The Beloved One!

Chapter 25

"Ray!! Welcome home!!!" The child exclaimed, picking up the magical wolf in his cub form, embracing him. "I missed you!!!" The magical beast had been by her side from since she had been in her mother's womb. She had felt like she had been missing a limb when he had been gone.

Ray chuckled, closing his violet eyes allowing himself to be embraced, "I missed you as well, Princess."

"You better had." She softly smiled, hugging him tighter.

After this, the magical beast had immediately asked Ashnah what all he had missed in her life during the time he had been to the land of the magical beasts. He wanted everything extremely detailed.

••••

Ray's tail instantly drooped, once he had heard about the events of Ashnah being affected by the shifts of stronger mana in the environment due to living on Kouen Island that was practically mana-less. "I should have been by your side at your time. The pain that you must have endured..."

Ashnah stroked Ray's head. "I told you that because you wanted to know, not for you to feel regret that you were not by my side. Plus-" Her voice got softer as she said, "The King of Magical Beasts helped me again. I tried to summon his spirit from my blood into my psyche to thank him, but I couldn't."

The magical beast explained, "that is because you are no longer on Kouen Island. That was the land His Majesty had been born on, having a special link to him. You would have to wait until you are a little older once you could properly use your magic. But I am sure His Majesty felt your sentiment, Princess."

The age of ten was when humans could properly used their magic. There were of course a few exceptions to the rules, there being late and early bloomers.

Then Ray caught a specific scent. He said. "I am guessing that the seashell that you mentioned the mermaid gave you is in your pocket?"

Ashnah answered, "yes." She said taking it out, "mommy said it was a magical item after she had analyzed it. She said it would do me no harm but does not know the exact purpose of it." She took it out of her pocket.

Gazing at the seashell, Ray said. "The one who gave this to you is the Queen of the Mermaid/Merman Magical Beasts. Her name is Queen Cordelia. I myself do not know what it does, but you should keep it on you." That Queen had never done things without purpose no matter her personality.

'The Queen?' She stared down at the magical item on her palm. "Oh, Ray. There is also a question I would like to ask you. Is there a portal that links Emphraim to the Land of Magical Beasts in Lake Ariel?"

Ray nodded his head. "Indeed there is, but that natural portal can only be opened and closed by the will of Queen Cordelia or-" He looked up at Ashnah. "-the late His Majesty."

Recalling Akbar in a human form when she had seen him in her psyche, the child said in her mind, '.....so he could have done it too.'

"Or to be more precise, His Majesty could open a portal anywhere to return home, natural or not." He stated.

By natural portal, that meant the portal had been formed by nature, continuing to exist even when it had been closed and non-natural meant it that was created by a being -human, magical beast, fairy, or demon, but only existed for a certain period of time.

"Speaking of which, Ray was the situation in your homeland settled?" Asked Ashnah.

Should he tell her? What the Magical Beast King had done after she had met him in her psyche? He shook his head. 'No, Princess is still a child and should not have to concern herself about these matters yet.' He spoke, "yes, Princess, the matter was settled."

"That's great then."

The wolf magical beast then scanned the titles of the books Ashnah had been reading. "Divine power?"

"Yes, divine power... demonic power. They were things I never knew about."

"His Majesty possessed a little bit of pure demonic power and the Queen of the fairies possesses a little bit of pure divine power." Ray divulged. "Even though people have long forgotten, that is why they sometimes involve His Majesty's name with curses and the Queen of Fairies' name with blessings in stories, legends and such."

"Then the curse on Kouen Island being practically mana-less due to the First Magical Beast King is an example." She recalled the talks from the adults in Misty Village.

"No, His Majesty had actually cursed Kouen Island so humans cannot use their or barely access their magic where they could do no real damage, because in the past they massacred thousands of magical beasts on their own home to further civilization."

'That massacre .... it is long forgotten history on the humans' side or they had purposefully never mentioned it in history books.' Ashnah said. "Ray, I would like to know even more about the magical beasts and where you come from. Will you please teach me?"

'.....Princess.' His tail wagged, "It would be my honor."

••••

Within his study, Anzor Morley moved a chess piece on the game board.

His best friend, Count Amit Armstrong commented, "you are getting closer and closer."

"Yet I cannot move now." The silver head commented, "I have to wait."

About how after he had married Tazanna to find out and get evidence about his mother's, father's, Ellen's and her entire family's death along with atrocious deeds they had did. For his dear uncle to trust him to a certain extent.

He had to wait.

About how after he had found out that Ellen and Ashnah had been actually alive, his first thought had been to immediately bring them back. But after thinking properly, he could not. He could barely protect himself within the capital. So how could he protect his Ellen and Ashnah from their clutches?

He had to wait.

As he had slowly gained more power but not enough of it, he did all he could to make sure that they had an easier life and had not run into any major problems, stopping all information about them from ever reaching his dear uncle and aunt. Had made his aunt believe that Ellen had a miscarriage and had been sent to the brothel she had schemed to send her to. For it to seem that Ellen was close to her deathbed in that brothel.

About how he wanted to reveal all he could about Vincent and Emma Morley now, yet he could not. No matter how much he wanted to.

He had to wait.

Anzor studied the pieces on the board. Even though he could win this current battle, he was planning on winning the other one that was suppose to be held in the future at the same time.

He could not wait to checkmate.

To be done with everything.