Astarte Ch. Four

Some new places and background story

Ch. 4 Allies, Ice Caps, and Capricorn (Change)

Brooklyn and Bear shouldered their packs and mount the horses Aries had provided them. They were both in good health and mildly mannered. Bear did not know enough about horses to know what type they were. The most he could tell was that both of these were black and of decent height for horses. Their first stop was Guild Serenity, the all female guild in Cedar. Bear had two associates there, Stephanie Bryne and Katherine Kellings. Stephanie was a water mage. She wasn’t very strong, but she knew ice since she grew up in Eleron. Kat was a fire user, and the only reason Bear wanted her to tag along was because it was going to get cold, very cold. She also was one of the best fire mages, not the strongest, but still the most talented.

Then the next stop was Oak City. The Saints Guild was like Serenity an ally of Astarte. The Saints, an all male guild, however were more of a policing guild than a job request guild. Three mages resided there that would complete the group. Justin Boon always had his head in the clouds; which was appropriate because he was an air mage. Lawrence Dock was a light mage. They called him Law of the Light because he believe in playing by the rules and following the book to the letter. The Saints only dark mage went by the name of Shadow because he moved in and out of them like he was as insubstantial as air itself.

After riding all day Bear and Brooklyn found an inn to rest for the night. The old plumb master of the inn met them with a smile. The smell of potatoes and beef wafted to them. Bear paid for a meal and a room for the night as Brooklyn watched the juggler who performed as the night’s entertainment. The man juggled just about anything, even up to eight balls at once. Neither one wore they guild robes, preferring a stout woolen cloak and traveling clothes. Bear soon noticed a man in the corner who had a fair number of scars across his face watching them. His nose had been broken at one time. Bear hadn’t notice him when he walked in. If stared at them that intently then he must not have noticed the scythe Bear took to the room. Just as good if blood was to be shed. The man rose and walked over to Bear.

“You eye me with such mistrust, Reaping Bear,” the man said in a deep, gruff voice. The man reached in his coat pocket and pulled out a small leather bond book. He handed the book to Bear.

“It must go to your guild master, the one who calls himself Aries,” The old man said. Bear looked down at the book in confusion. As he went to ask the man for more in formation, there was no trace of the man. Confused and a just slightly shaken by the sudden disappearance of the man, Bear decided to pocket the book until he could return.

“Brook, let’s go ahead and set some sleep. We have still have a ways to travel even by horse. I hope to make it to Cedar in a week’s time and then another two weeks to Oak.” Brook just nodded and threw the juggler a few runes who pocketed them while still juggling. He really was good! Brook smiled and the man dipped his head to her.

While Brook changed in the wash room, Bear decided to look at the book again. As he took it out of his pocket a note fell out of the front cover. Bear read it slowly and then read it three more times just to make sure that he had read each letter and word correctly.

My son Luke,

It has been too long since I have heard from you and far longer since I have seen your face. I know what you look like from the posters of the Guild you founded. The loss of your mother was far more than I could bear. I took out my frustration on for her death. I lead myself to believe my own son a murderer. Yet I was blind to the fact that your mother died for you. It her love for you that led her to seek a solution to help you control your unique abilities. I have heard reports that that same book has helped others as well. I left my command in Cherrywood, several years after you ran from home. When I found you in Willow I wanted to go to you, but I saw that you had made your own life by then. Balthazar died not long ago. He had been my only friend these last few years. Then again I had known him since he was an egg. I hope you still have Shinku. You used to sleep next to that egg. He should be hatching soon by my calendar. As I pen this, I watch your guild hall. I see you have taken a little to the young man with the scythe and his companion. Is she a lover, sister, or just a friend? She looks motherly towards him, like your own mother used to look at you. One day one of your mages will cross my path and then I will give them this journal and letter. Forgive me son. Forgive me for not being a father. Forgive me for not being man enough to deliver this myself. Forgive me for everything I said to you that made living in Cherrywood so unbearable for you. Please forgive me.

