Chapter I
The golden ball of fire flickers in the distance and its light slips through the crevices of the clouds but the infernal sky drains it of its fuel and it gets stuck in the fatal web that Night has spun. Death is imminent. In the horizon, a lone young man’s silhouette incises the blinding white sky. He is clad in a crimson red toga that accentuates his bronze chest, and mounts a raging ram. His muscles ripple as he gallops to the end of Earth. He climbs down from his vahana, stops and stares, his blue eyes piercing the diabolic sky. The Night bellows and shrouds him in a cloak of icy black darkness. Razor-edged diamonds rain on all frontiers. The man unsheathes his adámas sword and with one gallant swing of his hilt, thrusts it into the heart of the diamond sky, slicing diamond with diamond and paving a path for the sun to rise. Daylight cascades bountifully into Earth and the New Year arrives. Mars looks at his fine-looking son fondly and christens him ‘Aries.’
The young man returns to his kingdom where he is hailed as savior of the realm, a warrior of paramount courage and as a legend like no other. He accepts kingship and becomes the ruler of the Land of Tauria and soon after, sprouts a bulging belly. The Land of Tauria is well known for its drunken men, enchanting maidens and a predisposition to bask in the benefits of pots of gold guilt-free. And not surprisingly, astride his throne, our young man forgets his loyal ram and invests the ‘Bull’ as the royal mascot. He loses himself to the luxuries of the royal treasury and develops a childlike stubbornness but simultaneously he masters earthly skills, ploughs through difficult times and is adored his subjects. Not too soon, drunk in his aggravated power, he descends into a state of self-indulgence, his charm and quick wit fading into oblivion, becoming memories of a past heroic phase. A disturbing penchant for spending hours with young maidens in high towers grows. Time waits for chaos to befall him but out of the blue, Venus intervenes. The Goddess of Love adopts him and winds his inner cardinal to point North again. The young man awakes from his stupor and realizes his blunder. Without sparing a second thought, he sets off to reclaim his legendary reputation and brings wisdom, art and culture to the Land of Tauria. Thus, in the shabby pubs of the city streets, the folks came to refer to the king as a true ‘Taurus.’
Many years pass by, the green leaves turn yellow and finally deep brown. They detach from the parent tree and rest peacefully at her feet. Our young man grows older too. He measures time with the length and color of his grey beard and his skin begins to crease often. A halo of loneliness penetrates his very existence. In a parallel universe, Mercury weds a juvenile countess belonging to the Yin and Yang constellation. To this devoted couple, a charming pair of twins was born. But alas, happiness was extinguished in a stroke of misfortune and a clandestine journey to earth left our young (aging) man with the cherubic angels. They grow into restless little girls with curly blond hair that fly out behind them like a cape as they run through their father’s wheat fields. They are full of energy, compassion and wild imagination. Intellectual discussions, chess matches, horse riding competitions, scientific research; you name it and the girls were expected to excel in all of them. Whatever one lacked, the other had in surplus. Those two girls won every man’s heart with just a shy smile and sooner than later they blossomed into two benign, dove-like women who lead the Land of Tauria to become one of the greatest civilizations mankind ever saw. Hence, they are fondly referred to as the ‘Gemini Queens’.
Chapter II
The young man returns to his kingdom where he is hailed as savior of the realm, a warrior of paramount courage and as a legend like no other. He accepts kingship and becomes the ruler of the Land of Tauria and soon after, sprouts a bulging belly. The Land of Tauria is well known for its drunken men, enchanting maidens and a predisposition to bask in the benefits of pots of gold guilt-free. And not surprisingly, astride his throne, our young man forgets his loyal ram and invests the ‘Bull’ as the royal mascot. He loses himself to the luxuries of the royal treasury and develops a childlike stubbornness but simultaneously he masters earthly skills, ploughs through difficult times and is adored his subjects. Not too soon, drunk in his aggravated power, he descends into a state of self-indulgence, his charm and quick wit fading into oblivion, becoming memories of a past heroic phase. A disturbing penchant for spending hours with young maidens in high towers grows. Time waits for chaos to befall him but out of the blue, Venus intervenes. The Goddess of Love adopts him and winds his inner cardinal to point North again. The young man awakes from his stupor and realizes his blunder. Without sparing a second thought, he sets off to reclaim his legendary reputation and brings wisdom, art and culture to the Land of Tauria. Thus, in the shabby pubs of the city streets, the folks came to refer to the king as a true ‘Taurus.’
