“Can I uncover my eyes now?” Aurin asked upon hearing a zip being pulled up; his hands firmly placed upon his face and Luna had sternly told him there was to be no peeking.

“Yes,” said Luna, sliding her arms into the sleeves of the white leather jacket. “I’m ready.”

“Good,” said Aurin.

They both placed the Zodiac masks upon their faces. It was remarkable how good of a job Hannah had done making these. They felt just like the real outfits they had stolen previously, except these ones were a better fit.

Aurin and Luna held up their tamer gloves and summoned Shamtile, Dolissile, Splashard and Feathrus to their sides; they wanted Shamtile to check for anyone nearby and the other three Minakai because they floated rather than walked, making it easier to remain undetected.

“All clear, Sham?” Aurin asked.

Shamtile checked and gave a nod of approval.

“Ready?” Luna asked her two Minakai.

Feathrus squealed quietly and flapped his wings, spinning around in mid-air while Splashard punched her club-like fist in the air. Aurin knew better than to ask Dolissile for a reaction and took the cybernetic dolphin’s usual silence to mean that he was good to go.

The group headed down the tunnel cautiously. Shamtile checked for anyone walking around nearby while Dolissile used his sonar ability to see if there was anything airborne up ahead, much like he and Luna’s Minakai were. Everything was quiet and it made Aurin feel uneasy, especially as the tunnel sloped downwards and they descended deeper underneath the stadium.

“What is going on?” he whispered to Luna.

“I don’t know,” she said, “but something isn’t right. Where are they?”

“Surely not all of the Zodiac Squad joined the rumble outside?”

“I would have thought not, but maybe…”

As the slope levelled off, the group came to a metal door built in the stone wall. Beside it was a number pad where a red light sat to the left of a small screen.

“Anything on the other side, Shamtile?” asked Aurin, but Shamtile shook his head. “Alright, Dolissile, lift that door.”

Dolissile floated upwards and used his metal elemental powers to activate his magnetism. He pulled the door upwards, letting Aurin, Luna and the other Minakai slide through. Once they were in, he followed and reversed his polarity, sending the door back down again as though nothing had happened.

The group found themselves in a large chamber where various doors and corridors splintered off. This chamber too was empty with not as much as a chair for a guard to wait upon. The entire base was seemingly deserted.

“I don’t like this,” said Luna. “I think we should turn back.”

Aurin shook his head. “We’re inside the base, there must be something here, even if the Zodiac members aren’t.”

Suddenly Shamtile screeched and tugged on Aurin’s sleeve. He started pointing furiously towards the central door, which opened slowly and revealed Virgo.

“Are you not fighting outside?” he asked.

“No, Master Virgo,” said Aurin.

Virgo smirked. “Master Virgo? You think I don’t see through your disguise, Aurin? Convincing as it may be.”

“It was worth a try,” said Aurin. “Where are the rest of your group?”

“You were warned not to interfere further,” said Virgo sternly. “Yet you continue to meddle in our affairs.”

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

“Did you think I would stop?”

“No. Not for a second, but I hoped that perhaps you might see sense. In any case, you’re much too late now.”

“Too late for what?” asked Luna.

Virgo smiled faintly. “You will find not a trace of any members of the Zodiac Squad here. You thought that Damien did not know he was being followed? You thought that you would be able to waltz in here after what you did last time? Think again, my friend. We are much more resourceful than you give us credit. I thought you would have realised that.”

“Where are the cosmic summoning stones?” asked Aurin, raising his voice.

“They are with their owners. Our hands have been forced by your actions and our grand plan has already begun. There is nothing you can do now, you’re much too late. I urge you not to be stupid enough to try and stop us. I will not kill you; I have a misplaced fondness for you, but I cannot say the same for the others.”

“What are you talking about?” demanded Aurin. “If your plan is underway then why are you here?”

“I shouldn’t be,” said Virgo. “I stayed behind to give you this warning. No doubt, against my better judgement.”

Virgo walked towards Aurin, Luna and their Minakai, but they all readied themselves.

“You want to fight me?” he asked, continuing to walk towards them. “You will be forced to kill me, for I plan to walk through that door.”

