The Zodiac Empire

Chapter 8 ~ Angel May Cry

Authors Notes: Dang, this chapter had me in tears the whole time I was writing. Thank you to all my readers for sticking with me for eight chapters, there are still plenty more to come! If you like what you read, please don't forget to vote and maybe leave a comment!

Also, song is the Nightcored version of "Believe" by Holywood Undead. Felt it fit this chapter pretty well. "I can't believe, that when I breathe, that there's something good inside of me. Just one good thing inside of me."

Alsen sat on her hands and knees with her hair hanging wildly over her face. Cosena laid on her back next to her, coughing. Her hair had come undone as well and both their clothes were tattered, soaked, and muddy. They were bleeding everywhere and Alsen was sore all over. "Naito...w-we lost Naito..." she bit her lower lip and gripped the muddy grass. Her little brother, her precious Naitey...how could she let him slip away from her? Alsen wanted to cry. But she wanted to cry on his shoulder like always, and he wasn't there. She used one of the trees to pull herself back to her feet and ran back towards the ocean. "Naito!!!" she called out for him.

"We'll find him..." Cosena assured her, wincing in pain.

"But what if he's d-d..." Alsen choked on the word. It hurt too much to even imagine that.

"He can't be, it's not snowing. Until it starts to snow, we know he's alive."

Alsen nodded. She's right...little Naitey is still alive, we just need to find him, she told herself. She sure hoped they would find him before the moltrogks or anything else foul.

"Do you still have your wand?" Cosena asked. Alsen fished through her pocket until she found it. Fortunately it hadn't sustained any damage. "Heal yourself up and we'll start looking for Naito and the soldiers."

Alsen whispered "Talerhawe.", and her hand began to glow white. She placed it on her wounds and sighed in relief as they healed up and the pain went away. Her head throbbed slightly, but she had healed far worse pain than this before. Cosena took her hand when she finished.

"Let's go." she tried to walk through the thicket of trees, but Alsen resisted.

"But I haven't healed you yet."

"I'm fine. You need to maintain as much of your mana as possible in case anything else happens."

Alsen apprehensively followed close by Cosena. It was much darker inside the thicket, so dark that they could hardly even see each other. Everything around them felt wet and every few seconds it felt like someone dumped a swarm of insects down her back. Knowing that the moltrogks were here somewhere only made this place all the more terrifying. They already destroyed the boat in one attack, so surely they could burn this little land down too. How were they supposed to defend themselves against that? Right now Alsen wished that Naito's coronation hadn't came so early and that they were still together in their little room, where they would be safe. At least, safe from this type of horror. She wondered how they were even supposed to find Naito like this when she suddenly heard his voice. "Leave me alone, Alsen."

"Naitey?" Alsen asked hopefully, turning towards the direction where she heard him. Although it was no doubt him, his voice was much softer...like he was much younger.

Cosena unexpectedly let go of Alsen's hand and said, "M-Mom...?" Before wandering off.

"Cosena? Where are you going?!" Alsen cried out and ran after her, but then she heard Naito's voice again.

"I don't want to play right now."

Alsen turned around and took a few steps towards the direction his voice came from, but looked over her shoulder and couldn't see Cosena anymore. Her heart hammered against her chest. Why did Cosena leave her here by herself? Now she lost both Naito and Cosena and was all alone. Where was she supposed to go now? A little yellow, glowing wisp floated out from behind the trees. It sat in front of Alsen's face for a moment before floating off towards the direction where she heard Naito's voice. She had no idea if she should follow Naito's voice or try to catch up with Cosena anyway, and now she had light to guide her to Naito, so she followed it.