THE SECRET OF ARUS. SEAL OF WOOD, JIKAEL

"Have you come, Narsillia?" asked Arus as he rose from his oversized chair, walked over to Gariel and embraced him.

"How is Prince Terramai, Your Highness?" asked Gariel worriedly.

"He is well. I'm more worried about you. Were you not injured in the attack a few days ago?" Arus asked again, releasing his embrace to look at Gariel's entire body.

Gariel nodded quickly.

"Rupert himself restored Zakiel to his original form and kept Clement's Cave as it was." Gariel replied, explaining.

"His hard work a few weeks ago has paid off. Rupert spent his time in the Order of the Apostles practising and learning new magic." Arus said, pulling Gariel onto his throne and telling him to sit down.

Gariel was surprised at the King's words. He had never known, perhaps because he had spent too much time in Lotus Marsh trying to avoid Rupert. Gariel remembered Rupert's words before he cast the wonderful light magic.

"I am no longer the weak and timid Terramai I once was! I've changed a lot to protect the people I love!-"

His face reddened at the memory, and Arus simply smiled at the change in the royal wizard's expression.

"Anything interesting in Clement's Cave?" Arus asked Gariel teasingly.

Gariel stammered, trying to hide his expression, just lowering his head and shaking it.

"It's okay if you don't want to tell me about it. As long as you are happy and cheerful again, it makes me happy, Narsillia." Arus said, stroking Gariel's head gently like a child, even though Gariel was already in his thirties.

Gariel smiled and suddenly remembered something Zakiel had said in Clement's Cave some time ago.

"Your Highness, I have something to ask you..." Gariel said, looking at Arus from behind his blindfold.

"What? What do you want to know?" Arus asked excitedly.

"Lately I've been dreaming something strange and it's giving me a headache," Gariel replied, beginning his conversation.

Arus' face began to change and he leaned back against the chair.

"At the same time in Clement's Cave, Zakiel told me that my mother sent me to the Seven Dimensions to avoid someone called Lenias." Gariel continued, pausing.

"Then he mentioned a name, Lady Iris. Is she my mother, Your Majesty?" Gariel asked, looking intently at Arus despite the blindfold.

Just as he was about to say something, there was an exclamation from the guard at the door of Arus' room, which finally opened and someone entered.

"Queen Nerwin of Arendel has arrived!" the bodyguard exclaimed in a loud voice.

A beautiful woman appeared in front of them with two bodyguards behind her. She had long silver hair and ears that stood out at her sides. She held a large bow with beautiful ornaments around it and a quiver of arrows tied to her left thigh. The queen of the elves of Anu Arendel, Nerwin.

"Nerwin! I've been waiting for you!" exclaimed Arus as he rose from his chair to greet the beautiful elven queen.

Gariel wondered what was wrong with an elven queen visiting the human kingdom at this time.

"Gariel? You want to see the Wood Elemental Guard now?" asked Rupert, coming from the same direction.

"Are you feeling better, Rupert?" asked Gariel, getting up from his chair and approaching the prince who was standing behind Queen Nerwin.

"How are you, Prince Terramai?" asked Nerwin, seeing the arrival of the son of Arus.

"Healthy as ever, Queen." Rupert replied, bowing and shaking Nerwin's hand.

Nerwin smiled happily, then glanced at Gariel who was standing next to Rupert.

"Narsillia? I haven't seen you since your coronation as Royal Wizard. How is Mariel?" asked Nerwin again.

"The master is well, Queen Nerwin. I will bring your greetings to Master at Lotus Marsh later," Gariel replied with a bow.

"You look beautiful as always. No wonder Prince Terramai always clings to you. But I see you're a bit fat now, aren't you?" asked Nerwin again, looking at Gariel's body, which was wearing a rather loose witch's outfit, different from the usual.

Gariel was immediately surprised and covered his stomach with both hands. Rupert, noticing this, was also a little confused but immediately hugged Gariel and left the room.

"Dad, we are going to Anu Arendel to meet the Guardian of the Wood Element," Rupert said, pulling Gariel away, but his steps stopped when Arus said something that surprised him.

"There is no need. Why does Queen Nerwin keep visiting me in the Holy Kingdom if not to see Jikael, the Guardian of Wood?" said Arus, making Rupert even more confused.

