Part 2
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Despite her best efforts to ignore them, Cosmic's words were still ringing in her head as they walked, it was almost as if it was taunting her. She'd never imagined she would be a princess in her entire life, and now... she apparently was one.
She knew it made sense, with Elana being one and then being sisters but she still wasn't ready to accept it.
At least Elana had been quiet now too, clearly giving her the space she desperately needed to work through all the information she'd just learned and finally had to accept. She knew couldn't keep denying everything Elana had been saying, not when she'd been telling the truth about the Queen's plan.
In truth, Eclipse had never intended to help stop the spell, but now knowing it was as easy as following a pink trail along the ground to retrieve a Crystal, she knew she had to do something. She could do her part in helping save the kingdom.
They stayed following the glowing pink line on the path ahead of them, it definitely made navigating the massive maze easier, as they roamed through the leafy corridors.
Still, she couldn't get her mind off the whole princess thing. If they did somehow succeed in stopping Alizara what would happen then? Because she already had a feeling Elana wouldn't let her to back to her normal life in her village. Honestly, she wasn't against that. She didn't exactly have anything waiting for her back home.
"So, when all of this" she gestured vaguely in front of her, "is over, what then?" She couldn't help but ask, Elana clearly had some sort of plan, and Eclipse really wanted to know how she intended for it to end. What would happen after the spell?
"Then you take over from Alizara." Elana replied, keeping her eyes focused on the plink line before them.
Eclipse stopped in her tracks, "You want me to rule?" She asked in shock as her eyes lingered on Elana who'd finally noticed she'd stopped and had turned to face her.
"Why?" She wondered aloud, why would she want her to become Queen? Why not become the ruler herself? Eclipse didn't have a single regal bone in her body, she was hardly a princess, and she definitely wasn't ready to be some sort of Queen.
"Do you remember when I mentioned Solaria?" Elana started slowly, her brown eyes softening as they looked at her. Eclipse nodded, she wasn't about to forget her mother's name so suddenly. "She was our kingdoms true ruler and the last approved ruler after Jove died, when Solaria passed away the title should have gone to her only child- that would be you- but instead it went to Jove's other
The Rose Garden daughter, Alizara. Eclipse, I know you don't understand it now, but I promise you will. You're the daughter of the sun and the moon, you have the most incredible magical potential. I just need you to see that. You have real magic, not like Alizara who needs to steal it. You could make our kingdom great again. I just need you to trust me."
"I thought I told you I didn't have magic."
"And I think I forgot to mention, that I don't believe you."
Eclipse rolled her eyes at this, because of course Elana didn't believe her. But she hadn't lied. She truly didn't have magic, no matter what Elana thought. She may be a princess - according to Cosmic - but she didn't have magic, or the ability to be the Queen.
"I'm not a leader. And I'm definitely not a suitable replacement, I'm just trying to get the Ezerulium Crystal so you can stop her and I can go home." She added firmly, making sure to meet Elana's gaze so she'd truly understand that she wasn't willing to budge on this. She was only here to help get the crystal. Nothing more.
Elana didn't try to argue this time. They just continued following the pink line until it faded into the ground, disappearing from view. Signalling their arrival.
Eclipse looked up at the final gap between the bushes that would lead them to Cerberus Corner. This was it, this was where they'd find the crystal. The key to stopping Alizara.
She glanced over at Elana who was eying the foliage suspiciously, like she was just waiting for something bad to happen. Eclipse tried
not to think too much of it as they turned the corner, walking into the next chamber of this maze.
Eclipse's eyes shot up to her hairline as she spotted the iridescent silver crystal, it was stunningly mesmerising. Easily the most beautiful stone she'd ever seen and yet there was a problem.
The monster that guarded it.
The Ezerulium Crystal acted as a decoration on the Cerberus' collar, Cerberus corner had a real Cerberus, who wasn't quite as fictitious as legend had her believing. Easily towering above over, even as it slept was a jet black Cerberus. It's three heads lying on the soft grass, as the room echoed with the monsters snores.
It was huge.