Your Father,

Lucas James Sr.

As Bear finished the letter for the last time chills crawled across his skin. Aries did have another name. Lucas James Jr. Then all the zodiacs had real names as well. Aquarius’s story had been true. The hatred that Aries must have had, the fear of running to a new place, having to hide something as big as a dragon egg, being collared just to keep from killing everyone and thing around you; how do you cope with that? He was even a Ride Commander’s son! Bear felt like he was being swept away in a current that was dragging him under. He felt a storm on the horizon, loaming and ominous.

“Is everything ok,” Brooklyn asked bear as she came out wearing her night gown.

“Everything is perfect,” Bear lied as he slipped the letter back into the journal. He put the book into his pack and then stripped down to his pants. Brooklyn snugggled close to his chest and was soon softly snoring. Sleep did not come easy for Bear with so many thoughts running rampant through his mind.

Over the next few days, Bear pushed the thought of the journal and letter to the back of his. He had to focus on the journey ahead. Brooklyn had filled him in on her past and the grove where she spent her childhood as they traveled.

“I grew up there. My identity was kept from the fairies. It was easy enough while I was a child as I had my wings and my youthful appearance that comes from being a child. As soon as I started maturing physically and my mage magic manifested, my mother made me leave. I tried everything I could to stay, even knowing what it would do to my mother if it was found out that she bore the child of a human, and one from Lakel no less. One night I found myself not in the grove, but just miles out of Oak where my father once resided. I have long since learned that he has died. So I traveled and traveled for months until I found myself in Willow. I loved the city so much I stayed and later joined the guild,” Amberle explained. Her past she said was cloudy in parts, but for the most part she was a wanderer until Astarte.

The rode like this for the next few days until they reach the crest of Weaver’s Hill. The city lay just before them. The high stone walls of both the inner and outer city were a deep gray color. The outer city looked like it had no rhyme or reason to its layout, but the inner city was laid in rows and blocks. The mage guild of Oak were nestled on the edge of the inner city. Bear and Brooklyn made their way towards the city and to Guild Serenity.

~

Capricorn sat in her room staring out the balcony doors. She wore her long blonde hair in a bun today. She was wearing a blue silk dress from Taisun, a country to the west. Serpentine dragons and floral designs decorated the dress. The dress was of a tight fit especially across her ample bosom. Her rooms were decorated in maps, gifts she had received on trips, and souvenirs that she had picked up along the way. Capricorn loved to travel, but she had precious little free time to do so, since becoming the guilds military advisor. It should have gone to Scorpio! He knew war better than anyone, save Pisces and Aries. Pisces of course was the councilor due to his unique skills with the human psyche.

Capricorn stood from her chair walking over to her map table. She had several notations and markers placed on the map. The map showed all of Gaia. Two red markers moved on their own into Oak City. Bear and Brooklyn had arrived. Twelve Blue markers had the symbols of the zodiac on them. Eleven were in Willow and one, Sagittarius was in Bluebonnet. She had followed that marker for days before it stopped. Why was he in Bluebonnet? It was nothing more than a small market town. He had been distant these last few weeks. Three green markers stayed for the most part in Rose. She had never forgotten her family even though they believed her dead.

Rose people did not trust, nor did they tolerate mages. So after a year of hiding who she was and days before her own wedding she burnt her house to the ground. She made sure only ashes would be left as no water could quench her fires. She left for Pine, but only made it to Willow. She had taken ill from the influenza. Virgo, or Jessica at the time had spent days healing and nursing her back to good health. It was odd to think of her real name. Capricorn hardly thought of herself by her own name, Stephanie.

