by Drew Smith
“Alright, golden boy, let us try working together!” Aire started running at Aries from behind Orson. He passed Orson and jumped with his arm cocked back. As he drifted through the air he yelled at the top of his lungs. Orson’s eyes shifted to him, but Aries didn’t seem to notice. Orson could see star energy flow into Aire’s fist as he punched Aries on the side of its head. Aries flew through the air like it was nothing. Orson fell forward as Aire passed by him.
“You alright, golden boy? You know the fight isn’t over yet. Maybe get on your feet buddy!” Aire taunted with a proud laugh. Orson used his sword to pull himself to his feet.
“You know how to tap into star energy? I didn’t think any of Lears’ Lords could do that.” He blurted out as he took a deep breath.
“Well, it’s funny, but none of us have really fought you guys yet. Ged went out against Scarlette and the dragon guy, but I guess you haven’t really seen any of us in action. If you guys haven’t learned how to really manipulate star energy yet, then you will lose to us for sure.” Aire announced. Orson sighed.
“I wouldn’t say we can’t use star energy, but I guess I was surprised you were able to use such a powerful attack.” Orson smiled.
“It’s just a drag that I wasn’t able to have more up my sleeve. That was my best attack, and it looks like that thing is getting back up.” Aire rubbed his hands together.
(“I don’t think Zelkem can do anything like that attack. Maybe these guys won’t be as easy to defeat as I thought.”) Orson readied his sword beside Aire.
“Okay, before he attacks, do you have any ideas?” Aire’s eyes didn’t lose sight of Aries for a minute.
“Yeah, a few things I picked up on. Aries seems to have no hearing at all. It didn’t seem to notice you even when you yelled before your attack. Also, it uses that ball of energy to ram its target, but if it misses it takes roughly three seconds to stop and turn around for another attack.” Orson pointed out.
“Good, then you draw its attention and I will catch it off guard.” Aire moved back a few steps.
(“I’m impressed. Aire really seems to have a knack for strategy. It’s too bad he never joined the knights.”) Orson thought.
“Here it comes, golden boy!” Aire moved out of view of Aries. It rammed the ball of energy forward at Orson. At the last second it jumped off toward Aire. He quickly jumped and pushed off the ball of energy with one hand. Aries stopped and swung the ball of energy from its front to Aire behind him. Aire put his hands up and caught the energy. The ground at his feet began to crumble, but he was able to hold his footing. Orson ran over, slicing at Aries’ arm. Its arm came off and fell to the ground, but it showed no sign of pain. Still it pushed the ball of energy on Aire. Its other arm faded into little bits of energy and rose to the sky until it faded entirely. Orson swung again, but this time the tentacles from its body caught the sword.
“Golden boy! I don’t think I can hold this off much longer.” The earth below Aire began to push further down. Orson couldn’t pull his sword up or down. After a second of thinking, Orson decided to pull the sword toward himself. The tentacles were cut off as he dragged the sword away. He swung the sword around right after cutting Aries in two. He fell to one knee in exhaustion, with his sword still held up. Aries’s head pointed up to the sky. The zodiac symbol on its face began to shake. With the last of his strength Orson thrusted his sword as hard as he could into its head. The zodiac symbol on its face turned to stone, then after a moment the star energy that made up its body slowly petrified as well. Aire pushed the ball of energy up, and jumped out of the crater just before it fully petrified.
Orson began to laugh. Aire was panting on the other side of the crater.
“What exactly is so funny?” Aire said out of breath.
“I was just thinking. It’s a good thing you were able to push Aries’ energy out of the way in time. You could have been trapped with that giant stone ball over you. You would have had to dig your way out.” Orson continued to laugh. Aire frowned. Then he started to laugh with him.
Chapter Twenty One- Taurus, Zodiac of Taurald
Antsos stood at the top of the waterfall overlooking Lake Twilight, his arms crossed and an angry look in his eyes. Zynx sat on a rock just a few feet behind him with his legs crossed, and his eyes closed. Antsos began to pace, still gazing down below.
