The Forgotten Zodiac

Werr slowly put his hand on Welk's, curling his fingers around it. His eyes still seemed distant, but there was a flicker of recognition now. Tears slid down his own cheeks, and he moved his mouth as though attempting to speak, make any noise, but he couldn't.

Forin had crossed into Werr's cell, peering at the words on the wall. "It's not that he won't speak, he can't." He said quietly.

"It doesn't matter, we'll look at it later!" Nate snapped. "We need to get out of here."

Welk whirled around and sent a sharp plume of fire out at Nate, shouting "Shut up! It does too matter! Just shut the heck up and leave me alone!" He turned back to Werr, gently running his fingers through the boy's hair. "Werr, I'm okay." he soothed. "You're okay. You know you are. Look." He lifted his own hand to up his mouth and suddenly sunk his sharp teeth into his index finger, easily drawing blood. He pressed his self-given injury into Werr's hand and curling he and the boy's fingers around it. "I bleed. I'm alive. I'm here and I'll never leave you again. You don't have to talk." He pressed his forehead against Werr's again, sobbing, his tears falling softly on Werr's skin. "It's okay..." he said quietly, just holding his friend in his arms.

Seria watched them sadly, then said "Welk...we need to go. Please."

Slowly, Welk nodded, then gently stood up, carrying Werr easily in his arms.

Werr pressed his face into Welk's shirt, a faint hint of a smile tweaking his mouth. He cried weakly, soundlessly, clinging to his staff still. Nate took the lead again, cautiously moving past the cells. "Any ideas on how to leave, Jag?" He asked, making it to the door and peering around warily. The hallway looked clear...

"Yes." Jag said, pushing past Nate and taking the lead. "Trust me, I've had to go down to the dungeon many times, so I know a good way out." He led the way down the hall with confidence.

Welk walked with the side of his head pressed against Werr's forehead, his wounded hand still pressed tightly into the boy's hands.

Jag walked on, cautiously peeking around corners and turning down into new hallways. "Okay, we should be getting close." he said, then turned a corner.

They were immediately met with a solid wall.

Jag stopped short, blinking in confusion. "What?" he said, stepping back a bit and staring at the wall. "I...must've made a wrong turn." he murmured, ruffling his chest and crest feathers as he turned and headed a different way. At the very next four-way turn, he was shocked to fine that two of the ways were blocked by walls. "What is going on here?!" he asked in frustration, then turned to go back the way they had came and froze.

Their way back was blocked by a wall as well.

Jag's eyes widened fearfully. He gulped and Lily and Spy both felt him quiver. "No..." he whispered, then turned and headed down the only way they could go. At every crossroad, only one way would be open and the way behind them would close, effectively herding them towards one room.

The throne room.

Nate frowned. Jag was acting suspicious. Normally, he would be the one leading, but Nate had realized from the start that things had changed inside the castle since he had left. And where had Nightlash gone? He realized then that the duke had been missing since the trapdoor. The trouble with Werr had distracted them from that.

Nate stopped short when Jag led them to the throne room door. "Are you mad? If we haven't seen anyone yet, it's because they're all in here!" Nate hissed at him, turning around, intending to go back the way they came. But he was met with a wall.

"There's no other way," Forin frowned, moving forward and pushing the throne room door a crack. He stopped at once, twitching. This was bad. Very, very bad. The doors had sealed it in, kept him from realizing it until now. He knew that aura, that black, overpowering, digusting aura. It hit him like a landslide now, filling him with a feeling he hadn't felt before. In all his years of living, this was the first time he was truly afraid. Forin stumbled away from the door, only to watch as Werr, surprisingly, slid his legs out of Welk's arms and stood. He pulled Welk after him, pushing the door open all the way and taking a few steps in.

"Are you really so interested in saving that broken-minded prince?" Gurushi was standing next to the curtains around the throne, looking pleased. As though all this were according to plan. "You care for him still, even after he believes you dead, and that everyone else hates him? You don't realize this, but he thinks you're another hallucination. He's been having so many of those lately."

"No!" Welk shouted at him, clutching Werr's hand tightly. "Because hallucinations don't bleed warm blood. I know. I've had a few in my lifetime. They never bled warm. Always cold, always unfeeling, always full of hatred." He pulled his hand from Werr for only a moment and sunk his teeth so deeply into his palm that a flood of blood poured forth, causing Seria to gasp, as she felt the pain since she was a healer.