At one time they did not call themselves the zodiacs. That was something they adopted to stay hidden. If anyone knew who they really were people might die, people they loved. Most of the zodiacs were extremely powerful mages with dark or miserable pasts. They came together for one goal, destroy Lakel. The goal was not gone, it was just postponed. It was prophesied that thirteen mages bearing the mark of the zodiacs would destroy Lakel and forge a new kingdom. The Tome not only gave her the red staff with its bloodstone tip that sat next to her bed, but a mark as well. It resembled a “V”, but the left tip came around to form a circle and then down to curve into a hook. It was the sign of Capricorn. It was on that day that they knew that fate had brought them together to do a bloody deed, whether it was for the better or not.

She could still remember that day. Twelve mages sat in an old Lord’s castle-manor. It was abandoned, but one day it would be full of mages as it was now. Lucas opened the Tome and her life has not been the same since. Lucas was already collared; his sign was on his left shoulder. Ethan had his wings and caduceus by then. He at one time used his magic to level an entire village. So distraught by his actions he tried taking his own life, but Lucas found him and offered him a second chance. The wings were granted him for speed, the caduceus for stronger healing power. He could save people no one else could; because something inside forces him to go to them. He could bring people from the brink of suicide or insanity. His mark, Pisces was on his left calf. His brother Jeremiah followed him all the way to Willow and found a new man. He vowed to never leave his brother’s side. His diamond armbands stand for the brother he is bonded to and the sister and family he left behind to save his brother. They bond him to Ethan. His mark, Taurus, is on his left side. Dominic was like Pisces and Capricorn mixed. He was a hunted man, so he burned down his home town to escape. His golden armbands are his shackles for his crimes and his promise to walk a more lawful path. His mark, Scorpio, is on the left side of his neck.

That night Isabella was the first to use the Tome. She was an abused girl running from a home that was not a home. She never left Lucas’s side. A flute was granted to her so that he would always be a motherly figure. She had the capacity only for love from then on. Her mark, Aquarius, was on her left shoulder, the only person who marks was in the same spot as another. Stephanie went next. Her staff controlled her fire. It could be extinguished now. She mark, Capricorn, was on her left breast below the collar bone. Jessica was an orphan who wandered into the group. Her Fan increased her powers so she could heal any wound save death itself, the price was her energy draining faster than normal. Her mark, Virgo, rests on her back, below her left shoulder. Maria was at one time a shadow mage, hunting down other mages who walked the lawful path. She spilt more blood than any mage in Astarte, even still. Her quill writes their history, but she uses no ink. She writes their history in her own blood. Her mark, Gemini, is on her left palm. Trent was a carpenter at one time. He could make the finest houses. He once accepted a job to build a manor house for a lord. It had many secret passages, and chambers. The lord had Trent poisoned when he had finished the beautiful structure. Virgo healed him when she found him laying in a ditch outside the city. His crystal pendant when activated produces a powerful poison that only he can cure. His mark, Libra, is on his left bicep. Lucian the youngest of them was has no memory of who he is or where he is from. That night to him was his birth and as such that is when he has his birthday. His obsidian anklets hold the clue to his past. Lucian can not walk away from any person who asks his help, unless they have an evil intent. His mark, Leo, is on the left side of his forehead. Nehemiah is the odd one. He was a marked man who suffered the guards arrows. Lucas took pity on him and offered him a new life like he did Pisces and Dominic. His steel earring gives him a body of impenetrable steel. His mark, Sagittarius, is on his right hand.

Capricorn realized she was daydreaming and continued to watch the map. two more red markers appeared next to Bear. He must have gone to Serenity for assistance. She had attempted to locate Ophiuchus, getting his DNA was proving impossible. A yellow marker was arriving in Willow, that would be Sara with a report on the activity of several guilds under surveillance. Capricorn was eager to the actions of Ryvius and Axis. If they came to a head, it would only be the precursor to a much larger war. Soldiers fought wars everyday, mages did not. A war of mages would destroy Lakel.

