Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

A knight, a monk, an arbalist, and a farmer. These people were going to be the guild accompanying the oracle on her quest to conquer Armoroad’s Yggdrasil Labyrinth.  She knew already, as it had been foretold to her by the stars. The girl bore the stars' ultimate knowledge: Divination. While many others had to create charts for horoscopes to yield similar results, her knowledge of the future seemed to come to her innately, in visions. Thus the name “The Oracle of Stars”. 

If she had to use this guild as a means, if it were necessary… she would. 

Her goal was simple in nature. According to the Celestial Archives, this labyrinth lay dormant in a hole south of the city. A perilous dungeon filled to the brim with monsters and treasure. But most importantly, it held the key to a distortion she felt from the ether. A distortion she was going to study, understand, and terminate . Some would call this an adventure, but it was more than gaining fame… This would be the culmination of all her studies, her thesis.

Staring blankly at the ceiling above her cot, she sighed. Retracing these topics wouldn't bring her closer to her objective… But there was not much else to do within the dingy under compartment of the ship. 

Said ship was a small cargo boat she had gotten permission to travel in. With no windows, she couldn't even tell what time of day it was, nor could she review her notes in the darkness. Sleeping seemed like a viable option. Her heavy eyelids struggled to stay open, burdened by the constant interruptions to her sleep. Every so often, her eyes would close… maybe this time sleep would– 

The ship came to a sudden halt. Of course… Right as she began dozing off.

She heaved herself out of the bed. Then cracked open the door to the deck. A sliver of warmth poured onto her face, sunlight. The sun edged on the east edge of the horizon, it was dawn. Squinting now, she continued outside with a groan. Immediately, she was hit with briny ocean air. The breeze traveled through her orange hair.  A major improvement to her airtight cabin in the ship. 

She had made it to the Inver Port of the Ocean City, Armoroad. 

The crew of the ship helped her with her luggage, a lone heavy suitcase. She managed to heave it along the wooden dock with an occasional loud thunking trailing behind her. The sound of the bag colliding with the pier faded, a new fainter rustling emerging into her earshot. Following the source, her eyes were drawn upwards to an enormous canopy of leaves. The top of Yggdrasil, “a world tree”.

The city was constructed on its roots while the upper parts of the tree towered Armoroad. She slowed her pace observing it. There were many Yggdrasils, each varying in appearance and height. She had seen another before, it was much farther away. Seeing an Yggdrasil up close…  Basking in it wouldn’t take up too much of her time.   

Behind the Yggdrasil, traces of the stars remained. Though their light dwindled, they reflected off the waters. For a moment it was like the sky and sea had collided. This city and the sky, they both beckoned the oracle, and this was her reward for heeding their call.

"Sure is nice, isn't it?"

Startled by an unknown voice, the oracle spotted another girl. She sat nearby, her braided emerald hair contrasting the orange and blue sunrise.

"Yeah…" The oracle gazed at the sight once more. 

The green-haired girl stood up beside her. She seemed out of place at the port, she was not wearing seafaring clothing. Except her top, which was ill-fitting and easily confused for swimwear.

"This place has the best view, right?" The girl locked eyes with the oracle revealing that they were also green in nature. “I come here all the time!” She got a better look at the oracle and slowed her rambling. "Oh, I haven’t seen you before… What's your name?" With a smile, she extended her hand to her.

The oracle smirked briefly. "I'm the Oracle of Stars!"

She scanned the oracle, her eyes lingered on the prophetess's garb. A dress decorated with a large yellow star. 

"Are you a… Zodiac?" The girl whispered, lowering her hand. 

Zodiacs, they were those like the oracle. Those who understood and harnessed the stars' powers. Using it, they could cast magic of all kinds. Famously: fire, ice, electricity, and earth spells. Most usually stayed amongst other zodiacs like themselves, in small organizations completing research. It was rare for anyone to meet one, especially one with a reputation and alias like her. This… was far from the response she had expected. Perhaps zodiacs weren’t widely accepted here?

The sun was fully risen now and the beams struck the other girl’s face, highlighting the sweat dripping down her.  "I'm Alope! You seemed new so… uh… I just wanted to know who you were!"  The girl, Alope, went silent after the sentence. 

Unsure of whether she should feel insulted or confused, the oracle blinked at Alope. A strange staring contest began between the two. An agonizing minute where neither said anything. What could they even say? There was nothing that could save this interaction. 

More wind whistled across the pier, with it a faint, familiar smelling smoke. Footsteps pierced through the thick silence.  A black-bearded man approached them, cigar in hand. Donning well cared for sailors attire, a tricorn hat, even a scar across his face… He looked like he belonged at the port. Eyeing the girls, he slowed his pace. Stopping beside Alope to pat her back.  

"I apologize if Alope frightened you," he grinned at the zodiac. "She's something like the town’s child."

Alope’s ears reddened. “You don’t have to tell everyone that…” The red from her ears evened out, appearing on her face too. 

The man ignored her, heartily laughing before he went on to address the oracle. "It's rare to see visitors here… but it's nice to meet you. I'm Inver's Harbormaster."

Introductions? Maybe this time it would work… She tried again. "I'm the Oracle of Stars." 

"Oh, hoho… Who...?" The man chuckled.

She was the Oracle of Stars. A prodigy zodiac who could predict the harvests, weather, current affairs, anything. The youngest zodiac to complete all of the Summer Triangle ’s trials. Word spread about her fairly quickly in other lands. But if it wasn't here, perhaps Armoroad was truly more isolated than she thought. She gave into them, knowing that she would be an outcast if she kept hiding her name.

"My name is Hana Zakyn. I hail from the city of Tharsis." She pointed to the boat behind her. “The crew on that ship brought me here.”

"Oh, yes. I heard that some fishermen occasionally bring outsiders here. I'll have to talk to them..." He went on, mentioning something important maybe. Hana’s attention settled on the now empty space beside the Harbormaster. He paused, noticing it too. “In the meantime…" 

"Alope!” He called out to her. Somehow way farther down the port, she froze in her tracks. How did she slip away so effortlessly? She had nearly made it to shore. “You and this girl were talking, right? Since you’re so eager to head back, how about you guide her around town?"

"What???" Her voice echoed, startling some of the nearby gulls.  

"Why not? You do know this town better than anyone!"

Before much thought was put into it, the two left the port and Hana took her first steps into the city. If you could call it that.

Its architecture seemed older than where she was from. The buildings were cramped. Plain in design, primarily made of worn stone. Something most cities would have demolished in favor of more stable, intricate, constructions. The records had rumored this place was… A relic. Its size, the abundant growth of flowers and vines on the walls, and the rundown paths proved it to be true. Compared to Tharsis, a now technological giant, this was humbling.

Alope led her from a comfortable distance ahead. Their eyes met briefly before Alope turned away. "So… Anything you wanna see first?" 

That offer still stood? 

"I need to know where I can find a knight, a monk, an arbalist, and a farmer."

“Ohhhh… So you must be here for the labyrinth!” A wide smirk filled her face. “I can take you to the guild hall. Normally people like you get accepted into parties pretty fast.” 

People like you? The oracle came to a halt beside Alope, her eyes seared into the taller girl.  “You mean zodiacs?”

Both of them almost fell back into that painful silence. However, Alope inhaled deeply and spoke. “...Hey, you know…” Her smile trembled, but she did her best to keep it. “Let's just put what I said behind us. I didn’t mean it like that, honest!”

Then… What did she mean?

“Right.” Hana glanced to the side, her eyes narrow. There was no use in trying to explain to her. She needed someone to guide her to the guild hall… Pestering Alope would make her even more wary and this walk worse. She likely wouldn’t see this girl after that point, so she kept quiet.  

Alope continued directing Hana to her desired destination. The guild hall.

This wasn’t the first time Hana had been to one. A sense of wonder she hadn’t felt since childhood overwhelmed her. At her core, she was a scholar and this trip was for research, nothing else. Still, she had to admit being called an adventurer temporarily wouldn’t be so bad. Fond memories of the guild hall from her home flooded her. This one had more foliage growing inside of it, as did all of Armoroad. Yet it looked official, with benches and desks also being around. While Hana was set on locating the people she had prophesied about, her eyes met Alope’s briefly. 

The second it happened, Alope flinched. Her mouth opened slightly, she was about to start speaking. Please let her say something normal … Each time they had failed a conversation the silences grew worse. 

“I have stuff to do here.” Alope’s eyes darted around the open space. After a while, they rested upon a tall man, adorned with fabrics. Instantly all of the nervous energy Alope oozed vanished.

He must have been the Guildmaster. Other than his aura being that of an experienced adventurer, he was the one pulling explorers off to the side to have quick chats with them. He told one to fix their greaves, another to sign some papers. He clearly commanded those in the room. 

Alope took a large step away from the zodiac toward the man. “Yeah, actually! I’ll… go now…” 

Finally . 

The oracle continued to glance around, picking out the members of her party. The knight from her premonition had a pale brown hair color and matching eyes. He was easy to find among the crowd due to his towering height and armor. Unlike the others in armor, his appeared battered, as a result it was a darker shade. After him, she pinpointed the monk. Besides the Guildmaster, they were the most distinguishable person in the hall. Braided crimson hair, vibrant blue eyes, and brightly colored orange robes. Things that would be impossible to miss in normal circumstances. Yet, Hana had almost glossed over them all together. 

Her eyes settled next to them. The monk had an intoxicated man they were helping stand. He had blonde hair like the arbalist in her premonition did. But it couldn’t be him. The girl strained her eyes trying to get a better glimpse. No… He was definitely identical to the arbalist after she thought about it.

“Don’t tell me…” she muttered to herself. It seemed like the arbalist was going to be a liability. Should she say something to them first? 

“Ah, excuse me.” She heard from behind her. The knight walked over to her. “Are you a zodiac?”

“Yes.” 

“I’m Ignis, a… hoplite as they say here.” His voice was rather gentle for someone of his stature. “I’ve seen a few zodiacs where I was from. Do you have a specialty?” The man asked with a smile. How pleasant… At least someone here knew about zodiacs and their specialties. Fields each zodiac studied. 

Mirroring him, she smiled back. “I specialize in horoscopes. But dabble in everything.” 

“I see. Do you need a hoplite in your party? I cannot fight well given my old age, but consider me something like the shield to your sword.” He spoke to her expectantly. “Zodiacs like you are uncommon, but I’ve seen how they fight. I would be most honored if you joined me.”

The oracle agreed before she gestured to the side. “Should we ask that monk over there to join us? I was eyeing them earlier.” 

Ignis’s attention went to the person the small girl was talking about. His expression was soft, until he saw the drunken man near the monk. 

“Wait here.” He told Hana. 

She disobeyed and followed Ignis. Surveying the guild’s dynamic was an important factor for her mission, and these two were the more “interesting” members. As they neared them, hints of their conversations became clearer. The monk scolded the drunk, it was more like nagging than anything of real substance. 

“Is this man bothering you?” Ignis spoke first.

The monk faced them, eyes wide. They attempted to appear friendly, but their face was that of a strained grimace.  “ Oh ! No! Sorry– this is my friend!” 

The blonde's eyes gradually made their way over to the pair. "Who's gramps and the kid?" 

"They’re explorers, Tank! Could you please just act normal??" The monk gave a hushed yell from their teeth.

"I dunno know what you're talkin' about…." The man hiccuped before he continued. "I… I always act like thish." His voice was slurred, but it was especially amplified by his way of speaking. 

