Breaking Free: A Zodiac Story

Chapter 10: Campfire

Author's Note: They finally get some time to relax and bond over a campfire. We don't want to torture our main characters too much... right?

"Libra, you can't - aGHHHH!" Leo screeched, clinging on for dear life as the birds shot over the wall. "What?" Libra yelled back, keeping his eyes ahead for any obstacles.

"How did you pass over the wall?" Aries supplied for Leo. "Isn't there supposed to be a magic barrier or something?"

"Huh?" Libra asked, slowing down slightly to level out with the fire elementals' bird. Aries glanced back at the blank space above the wall, narrowing his eyes as he tried to locate the familiar shimmer of the magic barrier.

"You know, the magic barrier. It was above the walls at Firea... and I'd assume, Wateria. Me, Sag and Leo... we've tried hurling rocks over to the other side, but they just keep on bouncing back. That's how we figured out there was a magic barrier... so we didn't try to go over the wall at Wateria. It slipped my mind after, you know, the battle."

Libra shrugged. "Maybe the magic barriers are weakening or something? Or maybe we just don't have one."

Aries frowned slightly. "But, well, half of your people can... well, fly. Wouldn't it make much more sense to have a magic barrier - ah, never mind."

"Let's land and think about that later." Libra added, nudging his bird downwards. The other two birds followed suit and landed lightly on the soft earth.

"The smell of grass and dirt is unusually strong." Aquarius said, wrinkling her nose. "How could anyone live here without fresh air?"

"This has to be it." Leo said, quickly recovering. The two fire elementals helped Sagittarius off the bird and sat her down by a tree stump. "This must be where those earth people live. Let's go find them!"

Aquarius shook her head and yanked Leo back before he could go anywhere else. "Nope. Remember when you tried that? Didn't work out so well, plus, we have, like, four half-dead people."

"I'm not dead!" Cancer mumbled, clambering off her bird. Scorpio picked up Pisces and followed Cancer.

"You can put her by Sagi." Leo offered, gesturing at the tree stump. Scorpio glowered at him, clearly unwilling to put his friend down.

"I need to heal them all, and it's better if they're in the same place." Cancer offered, placing her hand on his arm. Scorpio grunted in response and carefully put the blond haired water elemental by the brown haired fire elemental. Aquarius lifted Gemini and put her down beside Pisces.

"This might take a while," Cancer said, kneeling down next to the three. "Can someone get me some water? This might make the process faster..."

Scorpio immediately rushed away in search of water. "I'll go with him." Aries announced, hurrying after the dark haired water elemental.

"Let's go find some food." Leo said, glancing over at the remaining two air elementals. "I'm starving."

"Uh... okay." Libra said. "I'll go with you, I guess."

"I'll guard." Aquarius announced, sitting down on a tree stump. Libra nodded and followed Leo out of the clearing. "Oh, and Leo, do you even know what's edible...? Is that poisonous?"

Leo shrugged and turned around, grinning. "Nope." Libra raised an eyebrow at the smiling fire elemental. "Maybe I should lead... and please, don't prick yourself on any poisonous leaves or something."

Leo simply laughed. "Me? Of course I won't. I'm really careful -" Leo immediately tripped over a root sticking out of the ground and tumbled down a small slope.