It was morning though it was hard to tell underground and away from natural light. No one ever stayed there for too long. The members of the resistance cycled shifts in the hideout, being above ground, and doing missions on the outside.
Gemini was down in the arena. There were marks on all of the walls of the arena from his sword. He hadn’t slept at all that night. Capricorn’s words had struck a chord in him. Learning how to use the power under stress, the sensation of his energy evolving into something new. He wanted to know what his power could become. Knowing that he didn’t know everything about himself made him eager to learn.
He had been at this all night but he didn’t feel the least bit tired. He had the energy of two people trying to think and move as one. It was contained in one body and often times wanted to be free. He could split on the fly but he was going to make it fluid.
Gemini swung his sword and in the same motion he became two separate people. Umbra continued the swing of the sword as Luce swung his own sword in a different direction. As Luce finished the swing they merged again and Gemini kicked. He then lunged and mid lunge Luce and Umbra appeared lunging with both their weapons.
They turned and as their shoulders touched they became one body. Gemini swung both swords at head level cutting someone’s head clean off. There was no one there but that wasn’t the point. The fluidity of the movements had to get more natural. Every time he changed and split apart it had to be swift. It had to be like the wind.
“What are you doing runt?”
Gemini started as he turned to look at her. His chest was heaving and he didn’t know what to say as he let his swords sink for a moment.
“Training.”
“Did you get any sleep?”
Gemini shook his head and she glared at him. She came down into the arena and looked at all the slash marks on the walls and on the ground. “I saw some of what you’re trying to do. It’s creative. I approve. But we need you at full strength.”
“Has Kali found enough people already?”
The lion smiled and showed her teeth. “She does good work. We should be ready to leave today. When, I’m not sure but the sooner the better.”
“You’re right.” Gemini said and fused his swords. Sliding the sword into it’s sabered he took a deep breath. “Let’s get some breakfast and then meet our team.”
Gemini followed behind Leo as they entered the main hub and even this early there were members awake. No one wanted to be awake at this hour, that was universal to them all, but there was an energy in the air. He could feel the buzz and he knew it had to do with the mission.
“That’s them.” Leo pointed to a cluster of lightly armed men and women. Kali was with them and she was answering questions as they were shot rapid fire to her. Leo watched her not lose her cool or even break a sweat. She was proud.
“Yo there he is.” Capricorn came over and draped an arm around Gemini’s shoulders. He was wearing his boots and vambraces now, ready for a real fight. “You smell like hell Gem. What were you doing all night?”
“Training.” Gemini chuckled. “Trying to get the power you have.”
“Good, cause today’s gonna be the day.” The goat said as he guided him to a table. “So go ahead and eat your gruel. We’ve already had ours.”
Capricorn slid across from him and Virgo came holding a bowl. There was oatmeal in them and even slices of fruit inside. Taking the spoon Gemini started to eat and it was fresh. He shouted as it burned his tongue.
Virgo chuckled. “Slow down Gem.”
“Won’t kill me.” Gemini mumbled as he continued to shovel the oatmeal into his mouth. He chewed on an apple slowly and then glanced up as Kali came over.
Leo looked at her. “Status report Kali.”
“Sir. We have had an influx of volunteers. I’ve chosen the best twenty of them. I thought that they would be enough people to make a good distraction but also get away when the time comes.”
“Good. I trust you’ve chosen the type of distraction that you’re going to go with.”
“Yes sir, I have.”
Leo nodded. “Good work. If all goes well then we shall return here within the day.”
“Good luck sir.”
“And to you Kali.”
Gemini finished his meal to the bottom and he felt more awake now. He looked at the trio of Zodiac around him and then glanced at Kali.
“Kali, I want to know how’s Vash.”
She frowned at that question and the twin stood. “Is something wrong? Is he in trouble?”
“No sir. Vash is… he is with the king’s son.”
Virgo’s eyes widened. “He’s serving with Prince Raku?”
“As his body guard yes. Where they are right now I do not know and it is better that way. It means they’re probably safe.”
Gemini frowned but then smiled. “He was always one to put duty first. Protecting the royal family was his father’s job and he’s taken up to it as well. I’ll see him again.”
Gemini got to his feet and his arms were shaky. “Come on guys. Let’s do this.”
The four of them left through a different passage than they arrived. Instead of a house they came out of a cellar door. It wasn’t that far from the shopping district. They could smell food being cooked and spiced and it set some of their stomachs to a rumble. However, they ignored it and did their best to not seem out of place. Gemini was leading the group with Leo taking up the rear.
Capricorn led them down multiple back alleyways until they stopped being in the city. On one side of them was the city while on the other was the sounds of water brushing up against the shore. There was the river that would run to larger bodies of water but their destination was against the tides.
