“What is this?” I ask mindlessly as we slowly walk through the streets of the slums. The pungent odor of boiled garbage radiates through every inch of the street. That paired with the smell of decaying flesh constantly pushes at my gag reflex.

  Emaciated children play in the street, parents with leprosy watch from their stoop, all while corpses lay in piles just down the alley.

  “The forgotten.” Hitha says softly as we continue down the street towards our destination, which I am still ignorant of. “Most end up here due to illness, disability, or just sheer bad luck. To the Zodiac though, they aren’t worth the effort. They’ve served their purpose, and this is their graveyard.”

  At some point during our short walk here, Hitha just accepted my ignorance and started offering information when asked. It appears that her trust in Herc is greater than her distrust in me, which I suppose is helpful.

  “That’s not— " I stop dead in my tracks as I spy the building in the center of the town. It’s not simply dilapidated from time, it looks as though it has been bombed. Someone clearly tried to destroy it. “That’s not a neglected building.”

  “They tried to cleanse us.” A powerful woman’s voice appears behind me. I turn around to see a woman with glowing ebony skin standing before me. Her eyes were glowing a bright white color, which stood in stark contrast to her strong facial features. Her head was shaved, and on her scalp was tattooed the constellation of Ophiuchus.

  A giant bright green python slithers out of the alley, ropes around her arm and sinks into her skin. It slithers around her arm, over her back, and down the other arm until it forms a singular tattoo stretching the length of both arms.

  “The Zodiac and The Ancients are greedy. The Zodiac choose to amass wealth and power, The Ancients desire magic and knowledge. When the two tread into the same realm, destruction ensues.” The woman silently walks forward and gently places a hand on my shoulder.

  It’s warm, comforting. It’s almost as though her entire body is radiating warmth and its purpose is to cause comfort and peace. She cocks her head at me.

  “It’s unclear what they are playing at, but it’s obvious that you are their pawn. I offer my apologies young one.”

  “This is Mawu The Ophiuchus, The Ancient of Healing.” Hitha says introducing the woman that stands before us. “This is the singular line between the Zodiac and everyone down here.”

  “Libra has caught word of our plan.” Hitha says as we follow behind Mawu to the destroyed building in the center of the city. “He is currently speaking with Godrick, no doubt to try and shift the balance back to himself.”

  “We will deal with that when the time comes, for now we shall continue on our current path.” Mawu says as she pushes the door open to the building and passes over the threshold.

  The moment the door opens, a wave of death comes rushing out like a smoke cloud threatening to choke you. The room is lined with beds, each housing an individual standing at death’s door repeatedly ringing the doorbell.

  Mawu holds out her hand, and the snake slithers out of her hand, and onto the nearest body. It slowly wraps around the individual, constricts slightly, and starts glowing. Slowly, the wounds on the body begin to heal and their color starts to return.

  * * * * *

  “Once the building is complete, we will begin excavating beneath the building until we find it.” Hitha says as Mawu listens on and watches the snake make it’s way through the wounded and sick.

  “What are they looking for?” I lean over and whisper to Herc as I continue watching the snake do it’s work. I can’t seem to take my eyes of it as it works. Partially because I’m not a fan of snakes and it kind of freaks me out, but also because her healing magic is amazing. As far as I can tell, it pretty much makes them good as new.

  “Orb of Tetrabiblos.” Herc whispers in return.

  “The orb can absorb the powers of the Zodiac and allow other individuals to use them. We are going to replicate my power so that we can create a healing infirmary in the city.” Mawu responds, educating me on all the things I’m ignorant about. The moment she mentions the orb, something clicks.

  “Wait, so the orb can allow anyone to use your power?”

  Mawu nods.

  “Does it stack. Like, can it absorb all twelve, well thirteen?”

  Again Mawu nods. Herc looks to me confused, probably feeling that I was asking too many questions.

  I’m not sure why but this feels important. I recall Dardania briefly mentioning the Orb, but we didn’t go into the details about it. In this very moment, as I’m having this almost epiphany, Godrick is building a building over the place where the Orb is thought to be. Coincidental, I think that. Sure, if I didn’t have the knowledge that I did, I wouldn’t think twice about it, but I do, have knowledge that is.

  That man will one day become The Saint, the worst villain this world has ever seen and he’s trying to get his greedy paws on a second item that allows him to use the powers of others. Oh, that’s it! That’s the thing! That’s the thought!

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  “That’s what he wants.” I jump out of my seat and begin pacing around the group, fidgeting like crazy. “That’s why he came to Zodiac. First The Fool, and now the Orb of Tetrabiblos. He has whatever power he has, but with those two he can essentially be a god. He lost The Fool in Sirius and now wants to get his hands on The Orb. Does the Zodiac know? Are they so stupid that they would actively be helping him? I still don’t see how they all fit into this. But oh my god, I can’t believe I figured that one out! Usually it’s Dardania and Prisha, but this time it was me!”

  I can’t help be proud that I did the brainy thing this time! I shouldn’t be excited at a time like this, but this is a huge break through. Having some kind of idea what that jerk wants will make it easier to figure out his next move. Same with Ishta and Gem as well, who I’m still not quite sure I can trust.

  “Who are you talking about?” Hitha asks, all of them staring at me confused. I look to Herc who just gently shakes his head.

