The Bostaurus Settlement; Pit Stop!

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Buck would lead the newcomers on into the heart of the Bostaurus Settlement, past many cowpokes of many types. Many of them looked onto the newcomers with warm, welcoming eyes, though some of them found the two of them rather strange looking; possibly because they were the ones that hadn't ever seen their kind before, wherein many of the older ones probably had, since they dealt with the trade more often than the younger ones.

"This way!" he said, reaching a nice little log cabin house with a field beside it. This was the Wilde House.

The rampaging Tank hurdled at El with great force, his eyes mad and lost like that of a wild beast. Though freedom rang in his heart and soul, destruction was the result of his reckless revert to animalism. As his hooves tore the ground under his feet up with each damn near leap from the ground at his target, the charging bull crashed with a mighty impact as his horns met with the hands of the seasoned soldier, whose feet were planted firmly and securely to ensure he wouldn't be knocked down nor over. Surprisingly, his strength was more than that of the other Bostaurus men that were casually knocked to the side, which came as an immediate surprise to the elder. He strained his neck to toss El to either side, or up into the air and heave him out of the way.

Meanwhile, Buck would stand there puzzled, trying to piece all of this stuff together. He heard El, but was still rather shaken about seeing his grandfather acting so wildly. He couldn't understand where his rational mind had gone nor why he would turn against his own people like that. Yet, when he looked his grandfather in the eyes, he still saw him there. Something about the way he looked at Buck...

Yet, whilst he was off putting things together in his head, the sound of a thunderous crash between the two before him snapped him out of his daze and back into the heat of the situation, to which he could only see the mad beast his grandpa had become whilst in this state. Did he really hate humans that much? Or... Was it the strange doohickey, like El said? Regardless... This was a decision he wasn't sure of what to make of. To help his new Human friend that he just met, or... To let his grandfather do as he pleased until he calmed down? Even still, it was a lot for him to go through. He remained speechless as he watched the two of them struggle, unsure of which he should be helping.

Soon, Milly and Tzita would come into view in the distance, rushing toward the scuffle from behind the house. "This way, Tzita!!" Mildred called out, waving her hand for her to come closer. She was lagging behind, it seemed; probably because the Bostaurus were naturally very swift runners thanks to their hooves. They would see Molly-Anne cowering, yet peeking out from behind the house and watching the entire battle. "You gon' use sommore of your cool magicy chains~?" Milly asked as they came up behind her, "I think it'd be really cool!" Molly-Anne turned around and saw the two of them and sighed with relief. "MILDRED~!" she said with a pleasant chime, "BoyamI gladtaseeyou!" She pointed around the corner, "Yer brother and yer boyfriend are fighting yer gramps!!! He went all crazy and tried to destroy my house!!"

Milly: WHAT?! Gramps!?

Molly: Yeah, take a look...

Mildred would peek around the corner and find both El and her grandpa locked in a conflict, going head to head whilst Buck stood by and basically watched. They were all watching them. She, like her brother, didn't know exactly how to feel about it. "Gramps..." she muttered, "... What are ya doin..?!"

El could feel the moisture of sweat beginning to build on his skin, as he strained to keep this deadlock. A quick glance behind him revealed that Buck hadn't moved at all, so El knew that he could not falter. He wasn't sure what to do either, as he felt his strength would soon begin to fail him.

His eyes were still as sharp as ever though, seeing a chain wrap around Tank's neck and assuming it was Tzita lending hand. Unfortunately, it wouldn't make much of a difference in a few minutes. So this is the limit of this gift... I can feel my energy waning. El closed his eyes and breathed deeply before yelling, "Buck! I need your help!" He knew Buck had come to help, but just standing there wasn't helping the situation at all. El felt his left knee beginning to give out.

Tank was right ready to heave El into the air once he felt the man's strength beginning to give, yet as he jerked to turn and lift his head, his neck remained stiff, suddenly locked in place where and as it was. Though he could still bare his own might upon the man's buckling knee, he could not turn either way with his head being manipulated by Tzita's chains. Yet, he pressed on, determined to totally crush El, especially in his moment of weakness.

Even so, the sharp cry for help from El shot through Buck like a sewing needle, jolting into action regardless of his own thoughts at the time. His own animalistic instincts kicked in as he sprung at the two before him and grappled his grandfather. He wasn't sure why he chose to assist El, but that's what his instincts told him and that's all he needed at that moment. He had enough strength to, surprisingly, be able to tip the old bull over. "Gramps!! Snap outta it!! Yer hurtin' people!!!" He didn't notice the chain around his grandfather's neck as he struggled to get him under control. Hopefully that would give El a chance to regain his bearings.