Many years pass by, the green leaves turn yellow and finally deep brown. They detach from the parent tree and rest peacefully at her feet. Our young man grows older too. He measures time with the length and color of his grey beard and his skin begins to crease often. A halo of loneliness penetrates his very existence. In a parallel universe, Mercury weds a juvenile countess belonging to the Yin and Yang constellation. To this devoted couple, a charming pair of twins was born. But alas, happiness was extinguished in a stroke of misfortune and a clandestine journey to earth left our young (aging) man with the cherubic angels. They grow into restless little girls with curly blond hair that fly out behind them like a cape as they run through their father’s wheat fields. They are full of energy, compassion and wild imagination. Intellectual discussions, chess matches, horse riding competitions, scientific research; you name it and the girls were expected to excel in all of them. Whatever one lacked, the other had in surplus. Those two girls won every man’s heart with just a shy smile and sooner than later they blossomed into two benign, dove-like women who lead the Land of Tauria to become one of the greatest civilizations mankind ever saw. Hence, they are fondly referred to as the ‘Gemini Queens’.
Chapter II
The Sun makes peace with the Dark Night. As a token of their trust, a small gemstone fashioned from stardust is handed over to the Black Realm. Thus the Moon adorns the post-sunset sky, a white pearl amidst inky blackness. From her silver beams, she weaves tirelessly a beautiful daughter named Cancer. Pure as the nectar of the spring flowers, stable as an anchor in the rough seas, this woman had a feminine grace paralleled by none. Being the eternal representation of a mother, she infuses in the world, a sense of ‘home’ and constructs the notion of a ‘family.’ Cancer grows by the calm seas and plays with the red crabs that dot the shore line. The tides dance to its satellite song every month but this habitual ritual of the Moon’s disappearance in the starry skies, perpetrated by her flings with other celestial bodies result in the scars that lie deep within the many folds of the Cancerian heart.
To this woman, symbolizing maternity, a fierce and independent son was born. His golden skin and flaming red hair gave him the appearance of a fierce lion. Leo, they fondly called him. Leo was never destined to be tucked away by the sands of time. Instead, he grew into a fierce warrior with a strong desire to prove himself. His games with the animals of the jungle soon grew tiresome as there was none who could beat the valiant but uncouth warrior child. A passing tradesman, on eyeing the young child’s fearlessness, told him about the Bull Fight in the Land of Tauria. Hearing about this opportunity to display his might, young Leo rode all the way to the Land of Tauria to prove himself to the Gemini Queens. The journey was a sight to see and all those who saw him ride by gasped in awe. For what they saw was not a small boy but a tall, well-toned young man atop a golden lion racing along the horizon, his mangled scarlet hair streaking the sky line such that it was indiscernible from the rays of the dying sun.
He reached the arena where the Fight was taking place and demanded to be let in the ring. The Queens laughed at him and pointed out the age restriction. His coal black eyes smoldered in anger and the cowardly ministers begged the Queens to relent. They smirked and nodded, hoping for a dose of amusement to the otherwise grave proceedings. Need the rest be recounted? It was a clear victory for Leo from the beginning who was allowed to tackle the youngest bull. Shame flitted across the face of the other competitors. The previous year’s champion was the one with the most hurt pride and in a mad rage; he let loose the oldest bull who charged at Leo at full speed. Leo, caught unawares was tossed into the azure sky and the resounding screams of the audience below was the last thing he remembered.
