Jon's hooves echoed through the deserted market grounds as we crossed a footbridge over the river, making our way into Abinor. I had been looking back occasionally over my shoulder to check on Zak and every time I'd be met with the same lifeless calm face. This time, I looked past his body and over the bridge.

  The flowing waters were rippling from the falling drops of light rain. I was taken by this—not the ripples—the color of the water. It was red, reflecting the same tinge that blanketed the sky above. I looked up. I guessed it to be midday but the blood red sky added an unsettling amount of darkness, alongside the scarlet flashes of lightning and thunderstorms.

  I squinted my eyes ahead, trying to make out the mountain. Rain splashed against my face. Mt. Atalasia was completely shrouded in thick dark red clouds. It was presumed to erupt but that had not exactly been Aries's plan. He had literally siphoned the volcano out of it and was wandering the skies while I wandered the marketplace. Whatever his next move was, I knew I had to be ready—but I didn't know how. The moment I had mounted Jon, that had been a glorious sixty seconds as I left behind the only other help I had in taking on Aries but they'd all shown me they weren't in the game anymore and I really couldn't blame them. There had to be a different way to do this. . .if only I knew it.

  I had no idea where I was going but I knew I had to keep going. I'd chosen to come back here. Market stalls lay empty, worn out and wet. A dog or wolf, I wasn't sure, was nibbling at something that looked a lot like a human torso. Ravens would swoop down for a bite but would receive a warning snarl from the animal. It looked up at me with a pair of grey eyes as Jon and I passed by it.

  Thunder cracked and I had to calm down Jon by stroking his mane and we progressed through the red tinged environment. The surroundings gradually changed the more we moved and I realized we were exiting the market as huts came into view.

  "You there!" a voice called and I turned to find a soldier approach me. "All village folk are to be enclosed in the safety of their homes."

  I did not know what to say as more soldiers came into view. They appeared to be engaging in some kind of activity as I spotted some carrying firewood, pieces of clothing and bowls of food. They would pass by Jon and me, coming to and from the village.

  "Where did you come from?" the soldier asked after my silence.

  "I was just umm. . ." I swallowed, "going home."

  "Were you now?" the soldier scoffed then narrowed his eyes at me, apparently noticing something as he took off his helm. "Hold on. You're that corrupted boy, aren't you? The one who's been cavorting with them demons!"

  I did not like where this was going and I subtly tightened my fingers around Jon's mane, ready to have him get us out of there any second.

  The soldier was getting closer and something else caught his attention as his eyes went wide. He was staring at the lifeless counterpart lying next to me. "By Jove, is that the former General you have there with you, boy?"

  "Umm. . .no," I responded, putting on my fanciest poker face ever.

  "That's Garuvir Belzak! Is he—" the soldier was fishing out his sword as a couple of his armed comrades joined him.

  "Alright, Jon," I whispered close to the stallion's ear which perked up. "Time to go. . ."

  Jon was about to bolt when someone stepped in front of us. Someone I had not expected to see again anytime soon. She had on the same velvety cape over a burgundy silk gown that matched her long dark hair with auburn endings—the same attire she'd been wearing the last time I'd seen her.

  "What do you think you're doing?" she shot at the soldier and his allies.

  "My Lady," the soldier bowed, "do you not see whom the boy carries with him?"

  She looked over with mild interest then settled her hazel eyes back on the soldier. "We've been assisting the villagers in accommodation. One simple boy should not get you all worked up for nothing, do you understand?"

  "But my Lady—" the soldier insisted.

  "Do you not understand?" she eyed the soldier warningly. "You best resume your activities, otherwise, the demons from the sky won't be the only thing you'll have to worry about!"

  "Sorry, my Lady Valeria," the soldier excused himself and turned to the others. "What are you all still standing here for? You heard her, move it!"

  Valeria sighed after they left then turned to look up at me. "The hero from the mountains. Come with me."

  Perplexed, I watched her walk off into the village. She stopped and turned around. "It doesn't seem as if you have some other place you have to go now, does it?"

  Fair point. I said to myself, still trying to get over what had just happened. I nudged Jon and he trotted forward.

  We didn't go that far as Valeria led me into a hut that stood secluded from the rest. Jon nibbled on grass as the woman helped me take Zak's body inside. We propped him onto a bed and I had his arms crossed over his chest.

  Valeria paused, a shocked expression on her brown skin. "He doesn't have a pulse. Is he. . .?"

  I still couldn't bring myself to say it and Valeria could read it written all over my face. "How long?" she asked.

  "Back when we were at the mountain," I muttered.

  "But that's been over three hours," Valeria gasped. "He looks as if he's merely asleep. . ." she paused. "I-I'm sorry."