“I am beginning to think this is a waste of time. I don’t see why we would make a good pair. I have my claws and you a spear. What are we going to poke and scratch our way to victory?” Antsos looked to Zynx for a reply. He shrugged when he realized Zynx wouldn’t answer.
“On top of everything, they pair me with a cat that can’t even speak. Can you speak? Do you even understand what I’m saying to you?” He yelled. Zynx opened one eye to look at Antsos. “Useless house cat… This is beginning to irritate me.” Zynx opened his eyes and hopped off the rock with his spear ready. He turned west toward the mouth of the river leading to the waterfall. Antsos didn’t bother looking.
“Sensitive little cat… calm yourself. There is nothing back there. I can hear just as well as you.” Antsos continued to stare below. Suddenly the water upriver began to bubble. Slowly, a creature of pure energy swam to shore. Zynx watched as it stood up on land. Antsos turned hearing the water sizzle on its body. It stood with energy flowing out like tentacles. Antsos threw his cloak to the ground. He was topless with just baggy black pants and a black sash holding them up.
“Look, it’s the Taurus symbol on its head. This thing doesn’t even have ears or a face. Interesting. Then it won’t see me coming!” Antsos ran with his claws out. He jumped in the air and swiped downward. Taurus raised an arm, and slapped him aside, flinging him hard against a tree.
“Ah… It was able to see me after all. Fine let me try this again. No one makes a fool of the great demon Antsos!” He yelled out in rage.
He charged once more with his arms out and claws ready. Just as he got in front of Taurus he leaped in the air landing just behind it. He quickly clawed at Taurus, but it turned so quick that he was spooked. His tail puffed up as he looked at the Zodiac symbol on its head as if it was staring right at him. Taurus grabbed Antsos’ wrists. The tentacles from its arms wrapped around his forearms. He cried out in pain as the tentacles began to burn his arms.
He cried out, but Taurus’ tentacles just tightened. His mouth opened wide revealing his fangs. His first thought was to bite its arm, but he realized that it would just cause him more pain. Antsos looked at the zodiac symbol on its face once again.
“You will not beat me! I am Antsos, demon Lord of Twilight!” Suddenly its head pushed forward toward Antsos with a small tip of steel pushing though the creature’s head. Antsos looked with confusion, and realized that Zynx’s spear had pierced it from behind. Taurus began to turn to stone Antsos tried to shake free, but its grip didn’t loosen even as its body began to petrify. Zynx pulled his spear from its head and slowly walked to Antsos. He looked at Antsos’ wrists and then raised his spear. His spear came crashing down against the petrified Taurus breaking the hands off its body.
“Great, now look at this. How do you suppose I break myself free from this?” Antsos said in frustration. Zynx made a grunt then started to walk away. Antsos walked over to the rock Zynx was sitting on before the fight. He mashed the stone against the rock to break free from Taurus’ stone grip.
“Since you don’t speak, you won’t mind I tell the others that I was the one that defeated Taurus?” Antsos said with a laugh, but Zynx didn’t bother reacting as he continued south toward Sagnet.
(“I don’t think that fight was supposed to be as easy as it was. It is strange, but Taurus didn’t even acknowledge Zynx during the fight. It was as it couldn’t hear him come up from behind. I imagine whatever made these Zodiac creatures didn’t account for… Unless they don’t see or hear, but perhaps they can feel star energy? My claws don’t require star energy, but I raised my speed using my star energy. Maybe the Zodiac can feel the power we
emit? Interesting…”) Antsos thought to himself. He rubbed his wrists as he followed behind Zynx.
Chapter Twenty Two- Gemini, Zodiac of Geminite
Zelkem and Jol were waiting by Geminite Pond in between the two Geminite cities. Zelkem and Jol sat on opposite sides of the pond. Zelkem was picking blades of grass, using them to spell the word ‘bored’. Once he finished he looked around to see if he could find something else to occupy his time. He ended up looking over to Jol. She was a small, delicate-looking girl. Zelkem thought she was about thirteen or maybe fourteen years old. The thought bounced around his head for a bit until she noticed him looking at her. He quickly looked away pretending he wasn’t looking at her.