From legend she knew how deadly the Cerberus could be, used as a warning story against children who misbehaved. A great beast with three heads. The left controlled the body, including its razor sharp claws. The right controlled the tail, which was basically a lethal five foot long spear, and they all barred a gigantic set of teeth, which would wipe out any opponent in an instant. The middle head was by far the deadliest, with the puff of smoke that erupted from its nostrils, and its capability to breath fire. They all had deep red eyes... that were looking directly at them.
Eclipse instinctively pushed Elana behind her, when she heard her gulp of fear, she needed not to draw attention to them, that thing could kill them in one swipe of its claws and they'd just woken it up.
Eclipse's hand immediately drifted down to her belt where she typically kept her sword, before getting a harsh reminder she didn't have it on her.
Calculating quickly, she estimated ten seconds before the beast attacked.
Her eyes landed back on the beast as she looked for any visible weakness, it didn't seem to have the most coordination in the world, as it moved towards them at a staggering speed.
Two.
She caught a glint out of the corner of her eyes, and she grabbed Elana's arm dragging her behind her, as they rushed towards the light. Hoping desperately, it was something.
Elana followed quickly as they raced behind the Cerberus, using its uncoordinated nature to get behind it, and narrowly avoiding its
tail, they were behind it now, it would be forced to turn around before it could next attack.
Eclipse skidded to a stop next to the item that'd just captured the light. She breathed out a sigh of relief when she realised it was a sword. She didn't care why it was here. Or who had left it, gripping it tightly in her hand she knew it would be the key to them getting that stone.
By now, the monster had turned around, looking back at them with three equally terrifying pairs of eyes.
"Get to safety, I'll distract it." Eclipse said firmly, as Elana ran and tucked herself in the corner of the room. There wasn't anywhere to hide, and the room was only so big.
The monster was approaching again, and Eclipse looked at it head on. The monster had every advantage in this fight and was she reminded herself, she didn't have to beat it, she just needed two things. Her life and that crystal.
The monsters nostrils began to smoke again before it let out terrifying a screech, its central head roaring to life as it left out a puff of fire. A clear warning.
"Now would be a good time for some magic." Elana called out, and Eclipse swore she saw Elana's eyes flash a glowing red.
"I told you I don't have any." Eclipse shot back, hardly sparing her a glance. As she moved to dodge the beasts claws as it took a swipe at where she'd just been standing. "What about you aren't you the princess or something, don't you have powers?"
She kept on her feet, making sure to keep the beast's attention away from Elana, as she worked on trying to form a plan. They just needed that crystal.
"Hardly. I can teleport but that's about it." She heard Elana call over, as she swung her sword at the beasts hind legs hoping to throw it off balance.
It wobbled slightly, hissing out another blast of fire that temporarily blinded her. "You can teleport?" She asked, sprinting out of view of the beast's seemingly ever watching gaze.
"Sometimes!" Elana shouted, her voice raised an octave more than Eclipse was used to, she spun on her heel, her eyes widening as she saw the beast had lost interest in her and was now after Elana.
Elana threw up her arms, casting a glowing pink shield around herself, as Eclipse breathed a sigh of relief. The monster recoiled at the blast of light, before turning all three of its enormous heads back to look at her. Plan, she needed a plan. She couldn't keep out running it, even with her damaging its hind leg, it still held every advantage, and she was starting to get tired. She couldn't keep running.
The beast swung its pointed tail in the air reminding Eclipse just how dangerous this monster could be. It was already approaching her, its large teeth biting and snapping at the air as if taunting her.
Focus. She reminded herself.
It let out another plume of fire and this time Eclipse noticed the way two of its heads looked away as it breathed fire, just like it'd done when Elana cast her shielding spell.
The revelation hit her suddenly. It couldn't take light.
She didn't wait to confirm her theory, she adjusted her grip on her sword, trying to get the angle just right to she could reflect the sun and use that as her weapon.
It took a few moments, but she eventually got the angle refined enough to take out one of the beasts eyes, one down, five more to go.
She took out the next four using the same trick, running around the chamber to make sure it didn't catch her.
Elana eliminated the final eye, releasing her shield and shooting out a small blast of magic, offering her an encouraging smile as she did so. With the beast's ability to see removed it wasn't long before it tripped over its own feet and tumbled into a ball of limbs on the ground, its heads still biting and tail still thrashing as it did so.
