Catastrophe

Lucian never spoke so adult-like ever since we met. I expected him to continuously be infantile, obstinate, and perfunctory. So many things happened that changed him and I was only noticing now.

My instincts caught the movement of fire. I used my body as a shield and absorbed the blaze aimed at Lucian.

"Caleb," Lucian calmly called out. "Are you alright?"

"Bastards!" Crowley snapped, charging at the caster of the fire. The ones who despised the prince had divulged themselves one by one. Their faces were familiar. One of them was even the girl who frequently gave us snacks.

I took in Lucian's expressionless face which wasn't at all expressionless if you get to know him more. His eyes spoke the truth of his emotions. He was drowning from the chaos and death that revolved around him.

"This is nothing to me," I replied with a smile.

He averted his gaze away from me. I tensed up when Lettice finally charged ahead with a sneer on her face. Lucian placed his hand on my chest to which I held.

Will he really handle this on his own?

"Let her," he simply told me.

"No," Fenris and I responded.

Never.

What was he asking from me?

Was he telling me to just look while these people hurt him for no reason?

I caught Lettice's fist then blocked her incoming kick. Ziru shot at anyone who made a move at my mate. When lightning extended towards our destination, I quickly embraced him, letting the electricity sink into my skin.

Lettice continuously landed punch after punch on my body. She was weaker and less agile due to her injuries.

"I told you to let her," Lucian murmured. "Just let her."

I ground my teeth, cradling him even more.

"That's one thing I won't ever obey from you."

"But you are getting hurt because of me," he reasoned.

"That's okay," I assured him. "I take every punch because you're important to me."

I won't let this woman lay another finger on him.

He returned my embrace, resting his head against my chest. Water slammed Lettice out of the way, engulfing her into a watery sphere. He pulled away from me to witness the drownage of the traitor. The leaves threatening above us pierced through the sphere. Bright red blood swirled in the clear water.

Lettice's restlessness became severe agitation. My blood ran cold with what power Lucian could release on a whim. Everyone stood horrified at the view.

When the fire was sent towards our way, Lucian extinguished it with water, and efforts as such were smoked. Ravaging zephyrs tried to lacerate us, but they were instantly tamed into a breeze. Electrical currents that were firm in their direction were effortlessly swayed to shoot at the skies. Once the earth tried to betray us, the cracks daring to become a trap agilely had a change of heart.

The sphere broke down. She was dropped to the ground, soaking in her own blood mixed with the water. She was still alive.

Coughs broke through the silent and petrified environment. Lucian challenged them.

"Every single one of you is doing this for a cause that you think is right and agreeable. I will not sway you to think otherwise, therefore, you may attack me at will. I was not going to fight back and let you have your way with me, however; you involve people who had nothing to do with your ill-will towards me."

She tried to stand up but she could only lift her head up as she retaliated.

"You really don't know what you did. That's beyond insulting, you little brat!"

He spared her a glance.

"I don't remember pretending to be a trusted comrade only to be given a chance to stab someone at the back."

Lettice snorted.

"Look at you trying to protect those worthless friends of yours. You don't even deserve a single scrap of companionship. You don't deserve anyone! Why don't you just die?!"

I didn't know how much I could still bear and hear a piece of shit like her insult Lucian like that. From the looks of it, Lucian didn't even have the slightest clue of what these people were accusing him of.

A swirl of water slid around Lettice's body and completely healed her.

"I don't want to fight in an unfair circumstance," the prince said.

Why did he have to be fair and righteous now? He had cheating tendencies so why didn't that trait emerge this time?

Fenris whimpered. Honestly, I felt like whining and dragging Lucian out of here already.

Lettice was up on her feet. She was dead set on killing him. Her instant recuperation brought back hope to the rebellion she was part of and the fighting resumed.

I noticed that despite her body fully recovered, she was more focused on physical attacks rather than using her mana like before. I took her on which only irked her even further.

"Once I get your stupid guard dog out of the way you're good as dead!" she snapped.

I grinned. We were holding back up until now because we didn't want to accidentally harm our mate. But I can no longer bear hearing them talk crap about him.

We slammed our fist against Lettice's nose, sending her spiraling away. Our body trembled with excitement. Some of Fenris' physical traits merged with mine. Our spine arched with our jaws elongating. Black fur covered the upper part of our body.

Lettice wasn't quick to back down. She met us halfway on our gallop. She leaped, twirling around with her leg extended. Our teeth sank on her leg to toss her away like a sack of feathers.

"Fenris...fetch," my mate commanded.

More adrenaline pumped through our veins as soon as we heard our mate's order. We managed to catch Lettice's ankle right before she could land.

"You dirty mutt!" she snarled.

She yelled profanities as we dragged her back to Lucian.

"You refer to my guard dog in such a rude way. I require you to be kinder," he responded.

He grabbed her neck with narrowed eyes. His hand glowed in a seething bright red-orange color that scalded her skin.

"Putain! (Whore!)" she yelled.

The sounds of the manor crumbling caught all our attention. A high-pitch scream reminded us that something was left unattended. It needed far more attention than the squabble we were having.

Lucian released Lettice who laughed maniacally. The beings inside the mansion disintegrated the things around them. Lettice seemed like she'll have an orgasm from the view.

"They awakened pretty late. How can the scums rise up from the ashes now—"

"Getting rid of you is a start," Lucius cut her off.

