“Aquarius, meet Speedy.” Gemini said walking to the stables. The resistance had taken Speedy and given her a space in their stables. The horse in question snorted upon Gemini’s arrival and stamped the ground impatiently. It was almost as if she was saying what took him so long to see her.
Gemini stroked her face gently and smiled. Aquarius told Gemini everything that she had learned from Leo and Gemini was anxious. But as per Virgo’s demands he waited for until he was properly dismissed. And if they were going, Gemini wanted to make sure one other person was going with them.
Aquarius approached the horse slowly. Speedy looked at her and then snorted again. She reached her hand out and Speedy snapped at her with a grunt. Aquarius yanked her hand back and laughed nervously.
“Yeah, she doesn’t like new people that much.” Gemini smiled at her.
Taking the reins Gemini jumped onto Speedy’s back. Aquarius looked at twin and then back at the horse. Gemini brushed his fingers through Speedy’s mane. The horse threw her head back and whinnied lightly as she stamped the ground again.
“Be nice Speedy.” Gemini said and the horse snorted again. He laughed in response before looking at Aqua. “Come on, she won’t bite this time.”
Aquarius looked at him warily but walked forward slowly. Holding out her hand he grabbed it and then pulled her up and onto Speedy’s back. Aquarius slid her arms around Gemini’s waist as Gemini grabbed the reins.
“Alright. Aqua where are we going?” Gemini asked and she pointed ahead.
“Toward the water. Not Aquarius lake but near some body of water.”
Gemini nodded and hit the reins down as they took off. They trotted down the dirt road of this side of the district before the road became nothing but well trodden grass. Turning his head to the side, Gemini was able to see the river. It wasn’t too wide but it was sizable. He heard Aquarius sigh relaxing against him and he laughed lightly.
“What’re you laughing at?” She asked jabbing her finger into his side.
Gemini glanced back at him. “Just you Aqua.”
She rolled her eyes. “It feels good to be near water again.”
Gemini smiled and then leaned forward as he hit the reins down and they started going even faster. Speedy zoomed across the uneven ground without a care. She had been in the stables for so long that she was eager to stretch her legs. The ground was slopping downward slowly and Gemini angled her toward that space.
As they got closer to it Aquarius began to sit up. Speedy’s hooves brushed against the moist ground the river splashed against her hooves. Speedy neighed at the sensation and shuffled backwards.
“Alright Aqua, we’re here.”
Aquarius nodded and held up her hand. “Yes, we are.” Her constellation formed suddenly and the soothing energy surrounded them. It flowed forward and toward the waters. “Aquarius Connect.”
Directly in front of them the water began to glow. It was covered in white light that radiated around them. The water was bright enough that it startled Speedy. Gemini held the reins tightly though he was right there with her.
“Alright Gem, lead her forward.”
“Forward? Into the water?”
Aquarius nodded and Gemini looked skeptically at Speedy. He pressed his knees into her side and Speedy grunted in disagreement. Gemini tried again and she tossed her head back snorting. With a sigh Gemini released his energy around Speedy and she started at both of them around her.
Gemini touched her neck gently. “Trust me girl. This’ll work out.”
Speedy snorted at his words but she paced forward slightly. She took one step and then another forward until her hooves brushed against the water. Her legs slowly sank into it and there was tension in her as they went forward. When the water touched Gemini’s legs it was wet like water but he felt lighter for some reason.
Speedy continued her trek forward and slowed as her muzzle began to touch the water’s surface. Gemini touched her neck again. “Come on girl. We can do this.”
She snorted again before she submerged herself in the water. As Gemini and Aquarius’s head dipped under the water the light surrounded them. When the light faded they were walking onto dry land again. It was as if they had just walked through a door.
Instantly upon coming out of the water the sun beat onto them with humid heat. Speedy threw her head backwards and grunted as she trudged forward. The water they emerged from had been another river. The area around it was an empty field. There wasn’t any grass. Just dirt with a few cropped sets of bushes.
Gemini took a heavy breath and then urged her forward. “I forgot about how much I hate Greyhara.”
The journey to the spread out town was arduous to say the least. Staying hydrated was a difficulty for the three of them. Though Aquarius was with them, there wasn’t must water for her to manipulate. By the time they reached the town Speedy was barely standing with shaky legs. Gemini and Aquarius were walking at her side, Gemini holding the reins.
Greyhara was a middle road type of town. Traveling from Lyria would take you to Greyhara. There were some traders but there were many people here he came here because they needed to get away or hide. The buildings were all built of wood and built high so they cast long shadows to provide shade at all times of the day.
Everyone wore either large brimmed hats or scarfs to cover as much skin as possible. The shirts and pants seemed to be light and baggy. Others however just wore large body covering robes, which were a fashion he’d never seen in Orrin or Celestial.
“So this is Greyhara.” Aquarius said. “It’s very different from Celestial.”
