clash of the zodiacs (Chapter 8 In Planning Stage)

chapter 2 - new destruction

In the depths of the forest, Argento sought solace amidst the ancient trees, his mind heavy with the weight of expectation. "Why does she always have to rag on me?" he muttered to himself, frustration seeping into his voice. "I'll never live up to my father's legacy."

He picked up a rock, his fingers curling around it tightly as he hurled it towards the distant Badlands. It splashed into the water below, a futile gesture that mirrored his own sense of inadequacy.

"I'm only sixteen," he whispered, the words carrying the weight of a burden too heavy to bear. "Why put all this responsibility on me when my brother is eighteen? Let him live up to my father's legacy."

His training forgotten, Argento stared out at the veil of the ocean, lost in his thoughts until a mysterious voice shattered the silence.

"They are coming."

Startled, Argento whirled around, searching for the source of the voice. "Who's there?"

"You have to stop them," the voice insisted, its urgency sending a shiver down Argento's spine.

"Who is saying that?" Argento demanded, his heart pounding in his chest. "Copper, if this is some kind of joke..."

"Go warn the village to evacuate," the voice interrupted, its tone urgent and insistent.

Argento's brow furrowed in confusion. "Copper, jet, this isn't funny."

Argento looks around the black and brown trees feeling like he's losing his mind until he feels something scaly rub against his leg he looks down to see a baby sea goat, the signature animal of caprius in its cub form.

The sea goat is glowing brown, as all animals in zodacta are spirits so it has a starry brown glow, with the constellation of Capricorn glowing black on his forehead and black goat horns.

It has four legs, with black hooves, then instead of a goat tail there's a little mermaid tail that will eventually get bigger when the sea goat gets older.

And it also has all black eyes that match the color scheme of the colors of caprius.

Argento looks at the brown and black creature and sighs heavily. “I’ve officially gone crazy” Argento then reached down to pet the sea goat, touching its horns while speaking in a soft voice “there's no way this thing was talking to me I'm so silly” he says as he starts laughing.

But then as Argento's worries started to go away the sea goat, opened its mouth and to Argento’s surprise and horror and all of a sudden said in a deep voice “you must leave it's not safe here.”

Argento confused still thinking he's losing it looks back at the sea goat, and says “have I actually gone crazy or is that sea goat fucking talking to me.”

and before he could dwell on the mystery further, his attention was drawn to the horizon. A boat emerged from the Badlands, its crimson sails billowing in the wind. The direction it was coming from was Ariea, the country of the evil and cruel Aries.

Aregento’s heart almost stopped and his body froze as he knew anything coming from Ariea was bad.

"Run! Go warn the citizens and hide in the Sea Goat Temple," the voice of the animal urged, panic creeping into its tone. "I need you to protect it before my brother steals it!"

Argento questions the motives of the little sea goat but he knew something bad was about to happen so he put his questions aside and says “I don't know what you are where you came from or why it has to be me but if you think caprius is in danger then I must act fast.”

Without hesitation, Argento tore through the forest, his mind racing with questions and fear. Was the voice in his head? His conscience? It didn't matter. Caprius was in danger, and he had to act.