*Wanikiya*

Aurelius finally slowed down, allowing us to regroup. Howls echoed in the distance. Wolves. If my hunting skills hadn't grown rusty, they were only a few meters away. 

"You're awfully calm," Kun said as he trailed behind us. He had one hand in his coat pocket. Was he trying to come off as cool?

I blinked. "Why wouldn't I be? This isn't my first time on an expedition like this."

He laughed. "Guess I expected you to show more fear." He smiled. "You and Hika got scared easily when we were little."

My cheeks reddened. "That was when I was kid, Kun. You can't expect me to be the same as I was back then!"

He scratched his face. "To be frank, I did think you might be uneasy around forests after the battle with Takeshi. You did avoid them when you could back in Mina."

I pushed my hands deeper into my pants pockets even though they were already touching the bottom. Could he have seen through me? I didn't think he would've been able to tell my hands were shaking. Shaking. I was such an idiot. Of course he would've been able to pick up on it. He was an earth mage for crying out aloud! He could've picked up on stuff like fear.

My eyes rose to the canopy. The sun was barely getting through the thick foliage in this part of the forest.

Even if Kun wasn't an earth mage, he probably would've still been able to read me. I wasn't the best at lying, plus he was preceptive about these kind of things from an emotional aspect. Lei was too. It was hard for me to keep stuff from the girls and Hika, more so from them.

"I'll be okay," I said, giving him a slight smile.

Kun sighed. "Remember what Zelde said, don't push yourself. It's still not too late to go back."

I shook my head. "No. I won't go back." I pulled out my hands from my pockets. They were trembling like crazy. "I... I want to overcome this weak version of me."

Kun followed my line of sight toward Hikaru. He was admonishing Aurelius not to run ahead again for the rest of the trip.

"Hika's grown," I mumbled.

The middle triplet laughed and nodded. "Yeah, he sure has! He used to wet his pants with such trips. That said, he is still scared."

"Yeah, but he's pushing himself despite that. Dad once told me that true courage wasn't the lack of fear, but pushing through despite of it. I want to be more courageous like that."

He took a deep breath. "Another form of courage is knowing to admit one's weaknesses."

I stared back at my unsteady hands. Then, I was a coward for denying my fear in the first place. That's what I hated the most about myself. I hadn't changed much since I was little.

Slapping my face with both hands, I raced forward. The first years were starting to get ahead of us, while Hika was trying his best to serve as a bridge between us.

"Think I should be the one in the front," Kun said, chuckling. "I am the one who knows the way there better than any of us."

Nate looked over his shoulder and nodded.

"Lead the way," Aurelius said, stopping for us three to catch up.

Kun's smile vanished. He slammed the ground with both hands. "Terra Obice!" A circular wall of dirt formed around us. A loud bang came from outside, following by a series of weaker knocks.

"What's attacking us?" Hikaru asked, glancing up at the top of the wall. Sand was falling from above. The wall was about to go down.

Kun grunted and raised his hand. Was he fighting something or someone outside the walls?

"I asked a question," Hika said.

"A tiger!" Kun said, raising his head forward. "And not just any old tiger, but a prism fanged one!"

"Prism fanged?" Nat asked as the sound of rocks falling vibrated against the walls.

"It's a tiger that's lived a long life and absorbed prana from the environment and other animals over time," Hika explained. "At some point, a simple tiger surpasses its species's typical lifespan and evolves to become something else."

"In this case, a prism fanged one," Aurelius said, looking stern.

"Like the name implies, their fangs are made out of glistening crystal. Snap them off and they regrow stronger than before," I said.

"Eh?" Nate said. He took a deep breath. "Then we can't just stay here like sitting ducks!"

Aurelius nodded and removed a feather from the sleeve of his shirt.

"Hold it, you two. Rushing in to fight a long lived beast is a bad idea," Hikaru said, holding his arms up.

