Time of the Necromancer: Chapter 28

“So let me get this right. You guys are these weird Zodiac things,” Vincent said pointing at the trio across the table from him.

“It’s not weird,” Gemini said first reaching across the table and picking up the bowl of mashed potatoes. Getting a heaping helping for himself his brother took it from him but then passed it to Virgo.

“It’s a blessing. A great honor and miracle,” Virgo said quickly.

“You tell em, princess,” Gemini said and she beamed his way.

Vincent rolled his eyes, “Anyway. You’re the children of the Goddesses’. Actual deities except way to the south and the mothers of the four we have out here.”

“Exactly,” Virgo said quickly before going back to her plate and eating. She used the utensils given but she dug in like a starving child. They hadn’t had a meal this big in a very long time and they were all hungry.

Vincent looked at the three of them and shook his head picking through the veggies and finally scooping them into his mouth. Looking over at Alison and Alistair to his right he pointed with two fingers, “Ever since I met you two, I swear my life has turned insane.”

Alison broke into giggles while Alistair covered his mouth mid chew and broke into coughs, “It’s not our fault Vince.” Alistair said as he got himself under control. “Maybe you were destined for great things this entire time.”

“Bullshit,” he replied. “No such thing as destiny. Trouble just follows you two, and I guess me now, like a plague.”

“Don’t be that way,” Alison said and squeezed his hand under the table. He looked her way and she tried to show her sympathies and he finally nodded.

“I know. Just can’t wrap my head around the fact that suddenly everything I learned in the Sanctum is real and not just their superstition.”

The six of them were in their favorite inn at the Free City and thanks to Annie they had gotten a hefty meal prepared.  The twins had remained with Vincent and Alison while Morrigan and Benidict had borrowed Scorpio leaving Virgo and Alistair without a place to go. When the sun had gone down, they all found each other and it had been Vincent’s idea for them to sit down and eat.

Annie decided to make it a hot pot type of situation. She had a large bubbling pot in the middle of simmering meat and gravy and then fresh greens, potatoes, rice and fruit around it for people to grab as they wanted. Condiments and spices were scattered throughout. It was something that she had been wanting to try for a long time and they were her test subjects to make sure it was a good idea. So far it was a major success.

“And you four really came here from the south just to figure out who you really are?” Alistair asked. They each nodded. “That’s amazing. And so far away. I could never have done that.”

“Come on Al. We’ve done that much when we ran from home.”

“I wouldn’t say it’s on the same level Alison.”

“You ran away from home?” Cancer asked pushing his plate back.

Alison nodded, “We and our brother are mages. And Noria weaponizes mages. So rather than get used by them we ran to find safety here.”

“And that’s when we met Vince and the rest if history,” Alistair said.

“And you’ve been together all this time?” Virgo asked her eyes wide. “You’ve been blessed to find people with who you can be tied to.”

“You’re an optimistic one aren’t you,” Alistair said looking at her curiously. She blushed for a second and looked away. “No no it’s not a bad thing.” He said quickly. “Just not used to it usually. A lot of my family are downers or pragmatists.”

“Wow thanks Al.”

“Am I wrong Vince?”

“No you’re not,” he sipped from his cup and then set it down leaning back. “That was good.”

“It really was,” Gemini said patting his stomach and laughing. He looked over at his twin who was sipping from his tea and nodded agreement.

The door of the inn opened but none one looked toward it except for Alistair. He looked up and the change to his face was palpable. As if all of the resignations he had or any barriers on his face slipped away. He smiled warmly getting out of his seat to greet Morrigan as she strode over to them.

They shared a quick kiss and then Morrigan turned to look at the assorted at the table. “Hey Mori,” Alison waved. “There’s still some left. We’re full. Don’t know about everyone else.”

“I appreciate the offer but that’s not the reason I’m here,” she said and pointed toward the twins. “I came for you two.”

“Us?” Cancer said glancing at his brother.

“What do you want with us?” Gemini asked raising his eyebrows.

She motioned toward the door, “I’ll tell you outside. Come on.” She didn’t wait for them and started walking.

The twins felt like their mother was here talking to them. They sat upright quickly then looked at each other and laughed nervously. Vincent glanced at the door then the twins, “She won’t come back. You should see what’s up. And if she comes back in it’ll be ugly.” He laughed.

That made them both shiver and nodded quickly. Scooting back out of their seats and rushed outside. Virgo watched them move while she made herself another bowl. “What’s going on?”

“Not sure,” Alison watched them go and shook her head. “Can you pass us the ginger?”

The twins stumbled outside and managed to catch a glimpse of Morrigan as she walked down a street. They rushed forward catching up to her finally and they had left much of the city behind. She was leading them toward the training grounds. Similar to the proving grounds but had far more space set aside for actual training instead of for people to gather and watch.