They were climbing uphill and the stone ground was turning into dirt. The grass and dirt became the norm and the houses were becoming sparse. The land had more trees and wider patches of grass. They crested a hill and that put them a few miles outside of the village. That was when the first sound was heard. It was a dull explosion but they heard it even miles away from Orrin.
Gemini turned back to stare as smoke started to rise from the village. There was silence and then there was another explosion. “Alpha and Omega, what are they doing over there?” Gemini whispered.
“Being a distraction. Keep moving.” Leo said as she walked past him. “Look, that’s it isn’t it?”
She pointed ahead of them and there it was. The ground sloped downward to show a small pool of water. The pooling of run off from the castle that merged with the river. It sloped upward to a wall in the castle. It was dark in that hole but Gemini knew the grating was in there. To make things even better there wasn’t even a guard outside.
“That was a little too easy.” Virgo said as he stared at the grating. “It’s been too long since we’ve been inside our home.”
“Way too long. I hadn’t thought of it like that.” Gemini said softly and frowned again. “But we can’t take it back, not yet. This is us just finding our friends but we will come back.”
“And we’ll liberate it from Cancer.” Leo growled.
“Alright, let’s get this show on the road team.” Capricorn said and dashed forward. The rest of them followed suit. They were across the ground in seconds and inside the tunnel in minutes. The tunnel was just slightly higher than Leo’s head so they didn’t have to crouch to walk freely. It smelled of garbage and fouler things. The ground was slippery and so were the walls so their footing wasn’t the easiest thing to maintain.
Capricorn was leading them as he walked quickly but without fear. Goats were sure footed, they weren’t afraid of falling and neither was Capricorn. He was the first to reach the grating. It was rusted bronze and darker colors. Capricorn grabbed it with his gloved hands and shook it. Rust fell off slowly but it was still sturdy in more ways than one.
“Alright guys stand back. This is going to be a little scattershot.” Capricorn said.
Gemini, Leo and Virgo took several steps back and were almost at the mouth of the cave. Capricorn brought back his fist and brought his constellation to a focal point. “Kick Capricorn!” The goat shot forward and he turned, his foot slamming into the grate. It exploded with the sound of rending metal, sending shards and rusted pieces into the walls and across the water.
When things had settled down Capricorn grinned. “Step one, finished.”
“Step two, infiltrate.” Gemini said.
They walked into the tunnel and the moment they stepped past a few dozen feet the tunnel got bigger. There was space for them to all walk side by side but they walked in sets of two. Leo and Gemini in front, Capricorn and Virgo behind.
The journey was in the dark and the filth. It was hard to tell what direction they were going except for straight. It was a lot of guesswork though they did have an old map to work with. It also smelled like hell down there. Stench was thick on the air and clogging their nostrils. They found themselves choking on it or more often then not.
“Hey, you smell that?” Leo asked as she tilted her head upward.
“If it’s old shit then yeah. I smell it like cologne.” Capricorn said putting his hands over his nose.
Leo laughed dryly. “No. Follow me.” She told him as she started walking toward the left. She dragged her hand across the walls and ignored the moistness of it. She closed her eyes and continued to sniff the air as she walked forward. She stopped when there was a gap.
It wasn’t consistent with the rest of the wall. She growled upon touching it and realized it was heavy and wooden. Raising her hand slowly she felt the gap at the top of the wood and felt a cool breeze. She brought her other hand down and dragged it against the metal reinforcements of the door and then felt a handle.
Turning it forcefully she yanked it open. The smell of fresh air was sweet to the Zodiac. The door led to a long carpeted spiral staircase and it reminded them of the half dozen that were around the castle.
“If I remember right, this one will lead us to the dungeon. The sewers were always right next to them.” Gemini said softly.
“What did you do that made you go around the dungeons?” Leo asked.
Capricorn laughed with a terrible grin. “Gem and Aqua liked to sneak out at night.”
“Shut up goat.”
“I didn’t think that you two would get into such things.” Virgo said with a look of false shock.
“I blame Leo. Pisces told me that he and you did it a lot when you were younger.”
Capricorn rubbed his elbow against Gemini’s side. “I wonder what they did?”
Both laughed and Leo grabbed them both around the neck and squeezed enough for it to hurt. “Both of you runts can shut your mouths or I’ll kick your asses before Cancer gets the chance.”
Continuing to walk they found another door and glanced at Leo. She opened the door slowly and they came out to a pleasant smelling hallway. It was carpeted, with potted flowers and hanging chandeliers. The stones walls were adorned with paintings and shields and symbols of the Zodiac. They weren’t in the dungeons, they had entered the castle.
“Surreal huh?” Capricorn said after a slow breath.
