Chapter 5 #2
For all the glorious achievements that only a millennium of research and intellectual toiling could ensure, stars were nothing more than trapped beings of near-infinite power forced to rely on their own cerebral prowess to claw out a life for themselves after the curse of the Gods.
Their makers knew the curse for what it was, the ultimate punishment for her kind: control.
For rebelling against the Gods, the stars had been cursed with limited power stores and a fixed orbit that circled their final demise in agonizing slowness.
Their fate was sealed upon the Gods’ exit from the realm.
And so the Zodiac Houses got creative. They grew even more cunning, power hungry, anything that could extend their now shortened lifespans and offer them an advantage over other Houses.
Dispelling thoughts of Gods and how she wasn’t fully free despite no longer being stranded—how no celestials were truly free—Aela dragged her eyes over Avarice as she meandered down the cobblestone streets, trying to get a better sense of the city.
Light permeated the air, coming from everywhere and nowhere at once, creating the soft glow of morning.
The fragrance of fruitful earth and enticing smells of spices and meat from nearby eateries layered over the babel of the city.
Aela’s eyes snagged on black bracelets around the wrists of the celestials she passed.
She kept her glances brief, not wanting to draw attention to herself, when an older male cut across her path.
His tunic lifted as he outstretched his hand, waving an apology to her as he rushed past. His skin was scarred beneath the black band around his wrist. Unease pooled in her gut.
The strange countenance of the Taureons paired with the peculiar bracelets they wore set her on edge.
The longer she wandered the city, the more the thriving metropolis became a veneer.
Something troubled the citizens of Avarice beneath the surface, and despite Aela’s plans, she wondered how she could help them.
No. She chastised herself.
She didn’t want any part of it. The sooner she could get out of here, the better.
She came to a large city square, and across the way was an impressive group of armed celestials.
Sentinels—whom she hadn’t seen since she was a youngling who once spied on her mother and father’s military forces.
Aela crossed the street to a nearby eatery.
Waving a friendly serving attendant over, they provided her with a sparkling beverage and an assortment of toasted breads and cheeses with berries.
Aela passed them a couple of credits from her pouch and waited until the attendant left her to manage their other tables before digging into her meal.
She nearly moaned at the taste of her spread.
Perks of being in an earth element city. Mother always said they had the best food.
Aela surveyed the sentinels once more and kept her ears open to listen for any information that might aid her.
Through the course of her meal, she picked up that the city was abuzz with activity for The Games which were being presented soon.
For the first time in thousands of years, access to Avarice was opened, and while the city should have swelled with neighboring stars, if the gossiping females earlier were correct, the other Zodiac Houses had declined attendance.
The serving attendants were chatty, exclaiming how excited they were to witness the champions selected for The Games to compete and win a prestigious placement in the Taureon Line.
Aela’s food almost fell out of her mouth.
Apparently the Senate approved the integration of foreign stars into other Houses as a way of maintaining the relatively new peace between the Zodiac Houses.
The term was unfamiliar to her, but it referred to the governing body of all modern Stardom, comprised of the Primary Stars and other prominent celestials.
Her brain was racing at record speed, trying to make sense of what she was hearing.
Enter another Line?
The thought was more appalling than knowing what sick intentions Kaitos likely had for her back on Prente. His charred husk flashed before her eyes, and Aela knocked over her water glass.
A cluster of Sagittarius stars she had been eavesdropping on looked over at her from where they sat at a table across from hers. Aela ignored them as she cleaned up her mess.
“Remind me why we’re here again,” one of the Sagittarians sighed.
“Proxima is here. Where the Heir of Sagittarius goes, we go,” another answered.
“Don’t tell me you’re still sore about the bonding proposal—you know Kaus would never have let them go through with it,” a female warrior said.
“Proxima works toward peace, true peace. If bonding with the Bull got us closer to that, she was willing to do it.”
Aela’s head quirked to the side, digesting the information.
The Taureon sentinels across the city square prowled closer, and the Sagittarians tensed, easing weapons Aela hadn’t noticed from sheaths and concealed places among their lithe bodies.
Cursing internally, Aela tried to appear oblivious to the imminent exchange.
The last thing she needed was to draw attention to herself.
“Which one of you poor souls will fracture first for our House, eh?” one of the Taureon sentinels called.
A Sagittarian scoffed. “Bet all the wealth your Prime Apparent can replicate that our cluster here is more than a match for your entire squad, Minori.”
The Taureons pointed their spears toward the foreigners.
“Say what you want about my rank, but keep your filthy opinions about our Primary to yourself while you’re in his city,” the leader, the Minori, sneered.
More jeers and insults were thrown before the Sagittarians, true to their fiery nature, burst forth and broke the Taureon ranks.
“Fates!” Aela yelped as the back end of a spear nearly cracked her head open in a wicked arc.
She turned to flee the growing conflict but was yanked back by the dust scarf around her neck. Before Aela could protest, her captor wrenched her hands behind her back.
“By all twelve hells, I’ve no part in this!” Aela yelled over the din. Her captor paid her no mind and struck the back of her head. As Aela’s consciousness sputtered in and out, the Taureon squad leader shouted over her head.
“Take them to the pits. They’ll make nice fodder for The Games.”
Darkness swallowed her with her last thought: she was entering The Games.