A metallic lance stretched out from the forest, piercing into Lettice's stomach. Blood bubbled from her mouth. She reached for the tip of the lance. Her fingertips merely grazed the pointed edge before her entire body had fallen limp.

Lucius came out from the darkness. A cape of electrical currents hailed out from his back. He shocked everyone except Lucian, Crowley, Ziru, and me.

Wait, where did Kox go?

"The situation has worsened. Ikesha, Laeroth, and Garrison are now engaging against number VII," Lucius told us.

He was glaring at the swirl of dark sand lingering at the disintegrated manor.

A continuous shake on the ground transpired. The lance piercing through Lettice withdrew and returned back into his normal hand.

"We should go now. Those things are serious business!" Crowley snarled.

He pointed at the pale creatures sluggishly standing up from the debris.

"They really stink!" Ziru groaned, pinching his nose from the revolting smell.

They reeked of a dark aura. Their skin was pale as the clouds with lines of dark veins branching underneath the cracking paleness. Their eyes showed pure blackness. They no longer represented the people they were once before.

Small particles appeared from behind them. The decay of which they were known for fanned out.

'Droog, they're the ones who killed the pack. We need to get mate out before we lose him too!' he panicked.

The five of us scurried after Lucius hid the other unconscious yet alive ancients underneath the soil. The forest was putrefied. The familiarity of the scent brought back the trauma that we had in the past.

"Head east of here and you'll reach the Black Crystal Mountain. There's a village where you can stay. The villagers may look intimidating but they are decent. Look for a drake named Saber and tell him my name."

"Don't tell me you're going to stay here and fight those things," Crowley queried in worry.

"Big brother, you're not seriously going to head over there? I've seen what they can do and they're really scary!" Ziru exclaimed.

Lucius' expression told everyone that he wasn't playing around.

Lucian refused to obey that easily. "You are not staying here. You are coming with us."

The older brother slipped his hand under Lucian's jaw, smiling tenderly.

"I'll meet you there."

"I can fight with you, you trained me," the younger one replied, grabbing the front of Lucius' shirt.

"I know and you are doing great, chii," Lucius praised.

Aramastus sprouted out of nowhere before bowing.

"Master, XIII is on his way. He has knights behind him," he announced.

"I see..." Lucius calmly acknowledged.

"It's time to go. There's no time," he murmured, leaning his forehead against Lucian's.

My mate's other hand slowly and shakily grabbed his brother's shirt. He stubbornly swayed his head.

"I will not leave. I will stay."

Lucius pursed his lips and hugged him. He planted a kiss on his ear.

"You're overly attached to me tonight, aren't you? This makes me so happy, chii."

Lucian became silent. Lucius and I understood what he was feeling even if he didn't know how to express it properly.

"You're worried about me aren't you? Thank you." Lucius softly spoke. He was pleased with this development judging from his glimmering eyes.

"You told me you'll protect me so I will stay. I refuse to leave," Lucian persisted.

"I know...Gomen (Sorry)," he cooed.

His voice became breathy. He tried to pry Lucian off of him while maintaining a strong composure. He pushed Lucian into my arms, ensuring that he didn't give in to his persistence.

"Protect him in my place."

Lucian kept a strong grasp on his shirt. I tried to pull him away as gently as I could from his brother.

"I will stay with Lucius. I will stay with you," he kept repeating. "I won't leave you. I can fight. I will be useful. I won't become a burden. I won't let myself be taken," he kept persuading.

Lucius looked away, peeling his hands from his shirt.

"Please don't leave me again!" Lucian shouted.

A moment of silence rose right after several hearts stung with that call.

"I am trying. I am doing everything you have told me to do. I did not break any rules, " Lucian told him. "Why are you..." he trailed off.

He hit chest several times with each thump getting stronger.

Though his voice may sound blank, the sincerity in them was filled with sadness. Lucius turned around in shock and smiled painfully.

"Promise me that you won't ever cry when I'm not there to wipe them for you," Lucius spoke. "I want to be there for your first tear. When the time comes, please let me become the one to comfort you."

"I will do that," Lucian swore. "I will wait."

"Very good. Remember that an oath made to someone dear to you is an oath that you should never break," Lucius taught him.

My mate resigned to my hold, slowly backing away.

"Then promise me...Promise me that you'll come back. Promise me," he weakly demanded.

Lucius turned away. I dreaded his reply. When it came to words that were sharper than any blade, even with my body's defensive and adsorption properties, words will still be able to pierce right through Lucian.

"I love you, chii."

I knew why Lucius couldn't make that promise. Promises were made to a person you hold dear to, but you should not make them if you cannot keep them. Lucius must have thought that the situation was too dire for him to make promises he couldn't keep. He didn't want to set a bad example for him. In the end, he was trying to teach Lucian a lesson before they parted.

Crowley let a few seconds passed by before hesitantly saying:

"We should go now. I'm sure they'll catch up, Lord Lucian."

Don't make false reassurance now you stupid monkey.

Lucian's body was an unmovable stone. I saw a drastic change in him that I didn't like one bit.

It felt like... He closed himself off again.

"Let's depart. We are wasting time."

Lucius and Aramastus went back to the source of decomposition. I held Lucian's hand tightly, knowing fully well how it felt for those creatures to take everything from you and how it felt for your own people to condemn you.