The Search For Peace 2

Chapter 19

Tucked in between two mountain terrains, The Aquarius Clan was a page out of Ancient Japan, with temples of curved tiled roofs, and houses made up of wood, straw, and paper. A slight magical touch was added by the series of waterfalls cascading down the rocky mountain walls, some of the homes built into the cliffs.

And in the midst of all that historical beauty, a magnificent Japanese palace stood, stacked high with floors, golden dragons carved into its pillars. Inside that palace, a certain light-haired and fair-skinned Virgo stepped out into the balcony outside the room she had been given to enjoy the crisp morning breeze of the mountains.

As she softly shut the screen door behind her, Juliet gingerly tiptoed to the end of the wood-planked area, kind of hesitant to know just how high up she was. A sudden gust of wind chilled her, the long robe-like clothes she had been given all but exposing her bare legs. Holding the skirt, she mustered her courage and grabbed the railing ahead of her. And, with a deep breath, the girl looked down.

A gasp escaped her lips unintentionally. Through the misty clouds in her wake, she could almost see the entire Clan underneath her, a blanket of little square homes, cradled in beds of greenery that weaved through the villages in waves. A flock of those exotic cranes she had been seeing a lot around here flew above, and she watched them with a gaping smile.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" She stumbled back with surprise and met Ultima's grinning face. She was also in that same robed attire, her tall frame suiting it nicely.

Juliet scoffed, tossing her curls off her shoulder. "No, not really. It's just a city in the mountains. Not a big deal." As she stalked down the hall, Ultima shook her head. Did she have to put up an act for everything?

Later that day, they were told they'd be going on a small tour with the Leader of The Aquarius, after which they would leave for the airport. The group set out early, Sir Aiden and Hirohito-sama, as his people called him, taking the front as they idly walked through the busy town streets, his guard, who was actually the girl they had met the night before closely behind them, a sword tied to her side.

"I heard she's also a G3." Kevin tilted his head and whispered to Juliet, who hadn't asked. She shot him a glare, to which he suppressed a laugh. "Don't take what she said so personally, Juliet, and have some fun."

"How am I supposed to have fun when I haven't even found my brother yet?!" She hissed angrily, low enough for the rest of them to not hear. "And I don't take things personally."

"Right..." Ultima just had to join the conversation.

Right then, a bunch of children stopped the Aquarius leader in his tracks, halting the rest of them as well. Juliet expected him to shoo them away, but to her surprise he crouched down to talk to them, patting each one on the head. She couldn't understand what they were saying though since they were probably speaking in Japanese. But even so, from their bright smiles and heartfelt laughs, she could tell they truly loved the man in front of them. He was kind, so why wouldn't they? She grimaced inwardly, Lady Julliana's face popping up in her mind. All she ever did was growl.

But, just as every precious moment is ruined by something disastrous, this one was, too. Because, oblivious to them, a certain individual was targeting the Leader of the Aquarius with a crossbow, an arrow of electricity ready to be shot out of it. "Die, weakling." They uttered from their hiding place behind a slanted roof.

The arrow shot through the air, speeding it's way to the Leader's head. And it was about to hit him, too, when his guard suddenly stepped in front of him, unsheathing her blade. In less than a blink of an eye, she repelled the bow with a slash of her sword, and it collided with a barrel not too far off, it's electric power fading.

Silent shock fell over the group, the kids running back to their respected guardians as the Leader stood. "Stay back, My Lord." His guard stilled him with a show of her hand, scanning their surroundings carefully. "Someone's trying to kill you."

"Wait, what?!" Kevin's worry only earned him a harsh hush from the girl, who simply darted her gaze around, in full stance to strike at any given moment.

No one said a word as she did so, their beating hearts and the howling wind all that could be heard. The girl squinted at all she could see, when her careful gaze finally landed on a shadow standing atop one of the roofs, their billowing scarf giving them away.

Without another moment of hesitation, she kicked back her feet, sucked in a breath, and leaped into the air. As if carried by the wind itself, she soared higher and higher, her hair and the loose ends of her clothes rippling with the currents. And then, she landed on the top of a house, her sandals colliding with the tiles for a brief moment, as she had jumped once again.