  I walked towards a window and looked up at the tinted sky, trying to force my mind into thought. I felt Valeria silently approach me.

  "You're really not him, are you?" she asked behind me and I got my first moment of thought. I hadn't thought about this for a while now. About him, ever since his shield was destroyed and with it what was left of him.

  "It's Desmond, right?" she went on, cautiously as if carefully picking her words. "I should have known it wasn't him. He'd never have stood up for me like that." There was another pause, then, "For what it's worth, I'm grateful. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for—"

  "I didn't do anything!" I blurted, sharper than I'd intended. "We were both tied up, remember? If anyone should take credit, it's. . ." I faltered and the gruesome image of a flaming sword flashed before me so vividly I thought Aries had come for me.

  "But you stayed back to fight with the others," Valeria added and it only made me feel worse. I looked into the sky again. What was I doing? "I don't have time for this," I said, shaking my head. Aries would soon wipe out every living soul from the face of this world and here I was moping again.

  "I have to go," I turned from the window.

  "Wait!" Valeria raised her voice. "Where are you going? It's not safe out there."

  "You think I don't know that!" I blurted again and I caught the green glint in the brown of Valeria's surprised eyes. They reflected the sparks of lightning coming off my right arm. She cautiously took a step back.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  I realized I was lashing out and tried to force myself to calm down. "Sorry—"

  "No," Valeria stopped me. She did not look as scared anymore. "I'm the one who should be apologizing for-for thinking you were someone else. . .for treating you so badly."

  Valeria's words took me totally by surprise. Clearly, she wasn't the same person I'd met on my first day here and honestly, I wondered if she had actually been the problem in whatever kind of relationship she'd had with the face of the person I wore. I'd met Despyon and the brief interaction we'd had with each other, it was pretty much looking like he was the true thorn in this relationship.

  "But you can't go out there like that," Valeria went on, doing me one better by offering to treat my hand.

  I had forgotten about it as Valeria scrutinized the red thin lines on my palm where Aries's fire had sliced through.

  "It's not like I have many options now, do I?" I shrugged, feeling miserable and ignoring the sharp pain caused by Valeria as she washed up my wounds with a cloth.

  "What happened to your other. . .allies?" Valeria asked, quickly rethinking her question and stopping herself from saying the word "demons"—one of the many things the people of Abinor had used to describe the Zodiac. She wrapped up my hand with soft white linen.

  "It's just me now," I muttered and was glad Valeria read into that. I did not want to talk about it anymore. I wanted to focus on other more important things like. . .I narrowed my eyes at Valeria, halting my train of thought. "What are you doing here? You're the Chieftain's daughter. Shouldn't you be—"

  "Eating cookies with milk and honey, cozying up in fancy robes back at the castle?" Valeria's response came out troubled and conflicted, as if she had her own personal battle. "Sorry," she added, nervously caressing her cape.

  Thunder rumbled and I heard Jon whinny outside. Valeria faced me. "My question to you, Desmond, is—what do you plan to do now?"

  A solid straightforward question that Zak would have typically asked me at that point. Thunder rumbled increasingly, even the ground shook beneath me.

  "He's coming," I muttered in a dawning tone, looking out the window again.

  "The-the thing from the mountain?"

  "Aries," I said. My mouth turned bitter. "His name is Aries. Everything you've ever known will be gone because of him."

  "But you want to do something about it," Valeria joined me in looking out the window before turning to face me. "you want to stop him but you can't do it alone. You don't have to."

  "I told you," I sighed, "it's just me now, unless you have some kind of hidden power you wanna share. That would be helpful."

  "What if I told you there's someone who can help?" I turned after Valeria said that. "But I'd need your help to get to them," she added.

  I covered up Zak's body with a blanket, save for his face, after which Valeria and I were soon riding through the village on Jon's back until the large golden fortified structure was only a few feet away, separated from the rest of the village by the river.

  "Are you sure about this?" I don't know how many times I'd asked that as we crossed the river over the moat leading into the castle. The waters bubbled as we passed and snake-like creatures would drift in and out of view.

  "Helworms," Valeria caught on my interest as she sat behind me. "They are—"

  "Oh, I know what they are," I muttered and was glad when we'd crossed the river and entered the castle.

  Luckily for me, soldiers didn't flag us down for identification, not when the Chieftain's daughter was with you. The castle's yard was like a mini Abinor but more stylized, classy and clean. There were a lot of stone structures I assumed housed some kind of aristocratic family neighborhood. Light was coming from the windows and even in here, everyone knew better than to go wandering about. Everyone was locked in and it was mostly soldiers who roamed the yard.

  "Where's your dad?" I asked as we dismounted.

  Valeria pointed to the tallest tower. "He's probably planning an evacuation plan right now and scratching his hair off his head."

