Lost

"Dreigh!" a chorus broke through the darkness. A look of horror appeared on all of their faces as a puddle of blood formed on the ground. A black bandage pierced through Dreigh's back and the miasma had rapidly entered the wound and infected his body.

His body slowly became numb and he coughed out a lot of blood mixed with something black staining the bandage dark red. Around Dreigh was a light barrier and in front of him was the child who stood with wide eyes at how the events turned out. Karina and Arthur immediately cut the bandage and freed Dreigh from its clutches. Before he could fall to the ground Endo moved and caught him.

"Vira!" he called which spur their healer to action. He did not think twice and used the highest healing spell he knew and casted it on Dreigh but the poison created by the miasma was still spreading and he can't fully heal the wound.

"I'll handle the corpse, you help them." Arthur created another wind whip on his left hand and wielded it to show that he can handle the corpse.

Karina moved to help Vira and kneeled on the ground. A magic circle appeared beneath Dreigh while water spirits were dancing around him. A hum in air generated a blue light from the magic circle which entered Dreigh's body and slowed the spreading of the poison but she can't also fully heal the wound because of the infection.

"His heart beat is slowing down, aren't there anything you could do?" Rond asked in concern as he held Dreigh's wrist to check his pulse. He could also feel that Dreigh's body had started to slowly cool down.

"I've slowed the poison but his body had been damaged heavily. He might die," Karina truthfully answered. She won't give them false hope in this situation.

"I can help him," the keeper child stood beside them with a serious look on his face. He also knelt down and put his hands above Dreigh. He saw that a bandage was able to once again attack the other remnants and without second thoughts, he moved to protect them but at the last minute the bandage suddenly targeted Dreigh. He was ready to let his corporeal body shield Dreigh but their places were easily change by Dreigh's abrupt maneuver of moving his body to shield the child from the attack. "After I do this, you will never see me again so please give my thanks to the werewolves for their care." The sadness on his voice had caused the people around to be affected.

"What will you do?" Karina asked in a strained voice because of a vague feeling she had. This child had looked like her master in many aspects and it pains her to hear him say those words. It was like he was bidding them goodbye.

"I've told you before, I am him and he is me. If I give him my life essence, he could be saved and my affinity would help him expel the darkness that had invaded his body." He smiled as he explained, the light around him became brighter and it expanded expelling the darkness that had surrounded them. There he saw the werewolves looking at him with sad eyes. He gave them a warm smile as the light exploded into tiny light balls that fell onto the ground.

They saw that Dreigh's body slowly recovered and the poison that had merged with his blood was expelled. The keeper disappeared and they were not sure if they could see him again now that he had given his life essence.

Arthur took this opportunity to summon the largest tornado he could and let it engulf the corpse. He added dense magic circle on its surface to increase its attacking power and to make sure that the corpse will not be able to escape. Upon activation, the magic circles glowed bright green and created the sharpest wind gales his spirits were capable of creating. These wind gales accurately landed on the corpse and destroying all the remaining bandages on its body.

After the tornado was gone, the corpse's real body was revealed. The flesh was rotting and the corpse fell to the ground in a pile. It wasn't able to stand up and fight again. The torn bandages that had remained were also crushed by Karina's ice shards that fell from the sky. Karina created magic circle in sync with Arthur's attack after they had made sure that Dreigh was alright. The matter was concluded and even the shadows retreated to a safe distance.

After collapsed to the ground after he was sure that no enemies will once again attack. Creating that tornado and adding a large amount of wind gales to it had consumed a lot of his internal energy.

A black object was slithering through the rough ground as it escaped from Karina and Arthur's combined attack. The black bandage was able to run before the ice shards had been formed. It needed to report to its master on what had happened. The bandage that had gained sentience reached an area beside a wide river.

It made its way to a man who was currently on the water and taking a bath. It stopped on the bank and waited for its master to call it. The man on the water felt that his creation had come so he extended his arm on the bandage's direction. The bandage coiled around the man's arm until it found a comfortable place on his neck.

The man who had a black long hair patiently listened to the little one on his neck and once in a while nodded his head. A small smile appeared on his face, "our plan had failed but at least we had confirmed one thing, this is already a good start. A few more steps and he'll come to us." He spoke with a silky voice to the air and a woman with blonde hair and dark eyes materialized.

"I have been waiting for this moment," she smiled but she couldn't help herself from giving out a loud laugh. They had worked for many years to find the right person and now that they had found him, their plan could already be set into motion. "But isn't that small spirit going to be a hindrance to our plans?" she added after some thought.

"No need to worry about that little spirit. After the transferring of life essence, he would be too weak to do anything and by the time he could wake up it would be too late for him." The man waded towards the bank where his clothes were placed and he slowly immerged from the water. The white undergarment he wore was clinging to his body but the woman did not avert her eyes.

"I like this form of yours, it suits you well." The woman can't help but compliment with sultry voice as she approached the man.

But the man stayed unmoved and let his clothing float in the air and to his body, "this is not the time for you to flirt."

The woman pouted and crossed her arms on her chest and glared at the man. "You don't have to remind me."

"How about the other matter I instructed you to do?" the man shifted the topic.

"Done," she shortly answered as another smile bloomed on her face. The man watched as the woman's bad mood was easy to appease.

"Good, I'm looking forward to the result of it Valkyrie," the man turned around and disappeared into thin air without waiting for the woman's answer.

"I can't believe he left me again," Valkyrie could only sigh at his partner's personality. She shrugged and also left the place. She would focus on the plan instead and create some mischief on the side.

----

The group returned to the hidden village of the werewolves. The leader lead them to the hut they stayed the previous night and let them settle first before he began to speak.

"The keeper, will he be able to return?" he hesitated a bit before he could finally ask the question. The smile the keeper had given them had made them happy and at the same time sad.

"We don't know," Karina shook her head. "He gave his life essence to Dreigh and we don't know what had happened to him after the transfer was done."

The leader remained silent and so the people inside the hut. No one was willing to talk. The events had left them with confusion and some heartache.

"A barrier was again erected around the Forest of Phantasm after the keeper disappeared," the leader once again spoke and he didn't know why he had informed them of this information. He was looking for confirmation or assurance or any kind of hope that they could cling unto now that the keeper was gone.

"Maybe, it is his will to protect you. You don't have to doubt or second guess the care he had shown you." Karina's words deeply touched the leader and the sadness that had burdened him at the sudden disappearance of the keeper was lifted.