Soot stamped anxiously as the dead picked themselves off the ground. All Isaac had to focus on was the robed figure in front of him. The dead were a sea of necromantic magic that he despite being one of them he was no more comfortable within it than his horse.
“You’re one of them aren’t you? The Ouroboros?” the soldier asked gripping his sword tighter.
Gluttony laughed, “Maybe I am. Greed talked about you a bit. The cheerleader for Ryze. Can’t believe he really went out and made a lich servant.”
“I am no servant. And you aren’t welcome in my country,” he replied raising the sword above his head and spinning it slowly. He could see the lines connecting each and every zombie here to the lich in front of him. A blessing from his new body that he’d finally learned to use.
The blade of the sword glowed to life and it made a soft whine. As he swung it around the blade cut through the air but through his eyes, he saw the strings breaking. The zombies wobbled on their feet before collapsing in heaps on the ground. Whatever life that Gluttony had given them was gone.
He continued, feeling the magic that empowered him spread like a wave. Seeking out each of the zombies and severing the tie that kept them to the necromancer. It was like laying to rest souls that had been tormented and forced to remain in this world.
“So you released my zombies,” Gluttony actually sounded like they were pouting but finally shrugged. “I’ve had my fun so I guess it’s fine. If I waste too much time playing around Wrath’ll get pissed. I’ll see you later lich!”
Gluttony turned around and started to walk out of the village. Gemini struggled to his feet, leaning on one of the swords and pointing the other at the stranger, “Hey we’re not done here!”
Lowering his sword Isaac shook his head letting his eyes settle back to their normal blue. With the necromancer finally leaving the sky began to open slowly letting the sun back. But the setting afternoon light only served to illuminate the death. Staring down at the child he watched him try to step forward then stumble and almost collapse against the ground. “You know there’s a fine line between courage and foolishness?”
Grunting he turned to stare at the stranger and saw the fear and unease. Steeling himself he glared at the taller man, “Who the heck even are you? Just cause you saved me doesn’t mean we’re on the same side!”
Isaac looked down at him and sighed putting a hand to his face. “You remind me of myself as a child. Stubborn.”
He stood slightly in the stirrups and slid the sword home in its sheathe at his side. He watched as the last of the zombies finally collapsed to the ground and frowned. It wasn’t as bad as the encounter with Greed but still there was so much unneeded death.
“Gemini!”
Both turned as the other three Zodiac ran forward. Cancer sprinted past them both and slid between his brother and Isaac and pointed the katar at him. “Stay back!” he shouted. “Don’t even think about moving.”
“Calm down Cancer,” Virgo said finally letting her power go, her eyes returning to their natural blue. “This man isn’t our enemy.”
“Are you certain?” Scorpio asked standing in front of her, her tail pointed at Isaac.
“Yes,” she nodded slowly. “If not for him, Gemini would have died.”
“You’re an idiot you know, that right?” Cancer said grabbing his twin by the back of the head and helping him stand.
“It made sense at the time,” he was laughing but Cancer wasn’t, not even close. He glared at him and once their eyes met Gemini frowned hard. “I’m sorry. I thought we could handle it.”
“Yeah I know you two did. Splitting in half and there’s not a working brain between the two of you,” Cancer glared at him but his face softened and he hugged his brother tightly. “I’m not in the interest of becoming an only child.”
“Trust me, I’ll be sticking with you from now on,” he said a new grin finally breaking out on his face.
Cancer smiled and nodded, “Just like mom always tells us to.”
Helping him to stand they limped forward a few steps and Virgo came over hugging him tightly. “Thank Alpha you’re okay. I shouldn’t have gone through with that.”
“You worried about me princess?” he asked and Scorpio hit him on the head. “Ow what was that for?”
“For scaring the hell out of us,” she replied resting a hand on his head and sighing. But she turned her gaze onto Isaac. “I take it we don’t know anything about who that is?”
“Not a clue,” Gemini replied. “Just came outta nowhere on the horse and did his thing to the zombies.”
“Excuse me sir,” Everyone turned and watched as Virgo made her way over and approached the man with a wide smile. “Thank you for coming to my friend’s rescue.”
He stopped and glanced at her with a raised eyebrow, “Please. Call me Isaac. You all are a strange bunch. A group of mages traveling through the Sanctum. I take it you don’t understand how dangerous that is?”
“Mages? We’re not mages. We’re just travelers,” she replied thoughtfully.
“Not mages?” he chuckled as he continued his inspection. “I don’t pretend to know much about mages but I can at least recognize one when I see one. Blessings from the Father?”
“The Mothers actually,” she replied and then covered her mouth. “I may not have been supposed to say that.”
“The Mothers?” he asked finally looking at the four of them properly instead of just regarding them as bystanders caught in the middle. In fact, as he looked at them, he saw their weapons and how they carried themselves. They were far more than just bystanders. “Who are you children?”
The four gathered together and exchanged glances not sure how much to tell this stranger. They hadn’t properly prepared for this situation ahead of time and so Scorpio took control. “We’re travelers,” she said simply. “We’re searching for an orphanage in the Sanctum. That’s all.”
“An orphanage?” he repeated and shook his head. “It can’t be the same place,” he said to himself but continued to stare at them. “You’re not from these lands. I know that for certain. The way you talk and act is beyond this place.”
“We are from far away from here,” Virgo said and then tugged on her arm. “Show him the map Stingie. He might know where the orphanage is.”
“Yeah it won’t hurt to ask,” Cancer said.
The Scorpion frowned hard but nodded slowly and reached into her bag and pulled out the map slowly but saw that it was somewhat in tatters. She sighed looking at the ground frustrated that it had taken a lot of damage during the fighting.