Gemini nodded while Leo grunted. “I think we missed home more than we thought.” Virgo said softly.
Gemini nodded again and then started walking down the decorated hallway. He could remember by heart where his room was. Where Aquarius’s room was and where Cancer’s was. He could remember everything from home, almost like he’d never left. All he had to do was turn right at the end of the hall.
He would give anything to turn to the side and start toward their rooms and go back in time. But he couldn’t go there now. His heart hurt and then he felt a hand on his shoulder. Glancing back, Leo was staring at him. Her eyes were soft and he squeezed her hand for a moment.
He turned left down the hallway and started down another. He was walking quickly and they were able to catch up. Gemini placed one hand on his sword and squeezed the pommel hard.
“Here.” Gemini said softly as he stared at a door. “This is it.”
Gemini took a slow breath as he opened the door and stale air washed over his nose. It was suffocating compared to the fresh air that they just found. They stepped down the stairs and then they were walking. They closed the door behind them but it wasn’t dark. There torches lining the walls and gave a flickering orange glow across the walls. The air was stale but there were other smells. Urine, blood, and the lingering scent of death. They sped down the stairs until they hit the bottom. The hallway spread to the left and the right indefinitely.
Close by there were a set of bars that showed it was a cell. There were two lanterns on either side of the cell. That was the pattern going down both sides of the dungeon. They couldn’t tell when it would end.
“Which way do we go?” Capricorn asked glancing back and forth.
“We could split up.” Leo suggested.
Virgo shook his head. “I have a bad feeling about this. We should stay together.”
“Agreed.” Gemini added.
They decided to go left and walked down the path slowly. They had to check each cell thoroughly but they were all empty. Well that wasn’t true. A few of them had occupants but none of them were who they were looking for. Nor were they alive. Some freshly dead, others had been there for some time.
They reached the end, the only thing telling them that much was the fact that it was a flat walled dead end. It was dark and they couldn’t even see inside of the cell. It was frustrating and Leo punched the wall. “Dammit! This can’t be a dead end.”
A rat scurried by them, jumping over their feet to get away. This was frustrating. One of them had to be here. Could their source have been wrong? Could Cancer have moved them inside the castle?
“It isn’t. We have an entire other half of a dungeon.” Virgo touched her shoulder and she glared at him but nodded.
“Guys. Hold on,” Gemini walked forward and touched the cell door in front of him. He ran his fingers down the bars and found the lock. Gemini unsheathed his sword and turned it in his hand. Carefully he slashed it down over the lock. It fell to the ground in two pieces with a soft metallic clunk.
Gemini pushed the door open and he had to adjust his eyes to the darkness. He walked forward hesitantly. Turning his sword, he sheathed it at his belt. He let out a pulse of his constellation and it traveled across the entire cell. And then he felt a small return pulse that wasn’t his own.
His head snapped in that direction and ran toward it. When he got close he slowed and crouched low. Inching forward slowly and reached his hand out toward the recipient. The energy he had felt was two mixed parts. It was like two halves of the same circle. Something that his own energy wasn’t. Balanced.
“Libra. It’s Gemini,“ he said softly as he held out his hand. “I know it’s you Libra. I know you’re there. And you know me. You know my energy Libra. Come on, please answer me. Please be okay.”
There was movement in the corner as the shadow came straight at him. She jumped at him and he caught her holding her tightly. Her thin legs were wrapped tight around his waist and her thin arms were tight around his neck. Gemini held her up and brushed his fingers through her tangled and messy black hair. She was rail thin, her skin was pale and she was shaking in his arms. He knew that Libra was small and had a habit of wanting to be carried by them but even then she had some weight to her. Now, she just felt like a skeleton.
Gemini backed out of the cell slowly and came into the light of the hallway. Everyone was waiting and when they saw her they crowded around. They touched her, holding her hand, placing their hands on her back or in her hair. Their constellations flared around them and it was overwhelming and warm. Slowly it became balanced and went into harmony.
It was like watching a flower bloom. You never noticed how things changed; you only caught the states and then the final step. Libra’s change however stopped. Her skin was less pale, a healthier pale now. Her frame, still thin and light, wasn’t a rail anymore. She looked at each of them, her eyes bright before settling on Gemini.
“Thank… you…” Libra said shakily. Her voice was unused. She probably hadn’t spoken since she was put in there. However, she looked down and her necklace was there. It shone against the dark dress she wore. “Gem. Leo. Virgo. Cap. Thank you.”
“Don’t thank us Libra.” Leo said softly. “We would do anything for our family.”
“We’re gonna keep you safe.” Capricorn added.
Virgo nodded gently. “We love our Libra.”
Gemini smiled and then frowned. “Now we just gotta find Aqua.”
