The Forgotten Zodiac

"Did you?" Aries blinked in surprise. "Well...do you want to see her? Stay with her? I won't be upset...I only want what's best for you, Gabe. We're not exactly an easy group to stay with, I know...it's dangerous to be with us. Would you be safer with your real mother...?"

"Yes, probably," Gabe answered honestly. "But I think I'll have more fun with you," he said, snuggling close. "She married a new daddy, anyways, so I don't think she's lonely. I saw them together. I think he was another Warlock. But maybe an Elf," he mused.

"Where did you see her?" Aries questioned, stroking her adopted child's hair back. "Did Minori take you some place with humans?"

"Not likely," Rush tutted.

"No. I had a dream about it. I used a location spell right before I went to sleep, and then I dreamed about her," Gabe explained, looping his arms around Aries's shoulders to hold on.

"Oh...I see." Aries murmured. "You dreamed about your mother? I suppose...that makes sense..." She didn't seem hurt, more...curious. Intriqued. Perhaps Gabe could...locate more Viera. Telling Bershee about the demise of her race had made her feel nostalgic. And, well, upset.

"Are you sad, mommy?" Gabe asked, sitting up a bit straighter so that he could look at her face. "Don't be sad, for I am here!" he said cheerily, grinning widely. "I'm not going to go anywhere, mommy. I want to stay with you!"

Aries smiled a bit. "That's not exactly what I was sad about, but...yes, I would be terribly sad if you left." She kissed his forehead, smiling. "I need to ask something of you...but later. After we get Israel and Verdi safely back here with us."

"Okay, mommy. Don't forget. Write it down if you have to," Gabe said gently, resting his head back against Aries's shoulder.

L'arc smiled a bit as he watched the two interact, then let out a sigh. He watched the river's water as they walked along the bank, keeping an eye out for anymore Naiad attacks, but it seemed that the danger was over.

"I won't." Aries smiled a bit.

Naturally, Bershee was still swimming along. If any Naiads were coming upriver, she'd see them. She was a good distance ahead, at that; she kept pausing and taking breaks in order to not get too far ahead.

Quay had slipped into the river as well, and leapt above the surface a few times at random intervals, obviously playing. Being in the Manakete Palace had been interesting, sure, but it was obvious that his home was in the water. He let out a barking laugh as he jumped up close to the shore, splashing Rush and Byrne, before quickly slipping beneath the surface once again, to escape any potential friendly fire from this "attack".

Rush wasn't too upset, he didn't mind being a little damp. He did, however, throw a rock into the water in mock retaliation. The rock hit Bershee on the shoulder, which she dragged herself out of the water to sceech at Rush for. Sylas and L'arc, in the meantime, found it incredibly amusing, the way she warbled at the chimera in a language that he understood, but no one else really did. By the time she finally backed off, they were crossing out of the forest and into the plains. The ship was visible in the distance, moving as slowly as a snail.

Quay leapt high out of the water as he saw the ship, then disappeared under the water and didn't resurface for a long while. Byrne laughed and gave a small wave to the selkie, calling "See you there, then, I guess!"

Eve trotted along in the back of the group, holding Manny's hand with one of her own. "Look, there," she said, pointing out the boat to him. "There's where we found you, remember? How did you get there, dearest?" she asked,

((Wasn't he given to Sylas and Byrne as a 'toy' by Israel's mommy? I'll just go with this, though. xDD))

"I...I woke up one day, and you were gone." Manny said thoughtfully. "I wandered around a lot. Looking for you. And I think...I took a nap. I don't really remember much...I remember sand, and then water...I was still made of cloth back then, so I was easily waterlogged and sank. I think I washed up somewhere, and I was taken onto a boat."

((I thought we found him on Eltie's boat. Who really remembers? XD))

"Ah, I see," Eve said, nodding. "I'm sorry I left you behind," she added quietly after another moment of thought.

((No one. o3o))

Manny blinked at her, then smiled. "I found you again," He nodded. "So it's all okay. No hard feelings." He smiled happily at her, then looked away again. "Boats are nice!"

Eve smiled and laughed. "Yes, yes they are. The float and don't sink," she said, nodding. "And I'm sure that Quay will be happy to see his siblings once again. He's been away from nearly half a year now, give or take."

"Oh...that poor seal." Manny looked down sadly, then back at Eve. "I've been away from you for a long time, too. I was sad, very sad..."

"Yeah, what happened to you? Did you get nabbed by the Sirens like the others?" Rush asked.

"Yes...yes, I did. He tried to put his eggs inside me." Manny whimpered a bit. "Eggs! Little sirens in shells...creepy." He shivered.

"...you mean Israel was hatched?" Gabe asked, sitting up suddenly. He giggled. "Like a chicken!? Bok bok bok!" he cheered, wiggling around slightly in his mother's arms.

"Don't poke fun," Rush frowned. "You were an egg too, once. But, uh...I don't want to explain that right now." He shook his head when Aries threw him a nasty glare. "That doesn't make sense, though. Most Sirens are born like other mammals..."

"It's different, but it's not something to make fun of." Aries held Gabe still. "If it wasn't eggs, what were they, then?"

"I dunno. Could've been magic amplifiers, I know of some that are a little egg-shaped..." Rush suggested. "It would explain his rapid growth. Or...they could be bombs. How many did he put in you, Manny?"

"Five." He blinked. "N-now that I think about it, they never came out..." He rubbed his chest, a little nervous all of the sudden. He wasn't straw and grass anymore. He had an actual body that he had made for himself, with skin and everything. People bled when their skin was broken, so Manny had made sure that he would bleed, too. He wanted to be like a person, of course...perhaps that had been a mistake.

"Rush, can you detect such things?" Eve asked, now looking a bit worried. "I wouldn't want him exploding on us," she said quietly. "I can hold back the Dark Matter, if that's a concern," she added quickly.