The Twelve Forgotten Zodiacs (SDS Fic)

Chapter 43

Sorry for the late chapter sinners! I'm currently on family vacation so I haven't gotten much writing done! I'll try to get out chapters when I can! (Fun fact, halfway through writing this I found out the house behind ours was on fire (put out by the time I realized) so... that happened.)
-Sin
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Just outside the town's walls, Brooks had made her way towards a cave.

"It's been a while since I've been here." She muttered to herself as she stood at the entrance looking down into the darkness. With a sigh, she took a step forwards, "Here goes nothing I guess."

When she entered, she grabbed onto a torch hooked onto the wall of the cave and started her descent into the darkness.

Drip drop.

A forbidding feeling seemed to of settled in the air around Brooks seeming to be trying to urge her to turn back and leave the cave. Though the feeling wasn't enough to deter Brooks.

Drip drop.

Drops of water fell to the ground with quiet splashes, echoing across the whole cave, joining Brooks' steady footsteps as she headed deeper into the cave.

Drip Drop.

"Go away." A voice whispered, "All that awaits you at the end is death." The word death repeated in Brooks head, though her steps didn't even stagger, she just continued to walk. One foot in front of the other.

Drip.

The air kept on getting heavier the deeper Brooks' walked in. Down, down, down she went, knowing the end was coming near.

Drop.

Brooks had finally made to the end of the winding cave, stopping when the floor of the cave dropped off in the edge of a cliff. Around her, Brooks was standing in a cavern, dim lights washed over her from crystals lining the walls. Looking up in front of her, Brooks took in a deep breath.

A seal was placed inside a rock that jutted out just before the cliff's edge, a stone seal embedded into the jutting rock. It was a simple stone gray color, a skull carved into the middle of the seal, with a snake winding around the skull, making a full circle around it, certain shapes carved into the snakes body. Shapes that resembled the signs on each of the Zodiacs.

"Here goes nothing." Brooks muttered to herself, grabbing the bottle Aria had given to her earlier. Taking off the cap, bright lights came rushing out, swirling around Brooks. Pink, red, teal, purple, green, copper, and multiple other colors as well. Taking a deep breath, Brooks' mark on her shoulder glowed a bright blue, joining the other colors as well before darting towards the seal.

Once all of them made their way into the seal, the stone started cracking, the rock jutting out of the ground cracking as well, a bright white light sweeping through the cracks of the rock.

It wasn't long until the whole thing burst into pebbles, the body of a person laying where the seal used to be.

"Uh... What'ss happened, what day is it?" The figure asked, his tired voice echoing around the cavern.

"Been a while." Brooks said, catching the attention of the man, watching as he turned his head and stared at Brooks through eerie yellow eyes.

"Commander, sso nice to ssee you. What'ss the occasion?" He asked, a snake like tongue flicking out between his lips every so often.

"Well, Ophion, we're on the verge of a Holy War." Brooks admitted, "It's not happening just yet, but there's still fighting going on right now."

"Between The Holy Knights and the Zodiacs?" Ophion asked, standing up and looking at Brooks.

"And The Sins." Brooks added.

Ophion was quiet for a second before tilting his head to the side, "Who?" He asked.

"Oh right... you've been encased in that seal for a while... The sins are much like us, less people though- only seven- and a bit more well known."

"Oh." Ophion said, the he looked past Brooks, towards the entrance of the cavern. "Souls." He started, starting to walk past Brooks, only to have her hand wrap around his wrist in stopping him.

"You need to wait on that." She said, " First, you need to help us beat the Holy Knights, and stop whatever is making them strong."

Ophion's eyes glinted, and a small smile made its way to his face. "You drive a hard bargain Commander." He answered, "But, I'll go along with you."

Brooks smiled, "Good, we needed our reaper." She answered.