Surrounded by different Healers and Alchemist all working with him. Lirius was very occupied when he suddenly heard someone calling for him. He was not in the mood to hear what the soldier was saying until he mentioned a certain topic which caught his attention.
The soldier continued to yell and call out for him, as he tried to inform him of the current situation. "Master, the wolf is back."
However, that news didn't bring such joy to Lirius at all for he only heard the soldier mention the wolf was back, yet its master wasn't with him. He quickly left what he was doing as he hurriedly went with the soldier to the wolf's whereabouts.
Fuji was hesitant as he was growling at the different soldiers who were trying to approach him, until he felt a familiar presence slowly closing in towards him.
When he arrived at the scene, his expression became even colder. As expected, Athena was not with him nor were the arrows tied on its back were still there.
Lirius approached Fuji and looked coldly at him as if he was on the verge of killing him. "Where is she?"
Fuji approached him shakily like a puppy, as he handed the bottle inside his mouth to him. Seeing the empty potion bottle did not please Lirius at all as he suddenly emitted his aura unconsciously. He looked at Fuji as he was about to blast him away, "You stupid wolf!"
'Damn it, Athena, why must you risk everything? You stupid wolf, I wish to burn you right now, but I know you didn't have a choice as well.' He calmed himself down as he continued to glare at the wolf who was trembling on the ground.
It surprised the soldiers to see the Twilight Wolf actually showing such fear in front of the unknown man. He was not the master of the wolf, yet it seems he was able to dominate it as well.
"Master Lirius, what is wrong?" Ignis arrived and asked, as one of the soldiers informed him about the current situation and the fact the wolf was back.
Lirius right away requested, but it sounded more like a demand and said, "I need a horse."
"Of course, you can, but why do you need it?" He curiously asked.
"Hurry, or else she'll be dead before I even arrive." He yelled, with fear and worries all written in his face. He didn't have the time to explain, yet the person/idiot right in front of him still had time to gossip despite how crucial the situation was.
As everyone else felt the cold icy wind emitting from him. They some felt suffocated by his presence and felt drowsy as if they were slightly losing sight of what was happening.
Everyone hurried prepared to depart as Lirius along with Ignis and a group of soldiers departed as they followed Fuji to where it's master's whereabouts.
Ignis watches from a distance as he senses Lirius aura going out of control after seeing the wolf return without its master. He felt that the situation must really be crucial but something suddenly caught his attention.
'I wonder what he meant by "she", could the wolf's master be a girl...'
It didn't take long for them to catch up with the wolf as they soon arrived at the outskirts of a forest. Fuji stopped and started growling which caused everyone to follow him as Lirius got down from his horse as well.
"What's wrong?" He asked as he couldn't sense anything at all.
Yet, Fuji was growling intensely as he was starting to emit such malicious and deadly aura.
Then suddenly...
"It's best if you tell him not to kill us…"
Out of nowhere, a voice spoke which caused all of them to be in high alert. The soldier each got down and prepared themselves to attack. As the owner of the voice finally appeared behind a tree, they all witnessed him carrying an unconscious girl in his arms. Not only that, there was another person walking behind him which shocked all of them, for the two people were someone they were very familiar with.
"Brother."
"Captain."
Ignis got down from his horse and ran towards the man. He held his tears of relief and joy to see his brother again.
"Ignis, you're alright…" Roderic patted him on the shoulder pleased to know he was not hurt. He expected he was also caught by the barbarians, but seeing how unharms and happy his brother was, he knew right away their father must be safe as well.
The two brothers were happily reunited, however, it was soon put on hold when Fuji continued to growl as his aura soon changed making the atmosphere even more eerie and cold.
"What's going on…" Ignis asked.
"It seems the wolf does not like Noct at all," Roderic answered worried that the wolf might kill them seeing his aura was emitting intensely.
"Shut up, Roderic, I should have left you…" He yelled, as he stared at the wolf right in front of him. Yet, saw that it was not backing down and was prepared to kill him at that moment.
