Virgo

“C’mon Capricorn, time to get up,” Libra whispered to the Imperial. The female’s zephyr eyes sparkled with energy, eagerly awaiting the adventures the night held for them.

Capricorn groaned at her sister’s prodding, reluctantly cracking open one electric blue eye and glaring in response. “I’m up, I’m up,” she sighed, slowly getting to her feet as Libra darted off to go wake the males.

Cancer was already surveying the clan’s territory from the overlook nearby, the full moon reflected in the pattern on his wings. He didn’t offer any kind of reaction as his siblings woke from their slumber, just continued staring into the night, as if watching something unfold that could not be observed by anyone else.

Gemini, Taurus, and Virgo were equally if not more reluctant to rise than Capricorn, and Taurus, the youngest, was still half asleep as they gathered in the clearing outside their den.

Libra alighted next to Cancer and nudged her brother’s hide gently, snapping him out of his reverie.

“Quiet night tonight, eh?” she questioned, pale green eyes meeting his deep blue ones.

“Things are not always what they appear,” Cancer replied, as cryptic as ever. Libra smiled. She shouldn’t have expected anything less from her most mysterious brother.

Cancer was the most reserved of the siblings, offering little in the way of conversation or any other form of social interaction. He preferred to spend time alone, wandering off at night to sit on the bank of some melancholy lake, his star-kissed reflection shimmering in the calm waters as his mind turned restlessly. Out of all their siblings, Libra was the closest to the jet-black male, and he rarely opened up to anyone else about the thoughts circling inside his head.

An independent spirit, Libra understood her brother’s need for solitary reflection, and always listened intently when he had something to say. They had a great degree of respect for one another, a sentiment that was sometimes hard to replicate with their other siblings.

Of course, “siblings” was technically the wrong word for the Zodiac clan, since none of the starry-scaled dragons were related biologically. But there were ancient ties between them, those that ran deeper than blood-- ties that bound them to one another infinitely.

Originally, there had been twelve of them, each named for the star sign they represented. Over the years, however, six of the siblings had departed: some for other clans, other adventures, some for a life beyond death. But the six remaining siblings had vowed to stay together, come what may, and none of them would ever entertain the idea of breaking that solemn vow.

Libra turned her attention from Cancer to the four dragons below in the meadow, all yawning profusely and shaking the sleep from their limbs.

For the Zodiac clan, it was the dawn of a new night, one full of possibilities. The possibility of danger, yes, but also the chance to do what they loved most, together.

Capricorn called up to her sister from below, “Are we actually going to get to work or should I just go back to sleep?” she jeered, shooting her sister a sarcastic grin.

If Taurus had been more awake at that moment, he probably would’ve laughed with his closest sister, but tonight he simply stared blankly into space, still lost somewhere between dreams and reality. Although she was technically older than Taurus, Capricorn was quite light-hearted and mischievous, almost hatchling-like in her naivety at times, but sincere nonetheless. She and Taurus often got on their eldest brother’s nerves, however, as Gemini had no patience for childish games and banter. He rolled his eyes and began meticulously preening his wings. Capricorn was sometimes more perceptive than he gave her credit for though. She stuck her tongue out at him in defiance, and Gemini simply shook his head at his impossible sister, resuming his careful grooming.

Out of all of them, Gemini was by far the most proud, especially when it came to his physical appearance. True to his sign, at times he could be quite duplicitous in nature: one minute impatient with the immaturity of his siblings, the next doting on them as if they were his own hatchlings. Indeed, in many ways, he was a sort of father figure to them, always keeping one amethyst eye on his charges, immediately coming to their aid should they require it. The protector of protectors, Gemini took it as his sacred duty to ensure his remaining siblings kept their place in the land of the living, and he wouldn’t hesitate to give up his own life to achieve that end.

Family loyalty aside, Gemini also had a life of his own. He was unashamed of his reputation as an excellent lover, and for this reason kept a private den away from his siblings’ prying eyes. Although he wasn’t openly flirtatious with clan females, he certainly didn’t shy away from their advances, and was always willing to be of service in whatever way he was needed.