Welk lowered his hand and took Werr's again, his blood dripping thickly from his wound and splattering to the ground, leaving warm trails down his fingers. "My blood is warm and real." he said, struggling not to cry. "Not like yours, you cold-blooded monster!" He sniffled, then said "And besides. I don't care if...if he doesn't know I'm real. Because I know I am and I know that...t-that I'll take care of him." He looked over at Werr, his crimson eyes full of deep sadness. "He always took care of me. Now it's my turn. We'll find Cynyr and he'll help! I know he will! And we'll be a family! All of us!" Now he growled. "And if you don't let us go I'll burn you within an inch of your life!" he snarled, fire licking down his arms.

"And why would he believe a hallucination?" Gurushi snorted. "Cynyr? Cynyr will help? Oh, certainly. Come at me then, child. We'll see how long you can last before your screams make your friend's ears bleed."

"Annoying brats," Obelisk's voice came from behind the curtain. "Forin, creature of shadow, come here."

"No! Wha...!" Forin spluttered, only able to watch in horror as his legs moved against his will. If Gurushi wasn't creating that familiar aura, then what was? And why was his body disobeying his mind now? He walked steadily before the curtain and took a knee.

"Assist Gurushi in ridding my castle of these rodents," Obelisk ordered.

"Never," Forin spat, though he stood and turned to face the others.

Welk roared, whipping his bleeding arm out and splattering his blood across Gurushi's face, blinding him for only a moment. He hadn't only been thinking of Werr when he had wounded himself, as it turned out, though Werr had been the biggest part of it. The fire mage lunged forward, flames already spinning to life in his hands as he lit up the entire room with tall plumes of fire. Flames raced down his arms and legs, covering his entire body in fiery armor. He engulfed Gurushi in the fire, throwing as much power as he could in the flames.

Luen watched Forin fearfully, not knowing how the strange voice they had heard was controlling his friend.

Gurushi blasted the fire away from himself with a wall of shadow. Said wall kept going, attempting to wrap around Welk in order to hold him still. Forin hissed with pain as the mark on his forehead started glowing. There was a flash of dark light, and he was changed to his true form; bigger, stronger, so on. "Crap..." He groaned, clearly still in control of his mouth.

"Hm...on second thought, secure Werr. I still have use for him, after all." Obelisk tutted. Forin spread his wings and shot forward, attempting to grab Werr mid-flight, but was stopped up by a large shield of light that surrounded Werr, burning Forin on contact. He flew backwards, hissing with pain. Werr just watched dully, hardly listening as his staff started talking.

"You may not have him!" It was a female voice, oddly warbled, but beautiful sounding. Like chimes jangling in the wind. It glowed brightly, as did the shield. Forin flew backwards more, forced away by the light. It was too bright, too pure; it burned like fire to him.

Welk frantically leapt out of the way, dreading any encounter with anything Gurushi made. He didn't notice a shadow move behind the curtains, watching everything that was going on through narrowed eyes. No, it was not Obelisk, nor Nelu or Relic or any other of the beings they had encountered before.

This was worse.

Seria looked over at the staff in shock as it spoke, her blue eyes wide. The voice was calming and beautiful, filling Seria with a sense of peace.

Welk paused for a brief moment in shock at hearing the voice, looking back at Werr in concern, distracted.

Gurushi took Welk's distraction as an opportunity, bolting forward, attempting to stab the fire-mage with a black blade that he had drawn from its sheath.

Werr just sat there until his staff snapped at him. "Move to a corner, Werr! I can cover you better there. Corners! You like corners, right? Corners don't hate you." Werr blinked slowly, then stood and walked over to a corner. The shield followed, hovering in the air, continuing to glow.

"Very well then. Deal with him later. Be rid of the others first." Obelisk growled impatiently. Forin hissed with annoyance, inching closer to the others, his now-red eyes glimmering with fear and a mild amount of panic. What if he hurt Diana? He couldn't stop himself. This wasn't like before.

Welk snapped his gaze back around to Gurushi and gasped, attempting to lunge back but knowing he wouldn't be able to avoid the blade. He closed his eyes, feeling a scream ready to burst from his throat.

The blow never fell.

Welk slowly opened his eyes and looked up, blanching when he realized that Gurushi's blade was hovering inches away from his shoulder. But still, the blow never fell, though Gurushi's arm was straining to push the blade forward.

The same thing appeared to be happening to Forin as well. He was unable to move, no matter how much he tried. Tendrils of pure darkness had wrapped around their bodies, holding them both tightly.

"Don't hurt them." a dark voice seethed from behind the curtain, somewhere off to the side. "Lord Obelisk, let the creature of Tartarus go. He is a bother and won't serve your purposes well enough. Gurushi, get away from that fire mage. He's mine. They all are." The curtains did not part and the voice was unrecognizable, so tinted with darkness it was.

