AWCU Tour (Part 2)

This is the sixth chapter of the Crusaders of the Constellations Novel. It continues from AWCU Tour (Part 1).

## Story

After that is the Hall of Earth. It looks like a forest surrounded by a mountain range whose trees have treehouses on them. It is surrounded by a moat, and somehow, it is divided into four seasons: Spring in the east, summer in the south, autumn in the west, and winter in the north. It is open-air, and bridging the moat is a granite path that leads to the entrance, which is a tunnel inside the mountain-fence. It is dark inside the tunnel, and it has tribal drawings of every animal species that has lived on Earth on its walls. Extinct ones such as the dinosaurs and dodos are 'X-ed' out and grey, while those alive today are colourful and vibrant. Emerging out of the cave, one would find the forest with treehouses, and a holographic globe of Earth in the centre. Like with the one in the Hall of Mercury, if you focus on the holographic Earth long enough, it will show you pictures of places you went to or want to go. It can even tell you how much green places are left on the planet, and how much pollution is there. King Athos called a female giant bearing the green flag with the symbol for Earth and said, "Onuava, you are the Hall leader for Earth. Lead your group-mates well. Let them know that they will rest for today and that we start classes at 8 am tomorrow." Onuava said, "Yes, your Highness," and led her team members in the Hall.

The remaining groups went to the Hall of Mars. There is an ominous air around it. It is red and resembles military barracks dating from the Roman Empire. A barbed-wire fence surrounds it, with a gate flanked by boar statues being the only entrance to the Hall. Its interior has bunk beds and cabinets for the occupant's clothes, and motivational posters like the 'keep calm and carry on' one. "Are there land mines in there?" Bai Tu asked nervously. "You're not in my group, kid, so you will never know." A burly armoured man carrying the red flag with the symbol of Mars told him. King Athos called him, "Nergal, you are the Hall Leader for Mars. Lead your group-mates well. Let them know that they will rest for today and that we start classes at 8 am tomorrow." Nergal, upon hearing this, turned to his group-mates and barked orders at them to form two rows and to march left and right. They obeyed and followed their Hall Leader into the barracks.

The Hall of Jupiter is next, and it looks like a traditional Chinese house with three storeys, with white walls, and a green roof supported by columns decorated with grey storm clouds. Its doors are decorated with lightning bolt designs. Its roof has decorations in the form of eagles about to take flight, while the interior of the Hall is vast and filled with the sounds of thunder and lightning. In place of beds, there are fluffy clouds that the occupants can sleep on. The ceiling is decorated with a moving painting of a cloudy sky that changes depending on the weather, making it a weather forecaster of sorts. Also, the Chinese word for 'fortune' is embroidered on a mat in the centre. Plants such as oaks line the pathway to the Hall. King Athos called a garuda holding the purple flag with the Jupiter symbol, and said, "Fu Xing, you are the Hall Leader for Jupiter. Lead your group-mates well. Let them know that they will rest for today and that we start classes at 8 am tomorrow." Fu Xing called his group-mates inside the cabin, and flew in after them, slamming the door shut. It was so loud that Bai Tu jumped and hid behind Ranald. He bent down and assured the albino boy, patting his head, "It's alright. It's just a sound. No need to be scared."

The Hall of Saturn is next. It looked all gloomy and resembled a morgue. It too is made of obsidian, with the main door decorated with two scythes and "Memento Mori" inscribed on a board above the door. Snakes coiled round the columns supporting the roof, which has sickles as its decorations. Inside, torches of pale blue light surrounded by rings lit up the perpetually dark place, and the beds are grand and made of gold and precious stones, a mist covered the Hall's marble floor, and a clock on the back wall told the time. King Athos said to a naga carrying the black flag with a white symbol for Saturn, "Shani, you are the Hall Leader for Saturn. Lead your group-mates well. Let them know that they will rest for today and that we start classes at 8 am tomorrow." Shani bowed respectfully and slithered into the Hall, the other group-mates following him.

The students went next to the Hall of Uranus. After getting the students to stop laughing at the name, Samson told them about it. It's built in the Neoclassical style and shaped like an octagon with a domed roof, with a portico leading to a door decorated with clouds. It is five stories tall, and the domed ceiling shows the moving painting of the sky that changes according to the outside weather like the Hall of Jupiter. Only that at night, it shifts to a night sky with the stars and constellations shining above. It is perpetually windy, and there are also cloud-beds floating. An Eastern dragon holding the sky blue flag with the symbol for the planet Uranus was enjoying the breezes of the Hall when King Athos called him, "Caelus, you are the Hall leader for Uranus. Lead your group-mates well. Let them know that they will rest for today and that we start classes at 8am tomorrow." Caelus smiled and led his group-mates inside.

The Hall of Neptune, where Delmare would stay, is next. It looked like a beach house, built of grey stone with seashells and corals stuck on them. There are doors and windows painted blue, and the main door is decorated with mother-of-pearl. Delmare asked to peek inside, and Samson nodded. She saw that the floor is wood covered with sand. There are glowing pearls for lights, and there are two pools where the waterproof beds are floating inside. There are aquariums containing fish from Earth and other worlds. There is a door beside the aquariums that lead to the back deck with fences, from which the occupant can view the sea. King Athos called a young man bearing the aqua blue flag with the planet Neptune symbol, "Poseidon, you are the Hall leader for Neptune. Lead your group-mates well. Let them know that they will rest for today and that we start classes at 8 am tomorrow." Delmare opened the main door for Poseidon and the others to enter the Hall. "See you tomorrow, guys," she said to Bai Tu, Ranald and Phrixus before entering and closing the door.

