Finding You, Again
Again 17 - The Blue Flower

Under the pitch-black tent, there is a row of makeshift beds that now contain rows of bodies that are in various conditions.

Some of them can still groan in pain, but some are just lying still.

On the side closest to the door, Duke was sitting holding Lui's hand.

His knees were agitated and his eyes were staring.

Lui's wounds are pretty deep, but dr. Sidra and had treated him earlier, complete with the usual injections of drugs. According to the doctor, he would wake up at any moment.

His own wound was already wrapped neatly, and he was ready to fight back. The wound healed quite quickly, especially when he was in Lui's magic circle. The magic circle gave her an even faster healing ability, like an Elf.

Duke's eyes stared blankly ahead as his brain was busy thinking about his next strategy. And he hates El's absence at a time like this. Discussing with El, usually makes the problem look easier.

"Hmmmmm---" Lui groaned as she tried to raise her hand.

"Bee? Can you hear me?" Duke shook Lui's healthy shoulder slowly.

"Pace?" whispered Lui.

"Yes-it's me"

"Am I conscious? Why is it all dark?" asked Lui confusedly.

"You're in a special tent for vampires, because it's all dark"

"Oh..." Lui muttered understand.

Lui was placed inside the tent, as the usual tent of the victim was already very full.

Not only Lui, a few werewolves and also a hunter who was severely injured and needed calm were placed on the same tent.

There were not many vampire victims treated there, as a small portion of their remaining troops, did not sustain serious injuries requiring intensive care. Most of them died on the battlefield,

After getting a little used to the darkness, Lui fumbled and finally found the Duke's face.

A face that feels half wet in its touch. Lui's heart shriveled painfully when she realized what caused Duke's tears to drip.

But Lui bit her lips, restraining the emotions. He did not want to add to Duke's grief. Lui shifted and felt a sting from her right shoulder. He forced himself to sit down.

"Don't move much Bee. Your wound is wide enough" Duke stood up and helped him.

After feeling the comfortable sitting position of Lui, the Duke sat back down and placed his head on Lui's lap, seeking comfort.

Spontaneously Lui stroked the Duke's head slowly.

"El?" Lui asked with a little choking, for fear of hearing Duke's reply.

"Live, but critical. He was two beds to your left" said the Duke pointing to the left, forgetting that Lui would not be able to see him.

But Lui still nodded in relief, at least there was still a hint of hope El would live on.

Lui could not imagine how Duke would be, if El and Myra left him together.

"After fighting Linus, apparently El confronted Crispin. Many of his internal organs were destroyed by the blows. Dr. Sidra doesn't know if he'll survive" obviously, Duke unsolicited.

Despite still not knowing who Linus really was, and why it was so important for El to fight with him, Lui decided to ask something else.

He did not want to discuss the possibility that El would not survive.

"Roan?"

"Together with his father's body and his shoulder was broken. But dr. Sidra's been taking care of him, he's gonna be cured"

Lui tightened her jaw, hearing that. He was already quite devastated when he saw Roan's state before he fainted earlier, let alone now.

"Other than I've heard, who's dead?" Lui tightened her hand at the Duke.

Lui decided to listen to everything at once. And accept his sadness at that moment.

"The Alliance forces lost half of their members. And Blackmoon, lost 69 warriors"

Lui's eyes glazed over and her hands moved to close her mouth, to prevent a suction.

He had already seen how things were on the battlefield earlier. But hearing the amount of loss from their side still left him shaken.

"Mom, Uncle Rex, Id, Tita, Dey, Lyla, Ivalio, Quinton, ................."

Lui's tears begin to trickle down hearing Tita and Id, and get louder when she hears Dey's name as well as Lyla's.

He only knew Dey at a glance, but he knew Duke trusted him deeply.

Lui also pictured Mada's toothless smile, as she sprinkled flowers at her wedding yesterday.

How do I tell her that her mother has died?

Duke mentioned the entire name of the deceased Blackmoon warrior, of course most of it was unknown to Lui.

