Lost in the Crossroads

Six - Visions and Metaphors (Aquilo)

Aquilo gazed around the massive library where he could feel the humming power that is his brother, searching. The phoenix locked himself inside the library after calming the frazzled Mythos Clan Lords concerning the influx of magic in the air that originated from the East.

Even after it’s fall, the East still inflict fear to the hearts of Mythos.

He still remembered with clarity the terror and destruction the Witch had brought upon the lands. The crazed golden-eyes that stared down every living being in Gaia’s land. Her cruel laughter mixing with the raging roars of her servants. Her madness for power that rose towers of corpses.

She had thought of herself above from all others and Marco burned her for it.

In fear for the second-coming of the witch, human females were forbidden to practice arcane magic. They see to it and made sure that there are no more witches that grew with great power. Every single female humans that harbors magic in their bodies or show prowess in anything magical related were hunted and burned to ashes. No one was spared for the last five-hundred years.

Humanity feared and revered them for it.

Catching the sight of his brother buried deep in ancient scrolls and books, Aquilo deeply sighed. He doesn’t understand Marco’s zeal of knowing the meaning behind the strange luminous lights that was resulted by the magical influx in the East when he already told him it was the Goddess Gaia he saw in his visions not a witch.

The Goddess was moving once again whether for ill or for good they didn’t know.

In his vision, he saw her descending from the sky reaching out to something. Something he couldn’t tell. Emotions are flowing in that vision, mostly of urgency, necessity and fear but there is touch of magic, warmth and relief. Aquilo would sometimes close his eyes and envision what he saw and felt, trying to determine if those emotions are coming from the Goddess or someone else. But he couldn’t tell. The vision was not yet complete. For the meantime, it was just Gaia descending from the sky.

If there is even someone else connected in the vision Aquilo would find out sooner or later what is their role in the future. Gaia’s gifts were unpredictable at best. It was the main reason why the Phoenix Lord was anxious to gain knowledge of the upcoming gift of Gaia.

Yet there is no need to haste. It will be revealed when it is time.

Foolish birdbrain who is too impatient for the visions to be completed. He mused.

“Marco.” He called the blond’s attention but Marco was too engrossed in reading through the ancients scrolls he dug up from the old shelves to notice him. He sincerely doubts the Phoenix Lord will find something about the Goddess’ intention. This was indeed the time first she saw fit to give them a warning before she dumped a problem in their laps that she called gifts.

Take the Witches for an exemplary example. What a problem they were. Mages were understandable. They found purpose in their magical power and that is to protect their households as it was expected of them since birth.

But Witches, they found no purpose in their power and got consumed by magic. Why give them magic when they can’t control it? In all honesty, why give humans magic in the first place? They don’t understand it at all unlike them who are born as magic.

“Marco.” Aquilo tried again, voice firmer than the former.

The Phoenix Lord blue eyes snapped at his direction, sharp and narrow. Aquilo stared at him, knowing it wouldn’t take too much time for Marco to recognized him after going in deep reading the scroll he was holding.

It didn’t even take a second when the mask of indifference on Marco’s face crumble before his presence.

“Aquilo.” Marco muttered softly in a greeting. “I didn’t notice you there, brother.” Blue eyes blinked owlishly, fatigue finally showing. That was expected. The Phoenix had been busy wrangling the Clan Lords into a lull so that they wouldn’t start any foolish advances on the humans and risk the wrath of Gaia. She is awfully fond of them.

“You were too occupied with scrolls of the ancient.” Aquilo said, inclining his head to the direction of stack of books and scrolls around him. “Impatient, aren’t we?”

The Phoenix-Lord had the nerve to looked sheepish.

“I appreciate your effort for trying to gain information about the new catalyst Gaia was about to throw on us but you need to rest, Marco.” He said, leveling the Phoenix Lord a stern gaze as he stood before the table he was using.

Marco stared at him, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. “Did Sebastian goad you into this?”

“No. I came here in my own volition.” Aquilo frowned not understanding what the Tiger Lord had anything to do for his own actions. “Do I have to bring him into this?” he asked, narrowing his own eyes.

“Goddess no.” The phoenix hastily answered. He had his eyes squeezed shut in that familiar expression that said he remembered something unpleasant with the Tiger-Lord that is their brother.

Aquilo hoped he wouldn’t catch a whiff of what it was, considering Marco’s reaction to it.

Cats and their playfulness.

“Then?” He watched with narrowed eyes as a brief of hesitation flashes into his brother’s eyes.

Marco’s jaw clenched clearly not wanting to leave his research until he found something related to the curtain of lights or anything about the new gift of Gaia.

“You are tired.” Aquilo pointed out. “And you are expected to socialize with the Clan Lords and Ladies tomorrow.” He added as a final assault.

The Phoenix-Lord’s resolved crumble before the reminder of one of his so-called duties and responsibilities. Marco’s shoulder slumped as he slouched onto the table, the scroll he was holding was forgotten and squished beneath his robes. “Must you remind me of that?” he groaned out.

“I see your overwhelming desire for researching were just an excuse.”