Nerwin looked at the prince with a smile, as if he had never known his father's greatest secret.

"You'd better start telling me, Arus." Nerwin continued, standing beside the King of the Holy Kingdom.

Rupert remembered Zakiel's words in Clement's Cave and imagined that there was a connection to ruling the kingdom of elves and orcs.

"Father. Zakiel told me that Father has a secret and even terrible plan against Shiltz? Is this true and does it have anything to do with Anu Arendel right now?" asked Rupert cautiously.

Arus burst out laughing at his son's words. Never before had Rupert said such nonsense and made Arus unable to stop laughing.

"Dad, I'm not joking. Is it true that you also want to control Anu Arendel and the Kingdom of Archeart?" asked Rupert, somewhat annoyed to see his father so amused, it was the first time he had ever seen him laugh like that.

"Your Highness Arus, think of your dignity," Nerwin said, trying to calm the handsome king.

"Sorry. I'm sorry, Nerwin," Arus replied, controlling his emotions and standing up straight, then looking at Rupert and Gariel together.

"An Elven queen would not come to see a human king every week unless it was very important." Nerwin explained.

"That is true. Also, the Tree of Life must always be near the Elven Queen, as well as the Guardian of the Wood Element, Jikael. Do you understand?" asked Arus, looking at Rupert and Gariel in turn.

Rupert shrugged.

"Just like the Metal Element in the Kingdom of Archeart, you know that, right?" asked Arus again.

Rupert and Gariel nodded quickly.

"The two Pillars of Shiltz, being in two great kingdoms, would certainly not be affected by the darkness from outside like other Elemental Guardians. That's why I always visit Anu Arendel and the Archeart Kingdom to make sure that Jikael and Sakiel stay on the path of light." Arus continued.

"That must be why there is a rumour that Arus wants to intimidate and control the two kingdoms." Nerwin continued.

"I have no desire to control what doesn't belong to me, Rupert. We have been given our respective territories and of course we must protect them well. Besides, there is news that the Tree of Life has been tainted by the poison given by one of the guardian elves in Anu Arendel--" Arus said again.

"Of course it was not of its own accord, but it was tricked by someone who pretended to come to Anu Arendel and caused terror," Nerwin replied, gripping her bow tightly, remembering the bad thing.

"So...?" asked Rupert, still not understanding.

" Jikael's soul is in the body of your father, Prince Terramai. King Arus is one of the Elemental Guardians in Shiltz, the Guardian of Wood, Jikael." Nerwin explained.

Rupert and Gariel rolled their eyes in disbelief. Arus laughed again at his children's expressions.

"But how come?" Gariel asked, finally opening his voice.

"After the sixty year war against the Sky Dragon. Seven of the Shiltz Guardians were seriously injured, but one of them was Jikael and Sakiel. They both had to leave their original bodies and find new ones to live in. Jikael was supposed to return to Anu Arendel and find one of the elves' successors, but he chose a successor from the oracle family, who have had Wood Elemental Magic for generations," Nerwin explained.

"As for Sakiel, he still returned to his original seal in the Archeart Kingdom and chose King Theo as his new body. That's why I often visit Theo in the Archeart Kingdom to see his progress," he continued. Arus took turns explaining.

Rupert and Gariel remained silent, still unable to believe what they were seeing. Arus turned to Nerwin and asked for permission to do something to make Rupert and Gariel believe. Nerwin slowly nodded her head and immediately took a few steps back. A gust of wind entered the room, parting Arus' black hair and revealing a Wood Element symbol on his forehead, and his body quickly transformed into a man with a sturdy body and eight shiny green wings like Hananiel's. His features were very gentle and his broad chest was clearly exposed, only loose trousers covered his legs and body. He held a magic wand with beautiful ornaments on the long end, the Jikael Staff.

"Dad?" Surprised, Rupert guessed.

"I am Jikael, His Highness Prince Terramai." Jikael replied with a greeting.

"King Arus and Jikael's consciousness do not coincide. When he takes the form of Jikael, the consciousness of King Arus is hidden beneath his consciousness and vice versa," Nerwin explained.

"Narsillia, how are you?" asked Jikael as he approached.

"I am well. Aren't you infected by the darkness like the others?" Gariel asked worriedly.

"Of course not. King Arus always takes good care of me and Sakiel. Besides, the Holy Kingdom has a protective dome that is free from King Feather's dark magic." Jikael replied.

