Pursuit of the Zodiacs

by Walsh, Nathan

  Zodeen yelled, “Everyone, separate! It’s time we put our true gifts to work!”

  To avoid friendly fire, they created distance. With the Pursuers’ numbers now increased, from all corners of the safe house, Earth, wind and fire obliterated their oppressors. The leader of the attack signaled his men to retreat after witnessing the Gemini giving aid to The Pursuers and a determined Cancer moving in his direction.

  “Wait until Lucifer hears of this treachery!” the Demon shouted as he fled under the cover of darkness.

  After all the chaos and melee, silence had its dominion over the room. The others cautiously surrounded the Gemini, not sure what to make of their transition.

  Levi pondered aloud, “Who would’ve thought?”

  BACK IN ENGLAND

  They awaited the Queen in a heavily guarded secret room in her castle. Similar to the underground dwellings of the White House, extraterrestrials representing societies from all parts of the Galaxy guarded the royal estate.

  Mercury, one of the Queen’s most trusted guards, spoke with the visitors. “My apologies, but the Queen will be running a little late. Please excuse her. There’s been word that Mary Vitzoma, First Lady of the United States, has been assassinated, so extra precautions must be considered.”

  Virgo responded, “We understand.”

  Mercury left them. Confounded by the news, they talked amongst themselves.

  Zodon said, “How the Hell did that happen?”

  Karz said, “Yes, how was that even possible?”

  Virgo said, “Don’t be fools; take this as the lesson it was meant to be. There’s no guarantee of a future here. Mary Vitzoma served her time, and she will be remembered for her deeds.”

  Rufus added, “Agreed. Limited minds are open to the fear of death.”

  Dynamo said, “That’s fine. It makes all those who fear death easier to control.”

  Virgo broke in, “Here she comes.”

  As the Queen approached, Mercury instructed Virgo not to gaze into her eyes. Virgo graciously accepted the advice.

  More guards entered the room. They formed a line with their weapons held high, and in walked the Queen herself, just days away from her Jubilee. She sat on her throne and received a glass of blood.

  The Queen said, “I’m certain you’ve heard the latest news.”

  Virgo answered, “Yes, Queen.”

  The Queen continued, “The First Lady’s work has been cut short, but what is lost is surely gained. Let’s get down to business.” She yelled, “Scorpio!”

  The second his name slithered from her serpentine tongue, silence occupied the room. She cued her guard to open the door, but they saw an empty hall. She called out again, impatiently this time. “Come, child. This is no time for play.”

  They could hear a short laugh, and a teenage boy around the age of fourteen escaped the folds of the red drapes in a dark corner of the room.

  Zodon said, “He was in here this whole time?”

  The Queen said, “You’ll have to excuse him. He’s a bit stubborn, and his playful hiding at times can seem most improper to others.”

  Virgo replied, “Impressive. He’s a Modifier, able to camouflage himself into anything he touches. At his age he seems to have already perfected it.”

  The Queen said, “Oh, yes. Scorpio’s more than ready to assist you in this upcoming war, Virgo. As you’ve already seen for yourself, his stealth should be quite useful.”

  Rufus countered, “But, he is only a child. What good is he to us?”

  The Queen acknowledged Rufus. “Great. It’s settled. Let’s have a friendly sparring match.”

  Virgo responded, “Yes, I would love to see what he’s capable of.”

  Taken off guard and regretful for saying too much, Rufus replied, “What? This is lunacy. Even my weakest form of attack could cripple the boy. If he’s killed, what of this mission?”

  Virgo replied, “If he is killed, he was of very little use to us. But, it is your job to make sure that this remains a friendly sparring match, or else we are all in jeopardy. It would be very awkward to report that we killed a Zodiac. And the news would be that much worse for having killed him during a game, and not in battle. See to it that it does not, Rufus.”

  The Queen refused to be kept waiting. “Let’s get on with it.”

  They all gathered outside in a secret province of the castle. They saw a scenic hedge maze near the potential sparring ground. However, it only posed as a pathway to a Gateway that led to another Dimension. The tall well-sculpted bushes had stories of their own to tell.

