?
A pair of red eyes, devoid of pupils like a set of rubies, stared at the large globe in front of him.
The other figure simply sat and watched his Master observe. He noticed that the God of War has yet to move from that spot for an hour, or the equivalent of nearly a month in the outside world. But he had served him faithfully since the beginning and time mattered not to a god. He walked over, his legs parting the heavy fog until he was next to his Master and gazed upon the view in front of him.
"The town looks quite peaceful. It has been a long time since I've seen mothers and their children walk freely at night in those parts of Rodario after the tourists are gone. They seem quite happy too." He turned his head curiously.
Somehow, despite how tight and thick his strong jawline was, a bit skin twitched near his lip. "Because right now, there is equilibrium. The undesirable elements of murder and rape that began to grow as Saga was slowly losing control are now taken care of. If Aiolos stopped there, things would work out. But he won't."
The figure turned. "Are you saying that he will not be satisfied with the removal of the egregious crimes?"
Ares shook his head no, causing the thick fog that shielded them from outside mental forces to waver. "Aiolos is a talented soldier and no matter how humble he appears, what makes him or any other noble warrior great is the strive to never be satisfied. It is not enough to fire an arrow perfectly a mile away. He must try harder to ensure he can maintain accuracy at two miles away and so on. Crime and debauchery are like weeds. Weeds won't die if you hack at the leaves and stems, but rather when you dig up the roots. But as long as a tiny bit of root remains, a new weed shall grow. Every arrest of a man or a woman breaks a family. Every child that is picked up will be swept in a cycle that they cannot break. The streets are quiet for now. But there are only so many dark places you can stick them in."
O|==============|O
SANCTUARY
POPE'S BALCONY
Aiolos sat at his desk in the nice cool air. While Saga, like Shion, seemed most content with having a small closed-off office with nothing to distract them, he preferred being outside with a nice fresh breeze. He reached over to the Sisyphean task of trying to get through the business for the week. He began to divide it into what he needed to handle now and what to do later when a small envelope caught his attention. There was no return address, but the tiny hard pressed handwriting could only come from the older Gemini. His eyes shifted toward the date on which it was sent. "Thirty-one days exactly. Always true to your promises, Chris." Before the two separated, Saga agreed to send proof he was alive every month since the man's thoughts drifted toward suicide as casually as the weather. He pulled out a photo, most likely from a disposable instant-Tele-Cam to avoid detection, of what looked like the sign of the Gemini drawn with a finger in some greyish white substance. "What is that?" he muttered. It looked like snow and was certainly as thick and as fluffy as it. "What did he do? Go to Mount Everest?" Little did he know that Saga climbed on top of a bookshelf at the Archive Building to depict the moment.
He set it aside and pulled out Shura's report and opened it up. His eyes widened as he saw the numbers. It wasn't that they were super high, but they were incredibly low, especially the ones that delve with violent crime.
Aiolos took his hands and began to rub his face. He had vague memories of firing the crimson red arrows but wasn't sure if it was true. Saga had warned him of the blackouts and he was right.
He forced a bunch of foot soldiers against their wills to perform their duties better and had those who should've been in prison to be taken there. But that wasn't right.
These were men, not puppets.
Besides he was the son/grandson/great-grandson of a footsoldier. Saga always wondered why he wasn't doing well when it came to the military. He thinks raising their pay was enough, but
Aiolos knew it wasn't enough. Foot soldiers want shorter duties so they can go to their families. They wanted better food when they were on duty. Since they were always on their feet, they want better boots.
They want respect in a place where Saints are revered for a single Holy War, while they have none of it when they are constantly on duty the other 215 years in between.
A happy army is a more motivated army.
It takes a long time and a lot of work, but that is the way to do it.
"But it's too long...Rodario needs to be fixed now!"
His mind felt muddy. "But it worked…" he murmured as his blue eyes seamlessly transitioned from blue to red. He stared at the other things on the bottom. "Why are these numbers low?" He knew these things happened all over the place.
He raised his hand to use his cosmos to summon his bow, before he shook his head wildly and smashed it on the desk, breaking his nose, and causing his eyes to shift back to blue. He drew his hands to his face, using his cosmos to fix the broken appendage. He turned downwards, the report splattered with his blood. He closed his eyes and began to meditate a bit, trying to refocus his mind to fight off the curse's influence. He was so tempted to use a mental barrier, but the problem was that he wasn't sure how long it would last. After all, he only had three mental barriers from Shaka and if you used one, and the next day he tries again, he would only end up wasting them.
He turned toward the ledge.
Sometimes he wondered why Athena asked him to do this. He may not be going around and slaughtering people and tossing them in closets, but he will admit that he was growing more unsure and in some ways frightened at what he was becoming.
In a way, he was glad he was paralyzed from the waist down since it meant he was stuck in the Pope's Chambers.
His head turned as he heard a loud shuffling a few rooms away toward the dining room. He knew who it was. "Paz is just a little girl. She doesn't know how to use cosmos. She kept silent under Saga, she will do so for me," Aiolos spoke out loud as an attempt to ensure he didn't do anything to harm her. Honestly, he wished he could just send her out. But just like Sanctuary needs a Pope for stability, it also needs an Athena, even a fake one.
He grabbed his cane and slowly trudged over. It took a lot of energy just to get anywhere but Shaka, who has been using his cosmos to slowly help heal his paralysis, encouraged him to do as much movement as he could. Honestly, after spending five years with half a body, the ability to move his knees was as exciting as the day he learned to take flight.
It took five minutes to get to the dining area, expecting her to run off. Instead, there she was practically throwing food into her face like a wolf in winter, perhaps an old habit of being an orphan. He quietly stood there until she jerked her messy face at him, her eyes widened.
Aiolos could see how thin her already lanky arms were. It was customary that Athena dined with the Pope and so he would have their three meals a day at the table. The problem was, Paz would stay in her room unless needed to perform as Athena. She was just too scared of the man who shot a few arrows at the one who got her out of her orphanage.
So he would simply ask her platters to not be taken away and would even ask a small netted basket to be placed over it to prevent flies from crawling over it. After his lonely meal, he would then move somewhere to conduct business and he would hear her sneaking in and grabbing what she could.
Aiolos returned his gaze to her. She had been slowly warming up to him. But he hated seeing such fear in her eyes and perhaps today, he could finally convince her that she didn't need to starve herself. "Can I sit here?" he politely asked. He watched her head nod a little, but her eyes were focused on him. He looks down at her pitas. "Would you like that heated up?"
She looked down. She was growing tired of them being so cold and soggy. She pushed it forward and watched his finger light up with a small yellow glow before he hovered it over her food crisping it back up. Still resting a hand upon the poisonous headband that Aphrodite gave her, she reached over and took a satisfying crunch before devouring the rest of it in two bites.
For probably the hundredth time this month, he repeats the same words. "I won't harm you," he spoke as he took his finger and a very light amount of lightning cosmos to warm up her soup. "You don't have to eat our food. The cooks here are trained to prepare whatever we desire. If you name it, I'll see it done."
The eight-year-old pulled the bowl close to her but hesitated for a moment. "Is Saga still alive?" she whimpered.
He was not surprised she asked about the Gemini. "He's fine, he sent me this," he spoke as he passed her the envelope. Immediately, she too recognized Saga's tiny handwriting. A light beamed in her nervous eyes as she moved her hands from her Pisces headband and grasped the envelope and pulled the picture out.
She knew the symbol, for it was the same one on his Gold Cloth's helmet. "What about Athena?"
"She's alive too. It is said when Athena dies or is in great suffering, her Saints feel a sorrow that is best described as if the sun turned inside out."
Paz looked up. "Will I feel like that if a Gold Saint dies too?"
Judging by her question, he could tell that a letter was not enough for her to know if Saga was okay and thought of another way to perhaps make her happy. "Here, come with me, I'll show you a way so you'll know how Saga is doing," he spoke as he used his cane to push himself back into a standing position and began to hobble over back to the balcony.