Capricorn laughed at the idea of a mage war. Maybe they were truly fulfilling prophecy. Maybe they didn’t have to break Lakel. Lakel seemed doomed from the start. Ophiuchus wanted Astarte dead. Fate would see this to war and they had better find their thirteenth member before they went to war. They had once believed it was Amberle or Bear, but no mark had appeared. Virgo had given each a thorough look over in such of such a mark. Aries made each new member place their hand to the book to do the binding and none had shown a mark yet.

She moved from her maps and walked over to her balcony deep in thought. I find myself stuck. I have to prepare all these mages to go to battle. I have to give orders for each and everyone of them to go and die. We can’t let Ophiuchus succeed. I already knew what I have to do, it is my right as the military advisor, but Goddess this is not easy. The meteorite she kept in her room was a deep black stone, but it shone a blood red. Astarte herself was in that stone, and she was telling Capricorn that it was time.

Capricorn closed the door to her balcony. She slid off her dress and slide on her undergarments. She stepped into her greaves, pulled on her chainmail, donned her breastplate and gauntlets. She put her helm under her arm and grabbed her staff. She pulled the bell of the guild hall to announce a meeting. As she stepped from her room ten pairs of eyes looked her way. Virgo began to tear up, but refused to release the torrent from her eyes. Aries nodded and the eleven of them walked to the grand hall. On the way Sara brought the report. Ryvius was going to go to war against Axis. All of the Ryvius unicorns save three were killed by an Axis agent! What was worse was the reports from spies that uncovered the Iron Basilisk’s intent to bring down Astarte.

As the eleven zodiacs made their way into the grand hall they were joined by Amberle. She knew what Capricorns armor meant and she was herself Captain. Capricorn walked onto the raised dais and stood before some four hundred mages. She cleared her throat. She could not help but see how young many of these mages were. Their youngest was thirteen, their oldest was only thirty-two. My Goddess! Forgive me, for I will not forgive myself!

“Mages of Astarte! I stand before to bring grave news. Guilds are mobilizing for war,” several mages gasped, some fainted, others just stood dumbfounded, “We are a target of one of those guilds. We can no longer ignore it. Never before has this happened, but the truth is Lakel is in for her darkest days. This war will bring her to her knees and she may not survive it. Astarte we go to war! Darkness threatens to destroy this guild and its mages, but we will stand and fight! Astarte what say you,” Capricorn screamed.

“Astarte!” Was the chorus chanted from the guild hall. Rumors say that all of Willow heard that battle cry and trembled. The mages signed one by one their names to the one of three lists; Healer, Combatant, or Engineer. Then the captains, Command Captain Capricorn, and Commander Aries reviewed each name and sorted them into regiments. Those regiments would be sorted into units.

The whole guild was locked down and sealed. The mages made their way in the middle of the night to Thistle. Thistle was a villages whose residents were all Astarte mages. The village was designed to house the guild in times of trouble. The mages went installed into their barracks and Scorpio’s personal unit, the Planners, began planning the villages defenses. Cancer’s Ironmasters and Taurus’s Masters were already working fast to dig in and create the mages’ weapons and battle gear. Cancer had the idea to craft weapons that could use its masters magic. So a fire mage’s sword would burn and a nature mage’s would poison. Similarly a water mage’s would freeze, an air mage’s would cut deeper, light mage’s would burn and blind, a shadow mage’s would infect, and the rare plasma mage’s would shock. His designs included knives, swords, spears, axes, pikes, picks, and arrows. Dark mages would use the knives, light mages the swords, nature mages the spears and pikes, fire and plasma mages the axe, water mages the picks, and the air mages the bows with the specialized arrows.

The next few days the mages were assigned to wear armbands until their uniforms were finished. White for medics, red for soldiers, green for engineers, and blue for officers. The next few weeks were spent training and drilling. A runner were sent to Bear to inform him that his “Kodiaks” would train with Aries’s “Dragons” and Capricorn’s ”Unicorns” until his return.

