CHAPTER 5, THE ARENA
As we all rested I was drinking water when we heard the warning bell, it's wyverns again. We joined the group that was going to subjugate them. As we headed to island's edge, we saw that they weren't coming to land but attacking from a far distance. None of the long range mage attacks could land a hit of the flock of wyverns flying in the far distance, their were at lesst thirty of them in all. "Open, Gate of the Bird of Paradise, Apus." I summoned Apus holding his key which had a round bow with a blue gem at the center and on the gem the Apus constellation it had a long stem, with a collar right before the bit which was similar to bird wings, it had bronze color to it. He appeared in his animal form, which was a giant bird with beautiful feathers that were similar to that of a rainbow.
"Here we go." He said as I rode on his back.
"Open, Gate of Chisel, Caelum." I said and held the Caelum key which had round bow with a bronze coloring and red gem at the center featuring the Caelum constellation, and a long stem with a collar right before the tip which had a square bit to it similar to a chisel. Caelum appeared in his sword form which was a large chisel. "Assault Form."
As I knocked down the wyverns one at a time I saw that Neph's Brionac was firing from the ground, Brionac is a lance with the ability to shoot long-range attacks. He targeted the wings or eyes and killed them the moment they hit the ground. The knights and mages helped in defeating them and after knocking down the last one I came down, but before I did I saw something in the distance... a small island, it had twelve pillars around it and it seemed to be very old. I landed on the ground and looked for Hoshi-san and asked him about it. "Ah, that's one of the ancient islands, the magical circles their can't be opened by open by anyone but a Hero. Why don't you try? I heard a treasure awaits that who can open it." He happily told me.
"Can I?" I asked him.
"This is your future nation to rule, no need to be reserved, you need to know what kind of resources you have right?" Ginga-san said patting my head.
"Then, I'll be off." I said and hopped back onto Apus, I gave the girls a heads up before departing though.
I flew to the small island and landed at the center, when I looked at the pillars, they had moss and cracks on them, the ground split here and there, the place must be really old. As I looked at each of them and I found a pedestal at the center, there a key hole was present, there was something written as well, it was really old too, the pedestal was covered in moss and dead plants. 'The second of the twelve, born with strength and power, holding the axe of the stars which was the key to itself.' It was written on it as if hinting how to activate it. A key... something like my keys perhaps? Second of the twelve Taurus! With strength and power holding the axe of the stars... Aldebaran! Which is the key to itself... The Taurus key, it's bit was similar to an axe! The golden key, with a u-shaped bow that came from the stem had a green gem on it with the Taurus symbol on it, the bow had a horn-shaped rim to it and it had a collar right where the axe spreads.
I inserted the Taurus key into the keyhole and suddenly, I heard a rumbling sound and saw the ground around me rotate, there were small ditches dug into them, from the twelve pillars light poured into the ditches and then reconnected to the pedestal and suddenly a light shined and I was teleported somewhere.
I opened my eyes and saw I was on an island, a small round floor was where I stood. There was a cobblestone pathway ahead of me, around me tall maple trees stood and lining the pathway a flowerbed filled with roses, hydrangea and chrysanthemums. Beyond it I saw a large dome. "Welcome my name is Alpha Tauri, please call me Uri. The Zodiac's Taurus who overseas this facility, the Arena of the Bull. I welcome you, Master." A girl with black hair tied in two buds on her head said, she had brown eyes and white skin she was wearing an outfit that seems to resemble a kimono, well basically the top is like that of a kimono but unlike a regular kimono which reaches the foot of a person, it is more like a skirt, above the knee that spreads out in every direction, with a apron on it. On the obi of the kimono, the Taurus Sign is hanging on circular golden medal.
"Ett~o, Uri what is this place?" I asked the girl who was standing in front of me.
"This is the Arena of the Bull as I have mentioned earlier." She answered and had a shocked expression. "Oh, I see. Allow me to explain in detail. This is the Arena of the Bull, a large arena made specifically for fighting purposes."
"Ett~o, Uri, how did I get here?" I asked her.
"You arrived here after you inserted the key to this place, the teleportation circle activated after you did so." She answered, I see those pillars were something like a teleportation circle. "The Arena was constructed about ten thousand years ago or so."
"Ehh!? Does this mean you own this place?" I asked her. "Did your family pass it down?"
"Incorrect, I have been the only one who owned this place." She answered. "Master, I am not human, I am someone made from magic."
"I see, a homunculus or a robot?" I asked her.
"Neither, I am a basically a doll which has been given life through a higher rank form of magic. The Origin Magic, Life. I am imbued with the power of Taurus of the Zodiacs." She said with a proud face.
"I see, so why was I sent here?" I asked her.
