Realm Wars

Chapter 112: The Coral Drakes Poison

"Argh." Theodore sprouted blood from his mouth, and the veins from his eyes were bursting. It would only be a matter of seconds before the poison spread to his whole body, and by that time, he would surely die.

"Give us the antidote, now." Jane didn't know what to do. She was gasping for breath, but the more she asked, the more Vein ignored them.

"Don't waste your breath on him." Kai inhaled and exhaled to slow the poison in his body. The pain was excruciating like his skin was peeling from his muscles, and his bones were being hammed to bits. He didn't even know how Theodore managed to stay on his feet.

Kai gnashed his teeth and promised that he'd kill Vein with his own two hands if he survived this. 

"Ryu!" Seraphina beamed when Ryu's face slipped from the archway.

"Nothing is blocking the passageway," Ryu said, panting. His chest rose and fell due to running nonstop.

Everybody breathed easy.

"Alright. When I say go, we ran as fast as we can towards that archway and closed the entrance," Vein said.

"Are you sure?" Masha wasn't sure about closing the only exit they had. She didn't trust the half-breed. 

"It'll just be temporary to stop the Coral Drakes from chasing us," said Vein and began to count. "One. . ."

Jane embraced Theodore and began to cast a spell. Without caring for anything, she planned to smash the corals hindering her way and zoomed into the tunnel with Theodore. She didn't have a minute to waste. The poison could claim their life at any moment!

"Two. . ."

Masha and Thall have the same idea as Jane. It was the fastest method to get to that archway.

"Go!"

Whoosh!

At Vein's lead, everyone sprinted as their life depended on it, smashing every rock and corals in their path. 

Krreekk!

The Coral Drakes screeched, and their spikes ratted with their wings. The sound of their young ones' cries and shattered eggs made them go berserk, and they flew after Kai and the others.

"Don't stop and run!" Kai was second to reach the tunnel with Vein as the first, followed by Masha next.

"Close the entrance with your ice," ordered Vein when the Coral Drakes were gaining on Jane and the others.

Kai ignored Vein. His eyes were on Seraphina. Waves and waves carried her forward while splashes of water smacked the Coral Drakes away from her path.

Not far behind Seraphina, Jane was embracing Theodore tightly while she flew towards the tunnel. But she was beginning to lose focus because of the poison. Her vision was getting blurry, and she didn't know which the archway was anymore.

Screech!

The Coral Drakes spikes shook and burst forth from their body, shooting in Jane and Theodore's direction. For a time, only those long sharp needles dominated everyone's view. It covered the whole ceiling and rain upon those who were still running.

Seraphina formed multiple veins around her and formed a cocoon, shielding her from the needles. Her waves of water didn't stop as they carried her safely into the opening of the cave, where Ryu pulled her into the safety of the tunnel.

Everyone in the tunnel stood back as the needles dropped and landed at the edge of the passageway entrance. 

"Sis!" Theodore croaked, and with a flick of his staff, he deflected the incoming needles their way while Jane lost momentum and tumbled on the coral reefs. Protecting Theodore with her petite frame, they smashed against multiple reefs.

The rain of needles stopped for a moment, and Ryu and the others took a look at what happened to Jane and Theodore. But their sight was stolen with Thall's cries for help.

Thall was lying on the ground and couldn't be recognized from the number of needles puncturing his skin. It was like he was a human urchin. Nobody knew what happed to him or why the Coral Drakes needles caught a Rank-A fighter like him.

But what made everyone's eyes popped was that Thall was melting. His skin, muscles, and bones everything was melting, and he dissolved into a pool of water and blood. And before Seraphina could heal him, he was already dead.

"Acid?" Kai muttered.

"No. . ." Vein's eyes sparkled for the first time, "its poison. A corrosive one at that."

Vein's lethargic face plastered a smile for the first time as he hopped into the Coral Drakes needles that were stuck on the edge of the tunnel and examined it.

"How about Jane and Theodore?" Seraphina searched the two and found Jane and Theodore lying on the ground. Jane was barely conscious while a needle was stuck in Theodore's hand, and it was beginning to erode his skin. But Theodore was already unconscious, so he couldn't feel nor heal his arm.

"Not good!" Kai reached his hand in an attempt to make an ice barrier when the Coral Drakes zoomed in on Jane and Theodore's direction when Ryu ran in all fours and galloped towards the brother and sister.

"Ryu!" Seraphina and Kai cast their spell and hurled the Coral Drakes that were after Ryu.

With the help of Seraphina and Kai, Ryu managed to get to Jane and Theodore. With each person in his shoulder, Ryu leaped and dashed towards the tunnel while Seraphina and Kai pushed the swarm of Coral Drakes at bay.

"What are you guys doing?! Close the entrance!" Masha shouted as she shot arrows after arrows at the Coral Drakes that came flying towards the tunnel. But no matter how much she shot, the Coral Drakes just got back up and continued their pursuit.

If this continued, they'd be swallowed by swarms of Coral Drakes while Vein was still busy dissecting the Coral Drake's poisons without a care at his surroundings.

Rattle!

Rattle!

KeeekkK!

At the sound of the Coral Drakes shriek came another round of flying needles.

"Not good!" Masha roared, "Close the fucking entrance!"

The poison needles burst forth just in time that Ryu arrived in the tunnel with Jane and Theodore. Kai immediately closed the entrance with a thick layer of ice, but some needles still managed to pass through. Luckily, everyone avoided it in time.

KrEeekKK!

The Coral Drakes scream rattled the ground, but they couldn't break Kai's thick wall of ice, and since the entrance of the Archway was small, enough to fit two-person side by side at the same time, the Coral Drakes couldn't use their overwhelming numbers to push and break the barrier.

"Whew." Kai fell to the floor.

"Don't celebrate just yet." Seraphina cast heals on Theodore's melting arm. The poison was really corrosive and deadly. Just a single needle was enough to melt Theodore's hand within seconds. The sight was ghastly as even the bones were melting, and the stench was enough to make them gag. It was a good thing that Theodore was asleep and didn't witness the gore sight.

Theodore was unconscious, as well as Jane. They were on the verge of death because of Vein's poison. Kai was in no better shape as he spat out blood.

Ryu went to Vein and grabbed him by the throat. "Where's the antidote?"

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A/N

I've found a concept Pic for Ryu. It's close to what I had in mind. Click on Pic if you miss it at former chapters.

(Pic)