Once Buck sprung into action, it gave time for El to fall to his butt freely for a couple seconds and take a breather before rising back to his feet. He was beginning to understand the strengths of his gifts more and to understand the limitations of them as well. An excessive use of his powers would drain him of his energy quickly. He wasn't sure what the immediate deal was, or where the energy was coming from, but he was feeling better already standing in the light rays of the sun.

"What could be going on with him, Buck?" El asked, keeping himself prepared for whatever needed doing. He might have been able to take the bull alone, but it seemed like they could manage with Buck at his back.

The two steers wrestled with each other for a while as El regained his composure, only for Buck to be knocked off of Tank in a frenzy soon after. He hit the ground hard, but immediately bounced back up, still ready to grapple with his gramps if need be.

Buck: El, it ain't workin'! I dunno why, but he can't hear a lick!

When the old bull finally found his bearings and rose back to his feet, he huffed and mooed with great tire, breathing heavily yet never losing his ferality. Eventually, he snorted and mooed aggressively again, stomping his hooves assertively before them. It was almost as if he were trying to intimidate them out of his path rather than to rush right in, this time... Like he was giving them a chance to run.

Buck: I'on't wanna hurt'em... But I'unno how to get him calm! What should we do?

He wasn't one to know how to deal with these types of situations real tactfully; he was more of a 'brute force' type of guy, which clearly ran in his family. He wasn't afraid of taking the bull by the horns, but wasn't sure what to do after that, if he wasn't fighting to really completely defeat his adversary. It was something that the Beasts and Beastkin naturally struggled with whenever they got agitated; the animal instinct of Fight or Flight, and if to Fight, then to Kill or Be Killed. He just didn't want it to have to come to that... And hoped it hadn't already with his crazed grandfather. That's why he turned to El for guidance, which he hopefully could and would do in this situation.

El remained calm and tried to assess the situation as best as he could, but he wasn't sure what was going on either. El had taken on the challenge of finding the Sacred Beast would Tzita because he thought it would be a good tutorial to this new world, and an admittedly selfish chance to get closer to the exotic beauty, but this was beyond his scope of expertise.

"I'm not sure either, why would he be attacking this house in particular? Do you think Molly-Anne might have done something to provoke him? Is there bad blood between your families?"

El was just grasping at straws at this point, trying to find out any missing information. He was sure that these Ankhs had... wait... THE ANKH!

"Wait, maybe this can help."

El said, pulling his half of the Ankh out of his pocket and holding it up for Buck to see. If this state was induced by Tzita's half of the Ankh, then maybe it could be reversed with the other half? Worth a shot.

The moment the Ankh was raised to the face of the old bull, it would shine brilliantly and overtake the immediate area in an iridescent light. The old man as well as anyone in the immediate area; El, and Buck, specifically, would be able to see the vision of the Zodiac Sign, Taurus, suddenly looming over the angered bull, its eyes blazing like fire and its wispy body coated in the colorful tones of the earth. With this, the Zodiac Sign immediately took control over Tank, synchronizing their spirits completely as had been being done in the first place all this time.

Taurus Tank: ... Get Out Of Our Way. We Belong To The Pastures. This One Is Coming With Me.

Just when Buck was thinking he was going to have to wrestle down his Gramps again, El brought out his little doohickey, which suddenly started shining with a powerful light that illuminated the little area around them. It was bright at first, but made Buck's eyes feel weird... Adjusted to seeing something he previously couldn't or wasn't able to. Before him, looming over his grandfather, he would see just what it was that was making him go wild... Some sort of really ancient looking bull spirit that Buck somehow felt strangely connected to... Yet didn't understand at all.

"Whu...?!" Astonished at what he'd seen, he was unsure of how to react or feel, but somehow, being in the presence of this spirit made him feel nearly as mad and as wild as his grandfather, yet he was able to retain himself and focus all of it at what he believed to be his foe. "Y'all stop making Gramps do bad things!!! He ain't done nothin'!!!" He stepped forward aggressively, leaving a deep hoof print in the ground, crouching slightly as if he were ready to charge. "El, that thing what been messin' with Gramps? Yer doohickey somehow revealed it!"

Just as I thought.

"I think that's one of the things me and Lady L'sia are suppose to be searching for." El told Buck, stepping up and getting into a readied stance besides the bull man. El wasn't sure why the spirit had chosen to occupy Tank, but he wondered if he would be able to talk him down. El moved his eyes to see if he could see Tzita, since he hadn't heard her voice and she hadn't joined the fray yet, but it looked as if she was gone.

"Are you the Sacred Beast of the Earth? Why did you take control of Sir Tank?"

