They say people are nothing but a foolish little creatures. Despite having such powerful forces they tend to still hide in their little den or would make such ridiculous choices leading them only to their demise. Well, at least that's what had been thought to Ezryn since young.
He glimpse at the people cowardly running away from the blast of explosion. Pathetic. Look at those powerful mana wrapping around their core and body, yet here they are nothing put petty little beings running away from a mere explosion.
Ignoring them, ezryn immediately run to Luna who was on the ground wincing as she tries to stood up. Grabbing onto her arm as he help her up supporting her from stumbling. He was quite lucky enough to create a barrier even only on his back after being blown away leaving him unscratched.
While the maiden had visible bruises especially in her upper bare back, her dress was also torn in some parts. The brooch that was pinned onto her hair was there lying onto the ground, the crystal on the middle of it had a slight crack. Although, it was glowing, purple particles oozing out from the tiny crack. Ezryn picked it up using telekinesis.
Inspecting it while floating beside him, he came to a conclusion that it was an artifact. Well, it was nothing special, it was more like a lacrima use for tracking locations of whoever wore it. He also did remember seeing something similar before looping back
'The blue haired boy must've given it to her, she was also wearing it before I looped back.'
Glancing back to Luna's back, his eyes twitch to see the bruises fading rapidly. He then saw Agapius floating in mid air those red eyes and sharp dark pupils looking at him as if he was looking right through his soul, he also noticed the red oval jewel on its forehead. He remembered not seeing that even earlier at the academy. Well, it was a sacred beast after all, it can also maybe manipulate it's own body.
Changing appearance, such as it's color for he knew too well that he had white fur with pink stripes, and yet here it is appearing with a dark coated fur and bloody red eyes.
Looking back to his front, they continued to strode forward to the collapsed building, still supporting Luna as her hand was looped around his neck.
"Luna!" Yelled by a maiden with short fiery red hair.
Ezryn turned to his left, Luna did the same. There he saw three familiar people with worried expression.
Rei, Remus and Shiki, all had visible worry at their faces but sighed in relief as they saw Luna well. Ezryn advanced towards them as he handed Luna to the dark haired boy. After that, the two looked at him baffled, their faces exactly asking on who he is.
It can't be helped for it was only him who knew them. It was a given for him to know then for he's been deliberately watching Luna. Guilty as he is, but he couldn't help but to stalk the maiden. Curiosity made him do it.
A sudden screeching yell interrupted his thoughts as he then abruptly glance at his right, on the farther side of the collapsed hallows there was an unusual silhouette, some of it's edges wiggling as if it was being distorted.
Despite being dark on where the unusual silhouette stand, Ezryn can clearly see the horrifying sight. A living plant which barely took a human's appearance wiggling branches growing on it's body. The roots of its feet seemed to be attached to the ground.
For some reason, his vision got ten times better when the strange marking appear.
Clenching his fist as he grit his teeth, Ezryn glance to the front to see Luna already staring at him with confusion written all over her face but then glance on her right to where he was looking at previously. He could see her squinting her eyes, obviously trying to take notice what what he just saw, but seems like she failed for she then approached him.
"You see something don't you?" Luna asked glancing up at him then to the crumbled blocks. "That silhouette, what is it?" She dictated looking immensely at the still silhouette of a monster.
Suddenly the Beast on Luna's arm hissed as it looked ahead. Luna seemed to have gotten the picture which made her to stagger back and looked at him with baffled expression.
"It's a monster." Ezryn replied anxiously.
***
Luna was startled when Agapius started hissing up ahead. She knew that there was something wrong with that unusual shadow, especially when she saw ezryn's expression awhile ago.
'Why are they here?!' agapius suddenly talked telepathically which made Luna jolt back.
'What do you mean 'they'?' She asked hoping to get a reply from the hissing Deity on her arms.
Without a minute she did got answers from him 'Monsters, they're not supposed to appear this instance, so why?'
It was just a brief answer but Luna already got the picture which made her stagger looking at the shadowy figure, horrified. Monsters, one short word but quite a terrifying creature, moreover as agapius stated they were not supposed to even appear this early.
'Sorry, but I need to check something, you're on your own.' With that, agapius disappeared.
Ah.
Luna heaved a sigh of frustration as she stare at the figure, but to her surprise, it was gone.
Her eyes wander looking for that 'monster' all around the surrounding. Trying to focus on her hearing, hoping to hear it from somewhere.
Although, instead of hearing a sound of a monster she could hear a swishing and branches crawling. Luna felt something crawling right up at her feet, it was looping itself firmly around it.
"Ahhh!" She screamed when someone yanked her with great force, making her stumble to the ground, as she was being pulled, her back and dress scraping onto the dusty floor.
"Luna!"
The three yelled, Remus, Rei and Ezryn rushed towards her as they hold her pulling her away but the vines won't budge. It was a two thick vine looped around her right foot.
Suddenly a blast of wind collapsed with it, they all turn to the side to see Shiki making whirlwind as he was about to aim on the thread.
"You idiot!" Yelled Remus. "What if you missed and blew Luna's feet instead, huh?!"
The blue haired man looked at Remus sharply before deciding to lower his hand as the building whirlwind disappeared. Shiki then clicked his tongue as he approached Luna.
Their situation were as if they are playing tag o war.
Before Shiki could even join the others Rei yelled.
"Shiki, Here!" Rei created an ice dagger, tossing it towards him.
He approached the two thick vine trying to Snap them slicing it with great force.
