The Challenge of the Masters

⊱⊰ 6: Rune [Revised] ⊱⊰

"That man must be feeling threatened to spread his soldiers all over Celestia," said Arisa's grandfather, his tone sounding a bit intrigued.

Arisa gazed at her grandfather, her heart racing at the mention of the soldiers. 

After returning from Io Town in a hurry, everyone—excluding the twins—had gathered in the living room for a quick meeting. The late afternoon sun escaped through the window, brightening the cream-colored walls and illuminating the room that had a few sofas and several types of furniture garnishing the area.

Hearing her grandfather mentioning the soldiers, Arisa remembered what she saw and heard in that town. 

She curled her fingers as her heart pumped fear and sorrow. Throughout her life, up until she traveled to the Forbidden Lands, she never attempted to hurt even a small bug. Anyone close to her knew she valued life, yet the King had the courage to taint her innocence by spreading those wanted posters.

Despite being disgusted with what the King had done to find her, she couldn't feel any anger towards his son as her sorrow was stronger.

She tried to imagine the boy she considered her best friend, drawing her picture for the sole purpose to hunt her down. She swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat; she couldn't believe that he had the courage to do that.

For sure, people who developed a deep bond with one another wouldn't let anyone hurt their friends. Even if that someone was a family member.

"Well," said Elise, saving Arisa from her thoughts, "he has two things to worry about: the loss of his son's powers and the loss of his throne."

Arisa's brows arched. "The throne."

A sudden realization sped Arisa's heart. After she was told about the quest to bring peace to the worlds, Arisa focused so much on her mission that she had forgotten about her heritage.

"Yes, Your Highness," said Elise, gazing at Arisa from the other side of the room. "That throne is yours by right; you have to reclaim it."

Arisa clenched her fists, remembering the other truth about her. If her team succeeded with their quest, the battle between her and Zen wouldn't end there.

In the end, we were destined to be enemies.

She took a deep breath. Even though a month had passed since she last saw him, the thought of fighting him still ached her heart.

A month without seeing him wasn't enough to erase those strong feelings.

She placed her hand on her chest, feeling her racing heart. If it meant saving her people from the Eterians' nightmare, she would do her best to reclaim her throne.

"I understand his fear of losing his power to rule Celestia." Her grandmother's voice washed away Arisa's thoughts. "But why would he fear his son losing his Astral powers? He is his son. If I'm not mistaken, the people of the Dragon Clan are one of the strongest species of Eteria."

"His son is not fully Eterian," Elise replied. "His mother, Yueli, was an Earthling. His powers might be limited."

Arisa's grandmother gazed at Elise, her brows arching. "Oh, I didn't know his wife was an Earthling. That's surprising. Who would have thought an Eterian, especially a Dragon King, would have an Earthling as his wife."

"His marriage caught everyone by surprise," said Elise. "In their tradition, if I'm not mistaken, Dragon Kings chose a concubine to bear an heir for them. I heard that they usually choose someone from their clan."

Arisa's brows raised at that revelation. She couldn't help but wonder about Zen's mother. She had heard so many great things about her that she wished she could have met her. She must have been really special to warm the heart of the Dragon King. She wondered how things between her and Zen would have been if his mother was still alive.