Young Writers Society

For as long as the world has been, it has been stars above the infinite sea. This world is maintained by the Zodiac Vessels, the twelve ships helmed by the ones who have mastered the powers of the stars. You, too, have gained power from the constellations above, and forge your life against the salty waves.

But all of that has violently changed. Cancer Aval, one of the Twelve Zodiacs, has been killed by a figure who claims to be after the lives of all Twelve Zodiacs. What's more, the stars of the Cancer constellation have vanished from the night sky.

It falls to you to save the stars now. The one who threatens the Zodiac Vessels may have power over the stars, but you will find a far greater power from within. Before the starlight vanishes from the sky, you will stop the Zodiac Killer.

@Chaser
@AlmostImmortal
@FourLeafClover
@SpunkyMonkey
@lehmanf

Darvi

Darvi had been a number of meetings between the Zodiacs throughout the years. Gemini was known for being one of the most social of them all, the twin aspect of their star viewing kinship as sacred.

However, they can safely say that not a single meeting had gone so wrong so fast.

It had started as they always do, the buzzing of small talk shared over suspicious glances. A power struggle with a dinner party backdrop, really. But Darvi never expected anyone to die. That’s saved for the cliché mystery novels Belinda likes to send him for Christmas.

But, standing there, a knife in Cancer’s chest, suddenly what was saved for fiction was very real.

Everyone’s relationship with Cancer was shaky at best. He was known for being a very paranoid man, ready to leave the fleet at the half drop of a hat. If anyone was going to die at a dinner party, it should not be Mr. Pepper Spray himself. But it was.

And worst of all, everyone thought Darvi had done it. She had been the one to stumble across the corpse, xer tense features refusing to show the horror the others deemed appropriate for this situation. Gemini tried to argue, but it had all been for naught.

Darvi was locked in a prison carriage, more chains than they’ve ever seen in the same room choking their ankles, their wrists, and their waist. And as they drove away, the carriage shaking as it made its way through countryside, Darvi realized one thing.

They really hated dinner parties.

-
Belinda

Belinda was lounging at her desk, face burrowed in a particularly interesting historical fiction. The library tended to be slow at the beginning of the week, more piling in as end-of-week deadlines turned pressing. Jasper slept peacefully in her lap, his bones a sparkling white.

When a hurried knock sounded at the door, she startled, quickly shoving her book aside, and easing Jasper away. She opened the door to see a Gemini Force Guard, face grave and mourning.

“Are you Belinda Esther?”

Belinda leaned against the doorframe, worrying her bottom lip. “Yes, what happened?”

“Your twin, Gemini Guard Darvi Esther, was just arrested for the assassination of Cancer Aval.”

Arrested? Assassination? Darvi?

“Where is he being held?”

“Libra Ship Royal Prision.”

Belinda felt like she had just been punched in the windpipe. The world was spinning all wrong and her goody-two-shoes twin was in prison.

“I have to go. Thank you for letting me know.”

She closed the door, scampering further into the library. She was going to Libra Ship and yell at everyone who stood between her and her twin. Then, and only then, they were going to find out who really did this.

Even if it was the last thing they did.

467 Words

Pg 16: Mention of bugs, acid rain and death. (Not that that is how someone dies.)



946 Words

Enki had a theory on lies, if you had the time to listen to them. Deception was nothing new to nature, of course; the fishermen of Pisces Ship often swapped stories of the stonefishes, who laid in wait in the rocky shoals of the east, swarming any unfortunate soul who entered their territory. If a sailor fell overboard in those waters, they would see the ground below them fly into a storm, the stones to shred their flesh.

This was a long tangent, and by now Enki could tell that the barkeep they were talking to was getting bored. Enki tapped their finger onto the wooden bar, eyes alight with insistence. “But listen, alright? Sure, everything lies, but humans are the only creatures to make something from them.”

The barkeep considered this for a moment, or maybe he was acting like he did. Either way, when Enki fished a few more coins out of their pocket and placed them down, he began preparing another drink while continuing to listen.

“It’s like that, you know, like if I told you that the Great Ocean had drained to the ground, and we could walk all over the world. That sounds pretty great, right?”

The barkeep offered a nod and set down Enki’s drink: Aries Beer. Enki snatched it up and took a big gulp before continuing.

“Of course, it’s not true, that’s -- that’s not the point. The point is that anyone who believes that thing is happy, right? So star-crossed happy that they could jump right overboard.”

The barkeep nodded again, listless.

“But if I told you like, your wife had passed out back there, there’s a bit of panic that sets in, right? A bit of pain.”

When Enki had told the barkeep about his wife, his eyes had flickered for a second towards the back room, where his wife was cooking fish bone stew for the other customers. Now he looked back at Enki, a little annoyed.

Enki’s stare didn’t waver. “Nothing changes based on what I say. It only changes based on what I get you to believe.”

They jabbed a finger into the air, a move they had practiced to accompany their closing arguments. “Human pain and happiness, man. Lies create them with nothing but our minds.”

The chef appeared from the backroom with a steaming bowl of fishbone stew, and relief broke upon the barkeep’s face. As she set it down, the barkeep walked over and kissed her on the top of her head.

Enki smiled and took a deep draft of beer. “Of course, nothing quite hits like the truth.”

“You’re a real piece of work, you know that Sarameya?” Another bargoer, the recipient of the fishbone stew, turned towards Enki. She’d lifted a spoonful of stew from the bowl, and held it there while it cooled.

“Well now you know how that bit ends, Captain,” Enki said. “Any thoughts?”

“Nothing that’ll help us on the sea,” replied Captain Merlu Descant. She was the captain of Enki’s fishing boat, which left port before sunrise and returned in the harsh evening light. “Can’t fake a good catch, after all.”

“I agree,” Enki replied. “But you know, I wouldn’t have to fake being a good catch for you.”

Descant lifted the spoon to her lips and chuckled. “Keep lying, Sarameya.”

Enki laughed, and they ate and drank in silence for a while. There would never be anything between them and they both knew that -- but faking a spark made the sea a little less lonely.

Descant tapped her spoon into an empty bowl. “Lot of folks coming in tonight.”

Enki swiveled their head and looked around. Over time, the bar had filled with sullen faces, hunched over their tables as they shifted in their seats and glanced at each other. “Sure are. Maybe the advertisements are finally working out?”

Descant’s brow darkened. “I’m thinking something gave them a reason to drink.”

Enki tried to tune into the noise, the half-mumbles over untouched stew, the tension written in the muscles of hands that gripped their beer like a lifeline. Everyone was saying the same thing and hiding it from each other.

“--right through the chest, yeah--”

“--they finally got him--”

Someone began shivering.

“--should have been impossible--”

“--was it really that guard? What constellation were they using--”

“--so much for that ultimate shield.”

Enki swirled in their chair and faced the room, blurting out, “Somebody killed Cancer?”

The room froze in conversation, every separate discusser now looking at each other, and at Enki. Descant pressed her fingers to her forehead.

Eventually, one of them spoke. “Yeah. They say a Gemini guard stabbed him.”

“At their big summit?” Enki asked, and received hesitant nods from around the room.

One of the grimier men spoke up. “I don’t know if anybody knows, but the guard who got him? Complete nobody. Esther Something-or-other, Serpens user.”

“Couldn’t have done it without an accomplice,” his companion piped up.

“Then that’s the prevailing theory?” Descant asked. “They had help?”

“From a Zodiac, probably,” pitched a deep-voiced man. “And probably Gemini.”

The room started to unravel into different conversations, as every person turned to their right and began theorizing in fearful tones.

“So that’s it, then? War just like that?”

