“Geez Art, how much does the Minor Arcana pay you?” I gasp as my jaw hits the floor.

  I’m currently standing in the center of an open air courtyard. The floor is a glorious mosaic of a rising sun over the ocean. Pillars line the courtyard where a breezeway frames the room on all four sides, and a small pool in the center of the courtyard with a sitting area off to the side.

  “Well, the Minor Arcana does offer a small stipend but my money is predominately my own. Prior to settling in Zodiac, I traveled the world collecting and selling rare antiques. It was a business venture that I accidentally fell into.

  “Just down this hallway to the right are several bedrooms, feel free to choose which one suits you best. The kitchen is just down this hallway in front of us, and on the opposite side is my library if you have need of it. Please do make yourself comfortable. I will inform the Arcana that we have arrived. Avis and James, feel free to share a room if you wish.”

  Art turns and strolls down the hallway to the left towards his library.

  “Don’t the two of you always share a room?” Dardania asks as she picks up her bag and begins heading towards the room.

  “Well yeah, but—” Avis begins but is immediately interrupted by Prisha.

  “Normally it’s out of necessity, not desire per se.” Prisha grabs her bags and follows quickly behind Dardania leaving Avis and myself standing there awkwardly. Avis spins around.

  “I—”

  “You don’t have to say it.” I say softly. “They made it weird. Just come on.” I pick up my one bag, and practically drag Avis behind me to the choose a bedroom.

  * * * * *

  “Oh come on! Even the guest bedrooms are this magnificent. Shit, I’ve lived the wrong way my entire life.” I blurt out as I throw my bag on to the massive bed that stood before us.

  The bedroom sits on the corner of the house with two open entryways to two separate patios. Neither had a window or a door on them, so I’m just assuming the weather here is perpetually nice. The floor is made of terracotta tiles, while three out of the four walls consist of gorgeously hand painted ceramic tiles.

  On the opposite wall was the massive bed with a painting of the Ophiuchus skyline above the bed, and a small sitting area in front of one of the openings leading outside.

  The second entryway led to a patio that stepped down to a private beach. Like, what kind of money does this guy have? Are we sure Art is who he says he is? Is his name ironic? Is it some fake name for some art smuggler who has made his way to the top of the black market art world? Because this is all just too freaking magnificent.

  I would unpack my bags, but my belongs consist of the clothes I’m wearing and several small books in my satchel, so there isn’t much unpacking to do. I was too busy lost in the beauty of the room that I didn’t notice Avis wander outside to the patio, staring out at the ocean.

  “You okay?” I ask as I step up next to him, his eyes aglow as he stares at the majestic view in front of us.

  “Can we just say fuck it and stay here?” Avis turns towards me, grabs me by the waist and pulls me into him. “It’s not a crime here, all marriages are legal if you’ve got coin.”

  “As someone from a place that is a weird mesh between this and the Order, it’s not always great.” I lean my head into his shoulder.

  I’ve always walked through the world scared. Terrified that some hateful person would see me and decide today is the day they want to beat a faggot. If I dated, I never held their hand in public, and I avoided certain places in the country for fear of what may happen.

  But I could get married, granted I know a life before that was possible as well. Avis on the other hand, this place my seem like paradise. The only sin here is being poor, at least from what I’ve been told. Based on the fashion or lack thereof on our journey to the house, its clear their views on modesty are in extreme contrast to the rest of the world. Hell, prostitution is perfectly legal and regulated here and a thriving industry.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  “It’s just… I don’t have to be scared here.” Avis leans his head on top of mine as he kisses it gently. “I don’t have to be scared about going back to that place.”

  “I know.”

  “Look this place fucking sucks too, I know that. It just sucks in a way that allows me to be sucked legally without fear of being killed.”

  I raise my head to look at him, did he just say what I think he said? Was there a blowjob joke in there?

  “Did you?” I ask, feeling like the question is implied.

  “I did.” He smirks, kisses me, and pushes off of me to go unpack his bags. Got it, blowjob joke. We have clearly moved into the next step of our relationship.

  * * * * *

  “Guy! Is there anything in this house that isn’t magnificent?!” I scream as I walk into Art’s library alongside Dardania. She stands mouth agape, a glint in her eyes. “See, you broke Dardania!”

