Against the Shadows|| A Zodiac Story

Seven

"Ready?" Leo looked over the knights standing behind him. With Cancer's warning, the dragons created a plan to ambush the attackers whom Cancer claimed to attack the elders. "Get to your positions. Stay alert." The dragon knights nod to the crown prince before dispersing into their planned positions.

Dragons are not one that can easily be ambushed however they couldn't deny the fact that Cancer's words were convincing. Leo looks up at the sky and just as the seer said, the dark clouds fill the once bright blue sky.

"Seems like that woman is actually a real deal." The dragon prince mumbled as droplets of water fell from the sky. He then shifts his focus to the moving carriage, which was unaware of their presence; the one they were escorting from the shadows.

As the caravan continued its journey, four hooded figures jumped out of the bushes from different directions. The dragon knights looked at their prince awaiting his signal. On the other hand, Leo narrowed his eyes as he studied the figures who dared to ambush the caravan of dragons.

With the Black Woods' reputation, there are no travelers who will dare go inside its murky forest and there are no bandits who will lurk around to ambush travelers. One thing stands out from the figures approaching the caravan, they look well-dressed to be bandits.

The man approaching the front of the carriage flashes a smug look as the coachman gives them a confused gaze.

"What's the meaning of this? Who are you, people?" The coachman looked more confused than scared of the hooded men.

"Is it not obvious?" The man replied with a dark tone. "We're here to kill you. All of you." The coachman scoffed at the bold statement of the man in front of him claiming to kill his kind— dragons.

"You have no idea what you are talking about, boy." The coachman replied with a prideful tone.

"Oh, but I do." The man unsheathed his sword and in an instant, the coachman's smirk dropped.

"The Dragon Slayer." The coachman mumbled under his breath as he realized that the situation was much more serious than he initially thought. Even Leo, who was watching the scene unfold, was shocked to see the blade that the man was holding.

"That reaction is much better." The man cackled. "It's a beauty, isn't it? Not just beautiful, also capable of killing the most powerful of all creatures." The man looked at the coachman knowingly and pointed the sword at him. "You, dragons."

With the hooded figures closing in on the wagon, Leo raised his hand signaling to his dragon knights. To the surprise of the unknown attackers, Leo and his men jumped out of the tree branches. Before the leader could lunge at the coachman, Leo blocked the man's sword with his own.

"I admit. The bravery to attack creatures far more powerful than you is admirable." The crown prince gives the man a challenging gaze. "But a surprise attack on an unarmed subject is an act of cowardice." There was a glint in Leo's eyes as he stared down at the man in front of him. 

It took a moment for the leader to recover from the unannounced appearance of the dragon knights but he soon grinned ear to ear as he watched each of his men facing an opponent.

"Ah... And here I thought I was only slaughtering pathetic old lizards." The man stepped back and giggled. "I wonder how beautiful the scream of a dragon knight would be as I carve out his heart~"

"YOUR HIGHNESS—!" The coachman exclaimed as the man suddenly sprinted at Leo, his sword aimed at Leo's heart. The dragon prince quickly raised his sword to block the attack and to his surprise, it was different than before.

'He became faster and stronger.' Leo thought as he tightened his grip on his sword and pushed the man's sword away. 

"Oh~ So the prince, himself, has joined us. This just keeps getting better and better." As the man cackled, Leo noticed something odd about the man's face. "You'll be an excellent vessel, prince."

"Finish them." The man muttered in a hoarse voice to his companions causing them to quiver. With their leader's order, the ambushers drew their swords causing every dragon's eyes to widen in shock.

A Dragon Slayer is held by each one of them. 

"Impossible." The coachman mumbled in his breath as the ambushers lunged at the knights, and the fight started. 

"Who the hell are you?" Leo threw a cold gaze at the man standing in front of him only to be answered with a giggle as the man lunged at him once more. The dragon prince blocked him with ease.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" The man growled. With the close distance between them as their swords clashed, Leo finally had a clear view of the man. His once-brown eyes were crimson and there were strange black veins in his neck.

"Eyes up here, prince. Don't get yourself distracted now." With Leo's quick reflex, he swiftly dodged the blade coming his way but his relief soon turned into horror as the man gave him a wicked grin and moved past him. 

With one swift motion, the man's sword which was supposed to be for Leo, pierced through the thick skin of the coachman and stabbed him. "Got one." The man muttered as he pulled his sword from the dragon's stomach.

"You..." Leo glared at the leader and with a quick powerful slash, he cut off the man's arm which was holding the blade. The man shrieked loudly causing the prince to be stunned. He used this opportunity to grab the bleeding coachman.

"Retreat!" The man screamed at his companions and they quickly bolted in different directions. "Dragon prince, I will remember you. This is not over yet." The man looked at Leo with seething anger in his eyes before running into the murky woods as well.

"Follow them!" Leo yelled before running after the leader in the pouring rain.

-+++-

"NO— STOP IT! I REALLY DON'T KNOW!" The coachman sits in the pool of his own blood, shaking his head profusely at the person on the other side of the room. His left eye is shut closed while blood is trickling from it.

"Perhaps one eye isn't enough. Cut off his legs and fingers." The person ordered in an emotionless voice.

"NO NO WAIT! Please... I really don't know why there are knights following us! Anything else, I'll tell you anything else. Spare me, please!!" The coachman begged.

"If you don't know why they are there, what DO you know?" The person asked in an annoyed tone and signaled the man to continue. The man raised a sharp blade in the air aiming to strike the coachman's leg.

"T-T-There was a woman! I-I heard the knights talking about a w-w-woman who— who claimed to see the future!" The coachman blurted out as the blade swung down a few inches away from his feet. The man looked over the person on the other side of the room awaiting orders.

"I see. Thank you for your cooperation." The person stood up from her chair and approached the bleeding dragon. "You may go now." The brunette ordered the man, leaving her alone with the coachman.

"Thank you, lady— Thank you so mu—" 

"You talk so much. It's annoying." The brunette muttered with an annoyed look as she plunged her hand, wearing sharp claw-like blades, into his chest and took his heart out.

"A seer? That is unexpected." As the brunette opened the door, another person was waiting for her. "So what now?" She asks the figure leaning against the wall.

"Call the mercenary. Take her out."

~xxx~

WC: 1261

Disappointment in this chapter, folks. We have no new zodiacs to introduce.

But we have some drama unfolding! How did you guys like this chapter? 

I had fun developing the scenes in my head (wrote way more than planned). Hope you guys enjoyed it!

Also, THANK YOU FOR 1K+ READS!!! Y'all are the best!

There is a new zodiac in the next one, I promise. So stay tuned! Cya~