A tall, slender figure stands at the entrance to an archway. Her wide eyes and intelligent features furrow into lines of worry. The guards have just brought in a beautiful young man into the healing ward. She nods at the guards and tucks her platinum hair into a tight bun. A few strands of her hair frame her bottle green eyes that are busy poring over the man’s wounds. Patiently and carefully, she applies medication and wraps each limb that has been bruised. Her modest aura, eye for detail and white clothing give away her identity. She is ‘Virgo’ the most competent healers of all time. Leo opens his eyes against the komorebi streaming through the open window. Noticing his discomfort, she draws the blinds. As she turns, their eyes meet and an unspoken, a lifelong vow of protecting him is reflected in her gaze and his gratitude hangs in the air between them. Leo blinks and in that fraction of a second, she vanishes. The room is void with no trace of her.
Outside the healing quarters, the crowd clamor for a trial to hand Leo justice. The Queens oblige and the old tarnished champion is handed over to the court. Here, the judge sits atop a high chair blindfolded with a silver balance perched on his thigh. ‘Libra’ was the most honorable judge of all time. But corruption, greed and avarice had infested the land like an epidemic and not even the judge was spared. Libra overruled the prosecutor and the old champion was free to go. Shock flashed across the face of the Queens followed not long by intense pain. As the Gemini Queens looked at their feet, they saw a Scorpion scuttle away into the dark recess of the nearby forests. Their vision blurs and as they fall from grace, the balance tilts to one side.
Chapter III
To this woman, symbolizing maternity, a fierce and independent son was born. His golden skin and flaming red hair gave him the appearance of a fierce lion. Leo, they fondly called him. Leo was never destined to be tucked away by the sands of time. Instead, he grew into a fierce warrior with a strong desire to prove himself. His games with the animals of the jungle soon grew tiresome as there was none who could beat the valiant but uncouth warrior child. A passing tradesman, on eyeing the young child’s fearlessness, told him about the Bull Fight in the Land of Tauria. Hearing about this opportunity to display his might, young Leo rode all the way to the Land of Tauria to prove himself to the Gemini Queens. The journey was a sight to see and all those who saw him ride by gasped in awe. For what they saw was not a small boy but a tall, well-toned young man atop a golden lion racing along the horizon, his mangled scarlet hair streaking the sky line such that it was indiscernible from the rays of the dying sun.
He reached the arena where the Fight was taking place and demanded to be let in the ring. The Queens laughed at him and pointed out the age restriction. His coal black eyes smoldered in anger and the cowardly ministers begged the Queens to relent. They smirked and nodded, hoping for a dose of amusement to the otherwise grave proceedings. Need the rest be recounted? It was a clear victory for Leo from the beginning who was allowed to tackle the youngest bull. Shame flitted across the face of the other competitors. The previous year’s champion was the one with the most hurt pride and in a mad rage; he let loose the oldest bull who charged at Leo at full speed. Leo, caught unawares was tossed into the azure sky and the resounding screams of the audience below was the last thing he remembered.
A tall, slender figure stands at the entrance to an archway. Her wide eyes and intelligent features furrow into lines of worry. The guards have just brought in a beautiful young man into the healing ward. She nods at the guards and tucks her platinum hair into a tight bun. A few strands of her hair frame her bottle green eyes that are busy poring over the man’s wounds. Patiently and carefully, she applies medication and wraps each limb that has been bruised. Her modest aura, eye for detail and white clothing give away her identity. She is ‘Virgo’ the most competent healers of all time. Leo opens his eyes against the komorebi streaming through the open window. Noticing his discomfort, she draws the blinds. As she turns, their eyes meet and an unspoken, a lifelong vow of protecting him is reflected in her gaze and his gratitude hangs in the air between them. Leo blinks and in that fraction of a second, she vanishes. The room is void with no trace of her.
Outside the healing quarters, the crowd clamor for a trial to hand Leo justice. The Queens oblige and the old tarnished champion is handed over to the court. Here, the judge sits atop a high chair blindfolded with a silver balance perched on his thigh. ‘Libra’ was the most honorable judge of all time. But corruption, greed and avarice had infested the land like an epidemic and not even the judge was spared. Libra overruled the prosecutor and the old champion was free to go. Shock flashed across the face of the Queens followed not long by intense pain. As the Gemini Queens looked at their feet, they saw a Scorpion scuttle away into the dark recess of the nearby forests. Their vision blurs and as they fall from grace, the balance tilts to one side.
