The Forgotten Zodiac

"Just... just a wee bit? Not even a wee bit?" Quay asked pathetically. L'arc sighed, finally shaking his head and nearly doubling over with laughter.

"How about you go do some push-ups and come back later?" he asked.

"Don't be rude, L'arc," Sylas snorted. "He did try. That's more than you did. Here," He took the bow from Quay and forced it into L'arc's hands. Sylas didn't show it very often, but he actually had quite a bit of muscle from his bow working. He had been able to pull the string back easily, but he wasn't actually sure if L'arc would be able to do it.

L'arc offered Sylas a grin as he took the bow, confidently fingering it in his hands for a moment before drawing it back, holding it steady.

"I can draw a bow, Sylas," he said, glancing to the human from the corner of his eye. Can't shoot as well as you, but... heh."

Sylas smiled a bit. "There you go. Now relax it slowly. I don't want to bend up anymore arrows anyway." He looked towards Quay. "You see? That's how far you have to be able to pull it back."

Quay's jaw dropped as he watched L'arc work with the bow, pulling it back and then loosening it to hand back to Sylas.

"I'll... be right back!" the selkie said, running off to a cleared out area to go do some pushups.

Sylas chuckled a bit. "Thanks, friend." He smiled, then settled his bow on his back. "We've got to be ready for anything, I'd say. Even little kids."

"Here we are," Jerod set down lightly. He set Arachne down, then landed and stooped to let Bermuda and Verolen off. "Both of you okay?"

"More or less," Verolen nodded. "Thanks for the ride. Are you going back to the others now?"

"Yes, actually." Jerod nodded. "Say hello to Minori for me, if you will."

"Sure thing."

Bermuda gave Jerod a nod, then said, "I'd imagine that they're out to sea by now. They'll have notified Eltanin that you're coming, but you will be careful, won't you? You can make it that far, right? Not too tired?" the nereid questioned.

"I may be old, but I'm still a dragon." Jerod tutted with a humerous smile, then lifted off.

((Are we staying at the palace for a while, or back to the boat?))

((You pick. : P))

"Land, ho!"

"Finally! Home finally!"

Quay got up and rushed abovedecks at his brother's call, ginning widely.

"Sounds like we're here," L'arc said, rising from the box he was sitting on and stretching slowly. He popped a few kinks out of his back and shoulders, then offered a hand to Sylas. "Come on," he said.

Sylas nodded and stretched, yawning a bit. He had dozed by accident. "There already? Seems like such a short trip after we've taken it five times or so..." He scratched the back of his neck as they walked above deck, just as they were setting anchor. Sylas made sure to keep his eyes on the wooden deck and not on the water.

L'arc stayed alongside Sylas, knowing that the boy was nervous when not on land. He said nothing, just simply walked alongside his best friend.

L'arc stayed alongside Sylas, knowing that the boy was nervous when not on land. He said nothing, just simply walked alongside his best friend.

Sylas was grateful when the pulled up to the docks. He took his friend's hand and slowly made his way down the gangplank, carefully. Step by step. He didn't let go of L'arc until his feet hit the sand of the shore. Then he relaxed and smiled. "We're here, then..."

L'arc nodded and smiled at Sylas, looking over his shoulder as Eve followed them off the boat, leading Manny. Byrne had come down just before the other human and the druid. Gabe and Quay were running around wildly on the beach, kicking up sand and splashing into the waves.

"We made it, Byrne." Sylas bumped his friend on the arm, grinning a bit. "No attacks or anything. I'm really surprised, honestly."

"Don't jinx us!" Byrne said, though the smile on his face told the others that he was joking. "We haven't gotten Israel and Verdi back yet, so we've still got a lot to do before we're in the clear."

L'arc grinned slightly, though it looked more like a grimace. "We're not in the clear until this war is over, Byrne."

"Heck, even if the war was over, we'd still have things to deal with. Finding the other Ether shards is important...we haven't seen another shard in awhile. We need as many as possible to get the forest back to its full glory again." Sylas snorted. It was so; even if they somehow defeated the Phantom, they'd still have issues to deal with. Being 'champions of the forest', as Aries had once called them, was hard work.

"That's true, too," L'arc said. "We should keep our eyes open for them. "Of course, Eve might have better luck than us... as she puts it, demons just king of... "stumble" across them."