  Art looks up from his desk and smiles gently. He puts down his pen and approaches to greet us.

  “Well, I will take that as a compliment. I went to great lengths to ensure that this is the best library in Zodiac. I can’t say for sure how true that is.” Art says as he ushers the two of us into the library. “What can I help you with?”

  “Its rivals Nabu’s library.” Dardania whispers as her eyed dart about trying to take in every aspect of the library.

  Unlike Nabu’s library, this one has half full of artifacts and magical items, and half full of books. It stood two stories tall, with what appeared to be a mix between shelves and an art exhibit taking up the second floor loft. Scattered through the room were several lit platforms that housed either artifacts or priceless works of art.

  “Nabu?” Art questions, “The name sounds familiar, but I’m unsure how.”

  “The Hanged Man of the Major Arcana and the Ancient of Fate.” I say nonchalantly as I make my way around the library, focusing my attention on the art rather than the books. There’s even a statue of a naked me with an erect penis on one of the pedestals.

  “Not usually so…. at attention.” I say as I eye it, it’s quite detailed. Art chuckles at it, Dardania is still in a daze as she slowly walks around the room taking it all in.

  “That work is actually of one of the Zodiac from ages past. He was quite an exhibitionist and a narcissist. He had twelve of them created, and had them sent to the other families. The other eleven promptly destroyed them, and sent him back the pieces. This is the only one left standing and is extremely rare for that reason.” Art joins my side as we both look on at the statue.

  “He sounds like a weirdo.” A side eye the statue and continue making my way through the library and looking at the rest of the artwork.

  “He was indeed.”

  “We were hoping for a tour of the city.” Dardania finally speaks, clearly having taken in enough information to be satisfied and allow her mind to be at ease. “But now that I’m here, I’m more curious about the Zodiac.”

  “I’m actually intrigued by your casual name dropping of an Ancient and original Major Arcana member.” Art takes a seat on reading chair, motioning for Dardania and myself to sit opposite of him on the couch. He pours us a cup of tea.

  “We met him prior to traveling to Sirius, he helped save my brother’s life. It was completely happenstance that he was one of the original members of the Arcana.” Dardania takes a sip of her tea, her eyes immediately widen. She lets out a soft groan indicating that she was enjoying it.

  “But he was also an Ancient?”

  “Yep. Though he called himself a failed Ancient.” I replied. Okay, I get her reaction now. This tea is absolutely amazing. Is this what it’s like to have money?

  “How can one be a failed god?” Art pontificates, “Would you not be simply a god, or is the identification more complicated than that?”

  “Do you worship the Ancients?” Dardania inquires, “I don’t wish to destroy your faith if you do.” Art shakes his head.

  “The Ancients weren’t gods as we know them. They were simply humans who perfected their magics. They were viewed as gods because the power they held was so far superior to that of every other person that they basically became gods among men.” Dardania says as she places her tea back onto the table and crosses her legs. Art slowly takes in the information as he sips his tea, clearly hanging on every word she said. He continuously nods as his eyes flutter about, he’s clearly lost in thought.

  “I suppose that lends credence to the belief that the Zodiac descend from the Ancients.” Art pauses, thinking for a moment, “Perhaps there is something greater there to be learned.”

  “If we can wait long enough, Prisha will know.” I say as a take a giant chug of tea and gulp loudly. Both Dardania and Art look to me confused. “What? Eventually she’ll have the memories of the first Hermit, and we have no clue who that was. It could even before they gained the title of The Hermit.”

  “I…. I never thought about it that way. I just kind of assumed the first Hermit came out during the time of the first Major Arcana. I never considered they could be older than that.” Dardania pulls her legs into her chest and rests her chin on her knees as she starts contemplating this new information.

  “That memory could even perhaps go back to the beginning of intelligent life.” Art adds.

  “Holy shit! You’re right!” Boom, mind blown. I have considered that The Hermit is older than the Major Arcana but literally never considered that they could be far older than that. Like, they could hold the entire knowledge of history in that mind of theirs. Holy shit.

  “Well, I’m glad to have expanded your mind.” Art chuckles with a soft smile.

  “I think you broke it.” Dardania says, eyes wide, mouth open and she looks like she’s having an existential crisis.

  “So… about the Zodiac. Shall we get into it?”