He waited until she was next to him before he pointed up in the sky. "Saga is the third guardian and because of that, he is directly connected to his constellation. If his stars are bright, that means he's alive. When he uses his cosmos, they will light up accordingly. When we say a constellation falls….it means their stars dim to their normal color."
She followed his finger and stared hard. "They...look the same."
"That's a normal feeling when you first try to find the stars. Look for the two bright ones next to each other." He watched her face struggle. "Here, let me help you. I used to do this for my students from Japan." He formed several tiny balls of light cosmos and aligned them just right.
"Ah, there they are!" she exclaimed before he dropped the balls of light. "Oh, they are much brighter than the rest! So all I have to do is watch it?"
Aiolos nodded. "That's it. If you have trouble finding it again, just let me know and I can find it quickly," he spoke with a small smile. He always kept an eye on the Zodiac, but there were two that he just can't help but search for first.
Paz turned to him and then away. "You asked what I wanted to eat….I want empanadas...with beef...no change that...shellfish. I'm tired of pitas, especially spinach ones."
Aiolos nearly chuckled. He could tell that she was trying to imitate Saga whenever he needed to chew someone out. The problem was, Saga tore holes in time and space and could blow up Rodario with a finger while she was just a scrawny eight-year-old Chilean with a purple wig. But this was probably the longest she stood next to him alone. "Alright. We'll have it tomorrow. Join me?"
She pursed her lips. "I'll think of it. I'm going to go finish my food." She hurried back to the dining room, her feet running and echoing down the hall.
"Ten minutes, wow." She didn't say goodbye, but he wasn't surprised. Her hands were trembling, especially when she was standing next to him. But he smiled. The progress between the two was like leaping to the moon.
His eyes suddenly flashed red. "Back to work," Aiolos gleefully cheered before he plucked his trusty Sagittarius bow and began to fire several crimson arrows.
Murder, rape, and thievery were major crimes, but it only consisted of a small percentage. It was time to cast a larger net.
58 DAYS UNTIL AIOLOS GOES PERMANENTLY INSANE
O|=========================================|O
Gemini: Defying Gravity
6C: 99 Problems (Lionheart IV)
BOLD: Cursed Mode
BOLD AND ITALICIZED: Ares speaking
O|=========================================|O
RODARIO
THE NEXT DAY
"Let's go, Seiya! Come on, hurry up!" called out Marin as she carried a couple of empty cloth bags, ready to fill with bread from the bakery. However, before they could head to Demeter's they had to stop at another place first.
The six-year-old future Pegasus hauling three pairs of sandals over his shoulders, the bottoms melted and torn up, dragged his bare feet on the dusty ground, leaving long streaks as if he trudged through deep snow. "Marin! I don't want to go fast. My feet hurt!" he groaned, his expressive face featuring two eyes rolled back with his nose upright in comical agony.
But just like his training, she shows no mercy. "Serves you right!"
Aiolia, who came along with them, merely guiltily smirked. "You won't find any fucking pity from me. My throat went raw from telling you to stop running around at the speed of sound until we see the cobbler and now you've ruined every pair of sandals you own. Your shoes are not meant for you to move around like a jet, especially when you go to the quarry."
"Yeah, but you run around at the speed of light all the time and your boots are fine."
"Yes, but my boots also riveted and are carefully layered with sheets of steel, nylon, and a layer of higher grade rubber from used racing car tires that are imported from Italy. They are heavy, but once your sandals get taken care of, you'll feel a difference in your training." He looked down at Seiya and noticed an odd gaze. "What is it?"
The Japanese turned his head and scratched his scalp. "Sometimes when you're calm, you sound exactly like your brother. He would tell us stuff like that all the time. So when will I get to see him?" Rare sentimentalism fell upon the Pegasus. "I miss him."
Aiolia took a deep breath. Seiya was told that Aiolos worked for the Pope but didn't know that he was him. Seiya was just too young to know such a sacred secret. Aiolia told Seiya that Aiolos was overwhelmed right now and needed to handle that first, but the plucky Japanese trainee was incredibly hard-headed and never knew the meaning of giving up.
Luckily, Marin was there, always ready to support him. "Seiya, he's busy and so everyone else here. But maybe, Aiolia can take a little time to fetch a letter or something until things settle down here."
"Yeah, I think he could do that!" Aiolia nodded his head in wild agreement. "I have to go transport Zephyr back up to him, and I'm sure he can do that." Honestly, with the way Aiolos had been acting, it would probably be good for him.
Seiya's shoulders slumped, "yeah sure." His hands clenched his laces tighter. "Come on...let's go…" he grumbled.
Even though Saiya did give in, seeing the normally upbeat Pegasus so downtrodden did cause a little guilt in the Leo. Especially since Seiya has gotten in a lot of trouble in Rodario for doing what he wished he did in the past...
...punching the faces of anyone who called Aiolos a traitor.
Aiolia reached over and snatched the broken sandals and threw them over his shoulder. "Come on. I'm thirsty and today is my birthday."
Seiya looked up. "I thought you didn't want to do anything special."
"I didn't, but going out for a drink isn't that extravagant." He gestured for him to follow, and the Pegasus did so. The truth was, he had some reservations for dinner. Even if Marin and Seiya were the only ones free, he was going to make this a birthday he will never forget.
Aiolia wanted to keep him close since the main square was extremely packed after services from the religious temples at this time. But the first thing he noticed was how quiet it was. Sure the typical older women were gossiping outside in their typical circles, demonstrating their faithfulness to Athena with several flower bracelets upon their wrists, but normally there were several crippled, homeless, or both, former trainees and soldiers lining the walls asking for food. Today there was just a small handful. "Hey, meet me at Gemi-Knights Bar. I'll catch up."
Afterward, the Leo separated and ran over and approached a sitting man, drawn by the fact that he too lost his arm like Galan. He pulled out a Euro and put it in his money bowl.
The man's dirty, heavily tanned face smiles. "Thank you! Athena blesses both of us, for I have never met a kinder man and you will never see one who is ever so grateful," he spoke, his tone gravelly and worn.
"Thank you. But if you can help me out, where is everyone?" Aiolia spoke as he stuck another Euro inside.
The man shifts his eyes and beckons Aiolia closer. "Taken away. I knew that in Rodario, you're not supposed to beg within ten meters of the House of Worship. But suddenly, several guards came and hauled them off. No warning. I was wondering the same thing since I liked to be near the front when people are more generous, but today, I was not feeling well and I came a bit later than usual. So I made sure to take my spot here." His eyes were a bit widened. "I don't understand why they can't warn us. Just tell us to stand back and we'll do so. We just wanted a spare apple."
"I'm sorry that happened. Thank you for telling me about this." With that, Aiolia added one more Euro in his bowl and began to return back the others. If this large arrest was a one-off thing, it wouldn't have gotten his attention.
But it was just another odd occurrence ever since Aiolos started acting strange and when Saga ran off with Athena. He had lived through the first time his brother was seen as a traitor and the 'Pope' wanted change. Looking back, Saga wanted peace in Rodario too. He wanted less corruption and he was one who demanded change and quickly.
But that was the problem. Saga ruled with a tight fist and yet it took him at least a couple of years to get things in order and peaceful.
Aiolos took over and violent crime was down nearly ninety percent in a month. It felt very unrealistic, especially now that Aiolia was older and had a better idea of the finer mechanics of Sanctuary. Not only that, where the hell did Aiolos have the time to focus on such matters? Every time he visited his older brother, he was still sifting through the ungodly amount of legislation that Saga had passed just to catch up.
As Aiolia walked down the road, the strange uneasy feeling he got when he was near Saga, warmed his head as he passed by each of the on-duty foot soldiers. His blue eyes turned toward each of their faces and were surprised that each of them had a steely look that only those like Shura would hold.
