12

thirteen

Spencer~Gemini

Was it a stupid idea for us to come back to Maine?

You bet your ass it was.

Within three hours I've accomplished reuniting with my parents, having dinner with my parents, getting attacked by weird snake monsters, getting my house set on fire, my parents were gone, Djal passed out and Olivia getting knocked out. Oh yeah, and now's there's some hidden killer out to get me.

You know, just your average Friday.

Olivia's eyes rolled into her head as she collapsed on the ground. I started to panic. I mean, what the hell was I supposed to do? My head still wasn't exactly all right after the "training" with Daniel. And now both of my friends are unconscious, leaving me defending them with a sword.

"How fascinating," a voice called from the shadows. The sound of footsteps revealed a male, maybe 17 or 18 with dirty blond hair and feral blue eyes. Arched brows and a strong jawline framed his face made of angled features. "You? A Gemini with the companionship of a Cancer and Virgo." He sounded as if he was holding back laughter.

"What's it to you?" I puffed out my chest and stood up straighter in an attempt to show confidence. But I probably ended up looking like a glorified peacock.

The blond began to circle around me, "nothing. Just, the sign renowned for being a two-faced social butterfly with,"he glanced at Djal with distaste,"with the shrewd," a smirk began to form as he looked at Olivia,"and the beauty."

I don't see myself as a jealous type. But then again I've never been in a serious relationship before. Yet seeing this random stranger flirting with my bet friend, it set me on edge.

The stranger analyzed me, his smirk growing,"oh? I see how it is," he sauntered over to Olivia's side.

"Who are you?" I asked.

His eyes flashed,"I'd think you would have figured it out by now. Now, what adversary was the Triplicity folk talking about hm? The name...Draco? Cepheus?

My mind flashbacked to the conversation with Chloe, Chase, and Kaia.

" It's the 13th sign of the zodiac. Based on the lunar calendar instead of our usual solar calendar that we use today. It symbolizes healing and magic"

"Ophiuchus," I gazed at him with confusion,"You're Ophiuchus?"

What the hell? When I heard the name Ophiuchus, I thought of someone with a giant physique, deep voice and, well, older than 17.

"Surprised? Interesting," He planted his boot on Olivia's cheek, turning her head to the side.

Panic started to swell in my throat,"don't you dare hurt her."

"Oh. Well, whatever you say," his neck hung in guilt as he removed his boot. "Wow, okay that actually worked," I thought. Of course, past me was an idiot.

Ophiuchus started to chuckle,"You Gemini's are so naive." He raised his hand, and Olivia's body followed suit raising above the ground, her arms and legs hung limply.

Ophiuchus then flicked his hand sharply to the right. Olivia's body flew and slammed into a nearby house.

"No!" I surged forward, brandishing my sword.

Ophiuchus laughed manically,"Shall I continue?" He started to pound Olivia's body against the house repeatedly, crumbling the sides of the brick. Bruises distorted her face and blood began to trickle down from her scalp.

"You son of a-"

"Wow, language," Ophiuchus remarked. He lazily raised his hand and suddenly I felt weightless. My toes grazed the ground as I started to levitate. Ophiuchus stared intently into my eyes, an inferno raging in his irises.

Branches and vines from the landscape began to twist and turn towards me, eventually tying my limbs firmly to my body. One wrapped around my mouth,restricting air. I dropped back to the ground in my own little plant cocoon. My eyesight was now limited, with a few leaves hanging around.

"Now," Ophiuchus spread his arms,"back to business.Suppose you're wondering why I'm doing what I'm doing," he brought out a dagger and starting cleaning his fingernails. "I'm doing, what you all should be doing. Following my destiny."

"Oh, joy. I get to listen to him ramble."

"The zodiac signs are meant to help the public discover their personality. Haven't you heard that the date of your birth impacts your personality? Your personality is influenced by your zodiac sign, but it is also determined by where you were born and the time of day you were born during. All of these aspects shape your personality. Depending on your date of birth and the way stars move throughout the sky can dictate your mood and the way other people interact with you, so understanding your zodiac sign can help you know how to react to people to get the results you want.

They are all based on constellations. There are, supposedly, twelve signs," he paused to chuckle ,again,"clearly that's wrong. I mean look at me,"Yet for some reason.I was never included. Why? I'm the only sign based on a real person. Aesclepius.The infamous healer in Greek mythology. But do I get any credit or recognition for it? No," he huffed.

He continued,"By using the information that can be determined by your sign, you'll be able to know where to focus your energy and what areas of life you should dedicate less time too. You'll also be able to evaluate the possibility of a relationship with a person you're interested in, knowing if your signs will make you compatible."

"This," Ophiuchus had strode over to me,"is the reason why we human forms of the zodiac signs exist. Many rely on us, to discover themselves, to find the one who is truly compatible with them. If we stray from the norm," he had whipped out his dagger pushed slightly into my neck."how would that workout, huh?"

Being that my only form of verbal communication was through my expressions, I tried my best to show my fury. My struggles against the restraints only made Ophiuchus laugh,"don't fret too much Gemini. Your friends will be perfectly safe with me," he grinned.

I glanced over at Djal and Olivia's unconscious bodies. Olivia laid in the shambles of the one standing house while Djal remained in the middle of the road, where the beginning of this "battle" had started.

"You're the lucky one. You get to be my messenger boy," his expression turned grim,"tell your friends at the Triplicity that the threat of Ophiuchus is overhead once again. Let them try and find me," Ophiuchus grabbed my collar, grasping it firmly, "But if you tell anyone about this meeting, I swear I will kill your friends before you can blink. If you wish to see your precious friends alive again, you will aid me. Do you understand?"

Ophiuchus ripped the plant gag from my mouth, his head tilted slightly expecting an answer.

"What if I refuse?" my voice croaked.

"Ugh, Geminis. Always defiant," he raised his hand once more and wave of violet energy raced towards Olivia and Djal. Both bodies pulsated and flung around in pain. If they were conscious, the air would've been filled with screams.

My head started to pound again. Like I was having the worst headache of my life. Scattered images and thoughts appeared in my brain, combining together in a non-understandable hodge-podge. The pain became so great that I had let out a prolonged scream. I knew that Ophiuchus was giving me the same treatment as my friends on the ground.

My head slowly returned to normal,with Ophiuchus over me, his hand glowing violet.

"If you refuse, you can say sayonara to your friends. And yourself."

My breathing turned heavy,"If I help you, no harm will come to them. My friends."

"Oh, of course," Ophiuchus said airly,"cross my heart."

"Fine."

"Good boy," Ophiuchus stood up and with a blinding flash, he was gone along with my friends.

The plant cocoon unraveled itself from around me and began to return to its normal spot. I was now alone.

But a burning pain flared up from my wrist. I grimaced as I pulled my sleeve down to discover my badge had gotten a bit of an upgrade.

The symbol for Gemini was still present. But overlayed on top was the symbol for Ophiuchus.