The Taurus was immediately displeased with having been referred to as a 'Sacred Beast' falling under the 'Lunar Zodiac' rather than as the 'Solar Zodiac' sign that he truly was. To have the dominant 'Bull' of the Sun confused with the subservient 'Ox' of the Moon was more than offensive to the Sacred Spirit.

Taurus Tank: You Dare Call Me By The Name Of The Moon?!

That, in and of itself, was nearly enough to send the beast back on his wild rampage. Yet, the majority of his power was being siphoned elsewhere, and none was to be used extraneously.

Taurus Tank: In Your Foolishness, Mortal, I Will Cast Aside Your Ignorance Because I See The Blessing Of The Zodiac Within Your Grasp...

Taurus was aware that Virgo had awakened, but wasn't sure of if the others were already in motion. If there were more, it may bring his mad dash to a screeching halt; something he was not fond of, either.

"Stay Out Of This, Calf!!" He cried to the young Buck, who had no idea to whom he spoke, "I Am Your Great Elder; Taurus, To Whom You Bostaurus, My Descendants, Owe Your Very Existence!!" Each of them were made with the spirit of the Taurus, which it seemed very few of them were actually truly still in tune with. "Your Insolence In Forgetting Your Heritage Is Only Surpassed By The Human's Feeble Knowledge Of The Stars And The Spirits Within Them!! Only This Old Bull Is Worthy. He Knows And Keeps To The Sacred Knowledge Of The True Bulls!! Which Is Why He Become My New Champion!!!" Taurus noticed that they were able to see and hear him now rather than just feel his presence within the settlement, which could formerly not be done, though he was speaking in the native tongue. He returned to the one of interest, El, and demanded, "Who Gave You The Blessed Symbol Of Life? The Ankh Of The Zodiac?"

El stepped forward, from the side of Buck, holding his hand out to his current companion to signify El's want to handle this. He was calm, and hoped that the general air he was giving off would be enough to quiet Buck and any of the other cow people around down enough for this conversation to take place.

"The great Pisces tasked me and my Companion, a woman named Tzita L'sia, to locate the various Sacred Beast and return them to the Zodiac Dwelling, that is where I received this Ankh." El paused there briefly, making sure he wasn't agitating the spirit with his explanation. El just wanted to make sure that the entire story was expressed so that they could work this out without anyone getting hurt. A fight was always the last resort to El.

"Forgive me for addressing you incorrectly. I'm foreign to this world, an Alien from a different universe it seems. Still, the great Pisces tasked us to come where with the recent awakening of the Mother Earth Virgo, and said I have an affinity to the Earth as well, though admittedly I'm not sure what that means."

"You Are Excused..." the gruff spectral spirit said with nearly strained relent. Taurus Tank stepped closer to El and planted his hooves firmly upon the ground, the astral hooves of the Taurus crashing down beside them with great power. The beast stared El in the eyes with the boldness of the man that harbored it, as if sizing him up whilst also attempting to decide whether he was going to charge again or not. When he finally came to a decision on the youngling that stood before him, he would puff his chest out and straighten himself upright, no longer with his head down as if he were ready to lunge forward. "Earth, You Say...?" The Taurus was surprised that any sort of mortal even comprehended what an 'Element' was. They seemed ignorant to the universe around them.

"Tell Me, Boy..." his voice bellowed before all of the Bostaurus; a tremble that could be heard throughout the entire village, "What Do You Know About The Earth?" His standing upright was now a sight to see that all of the village would witness, "What Could You Possibly Know Of The Earth?" He paid no heed to the young Bostaurus, for he did not harbor the Ankh.

El laughed, a bit nervously, but it came out like he was enjoying himself, for he was. This world was so fantastical and filled with mystery. El's world really paled in comparison, but he belonged there and still wanted to find a way home.

He scratched behind his head, "Nothing at all, this all pretty new to me. Really fun though."

The ancient bull stared the boy who harbored no fear, but a sense of steadfastness in his eyes, further sizing him up from his answer and his demeanor. He seemed to show no weakness in his manner toward the great elder, which was something of which was worthy of respect. "... Well. Your Knees Have Not Buckled, Yet," Taurus Tank joked rather callously, "... Present The Ankh Before Mine Eyes."

"If that's what you want." El said stepping forward only a couple steps on so before he held out his hand with the Ankh sitting perfectly inside of it. He had only thought that the Ankh would help with understanding the situation that was going on, but he didn't think he would find that their were other spirits awakening as well and the Ankh was a way to communicate with them too.

"Man, this is kind of cool. All these spirits and thing are something I never figured I'd get to see in my lifetime." Compared to this new world, his was boring by comparison. He got special awesome powers here, and could meet interesting people too. El wondered what other crazy stuff he'd be able to see before he found a way home. It was too bad that Tzita seemed to have disappeared. She could have probably explained all this.