Despite the fact that Gemini was the eldest Zodiac, he was not a natural leader, and Libra often took charge when assembling the family for their nightly duties. Tonight was no exception, and she glided down to the meadow, Cancer trailing along silently behind her.

“Tonight should be an easy one,” she began, her voice taking on an air of confidence. “The trouble with the northern border seems to have died down, so Virgo and Taurus, you guys should be fine patrolling there.” The two brothers nodded in acknowledgement of their task, Taurus now fully awake.

“As far as the southern border goes, Luna and Kestral will be heading up operations as usual. They’re not too concerned, so just one of us should be plenty to help them out. Capricorn, you anxious to go pay your boyfriend a visit?”

The Imperial blushed brightly in response, but nodded anyway. Honesty came naturally to her, even though she hated that her siblings had somehow found out about her recent dalliances with a clan male. Their romance was quite new, and she was always secretly grateful to patrol the southern border since it was the closest to the clan’s main den.

Libra smirked. Knowing her sister better than anyone, she was happy Capricorn had found a male who treated her with the respect she deserved. She was no fool, however, and knew her sister could be easily swayed by males, letting her emotions get the better of her judgement which made her vulnerable to being taken advantage of. Should her latest lover prove unworthy, Libra was fully prepared to wreak vengeance on Capricorn’s behalf.

Turning serious again, she addressed her two remaining brothers. “Cancer, you’ll take the western border. As usual, it’s been quiet, but you know what silence means.”

Cancer met Libra’s gaze and gave a solemn bow. He was the perhaps the most intuitive among them, seeming to possess a sixth sense that detected danger long before it arrived.

“That just leaves the east,” Libra concluded, turning at last to Gemini. “Think we can handle it, brother?”

Gemini rolled his eyes again and flared his shimmering wings in response. There was still some small part of him that resented taking orders from his younger sister. He took to the skies with one mighty shove of his hind legs and was out of sight in a matter of seconds, lost in the inky black darkness. Libra huffed in annoyance, but took off after him, calling down to her siblings below.

“Report at midnight, and signal if there’s any trouble!”

In a matter of seconds, she was gone too. Capricorn watched her sister depart, then turned to her brothers to wish them success. Cancer had already vanished undetected, as usual, like a shadow in the night.

Taurus met his beloved sister’s gaze and shrugged, then took to the skies himself, following after Virgo.

The northern border was the furthest away, but secretly, Taurus was grateful for the extra time it took to get there. With every breath of crisp night air, Taurus gained more and more energy, fully awake and ready for action when they finally arrived at their destination. Virgo had landed before he did, and Taurus let out a groan at the sight of a shadowy figure emerging from the treeline. The shape was unmistakable as Yokai, a clan male who had been spending a ridiculous amount of time around Virgo lately, and Taurus was totally sick of it. He had no issue with his brother having a romantic partner, but he genuinely enjoyed spending time with Virgo, and with Yokai around, the Pearlcatcher knew he’d become the third wing yet again.

Virgo shot an anxious look at his brother. He knew Taurus was more sensitive than he let on, and could see the hurt in his emerald green eyes before Taurus turned his gaze defiantly in the opposite direction.

The brightly patterned Wildclaw rushed to his mate’s side, quickly explaining the situation in hushed tones so Taurus wouldn’t overhear. Yokai smiled and the two nuzzled briefly before Yokai melted into the forest and disappeared, as if his body were made of nothing more than smoke.

Virgo jogged over to Taurus. “So, where should we start?” he prompted, his warm gaze quickly making Taurus feel foolish for his childish resentment.

“I think I smelled some centaurs from the east on the way over,” Taurus replied, doing his best to sound as knowledgeable as possible. “We should probably start there, don’t you think?”

Virgo agreed, and the two brothers set off for the eastern edge of the northern border, their senses alert for signs of danger. Both males preferred to patrol on the ground rather than from the air, and broke into easy conversation as they walked along the territorial boundary. In some places, the boundary ended at the sea, and the full moon dancing on the waves was particularly beautiful that night.