“Let me carry her Gem.” Virgo said as he held out his arms. “You’ll most likely need your hands sooner than I. That and my energy can continue to heal her.”
Libra looked at the priest and nodded. She reached out and wrapped her arms around Virgo’s neck as he held her up. Gemini nodded to them and then they started walking. If Libra was on one side of the dungeon it made sense that Aquarius would be on the other.
They walked quickly to at least hit the half waypoint from where they started. The torches were a good guide marker for them. They were almost there when the tunnel was suddenly bathed in light. The light wasn’t that of a torch. It was more like a flash from a storm.
“I’m sorry but I can’t allow you to go further.” Aries said from behind them. “This is the end of the line.”
He was dressed in leather boots and gloves, red shirt and brown pants. His dirty blonde hair was drawn back from his face as his brown eyes lit upon each of them one by one. He moved his hands slowly and pointed his weapon at them. He was carrying a long spear. It had an ebony wooden shaft with a golden pommel. The blade was black and diamond edged however the cross guard was different. Instead of a cross it was two hammer heads.
“Aries.” Leo’s anger rose as she glared at the ram. She took a step forward and her hand went back to her claymore. She gripped the hilt tightly and her eyes were glowing in the darkness. “You were always Cancer’s lapdog. You and Taurus. Did you even bat a fucking when you put Libra in that cage?!”
Aries hesitated his eyes flicking toward hers. Something crossed his face that looked like confusion. But it hardened and he said, “Cancer ordered it. I can not disobey him.” Aries voice was resigned and Leo looked at him with disgust.
“You’re less than a dog now.” Leo taunted as she walked toward him. “What did Cancer do to turn you and Pisces into this?”
“Hopefully you never have to find out.” They turned around at the deep bass voice of Taurus. His imposing figure and cropped head towered off them. He was wearing a shirt, pants, and his necklace. He had gloves on both hands as he stared at them.
“We will find out.” Gemini said as he stepped forward. “Because we’re going to stop him.”
Aries gave a wane smile. “Bold words Gem. But you aren’t even on our level let alone his.”
“We’ll show you just how strong we are Aries.” Leo growled.
Aries smirked. “I’ll be the judge of that. Run Aries.” In a burst of speed Aries dashed forward and grabbed his spear out of the air. With the extra momentum he thrust it at her.
Leo turned her sword so that the flat of it smashed against the tip of his spear. Leo actually skidded backwards as Aries slowed down. Her eyes widened as Aries stood his ground against her. “Aries Bolt.”
There was a flash of light and so bright in the semi darkness that everyone had to look away. When the light faded away, Aries and Leo were gone. Gemini and Capricorn looked around worried and then turned their gaze onto Taurus.
“What did he do with her?” Gemini shouted.
“I know not. Aries is the fastest of the Zodiac. They could be anywhere in the castle.” Taurus said spreading his hands and seemed prepared to charge.
The goat and twin got ready, raising their weapons. However at a tap on both of their shoulders Virgo walked forward. Libra was leaning against the wall shakily, watching the three of them. “You two, go on and find Aqua. I will slow down our brother.”
“Are you sure?” Gemini asked but Capricorn nodded and grabbed Gemini’s shoulder.
“Trust him. He can do this. We need to hurry. Alpha knows how many of the other Zodiac in the castle know about us. Time isn’t on our side.”
Gemini bit his lip and then nodded his head. “Be careful Virgo.”
The two of them darted down the hallway was Virgo spread his arms readying himself to fight. He felt a tug on the back of his robes and turned to face Libra. Crouching he stroked her cheek gently. “Run little one. This is going to get very dangerous.”
“Listen to him sister. There’s no stopping the bull once he charges.” Taurus said as his earth shaking constellation began to build around them. Virgo stared at him with wide eyes and he forced himself to take a calming breath.
Gemini and Capricorn could feel the aftershocks but they didn’t turn around. They had to trust their brother to survive. They sent out small pulses of energy to double check but so far each cell was empty.
As they ran Gemini said, “That flash, was that Aries using his second power?”
“It seems like it.”
A pulse of energy came from in front of them and they slowed down. When it hit him it felt like he was being choked, the constellation pinching at his neck. Despite how dark and heavy it was Gemini knew it almost like the back of his hand.
“Hey, Gem. Cap. Been awhile hasn’t it.” The owner of the voice was their height. His hair was longer styled back and his eyes had become darker, murkier almost like a swamp. He was clean shaven, his features smooth and smile easy. He was wearing a white shirt and blue pants. His hands were in his pockets. Around his neck was a necklace with a crab on the pendent.
Gemini stared his former best friend in the eye as he whispered “Cancer.”
The Harlequin Library 