A Gorgeous White

The men within the fort were fear-stricken. They paled, weapons raised and trembling. More and more ghastly creatures accumulated. Wings flocked, almost in a wriggling mass like a dense swarm of flies surrounding rotting flesh, lured by the rancid smell of decomposing. As if lost in a frenzy, they covered the giant malibreed-like creature protecting the aphrodite within. Harow's arms tore through the mass swarm, making sure that not a scratch would land on the youth. His massiveness was used to scare the irritating things surrounding him. When his long and tremendous arms swung, it appeared as if it was a giant oak truck thrown to scare away a flock of crows in a farmer's field.

Moulin huddled within Harow's circle of protection. His figure contrasted greatly with the mass of flying monsters wrapping his surroundings. There was a distinct beauty from his form, like a drop of ink on water. His slender hand gripped his bow, and his fingers curled around the unbreakable string of transparent ice. A dazzling arrow materialized within the arrow rest, brimming with purity and power. It glowed significantly and caused the surrounding malibreeds to become even more ferocious and bloodthirsty. They clawed on Harow, desperate to even swipe a lick on that untainted person and the surging energy that he held.

Not yet...

Moulin breathed, refusing to be intimidated no matter how deadly his position became the longer he held on. A bony claw managed to scratch his shoulder, but it only tore his clothes. Moulin swallowed. Moulin fueled his weapon with more energy, and when the more malibreeds began circling him, He shouted.

"Harow!"

The giant roared, spreading his arms, and the violent force from his cry pushed the malibreeds away. An explosion of hideous creatures occurred. The monsters shook their heads, minds distorted and ringing with confusion from the piercing noise. The sound waves burrowed not only in their heads but even their exposed fleshy skin leaving them in temporary paralysis.

The surrounding elves and maeruthans, although confused, took the chance to kill them, not wasting any time to deal with the threats when the opportunity was given.

In the exact moment, Moulin rose. He aimed his arrow towards the murky clouds. Silver eyes flashed dangerously, and without another thought, he released.

Whoosh!

The arrow swiftly entered the clouds leaving behind a trail of dusty ice crystals. A few seconds from launching, its arrowhead glowed brightly, releasing a powerful ambiance of pure but useless energy. The malibreeds instantly whipped their heads towards the source of the compelling essence of pure mana and chased after it in a mindless frenzy.

The creatures were like a swarm of moths hastily lured by the white light. Even those that hadn't landed on the fort pursued it. If the fog had cleared, one would have witnessed a mass of flying creatures tailing after the light at high speed.

When the last of the malformed creatures left the area, a heavy silence fell in the air. The crackling fire that had spread was long extinguished. Corpses littered the ground, tainting it with the mixed spill of black and red blood. Severed limbs of monster, maeruthan, and elf were scattered. It was indeed a gruesome sight. Although the elves were prepared, the maeruthans weren't. However, both still experienced heavy losses.

Mana thrived in the air, and an invisible shield, at last, arose. The barrier enclosed the whole island entirely, and a still air settled. The sudden relief failed to comfort the maeruthans and elves.

Panting heavily, Moulin lowered his hand, allowing his sacred bow to dissipate in a flurry of snow. His fingers were trembling. He remained unmoving for a few minutes before he turned and hurried towards Harow.

The beast was kneeling on the ground, panting heavily. Scratches littered his body; however, they weren't deep enough to draw blood. Nevertheless, the giant was exhausted, and he was faintly shaking as low growls escaped his throat.

With gentle hands, Moulin patted Harow's massive bicep, comforting the beast as well as feeling guilty. His light brows are drawn, furrowed in concern as he examines the beast's well-being. In Malyana's eyes, this was the first time someone tried to ease the beast other than herself.

"He'll live." Malyana approached Moulin as she threw the spear on the ground with disgust. However, her words failed to comfort the youth.

Harow transformed back to his snake form, and with his long body, he curled around Moulin's waist, settling on the curve of the aphrodite's elbows. He blinked his eyes as if trying to obtain more pity. Moulin smiled faintly, seeing that this little thing still had the strength to fool him.

Not long after, healers and Elven knights poured into the grounds. They tended to the wounded elves and maeruthans and analyzed the situation. Half of the place was burnt, and many malibreed corpses were scattered in the vicinity. They were surprised, for there were more monstrous corpses than the last attack.

Moulin, with the snake coiled around him, moved towards his comrades. He had torn clothes and faint bruises around his body during the battle, and even if he wasn't affected by it, his fellow maeruthans weren't. They surrounded him in concern, and Moulin kept repeating that he was fine. How was he fine? Before their very eyes, he was swallowed inside of what had appeared like a tornado of monsters! And he dared to say that he was alright? Nevertheless, if it weren't for his actions, perhaps, they would be suffering more than they currently have.

