As if summoning flames tainted by evil and sin, dark flames materialized from thin air almost immediately after Ramius had finished his incantation.
The flames stretched wide like a blazing inferno, only that this violent fire did not burn anything.
'What is this strange feeling of warmth I'm feeling from the fire?' The caster thought as he stared at how the dark flames surged forth, engulfing Aeloria in a sinful embrace.
"This feeling, it's as if I'm in my mother's bosom once again." The merchant whispered, drawing the attention of Zilel who turned to look at him.
'He's not wrong, the moment the black flames appeared, it felt as though all my troubles and sorrow faded into nothingness. Like the care and love a mother gives her child. Is this the fire created by the Queen of Runevale? Creations are supposed to reflect personalities or feelings of the creator, but there's no way this is how she feels. Everything I've heard suggests otherwise.' Zilel thought, watching Ramius stretch out his arms, controlling the flames with practiced ease.
The dark fire mirrored the movements of his arms. It moved left when he waved to his side, and moved right when he waved to the opposite side. It followed the same motion up, then down and finally, it spiraled around Aeloria.
Within a few heartbeats, Aeloria's entire body was covered in a cloak of black flames.
All eyes were glued to the flames like moths as they watched it blend with the orange and red flames before finally turning dark again as though it just devoured the burning hell fire.
Clasping his palms together, Ramius thenstretched them open violently in one motion, ripping apart the air.
Following his movements, the flames parted, then dissipated, revealing the maiden hidden within.
Before the last remnants of the fire could fizzle out completely, Ramius dashed forward, taking off his cloak and wrapping it around the bare maiden in the same motion.
When the last flame burned out, Aeloria was partially covered in the blue cloak of the blonde haired man.
Most of the parts of her body were black, a result of the damage dealt by the hell flame. Her crimson eyes now bled into purple, the white gelatinous smoke fading with the change in her eye color.
"Th…ank y… you." With her throat now partially healed and the eternal burns undone, the words that came out of her mouth were barely audible.
Without wasting any more time, Ramius walked towards Hanon.
He turned to look at the caster while simultaneously taking steady strides towards the Protector.
"Give them the antidote," Ramius said, now standing directly above the unconscious Hanon.
"I don't know what you're trying to do, but it would be different from before. You cannot force the dark liquid out of him, if you do, he'll die." The caster fed Krazel a green pill as he spoke.
The merchant was reluctant to accept, but with Ramius present, he gave him the benefit of the doubt. There wasn't much he could do anyway, even if he wanted to refuse.
"Wh… what do you me…an?" Aeloria was the one to ask this time, taking closer steps towards Ramius and the Protector.
Ramius was about to use the cursed tongue to extract the liquid, however, on hearing the caster speak, he halted his movements.
"Bloon. That is the name of the liquid he was fed. It is made from a condensed poison from more than three of the most deadliest vipers. Three rib bones of a living old person, preferably a male, two pairs of a virgin maiden eyeballs, the blood of a mountain cat, and lastly, the heart of a female Thornsleeper. When all those ingredients are gathered, the most that can be prepared are eight drops of Bloon." The caster explained taking a step towards Zilel as he fed the man the same green pill.
"I understand that your kind are inhumane fiends, but what does that have to do with me extracting the liquid?" Ramius was a little agitated about how he described the cruel ingredients so casually like an Oakliner would describe his herbs.
"The purpose of Bloon is to kill a protector. Once ingested, it dissolves the direct pathway of the ingester, be it a Thornsleeper or a Protector. However, it is harmless to any other person since they don't have a pathway. Pathways are like the essence and living breath of a Thornsleeper, the same could be said about a Protector. To forcefully dissolve a person's pathway is akin to dissolving their very souls. As of now, his pathway has already been infected. To put it in a simpler wording, if you force out the liquid, you risk damaging his soul directly, which would most likely result in his death." When he finished speaking, he was now standing by Migard.
"Is… is there really no cure." Aeloria's voice was a little better than before, but now, it was filled with worry for her companion.
"Bloon was made to be a guaranteed kill once ingested, due to the difficulty in its creation. As of this moment, there is no cure. Tomorrow by this moment, his entire pathway would've been infected. He has at most five more days would be a different way to put it."
"What about the Queen of Runevale? I'm sure she can do something about it." Zilel said, stretching his limbs to get rid of the numbness. 'It seems I can only move my hands for now. Don't tell me I'll have to spend the entire day like this.'
"If it's Lady Nyxelene, then there's nothing she can't do." Migard recalled how he had nearly died after trying to assassinate the Queen. He had felt her terrifying power first hand.