  "It's a little too late for that," I looked past the tower and to the skies. They had grown incredibly red, they were practically bleeding.

  My arm acted up and Sage's insignia was glowing with electrical sparks. I felt a strange sensation on my palm as if something was trying to materialize. I could almost feel my fingers try to wrap around an unseen object.

  "Follow me," Valeria shifted my attention and the feeling was gone. She had explained her plan on how we'd get to the person who would help me and I had to commend her. Even Parthenos would be proud.

  "You really know your way around, huh." I said as we slipped into a door before a couple of soldiers could see us.

  "My father would kill me if he ever found out how much I've been sneaking out of these walls," Valeria nodded to a pair of young women in floral dresses after they curtsied her.

  "Mazel tov," I said, my face flushing when the women smiled at me and giggled with each other as they walked away.

  "What?"

  "Oh, nothing."

  There were a lot of interactions like these and I was relieved when we finally made it to our destination. Several flights of stairs led us down to a basement with a small room. It was dark and the only light came from a damaged lamp whose flame flickered warningly as if it would go out any second.

  "The only dungeon inside the castle walls," Valeria said, taking off one of the many bracelets on her and quickly got to picking the lock on the grilled door that stood before us.

  It was as she had said, how and where we would find the prisoner who stepped into the light the moment the door swung open.

  "I knew I'd be seeing you again," Ethel the Seer said, a toothy grin forming on her face. "Your Grace," she turned to Valeria.

  "Abinor is about to turn to shite, isn't it?" Ethel gauged both of us and thunder shook the walls of the dungeon.

  "I've tried everything," I started, "I still can't channel Sage's power, I lost the shield. I lost . ."

  Ethel eyed me, her wizened face mysterious. "Ah, it was as I feared but also as it was expected to unfold."

  "What? What do you mean?"

  "Even with how far you've come," Ethel placed a hand on my cheek. It felt rough against my skin. "You still prevent yourself from seeing it all."

  "Please don't start with the prophecy stuff again," I muttered, "I know I'm not the chosen one. It was all a lie. Pisces told me the truth."

  "Yes, she did," Ethel withdrew her hand. "but that is only one side of the story. Her unique power got to me too but the prophecy came before Pisces and it is only being reinforced as more events continue to unfold. Nothing has changed, my boy."

  "Wait, so you're saying all of this was supposed to happen?" I asked, "even the lies?"

  "It all depends with your perspective of it," Ethel looked ahead and recited a line from the prophecy: "Enlightened by the ways of water and life."

  I looked back to the vial Pisces had given me and how it had shown me the truth about her past as well as that of Aries.

  "Whatever she did," Ethel said over the rumbling thunder, "she only meant to show you the truth, enlightening you along the way."

  "But why wait that long?" I pressed. "Why couldn't she just tell me from the beginning?"

  "She has told you already, boy," Ethel said, confusing me further, "it is up to you to see through it. I know you believe there's no higher reason for your being here but I'll tell you again—it's the little things that matter the most. You only have to let yourself see them and understand."

  Thunder intensified. The walls shook and swayed. The ground cracked, lava shooting up out of it. Valeria yelped and nearly jumped towards me after the ground split beneath her feet.

  "It's happening," I looked around me, dreading the worst. "He's here!"

  Ethel raised her hand and something came flying into it. She wrapped her fingers around it and there it was, standing as tall as her. Her staff.

  "Ah, have I missed you," Ethel exhaled, caressing her staff. The ceiling was falling apart.

  "Not to overstate the obvious but we need to go!" Valeria stepped away from the splitting floor, afraid she'd fall in.

  "Alright, hold on," Ethel extended her staff to us. I placed my hand on it. "Hands on, luv," she motioned to Valeria and the three of us got sucked into space and reappeared outside the castle.

  Valeria gagged and I guessed she'd never teleported before. The skies were wild with lightning flashing everywhere over the reddened environment and strong winds were throwing splattering raindrops all over me. The ground continued to split as Aries's presence became more and more apparent.

  Sage's insignia lit up like Christmas. For the first time in a while, it understood the kind of predicament I was in, even though Sage was non-existent. But his power was with me. I was going to use it, whatever way possible, to take on Aries in whatever form.

  He appeared.

  It was his laughter that got to me first. It was coming from the sky. I fought against the rain, wiping away water from my face and squinting to make out what was coming at me as the sky flashed a dangerous red.

  There was a scream. I turned to the horrifying sight of Valeria being whisked away by the wind, alongside Ethel. They both vanished into the depths of the unknown. Aries's laughter grew louder as I felt his presence even closer.

  "YOUR UNACCEPTANCE OF FAILURE WILL BE YOUR UNDOING," his voice boomed from all directions, "DESMOND TURNER!"