Their patrol was thankfully uneventful and allowed them time to simply enjoy each other’s company. At midnight, Taurus took flight, ascending high into the air and giving the signal that all was well. He closed his eyes in concentration and gradually, the stars on his hide began to glow brighter and brighter, until they matched the luminosity of the real stars above. He opened his eyes and scanned the horizon. From the south, the shape of a goat took form-- Capricorn’s signal that all was well. Seconds later, Cancer’s crab and Gemini’s twin dragons were visible from the west and east respectively. Taurus dropped back down to the ground and resumed his conversation with Virgo, as the bull etched into his own hide began to fade.

Taurus was excitedly explaining his latest achievement to Virgo, who was listening intently, feeding off his brother’s energy. Taurus was quite skilled as a tanner and had been experimenting with some new specimens brought to him from the Shifting Expanse. Unfortunately, hides from lightning-aligned creatures tended to be difficult to work with, given that they maintained a strong electric static, even after death. Since he was originally from the realm of the Stormcatcher himself, Virgo offered what advice he could, and the two debated strategies until Virgo finally came up with an ingenious idea he thought might work.

Taurus was just about to agree when suddenly Virgo silenced him with a low growl.

Immediately, the Pearlcatcher was on edge, looking towards the spot in the ocean’s waves where Virgo’s gaze was fixed. At first, he saw nothing. But then. There. A flash of fins under the water. Taurus snarled and bared his fangs, head lowered so that his horns aimed at the fluid shape darting beneath the water’s surface. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Virgo preparing as well, his powerful hind feet digging into the soft sand. The sound of sharpened claws emerging from flesh told Taurus that his brother was ready for battle. He didn’t need to see them with his eyes to know they would be coated with a sickly purple toxin which practically glowed in the dark, offering a painful death to any dragon whose hide they pierced.

The world went silent. The shadowy form beneath the waves suddenly disappeared from view. Both brothers scanned the water frantically, searching for any sign of movement…

“Watch out!” A voice from behind called out and both Zodiacs spun around in a flash. There was barely enough time to brace themselves as a hoard of finned Banescales descended upon the brothers. Taurus staggered back as the first Banescale collided with him, twisting his powerful neck and ramming his attacker in its exposed flank. The Bane hissed and released its grip, blood dripping from between its ribs where Taurus’ horns had found their mark.

As the Banescale prepared to attack again, Taurus threw a quick glance over to his brother, fighting desperately next to him. The Wildclaw had used his powerful tail to fling one Banescale back into the water behind them, but there were already two more in its place. Silvery blood leaked from a scratch on his neck, but Taurus could tell it wasn’t life threatening.

He charged at the injured Banescale in front of him, head lowered, using sheer muscle to break through the wall of enemies in front of him. Several Banes fell to the sand on impact, immediately attempting to scramble back to their feet as Taurus turned and charged again at full speed.

On his third pass through the hoard, Taurus finally noticed the third dragon fighting with them. He felt only relief as his eyes met Yokai’s. He should have known his brother’s mate was patrolling with them the entire night, hidden in the shadows. Now he was grateful for Yokai’s devotion as he watched the normally peaceful Wildclaw fighting his way towards Virgo, eyes wide with fear.

Among the three of them, Virgo was the strongest fighter, and as Taurus stomped heavily on a Banescale’s windpipe, he grinned with pride at the ring of injured enemies lying in the sand surrounding his brother.

Taurus couldn’t tell if it had been hours or mere seconds, but slowly the three clan warriors began gaining the advantage. Victory seemed well within sight and Taurus mustered his strength to charge again, his claws digging into sand wet from the ocean behind him.

That’s when the second wave hit.

More Banescales erupted out of the waves, two of them sinking their hind talons deep into Taurus’ back legs, dragging him down to the ground and towards the ocean to a watery death.

Taurus roared in pain and instantly Virgo was at his side, gripping the closest Bane firmly in his jaws and tossing it to the side as if it were a mere hatchling.

With his brother’s help, Taurus regained his legs and the two stood their ground, back to back, taking on one Banescale after another, tearing fans and flesh as fast as they could. Together they were a force to be reckoned with, their adrenaline fully kicked in, eyes flashing, fangs bared in challenge.