Aiolia sighed and continued toward the patio where Marin and Seiya had gathered at a table, a couple of foot soldiers standing on guard at a corner. He found the extra chair and sat on it.
Aiolia turned to Marin. It seemed like no matter what, she was always so pretty. But Marin showed her face and that is something he will proudly demonstrate in public.
Originally the two were going to keep it a secret since to love would mean Marin would have to give up her Cloth and her sisterhood and force her to have proof, a baby...not that he would mind. But when Aiolos told him that the rules for to love and to kill were relaxed by Saga during his reign, Aiolia was quite shocked.
Apparently, Saga attempted to get rid of the rule of the masks, by allowing the Amazons to vote amongst themselves to keep it. However, many of the Amazons were far too traditional and voted to keep it. However, he was permitted to update them to end what the Gemini kept calling an excuse for legalized rape.
That was the frustrating thing with Saga in that while he unjustly ruled for five years...he really did do a lot of good when he wasn't secretly murdering soldiers, maidens, and prostitutes.
So, Aiolia and Marin did everything required. They approached the Queen of the Amazons and declared that he was the one who saw her face and Marin chose For Love. The Queen declared that as long as Marin faithfully continued to do her duties and pledges to fight in the Holy War and maintain that he was the one she swore to love, she may keep her Cloth and her mask.
Times have certainly changed.
He takes his arm and puts a strong arm over her sculpted shoulders and pulls her and the chair closer, before she reciprocates it by placing her hand over his palm and lovingly leaning against it.
They could see several others turning their heads and gossiping, their judgemental eyes lasered in as if letting the couple know that both were unwelcomed around there. One was even approaching a guard to ask if what the two were doing was legal. Marin and Aiolia were used to it.
He was still the brother of the traitor.
She was still a Japanese outsider.
The world had been so hard on them for who they were, to the point that both agreed that they don't give a fuck what everyone else thinks anymore.
They will love each other as openly as any other couple out there.
Besides, it was always a guilty pleasure to watch Seiya gag anytime he tries to be romantic with his teacher.
An older gent with a dark blue apron approached him.
"What will we be having today?"
"I'll have some green tea," Marin quickly spoke.
Aiolia was surprised. "Marin, today is special. This is one of the few places that serve plum sake, your favorite," he spoke as he squeezed her tighter. "Come on, I'll even join you."
But Marin shook her head no. "I'm just in the mood for some green tea."
The Leo nodded. If she wanted it he'll gladly order it. Hell, if she wanted him to run to china and pluck the leaves for green tea, he'd do that too if she so desired. "Alright. Anyways, I will have a cup of ouzo with a pitcher of cold water for myself. Seiya? How about you? Join me for Greek's great drink?"
Seiya shook his head. "No way man, that's gross. I'll take that one purple juice from last time."
Aiolia was about to order some food when a shadow appeared overhead. "Sir, how old are you?"
The Leo turned to see the foot soldiers standing in front of him. "Well, today, I am officially seventeen years old," he proudly declared before the two hands grabbed him by his armor and yanked him from his chair. "What the fuck!"
"Attempt at underage drinking, come with us," the footsoldier mechanically commanded, his eyes dull but focused on the target.
Aiolia's calm face flushed red. He's been there hundreds of times and ordered the same damn thing. But still, he held back his cosmos. "Okay, fine, I'll have some green tea. Just please," he insisted.
"You were also offering alcohol to a minor. Come with us," he repeated with the same dull gaze.
"I didn't drink anything yet!-" before he could finish the soldier tried to stab him with a spear. "I didn't fucking do anything!" Aiolia screamed, a true Leo and his temper on full blast, his face dark red before he grabbed the man and tossed him to the ground and charged toward the other.
"KICK HIS ASS, AIO-" Seiya cheered before the amazon smacked him outside of the head before dragging him back.
O|================|O
RODARIO GENERAL POPULATION PRISON
"Get in and don't cause problems!" shouted the foot soldier as he shoved Aiolia inside before slamming the bars behind him.
The Leo rubbed his face. "Fuck me…" he muttered to himself. Not what he expected for his birthday. On the other hand, he did deserve it for the fight. On the other hand, they didn't even try to give him a warning despite literally everyone was either an underage drinker or died before they reached legal age.
He took a moment to examine what he could. He took his hand and touched its surface. He could feel his cosmos drain. It wasn't too bad. Technically, his cosmos was easily strong enough to overpower it and break out, but he wasn't going to do something that stupid. Marin and Seiya knew he was here and they'll get him out.
The place was really crowded, every spot against the wall taken up with many forced to sit their backs against the wall to make space.
Shura wasn't exaggerating when he said the jails were full. They'll definitely get worse if they are just tossing anyone who drinks before the legal age.
The place was fairly long and deep. Sanctuary used to have a lot of war animals from horses to elephants, but when they moved away from that, they converted the space to a prison. It was cold and a little damp. There were spots where the sun did penetrate but those were all packed with people. He did notice that there was quite a bit of sun and a lot of space in the back.
He moved forward, stepping over the sleeping bodies. He took his hand and crafted a ball of light cosmos. He noticed it startled some, but it was a technique that even the servants were capable of performing.
He was close when a dirty little boy with an eyepatch stepped in front, a hand raised. "Go away! No one is permitted over here unless they have permission from the boss," the child commanded, his voice as squeaky as an ungreased wheel.
Aiolia turned downwards. "Look, there's no room over there. I can barely put two feet together and I'm not in the mood to hold one leg up like a fucking flamingo until they let me out. Where's your boss?"
The boy had a small smirk. "He's not going to let you in. Turn around now and stand like a flamingo. If you meet him, you're going to be soooorrryyyyy," he sang the last little bit,
The Leo could tell exactly what type of permission was needed to get to the more sparse spot. He took his neck and tilted it back and forth with a bit of a crack before he brought his fists up and shifted into a stance. "Oh yeah, we'll see about that. Bring him here."
The kid laughed and whistled twice.
Aiolia turned his head as several other children began to approach. It went away as they began to spread and formed a large sparring circle. But then, a figure approached, his cosmos flaming purple.
Deathmask came forward, sneering with his eyes narrowed. But suddenly, when he got a better look at who it was, it brightened wildly. "Aiolia!? HOLY SHIT HOW THE HELL DID YOU GET HERE!?" he called his arms wide open, happy to see a familiar face once more.
Aiolia burst into laughter as his pose fell apart. "By the Goddess!" He should've expected as much if he was in one of the areas that could hold a Gold Saint at. He came over and reciprocated the hug, seeing that the Cancer was just so happy to find someone he knew.
The eyepatch kid looked up as he watched the two wrap each other's arms around the other. "Hey DM, is he like your boyfriend?"
Deathmask darted his head downward, an eyebrow raised. "Oh hell yeah! I fucking dream of him every night!" he laughed before he put a gentle peck on Aiolia's cheek.
"The fuck, man! He's lying! We are not dating!" the Leo exasperated as he wiped his face clean.
The Cancer laughed so hard that his knees buckled a bit before he slapped Aiolia's torn shirt. "Nah, I'm kidding. He's just...my neighbor."
The kids groaned. "DM! I thought you were going to beat the living shit out of him!"
Deathmask turned his head to the Leo. "They were expecting it. How about it? I haven't done any training in a month. How about a ten-minute tussle?"
Leo snorted. "After today, I could go for fifteen!"
The Italian let out a wild hungry grin, ready to unleash his first wave of trash talk. "Good...fifteen minutes to show my crew that the lion is just a pussy," he took his fist and swung hard.
Aiolia easily dodged it before pouncing forward, grabbing Deathmask by the waist before his fist slammed into Deathmask's.
The Cancer blocked the next before he twisted his body and reversed their positions and double punched Leo's left eye, a burst of dust clouding their surroundings with the circle of children shouting and screaming as the fight continued.