Boom! The stone wall shattered into sand. A silver tiger with mismatched eyes - one ruby, the other sapphire- fell from above, its glistening crystal fangs out for all to see.

If not for Kun using the sand to freeze it in place, he, the first years, and Hika would've been crushed by the weight of the beast.

The beast roared, sending Hika and Kun flying. 

Kun gritted his teeth and used his wand to form that shell shield-barrier he had used in his fight with Lei to stop himself and Hika from pummeling into a series of trees. Hadn't Nyima said that technique required charging? So, Kun must've prepared for this on the way. That must've been why he had one hand in his coat pocket. He was charging up his wand.

Nate dashed forward. "Pyro Angelus!" A flame angel formed behind him and brandish his sword.

"Wait!" Kun said, holding his arm up. He gently pushed Hika off of him. "I want to capture it."

"That beast is dangerous. That roar might've alerted backup," Hika said, gripping his head.

"Aren't tigers solitary creatures?" Nate asked as he had his flame angel wrestle the tiger instead and Aurelius pummeled it with a torrent feathers. I didn't even think that Aurelius had that many. Were some duplicates?

Hika pushed himself off the ground. "Yeah, but not all the time. They gather for mating and for shared kills."

"Yeah, we probably should wrap this up as fast as possible," Kun said, grinning. He held his hands forward. "Nat, dispel your spell."

"You sure?"

Kun nodded. "A familiar is easier to capture and control when its established a good connection with its mage's prana. If you cling to it, that recognition will weaken."

I smiled slightly. Maybe it was a good thing that Great Glacier allowed me to capture my crocodile on my own. However, I had used the ice he left behind. I gulped. Did that mean he wouldn't recognize me as its legitimate master now that Great Glacier had removed his 'blessing' from me?

Shivers ran up my back as several wolves howled. We were surrounded!

Nate smiled. "Too bad there's no elephant here!"

"I already have a wolf," Aurelius said as he shifted his feathers away from the tiger. The wolves jumped at the same time and howled again, unleashing streams of darkness prana.

All of us grunted as we endured their attacks. I had to summon it! "Come forth, your liege beseechs you!"

My crocodile rose from the light blue seal that had appeared on the ground, but it was super small! Like a newborn hatchling!

"Uhh," Kun said, staring at it. 

I picked it up. My cheeks were burning up. The familiar was no bigger than an egg! Was my prana not enough to summon it in its true size?!

"How sad," a voice echoed in my head, chuckling slightly. "This is why you should depend on me. Like your familiar appears right now, you're but a newborn. You can't do anything alone."

"Shut up!" I yelled, causing the wolves to back away. Even the tiger seemed to recoil. The ground around me had become coated by a thin layer of frost.

"You okay?" Aurelius asked, glancing at me.

Hika frowned. "It's Great Glacier, isn't it?" he said before pushing away the last of the startled wolves with a metal shield. He and the others had chased away the rest of the wolves. Although, they still seemed disoriented by my scream.

I took a deep breath and returned my familiar to Wahkan. Unlike Ny, I didn't let it roam its previous home as it could've been killed by a Vandavalian hunter.

Kun smiled a bit as he grasped his tiger in chains of light. "Almost there!"

The tiger bit down on the chains on its legs, shattering them easily with its fangs, but it couldn't reach the ones on its hindquarters.

Kun chanted the incantation and the tiger shrunk into a cub. He chuckled and picked it up. "So fearsome, now so cute!" He yelped as the cub bit finger.

"Kun!" Hika yelled.

He pulled his finger free. "I'm okay! Good thing it got me with its front teeth, else I might've lost a finger."

Hika sighed. "This is why we warned Lei about getting a lion back in Vandavale."

Kun covered his arms and shoulders in stone. "Well, this should keep me safe. Its fangs are small when it's this size." He put it inside his blazer and patted its head. "Be a good boy!"

It let out a chuff.

"It must be happy," Aurelius said, smiling.

Kun smiled. "Maybe I should get him some cat toys."

