The Crooked Silhouette

Chapter 15: The Perplexing Discussion

The tingling discomfort at his spine somehow awoke him from his sleep. It was quite shocking to him that he laid on his back instead of his side although the pain has not expired yet. He knew his wings have withdrawn back into his skin, but the soreness literally disallowed him to budge just unreservedly. The obfuscating vision he has been bore was unimpeded by degrees and the murky sky showed up into his visibility.

            It was night time. Otome shifted to another creature lying beside him. Takeru was still knocked out but he was gratified to see him still respiring. He lifted up his both hands into his spectacle, endorsing no other injury beside backache, and promptly surmised those who apprehended them did not maltreat them additionally.

            “Oho, you’ve come to your senses.”

            That one singular voice stunned him to the point he rose gruffly. The stinging backache jolted him, and he carped in pain. Yagi was gaiting towards them with colourful fruits in his arms. He looked just average with a grin across his face, and no one was with him at the moment. One brow was raised.

            “Mizugame, Tatsu and Hikari are over there,” as if he could read his mind, Yagi replied serenely with his index finger gestured towards a track alleged to be where those three were at, “They were providing both of you some space to rest. I’m joining them, but I happen to be here just because I want to supply you food.”

            Approximately ten meters from their spot, Otome could see a fire ignited in the middle of a circle of creatures. Mizugame, Tatsu and Hikari were perching around it, nattering and sometimes chortling. They seemed so harmonious and safe as if Tatsu and Hikari were Dimensionals like them – The Zodiacs.

            Those Humans really could stay in The Dimension, huh?

            “What has really happened, Yagi?” While eyeing Yagi lining up the fruits on a pandan leaf, Otome attempted on interrogating. “Why were you guys assaulting us?”

            His index finger waggled it in repudiation, “It wasn’t a raid. It was an arrest. We captured you and Takeru The Human.”

            “Do those two words have different interpretation?” Otome averted from opposing Yagi’s geeing up glances at him. Yagi was significantly more menacing a few hours ago.

            “Absolutely.”

            The breeze mildly buffeted and flickered against their hair, swaying and laying their forehead bare. It was rather chilly likened to the nights before, but Yagi and the gang were so well-equipped that they supplied numerous large leaves at Otome’s spot, manifesting their inclination to succour those two from going astray than the original path.

            “Tsuya asked us to find you guys,” Yagi kicked off the revelation, “There are three vanished Zodiacs, and you are one of them. We’ve seized Oushi and The Human with him, named Kei. Kani and Ite have already taken them to Tsuya in a flash.”

            “So, another missing Zodiacs is… Ohitsuji?”

            “It’s still a mystifying though. It seems as if he disappeared for good,” Yagi crossed his arms, frowning and reflecting hard, “Oushi and you pragmatically had the same motive once you guys turned up on The Dimension. You also wanted to take him as your resident, right?” His index finger levelled at Takeru.

            Otome pursed his lips. It could be that Oushi was too apparent in supressing his thirst to annex Kei as one of his men, hence Yagi was quick enough to catch on when it came to his case. He eventually nodded.

            “It’s my primary supposition, but I hope it isn’t true,” Yagi skimmed around before he resumed in half murmuring, “Tsuya is able to read our inside too.”

            “Ridiculous!” Otome’s tone somewhat elevated, signifying his restoration process was going on too smoothly, “He only has psychic. Plus, he isn’t here to begin with. How can you say so?”

            Yagi caught Otome on the collar, huffing his carbon dioxide off and shooting a deadly glower, “It’s because he has psychic! For your information, since he isn’t in The Forest of Eve, he sent three Zodiacs-“

            “As his spies? Yes I am already aware of that!” Otome clenched his teeth and sweeping away Yagi’s hand – the one clasping on his shirt, “I’ve seen them. Shishi, Kani, and Ite. Oh! Perhaps you and Mizugame are also his spies!”

            “We aren’t his spies! We were supposed to find you guys, and we weren’t allowed to flee either!” Yagi shook Otome’s shoulders instead. He practically sealed the bustle of Otome’s arms, which disabling The Virgo to run amok. “Well, we were also at sea. Since he has already acknowledged you were running away from the mission, why didn’t he send Shishi, Kani, and Ite directly to you guys instead of depending on us?”