~

Bear and Brooklyn had already teamed up with Kat and Stephanie. Kat was a tall red headed mage with a slim frame and manicured appearance. Stephanie was short, with jet black hair. She was petite and had a very bad temper. Both girls wore blue dresses with white cloaks bearing the blue crescent moon of Serenity. They were standing in front of the Saints guild when three mages stepped out; Justin, Law, and Shadow. Justin and Law wore chainmail shirts and hard leather pants. They all wore red cloaks with the white wings of the Saints. Each cloak was hooded. After explaining the quest to the three they all readily agreed to join up. On one condition of course. When they returned the Saints would get partial credit in the work. Bear agreed as he had when the Serenity girls asked the same thing.

Justin was a plump youth with barely any facial hair, though he had been trying hard to grow as much as possible. Law was absolutely the most massive man Bear had ever known. He was well over a head above Bear and wide. His muscles were very defined and huge, simply huge. Shadow was like Horo in the fact that he rarely spoke. He reminded Bear of Gemini. He wore all black and his hair was black with red streaks. Bear thought the same thing each time he saw him. Certainly his hair could not be natural. The one good thing about shadow was he always had a ready smile.

Now that his team was assembled they moved east toward Eleron and the Eleron Ice Caps. They were a days ride out of Oak when a gryphon and rider flew overhead. Bear reigned in the group. Bear pulled out his spy glass. The saddle bags bore the Astarte guild seal, a runner. The gryphon circled to make sure that it was Bear before landing. Horo jumped off the Gryphon and gave Brooklyn a hug. The fist word out of her mouth told Bear that something was terribly wrong and this trip was going to have to be expedient.

“Captain Bear, the Kodiaks are under the joint command of Commander Captain Capricorn and Commander Aries until your return. You are to tell me your officer choices and then I am to return to you to with a fleet of Gryphon. The horses are to be left behind. Speed is of the essence,” Horo told Bear.

“Horo, tell Aries that my Major Lieutenant will be Brooklyn and my two minor Lieutenant will be you and Markus,” Horo and Brooklyn made a face, ”Learn to work together! I need you to deliver this journal and letter to Aries when you give him my message. Also Horo, please send my regards to Fay, she is most likely still angry with me,” bear instructed Horo.

“Shadow inform the guild that Astarte is mobilizing. Inform them that we will return with Bear to their camp to assist and act as a liaison until the Saints arrival,” Law commanded. Shadow turned into his namesake and disappeared. Kat had already being writing a hasty message. She magically sealed it.

“Madam would you please deliver this to Serenity. It more or less says the same thing as what Mr. Lawrence told Shadow. You will have more speed than either of us has; plus we need to stay with Bear should we be needed,” Kat said to Horo.

“It will be done. Until I see you again,” Horo said as she mounted the gryphon. The beast’s wings spread wide and a dust flew up and it worked up the speed to take off. The group discussed what all this meant for a while as they rode to the border. They would deposit the horses as a gift to some village when the gryphons arrived.

About two hours later a dark streak flew by and materialized into Shadow. He looked around for a moment lost until Justin called from behind him. Shadow turned and blushed at his over shot. He dropped in beside the horses. He was like many air mages, very fast. His speed however came from his dark magic abilities dealing with shadows. He easily kept pace with the horses.

It was three days later that the group was met by Horo again. In the village of Brand ,Bear met with the mayor and offered their horses as a gift from Astarte. Bear had heard that bandits had killed all of their other horses in a raid six months back. The mayor was very humble as he thanked Bear and promised to repay bear. He gave them lodging for the night, but Horo and Brooklyn had to stay back with the gryphons as there were no accommodations for the beasts.

