The Last Celestial

The First Day and The Warning

Ever since Timothy agreed to be Andrew's guardian, he also agreed to leave everything in Nam Won. His small house, his car and his land. It's a plus that he'll be paid handsomely being the guardian of Andrew, but he also received a fair amount of compensation for the things he would leave behind in Korea that he could not bring to where he is going.

He has to go back to one of many Keeper's area of protection, the very place that he tried to escape from many times. As he rides on a private plane going to Caribbean Islands, he can't help but wonder---is this all part of his destiny? When he was young, all they've ever talked about was the great fall of the Celestial beings. And how lucky they are that their descendants and their future generations is a part and will take part of this great responsibility. If he was truly honest with himself, he was just like any other Haris descendant. But then... a tragedy happened years ago, and it made his faith, beliefs and everything else crumble slowly. For sure he wanted to get out. He sincerely did.

And then... there's this boy. He had only been with Andrew for a few days, but he can't help but envy the boy.

The tragedy that has happened to Andrew would've sent anyone to rock bottom, yet there was still brightness and light on the boy. Timothy can see it through the boy's eyes... something that was missing from him a long time ago, and hopefully will come back to him soon. A spark of hope.

He took a peak at Andrew who was sitting across. The boy was staring at the window and there was a big smile on his face.

"Enjoying the view?"

Andrew who was busy looking down through the window instantly looked through his direction. "Yes." He smiled at Timothy. "Are we there yet? Dah said you're taking me somewhere special."

Timothy crossed his legs and leaned against the comfortable chair, he's seating in first class after all. "Kid, we got to work with your expectations. You're not flying hundreds of miles for a vacation." Was Timothy's lukewarm reply. "We're here to train."

"I know." Andrew replied. "But still... after the training I can go for a swim, right?" He nudged towards the small window of the plain and pointed at the sea, and his eyes sparkled with excitement.

=====================

The two of them landed safely on the island, and soon after that a black SUV came to pick them up to take them at the reserve. The chauffeur helped out with their luggage and soon they were set out for the two hour drive. The way to the said reserve was beautiful, the island was filled with trees and only a few people can be seen. Not too much buildings and the houses were small.

When they arrived on the reserve, Andrew was the first to hop off the car. He didn't expect the place to be this big. There was a few acres of land and a two storey house was standing on the farthest south of the field. He gazed on everything, and noted how it was so different from Arizona. The breeze was cool and trees were covering some places. He took a deep breath and smelled the ocean breeze. And for someone like him, it seemed like paradise.

He looked at Timothy who was busy talking to the chauffeur.

"Get back to the car." Timothy said. "The house is too far from us. And I don't want to walk."

Andrew agreed and silently slid back to the car and when they've reached the house each of them were given a set of keys and a cellphone with a Sim card that was customized for Keeper's use only. The two of them finally settled in with the help of the chauffeur. There are still a lot of things to unpack and many other things to buy to keep them comfortable. But for now, this is what they'll call home.

There were three bedrooms in the house. And from what they have seen, the doors already have their names written on a wooden plaque.

"How fancy." Timothy noted as they checked second floor.

"I know!" Andrew replied in excitement. "And there's a room for Dah too!"

Timothy rolled his eyes and sighed. "Of course..." He whined with a grim expression. "Yay..."

Andrew laughed as he opened the door to his room. He pulled his suitcase inside and soon went inside. Timothy thought that he should give it a rest and get some sleep as well. Travelling can be tough sometimes, specially if you're not used to it. He grabbed on the doorknob and twisted it. He pushed the door open and was about to enter when he heard Andrew call for him.

"What?" Was Timothy's impatient reply.

"Let loose, old man." Andrew menacingly replied. "If you keep on frowning like that, eventually you'll look past 40."

And with a loud laughter, Andrew closed the door on him.