“We’re looking for an orphanage within the Sanctum,” she said finally.
He spread his arm, “There’s a dozen of those. Take your pick,”
“It’s one with a symbol like a shooting star,” Scorpio told him. “I grew up there with Virgo before we were adopted.”
Isaac stared at the four of them and shook his head, “I’d call this a coincidence but at this point I don’t think those even exist. I know where that is. It’s my home in fact. My husband and I have run it recently but we grew up there”
“Can you take us there?” Virgo asked excitedly.
“Yes of course,” he said smiling gently. “I’m sure that once we get there that Hector can help answer any questions you have.”
“Finally some good luck,” Cancer said letting his shoulders sag as Gemini nodded agreement.
Scorpio frowned in thought, “Our horses were in the stables. Do you think they survived the attack?”
“They should. The likes of them wouldn’t care about your horses. Just the people.”
“Who was that?” Virgo asked. “He seemed to know you to some degree. Have you met him before?”
Isaac shook his head, “I don’t know him but I’ve met another like him. Word of mouth travels fast with them it seems.”
“What kind of monster does this because they’re passing through?” Cancer asked his face darkening in disgust.
“And how do you know him?” Scorpio asked staring at Isaac.
Isaac walked back to Soot, the grey horse swishing her tail back and forth and glanced at the four Zodiac that he had suddenly taken into his care. “They know a very good friend of mine. And apparently, they have business here which worries me greatly. Come on,” He hopped onto the horse’s back and settled and urged her forward.
The four Zodiac glanced at one another before falling into step keeping distance between them. They did their best to not let the dead in the streets bother them but it unsettled each of them to their core. Part way through Gemini stopped and went to a nearby home vomiting from not just the sight of it all but the smell.
“This is terrible,” he said once he finished and wiped his mouth. “I don’t know how anyone could do this.”
“I don’t know either Gem,” Cancer whispered rubbing his back. “It’s beyond a different world here.”
Gemini stood slowly and leaned against his brother for some mild support but he was getting better quickly. “I feel like this isn’t the end of things. Like things are going to get worse.”
Cancer stared at him. “You really feel that?”
Gemini touched his chest, hovering his hand over his pendant and nodded slowly. “I feel it in my soul. I don’t know why but yes. I can’t explain it.”
“You don’t have to. I feel bad too,” Cancer shook his head. “But we came here for a reason. The sooner we accomplish that the better.”
Cancer kept his arm around him tightly and they walked together to reunite with Scorpio and Virgo. Both looked at Gemini concerned but he just flashed a wide grin that didn’t do much to dissipate their concerns. They caught up to Isaac and on the edge of the town and to the broken barn that their horses had been.
A formerly reanimated zombie was now face down against the ground just feet from it. But like Isaac said the zombies didn’t care about the horses. There were about six within but seven had been occupied. One must have bolted since the attack had begun. But the horses that they brought with them were there. They had definitely been spooked but at the sight of their riders they calmed.
One by one they led their horses out of the stables and mounted them. When they approached Soot, they saw their horses were smaller but their muscles showed more prominently. Isaac looked at them slowly and raised his eyebrow, “Breeds from beyond the mountains.”
“What makes you say that?” Scorpio asked eyeing him.
“There are not many places for foreigners to come from. Process of elimination,” he smirked and turned Soot around facing the town itself. “One more thing before we leave.”
Pressing his hands together he felt his power awaken again. Unwieldy but something he was getting better with. Turning them slowly he made a symbol with both hands independent of one another. Pressing the heel of his hands together he thrust his hand forward and flames appeared. They shot forward engulfing a pair of bodies and startling the horses.
The flames leaped from body to body eating at them and sending the smell of chard corpse into the air. The flames didn’t spread to the buildings, just staying to the dead bodies on the ground. The smoke that billowed into the sky was light grey and he slumped forward exhausted.
“A mage I am not,” he said to himself and chuckled.
“What are you doing?” Gemini asked apprehensively and covering his mouth. He didn’t want to vomit again.
“Burning the bodies. So that they can’t be raised again. Let the dead rest,” he said lowering his head and mouthing a short prayer to his great Father.
“That is a kind thing to do,” Virgo said whispering a quick prayer as they burned. “
“Just the right thing,” He replied and smiled, “Come on. We should make ourselves scarce before the mage hunters arrive.”
The five of them rushed out of the town, following the main road. As they rode the horror of the town was slowly left behind. The flames and the smoke ate it up like a pyre, a monument to the horrors left behind them. They followed the path at a decent clip but something was nagging at Cancer so he rode up beside the necromancer.
“You mentioned mage hunters. Are mages truly that dangerous in these lands?” he asked finally.
“No. But the people here are terrified of them. Fear magic as a whole. And so they have enforcers whose sole job is to detain and try them. And they won’t believe your claim that you aren’t truly mages.”
“But what are mages?” he continued leaning forward.
Isaac adopted a thoughtful looked unsure, “I can’t explain magic to you well, I’m not a mage myself just the product of it. I guess imagine if everyone could manipulate the same energy you do. Some are born with this power. Others are not. It’s a blessing and a curse that has to be trained and controlled or it can lead to death and destruction.”
Cancer balked at the idea and shook his head. “What kind of country is this. To fear people for how they are born.”
Isaac frowned deeply. “A troubled one. As much as I love my home, there are problems. But with the bad there is good. Judging a country by its leaders is why The Sanctum and Noria have been at war for generations. And I don’t intend to continue that cycle of hatred.”
Cancer frowned harder, thinking as he looked ahead. “This country truly is different from our own. What else does it have to show us?”
The Harlequin Library 