“I don’t know. There’s a trial, but I doubt it’ll help ease tensions.”

“Has Virgo said anything?”

A shake of the head.

“Pisces should be okay, right? Pisces doesn’t care about any of this.”

“On the Libra Ship, yeah.”

Descant rested a hand on Enki’s shoulder. “We should get more drinks,” she said in a shaky voice, but Enki was already standing up and walking over to the person who’d last spoken, the same grimy man from before.

Enki placed their hand flat on the table and heard conversation stopping all around them. “What’s happening on the Libra Ship?” they asked.

The grimy man glanced at his companion, then back to Enki. “They’re holding Esther until they put him on trial. Could be anywhere on that ship, though.”

“Gotcha,” Enki said, then placed their knuckles against their chin, the gears turning in their head.

“I don’t think they’re guilty,” they said finally.

The grimy man shrugged. “Sure, he might not be. That’s what we’re talking about.”

“But listen, alright?” Enki said, barrelling on as though they’d made some groundbreaking revelation. “The most paranoid guy in the Zodiacs gets mortally wounded, and you think someone capable of that just gets captured and executed? No way. Our killer’s still out there, man! And all we can wonder is who they’re gonna go after next.”

Nobody was paying any attention to Enki anymore, except for Descant, who’d gotten up and come over to them. “You need another drink, Sarameya,” she said, chuckling. “Or fewer drinks. Water helps either way. Come on.” She grabbed their arm, but Enki didn’t move. The gears were whirring in their brain, hot with truth and lies. Slowly, Enki turned their head toward the captain.

“The killer’s still out there,” they said quietly, grinning ear to ear. “And the Great Detective Enki Sarameya’s gonna stop them.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Descant said. Slowly, her voice had begun to plead.

Enki searched her eyes for a moment, thinking of the stars. “I don’t,” they admitted finally, drawing close to the captain. “But the truth is, I’m going to.”

Enki gently removed the captain’s hand from their arm, and they made their way towards the door. The tavern was alive with fear behind them, as rumors began circulating in the musty air. Descant went back to the bar and ordered another drink, and Enki pushed the front door open, and that was the end of the lie between them.

Enki walked into the street, took a long breath, sighed, and looked forlornly to the sky. Their eyes widened. “That’s messed up, man.” There was something that nobody in the bar had noticed, though they certainly would later. The night sprawling above them was missing some stars. The Cancer constellation had vanished from the sky.

1341 words

Aquarius Blue sat on the edge of his bed and shivered. The stars of his constellation sat like steel balls beneath his shirt, imprinted onto the skin with the weight of magic. Though the ship he commanded was a massive swell in the waves, a titan of steel and glass, he could feel the slight rocking beneath his feet, gently unsettling.

There was little light in the room, brought only by an ornate oil lamp of the water bearer. A ceramic figurine held the candle wick aloft, bearing fire and oil instead of water. The former Aquarius -- Marta Undine, for she had reclaimed her name in death -- had been a grandiose decorator, filling her bedroom with iconography of the Aquarius constellation, a water bearer with arms outstretched to steady themselves, stars tipping from their jar in a jagged downpour. When Undine passed from heart failure a year ago, she had left an empty room in her place, and Aquarius had inherited this bedroom, this kingship of the Zodiac Vessels.

He scratched his head. Well, it wasn't complete kingship. There were still the other eleven Zodiacs, ten now. Aquarius had never seen Cancer Aval before their summit and his death, but he had always trusted him. Rather, Cancer's selfishness and paranoia made him easy to trust. Virgo told him that you could always tell how people like that were going to act. But Cancer was dead now, and Virgo had vanished for the time being, leaving Aquarius repeating her words to himself in his room.

It made sense that she wasn't here. Once word had spread, most of the Zodiacs had gone into lockdown. If Darvi Esther had accomplices, then they were all in danger. As the newest Zodiac, Aquarius was surprised that he hadn't been the first killed.

A knock came at the door, thirteen taps in sequence. Aquarius held his hand out and let the power of the water bearer flow into it, until his palm felt turgid with condensation and charged air. He held himself this way until all thirteen taps completed, and the door swung open to an austere man with an eyepatch that seemed to curve down with his perpetually sour expression.

Aquarius dissipated his constellation and leaned back on the bed. "Evening, Capta-" He froze as a crossbow bolt flew above his head, embedding itself in the headboard.

Captain Iver Eiban of the Aquarius Guard lowered his crossbow, and replaced it behind his back as swiftly as he'd drawn it. "You're still too relaxed," he said, scowling. "There could have been someone behind me, forcing me to open the door."

Aquarius winced. "That's true," he admitted. "But you'd never betray me like that, right Captain?"

Eiban's face went blank, and he stared into Aquarius's eyes with a haunting honesty. "You can no longer afford to assume that of anyone, not even me. And look how close I got; you're still shaking."

Aquarius realized he was, and gripped his arm tight to stop it. He stared at his hand and clenched his fist. He'd had enough time to get used to the power of the Aquarius constellation, but could he really defend itself if it came down to it? He sighed, and stared back to where the crossbow bolt was sticking out of his headboard. "You know, I didn't like this bed anyway."

Eiban's lip curled up in what seemed to be a smile. "I know."

Aquarius chuckled. "Then let's replace it with something less... marvelous, you know? I'm not much of a wonder while I'm sleeping, after all."

Eiban shook his head. "On that, I would have to disagree."

"You watch me when I'm sleeping?" Aquarius said, grimacing. "Creepy."

Eiban raised a hand to his mouth to stifle his laugh. Even with how strict he was, he had made Aquarius's rise to power much more comforting. With twelve years of service to Undine, Eiban had remained one of two people Aquarius could really trust with his life.

"Any word on how Virgo is doing?" Aquarius asked.

"Nothing yet. She's expected to make a statement at Esther's trial, though."

Aquarius nodded. It made sense; Virgo's power meant that she was the least in danger from assassination, or anything really.

"Aries is talking big again, telling the assassin to come after him and 'see what happens,'" Eiban said with a hint of disdain. "Libra is preparing to conduct the trial. Leo is out and about trying to calm everyone down, and Saggitarius is rallying the guards for battle. All the rest have gone into lockdown."

Aquarius nodded, biting the nail of his thumb. "I see. So which one of them do you think sent Esther?"

Eiban began to pace around the room, his form distorted by the lamp's glow. "It's too soon to say," he admitted. "Obviously Gemini remains the most implicated, but it seems far too convenient to have a Gemini guard take the fall. So I would point towards one of the others."

"Who, then?" Aquarius asked. "Libra?"

"Libra is corruptible, but they don't have the guts to pull anything of this capacity," Eiban said. Aquarius was amazed at how openly he spoke. "Aries isn't powerful enough to do it, either."

"Then who should I watch out for?" Aquarius said. "Leo?" Leo had been the most cordial of the Zodiacs at the meeting, smiling bright with her enormous teeth.

"Probably not," Eiban said, frowning. "Personally, I wouldn't put it past Scorpio."

Aquarius rubbed his chin. "Scorpio, eh?" Scorpio had been completely silent during the summit, his arms folded, mouth hidden by the collar of his green-grey jumpsuit. He seemed to suppress the room just by being in it, staring at whoever was speaking with a poisonous nonchalance. Aquarius had caught his eye once, and it felt like his bones were melting.

"Scorpio's power is the most useful for killing," Eiban said. "I doubt you could survive a fight with him as you are."

Aquarius nodded in agreement, though the jab stung a bit.

"Scorpio is also the one with the most to gain from the death of the other Zodiacs. He could expand his enterprise and take over their ships." Scorpio's ship dealt with waste removal, and a lot of the waste was produced by Cancer's industry. It would make sense for Scorpio to resent Cancer's role, or even to want it for himself.