"Tell the wolf to calm down…"
"First, hand Tina over..." Lirius looked coldly at the man as he could sense something odd about him as well. He was shocked to know that he did not sense their presence at all which means he must be the reason why he didn't sense them. For him to be able to conceal their presence and aura proves his someone not to be trifled with.
Noct places the girl carefully on the ground and steps aside moving towards Ignis and Roderic. Fuji then moves aside, giving a deadly glare at everyone as he gives Lirius the signal to check on his master whilst he stays and guards them.
Lirius approached the girl who was lifeless already. The man's expression pales as if he is seeing a living ghost in front of him.
"We check, she..."
"Shut up!" Lirius yelled, not allowing Roderic to finish what he was about to say. For them she was dead, but for her she isn't. For the wolf was a proof that there is still hope.
Lirius bit his thumb as he started marking and writing symbols on the girl's forehead. It was the same symbol he did when he created the magic circle which he used to supposedly heal the girl. But, he realized that he did heal her but also did something unexpected.
Noct did not like what he was seeing because it was an art that should not have existed. It was something those with great power can do, which means that the man right in front of him is someone he needed to be careful of. What's worse, if such a method does work and he does get to witness it, it means the girl is someone he must be wary of as well.
It amazed them to see what was happening. A misty white smoke which was the wolf aura started appearing out of him, it soon started to transfer to the girl through Lirius as the vessel. Not a word was spoken as they all patiently and observantly waited for the result.
Lirius continued to whisper the enchantment for the spell as he soon started feeling the girl's pulse and sensing her aura.
Apart from Noct and Roderic, no one knew what exactly was going on. It was the first they were witnessing something so godly magic.
After Lirius finished the enchantment, the girl slowly opened her eyes as she soon realized she was woken from death again. Her eyes were filled with shock as she noticed the familiar face right in front of her. He was delighted to see her finally open her eyes, he took a deep breath.
"Lirius?"
"You're alright now."
Athena started coughing as she took a deep breath and clenched her chest, with tears soon rolling down her face as she recalled the fact she almost died again. She looked up and saw Lirius' expression delight and worried at the same time, she did not hold back and embrace him as tears soon fell down her face as she started crying. All the emotions she was feeling couldn't be expressed at all in words, so all she did was cry all her feelings out. She was in a very cold and dark place a moment ago, and now here she was with the person whom she cared for the most.
"Calm down, your fine now…" Lirius comforted the girl despite deep inside he was furious and wished to yell at her.
Fuji eases himself as he walks towards Athena worried about why she was crying.
"Stop crying, you're making Fuji worried, he might kill the soldier with us..."
Athena calmed herself down as she faced Fuji and grabbed his head. She rubbed the wolf head as she rested her on his and said, "You did well, thank you…"
It not only pleased Lirius to see Athena safe and sound, but also the soldier, Ignis, Roderic as well as Noct. It was indeed a miracle despite what he did was something forbidden.
"We should head back to camp in case there are still barbarians around," Ignis suggested as he got back on his horse.
Lirius agreed to what Ignis suggested as he tried to help the girl up, "Can you walk?"
Athena looked at Lirius with such a painful expression on her face.
"My legs are still numb."
Lirius then placed his arm around her waist as he carried her in his arm. He then placed her on the horse as the both of them headed back to camp riding the same horse.
"Everyone let's head back…" Ignis orders while Noct rides with him.
As the party headed back to the camp, Noct continued to observe and watch the girl.
"Haven't you stared at her for too long, her wolf is staring back at you ready to jump and kill you," Ignis said with a slight intrigued look on his face as he wishes to tease the man, but was frightened of what Lirius might do.
When Noct noticed the wolf was indeed glaring at him, he averted his gaze and looked up at the sky instead as he recalled what happened earlier.
...If I was just a second late, I wonder how the outcome will be? However, who would have thought that my benefactor would be someone whom I'll be interested with. Such beautiful silver-white hair. And, to think she would have been that b*stard meal if I didn't arrive on time.
Hmm, I wonder which nations she comes from. Normally, those with such hair are from the holy nation. Could she be one of the priestesses?