The King's Beloved

~ [Music Recommendation: "Mount Pyre" by Yasunori Mitsuda (Chrono Cross OST) - available in Spotify or Youtube] ~ Please listen to it in loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this scene ~

Elliot raised both of his hands sideways, and began to concentrate his holy energy on his palms. On his right palm, a ball of light started to form as white sparkles circulated to it like a whirlpool. On his left palm was another ball but it was transparent, like a sphere of wind - the only difference was that the inside of the sphere had small flowers and leaves circling around, following the current of the air. Both spheres were beautiful to look at … beautiful but dangerous.

While he did this, Rania maintained the ice magic on the giant lava monster's body to keep it from moving. She continually poured her holy energy on both her hands and held her aim towards the monster.

Elliot didn't take long to conjure the most complex of magic. Not even a minute passed and he already had two giant spheres on his hands! They were three or four times the size of his body, as big as the head of the giant lava monster. Then, he moved his arms closer, joining the two spheres together to form one, enormous, Ball of Light, enhanced by Nature magic.

Rania noticed that he was ready so she flew behind Elliot to avoid impact and allow him to throw it freely. For a brief moment, she canceled her magic and Elliot threw the Ball of Light towards the giant.

DUUUUUUUGGGSSSSSSHHH!!!

"Argghhh …," everyone grunted as they tried to hold their stance in the air, battling the powerful impact and wind produced by the collision of Elliot's magic and the giant lava monster. Even Luna and Ducis who both stood far from its body were affected greatly.

Just as Rania and Elliot thought, the Light magic penetrated the dark aura emanating from the body of the giant, seeping through its skin, and finally destroying its core, and killing it in the process. Sparkles of red and black lights scattered all over the place, leaving no trace of the monster that once was there. 

At last, the giant lava monster was defeated! Along with it, all of the black mist that scattered around the room disappeared. Perhaps it was the strong wind that carried the magic from the Ball of Light that cleansed them away.

"We did it!" Rania shouted in her joy. She flew towards Elliot to give him a high five.

They both disabled the barrier. Rania raised her hands for a high five but Elliot embraced her instead.

"Yes," Elliot whispered to her ears as he smiled so gleefully. "Thank you for your help".

"Raniaaaaa! Ellioooottt!" Luna shouted from afar as she flew towards them. "We did it! YAAAYY!! The monster is gone now! Hurray!" But when she saw that the two were publicly displaying their affections again, she grimaced. "No one really listens to this poor fairy anymore. I'm appalled!"

"Master! Are you alright?" Ducis worried for Elliot. "And same to you, Rania".

"I'm fine," Rania and Elliot chorused.

"Are you two alright as well?" Rania asked.

"Hmf! Yes, I'm good," Luna pouted. "But Rania, I'm disappointed. I thought we agreed to the flirting ban. Why are you allowing Elliot to keep on doing what he wants?"

Rania scratched her head. "Sorry, Luna. I still haven't told you yet but please let us off this time". She put her hands together and begged cutely.

Luna looked back and forth from Rania to Elliot a couple of times. Sighing, she gave in, "Alright, alright. Since you both worked hard on the monster, I'll let you off. Just tell me what's going on after we finish with this realm".

"Yes!" Rania nodded.

"Ducis," Elliot pointed towards the center of the room, where the pedestal stood. "You mentioned something about that red orb but got cut off. What was it that you were supposed to say?"

"Ah! Right," Ducis flinched. The three looked at him before he continued. "That orb leads to the chamber where the guardian of this realm rests. Like what the Forbidden Chamber, Anguis, is for me. Only a few are allowed inside and it doesn't activate unless the owner allows it. We mostly use it when visiting each other".

"I see. How are we going to ask for permission to enter?"

"We just need to touch the orb. It will send a signal to the chamber of the guardian, and if he agrees, the teleportation circle on the ground should activate".

Now that Ducis mentioned it, there was indeed a magic circle engraved on the stone floor beneath the pedestal that held the red orb. The magic circle had ancient writings all around it, and a symbol that looked like a burning chimera at its center.

"Got it. Let's try it then," Elliot concluded and he flew towards the pedestal.

The rest of the team followed him. Once their feet rested on the ground, Elliot approached the pedestal, and touched the red orb with his bare hand. The orb, in return, shined in response to him, sending a thin beam of red light towards the dark sky above. A few moments after, the magic circle on the ground began to glow red and in their next blink, they got transported towards the chamber of the realm's guardian.

"We're here," Elliot commented. He still held on the red orb, and there was the same magic circle beneath their feet, but the ground was no longer the same as the previous room. It was now a white marble, that still had a design of lava in it. The red orb must be connected to the one below, allowing the teleportation even if they haven't been to that place.

 Rania, Elliot, and Luna looked around and couldn't help but notice the beauty of the chamber. The floors and pillars were made of white marbles with lava designs, the walls and ceiling were pure white with gold linings, and there were beautiful paintings of towns and its people, hanging by the walls. There were a few plants here and there, and a couple of other furniture that all looked so exquisite. Seeing the couches and coffee tables and a fireplace, they guessed that they were in the drawing room - a place for receiving guests. The only difference was there was no one to receive them.

Since Ducis was familiar with the place, he guided everyone upstairs. Yes, at the very center of the room was a large staircase leading to the second floor, also made of the same marble stones. The team followed him until they reached the end of the corridor where a large door stood. By the looks of it, the team thought that it had to be the master's bedroom. Ducis knocked on the door a couple of times but no one answered.

"Do you think … the guardian of this realm is away?" Rania asked Ducis.

"No, he's here. I can feel him," Ducis replied.

"Are you sure it's him that's inside that room?" she asked again.

"Hm?" Ducis was puzzled. "Of course … but why do you ask?"

Rania hesitated. "B-because …"

"What is it, Rania?" Elliot turned to her. "Are you feeling something again?"

Luna was alarmed. "Wait, are you alright, Rania?"

"Yes, I'm fine. It's just that," she looked at Elliot, as if speaking to his eyes, "It's the same as back then … when we first entered the temple. I'm getting the same feeling. And it turned out that what I felt back there was actually the dark aura".

Ducis raised his eyebrows. "So are you saying, you're feeling the same dark aura inside this room?" He couldn't believe what he's hearing. He himself, as a guardian, didn't feel anything. In fact, he couldn't feel the presence of the dark aura despite seeing it up close when they were fighting the monster. But .. Rania could feel it? He unconsciously looked at Elliot, wanting to ask if he felt the same thing as Rania did.

Ducis didn't get to utter a single word, but Elliot understood what he wanted to ask. He simply shook his head, and Ducis understood that he, too, didn't feel anything.

"How ... ," Ducis was at a loss for words.

"I thought it's the holy power, but I have it as well and I don't feel it," Elliot told them.

"Huh? You don't feel it, Elliot?" Rania was surprised.

"No. But I trust you," he replied. "So that only means … if this is the guardian's room, and Rania is feeling a dark aura inside -"

"No!" Ducis' face paled upon realizing what they were hinting. He immediately swung the door open and ran inside. "Ignis!" he shouted the guardian's name at the top of his lungs.

Rania, Elliot, and Luna got worried. They, too, followed him inside, not long after, and saw him standing frozen in his position. Ducis' face was horrified.

"No … this can't be happening," Ducis mumbled. "Not again …"

==================

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