The Zodiac Empire

Chapter 9 - The Obelisk

Author's Notes: This chapter took a while to finish because of obstacles like me getting stuck in a storm and stuff x.x didn't think I'd get it done in time, but I did :D

"I always knew this day would come." Alile said as she lead the way through the pitch black marsh. Casele and Zento trudged along just a few inches behind her.

"Y-you mean... you knew we would get stranded here with the m-moltrogks all along, and you didn't warn us?" Casele asked, her voice shaking with fear. Zento couldn't make out her expression in the dark, but knowing her, she would be rightfully furious at Alile for not putting her psychic ability to use. A good for nothing psychic, she'd always call her.

"No, not that. I was talking about the hot dogs." Alile replied simply.

"Don't you dare start with that nonsense!" Zento said. Now was the absolute worst time for her to start babbling total nonsense like an insane person. Only minutes ago they were almost killed by the moltrogks. If he hadn't been quick to summon a stone a wall to protect them, they would all be dead. Now they were lost in this dark, wet place and the moltrogks were somewhere here with them. The boat was destroyed, so they had no way to turn back to town, and even if they did, they had no idea where the king and his sisters were. Imaging Sartur's fury if they had lost his kids, or perhaps even let them die, was far from pleasant.

"Look up." Alile said, and Zento figured she pointed up. "The hot dogs have finally learned to fly. I told you guys that they would spread their wings and prove to the world that they truly are sandwiches one day."

"A hot dog is not a damned sandwich! We are not having this argument again, not now of all times!" Zento exclaimed, letting go of Casele's hand to ball his into a fist.

"It's meat between bread, is it not?" Alile countered. Zento sighed. There was no point in answering that question. It was like she was trying to instigate an argument. Some people were dropped on their heads as babies, but Alile must have been slammed against a wall. Zento reached for Casele's hand but he didn't feel it. "Casele? Where'd you go?" She didn't respond.

"She couldn't have gone far that fast. Let the flying hot dogs lead us to her." Alile said, and began to lead him through the trees to their right. Crazy as Alile was, Zento had to trust her Aeromancer intuition. Even if she claimed to be following flying hot dogs.

It felt like roughly ten minutes passed. How hadn't they found her yet? Maybe trusting the intuition of a lunatic wasn't actually the best idea. He came to a stop when he heard Casele's voice somewhere off in the distance. "Yes, I do! I do!" she sounded like she was in full ecstasy over something, but he couldn't tell what direction her voice was coming from.

A tiny little wisp of red light floated from between two trees towards him. He tried to swat it away as it floated laps around his head, then it floated off between another pair of trees and stayed there, as if it were waiting for him.

"Maybe we should go this way." Zento suggested, pointing at the wisp.

"If you shall turn left, only lies await you. Should you continue following the hot dogs, you will be guided to the straight path." Alile said with cryptic confidence, but something inside Zento told him he was better off following a source of light than a lunatic in the dark. He turned around and followed the wisp through a long patch of tall grass. It stopped at a lion's den that sat peacefully in a calm, cerulean lake. There trees around here were a good distance away from the lake, which allowed it to reflect the moon and the stars. A lion that seemed to be made entirely out of tiny, glittering stars stepped out of the den.

"Welcome home, son." it said. Zento recognized that voice instantly.

"Dad...?" he tested the water. It was only about a foot deep, so he stepped in and approached the lion. He looked down at his reflection and saw another star-lion looking back at him. An echoing, terrifying roar snapped him out of his daze. Zento's knees bucked in fear. He turned and looked up at a nearby hill to see the silhouette of a massive, three headed beast. It leapt into the water with a huge splash, then turned it's heads at him and charged. Zento stumbled back and quickly pulled out his wand.