Hana glanced back at Ignis, who promptly covered her eyes.

"H-hey!"

"Children shouldn't see things like this." He dragged Hana away from the duo. Though, she managed to peel his hand away from her eyes to look back at them. 

“You can’t keep doing this!” The monk grumbled right before they slapped Tank.

“OW! What the hell, Enid?” 

“That's for ruining our chances of getting into a guild AGAIN!”  

They bickered amongst themselves. Hana knew that these two were fated to be in her guild, yet she could not say she expected them to be so aggressive. Enid’s slap was so automatic in nature, this must have been a common occurrence. Should she be concerned?

“E, calm down. There’s always next time.” Tank replied with a coherent sentence? Was Tank sober now?

“Ohoho… You–!” 

Ignis intervened, grabbing Enid’s collar before they lashed out again. Neutralized, Enid stared at Ignis vacantly. They all did as Enid dangled in his grasp.

“Do… You want to join our guild?”

“ What ?” Enid and Tank spoke in unison.

Ignis exhaled deeply while looking at them.

“Your healing seems to be quite advanced. That slap was quick, yet it was effective enough to heal him of intoxication on impact,” He dropped Enid, who stumbled to regain their balance. His free hand was on the bridge of his nose. He lightly pinched it as he went on.  “Also I have a feeling that your friend can be of some use. I mean if you’ve stayed with him for so long you see… something.”

“...Oh… Yeah, of course!”

“Alright, if you say so, old man…” Tank joked.

Enid rolled their eyes, shoving Tank lightly before he mustered the words:

“Fine–! Sure, why not.”

Things worked out on their own. If Ignis managed them, surely they wouldn’t be a real problem. All she needed now was a farmer. If she recollected correctly, he’d have brown hair and be clad in green and red. She skimmed the guild hall in search of him. There was no such person in the hall. 

“We need one more member for a full fledged guild, right?” Enid asked. The remaining crowd was dispersed in groups, likely their own guilds. All except for one person, Enid pointed to her. Alope was still talking to the Guildmaster. They weren’t sure about what, but her voice was becoming louder than normal. 

Hana looked for only an instant, Alope was none of her business. She needed that farmer to show up. 

“What do you mean that I HAVE to be in a guild to take requests now? It wasn’t like that before!” Despite Alope getting upset he was still rather calm talking to her. They couldn’t hear what he was saying to her, but her raised voice had gotten quite a few eyes on them.   

"She looks… familiar." Ignis started.

"You think so too?" Enid squinted at Alope. "Yeah, wait…! I've definitely seen her before. Hang on a second…" 

"Hey! Our guild has ONE extra spot if you're interested!" They called out to Alope.

Alope beamed. “Really?!” 

She faced them and immediately her smile faded. “Oh. You’re in this guild?” 

Hana and Alope made more uncomfortable eye contact. 

It wasn’t about how their first encounter went anymore. Hana hadn’t seen a trace of Alope in her premonitions. She couldn’t have been wrong?? In her years of having this skill she had never been wrong. And the stars couldn’t lie… So why was Alope joining them? Where was the farmer? 

She couldn’t let this stop her. Sure, things differed from what she first assumed. But it didn’t mean she was wrong. Perhaps her premonitions thus far were of situations when Alope was not with the rest of the guild? Or the farmer came at a later date?? Regardless… With Alope, there would be 5 of them in the party. The amount she needed to proceed as an official guild, one that could explore the labyrinth. The first step to her mission. 

That came first, even if things were slightly off. 

“Yeah, and I guess you are too.” Hana answered, ending the stillness. 

It took the group a while to decide what they would call themselves. Ignis was too practical with his names, leaning toward straightforward names with no unique rings to them. Tank? Sure, he was sober now, but visibly hungover. Too tired to think since he had an incurable pounding headache. Enid and Alope were the main name generators, but they had different visions for the guild.

"How about Machaera?" This was attempt six. Alope had suggested this time. 

"Is that not a type of sword? Which of us even uses a weapon like that?" Ignis replied with a hand partially over his mouth.

Tank rubbed his temples. "It's better than what you were coming up with, old man…" 

"Hahah… yeah. The Adventurer's Unit was pretty bad." Enid gave a dry laugh while peering at Ignis. "Still. Machaera is… I don’t know." 

“Machaera is a metaphor! They're really sharp and deadly… like… you know how guilds should be? Plus, it sounds cool.” Alope elaborated with a dramatic pose.

"Maybe we should save that one and come up with more?" One of them said, "I mean it's good, but we could do better."

Hana didn’t know who was talking from whom and the amount of words she caught dwindled. Why should she pay attention? All this was a constant loop of one of them saying a name and the rest shooting it down. 

“Are you guys done yet? You’ve been here for like an hour.” The Guildmaster stood between them with the paperwork.

To Hana it was a useless sentiment. At first . She couldn't bear watching this debate– if it could even be called that– go on. They could name the guild anything, even if it was inappropriate or another guild’s name. Sure the Guildmaster might glare at them, but in the long run, it wasn’t the Guildmaster’s guild. She snatched the papers to sign a placeholder name on it. Anything to stop the back and forth happening.

“Ragnarok? That’s an odd name, but I like it.” The Guildmaster commented as he reviewed the forms.

"Ragnarok?" Alope asked. "Can't believe we didn't think of something like that…"

So they didn't know about… well. It would be fine. This place was really secluded. More than Hana initially had thought. 

The Guildmaster began signing a few of the papers to verify them. The five stood there glimpsing at one another, waiting. They signed their names onto the sheet one at a time soon after.

“Alright, it looks like you’re ready to go. Head to the Senatus to introduce your guild.” He slid their guild certificate across the desk. He then took the rest of the paperwork and placed it in a folder on one of the nearby desks. There were other papers scattered about on said desk, and the Guildmaster noticed scrolls he had placed there earlier.

The new guild was prepared to leave when the Guildmaster grabbed the scrolls and called out to them.

“Oh, but before you go, let me explain one more thing.” He handed Ignis the rolled up papers.  “Those documents I just gave you. Smart explorers actually read them carefully. If you don’t feel like it, you can just throw them away… But if you hope to go all the way into the labyrinth, you’d be well served giving them a look.”

The group left the guild hall together. As they walked, Alope offered to hold some of the papers for Ignis. He handed her their certificate.

They were guild Ragnarok now . 

With a majority being unknowingly selected by an oracle, there was an emptiness about them.   

Chapter Text

She should have slept on the boat. 

In the afternoon, Armoroad’s streets were very much the opposite of how it was once she arrived. Loud conversations, winding roads, and people shouting to one another. Hana’s least favorite things to deal with while sleep-deprived. 

Alope led them because… Of course she did. Effortlessly, she blended with the common folk. Sometimes, she paused to chat with those who called out. Very befitting of the town’s child… Or whatever the Harbormaster called her. 

Their current destination? Aman’s Inn. The staple for guilds' lodging, meetings, and all domestic things about adventuring according to Alope. She gestured above, near Armoroad’s summit where it rested. It was one of Armoroad’s more well-kept structures, a tall building with at least 3 stories. Soon, it’d be Hana’s haven… With a soft, or at least,  proper bed… Food that wasn’t rationed.  A window . Her face tingled, though, she couldn’t tell if it was from sunlight finally soaking into her or if her cheeks were going rosy.

Aman’s inn was fairly busy, yet nothing in comparison to the streets. More homey than she expected… The inside mirrored the rest of the city, covered in flowers. In vases, but everywhere in the lobby, beside the open windows, and the tables. Many of said tables were taken by other guilds. Discussions about exploring and inn prices filled the air. 

“Over here!” Alope appeared beside the only empty table.

Within an hour, the documents the guildmaster gave them covered the table. Atop it, all lay a sheepskin parchment and inks. An unused mapping kit: the key component to their first task. The guild had been given a mission by Armoroad’s government, the Senatus. All newly formed parties had to be authorized by the Senatus via a map-making mission. 

“This mission isn’t too hard. It’s the first floor– even babies go there. The monsters are easy  if  you pay attention. The thing that gets the most guilds is party formation. They’ll put like…  Farmers  in the front lines and wonder why things go wrong.”  Alope began moving the documents on the table until she located the guild’s classification papers. “Based on our classes… Ignis and I will take the lead. The rest of you should stay back.” 

Her voice mellowed, eventually fading into the chatter around them. Hana could not keep her eyes open for all of this. She really should have slept on the boat, but she hadn’t. And now she faced the consequences. Not only her eyelids, but her whole body ached with tiredness unable to resist slumber. She made one mighty attempt to sit upright before she was hit with all the fatigue from her journey to Armoroad.

A certain name resounded in her head.

Ignis .   

“Way later on… If Enid or Tank wanted to come to the front, you could, but–”

Hana’s head slammed onto the table. The scattered parchments and scrolls flew upward, fluttering back down in a disorganized pile. Some landing on the zodiac’s head. Ragnarok stared at each other, the only noise being the indistinct conversations of the other guilds around them. 

“She’s… sleep?” Tank sat nearest to her and he gently shoved her to see if she was alive.

Her eyelids tightened. “Five more minutes… Rory…”

“...”

“Let her sleep. I think she had a long trip here.” Alope motioned to Hana’s suitcase underneath the table. “Maybe she’ll be less grumpy when she wakes up.” 

Tank tried to comment about it, but Enid was quick to dish out a chop with their hand.

The sun had nearly set when Hana awoke. Its hazy gleam from the ocean bathed the room in a deep shade of amber.  

She came to consciousness still groggy, but significantly less sore. To her surprise, she felt blankets over her and the fluffiness of a bed. What she had longed for ages, accompanied by the salty air. While she enjoyed it for a moment, a long moment where she almost dozed back off, she launched upward when she remembered that this was not where she had fallen asleep. 

The room was open and spacious… Two beds, two desks, a window, and a skylight. More of the flowers from the inn's lobby rested on the bedside table. 

Soft snapping sounds drew her attention. Alope sat on the other bed, fastening armor onto her legs and a buckler on her arm. 

“Oh– Up now?”

Obviously…

“Where’d you put my bag?”

Alope perked up. “...Your luggage? It’s–”

Hana rushed over to the corner it was tucked into.

“...Over there.”

Already she had an arm in rustling the case’s contents around. Gears and machinery brimmed at the top. Hana sifted through it, gently tossing them aside until she revealed a thick notebook. 

That was what Hana was so desperate to get to? Alope watched from behind her shoulder. There wasn’t much else in the case, just another zodiac uniform, and a nightgown. 

Hana shook out some stray papers from the notebook and spread them out on the floor, muttering things to herself. None of the things she said were remotely close to normal responses to the situation. Not a “Where am I?” or any questions about the plans she had missed entirely while taking that nap. Just repeating to herself: 

“Ignis–” 

Over and over like a madwoman.

“Uhm… Since you seem awake now– We’re gonna head to the labyrinth.”

Hana lit up and scrambled for a graphite stick.  “ Labyrinth .  Ignis… labyrinth…” She frantically scribbled it down. 

Zodiacs really were all the same, weren't they? 

Alope left the room, and Hana lagged behind. Shuffling her notebook, then sketching something in it, and shuffling it more. A quiet sound, the only sound in the halls of Aman’s Inn. The rustling got worse, now incessant, as if Hana was going to drop it all. Alope peeked back, and her book indeed trembled in her hands.

“Do you need help? I can carry–”

“ No .” 

At least Hana had responded to her for once.