“What are we doing out here?” Gemini asked and glanced at his brother. “You got an idea?”

“None,” he looked at Morrigan. “Why are you leading us out here?”

Morrigan walked toward the edge of one of the circles that had been dug into the ground and walked around the length of it before turning to face the two of them. She pointed toward one end and then the other. “Get inside and get ready.”

Cancer stepped over the circle and walked toward the edge slowly, “Ready for what?” he asked but as his brother entered on the other side it clicked. “You want me to fight Gem?”

“Yes,” she said. “Sparring specifically.”

“What the hell?” Gemini frowned. “I don’t want to fight Cancer.”

“Want isn’t the point here,” she said and her eyes began to glow. She stared at the two of them and just like when she saw Virgo she could see the same constellation of stars within the boys but unlike her, their constellations had dark spots, places where they weren’t shining yet. “You two have seen the danger that the Ouroboros represents.”

The twin paused, looked at each and nodded slowly. “They’re bad people,” Cancer said. “The closest I’ve come to calling someone evil.”

“That’s a fair approximation of them,” she nodded. “And you want to help us defeat them correct?”

“Duh,” Gemini said defiantly. “We’re not gonna let them kill more people.”

“Well said. We would not have survived the battle against Envy without your help,” she acknowledge but turned the weight of her gaze onto him entirely and he took a step back. “But surviving isn’t the goal here. We need to win or all is lost. We all need to be stronger. As strong as we possibly can.”

Gemini looked down at his feet but nodded quickly, “Will this make me stronger?”

“Nothing is assured in this world. But I believe so.”

Cancer stared at her and then glanced at his brother, “Mom always said never neglect our training. Especially when other people are counting on us. And Princess and Scorpio are definitely counting on us. Plus, we’re the children of the Goddess’. So we have to pull our weight.”

Morrigan’s lips curved into a satisfied smile, “Very good. Draw your weapons.”

Because of the suddenness of the fighting the other day, they resolved to carry them with them at all times. Gemini reached across his hip and pulled his sword free squaring his stance in front of him. Unfastening the straps at his hips, Cancer pulled free both of his katars and pointed them at his brother.

“Three points. The first one to score three clean hits on their opponent wins. I will dictate the score. Hold nothing back,” she said tapping her finger against her arm. “I have some high hopes for you two. Round one. Begin!”

Gemini didn’t hesitate and darted right at his brother which Cancer expected. His brother was this side of impatient. He kept his footing and watched as Gemini jumped forward. He swung down hard but Cancer crossed his katars together blocking the first blow.

He stepped back and spun swinging at his brother’s right side. Cancer blocked with one katar and then thrust the other at his chest. Backing off immediately Gemini hopped back putting space between them. “Not bad Cancer.” He turned his sword slowly and started pacing around him.

“Not bad yourself Gem,” Cancer started doing the same, walking around him slowly. “Good reactions.”

“Thanks but I’m definitely gonna win this.”

Lurching forward he closed the distance between them and swung at his side. Cancer rolled his eyes at that and raised his katar. Squeezing the handle, the blade opened and caught his sword between its blades. Letting go they snapped closed squeezing down on the sword. Cancer pulled back with his hand pulling him off balance.

Stepping forward he kicked Gemini in the chest yanking the sword from his hands. Jumping forward he thrust his second katar forward and held it over Gemini’s throat, “First point goes to Cancer.” Morrigan said. “Reset your positions.”

Gemini stared up at his brother wide eyed and then clucked his tongue looking away. Cancer stepped back and tossed the sword back to him. Gemini caught it and swung it back and forth going back to the other side of the circle. He raised his sword and Cancer resumed pointing his weapons at him.

“Round two. Begin.”

Gemini darted at his brother again just as he did the first time. Cancer raised his eyebrow wondering if his brother thought the same thing would work on him twice. Gemini gripped his sword with both hands and gave a hard two handed swing at his brother. Cancer launched his katar forward the blade already opened and ready to grab his sword. The sword slammed into the katars and Cancer grabbed it pulled his arm back lunging with the other.

Gemini grinned and stepped backward and slid his sword back separating them into two halves. Cancer took one half while Gemini lunged with the other. Cancer tried to move his arm and block the attack but his arm was too slow. Gemini’s sword rested under his chin and Gemini grinned his chest heaving.

“Gotcha brother.”

Cancer grit his teeth and smirked, “So you did.”

“Point. Gemini.” Morrigan said regarding the pair of them. “Reset your positions.”

Gemini took back his sword and spun them slowly along his wrist but didn’t merge them together again. He was feeling smug now and Cancer knew it. He did not want to be outdone by his brother. Morrigan felt something shift between the two of them and smiled.

