier. The scent of death creeps closer.
"!!!"
Ghana gasped and whipped her head to the people around her. "Get back!!"
She's going to self-destruct!
Moulin's eyes widened. In a blink of an eye, an ice dagger materialized in his hand. However, hesitation caught him by the reigns. Silver eyes darted between the demon and the terrified little boy on the ground.
Unfortunately, large glowing boils began growing on the rat's skin. The energy within began raging violently as though trying to break through the animal guise.
Moulin focused all his senses on the shuddering demon rat on the little boy's body.
Meanwhile, a pale, slender hand slowly reached out from the crowd.
Whoosh!!
A refreshing wave of mana surrounded the area, followed by the rise of a massive wall of glistening blue energy. It shimmered like glimmering ocean water beneath the bright sun, mesmerizing the countless eyes within the area. The barrier was so strong everyone could feel its momentous aura. Bright and robust, brimming with pure strength.
The barrier, shrinking quickly, enclosed the child and the demon. It went through every person until it would imprison both the child and the demon.
Moulin was startled, but before it could hurt the child, he threw the dagger.
Whoosh!
It cut through the air, piercing the rat's back and plunging its sharp tip into the ground. The child shuddered and hurriedly crawled away in fear. Moulin's silver eyes glowed as he opened and clenched his fist. An icy breath escapes his rosy lips.
There was a flash.
The dagger transformed itself into a coffin of ice, forcibly oppressing the violent mana within. It froze the movement of energy inside the demon, ceasing the detonation and the life it caged within.
What was left was a block of ice, sparkling white, rolling on the ground.
...
Now there was only silence, stretching longer the more the people stared.
Ghana blinked, worriedly glancing between the unique barrier dome and the situation within. Finally, she lets out a breath.
.....
"Take this to the seers. They will know what to do."
The men nodded to their captain nervously, reaching for the crystal demon. Each wore thick leather gloves infused with a protective enchantment, strong enough to resist the violent energy within the crystal ice. The ice imprisoning the demon was too strong and infectious. Once it could touch a person's bare skin, it would latch unto the surface and grow to encase the person in a forbidden block of ice.
The sentinels surrounded the portal to assess the situation. No mistake must be made.
Ghana watched until the transport was successful and witnessed the portal closed.
"Is it done?" She heard a familiar voice speak from behind her.
"It's finished... Finally." She released a sigh of relief.
Moulin nodded with a smile and approached to pat her on the shoulder.
The sentinels carefully purified the area and ensured that no people were hurt. The onlookers peeked at the situation, murmuring to themselves before slowly leaving.
Ghana furrowed her brows when she noticed countless gazes looking at them from afar, hushed in soft gossip. She realized something and whispered to her dear friend.
"Your looks have caught some attention once more."
Moulin blinked, realizing that his hair was exposed to the eyes of the public, glistening like sparkling white snow in a calm, quiet forest. The passerby glanced too long at the flowing strands of silver caught by the shy breeze. However, Moulin wasn't genuinely bothered by the attention.
Ghana laughed, patting Moulin's back too hard before putting an arm around him. "Ah, let them talk all they want. Let's go back and have a nice warm soak. Perhaps, after a nice and friendly spar."
Moulin rolled his eyes, struggling under her hold. "Are you not exhausted?"
"The darkness does not sleep, so a warrior must always be ready for the uncertain!" She announced, obliviously drawing wearied looks from the sentinels under her leadership.
Moulin helplessly sighed. While they were heading to the portal, transporting them to the sentinel's courtyard, a thought entered his mind.
There was a presence, fleeting and familiar. He stopped, glancing behind his shoulder.
A few people turned their gazes away. Warriors and townspeople. However, he couldn't find the person among the crowd.
"..."
.....
Lord Fraunces welcomed his brother in his office with a big tight embrace. Moulin could barely breathe, pressed against his brother's firm chest.
Creak!
Emlen froze the moment he opened the doors with an armful of maps. He stared unblinkingly at the awfully touching sight in front of him.
"Did I miss something?" He scratched his head in doubt. His wavy dark brown hair turned messier as he did.
Maxille cleared his throat and withdrew, resuming his silent and proper character. However, his eyes remained soft and proud as they settled on his youngest brother's embarrassed expression. Moulin's face could not escape Emlen's sharp eyes. A smirk hung on his face as he joined his brothers.
It was when Moulin sank into the warm waters of the baths did he finally caved in exhaustion. Glistening like smooth damp pearls, his naked self basked in the warm lights emitted by the wall lamps. His muscles relaxed within the water, and his skin was cleaned from the grime and sweat. He released a deep exhale, limbs trembling and aching even after Pola's massage. His eyelids were heavy, but he refused to submit to slumber.
Lost in thought, he rested his chin on his folded elbows, leaning on the edge of the stone tub.
'Demons have penetrated Helios's barriers.'
'It is no longer safe here.'
'The darkness is spreading. If it destroys the city, where will we go?'
The anxious voices of the people echoed in his mind. He recalled, fearful faces and trembling shoulders. And somehow, their anguish reminded him of himself, hopeless in the modern world... only he was stupid enough to destroy his own life.
But... he'd grown to love this new life. He had people who cared for him so much. Such a fine and magical world. Now, it was reduced to wastelands infested with horrid creatures feeding on life.
And demons chasing after his soul...
Moulin closed his eyes and buried his face in his arms. Frost formed on the stone edge beneath his skin.
"I'll... never submit..."