"But it does not mean she'll be willing to help a stranger. Our Queen isn't overly generous after all."
"I've heard of the rumors, but I doubt even she could undo something like this. Nonetheless, she might be the only one who even has a chance." The Caster spoke with the same nonchalant tone.
"For a hostage, why are you overly cooperative?" Ramius could no longer contain his curiosity and ended up asking.
"You could say I know when to move and when to stay still. Even with my viper abilities, I doubt I could escape from you, so why would I resist?" The caster explained, his expression unchanging.
"We have to go now." Unable to bear the petty chatter of the men while her companion's life remained in danger, Aeloria spoke.
'I wanted to take them back to the inn to have their injuries treated, but seeing the look in her eyes, I doubt she'll agree.'
"Then you'll have to go with him alone. Krazel, Zilel, Migard and the fiend are all coming with me back to the inn. Traveling to Runevale will take at least three days, and none of them are in any shape to make that journey. I also cannot assist since I left someone behind." Ramius spoke in a calm logical tone.
"I'll go bring two horses then. I'm coming with you." Migard was already stretching his limbs as he spoke.
'We took the same green pill, what's more, I was fed before him, so how is he already standing when I can only move my arms?' Zilel watched Migard in wonder.
"Does that mean you'll accompany her?" The merchant asked as he turned his head slightly towards Migard.
"Well of course." Migard said in a serious tone.
"I see. Well I'm glad, he risked his life to help me, yet there's nothing I can do for him when his life is now in danger. I'm glad I did not lose my life, but I don't feel good about this entire situation." Krazel spoke in a low tone, his eyes unconsciously shifting towards Hanon.
"Lord Ramius, can I borrow your horse? Migard can follow after." Aeloria could not hide the urgency in her voice. The life of the man who had helped her was now in serious danger.
This was the same man who nursed her back to good health, fed her, bathed her in her dire hours, and she had yet to do a single thing to thank him. She would now repay the pure kindness he showed her.
'If something we're to happen to her on her way back to the kingdom, the potato would never forgive me. But the situation is out of my control.'
"Very well, there's no helping it then." Ramius said as he helped lift the Protector onto the horse on which Aeloria already sat.
"I'll follow shortly after, make sure to stay on corse." Migard made his way down the hill towards the town as Aeloria reined in, ready to depart.
"You were ambushed by an unknown enemy, and after recovering, you wondered if there might have been a spy. To confirm this, you chose not to return and decided to investigate further. But now, the life of the man who helped the Head Captain is in danger." Ramius spoke as though reciting a poem.
"I don't know what you mean, could you please elaborate?" Aeloria looked at the blonde haired man questionably, however, the man only smiled.
"You don't have time, you should get going." Ramius replied, dodging the question.
"I'll visit as soon as I get better." Krazel shaouted after them. Aeloria turned slightly and nodded towards the merchant.
"How long until they recover?" Ramius turned to the caster and asked after Aeloria had descended the slope towards the other side.
"Not long, they should be able to move any moment from now."
The blonde haired man walked towards the caster and stopped a single pace away. He then drew his sword, taking off the glove on his right hand as he cut his thumb lightly.
Using the thin blood that oozed out, he marked a reversed cross on the casters forehead, speaking the cursed tongue in the process.
"Miÿon älô mëv, vël näl ŕäš vëló,
Žhënën thrī väzha, žhën näl ŕäš zëló.
Ŕëvë žhïr zhëvë, vël näl ŕäš väža žhïn žhäl zhëvë,
Ŕëzha žhïn ŕëvë, ŕäš ŕëlō zhël zhëvë.
Drüzha žhëvë žhïnë vąr, näl ŕäš lölžha.
Moräth Šëlvën: Drüzha Žhïnë Žhürō."
("Man shall move, but only by my will,
A destiny's path, paved by my hand.
A yearn for freedom, yet only my words you shall heed and fulfill,
Resistant is futile, you'll soon understand.
Bond of crimson thicker than water, your only destination.
Primal Genesis: Blood Slave Domination")
After saying those words, the blood on the caster's forehead disappeared, replaced by dark markings.
"With this, everything you'll do will be by my will alone…" Just as he spoke those words, the backlash of the cursed tongue used to heal Aeloria hit.
Since he used thirty nine syllables of Šërēlįth, now the blonde haired man was in an agonizing pain of being burned by the flames of hell twenty folds over.
"Aeloria, just what kind of monster are you? How were you able to remain calm in this much pain." His face turn red from holding back a terrifying shriek.