CHAPTER 38: WALOXES

"Waloxes... Waloxes..."

Kairi murmured and his heart felt so suffocating. His right hand clutched his chest part of the clothes in a tight grip. Suddenly, he heard something being dragged and opened his closed teary eyes.

He was alarmed to see a wolf was pulling Waloxes body away through its one leg. When the wolf realized he had noticed, its teeth clamped hard on the leg and run away towards the pack.

"Waloxes!" Kairi shouted and chased to get Waloxes' body back.

He could not bear to see Waloxes being devoured by the wolves. However, he was blocked by another wolf that prevented him from approaching their meal. He dodged its attacks while defending himself. He didn't stop until he get Waloxes' body back.

Unfortunately, one of the largest wolves, an alpha to all the wolves there, pounced on his body from behind and bite his left shoulder. Kairi screamed in pain and fell to the ground from its force. The Alpha didn't let go but bite harder when Kairi struggled against him. Kairi felt his shoulder bones almost shattered by the bites.

Even so, his gaze was directed toward the wolves in front of him who were now devouring the body of Waloxes. Tears flowed profusely from his eyes as he watched the wolves pull out Waloxes' bones one by one and devoured its flesh.

"Wa, Waloxes... No, Waloxes..." He said tearfully while his uninjured hand elongated in Waloxes direction.

Soon, the alpha on him let go of his shoulder and left him alone. At this time, Waloxes' body was only left with a few flesh and bones. The thick red liquid flowed from the mouths of the wolves that devoured it.

Kairi slumped his head to the ground. He curled his body and hug himself. He didn't want to move anymore while his body trembled along. His body was in pain but what was more painful was his heart. He wanted to scream again as loud as he could and writhe in agony but he knew his actions would never revive Waloxes or see it alive again.

"I... I'm so weak... I can't even protect its body... I'm useless! If I have to live like this, there's no point in me continuing to live!" He thought angrily at his own weakness.

Suddenly, his own words reminded him of Aries and his friends who were waiting for him in Antonia. He realized they were still alive and also remembered his promise to the old man.

"Is this... A part of the test too...?" His mind slowly woke up.

He groaned after moving his bitten left shoulder and it doesn't seem he can move it. He pressed his left shoulder injury with his right hand to prevent his blood from flowing more. Then, he glare at the wolves that devoured Waloxes.

"If it's true I have power in my body, I have to find a way to use it." He thought and closed his eyes.

He focused on the power inside him. For several days now, he knew there was something embedded deep inside his body but couldn't reach for it. The aura was very strong but always ran away from his reach. This time, he must get a hold of it.

Kairi saw himself in a dark place. Only one light floated in it and has been moving in the dark. He ran towards the light but the light moved away when he approached it. He didn't give up and chased after it. If this was his power, he has to make the light listen to him.

His red eyes turned bright green. Rapidly, his energy increased along with his desire and his speed increased until he was only a few meters away from the light.

"I will not let you run away! I need you to help me and my friends! If you are the power belonging to me, I want to be your master! I don't want to be weak! And, I don't want to lose anyone else anymore! Ah!"

When his distance from the light was no longer far, Kairi jumped into the light and embraced it. Instantly, his dark surroundings turned brighter. Along with the light, something else appeared.

They were stellars' beings, presently in their true physical forms. They were either floating above or below him but all were staring at him. A lot of them have bright colourful attire and some plate of armour with stars symbols on them covers their bodies.

Kairi thought he was seeing an army of beings instead of peaceful like beings.

"WE HAVE HEARD YOUR DESIRES! WE SHALL FOLLOW YOUR WILL, OUR MASTER OF STELLAR!"

They roared together and then lowered their bodies while bowing to him. Kairi who stood paralysed was shocked by their words. He can see these beings have many shapes and forms.

These were the spirits belonging to all the stellar's users. It's just something that was confusing him. There were supposed to be 32 stellars but here in front of him, there were more than that.

What's going on?