"But Cancer was the most afraid of Scorpio out of all of us," Aquarius pointed out. "At the meeting, he almost refused to be in the same room as Scorpio. It was a miracle he was even there long enough to die."

Eiban shrugged. "Perhaps now his reasoning is justified."

Aquarius cocked his head to the side. "Yeah, I guess." He suspected that they could keep this conjecture up all night. Doubtless, everyone else on the Vessels was having similar conversations, wondering what to do next. And their eyes would turn to Aquarius the Zodiac Captain, the one who was supposed to lead them all.

"This'll pass," Aquarius declared all of a sudden, without really thinking.

"It'll pass," he repeated when Eiban raised an eyebrow. "In a week or two, a new Cancer appears, and we're back to normal. It might just be that simple after all."

Eiban shook his head. "That is the last thing I meant to tell you. Cancer's constellation has vanished."

Aquarius blinked. "Vanished? As in, gone? The entire thing?" He leaned forward. "No, that can't be true. What does that even mean?"

"I don't know," Eiban said. "I don't even think Virgo knows. This has never happened before."

"There'll be a new Cancer though, right?" Aquarius insisted. "The stars can't just decide not to pass it on!"

"It appears the decision of the stars is no longer necessary," Eiban said gravely. "Cancer is gone, and now we must think of ourselves. If you are killed by Esther, the Aquarius line may die with you."

Aquarius felt the room shudder with the waves. "You're joking," he said. "There's no way that's true."

"I can't begin to imagine the pressure this puts you under," Eiban said. "But that pressure is all warranted. You are Aquarius, greatest among the Zodiacs. You cannot afford to be weak."

Aquarius felt his stars throb. "I'm not weak," he protested.

Eiban said nothing and produced a bowl of food from behind his back; black bean soup. He placed the meal on the floor just within the chamber, and without another word, left and closed the door behind him.

Aquarius glared after him for a second before flopping back onto the bed, throwing his arms wide and groaning. Above the bed was a canopy with -- very obviously -- the Aquarius constellation printed onto it. It all seemed to outscale Aquarius himself, whom felt smaller by the minute.

He sat up, walked over to his dinner. Though the Zodiacs could have their servants make whatever they wanted, Aquarius hadn't let go of his fondness for black bean soup. It was a memory, a quick meal that the millers would have between shifts. His father would pick him up and set him on the cylindrical millstone, then sit beside him so they could eat their lunch at the same height.

"Have you thought more about the stars?" his father would ask, because Aquarius always had.

"Mhm!" Aquarius replied. He and the other children of Aquarius Ship were always swapping stories about what kinds of constellations they wanted to follow when they came of age. In the end, the conversation always came back to Aquarius Undine.

"If I had Aquarius, I'd be like BAM! POW! Waves!" Aquarius said, making flicking motions with his spoon to demonstrate.

"You're flinging soup everywhere," his father chided, laughing. He'd removed his sweat-stained shirt, and a faint J-shape could be seen on his left shoulderblade. "I suppose Aquarius is the coolest, after all."

Aquarius turned towards his father, gripping his spoon. "Oh, the coolest! But don't worry! Sculptor is cool too!"

His father laughed and pulled him in by the waist. "Of course it's cool, it's mine! I'd be happy if you chose it. But what matters is you, Ausa. You are the one who chooses the stars that guide you."

Aquarius's spoon scraped the bottom of the bowl, and he stared down listlessly at his soup, wishing for more. Right, he'd wanted the Aquarius Zodiac since childhood, but that was because it was a childish dream. The past year he'd spent as Zodiac had been a living hell.

Right when the stars appeared on his left breast, people had begun to stare at him. But he could see that they weren't feeling anything for him. Rather, they were thinking. Thinking of what this would mean, of how best to use this gift. Ausa Blue had vanished, and in his place was an Ausa-shaped bundle of power known as Aquarius. He would never be Ausa again, as was tradition for the Zodiacs. Cancer Aval -- Rudus Aval, he learned today -- was only Rudus in death. And if the vanishing of his stars truly meant nothing, then another person would become Cancer soon in his place.

He set the bowl down and stood up. Aquarius's room may have had every possible defense from the other Zodiacs, but it did nothing to prevent Aquarius himself from leaving. He walked to the back of his bedroom and into the bathchamber, where water from the sea was filtered in and purified for bathing. This room was surprisingly barren in comparison to the bedroom, featuring nothing but a slanted tile floor and a tub to hold the water in. At the bottom of the water tub was a drain with a metal grate, which led all the way back to the ocean beneath. The grate came off easily when tugged, and Aquarius could see scratches around the hole where it had been removed multiple times before he inherited the room. It left him feeling a little warmer, and a little colder, that Undine had needed this escape before him.

Aquarius stepped into the grate and found himself knee-deep in his own bathwater. He laid back against the ends of the walls and activated the power of Aquarius. In its basic form, it was just the shaping of water. It congealed around his legs like gelatin and began to slide down the drain, sending Aquarius slowly into the dark.

He was in the drain for a while before he came to another grate, and the salty air hit him again. This grate required a bit more force, and so Aquarius waved his hands like he used to wave his soup spoon, and the water slithered up around the edges of a grate like snakes, gently forcing it free.

He poked his head out into the night. From here, the Great Ocean stretched out before him until it melded with the starry sky. Aquarius sat on the edge of the drain mouth and watched the waves. The Vessels were so massively stable that their motion was imperceptible against their bulk, but Aquarius could sense them, ever ebbing, ever flowing.

A round shape appeared in the waves, unmoving, bobbing up and down. As Aquarius watched, it raised a hand in welcome.

Aquarius jumped from his perch, hitting the water with a splash. Rather than swallowing him up, the ocean caught him in its surface tension, bending like a trampoline. He walked up onto the waves until he reached the shape in the water, who was also swimming towards him.

Pisces Damo was a reclusive woman, barely in attendance at the summits. And now, she was treading water in front of Aquarius, her short brown hair wet with the ocean.

"I was meaning to talk to you at the summit," Aquarius said.

"I wouldn't have said anything back," Pisces bubbled.

Aquarius nodded. "Your hair's growing back."

"I'll shave it again when I get the chance. Haven't you heard? There's a killer going round."

"Damo."

"Blue."

Aquarius smiled. Despite how curt Pisces Damo was, it felt good to be called by his family name. Nobody other than a Zodiac would dare to do so, though Aquarius suspected that being a Zodiac had nothing to do with it for Damo.

"Why don't you have a seat?" he asked, and with a wave of his hand, two short geysers appeared in the waves, constant in their movements.

Pisces obliged and swam under one of the geysers, which shot her up to the top of it. She folded her legs and rested her elbow upon them, her chin on her hand. Her shirt was an armor of dark scales that seemed to reject all instances of light.

"How's that room treating you?" she asked.

"Awful. But Eiban shot the headboard and now I need a new bed, so I might just redecorate the whole place."

Pisces nodded. "Well, I've never seen it, but I feel like your fashion sense would make any room worse."

"This from the woman dressed as a fish."

"Want to fight?" Pisces scowled, leaning forward. Aquarius chuckled and held his hands up in surrender.

Pisces's face relaxed to a more casual expression, looking away. "Do you actually want to fight, though? You seem anxious. I wouldn't mind helping you practice."

Aquarius shook his head. "It'd be a disaster for both of our ships if we were to be seen fighting. Even talking, we can't risk getting caught."

"That's true." Pisces slouched a little. "So, what'd you want to ask me about?"

