14

He slowly opened his red eyes, his head throbbing badly and his tired body aching from every joint. Morphing had undoubtedly taken a toll on Loid's body.

But what was that constrictive feeling? Like something was binding his very core.

Blinking his eyes, he adjusted his vision to the brightness of his surrounding. He saw the gold crystal walls that confined him. There were thick vines wrapped around the orb and that answered his earlier question.

He was imprisoned but for what possible reason? Rin. Where was he? Was he alright?,the boy thought. A sharp pain pierced through his head and he held it in his hands, sitting up inside his cage.

"The boy's awake", Drakes said, making Arthur and the others turn their heads towards the center of the room. Kim finally allowed himself to take a breath, retracting his hand from Dammy's mouth.

'You fool! You almost got us caught.'

But Dammy was too preoccupied to reply. His brother was right in front of him. He reached out his transparent hand but he couldn't do anything. He had no power to set him free. He clenched his jaw, frustrated at his own helplessness.

Thor and Rin got summoned like that crystal ball but unlike Loid, they were free of any bindings. They came out of the glowing glass floor, their red uniform capes fluttering gracefully in the wind that surrounded them.

Rin took a deep breath and from the corner of his calm blue eyes, he looked at Loid. Those crimson eyes met his for a moment before he averted his gaze and placed a hand on his chest to offer his greetings to all the people present there.

Loid sighed but it was a sigh of relief and one could understand two possible reasons for that. Rin was unharmed and secondly, he had conveyed a message to the lion. It was a promise that he would set him free and any promise from Rin was enough to put his heart at ease.

"Let us start the hearing", the president said. He crossed his legs and rested his knuckles against his cheek, his calm smile not leaving his face. Thor stepped forward and snapping his fingers, he produced a letter from thin air.

He cleared his throat before saying in a loud tone,"This here is the order from the president to track down an individual suspected of using cursed magic."

Arthur nodded,"Oh, I remember doing that. Did you find them,Thor?"

"Yes. Actually Rin and Loid",he pointed at the crystal orb,"that beast spirit, were the ones to confront him during their task last night at the village of black-eyed pixies."

"Who was he?", Professor Drakes questioned, leaning forward and entwining his fingers on the desk.

"Sir, we don't have his name but he was a man with blonde hair who must be in his late twenties by his appearance. He had black eyes and bandages covered his arms and legs. More importantly, he had a scorpion for a kemono."

"A scorpion!"

Everyone was startled by the sudden outburst of the now awake professor Virion.

His green eyes wide, he cried,"My boy, did you just say a scorpion?"

Thor nodded and Rin stepped forward, adding,"And he had consumed an additional core to fuse with his kemono's form."

They saw the professor's aged hands shake on his cane. He looked at the president before whispering,"Arthur, he was Zeld, was he not? That boy, that one curious lad we had here all those years ago."

Arthur replied with a nod of his head before coming down from the pavilion, his brown leather boots tapping away on the glass floor.

Reaching the professors' desk, he offered Sir Virion a white handkerchief to wipe away the sweat on his forehead.

"Sir, stress isn't good for your health", he said and then turned around, raising a finger,"Now who'll tell us the most important thing we can conclude from this report? Takashi?"

The wolf boy stood up, looking around the room as he decided his answer. "Hmm", he said,"Rin said that he had two core but we all know everyone is born with only one."

He placed a hand on his chest, feeling the warmth of his own core.

"And?", the president said, leaning against the desk, his long braid swaying by his action.

"And the only way he could have got a second one is by killing another magical being or a gifted human."

"Bingo!", Arthur clapped his gloved hands.

He stood up straight, spreading out his arms,"Ladies and gentlemen, we are talking about a killer here and what's the penalty for a killer? Death. A life for a life and that boy in there", he pointed over his shoulder at the crystal,"he has already given that person is punishment."

Once again, heads turned towards the center of the room. Eyes looked at Loid, some with distrust and others with hostility. Loid ignored the uneasiness he felt being under their strong gazes.

"He is a spirit beast with a foreign core instead of his own. How do we know he isn't a threat?", Hana said, glaring at Loid who glared back with as much if not less intensity.

"We don't", Arthur shrugged and walked up to Rin. He placed a hand on his shoulder and said,"Rin, my boy. The core inside that cub's body isn't his own, he has already lost his and you were aware of it, were you not?"

Loid was petrified.

His thoughts came to an abrupt halt as that man's words echoed through his very soul.

His core. It wasn't his own. He looked at his hands. Was this not him? Who was he then? And Rin knew about it all this time.

Then it flashed through his mind, the promise he had made to Rin.

"Promise me you will not morph in front of anyone else."

It all came together. Like pieces of a puzzle fitting perfectly.

Loid looked at Rin, the boy who had been hiding his secret and a secret even he himself was completely unaware of. Why would Rin do that? He spared his life, brought back his brother and gave him a place to belong to.Why had he done all that?

'Why Rin? Why when you knew that I had to be killed in the end?'

He would've willingly accepted his fate had he been told that days ago on that snowy mountain. He felt his heart sink in his chest, eyes locked at that raven haired boy as he muttered,"But why can't I accept it now, Rin?"

"Yes, I was", Rin answered, looking the president right into his eyes,"I was fully aware of his state. But his or not, that core inside him is his life now! What gives us the right to end his life?"

"He's a taboo", Hana said, smashing the desk with her fist,"his very existence is cursed and Thor, don't tell me you are fine with that beast having Alicia's core?"

Thor clenched his fists. That question. He was hoping that he wouldn't have to confront it.

"We are here to decide whether that spirit beast is a threat or not. Let's not debate on the origin of the core", the president said and Thor found himself grateful to him for saying that.

Truth be told, he had his doubts about Rin's decision to hide the truth but seeing as how Rin was determined to protect that lion, he felt like he must trust his friend for now.

You better know what you are doing, Rin, he thought.

"He is a threat! I can't see why he is not! Two cores? Everyone knows they throw you off balance. Decaying your body, stealing your ability to think!", Hana said.

"I don't see him decaying though", Lady Miya spoke for the first time.

"And he looks mentally sound too", Professor Drakes said, stroking his chin.

"So is he no longer a threat? Really?",Takashi said, looking at the lion.

"We don't know about that yet", Arthur said, smiling wide as he bend over to press a finger at Rin's chest,"Rin, if only you could prove it somehow and make us change our mind", he brought his mouth closer to his ear, whispering,"It is only fair that his fate rests upon your shoulders, the guardian of his core."