The Forgotten Zodiac

Manny blinked, then let out his own squeak. "Gabe! Why are you eating your hand, don't do--" He was cut off suddenly, stopping in his tracks. Something had attached itself to his back; it looked like a machine of some kind, a bit like a large spider or something. Manny reached back and pulled it off, looking at it curiously as it sank its tiny fangs into into his hand. Which, of course, he didn't feel. He did, however, feel a massive surge of harsh, harmful energy blasting through his core a moment later.

Manny collapsed, not even having enough time to scream. The spider jumped off, crawling after Gabe next. The Phantom watched from the other end of the hallway, smiling crookedly. He hadn't intended to go after the boy as well, but he didn't need any witnesses this time. He needed as much time as possible, of course.

Gabe blinked at the spider, then squeaked again as it started coming after him. He tried to scream, but he couldn't get his hand out of him mouth. He had, in effect, gagged himself. He let out a wail, trying to scurry away.

The Phantom vanished and reappeared in Gabe's path, allowing the boy to bump into him. "There, there. It doesn't hurt...much. No matter," He shrugged, grabbing Gabe by the upper arm, and stepping on Manny's leg, in order to come into contact with the thing. Transporting three at once would be no simple task, but it would buy him more time. Arachne would sense the portals opening and closing, and that would ruin everything.

A split second later, Gabe would probably be feeling like someone had attempted to push him through a tree, but he was intact. They were in the forest now.

And now a portal was opening at their feet. "Clean and simple," The Phantom murmured, smiling to himself.

Gabe screamed and struggled, trying to get away, but to no avail. He did, however, manage to get his hand out of his mouth, and was screaming bloody murder.

The Phantom just smiled. "Scream all you want, child. The only one who can hear you are the trees. And while they're in that castle, your friends can't hear those, so that's a bonus, I suppose. If the spell I set up works, we should emerge right in my castle, too, so don't bother running. Oh, and you may want to close your mouth...you don't want this portal stuff getting in, do you?"

Gabe sobbed, still trying to ran away and still screaming despite the Phantom's words.

The Phantom watched in bemused silence; the portal already had Gabe's legs, there was no point in trying to go anywhere one way or another. At this point, though, Manny stirred. He immediately started crying, though; it hurt pretty much everywhere. That blast had been powerful, and the fact that he was seeing the Phantom again, and also the fact that he was halfway submerged in portal gunk, was scaring him.

Gabe sobbed. "Manny! Get us away from here!" he begged, crying as his legs felt like they were being ripped apart as he struggled to get away.

"I-I can't!" Manny wailed, struggling as well. The portal cut into his arm as Manny tried to pull it out; the force of that combined ripped the cloth of his arm, tearing it off completely. Manny screamed and fell still after that, not wanting any more of himself torn up.

Still, the Phantom just watched, although he was nearly entirely gone, not struggling against the portal at all.

Gabe screamed once more before disappearing into the portal.

The Portal, as the Phantom had said, dropped them right in the throne room of the Darklands castle. Manny scrambled to his feet, trying to stop the cotton of in his torn arm from falling out, the other half on the floor next to Gabe. Talos, who had been waiting nearby, licked his thumb. Several long lances, that had been set decoratively on the walls, floated away from their sets and suddenly shot towards Manny, peircing him from different directions, anchoring him to the floor.

Manny didn't cry out this time, but was very much immobilized. "You couldn't have just manipulated him?" The Phantom raised a brow. Manny just closed his eyes, putting his focus to trying not to fall apart instead of talking.

"Cotton is too simple for runes," Talos answered simply, picking up Gabe by the hair. "What shall I do with this one?"

"Oh, put him down, will you? That's Aries' son, you know. Gabe," The Phantom crouched next to the boy, smiling slightly. "How would you like to see mommy again?"

Gabe let out a wail. "Mommy!" he screeched. There were long, deep gashes on his legs and arms from struggling against the portal, and he was now bleeding pretty heavily. "Help, mommy!"

Verolen Krow Senior just smiled at this. "Soon, child, you'll see her soon. Talos, take this boy to a room and see to it that he gets patched up, yes?"

"Understood, your Majesty," Talos dipped his head, picking Gabe up, though this time entirely, and not just by the hair.

"He can share a room with Lilith, that's fine with me," The Phantom shrugged, standing in front of Manny, smiling still. He had to get to work immediately. He could do it here, that was just fine, yes...

Gabe's sobbing ceased almost instantly. These people... almost seemed nice. Aside from the fact that he'd just been kidnapped.

Talos carried Gabe to a closet, grabbing a few rolls of bandages, a rag, and a healing ointment before continuing to another door. It led to a small room with nothing but a tapestry bed, a small mirror and a closet, with a small vase of flowers on a table in the corner. There was a large, dark red curtain over the wall across from the bed, the symbol of the Darklands displayed in gold over the curtain; a simple eye, nothing else.

Talos gently set Gabe on the bed, immediately getting to work. He mopped up the blood with the rag, smearing some of the healing ointment on and around the cuts before bandaging them up. "You'll be fetched as soon as you can see your mother again, so don't you worry. If Lilith isn't napping, perhaps she'll play with you," Talos said, indicating the curtain, or rather, what was behind it.

"Play with me?" he asked, eyes wide and almost happy. Mommy and a new playmate? Were these really the bad guys, when Aton, his old Master, was in the Manakete Palace at the moment? Gabe wasn't sure anymore.

"Yes, she's quite the mischevious little squirt, if you can get her out of bed." Talos smiled a bit, finishing up the bandages. "There you go, all better. Next time, don't struggle with the Portal, and this won't happen." He turned towards the door, after collecting his stuff.

Gabe curled up on the bed, staring at the curtain. "...Lillith," he said softly, after a while. "Lillith. Liiiiiiilliiiiiith...."

"No! Go away!" A small voice squeaked from behind the curtain. "I'm sleeping! They said no experiments today!" Behind the curtain, a small, frail looking girl was hiding under the blankets of her large bed. She had bright blue eyes and black hair, and she certainly looked exhausted. Underneath her clean white nightgown, scars laced her chest, down to her navel. There were also a couple similar scars on her upper thighs. If Gabe went past the curtain, he might feel it, being a half-warlock boy; supportive amplifiers from the girl would possibly give Gabe's magic abilities a small boost.

"What? I wanted to play, that's all," he said. "What's a 'spearmint?" he asked.