Au snorted. "Don't think regular kitty toys will do."

"If you need any, I can ask Lay! She usually has some on hand," Nate said.

"Your sister really adores cats, huh?" Hika said.

Why did she like cats so much?

Nate nodded as we continued on our way. "Yup!"

Hika gasped. "Wait, now it makes sense."

"What does? His sister liking cats?" Aurelius asked, tilting his head.

"Not that. While you were battling Tamara, Layla approached Lei and said he smelled like her cousin."

"Our cousin, huh? She must've meant Tere," Nate said. "Like Uncle Shi, she can turn into a cat too."

Aurelius chuckled. "Bet she's your sister's favorite!"

"She's Dossie's favorite too. I'm partial to Taku."

"Can he turn into an elephant?" Kun asked.

Nate grinned and nodded. "Yeah! He's so cool! Oh, and he hunts demons to boot! He's a nice guy. A lot more down to earth than his siblings."

"Say, what happened to his younger brother? Eri and Dad made it sound like something bad happened to him."

Nate looked away. His face was somber. "I rather not talk about it."

"Sorry for asking."

Had Hideo's comrade and cousin perished?

"Let's continue," I said, waving as I took the lead.

"Are you alright now?" Hika asked.

I kept my eyes forward. "Yeah." Great Glacier had gone quiet. That alone was enough.

Hika patted me. "That's great! Now, I think we should take to the sky."

"That was our original plan until Aurelius ran ahead," Kun said, chuckling.

Aurelius lowered his head. "Apologies. It's my fault we ran into those wolves and the prism fanged tiger."

"It's alright." He grinned. "Thanks to you, I got myself a familiar!"

Hikaru chuckled as he formed metal platforms underneath each of us. "Now I'm starting to miss Z."

"Z?" Nate asked.

"My zebra familiar. I met Z while in Vandavale."

"Woah, so a zebra from home!" Aurelius said. He laughed. "Now I don't feel like the only Vandavalian!"

"Come to think of it, didn't one of the second year girls use a Vandavelian hyena?" Nate asked.

"Yeah, the girl who fought Yen!"

"Nahimana's her name. She's sort like a boss to me," Kun said.

Nate raised an eyebrow at him while Hikaru levitated the platforms. "Boss?"

Hikaru chuckled. "Nahimana's going to snap at you again."

Kun sighed. "Uh, forget I said anything!"

"Now I'm more curious," Aurelius said, smiling sheepishly.

"Don't be. Curiosity kills the cat."

"Layla would cry if she heard that," Nate said, smiling.

"Doesn't she know it's a saying?" Hikaru asked.

"She can be a bit literal sometimes. Like Hide and Dan."

"Reminds me of Huo and Cart," Aurelius mumbled.

"Guys, I'm sorry to interrupt, but we really should hurry and find Hideo. The sun's going to set soon," I said, eyeing my wristwatch.

"Alright," Hikaru said. He swung his arms back. The metal platforms flew forward, raising gradually with the slope of the mountain. Kun didn't show it, but he must've been as exhausted as Hika and I were after we made our contracts with our familiars. Else he probably would've flown using his wind.

"Stop," Kun said as we got closer to the snowy part of the mountain. The snow cap was larger than it was at this time last year, nearly reaching the ruins.

Hika nodded and lowered us down.

We found Hideo knelt down in front of what looked to be a monitor. Several wires were hooked up to the floor of the basement where Kitsune had kept Hika, Uli, and me.

I turned away as I remembered the acid that salamander girl had pours on our arms. It wasn't strong enough to cause permanent damage, but it was agonizing.

"Brother!" Nat said.

Hideo continued to stare at the monitor. 

Nate sighed. "Seems he's in the zone."

"You sure it's not just the headphones?" Kun asked.

"That's probably a small part of it, but even without them, he doesn't always listen."

"Isn't 'being in the zone' a sports and battle thing?" I asked.

