"I can check the degree, so that you will know how to help yourselves. I mean, you guys can't be healed in a normal way, right? Your healer must only be there to give you a different support," Gabriel commented.
"Give me a moment," he added.
"STOP!!"
It was at this moment that Luna stopped him.
Gabriel turned to her direction with his vision still activated. But when his eyes landed on the spot she stood, she was gone.
"Don't look at me or try to look deeper into them."
He heard behind him after his sight was blocked and a sweet scent floated in his nose.
He did not even realize until she spoke behind him.
Even Julian was stunned at the speed she had arrived.
'By the time you realize it, it may already be too late.'
He remembered the words he heard about Luna.
His body even reacted on its own when she made her move.
"Don't," Luna sharply said to Spencer and the rest.
She knew it was a reflexive action for them as well as for Julian.
"Why don't you put that down? I can tell it was a reflex on your side. This kid must be very important to you," she then said to Julian.
Julian's sword was inches away from her neck and Spencer and the rest actually pulled out their own sword.
"Calm down. If I had any intention of harming him, I would have hit him instead of simply covering his eyes. At the same time, if I wanted to harm him, I wouldn't have stopped him from looking at the cores deeper," Luna explained while pushing the edge of the sword away from her neck.
Even though the killing intent within the sword disappeared the moment he snapped out of his shock, it was still not fun having a sword pointed at your neck.
Julian pulled away. Everything was done subconsciously on his side. Rationally speaking all she did was to get behind Gabriel.
But the frown in his face remained and Luna knew she needed to explain.
"What's your name again? Gabriel?" she asked the one in front of her.
Gabriel nodded his head, he didn't dare make a move to get away from her. He also knew that Julian would be there so his fear lessened a lot.
"Gabriel, who among all of them has the least crack or injury?" she asked after receiving his answer.
"Hmmm? Uhmmm the black haired one," he spoke pertaining to Spencer.
Luna looked at Spencer and nodded in approval. It seems that he was taking his recovery seriously.
She wouldn't think that he received the least injury after the explosion they spoke of. Instead, the reason for a lesser crack is because he was doing his best to recover faster. Despite having to use his ability, he ensures that he does not go overboard. That is how much his control over his own ability is.
"Then, once I remove my hand, look closely only at him. But don't look for too long. If you feel the pressure on your eyes intensify, look away or close your eyes."
Julian watched Gabriel nod his head and watched the things unfold in front of him.
The moment Gabriel looked closer at the cracks in Spencer's core, he felt the veins in his eyes bulge.
"Ah!!!" he exclaimed.
Pain shot through his eyes and blood trickled down like tears.
"Stupid, I told you not to look for too long. When you felt the pressure, you should have stopped!" Luna berated him.
Julian squatted beside Gabriel and glared at Luna for the damage.
Luna rolled her eyes, "Don't look at me like that. I gave him instructions. It was him who did not follow them."
"Preshea," she called.
Preshea sighed as she walked over.
As she cast a healing spell on Gabriel, Julian looked at Luna.
"What was that about?"
"I think I should ask you first what you wanted to check on us?" she asked back.
Julian took a deep breath, "Gabriel is capable of looking into not just the strength but even the condition of the ability users he looks into. And he can also look into their hearts. The murkier the color of one's heart is, the eviler they are."
Luna accepted his reason for that is indeed necessary if they wish to employ others, especially in an official office.
Antlia Kingdom is meticulous indeed, as compared to Circinus Kingdom.
"As adventurers, it is inevitable that we are injured during subjugations. It's just the enemy we met before is too strong for our own level," she also explained.
But her group almost rolled their eyes, 'There goes our leader who can easily reason her way out of things.'
It is not that she was lying but instead it was the half-truth and that she did not completely explain herself. Luna's face just showed nothing but confidence in her explanation, one wouldn't be able to help but to believe her even though it was still lacking.
So many ability users have injured cores but no one should have experienced what Gabriel experienced after looking into those cracks.
If they are normal cracks, that is.
Something else had just seeped through their injured cores that no one should look into it more.
"How did you know this will happen to him?" Julian asked.
"Your brother isn't the only one who looked at us. Of course, we would know the outcome through experience," she said in a matter-of-fact tone.
"What about you?"
He was pertaining to the fact that she did not allow Gabriel to look into her as a whole and not just her core.
"I am injured obviously. And if I include that with the power inside me. Your brother's head would have exploded."
Julian frowned, "What does that mean?"
Luna sighed, "It seems people have forgotten the characteristics of those who receive their power from the moon."
*SHING*
The moon light reflected at the blade of the sword, once again pointed at her neck. But this time, blood trickled down as the sword's edge penetrated her skin. A small wound appeared on her fair neck.
"What have I ever done to threaten you?" she asked him.
She did not show any sign of shock or fear when he unsheathed his sword and pointed it at her.
"That information alone is threatening enough," he sharply replied.
"Oh please, I already told you, it seems that the characteristic of a moon ability user has been forgotten. You want to hide it but you are not hiding it at all. But thanks to that I was also able to roam without any problem."
"Stop with the nonsense," he argued.
"Don't you think your reaction right now proved me right? You should control yourself if you really want to hide it. That is the second proof that you are indeed a moon ability user."
Julian closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The way things are going now, he has lost his cool.
He pulled his sword away and sheathed it back.
Preshea walked up to Luna to stop the bleeding and apply ointment and a bandage.
Julian looked away, he remembered Gabriel's words that they couldn't be healed the usual way.
"From the get go, we came to your aid because I felt your power. And in the end, it was you who wished to employ us. You not talking about your ability is the same as me not speaking about my ability. That is fair if I say so myself. The only reason we are in this condition now is because you wanted an explanation."
He pursed his lips, one thing led to another but as compared to the negative thought that they approached him because of his ability. He was indeed the one that led them back here. He asked to employ them and they agreed.
He asked them to join him back and they agreed.
He initiated everything so he has no right to complain now that they are saying things he thought he had hidden well.
He sighed and turned to the five of them.
"I sincerely apologize. I didn't mean to harm you but moon ability users are truly very rare that a lot wished to have them for themselves. I lost control of my emotions because of that."
Spencer looked at Luna and saw that she was not mad.
"I think it's fine. Though we were indeed close to getting enraged by your actions, you realized your mistake and sincerely apologized to us."
That was the truth, they are close to just walking away from here because of his actions but Luna doesn't seem like she was bothered by everything.
It seems that it is already within her expectations, that he would react this way once she opened the topic about his ability.
No wonder she had not spoken about it ever since they started journeying together.
"You apologized sincerely, that is more than enough," Luna followed.
Julian looked up at them and saw the awkwardness in their faces.
"Shall we start over then? From how we met?" he suggested.