“This next round ought to be interesting. Round three! Begin!”

Gemini didn’t run in this time which surprised the heck out of Cancer. He approached slowly, one step at a time keeping his swords ready just in case. Cancer didn’t approach though, instead choosing to maintain his ground.

When the distance between them began to shrink, finally Gemini moved. He darted forward swinging with one of his swords at his brother’s head. Cancer blocked with the katar and deflected it wide. The second sword came in and Cancer met the point with his own. The weapons collided and then slid away as they stumbled past.

Gemini recovered first and turned, swinging his sword at his brother’s exposed back. But Gemini felt the power suddenly surge around his brother and his sword smacked into a solid disc of water. Cancer looked over his shoulder and shoved his back into his brother sending him stumbling back.

He turned around and lunged with both katars next. Instead of connecting both weapons pierced the air. Confused he looked back and forth and suddenly his brother was now twins. They spun around and lunged at him at the same time.

Cancer blocked Umbra’s sword between his katars and the disc reformed and iced over blocking the point Luce’s sword. Luce backed off and stepped to the side slashing again. The shield reformed again catching the slash. Umbra broke the deadlock and he stumbled backward pointing the sword at him.

Cancer turned back to Luce and lunged at his other brother. His katars were a blur of thrust and slashes as Luce moved his sword around to ward them off as best he could. The more he attacked the further back Luce was driven. Cancer stepped forward sweeping Luce’s legs from under him. Jumping forward he lunged with the katar.

Luce disappeared in a puff of energy and Cancer’s eyes went wide. He dug his katar into the ground and spun around facing his brothers. The twins came forward and for a long moment they weren’t in front of him anymore. The ring and the rest of the world faded and he saw the world as if a passenger in his own body.

The walls around him were made of stone, lit by torchlight. It smelled stale and moldy, the air cold but he was moving. His katars flashed in the torchlight as he swung and split the darkness. Another flash of black and he ducked avoiding the weapon as its edge scraped across the stone and screeched in his ears.

Instead of backing off, he lunged forward with both weapons, the blades split apart. He caught the sword in the darkness and his eyes widened as he stared at Gemini. This one was much older than his twin and what he saw scared the hell out of him. The pure anger and borderline hate in his eyes. They leaned against each other sharply and he heard a voice but a few years deeper say.

“Come on Gemini. Show me what you’ve got,” he said staring at his brother and the words felt real but the intent in them were so much more severe. A life that he’d lived in his past but wasn’t his present. He shoved Gemini away from him and felt a power welling up inside him older than any book.

The power wasn’t friendly or even warm. It was cool like the ocean. The soft ebb and flow of it within his ears as it asked for an answer to its question. ‘How far will you go to get what you want?’ It was a question he’d never had to ask, let alone answer but now his very soul, echoed through generations, demanded an answer.

Going down onto his knee he closed the katars, resting one on his wrist and pointed at his brother. He felt his body grow hot and could faintly see light at his joints, going from his chest to his arm and all throughout his body. He could see like a current and for a moment he understood what his father always said, ‘Every person has a flow from their breathing to their blood to even the power inside of us. Even if you can’t see it, you can feel it.’

“Yes father. I can feel it,” he said to himself. At the tip of the katar he watched water start to gather. With glowing eyes, he aimed at his brother and pulled on the handle of the weapon, “I want to protect my family. And I’ll do anything to do that. Cancer Impact.”

He felt it as the water left the katar, the small orb spiraling through the air and slamming into his brother’s leg. Gemini shouted and collapsed to the ground. He caught himself by one of his swords and looked up at his brother’s face strained. Cancer stared at him and panic struck him immediately.

Tossing down his weapons he rushed toward his brother, sliding forward. Gemini grunted and they both looked at his leg. There was no actual wound, though the fabric of his clothes had been blown away and the skin was red and welted. “Gem are you okay? I don’t know what happened. Or even how I did that. I’m sorry.”

Gemini nodded and forced himself to stand up slowly, digging his sword into the ground. Getting to his feet shakily. He shook himself and glanced at his brother. “That shit hurts. But I’m fine.”

“Third point goes to Cancer,” Morrigan said from outside the circle. Gemini looked at her while Cancer glared. She stared at the pair of them and motioned with her hand. “Can you still fight?”

Gemini took a step forward, then another, and winced hard but grit his teeth together. “Yeah. I can do this.”

“What? Are you serious?” Cancer asked and Gemini met his gaze with narrowed eyes. He didn’t say anything but Cancer knew his brother’s face. Even more than that he felt their mother’s eyes on him. He nodded slowly. “Okay.”

