The Forgotten Zodiac

"Okay, I'll hang on reeeeeaaaaalllllyyyy tight." Spy nodded, curling up in Lily's grip.

"Don't worry, I won't let you fall." She smiled at him as they took off once everyone was secured onto Zephyr's back. Forin looked back at the bloodied snow and trees, which quickly faded into the distance. He curled an arm around Diana's front, feeling oddly grateful that Obelisk had seemingly lost intrest in his mistress for the time being.

Zephyr flew onwards for a while, trying to outdistance the storm that threatened to catch up to them. He flew for a while, his long body wavering and shifting as he flew onwards.

Cynyr woke up sometime during the trip. He slowly blinked open his eyes, flicking his ears once. He could feel that someone was laying against him, but he couldn't tell who it was. He was too weak to lift his head or even make sound at this point, but he was able to flick his tail around and wrap it around someone's leg. He couldn't tell who, though. His mind was still dark and fuzzy, so he couldn't see even if he tried to look.

Werr jerked when he felt something wrap around his leg again. He immediately recoiled, his mind flitting back to the ropes that held him against that cursed tree, but he relaxed when he realized that the thing was fuzzy and not a rope at all. He relaxed further when he realized that Cynyr was awake. "Hey..." He murmured quietly, closing his eyes and gently stroking Cynyr's tail once. "You're okay now..."

The panther sighed quickly, slowly closing his eyes again as Werr touched his tail. He forced his voice up out of his throat, though it was raspy and dull. "Y-you...okay?" he asked softly. "I-I'm sorry...I c-couldn't protect you...long e-enough..." He slowly managed to lifted his head, though it was a struggle for him, and move it over, resting it exhaustedly on Werr's lap. He was too weak to curl any further around the boy. He had barely been able to lift his head.

Werr gently set a hand on Cynyr's head. "I...I'm okay." He murmured quietly, though he knew he wasn't. All of this...everything that had happened so far, it was getting to him. Messing with his head. He knew it would have, sooner or later. He was a normal human being, and these things were getting to be insanely stressful, even for him. He couldn't close his eyes without seeing some horrific scene from recent times. Perhaps Obelisk was messing around with his head, but he doubted it. Things were just getting worse and worse...

Cynyr was barely conscious anymore, but he was still faintly awake. He could feel the boy's heartbeat and feel his trepidation. "Memories are...terrible, aren't they?" he asked softly. "I know better than anyone...the pain...they can bring." He shuddered slightly, then relaxed again. "It's hard...to overlook those memories. I know it. You know I do." He slowly lifted his scarred head and tilted it back to look up at the boy, though he could barely see him straight. He slowly sat up, though it was hard, then looked at Werr again. Then he did something he never would allow any other human in all the world to have done to them.

He leaned forward and carefully touched his muzzle to the boy's cheek, nuzzling him ever so slightly. That was probably one of the rarest things for the panther to do besides cry. His face, as Werr knew, was his most sensitive and protected place on his entire body. And here he was, actually nuzzling Werr with his furry panther head. His touch was rough against Werr's skin from all of the scars. His skin had been repeatedly torn, after all.

Werr closed his eyes, feeling weak and exhausted. "I...just don't know...what to do..." He whispered, wrapping his arms around Cynyr. Werr was traumatized, at best. Going insane, at worst. Hopefully it was just the former, but he knew how easily it could degrade into the latter. Werr kept his eyes shut. He pushed past the image of the knife being stabbed into his leg bone, and forced himself into a half-sleep of sorts. He didn't want to suffer through nightmares, so he didn't want to sleep fully, but he knew how much he needed rest. At least some.

Cynyr let Werr hug him, feeling no desire to push the boy away. "Time." he murmured. "Time heals...all wounds." He spoke even though Werr was half asleep, not really caring if the boy heard him or not. "You have what I didn't for the first crucial years after I was hurt, though." he murmured. "You have friends. Trust me, you'll be okay. Let Welk...and...me...take care of you." He kept his nuzzle pressed against the boy's face, then did the other thing he hadn't done in a long, long time.