  The Queen arrived on the castle balcony where the sight improved her viewing pleasure. Judging by the poorly cleaned residue of dried blood on the grass, it came as no surprise that these sparring sessions occurred more than frequently, almost as a tradition.

  The Queen opened the festivities. “Ahh, what a perfect day for more blood! Shall we begin?” she said while taking her seat on another throne.

  “She’s quite full of herself up there. There must be a throne in every corner of this place,” Zodon remarked to the others.

  Virgo ordered, “Silence, Zodon. And you, Rufus … do as she commands. We are her guests. If you had kept your mouth shut to begin with, you wouldn’t be in such a bind.”

  Rufus submitted, “So be it. I’ll teach this little shit a lesson.”

  Scorpio approached the field. He stretched, prepping himself.

  Rufus said, “Are you sure I should do this?” Virgo gave him her approval. She sat back down to analyze.

  Rufus urged, “Come on, Zodiac. Let’s see what gifts you have to offer us.”

  “Beware of his stinger,” Virgo warned Rufus.

  Scorpio’s stinger was attached to his ponytail, momentarily concealed with a golden covering. Seeing that it was only a sparring round, he played fair. His weapon of choice was a long double-sided axe that held the markings of his Zodiac Sign on both ends. He also padded the blades.

  To Scorpio’s surprise, Rufus came in strong with a well-padded weapon of his own, a threateningly lengthy Katana sword. Scorpio had a bit of trouble parrying away from Rufus’s thrusts. He countered with piercing water pressure to Rufus’s knees, knocking him to the ground, and his weapon from his hands. Scorpio swung his double-sided axe in an unorthodox manner. Rufus dodged most of the attacks, but one got through. Despite its impact, it wasn’t ruled a blow that would lose him the round. Scorpio’s increasing speed started to become too great for Rufus to escape, but his experience triggered an opening through Scorpio’s offense. He kicked the Zodiac across the field. The judges awarded Rufus the victory. Scorpio, embarrassed, brushed himself off and gave Rufus a sinister grin. He removed the padded gear from his weapon and removed the golden compartment that masked his deadly stinger.

  Rufus barked, “What’s this? This is supposed to be a friendly sparring match.”

  A humiliated Scorpio didn’t like being beaten in the presence of his Aunt, the Queen. “The rules have changed.”

  Rather than stop the match, the Queen encouraged her Nephew. “Ha, it seems that you have angered my Nephew.”

  Virgo stood up and spoke, “Wait, I must interject, your Highness. Is this necessary? I think we’ve wasted enough time. We must move on to our true assignment, which is finding the remaining Zodiacs. This sparring match accomplishes nothing and could harm our mission.”

  The enraged Queen arose, smashing her wine glass onto the pavement. Her guards backed her short-tempered outburst with their drawn weapons.

  “You’ll be dismissed when I am well-accommodated. We will proceed with this match,” The Queen ordered Virgo.

  “What the Hell is going on here? We didn’t come here for this!” An incensed Dynamo rose up, unable to conceal his anger, but Karz and Zodon restrained him.

  The Queen continued ranting from the balcony. “That’s right! Hold your dog before I have him put down.” She motioned her guards to surround her guests as Scorpio moved in on Rufus.

  Vir
go yelled to Rufus, “Do what you must, Rufus. Just beware of his stinger!”

  The Queen replied, “You would aid another over your own Zodiac blood? Wait until Lucifer hears of this mockery!”

  Virgo shouted, “What the Hell is wrong with you? We all serve the same kingdom, you stupid bitch!”

  The Queen shielded her eyes, aware of Virgo’s gift. “Fuck you, Virgo. If you weren’t so damned important to him, I’d have your eyes removed and watch you eat them!”

  Virgo replied, “What’s stopping you, bitch? Come and try it!”

  While a verbal confrontation spilled out between the Queen and Virgo, Rufus and Scorpio engaged again. Despite Rufus’s training and experience, the Zodiac proved his skills. With no rules and padding on his weapons, the Zodiac didn’t hold back. Rufus made the mistake of allowing the Zodiac’s age to cloud his judgment. Underestimating his opponent, Rufus received malicious water assaults, his internal organs punished by their intense pressure. Scorpio’s axe chopped him down to his size, and he turned to his Aunt who, in her joy at watching the bloodlust, had revealed her vile reptilian grin.

