Chapter 4
🌙 ♋️ 3° 18' 🏠10
"Everyone calm down now! Settle down, the games are about to begin!" said Shiloh.
Now, Shiloh is one of the scribes of Drokeo Bay. He is a part of the Earthly Sector, where the earth signs live: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn.
Beside him is Whop. Whop is the oceanic leader of the water signs. He wears a royal mantle that's baby blue, crimson, and dark blue.
"Whop, are you ready for the designation? The zodiacs are anxious to pick a host. It's been far too long. They're antsy," chimed Shiloh.
"Yes, I agree. My Scorpio especially has been itching to find someone to be with. He is more than ready," said Whop.
Shiloh glances over in his direction. They whisper for a few moments.
Zodiac sigils of different variants of Pisces and Cancer are plastered all over his robe in different colors. His face is wrinkly, weathered, with eyes that look into your soul when met.
Undressing your very essence, cutting to the meat of who you are with one stare. Scorpio-rising eyes.
Earth signs are known for being doctors, healers, often detail-oriented with copious amounts of money. These people are rich—not just spiritually like all the other zodiacs, but monetarily as well.
Shiloh is busy trying to calm everyone down. He's outside, sitting on his throne, with a crowd of 20,000 outside watching him.
His throne is not kingly but one of grace and respect. He doesn't wear fancy robes laden with gold or have a precarious amount of silver or different types of coins on hand, for no one shall rob the Earth Kingdom out of his hand.
It is sacred. The City of Orphans never sleeps or rests. That goes for the air, water, and fire kingdoms that reside in the western part of Drokeo Bay.
The Earth Kingdom is decorated with ancient statues made of marble, brick, diamonds, and gold. Monuments in stone of the Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn. Library buildings made out of stone, diamonds, and gold. Hospitals built brick by brick.
The floors, ceilings, and support beams are made from garnet, sapphire, and emerald—truly glorious to look at. The inside resembles more of a cathedral in beauty and design than a regular hospital, but they have money, and they know how to use it and invest it.
Life-sized monuments sit in the middle of the city. Everyone can see them even from three miles away. Everything in the city is grounded. Nothing is out of order.
He begins to speak.
Oh, and P.S.—this is not death-game-type stuff, folks. Different type of program. This ain't your typical literature. Whoever reads my words shall be changed—for the better (always better), never worse.
But wait, hold up. I'm not the author. I'm just getting caught up in this book shenanigans. Starbeings? Zodiacs? Who wrote this, yo? Well, it's still ongoing, so let me sit back and let it get cracking.
"Today we are here with our friends from the water sector of Drokeo Bay—our friends that are Pisces, Cancers, and Scorpios. Are all the water signs here? Let me know, everyone," he said.
The water signs chant.
"Pisces!" they shouted.
Then various types of fish appear in the sky, first forming wet, foggy, steamy, thick mist from condensation.
The fish that appear are a piranha, shark, dolphin, jellyfish, and anglerfish.
They start moving in the air like they are swimming, flapping in the air—well, at least the ones that do that when they're out of water.
Water droplets the size of mini hail start to rain on everyone, including the earth signs. Shiloh smiles in approval.
"Perfect!" he shouts, his voice echoing across the crowd.
"Now the second. Cancers!" he said.
They chant it back to him.
"Cancer! Cancer!" the Cancers said.
A crab, snow crab, Dungeness, and king crab take form above them. The caricature of their bodies forms in water again. Then their exoskeletons form, hardening. Their beady, panoramic eyes take shape, sweeping from right to left, downwards, looking at everyone.
"Beautiful. Wow," said Shiloh.
The crabs turn back into dark, ocean-blue water droplets. Then the rain comes down.
Splash. Splash. Splash.
Finally, all at once, the water pours itself over the water signs. The water doesn't touch any earth signs. Everyone now feels refreshed.
"Okay, and…"
He hesitates, pauses.
"Scorpio! Show us your stingers!" shouted Shiloh.
Stingers from scorpions form in the air as energy—some black, some yellow, orange, and black.
"Stingers, away!" said Shiloh.
The stingers turn into beams of light and go toward the sun, disappearing in the distance.
Everyone cheers and claps their hands. It's time to commence the sacred choosing. This consists of the zodiac signs, in their purest form, picking a host.
This is done every 100 years before the zodiacs rest again. Now is the time for 11 new hosts.
Shiloh spreads his arms wide to the crowd, speaking in a commanding voice. His brown and green-white robe glistens from the sunrays as he speaks.
