"It's been so long, Cerebius and Klubius. What a heartwarming reunion!"
This unknown voice which originated from darkness, filled Cerebius with a familiar dread. His laid back demeanor changed into a cautious one. Klubius's initial reaction was bewilderness but it soon turned into uncontrollable fury. It was as if eons of held back rage was erupted, Klubius completely lost himself in anger resulting in emmision of an alarming amount of raw crimson energy. Crimson energy can be both constructive and destructive. If a wielder of crimson energy lets raw crimson energy get out of his or her body due to extreme uncontrolled emotions then it can be fatal for the flora and fauna around it, so it's a common practice among the wielders to keep their emotions in check.
Cerebius watched Klubius's outburst with a mix of concern and familiarity, because he too seethed with inner turmoil. However, his anger was held back by a caution born of fear, a prudent restraint that held his emotions in check. While Klubius's rage knew no bounds, Cerebius's anger simmered beneath the surface, veiled by a calculated wariness. As Cerebius cautiously thought about their options, Klubius gritted his teeth and yelled at the direction from where the voice originated.
"Zarius...you scum...show yourself! You shitty bastard!"
After lingering for some moments Klubius's curses were answered by a sinister laugh which infuriated Klubius more, his body was constantly emitting raw crimson energy which disrupted his own crimson field. Cerebius was standing beside Klubius, engrossed in calculations about all of the possibilities.
'It doesn't seem that Klubius was able to detect Zarius despite his well crafted crimson field, so did Zarius use crimson membrane to avoid being detected by Klubius? Is it Zarius in the first place or someone else?'
Crimson Membrane was a fundamental defense which wielders of crimson energy used to shield themselves. This thin, protective layer of crimson energy safeguarded against raw crimson energy, toxic gases, nuclear radiations, and other hazards that would devastate ordinary humans. It also granted the user stealth within basic level of crimson fields. However, crimson membrane consists of one shortcoming which is that if an individual is using crimson membrane then he or she can't deploy their own crimson field or use any sensory techniques and spells.
Cerebius's chain of thoughts was broken when he noticed that Klubius was about to use a stage two fire element crimson spell. Cerebius shouted abruptly at Klubius, his words full of caution and fear.
"Snap out of it, Klubius! You shouldn't forget that Zarius could kill both of us easily if we act hastily!"
Klubius turned to Cerebius stopping his own spell, his eyes full of hatred, disdain and anger. He gritted his teeth and asked Cerebius with a hint of bitter realisation.
"Then what do we do, master Cerebius? How can I remain calm when he slaughtered our brethren? Do you really believe that remaining calm will make a difference? I ca-"
"You dumbass! I'm not implying to fight by telling you to stay calm. What I mean is that we should calmly think about an escape from here if Zarius attempts to kill us. I'm not going to repeat myself so listen closely. Zarius won't straight up kill us, surely we are an obstacle in his way but I know him since he was a kid. He also desires the same thing as me and can you guess what is it?" Cerebius whispered with a stern expression. Klubius fathomed his master's explanation while profusely sweating, he had calmed down after finding reassurance in his master's words. Klubius contemplated his master's words for a few moments and then came up with a guess. He said tentatively in a low voice
"Information gathering."
Cerebius's mouth curled upwards after hearing his student's guess which was laced in lack of confidence, a hint of joy appeared on Cerebius's countenance. He patted Klubius's back and whispered again after looking around for a few moments.
"That's correct, this is why Zarius won't kill us but if we tell him about everything he wants to know or show no signs of cooperation then it's possible that he would deem us as pure hindrance in his way leading him to kill us. That's why we are going to feed him false information and try our best to obtain information from him."
"Sounds like a plan but what will we do if he tries to kill us? Isn't it possible that he already has the useful information which he needs."