  With one last effort to save a comrade’s life, Virgo shouted, “Queen, stop this!”

  The Queen responded, “Your words are irrelevant here.” She yelled to her Nephew, “Now remove his head, Zodiac.”

  “Fuck this!” Dynamo cut two of her guards in half and advanced towards the field to a beaten Rufus.

  The Queen yelled, “Seize them!”

  Zodon and Karz joined the uprising and eliminated three guards. But their efforts were too late, as Rufus’s head was already rolling on the ground.

  The Queen ordered some of her guards, “Quick, bring me his head. All of this excitement has made me thirsty again.”

  During the onslaught, the Queen’s guard poured the blood from Rufus’s severed cranium into her wine glass. “My cup runneth over!” shouted the Queen, laughing hysterically as she departed the festivities.

  Mercury came out onto the field. “Wait, stop! Stop! This is insane. What the Hell is going on here?” He had been away during the sparring, but now returned to a field of blood and chaos.

  Virgo said, “Your Queen is a miserable, old lunatic, with no regard for this mission. She needs to be disciplined! We might as well have volunteered to walk right into the jaws of a dragon!”

  Mercury said, “My deep, deep apologies, Virgo. You have every right to be angry.”

  The fighting stopped. Mercury called off and ordered the rest of the guards from the field. Zodon, Karz and Dynamo looked upon Scorpio in disgust. He had no remorse for his actions while he cleaned the blood of Rufus from his blade.

  Mercury approached him. “He is not to blame. He is nothing more than a child misguided and brought up in the hands of vile handlers. I do apologize deeply for what has transpired here today.”

  Virgo said, “Well, his poor upbringing just cost me a respected soldier. His accompanying us without quarrel is another challenge in itself. My company wants his head!”

  “Your differences must be put to rest for the sake of the alliance. I am not concerned about your fallen comrade. You dare go against your own blood? Is he not a Zodiac?”

  Virgo ignored his efforts. “Leave us and go to your Queen, you puppet. Part her royal head from her neck in her sleep.”

  Mercury, unaware of her authority, walked off the field.

  “As hard as it is to confess, in the end Mercury is right, the importance of the mission does trump all matters,” Virgo said to herself. “Come Zodiac, it is time to leave.”

  TODAY’S HOROSCOPE

  As Ruler of the Eleventh House, your brash decision-making can be cold to some, but your ultimate purpose surpasses all those in disagreement. Your goal is the future, and it should remain so. But be realistic, know that not every plan is a success.

  Mileck and Jacob stationed themselves out of sight a mile away from Libra’s Uncle’s house following the Alignment among members of the Dark Graduates. They’d been instructed not to intervene with the Pursuer’s mission, but to keep a heavy eye on the Zodiacs’ whereabouts. Before the Zodiacs arrived in Las Vegas, they’d planted bugs in several rooms of Charles’ house. Their work paid off as they listened in on a vital conversation.

  Libra spoke to Aquarius, “The boy sleeps.”

  Aquarius said, “Good, he’s going to need it. We have a long day ahead. Speaking of sleep, you look like you’re in need of some.”

  Libra, though tired, didn’t want to sleep. “How can I rest when he’s a constant reminder of how vile we are? We murdered his Father, whom we could easily have spared.”

  Aquarius replied, “Don’t dwell on the past. The deed has already been fulfilled. You knew how much of a liability he was the second word came regarding this Pursuit. Do I have to remind you who carried out the command?”

  Libra said, “Yes, and each time I see Capricorn it tears me apart. I can’t even look him straight in the eye.”

  Aquarius continued, “Enough of that. What did your Uncle say regarding Sagittarius?”

  Libra answered, “He’s expected to arrive tomorrow.”

  Aquarius said, “Good. Be prepared.”

  Mileck and Jacob looked at each other in disbelief. The alliance was growing faster than anyone expected. “We cannot intervene! Those were the instructions,” Mileck cautioned.

  Jacob responded, “Four Zodiacs will meet tomorrow. Do you understand what I just said? Those four alone are unstoppable, depending on how well they operate as a team. And I’m not going to sit here and find out.”