Cancer walked back slowly and picked up his katars. Just touching the weapons again, he felt a surge of raw power in him, enough to make his hands shake. He felt the shadow of the last Cancer, not just the cold voice that taunted the last Gemini but the warmth of something long gone. Not just that one but every Cancer prior. He felt the weight of his Zodiac on his shoulders.

Gemini limped back to the other side of the ring and groaned feeling the throbbing in his leg. He didn’t know his brother could even do something like that. But he felt the shift in him. He heard him say it. It was the same as their parents, the same as Virgo. He had managed to do it.

Now it was his turn.

Leaning on his swords he tightened his grip on them hard and clenched his jaw. His brother figured it out ahead of time like he always did. Always the smarter one between the two of them. Always cleverer. He was the first one to unleash their first power when they were young. It wasn’t a surprise and yet he still hated it.

Morrigan stared at Gemini and wondered if he was pushed too far. His leg might have been genuinely hurt and there was no telling if Cancer could even control his new power to provide a fair competition. But something inside her gave her pause. She stared at Gemini and she heard the wind whistle past her ears. She’d give it one more match and see where things landed.

Raising her hand, she glanced at the two of them, “Matchpoint Cancer. Round four. Begin!”

Cancer wasted no time drawing his katars and tapping into that power inside of him again. Now that the dam had opened, he focused it down to both his hands. It flared to life as he aimed at his brother and took a very slow breath, “Cancer Impact.” He fired a pair of bullets and Gemini jerked to the side avoiding them.

Cancer didn’t let up and Gemini started running a wide circle doing his best to avoid them. He took a bad step and winced almost falling. “Split Gemini.” He called out jerking backward. With the wound separated between the two of them, the twins were better able to move, and sprinted at Cancer together.

Rather than split his focus Cancer moved both katars and crouched. He aimed at Luce and fired two bullets quickly. Luce leaped to dodge them but the second caught his hip and he crashed into the ground with a cry. Getting back to his feet he turned to face Umbra.

The black twin slashed with his sword in a fearsome flurry but the shared pain of them meant that this wasn’t his best. And it showed. Cancer’s katars were able to keep up to the point where he didn’t even have to deploy his water shield. He stepped forward, crossing his katars and catching Umbra’s sword.

Leaning into his brother Cancer shoved him with his shoulder. Suddenly Umbra merged with Luce again and Gemini angled his sword to try and stab at his brother’s exposed back. “Defend Cancer.”

The water shield appeared catching the sword point. Cancer turned around pressing one of his katars against the shield and fired. The bullet entered the shield and became a geyser launching Gemini into the air. How he even knew how to do that he couldn’t explain but in the heat of the moment he was acting.

Exposed in the air Gemini looked at the ground and stared at his brother, watching him line up his shot. His hip and leg were both screaming at him but there was no way that he was going to avoid it up here. No way that he was going to win at this rate and he shut his eyes tightly wanting to scream.

In his mind he saw Wrath with his glowing hands and exploding zombies. He was powerless to stop the necromancer then. He saw the glowing purple zombies of Envy seconds from exploding. He was powerless to protect himself then. And now here he was floating in the air about to lose to his brother.

Powerless.

‘Wrong,’ his eyes widened as the voice echoed in his mind almost drowned out by the wind in his ears. ‘You have the strength of everyone inside you. Leo, Pisces, Cap, Aqua, Virgo, Scorpio and Cancer. Not to mention me and everyone that came before. Now show him and everyone that strength. You’re far from powerless. Show them what it means to be Gemini. You were me after all.’

The bullets flew at Gemini’s exposed chest and were dashed away by the wind before they could actually hit him. Gemini’s eyes opened and felt a tingle travel from both his hands, along his arms, and raced to his chest. Hot and cold gathered along his body twisting until they collided in his chest. The wind roared as he threw his head back and finally shouted, “Gemini Tempest!”

The wind exploded around him in a gust so powerful he lost the grip on his swords. Gemini looked at himself and he was translucent. When he breathed, he felt the gentle caress of a breeze and when he moved the wind whistled. Closing his hand into a fist an instinct told him what to do next.

He darted out of the air and flew right at his brother. Cancer’s eyes went wide as he fired bullet after bullet but they didn’t even get close to him. They were dashed to the wind by a barrier of air. Cancer raised his blades and crafted a shield but something told him this wasn’t enough.

Before Gemini could lay a hand on his brother though he stopped in mid air, his translucent eyes going wide. The glowing red blade in front of him was like a wall he didn’t want to pass. Morrigan stood between the twins her eyes bright red in their glow.

She looked at them both and raised a slender finger. “Congratulations little Zodiac. You’ve ascended to the strength needed to stand with us. Welcome to the big leagues.”