Zodiac Circle

Chapter 90: The Bitter Truth of Goldmund and Erisa

When the friends explained the whole situation to Goldmund, he furrowed his brow:

"So Byakuya is the vessel of Ketsuryuu, huh? I should've known..."

"Why? What's wrong?" Edmund couldn't understand the reason for his sudden anger.

"Back when we were young Ed, and Magister Wilhelm Jaeger - your grandfather - died sealing Erik, do you know why it was?"

"W... Why?"

"Our order had received information from the Zodiac Council that the vessel of Sun Dragon Ketsuryuu was nurtured in the von Drachen Clan. That was the main reason why the Zodiac Council members, one of whom was your grandfather, agreed to annihilate that gruesome yet powerful clan. The Bearers were demanded to seal off the one who was the vessel of Ketsuryuu the Sun Dragon, since that creature was malicious along with his brother Getsuryuu, or so the Zodiac Council had told us. The Sun Tribe gave blood sacrifices to Ketsuryuu in ancient times. There was just no way a creature who accepted such atrocities could be benevolent.

"Thus, they sealed Erik von Drachen whom they believed to be the vessel. But I had no idea that Byakuya von Drachen whom we accepted in our order, had been sealed too. And you," Goldmund glared at Tamie, "you unsealed him while we were unconscious and wounded here in our demolished order?!"

Tamie put a hand to her mouth in fright - she had never seen Goldmund so wrathful. What was he even talking about, that Byakuya was some monster?!

"What do you mean?" Edmund was in dismay too, "Byakuya was our loyal companion. No one has ever told me about that kind of a reason for the Bearers' mission back then".

"It is because you were only nine when the Bearers sacrificed their lives to seal off that gruesome monster, so you know nothing! I remember those hectic days well - the days of how we lost our dearest Magister, and my father took the lead before you would grow enough. At that same time, since Ketsuryuu's vessel had been sealed off, I, as my father's son and a Capricorn who had already awakened Goat spirit at Ring Twelve, was sent by my father, as per the final order of Wilhelm Jaeger, to kill Moon Dragon Getsuryuu in New Land. I fought against that gruesome dragon and was opposed by the Moon Tribe survivors who protected the Moon Temple. When I launched my strongest hit at the dragon, the Moon Tribe chief and his wife - little Erisa's parents - jumped right in and took the hit on themselves..." Goldmund began to tremble upon recalling these frightful events, "The dragon fled from me and the Temple exploded. People ran away, and Erisa was left orphaned. That was my true mission in New Land".

"N... No way!" 

Edmund and the friends were shocked - so, it was he who killed Erisa's parents?!

They heard a sniff from the behind. They looked back, to spot Erisa, whose eyes had filled with tears. Goldmund shuddered - oh no, she had heard everything?!

"E... Erisa, I..." 

As Erisa stared into his hazel eyes, a gruesome picture of a Black Goat popped up in her mind, from her deep childhood. Only now she realised that the evil nightmare of this Goat demon she had been seeing at nights was no one but Goldmund. She stepped back, tears gushing from her eyes:

"Don't come near me!" 

She bounced off at the speed of the wind.

"Erisa!"

Goldmund wanted to catch her, but it was too late - she had gone. He winced in anguish and hung his head. He leaned against a wall, weakened from worry.

"Goldmund!"

Edmund grabbed him as he blacked out from the pain in his heart.