“There he is!” exclaimed Luna as Kyle stepped off the train, only carrying a small bag. He waved as he approached his two younger friends who awaited him on the platform.

“Welcome to Ludonia,” said Aurin, glad to see him again.

“I’ve been to Ludonia before, you nitwit,” laughed Kyle. “Many more times than you have.”

“You try to give someone a warm welcome and its thrown back in your face,” muttered Aurin before laughing too.

“As much as I’ve missed you, Kyle, I haven’t missed this bickering,” sighed Luna. The other two didn’t know what she was talking about, they liked making fun of each other.

Shamtile tugged on Kyle’s trouser leg. “What is it?” Kyle asked him.

“He wants to know if you brought him anything from Hazelton,” said Aurin.

“Anything from Hazelton?” asked Kyle, taken aback. “He was there with me just this morning before you summoned him here. No, Shamtile, I didn’t bring you anything, but if you stop pulling my leg then you can have a milkshake.”

Shamtile jumped up and down for joy, but Aurin put his hand on his Minakai’s head. “One milkshake today, that’s your limit. I need you in peak condition for the next battle.”

The three humans and Shamtile walked through the station and found a small café where they could get some lunch. Kyle ordered more than Aurin and Luna combined, as though he had never seen food before. Aurin munched on his sandwich Luna sipped at her soup while Kyle wolfed away everything he could get his hands on.

“Why are you so hungry?” asked Luna.

“No reason,” said Kyle.

Aurin looked at him closely, he looked as though he hadn’t slept at all. “What have you been up to?” he asked with a frown.

“Training,” said Kyle nonchalantly as he shoved an entire sandwich in his mouth at once and swallowed it with barely a chew.

Luna and Aurin glanced at each other. “For what?” asked Luna.

“Did I ever tell you two that you’re too nosy for your own good?”

“Yes,” said Aurin, patting Shamtile on the head, causing the small Minakai to choke on his milkshake. “A few times at least.”

“It’s become our reputation around Hazelton, no?” giggled Luna.

Kyle polished off the rest of his meal. “I wouldn’t brag about that,” he said. “And to answer your question, I’m training so that I can be prepared for whatever challenges come our way in the future. I’ve heard whispers from a few friends that the Zodiac Squad have reared their heads around a few other towers across the country.”

“They have?” asked the two young tamers in unison.

“My sources are reliable,” said Kyle, nodding his head. “I would bet they’ve succeeded on using the Roche Berry on an Ethruki and are moving their hunt along and seeking other cosmic Minakai.”

“That can’t be…can it?” asked Luna, turning to Aurin.

Aurin folded his arms and nodded. “Based on how Frederick reacted when we asked him about using one on an Ethruki in Ludonia Tower, I would say that’s exactly what has happened.”

“I still don’t know what it is they want with the cosmic Minakai,” admitted Kyle, “but we need to be prepared to face these powerful monsters if they’ve ever used against us.”

“We watched a Pillaberg get decimated by an Ethruki by simply running into it,” said Luna. “It wasn’t even running fast. How can we fight against something like that?”

“We could always ask Tobias if we could borrow his Arusom?” joked Aurin.

“You say that in jest, but a creature like Arusom could stand against a cosmic Minakai. It’s one of the most powerful Minakai in all Bretonia, in fact, it’s one of the most powerful Minakai in the world.”

“So we haven’t a hope of being able to control it, right?” asked Aurin.

“Well, I’ll ask to borrow it then,” said Kyle; Aurin knew the rancher was trying to bait him, but Aurin ignored him.

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“How about we go do something fun?” shouted Luna, jumping to her feet. “Let’s go to Baxter Park and relax. We shouldn’t be getting all worked up about Zodiac when we’re not even in Hazelton. What do you think?”

“Sounds good,” said Kyle with a smile. “Aurin, you get the bill and I’ll give you the silver for Shamtile’s milkshake.”

*

The three tamers strolled through the park on this fine summer day, a bunch of their Minakai running and flying ahead of them. Aurin let Shamtile, Leonite and Skrow loose, while Luna’s Innogon, Spritzard and Dogember followed. Kyle was content to only summon his Wingbloom, insisting that the area around his ranch where his Minakai could roam was nicer than the park.

Luna chased after the Minakai while Aurin and Kyle hung back slightly. “What’s on your mind then?” asked Kyle.

“What do you mean?” asked Aurin.

“I saw what state your Dolissile was when he arrived at the ranch,” said Kyle. “Those were self-inflicted wounds from a poorly executed detonation. I’ve seen many tamers fail to use that technique well and I know that you wouldn’t use it in battle without properly mastering it first. Now explain.”