Virgo raised his tamer glove which was embedded with three brown summoning stones. He focused upon them and three Minakai appeared before him. The first was a small fawn with bright orange eyes. The front half of its body was covered in tan fur, but the back half was covered in dark brown fur. Standing beside it was a larger deer—doe—with a small pair of antlers made of stone. Her body was patterned with fur similar to the fawn, her tail was thick like dried mud and she bore a look of sorrow. The third Minakai was a large stag. His horns were much larger and his three-pronged tail was pointed and sharp. Upon his chest and running up his neck was a diamond-shaped stone that served as a shield to him.

“Do you like these Minakai?” asked Virgo. “Terrafawn, Terradoe and Terrastag. An unusual type of monster as Terrafawn will evolve into either of its adult forms based on whether it is male or female. This little family is precious to me, but they’re quite formidable in battle.”

“I thought you didn’t like using Minakai,” remarked Aurin.

“I don’t,” replied Virgo. “I am merely showing you the family you will be hurting should you choose to not let me pass. I am their guardian, their protector. They are not my Minakai, but they need me around.”

“Is that supposed to make us feel guilty?” asked Luna.

Virgo simply smiled and continued walking with the three deer following closely behind him. He passed between Aurin, Luna and their Minakai, and pressed a sequence on the keypad. The door opened and he stepped though with the deer, the door then closed behind him.

“Agh!” yelled Aurin, kicking the ground. “I can’t believe we let him walk out of here.”

“What are we supposed to do?” asked Luna. “Murder him? You know we can’t do that!”

“I know…I know…” muttered Aurin, turning to Shamtile. “I thought you weren’t detected when you followed Damien.”

Shamtile waved his hands in the air furiously and made erratic warbled screeches of denial.

“You’re that certain you weren’t seen?”

Shamtile nodded.

“Something stinks about this entire ordeal,” said Aurin. “We should get out of here.”

“Let’s check out the rest of the base,” said Luna, climbing onto Splashard’s back. “We’ll make it quick and then we can leave.”

Aurin climbed on Dolissile’s back and held onto back fin. The two Minakai sped around the base, moving from room to room. They passed through the dormitory, storage rooms, offices and meeting rooms, but every single one of them was empty. Virgo hadn’t lied, there wasn’t a trace left of the Zodiac Squad in the base.

“Satisfied?” Aurin asked Luna.

“I wouldn’t say satisfied,” she replied.

“We need to get out of here and head to the tower. It’s our only chance at heading off the Zodiac Squad if they’re making a break for the top of the tower with the cosmic Minakai.”

“How can we hope to stop them if we’re limited to three Minakai each?” asked Luna, despairingly.

“I don’t know, but we have to try.”

Aurin picked up Shamtile and placed the little reptile in front of him on Dolissile. Aurin copied the number Virgo had used on the door, letting himself and Luna through. They sped ahead towards the exit, but Virgo was already gone by the time they reached the top.

They hopped off their Minakai and Shamtile opened the tunnel entrance for them, then they stepped outside into the light once again.

“We should probably change out of these,” Luna said, taking off her Zodiac mask.

“Yes, we should,” said Aurin, taking off his too. “We should get…to…”

“What is it?” Luna asked as Aurin trailed off.

He looked closely at the Zodiac mask, then took off the white hat and jacket. He examined them too with his brow furrowed, thinking he must be crazy.

“Aurin?” asked Luna.

“These are a perfect match,” he said quietly.

“Yes, that was the whole point. Not that it matters much anymore.”

“No,” said Aurin, “you don’t understand. These are a perfect match.”

Luna looked uncomfortable. “What are you implying?”

“We need to find the others immediately,” said Aurin, his voice panicked. “Damien didn’t spot Shamtile following him, we were ratted out.”

“You’re scaring me.”

“It should scare you, because it was Hannah that ratted us out. These aren’t just a perfect match. She’s the one that designed the Zodiac uniforms in the first place.”

“No,” said Luna, shaking her head furiously. “I know you too haven’t always gotten along the best, but…”

“Now we know why she’s always had a problem with me,” said Aurin. “She’s a member of the Zodiac Squad.”