“What were you looking at?” Jol protested.
“Honestly, I was thinking about how old you were. What are you, like twelve years old?” He said with a laugh. He laid back on the grass. She stood up with an angry look.
“You incompetent fool. I may look young, but I am nineteen years old!” Jol yelled. She turned around crossing her arms in anger. Zelkem shot up after he realized what she said.
“No way, you are a little liar! You can’t be nineteen. You look like you are still a kid.” He announced as if he knew better. He laid back down, confident she was lying.
“You pompous jerk! Its people like you that made me fight for Lears!” Jol sat down with a furious look in her eyes.
“What do you mean?” He asked. She had caught his interest.
“I have been told so many times that I can’t do things because of what my physical appearance is. Just because I look like a child doesn’t mean I am. The knights turned me down because of that same reason. Those jerks even laughed at me. I couldn’t find any work after my parents died in the Dragon Wars, because everyone thought I was lying about my age.” She said, close to tears. Zelkem sat up again. This time he put his arms back for support.
“Hey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to piss you off. I kinda understand how you feel. My parents died in the Dragon Wars too. I was left with only my brother, but he ended up leaving me to join the knights. I was too young to go with him. I was left in an empty house all alone, but because I was a child the city took the house and tried to put me in a group home for kids that were orphaned in the war. I ended up living on the streets. So yeah, I can relate.” He explained.
Jol picked up a stone from the side of the pond, and stood up.
“It would seem we are similar in a way. Don’t think your sob story will get me to leave Lears though.” She contested. Zelkem laughed.
“I don’t care what you do. If we are enemies, then we are enemies. Fight for what you believe in. I get it. I wanted to confront my brother for years for leaving me, but in truth he didn’t know our home would be taken. I realized he joined the knights to make money. He doesn’t know this, but I went back to our home years later and found out that Orson had been sending money to help me the whole time. I was able to claim the money and live a good life for a while. I owe him for that. There are a few reasons I fight on their side, but that would be near the top of the list. Who knows, if I didn’t go back and find that money maybe my hatred for my brother would have made me end up joining Lears to just to spite my brother.” He said with a grin. Jol smiled.
“I guess you aren’t as much of a jerk as I thought.” Jol laughed. Zelkem laid down once again. “Glad to hear it.” He said with a smile.
Jol closed her eyes, clenching the stone in her hand. After a moment she opened her eyes and threw the stone in the pond. She continued to smile. Suddenly the stone she threw flew out of the pond landing near Zelkem. He sat up looking at the stone with a puzzled look.
“I heard the stone hit the water, so that’s weird. What happened?” He asked. Without warning a creature burst through the calm surface of the pond throwing both of them off their feet. They both saw its face bearing the zodiac symbol of Gemini. The nearby knights stationed at the city watched in fear.
“Wow, it’s pure energy. Look at this thing!” Zelkem said as he climbed to his feet.
“What are those things waving on its body?” Jol said as she grabbed her daggers from her belt. “I don’t know, but I wouldn’t get too close.” He answered quickly.
“Gemini, zodiac of Geminite. Careful Jol, if the legends are true then this thing is meant to kill everything. I can only imagine what kind of power it has.” He added.
Gemini stood on the water in the middle of the once-calm pond. Water came down over the pond as if it was raining. Gemini turned west toward the city of Virphire and began to walk just as the water stopped falling.
“It doesn’t even care we are here? Come on big guy aren’t we gonna see what you got?” Zelkem called out. Gemini didn’t seem to notice him at all.
“It’s leaving. Why doesn’t it fight us?” Jol ran along the river toward the north. Zelkem kept up with her speed on the other side of the river.
“Gemini isn’t moving fast, but it is starting to head toward the water over toward Virphire. I’ll follow it, Jol. Cross the bridge up ahead and catch up to us.” He commanded. He turned toward the west. He was just behind Gemini, but still it wasn’t paying attention to him.
