Bearer of the Signs

IV: DELTA

"C-come? Wi-with you? Where?" Cecil stuttered.

"Somewhere where that," he pointed at the broken pieces of the beast, "and other monstrosities cannot harm you."

"B-But...why?" Jason asked as he stood upshaking, and lent a hand to his sister to do the same. They were both shuddering hard after the near death experience. It was all too surreal, too extraordinary that every day, regular hooligans like them couldn't possibly be included in such mystifying acts.

"Why what?" the golden man asked.

So many questions stirred within his mind, why them? Out of all the siblings in the world, why Jason and Cecil? What made them so special to be attacked by monstrous dogs and almost die? Why did such creatures exist in the first place? He wanted to ask them all, but Cecil beat him to it.

"Who are you?" she bravely asked then hid behind her brother.

The glowing man beamed like a beacon, showing his radiant smile and perfect teeth that shone like stars in the night. Little did the siblings know that his teeth, were really made from stars.

"I have been called many things in my lifetime, Auriga, Aurigae, The Charioteer, but you....dear Starlings, may call me Auri."

"What were those things?" she asked as she looked at the pieces of the monster dogs.

"Canes Venatici, Hunting Dogs," he said and grimaced, "The Queen's favourite pets."

"The Queen? As in the Queen of England?" Jason asked.

"No, Queen of the High Lands, our Queen, Queen Cassiopeia. Horrible woman."

"But if she's your Queen, doesn't that mean that.... You're going to...," Jason gulped, "...kill us too."

Auri looked at them astonishingly, "Great Astras, no! No! No! I wish to save you." His face scrunched up as if his mind went in deep thought, "Which makes me wonder, where are your Guardians?"

"Guardians? You mean our mother?" Cecil asked, and a pang of pain and guilt shot through Jason.

"Mother? No, No, No, your Guardians, the people who were supposed to prevent this from happening. Diana and Fiona, where are they?" Auri asked impatiently.

The siblings took a step back from Auri, "We're sorry, sir Auri, but we don't know anyone named Diana or Fiona," Cecil said meekly.

Auri's face softened with anguish, he now knew what happened to once close friends of his. He shook his head and was about to say more, but the stones that once made up the Canes Venatici started to rattle and shake, and much to the siblings' fear, they started to piece themselves together.

"We must leave, now," Auri said with finality in his voice.

Jason and Cecil were about to protest but the unexpected happened. They appeared.

"Cecil, love, you will go with Auri right now unless you want to be mauled to death by the most hideous creatures in the Astral System." The woman, the same woman Cecil spoke to only moments ago, reappeared and snapped at her.

Cecil stood dumbfounded by her sudden reappearance. Cecil took her in and all her proud glory. The woman had white hair that shaded to blue at the tips which hung below her bosom. Her dark purple eyesgleamed like jewels in the night, and was shadowed by her long, thick lashes. She had pale ivory skin the bloomed against her dark blue dress, it clung on her shoulder and cascaded into beautiful falls down to the floor. A pendant was placed on her neck with a symbol, a symbol Cecil was far too familiar with.

It was her Zodiac Sign.

Whilst Cecil stared at a seemingly empty space, Jason heard him.

"Don't be foolish, boy. Come with Auriga," said the man in Jason's head. His skin prickled, the fine hairs on the back of his neck and arms slowly stood up. He felt as if strong electrical currents coursed through his limbs, bringing every pore in his skin alive.

Auri no longer had the time to think and be patient. The Canes Venatici were healing...fast. In a flash, he scooped up the hesitant siblings and flew out of their house.

"But what would happen to mom?" Cecil asked in her last attempt to run away from all the...madness.

"Cecil," Jason said firmly. His sister looked at him with wide eyes, thinking that he would be bias and side with her. But Jason just shook his head lightly. Cecil knew that that simple movement meant something else, her stomach dropped. Jason was hiding something from her. But neither had the time to ask nor explain, for when they reached their front yard, something unbelievable happened.

With a whistle, Auri called his ride. At first, they thought it was just a shooting star, but who could possibly see a shooting star only a few hours before dusk? Then it slowly grew and glowed brighter, until Jason and Cecil saw what it truly was. With wide eyes they gawked at the flaming chariot hurdling towards them, they covered themselves expecting to be hit by the chariot. But at the last minute, it turned around and circled the three of them; the chariot slowed down until it came to a halt, still ablaze, Auri approached it and cooed, as if he was approaching a wild horse. Jason and Cecil watched as he caressed the side of the chariot without being burnt. The flames roared then slowly and suddenly died down, leaving a steaming hot chariot without a horse, glinting under the bright lights of the setting sun. The chariot was a beauty, no wonder Auri beamed like a millionaire who just bought a new Ferrari.

It was made purely of gold. That Jason was sure of, it was painted blue, violet and white with small tinges of silver. Intricate designs covered most of it, carvings or constellations of stars that he studied in astrology. He recognized some of them; big dipper, Sagittarius, Pisces, but one constellation caught his eye. He didn't recognize it, but he felt somewhat attracted to it. Then it hit him, it was Capricornus.

"Quickly now, kids. Let's go," Auri said, climbing on to the chariot. Jason and Cecil didn't waste their time. They immediately got in.

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