Cerebius opened his mouth to answer Klubius's question but it was interrupted because he noticed that from a few metres behind of Klubius, a greyish figure emerged from darkness. Cerebius immediately recognised it, it was nobody else but Zarius. He was dressed in casual clothes. T-shirt and jeans to be precise. He had blonde hair, crimson red eyes just like Klubius. A pattern of branches originating from a single trunk on his perfectly handsome face. He had sharp vertical eye slits just like all of the Zardens. He was around six and a half feet with a lithe physique. Despite his slender body he didn't look frail at all. His body looked like it had been honed in countless battles. He had a somber expression on his face radiating malevolence. Soon after his emergence from darkness Klubius turned back and saw Zarius staring at him somberly which startled Klubius almost making him fall on the hospital floor. After lingering for some time Zarius took a step forward but as soon as he did Cerebius and Klubius assumed their respective battle stances.
'Who is he?' asked Henry with a hint of curiousity.
After hearing his familiar voice echoing in his head Cerebius spaced out for a few moments and then answered grimly.
'Zarius also known as "The Prince of Calamities". I think his title says everything about him. Well this guy is insanely shrewd, cruel, evil, and deceitful. He doesn't even have an ounce of conscience or kindness. He has the highest kill count and was the second strongest among all of the Zardens. I think this should be enough for a short introduction.'
'It is' Henry said indifferently.
After seeing their caution against him, Zarius didn't budge from his place and stood there without any particular expression on his face. After lingering for a moment, he looked around and then said, his voice sending shivers down in both of his enemies's bodies.
"I must admit, I didn't expect that you would choose Henry Tyson as your vessel, Cerebius."
Cerebius barely regained his composure and answered his intimidating voice in a shaky one.
"I d-didn't expect you to come greet us yourself and in a hospital at that!"
Zarius blinked a couple of times, his daunting cold eyes piercing Cerebius with their gaze. Cerebius and Klubius, both were staring at Zarius without letting their fear consume them or blinking their eyes. Zardens could easily see without blinking their eyes for several months but Zarius was constantly blinking his eyes portraying that he wasn't even of wary of both of them. For him both of them weren't a threat but only a hindrance which he had to get rid of.
"What makes you think that I'm here to greet you, Cerebius?" asked Zarius with his usual cold and low voice.
"Oh, it seems that I was wrong. I must be going senile, haha. Then let me ask what brings you here, Zarius?" asked Cerebius wiping his sweat from his face.
"Don't play dumb with me, Cerebius. You perfectly know why I am here. I'll ask only once, answer my question honestly because you won't like the consequences of my actions if you don't." Zarius warned Cerebius staring into his eyes coldly.
Cerebius nodded slowly trying not to provoke Zarius. Klubius seemed extremely infuriated and scared at the same time, he was trying his best to stay calm but all of his efforts were in vain when Zarius turned his face slightly towards Klubius, he glared at Klubius with a hint of disdain and said
"I'll deal with you later."
Klubius eyes widened but it was difficult to tell whether that was due to anger or horror perhaps it was both but Klubius didn't say anything preferring to remain silent. Zarius turned back towards Cerebius and asked, his voice full of murderous intent.
"Where is Zverius?"
Cerebius saw this coming since the moment he heard Zarius's voice. He knew that Zarius had initiated a reincarnation spell in order to increase his own and his allies's strength and killed all of those whom he deemed as a hindrance. The only one who could stop Zarius was his own elder twin brother, Zverius. Zverius was the first strongest among all of the Zardens, so it was very obvious that only he could stop him and it was for this sole reason that Zarius had ensured that Zverius was dead along with all of his brethren. Cerebius wasn't sure but he had a vague guess about the reincarnation spell. Zverius must have modified the conditions and subjects of reincarnation spell casted by Zarius after the death of all of the Zardens except Zarius. He didn't know what were the modifications and how Zverius did it. Heck, he didn't even know who was the Zarden inside David but he was almost sure that it was Zverius due to some reasons. But there were a good amount of chance that he was wrong and Zverius didn't even reincarnate. Cerebius wanted more time to think but sadly this luxury wasn't available so he had to prepare an answer.
'I actually don't know what to say.'
Cerebius was in a dilemma but soon he came up with an answer. He looked at the staircase leading to upper floors of the hospital and pointed his finger towards it and said nonchalantly
"He's right there!"