“That’s not it.” The blond glare from the stacks of books before him. “And you should know of all beings.”

“Of course.” Aquilo nodded sagely, staring down at the Strongest Mythos in the world slouching over a table.

The Phoenix-Lord could only sigh in defeat, straightening from his seat and fixing the disheveled state of his robes.

“You will help me.” Marco stated, gesturing to the stacks of books and scrolls as he stood, talons clicking on the marble floor.

“That is why I’m here and not Sebastian.” Aquilo answered, smirking when the blond cringed at the mention of the trouble-making Tiger-Lord. It made him curious what did the tiger do but settles not to find out. The less he knows the better.

“Whatever you say.” Marco retorted, quite grumpily.

He helped arranging the books by the era they were written. Books and Scrolls that were once upon a time in the Great Library of Sheragon in the East that was burned down in the war against the witch.

Aquilo remembered a human mage named Stefano, was the one who salvaged the books in the middle of the war and the reason it was now in their library. Marco must have forgotten about it just like their old alliance with the humans and elves in the Ancient wars. It was long ago but it doesn’t change the fact that they were associated with the humans that they all believed as savages and harbinger of the land’s destruction ever since the Witch that destroyed the East.

They all have forgotten.

It took quite a time since the books Marco have to get were in the oldest shelves which was placed at the highest wall in their massive library but once done, his brother grudgingly walked to his chambers.

Finished with the task of herding his brother to his chamber, Aquilo was struck with the feeling that he had yet to do something but could not found out what. He paused in the middle of the moon-lit hallway and raised his arm, experimentally flexing his wrist. Nothing peculiar. His body was still his which was quite a wonder why he wanted to leap outside it.

Sighing, Aquilo made his way to the garden conceding to his sudden urge to shift in his true form. The moon-flowers are at full bloom, luminous blossom filling the garden as they bathed under the light of the night sky. The flowers shone like little moons on the land.

Perhaps, this is the reason why of his sudden urge to shift. Moon-flowers only bloom when the moon was full. They also don’t live very long. Once dawn arrive the flowers will die, just as easily as that and the servants will plant another batch for the next full moon. It was a tradition in their house for the flowers are befitting to the Land of the Moon.

A subtle and deliberate rustling of grass informed him of a companion in the moon-flowers lit garden.

“Good evening, Lord Aquilo. Are you out for a walk?” The White Dog General said, smiling charmingly at his direction and curtsying halfheartedly from the ancient tree he was leaning onto.

“Not exactly.” Aquilo answered, turning his body to fully gave Lord Kale his attention.

Lord Kale is one of the few Clan Lords that has great patience and understanding towards humanity. Perhaps it has to do something with his role in the War against the witch as the Mythos representative among the humans. He walked and socialized with them, working on the alliance with his charm and interpersonal skills which impresses Aquilo up to the present.

It is a wonder why the White Dog General was not yet mated. He has the looks, charm and strength to win any woman that caught his attention and sire his heirs.

“May I ask what are your doing outside, Lord Kale?” He inquired.

“Ah. It’s the flowers, my lord. They caught my attention.” Lord Kale answered, smiling softly as his golden eyes gaze wistfully at the moon flowers. “They are beautiful.”

“They are.” Aquilo agreed, curiosity filling his eyes with the emotions the Lord of the Dog Clan was showing through the sight of the moon-flowers. He had never seen such emotions in the eyes of the White Dog General. It was intriguing.

“Is it true they don’t live long?” Lord Kale asked, inspecting a moon-flower closely.

“Yes. They die quickly.” Aquilo answered, watching curiously as the White Dog General stretched out a hand and cupped a bloom on his clawed fingers, carefully.

Very intriguing.

“Like humans.” He heard Lord Kale muttered under his breath, almost sadly.

Aquilo said nothing. He merely went on his way to the fish pond at the edge of the garden giving the Lord of the Dog Clan the privacy he obviously needed. As much as he was curious of the Lord’s strange actions towards the moon-flowers and thoughts in metaphors Aquilo wasn’t one to pry.

It doesn’t look much like a problem if Lord Kale was acting like that. Though, it was admittedly strange. Wistful and sad are no words to describe the charming Lord Kale. He was pleasant to be with, in or out of the battlefield.

Aquilo let his body shift into his black turtle form with a snap and pop of bone as soon as he reached the pond. Just like his Heavenly Beast brothers, he could control the size of his shifting form.

Wanting nothing but soothe the sudden urge of shifting to his other form, Aquilo choose to be as normally big as possible which for humans are the size of their horses. He never felt the odd contorting sensation as muscles and tendons ripped, as his body goes numb during his transformation though he has to shake off the eeriness that accompanies with the weight of shell on his back and walking on four legs once again. It has been a long time since he used his Mythos form.

Unlike the other two, Aquilo only uses his Mythos form in battle. Only a fool would fight a battle hardened black turtle. Not even the Cursed Witch attacks could penetrate his shell defenses.

Once the feeling was shaken off, Aquilo waded into the water in his Mythos form. The lotuses in the water parting for him. He let his body relaxed and try not think about visions and metaphors.

The time will come when they will be revealed.