With the death of Nidhogg unnatural darkness that had been plaguing the area slowly disappeared and was replaced by natural darkness. Because of that reason, Elandris could see the figure slowly approaching them. He bit his lips as he recognized him. He looked different than he remembered. His golden hair was ashen now as if a great fire was burnt then left to fade away. His white porcelain skin has greyed and had cracks. His green eyes were now as fiery as a volcano.


    “Long time no see.”


    He mockingly greeted the group. Methild ignored him as she kneeled beside Poyraz to heal him. Lily looked down at Poyraz with unblinking eyes as still as a statue his mind undoubtedly racing with thoughts of how to protect their fallen comrade. G?kb?rü growled at the attacker, his floppy ears perked up against the danger.


    “Why… Why are you here?”


    Words left Elandris’s mouth with great difficulty as he stared down at him. Unlike the previous Fallen they had met, he knew this one. Fallen’s mouth curled up to a cruel smile.


    “Here to take what’s mine, of course.”


    Elandris gulped. He pulled an arrow from his quiver with a single, fluid motion and aimed it toward the Fallen.


    “You monster. How many of our kind have you eaten?”


    Cyclara who was hovering beside Elandris asked with a stern expression on her face. Fallen shrugged nonchalantly.


    “I didn’t count.”


    His uncaring answer only angered Cyclara more. Reaching forward with her arms, she released a gust of wind towards the Fallen. Wind took dust and parts of the ground with it as it moved towards Fallen yet he extended his arm with a smug smirk on his face. The wind faded as if it never existed in the first place. The expression on Cyclara’s face turned into shock from anger. Nereida hid behind Elandris.


    “What? Is it too surprising that someone you rejected is this strong now? Oh, it is too early to regret it now. When I tear into your very essence you will really regret not contracting with me!”


    He swiped his hand in the air, causing a wave of wind to hit the group. G?kb?rü, being light and small couldn’t put off with the wild wind and flew back. Methild was able to protect herself and unconscious Poyraz with a magic shield while Cyclara protected herself and her contractor. Lily on the other hand didn’t do anything to protect himself or dodge. He was busy looking at Poyraz. The wind caused him to lose his balance. He took several steps back as he stumbled, his violet hair dancing with the wind.


    “Star Touched! Come to your senses! This guy has consumed countless elemental spirits before! He is dangerous!”


    Cyclara didn’t like Stars, especially that stupid Zephyrian. Yet she knew that their chosens were at least on her side, unlike the Fallen in front of her. It would also be troublesome if Fallen killed Lily and managed to absorb the power of the Ancient he contacted.


    Lily, however, seemed lost in his own thoughts, his focus solely on Poyraz and the unconscious form of his fallen comrade. Cyclara''s words fell upon deaf ears as she tried to warn him of the danger they faced, her frustration mounting as she struggled to break through his trance. Elandris''s grip tightened on his bow as he prepared to defend his companions, his mind racing with thoughts of how to counter the Fallen''s overwhelming strength.


    “Malacharion, why? You were my friend. Why have you fallen this far? Why consume elementals? Why unleash Nidhogg to Mother? Don’t you feel any resemblance of compassion to your birthplace?”


    Elandris pleaded with Malacharion. As soon as his words left his mouth the smirk on Malacharion’s face faded.


    “Of course, you don’t understand. You were blessed. Blessed by talent. Blessed by elementals. Blessed by Mother. Me? I had nothing! Do you know how many times I tried to contact with elemental plane? How many times have I begged elementals to make a contract with me?”


    Malacharion''s voice echoed with bitterness and resentment, his gaze burning with a fierce intensity as he spoke of his struggles and failures. Elandris listened in silence, his heart heavy with sorrow as he heard the pain and desperation in his friend''s words.


    "You were always there, Elandris," Malacharion continued, his voice raw with emotion. "Always so perfect, so blessed. While I... I was nothing but a failure, a disappointment. No matter how hard I tried, I could never measure up to you, to your greatness."


    Elandris''s heart ached at the words, his memories of their shared past flooding back with a bittersweet clarity. He remembered the days they had spent together, the laughter and the tears, the dreams they had shared of a brighter future. But that was before he found him bloodied with the corpse of a fellow elf. No matter how much Elandris wanted to forget that moment, it was carved into his mind.


    “And look at this.”


    Malacharion made a noise between coughing and laughing as he looked at Poyraz and Lily.


    “Two humans. One elementalist and other is blessed by Mother.”


    He grabbed his face, his black nails digging into his skin deep enough to draw blood. Malacharion''s words cut through the tense silence like a knife, his voice dripping with scorn and contempt as he looked upon Poyraz and Lily with disdain. Elandris bristled with anger at his ex-friend’s cruel words.


    “You have no right to speak to them in such a manner, Malacharion! They didn’t even hesitate a second to help us despite the danger! They are worthy of our respect, not your scorn.”


    Malacharion''s laughter rang out like a mocking echo, his eyes cold and unforgiving as he regarded Elandris with a mixture of amusement and disdain.


    “Respect? Respect for having what I couldn’t acquire with years and years of training? No. No. No!”


