Daybreak's Crest: A Zodiac Story

Chapter 9: March to Gaebia

Author's Note: Warning – there's a bloody, violent scene below. If you want to avoid it, either skip this chapter and stop reading when Taurus sees the mysterious figure until the time skip (-x-x-x-) after that. (I'm going to try post chapters on a weekly basis so... let's see how patient I can be. Also, thank you to those who commented and voted – I really appreciate it! Now I'll head back to practicing Spanish for my mock orals on Monday...)

-x-x-x-

"I told you, stop moving around so much – it hasn't fully healed!"

Sagittarius giggled as she bounded down the street. "What do you mean? I feel perfectly fine!"

Cancer sighed as the auburn-blonde girl skipped back down the street to her. "Sagittarius, please. Aries will kill me if you hurt yourself again."

"He can't kill you if I kill him first!" Sagittarius joked. "Anyway, c'mon, Cancer! Stop walking so slowly! How are we supposed to get to the bakery at this rate?"

Cancer rolled her eyes but picked up her pace. "Well, you're telling Aries if you get hurt. I don't think he's forgiven me over the fact I kind of lied to everyone and all, but –"

"Well, that's his problem." Sagittarius stuck out her tongue. "Besides, my promise still stands –" She winked playfully, "– I'll still protect you even if Aries himself tries to murder you with his bare hands!"

"Yeah, yeah, right." Cancer couldn't help but chuckle at the taller girl's antics. Somehow, even though they had only known each other for about a week or so, Sagittarius's never-ending enthusiasm had really caught on to the smaller girl. "Anyway, let's just go and get breakfast for everyone. Especially before Taurus wakes up."

"Oh no, not Taurus!" Sagittarius jested. "Okay, fine, let's go. I am going to miss this village though – everyone's so friendly and nice, and they even let us have some of the treasure the thieves had!"

"They are..." Cancer agreed. Even though I was one of the thieves... they were surprisingly kind to even me.

"We're heading to Gaebia next, you know." Sagittarius hummed as she walked. "Since I was so bored while waiting for this wound to heal, I actually had time to make a prototype of our recruitment leaflet. It introduces our purposes, our backstory..."

"Recruitment leaflet...?"

"Yeah! The villagers were kind enough to let me use some paper for that. I even drew portraits of all our members...!"

"...oh."

"Yeah, strangely enough, I couldn't find it after I came back from dinner. And it was right after I finished it, too... It was like it just disappeared!"

"I... see. Portraits of us, you say?" Cancer tried to hide her nervous giggle as she thought back to the night she had walked into Sagittarius's room and noticed a sheet of paper with several demons and suspicious looking written characters inscribed on the front, and, believing it were someone's attempt to hex Sagittarius's recovery, had torn it up and set it on fire in the kitchen. "What a... shame that it disappeared. I would've loved to see it."

"Oh, really?!" Sagittarius suddenly exclaimed. "Oh, don't worry – I'll make a second prototype later, just for you! And our next members, too!"

"That... sounds wonderful."

-x-x-x-

"Thank you very much for your hospitality." Aries said with a bow.

"No, no, thank you for saving our village from such awful thieves!" The man – who had apparently been the mayor of the village – bowed and clasped Aries' hand in his own. "I don't know what I would've done without you. If only Count Galatea actually cared about his citizens..." He sighed. "Never mind. We have to make do with what we have. But are you sure you don't want to stay for a few more nights?"