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Soraya, Rhys, Ujuu, Zaruna, Jonathan, Jacquelle, Akoni, Krista, Moiya, and Valor sat around a circular wooden table, a map of Etheria sprawled across its surface like a tablecloth.
The group had taken extra precautions to make sure no plant life was nearby. Only dirt and stones could be seen in the walls, floor and ceiling making up their underground cavern.
Soraya rapped her fingers across the table's smooth surface. "How many of the twelve Zodia statues were you able to awaken?"
Valor held up his hand. "Five. Zodias Caprea and Canis are here in Rosinka, Simia is in Calgrenezia, and Gallus is in Marboraun."
Jacquelle placed five pebbles upon the countries Valor had listed off. "Having two Zodia statues here in Rosinka is why we decided to stay," she explained. "There's backup purified land we can run to should anything happen."
Zaruna stared at the pebbles in wonder. "I vish my family had known zhat vhen ve fled Rosinka. Zhat could have saved so many lives..."
Ujuu took Zaruna's hand into his own. "You didn't know about Demons or summoning Zodias back then, just that girls were going missing. Your parents came to Azakua so you wouldn't be kidnapped."
"True," Zaruna replied, bobbing her head in understanding.
"Azakua also has two Zodia statues within it, Tigress and Lepus," Rhys chimed in, adding two more stones to the map. "Both were already summoned."
"Zodia Dragonai is lost in the Kaibu Ocean," Valor said, placing a stone off the east coast of Casmerah. "It fell into the sea when Lord Pontiff's floating castle was destroyed."
Seething hatred boiled within Soraya at the memory of Amraphael Zinvi II possessing her.
I'll kill you for that, she vowed silently, tightening her fists. I almost murdered my friends because of you!
"That leaves four more Zodia to awaken," Jonathan mused. "Do we know where they are?"
"Yes," Valor nodded. "But there's a problem."
He took three pebbles and swiped them off the grid. "Zodias Rattus, Porcus and Bovus don't have any Magic at all."
Valor then placed the final stone on top of the floating country Golaytia. "Zodia Equestria is the last one capable of purifying land, and it's where Lord Pontiff, Zinvi and Mülock are."
"Of course it is," Ujuu sighed, his cat-like ears lowering. "Why am I not surprised?"
"Valor and I can't teleport anymore," Jacquelle spoke up. "We're completely out of Demonic and Angelic powers. Using our sky ship is the only way to reach Zodia Equestria, but it's too dangerous to go without Soraya and Jonathan."
"How are we going to fly to Golaytia unnoticed?" Moiya breathed. "Mülock is in our dimension and can see the souls of Demons and Hybrids, just like Soraya can."