The inn gained its reputation as a hub for explorers due to its proximity to the labyrinth, not more than a 20-minute walk according to Alope. Ragnarok weaved their way out of the inn and through the throngs of people. 

The ocean city stayed alive, even at night. After a day long spent strategizing, the brisk eve loosened up the guild. Town lights poured onto the cobbles, which were still warm from earlier in the day. It was more noticeable now, with the cool ocean breeze pushing them forward. This energy had motivated many guilds to buzz about at night whether it was returning from the labyrinth or heading there, like Ragnarok was. 

“Alope, right?” Enid spoke with a wavering point at the girl. “I was going to say it earlier, but don’t you seem a little young to know this much about the labyrinth?”

“I don’t know that much… I’ve just been there a lot.”

“Were you one of those ‘babies’ that liked to play on the first floor?” 

“Yeah! But also I do work for some guilds. Well, I  used  to… ” She said, glancing to the side. “But enough about me, I’ve been talking a lot! Tell me about yourselves!”

“I was once a knight in lands far from here,” Ignis said.

“Really?” Enid spoke, partially withdrawn behind Tank. “I’ve been meaning to go someplace, but leaving here’s kinda hard…”

The allure of the labyrinth was mostly due to its resources. Resources Armoroad could not get via trade thanks to terrible currents, and pirates occupying the calm water. The Harbormaster often spoke Alope’s ear off about it. Just like those times, she remained quieter on this topic, letting the older Enid and Ignis talk more. While she listened, her eyes wandered back over to Hana. The girl remained mute, face buried in her book. 

Many of the guilds she had previously worked with had at least one or two foreigners. They’d come in hoards from Inver, off of naval ships once a month. The waters so treacherous, that only the military could freely sail it and import explorers… Yet Hana arrived alone, no military. Just her and a few sailors from a small ship.

“How did you manage to get here, Hana?” The question slipped out, and Alope’s throat clogged as if it had tried to stop it from doing so. 

The zodiac looked up from her notes with half-lidded eyes. 

“Wasn’t hard.”

She had been talking so little they were unused to her voice. Monotone and clear, almost predetermined.

“The Cel Arc’s records had Armoroad’s coordinates… All I had to do was monitor the sun and moon to be sure of the tides. Then use Polaris as a guide for my bearings.”

What… ?

"Po… Polaris?" Alope repeated the only vaguely familiar word.

Hana gestured to the north. “Yes. It’s a star. That bright one.”

“They’re all pretty bright, kid. They’re stars," said Tank.  

With a furrowed brow, she scanned her notes more furiously this time. “Polaris is  this  one.” 

She dug her finger near the center of the page. An image sprawled the page, a spherical diagram marked with stars. Tiny script was scribbled beside them, their names and notes. A star chart.

“And not all stars are bright.” She moved her hand in a diagonal line from the constellation Polaris was in. To another bigger constellation then below it to a void on the page. “This constellation is dim compared to the others.”

Did she only talk if it was about the sky? 

They stood at the front of the labyrinth entrance, paying attention despite how inscrutable they found it.

“There’s no constellation there.” Alope tilted her head.

“What?” Her eyes widened significantly as she readjusted the book. She flipped a few pages and marked them. Hana then lifted a finger to the night sky, tracing the same path she had in her book in a different direction.

“That line of stars,  Lynx . It’s dimmer than the rest.”

Dim was an understatement. Alope had to strain her eyes to make the constellation out and… It didn’t even look like a lynx. Yet, Hana seemed content with the amount she had spoken. Her head slumped back to the book, miraculously unphased by the looming shadows of the labyrinth’s entryway.

Though it wasn’t exactly the labyrinth, the decrepit path still had its own risks. A winding cloister, with massive stone pillars. Each one laced with cracks and eroded by Yggdrasil's roots. The bricks below remained much sturdier, still overgrown by plants, but dimpled by the footsteps of other explorers.

Overflowing moonlight seeped in through, pooling at the start of a staircase.

They took advantage of the descent, double-checking themselves to be sure they had their weapons. Ignis his spear, Tank his crossbow, Alope her mace. Enid had no such thing on them, instead, they carried the supplies. A few medicines, the map parchment, the guild documents. While checking, they all got good glimpses of Hana only holding the same book in her hands. 

There was the matter of… That thing on her shoulder. A contraption they had all seen zodiacs wear. Not quite armor or a weapon by its looks. Simply a metal shoulder piece that beeped and fizzed. Its ominous whir eventually was engulfed by the sounds of rushing water. 

The last of the staircase emerged outside of the tunnel. It had taken more than 20 minutes now, but the guild had finally arrived at the Yggdrasil Labyrinth. Monumental ruins worn down by foliage and waterfalls that glimmered in the evening.

The Waterfall Wood.

Alope bounded ahead as if it were any other place in the city. 

“You guys do know you can talk in here, right?” Her pace came to a halt near one of the cracked columns before she eased onto it, careful to avoid further splitting the fractures in it.  

“...What’s there to talk about?” The labyrinth was certainly a hulking structure, but… Enid seemed especially small now. 

“There’s plenty to talk about, like–” 

“…Weather’s nice down here.” Tank grabbed Enid’s fist before it could land on him. “What? She said we could talk down here–” 

A feint, Enid chopped him with their spare hand. “You know that’s not what she meant!”

No one could say they  weren’t  expecting this. Alope wasn’t sure if she regretted bringing it up, but Ignis’s sigh definitely told her that he did. 

“I meant the map… We never said who’d fill it in.” She sidled her way between the two.

“OH!” Enid plucked it out.

“I’ve done this a few times already…” Alope laughed wearily observing the parchment. “Some guilds just needed a gladiator to help them map, and then after they didn’t need one anymore they just… kicked her out and stole all her gear…” 

“What’s one more time?” Tank said. 

Enid squinted at him. “ Tank .” 

“Fine, fine. Then what do you say we do?”

Enid put a hand to his chin for a good while. “Hm… Alope’s done this before, and Ignis… He’s a Hoplite. It’d be really inconvenient to make him look over a lot of things… So, it would have to be you or me, bud.”

“Not it.”

“Hey–!” 

Hana collided against their shoulder, and all her baubles shook in her arms. She hastily readjusted her grip on them to continue marking her book.

“Oh, Hana…!” The monk lit up. “Didn’t you say you could navigate well? I think that would be-”

“Busy right now,” Hana said with not even so much as a glimpse. 

Enid’s lips curled.

“You know what? I’ll just do it.”

A smile, but it crept underneath the guild’s skin. 

“O…okay, here’s how…”  Alope demonstrated, drawing the current room from memory. She grabbed a pack of stickers from her pockets. “And I use these suckers to mark if there’s anything different on the map. They stick like this–”

Someone had given the shopkeep the idea to make them. Once word of them got out to guilds it became rare to see any adventurer who didn’t have a set. They used mucus from frog monster tongues to stick to the gridded parchment and came in a variety of shapes. 

“Ooh, also!” She revealed a flap on the packaging and clipped it onto the map. “Now you can hold them both in one hand, see?” 

She wasn’t quite sure who would be enthused besides herself, unless there was someone else who had secretly mapped this floor more than she did.

As Enid took the supplies from Alope they glanced at Hana, then back at her. A silent truce. Alope never understood how they worked, but she knew this time. It wasn’t only her who felt this way about Hana… 

A relief, but the thick air kept Alope from sighing. 

“Do not fret. I have met many zodiacs. She may appear aloof, but I assure you that she is working hard.” Sensing this between the two, Ignis spoke.

“Alpha Lyncis…? No… Beta Leonis–” The zodiac bumbled to herself.

“Sure she is, old man.” Tank patted his back as he passed him.

Enid didn’t lunge for him for that one. 

Alope stayed in the lead for most of the night. Given her gladiator class, it was the best option. With relatively high defense and offense, she had an advantage, if worse came to worst. 

That and being at the front gave her some distance from Hana. 

Muted croaking and foliage shuffling seeped into her thoughts. 

Yeah… She was in a dungeon filled to the brim with monsters, yet… It was the only other girl her age that frightened her. The way she instantly made things tense, how she whispered nonsense, the freaky magic zodiacs like her could cast… And how she was stuck with one because the guild had to change their policies on the one month she couldn’t afford to lose any income.

The croaking grew into loud wailing then sudden silence. Shadows launched at them from above, pasty bulbous monsters. As her guild scrambled into position, Alope rushed ahead.

Forest Frogs, nasty things that always stalked around in hunting groups. One leapt, she slammed it with her buckler sending it flying back. Bracing the impact, adjusting her footing, then finally brandishing her mace to end it. Her arm jerked back preemptively. A goopy writhing tongue fastened onto her weapon hand. 

Ugh… Forest Frogs . 

She took a sharp breath, nearly laughing at how she forgot. They were never alone. 

Alope gripped the tongue and wrenched the creature toward her. She reeled back, releasing all the momentum onto the frog’s head, splitting its head off from its tongue with the steel edge of her shield. 

A sick sort of satisfaction arose in her as its tongue slid off her arm. With monsters, she could easily change the outcome. Her thoughts clear, and her focus only on her next steps and how she could win. If she made a mistake? Well, she'd been bruised before by worse.

The other frog recuperated from her first blow– it opened its eyes only to see one last flash, Alope over top it, mace overhead. Then a meaty crunch resounded.

Her guild stood there, astonished.

If only all things could be as simple as fighting monsters. An immediate action-reaction scenario.  No need to think much in advance, just small movements that could change the course of the battle to one's advantage in an instant. No repercussions, no subtext, no judgment. Just making sure your next move was the correct one. 

Unfortunately, most things required some foresight. Like now.

She had killed the monsters, but thick gore dripped off of her and she stood in a heap of monster guts.

Don’t say something weird … 

Conversation and interacting with others. She had an idea on how to do it, but one mistake here and… It could end up like  earlier.

Their sights had settled on the corpses. The dismembered cheeks of one of the frogs rested at her feet. 

“Oh! Normally we’d take monster parts and sell them… But we probably couldn’t scavenge this one.” The frogs’ faces were bent beyond recognition. 

Her guild blinked a few times. 

“If… you slowed down a little, I coulda had time to shoot ‘em.” Tank motioned to his crossbow. 

“Hahaha! I guess I did kill them fast…!”  

“That’s a good thing!” Enid reassured her. 

“I’m not quite sure…” Ignis muttered, his glance moved from the corpses to her. “She’s still a girl… We can’t have her doing everything.”

Why did he defend Hana being negligent, but question her being diligent?

“I mean, I could.” She grinned, much to Ignis’s dismay. “How about I stay ahead? It’ll make the mapping easier.”

No one argued against it, not aloud.

They had several enemy encounters. Battles with fish, frogs, and even mutated durians. They had succeeded in these with little to no difficulty. Although, the durians were particularly troublesome. Alope finally shattered the thorny husks of the fruits, drenching the grass with their sticky sap. Stupid thorns… The durians could shoot them out, and they always found a way to blind her. She caught her breath, rubbing the spikes out of her watery eyes. 

Warmth grazed her neck in the usually cool forest. Something she might not have felt if it wasn’t for her partially obscured vision. She took hold of her weapon, not hesitating to strike. 

Her mace was parried by Ignis.

“Agh… Sorry…!” It came out breathier than she would have liked. “The thorns…!”

Ignis lowered both their weapons and placed a dainty silk handkerchief in her palm. 

“For your eyes.” 