This time, the Hall of the Moon and Hall of the Sun are left. The last two halls occupy the centre of the Celestial Halls of Residence, for the hall, the students just visited surround them in a circle, with the main building acting as an entrance to the halls. The Hall of the Moon is a modern building, made of grey stone. Its windows attract moonlight into it, though during the day, daylight is reflected off them. The portico is flanked by Lunar Pearls, leading to a silver door depicting stars. Its lobby is also lit by Lunar Pearls, and on the ceiling is a silver disc that changes according to the phases of the moon. The doors to the bedrooms are made of ivory and the beds have silver blankets. King Athos called the lady bearing the Silver flag with the crescent moon symbol and told her, "Mayari, you are the Hall leader for the Moon. Lead your group-mates well. Let them know that they will rest for today and that we start classes at 8 am tomorrow." Mayari nodded, and winked at Ranald before entering the Hall. Bai Tu then shouted happily, "Thank you big brothers!" before following her, Kibahime, and the others into the Hall.

The Hall of the Sun is the last hall, and where Ranald and Phrixus will reside with those in his group. It is an elegant boarding house that has a golden roof with solar panels. The door is carved from a laurel tree, with a sun disc carved in its centre. The roof possesses an enchanted skylight which allows sunlight to pass through even during the night or when the weather is unfavourable. Inside the main lobby, the walls depict the sun's journey during the day and night. The doors to the bedrooms are made of solid gold. The whole hall is glowing golden during the day. King Athos called Ranald and said," You are the Hall Leader for the Sun. Lead your group-mates well. Let them know that they will rest for today and that we start classes at 8 am tomorrow. And now that this tour is done," he said, turning to Phrixus and the group members, "Please be sure to have a good night's sleep. Remember, the silent hour is between 11 pm and 7 am." Phrixus lead the way into the Hall, while Anbesa allowed Arye to go first, looking around for signs of cockroaches before tiptoeing inside. King Athos then took Ranald for a walk in the Main Building's garden.

"Tell me, how do you like the tour of Aether World Cosmic University?" King Athos asked gently. "It's fine, but..." Ranald answered, "I just hate being alone with all the superpowered creatures that can do what Earth humans like me can't do." the king kept silent, listening. "Besides, they will never take me seriously since I don't have them." "Well, you must look at what you can do and work on it," King Athos said, as he whipped out a stone tablet from his burgundy robes and started writing. Ranald then told him, "I think that they are too dependent on them. They can't even be bothered to use their bodily senses. Like that fox and the dragon who can turn to humans and back. They're too lazy...Me? I can only sleep at night while my spirit becomes the Golden Griffin Warrior form and goes to Dreamland to save children from nightmare monsters with its powers." "I see. You are allowed to continue ranting out your feelings as long as you want," King Athos said, writing on the stone tablet. His new pupil continued on about how he has a burning hatred of his Golden Griffin Warrior Form, how when he's around Phrixus and Chrysomallos, Delmare, Bai Tu, Kibahime, Anbesa and his little brother, and the Hall Leaders, he is reminded of it every second, how he's not proud of himself since his spirit becomes his alternate form only when he sleeps, and that it's overpowered enough to win fights and battles instantly, as if it and not him did all the work, how he's not satisfied with it, so he would rather train as a regular human, and how the creatures with powers may mock or shun him as a monster because they know how powerful it is. "Oh Stone Hearts! Life...is just...unfair...to me." He said, exhausted by his ranting. King Athos looked at him and said, "You did not turn into your Golden Griffin Form in front of them, so why worry about what they think of it? Besides, I've researched it, and found out that if you're in this form in Earth, here, and other dimensions, when seen by mortals, other Earthlings with powers, supernatural creatures, and such, it will last only for 24 hours, one day."

He then asked, "What qualities and talents do you have?" Ranald answered, "Well, I am determined, loyal, disciplined, hardworking, good at protecting children, and making them happy and amazed. And I am an ace at PE, Art, Photography, and Maths." "Excellent!" the king said, "I teach subjects humans with no powers usually study in an Earth university. Like languages, sciences, history, and such. I even teach survival skills, and yes, I may test you and your schoolmates someday on that. Oh, and you can use your school bag with your cute stuffed griffin as a weapon." Ranald smiled. The king continued, "And besides, you only need to see your alternate form as useful only for serious things like final bosses, rescues, and the Devourer of Worlds. And since you're here to learn how to defeat it eventually, why not make the most of your time here with Phrixus and the other guides? I have seen you assure Bai Tu when he got scared, and how you, him, and Phrixus played with Chrysomallos." And, he continued more, "I believe that you can teach them about your world Earth and what its humans can do."

 "Yes, your Highness, I will," Ranald replied. The King gave him a gift, a small piece of a heart-jewel of sorts. He noted that it can fit into his golden locket. "Last thing. You will find three of these in each dimension you visit with your teammates. Only put them together in your locket, and you can access your alternate form. Use it wisely." King Athos advised. He then wished Ranald goodnight, and went back to the Cosmos Observatory, to the elevator taking him to his floating castle, wondering to himself: "The prophecy states that the Devourer will awaken and battle the dimension warriors, then the stars will aid the dimension warriors when all seems lost, thus the Sun Griffin and Moon Deer will be revealed, and only then will they truly defeat the Devourer of Worlds and seal it away. Could it be...?"