But Lui listened to all those names solemnly. Duke calls them all not so Lui knows, he is paying his last respects and congratulations.

"From another pack, Jacy, Urtzi, Shashi, Magena.." after Magena's name was mentioned, Lui could not hear the rest. The poignant hunjaman distracted him again.

"For Hunter, we lost Abel, Lael and more...."

And that was the cusp of Lui's grief, she grabbed Duke's head and they cried together in the darkness, trying to hold back the sobbing sound from other patients.

It was common for Lui to cry, but Roan and the Duke were formidable individuals. Seeing them wrapped in grief like this made Lui feel twice as sad.

He felt there was no longer any hope for them after this.

"Du-ke!" The call from the bed across from them made Duke aghast and wake up. He doesn't know who's there. From then on his attention was only poured on Lui and sometimes El.

After looking at it more closely, the man wrapped in bandages on most of his body was Oulam. He was sitting next to one of the beds and was holding the hand of the patient lying there.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to bother you. But I want to beg you for something" said Oulam, with a hunting breath.

"Of course!" the Duke replied quickly, while wiping away the remaining tears and tidying himself up. He didn't want to look chaotic in front of anyone other than Lui.

"Can you make sure the vampires' bodies are kept out of the sun? I don't want their bodies to burn when we bring them back later"

The Duke nodded, "Don't worry, it's taken care of"

Omega and also warriors who are still quite healthy who do it. They not only collected the dead from werewolves but also from the vampire and Hunter sides.

For the vampire dead they specifically put it on a closed building, separate from the others.

"Can you be sure---Hazel has been there too? I put the body next to the hill where the witches are"

Oulam did not sob or cry. But his voice was shaking painfully.

"Of course, I'll check it out myself later" Duke said.

"And we are really sorry to hear your lost" he added, in a lower tone.

Oulam only nodded weakly in response.

While Lui was sobbing again, imagining a brief encounter with Hazel yesterday. Their meeting was only a few hours old.

"Duke! I'd like to talk for a minute"

Someone called out to him from the tightly shut door of the tent. The tent has two layers of doors to ensure no sunlight escapes.

"Go!" whispered Lui.

And it turned out that the conversation was not long, only about three minutes Duke returned to Lui. He clasped Lui's hand, then stroked her slowly.

"Dihyan will bury Sorrel in a moment. He wants to know if you can attend" whispered the Duke.

"Here?" Lui's confused, but this is in Alaska. Did Dihyan not want to bring him back to Apolline?

"The funeral is a little different. And he was lazy to explain it to me earlier" said the Duke.

Dihyan simply asked without giving any explanation.

"Of course I want to attend" Lui replied.

"I'll take you out to prepare" said the Duke, lifting his body from the bed.

He paused to look at Oulam, "I'll make sure Hazel's body is evacuated"

"Thank you" Oulam said, nodding slowly.

\~\~\~\~\~\~\~IlI\~\~\~\~\~\~

After tidying up a bit and changing clothes with something more appropriate, Lui with Duke walked towards the beach.

According to Dihyan, Sorrel will be buried near the sea.

The Duke refuses to let Lui walk on her own, even though Lui forces her. Lui's wounds are still vulnerable to open if exposed to shock. The Duke will not let the wound bleed again.

Halfway through the journey, Lui was already feeling grateful that she was not walking alone.

The place Dihyan chose was located on a hill. It was not a difficult thing for the Duke to jump up while carrying Lui. But it would be absolutely impossible for Lui if she wanted to walk herself to the top.

Arriving at the top, they both understood why Dihyan had chosen that place.

From the top of the hill, the scenery that was exposed before them was extremely beautiful.

They could see the vast ocean freely.

And Duke is grateful they agreed to come here. The sight lightened his pulsing head. The cold, fresh sea air cleared his brain almost instantly.

Lui who had already descended from the Duke's sling, was also seen enjoying what she saw. Many times he took a deep breath, and finally tried to smile.

"This place is amazingly beautiful" Lui said.

"Agree" The Duke nodded. "Come"

His hands stretched out with Lui approaching the group on the edge of the hill.