            There was a disconcerting reticence idling in between them. Otome could not even blink despite the tensed awkwardness.

            “You… are right.”

            Yagi just recalled Otome’s aching back and straightaway apologized. Otome brushed it off, certifying that the pain has eased a little. He laid his back against the tree trunk and faced the half-concern, half-giddy Yagi.

            “What about Ohitsuji?”

            A long sigh emanated from Yagi. “He’s the true missing Zodiac, as you can see. We are clueless on where to scour him. Shishi told us one of you three hasn’t even returned to The Dimension. Identifying Oushi and you in here, it means Ohitsuji is the one left behind.”

            Otome’s ogling eyes bolstered flummox that has already towered their sanity. “How can it be like that?”

            Yagi’s shrug dismayed him. His gaze sank in contemplation.

            “So, when will you guys succumb us to Tsuya?”

            “Who said that we will succumb you to him?”

            “Eh?”

            Again, his one brow raised. He foresaw whether he misheard when Yagi grinned ear to ear, substantiating the fact he has gathered. Otome tilted his head on one side, perplexed.

            “We want both of you to join us absconding.”

            Gesticulation by Yagi and Otome while they were chatting persuaded Mizugame to watch them while munching a purplish star fruit. Tatsu noticed his behaviour and trailed to the course he heeded upon, whilst Hikari relished every single bites of various fruits Yagi has plucked for them. From their perspective, Yagi seemed fine in defining the whole ordeal to Otome, and they did not see any allusion of ambushing by Otome as well. Both were in good term which optimistically would not hesitate The Virgo to concur.

            “It’ll be more unsuspicious if Yagi is the one describing,” Tatsu observed the fire kindling in front of him. He was holding a turquoise apple, his most favourite food of The Dimension, “Yagi is a Zodiac – a Dimensional – which strengthens the factor. There’s no way Otome will doubt him.”

            Hikari propped his chin, also chewing an oval banana. “Why shouldn’t we do that, Tatsu? He will think of us intelligently. I don’t see any harm as us replacing Yagi.”

            Tatsu pointed at his own countenance, “Do you think he will believe me, a Tsuya? Don’t you feel he will punch me instead?”

            Mizugame tittered. Hikari squinted at The Aquarius, holding his anger of annoyance and hand to avoid him being the one letting a strike in lieu. The fire thawed them pretty good, but Tatsu was shivering, unknowingly what the reason was. He could feel the tips of his fingers were freezing, and the same sensation was discerned in his soles as well.

            “Once we found Ohitsuji and his Human, our job is settled,” Mizugame stretched his body to relax the muscles, “Oh, how I hope everything is going to be all right.”

            “It will,” Hikari thumbed up and nodded obediently, “As long as we stick to the plan, it’s going to be fine. Right, Tatsu?”

            The pounding heart somehow wavered Tatsu from replying right on the spot. He governed his stuttering before he nodded in treaty, “We have to do this. Gather everyone in one place, and we will find a way to fight against Tsuya to snatch Kei back to us later.”

            “To be honest, I doubt that will work.”

            Hikari and Tatsu immediately turned to the furrowing Mizugame. Mizugame blinked in bewilderment as he realized every pair of eyes was concentrating on him solely. He gulped. “Remember Shishi, Kani and Ite? Do you ever think how they could teleport one place to another? They just need to imagine one place and poof! They will be able to reach there already.”

            Tatsu pondered meticulously. “Mizu, do you know which Zodiac has that ability? To appear at one place just by imagining the location?”

            “To be honest, I’m not certain myself,” The Aquarius shifted at Yagi and Otome as he noticed they were bickering, “I’m one of The Zodiacs that declines war as much as possible. Whenever we are battling against The Demon, I’ll be the one refusing first. No, I’m not retreating. I prefer to lend a hand on management and medical. Much focusing on the backstage.”