But then, a horrifying scream broke through the sounds of battle, and both brothers knew the source of that scream: Yokai. Taurus saw the fear flash through Virgo’s eyes, even as he continued fighting at his side, determined to protect his younger brother at all costs. But Taurus knew he could never live with himself if his brother’s mate died because of Virgo’s family loyalty. Making up his mind in an instant, he spun around, roughly shoving Virgo out of the way as he lowered his head and charged into the writhing mass of Banescales.

“GO!” he bellowed to his brother, and Virgo hesitated for only a fraction of a second before sprinting full speed behind his brother, following the path Taurus had carved in the ring of attackers.

He was at Yokai’s side in seconds, shredding the Banescales hovering over him to ribbons before they could finish him off. One look at Yokai was enough to know that the Wildclaw hovered at the brink of death, his form flickering as if it were about to dissolve into thin air.

Taurus’ charge had scattered the Banescales momentarily, but they were starting to regroup, flapping and slithering their way towards the trio. Virgo knew they had to signal for help before it was too late. Leaving his mate’s side temporarily, he launched himself into the sky, eyes shut tight, feeling his scales glow brighter. A second later, the stars etched into his skin began to pulse, sending powerful beams of light across the night sky, one after the other.

The Wildclaw opened his eyes and looked down just in time to see the fastest of the Banescales collide with his brother’s horns, his feet planted firmly in front of Yokai, protecting the injured Wildclaw with all the strength he had left.

Moments later Virgo was on the ground again, fighting next to the earth-colored male, both exhausted but refusing to give up just yet.

By the time Capricorn’s roar reached their ears, Taurus was on the verge of losing consciousness. Silver blood trickled from long gashes on his hindquarters and flank and Virgo was limping badly from an enormous hole in his right leg, an entire chunk of muscle ripped out by Banescale jaws.

Libra’s roar sounded next, even closer, joined seconds later by Cancer’s ear-splitting screech. Several Banescales cowered in pain, their sensitive ears leaking blood as Cancer screeched again, right in their faces this time as he landed in front of his injured brothers, shielding them with his metallic hide.

Libra, Gemini, and Capricorn arrived seconds later, materializing out of the night sky and descending upon the Banescale hoard, fury in their eyes.

The rest of the battle didn’t last long. The Banes that survived fled into the ocean, Cancer hot on their tails. His specialty was marine combat, and only the Banescales that could outswim their injured companions got away.

By the time Cancer returned to the beach, blood-stained water dripping from his mane, Gemini had already assessed his brother’s injuries. Capricorn was carefully lifting Yokai onto Libra’s back to be transported immediately to the clan healer. His injuries were severe, and he had lost a lot of blood, but Libra was a fast flyer, and she promised Virgo that she would make it in time. Virgo accompanied his mate south, his wings relatively undamaged. Zodiac dragons tended to heal faster than mortal ones, but the tear in his hind leg was severe, and Gemini was adamant he seek treatment alongside his mate.

It was weeks before Virgo regained full mobility of his legs, and months before Yokai had fully recovered. Every day, Taurus visited his brother in the healer’s den, keeping his spirits up with lively conversation, cracking jokes about how Yokai would leave him if he became a one-legged Wildclaw.

When Virgo fully recovered, he resumed the nightly patrols with his family, the reminder of just how much they relied on one another for survival and so much more fresh in his mind.

Night after night, without fail, the Zodiac warriors risked their own lives to protect those of the clan they loved.They never doubted their mission, never doubted one another, no matter what obstacles and challenges rose to face them. Each battle, each hard-earned victory, each new discovery, each night spent in peace brought them closer, their threads of fate becoming even more tightly woven together…

At dawn they would reconvene outside their dens, looking deep into one another’s eyes, offering words of respect, adoration, and congratulations. The sun would rise, their strength fading, and the six warriors would slink off in search of well-earned rest. For dusk, with all its endless possibilities, never failed to come, and the Zodiac would always rise to greet the night.