“Really different. Let’s see if we can find an inn.” Gemini said as he pulled Speedy forward. She gave a dry and tired grunt at him.
As they walked they didn’t go unnoticed, however no one was friendly like in Orrin. Instead they were constantly getting suspicious looks. It was unnerving for Gemini to see that obvious suspicion aimed at him but he did his best to avoid their gazes. Aquarius was doing the same.
The first thing they did was find a place for Speedy in the shade. The nearest thing was a bar where other horses were tied down. There was even a water troth that she dug into immediately. They left her there and went into the bar proper.
It was midday so its surprised Gemini that so many people would be hanging out here. He assumed that was more so a night time thing. Because of that though, they both stuck out even more considering how they were dressed.
They found an empty table toward a corner and once they sat down the looks went away people going back to their drinks and food. Gemini thought about going to get them drinks but he shook his head and focused.
“Now we just have to find a way to find Vash and Raku.”
Aquarius frowned. “Well to start things off, I guess we should ask around and see if anyone’s seen any travelers that look like us, I guess.”
Gemini nodded at that and reached back into the pouch. He pulled out a sizeable amount of bronze and silver coins. He put them into another pouch and then handed it the water bearer. “Just in case some people need a bit more reason to talk.”
Aquarius took the pouch and affixed it to her belt. “Don’t worry. I can be pretty persuasive.”
“I’m sure you can.” He glanced around as people walked back and forth out of the door. Most of them had their hands hidden under robes or in their pockets.
Gemini put one hand in his pocket and narrowed his eyes as he set his sights this time toward a nearby inn. As he entered it dozens of eyes turned toward him and his eyes widened slightly in surprise. He didn’t expect it to be as full as it was.
Despite the glares and suspicious stares, he was getting the twin walked to the counter. He leaned across the counter and asked the bartender if he had seen any strangers around. He first got a room for himself, Aquarius and a spot for Speedy.
Once that was secured, he described Vash and the man wasn’t any help this time. Gemini continued this routine at numerous shops from clothing to meat to metal work. Some had said that saw a man similar to that, others denied it, some he paid off and others he almost threatened but he had no concrete answers.
“Thanks for your time.” Gemini said as he walked out of another metal works. A cool breeze wafted over him and he was grateful for the setting sun. The sky was a velvet blue and the silver pinpricks that must have been stars were starting to show in the sky. The sky was far clearer out here than it had ever been in Celestial. Maybe there was a charm about this town.
“Hey there friend. I heard you were looking for a stranger.”
Gemini started because that voice was familiar. Turning around to face it his eyes went wide. The man had dark blonde hair though it was tied into a braided ponytail. They had a connecting beard and mustache. His skin was slightly tanned and his eyes were dark green. He was taller than Gemini and also more muscled. He was wearing pants and a jacket with both sleeves torn off. There was what looked like half of a staff on his back.
Gemini’s mouth opened slowly as he tried to form words.
“Careful, flies’ll make their homes in there.”
Gemini grinned at the man. “Not if the birds in your hair don’t eat em first.”
They both laughed suddenly and gripped each other’s forearms.
“It’s good to see you Gem.”
“The feeling is very mutual.”
When they released they walked out of the middle of the street and toward a set of benches in front of a bar. They both leaned back and looked at one another smiling.
“What happened to you?” Gemini asked to start.
Vash frowned. “After things turned upside down, I made sure that Raku and I made it out. It was touch and go for a while. Celestial was a war zone for those first few days but you know about that. We went to Orrin and I tried to get us a boat out of the country. Raku didn’t want that. He said that if you and the others were fighting back then he wanted to as well. Sadly, our friend isn’t much of a fighter.”
Gemini laughed softly. “It’s why he had us around right?”
Vash smiled. “Right. For the past two years I’ve been helping him learn how to use a sword. At the same time, he’s been putting his skills as a speaker to work. Every village we’ve visited he’s spoken of the cause and where to find the resistance if they wanted to join. He’s been able to spot the spies that Cancer’s sent too.”
Gemini nodded. “We had a few of them taken back to us and we had Leo and Kali interrogate them. It wasn’t pleasant for them.”
He gave a bark of laughter at that. “So, the lovely Lyrian ladies are still together. That warms my heart in ways you don’t know.”
“Oh really? I think I do know. The way you and Kali always acted around each other.”
“No different from you and-“
He was cut off by the sound of a massive explosion. It was from a building several down from them and the cloud of smoke was rising up. The screaming and shouts came next as people ran out of the front end of the building. Both Gemini and Vash stood up and then glanced at each other.
“That can’t be good.”
Gemini shook his head. “Nope. How much crime is there in this place?”
Vash shrugged. “Nothing like that.”
“Then I guess we should go and investigate.”
“After you.”
“Ladies first.”
“Age before beauty.”
“Ladies fir-“
“Unhand me you cretin!”
Both heads snapped upward and as one they shouted. “Raku!”
The Harlequin Library 