“I did what I had to do to protect you.”
***
They sat in silence together, as the sun raised higher and higher into the sky. Neither knew what more to say to the other. Shiloh, struggling to understand how her world had completely been turned upside down in one afternoon, and Sagittarius, wondering if he had done everything wrong by his daughter and his wife.
Sagittarius let himself get lost in the memory of the first time he saw his daughter. He had known Rowena’s cave, and he knew it well by then. It had taken her a long time to share her thinking place with him, but eventually, she brought him in on the secret and then her plan, the one he despised.
***
The entire trek up into the mountains filled him with dread. He had given into her plan—to sacrifice herself for the child, and he regretted it more deeply than anything he would regret in his entire life. But he knew that Rowena would have resented him for the rest of their lives if any harm had come to their baby. And so, he made the journey alone this time, nearing the place of his wife’s death with incredible apprehension.
When he arrived outside the entrance, he could already smell her blood in the cave. He forced himself forward. What he saw made him immediately seethe—and it was nothing.
Nothing but the remains of dried blood on the cave floor. They had killed his wife, and they had taken her body with them. He wasn’t even given the chance at a proper funeral for her. This was not the respect afforded to an elder dragon of her power and stature. This was not how you treated anyone for that matter. He had always been taught to look up at the stars for answers and balance, but when it came to this senseless act, they gave none.
The pain was immeasurable.
Still, he pressed on. He and Rowena were so intertwined, he used to swear that he could find her presence anywhere, even if she had been long gone. And he felt her presence in that cave fiercely. For a brief moment, his heart skipped a beat, his body thinking that she might be alive, and that she was hiding somewhere in that cave—injured, maybe, but alive. But quickly his mind brought him back down from the clouds.
He did, in fact, sense her presence, but it was in the form of her child—his child.
He removed his wife’s enchantment and set eyes on the beautiful, baby girl for the first time. She smiled up at him, as if she knew exactly who he was. Those big, blue eyes were open wide and curious, and he fell in love for the second time. She was everything. And all at once, he understood why Rowena was so ready to sacrifice her life for this baby.
***
Sagittarius snapped out of his memories, back to reality where he sat with that same child, only sixteen years older now and much more difficult. She still had those big blue eyes, though now she looked remarkably like her mother. A mixture of sadness and joy overwhelmed him at the resemblance.
Soon, he spoke up. Against his better judgment, he said, “Would you like to see it?”
“See what?”
“The place where you should have grown up.”
She nodded, solemn and wary, but still incredibly curious. Not that he would have expected anything else of their daughter.
And they set off, together. For the first time.
Chapter Three
In a city not too far from where Sagittarius was taking Shiloh, Scorpio himself sat on the throne. He stared down at the two creatures below with revulsion painted all over his face and made no attempts to hide it.
"What do you abhorrent, little beasts want?" He frowned deeply, a crease darkening his ever-pale face, glaring down at the two brothers and wondering if he should kill them just so he’d never have to endure their revolting stench ever again.
“Sir! We have information that we think you’ll find very usssseful,” the slightly more tolerable brother hissed.
“Yes, yes! And we want rewardsss!” The second brother jumped excitedly, clapping his hands together in an obnoxious fashion.
The first shot daggers in his direction before saying, “Like my brother says, we think this information could be… valuable.” Scorpio raised his eyebrows in amusement, sliding his shining, white-blond hair behind his head before leaning close to these two. He had to hold his nose, but he needed them to understand that being pests was a bad idea here.
“Oh? And what do you think this information is worth to me?”
“Gold! Get gold!” Brother number two was quivering with delight, but he was quieted by another sharp look.
“Sir, we think that we could get used to… sssertain luxuries you have here…We would proudly serve you, of courssse...”
Both creatures jumped back in shock at the sound of Scorpio’s boisterous laughter. He pretended to wipe a tear from his eye, snickering. “You think you belong here? In my castle? Even in my city?” His face returned to an ominous smirk. “You’re lucky I even let you live at all.” He paused, tilting his head to the side. “Maybe I shouldn’t. Guards!”
Soldiers marched out towards the pair of brothers at his command. The second brother’s excitement briskly turned to fear as he cowered behind his brother. Scorpio almost felt sorry for him. Almost. “Not here!” Scorpio shouted over the marching guards. “I’ll never get that rotting smell out of my nose.”
The soldiers grabbed hold of each brother tightly and dragged them across the room, their heels digging into the stone floor as they flailed fruitlessly. “It’s the girl! Born of Sagittarius!” The guards stopped in their tracks, looking up at Scorpio for guidance. The prophecy was known well all over the land, and they hadn’t heard these words in a long time. If anything was going to make Scorpio reconsider, it was information such as this. However, he knew to be careful. They could just be trying to save their sniveling, little lives.
Scorpio leaned forward on his throne, his eyes narrowed, “What did you say?”
The more lucid brother ripped his arms out of the grip of the now still guard holding him. “I said… It’s the daughter. We sssaw her with Sagitariusss.”
“That is impossible,” Scorpio retorted, sitting back and waving a hand nonchalantly, “You should have tried a better fairy tale if you wanted to save your lives. Take them.”
