This is a story about the zodiacs. This is a story of an unquestioned empire. This is a world where there are 12 clans, Scorpio♏️ the ruler over them all. This is how it has been for thousands of years. The Scorpios owing everything, everyone. That...
As the three Virgos canter up the forest path back towards their home, they laugh and discuss how the evening had gone. As the get closer, the smell of smoke rises to their nostrils.
"What's that?" Asks Violet.
"I don't know." Says Charlotte slowing her horse to a stop.
She dismounts and slowly walk up the path, the smoke getting thicker and stronger. She large metal gates creak open, she runs inside.
Everything has been destroyed.
All the buildings are burnt and broken, the ground is singed and the grass is black. She runs past body's lead on the floor. She looks around for survivors but non can be found. She begins to tear up continuing to run round the once beautiful buildings of her home.
"NO!?" She kneels down on the floor tears streaming from her eyes. Violet and Blaize run behind her. They look around and both start crying.
"Are their any survivors?" Asks Blaize dreading the answer.
"Not that I can see." Whimpers Charlotte.
Violet starts running towards their house.
"Violet wait!" The two best friends shout. They see her stood outside staring up at the large house. They stand next to her and look up.
To their patio is tied the bleeding body's of the the two sisters parents.
Violet pulls into her sister who strokes her head.
"Oh my god." Says Blaize.
On the white walls is painted 'WE LIVE FOREVER'. Written in thick, hot blood.
The only sound is the crackle of flames and the girls tears. Charlotte walks back to the town square, the other two following her. She stand silently listening to the burning sounds of her home. From the distance a babies cry is carried across the wind. Charlottes head pricks up and she begins to run into the forest surrounding her clan. The other run after her. She continues to listen to the cries and runs further into the forest. She enters a clearing which is filled with at least three hundred of her previous four hundred member clan. She burst out into tears as everyone spots their leader. She rushes forward hugging all her people. A young woman holding the baby walk up to her.
"It was the Scorpio, they had a spy in our village."
Charlotte begins to cry more. A man runs forward.
"We tried to fight them off but we where outnumbered."
She walks to a group of wounded people being treated at the back of the crowd.
"It was them, they where here" Says a voice. Charlotte stands quickly.
"Who?"
"Valorie and Michelle, the two queens where here!" Says the person. Charlotte looks around her breathing rasping. She looks around her eyes looking for someone, we all know who. She stands on a tree stump and look around, her breath becomes faster as she can't see him.
"Ryder!?" She shouts.
Blaize taps her leg. She climbs down and she takes her to Ryders dad who is sat over a rock crying.
"Harvey, where's Ryder?"
Harvey looks up his eyes red with some blood on his face.
"Everyone who didn't escape and they didn't kill, was taken."
Charlotte stands back.
"No"
"He stayed behind to give us time to escape, he saved us."
Charlotte begins to cry.
"But they caught him, he's gone."
Charlotte sits on the floor tears pouring from her eyes. He was gone. She'd left her people to fight of the Scorpios on their own. And now one four hundred dead or captured, including the man she loved. He was gone.
She gets up from the floor and wipes her tears, the rage rising in her, she stands on the stump again.
"The Scorpios reign is coming to an end. So to them I say, Burn in hell. We will end them, we are stronger than them, a war is coming, and with that war they will burn, they will drown, they will suffocate and they will be crushed!" Shouts Charlotte.
Everyone shouts. Violet jumps up on the stump.
"We have far more alliances than them, we are strengthening our bonds with other signs, we went to meet the Aquarius tonight, we have a plan, but we will need the full force of every sign for it to work, we need you!" She shouts.
Blaize adds from the floor.
"You are all far more powerful than any Scorpio, they will fall and you will be their doom, the beginning of a new reign is approaching, the time has come for the revolution. THE WAR OF THE ZODIACS!"
Everyone shouts.
"FOR ZODIA!"
The Scorpios may have burned their home, but they couldn't put out the fire, the war was coming, and they knew it.
***
Charlotte walks back into the town with a small group of people, to salvage whatever they could. From her inside pocket she pulled out the ring on a chain Ryder had given her. A tear trickles down her cheek.