He wasn't able to ask because their body suddenly glows brighter, forcing him to close his eyes. When he opened his eyes, he was standing in the cave again. His eyes remained green but his body emitted a white aura with a field of stars surrounding his body. His injuries also healed completely.

While he was glowing, all the wolves stood up in their attacking position because they felt Kairi finally posed a threat to them. Without warning, they simultaneously jumped at him with claws and mouths opened wide to bite him.

Kairi, who felt his body felt powerful, only waved one hand at them. Instantly, all the wolves fell and lay on the ground unmoving. But Kairi didn't really kill them, although a part of him wanted to.

After all, he was still angry at what they had done to Waloxes and himself. Just because he understood their livelihood and pain, he didn't eliminate them.

Apparently, they also want to live and Waloxes body was the same as their routine of eating when a wolf died. He shouldn't blame them for their survival habits. So, he put them to sleep. With this, they don't hurt themselves or hurt him again.

Then, he walked over to the remaining Waloxes carcasses and picked them up one by one. He ignored the distinctive blood smell coming from it. Because of that, his new cleaned hands were stained with blood again. He ignored it too.

He sat down while hugging all the carcases. He rubs it gently before a light comes out of his palms.

"Des Sa Olo Nas Ki Ei... Ruip Ne Ene Gamo Olo Masu Ou Yan Olo Usu Ei. (Oh star, who is my servant... Return the perfect body to the person I chose.)" Kairi said slowly.

Instantly, the carcasses of Waloxes rejoined. The meat and bones that were swallowed by the wolves, came out of their bodies in light bubbles without injuring them. It reunites all the skeletons of Waloxes first.

Once joined, Kairi watches the flesh of Waloxes bones emerge and restores the organs before it becomes Waloxes in its perfect form again. There was no blood tainted Waloxes' fur anymore and this cleanliness was what he wanted for Waloxes.

"Waloxes..." A drop of tear slid to his cheek while he caressed the fur after cleaning it with his power.

He smiled gently before his eyes were blinded by the darkness. He faints due to the dwindling energy and power that he has used. Also, he doesn't realize that his action wasn't just healing Waloxes but reviving it too.

Waloxes' eyes fluttered before it woke up slowly in Kairi's arms. The pupils of the eyes have turned into a gleam of blue colour while the irises have turned golden.

"Kairi, you have passed this test. Let's see how you cope with your training later..."

Waloxes chuckled and uttered the words for the first time since it appeared beside Kairi. Slowly, its body glows and all the wolves inside the cave disappear.

Meanwhile, Waloxes' body grew into a large, stout white wolf with a pair of white wings fluttering behind it. There were beautifully carved symbols on the wings, forehead and body. Dark aquamarine shiny bangles covered its four legs like an accessory.

Also, the adult Waloxes has a golden earring on its left ear and a small same colour ring worn on its tail. It lifted Kairi's body using his power before he moved them out of the cave hole.

While at another place about a few kilometres away from the hole...

"Where exactly are we going, Dark Kurumi?" Dark Hartina asked in exhaustion.

It's been weeks since they left Luguom. And now they were nowhere in a deep forest.

"Why are we in the Bromelin Kingdom for? And this area, isn't it where the Tomb of Spirits resides?"

"Why? You're scared?" Dark Kurumi rolled his eyes at him.

"No... But are you here just for sightseeing or something?"

"Of course. This place is, after all, once a place where our ancestors received their first stellar powers."

"Wait, what?! You! You, do you know something?!"

This was the first time Dark Hartina heard Dark Kurumi saying something about the stellar. Moreover, it was like Dark Kurumi have known something he just found out.

The truth from their emblems already scared him enough, now Dark Kurumi indicated that he might have known it?

How?! When?! Who told him about it?! It was impossible for Dark Revier to tell them the truth so how'd Dark Kurumi know it?

Dark Kurumi stopped his walking and turn over to face Dark Hartina. His eyes glinted in amusement at Dark Hartina's bewildered expression.

"You'll know soon..." He said slowly before he continued to walk.