From a distance Lui could see the rabbit-eared Elf woman she knew named Pyre, Faust and also the imperfects, either who came with Dihyan or who was with the Hunters.

When they got to the edge of the hill and saw him, Sorrel looked like he was asleep.

His face was peaceful, and there did not appear to be any injuries. The body floated a few inches above the ground, like a Lui stick that used to float above the lake.

"Is he hurt?" duke asked quietly, trying not to sound disrespectful.

Dihyan.

"Not physically. Grandfather fought the magic generator with revert. He returned the magic to the witch who made it. To do so, requires a sacrifice of his blood. He managed to send the magic back, but had to exchange it for life. Because magic that uses blood is forbidden to pure Elves. "

"But he used my blood" Duke said.

Unknowingly rubbing the hand that used to be deliberately scratched when Sorrel asked for his blood.

"And you saw the consequences, didn't you?" Dihyan pointed at the jet-black stick that stuck next to Sorrel's stiff body.

It was only fitting that Dihyan protested when Sorrel would do it first. The magic he was doing turned out to be extremely dangerous for the Elves.

"But didn't you make Lui's wand out of my blood?"

The Duke recalled the second time Sorrel asked for his blood. And he said it was Dihyan who made the stick.

"But why?" asked Lui, wiping the tears that came down.

He again felt guilty, and honestly the Duke felt it too. He still remembered how Sorrel was so exhausted after performing that magic.

Dihyan was silent for a moment.

"The best answer I can give you is, because it's a choice he's made. Like your mother" Dihyan replied, this time looking at Duke.

"My grandfather was someone who was very observant and meticulous. He may seem relaxed and always spontaneous, but in truth, he always takes into account every step he will take very carefully. He thought of a thousand possible predictions, before finally making a decision."

"So he knew exactly what he was doing. I'm sure he's been thinking about everything that happened to you two years ago since you first met. No need to feel guilty"

"And you don't have to cry Lui. Grandpa has lived long enough. He chose how his life would end. And he wants to end it here. But it would actually be better if he told me earlier"

Dihyan smiled wryly, and Duke understood why. Sorrel's calculating nature is certainly not bad, but sometimes difficult to understand. They always think ahead of others.

"I'll start" Dihyan said, after Lui calmed down again.

Following the others, Duke and Lui slightly retreated. Dihyan took out his white stick.

With a single swing, he formed the most complex magic circle Lui had ever seen. And Lui now understood why Sorrel called the binding magic he had learned in simple words.

The number of symbols in the circle is much more, and layered. Lui could not imagine how long it would take her to learn it.

Sorrel's body slowly floated a little higher before finally sinking into the dazzling light. Lui closed her eyes, unable to bear the light. And then Lui felt her skin warm up.

When she opened her eyes, Lui felt like she was dreaming, because the snowy hill had turned into a flowering hill.

The pile of snow that had covered the surface of the ground, had been replaced with a bud of light green grass

In place of Sorrel's body, now grows a chest-high shrub tree with fresh green leaves scattering red. His blackened wand was nowhere to be seen again.

Like watching the accelerated growth stage video of the plant, Lui saw blue flowers emerge from its shoots.

It didn't take long, the blue flower bloomed perfectly.

Not yet Lui saw it more clearly, the flower began to fall.

But the flower did not fall to the ground. The flower, which numbered around ten, floated for a moment in the air, before finally drifting with a different purpose.

One of them flew towards Lui, who was immediately nervous about not knowing what to do.

Lui tried to catch the blue flower, but it turned out that she could not hold it directly.

The flower was like it was shielded inside an invisible ball of air. And Lui was relieved, because it seemed like she was doing the right thing. Dihyan also held one of the flowers in the ball with both hands.

The rest of the flowers, approaching some imperfect in the group. However Lui noticed there were two flowers flying high in the air before finally disappearing from sight.

With a gesture of his head, Dihyan told Lui to come closer, as did the other flower holders. The eight included Dihyan.

Nervously Lui glanced at the other imperfects, but they looked very calm.