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.Malacharion stomped the ground, summoning forth a swirling vortex of dark energy, his eyes gleaming with malice as he prepared to unleash his wrath upon them. Cyclara and Nereida extended their hands forward, ready to block the attack but a howl rose from behind as a wall of ice blocked the energy Malacharion had unleashed. G?kb?rü exited out of still unconscious Poyraz’s shadow while baring his fangs.


    The sudden appearance of G?kb?rü caught Malacharion off guard, his eyes widening in surprise as the wall of ice blocked his attack. Elandris seized the opportunity to draw another arrow from his quiver, his fingers trembling with determination as he aimed it toward the Fallen.


    "You will not harm them," Elandris declared, his voice ringing with authority as he released the arrow with a swift, fluid motion. The arrow flew true, soaring through the air with deadly precision as it struck Malacharion''s side, causing him to stagger back with a grunt of pain.


    Cyclara and Nereida wasted no time in following up on Elandris''s attack, unleashing a barrage of elemental magic upon Malacharion with all the fury of a raging storm. Wind and water collided with dark energy as they clashed against their foe, their combined efforts pushing him back with each strike.


    “Hahahah! Is that a mythical beast? That’s even better! If I can absorb its power… I didn’t expect to get my hands on something like this when I came here! Yes!”


    Despite the attacks he received, Malacharion laughed as he blocked them with one hand while pulling the arrow out of his body. G?kb?rü growled, fully knowing that he was talking about him. He looked at Lily before tackling him, causing him to hit the ground. He angrily barked, his breath exiting out of his mouth with snowflakes.


    Lily looked at the angry puppy. It was the first time he diverted his gaze from Poyraz ever since he was wounded. His snow-white fur was bloodied in several places and dust was stuck on it. He didn’t look wounded yet his sky-blue eyes burned with anger. Lily knew why.


    “I will be back. Can you defend me, you fleabag?”


    Lily stood up. G?kb?rü let a bark, this time softer as to answer Lily’s question. Lily slowly closed his eyes. When he opened them again, the ground beneath him was gone. Methild and Poyraz were gone.He was flying at the mercy of countless storms that replaced everything.


    “You are here again.”


    Wind blew uncontrollably yet Lily could understand what it was saying.


    “Borrowing my power has its consequences. But you already know that.”


    Lily sighed.


    “Stop acting like you care about me. If you really do, then give me your power without taking my life force.”


    The wind around Lily seemed to pause for a moment as if considering his words. Then, with a gust that seemed almost like a sigh, it responded.


    “It cannot be done.”


    “Then give me your power and fuck off. I have a dickhead to kill.”


    The wind seemed to swirl around him in response, its presence vast and ominous. With a deep breath, Lily reached out to the wind, letting its power flow through him like a raging storm. His senses sharpened, his movements becoming swift and precise as he prepared to face Malacharion once more.


    “Are you coming, fleabag?”


    As the elemental forces of wind enveloped him, his figure became shrouded in a swirling vortex of green crystals, each one shimmering with an ethereal glow. His wings, once graceful and elegant, now bristled with newfound power, their edges sharpened to a razor''s edge as they sliced through the air with effortless precision.


    His eyes burned with an intense determination, their green hue pulsing with an otherworldly light as he gazed upon his foe with a steely resolve. The winds whipped around him with ferocious intensity, lifting his hair in a wild dance as he prepared to unleash his newfound power upon his enemies.


    G?kb?rü let out a fierce bark of determination, his eyes gleaming with resolve as he prepared to join Lily in the battle ahead. Meanwhile, Elandris and the others continued to press their attack against Malacharion, their combined efforts driving him back with each strike. Cyclara’s wind combined with Nereida’s water, forming a flood that can destroy buildings with ease.


    Yet Malacharion managed to divert it with a wave of his hand while unleashing black lighting. Elandris either dodged them with agile flips or summoned roots to block them. But despite their best efforts, Malacharion proved to be a formidable opponent, his dark powers deftly countering their attacks with uncanny precision. With a snarl of frustration, he lashed out with a wave of dark energy, sending Elandris and the others reeling back with a forceful blast.


    As the tension reached its peak, G?kb?rü leaped out of Malacharion’s shadow, his powerful jaws snapping at Malacharion''s heels as he sought to distract their enemy and create an opening for his companions to strike. With a fierce bark of determination, he lunged forward, his claws digging into the earth as he charged toward Malacharion with all the ferocity of a raging beast.


    The Fallen staggered back with a cry of pain, clearly not used to getting sneak attacked himself. He quickly recovered, releasing a blast of black lightning towards the beast. It was a successful attack as lightning struck the juvenile wolf. The ground around him was pulverized yet he stood tall, his fur radiating with a mana bluer than the sky itself.


    Malacharion was clearly surprised by G?kb?rü’s resilience. His attack previously was able to kill dungeon bosses yet this creature size of a puppy managed to withstand it! His bafflement wasn’t there however as blue lightning covered the creature’s fur, releasing sparks everywhere. His experience screamed for him to step back and get some distance between the canine and himself. But as he was backing away something landed on his escape route.


    “Oi, dickhead. It was my best friend you sneak attacked. You are going to die.”