Thirty Minutes Later
"Oh Goddess, I forgot how good sparring felt...I feel like I just conquered Troy and fucked Helen twice over…" Deathmask grinned as he drank his whiskey in one hand while Aiolia was healing the Cancer's broken arm.
The Leo, both eyes now so bruised that he was more raccoon than a cat and his shirt completely ripped off, reached and grabbed his drink that was poured in an old plastic yogurt cup. "Same here. I can't stand going a couple of days without it. I can imagine it must have sucked for you to go an entire month."
Deathmask shrugged. "I've never stopped fighting here, but everyone is so fucking easy. It's like smacking a fly. Kids were entertained though. By the way, I know we agreed it was a tie, but let's just tell them you won so they don't go batshit crazy."
"Deal. Although I'm surprised. Why are you in here and not something more-" The Leo shifted his eyes to try and find the best words for it.
"Fortified?" Deathmask poured more whiskey in his cup. "Yeah, I expected your brother to stick me in the deepest holes. Yet here I am. He actually scheduled me a couple of weeks back, but," the Italian chuckled. " I told him to hold it off. This place sucks, but I...didn't want to leave these kids here alone in prison when there's no space. I figured once they can all get some private cells, I'll see the archer."
Aiolia noticed a strange sadness over Deathmask's face as he watched the other children play tag on the side. "You sound like you've had past experience?"
The Cancer nodded. "Yeah...I did actually. Doesn't matter how nice or how protected it is, being in jail is fucking scary. You gotta be big and strong to make it. The two of us could rule a place like this. These kids can't. So I made a safe spot here."
Aiolia looked around. Amazing how much Deathmask accumulated in a month. Somehow, the Cancer had strong-armed all the beds, the spot with the most sunlight, a few decks of cards, lots of whiskey, and oddly enough, several bags of potato chips. Most importantly, there was room to walk around. Needless to say, the Leo was quite impressed. But he was saddened though. "There's a lot of kids here. Do you know when they came here?"
DM shifted his eyes. He could easily see that Aiolia was nervous. If it was anyone else, he would toy with his mind and tell him it was his brother's fault. But it wasn't true and not only that, but Aiolia was always a good neighbor. "That group over there in the corner, the ones huddled like frightened mice were picked up today for begging too close to the House of Worship. But the others here were during Saga's stint on the big chair. Some have been here for more than a year. Most are internationals. They are brought here to train, don't make it and Sanctuary just leave them to their own devices since they can't exactly fly in a fucking plane to find something else to do. So they do what they can to survive. Begging and stealing. Sometimes killing. Most of the time it is self-defense, but since most weren't Greek, it's typically seen as their fault." DM took another sip of whiskey. "Being nice out there gets you jack shit, especially when you lose the cute factor." It was all too fucking depressing. He reached in his back pocket and pulled out a cigarette. He tapped the tip with his cosmos to light it up before drawing it in and embracing the feeling as if his lungs were snuggled in a warm blanket before blowing it out of his mouth and nose.
Aiolia looked around. As much as Deathmask was an ass with a mouth so toxic that it could set off a Geiger counter, but it was clear he did have a soft spot for the children. So did he. He reached into his back pouch and pulled out a large bag of jerky he made from some hogs outside of his house. "Here, take it and split it between them."
DM reached in and curiously, he took a tiny scrap and bit it. "Mmm, that's damn good." He whistled. "Amicas!" he shouted, chewing the tip of the cigarette in his mouth. "Get over here and bring some cards."
Aiolia raised a brow. "Let's just split it fairly."
DM took a shot of whiskey. "Do you see this place? Do we have a playground? A tv? A radio? Fuck even a soccer ball? Nope. It gets fucking boring down here. Part of living here is not just getting something to eat but have some fun. Frankly, poker without something to ante up with is a game for pussies who believe that it doesn't matter who wins or losses. Winning is fun. Losing sucks. But that thrill is what keeps us from losing our minds here. You want to join?"
O|===========|O
Pope's Chambers
Every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, Shaka came over to Aiolos and would work on trying to restore his ability to walk.
Just like in the Twin Salas Garden, Aiolos would lay down and the Virgo would carefully hover his hands and perform extremely light, but focused amounts of cosmos. It was such a delicate task, one that Shaka described to him as the equivalent of trying to tattoo an even layer of green ink into a dead leaf without cracking it. Not only that, but using the wrong amount of cosmos or applying it in the wrong spot could not only leave him paralyzed and in eternal agony, but it could even kill him as well. There was a reason that healing the spine with cosmos was a task that had been forbidden for a long time in Sanctuary.
The Virgo turned downwards, seeing the archer sleep so peacefully as he always did during this time, lulled by the need to relax as well as the soothing and the peaceful sensation of his cosmos. He was finished, but he allowed the archer to continue to lay there in deep slumber until his eyelids twitched before his eyes shot open and his mouth gasping as if about ready to scream until he realized where he truly was. "Don't worry, I was finished applying cosmos. Sleep is a luxury both during the first weeks as Pope and when one is cursed."
Aiolos breathed a sigh of relief, taking time to assure himself that this was reality. "Thank you for the extra sleep. I feel much better, it's just, why is it that we can speak freely about the curse?"
Shaka nodded. "Just a matter of gaining trust, very similar as to why Saga trusted you enough to speak openly about the curse on the day you reached the Pope's Chambers. Of course, to maintain that trust, I cannot speak of it either. But, for the good of the Zodiac, I should stay silent so that I can help you, much like Saga needed me to help control his actions."
Aiolos nodded. "Thank you. I don't know what would happen if I had to face this alone." He swallowed hard. "I've been firing crimson arrows at the foot soldiers. I tell myself it is wrong, but my body won't stop. I try to turn away and yet I can't stop. I set my bow and box back into the House of Sagittarius, only to wake up and discovered I ordered other soldiers to bring it back. What's going on?"
The Virgo listened carefully. While he approached things quite delicately with Saga, he knew a firmer and more straightforward approach worked better with the Sagittarius. "The curse is moving very quickly within you. By Saga's estimates, at one month, you would be at the same point that Saga was when he was fifteen years old."
The thought made him shudder. "Goddess…" was all he could mutter for it was the year Saga took the life of the one he looked up too and everything began to go downhill.
Shaka could hear his shaky tone, but he was not surprised. "I know it is easy to be afraid based on what you've seen Saga do, but remember you are not him. How you act with the curse will be much more different than what Saga did. But don't let your guard down."
"Yes, and not only that but Athena trusts me. I can't doubt myself or I will be letting her down." Aiolos flipped his body over, a bit excited to see how things were progressing. "It feels easier to twist my hips." He looked down and watched his knees bend a bit more. "Still a lot of tingling and they feel heavy. Do you have any idea when I can try walking without a cane?" He noticed Shaka sitting quietly. Even though the Buddhist is known for that, he had spent enough time with him to figure out that Shaka had something to say that he would not like. "What is it?"
Even though Shaka would not admit it, deep down, he had found joy in helping the archer slowly regain movement in his legs. But today, a problem was occurring. "The process I am performing is starting to plateau."
The word filled Aiolos with heavy dread. He knew about plateauing. It was a lot like learning to run fast. Perhaps one would start training and shave a whole minute off their time, but as they became better, the amount of time they can improve by grows smaller. "What is holding me back? Is it something I can do?"
Shaka turned his head down. "Your muscles in the area of concern have grown fairly weak around the spot. Before we can continue, you will need to strengthen them, at least enough to hold up wearing your Cloth again."
The news struck Aiolos like an arrow to the head. He knew how heavy the Cloth was even when he was synced well with it. Not only that, but that was one of the reasons Kido was never able to provide a synthetic means to fix his back. Every type of material and design they tried, ended up breaking apart. It was just like the situation with shoes with Saints where if they aren't customized, normal footwear would fall apart in a day.