Alope dried her face, and the two waited for Enid and Tank to catch up with them. Ignis watched them approach, yet… Alope could have sworn she felt a set of eyes on her. That weird tingling in her neck came back in flashes. Brief instances of something crawling around her, so slight, but unmistakable. She clenched the hilt of her club, listening for any disturbance in the foliage. 

Alas, there was nothing unusual. The cries of the frogs were distant, no signs of any fish leaping at them, and the fruits swaying above were largely normal. 

It could have been Ignis’s approach. She wandered some distance to clear the path and here he was. 

Then  why  did she still feel it now? Ignis breathed steadily, unlike the short gusts that slithered down her back.   

“Alope, is something amiss?” 

“Everything’s fine…” She said so unconvincingly the line hadn’t worked on herself. 

Ignis glanced at her before he scowled at something. Alope wasn’t sure what.

Did he feel it too?  Alope almost asked. Yet when she opened her mouth, the sensation dissipated. Only the frigid steel of her weapon and the remains of sweat graced her skin. 

When Enid arrived they showed Alope the map. 

“I… think we’re almost done?” 

Alope peeked at it expecting a mistake or two but was met with steady handiwork and even annotations on some parts. 

“Oh–! Yeah! We’re more than almost done!” 

“Good.”  He plopped to the ground near one of the waterfalls. “I’m getting tired.”

“Me too…” She slumped down next to Enid. Truthfully, she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to go on much longer. With this amount filled out, they could finish the mission today. Then… she’d have the money to slow down a little.

“...We can tell.” 

“She’s only getting tired because YOU aren’t doing anything, Tank!” 

“It’s not like  you’re  doing anything. The kid’s face is all scuffed up–” Tank motioned to Alope.

She did get one too many of their thorns in and near her eyes. She traced over the scratches, the pain had been reduced to a dull stinging. Not anything that wouldn’t heal within a week or so. 

Enid snatched up Alope’s face before she could muster up an argument. Soft light emitted from their hands and then soaked into Alope’s wounds. A cooling sensation that traveled underneath her pores, so strong it almost made her eyes water. 

When Enid let go, Alope retraced where she once felt welts and was met with glossy skin. The pain dissipated, and her face tingled.

“Next time you can just ask me to heal her, Tank.” 

“Didn’t say that–”

“That’s the PROBLEM!”

Back and forth they went. Enid  said  they were tired, and maybe they were. But Alope wondered if anything could ever stop them from scolding Tank. Minutes flew by before an opening reared its head.

“Thank you, Enid.” 

The line forced a long pause from the monk. One where he clutched the ends of his robes so tightly, his knuckles whitened. 

“It was nothing. Next time though,  YOU  tell me if you need healing.” 

That silent truce somehow extended here. With anyone else, she would have gone ablaze with embarrassment. Yet, with Enid, she could finally let that sigh out. It was a heavy one, not enough to ease the fatigue, but enough to partially open up her throat. 

Alope agreed and in turn Enid finally ceased arguing. But not without Tank whispering:

“How'd you  do  that?”

With Enid and Tank finally simmered down, Alope tried to relax.

The following rest was peaceful, but not restful in the slightest. An anxiety overwhelmed her, a deep jab in her chest nagged her that something  else  was missing. When she’d worked with other guilds, she had to return to Armoroad at this point in the map-making process. 

She double-checked over Enid’s shoulder, and everything on the map  seemed  accurate. 

Maybe she was overthinking the whole thing.

Ignis stood a few feet away, keeping watch. Hearing the commotion fade, he eyed each of them.

His expression went pale.

“Where is Hana?”

That’s why it was so peaceful. 

The guild surveyed their surroundings and sure enough, the zodiac had just vanished. No signs of a struggle, or even track left in the soil to see where she might have gone.

“She’s  busy . I bet she’ll catch up.”

Ignis shot Enid a glare.

“What?  You  said to have faith in her, old man.” Tank chuckled.

Great… Hana managed to irritate the others even when she wasn't there. 

“Yes, I did. However, I-”

The crunch of leaves and rustling of trees rang from beside Enid. They jolted up, nearly into Alope. She too stood up, dusting off her clothes.

“I’ll go check it out. You guys keep looking.” 

Ignis reached out to her. “Not alone.” 

“Finding Hana’s more important.”  Zodiacs were powerful. One of the sought-after classes in the guild hall. But what they had in magical power was equally countered by their low defenses. The long casting periods of their spells left them open to quick attacks. Paired with the lack of armor or any melee weapons to avoid it, a separated zodiac was as good as dead. 

“And… It’d suck if we got blinded by durians looking for her.”

It didn’t work. Her excuse filled his eyes with more scrutiny.

Alope held back sulking as he followed her down the path. The noise continued deeper into the labyrinth, where the stone arches created a gateway further in.

The Waterfall Wood, despite its name, rarely consisted of fully wooded areas. There were some sprinkled around, but the labyrinth was stone-worn with moss and bushes. Except here… A dark path choked by trees. 

Condensation on the weeds slushed beneath their grieves. Alope paused. None of the trees bore fruit, no water, no croaking. But quiet tinkles of water droplets falling deeper in then a loud squishy thud. Prepared to take advantage, Alope went in for the kill. 

“Alope, wait–”

Ignis’s voice faded. Only focused on her target, she swung her weapon with all her strength. 

It was… A Forest Frog. Alone?

She redirected the attack, instead blowing a crater into the ground beside it. 

She’d heard that occasionally they’d arrive alone. In those cases, they would sing a mating call to attract more. The dead stillness around her denied that idea. 

When she’d focus and try to listen to anything else, the quiet grew louder. 

Curious, Alope lowered her mace and nudged the frog with a foot. The body hit the ground, limp. Her grieves now stained a glossy red from the puddle of blood underneath it. Its neck had been carved into,  no , bitten out. And its legs… shattered as if it had been dropped from above.

What did this?

A low croak clawed through the silence. Surely, it must have been the other frog…? But her instincts betrayed her, forcing her to stay. As she listened closer her sweat turned frigid. The trill traveled up her spine, then everywhere. 

That warmth on her back returned, panting, breathing, and closer than she had felt it before. 

Her eyes clung to another, beady, set of eyes too late. The creature pounced at her from the shadows.

Ignis heaved Alope out of the way, using his free arm to take the blow. The girl stood there, paralyzed. Unsure whether it was from fear or how tired she was. 

With a stab from his spear, he unlatched it and threw the creature into the trees.

“ Go !” 

His deep voice rumbled inside of her, finally sparking her adrenaline. The beast recovered from the attack, its eyes searing with vengeance. It was  definitely  time to go. 

Rushing back, her vision blurred. If she passed out now, she didn’t want to think of what would happen. Footsteps echoed toward them. Quiet stalking ones, but footsteps regardless.

Ignis held her ahead. His expression grim, but cold as he steeled on. If this thing was able to injure him while armored, was leading it back to the clearing a good idea? 

The stark columns that initially welcomed them inched closer and closer.  

"I have an idea–" She tripped, barely steadying herself and avoiding a fall. "Go to the others first!"

" What? "

"Can you just trust me?!"

Ignis grunted disapprovingly but loosened his grip on her before escaping through the stone arches. 

She couldn't afford to miss this time. 

Alope whipped her mace at cracks in the stone foundations and a crackle thundered in the woods. The footsteps closed in on her. Knowing it was the last chance to hunt its prey, the creature leaped. 

Alope evaded narrowly, losing her footing on the roots. Her knees buckled before she tumbled out into the clearing, the stone pillars collapsing not far from her.

It worked… Sort of. 

She stumbled to her feet, blinking back her hazy vision. 

The creature’s front had made it outside the debris. Silver highlighted its features. A large feline with massive claws and bloodied teeth. 

A Great Lynx. 

Shit .

The lynx shook the stones off as if they were only a spray of water. It dashed toward her and she froze, her body leaden with the exhaustion she ignored for so long. 

Monsters were supposed to be mindless things and yet, this one had gotten the best of her? 

The air boiled, scalding and turbulent. Seconds before its fangs could sink into her skin, a flash shattered the night, blowing her back to the ground. Wind roared as vibrant flames engulfed the predator. It hissed and yowled as the fire consumed it, its body turning to nothing but a pile of black ash.

The air settled, revealing the zodiac, Hana. 

Chapter Text

The warm lake air carried the cheers of the townsfolk and speckled lights, paper lanterns. Back then, 4 years prior, the oracle attended a solstice festival. On the longest day of the year, this town would cast “stars” into the sky to stall the darkness of the coming months.  

At her side was an older woman who reeked of flowery perfume coating cigar smoke. She hoisted an unlit lantern, and with a bright spark, flames burst from her palm. Fire engulfed the wick, then the wind swept the lantern to the orange-tinted sky to meet with the others. 

Hana watched it fondly… For this was one of the first times she had marveled at a zodiac’s magic being cast up close. A flash seared into her retinas, a sigil she came to recognize from her books. The glyph for Fire Star , a spell that drew from the stars’ energy to create infernos. Her eyes met with the woman’s, who smiled nearly as warmly as the flames she produced. The late summer’s eve, the smoke, and the lights on her skin… everything about the moment seeped into her heart. Swelling it with a joy that only the stars had given her. 

Before any words were exchanged between the two, children rushed to the woman.

“How did you do that?!” They were drooling over her, loudly clamoring for her answer, tugging her clothes. Yet the woman knelt down, still smiling just as wide. 

“You see children, I used the stars.” She said like she always did. She humored them, occasionally pausing to glance at Hana. A seemingly innocent check, but Hana knew that it was more than that. 

She must have noticed.

“Yes. If you learn enough about the stars, then you can do things like this too.”

“Wow! That’s cool!”

“Isn’t it? But that’s enough for now… Go along and have your fun, alright?”

“Okay!” 

As quickly as they came, the children sprinted off to their parents. Leaving only the two zodiacs and the indistinct chattering of the crowd.   

“...You say that a lot ,” Hana said.

“Well, it’s true, isn’t it?” Against the talk of those around them, the woman’s voice was clear and euphonic. But she spewed nonsense… At best “using the stars” was a feasible answer, and at worst it was just a lie. 

“It’s way too simple. There’s a lot more than just ‘using the stars’. You’ve even said so!”

“Yes, yes.” She chuckled. With a snap of her fingers this time, she ignited a small flame from her palm. “But not everyone can understand the concepts we study.” The blaze gleamed off her dark freckled skin, the angles of her face adding shadows to that bright demeanor.

“Wouldn’t it be cruel to explain something that they cannot even begin to understand?”

The reflections of the flames flickered in Hana’s eyes. The fire danced, with hot embers grazing her skin, almost inviting her in. Hana couldn’t understand what the woman meant. Cruel? The children, no, everyone always seemed amazed at the miracles the stars held… The magic zodiacs could conjure at will. Why not share it?

Her crescent smile waned. “Sounds like you’re too lazy to try explaining, Rory.”

“Ouch…” Rory laughed it off. “Surely you’ll get it when you’re older.”

Now that she was older, she cast the spell with the same adoration. It was a privilege to her… To finally be able to do it. The stars twinkling above her, the turbulent winds at her fingertips heating up. The rustling of Yggdrasil’s leaves. She watched as flames engulfed the lynx, their howling merged. So loud and then. Sudden quiet. The scalding heat reduced to warmth in her hands, a nice fervor that coursed through her. All the way up to her chest. 

A joy only the stars could give her.

Content with her show, Hana shook off the remaining sparks from her glowing palm. Drafts from the waterfalls whisked the billowing smoke away, eventually revealing her to her guild. Their silhouettes hazy still… She heard Tank call out to her.