"I need you to find Virgo, if you can. She's not the type to rely on her guards, so she must have gone somehwere that people can't find her. It might even be off of her own ship."

"So I'm just going to look for a woman who's going to appear in trial in a few days anyway? I don't get it."

"Please, Damo. This can't wait."

Pisces Damo almost seemed to pout. "Fine. I'll look for Virgo. What do you want me to do when I find her?"

Aquarius thought for a moment. "Tell her to meet with me at Virgo Gate. I need her advice."

"Gotcha. I guess I'll go do that." Pisces made to get up from her seat. "And one more thing, Aquarius? Some advice of my own: stay safe out there." With that, she plugged her nose and leaned backwards off of the geyser, hitting the waves in a splash that vanished her into the deep.

Aquarius looked to the stars and shivered again. "Cancer's just the first," he murmured.

2754 words

Darvi

"So, why'd you do it?"

The Libra guard stared her down, eyes filled with venom and unadulterated hatred. Darvi knew better to keep their mouth shut, leveling his best glare.

"Oh, touchy-touchy. How did it feel?"

Darvi's eyebrow did not twitch. Xe did not snarl. She was not filled with burning rage at the mere inclination that she was capable of such treason. The guard leaned in, crooked teeth set into a belittingly sneer, face pinched with loathing.

"So, how did you convince Gemini to do it?"

"GEMINI WOULD NEVER DO SUCH A THING!"

A fire sprouted in his lungs, the smoke clouding faer judgment. How dare this fellow guard, their comrade in arms, chain them to a bench and call them guilty? Who else was so quick to discard any idea of trust Darvi once claimed? Did Belinda think him guilty? Did Gemini? Would they face a trial of scornful peers and die an Innocent's execution? Who would protect Gemini after ze's conviction? Would Belinda face the same scrutiny and the same result? Or, even worse, would Gemini? Or was this the wiles of some guard to force Darvi into speaking?

"Gemini is a Zodiac, and she deserves your unyielding respect. Don't you dare stoop low enough to taint her image with the mud of gossip."

The guard did not falter, his face not changing into respect for Gemini. Instead, he laughed. His head rolled back, and a cackle burst from his lips.

"Thank you for the evidence that she was involved."

Darvi would love to strangle this man, to accuse his dear Libra of terrible things until he wept. But, their hands were chained, their loyalty questioned, and their power all but stripped to bone and sinew. So, instead, she bit her tongue hard enough to taste copper and stared ahead.

The carriage lurched to an unsteady stop, jostling the chains with a ditty of iron and rust.

"Alright, killer. Here's your stop."

The guard grabbed the end of the chains and yanked Darvi to his feet, forcing ey along.

The short path to the jailhouse was more dust than solid earth, lined with hecklers just as fervourous in their passions as the Libra Guard.

"Traitor!"

"Scum!"

"Gemini would be disgusted with you!"

All of the screams and shouts of betrayed people, torches and guns all aimed at Darvi, muddled into an unending cacophony of pain, disgust, and anger. Darvi wanted nothing more to shoot with them, to scream they were on the same side, that she wanted to find the true culprit as much as they did. But, any words uttered without careful planning would only harm them in the long run.

With one final "murderer!" the guard shoved her inside the jail. It smelled of a deep-hidden rot, body odor, and bleach, the stench making his eyes water with the intensity.

"Your trial will be announced within two days' time. Until then, traitor, you will be kept here."

Darvi was led to a musty cell, cobwebs strewn about the corners. As the guard began rattling off privileges, she hoped that Belinda was somewhere, either blissfully unaware of xer alleged crimes or unwaveringly on his side.

But, no matter who believed vem, they would find out the actual criminal. Cancer deserved justice, not the pretense of it.

-
Belinda
While Belinda may live on the outskirts of a mountain, dwelling in a place meant for silence, she knew exactly how fast gossip traveled. She struggled her way through the crowd, head swirling with the muttering and accusing of the bodies pressing against her. Darvi was the one that felt confident in public, their voice authoritative despite his ever-present short stature, but Belinda always felt suffocated when surrounded by so many people.

But Darvi was not here with her glare and stance, so Belinda was alone to fight her way to the front to demand to see a guard.

"Excuse me-"

"Show us the traitor!"

"Pardon-"

"TRAITOR! TRAITOR! TRAITOR!"

Jasper hissed as the crowd reached a crescendo, screaming about the crimes Darvi could not have committed. Belinda could only cover her ears and trudge along.

As the people kept screeching louder and louder, she could feel her veins vibrate with anxiety. What if Darvi was already dead? What if a judge refused to see him because everyone assumed they were already guilty? What if-

"Silence!"

The crowd dropped to a sudden stop, the last voices crumbling under the weight of this new voice. Even slightly taller than Darvi, Belinda still wasn't the tallest and certainly couldn't see whoever spoke. But, it didn't take much to recognize the commanding voice of a guard, of someone with the power to end Darvi's life right here and now.

"Darvi Esther will be sent to court overmorrow!"

The crowd cheered while Belinda festered in her dread.

"However- however, we urger that Belinda Esther, wherever she may be, turn herself in under the suspect of conspiring with the traitor. Anyone who was information on the whereabouts of Ms. Belinda needs to report as such posthaste for the safety of our community."

Belinda's heart jumped in her throat, lodging itself in her throat and expanding just enough to choke. Her entire plan banked on her being free, trustworthy enough to testify for Darvi. But now, anything she said would be written off as a desperate conspirator trying to hide her crimes.

Jasper meowed petulantly, his bones settling like a scarf around her shoulders. She stroked the worn forehead of his skull and shuffled away from the jailhouse. If she wanted a chance to save Darvi, she would have to wait until she could sneak in without chains around her own wrists.