Aurin sighed, but it was a sigh of relief rather than of exasperation. He was glad Kyle would call him out on his rashness. “Is Dolissile alright?”

“He’s fine. A bruised ego—not that he’s easy to read—but his physical injuries are all taken care of.”

“No permanent damage?”

“No,” said Kyle, “now get talking. What’s going on?”

“I don’t know how to put it in to words,” said Aurin, trying to straighten out his head as quickly as he could.

“Ramble as much as you need to, I’m all ears.”

“I suppose it started not long before the tournament began,” began Aurin. “There was a fight in a battle café called the Bretonian Rose. I won, but another tamer reprimanded me for being too gung ho and baiting my opponent into the fight. He was right, of course, but after that I’ve been…off.

“In the first match of the tournament, I had a hard time of it. I knew that the other competitors were all top contenders in their own regional tournaments, but it didn’t dawn on me until the battle that I was a small fish in an ocean of tamers. The second battle was even worse, and I was making terrible moves throughout.

“I was on the verge of losing so I made the call for Dolissile to detonate. I knew at the time it was a bad idea, but I did it anyway and won the match. Nobody else batted an eyelid yet I knew it was the wrong thing to do. Minakai get injured in battle, that’s just the way things are and they’re fine with it, but I should never have made him hurt himself so badly just for a chance at winning.”

Kyle was listening closely and waiting for Aurin to finish. “It sounds like the confidence you had in our little town didn’t carry over so well to the big city.”

“Exactly,” said Aurin, “but I don’t know how to get my head screwed back on and start performing well again.”

“You could always drop out of the tournament.”

“You sound like Shamtile.”

“He’s a smart one.”

Aurin looked over at his Minakai who was being tossed around by Leonite who was trying to get the lizard to stop riding on his back. He felt his heart lighten a little upon seeing his Minakai enjoying each other’s company. “I can’t just quit when they’ve all worked so hard,” he said.

“I knew it was a long shot to suggest that,” said Kyle, “but it’s an option. Another option is to see the tournament through and take a break from organised battles for a while. Go back to the small scale, work on your team in the tower and focus on building them up while climbing higher. It’s a good way to clear your head, believe me.”

“And then Zodiac shows up and starts causing chaos again,” said Aurin.

“Don’t worry about Zodiac,” said Kyle, poking Aurin in the chest. “You worry about what you can do and you can control. You place far too much pressure on yourself. You’re a skilled and confident tamer so if you can’t achieve perfection, you start stumbling. You need to get some perspective again. You’ve been a tamer for only around two years yet you’ve made it to the national championships and cleared two rounds already. Very few can make a claim like that.”

“Well, there’s Gardner,” said Aurin.

“He’s another exception,” said Kyle, growing frustrated. “You’re way ahead of the general curve, the pair of you. Take some pride in that and remember that you don’t need to win every match. You don’t beat yourself up when you lose in the tower, do you?”

“Not too badly.”

“Apply that to tournaments too. You lost in your first Hazelton tournament, and you got over it quickly. Take each battle as it comes and don’t focus too far ahead.”

Too far ahead. Kyle’s words echoed in Aurin’s head. The next three opponents standing in his way were Elton, Gardner and then Hunter. He had been focused on reaching these tamers and defeating them one by one. He realised now that his goals had been weighing too heavily on his mind and not letting him take each battle as it came.

“Are you two coming?” Luna called from within the chaos of their Minakai.

Kyle slapped Aurin on the back and walked off. “You’ll be fine,” he said over his shoulder. “Just stop being an idiot and get out of your own head.”

Aurin laughed. He knew that Kyle knew it wasn’t that simple, but what Kyle had said before had given him pause for thought. Elton was awaiting him in the next match, and it didn’t matter that Gardner and Hunter came after. He had to focus on his battle with Elton. Aurin would show him that he wasn’t a cocky and rash tamer, he was skilled and had a strong bond with his Minakai.

“Do you want a battle?” asked Kyle when they caught up with Luna and the Minakai. “Shamtile versus Wingbloom, let’s go.”

“No way,” said Aurin as Shamtile jumped up and down excitedly. “I need him for tomorrow.

“You’re always begging me for a battle and you turn down such a fantastic opportunity?”

“I’ll battle you!” said Luna, lining her three Minakai up. “My Innogon, Spritzard and Dogember against your Wingbloom.”

“That doesn’t seem like a fair fight,” said Kyle with a chuckle.

“Are you too scared, Kyle?” asked Aurin, pulling Shamtile and Leonite out of the way while Skrow flew over to a tree and perched himself comfortably on a branch.

“Ready, go!” said Luna and all three of her Minakai attacked simultaneously, catching Kyle and Wingbloom off guard.