"Earth signs. Water signs. It's time for the water and earth signs to have new hosts. Today is Water and Earth Day, and the Fire Sector will be hosting the Air Kingdom.
Whatever zodiacs come out have not been chosen or have not picked a host yet. The ones today will handpick their host. Let's begin. Earth Element: Ground Summoning!"
He brings his palms together, creating a small opening in the middle of his hands.
The ground swells, then shakes—lots of it. The air smells crisp, like daisies, dandelions, watermelons, and strawberries.
"Mhmmm, that smells delicious. The earth is giving us its fruit and everything it has to offer. Her blessings always give back when we tend to its gardens."
At this time, the water signs separate from the earth signs.
The earth begins to show stress as it fractures and breaks. Some pieces of the ground even turn into sand.
Dark brown soil fills the air around the crowd, right above the water signs. A brown and dark green flower pot appears in the air. All of the soil pours itself into it.
Fitting in surprisingly, the flower pot sprinkles the fertile soil as someone would salt their food, forming a circle. Flowers, grass, and trees grow from it, rising until they reach the height of a skyscraper.
"Underground Tunnel," said Shiloh.
They begin to lower into the ground until none of them are seen. The trees, grass, and flowers intertwine, forming a canopy-like covering over the hole.
"That's for their safety. The zodiacs don't really like seeing people they don't know in their city," said Shiloh.
"Interesting. Earth signs are territorial like that?" asked Whop.
"Not territorial. It's a respect thing. I mean, we are respectful and resourceful people, but the time is not the time for formalities," said Shiloh.
Whop chuckles.
"Heeehehe! I like this! Do what you do best, my scribe from the Earth Kingdom, and I'll do mine. Deal?" said Whop.
His voice is high-pitched like a whistle. Shiloh lifts his head to the heavens.
"Taurus! Virgo! Capricorn!" he shouts.
Taurus comes first, his body forming first, then his eyes. His eyes are raging—blood red. His legs are those of a human but on steroids times four.
His body is the thickness of a boulder, physique cut like a kangaroo. Zodiac sign on neck and throat, dark black. Bull horns take shape.
He has two bull bells, one in each ear, brown in color, with a green Taurus symbol in the middle of each bell. Steam pours out of his ears.
Whop's teeth chatter.
"Gi-gi—"
"Stop being so scared, Whop. He won't hurt you. We're calm," said Shiloh.
"Well, I can't tell! He looks pissed already!" shouted Whop.
"Haha. Don't start no trouble and there won't be no trouble, Mr. Whop. Besides, he doesn't get angry like that or easily. He just woke up."
He shivers.
"Okay… remind me to NEVER wake up someone that's a Taurus, PLEASE. And if I do, just hide me. I will give you all of the spoils from the water sector."
"Hahaha!!" laughed Shiloh.
"Hey, what's so funny?" said Whop.
"Just you scrambling for a place to hide! Hahahaha! Look, just relax. He's okay. Just don't say anything to him, or you'll get the horns."
"Nooo!!!"
Whop says it like a little girl.
"Anyway, while you scream and pee, here's another one. Virgo!"
Nothing happens. The wind howls like a wolf.
"That was it?" asked Whop.
"No, that wasn't it. She must have a host already. Capricorn, show yourself! Come out, Cappy!"
The sea goat forms. The goat's fur is light brown, its horns growing outward, both opal.
"Baa!" said the Capricorn.
"The Capricorn and Taurus in their purest states are something to truly look at. How magnificent," said Shiloh.
"Shiloh, why did you wake me up at this hour? You know I don't like my sleep to be interrupted," said Taurus.
Taurus sounds mad, but he isn't. He just woke up, and he was having a good sleep.
Shiloh gets on his knees and bows to Taurus, keeping his head down.
"Taurus, it's time for you to pick the person you want to inhabit. I'm sorry for waking you, but it's that time again for us. Forgive me for not letting you know sooner, Taurus," said Shiloh.
"Get off your knees. I don't desire worship. I desire respect."
Shiloh gets up.
The crowd watches silently. No one is even breathing hard.
"Now, you said it's time to pick a host? Who is worthy of the raging bull's power? I do not change like the wind like air signs, neither do I explode in anger unprovoked or by minimal circumstances like the fire signs. But you will respect me.
If you're in my sights in my rage, I will surely tear you to pieces and let the birds of the air feed on you for disrespecting me, and no one will be able to save you. Got it?" said Taurus.