“How the hell did you do that?” The same question as back then…  A “how did you do that?” Now was finally her time to explain the powers zodiacs held. Her guildmates came into focus. However, she was not met with smiling faces like the children’s all those years ago.

Ignis’s stoic eyes wide, lit up by the remaining cinders. Alope’s expression molded into a terrified one, almost sick-looking. In fact, everyone was paler than Hana remembered. The more they stared, the more chastened she felt… as if she had done something wrong and got caught in the act.

Fire Star had the ability to create the awe she had felt all those years ago, and whatever the hell these looks her guild was giving her?

The words the woman had told her at the festival came to her, scratching at the back of her mind. She had hoped maybe the woman was being pessimistic, that she was paranoid like always. But all the hope simmered down. All the energy, all the warmth, vanished in an instant and the embers of the fire extinguished. Only able to give them a blank stare back then glance back at the waters, she raised an index finger to the ether above the ruins.

There’s only one answer that would work. 

“Used the stars.” 

She understood now, even if it was a little. 

Everyone sighed, their tense expressions melting into relief. That was all it took to satisfy them? Were they stupid? 

“A thank you would be nice.” Hana approached the guild, stepping over the ashes. Whether they understood how she did it or not, she had saved their skins… Only to be met with those horrified eyes.  

“Oh! Of course, thank you, Hana.” Ignis’s eyes were still wide. He smiled at her, despite his own injuries. Red drops of blood seeped through his crushed armor. “That could have ended very badly…”

“Don’t worry about it. I saw it coming.”

The remark earned a quiet laugh from Tank as they shifted into their post-battle positions. Enid hastily tended to Ignis’s arm. With a few bandages and a glow of their hands, the bleeding stopped. 

Then they moved on to Alope. Out of all the others, she looked the worst. The glow she carried earlier in the day vanished, her skin blanched, and her movement hindered. During the entire treatment, Alope locked eyes with Hana. That terrible expression etched on her face. 

“How?” Alope finally forced a sentence out rather than gawking. Not that she had stopped.  “You… Weren’t even with us till just now. And you haven’t seen one before… So how–” 

“I did see it. Had a premonition.” 

Alope continued staring so deep into Hana that the zodiac glanced behind her to make sure nothing else was there. Hana usually had the upper hand in these staring contests. But this time she couldn’t say she did.

“Hana, you’re not hurt are you?” Enid asked.

Hana squinted at the monk, perplexed.

Tank smirked. “You hit your head or anything…?” 

“ No –” 

Alope laughed heartily and gave Hana's back a loud pat. “She's just tired.” Her voice cracked like it had back at the harbor. “I think we should head back. I mean… we’re all pretty tired… Hahaha…” 

Why did she act weird with her but normal around everyone else? 

Enid’s eyes glossed over the zodiac. "Yeah. Alope has a point. It’s late…"

The evening had turned into midnight, then early morning.

There wasn’t much progress made that day. But it was fine... For Hana knew they would be safe enough to travel the following days. That they were safe because of her. That one day they might thank her if they ever realized before then .

The trip back was less taxing than the trip there. Despite most of the guild only being there for a few hours, a sense of familiarity had developed. Though Alope walked in the front, Ignis stayed at her side. When she’d quicken her pace, he’d place a hand on her shoulder just as fast, stopping her from going too far.

Alope pretended to be cheerful as she showed the guild shortcuts, areas they could cut through now that they had knowledge of the floor. Conveniently, where they had stopped was very close to a shortcut that took them right back to the exit.  

The guild traveled back up the stairs and across the cloisters.

“So… Are we meeting up tomorrow to finish?” Alope’s voice echoed in the labyrinth entrance. They filed their way out of the hall, back to the city. The brimming streets were very much breathable now, the people who trekked them much quieter and fewer in number.  

“Not like we’re doing anything else.” Enid yawned. “What time?” 

“Morning should do,” Ignis said.

“ Morning… ?” 

“That would be great, actually!” Enid brimmed with certainty after hearing Tank object to the idea.

“Asshole.”

“ What did you just say–?”

“Alright!” Alope took the lead and faced them again. “I’ll be at the inn. You can ask the innkeeper to see me.”  

With this, Enid yanked Tank’s arm.

“What the– Are you trying to take my arm off?”

Enid only gripped it harder. “We'll see you then!” They dragged Tank into town with them, much to his dismay. Both of them shouted obscenities at the other before they faded into the scenery. 

Ignis stayed a moment longer, prompting both the girls to stare at him expectantly. 

“You two did well today. Be sure you rest before tomorrow, okay?”

“...Right.” Alope’s cheer had been replaced by a palpable shame, not much different from Hana’s own.

Weird .

The two traveled to the Aman’s Inn alone, passing by closing shops and darkened windows. Hana found herself wishing Alope slipped up and at least said something . But no… Alope didn't mention what had happened, nor that stare she gave Hana, not even Armoroad trivia. 

Green outlined the blackened alleyways, the color of the inn’s trademarked lamps. Alope halted near them and took a deep inhale.

“Hana, you still staying here?” She eventually spoke, but it was more to the space in front of her than to the oracle herself. 

“I don’t have any other options.”

 If she did, she would very much prefer them.  

"If you stay in my room, the price for the night gets cut in half." 

"And why would I?"

"… Uhm.” Alope’s eyes darted as if she were reconsidering. “...A double's just… cheaper than a single if two people sleep in it. And I… don’t have a lot of ental on me right now.”

Refusing should have been obvious. It should have, yet…

“What do you mean that I HAVE to be in a guild to take requests now? It wasn’t like that before!” 

It wasn’t any of her business. But…

If guild requests were anything like they were in Tharsis, they paid a decent sum. So much so, that beginners were barred from taking requests without passing a carefully monitored mapping exam like this one. Without such an exam, people would prematurely rush to take requests racking up the amount of labyrinth casualties. A similarity between the towns, apparently a recent one for Armoroad. 

To have that amount of money cut off… 

It wasn’t her business then… But now her things were already in there. Moving it all over to another room would be troublesome. Besides, denying a discount would be detrimental to her mission. Sure, she had saved up, but until they got access to those requests, she wouldn’t be able to make good money either. 

“...Fine.” 

Alope brightened briefly, making their walk past check-in to the room their least awkward interaction thus far.

Back when Hana had been reading her notes, the corridor felt much shorter.  The halls were extensive and each door had unique handcrafted wreaths. They really all were unique, as the two had to pass by every door before they reached Alope’s. The very last door, at the top floor. 

Alope unlocked it and the room unfolded. Only lit by the green lanterns and moonlight, barren compared to when Hana first arose.    

Why did Alope have a double if it was just her? She held back asking, knowing that doing so would make the fact they were rooming together tenser than it was. If that was possible… 

They changed into night clothes and got into their beds without so much of a word to each other. 

Above them was the skylight, a large window on the ceiling where moonlight poured in.

Alope’s eyes remained open, first staring at said skylight for a long while, then stealing looks at the zodiac of her party. 

An oracle apparently. One who had a "premonition" of a lynx attacking them when no one had sensed it coming. She clenched her fist, placing it to her chest. Hana acted with such precision. She had to know exactly where it was lest she would have evaporated Alope or Ignis.

Alope fully faced her.

Hana fixated on the skylight, but… It wasn't the same as when she was studying her notes. The night sky reflected off her wide eyes. The widest Alope had seen them. Though the light was faint, the image of the ether made her eyes appear as if they were sparkling.

Hana was stargazing. 

It made sense… Alope saw other zodiacs in town. She worked with them. She had heard that many were not just magicians, that some were mathematicians, others summoners, or even fortune tellers. How despite there being so many differences between them, they were brought together and fueled by… The stars? All of them relied on the ether for their magic. 

That part never made any sense to her. How did they gain power from the stars?

When she did get the courage to ask about it, most zodiacs would mock her. "It's far beyond something you would understand" and the like. A never-ending cycle that she'd encountered. Each time, when there was a zodiac in the party they brought a certain amount of pretentiousness with them. No average person could comprehend how they worked, but when asked to explain they wouldn't. 

The events of that day had made Alope reconsider. Hana had mentioned some odd things. Like how she was an Oracle and her tacky alias. Both things bothered Alope, but she was the one who screwed up the first time. Asking Hana about it could only make things better… right?

"Hey, Hana?" She whispered, unsure if it reached Hana. “Did you… really have a premonition?”

The question lingered for a while. 

“Yes.” Hana’s response was empty, almost automated. 

But it was a response . 

Alope rose from her bed, using her right arm as support for the rest of her body. “How?” 

“I used-”

“ Please… Don’t just say you used the stars.”

The response left Hana staring at her moon-eyed. 

Not again… Alope tried to get hold of herself. Though, Hana didn’t seem upset this time. She opened her mouth a few times but would seemingly choke on the words before she could speak them. 

One of the times her eyebrow furrowed, and she turned back to the stars.

“Why do you care? I thought you didn’t like people like me .”

“I didn’t say that…! It’s just that zodiacs are–” Her throat tightened. She shouldn’t have asked anything, a large part of her thought. The other, a tiny fragment, desperately wanted to continue talking. Almost every fiber of her being urged her to just lay back down. To turn away and give up, but that tiny fragment of her persisted.

“...I just wanna know more about it so I don’t say dumb things like I did at Inver." 

Mentioning it again made her cheeks hot and upon closer inspection, Hana’s too.

Sounds of waves leaked from the open windows. The soft lulling of the sea became the only thing keeping them from utter stillness. After sitting for what felt like ages to Alope, Hana replied.

“It’s not my job to tell you.” The zodiac sat up. “But since you’re asking politely this time… I’ll do it this once.” Hana lifted the pillow she was resting on to reveal her notebook. She then moved to the floor between her bed and Alope’s. 

“I’ll explain, and you get 5 questions.” She opened her notebook and then placed it in front of herself.

"Only 5 questions?? But I-"

"I don't need you asking me stupid stuff. If I only give you 5, maybe you'll think before you say something."

Fair enough. Alope’s bed creaked as she observed the notes Hana displayed. The front pages seemed like nonsense to Alope, but she remembered one part. The star chart.

“That star is Polaris, right?” Alope leaned forward as she pointed at it. "Oh, and you filled in the constellation from earlier…! What's it called again?"

Hana blinked a few times.

"Yeah… that is Polaris." For once there was an inflection in her voice, it was higher pitched, yet mild on the ears. Was that how it naturally sounded? "And that constellation is called Lynx."

Alope inhaled sharply. "Ah, shit wait!! Did those count??" 

“ No ." Said Hana, clearing her throat. Her voice returned to its monotony. "I… haven’t explained yet.” 

Oh… yeah. Hana hadn't. She sighed… it would be best to keep her mouth shut so she didn't blow this like the other times. Instead of replying, she stared at Hana hoping she'd go on. Thankfully she did. 

She placed her hand on the notes. Delicately, she began flipping the pages of the book. “Some zodiacs have specialties, certain fields they dedicate all their time studying. Mine was Horoscoping.” 

The pages Alope managed to read were in juvenile handwriting. Several pages of labeled circle charts, horoscopes, dated back years ago. As Hana flipped the writing became more refined, and the charts for the horoscopes smaller until suddenly there was no sight of them.

“After doing it for all this time, I don’t need the chart to know what’ll happen in the future. It just comes to me in visions or premonitions. Mostly when I’m asleep.”

“So wait… you really can see the future???” 