952 Words

A shiver racked through their body as they stepped upon the snow hewn summit, staring silently at the sky, searching for anything from their towering perch above the clouds but saw nothing as far as their eyes could reach. A picture of the ocean jumping into their mind's eye, so vivid and yet so distant. They had never seen the sea but their father had described it well in one of his stories they had so dearly loved as a child.
"One more. Please. Just one more. Please, Daddy."
His airy laughter bubbled from his lips, "Okay. Okay. But this is the last one."
She nodded and squirmed in delight, drawing themself nearer to him as he started to speak, "You see there are 12 ships, mountains to the east and forests to the west. Do you understand?"
They nodded quietly as he continued, "Far, far away to the north. Past Libra, the ship of judgement is Aquarius. The leader of all ships. The existing bearer is young and fragile still. He cares not who enters their kingdom and how. They only care about the beauty of the ocean. Glossy green-blue lap the sides of their glassy hull and as you travel down to the bottom of their ship you find a viewing centre. The bottom of the ship is made of glass and you can see far. Forests of kelp, rocky pools and caves, drifting yellow sand slowly pushed by the currents and absurd creatures such as fish and-."
"What are fish, Daddy," she asked, his answer and their question a necessary part of his story.
"Fish are animals with shiny armour called scales and small little, round arms called fins. They swim about in big groups, right in front of the hull and then you see them whisk away, calm and nurturing. Making you feel more connected to nature. Feet trudging, leaving their home behind, knowing what the storm was bringing and knowing she needed to reach the forests quick... before their own skin was spilt and melted into a boiling pot of sizzling acids. They sang softly as they went across the rough going, past shivering slopes and rocks she struggled to climb over. The weary blistering of their feet reminded them of passing time. "Oh might coward hidden stars
Come see your mission
Nothing left to marvel
The word is yours.
Travelling upon these roads
Till the day that I die
My weary feet a part of me
Tell I breathe my final sigh
And cry out to the heavens
Why have you forsaken me
Why have you brought me here
Life was devoted to the unholy and untarnished
I have no respect for you
Oh send me back
Send me back
From whence I came
I've got nothing to lose
My soul's already slain
Take my father's hand
And push him out the window so we all come tumbling back."
Their feet crawled down from the heavens as she sang, their feet stinging across the mighty boulders and rounded pebbles that stole their path and rolled under their feet in a warm, liquid sensation. Their body excreting fluids for the sun's rays crawled along their neck and burned them a bright red. Staring out at the might river ahead of them, their legs collapsing under them, and their worries floated away. The throb of their feet evaporated and the roaring river was just a quiet hum. She was unable to move and so she stared up at the glimmering Sun, its empty hand not hurting their eyes. Regal. Regal Among my nations I can command you. Listen, listen carefully to my voice, child. Your journey is far from over. They are being held captive. Captive in a small unprotected jail cell. Regal. Regal among my nations. There are crowds everywhere, I want you to take home the heart of Darvi Esther. "Darvi Esther will be dead by next week." Regal. Regal among my nations. He will speak his mind in court! He must die! He must die before then! Regal. Regal among my nations. Kill him! Their voice sucked out of their throat. Regal. Regal among my nations. Do you understand your importance? The shadows in the room are hard to see but once seen they are hard to dismiss. A bloody corpse in a guard's arms makes them a saviour. Now he must die. Regal. Regal among my nations. His mind parades as a god. As an all-seeing, all-knowing god. No one will ever be a god... lest it be me. "You surely are a god my lord. A great god in the sky that laughs at all the world's stupidities. Your power must be incredible and unheard of. You are surely already a powerful god." Regal. Regal among my nations. Enough. I did not wish to speak to you about power. You see you will kill Esther and if not you will die. Their face paled. "I... I will... I wil-l-l... I will die." Regal. Regal among my nations. I do not tolerate failure. You succeed like you have before and you will not die. Fail and I will shove you into a pen of ravenous hounds. So they tear. Bite. Claw. Blood. Clutter. Small. You to pieces. "No... No... No. No, you would not. You could not. I will not fail!" Regal. Regal among my nations. Do not underestimate my wrath for I will only make this more painful, increase your struggle. Let them eat you. Foot. By foot. By arm. By arm. By head. You see I do not care for human needs and so wish to be a god. A sun god nevertheless. The moon is only a lowly form. Hideous... as it is. Regal. Regal among my nations. Will you not defend your honour? "I have no honour in the presence of you. You are too great. Too powerful for myself to matter in the slightest. I am just a rewarder and a reaper of corn you planted and grew for long months." Regal. Regal among my nations. May you harvest my corn well. They stood up and shifted their weight from leg to leg as they watched the river, their head dazed and in pain from the conversation. And started walking to its muddy edge, dipping a toe and then a whole foot into the icy water. Wading across, their feet washed and brushed lightly, pain drifting away in a shiver of ecstasy.

1086 Words

Enki's walk along the piers of Pisces Ship was uneventful to say the least. Ever since the founding of the Vessel, it had smelled of fish, and now the scent was worked into the very boards that formed the sides of the ship, seeming to leach into the storefronts where the fresh stock spoiled in the shade. Oftentimes the merchants would sell the spoiled fish to the children, who would play such intricate games as catch the fish, fish fencing, and fish dollhouse. Enki watched two young folks eying the storefront, trying to think which fish would make the most satisfying smack when it hit their friend in the face. "Flounder," Enki murmured aloud. "Use the side without the eyes."

Their head was buzzing not only with the thoughts of fish, but also of the great mystery before them. So, Darvi Esther had been seen at the scene of the crime, where Cancer Aval lay dead in front of them? That was all well and good, but had anyone seen them prior to the time of the murder? Furthermore, what was the motivation for a guard to attack a Zodiac? In Enki's twenty-four years, they'd never heard of such an event, though maybe the elder fishermen could speak to such motivations.

Surely, a Zodiac was what most of those with constellations aspired to become. It would mean unparalleled influence aboard their vessel, as well as their name being entered into the history of their constellation. But for Enki, all of that seemed too simple a legacy. Surely, at that point, people were more subservient to the stars than the people wielding them. It didn't sit right.

Enki's ruminations would sometimes take them all over the ship, stumbling along the streets as though drunken, staring blankly at passersby. Occasionally, they would get stopped by the Pisces Guard for public drunkenness, but Enki was always prepared to give a statement of such lucid eccentricity that the Guards had all learned to leave them alone. The crisp air of morning was invigorated with the sea's spray, and Enki found themselves a shadow beneath the blazing sun.

The first thing to do, they decided, was to assemble a list of suspects. The Twelve Zodiacs had all brought a contingency of guards to the summit, which was held at the Anchor Bridge. The Anchor Bridge spanned between the Vessels since their binding, and was the neutral ground for any and all Zodiac disputes. Now, far be it from Enki to assume the political intrigues of the Zodiacs, but there was always trouble brewing between Cancer and Scorpio. Rumors floated to Pisces Ship from the Cancer industrymen who received their shipments of fish. The Scorpio Ship was full of troublemakers, it seemed.

But really, anyone could find a reason to kill a Zodiac. Such power was something that most would kill for. It was only a question of who was capable. Offing Cancer? Not something that most people could accomplish easily. His guard would have to be down, but for Cancer Aval, it never was.

Enki jabbed a thumb into their chin and pondered further, wandering their way towards Libra Ship. Whatever further answers could illuminate the events of that night, they would best be received from Darvi Esther xirself.

544 words

Rigel Moonlight

Has certain sexual implications. Pg 16/18.



