The Antagonist's Full Moon

30. Protector

"Aghhhh!!" Dean's screams filled the forest, greeted by Liv's hysterical voice of fear. "Deean!!"

The bear attacked Dean's shoulder. Even though the man was already struggling in pain, the creature did not let go of his bite. Dean could only hold back that the creature's fangs did not stick deeper.

Both of Liv's hands were shaking. Her eyes are full of tears. The girl covered her face, crying, hoping it was just a nightmare. However, the roar of the bear was still heard.

No ... Dean's in pain because of me ... Soon she'll be no more like mom, 'cause I'm ... Can't ... He cannot go ... Can't!

"Liv! Go!!"

"No... no!!"

Suddenly, Liv's mouth and eyes opened wide. The head of the elf girl looked up. Body stiffens. His eyes were emitting a black light. Uncontrollable, a dark mist escapes from Liv's mouth, moving along.

In an instant, the fog wrapped around the body of the bear that attacked Dean. The bear was lifted up, floated in the air in its twists, then slammed many times into the ground. The animal was in pain.

"Liv ...!" Dean doesn't understand what's going on. Quickly he got up and got out. Dean walked limped while holding his shoulder which continued to pour red blood.

When the bear was suffocating and in pain, Liv's dark mist loosened from the creature's body. Then, something beyond reason happened. As the fog did to Liv's late mother, the same thing happened to the bear. Liv's dark mist enters through the bear's oral cavity and sucks up its energy.

"Liv, that's enough!" Dean shouted to the elven girl. The bear that had attacked him was already thin dry, now it was like just a lump of fur attached. His life energy had been drained. His body is stiff. His mouth was open, his eyes were empty.

After the essence of the bear was exhausted, the dark mist crept out of his mouth cavity, then quickly returned to Liv's mouth. The elf girl regained consciousness. His eyes were no longer dark. His body no longer stiffened. At that instant, Liv collapsed to the ground.

"Liv!!" Dean tried to resuscitate the girl. Liv looked breathless. He looked at the human man before him.

"You okay ...?" ask Liv. His gaze was fixed on Dean's injured shoulder.

"I'm fine! Let's get out of here!"

Dean and Liv moved away, running into the woods. Liv leads the way, with a compass in Frode's hand. Dean's blood continued to pour, until his body was limp and finally fell down.

"Deean!!" Liv immediately approached Dean's body.

"It seems ... we've come quite a distance .. ," said Dean.

"Say, what should I do?" liv asked frantically looking at the red blood that kept flowing.

"I have to close my wound first ... ."

"All right! Sit here!"

Dean sits leaning against a tree, while Liv looks around for something in her bag, anything that can be used to stop the flow of blood from Dean's body. The girl took out a water bottle and a white cloth of her dress.

"Help me tore the shirt off my shoulder ...."

"Ah, well," Liv complied, though on one hand she was awkward as well. Liv never touched a man's body.

Liv's coming towards Dean. Slowly, he held Dean's clothes on his shoulders so as not to get too close to the wound. Then, with a slight force in both hands, Liv managed to tear it apart. Seen a row of former teeth of the ferocious horned bear earlier.

Again, Liv shed tears. Dean realized that, then clucked. "From you crying so, it's better to clean my wounds quickly ...,"

"Yes .. You're hurt still got sniffed so ...,"

Holding back a cry, Liv poured her drinking water over Dean's shoulder. The man grimaced in pain, especially when Liv cleaned his wound with the cloth of her dress. Once clean of the dirt, Liv bandages Dean's wound with the cloth of her other dress, which is still dry.

"Your clothes are dirty, huh? Sorry ...," said Dean weakly.

Liv wiped away the tears that were still soaking her cheeks, saying, "Stupid, don't think about it!"

"You got food?" ask Dean. Liv nodded, then pulled out a stockpile of bread and fruits from inside the bag. "You hungry?"

"Is that so?"

Dean nodded. "The basic lessons of my home world." Liv's mouth was round, she just understood. After Dean's wound was wrapped, the two of them went back on their way. Dean's body had yet to fully recover, but he was already strong enough to get back on his feet.

"You sure you don't want to rest more?" ask Liv to worry.

Dean shook his right hand. "no need. I don't want to linger here. We better get out and stay out of the woods. That's much better."

Dean moved a bit of his injured left shoulder. When the pain strikes, the man grimaces, but he is arrested. He had to get used to his new wounds. Liv walked in the back with a worried look. Dean asked her to walk next to him. While walking side by side, Dean picks up the sword from the sheath at Liv's waist.

"Hey, you're, aren't you, still hurt!" liv was surprised.

"The one with the left shoulder hurt, I'm dominant right hand. I can still swing a sword. You won't use it either!" cetus Dean's.

Liv pouting. The man laughed and saw it. "You don't bend it that way. Anyway, you managed to protect me earlier."

"Oh, that was .. Why me?" ask Liv. Both of his hands were raised to the front of his face. Liv looked at her limbs closely.

"It was magic .. that left your mother dead when you were born" Dean said.

Liv's stunned. Then, the girl asked, "Your eyes, if I find a suitable magic energy, I'll suck it?"

"really. All the ferocious animals in this forest are dark elements. Everything matches your power" Dean explained.

Liv scrunched her forehead. "If I can suck magic energy, why do I stay weak?"

"It can be said, the aura in your body has not yet opened. This aura was like a way out for magic energy to turn into power. If it's simplified, you have a lot of magic in place, but it can't be removed because the way out is too narrow" Dean said.

"So, in this abandoned cave in the city of Themaris, which crystal can open the aura?" ask Liv to make sure.

Dean nodded. "Later after your aura is opened, you will be able to release all of your great magic energy and become very strong!"

From a distance, a wolf came running over. Dean prepared to brandish the sword with one hand. Liv returns terrified, but she doesn't try to hide behind Dean's body like before.

"Liv, hide behind me!"

"No, I-I can do it!" Liv opened her mouth, but the black fog did not creep out like before.

The wolf jumped towards Dean. Liv was hysterical. Before Dean could slash the creature's head, Liv's black fog crept out and did something like that to the bear, then sucked her energy. After a minute, Liv regained consciousness.

"Gee, you're finally useful! Turns out your mist comes out when you're scared." Dean mangosteen.

Liv hit the man's chest. "Don't say that!"

Dean laughed and said, "You should be happy. That means, we can get out of here without any more animals attacking!"

"I wish I could ask my black fog to protect both of us, lest I continue to suck the energy of those ferocious beasts!"

A few seconds after Liv said the sentence, the same mist came out from all over Liv's body. This time, not only was the elf girl's body shrouded in black fog, but Dean's body as well.

"This ...?!"

"Your request is granted" said Dean. He was trying to sense the black particles enveloping his body, which came from the girl. His hand reached for the dark empty air before him.

"In the first place, I created this mist to protect and obey your orders, not to make it difficult for you."

***