The Dragon King's Heart

With a quick portal spell, they were immediately transported to the Altar of the Sun. Everyone was on their guard, knowing that they might plunge straight into battle the moment they got there. The portal brought them to the entrance of the Altar.

"The Oracle has returned!"

As soon as the guards saw Ramona, they made way for her to enter the Flame Hall. They were not Dexerion's followers, hence they did not see him as the new oracle. Furthermore, the Aurora Flame was still in her possession. Ramona summoned The Aurora Flame, placing it on her staff. 

The multi-colored flame flickered and crackled at the top of her staff as she walked. Those who were loyal to Ramona heard of her return. They quickly joined her side as she made her way towards the oracle room. They were surprised to see Laina by the oracle's side. They were still unaware of who she was, but they knew she must be of great importance. 

By the time Dexerion's followers caught wind of what was happening, they attempted to attack Ramona. But they were no match for Laina and her bodyguards. They made quick work of anyone who stood in their way. Ramona herself also used her powers to cast them aside. 

When they finally entered the Flame Hall, Dexerion was ready for them. He did not wait for them to enter. He attacked them head-on with attacks of his own. Giant spheres of fiery hot flames shot through the air towards Ramona and Laina. Ramona tapped her staff onto the ground, creating a shield to protect all of them. The balls of flame were unable to break through the shield. 

"Attack!" Dexerion yelled to his followers. 

At his call, they raised their weapons and charged towards Ramona. Dexerion was not about to chicken out of the fight either. He summoned two flame beasts to his side to fight with him. Laina was about to take a step forward to fight him when Kol and Florin stopped her. 

"We'll take care of him, Your Highness," Florin said before they lunged forward to attack. 

"I'll leave him to the both of you then," she said before turning her attention to the men who were charging towards Ramona. 

Laina drew her weapon and charged forward. Some of them fought with fists covered in flames, others had flaming swords. But none of them were able to overpower Laina and the Oracle. Laina did not even need to use any magic. She simply beat each of her opponents with wit and strength. 

Florin and Kol, on the other hand, were having a difficult time dealing with Dexerion and his flame beasts. The two monstrosities kept them at a distance. They could not get close to Dexerion no matter how hard they tried. 

Seeing as his plan to take the Aurora Flame into his possession was failing, Dexerion gritted his teeth in anger. His emotions fueled his powers and his flame beasts. The flame beasts grew in size and strength, making the fight even more difficult than before. 

Florin was already at a disadvantage, but he did not back down from the fight. Kol, worried for his safety, was doing everything he could to protect Florin while fighting. 

"You don't have to look out for me, I can handle myself!" Florin said to him as they dodged out of the way from an incoming attack. 

Kol did not reply. When one of the flame beasts leaped towards Florin, he did not hesitate to use his own body as a shield to block the attack. The flame beast bit down onto Kol's shoulder and flung him to the other side of the room. Blood splattered all across Florin's face as he looked on in shock. 

"Kol!" He yelled. 

The vampire's eyes glowed bright red as his fangs grew longer and sharper. Laina heard Florin yell. She watched as Kol's body landed heavily on the hard stone ground. She held her breath as she feared the worse. But when she saw his trembling body getting back up, she heaved a short sigh of relief. 

With her knights supporting Ramona in fighting Dexerion's followers, she decided to go help Florin and Kol. First, she went to check on Kol. 

"Kol, are you alright?" she asked as she assessed the wound. 

Blood was still seeping out of the wound non-stop. Florin wanted to rush to his side but he could not. The flame beast he had been fighting had him in a bind. Not to mention, Dexerion was coming towards him too. Kol took out a metallic flask and began to down its contents in one gulp. The red liquid dripped down the side of his mouth, which he did not waste. 

Within a matter of seconds, his wound stopped bleeding and had begun to heal. 

"Do not worry, Your Highness, I am good to go," he said reassuringly as he got back up on his feet. 

Kol promptly got back into the fight without the slightest hesitation. Just as the flame beast was about to overwhelm Florin, Kol appeared in the nick of time. He summoned a strong blast of water, destroying the flame beast entirely. 

It turned into a pile of ashes. 

"What have you done?!" Dexerion yelled in anger as he glared at Kol. 

Realizing he was fighting a losing battle, Dexerion knew he did not have many options left. If he wanted to take the Aurora Flame by force, he had to give it his all. 

"Dexerion!" Ramona shouted across the hall as she fought off his remaining followers. 

"Stop this madness at once! You don't have to do this," she attempted to reason with him. 

Dexerion laughed, "Madness? I am fighting for what I want, for what I deserve!"

Ramona gritted her teeth in anger. He had always been a formidable rival. He challenged her at every turn and a part of her had wished their friendly rivalry would never change. But fate was cruel. Jealousy was an evil devil. 

Ramona walked up to him cautiously, she could see his eyes fixated on the Aurora Flame embedded on her staff. His desire for the flame became an obsession. She could see it in his eyes. The power of fire was a double-edged sword. It grants you the power you seek. 

But if you're not careful, you may find yourself engulfed and drowning in its clutches.

"Dexerion, you can't win," Ramona said to him solemnly. 

Her words pierced through his heart, further angering him. 

"You're wrong," he spat, "I'll show you. I'll show everyone how strong I truly am!"