1561 Words

Belinda
Belinda never had an appreciation for the "important" life. Guards, zodiacs, royals, whatever title you bore, always seemed to come with leaden weight. Darvi always dreamed of that life, a zodiac once, then a guard. And Belinda had always watched, cheered xem on plenty, yes, but mostly observed passively from the sidelines.
So, Belinda could not handle the stress of being caught up in a murder trial. Her adrenaline had faded to a mere suggestion, and she finally realised that rushing out of here was a bad idea.
The borders of the Libra ship were closed, and it seemed that many ships were following suit. Every conservation she had passed was pure venom: traitor this and scum that. And even worst was her face posted on wanted posters everywhere. Oh, to have Darvi's powers here! And her bravery. Faer knowledge of stealth would be helpful too.
Darvi beside her would be the best, but that's what she was fighting for. That's why she's swallowing her inexperience and doing her best.
So Belinda hunkered down in the one place she felt comfortable in, the one place she could blend in.
So maybe it was the library, where the only hiding places were bathroom stalls or the vents. Thankfully, Belinda had the sense to pick the latter. There wasn't much for her to do until the crowd at the jailhouse died down. That could take until nightfall or until Darvi's trial.
Would Gemini step in during the trial? Darvi always had a deep respect for her, a sort of wonderment that reminded Belinda of a much younger Darvi.
Jasper mewed, nuzzling Belinda's stomach. His bones were covered in a thin layer of dust, but he seemed happy enough despite the cramped corners.
"Hey, Jaspie."
Belinda cringed at the way her voice slightly echoed, soft and unsure and too worried to be any help to anyone.
"We'll get Darvi out of there. Can you imagine what they would say?"
Belinda could. Darvi would sit next to her, just far enough to be hard to touch, arms crossed and eyebrows furrowed. And he'd say, signature scowl on xer face, "All we need to do is-" and that's when the daydream stops. Belinda had no idea what advice Darvi would have, what plans would circle around eir head. She didn't have the expertise even to guess.
"Darvi would say I'm being stupid, huh? Because I don't know what I'm doing."
She sighed, falling back onto the filthy metal. "Maybe ve's right. I shouldn't be here."
Jasper settled into a tight ball of bones on her chest, seemingly ignorant to her plight. "Well, someone has to get thon, so she's just going to have to be wrong. I can do this. I just need a little help, is all."
-
Darvi
Darvi had dealt with a traitor case a couple of years ago. Some cases were messier than others, but that One had been A submarine wreck.
People tend to get emotional once the Zodiacs are involved, a fierce feeling of protectiveness Darvi knew well.
However, that traitor only ended up injuring one of Gemini’s duplicates. They had failed and ended up caught almost immediately. They didn't even have a star!
Darvi never had a solid connection to Cancer, but that didn't stop the hopeless, sinking feeling of a lost Zodiac. If someone managed to kill the safest Zodiac of them all, how easy would it be to harm the Zodiac social butterflyfish?
Solitary confinement allowed the mind too much room to wander, and Darvi had always struggled with keeping his in check.
She’s in danger.
Someone’s coming after all of the Zodiacs, and she might be next.
Gemini’s going to be attacked.
Gemini’s going to die, and you won’t be there to save her.
She’s going to die, and it’s going to be your fault.
Darvi tangled her fingers in her hair and tugged. “Shut up. Shut up!”
Their breath was fire, burning xer lungs, ver trachea. Hundreds of massacred Geminis surrounded em. All of her duplicates were flesh and bone, exact replicas down to every cell. How many would this invisible assassin ruthlessly kill until only the original remained? Would she be able to escape? Or would she trap herself and meet her end, only creating duplicates with weeping stab wounds?
Darvi should be beside her. Thon was ready to die in her place, to buy her as much time as she could. But here they were, stuck in a concrete cell for a crime they would never dream of committing. Darvi had met the Cancer guards even gotten along with most of them. How would he be able to afflict such deep pain when even the ghost of it was crippling her?
“Gemini, please. Please be safe. Please be careful. Please.”
Darvi dug their nails into her palm, relishing in the way physical pain sharpened her mind, even for just a millisecond.
“Please be okay. For me. For everyone.”
Darvi squeezed his eyes shut, his teeth aching with how tightly faer jaw was clenched.
“I’m begging you.”

845 Words

Enki Sarameya

At Anchor Bridge, the air seemed tense enough to weave into garments and drape over people's shoulders. Enki thumbed a cloud of fog that rolled by their legs as they made their way out of the terminal for Pisces Ship. Clouds had rolled in since the morning, which was always good for fishmongers looking to make their stock last.

Behind them, Pisces Gate loomed rather unassumingly compared to the other eleven gates that lined the gigantic disk of Anchor Bridge. There was a dragonfish design twisting around its steel aqua-colored construction, but the paint had chipped off with the sea spray, leaving the entire creature faded out. Pisces Damo often got complaints about the appearance of the ship, but she never seemed to pay them much heed.

Miles in the distance to the left and right, the Capricorn and Aries Gates jutted into the sky. Capricorn's white twin-pronged gate reached all the way to the clouds, so that during thunderstorms, lightning was caught arcing between the two towers. Aries Gate was still being built upon by order of Aries Volgan, its intricate wooden construction spanning ever higher, though not yet the level of Capricorn. Beyond each one, though lost in the fog, were Gemini and Libra respectively.

Enki made a grandiose swivel of the head. "The accused murderer, and the place of their trial. I'm right in the middle of it all, it seems."

They turned to the right and began walking. Well, if they were in the middle of it, it was because they had placed themselves there. Descant had been right; there was no reason that a Pisces fisher had to resolve the conflict between the Zodiac Vessels. There was no reason they'd be able to, either. So then, as a detective, what logical reason was there to be a detective?

Enki felt the sea spray as they walked the edge of the bridge. Well, it wasn't blind faith that pushed them onward, they were sure of that. Growing up on any vessel meant holding out the faint sliver of hope that you would be the next one to wield the power of a Zodiac. But for Enki, it always felt cloyingly hopeful to do that. Even if a Zodiac was incredibly powerful, the more each ship grew in population, the less that mattered. Or maybe it mattered even more, with more to protect. Still, Enki would not wish to be a Zodiac. One's place in the world was determined more by choosing than being chosen.

They were snapped out of their daydreaming by the approach of armored men. The Aries Guard held reinforced wooden spears that were created by Aries Volgan himself, being considerably more durable than even of the metal weapons produced by Cancer. The spears seemed to breathe in the fog as the guards held them aloft, the air spiralling above their heads. When Enki walked forward, the guards's spears flashed out to point at them.

"Halt," said one of them. "What ship are you from?"

Enki jerked a thumb back in the direction they came. "Pisces, obviously. Isn't that most common?" With the good relationship between Pisces and Aries came a lot of trade between them.

"There's been people coming this way from all over," explained the other guard. "Even if you are Pisces, I suggest you turn back if you're not headed to Aries Ship."

"Yeah, the Libra border's closed," remarked the first one. "So if you're just going to gawk at a murderer, you can get in line."

Enki thought hard for a moment. "You know, I think I'll head that way anyway," they said. "I've got a bit of a personal investment in this case."

At that, both guards shared a look. A Pisces rarely had any personal investment in anything. Slowly, the first one edged out towards the inside of the bridge, moving slightly closer to Enki. "You are from Pisces Ship, correct?"

Enki nodded. "Great Detective Enki Sarameya, if you need identification."

"You're sure it's not Gemini?"

Enki blinked.

The first one tightened the grip on his spear. "The vessels are on alert for Esther's sister. You wouldn't happen to be her, would you?"

Enki's hand dipped into their pocket, and the first guard made to step forward as the stars lit up across their neck. When their hand rose, it had five fibers stretching from their fingertips, waving in the fog like loose kite strings. Enki spread their fingers out in an open, surrendering palm.

"Reticulum," Enki said as the guards heaved in relief. "I'm sure that isn't what you're looking for?"

The guards raised their spears fully upright again. "No, it isn't," said the first one, clearly peeved at how this interaction had gone. Enki could see his tight grip unreleasing on his spear.

"Should I be on the lookout for this Esther as well?" they offered, dropping their hand. "In case she's taken a different path to Libra."

The first guard looked a little relieved. "Yeah, they said her constellation was another Serpens. Supposedly she worked in the Gemini Library, but she hasn't been seen since her brother's arrest."

"Another Serpens?" Enki asked. "So, does she have the same powers as Darvi?"

The first guard paled. The other guard cleared his throat. "We don't know any more than you. I'd suggest you try to avoid her either way," he said. "Now go on, get out of here." He seemed annoyed that the first guard had even spoken. Sharing a glance, the two of them turned around and vanished into the fog.

Enki rubbed their chin. "Damn. So they don't know anything either." Based on their reactions, it looked like the Libra border really would be closed, too.

They began meandering again, walking with their legs stock-straight. Esther's sister found out that their sibling was locked up in Libra. What happens next? Either they flee to avoid getting caught by the Gemini Guard, or try to seek refuge in an unexpected place. It might be that they were still on Gemini Ship.

They turned their head to look back the way they'd come. Of course, if Cancer's murder had made every ship hostile to Gemini, it must have made Gemini more hostile than all of them combined. Gemini was either hunting down Esther or sheltering her already. Neither of those were good outcomes for Enki to find her.

Of course, if Esther had left Gemini already, then they couldn't have gone too far. Enki had already been travelling for hours. There was a limited radius of hiding spots on Anchor Bridge and the ships, now that the Guards were looking for her too. The worst place for her to hide would undoubtedly be Libra Ship, whose Guard were trained in capturing escaped prisoners. Sagittarius Ship would be a close second.