A very rusty purr slowly creaked up into his throat, sounding more like a sickly growl than an actual purr.

But it was a purr nonetheless.

Storaph Palace. As dark as usual, but with thicker, darker clouds gathered overhead. Surprisingly, it wasn't snowing here; just raining. Obelisk wouldn't care about the cold, but he didn't need his lackies complaining about living conditions.

He wasn't hungry right now, after all.

Holly and Asmodius were sitting in their usual seats, mostly pretending that Obelisk didn't exist. Obelisk was, unusually, sitting in the center of the throne room, rather than behind a curtain. His chess board had pieces scattered around it, with a single one placed in the center; the black king. He smiled at it for a long moment before stacking the pieces properly. He set the opposite side of the board first; several white pawns and a handful of other pieces.

Suddenly, a thin burst of shadow and sunlight filled the air. When it cleared, Light and Dark were standing there, though both were missing an arm each. Light was missing his right arm and Dark was missing his left. Both twins were covered in blood, each grasping their mangled stumps to try and stop the bleeding. "Stupid...panther...!" Light growled, staggering as blood gushed from his arm.

"If I ever get my hands on that cat, I'll strangle him..." Dark muttered, his white eyes threatening to close.

"I'll murder him before...before you can do that, brother..." Light said, taking a staggered step forward.

Obelisk's smile vanished at once. "Congratulations. You managed to get us absolutely nowhere in the furtherment of my plans. I would congratulate you for at least managing to traumatize Werr Grehi, but...Necropolis did that, not quite you." He snorted, standing quietly. "Bumbling fools...I gave you two simple orders; kill Werr Grehi and bring me the half-cat known as Cynyr. You did neither. Give me one good reason as to why I shouldn't melt you both down and have you for soup."

"Because we'd taste terrible." Light snarled, but Dark silenced him with a quick jab. He obviously was more stable than his brother, who bordered on insanity. "Because we can do better, my Lord." Dark said, giving his brother a warning look. Light glared back at him. "We didn't know that Cynyr was that...powerful. His resistance and strength were...well, amazing. He took us by surprise right when we were about to kill the human boy. We now know not to underestimate him and give him the chance to strike back."

Light grumbled rather darkly under his breath.

"It's at this point that I question why I granted you self-preservation and the sense of pain." Obelisk tutted, putting his gnarled hand on Dark's shoulder, above the stub where his arm used to be. Another arm slowly started to materialize, what started as a tan blob gradually conforming to the shape of the old arm. Obelisk did the same for Light, then returned to his seat in front of his chess boards.

"And I question whether you're worth sending out on another mission." He sighed, looking away. Or rather, just turning his face away. He didn't seem to have eyes, and if he did, they were entirely hidden by the bandages. "Very well then. A final chance. A young girl is traveling with that group. She commonly hangs around a Tartaran and a Wolfling. Capture the girl, and do it subtly. Don't let them know right away what you've done by making a show about it. When you've captured her properly, inject this into her." Obelisk's bandages offered up a small black case. It had three syringes, all filled with a milky-white liquid.
"One should do it, but if you don't see an immediate reaction to the first one, apply the second. Don't use them on any others. Do what I say, and then leave." Obelisk growled, setting the case at their feet. He didn't say it, but this was clearly a test. Surely, Diana couldn't fight back at all and would likely make an easy target if done correctly. But Obelisk was testing obedience, not strength or skill.

Dark nodded once, picking up the case without a word. "Brother, let us be off." he said, watching as Light flexed his new arm experimentally. Other than a disturbing scar set in a perfect circle around his arm where the original had been torn off, it was perfectly fine. Dark's scar matched his brother's perfectly. Dark nudged him and Light looked over at him, then grinned and said "So we're tracking down a dragon now, eh?"

"Correct." Dark answered, and both twins walked out of the throne room. Once they were out of ear shot, however, Light leaned in and spoke quietly to his brother. "I don't care what Obelisk said. If I get the chance, I'm using one of those needles on the panther."

Dark frowned at him and said "Light, you heard Lord Obelisk said."