Zarius's eyes widened as Cerebius uttered those words with confidence, Zarius immediately looked towards the stairs which bought Cerebius a couple of seconds to put his plan into action. Cerebius grabbed Klubius's shoulder and simultaneously in his free hand a couple of knives which seemed to be made of thunder yet it didn't totally resemble thunder manifested in Cerebius's fists. In the next moment Cerebius threw these knives made up of thunder at Zarius as fast as he could but unfortunately due to the process of reincarnation Cerebius had significantly weakened. However, it was the same for Zarius which was precisely the reason Cerebius had threw those thunder knives at Zarius with the speed of sound. Cerebius didn't expect to inflict a serious damage, his main plan was to buy time in order to escape. Cerebius tightened his grip on Klubius's shoulder which made him groan in pain, Klubius looked at Cerebius in utter confusion but then he realised what was Cerebius planning, it was a plan to run! Without wasting any time two wings which sort of looked like of a dragon came out of both of their backs. Cerebius and Klubius looked at each other and took their first hasty flight after five thousand years.
After sensing those thunder knives being thrown at him, Zarius quickly started to contemplate his options, these thunder knives could be embedded with unknown properties by the caster of them but Zarius's thousands of years of experience wasn't for knot, he exactly knew what he had to use against these knives. Before the knives could touch Zarius, he turned his whole body into mud which nullified all of the effects and damage Cerebius had hoped to deal.
'Shit! Seems like he wasn't totally off guard.' Cerebius thought when he sensed his thunder knives being nullified.
Cerebius and Klubius couldn't muster their courage to look back, they wanted to fly away from Zarius as far away as possible, Cerebius and Klubius were flying away from Zarius towards the right corridor. Since the hospital's main hall was a grand and large one so it wasn't easy to traverse it through quickly even by wings, especially when their flight was so clumsy and shaky.
However as soon as Klubius and Cerebius were about to reach the end of right corridor Zarius obstructed their way by getting in front of the exit of right corridor. The hospital had three entrances which were also used as exits, first one was the main entrance by which David, Dylan and Henry entered, the second and third one was situated at the left and right corridor's end respectively. Cerebius discarded the idea of using left one because of two reasons, the first one was rather simple because Dylan was hiding there. Even though Dylan was a stranger to him but still it was in Cerebius's nature to care for his friend's friends. He hadn't known Henry for a long time but still he had grown rather fond of his vessel and thought of him as a friend. Second reason was that Zarius could use Dylan as a hostage which would throw them into a precarious situation. When Cerebius was walking towards the stretcher he knew that there was someone who was eavesdropping on them but he was sure of one thing which was that if someone was eavesdropping then they couldn't sense Dylan because it's not possible to simultaneously deploy a crimson field and use crimson membrane so it was rather obvious that why Zarius couldn't detect Dylan while trying to avoid by being detected in Klubius's crimson field. So these were the reasons why Cerebius had chosen to escape from right corridor and he also didn't think that they would successfully lose Zarius instead Cerebius was sure that Zarius would catch them but this was what he had planned. Cerebius wanted to take Zarius as much as away from Dylan and David. Since he knew someone was eavesdropping that's why he didn't mention anything about Dylan and David, it was wise to assume that the eavesdropper wasn't aware of David and Dylan's presence.
Now Cerebius's plan had bear fruit, Zarius was standing between them and the exit, glaring at them coldly but suddenly he grinned deviously and burst out laughing. Both of his enemies were bewildered and perplexed due to his sudden change in demeanor but then Cerebius remembered Zarius's old habit of enjoying to face powerful and crafty enemies. After laughing for a while Zarius resumed his composure but continued grinning, then he said, a hint of disappointment and excitement in his low voice.
"I appreciate your futile efforts, Cerebius. But you see...I won't play cheap tricks like taking a hostage if everything is proceeding according to my plan."
Klubius eyes widened more as he realised that they were being toyed with, he gritted his teeth and asked barely controlling his anger.
"What do you mean?"
Zarius's grin disappeared and replied while shrugging lazily
"What? Isn't it obvious? You see... I lured those brats into this hospital just because these sets of events would be likely to happen and I would get a perfect chance to dispose you and Cerebius off!"