"That was because Master has fulfilled the requirements for inheritance. One, you must be the descendant of the owner, second you must be blessed by the gods, and finally you must have enough magical power to open the gate." She said. "Master, I must test you first before giving you the island though."
"Wait, I never said I would inherit this place!" I stopped her, she then looked at me. "This is an ancient artifact left to you by your ancestors, you have no choice."
It seems I really have no choice, as one who was born of the royal lineage, this is an ancient artifact. A rare find and I guess I have no choice but accept it. Uri lead me towards the arena and told me to fight her so I agreed, if I could knock her down once that would be it. I brought out the Hoshikawa and as she charged at me with her sword that she suddenly pulled out I aimed fro her leg and she fell in a glorious dive. "Um, Yuri are you alright?" I asked her helping her up.
"Y-yes." She said dusting her skirt. "Master, you called me Yuri but my name is Uri."
"Well Uri doesn't sit well with my tongue when calling you so I thought of calling you Yuri instead. It means Lily in Aerial Language." I said with a smile at her. "At any rate, does this mean I now own this place?"
"Yes. I, Zodiac 02, code named; Alpha Tauri now here by transfer ownership of the Arena of The Moon to... ett~o, Master what is your name?" She asked ruining the formal mood.
"Haru, Haru Morganite Tsuki." I told her.
"Now hereby transfer owner to Haru Morganite Tsuki as well as ownership of the Zodiac 02, code named; Alpha Tauri. Please treat us well." She said pinching her skirt and bowing.
"Yuri, you called yourself Zodiac 02, that means there are more facilities similar to yours?" I asked her.
"Affirmative, including the Arena there are fifteen islands in all, when the fifteen gather, they become the Tsuki Family heritage, Zodiac." She said. "The facilities are as follows, the Garden, the Armory, the Mansion, the Factory, the Warehouse, the Library, the Tower, the Great Walls, the Lake House, the Alchemy Laboratory, the Castle Gate, the Forest Reserve, the Hangar, the Menagerie and my Arena. Together, when all fourteen unify they become Zodiac."
"I see, do you know where the others are?" I asked her, I bet there are some useful things in each of them.
"Unfortunately I don't, it's hard to imagine the world hasn't changed since the time we were released. It has been countless millennia after all." She answered. "What's more, originally there were fifteen but I have no idea how many are left at the moment. Each of them are managed by siblings."
"I see, Yuri can I go to any of the islands?" I asked her.
"Unfortunately you can't, the islands transfer gate that connects it to each other has been sealed off and our communications have been cut by the barriers around each island." She answered. "The only way would be..."
"To find every island's teleportation circle and activate it, huh... that would be very exhausting but I have no choice. By any chance, do you know where the others are?" I asked her.
"No. As I have mentioned earlier I have no idea where the current islands are and where their teleportation circle is. Only mine was left in it's original spot which was the small island at the edge of the Aerial Isles." She answered. "Master, I also have a gift for you, as ordered by my creator."
"A gift?" I asked and she handed me a horn-shaped hair piece. "What is this?"
"The Medium for the Zodiac familiar Capricorn." She answered.
"Ehh!? Capricorn! Why is it here?" I asked her.
"Each island has at least one Familiar guarding it, Capricorn came here of it's own free will after the previous Hero died. The other Familiar is currently out on rounds but will return shortly." She said as I took a step away from the center and held the Medium in my hand.
"Familiars created by the first Hero, abandon your old form and reincarnate, under the name of the new Hero, let your true power awaken. Open, Gate of the Sea Goat Familiar, Capricorn." I chanted the spell for changing the Mediums and the Medium left my hand and became a key, with goat horns at the bit, a golden length with a round bow that had a brown gem on it, it had the Capricorn constellation on it and the bow had goat horns on it. Capricorn appeared before me after that.
"Greetings, my name is Capricorn, I shall henceforth serve you." He said in a formal manner, he had black hair wearing blue tinted shades and he also had white skin. He was wearing a black coat with a silver shirt protruding from under it, with pants and boots and blades hanging from the belt on his hip. He stood in a formal manner. "Pardon me."
"It's fine." He said as he took my face and I gave consent for the kiss which binds the Familiar and Summoner.
"Master, a gift for you." He said and handed me a pair of glasses.
"Ah, thanks but I don't need glasses." I said but I had to accept it because he insisted.
"The enhance your range of sight as well as accuracy, it also prevents you from being controlled via sight magic and and such and doubles as reading glasses." He said with a smile. "It can also be changed to fit your own styles, feel free to do so."
After fixing the glasses to my taste Capricorn disappeared and left me with Yuri. I'm in for another headache soon. Soon it's going to come, the painful memories.