As her gaze returned to Dihyan, Lui again tensed up.

Because now he started doing other magic, and Lui didn't know what it was. So did the other imperfects in that line. They closed their eyes and raised the flower parallel to the face, then a blue magic circle formed under their feet.

The flower, slowly looking like it was being decomposed by air, became a very fine flake, before finally disappearing.

When they all opened their eyes, Lui immediately lowered her head in embarrassment, as she was still holding the flowers in one piece.

"I will help" Dihyan said, as he shifted before him.

And easily, Dihyan brought up the magic circle under Lui's feet, making his mouth agape.

Lui then saw the flower before her begin to disappear.

But he also felt something else. His body was slightly jolted, as an extremely familiar chill permeated his body. It was as cold as when Sorrel took her to move places.

"What was that?" lui asked, after Dihyan opened his eyes again. He looked at his hands which were now starting to warm up.

"When an Elf dies, especially one with a high standing like a grandfather, they will pass magic on to their offspring. Since you're an imperfect, you might not feel anything changing right now, but later on when you'll feel different once you try to cast magic"

Lui looked back at her hand, which now felt ordinary. Then saw Dihyan come back to thank him for his help.

"Oh..."

Lui just realized that the jiaka in Dihyan's head now appeared a horn with a mini size. With a reflex Lui felt her own head.

Dihyan immediately laughed amusedly at Lui's innocence, even the imperfect next to him also smiled.

"You won't grow Lui's horns. This horn is a sign of the leader of the crown-like sanctum. And since grandfather died, I'll take his place" Dihyan explained.

Lui nodded in understanding with a reddened face. He hasn't felt this shy in a long time.

"You see none of them have horns, right? And they're all the same as you, are descendants of grandfathers" Dihyan pointed at the row next to Lui, then the other imperfect troupe that was behind.

Lui suddenly felt awkward. Doesn't that mean he's still a brother to all of them? He did not know what to respond to hearing Dihyan's explanation. Especially when he was conscious, the eyes of those imperfects were all on him.

"But why do only a few people get the flower?" Duke might sound a little presumptuous, but Lui was grateful, because the question distracted the other imperfects from him.

"Because not all of his descendants can use magic like Lui. Not all of the Elf descendants became perfect, some of us were just strange creatures"

This time Faust ahead of Dihyan answered the Duke's question.

Faust was still standing tall, but seeing his slightly lowered posture, it was clear he was also injured. But pretending to be okay.

Her tone is very bitter. Duke remembers Faust saying that he hates Inhumane. That rule also applies to Sorrel apparently.

Was the dissatisfaction of his figure as an imperfect that made him hate inhumane? inner Duke.

"What are you gonna do now?" dihyan asked the Duke, as if he deliberately did not want to discuss Faust's statement any further.

"Of course I'm going after Crispin. He ran towards the sea, didn't he?"

Faust nodded, "The bastard stopped at Fairway Rock. They didn't have much of a choice because the sun was almost up yesterday. Most likely they took refuge in a cave on the island"

Fairway Rock Island is about 30 kilometers from the beach. The island was uninhabited as it consisted only of rocks, and its size was not very large.

The Duke was quite grateful Crispin chose that place to hide, instead of Diomede.

Diomede is also a small island, but there is human life there. It would be a disaster if he could reach the island.

His decision to take refuge in Fairway, also means one. He still has enough vampire troops to keep him alive. It might not be a problem for Crispin to cross during the day, but his army did not.

"We have to finish everything off, before they can leave Fairway Rock"

Duke decided it was the best plan. It would be very difficult to track him if Crispin made it to the Russian mainland.

"How can we get there? Swimming 30km in icy water was a bit impossible for the imperfect" Faust encouraged serious problems.

The werewolves, and the remaining vampires could wade through the icy water 30 km away, but for the imperfect and the hunter it was an impossible task.

Most of the Hunters were clearly human, and to the imperfect, although their fighting abilities were extremely outstanding, but their endurance was almost human-like.

There are some who are immune to cold air like Lui, but most like Faust who still need to wear a thick coat to fight the cold.