            He saw Hikari squinting at him in scepticism. Hikari assuredly would be, since Mizugame was one of The Zodiacs, and it sounded almost implausible to not know what kind of powers or abilities his colleagues possessed. Mizugame scorned The Human’s cold stare, shielding himself that he was doing it to reserve his own energy, not because of running away from his duty as an Aquarius.

            Tatsu trailed the direction Mizugame was paying attention to. “Then, which Zodiac do you know what his power is?”

            “Only three Zodiacs are tasked for the backstage,” Mizugame put up his three fingers, “The Libra, The Pisces, and The Aquarius. The Libra is for management, The Pisces is for medical purposes, while I’m in charge of aid-on support. The Libra is the fairest among us all since he is the oldest and has the most knowledge regarding The Dimension and The Earth. The Pisces has healing as his secondary ability. Compared to Yagi The Capricorn, The Pisces is able to cure other creatures too. And The Aquarius will defend these two if the enemies breeched.”

            Despite having the lamest facial expression among The Zodiacs they have encountered after days in The Dimension, Tatsu and Hikari had to confide the judgment Mizugame sustained by himself. It sounded much more convincing even though he seemed unenthusiastic to contribute at first. The Humans exchanged glances and thought thoroughly together.

            “Guess we should ask Yagi then.”

            In order to grasp the entire truth composedly, The Humans had to gradually understand every aspect The Zodiacs have been mentioning to them – what The Dimension was, how they could be there, who Tsuya and The Zodiacs, and other Dimensionals were, what the role each of the creatures held, how the system was applied in The Dimension, and what or which place they should avoid or rely on. It might be confusing at first, until they were approached by the real Dimensionals once they have begun their unknowing journey.

            “So The Human who looks like Tsuya is really here.”

            A voice accosted them from behind, startling the ill-witted Mizugame until he accidentally hugged Hikari. Hikari squinted at him, again in disbelief. Tatsu laughed at Mizugame and Hikari since they seemed too fine to be considered a predator and a prey.

            “Your reaction is rare, Otome,” Amazement was clearly designed in Yagi’s words, “The others shocked soon after they saw him. His name is Tatsu by the way.”

            It was fundamentally about him, hence Tatsu stood and bowed a little. Otome was flustered by Tatsu’s courtesy as he never acknowledged Humans could be that polite despite their dissimilarities as an Earthling to a Dimensional. He replied with an uncomfortable bow and quickly glimpsed at Yagi. Takeru was still unconscious on Yagi’s broad back, but he seemed fine overall.

            “Hi, Tatsu. My name is Otome. I’m a Virgo and I’m the King of The Virgo Valley,” a hand shake was hopefully what he would receive from Tatsu, not a sudden ambush by psychic.

            Surprisingly Tatsu joyously shook Otome’s hand. The Zodiac before their eyes was very pleasant and an eye candy. It was a he, but to him Otome was really adorable as a male, and his facial features displayed more to a Human than as a Zodiac like Yagi with big stature or Mizugame with thin body. Or did Zodiacs have gender since they day they were created? “My name is Tatsu. This is my friend, Hikari. Thank you for taking care of Takeru. He is our friend as well.”

            The Virgo unhurriedly turned to other direction where he estimated they could not see his emotion. His blushing face would humiliate him if they witnessed it, therefore the best way to avoid it was to cover it nicely. “Takeru is a nice Human. He really cherishes you guys and works hard to find all of you again.”

            “I’m glad to hear that,” Tatsu patted his chest in relief.

            While Tatsu was approaching Otome, Hikari checked on the passed out Takeru. Yagi has scrupulously laid him on leaves so that he would not catch a cold. Even though he was not involved in recovering measure in wars, with the learning he gained from Ou The Pisces, he was able to assist first-aid and fulfil basic necessity.

            It was relieving to discover that Takeru has been in the care of a Zodiac which as charming as Otome. Judging from the expression, Otome seemed pleasurable and concern in spite of his standard traits as a Zodiac. He was the most ordinary Zodiac Tatsu and Hikari have come across through their journey, however it saddened them as they discovered Otome was one of those who ran away from the mission.

            And the queerest part of Otome The Virgo was he rejected Tatsu’s plan explained by Yagi, on collaborating to confront Tsuya together.