a gorgeous white by Heather_anare

284: Living under the dark waters

"Stay here. I'll be right back." Emlen said as he hurried to fetch something from his saddle.

Moulin's face paled slightly. When the water touched his tongue, it tasted strangely sweet. The thought that his friend made him consume this strange water confused him. Is... Is this really poisoned? Moulin couldn't believe it, but then his mind drifted back to Ghana's words. 'Yet?'

"P=Poisoned?" Jagra's voice suddenly entered thier ears. When Ghana and Moulin turned to look at him, they saw Jagra standing and wearing a deathly pale expression. Droplets of sweat rolled down on his forehead. He raised a hand to cover his mouth as he looked at Ghana.

"Hey... did we just drink poison?" He held his breath in anticipation.

"..." Ghana stared at both of her friends. Resisting the urge to burst out laughing, she took one deep breath before shaking her head. "Don't worry. The water is drinkable. It is pure and completely harmless. It would be best if you only worry about drinking from the pool at night. The moss underwater excretes this strange acid at night. The process is brief, and the substance lasts for a few minutes before disappearing. It helps keep the water clean, but if consumed, it would melt your insides completely. The first person who did this wasn't so lucky."

She scratched the back of her head with a chuckle. Honestly, it is good that they remained cautious. However, they looked quite funny a few seconds before. Ghana bit back a laugh.

Moulin and Jagra sighed in relief. Unable to accept the amused look on Ghana's face, Jagra raised his head with a defiant expression. "You really find this funny, huh?"

"Yes, you looked like you were about to burst out in tears. How adorable." Ghana could no longer resist laughing. Her eyes squinted as she cracked up. Jagra's rebelliousness only made it more amusing. Ah, this really reminded her of their early days in the Leonile guild.

Moulin lowered his head. His lips curved into a smile while he listened to the cheerful banter between his two friends.

Suddenly, they were interrupted by the loud call from none other than Moulin's overprotective elder brother, Emlen. The three stiffened as Lord Emlen began to make his way towards his little brother. He eyed the two people with Moulin, and his stare was enough to make them not interfere. Ghana sighed as she patted Moulin's shoulder.

"Why do we never get to keep you to ourselves?" Ghana complained. It was loud enough for Emlen to hear. The man's cold gaze sliced through Ghana and Jagra's soul.

Jagra raised his brows, "Tend to your brother, Moulin." He said, dragging the female warrior away with him.

"Clearly, it is him always tending to Moulin," Ghana muttered. "Does he think he's so much better than me?"

Jagra rolled his eyes, "Shut up, My Lady."

'My lady,' Ghana shuddered at the sound of it.

"Moulin, focus." Emlen pressed. "This isn't a place to be relaxing and chatting. Everywhere we go is dangerous. Even the calmest places in this land are deemed unsafe. Do you understand? Where have my teachings gone during those past weeks?"

"Still in my head.", Moulin answered with a sigh. He raised his gaze and stared fixedly at his brother's steel-grey eyes. "I understand you're worried, but I won't go to face danger by myself voluntarily. I am aware of where we are and the threats we might encounter."

Moulin raised a hand and gently caressed his brother's worried face. Emlen's hands remained by his sides, unmoving. His eyes are still as they concentrated on Moulin.

"I will be fine. You are here to protect me." Moulin said with a faint smile. His silver eyes swelled with dazzling warmth.

Emlen could not help but feel his cheeks burn. An evident red seemed to paint his skin and the curves of his ears. Chuckling, Moulin walked past Emlen leaving his elder brother to calm himself down under the stares of the people around them. Hopefully, it'll give Moulin some time to look for Hadrian.