  Mileck knew Jacob was right. “I understand the urgency; but if we intervene, we will die. The Dark Graduates were very clear on that.”

  Jacob said, “Don’t you see? We are dead either way. Mosqidou has failed, and we must make our move. The Fallen are dangerously close to forming the alliance and picking up where they left off centuries ago!”

  Mileck pleaded, “They said this Pursuit would turn even the most righteous man into a madman, and I am a witness to it right now. Our mission has been hopeless since their arrival on the crop circle. Brother, you are torn. I’m pleading with you. You must not interfere with their mission. Where are you going?”

  Jacob headed out without a word, slamming the door behind him.

  Back in Japan, Natenal said, “Quick, let’s put her down on that table.”

  Daniel arrived at the safe house with Shiloh, unconscious and critically injured. Natenal met him at the door and collected her while the rest of the team prayed.

  “Will she live?” A distraught Daniel, covered in Shiloh’s blood, questioned.

  Natenal asked, “What happened here? Where are her arms?”

  Barely able to answer, Daniel spoke, “The beast who goes by the name Year of the Dragon from another group of Zodiacs impaired her.”

  Goliath broke in, “There’s more of them? I thought only twelve exist.”

  Grenad added, “The ones we seek are of Lucifer’s counterparts. Those Zodiacs, I believe, are from an entirely different time and parallel Universe.”

  Goliath replied, “This is starting to not make much sense here.”

  Natenal stood next to Shiloh’s body and informed everyone of her death. “Enough. She’s moved on to the Immortal Realm.”

  Natenal covered her body with a blanket. Stirred by Shiloh’s death, The Pursuers were infuriated. Natenal continued, “We’ve lost a good soldier tonight, and her death will not be in vain. I demand progress in this mission.”

  Goliath spoke directly to Natenal, “Wait. My apologies, but please don’t ask us to turn the other cheek. We must seek vengeance. The beast responsible must be put to death. Please, give us word.”

  Natenal answered, “You spoke too soon, Brother. It’s time repercussions were met. Anyone who opposes the Children of God will succumb. Daniel and Goliath, see to it that this Devil is disposed of by any means.”

  Natenal didn’t have to say another word. Daniel cleaned himself of Shiloh’s bl
ood, after which he and Goliath headed out of the door.

  “Is it a good idea to send Goliath? He’s like a caged animal on the loose. He’s likely to make mistakes built off nothing but rage,” Grenad proclaimed.

  Natenal replied, “With Daniel accompanying him, he will keep things composed before any situation gets too out of hand.”

  Grenad said, “It is the Year of The Dragon, so tonight they must be stronger than they’ve ever been. Don’t you think we should accompany them?”

  Natenal answered, “No, we must make our way back to America. I trust that their retribution will be a success. Leave them the coordinates for the Gateway home, and let’s take our leave.”

  Grenad asked, “But what about the Bookkeeper? Shouldn’t he be here to record this?”

  Natenal answered, “This one is personal and will be off the record.”

  Chapter 20

  DISCLOSURE

  “Torture, if executed properly, will restore any man’s memory. It will go as far as them telling you at what age they were potty trained as a child.”

  — TAURUS

  After the brief confrontation inside the safe house in New York, the remaining group circled the Gemini. They didn’t know what to make of their sudden change of heart. Their Guide and his trustworthy angelic canine had perished during combat. Not quite the homecoming present Levi and his group had anticipated. Pharisees walked into the room, angered to see their new guests. He instantly charged towards them. Other Pursuers subdued him.

  Levi objected, “Pharisees, part from thy anger. Let us get to the bottom of this.”

  “A little gratitude for relieving you of your situation?” a Twin remarked.

  Pharisees retaliated, “Save your bragging. Tell us, what is your real motive for being here, Devils? May I remind everyone here that these two killed Isaiah. And, what about our Bookkeeper? If I didn’t intervene, he would’ve been another victim of their series of murders.”

  The Twin answered, “Oh yes, your Bookkeeper. How is he doing anyway? As far as your question goes, there was no motive other than differences within the Dark Kingdom.”