“Alright, big guy. Time to get your attention!” Zelkem brought his fists together as he ran. Slowly he pulled them toward his chest.
“This move was meant for Orson before everything happened, but at least I can see how it holds up in a real battle” He called out. His fists began to glow against his chest. Star energy encased his body as he ran. He looked up at Gemini. He noticed the moment he began to focus his star energy into his fists Gemini’s head turned toward him. He jumped into the air toward Gemini thrusting his right fist toward it, but it made a fist and punched back, slamming its full force into his fist. There was a pause as they collided until a flash sent Zelkem flying backwards. He slammed into the ground, landing flat on his back.
“Ugh. Damn that hurt. Hey Jol, I got its attention…” Jol ran past him with such speed that he didn’t see her, but he felt the wind along his face.
Jol yelled as she came to an abrupt halt then jumped straight up. Her two daggers lit up with a glow. She made the motions of throwing her daggers, but didn’t actually let them go. Instead copies of the daggers flew through the air at Gemini. The beast shook and split into two separate Gemini, making all of Jol’s attacks fly right past it. The two Gemini rushed her. One ran and dove to the ground, sliding into position below Jol who was still hovering in the air. Once it was directly under her, it kicked both its feet straight up catching her chest. As she was momentarily suspended in the air, the other Gemini clenched its fists together in the air above her and slammed her hard toward the ground.
“JOL!” Zelkem yelled out as he got back on his feet.
“You bastards!” Zelkem squeezed his fists tight. His eyes opened wide as he put his head down. His fists began to glow. Once they were completely engulfed he slapped his palms on his chest. The two Gemini turned their attention back to him, but they didn’t pause. They rushed him as he stood still glowing.
Zelkem began spinning on the spot and picked up so much speed that he became a blur. The two Gemini stopped in their tracks. Zelkem’s star energy was channelled into his fists, pummeling the two Gemini Zodiacs. Though they were pure star energy, he was stronger than the both of them. The energy in their bodies began to pulse. The attacks struck the faces of the two Gemini simultaneously. Zelkem continued to spin, launching attack after attack. Even though he continued, Gemini started to turn to stone. As it turned to stone, the attacks chipped away the body of Gemini until it had crumbled to pieces.
Zelkem started to slow down until he eventually stopped. He was woozy from the spinning and fell to the ground when tried to take a step forward. Jol crawled toward him as he laid flat on his back.
“Zelkem that was the craziest thing I have ever seen. Are you okay?” Jol said as she tried to smile.
“I have never done that before, and I promise I never will again. Ugh… I
feel like I’m gonna throw up. I can’t move at all and everything is still spinning…” Zelkem kept his eyes closed to try to keep himself from spinning.
“That was incredible! The way you put your own spin on....” Zelkem put his hand over his mouth.
“Ugh don’t say spin…” He quickly interrupted.
The knights of Geminite rushed over as the dust settled. Jol was helped to her feet, while Zelkem was carried off on a makeshift stretcher.
(“I hope the others are having better luck then us… I’m sorry Lumus, but it doesn’t look like we are going to be able to help anyone like this.”) Zelkem thought.
He was rushed into Geminite with Jol at his side passing out from fatigue on the way through the city gates.
Chapter Twenty Three- Cancer, Zodiac of Canby
Dyne stood with a smile on his face as he looked out at the Canby Delta. Levitz just stared at him. Dyne raised his arms with his palms up, and he closed his eyes.
“It’s beautiful here. A little muddy, but such a beautiful view. Wouldn’t you agree Levitz?” Dyne blurted out. He opened his eyes to see if Levitz was paying attention.
“Your optimism makes me sick. You do know we could very well die here, right?” Levitz said in a deep tone. Dyne put his arms down.
“I don’t see a problem with living in the moment. You should pull that stick out of your ass and enjoy life a little more.” Dyne added. Levitz stepped forward with a fist raised at him.
“What did you say!?” Levitz said as he got angry. Dyne laughed.
“For a guy that wears a pink vest and all pink clothes, you don’t see to be very happy…” Dyne laughed. Levitz took another step forward.