“That's what I’ve been saying. Why do you think I said I was an oracle?” The oracle rolled her eyes so hard Alope could barely see her pupils. Yet, after she was done, she maintained eye contact with Alope waiting for what she’d say next. 

A waste of a question … Even with this 5 question limit, words still rushed out of her mouth before she could filter them. Alope grumbled a bit before she thought of another one.

“You said you get premonitions or visions… Is there a difference?"

“I have visions often, but they aren't always premonitions .”

Not very in-depth answers… Alope exhaled.

“Often, huh… So, you just… Know things are going to happen all the time?”

“M-hm.”

How was that worse ? If Hana could answer with a sound, her questions must have been too simple. She grew anxious thinking too hard about it. 

“Does… that mean you could tell you were going to meet us?” Her voice trembled.

“Yes, if it’s important I usually know,” Hana spoke matter-of-factly, with a twinge of impatience sprinkled in. 

"Seriously? I guess… That’s actually kinda cool."

It gained a raised eyebrow from Hana. She acted stubborn, like she didn't want to do this… But things like this, those moon eyes she kept making, and what her voice did earlier… Was she actually amused? 

Alope only had one question left. 

This wasn’t a matter of acting quickly, it was a slow meticulous game. Unlike anything she was used to when working with guilds. If she asked too fast, she’d waste her questions… but if she hesitated, what if Hana changed her mind?

Still… What if she treated it like an encounter? Adapting to the conversation like it was a battle of some kind… To use the scraps Hana had left to find a weak point. It was ridiculous, but Alope found herself doing it.

She could ask directly about Hana's powers again if she wanted to be confused again. But Hana could predict the future. Well, maybe she could. Rather than asking to explain something complex… She should think simpler.

“If it’s important, I usually know.” Hana’s last sentence came back to her. A snarky remark, but the more Alope pondered what she could ask she realized. The line was the key to her understanding. 

“Alright… If you know the future then… What's Ragnarok gonna be like?” A question about the future would make Hana elaborate more on what she saw. How she saw it. Anything more than one-word answers or quips. Alope hoped anyway. 

She made eye contact with the oracle who quickly broke it.

"That's… over your 5 question limit,” Hana said.

“Wh-What? No, it’s not! That was the 5th-!” Alope counted on her fingers. “ Wait a minute…! Did you seriously count ‘seriously’? It was rhetorical!!”

“It was still a question. I told you I didn't want you to waste my time.” Hana perked her head once more.

“That’s not fair...” Alope pouted. “You didn’t even answer that question!” 

Hana tensed up. “Why would I answer? It was rhetorical .” Her voice was higher pitched again. Alope was impressed she had made Hana express something besides disinterest twice.

“I think I deserve 5 answers.” Alope lifted herself so she could sit upright. She waited for Hana’s response, but Hana looked at her notes instead. 

“Ugh… fine. Don’t answer either question then." 

She couldn’t help but feel cheated. Thinking about the last question more… Maybe she shouldn’t have asked it. But… Hana hadn’t said what type of question she could ask. Alope caught herself– Then that did mean “seriously” counted since it was rhetorical! Her face reddened. 

Way to go…

Hana continued skipping parts of the book until she was up to date. The notes became less organized. Slowly taking the form of incomplete, almost convoluted events with random words written next to them. The most recent page read:

Premonition II: Labyrinth Ignis Lynx.

Under it, there were drawings of triangles, notes, and small drawings of constellations Alope mostly did not know. Except for the Lynx constellation, which was fresh in her mind from the front of the book.  

The oracle closed her notebook and held it to her stomach before sliding it carefully under her pillow. She climbed back into bed.  Alope couldn't find it in herself to say anything else. She wanted to know more, but…

"Goodnight, Alope." Hana turned to the wall.

Alope stiffened. "O-oh… Goodnight!"

It seemed the zodiac did not want to talk anymore, but this was an improvement. Their first actual conversation. And… Hana had used Alope’s name. She was pleasantly surprised that the oracle had remembered it. 

Chapter Text

Hints of the kindled dawn warmed Hana’s notes. Leaning sleepily beside her window, she tucked her book to her chest.

As one of the taller buildings in town, the inn gave her a decent vantage point of the constellations above. There they shone so clearly, a perfect mirror of the sky flowed on the sea. One thing this place had going for it. 

Artificial light drowned out stars in other lands' skies. Here, however, she could see everything, even against the harsh orange glare on the horizon. She could finally pick out a few of the dimmer ones without aid. Leo Minor and… Lynx. It paled in comparison to the asterisms around it, yet the constellation nearly blinded her.

Last night. She forgot about Lynx when it played such a key role in clarifying her premonition.

“That was too close back there. Had you been any later and there wouldn’t have been anyone left to save.”

Hana rolled her eyes into the back of her head at the thought of her again. So what if it was last minute? That was usually how it went. And I did it, didn’t I? Why can’t you just be happy I did it?

Alas, it was a talk they had so often, the oracle foresaw the reply without the stars’ aid.

“Always relying on your divinations to save you… What of your own intuition and wisdom? Real masters take what they’ve observed in the past and apply it to their current situations before they even think to use their flairs.”

It had been months since that had been relayed to her. That sweet voice did nothing to quell the bitter aftertaste. The fact Hana had only proven her right, despite success.

Hana's fated guild members too were elusive images, moving colors. She'd dreamt of them, of silhouettes that she struggled to focus her eyes on. Familiar to her, yet unknown all at the same time. More research would be necessary to understand the specifics of how each party member could be used best. How they would affect what happened then. How she could prove her wrong. Fortunately, she hadn’t had any pressing premonitions of this day. A perfect opportunity to take note of some of her guild’s behaviors. Especially–

“Alope?” 

A faded figure appeared on the window.  The wooden floor creaked as it crept into the room, clarifying the reflection. Enid. They came alone for once and early. Sure, it was morning. Barely. At this hour, one had to be an astrologer, monk, or weirdo to be awake.

“Oh… It's just you.”

Outside, the edge of the sun peaked out and painted the ocean gold. The fiery ripples ebbed and flowed on the pane as if around the monk. Hana admired it, noticing a strange flicker. She squinted. Perhaps it wasn't just the sun?

Wait… there lied a more pressing issue. “Couldn’t you have knocked?”

“I did. Like 5 times.” They forced a laugh. “But about Alope. It’s almost morning. We should find her.”

“We?”

“Yes, we.” His voice was deeper than what Hana remembered.  

“Alright, fine. I’ll get her.” Hana sat up, careful not to tread on the papers she left sprawled about on the floor.

Alope left at least an hour ago, it was around then when the suite door opening and closing awoke her. She couldn’t have gotten too far in that time. And despite the girl not appearing in Hana’s visions, the oracle had a sneaking suspicion of her location.

“How about we go together?”

If it were anyone else, Hana wouldn’t have given it any thought. But beside Enid, she broke out into goose-flesh… How come they didn’t feel like this last night? Or even an instant ago? 

Well… It wasn't her job to find out why Enid was different. Only to figure out how to work with them. And right then, it was best not to test it.

They left together as Enid wished.

In the mornings, the seaside air carried a chill. One might call it peaceful, the quiet that came along with it. But it betrayed the Ocean city.  The scrolls she read, loud boasts of foreign technologies had been reduced to whispers.

She sped down the tired streets, with some faint hope she could outrun Enid. The faster she walked, the more her handwriting suffered. Teetering the gentle balance between legible and outpacing the monk… Nothing she couldn't fix later… this was an urgent update to her list of people she’d seen.

Monk- I think they’re called Enid? Oddly inconsistent, potential wild card in premonitions if not monitored. Freaks me out.

Not too far from it was Alope’s entry.

Alope??- Where did she even come from? How is she so present now when she’s never been in a vision? Avoid.

Misplaced, she didn’t belong on this page, but there was nowhere else to put her. The thought of giving Alope a page labeled “people I haven’t seen” grated at her nerves. She’d seen everyone already, even more than the current members of her guild… Yet the girl she met first, the one she shared a room with, remained unseen?

“Hey. So–” Enid’s glance shifted from the oracle to her book. Hana slammed it shut, stray papers crunching in the process. She’d fix them later… Away from them. “Alope’s pretty active around town so it'll be hard to pinpoint her, but if-”

“I know where she is.” 

Briefly, they made eye contact. A first. The day they had met, Enid’s gaze hardly left Tank or the ground. If their eyes had met then, maybe Hana would have sensed this sooner. While Alope’s had been empty voids, Enid’s were concentrated and focused. A deep blue, that boiled with intention as they scanned over Hana.

“You seem to know a lot.”

She’d made a mistake.

Enid grinned, but the sharpness in their eyes did not waver. “Oh, you know… I’ve read about Zodiacs recently… About flairs and—”

Oh no. Enid knew about flairs?? Hana searched for an opening, a distraction, even an excuse. In her current state, the last two seemed impossible. Anything. Anything.

Harsh light beamed from an alley to the left, a direct path to the bottom of town. Hana veered into it. Enid corrected their path, now even more behind Hana and out of breath. “You… you don’t like talking much do you?”

The oracle nodded. A lie, but if it made Enid stop probing, it would do.

Telling Alope of her premonitions… It was something she was willing to compromise. Having not seen Alope before, it would be harder to predict Alope’s actions without gaining some of her trust. Giving her that look into her powers wasn’t ideal, but… Alope wasn’t affected by them... not yet anyway. Enid, however, was a fated member of the guild.

“An oracle must pick and choose what information to share with the subject of their fortunes.” If anything that woman had to say rang true, it was that.

The last thing I want is to run things off course. But… What use is Alope’s trust if a fated member doesn’t trust me?

Guilt weighed down upon her, slowing her down even with the wind pushing her along the way. For the rest of the walk, the two remained silent.  Hana kept her eyes glued to the path below, occasionally peering up to soak in her surroundings. The instances she glanced at Enid the air around them rippled.

Weird.

The new road Hana had taken proved much faster than the previous one. A narrow alleyway with abrupt turns and chipped walls. The cobble was sunken and worn, yet not another soul walked alongside them. Above, clotheslines swayed in that cold barren breeze. Their shadows obscuring the little sunlight that sifted in. Enid’s attention shifted to the alley, a relief. But not entirely… They were outside, yet Hana felt more like she was in a tunnel. A small one, bright light gleamed at its end.

Once the road coughed them out, Chirps from gulls welcomed them to Inver, the port nearly bare without their company. Sunrise’s vibrant colors stirred into the ocean’s waves, fading into a light blue over their reflections.

Both their sights then settled on the green dot in the middle of the port. Alope. Hana held her tongue and rushed to her. As much as she wanted to say “I told you so.” A quip right now would get her into too much trouble with Enid.

“Oh, Hana–! Good morning!” Alope sprang up and twirled to face her. Maybe her sacrifice had paid off with Alope. She nearly smiled too when— “How’d you find me? Did you have a vision about where I was?”

Nevermind. She’s way too comfortable.

“No. You said you came here everyday.”

“Oh… I… Did say that, didn't I?” One of the clouds overpassed the sun, and much like the sky Alope’s expression darkened. Hana almost regretted mentioning it. With Enid’s suspicion up, she couldn’t afford to have Alope’s trust waver—

“I’m surprised you remembered!” Alope grinned once more, a warm silver lining.

“How could I forget?”

The waves hissed underneath them, another silence. Their first conversation replayed whenever Hana spoke to the gladiator. Yes, she’d regained some of Alope’s trust, but none of her ego. Turning back as to not be drawn into another uncomfortable staring contest, Hana focused on Enid.

