The Dragon King's Heart

With time on their side, Laina finally had the capacity to fulfill her role as Queen. Ethan had done tremendously in her absence, proving himself to be competent and a quick learner. 

Dante had provided her with a potential solution that would help her to reach the Celestial Realm. After some research on her own and with the help of the Oracle, she was able to gather the relevant information she needed. 

"Fire affinity gems, geodes, and crystals?" Margaret asked as she furrowed her eyebrows. 

"Yes, that's right."

"Well then that's easy, the mines should have everything we need."

Laina shook her head. If only it was that simple. At first glance, that was all they needed. But it was much more difficult. They needed to resonate with Laina too. It also had to be a high-grade piece, flawless if possible. The older the better too.

"That is going to be a challenge..." Margaret commented as she bit her lip. 

"According to the information we gathered, Sunfire Jade would be one of the best candidates for this. But it's extremely rare."

"Not to mention...that happens to be the infamous Stone Maniac's favorites to collect."

He was infamous for a simple reason. He stopped at nothing to get what he wanted. Even if that meant breaking into someone's private collection. Furthermore, he is so mysterious, no one seemed to have ever found out his true identity. 

Laina leaned back in her seat as she began to concoct a plan in her mind. If he was elusive, the best way to find him would be to bait him. Laina's private collection and the Kinshearth Royal collection were filled with elusive pieces. 

There had to be something that would intrigue the Stone Maniac. Perhaps he would make a move, or send someone to do so on his behalf. Laina brought Margaret down to the Royal Vaults. They searched high and low for something suitable. 

"Your Majesty, there's a collection of Sunfire Jade here!" Margaret called out to her from a corner of the vault. 

She quickly went over to take a closer look, hoping that perhaps one of them would resonate with her. Unfortunately, none of them did. Not to mention, most of them had dull exteriors. 

"I don't think Sunfire Jades are supposed to look like this," Margaret said as she took a closer look. 

The lack of sunlight in the vault was the cause of the lackluster appearance. As their name suggested, the jade needed to absorb warmth from the sun to achieve its peak potential. Laina carefully checked each of them for quality. 

In the end, she picked three pieces of different sizes and quality. 

"Bring these to the garden. They need to absorb as much sunlight as possible," Laina instructed. 

After seven days of sunlight, the Sunfire Jades achieved its natural glow. Laina placed her hand on one of them, feeling the warmth that came from it. 

The first week went by with no leads. Laina had ordered a small rotation of guards to guard the jades. Florin and Kol were both on standby too, in case things took a turn.

Two weeks went by. 

"Perhaps it's just not enticing enough to him?" Margaret theorized as she bit her lip. 

Laina shook her head. The three pieces of jade she had chosen were not only of great quality but they had also been aged for a long time. If the Stone Maniac already had most of what the market had to offer, older pieces were sure to intrigue him. 

At the start of the third week, Laina was beginning to lose a little hope. But when she sensed an unknown presence on her balcony, she knew he was here. But to her surprise, he was not human. 

Thorne sensed his presence too. He was just about to draw his weapon but Laina stopped him. 

"Stand down, he's not a threat," Laina reassured him. 

He took a few steps back, but still remained close by in case things took a turn. Laina walked out to the balcony. 

"It's great to finally meet you," Laina greeted him with a smile. 

The Stone Maniac was a magpie. He was larger than most and had a distinct scar across his left eye. The magpie tilted its head as it looked up at Laina. 

"Interesting, very interesting..." the magpie opened its mouth to speak. 

"Pray tell, what piqued your interest?" Laina asked as she leaned on the balcony.

"Most people are surprised when they first meet me. Yet you're not," the Stone Maniac explained, "Most don't even acknowledge my existence."

She chuckled. It would be a lie to say she was not amused or surprised. But having interacted with all sorts of creatures and people, Laina knew better than. Titan, who was sleeping on the bed, woke up and came to her side to see what was going on. 

When the Stone Maniac saw Titan, he took a few steps to the left, afraid of what the dog might do to him. Laina quickly called Titan to stand down. The Solar Mastiff was curious by the bird, but he was not about to eat him. 

"Do you know who I am?" Laina asked.

The Stone Maniac chuckled, "How would I not? Her Majesty, the Queen of Kinshearth."

He lowered his head, with one folded wing near his chest as a form of respect.Laina could not help but wonder how a magpie was able to speak. Upon closer inspection, she soon realised the magpie was no normal bird. 

"Do you have a name you go by? Or do you prefer me to address you by your nickname?" she asked.

The magpie chuckled a little, "I think you and I have an affinity, Your Majesty. It is not often I tell someone my real name, this occasion is no exception. However, if you like, you can call me Maximums."

The magpie raised its chest with pride. Laina nodded.

"Maximus the magpie, it's a pleasure to meet you" she greeted him, "I'll go straight to the point, I would like to propose a trade."

Maximus tilted his head to the side, trying to act a little surprised by Laina's request. In truth, he knew exactly what he was walking into. He had sent people to check and scope out the palace before making his trip. 

Most of the time, he would have sent someone on his behalf to strike a deal or swipe the pieces. But Laina intrigued him. He had heard much about her, so he wanted to meet her in person. 

"What is this trade that you wish to propose?" he asked, curiosity peaked. 

If she wanted to catch him or threaten him, she would have already done so. Hence, the magpie let down his guard a little more. Laina held out her hand. He leaped off the balcony railing and perched on her hand. 

"I am looking for a very specific type of Sunfire Jade, as such, I was hoping I could take a look at your collection to see if we can make a trade for the ones I have," Laina explained. 

"The ones you have on offer are  of great value, some of the rarest by all standards," Maximus praised, "There aren't many in my collection that could possibly match up to it."

Laina further explained her situation without giving too much away. When Maximus learned she was looking for Sunfire Jades that resonated with her, he immediately understood. 

"Indeed, that is difficult to find. There's no guarantee I have anything that would resonate with you either," he said. 

She was prepared for that situation. Sunfire Jade was the best mineral to use for it, but it was far from the only one. Laina had done her research on the Stone Maniac. He collected many other rocks that had an affinity with fire. 

"So, what do you say, Maximus?" she asked.