Against the Shadows|| A Zodiac Story

Nine

"Top floor, down to the left hallway, and first room on the right..." The mage mumbled as she walked the last step of the stairs. 

Her adventure in the city with Gemini was cut short by the unexpected rain and it was already late afternoon when she got to the High Tower. With exhausted feet, she dragged herself to the hallway and sharply turned to her left.

However, she unexpectedly bumped into someone. "Sorry—"

"Watch it!" The man with glasses glared at her before placing the glass vial with a mysterious liquid in his pocket with extreme caution.

"I said I am sorry." Taurus watched the man with an annoyed gaze.

"Sorry will not suffice if this potion were to be spilled, lady." He sighed and rubbed his temple. "Why are you even here? You don't look like a maid or a cleaner. Mages should be down on the second floor."

"Well, excuse me, mister—"

"What am I doing? This is unimportant. Look lady, I'm sure you have a very important excuse but I have places to be. Much more important." Taurus gave him a look of disbelief and before she could even respond, he was already at the stairs walking down the steps.

"Pr*ck." Taurus muttered as she watched him disappear from her sight. After glaring at his retreating figure, she sighed and fixed her posture and dress before approaching the Grand Magus' office.

"Grand Magus?" The foreign mage knocked as she entered the office of her new teacher.

"You must be Taurus." The grand magus turned in her direction with a smile before stepping away from the table filled with various books and colorful liquids. "I am, indeed, the Grand Magus, Ophiuchus." 

"Your eyes..." The young mage mutters as soon as she sees the fabric over the older man's face, frowning at him with curiosity. Ophiuchus smiled at her and led her to his desk motioning her to sit in the chair in front.

"It comes with age and the profession." He replied vaguely as he sat down behind the desk. "Don't worry it will not come to you if you played your cards right, young one. Now, let me look at you." The room goes silent as the Grand Magus' hand hovers over Taurus, making her gulp nervously in front of him.

"You are indeed a powerful one. A flowing stream locked away in a dam." He mutters more to himself than to the woman in front of him. "You've come to the right place. I will hone you into your potential." He lowered his hand and stayed silent for a moment before opening his mouth again.

"I only wish that you don't seek the ocean from the lake."

-+++-

"Y-Your highness... No matter what happens, I will never leave your side." Mary reached out to hold Pisces' hand as they approached the gates of the kingdom of Calaestia. The walls were towering at the height of 40 feet of solid stone, with imposing archer towers and canons looking over every carriage that entered the Red King's kingdom.

"Thank you, Mary. Really." Pisces smiles back to the shaking maid's hand. She couldn't help but smile at the attempt of the maid to comfort her despite being scared and nervous herself. The princess squeezed the maid's hand in a small attempt to ease themselves from the inevitable moment of entering the tyrant's den.

Their moment was briefly interrupted by the maid, freezing and her eyes widening and tearing up. She started shaking and holding Pisces' hand tightly as if she had seen a ghost.

"W-What is it, M-Mary?" The princess' voice was filled with worry and nervousness-at her maid's reaction, quickly turned her head to where Mary was looking. Her blood runs cold and she gulps in fear at the sight before her.

The uncomfortable silence was only made much worse by the hanging corpses from the poles scattered across the gates and walls. Some are decaying and rotten, while some are just bones in a cage. 

"Name?" The Princess' carriage was next to be stopped, and the Princess shifted in her seat as she waited for the carriage to move again gazing at the corpses proudly decorated outside and feeling herself getting more and more suffocated at the sight. It was dark outside as it was not the time for the moon to reign in the night sky.

In the shadows of the night, the raven moves with ease and efficiency. Libra watches from a tree branch near the gates as the Princess' carriage is given permission to enter the Calaestia Kingdom. 

"It's... too easy." She mumbled to herself, noting the lack of security around the Princess' carriage. There were only a handful of soldiers guarding the Princess of the Novael Kingdom and none of them looked skilled enough to protect the royal princess from any serious threat.

"Something doesn't feel right." She added as she jumped from the branch, her gaze glued at the departing royal carriage.

-+++-

"Your Majesty." Despite her nervousness and trauma from the sight from last night, Pisces lowered her head in a curtsy in front of the king of Calaestia. She held on to her gown tightly as she tried hard to maintain the composure of decorum.

"Stand up, princess." Three simple words but Scorpio's powerful voice echoes throughout the walls of the throne room.

"I-I am Princess Pisces of the Novael Kingdom, first daughter of the king and your betrothed." Pisces internally wince at the last words that came out of her mouth, leaving a bitter taste that she couldn't rid of. She tried to keep her voice steady but it cracked under Scorpio's gaze. His sharp gaze eyed her critically before standing up from his seat.

"Princess Pisces. It is a pleasure to finally meet you." His eyes bore no softens or warmth despite his words. Scorpio only stares down at her before looking at the servants and guards that came with her.

"Capricorn." He turns to the captain who has been standing tall with a stoic face beside him this entire time. "You will be the princess' personal knight for the time being. Escort her to her room." And with that, he turned away leaving the princess and the knight in the throne room.

"This way, princess." Capricorn finally speaks, with a hint of gentleness in his tone despite his unexpressive face, leading the princess to her new chambers.

~xxx~

WC: 1045

Guess who came back from the depths of the earth!

Hello, guys. It's me again. I have too many plot ideas for this story to be left unfinished so you guys are stuck with me and I am stuck with you all until the last word is told!

JK. That is some ass poetry right there. But, seriously y'all make me cry for sticking up to my little sappy story.

Anyway, this is just a filler for the real deal so,

Stay tuned for the next happenings in Against the Shadows. Cya~