“You’re real fast for someone with such short legs.” Enid called out quite some distance behind the zodiac, still attempting to catch their breath. 

“Oh… Enid!” Alope squeezed past Hana to meet them.  “Are we meeting up already?”

"I… came a little early. You seemed to know the labyrinth more than the rest of us, so I wanted to ask you about it."

At least these two seem cordial enough with each other.

They walked back to Aman’s Inn. Across the planks that once welcomed her then all the way up the hill. A more lively walk than the first she had there as Enid and Alope conversed in front of her. Also a longer walk, as Alope took the path she initially showed Hana instead of the one Hana had just taken. She sought an opening in the conversation to ask why. Alas, one never came.

“About… do you know how to …?” Said Enid. Hana walked too far behind to make it out… She hastened her pace, only slightly to hear fragments of the end of the conversation.

“...Oh...You can’t really avoid … deeper parts. You just have to be really observant and catch it before...” Alope’s wide grin receded into a faint sort of smile. Seeing Hana from the corner of her vision she laughed. “But don’t worry! If it’s not me, I’m sure Hana will pull through again.”

Just what was Alope bringing her into? Hana glared ahead, slowing her pace again.

Tank awaited them outside the inn. Beside him lay his crossbow neatly folded up. Its thin layer of polish gleaned in the sunlight. Compared to… Tank. He leaned on the inn’s walls, where the shade covered him. His spikey hair a bit more disheveled and expression dark. Approaching him, Enid ran ahead with newfound ease.

“You’re here?!” 

“You guys said morning, didn’t you?” He massaged a temple and sighed. Tank didn’t seem the punctual type. If he was… Hana scooted away from the monk to note it. She prepared her graphite, but couldn’t help but hear:

“Wow, you’re not drunk or anything!”

“Not yet.” Tank uncrossed his arms to open one of the pockets in his arbalist uniform. Inside of it: a flask.

“Tank. It's 7 in the morning. Wanna save that for after we finish today?”

“No.” He took a swig.

Oh great. The Oracle nearly had forgotten about the other obvious obstacle. The actual alcoholic in her guild. She scribbled more onto the page.

Tank- Oh, stars… That can’t be the artillery man, can it? Surprisingly punctual. Still an alcoholic.

“Relax. It's just water.”

“Sure it is, bud.” Enid readied their fist.

The show’s right on schedule. Hana frowned. An anomaly, a wildcard, and an alcoholic. Amazing how so far each of her guild members proved to make her mission more difficult. She knew the stars couldn't tell her everything, but perhaps they could have set her up in more convenient circumstances. 

Alope stepped between the two. A noble attempt to stop them. An attempt. They bickered as if Alope weren’t there.

“Where's Ignis?” Alope blurted out.

The commotion stopped. She was right… Ignis didn’t seem the type to be late in the same way Tank didn’t seem to be the type to be early. They searched in short glances until Alope spotted Ignis from the corner of her eye. She turned to greet him, but something stole the words out of her mouth and made her say:

“Holy sh–Sedna…”

“Invoking Sedna in vain is worse than saying shit, you know–” Hana’s voice dropped when she saw the culprit. A lipstick marking graced Ignis’s cheekbone. Her eyes darted back to Alope’s. For the first time there was solace in the girl’s eye contact rather than tension. A confused solace. As Alope kept stumbling on her words, Hana pointed at her own cheek.

“You have something…”

Ignis wiped it off and laughed. “Ah, you see… My wife was very adamant about seeing me off today.”

“You have a wife?” Alope said before anyone else.

It echoed through the quiet streets and townsfolk gave them wide glances. “Sorry, sorry–!”  Alope wore a misshapen smirk. The folks muttered a few things then got back to business. But not without a: “That’s Alope for you…”

Ignis blushed, everyone did it seemed. He didn’t elaborate any further and the guild didn’t inquire about it. It was for the best, probably. Hana found herself wishing she had. Did it count as a flaw? Ignis had been fine so far, unlike the others… But the idea of him having a loved one changed things. She could impact his actions… Another thing to watch. Was anyone in this guild as easy to decode as she initially thought?

“…Everyone’s here. If you’re ready, let’s go,” said Hana mustering as much confidence as she could after that.

They were prepared… But everyone double checked.

Hana didn’t need full armor or a weapon like the rest. All she needed was her notebook, graphite, and her beloved ether generator, Jewels. The “thing all zodiacs wore”. More than just a wing or machine. Jewels rested upon Hana’s shoulder, tightly fastened into place. Durable, resistant to the elements… Crafted with titanium alloys, making her incredibly lightweight as well.

She couldn’t cast much at all without Jewels, not safely anyway, yet she’d been conservative about using her. Fire Star had worked… But… It was best not to push her just yet.

Drawing power from the stars came with unique dangers. In order to properly control a great deal of magic, to cast something even as simple as Fire Star, one needed to know the precise amount of energy they could absorb before it was too much. Despite all zodiacs being skilled at energy manipulation, if one were careless and drew too much from a star… They’d suffer a slow, painful death. That of burning from the inside out according to the oldest scripts in the archives.

Jewels, and all generators like her, controlled the amount of etheric energy Hana took in, held on to or returned excess, and generally made casting more efficient with many quality of life updates.

Hana knew her limits, she was far from them, but here… The energy was different. Just like she had heard. Would it interfere with Jewel’s features if I left her on? What if she malfunctions? Overheats??? It might be best to use her as little as possible, only activating her whenever she needed to cast until I gather more about this… but then!

A gentle breeze grazed her. Without any hesitation, Alope marched on.

“You guys coming?”

Why was she just standing there anyway? Her questions wouldn’t be answered by idling. Yggdrasil sat atop the summit, the path to it shone. Taunting her, just like her dazzling grin had. She took off after Alope almost eagerly when:

“Wait,” Enid began. They rummaged through their robes, clinks of medicine bottles and papers filled the air until they pulled out a few thin books.“… I’d been reading over those papers and–”

“What papers?” Hana and Alope asked.

“The ones from the guildmaster.” Their grip on them tightened. “I was just thinking we should have some sort of plan before we go back in, in case we get ambushed, you know?”

I would have had a premonition about something like that by now.

“We won’t get ambushed.”

Hana could have sworn Enid glared at her before they looked ahead, at Alope.

“Seeeee? I told you Hana had it under control.” Alope called from the distance. Unlike Hana, she hadn’t let the conversation stop her for long. “Let’s go!”

The oracle scrambled behind her, somewhat grateful. 

Chapter Text

The Yggdrasil did not stand a chance against midday. Light scattered through its canopy, reflecting hints of green in the clear waterfalls of the labyrinth. Rigid shadows of the cloisters striped the hall, a cool rush running over Hana’s face each time that it was shielded from the harsh sun. Giant ruins weren’t nearly as interesting as stars, but definitely more than the city.  The same colonnades formed a loggia, which typically bordered courtyards. This loggia, however, surrounded an abyss.

Weird, but they had said half the town sunk, didn’t they?

She flipped a few pages, grimacing at her previous handwriting, until she found one detailing records from the Cel Arc. 

“Armoroad, a technological fortress guided by the otherworldly knowledge of the World Tree, Yggdrasil.”  Or at least that’s what they said it was like 100 years ago. Before the “Calamity”.

The cloisters, old and mossy, but in their prime 100 years ago they would have likely surpassed the rest of the current town.  Bits and pieces of the rubble mirrored flying buttresses. Near the edge, engraved roof tiles made from more expensive materials peaked out from the soil.

Of course the better side had to sink.

As if it were retribution, one of the tiles snagged her boot. Mid curse, she grazed a pillar with the palm of her hand, steadying her footing on the rocky path. Beyond it, the void stretched so deep sunlight hadn’t pierced it. The only proof there was a bottom came from the waterfalls, each poured into it, their splashing roared from the pit.

If only she could make like the waterfalls and head there instantly, instead of all this walking... all this tripping.  It’d be so much easier if I could just use Jewels! But…

She peered into the hole, only to be met with that energy… Subtle, but unmistakable. This place, yes, even if it wasn’t the ether. The labyrinth was the home of her research, her target: The distortion.

A novice would mistake it for the planet's own power. A real zodiac could make the distinction. Earth’s energy came through intricate chemical processes from each layer. The heat from radioactive decay at its core affected the molten layers above. Molten rock above affected the crust. Here however, something altered the delicate balance. When she focused down into the pit, dulled each of her other senses… An unknown force, rivaling that of a star could be felt. Something malicious, burrowed deep under earth. She could only sense a fraction of it all and with it came… Anxiety. That of peering into darkness, for it to get darker and darker. To seep into her. Whatever the distortion really was anticipated her.

She carried on, somehow feeling the most excited since she arrived.

Hana spent so long preparing Fire Star, she hadn’t seen her guild fight much at all. She’d caught glimpses, in premonitions… One would fidget in a way that felt familiar, Enid with their bandages, Tank with his crossbow, or Ignis occasionally digging into his armor. Despite the deja reve, it hadn’t clicked just yet. Instead it nagged at her, as if she’d forgotten. More observation of them would be needed.

Then there was Alope.

The tall walls of the entrance were mere rubble here. The pathway too crumbled under the grasp of tree roots and the streams of water. Small creeks with only stones to hop over. While Hana hobbled across hoping she wouldn’t twist an ankle, Alope hardly gave a glance down to see where she was going. Her attention remained ahead, her hands never too far from her weapon.

A gust of wind nearly tossed Hana into the waters. Petals fluttered in the breeze, red, blue, and… green? A faint scent in the mist. Hana gagged on the next breath, a vile burning taste in the air. Another gust, Alope rushed ahead.

“Goddamn it.” From Enid.

Could monks say that?

The green, not petals— monsters, durians. Their husks flared and pulsed, a riot of spikes shot toward Alope. One scraped her cheek, still, she pressed on. Her footsteps hadn’t faltered, against the uneven ground as if it were normal. With watery eyes, she slung her mace into the first one’s rind— shattering it. The second, perhaps reconsidering its attack after witnessing that, braced for the next swing. Alope’s mace slammed into the ground beside it. To everyone’s surprise.

“Ah, gods… stupid spines!!”

The durian attempted to scurry away,

“I don’t think so—“ Alope stomped on its tail before she messily kicked its shell in. An explosion of gooey syrup stained the grass.

All before they could catch up with her.

Why’d she even give me that look last night if she could do this the entire time? Hana rolled her eyes. Monster carcasses lay at the gladiator’s feet, and with a sigh, viscera-covered Alope thumped her mace beside them.

“It would do you well if you learn to block those thorns with your buckler instead of your face.” Said Ignis. Hana’s eyes met his mid-roll. Mildly pleased he had it in him to make such a joke.

“Wh– It’s not my fault! They just shoot them without warning!” Alope rubbed her eyes furiously to no avail. “You’re the Hoplite… You’re supposed to be blocking them!”

How was he supposed to?

Alope’s fighting style remained unlike anything she’d seen from an adventurer. From a vision or even personal experience with them. Wild swings, and when that didn’t work she’d use just about anything to crush heads in before anyone else.

