Zodiac Circle

Chapter 33: Teamwork Begins

"Ronna!" Tamie brightened up at the sight of her dragon character. She jumped onto her back and they flew up high. She smirked at Erik. "Now we're not short-handed of dragons, are we? Your Dragon is just a spirit, while Ronna's a real deal!"

Erik's jaw dropped. This dragon was bigger than his!

She has a powerful muse. He thought.

"Jan, quick, before I've got things here, get Lord Georg!" he shouted.

A vile chuckle sounded. It brought great dismay to Erik and Jan and confused the girls. A tall guy with brown hair and hazel eyes covered the elderly Braun couple, to protect them.

"Goldmund?!" Erik and Jan exclaimed, "What's the meaning of this?"

"Huh? Who's that?" Tiger raised an eyebrow.

Rianna recognized him, for she had been a member of the Rose Cruce Order for long enough.

"Goldmund Steinbock?!" she cried out. "He's a traitor! He was our member but he betrayed us thirteen years ago and formed the Illuminant Darkness Order!"

"Huh?!" The girls widened their eyes.

Goldmund chuckled. He raised his right hand, where a Rose Cruce Order ring shimmered. Erik and Jan gasped. So he had been lying to them all this time?!

"Huh?" Rianna was no less astounded. "What's the meaning of this?"

"Goldmund Steinbock, Mission of Grandmaster Rank, no more need to operate undercover!" Goldmund grinned. The friends noticed he had Goatee's earphones in his ears and could connect to their Artificial Telepathy System too. "I'm here to stop Jan von Drachen," he said. "Once Rose Cruce, always Rose Cruce!" He turned to Rianna: "Long time no see, Ria! Oh, as for the Illuminant Darkness Order..." He snapped his fingers. All of his ten masked members appeared out of the blue. "They're all my clones," he said. All of the ten guys took their cloaks off, revealing their identical faces with Goldmund.

"So, you were on our side all along?!" Rianna gasped.

"My mission was to find out how to kill Erik von Drachen in his seal." Goldmund smirked at Erik, who flared up with anger and embarrassment at getting tricked. "Now that I've obtained needful information, I've no more need for hiding. My current mission is to prevent this puny ghost from doing nasty stuff." Goldmund pointed at Jan. 

"You won't be able to stop me!" Jan wanted to move, but he noticed that he couldn't - he was locked in an invisible glass box. "How's this possible? I cannot be locked in items, I'm a Ghost Clone!"

"Sorry!" Goldmund grinned. "Steinbock Clan of the Builder Class specializes in building unreal stuff, like Magister's sight-decreasing glasses. How come you thought I was incapable of creating Ghost-locking glass boxes? You're a goner, poor ghost!"

"Huh? I didn't even hear you cast spells to build this thing!" Jan could believe neither his ears nor his eyes. He banged his fists on the glass box. Unfortunately for him, it turned out not just 'ghost-locking', but unbreakable as well.

"I don't need to cast spells for weaklings like you," Goldmund said.

The girls widened their eyes. He didn't need to cast spells?! They had such a powerful ally by their side! 

When Georg Braun caught the moment, he teleported himself and his wife away with his Air powers. It was no longer possible for Jan to catch them.

"Ugh, no!" Jan snarled. He banged at the glass box but to no avail.

"So, you're that 'trustworthy source' that William was talking about?" Riza brightened up. This Goldmund guy was of Steinbock Clan just like William, so that should be it!

"Oh, finally someone calls my father by name!" Goldmund chuckled. He smiled at Riza. "Thank you, beauty! And yes, I am his son, so I am the most trustworthy source he can possibly have."

The girls were shocked. Goatee had a son?!

"Awesome..." they muttered.

"Well, don't just stand there, princesses, let's finish the job here!" Goldmund took his battle pose.

"Yeah!" The girls charged at the frightened Erik.