The Ankh around El's neck started to glow as he approached, the same color as the astral spirit surrounding the old bull. "If What You Say Is True And You Are Of The Earth And Have Been Proven Worthy By Pisces To Harbor The Ankh... Then I Will Test You, Myself And Decide Whether It Was A Proper Decision By Giving You My Blessing And Helping You Further Yourself In The Ways Of The Earth." He still seemed skeptical about El's power, but he saw something in his eyes and in his manner of confidence that was respected by the bull; one that did not step down in the face of adversity, but took it by the horns, as a bull would to take down any other.

The Zodiac Spirit, Taurus, would be drained from Tank's body via the light of the Ankh, which would draw it toward its Dwelling and contain its will and power within the Ankh for El to access and grow into using more over time as the Taurus saw fit to bestow upon him his strength. It seemed that the spirit was coming to peace, for some reason; refreshed by the man's presence. "If You Falter, I Will Break Your Knees With The Weight Of The Earth On Your Back And Your Head. Know That." As the spirit was completely siphoned, the body of the old man was left completely lifeless, falling upon the ground, having been synchronized and taken along with the Taurus at its whim. "Do Not Disappoint Me..." were the last words said before the light of the Ankh died down and the power of Taurus was bestowed to El, flowing through his body.

Buck had been watching everything in awe from the sidelines, feeling compelled to listen to the great bull as it spoke to him, as did all of the townsfolk. Milly and Molly watched on from the sides in amazement, as well. They had never seen what their spiritual progenitor looked like, nor even that he truly existed. Many of them had forgotten or had only heard tales, but never actually witnessed him, themselves. It had been far too long since they'd been in touch with their spiritual patron, so to speak. It was an all new, revealing experience for the entire Bostaurus Settlement. None of their lives would ever be the same again.

When the old, now battered Tank had fallen to the ground, Buck was the first to jump to his feet and exclaim "GRAMPS!!" He ran over to the side of his grandfather, Milly and Molly following behind him the moment they say him rush to Tank. "GRAMPA!?" Milly shouted, looking over Buck's shoulder. He shook his grandfather hard, trying to wake him up, but to no avail. "GRAMPS!! GRAMPS, WAKE UP!!" No matter how hard he shook him, the old bull did not move. He was gone; one with the Taurus, now. Tears came to the eyes of the children, and even Molly-Anne was speechless, feeling remorse for both of the children she held a sort of rivalry with. She lowered her head, but felt somehow responsible, even though she knew there was nothing that could have been done by anyone. She leaned down next to Buck, who was crying in the bosom of his grandfather, of whom he'd just come to terms with wasn't going to get back up. They were all a little lost, and the village remained stunned.

Naturally, all looks went straight to El, to whom the spirit went into. A roar of disgruntled moos and snorts could be heard riling up around him, as if the town were coming to a stir. Many words, both in the native tongue and in the human's tongue, could be heard being thrown around, many quite slanderous and filled with discontent. There was quite the uproar in the Settlement today...

In all this confusion and such, a figure with a helmet appeared, sided by a smaller figure of a little girl, beside El was his arm around the taller man's shoulder. "You don't belong here." He said to the guy before working his ancient chakra techniques to lift the man from this universe, free him of any influences that belong here, and return him to his home universe. El's presence here was do to a multiversal hiccup and he had still held lingering thoughts and feeling about going home, so Aeragon came to return him there and repair the hiccup.

El would be returned to the universe he came from at the exact date and time in which he had been teleported here, back to the point where he was being run through the chest with the various swords of his traitorous platoon and dying. He would still hold lingering memories of this place, probably think it was nothing more than a pleasant dream at the last moments of his life of being another soldier.

Where the man known as El once stood, the helmeted figure lingered with his ward for only a moment before disappearing again and leaving the Ankh, filled with the spirit of Taurus, lying on the ground.

"Huh, no!" Before El could realize it, he began fading away by the immediate, and unnecessary, intervening of a cosmic fixer. He wasn't panicked, more upset than anything else. The thoughts of returning home were real, so he could find out what was going on there, but he wanted to be here on this world much more. He wanted to experience more of the fantastical things this world had to offer.

Quickly, before he faded away completely, he unhooked Durandal from his hip, "Lady L'sia..." He whispered faintly, the sword vibrating actively in his hand before he tossed it in the air just as he finished disappearing.

The sword, still very much solid and grounded in this reality, remained airborne for a while before falling back down to the ground and stabbing itself deep into the earth where it would remain until the name El enchanted it with came to remove it.