Explorers were supposed to be strategic… Each with separate strengths they combined and weaknesses they covered. What better way to apply her own skills than becoming one?  A master Zodiac too had strengths and weaknesses they had to manipulate in order to best do their job. Whether it be advanced spell casters, where many of them had an elemental affinity and a deficit… A singularity they’d use accordingly against any opponent. Leaders of organizations that would direct groups of all kinds of Zodiacs together, bouncing off their personalities. Or prophets like her… Who had to observe the pros and cons of those around them in order for the scenarios to play out exactly as planned. The two melded for a thesis, a perfect one she knew the outcome of. But of course. Alope.

She does her job. No one’s dead yet, but… How am I going to get any additional information on everyone if Alope ruins my chance s?

Enid passed Hana, map in hand. Not without a strange look at her.

It doesn’t help that they might be gathering information on me too.

Once beside Alope they showed her their work “Are we done?”

Red tinted the gladiator’s sclera, she wiped them more looking over Enid’s work. One of the times, Enid groaned. “You should really be more careful. The spines don’t have to get in your eye to make them water. They’re covered in a toxin that causes blepharitis if they pierce you—”

With a quick touch of Alope’s face and a glow, her eyes flushed to their normal color. They grew wide at the full scale of the map.

“OH!” Alope pointed to the top left of the parchment. “We missed a spot up there!”

The corner of Enid’s mouth twitched. “All the way back there??!”

Hana peeked from the distance. A small blank space down a hall she remembered accidentally walking into last night, while her guild traveled the other direction.

“Hehehe… Yesterday I was in a hurry and I kinda sorta… Forgot about there being a path over there!” Alope beamed.

Enid smiled back. The violent glint from Enid turned into a glare so intense…  Like the sun beating on the oracle’s back, cooking her through her clothes.

“You heard the kid, let’s go.” Tank nudged them as he too smiled. Somehow, Hana couldn’t tell whose grin unsettled her more.

Following behind them, the oracle stepped over the durian rind, careful not to trip again. Peering back at it; she hesitated.

Explorers gather stuff like this all the time, don’t they?

The memory of those adventurers were shaky, everything from back then was. They definitely did scavenge even if it was something little. She avoided the fruit’s syrup to scoop up some of the shell. The larger pieces glimmered in the light, waxy and less pungent than the entrails. The spikes could be worth something… Yet when she plucked one out, a large piece of the rind came with it. Weird. The few Alope dodged were clean…

She tucked what little she had into her pockets and rushed to meet her guild.

The path hadn’t forgiven her for earlier.  Hazardous footing aside, she hadn’t considered herself unused to walking until the last two days. After weeks packaged away from ship to ship, to nonstop trekking. Each step went from stable ache, to frantic terrible itches that plucked her hamstrings.

Alope cleared out encounters so easily, Enid and Tank hadn’t time to act.

“Hah! Did you see I blocked that time? Did you see?” Alope flashed her thorn covered buckler to Ignis over and over. In the sun, her carefree smiles sparkled. Hana rolled her eyes once more, catching a glimpse of Enid. They watched like they had watched Hana. Though, that bright blue dulled, no longer a sharp gaze. If anything. Alope’s laughter cut deep into them.

“If she blocks her face, then what good do we do?” Tank leaned on Enid’s shoulder.

He’s right, but it’s almost like he wants to get hit.

Enid’s gaze didn’t leave Alope, not even when Tank’s eyes met his.

“You good, E?”

“Yeah.” A forced breath.

Tank chuckled, more to himself than to Enid. Then, quietly, nearly inaudible to Hana her muttered:

“… You know. If this guild stuff is too much for you, you can always quit—”

Enid shoved him off. “No.”

“Why not? The kid shuts you down, the old man stands up for her and, greenie…” Tank glanced at Enid’s face studying her. “I don’t know what your deal is with her.”

Enid finally faced him, only for a second before they glared at the ground. “…You always do this. This is the farthest I’ve gotten and you still won’t just be happy for me-!”

Silence, mostly. Hana herself remained still. Frozen in the warm light, unsure if she should say something, if she could. The others… Alope and Ignis still spoke much farther ahead— They dismantled the corpses. Ignis careful, Alope gouging out anything valuable without a thought.

“E, you don’t seem happy for you.”

Enid’s lips parted, yet nothing followed. Only the crinkle of their bandages under their clenched fists.

Her chest hurt. This wasn’t any of her business. Why did it feel like it was? Not an auspice or an omen. Something else itched at her.

Not my business? Of course it is. Observing Enid will be difficult if Tank keeps interfering.

Yes. That sounded good enough.

Sharp pain surged in her hand. She too had been clenching her fists, clinging to her dress. Under it’s fabric she felt a familiar prick…. With this, she grinned. She approached them with a limp.

“You guys, I—”

“…! W-were you there the whole time?” Enid asked. The labyrinth once again robbed her of her footing. She collapsed beside Enid. The doubt on the monk’s face cleared, molding into worry as they knelt down beside her.

“I… think one of those spikes got me too…” Hana covered her face. Partially for the act, mostly because her face flashed beet red after falling.

“Where?” Tank scoffed from behind Enid.

“You don’t have to answer that… Let’s go heal you really quick.”

“I’m just saying, when could she have—”

“Tank, tell the others we’ll be back.” The monk helped Hana stand. Tank did suck his teeth, but Enid didn’t halt. Under her fingertips, Hana felt the slightest bit of relief.

Enid sat Hana on a fallen pillar, far enough away from the others where they couldn’t be seen. She’d seen and felt the dangers of this place herself. Here though, where creeks trickled into small pools and flower petals swayed in the air, her mind cleared.

The perfect conditions to observe Enid alone.

“Alright, let me see—” As Enid neared, Hana concentrated. She cleared her thoughts. Focusing only on her breathing. That glint. Of course…. It hadn’t been the sun. 

It wasn't just the stars that radiated energy, everything did. The stars and the ether were simply the biggest sources of it. Humans too had intricate internal processes, layers that energy coursed through. So much so, that it leaked into the outside world into small clouds emitted from them. Auras.

A zodiac could not harness such energy, but they could sense it. Unlike stars, humans were far more distinct… Their auras contained fragments of their personality, emotions, and thoughts. Hana could read auras to an extent, but her core interests lay in vast interstellar energy. Stars and planets. Still, sensing all energies was a fundamental skill for zodiacs. She’d neglected it…

Enid sported a large aura for a non-Zodiac, one that rivaled the oracle’s own. The only difference was in how theirs fought itself in the wind, growing and shrinking like a fire. Its heat enough for Hana to sweat.

That flickering, what did it mean again? Wait a minute—

The ebb and flow calmed. Only a concentrated warmth remained. She squinted to see Enid kneeling beside her. Light shone from their palms, nearly blinding her. Qi, a monk’s main source of power.

A zodiac could not harness an aura, but a monk could. Sort of. Qi was the energy that welled up inside of an individual. The same power that trickled out to form an aura, purer and unaltered. The unease from that morning, from feeling that aura, simmered into a cooling sensation as Enid used their qi. It dawned on her. She’d heard about this, not from the Cel Arc, but from her.

The flickering was that of an inconsistent aura. A situation where the energy they put out, aura, contrasted the energy from within, Qi. Enid’s internal energy betrayed their outward energy…

Enid’s different than Enid in visions because his  aura  is different…! So…The key to making Enid consistent starts with reading this unpredictable energy and calming it down like their qi.  A game of compare and contrast.

Their aura had been a heatwave that consumed Hana. While their qi, still warm, was calm. Yet, Enid had been reluctant to use their it on her. The way they too got her alone for this… compared to Alope whom she’d heal in front of everyone. The way they observed her, looking down at them with that sharp blue. Clearer than that blue was the answer now.

Oh. He doesn’t trust me.

It shouldn’t have bothered her. Real zodiacs think of solutions. She swallowed the tightness in her chest. Yes. Gaining his trust will make him more honest with me, to himself too. Which would help things… But I can’t just tell him everything.

“Where exactly did the spike puncture you?” Enid checked her thoroughly, gripping onto her face. “Blepharitis usually starts by now, but… your eyelids look fine. Are you…?”

Hana glared to the side. If I can’t be honest about my visions… then…

“Why do you let Tank talk to you like that?” 

“…What?”

Hana opened her palm revealing the full durian spike. Behind that spike in her hand stood its base, a shiny rind, a fragment of its shell. Enid gasped, a quiet realization from such a small piece of information. The glow from their hands stopped. The heat returned.

“I had a feeling you heard him.” Their lips twisted into a smile, yet their eyes remained downcast. They burned.

The flowers at the entrance shuffled as they inched open. “You two good—?” Tank poked his head in.

“We’ll be a while, the thorn’s way up her ass.”

Again. Could monks say that? Regardless of the fact, Tank snorted at the remark and tucked his head back underneath the flora. “Well. Hurry it up. The other kid has one in hers too. Turns out, she only blocked her face.”

They listened until Tank’s footsteps trailed off into the distance. Hana half expected them to walk off too.

Roaring of the waterfalls filled what would have been a dreaded quiet as Enid took a few focused breaths. Each one shook a bit as if it were holding something back. The heat. It dwindled at the last breath and the flicker happened again. His aura had been so bright and abrasive. Now, something eclipsed it, cooling her skin. For the first time, they both calmed down.

“…Hana, I get why you did what you did… and Tank’s just worried is all.”

“Worried?”

That’s what they all said. They all said it even  when it wasn’t true .

“All he does is get in your way.” Hana spat.

If they were so worried why make things harder? Why was it so hard for them to just stay out of the way if they didn’t want to help? Everything would be so much easier without him bothering you—   Without  her  bothering  me .

“…Maybe you’re right. But, I mean… If it weren’t for Tank, I never would have become a monk in the first place.” They stared off into the distance as if they were recollecting something. Hana too. The brush swayed. Her reflection rippled in one of the ponds as fluttering petals obscured it.

“Besides…” Enid sighed. The cloudy look in their eye faded, focusing on the shifting foliage around them. “I’m worried too.”

“Huh?”

“Oh… I see. You heard the Tank conversation but not the Alope one…” They muttered. Fragments of it came back along with more context from the earlier guild talks. Then it flashed. Is that what Alope and Enid were talking about when we were walking back from Inver?

“About lynxes?”

Who would have thought such a dim constellation would be so relevant?

“Uhm… Yes. The lynxes…”

“I handled that thing yesterday.” With an inhale and a whir from Jewels, energy siphoned into her hand. A low flame sprouted from her fingertip.  “It took me a while to get Fire Star then, but now another lynx shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Yeah, it wouldn’t be for you.”

The flame warbled before it fizzled out. The warmth that usually coursed through her when casting molded into nausea. I said the wrong thing again.

Hana stroked Jewels. Condensation gathered on her cool metal as she rumbled under Hana’s fingertips. Well… Being the only one in the guild capable of defeating the Lynx would be annoying in the long run.

Her guild fought differently than she did. She hadn't seen how just yet... But… she knew what the explorer's guild classified them as. None of them had the means to exploit its weakness like her. There were too many holes in her knowledge to form a proper answer. Or were there?

“Take what you observed from last night and reapply it.” Was her answer, it came with noticeable irritability in her voice. “But that's only if I don't kill it first.”

“Last time… I didn't do anything.”

“It's not about that... It's little things. How did it move? What did you feel when it happened? What have you learned since then?”

“I–” Enid took a sharp breath, ruining whatever control they exercised on their aura. But Hana kept her composure under the heat. She’d gotten what she’d wanted.

“You don’t need to tell me.” With this, Hana dusted the pollen off her skirt and headed back under the foliage to the others. “Just apply it. You’ll know when it’s time.”

Underneath the flowers, she heard another mutter. “Okay… Good talk…”