Then again, maybe it wasn't as simple as hiding in the best possible spot. Maybe the wish to see her sibling had driven her to Libra, regardless of what they knew would ensue once the ships realized that Darvi may have had accomplices. So now, it was only a matter of time before they were found and sentenced to the same fate.

Enki's meandering walk gradually picked up pace, until the fog was wet against their forehead, blowing their hair back in the wind. Libra Ship would be hard to enter, but they'd figure out how to cross that bridge when they got to it. They were confident they'd think of something. In any case, it would be good to get out of their own head and into what was happening. Enki didn't mind being an outsider usually, but when what was going on inside was so interesting, they couldn't just sit around. They'd track down Esther's sister, they decided. From there, they were sure they'd think of something.

1302 words

Aquarius waited in the culvert again, sitting like a crescent moon in the drainpipe, watching the sea turn below him. The afternoon had settled a fog over the Aquarius Ship, and it looked like it extended to the other ships as well.

Aquarius hugged his knees. The fog had always made him nervous. Any number of waves could appear out of the mist, slamming the ships before any of them had time to prepare. The moist season always came before the storms, too, and though none of the Vessels had ever been in danger of sinking, it was the instinct of the sea that made them fear the dark clouds overhead.

The people would be restless today, he knew. Not just on Aquarius Ship, but on every ship as well. Aquarius shut his eyes and cast his mind out to the lives of the people on the Vessels. This time he imagined he was an Cancer foreman, overseeing the cauldrons of molten steel on Cancer Ship. Such a dangerous life could only be tempered by its regularity, but in that routine, the hard work would kill them little by little every day. And now, suddenly, violently, they found themselves without a Zodiac. In Aquarius's mind, the cauldron began to bubble.

People depended on the Zodiacs, but not in the way of kings. Aquarius still remembered Eiban's words as he went to the summit: "If you die, it's the end for us." He was not speaking then as though the Aquarius line would end. He was saying that no Aquarius could afford to appear weak. Besides, among his people, he would be the first to die.

Aquarius Blue was a man, but Aquarius was a royal self. Virgo had taught him about this otherliness of his own thoughts, this feeling of being everyone because when you are the captain, you are everybody you will ever disappoint. Aquarius was the water bearer, constant, nourishing. Ausa Blue could not afford to change that, and with the name Aquarius came the names of everybody on his ship, perhaps on every ship.

A familiar figure shot out of the water, breaking the surface with such speed as to rise to the height of the drain pipe, and touch down right in front of Aquarius. Pisces Damo's bald head glistened with water, and a droplet rolled down her temple, pausing briefly on the tail end of the Fish constellation written across the right side of her skull. "You look pretty beat up right now," she said without greeting.

Aquarius smiled. Again, Pisces never had much problem with being her subjects. Fishermen were naturally standoffish from the rest of the ships, being the only ones to technically "leave" the vessels every day for their catch. Pisces was perhaps the pinnacle of that attitude.

Pisces rubbed the back of her head. "You, uh, you feeling okay? You're smiling weird."

"It's nothing," Aquarius said, stifling a laugh. "Good to see you, Damo."

She nodded stiffly. "Blue."

Aquarius sighed and scooted so that he was facing her. "So, were you able to track down Virgo?"

"I wasn't," Pisces said flatly. "Sorry to let you down." The entire time, she hadn't raised her eyes to meet his.

Aquarius stood up. "It's alright." If Pisces couldn't find Virgo, then nobody on the ships could. "I'll just see her at the trial, then."

Pisces looked at him for the first time and raised an eyebrow. "You're going to that?"

"I was just about to make the statement today. Can't look like a coward in front of everyone, now can I?" Aquarius said, grinning cheekily.

Pisces shrugged. "If you're doing it because you're afraid of what they'll think, doesn't that make you a coward anyway?"

Aquarius gave her a withering look. "Well, at least nobody would know then," he said, half as a joke. He gestured to the rest of the pipe behind him, which led upwards back to his bath. "Would you like to come in?"

When Pisces looked at him, he realized that she was angry. "No thank you."

In the past year, Aquarius had been trained to look for disaster in the faces of everyone. "Undine said it was like watching the clouds," Eiban told him. "But it's not shapes and animals you see, it's rage."

"Hey now, is something bothering you?" Aquarius said, moving towards Pisces hesitantly. "I can't imagine you're afraid of the Zodiac Killer. You're missing most of the time anyway."

He cut off as Pisces's hands latched onto his shoulders, and she was flinging her body weight backward, sending them both out of the drainpipe and headfirst into the sea. From the splash of their entry, their constellations began to glow.

Aquarius blinked the saltwater out of his eyes twice, trying to shape it correctly so that the ocean stayed out of his orifices. He was floating some five feet under the surface, and Pisces was sitting across from him, her arms and legs folded tight.

Aquarius reached up, shaping the water from the surface into a vortex, so that a funnel of air descended into the sea. Aquarius took a long pull from his whirlpool and blew out the bubbles, watching them rise back to the surface. Pisces, who could breathe underwater, just rolled her eyes.

You're unbelievable, came a voice in Aquarius's head. It was a little different from Pisces's physical voice, and seemed to be echoing from the crevices in his brain. Still, he knew from experience that it was her.

I'm unbelievable? he thought back to Pisces. I didn't think you'd take offense to it.

Pisces's eyes flashed with indignation. I take offense whenever one of you Zodiacs gets on their high horse about the good of their people. You don't care that much about them. They don't even all care about each other.

Aquarius cocked his head. Pisces wasn't wrong, but she'd also never thought like Virgo. It's not their job to care about each other. It's still my job to protect them.

Who decided it was your job? Pisces hurled back. Who decided that you should put yourself at risk just so that Aquarius looks good?

Aquarius remembered his star ceremony in a bolt of anger. I am Aquarius, he intoned. And you'd do well to remember that.

Call yourself whatever you want, Pisces said. When you're dead from the Zodiac Killer, you'll have your old name back anyway.

Aquarius felt the stars on his chest burst open, arcing light through the water as his mind grew hot with rage. Did you know that the waves were meant to hit us today? he asked, swiping his arm in a wide arc. I was the one stopping them. Pisces was suddenly braced against the undertow, arms paddling just to keep in place. Bubbles rushed past her eyes, which squinted at Aquarius with something like fear.

Aquarius snapped his fingers, and suddenly the direction of the current reversed, water plunging through water, and Pisces was tossed end over end in a circle around him. How could someone who doesn't even care about her people pretend to know what I'm feeling?

Pisces righted herself and began to swim out of the current, so Aquarius raised his other arm. With a wave of his hand, a second current twisted through the sea, and Pisces was bouncing between the two currents intertwining like serpents, like muscles. Aquarius grit his teeth, stars shining. You think it's stupid to care about people? To try and make sure they can live normal lives? Well now you know how your subjects feel, right? Powerless!

Pisces shoved her hands out to both sides, shoving the currents away in mushroom-shaped waves. With a single kick of her leg, she shot towards Aquarius and rammed her elbow into his nose. The strength of the Fish took Aquarius by surprise, and his vision clouded over with the bubbles escaping from his open mouth as he reeled back. Suddenly, Pisces was grabbing him around the waist, driving her shoulder into him and kicking down into the ocean. Dimly, Aquarius could see the light of the surface past the waves, and the trail his own blood left in the water as they descended.

Pisces, he gasped, his brain growing desperate for oxygen. Damo. His words were melting, and he was unsure now if he could ask her to release him. Water rushed into his mouth, into his mind. Aquarius felt the darkness of the ocean at his back, swallowing him up.

Suddenly, he was breaking the surface of the water, arms under his shoulders. He blinked wearily, his head ballooning with the sweet air around him.