He watched the Virgo bow and take his leave before he remained sitting there in his trainer, a bit heartbroken from the news. After the door closed, he looked at his cane, and rather than use it to support himself, he took his hands and gritted his teeth as he struggled to push himself up. He tried to use his legs to stand on his own, but they felt like wet noodles, and instead he fell face forward. He pushed his arms up and tried again. He focused hard and tried to pull his leg up to try and push up, falling clumsy once more.
He laid there for a moment before he felt his eyes grow a bit wet. But still, he sucked his breath. He won't give up, but he won't lie about all the times that he wrote in his prayer journal about his desire to just be able to move around on his own. "Goddess, I just want to walk again."
"Your Holiness? Are you done with Shaka?"
The archer sat up. It was still so hard to hear it since for many years, it was used to refer to elderly Lemurian. While he had to get used to it, just like Shion, he didn't have to be formal all the time. "I am. What's up?"
"Marin and Seiya are here. They just told me that Aiolia is in jail right now!"
Suddenly, his older brother instincts kicked any sorrow out of his bucket. "Jail!? What did he do?" he rasped as his eyes turned dark red.
"They said they were bringing him in due to an attempt to underage drinking and resisting arrest."
Aiolos jaw dropped so hard that his previous expression seemingly shattered like an Amazon mask. "Who arrested him! I want names!" He pulled his hand to his face. "Tell them that if they don't let him out, the Pope will come there and…." He took his fist and punched his own face, realizing he was losing it once more.
"Aiolos!? I know he's your brother but are you seriously going to use a high ranking pardon on that?"
The archer rubbed his cheek. Goddess he swore he punched himself more times in the face this month than at Kanon for all the times the younger Gemini did something stupid and illegal with Aiolia. "No, I'm not," Aiolos muttered. A pardon from the Pope was only for high-level situations. "We'll go down and pay his bail."
"Aiolos, don't worry. It will take too long to get you protection and I can go down and take care of-"
"HE'S MY BROTHER! I'M GOING! I DON'T NEED THIRTY FUCKING GUARDS!"
A very long pause followed.
"Alright, come meet me at my House, we'll go together."
O|===============|O
DELPHI-ARCHIVE BUILDING
Saga walked down the dusty aisles of the Archive Building, "88-108-7,88-108-7," the Gemini repeated over and over to the point that he carried a tune. It was an interesting set of numbers too:
88 Saints
108 Evil Stars
7 Mariner Generals
The Gemini could tell that whatever was there, must be something that was only passed from Pope to Pope. Although he wondered why Shion didn't tell him sooner? Perhaps what he will find, isn't directly related to the search for the cure, but something he later realized was important?
He found the spot. Right in front of him, were shelves of books on various trivial things like the history of thimbles and the proper technique to stuffing pillows. Most would dismiss such a thing as useless and truly it was. But perhaps that was the point?
He took his hand and tried to pull one out, only to find it stuck. He tried a few more times, before pausing and then using his hands and pushed it forward only for the row to slide and glide down with ease, causing the side of the bookshelf to click and swing loosely like a door. His eyes were glazed. "Goddess…" he muttered. Right in front of him, were the journals of every Gold Saint and trainee of Sanctuary.
Anyone who ever came to the Twelve Houses to train was expected to write their backstory as well as their life in Sanctuary. For some of them, it was a task made easy with later ones becoming more like scrapbooks filled with small notes or letters. Others would rather have a tooth pulled than to write about their day. One infamous story that Shion shared was how one Gold was so reluctant about it that it was over two hundred pages with the following two words:
Still alive.
Something told him that perhaps Shion wanted him to read his journal?
However, there was one book that caught his eye, the blue worn cover as familiar as the ocean that he once lived beside. "Kanon…" It was a lot thicker than he expected since his younger brother, gifted as he was, never did any of the assigned writing at school or at Sanctuary since he found it redundant.
Yet there it was. He opened up the first page:
The Kronicles of Khris and Kallen
By Kanon formerly Kallen Galani
"A title page...for a diary…hmm, well, I guess this settles as to which of us has the bigger ego," Saga muttered, his curiosity peaked into what Kanon presented as a glorified autobiography. He needed to find the cure for the curse, but he was drawn to the pages.
He supposed a little bit couldn't do any harm.
O|=========================|O
(Read Kanon Side Story: F is for Father)
O|=========================|O
SMACK
SMACK
SMACK
He took the book and beat his head repeatedly on it.
Before he allowed his hands to fall.
"Oh Kanon...be glad you're still missing...for now," Saga muttered. Goddess if he wasn't being hunted, he would ask a doctor to up his medication for a pill the size of his head after that. He slipped his younger brother's journal in his bag to read the other half later.
The Gemini's eyes spotted a terribly thin book that sat in the same section as the rest, this one had a simple leather cover handmade from wild pig leather. He pulled it out. Most of the entries were extremely concise. Prototypos didn't read and write. They were a lot like the Celtics where they choose to pass things on by memorization, stories, and song or as they would put it: keep it in their hearts. However, the last entry seemed quite long. It was dated right before they went to that restaurant before everything went to hell when he took Shion's life.
This entry will be a bit longer than normal, but I don't have anyone I can talk to about this, not even my brother. It is a pity since it is the type of thing that brothers would normally talk about in private, but I can't since Aiolia can't stand him. Sorry if I ramble, but I just need something.
It is about Saga… Khris as I like to call him.
He's my best friend. We've trained, eaten, and hell, we did everything together. For a while growing up, I saw him as like a second brother and I think he saw me as a substitute twin since his bond with Kanon shattered the moment they found out only one could have the Cloth. We even made a vow that if one of us died, we would take care of the other's little brother.
But a few years back, slowly, he just started playing with my hair...and I liked it. So I played with it back. I started thinking of him more and when I did, I felt a little light, but in a good way.
His cosmos when we heal each other feels magical.
Feels good.
I think I like guys.
I like girls too.
Trust me I checked.
I know because I still had a copy of a dirty magazine that Kanon tried to give my little brother, but I told Kanon that I would hang onto it until Aiolia was older.
Don't tell Aiolia I tore out the page with Miss Canada on it to keep for myself.
Is it weird to like both girls and guys at the same time?
I think I like him?
But more than friends.
Of course, I feel a bit divided. I'm the eldest son and the eldest son is supposed to have children. Can't exactly do that with Saga, can I?
But, I like him.
He's depressed a lot and it worries me.
But as Dad always says, if you really love someone, you accept them, flaws and all.
He's into Geminism so here is my crack at it:
Is it possible for someone to carry a huge ego,
And yet others still wished he loved himself more?
Of course, now the big question, does he like me?
I've seen his gaze linger. He won't admit it, but he looks down when I'm not looking in the bath.
Jokes on him, I know he's checking me out from the waist down, so I try to turn to make the view more inviting.
But he just keeps his distance.
Am I an idiot?
Then again, I haven't been more upfront.
I just want to know!
If I'm wrong, it's going to be really awkward until the Holy War kills us all.
But if things go right, I want to treasure every moment before our time comes.
I hope he likes me too.
O|=============|O
Saga stared at the last page that was written by the archer's hand. When Kanon distanced himself after they found out the Gemini Cloth could only be taken by one of them, Aiolos stepped in. After that, it did start off as simple friends, then brothers...then a bit more. He knew, for after Aiolos left, he tried desperately to duplicate it whether he was aware of it or not. His friends even tried to hook him up with Geist…oh Goddess that was a disaster.
Nothing compared to his relationship with the archer, and sadly, perhaps that was out of reach.
His head turned to a page that didn't match the rest of the journal. It was extremely smooth except for the engraved symbol of Athena on the bottom.
The Traitor, formally Saint Sagittarius Aiolos, 9th Guardian of the Zodiac
For his crime of attempting to assassinate the Goddess Athena has been officially stripped of his Cloth, merits, status, and citizenship.