Luna winced as she felt something puncture her leg. She looked down gritting her teeth, as much as possible she would like to avoid screaming for it may attract more of these unsightly species. There she saw on of the unmoving vine prick right into her skin. Throbbing. Crawling as if it's making its way slowly inside of her skin.
Numb. Her leg was starting to lose it feeling, it was getting numb, but she could still feel it crawling up to her thigh.
"Shiki, hurry up and cut it!" Yelled Remus impatiently.
"I'm trying, damn!" He replied as he aggressively trying to cut the thick vines, but unfortunately it didn't work. There was no slit whatsoever. The dagger became utterly useless.
The numbness had already climbed up till half of Luna's thigh. She could see the long moving bump slowly crawling from her numbing leg. She couldn't feel it, but the pain was prominent.
Shiki gritted his teeth tossing away the ice dagger as he stood up and made a circulating wind as he was about to aim at the thick vine.
However, before he could throw the whirlwind, the vine got covered in fire.
Luna saw that the bump made its way out as she could prominently see the wounded hole that it made as it wiggled out of her skin.
The thing got burned, completely.
"Are you guys alright?" A gravelly voice approached them as soon as the vine became nothing but dark ashes, it was Zachary.
The man crouched down near Luna as he placed his hand on top of the wounded leg of hers as he then started healing it. Once the wound closen up Zachary stood up as he ordered the man he was with to guide the other people to safety.
Despite all of the people being mage, Luna wondered why they seem to be so afraid. They could obviously fight terrifying creatures, but then again, she too thought that- what if they actually never saw one, people probably believed that they're only myths or they're on a safe ground away from monsters habitant.
Luna stayed on the ground, still feeling the stinging pain despite her wound closen up and numbing.
Suddenly, she winced as Luna covered her ears.
"What's wrong?" Ezryn suddenly asked.
Ugh.
Luna felt like her ear are getting Peirce. But, something felt wrong, she looked around her surroundings hands covered her ears.
'C... Can't they hear that annoyingly screeching noise?'
Seems to her that only she was the only unlucky one to hear it. Moreover, the earpiece wasn't helping at all.
Barrier. That's right, she could just make a barrier. There are different types of barrier to make, a plain one that is a common used for shielding solid objects, a plain barrier used for blocking elemental attributes (water, fire, etc.) And the noise cancelling barrier, it can be used in many ways. To cancel noise completely from outside and inside, or just to cancel things at your limit.
Can she do it?
In fact, she never tried to enhance nor even bother to polish her skills that she had learned nor already on her possession. All Luna did for the last week was to gather information and read books related to magic sources. In addition, agapius helped her through every magic attribute classes. She tried to cast but failed many times, she was just lucky enough on the magic screening test.
She was useless and she knew that.
A barrier, but then again. That would just mean she's running away from responsibility. There must be a reason why only she could hear those noise.
'Come.'
Luna jolted up when she heard a voice.
"Don't stand up yet, and-Luna?" Instead of glancing towards Rei who was on her side, she glance back. To the ominous forest.
She furrowed as she kept hearing the voice, it wasn't Agapius at all. It was an orotund ringing voice speaking directly to her mind.
Hesitating whether she should follow and bet her life to go to the forest or ignore it as she would stay and be safe.
...
There was no use on thinking now that she had already decided since the start.
Of course, she chooses the former.
On her feet, Luna started to strode forward ignoring the people calling out to her. She then felt a hand grabbed her arm, she glance back to see Ezryn.
"Are you trying to get yourself killed again?!" He grunted, his grip tightening.
Luna stared at her captured arm then glance back at Ezryn.
"Let go." Luna demanded.
But Ezryn didn't listen. He was stubborn and just stared at those glaring eyes of Luna. They exchanged stares, their eyes fighting silently.
"No."
Rei, Shiki and Remus silently watched the two in the corner. They had no idea why this pink haired man suddenly said Luna would get herself killed...again. Just who was he? He speak as if he knows the future.
"You know what awaits you inside of the forest, have you forgotten?" Remus affirmed.
Ezryn all of a sudden began to feel a menacing pressure in front of him. Luna who has her brows furrowed and nose scrunched, there was as if a shadow hovering on top of her face, she then looked right up at him immensely.
Ezryn felt overwhelmed.
"Let.go.of.me." Luna worded out as she successfully yanked her arm from the loosening tight grip of Ezryn. "You can't speak of a future that had already happened."
With that Luna left, her silhouette completely vanished from the vast darkness of the forest.
Luna continued to run following the voice speaking through her head. She eventually rip the skirt till her knees and took her heels holding them on her hand. Once again, she didn't care whether her feet get bruised. The familiar scene that had happened before was happening again right before her eyes.
She run and run, following the directions given by the mysterious voice, until she reached a part of the forest that had no trees and plants around.
Right at the middle, there appeared a certain woman. Just like agapius she was glowing. Is she...a deity?
She stared at her, inspecting the woman from head to toe. On her side was the same species that attacked the banquet venue, one on each of her side.
The woman smiled as she faced her taking a step forward, Luna didn't dare flinch nor take a step back for she doesn't know what kind danger would this woman do to her. All she know was that she cannot bare for her to be seen as a trembling mess.
Once the woman was just 4 feet away from her she started to speak.
The woman smiled mischievously as she spoke something that made Luna shudder.
"Hello Luna...or do I mean Selected host, Dizian Kyle Fernandez."