The Zodiacs

23. Seth of Sagittarius

Turning around, Zahra's eyes caught on the familiar hazel eyes. She glanced around at the other two standing behind him, but it only took her less than a second to recognize him. "Akil?"

"Zahra," the ex-soldier stepped forward, throwing his arms over the girl's shoulders and pulling her into a large hug. He sighed into her hair, holding onto the girl like she was the only thing keeping him from falling through the earth's surface.

The girl stumbled back under the accumulation of his height and weight. "Woah!" She chuckled under his attacks, taking a moment to glance at the two standing behind him.

One was an incredibly pale boy with skin as white as snow and matching blonde hair. His light blue eyes stuck out the most, seeming to cut through the air between them and stab icicles through her head. But the seeming coldness of his gaze dissolved as soon as the boy smiled sweetly at her, kindly waving at her from behind Akil.

The other was a girl with short brown hair that only came to the top of her neck, wrapped over with a bandana bearing shades of brown, dark red, and white. She had blue eyes that matched those of the boy beside her, although hers were darker and less albino-like in their shade. And, as opposed to him, she didn't smile as acceptingly when Zahra met her gaze. Instead, her eyebrows fell low in curiosity at who the girl Akil was so enthusiastically hugging could be.

"I'm so relieved to see you here! You have no idea how hard it's been without you, and crazy --it's been so crazy. You'll never believe what we learned about everybody. And- and, Odion, your brother, he's catching on really fast. His powers are growing," Akil pulled away to ramble on with all the things he'd been so impatient to share with her.

It was a different side of the boy she was used to being cold and unaccepting, but it was most likely also the side that developed after she saved his life and left him on his own. The building smile on her face proved just how ecstatic the girl was to meet her comrade once again.

"Odion?" She beamed at the mention of her brother. Finally, after all the hope had nearly vanished, she would get to see him once again.

Akil nodded, pressing his hands into her upper arms and shaking her excitedly. "Yes! He's going to be so excited to hear that I saw you --that you're here! I can't believe you're here!" Then Akil's expression fell as a realization suddenly dawned upon him. "Wait...," he hesitated, lowering his tone and beginning to scan the area around them. "Why are you here?" He asked.

Oh, that's right. Last time he left Zahra, she was still a soldier of the Ptah Division training under Master Omari to serve the Pharaoh --the same kin who wanted them dead. He must still think that she still held the power and title of a soldier as opposed to the one she beared now: fugitive criminal. She'd have to explain to him.

That's when Zahra glanced back toward the street she'd just raced out of, remembering the money and healing royalty in her pockets. Her attention caught on him, barely turning the corner of the street and beginning to scan the street once again when their eyes met.

Master Omari stopped in his steps, his gaze lingering on Zahra and the three around her. Most importantly, she noticed his eyes zeroing on Akil's grip on both of her arms, his eyebrows almost twitching in focus. From his position now, he couldn't see the faces of any of the three standing in front of her.

"It's a long story...," Zahra began, tearing her gaze away from him to look back at Akil. She would have to explain to him everything from the beginning of Master Omari's suspicion to his decision to let her go free. She wouldn't tell him about what happened between them though.

That was something that would remain between the man watching her from a distance and herself.

"Come on, let's get out of here first and you can tell me everything," Akil suddenly said, grabbing a hold of the girl's right arm and pulling her down the street, toward the village's end. For a second, Zahra swore that she saw Master Omari tense before she was forced around and away from his view.