And the thing was, the alliance army other than the werewolves who were still in good health, came mostly from the imperfect that had come with Dihyan.

The Duke looked at Dihyan. "Can't you take us there?"

"can't. I alone can go to Blackmoon right now-well--but by bringing in others, I can only close the distance to about 10 km. I brought them here with my grandfather's help yesterday. And to be honest, I was still thinking about how to bring them to Apolline without him, because Pyre was also unable to do so. He's still very young"

Dihyan grumbled in annoyance now.

Pyre, who heard his name, turned his head for a moment, but then looked down, returned to the Sorrel shrub plant which is no longer flowering.

It is fitting that Dihyan is sour, when discussing how Sorrel does not explain much about what he will do.

"I need about 500 more years of training to reach that level" added Dihyan, pointing at the horn which was very small in size, when compared to Sorrel's.

"Are there only three Elves on Apolloine?" The Duke was a little annoyed, as he was actually expecting more help from the Elves.

Of course he was quite happy with the presence of the imperfects, they were very good at fighting, But more Elves would make things easier.

Dihyan smiled again, "Many, but only the three of us are willing to help. The Elves knew about this war, but helping humans was last on their list of priorities. Most Elves considered humans to be cruel lowly creatures"

The Duke fell silent, understanding. The experience with humans must have left a pretty terrible scar on the Elves.He should feel lucky with Sorrel, Dihyan and Pyre.

"They know Cripin is dangerous, but working with Inhumane and humans will never be imagined for them. Elves are ancient creatures with long memories" he added.

Duke rattled his hair in annoyance, he couldn't blame anyone for this.

Man may be foolish for betraying the trust of the Elves, but without that betrayal, werewolves - including himself - would never exist.

"What about running? Can 30 km be covered by imperfect by running?" Lui interrupted the discussion hesitantly.

"On the ice, maybe I can freeze the sea water, so you can run on it" Lui added in a hurry, before anyone said.

"That's actually a good idea" Faust said in astonishment, not expecting Lui to come up with the idea.

"But your speed will still not be the same as other inhumane" Duke refuted Faust's remarks.

"Well, we'd gladly accept a ride from werewolves, like Lui"

Faust smiled in satisfaction, seeing that the bearded Duke did not like to hear his proposal.

Not all werewolves would be willing to give a ride. Lui is a special case because she is his wife, and it is clear that Faust and El are the same.

But the Duke wasn't sure he could persuade the other warriors to do so either. But Lui's idea was too good not to try.

"Frozen the sea water will be a little difficult Lui, because of the waves and its salinity" Dihyan looked towards the sea and thought.

"And I can't help you later. Grandfather's freezing magic did not decline on me nor the other imperfects" Dihyan looked at Lui who was now tightening her jaw.

"I'll try, and I can!" Lui clenched her hands with unanimous determination.

Dihyan smiled at Lui's determination, "Good! the most important requirement of magic is to believe in yourself. I hope that's not going to subside until later"

"No way!!" Lui shakes.

"For the sacrifice of Myra and the others. We have to make it". Lui's eyes rounded in tune with her determination.

Duke knew this was not a good time, but somehow he had the urge to kiss Lui right now.

It wasn't Lui's nature to be fiery and brave like that. Seeing it like that, made the Duke dazzled at once moved.

The Duke looked towards Dihyan, who suddenly looked at him strangely. And something was troubling him.

"Did the horn make you hear other people's thoughts?" tanyanya fierce.

Dihyan chuckled "Not as clear as Grandpa. But your emotions are so strong Duke, I don't even have to try to listen"

"That's enough to make you a bitch" Faust replied in annoyance, retreating regularly away from Dihyan.

"Lui-we'd better get down. There's nothing more we need to do here" The Duke's mood also instantly turned bad.

"Faust, we have to get to Fairway Rock before dusk. I gave it two hours, after which we left" Without waiting for Faust's reply, the Duke turned around and stepped away.

Lui who was still confused by the speed of the atmosphere changed, following Duke after looking down as polite as possible.