"It's not necessarily exclusive," Nate said, shrugging.

"That's another unfamiliar saying," Aurelius said, tapping his head. "I better remember that one."

"Hey! Hideo! I need to ask you something important!" Kun said as he pulled off Hideo's black and green headphones. He sure moved fast for someone who just made a familiar contract!

Hideo jumped. He looked as startled as the wolves and tiger did when I yelled at Great Glacier to shut up.

"You okay, Big Bro?" Nate asked.

His older brother sighed as he fixed his headphones around his neck. "Huh, Nat?"

He laughed. "Didn't notice me, huh?"

Hideo lowered his head. "I was too engrossed in my work. Again."

"So, what is this stuff?" Kun asked, staring at the gear.

"Don't touch it. I'm trying to get a reading on the portal to see if it might activate soon. Seems it's firmly dormant. For now at least."

Hikaru sighed. "That's a relief!"

Yeah. I had enough of those creatures. Both Lei and Iah had already become possessed by them. I didn't need anymore takeovers of my friends. It was bad enough already that Zel, Nahi, and I had to deal with manipulative ancient spirits.

"So, what brings you here?" Hideo asked as he rose to his full height.

"Lei said that the abysmal within him is Uncle Shi," Nate said.

Hideo's emerald eyes widened. "So, that's why Lei acted weird when he saw me in Vandavale. To think the maker of the Five Weapons of Prophecy would've returned to this side like this..."

This side? He made it sound as if his uncle had died. He hadn't, right?

"But, if that creature was Uncle, why did it take Lei over like that?"

"Lei said there seems to be two sides to the guy," Kun said. "That said, what else do you know about him apart from being your aunt's husband and the maker of your weapon?"

Hideo raised a hand to his chin. "Well, I know he did some shady stuff and was a confidant of our previous king. And that he betrayed his father, the Chosen of Darkness, despite being the Cat Pillar."

Kun gasped.

"Reginald," Hikaru mumbled, looking down.

"Yeah. How did you know that name?" Hideo asked.

Hikaru looked up and blinked. "Uh, it just came to me. Is that really his name?"

"Yeah, Reginald Hoshizora, the Ox Pillar. A man who in his prime was said to be as powerful as the woman who destroyed Vandavale. If not stronger."

Aurelius stepped back. "What?"

"I thought so," Nat said. "The Shadow Walkers you mentioned before, they're the abysmals."

"S-so they were the ones who destroyed my homeland?"

Hideo looked away. "Well, I wouldn't put all the blame on them. We are also at fault."

Aurelius curled his hands into fists and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath. "I-it's not your fault. If anything, you protected us. Well, the man with the shield did."

"Tetsuya."

Kun grinned. "Good old Tetsu! He protected me and my siblings from those monsters too!"

Hideo smiled slightly. "Wonder what really became of him..."

Wait, he didn't know either?

"Speaking of our relatives, there's more stuff that Lei said," Nate said.

"About Takeshi?" Hideo asked.

"Lei said that Uncle was going to tell him something about Dan. Sadly, he was awakened before he could receive the message."

Hideo smiled sadly. "I see. If only I had the power of dreams like Aventine, then I could talk to him myself."

Kun hummed. "Mom can put people to sleep, but I'm not sure if she can enter dreams."

He laughed weakly. "Yeah, I experienced that power first hand."

"Too bad the King is a busy man," Nate mumbled.

"Then we have no choice but to wait until he's not busy or Lei is able to interact with Takeshi again," Kun said.

I looked away. Was that a good idea, though? Hideo himself said that his uncle did shady stuff. And while he helped save Xeleria indirectly by making the weapons of the Five Knights, he still betrayed his family. That didn't sound like the description of a trustworthy man.

**Solar Note: Hope that you enjoyed the chapter ^^. Thoughts? Theories? Predictions? By the way, if you wish to learn more about Tetsuya, you can read the Legend of the Five Knights series.**