Rhea, Blaize and Charlotte bound through the geyser field. Daemon had carried them from the Soils to the Breezes in the space of two hours. They had paused at a river so he could have a drink but continued soon after.
"What's the plan Charlotte!?"
Shouts Rhea over the sounds of snapping branches and the howl of wind.
"I'll go in and get them with Blaize, and Rhea I want you to keep lookout."
Charlotte says not turning round so she could keep her eyes on the path ahead.
"Lookout? Why do I have to be lookout?"
She asks.
"Lookout is the most important role, you and Daemon will have to be ready to get us out of there quickly."
Says Blaize, she and Charlotte both hated people who tried to question the plan.
"You leaving me with him?"
Rhea bellows, she had plucked up enough courage to sit on it, and now they wanted her to be alone with it?
"No thank you, I choose life."
She says folding her arms.
"Stop being stubborn and stick to the plan."
Finally Charlotte says, tired of her wining.
"Fine, but you owe me."
"Sure whatever."
Ends Blaize, tired of all the talk.
Daemon comes to a slow stop amongst some thick trees.
"Are we here Daemon?"
Charlotte asks stroking his ears.
He grunts and drops down so the three girls can dismount. Rhea waves them of and stands as far away from the bear -who is currently grooming himself- as she can. Blaize and Charlotte slip through the trees and peer at a golden gate with a group of soldiers in a mixture of two uniforms.
"Is they Scorpio soldiers?"
Asks Blaize.
"It appears so, the Libra's must have turned."
Says Charlotte, it was always devastating when a sign was turned to the enemy. And to see them alongside each other, was heartbreaking.
The group marches inside and Charlotte pulls a cloak coloured deep brown with swirls of lighter shades over her and Blaize does the same with a matching one but in green. They slip in through the open gate and run to a small building with an open front selling flowers of all types. Running behind it, they weave unseen through the building before reaching the palace. The clamber over the fence and run for an open window. The check for guards before jumping inside and crouching down.
"Where are they being held?"
Asks Blaize, her eyes darting around.
"I imagine they are in the dungeon, if there is one, I mean there must be, all castles have dungeons right?"
Says Charlotte her words full of self doubt.
"Most of them do yes, I assume this one is no different."
Says Blaize, smiling at her friend to ease her conscience.
"Let's go."
Charlotte leads them through the halls, searching every corridor for stairs leading downwards.
Finally, after nearly getting caught by some guards talking about how beautiful Tara was, they manage to find a dark cold stair way that leads down to the lower levels of the castle. They sneak down, making sure there are no soldiers on watch, thankfully for them. There shoes hit the floor sending echoes around. They look through all the cells and finally in the last one here whispers.
"Maybe Charlotte doesn't want to save an arrogant bum such as yourself."
Hisses the familiar voice of Anya.
"Maybe I don't want to be saved."
Ajax hisses back.
"Then why did you send her a letter?"
Says Sam with confusion.
"Because-well-I don't have to explain anything to you two, now shut up before a guard comes in here?!"
Ajax says before they all fall silent.
Charlotte giggles and struts out in front of the cage her hood hanging over her eyes.
"Hello there Breezys's."
She smirks.
"And you are?"
Asks Anya.
Charlotte drops her hood and smiles at them.
"Your saviour."
Ajax stands and walks to the cage door.
"See, I knew she'd come for me."
He says griping onto the cold bars.
"Watch it mi querido, I didn't just come for you."
She says twirling something in the key hole before hearing a clunk. The door swing s open and everyone rushes out.
Blaize is stood keeping watch and when she sees the others are free, she turns to them and puts out her hand. Ajax smirks at her and holds onto it tightly.
"Ajax, a pleasure to meet you beautiful."
Blaize looks up at him slowly and twists his wrist and knees him in the crotch. He releases his hand and clutches onto his crotch.
"Blaize."
She smiles and walks towards Anya and Sam and introduces herself. Charlotte pats Ajax's shoulder.
"You flirted with the wrong girl mi querido."
She laughs and walks back to check on the others. Ajax gets up and rolls his eyes.
They all run back through the halls Charlotte in the front with Ajax close behind her, the others run behind them. Charlotte stops to look around a corner and sees no one there.
"Go, follow Blaize."
Blaize leads them to the open window and out, Ajax and Charlotte make sure everyone goes past them and check the coast is clear before beginning to walk themselves. But as they approach the window, a door opens from in front of them and a guard walks out carrying a sword. Ajax pulls Charlottes hand and leads her through a door and into a big room. The thrown room. Blaize and the others just managed to dive out of the window. Blaize looks through the window.
"Where are they?"
She asks.
"I don't know."
Says Anya, looking through the window too.
"We can't leave them."
Says Sam.
"We're not going to, I have an idea."
Says Blaize running to a bunch near the entrance to the palace. She spots two soldiers and leaps up and hits them both down using swift movements and strong punches. Grabbing up there spears, she passes one to Anya and one to Sam. She then takes of the soldiers cloths with their symbols on and hands them to the other two.
"Put those on, and follow my lead."