"Ye-ye-yes! Whatever you say, we'll be respectful!" said Shiloh.
His eyes set on Whop.
"Who are you?" asked Taurus.
Whop quivers and quakes, teeth clacking and more clacking.
"Um-um-um—"
"'Um' is not an answer."
His voice increases exponentially with rage.
"The one over the water sector!" said Whop.
"With Cancer, Pisces, and Scorpio?" asked Taurus.
"Yes!"
"Fine. That's fair. Let's see who I want."
Taurus scans the crowd and sees a young Black man. He looks like he's in his mid-twenties, about 5'10", GI Joe physique, low fade, dark brown shirt, black pants, silver nose stud in his left nostril.
"I choose him."
Taurus turns into a spiritual version of himself, then goes inside the young man.
Everyone looks at him. His body glows brown and green. That's it.
He notices his hands are developing callouses after Taurus goes inside him.
"Look at his neck!" a man in the crowd says.
Taurus's zodiac burns itself on his neck and throat, hardening into stone.
"That's the first. Capricorn! Choose your host, Sea Goat!"
"Bleat!! Bleat!"
He goes to another young man—tall, slender, Capricorn signet ring, taupe-colored button-up shirt, short dreadlocks, gray eyes.
"Looks like he found one. He was quicker than the bull, that's for sure."
"Thank God."
"You wouldn't have tried to hint for him to hurry up with his decision now, would you, Whop?"
Whop motions with his hands for him to calm down.
The canopy-like structure made of trees, flowers, and grass slowly turns brown and brittle.
Snap! Snap!
Tree branches crack. Thousands tumble down, rolling across the hot pavement. The leaves from the flowers are carried away in the wind, some raining down from the sky onto the earth signs.
The grass, already browning, settles into the ground. The earth shakes. A wooden knife from the sky, temporarily blocking out the sun, comes down and carves out a circle where the water signs went inside the earth.
Turning into a crowbar, it digs into a small opening and goes inside the hole. A few moments later, the water signs are back at the surface.
"Perfect," thought Shiloh.
"Now, now. Yes, you're right. I'm just happy we have more zodiac defenders."
"We still need yours too, Whop."
Whop nods in agreement.
"Absolutely. That's no problem, of course, but our displays of zodiac transfer aren't as grandiose as yours," said Whop.
"What do you mean?" questioned Shiloh.
"I can show you better than I can tell you. 4th House: Divine Planetary Transfer!" said Whop.
Neptune, Pluto, and a full moon shape show themselves.
The moon blocks out half the sun. The temperature drops 30 degrees.
"Man, it's cold. What happened to the warmth?"
"Neptune always brings the temperature down. Now don't look at Pluto," said Whop.
"Don't look at Pluto…?"
"Yes. If you look at Pluto too long without Scorpio-rising eyes, your very soul will disintegrate and cease to exist. Even five seconds is too long."
"Why? It's just a planet."
"Pluto rules death, rebirth, and power. Its power will destroy you. Take my advice and don't do anything stupid. I didn't piss off the bull—don't look Pluto in the eyes. Got it?" said Whop.
"Got it. So what now?" replied Shiloh.
"Time for them to choose their next host."
"The planets? But the zodiacs aren't there," said Shiloh.
"That's the beauty of it. The spirits of Scorpio, Cancer, and Pisces reside in these planets. Scorpio rules Pluto, Pisces Neptune, and, of course, Cancer has dominion over the moon."
"Interesting," said Shiloh.
"Neptune, Pluto, Moon—you may all go at once."
Blue, gray, and crimson energy flow from the planets to three people.
Pluto's energy goes to a girl named Katrina, Neptune's to a Latino man named Rosco, and the moon's energy to a Chinese girl named Daiyu.
"Planets! Back to where you came!"
The planets get smaller and smaller until they disappear.
"That was easy," said Shiloh.
"Yeah, but now they have to train and get to know the zodiacs for them to get along."
"Who were the three people from the water kingdom who were chosen?" asked Shiloh.
"I don't know them personally, but I'm sure you'll see them again sometime, and we will get together. We'll see what time permits."
"Hopefully they won't be hidden long."
"They won't. They will show their intentions. Water signs have to express emotion, especially Scorpio, Cancer, and Pisces at their highest and purest. Now what's next?" asked Whop.
"We're good for now. Now we just wait for the fire and air signs."
"Sounds good to me," said Shiloh.