Eclipse manoeuvred herself closer to it, careful to be completely silent as she did so, she reached the beasts neck and carefully sliced off its heavy leather collar with her sword, dragging it back to Elana.
Elana ripped off the crystal, and the second it was in her hands they both raced to the exit, no words needed to express just how badly they wanted to get out of there.
Once they were safely out of the Cerberus' chamber Eclipse practically melted onto the ground, sweat beaded upon her forehead and exhaustion clinging on to her. Elana handed her the crystal, talking a seat beside her, while she took a moment to catch her breath.
"Thank you." Elana said after a short moment, while Eclipse just admired the crystal. It truly was magnificent, it reminded her of the star they'd see in Cosmic's room. "I hate to think what would've happened to me in there if you hadn't been there. You saved my life." Elana continued, both the fear and admiration evident in her voice.
"It was nothing." Eclipse muttered, "I was just doing what anyone would do." Elana nodded, clearly sensing the lie. In truth it had been quite the battle, and sure Eclipse could fight but she'd never taken on anything of that level in her entire life. She had no idea how Elana had been expecting her to take on Alizara.
"Well then Princess," Eclipse added once she'd finally caught her breath, "I believe this belongs to you." Eclipse held out her hand, the Ezerulium Crystal in her palm. "Take it."
Elana gave her a small smile, "Thank You, for everything." She replied, taking the crystal into her hands. "Now, I believe you said something about a way out."
Eclipse nodded, finally seeming to have gotten herself one step closer to getting out of this infernal maze. They had the crystal, they had stopped Alizara. And now she could go home.
Although, the idea of going home no longer sounded quite so appealing as it had before... at least here she had a friend.
بخشد
The rest of the walk to the castle went fairly easily despite the noticeable lack of the pink pathway to follow. But at least Elana seemed more familiar with this part of the journey, and they were able to reach the castle with minimal issue.
Elana had promised her that the easiest exit was through the castle and Eclipse had begun to believe her. Throughout this crazy mess of a day, she'd found herself beginning to trust Elana in a way she never thought possible, and she had finally started to come around to the idea that they really were sisters.
Finally, they reached the end of the labyrinth. And the foliage gave way to an enormous stone spiral staircase which led up to the castle, and her freedom.
The staircase was adorned with beautiful spiral patterns, which she couldn't help but admire as they walked up the stairs.
The staircase paved the way to the entrance to the castle and tucked just inside the opening was a large mahogany door, flanked by two gardens on either side.
They lowered their weapons immediately when they spotted Elana, inviting them inside without a second thought, greeting her with a fond "Your highness."
Elana led the way through a new kind of labyrinth inside, and Eclipse followed her closely so not to get lost in the multitude of rooms and corridors that filled the castle.
It was safe to say this was the nicest place Eclipse had ever been in her entire life, the walls were lined with windows, and the floor was trimmed with a neat red carpet which felt soft against her boots.
The castle seemed to sprawl out endlessly, and it wasn't until Elana paused in front of a stone archway that Eclipse took a moment to appreciate the paintings on the wall. She didn't know if Elana had done this intentionally, but being in the castle gallery was such a captivating place and she couldn't help stare at the beautifully crafted paintings that lined the wall.
"That one's Solaria." Elana said softly, gesturing to one of the paintings that was on the left of the wall. Her eyes jumped over to it quickly and she felt a lump form in her throat at how Elana had been right. She did look just like her mother.
Eclipse couldn't tear her eyes off the painting, that was until Elana cleared her voice loudly behind her, "Are you ready to go?" She asked gently and Eclipse couldn't help but nod, knowing she wouldn't be done staring at that image if she'd been granted another eternity in this corridor.
Forcing her eyes away from the picture, she followed Elana through the stone archway into by far the largest room in the castle so far, the room was lined with stained glass windows and was the most elaborate room she had ever seen: the throne room.
Her eyes exploded the room intently, looking for the exit Elana had promised, until a voice she didn't recognise, echoed throughout the room.
"Welcome Eclipse, I've been expecting you."