Blaize says pulling her dagger from her cloak.
They do as they are told.
***
Charlotte and Ajax look around from the door they entered through. They are at the back of a large hall with a thrown placed in the centre. Charlotte wander further into the empty room.
"Wow, she has a thrown room, classy."
Charlotte says, her cloak billowing out behind her, her hair blows with a cool breeze.
"Come on, we should leave before she gets back."
Says Ajax, clearly on pins and needles.
"There's just one thing I want to do first."
Charlotte says, she slyly walks over to the thrown and sits down on it gently. She laughs evilly. Ajax rolls his eyes and stands next to her. She gets up and looks at him.
"That felt good."
At her words the doors swing open and Tara struts in looking at two soldier beside her. Ajax and Charlotte dove behind the thrown and hold there breaths.
"Shhhh."
Says Charlotte placing her finger to her lips.
"What do you mean they've disappeared?!"
Shouts Tara, frustration alight within her.
"We don't know ma'am, we checked there cell and they've gone."
Says the panicking guard.
"Well find them, before I have the executioner slice your heads from you body and place them upon the gate!"
She shouts, the guards, Ajax and Charlotte gulp and clutch their throats. The guards run out of the room and Tara sighs.
Ajax look around the side of the chair and sees the map still in her pocket.
"The map."
He whispers. He looks into Charlottes eyes.
"Ajax, whatever your thinking, don't do it."
He smirks at her and jumps up from where he is, leaning over the back of the chair.
"Hello Tara."
He smiles. She launches from her sweet and looks around at Ajax.
"You."
She says.
"Yes, and I believe you have something I need."
His eyes look down at the map.
"This? you can try, but you'll fail, because you see, there are five of us, and one of you."
She says, taunting him with four soldiers who approach her from behind.
"I wouldn't be so sure."
Smirks Charlotte. She stands up from her hiding spot behind the thrown. She drops her cloak and pulls a sword from her belt.
"And who, might I ask, are you."
Tara says looking her up and down.
"Charlotte, Leader of the Virgos, it's an affliction, to meet you."
She bows with sarcasm.
"And what's an earth sign like you doing so far from home."
Tara says leaning against her weapon.
"I came for my friends, the ones you captured."
Says Charlotte copying her.
Tara laughs.
"So where are the others, abandoned you?"
Fake potty oozes from her sentence.
At that moment the doors swing open and Sam and Anya walk in holding Blaize between them, she screams and kicks.
"Your majesty we found an intru-."
Sam notices Charlotte and Ajax, they let go of Blaize who composes herself.
"I see you've already met."
Says Anya throwing the smelly cloth Blaize had told her to put on.
"Unfortunately yes."
Spots Charlotte, here eyes not leaving Tara.
"Looks like it's five against five."
Smoulders Ajax, he pulls out a katana and swishes it in the air.
Everyone draws there weapon.
"Promise not to cry to much when I beat you all to the ground."
Says Tara, blowing her nails.
"Enough talk."
Her dagger at one of the guards. The battle commences.
⚠️TW BLOOD MENTION⚠️
Ajax swing for one guard and Anya for another, Sam drives their fist to the back of ones neck causing them to topple forward with pain. Blaize reaches the other guard and slashes at his chest with her blade. Every movement she steps forward. Charlotte goes straight for Tara, their swords crash against each other and send sparks across the room. Charlotte swings again this time Tara is too slow and the tip of Charlotte's sword strikes her arm, she screams and looks down at the cut. Tara swings her sword and it catches Charlotte's cheek, blood drips from the cut and she wipes it with her sleeve. A pause in Tara's advances gives her time to look out at everyone else. The twins parry one guard as one soldiers lifeless body spill blood against the marble floors, Sam onto use to throw punches at the guard who struggles on the floor and Blaize finishes of another. Tara comes in again, Charlotte is unprepared and ends up on the ground, Tara looming over her.
"How tragic, seeing your plans fail, if it weren't for your ignorance and treachery, perhaps we could have been friends."
Tara says.
"Burn in hell."
Charlotte spits.
"I already have."
Tara smiles, a terrifying smile, one that makes your skin crawl. She raises her sword about to strike down when the deep, booming roar is hear from behind them. Tara turns to the door. Rhea is sat upon Daemon a menacing glare upon her face. The terrifying bear charges forward and hits Tara across the room, sending her flying backwards hitting the wall.
"Get on!"
Demands Rhea, Anya and her brother clamber on first, followed by Charlotte -who scoops up her cloak first- and Blaize. Sam runs to Tara and snatches the map from her pocket.
"I know this isn't really what you want, I'll do whatever I can to get you back on our side."
Sam says smiling, showing compassion to Tara's clearly injured body. With her remaining ounce of strength she manages to say.
"When the floods. Run. Dry."
Before falling unconscious.
"Sam!"
Rhea shouts. Sam runs to Daemon and Anya helps her up. The six of them bound through the streets of the Libra town, people stopping to look at them and shouts raising from people who recognise them as not their own people. Daemon doesn't stop till they reach the home of the Aquarius.
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