=================

On the other side of the world, just before Ecuador crosses Brazil---the oldest fortress of the Keeper's remains standing. An assembly has been called, and all who filial heads of descendants of Haris must come. Only a few Elder Keepers will be left and guard the relics. The trained ones, the ones who can stand on their own and use little magic to trace and ward the minions of the man cannot die. Most the the Keepers have been assigned to investigate and track where the first creature of tar was spotted.

The Elder's knew that this was no coincidence, and they're expecting something worse is about to come.

There was almost a hundred of them who gathered inside the chamber with the blessing of Sagittarius. The room had land mixed with different parts from the forest of the Zodiacs and it protects them from the tar creatures. The room also cannot be penetrated by an outside---meaning on those who has Haris' blood flowing through their veins may enter.

Diomedes, an elder Keeper was the only one standing inside the room. His hair was black with a few silver strands and he's taller than others as he stands almost 6 feet and 3 inches tall. And his eyes were color golden brown, an indication that he has been anointed by Sagittarius as the head among the elder keeper's until his last days here on Earth.  He checked everyone around, to see if there is any unfamiliar faces. When he felt that nothing is suspicious he signaled the two men standing on the big wooden gate for the doors to be sealed as the assembly is about to begin.

"May I have your attention, everyone." He called, and when he did the room became silent and everyone remained still. All eyes are on him. "I am well aware that all of you know what happened a decade ago. The boy who inherited Leo's fire is now being trained by one of our own. Timothy Haris. The son of Zena and Neil Haris will be training him... and preparing him for the dread that is to come. Not just for the boy... but for all of us."

Diomedes looked all around the room and noticed how tense everyone is. "You are all sensing the same fear as I am. I can feel the Earth shaking little by little. The undying man has sent us a warning when a minion appeared in the heart of the Sahara desert---the location where Scorpio's bane is heavily guarded. For a thousand and six hundreds years, this association has been at peace and is keeping guard of all the relics. But since the boy inherited the power of a Celestial, attacks coming from the enemy became more and more aggressive."

Some people from the crowd began to whisper to each other, and the others remained quiet.

"What should we do?" Gobi, the Elder Keeper who's influence is wide spread in West Africa, his territory is near the hiding place of Scorpio's Bane. "We don't have the power to defeat that kind of evil. Nathaniel is the keeper at the Fortress of Scorpio and he barely made it out alive. Since then the creature is terrorizing other fortresses as well. The last time the tarred ones attacked us, many  were critically injured---the healing sap extracted from the trees of the Forest barely saved them from death."

Elders began to clamor, murmurs and panicked whispers resounded throughout the chamber.

Diomedes signalled for everyone to settle down and be silent. He raised his hand and pulled down his sleeve---revealing the tattoo shaped like a circle and inside that circle a symbol of each twelve zodiacs. The black lines of the tattoo shined from dark to red and the symbols spun around until a vision whirled inside the chamber. "The Celestial is aware of this and showed himself through a dream that I've had three weeks ago since the attack happened. This is why we needed this assembly, I need you all to know what's coming... And you cannot be afraid, all of us cannot be afraid. Until Andrew is ready--- we need to be able to fight. This is why our clan... our family still exist and is still growing. We must be prepared for the return of the other Celestial beings as well, for Sagittarius told me about blood shed that we've never seen before. But before then, fortify the barriers and go to the Forest of the Zodiacs to create not only protections... we also need new weapons. If the man who cannot die kill us all first before the powers of the other Celestial beings return, the world may end and there is nothing that can stop it."

Tahani Haris, the mother of Dah stood up. She's one of the head Elder's who specialize in studying the magic that can be extracted from the Forest of the Zodiacs. Along with her husband, they're the one who discovered that the flowers that bloomed from the forest can be used as a Barrier. "Elder Diomedes, my husband and my family will be happy to offer our expertise."

"Perfect."

"But I do have one request." Tahani said. "I wish to see the boy who inherited Leo's power."