Chapter III
Scorpio welcomed his little pet and patted its scaly back. “Well done my dear” he whispers as he stands outside the gates of Tauria watching the kingdom descend into chaos. He is pleased with his work. He was a spy sent by the nomadic group of archers who called themselves Saggio, and he was loyal to their blood alone. Fiercely cruel and passionate about his beliefs, he wasn’t ready to leave any stone unturned in executing his duties. He turns around and throws a single match into the woods. In a few minutes, a raging fire would begin and Tauria would be no more. As he walks away, his black coat billowing in the strong gust of wind knots around a branch of a tree and Scorpio struggles to be freed. With despair he notices the wind fuelling the fire towards his direction. His cries echo the heavens above not long after which the smell of burnt flesh seeps into the ground. Mars watches the drama unfold regretting that he withheld the truth. The truth that Scorpio and Taurus were brothers of the same blood and his second son had just destroyed his own home and his own body for no benefit. The constellations aligned themselves into a pointed arrow that faced south.
The Sagittarian army marched towards the Taurian gates. The archers were not normal men on horses but part- man, part-horse. In common dialect, they were otherwise called Centaurs. Primarily wanderers and star gazers, they had been ousted out of their home territory, Old Tauria, by invaders from the Far Away lands across the Big Sea. They removed thin arrows and dipped them in oil. A torch was lit and ploughed into the ground. The arrow tips were set ablaze and launched into the kingdom. One by one, the ten rows of warrior centaurs launched hundreds of flaming arrows into the burning city. What was once a land well known for its prosperity and progress, now stood as the dilapidated evidence of what treachery could lead to.
A short man walks along the perimeter of the charred site. Smoke remains suspended in the sickening atmosphere. He calls to his herd of goat-men and they begin pulling out the survivors and clearing the mess. With great difficulty and after long hours of toil, the Capricorn tribes of the north build a refugee camp and a small temple with stone bricks. The short man kneels next to the shrine and clasps his palms together and beseeches the Gods. The Father of the Gods, Saturn, hears his son’s prayer and decides it is time for his daughter to alight Earth.
Aquarius glides sleepily along the crystal clear water of her home. She is draped in a long deep cyan colored gown. Her black hair ripples down her back like a waterfall and her ivory skin glows in the blue halo of her chamber adorned with copper pots filled with water. To an observer, it would appear as though she was floating on water as she moved about. Little does he realize that water is a part of her body and not a separate entity. She was the only child who had the ability to control an element, completely, with such graceful ease. Her siesta, unfortunately is shortlived.She is rudely disturbed by a frantic messenger pecking at her window. As she reads the message, a look of determination sculpts her sharp features. She gathers herself and dives headfirst into Earth below. Water runs across the burnt face of Earth. It cools the scalding wounds, heals the broken hearts, quenches parched throats, strengthens feeble buds, and assuages sore blisters that spot the skin of the land. It is a blessing, a miracle; it is the most beloved of all elements. It is Rain.
Pisces, the fish children of Jupiter and Neptune, followed Aquarius soon after to sow the seeds of welfare across the desert lands and help those who suffered in the Great Fire. Gradually, but firmly, Earth began to heal. They were compassionate, charitable and quickly put the needs of others ahead of their own. But their trusting nature was an incorrigible flaw. As expected, the Dark Night asked his share of resources to rebuild Earth but the foolish Pisces never kept an account of what was leaving their homes. They were far too busy tending to Earth to notice the details.
Soon, Earth was strong enough to bear new life. A new dawn was in store and the time for rebirth had come. Plants stretched their leaves in anticipation and flowers concocted their nectars as sweet as possible. It was only then that they looked up and noticed the jagged sable sky carved with impenetrable diamonds curtained by dark clouds. A gasp of horror escaped the lips of the beings on Earth. If the Sun didn’t rise in the next few hours, they would all perish and hence, be condemned to the Black Realm.