The black tendrils pulled Gurushi back and let Forin go, like massive claws reluctantly releasing prey.

Welk fell back, panting and not knowing what was going on. He was quite a distance away from all of the others, by himself.

There was a pause. Forin fell, reverting back to his normal form. He stumbled to his feet, backing away from the curtain and Gurushi, returning to Diana. He hissed with pain, turning his back to the sheild of light that glowed still. The light flickered brighter as the voice came again.

"Werr's not yours!" The staff chirped. "Werr is mine! You can't have him, I won't let you!"

"Oh?" the voice growled out, and the shadow behind the curtain moved. They heard the click of boots hitting the ground as the figure behind the curtains started walking forward. "Fine, then. You can keep that simple, broken-minded fool. I have a better one. He's so obedient, so powerful. True, he is...ruined in some ways, but the one I hold power over is so much better." Waves of dark magic suddenly tossed the curtains to the sides.

Cynyr smiled darkly from the top of the few stairs that separated him from the others. "See?" he said, his voice twisted beyond recognition. "I have a mage."

Welk's eyes widened in horror. "Cynyr!" he shouted, scrambling to his feet. "Cynyr, there you are! ...What are you doing?" He sounded confused and somewhat scared.

"Isn't it obvious, you ignorant little pest?" the mage growled. "The old Cynyr is no more. Only darkness remains. I crushed his mind down into nothing but a tiny little consciousness."

Welk looked completely shocked, along with Seria and many of the others. "No." he said. "No, that can't be true. It can't be!"

"Still don't get it, do you?" the dark mage said, starting to move forward. "It all happened back when Werr Grehi's mother, Heather, went insane with dark magic and started attacking. Cynyr was cut by some of the dark tendrils that were attacking, starting the infection process. This entire time, the dark magic has been growing and living inside of his body, taking over his inner magic. I can't believe you didn't know. The dance? When he shouted at Seria? Telling her that he wanted nothing to do with her? He wasn't talking to her, you idiots! He was talking to the dark magic! His ragged appearance? Dark magic takes away any and all will to eat or sleep, no matter how much he wanted to. You all let him suffer when he was right next to you the whole time!" He threw his head back and laughed darkly, then stopped right in front of Welk. "How sad." he said, seeing the tears gathered in Welk's eyes. "And to think that poor Cynyr, this whole time, just wanted to protect you..."

His hand shot out, grabbing Welk by his throat and hauling him up off the ground. Welk was immediately choking, gasping for air. "...yet he'll be the one to kill you." Cynyr finished, then sent a wave of darkness up into Welk, which was like putting live electricity into him.

Welk's scream reverberated off of the walls as he held desperately onto the hand around his throat, unable to do anything but scream.

Werr jerked. Scream...screaming...Welk? Welk was screaming. Werr looked around the shield, his distant eyes spotting Welk and Cynyr. Werr looked at his hand, where Welk's half-dried blood was. Connections started clicking in his shattered mind. More screaming. Werr trembled, vaguely realizing what was happening. Welk was still alive, but now it sounded like he was dying again, and Cynyr was the one killing him. Welk...did Welk hate him? No, Werr concluded, struggling to think. Welk didn't hate him. Corners and Welk. Two things that didn't hate him. Corners didn't need his help, but Welk did. Welk needed help. Werr climbed to his feet, ignoring his staff's protests. He walked forward, watching as the shield vanished. Werr approached Cynyr from behind, and did the only thing that came to mind. He raised his staff and swung it wildly at Cynyr, not really aiming for anything in particular.

Cynyr immediately screeched and stopped the flow of darkness into Welk's body, retracting anything he had already put in. He didn't put Welk down, however. He quickly pulled Welk in front of himself, holding his claws dangerously close to the fire mage's throat. "So now you think you'll have a go, eh boy?" Cynyr growled, panting slightly. The staff seemed to have a negative effect on the dark mage. "You can't do anything in your current state, you brat. In your old mind? Yes, I will admit that you could've bested me at any puzzle, at anything requiring an intelligent mind. Now? You stand no chance." He tilted his head slightly to the side. "You know, you and Cynyr are not as different as you think. You don't know this, but that weak excuse for a mage was once forced to endure far more torment than you, Grehi. Your mind broke so easily. True, his eventually snapped, but he took far longer. But ever since then, Cynyr has never believed that he could be anyone's friend, that he..." The dark mage paused and looked back at Seria. "...could ever love or be loved by anyone." he finished. He looked back at Werr and growled, saying "He put his mind own back together and survived only because of one thing."