  “The Saint, not sure what his name is. But it’s The Saint.” I say softly, unsure if she would know who that was. I’m assuming at this moment, it’s not exactly a moniker of Godrick’s.

  “Should we move forward with this project?” Herc asks sheepishly, trying to choose his words carefully. He turns to Mawu, “If this orb ends up in the wrong hands, it could be extremely dangerous.”

  “I feel confident that between yourself and Hitha, no harm will occur. In my long years, I have never seen such powerful magic wielders as the two of you.” Mawu snaps her fingers and the snake begins to slither back towards her.

  “You are simply saying that to just be kind.” Hitha looks down at her feet. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her embarrassed before. This woman controls every room she walks into. She radiates power and confidence and yet this Ancient is able to make her blush like a girl with a schoolyard crush.

  “Many individuals have the ability to use magic. Most people are only able to master a single specific type, even the Ancients. Some, like you, can use a large variety of magic but they can generally only muster the most simple of spells. The two of you, on the other hand, have the ability to completely manipulate energy and can use every kind of magic possible with seemingly no ceiling. The Ancients will rue the day that you decide to pursue magic with the same obsession as them.” Mawu takes the snake into her hand and allows it to curl up in her lap while it rests. The moment the snake comes to a rest, her glowing eyes return to normal.

  “I think my time as passed,” Herc turns towards me with a solemn smile, “But I suppose there are others who still have the chance.”

  I feel a lump form in my throat as he utters the last few words of his sentence. His time here is short, and I imagine his death will arrive when these trials are over. I’m still unsure of how he dies, but I don’t imagine that he survives the world duplication. Perhaps he ends up on the other side, in my world. Maybe he’s currently walking around the modern world as some kind of CEO or a tech billionaire.

  We both know how this ends, there’s no confusion in that. Honestly, I’m just glad I get to spend this time with him getting to know him. Not just watching from a far as a spectre in a memory, but really him. I have him to thank for being here, and I’ll continue to thank him for the rest of my existence. I just hope I get the chance to tell him before this trial is over.

  “Are you okay.” He asks, I nod gently with a soft smile. At this point I recognize that I am crying. My face was drenched with tears. “You don’t have to cry over me. I’m proud of what I accomplished. I lived a full life. Perhaps even I come out the other end okay.”

  “We don’t know that though. It’s just not fair, that bastard still walks the earth and you…”

  “And I made my choice and I don’t regret it. So, don’t cry for me. Instead, embrace the time we have here now. Time that shouldn’t even have occurred, yet here we are.” Herc says as he takes my hand in his and squeezes it gently. We are two individuals who never should have crossed paths, but I’m extremely thankful that we have.

  “Heartfelt confessions aside, we have work to do. If the two of you could have your touching moment when all is done.” Hitha says as she stands up and looks out at the army of bodies strewn about the building.

  “These greedy aristocrats and their Diviners have turned into a plague on this world. I can’t stand idly by any more. We have to see this through to the end.” Hitha says with determination.

  “Do you recall the time when you couldn’t be bothered whether the world burned or not. If you had a say, you would keep walking by and ignoring the strife of your fellow man.” Herc nags at Hitha with a smirk. She quickly shoots him a dirty glare.

  “Things have changed since then, haven’t they? For starters, we aren’t servants anymore. We aren’t slaves. The world has changed and it’s time we change with it.” Hitha begins walking through the lines of bodies, examining each one as she does. It’s as though she is trying to memorize every single face she sees so that no matter what happens, someone will remember them. Their existence will go on even if they perish here. Herc stands up and makes his way to Hitha’s side, walking hand in hand as they take in the situation.

  “How come you all are so different? The Ancients, I mean.” I look to Mawu who turns her attention towards me as she mindlessly pets the snake in her lap.

  “Why are you different than your fellow man?”

  “Good point.” It was a dumb question. I just can’t wrap my head around it all. It’s the same with the members of The Order of The Saint. I know the Saint is a horrible person, yet I know that there are good people who worship him. Good people who believe he is their salvation, and I can’t fault them for that.

  “Everyone pursues magic for a different reason. Some are merely seeking an answer to their existence, others are seeking an answer to all of existence. I was cursed with the ability to take other’s pain and illness into myself, and it nearly killed me. Still, with that curse, I could heal others and erase them of the burden of suffering. I studied magic until I was able to perfect my healing magic, so much so that I began to tread in the realm of the gods. My healing could be described as perfect, thus I gained the title of Ancient. I pursued my craft for the sake of healing the world, other’s seek it out for their own ambition. That is the reason I am so different than my counterparts. It’s also the reason I choose to not correct my sight, to remember why I do this.”

  I look at Mawu and for the first time notice that her eyes don’t quite land on anything or anyone. It’s not as though she is staring into the abyss, it’s just that she is seeing nothing. When they were glowing, they held no definition, no personality.

  “While I’m healing, I regain my vision. Not as it was, now it’s magical sight. I could correct it, but I do not wish to end up like them. They are overflowing with greed, ambition, and a blind search for knowledge. I… I will never be like them.” Mawu smiles softly, her strong features becoming softer at the same time. She isn’t just strong, but a woman of complete compassion.

  On one hand you have Godrick, a man who warps the world to match his own vision. On the other, Mawu is willing to sacrifice a part of herself to ensure that she can retain the ability to heal the world. I just hope that when all is said and done, Mawu is still standing. The world needs someone like her.