"Yes." Light said. "I don't care."

"This isn't the time for petty revenge!" Dark said. "Brother, this is about keeping our lives intact."

Light grumbled again, but was quiet.

Obelisk picked up the two black rooks, setting them on his side of the board, in the center. A test, yes indeed...although another motive for such a task for the two of them would be to get them out of his way.
Obelisk draped one of the curtains over Asmodius, and another over Holly. He seemed to smile again as the rain outside shifted to heavy snow in a matter of seconds.

When Zephyr touched down, it was late at night. Everyone was exhausted, but Luna, speaking through the minds of Welk and Forin, assured them that they had been going in the right direction. The dragon carried everyone into the forest, heading for a place to rest. It turned out to be a cave, which kept them safe from the storm. Cynyr was unconscious again by this time, so Zephyr just slid him and Werr out of his paws, laying them both nearby as gently as possible. Werr didn't seem to want to move from the panther, so the dragon wasn't going to separate them.

Welk charged over and slid to a stop next to them both, sitting down to hug Werr tightly.

Werr jerked awake, flinching horribly before realizing that it was only Welk. He fell limp again, curling into Welk's grip, but not letting go of Cynyr.

Diana silently shuffled to the wall of the cave with Forin, making him sit down so she could curl up in his lap. Still, she said nothing, not wanting to talk. She was perfectly capable of talking, but she was...well, scared, to be honest. Not scared of anyone here, certainly not. Afraid of her own memories would be a better bet. She was afraid of remembering them again, reliving the terror and anguish she had felt. That was her worst fear.

Nate posted himself near the cave entrance. "We should get some firewood. Enough to last us through the night, at least."

Welk held his best friend tightly for a moment, then took cat form and laid down with his back against the boy. The two cats were both warm and very comforting to lay between. Two protecting forces, though Cynyr wasn't at full strength. The panther suddenly twitched hard in his sleep, his paws jerking once and his tail flipping wildly. He let out a faint mewling sound, like a kitten would make, then suddenly jerked awake and sat up, shaking his head a few times. He sighed deeply, then realized that Werr's hand was against his side and glanced over at the boy. He closed his eyes, then lifted his head and nuzzled the boy again, his scarred muzzle rough against the boy's skin.

Luen walked over to Forin and Diana, flopping down on Forin's left. He was starting to look pysically sick from riding on Zephyr for so long. Air travel wasn't his most favorite of things to do.

Zephyr nodded to Nate and said "I shall help you, lahnir." Lahnir was a term that meant 'good friend'.

"Alright. I'll have nothing to worry about, then." Nate smiled a bit. That way, if the storm suddenly picked up while they were out, Zephyr could get them both out and back here safely. "Let's move quickly." He started off into the forest, looking for fallen logs or branches they could break and use. Finding dry wood would be impossible, but Nate figured that Welk could dissolve the dampness, or Forin could remove it.

With both of them pressed against him, Werr started to feel a little better. Though he still silently questioned why they bothered to take care of him. He put his hands behind each of their heads and scratched them behind their ears, leaning his head back on the cave wall.

"Are you okay?" Forin asked quietly while Diana reached over and grabbed Luen's hand.

Zephyr nodded and followed Nate outside in his middle-form, keeping his snout resting on the dragonian's shoulder to make sure they stuck together.

"Ah, I'm fine." Luen said, smiling slightly as Diana took his hand. He yawned softly, raising a burn-scarred hand to cover his mouth, then leaned back against the cave wall and rested his head on Forin's shoulder. He was exhausted, especially considering that he was the frailest member of the group.

Cynyr closed his eyes again as Werr scratched him, then said "Go to sleep, Werr. I'll stay awake." He was laying between Werr and the cave, making a warm buffer against the cold stone. Welk lifted his head and rubbed one ear against Werr's chest, then both cats shifted around a bit so Werr could lay between them. Cynyr pulled him down carefully and Welk pushed him slightly, nudging him against Cynyr's warm side, then curled up so there was no space between them all and rested his head on Werr's lap. He rested a paw on the boy's leg, purring in his unique tone.