Daybreak's Crest: A Zodiac Story

Chapter 2: A Dark Creature

"Ah!" Libra jumped at the sudden, splitting sound and held his sword shakily towards the noise, as if expecting something to burst out of the trees.

"What was that...?" Gemini mumbled, her usually bubbly exterior now falling away to something more serious.

"...let's go." Aquarius decided, sheathing her sword.

"Go?!" Libra yelped. "But we aren't –"

"No. I'll go investigate. Gemini, you stay with His Highness."

"No, I won't!" Gemini huffed. "We're all coming. I can handle myself perfectly fine, thank you very much!"

"We wouldn't be very good retainers if we didn't keep His Highness safe –"

"No, it's fine." Libra shook his head. "I... can handle myself as well." At Aquarius's pointed look, Libra added, "Or at the very least, I'll just... stay out of the way. But I need to make sure you two are safe as well!"

"Very well." Aquarius nodded, already shifting on the balls of her feet as she glanced out towards her right.

"I don't need anyone to watch me...!" Gemini pouted, but there was a smile on her face this time. "C'mon, guys – no time to waste!"

The trio trotted towards the source of the noise.

-x-x-x-

"W-what's... that?!" Libra whisper-shouted as Aquarius suddenly skidded to a stop, nearly causing Libra and Gemini to topple over her.

Libra's whisper-shout mustn't have been very whisper-like at all, because the thing in question turned almost at once and snarled, spittle flying from its mouth as its piercing, beady eyes fixated upon the prince.

"Get back." Aquarius immediately snapped, whipping out her sword and flinging herself at the creature before it even could move towards the trio. The beast – a snarling, grotesque, unnatural creature the size of a large wolf and covered in dark scales and jagged spikes for horns – shrieked again as Aquarius released a flurry of quick, precise sword strikes upon its rugged hide.

With a horrific, ragged cry, it suddenly turned and swept its jagged tail at Aquarius, sending the purple-haired girl flying.

"Aquarius!" Libra cried, as Gemini screamed – "No, you don't!" – and flung herself at the back of the creature.

Aquarius landed on her feet and skidded across the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust as she straightened up again. "Gemini, stay back!" She shouted, but the pink-haired girl was already launching herself and her daggers at the creature.

The beast snarled and swung its gnarled snout towards Gemini, eyes glinting as it fixated upon its new target.

"Huh?" Libra, who had been frozen in place from the initial shock, finally noticed the battle cry that rose from behind the creature. A red-haired boy in lightweight armour – about his age, if Libra had to guess – leaped directly onto the creature's back, straddling it like a horse, and screamed something unintelligible as he plunged his sword into the creature's back. The beast howled in agony as it thrashed, seemingly torn between attacking Gemini or flinging the red-haired boy from its back.

Libra finally found the courage to move. He hefted his sword up, clutching it between tense fingers and holding it before him in the way Aquarius taught him, and ran at the creature.

"Your Highness!" Aquarius shouted, eyes widening as Libra charged past her.

Libra ignored her and brought the iron sword hard against the beast's reptilian snout, flinching at the crunch that resounded as he stumbled back, hands throbbing from the recoil.