Pisces had her ear next to his mouth, and on Aquarius's first gasp, she shoved him away, letting him flounder for a moment before the water gathered beneath him to form a solid raft.

Aquarius laid on top of the waves, gasping and coughing up water. He could no longer see Pisces, but he could hear her voice. "It's scary in the deep, isn't it?" she asked. She sounded oddly choked, and Aquarius wondered if their battle had affected her breathing.

The sky was clouded above them, the mist everywhere upon the sea. Aquarius could hear Pisces speaking again, this time using her telepathy.

You're the only one at risk here, she said. But if you want to die for your people, go right ahead. See if I care. There was a splash in the waves.

I know you care, Aquarius thought. I know how you feel, Damo. Silence. Damo?

He turned over on his side and felt the blood leak from his nose. It dripped down into the empty waves, with nobody there below.

Aquarius laid in the water as it carried him back to the culvert, back up the drain pipe to his room. When Eiban came to check on him, he was curled up on the bed, soaking it through.

1655 words

Virgo Ambrosia:

Virgo was six when she met Callista Omega. Callista had been Virgo then, all done up in a white tunic and sparkling gold jewellery. She was beautiful and regal, a true persona of a queen.

Virgo wanted to be Callista then, in an image of childhood innocence; she wanted to be the woman everyone revered. She didn't even Callista's actual name, her name tainted with mortality and humanity, until a few years later, but Stars she wanted to be her.

But now, with the constellation of Virgo sparkling over her heart, she knew she had been wrong then. Now, she wished she could grab that little girl by her shoulders and demand her to walk away while she still had a chance.

What was that little girl's name? Was it Rose? Caitlyn? She couldn't remember, hadn't for at least one hundred years. It had been replaced with the leaden exhaustion of centuries of life, weighing down bones that never aged, paling skin that never wrinkled.

Make no mistake, Virgo refused to give up her power. Passing along the Virgo constellation meant poisoning someone's life, handing off the same exhaustion that kept her awake at night. And while Virgo would gently pass along into oblivion, she would carry the guilt of allowing someone else to take her place and, most of all, her burden.

Virgo was the endless watcher. She knew the past the history books forgot, so she knew each ship better than each Zodiac themself. Aquarius may have his secret drain (she had caught one of them a couple of generations back), but Blue had no idea of the false backing in the wardrobe that led to an abandoned study. The fourth Aquarius died with that secret. Or was it the fifth? Maybe the third. Regardless, each ship had its quirks, which she memorized through watching and countless fleeting friendships.

After years of loss, you would think she would give up on companionship, but her loss only made her desperate. Virgo craved that connection, even if that Zodiac's life was a second in the face of eternity. But, it does dampen the pain of death. Friends become replaceable, even if you love them for a while.

So, Virgo wasn't precisely mourning the loss of Cancer. No, Rudus. He was Rudus now, finally representing his humanity once he lost his chance to experience it ever again. She hoped Rudus felt that, wherever the afterlife may be, the relief of his godhood easing the paranoia that choked him until his final breath.

A guard knocked on Virgo's bedroom door, the sound filling the silent room. She heard it, but she did not answer.

"Lady Virgo? Aries wishes to speak with you."

She did not respond, the silence of her bed chambers echoing back. Then, finally, the guard opened her door.

"Lady Virgo?"

Virgo was not there. She hadn't been there for a few hours.

The reason why was simple, really. Every one of the guards strengthened that exhaustion deep in her soul, reminding her of the pleasure she would never have. The guards were always so reverent, most of them hosting dreams of Zodiachood from their own childhoods. Virgo didn't have the heart to burst that saccharine reverie, to tell them of the horrors of never-ending life, to sing praises of the gift of death.

But that didn't mean she didn't watch them all die. She had seen teenagers, bubbly and juvenile, wither away with age. She watched their youth dry up, their eyes and smiles calcifying with the weight of the real world. She watched some of them turn into murderers, others into cowards. No one left guardhood innocent, and she watched each guard fall victim to their duties.

So she never asked them to do anything for her. If she were in danger, which was seldom and always laughingly temporary, she would take sanctuary in a hidden nook on any of the ships. Today's hiding place was on Libra's ship. She was expected to speak in poor Esther's trial, where everyone would hold their breath until she damned both the guard and their sister.

They would forever hold their breath because Virgo knew it hadn't been them.

She had the pleasure of meeting Darvi Esther at one of the previous Zodiac gatherings. Ze was painfully average, nearly obsessive over his Zodiac with her delusions of grandeur over one day replacing Gemini. Another textbook definition of a guard who would grow bitter with age. What a shame; they had the potential to be so much more.

But that's not what made her so sure the Esthers were innocent. Belinda had done that years ago. Belinda wasn't even aware she ever met Virgo, for Virgo knew a thing or two about fooling civilians into thinking she was ordinary. But, Belinda was a particular sort of authentic.

Belinda used her powers to revive a childhood pet and ran her library. She took no pleasure in the Zodiac business and never truly understood Darvi's enamorment.

She was someone Virgo would miss once she died, someone who wasn't foolish enough to dedicate her very soul to the distant, unfeeling stars.

Virgo wished she was as wise as Belinda when she was a young girl, but it was far too late for petty wishing.

But, that feeling was enough for her to prepare for defending the Esthers. Darvi may be the same brand of fool as everyone else, but fae was no murderer. The problem was that even with her centuries of knowledge, she didn't know who it was.

Perhaps that is the real reason why she wasn't really hiding on the Libra Ship. Instead, she was wandering because she became unused to not having an answer for any question that may arise.

"Gather round, gather round!" A frail newsboy stood on a fragile wooden box; paper clutched in one hand, bell ringing in the other. Musca, the fly, shone on his neck. "News regarding the trial of the traitor Darvi Esther and the search for his sister and accomplice.

Virgo frowned, shuffling towards the boy with the crowds. The news always rushed ahead, deciding who was innocent or guilty before the trial date was even set. So even if someone else were found with the knife stained with Rudus's blood, a jury would still find the Esthers guilty.

"Darvi Esther's trial will take place in two weeks!"

The crowd screamed, their voices demanding justice from an innocent bystander who had to be just as revolted as them. The newsboy smiled, clearly proud of his turnout.

"Currently, Virgo, Aries, Aquarius, and Leo have all announced their intentions to testify."

"What about Scorpio?"

"Forget Scorpio; what about Gemini? It was her guard! Is she testifying?"

The newsboy froze, suddenly very unsure of himself. "Gemini refuses to state her intentions and claims she is undecided."

"Coward!"

The crowd erupted again, screaming their rage and frustration at the indecisiveness of a Zodiac. After all, fear for one's life tends to damage the vision of godhood.

"More details are in the Libra Ship Today! Buy your copy here!"

The crowd rushed the newsboy, waving various coins and continuing their screaming.

Virgo sighed and walked away, her shoulders tense until the chaos faded into a dim hum. The Cancer constellation was gone, and everyone was too busy playing politics to fix the issue.

She curled her hands into tight fists. What could make an entire constellation disappear? What could consume the stars that provided so much power?

She froze, every sound dropping away and leaving her standing alone.

A memory. Just one bittersweet memory with one face permeating into her soul. The one person she couldn't stand to watch die.

And suddenly, with a sharp horror, she knew exactly who this Zodiac Killer was.

She took off, her heart suddenly pounding in her chest. Perhaps she won't make it to the trial after all. She'd much rather catch the murderer before he strikes again.

1,328 Words

Rigel Moonlight

Pg 16; Sexual Implications, Violence - (Mention of the Devil and Hell.)


2511 Words