As the guard advanced towards him once again, the creature ripped desperately at his tattered shirt, revealing the wound where Sagittarius’ arrow had pierced his shoulder. “He did this! It is true, I swear, on my brother’s life!”
Scorpio considered him for a moment, judging the performance being put on in front of him. ‘Could it be?’ he thought, ‘No. Certainly not.’
“Take them to the prison for now. Get me Gryus. Now.”
Scorpio took the moment to gather himself. When Gryus walked in, he stood to greet him like an old friend. He was an aged, bearded man who was built like a tree, sturdy and tall. His hair had gone grey over the years, but he still looked strong and mighty in his aged state. “Good evening, Sire.” Gryus gave a small nod of respect and clasped his hands, one made of flesh and the other of metal, behind his back.
“I’ll get straight to the point. I want to talk about the night you killed Rowena. You lead that squad, correct?”
“Yes, I did.”
“There was no way she could have lived?”
“Absolutely not. We made certain.”
“And what about her child, her daughter?”
Gryus looked briefly forlorn, “She was with child, Sire, when we killed her.”
“And there is no way the child could be alive today?”
“No, Sire, the woman was killed with child—I don’t understand.” Suddenly Gryus’ eyes looked frantic. He knew that Scorpio would not be asking such questions without reason. “Unless—“
“Unless?” Scorpio’s eyes narrowed once again, daring him to continue.
“Unless—I suppose it would be possible, if—“
Gryus looked up at Scorpio briefly, realizing the hole he’d just dug himself into. “If she had given birth just before we arrived. But there was no baby. It was just her… I don’t…”
He trailed off, trying desperately to remember every detail of that night.
“So, you’re telling me now, sixteen years later, that it’s possible the child lived.”
Scorpio looked him dead in the eye. His face like onyx—emotionless and cold. Gryus felt a chill run down his spine. He’d always been on Scorpio’s good side—celebrated, even, for removing him of his most loathed problem, but now everything was falling apart.
Scorpio was known for his vengeful spirit, frequently dousing anyone who betrayed him in pure, unadulterated violence. Even the looks he cast in the direction of someone who mildly annoyed him were piercing.
“I don’t know, Sire, but I suppose it is possible…”
“And what would you suggest I do now that you’ve made a fool of me?”
Gryus met his question with silence. There was no good answer to his question, even if he were expecting one. He already knew what was coming next. In Scorpio’s eyes, he had already failed him. Whether or not it was purposeful, it didn’t matter. The damage was done. Scorpio nodded, as if confirming this to himself in his own head.
“Kneel,” Scorpio commanded, unsheathing his sword. Gryus obeyed and closed his eyes for the last time.
“Cadiryius!” Scorpio yelled, still staring down at the body of what he used to consider a trusted colleague. A gaunt, sullen face appeared quickly out of the shadows and stood in silence, waiting for orders. “Investigate the girl immediately. I want to know if she’s alive. Don’t be seen.”
Scorpio shot a look of pure disgust back down at the corpse near his feet. “And clean this mess up.”
Cadiryius grabbed hold of Gryus’ leg without hesitation and dragged him away, his metal hand scraping the floor ominously. The formerly gaunt face of Scorpio’s servant began to grow a grey beard, his muscles enlarged, and a stump formed in place of a hand. Cadiryius stopped dragging the body briefly to pluck Gryus’ metal hand off and put it on his own arm. He was completely indistinguishable from Gryus himself now.
And with that, Scorpio stomped away.
***
When they reached the entrance to what looked to be a large city encased in tall stone walls, Shiloh felt the magnitude of what was happening. This prophecy was very much still in effect. When the people of this city saw her with Sagittarius, they would know who she was. Would they think she was a joke? Would they think she was there to save them? Were they even in danger at all?
She stopped short of the gate. Her father smiled knowingly and placed a heavy hand on her shoulder. “I’m right here with you.” She nodded and placed one foot in front of the other. But when she entered the city, she was stopped again—but this time, with wonder.
It was surreal—something right out of a fantasy novel. All of the fantasy novels. She saw elves and gnomes and what she could only imagine were fairies. The fairies looked nothing like she had thought, though, because despite their ethereal aura, they appeared animal-like and dangerous.
The elves were graceful and walked as if they were floating through the air, ever so gently. Still, there were plenty of creatures she didn’t have a name for—furry and massive, feathery and tall—every type of being, in a giant melting pot of species, all living in harmony. Or at least close to it, as she watched a dwarf swatting angrily at some sort of pixie nearby.
After a short walk past the main gate, they came through a market with shops and food stalls. Some citizens were bartering for the best deals, and others were just trying to make some money off of handmade crafts. An older woman, seemingly covered in scales of some kind was stirring a massive brew of something Shiloh didn’t recognize in a large cauldron that looked like it was straight out of a witch’s tale. Inside the cauldron was a dark liquid, shiny and dense, and she could not tell if it was meant to be eaten or used in some sort of spell.
Children ran and played throughout the streets, giggling and laughing as they dodged in between the legs of strangers. It was busy and loud, and smelled of delicious food--like a backyard barbeque from back home.