Upon his death, he shall be denied all honors bestowed upon those who faithfully serve the Goddess of Wisdom and War.
All previous records that dictate his Greek name and shall be rewritten to reflect his true status as a traitor and a coward.
May he find eternal suffering in the frozen river of Cocytus under the heel of Hades.
Saga grabbed the top of the decree and ripped it out, before wadding it up and reducing it to ash with his cosmos, allowing the grey particles to blend in with the thick dust.
It was just like his mother had always said. Sanctuary will be kind and loving.
Make you feel like you were the greatest Gold Saint to live.
But the moment someone did anything wrong or was accused of it, they will not hesitate to dump you like a piece of trash and remind you that many others carried your title beforehand.
He set the book back. He could reread Aiolos' words over and over, but that would cost time. Besides, this was before everything went to hell and he doubted that such sentiments were still there. He knew that when he kept talking about the girl from Japan.
Is he a madman to think that maybe there was some hope of salvaging it?
He turned his head, toward his true target, toward several thick books lined up in a row, each bearing the same symbol of Aries. "Alright, Old Man. Let's see what you have to say?" He took his hands and with a small Another Dimension caused the books to sink inside and teleport to the little storage room/ his hidden makeshift office in the corner. He stretched the tear in time and space until he merely leaped into the hole and teleported in his broken chair where his table and the journals laid.
He was a bit surprised at how much Shion had written. He probably did so like Aiolos where it was more out of obligation. Lemurians found books to be obsolete since they could just toss or copy a memory orb and easily absorb information like a living computer. But he can tell by how each book seemed to grow thicker that perhaps Shion began to understand the human need to have things written down.
As hard as it was to do so, he had to skip Shion's training and early life. It was far too long and he knew his answers laid beyond that time. But he did pause at the part where it spoke of how Shion earned his Cloth since even he was unaware of the test for Aries. Some tests like Aiolos' are public since despite how grudgingly hard it was, it wasn't fatal. Others were either private, secretive, or both for various reasons.
As the Vanguard, Aries must be the toughest of all of the Zodiac, even more so than Taurus. Smart too, especially if they are the one to repair the Cloths as well.
So what better place to test both aspects than Mount Everest itself?
It was not just the highest in the world, but despite it being transformed as a place for billionaires to take pictures to brag to their friends, it was also considered holy and sacred to the people of Tibet.
Each of us is tasked with not who can reach the top first, but who could go the highest. My hands still tremble at the memories of the ordeal. My Master spoke of how the peak of Everest was merely the halfway point.
The one who the Cloth will find worthy was not whoever reached the top first, but who can go the highest afterward and survive. It was a task that relied on our telekinesis as well as our ability to remain focused and brave. If one went too high and passed out, the fall would most likely kill them. However, we are very few now and breaking tradition, there are many there who will catch those that failed in order to maintain our dying race.
The air is terribly thin and I feel as if I am choking the higher I rise. Some try to take it slow, but they run out of air and pass out while others expend it all to go up quickly. The wind is dreadful, and I would see my friends try to block it. I, on the other hand, shaped it as aerodynamically as possible. It forced me to burn my cosmos much higher, but why fight the wind when one could utilize it for lift like a bird?
As he held the book, he recognized something on the edge of a corner on a later page. He lifted it up and there was the zodiac sign of Gemini written in a very modern ballpoint pen, the lines a bit shaky as if the writing tool was held by a very old hand. He flipped the page to reveal the words he had been looking for.
...the Pope's exposed red eyes gleamed… the golden dagger ready to pierce my chest had Dohko not tossed his shield and blocked the blow. What has happened to him?
Saga flipped to the next Gemini symbol.
...her hair was ash grey and her eyes were bright red. Yuzuriha held the golden dagger, begging me to not look at her. But I couldn't tear my eyes away since the same thing happened to the Pope.
Saga followed each symbol, reading each entry that was marked, each one all related to the Golden Dagger and the curse.
...he begged for death. He was afraid he may hurt others. I dare not let the others do the task, for as the Pope I should be the one to swing the blade. His brother took over the role, but he was never the same. Not only that, but the curse always comes back.
The initial excitement over finding something over the dagger shifted into sickness and fear. The farther he read, the more it painted a picture of his fear of what would happen if the curse fully took over.
Uncontrollable, full of bloodlust, and rage.
However, unlike his fears, the one under the curse doesn't become a doll, but instead, they are aware and they desire death either of others or their own, neither choice that he didn't want Aiolos to make.
Saga turned to a page and noticed there were several marked pages with the Gemini symbol. At first, he thought it was more on those that succumbed to the curse, but as Shion wrote of the awkwardness of acquiring knowledge through purely reading and how he must start with the section in the library dedicated to weapons, it became apparent that the Lemurian sought answers through books. But why didn't he tell him? If he wants the curse broken, why didn't he share any of his research?
He turned his head. There were still three more journals, the result of living for so long. But they had a direction and weren't leaving that table until he at least read the breadcrumb trail that Shion left behind.
O|==============|O
RODARIO GENERAL POPULATION PRISON
Aiolia pulled the card from the deck to reveal a nine of spades. "Nice, a three-of-a-kind with queens," he thought. His eyes turned to the only kid that was still in the game.
Part of the appeal of poker was that one had to analyze their opponent while hiding their actions and unfortunately, this kid was terrible at it. The kid was shaking so hard that one would think that an earthquake was going on.
"I like the jerky," the boy's trembling voice spoke to him.
Aiolia turned toward his pile and looked at the pitiful amount of jerky the boy had. He could tell the kid didn't have a good hand and if he gets out, he could easily make more of it. Besides, the poor kid was crippled like his brother, and that was enough to tug at his heart. "I fold," he said as he took his cards and folded them into the pile to avoid anyone seeing it.
The kid cheered as he tossed his cards to the side to gather all the jerky he won.
Aiolia turned to it and laughed as he saw the kid's hand. His guess was that the child thought he had a losing hand, not realizing he had a straight which would easily have beat his.
Suddenly, several footsteps began to echo overhead with the loud groans of heavy doors dragging open. Every head turned away from the game of cards.
"Fuck, are they going to add more people here?" muttered Aiolia.
Deathmask had been in there for a month. "Not at all. You don't hear that many footsteps all marching in order unless they're coming here to get someone out. Well, nice talking to you," DM spoke as he took a puff of his cigarette.
Aiolia bit his lip. "But I just got here a couple of hours ago."
"That's the system, Aiolia. An orphan with nothing spends months in this place because he was hungry. You, on the other hand, are the brother of the Pope and will be out before the sun sets. No offense, but that's the way of the world." The Italian took his cigarette and put it out with his tongue before he flicked the butt and gestured for the Greek to follow.
Aiolia watched as the other prisoners, despite being as cramped as sardines, began to part from side to side letting the Cancer pass through. It was clear that Deathmask really knew how to establish himself at the top of the pecking order here. He then saw the silhouette of the head of a horse before he spotted the familiar sandy stallion come down along with the old leather armor that belonged to their father and his father beforehand. He was not surprised the Sagittarius could get the two of them through since the place used to hold animals in the past. But what did surprise him was his brother using a black face mask over his head. Without the red bandana and the heavy helmets the guards wore, it seemed like it was enough to hide his brother's identity, but he supposed with him being Pope, it was better to be safe than sorry.
Aiolos gazed at his little brother. He looked a bit roughed up, but a foot soldier shouldn't have been able to leave such blows. He shook his head. This was definitely not the way Marin wanted to surprise Aiolia on his birthday. "Prisoner 24601, you need to come with us," Aiolos spoke, maintaining his disguise as he pointed toward Aldebaran, also donning a foot soldier uniform, albeit one that was issued for giants. Suddenly his eyes suddenly noticed the back. "Why are there so many kids down here?" he whispered to Aiolia.