Chapter IV
The Sagittarian army marched towards the Taurian gates. The archers were not normal men on horses but part- man, part-horse. In common dialect, they were otherwise called Centaurs. Primarily wanderers and star gazers, they had been ousted out of their home territory, Old Tauria, by invaders from the Far Away lands across the Big Sea. They removed thin arrows and dipped them in oil. A torch was lit and ploughed into the ground. The arrow tips were set ablaze and launched into the kingdom. One by one, the ten rows of warrior centaurs launched hundreds of flaming arrows into the burning city. What was once a land well known for its prosperity and progress, now stood as the dilapidated evidence of what treachery could lead to.
A short man walks along the perimeter of the charred site. Smoke remains suspended in the sickening atmosphere. He calls to his herd of goat-men and they begin pulling out the survivors and clearing the mess. With great difficulty and after long hours of toil, the Capricorn tribes of the north build a refugee camp and a small temple with stone bricks. The short man kneels next to the shrine and clasps his palms together and beseeches the Gods. The Father of the Gods, Saturn, hears his son’s prayer and decides it is time for his daughter to alight Earth.
Aquarius glides sleepily along the crystal clear water of her home. She is draped in a long deep cyan colored gown. Her black hair ripples down her back like a waterfall and her ivory skin glows in the blue halo of her chamber adorned with copper pots filled with water. To an observer, it would appear as though she was floating on water as she moved about. Little does he realize that water is a part of her body and not a separate entity. She was the only child who had the ability to control an element, completely, with such graceful ease. Her siesta, unfortunately is shortlived.She is rudely disturbed by a frantic messenger pecking at her window. As she reads the message, a look of determination sculpts her sharp features. She gathers herself and dives headfirst into Earth below. Water runs across the burnt face of Earth. It cools the scalding wounds, heals the broken hearts, quenches parched throats, strengthens feeble buds, and assuages sore blisters that spot the skin of the land. It is a blessing, a miracle; it is the most beloved of all elements. It is Rain.
Pisces, the fish children of Jupiter and Neptune, followed Aquarius soon after to sow the seeds of welfare across the desert lands and help those who suffered in the Great Fire. Gradually, but firmly, Earth began to heal. They were compassionate, charitable and quickly put the needs of others ahead of their own. But their trusting nature was an incorrigible flaw. As expected, the Dark Night asked his share of resources to rebuild Earth but the foolish Pisces never kept an account of what was leaving their homes. They were far too busy tending to Earth to notice the details.
Soon, Earth was strong enough to bear new life. A new dawn was in store and the time for rebirth had come. Plants stretched their leaves in anticipation and flowers concocted their nectars as sweet as possible. It was only then that they looked up and noticed the jagged sable sky carved with impenetrable diamonds curtained by dark clouds. A gasp of horror escaped the lips of the beings on Earth. If the Sun didn’t rise in the next few hours, they would all perish and hence, be condemned to the Black Realm.
Chapter IV
The golden ball of fire flickers in the distance and light slips through the crevices of the clouds but the infernal sky drains it of its fuel and it is stuck in the fatal web that Night has spun. Death is imminent. In the horizon, a lone young man’s silhouette incises the blinding white sky. He is clad in a crimson red toga that accentuates his bronze chest, and mounts a raging ram. His muscles ripple as he gallops to the end of Earth. He climbs down from his vahana, stops and stares, his blue eyes piercing the diabolic sky. The Night bellows and shrouds him in a cloak of icy black darkness. Razor-edged diamonds rain on all frontiers. The man unsheathes his adámas sword and with one gallant swing of his hilt, thrusts it into the heart of the diamond sky, slicing diamond with diamond and paving a path for the sun to rise. Daylight cascades bountifully into Earth and the New Year arrives. Mars looks at his fine-looking son fondly and christens him ‘Aries.’....