The next morning after they waited almost two hours for the Serenity girls to “freshen up” they mounted up and flew north east into the Ice Caps. It took them three days of flight before they were grounded about a days walk away from Mt. Zerius. The gryphons had thick feathers to guard them from the cold, but the mages spent the entire time huddled around Kat as twenty or so flames warmed them and melted the snow in front of them so they would not have to trudge through it. Stephanie spent the time reading the ice so they would not find themselves melting through ice instead of melting down to stone. Brooklyn read the map as they navigated their way to the cave that would lead down to what she called a subterranean paradise. Justin told jokes to pass the time. He was pretty funny when he was not zoning out on everyone. Law and Shadow talked with Bear about the conditions of the guilds. The Saints would be great allies since each mage was more of a soldier than anything.

By the end of the next day they found the cave. As they entered they mounted their gryphons to ride. They followed Brooklyn’s lead deeper into the mountain. Once they crossed an underground river Brooklyn started to grow tense. She knew she was not supposed to be here, and she brought with her others. No one had made the pilgrimage since The fairy queen stopped allowing people into the city of Elie. Elie was the subterranean paradise that housed the fairy kingdom. As they made their way down into a large hollowed out chamber the hairs on the back of Bear’s neck stood up. His inner-bear did not want to be here at all. All at once a flurry of wings surrounded the group with arrows pointed at the mages.

“I had heard that the Queen’s daughter was a half breed, but I did not want to admit it,” Said a man in full armor. His red wings had streaks of blue and yellow. He carried a bow on his back under his wings, but it was his sword that drew attention. It was a long curved blade with an eagle etched into the blade.

“Captain Farris, we do not come to harm nor hinder my mother or my people,” Brooklyn whispered.

“Do not call yourself one of us! Your are less than we are. Besides, I am the Captain Commander now. I was just coming back from an outpost inspection when we heard your group crossing the river. I do not intend to kill you or your companions. I am going to take you to your mother and when she gives the order; then I will kill you all,” Captain Commander Farris threatened.

Brooklyn barely had time to grab Bear before he could bring up his scythe. Bear started to growl a deep low growl. His hair stood back and his eyes grew red. He was thirsting for a kill, for fairy blood, and for revenge. Brooklyn stroked his hair to calm him down and the rest of the group let out an audible breath as he lowered his scythe.

The Captain Commander led the group deeper into the mountain until they reached a colossal archway. The sight amazed the mages even though they were captives. An artificial sun hung above them. A white city lay before them with flora and fauna everywhere. Fairies flew this way and that. Some were caring for crops here or livestock there. One mother ushered her children when she saw the human mages. Whispers of “The Daughter” spread like an uncontrollable wild fire.

At the center of the city a castle stood with floral designs around the arches, columns, entablatures, and spires. Outside the castle was an assortment of fairies in the finest clothes that Bear had seen. At the forefront was a fairy in a green dress with gold spirals embroidered on the sleeves and hem. She wore a tiara with an diamond in the center and two smaller emerald the both sides of the diamond. It was easy to tell that she was the queen even without the tiara. She had the same red hair, hazel eyes, and almost pale skin as Brooklyn did.

A man stepped forward, “I present her Highness, Queen of all Fairies, Guardian of Gaia, and Keeper of the Secrets, Queen Lucy Verendale. Brooklyn lowered her eyes deliberately not meeting her mother’s. Queen Lucy stepped forward.

“Captain Commander Farris get your men’s arrows out of my daughters face, before I have them aimed at yours. I am firmly set in place as queen. No one would deny that now, so any friend of my daughter is welcome here. Any half-breed comment will be met with death, understood,” Queen Lucy said to her court. Brooklyn looked up at her mother in disbelief. In seconds she was off her gryphon and into her mother’s arms. A second round of mage’s letting out their breath ensued. Bear slowly got off his gryphon and gave a wicked grin to the flabbergasted Captain Commander. He approached the queen. The queen looked up curiously. Brooklyn smiled at them both. Her introduction made Bear’s eyes go wide and the queen looked him over judging his worth. The rest of the mages and fairies gave out one loud gasp.

“Mother I would like to meet the love of my life, Bear. He is the world to me and he is the father of the child growing inside of me,” Brooklyn announced.