But before the Leo could say anything, Deathmask couldn't help but answer. "A month later and you finally noticed!" he shouted.
Aiolos gritted his teeth. Of course, he wouldn't notice. He went through legislation and only high-level crimes are passed on to him. He was the Pope and nobody would try to talk about beggars being arrested even if they were children. "No, I didn't. If I did, they would be placed somewhere else." Aiolos took a few breaths. It felt like with each day, such a process felt like it was becoming more difficult, but the presence of his younger brother had always made it easier as if the most precious thing in the world to him seemed to strengthen his will. He spotted Aiolia's face and noticed it was covered in several bruises and needed a closer look.
While he couldn't stand, thanks to Shaka, his legs moved a lot easier, allowing him to slowly pull his leg over before he dismounted. His hand remained clinging to the sides of the harness, using Zephyr as a support while creating the illusion that he could stand. He gazed at his brother's face and could see clear knuckle prints, an indication that someone with a strong fist that was combined with cosmos. "What the hell did you do to my brother?"
Deathmask laughed as he walked over, his poisonous mouth ready to wreak havoc to keep his place as top dog of the holding pen. "Fucking hell, do you still tuck him in bed and kiss his forehead goodnight? What does it look like? We had a fight! I told him if he wins, I'll give him protection and if he loses, I was going to start decorating the wall with his face," he laughed, clearly referencing their last encounter, while pulling out a pocket knife with a blade as long and as thin as his finger, twirling it so quickly in his hand that it caused the tips of his hair to wave from the slight breeze.
Deathmask knew Aiolos. If it's just words, the archer was a turn the other cheek type of person would just grab Aiolia and leave. Besides, he knew he was crippled, so what could he do?
The problem was, Deathmask didn't know Cursed Aiolos.
The problem was, Deathmask underestimated Aiolos ability to fight.
Aiolos' eyes turned dark red as he grabbed Deathmask by the collar, using his own body weight and the angle to twist and pin the Cancer down with him laying on top. At lightspeed, he punched hard to expel all the air out the Cancer's lungs before slamming and pressed his forearm at the Italian's neck to block off his air. As the old saying goes:
A Saint without senses grows stronger, but a Saint without air grows incapacitated.
Deathmask's eyes widened. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't concentrate and without concentration, he was trying to burn his cosmos, but it was heavily unfocused while Aiolos burned his with such intensity it felt like he was being pinned down by the fucking sun.
The Leo felt locked in shock. "He's joking! That didn't happen! We were sparring for fun!" he screamed, but his voice was drowned by several prisoners who suddenly stood up and began to holler, entertained by the sudden fight that broke out.
Little did anyone realize that under the black mask, Aiolos hair had shifted to an ash color. His greatest fear was that Aiolia would die before he did and even if it was all an act, that moment still haunted him. "You think it's funny? I've been skinning stuff for years, now LET ME SHOW YOU HOW IT'S DONE!" he rasped as he pulled out his father's hunting knife, its blade as large as the Cancer's head.
Deathmask could see his wide eyes in the shine of the blade. He tried to pull off Aiolos arm, but it was just too strong from the angle, not realizing how much strength the curse was granting the archer.
His red eyes stared at the Italian before they shifted toward the group of children that were in Deathmask's care.
Oh Goddess...he can feel his own hand practically moving on its own, ready to plunge and flay off the top layer of the Cancer Saint. Shaka had granted him three mental barriers and it was clear that this was one of them. To trigger it, he began to recite the story to help him picture it. "Zephyr and I guard a wall...we ride...speed of light...back and forth...stopping the invaders..." he muttered, to help him imagine and form a wall in his mind. He could feel a heavy pressure in his head as if something was squeezing his skull and trying to break down the mental barrier. It caused him to pull the blade and his arm back for a moment, enough time for Aiolia to rush and snatch his hand and pull him off the Italian.
Deathmask who continued to lay there, his mouth sucking up the air while the Italian's eyes were stunned at what the fuck just happened, but the feeling was mutual for the Leo and the Taurus.
Aiolos took his hand and lifted his mask up a bit, to reveal a slight trickle of blood coming out of his nose.
O|===========|O
HOUSE BY THE WOODS
Seiya crouched down, his eyes narrowed as he stared at the medium-sized wild pig as it trotted around the garden. He carefully brought one knee forward before the animal raised its head and immediately ran away. "Dammit!" He pulled the bow and fired an arrow that landed several feet away from it. "How did it see me!?"
Marin, sitting in a chair under the porch, merely shook her head. "Seiya, you have the stealth of a three-legged giraffe. It didn't run away because it just heard you, it ran away because you tried to attack it."
The six-year-old frowned as he clutched Aiolia's old bow.
"(It didn't see you, Seiya. Pigs don't use their eyes. Pigs can't see well. Their hearing is good. Don't drag your leg. The sound to it is like the rumbling of thunder to us.)"
The Japanese Trainee's eyes widened. It sounded a lot like Aiolia, but it was a bit deeper, and it was all in simple Japanese. He turned his head as he spotted his teacher of three years, his mask and helmet off, on top of Zephyr. "AIOLOS!" he cheered as he ran over toward an outstretched hand. "(YOU'RE HERE! WHERE WERE YOU?)" he screamed as the archer helped him up on the horse and gave him a hug.
"(Good to see you, Seiya.)" He reciprocated it deeply. Seiya was the type to just offer high fives and seeing him like this meant he must have really missed him. That was okay, the feeling was mutual. "Sorry I haven't visited. I've been really busy in Sanctuary. You already know how hard it is for me to get from one place to another." Seiya didn't know he was the Pope, but he knew that he was a Gold Saint. "How is Rodario?" He asked using Greek once more.
Seiya's eyes seemingly sank. He remembered all the stories that the Sagittarius told back in the Kido Foundation and how much he wanted to return home. "I-don't like it...I…" he scratched the back of his head. "Well... it's not that the place is bad...it's just...everyone hates me! Everyone hates me because I am Japanese. Everyone hates me because I'm a Sagittarius. Everyone hates Marin. Everyone hates Aiolia...but everyone really hates you."
"Yeah...they do…" Aiolos may have been stuck in the Pope's Chambers, but he is not only aware of it but, Aiolia is the one to suffer. "We have each other, and that's all that matters."
Seiya shook his head. "You're a hero! You shouldn't be treated like shit. They should thank you!"
"Seiya, sometimes there are more important things to take care of first."
"Like what?"
Aiolos turned his head. He could see the silhouette of the swine from earlier. People don't realize that pigs, especially the wild ones, are smarter than dogs and it is clear that this one will wait until everyone is turned away before trying to feast in the garden. "Wanna try again on hunting that pig? I'll coach you...just like old times."He watched Seiya's technique. Goddess, Seiya had all the makings to be a good Pegasus but his aim was so bad that he was the first person he had encountered where it was just as dangerous to stand facing Seiya as it was to stand behind him.
"Sounds awesome!" Seiya practically leaped off the horse. "I want some crispy pork bel-"
"Shhh!" Aiolos gestured. "He's near, and we don't want to scare him off. Let's go, just don't try to lay down like you did or you'll make too much noise." He took his reins and began to guide the horse toward a more proper spot to take out their target. "By the way, I know you aren't liking Rodario much, but what about here?"
Seiya smiled. "It's great! Not worried about going out and people giving the stare down. The inside is very cozy. Having my own bedroom is kind of nice," the six-year-old scratched his head.
Aiolos turned his head. "Oh, what's wrong with it?"
Seiya made a frog face."Aiolia and Marin are too loud at night."
