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Their group stopped at one random place which looked nothing special to Aureus. It was just a bunch of trees, like any other trees in this dense forest. There didn\'t even seem to be boulders or a path in this area, only large trees, shrubs and wild grass.

But then, the scenery changed when the elf did something with his hands. There were no trees, and instead, there was a small brick cottage surrounded by a compound wall.

Only after they stepped past that wall did the silver-haired elf let out a sigh of relief.

"Hah...that was dangerous...I haven\'t had that much fun in a long time," the elf muttered under his breath as he turned towards Aureus in surprise. "You\'re still awake? I will give it to you. Your willpower is astounding."

The elf then flicked his hand and brought his two guests to the porch of the cottage.

"They won\'t be able to find you here as long as you keep quiet," the elf informed him.

Despite that reassurance, Aureus didn\'t feel safe. He opened his mouth to say something but he blacked out the next moment.

When Aureus woke up, he found himself inside the cottage. At first, he panicked but when he found Seren still sleeping in his arms, he managed to calm himself down. He didn\'t know how long it had been, but he warily looked around to check if it was a safe place. It was a simple lodging without much furniture or items inside, as if the place had merely been built.

On one side, he saw the silver-haired elf taking something from a shelf. He turned around and saw the golden eyes of an eagle glaring at him.  "Really impressive. It hasn\'t even been half an hour since you passed out. This is a safe place for you. No one can see through this barrier I had set, not even that powerful Black Witch. Rest here till they leave."

Aureus found himself on a bed, and though he wanted to put Seren down, he felt wary to be in the presence of the elf. He was their saviour but...

In the end, he chose to warily watch the silver-haired elf move about while still holding Seren in his arms. She was someone really precious and he could not trust someone else with her.

"Why don\'t you lay on the bed? That will be more comfortable for both of you," the elf suggested.

In response, his bloody wings spread to hide her from his gaze.

The elf only smiled lightly and was about to say something when his expression changed. His pointed ears twitched as he heard noises from beyond the wall. He signalled for Aureus to stay quiet. Several minutes later...

"Is this another false trail?"

"The other trails are false, and this is the last one."

"The blood from that Divine Eagle stopped here."

"Where did they go?"

"We\'re running circles. Perhaps we should spread out."

"Did they teleport away?"

"Incompetent fools! Search the woods once more. If we fail to find them, that witch will make sacrifices out of us."

Only after the elf sensed their footsteps and voices going away did he gesture to Aureus that they could speak again. Still, the young shapeshifter remained silent and on guard, though it looked like he was struggling in great pain.

The elf simply watched him held in his groans, aware that the young man was suffering from internal injuries. Their silence game continued up until Aureus vomited black blood.

The elf sighed. "I\'m not really a kind person but you look really pitiful. Fine, fine, I\'m not that heartless..."

He went towards Aureus and Seren. In reflex, Aureus held Seren closer with his wings tightly wrapped around her to hide her. His heavy-lidded eyes were warning that elf to stay away.

"Is it fun to escape only for you to die?" The elf crossed his arms over his chest. "You are both tainted with black magic. You know what that means? It\'s poison, the most painful kind in existence."

Aureus bit his lip because he could not deny the elf\'s words.

"You need help," the stranger continued. "I shouldn\'t be the one begging you because I am not the one in need of help, but at this rate, your stubbornness will kill not only you but also that woman you are protecting. If you are in pain, can you imagine what it\'s like for someone like her who\'s physically weaker than you? You should feel fortunate she\'s unconscious."

Aureus could feel how Seren\'s body had turned cold, her breathing feeble. At the thought of her dying, he finally let down his guard and looked at the elf for help.

The elf coughed. "You could start by folding away your wings. I know this is pretty much obvious, but if I intended to hurt you, I could have just watched that whole thing as a bystander. I don\'t even need to lift a single finger."

At that, Aureus obediently moved his wings away, and finally, the woman in his arms was visible to the elf. His golden eyes trembled upon seeing her true situation. Seren indeed looked poisoned. Patches of black veins like spreading branches could be seen on her pale skin. The elf crouched beside her and reached out his hand to touch one of the patches before closing his eyes.

A sharp, cutting power came out of the elf\'s body, and this caused Seren to let out a pained cry as blood stained her lips. Aureus was about to attack the elf when--

"If you move, she dies."

Each second felt like years to the young Divine Eagle as he watched Seren vomit black blood like he did.

With his eyes still closed, the elf spoke, "I am sure you noticed, but I am forcing the black magic out of her body by injecting the natural magic of the world inside her. The clash between the opposite attributes must be truly painful, but this is the only way to save her since I am no healer. You should really feel fortunate she\'s unconscious."

With help of his strong powers, the elf got rid of the black magic left inside both of their bodies.

Aureus passed out in the middle of his treatment because even he himself could not withstand the pain, but when he woke up, he realized that he felt much better after the elf got rid of the black magic.

"I guess it\'s nice to be young. You\'re resilient," the silver-haired elf said when he noticed him wake up. After receiving so much help from this stranger, Aureus finally felt it would be fine to trust him.

The elf who was sitting near the fireplace pulled out two tiny bottles and threw them over to him. "Have one for yourself and give the other one to her. They\'re basic elixirs meant for drinking. It won\'t heal your injuries completely, but it will help deal with the damage caused by black magic to both of your bodies."

Aureus accepted them with a grateful look. He looked at Seren\'s veil-covered face and hesitated. He knew that her veil was not meant to be removed. When he reached out without expectations, he realized he could touch the magical fabric so he lifted it just enough for the bottle to reach her lips. Since she was unconscious, he raised her head a little to help her drink that elixir. Only after making sure she drank it all did he have one for himself.

Seeing that, the elf merely raised a brow. After a long bout of silence, he raised his hand and did something with his magic. Beside the bed, a stack of dried grass appeared and a long piece of soft animal hide hanging on the wall flew on its own, spreading itself on that stack of dried grass, turning it into a makeshift bed.

"Don\'t just sit on the bed. Let that female rest comfortably on the bed and you take that one on the floor. Both of you need sleep," the elf said and walked towards the door. "I will keep watching outside. You can leave once the female wakes up."

Aureus did not reply but neither did the elf expect a reply from the stubborn little eagle. As closed the door behind him, he mumbled under his breath, "My little pets, I hope you are fine."

Inside the cottage, Aureus looked at the sleeping arrangement made for them by the elf. The elf was right, he also needed to rest. However, he realized the bed was covered in black blood. After several seconds of hesitation, Aureus shifted towards that makeshift bed with Seren. He lay her on it as he observed her weak and pale-looking face. She looked like all of her energy was drained out.

He searched for something to cover her, but all he saw was the hide folded nearby that seemed to be that elf\'s cloak. It had the elf\'s scent on it and Aureus felt uncomfortable using such an article on her body, but there was little choice. Still, he hesitated. His beast instinct was not approving of it for some reason.

Seeing Seren toss about, seemingly seeking for warmth, he realized he could just wrap his wings around her again, as his soft feathers were warmer and more comfortable than anything else as long as he didn\'t wrap them in divine power.

Aureus didn\'t think much and used that cloak to clean the blood off his wings. He then lay next to Seren as he pulled her in his warm embrace, wrapping his wings around her small body, leaving only her face visible against his chest so she could breathe.

As he closed his eyes with that frail body in his strong arms. He forgot that pain his body was still feeling and a soft smile lingered on the corners of his lips.

"I was able to protect you."

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A/N- The readers who have sent me their addresses, I have sent them the printed copies of the novel a few days back. Once you receive them, kindly let me know. ^_^