They feared even releasing a faint ambiance of their mana, steeling themselves as they continued to fight despite the worsening situation. However, Moulin didn't even hesitate to activate his ability during the helpless event. His decisiveness and fearlessness saved their lives. Even the elves felt grateful and ashamed of themselves. They had looked down on this group of maeruthans, and now they couldn't help but praise them for their aid.

Especially the aphrodite purifier maeruthan of the group. It was a shock that he came to fight alongside them. They had heard of him when word spread that a maeruthan purifier was present on the island. They thought he was similar to their purifier, which shouldn't step away from the safe zones and should only concentrate on developing their mana as well as cleansing corruption. They should be safeguarded instead of fighting.

However, this aphrodite crushed their assumptions into dust. His bravery and fierceness could rival the most ruthless warriors on the island. Amidst his life-threatening situation, he was patient and determined, confident of the dangerous plan that he had formulated alone. He grasped the fact that his mana was the most attractive thing to the swarm and used it to draw them away. If he had not lured the malibreeds away, more lives would have been lost. With this thought, they sang praises in their heart while they stared at the youth.

Oblivious of their thought, Moulin scanned the area with a tight feeling in his chest. The elves lost ten men, and Moulin and his group lost two. A great number from both sides were heavily injured and were slowly being taken away for treatment. His thoughts wandered to the flying malibreeds from the attack. Where did they come from?

When he lifted his gaze, he could still see faint shadows on the other side of the barrier. Concern arose in his gut. How long will the barrier hold?

"Moulin!."

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a familiar voice. He turned and was faced with Emlen's worried look as he searched the area for his little brother. When he spotted Moulin, he was as fast as lightning, striding towards him.

Moulin tried to appease his elder brother, repeatedly saying he was fine. It turns out that Emlen and the other half of their group were on the other side of the island tree, and they experienced the swarm's attack grievously. Hearing that Hadrian was with him, Moulin turned his head to search his surroundings.

The familiar tug in the bond made Moulin stop, and before he knew it, his eyes spotted Hadrian, who had emerged from the arched entrance of the grounds. There were a couple of elves following him as well as his comrades.

"Are you alright?" Hadrian asked him when he reached the youth. His golden pupils found the tears of his clothes as well as the purplish bruising within them.

Moulin quickly interrupted his thoughts, "I'm fine. But the others..."

Lord Hercullio's eyes softened, and he nodded, "You did your best."

Moulin gave him a sullen look. Time couldn't be reversed. Many lives were lost and perhaps more in the future. They would only have to prepare themselves and persist if they wanted to survive.

Not long after, the maeruthans were led out of the area to rest. They were a great aid to the invasion, and elves were grateful for their actions. However, Moulin and the others were still confused. How come the elves looked as if they were already used to the attack?

Moulin was lost in his thought as he settled on the chair in his room while the healers applied their miracle salves on his arms and legs to heal the bruises quickly. Nobody could overlook the fact that he was still a purifier, so he had to be treated well. Without caring about others' thoughts, his eyes stared intently at the dark skies.

Not long after, Hadrian entered the room after the healer left. He gazed at the youth who was silently staring at the terrace. "Are you feeling better?"

Moulin snorted with a frown, "Am I really so delicate and fragile?"

"No, you are brave and fierce..." Hadrian chuckled with a deep gaze as he made his way towards Moulin. His footsteps sounded clear within the expansive room.

"I heard about your actions today."

Moulin furrowed his brows, and he turned to the tall man. His solemn features were laced with coldness. However, only Moulin knew of the hidden emotions inside the man. He felt guilt sinking in his chest. Hadrian must have been so worried.

"I won't do it again," Moulin said as he faced the Hercullian Lord.

Hadrian stared at him silently. The suffocating tightness inside him dissipated when he met Moulin's eyes. A sigh escaped him, and he reached out to caress the young man's soft cheek. The magnetic golden irises in his eyes held Moulin fondly. He softened his voice as he spoke. "You did well today. I don't want to keep you from doing what you must as long as you come back to me safely. I trust you."

Moulin drew his brows together, and he nodded, "Alright."

Hadrian smiled, and he leaned down to plant a kiss on the young man's clean forward. Moulin smiled faintly, relishing the touch. The two silently held each other despite the dimness in the room.

Suddenly, both of them stopped.

In the next second, the doors opened with a creak, and a slender figure emerged. She was tall, and her movements were graceful as she stepped inside the room. A bird's cry rang from the terrace. The Aezelian bird perched on the railings, tilting its head curiously.

The moment her eyes landed on the two people, especially the young man with vibrant silver eyes, she froze, and her heart pounded fiercely.

"Young Master... is truly alive..."