His claws inched close to Welk's neck, drawing thin lines of blood. "This one...little...cat." he snarled. "He only ever cared for Welk. But, what I am curious about is that Cynyr started to warm up to you as well, Werr Grehi. Hmph. He'll never need anyone again now. He's dead."

Welk, barely conscious, burst into tears at that, sobbing. Cynyr, dead? No! It couldn't be possible!

Seria was crying as well, her hand pressed over her mouth.

Werr watched Cynyr, hardly hearing a word the half-cat's controller was saying. He swallowed hard, coughing weakly again and again, until finally - after what seemed like ages - he managed to say something. "Don't care," He wheezed and rasped, finding it horribly difficult to speak. At least he was making noise now. He grabbed Welk by the arm, weakly attempting to pull his friend away from Cynyr. "Give him," He breathed before his voice was closed off again. Werr swung his staff down at Cynyr's arms, trying to make the dark mage let go.

Cynyr screeched as the staff neared him, then snarled "You want him? Take him." He let go of Welk, who stumbled forward into Werr's arms, hugging his friend tightly.

Cynyr backed away, shielding his eyes against the light from Werr's staff. "You have no idea what you're dealing with, child." he growled. "None of you do. None of you do!" He screamed the last part, then flung an arm out and cast such deep darkness over the entire palace that no one could see even an inch in front of them.

"Cynyr, p-please!" Welk begged into the dark. "You don't have to do this! You can beat this stupid magic! Please!"

"Your cries have no effect on me, boy." Cynyr's twisted voice called. A hand suddenly lashed out in the darkness, digging claws into Werr's head. "His, however, do." he growled, then suddenly let out a cry. For only a moment, his dark black eyes flickered, growing a shade brighter. "Go..." Cynyr's weak voice whispered, sounding faint and raspy, deathly ill. "This...is...a-all...I...can...give...g-good...bye..." His voice faded completely, dropping off into nothing. There was a flood of strength into Werr's mind as the last remnant of Cynyr's consciousness donated all of its power to him, creating a healing mind wave that Seria couldn't even dream of generating.

"No Cynyr, no!" Welk cried. "Don't die, please! You promised me you wouldn't die!!" He screamed the last part, feeling like a part of his soul was being ripped out.

Then Cynyr's hand slipped away, almost gently, from Werr's head, along with the last bit of his being.

The darkness now had total control.

Cynyr was no more.

"My goodness, such a noisy boy," The staff tutted, sounding unhappy. "Werr, we really need to leave this place. This darkness is very annoying...why don't we go back to that cell of yours? No? Oh, fine." The staff glowed brighter and created the shield again, which cast blinding light through the darkness. Werr wrapped his arms around Welk, hugging his friend tightly. "Are we done swinging me around now? That does hurt, you know. Home? What do you mean, you want to go home?" The staff was able to read Werr's thoughts, apparently. "Fine, fine! I'll take you home. But just this once. Wait, all of them? Fine! FINE! I get it, stop shouting at me!"

The glowing increased to sun-bright amounts, then suddenly vanished. Gone. "Well...that was a waste of time." Obelisk sighed unhappily. "Now we've lost Werr...what good are my plans now?"

Werr found himself staring up at the sky. Blue, cloudless, bright. He pushed himself upright, looking around. He was still clinging to the staff, the others were lying unconscious around him. Welk...Werr took his friend's hand before looking to see where they were. They were in the crumbled remains of his old house; the townsfolk hadn't had the chance to take it down yet. Werr laid back down with relief, feeling his stomach growl and his head ache. Then he realized something. He was thinking. Properly. He knew where he was, he knew what had happened and what was happening...he still felt a little odd, but his mind was functioning again. Werr did a quick mental check, recalling a few math equations from school, and going through the names of his friends. He then tried to talk. No luck there still, but he was thinking now...

"You're not as fun anymore. Pooh." His staff tinkled, though she...it sounded amused. "I was going to fix your head myself, but I guess I don't have to. Yay for that! Anyways, you're home now. I think. I looked into your memories to find out where your house was, but I think I might have gotten mixed up. No? Okay then. You have a messy home."

Slowly, Welk woke up, blinking his crimson eyes open. He looked up at the bright sky overhead and sighed quietly, thinking it was all just a dream. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, then winced. His throat hurt. Why did his throat hurt? His eyes widened as he realized that the horror he had just experianced hadn't been a dream. "No!" he screamed up at the sky, his young voice stretched tight. "No, give him back! Give him back!" He burst into tears, sobbing, then realized that his hand was being held tightly by someone. He looked over and saw Werr, staring sadly at the boy, then sobbed and hugged him closely, crying onto the human's shoulder. "Werr, he's g-gone!" he cried. "He's...dead!" He wailed, feeling like his life was over.