Aiolos burst into laughter as Seiya rolled his eyes at the thought. Goddess he missed his fellow Sagittarius. "I know the feeling. Just ask them if there is a mouse in the room at night and they should take the hint." He watched Seiya laugh along with him. He had forgotten how much fun it was to teach him. At the same time, there was a sense of dread, a fear of how much longer would it be before he became a puppet. It frightened him, for the man in the prison wasn't him...but soon it will be. But right now, he had Seiya and he was out of the Pope's Chambers. He should take time to enjoy both while he could.
Aiolia watched from afar, just silently observing his brother's actions.
"Aiolia, while they are away, we need to talk."
The Leo turned around to see a deeply troubled look on the Taurus. He had a feeling of what it was going to be about and right now seemed like the perfect opportunity. "Let's head inside." He spoke as he gestured for the Brazillian to follow.
Marin continued to sit in her chair. She had a feeling of what it was about too. "I'll keep an eye out for them."
"Thanks, Rin," Aiolia called to her. He asked Aiolos if there was some sort of term of endearment in Japan and it turned out that all one had to do was create a shorter nickname. Aiolos told her 'Rin' meant jewel in Japanese and he liked it. Even though he couldn't see her face, Marin seemed a bit off. "Something wrong?"
She turned her masked face. "Just...doing a lot of thinking...that's all."
Aiolia drew a sad face, wondering if he was the problem.
Prison...oh Goddess… one more item to check off on his giant list of fuck-ups. Sometimes he wondered if she thought she made a big mistake showing him her face. "Alright, I'll let you do that." He took a deep breath. "I love you," he whispered.
She turned her head and tilted in happiness, "I love you too...now get going before they come back," she shooed him with her hand.
The two entered, where Aldebaran removed his helmet. "Your brother today…" he began to trail.
"I know. My brother was acting strange," Aiolia muttered.
At that moment, any hesitation faded from the bull. "Acting strange? Aiolia, I was there when Aiolos thought you were dead at the House of Cancer. He was angry and nearly lost it. I don't know how to describe it, but I can see why he was like it back then. What we saw wasn't anger...your brother looked like a psychopath!"
"Shit, I know," Aiolia cursed. "Believe me, he's never done anything like that!"
"I know he hasn't. But that type of behavior is unacceptable for a Gold Saint." He folded his arms. "You know, for the last five years, I allowed more exotic dancers into Sanctuary than there had been in the last five centuries. But they had all been approved so I let them in.
Mu kept being told he needed approval from the Pope to see him. I thought that too was very strange, but he is the Pope and I'm required to follow his orders.
New staff was constantly being hired in the Pope's Chambers. I questioned it, but I kept it to myself."
Aiolia could hear the Bull's lamenting tone. "It is not your fault. You supported my brother and you never once called him a traitor."
Aldebaran's shoulders sank. "I was born a Catholic and my mother spoke of the seven sins all the time. When she did, I always felt confused as to why sloth could be considered a deadly sin. Now I know. I was with Mu when he felt his Master's life cease and all sorts of strange things occurred. I didn't side with Saga, but I didn't question it either.
I did nothing."
Aiolia shook his head. "We were kids."
But Aldebaran still shook his head no. "I had my Gold Cloth. I had enough common sense to know something was not right. I can either excuse my past actions based on my age, or I can learn from it. That's what I'm doing now. I'm not going to repeat the same thing. It's time the Gold Saints act like Gold Saints. Earlier, with that Japanese trainee, that is the way I've always remembered him. It's almost like the one from earlier is a completely different person. But that is why I am coming to you."
O|==================|O
LATER THAT NIGHT
Marin took her hands and went through the long routine of cleaning her face. Skincare was extremely important for an Amazon, and if it is neglected, the sweat and oil on her face will cause her skin to heavily break out. Once she was done, she turned her creamy bare face and walked over toward the bed. Her late mother's beautiful red yukata was wrapped around her body, the white sash loosely wrapped around her waist, the light contours of her breasts delightfully peaking through. She sat on her usual side and normally, her Leo would draw her in before her bottom could touch the sheets.
But not tonight. Aiolia laid there flat on his back and while she received a wonderful view of all his years of training in the sun, his eyes were clearly staring at the ceiling, heavy in thought.
"Is it your brother?" she asked as she took her hand and stroked his blond curls.
Aiolia took a deep breath. "I have a feeling Saga did something…." his eyes saddened. "But after a month, I can't find that fucker anywhere. The fact that he can fucking Another Dimension anywhere just makes it worse." He drew his hands to his face. "Fu-…" he groaned before Marin placed her hand on his lips.
"I know. You talk about that every night too. But finding Saga isn't something you can do on your own. Worry about Saga in your office tomorrow when you have all the materials and maps to plan out how to find him."
Aiolia took a deep breath and pressed her hand closer to his mouth to kiss it. "You're right. I hate to say it, but for once, my brother is driving me crazier than that blue-haired lunatic. I guess it is the fact that Aldebaran is just one of those people who never speaks ill of anyone. If he's thinking this, what about the others? I know my brother is worthy of the title of Pope, but with the way he's acting…" He threw his hands back over his face. "...maybe he's overworked?"
Marin nodded. "He did seem to act like himself when he was with Seiya when they went after that pig."
Aiolia groaned. "Goddess, I don't know how he could trust Seiya with a bow. How the fuck does someone aim on the ground manage to strike the roof," he muttered as he could see the tip of the arrow poking through the ceiling.
Marin laughed. "I know, but that's not the point. I'm just thinking your brother may need a small break."
Aiolia's face brightened. "That's true. He used to come here all the time." He snapped his fingers. "I've been looking over his schedule and he doesn't have any meetings next Saturday. We can have a simple brother trip out here. It will be like how he used to take me. I could even borrow a horse and the two of us…" a smile cracked on his face. Now that he thought of it, it's been years since the two did something together that wasn't related to their duty or training. "Yeah, let's try that!" He turned his head and lovingly gazed at her face, having long memorized every tiny mole upon her cheeks and everywhere else on her body. "How the hell did a fuck-up like me get so lucky to be with someone as perfect as you?" he spoke as he pulled her on top of him before the two began to exchange the desperate kisses that they wanted to bestow upon the other throughout the day.
"Mmm, you're not as much of a fuck-up as you say," Marin whispered into his ear before she nibbled on his deliciously salty neck.
But the Leo sighed hard. "Yeah, I am. My brother came back after missing for two years and I not only tossed him out, I told Saga about him as well. During the plan to come back to Sanctuary, Saga managed to get me to admit the plan and again… I nearly fuck up. As soon as Aiolos becomes Pope, I run off to get him beer and wasabi peas and I come back to find out that not only has he changed, but Athena and Saga are missing. Hell, Saga is still fucking missing...probably in the same place Kanon is. Today, of all days, one of the few completely free days I have, and I end up spending half the day in a fucking holding cell instead of with you and Seiya." He stroked his rough hand in her soft red hair before he brushed his lips against her forehead. "I'm telling you, everything I do, I fuck it up and I'm so sick of it!"
The two laid there quietly. Marin rested her head on the crevice of his chest. The truth was, earlier while everyone was either hunting pigs or talking inside, she too was occupied in thought. She was scared, definitely nervous, and without a doubt, was certain Seiya's training had been sent off the rails.
But the truth was, it made her happy, and she knew it would make him happy too. "Remember when I just wanted tea earlier?" She watched him nod before she took a deep breath and decided to relax. They were already ostracized, why not continue to be ostracized together with a smile.
She took his hand and rested it on her stomach, allowing him to feel a very faint cosmos that could be best described as a newborn star.
"Happy birthday."
O|====================|O
Coming September 6-7
Saga tries to piece together his findings with Shion's journal while Aphrodite finds out what Aiolos did to Deathmask in the prison.
Author's Notes: Heavily delayed chapter here. Due to COVID training football season starting, I barely had any time to write which is why the next update is about three weeks.
The thing at the end was more of a coincidence. I only discovered it was Aiolia's birthday the day from Tumblr and decided to insert it. Hope you enjoy, read and review.