"The Seal of the Wood Element still resides with Anu Arendel, Prince Terramai. That is why I always visit King Arus to ask for some power from Kalauel to be able to protect the seal," Nerwin said when Rupert wanted to ask something the Elven queen already knew.

"I'm glad you're all right, Jikael. After this I will meet Sakiel and visit the Kingdom of Archeart," said Gariel, holding Jikael's hand, which was quite large, similar to Rupert's.

"Why don't you two stop by Anu Arendel's and take a look at the Wood Element Signet? Maybe you can find a clue as to who caused all this," Nerwin offered.

Gariel looked up at Rupert, who was standing next to him, because they were so different in height. Rupert was embarrassed to be seen like that as his almost three month relationship with Gariel was a bit awkward. Nerwin just smiled a little at the behaviour of the two couples.

"As you wish, Gariel. I don't mind." Rupert replied a little nervously.

"May we come to Anu Arendel, Her Majesty the Queen?" Gariel asked respectfully.

"It is an honour, Narsillia." Nerwin replied, holding Gariel's hand.

Anu Arendel, kingdom of the elves. Seal of Wood.

Rupert, Gariel and Queen Nerwin had arrived in the magnificent Elven Kingdom. Unlike the Human Kingdom, this place had a lot of trees and the houses were quite strange. In the centre of the kingdom there is a very large and tall tree that rises up as if to split the sky. The Tree of Life is the heart of the Elven Kingdom. It has given life to the elves since the world was created. Under the Tree of Life sits the magnificent throne of Queen Nerwin, guarded by two elven archers.

"Do you feel it, Narsillia?" asked Queen Nerwin to Gariel, who had arrived just beneath the Tree of Life.

"Yes, Queen Nerwin. The Tree of Life has been tainted with the poison of darkness. Who did this, Queen?" asked Gariel, looking up at the branches and leaves of the Tree of Life.

"We haven't found the culprit yet, and I believe it's one of the Guardians here. I don't know what the purpose is, but I sense that something evil is targeting the lives of the elves." Nerwin replied with a sigh.

"Fortunately, Jikael always gives me his power so that the Tree of Life is not affected too much by the poison. But it still does not prevent the leaves of the Tree of Life from falling." Nerwin picked up a leaf from the Tree of Life that had fallen to the ground.

"If this continues, will it affect the wooden seal, Her Majesty the Queen?" asked Rupert, beginning to speak.

Nerwin was silent for a moment,

"I am not sure. But it could happen, and the elven civilisation could become extinct." Nerwin blew the leaf in his hand and flew away on the breeze.

Rupert and Gariel stiffened as Nerwin spoke. The lives of the elves depended on the Tree of Life, and if the Tree of Life began to fall, who knew what would happen to the elven race. Nerwin walked over to her throne and sat down, then channeled the power Jikael had given him into the Tree of Life. Gariel was astonished, still looking up at the Tree of Life that had built the Elven Kingdom and sustained Shiltz all these years. He would never forgive anyone who tried to destroy this world.

"We take our leave to visit the Archeart Kingdom, Queen." Rupert said as the ritual ended and the clouds lifted over Anu Arendel.

"Give my regards to King Theo, Rupert." Nerwin replied.

Gariel and Rupert smiled and bowed to leave. A teleportation portal appeared in front of them and the two of them immediately stepped inside and disappeared behind the portal to the Archeart Kingdom.

.

.

.

"Prophecy is different from what will happen next," someone said to another in the dark room, facing each other like a circle.

"Elios is too wise to make such a mistake. If he cannot go back and take human form to protect his beloved son, then I will not hesitate to destroy his dream," the other man smiled mischievously while resting his chin.

"Do you believe that? Maybe Elios just wants to create a distraction to keep Narsillia from getting hurt? We only have one wild card to make this plan work," the other man continued to the one with the raised chin.

"No, we don't. 

There are four, Lenias. Don't forget the shadows - those shadows of darkness. They have not yet been destroyed by Elios and an opportunity like this will not come twice," the man smiled even more and drank from the cup in front of him.

"Narsillia will not be able to see his descendants, and even he himself will not be able to see the sunlight," he continued, and suddenly another person with large black wings appeared, holding a short magic wand in the shape of a skull's head.

"Have you come, Samael?"