Even the trees within these walls seemed to glitter in the sunlight with radiant colors she couldn’t even begin to describe. In the distance, a large castle—another feature stolen directly from a fairy tale. Still, it had that eerie feeling of familiarity. Like a recurring dream, or a distant memory. It sat on a hill, overlooking the rest of the city. Its grey stone may have looked bland anywhere else, but here it seemed to glitter and glow in the sunshine. The architecture looked medieval, but romantic--from the walled-in courtyard to the tall spires reaching up to meet the clouds.
“Let’s get going. I have a dear friend I’d like you to meet.”
Her shock and awe had not gone unnoticed—her reaction to the city had drawn attention her way. That, and Sagittarius standing beside her. She watched as eyes widened in realization and heard loud whispers of “..daughter..” and “..Libra’s prophecy..”. These followed the pair as they made their way through the city, passing by storefronts and beautiful homes, making their way up towards the majestic-looking castle.
“So, what are you here?” she turned to ask her father quietly. “A king or…”
Sagittarius chuckled, a loud and melodious guffaw that couldn’t possibly come from a human, though she noted he had since taken a human form, his hind quarters transforming into a pair of legs. She gasped, not having noticed it before. Though, that answered the question of how he went inconspicuous in the human realm. “An illusion,” he explained first, clearly noting her startled expression. “We can look ordinary if we choose…well,. Mostly ordinary. I am sure you notice there is still something not quite human about me.”
Shiloh surveyed her father once more, and though she could not see that he was a centaur, he was too muscular, perfect, and beautiful to be human. His hair was too black, like the night, a color that didn’t seem to be possible on a human, though, her hair was close.
“Yes, you do stand out,” she admitted.
“And to answer your other question, technically, I am a god. A god of the hunt and of triumph and high god over the stars. If it is simpler to think of me as a king, then yes, I suppose I am, but much more too.”
Shiloh’s mouth dropped to the ground, but her thoughts were interrupted shortly.
A small boy, covered head to toe in fur, ran up to her excitedly with large, beaming, brown eyes. “Miss! Are you a princess?” His grin was infectious and immediately set her at ease.
“Oh, I’m no princess,” she said, “but are you a prince?”
His grin only got wider, and he let out an embarrassed and giggly ‘noooooo!’ before his mother came and shooed him away, apologizing profusely. Despite the whispers and stares and everything else that came with them, the little boy’s face kept her beaming all the way up to the castle entrance.
They climbed a large set of stone steps to reach it—and when they neared the massive doors, no words were exchanged. The guards caught sight of Sagittarius and immediately opened them with a small bow of their heads. In the foyer, she was surprised to see that it was not lavishly decorated, or even decorated at all. She had expected to see a display of wealth—as one would expect from a castle. Instead, it was bare bones, but it looked purposefully so. The castle was very clearly cared for, but it seemed that the owner—whoever it was—was not at all interested in material luxuries.
“Is this your castle?” she asked her father curiously. He didn’t seem like the plain man to her, but of course, she knew nothing of him until this day.
“I make my home in the forest and in traveling through all the cities, but if I had to pick a place of all the castles in this world that felt like home to me, this would be as close to it as possible. Though, maybe one day, if you are feeling up to it, I can take you to the home your mother and I were in for some time. The both of us quite enjoyed the freedom of the outdoors.”
Genetics were strange. She had always felt at home in the forest. Not that she wanted to sleep there, but there was a connection.
He
r father led her up a rather grand-looking staircase, down a long hallway with too many doors to keep track of, and finally, to the end of the hall where a singular door stood on its own. He knocked twice, and they immediately met with a loud, boisterous “Come!” from the other side. Instead of the minimalist décor (or complete lack thereof), they were met with a warm, cozy library. It looked extremely lived-in and safe. The walls were lined with bookshelves up to the ceiling, packed full of colorful books, many of which were littered across the room. A fireplace made the room even more cozy, though it was made almost totally unnecessary by the rays of sunshine that flooded in through the large windows.
Awaiting his guests, a radiant man stood in the middle of the room with open arms.
“Sag! My friend!” He enveloped her father in a hug, which seemed like something Sagittarius would normally shun completely. But this man was different. He had a jolly, cheerful air about him. He had long, strawberry blonde hair smoothed back away from his face and a trimmed beard to match. Piercing blue eyes wandered over her, questioning for a moment, but then understanding. “You must be the famous Shiloh, pleasure, my dear.” He took her hand in his, hers being lost in his giant hand, and brought it to his mouth for a kiss. “You are the spitting image of your mother,” he said carefully while tucking his hands behind his back.
“Shiloh, this is Leo. He looks after our people here in Aeôs.”
Shiloh couldn’t decide whether the rather fantastic fantasy sounding name caught her off guard more than the fact that she was being introduced to Leo, like the lion from astrology. And of she thought about it, he did kind of look large with a mane of hair like a lion.
“Hello, nice to meet you,” she said quietly, suddenly overwhelmed by his knowledge of her existence.
Destined (Prophecy of the Stars Book 1) Page 3
