The Forgotten Zodiac

Galai stopped at once, looking down at Forin with a kind expression on her face. "Nanila, Ka'aelan." she said, which meant 'Peace, Tartaran.' Instantly, to the horror of the guards nearby, the queen's magnificent light went out, dulling the entire room and herself to a good extent. "Since our light in painful to you," the queen said. "I will allow you and your friends to stay in our most simple room, which has what you would call 'normal' light. By your consent, I will allow a spell to be placed over you that dulls all light around you, so your stay here can be more comfortable."

She looked over at Nate, eyeing him for a long moment, then turned her attention to Welk. Her gaze grew instantly concerned and she moved forward, halting in front of Nate. She moved one hand forward and lightly touched Welk's cheek, then pulled back and motioned for her guards. "Take this one to the healing springs at once. Make certain that you allow him one to himself. Clear it of all others who are there."

The guards instantly nodded, then, before anyone could protest, one of them plucked Welk away from Nate and exited through a side door, taking Welk away from his friends.

Cynyr snarled and moved to run after them, but Galai stopped him. "Peace." she said. "You will be allowed to see him again when our healers have deemed him fit and well again."

Cynyr growled and said "You don't know Welk. You can't just take him awa-"

"What I do is for his health." she said. "If he didn't get treatment in time, he would've died within only a few more hours."

Silence.

Forin let out a huge sigh of relief. "Th-thank you..." He said, shaking his head as he stood again. Werr stared after the door the guards left through. He looked a little upset, but he didn't say anything, especially after Galai added the last bit.

"So...do I get to be in my true form yet?" Cici asked, unable to hold back her excitement. Of course, she had been in her staff for centuries on end. She was eager to be back in her natural body.

Galai smiled at Cici, then said "All things in time, little one. I will send word to my magicians and have them prepare everything. Once they are ready, you will be given to their care and they will return you to your original form. In the meanwhile, I suggest that you all be taken to a different part of our healing spring to rest yourselves and get something to eat. The girls will be split from the boys, as is proper, until you all finished with your stay in the waters. You will all stay in the same building here. Werr, return to me once you finish and I will use my powers for your betterment, something I have not done for a human in..." She paused and thought. "...almost five thousand years." she finished. Then she turned and walked back to her throne, seating herself regally in it.

Bala moved forward from her place near the door and said "Come. I will lead you all to your rooms."

((Forin's still weakened. The spell Galai placed just makes him more comfortzable. Just though you ought to know.))

"Okay. Can I just stay with you until then? I don't think I want Werr to take me into the springs with him, that would be...awkward." Cici chirped. Werr frowned, but climbed to his feet and moved over to the others. They moved to follow Bala, though Forin dropped towards the back of the group, still wanting his distance between himself and Amnarians. He wasn't in so much pain now, certainly, but he was still greatly weakened. That wouldn't change.

Werr was still a little confused, and...queasy. Oh well. He shook it off and followed the others with little hesitation.

((I knows that.))

Galai smiled knowingly and nodded, making no move to return Cici to Werr, as she had requested.

Bala led them along to a quaint little building with two separate hot springs in the back, each with a high fence around it that had no holes or ways to peek through in them. "Here." Bala said, turning infront of the building, her hooves making a light clicking sound on the stone. "You all will stay in this building. There are rooms in the back designating where the boys are to split from the girls and vice versa to enter the waters." She narrowed her eyes slightly at them and said "I do hope none of you would be foolish enough to spy on the other gender. If you are caught doing such inconsiderate things..." And she tossed her head sharply. "I trust that you can figure everything out for yourself." she said. "No Amnairian will bother you here. Everything you should need is inside." And she cantered off, leaving no trace of her passing.

Luen watched her go, then took Forin's hand and led him inside, saying "Come on. Personally, I'm not looking forward to the springs because they're hot, but I really do want to get cleaned up."

Cynyr was completely on-edge and had looked uncomfortable at the first mention of the springs, knowing that that required you to take off, at the very least, your main clothing. That, in Cynyr's case, would be showing far too many scars for his liking.

((Okaaaay.))

Forin pulled away sharply, looking down at Diana with a grimace. Diana blinked up at him, looking between him and Luen. Of course, they were both boys. Diana suddenly looked scared. She looked at the girls of the group, and immediately grabbed at Seria's hand. She looked a little relieved, and nodded at Forin. "I'll be okay," She said quietly. Forin looked at her for a long moment before nodding and letting Luen pull him inside.

Werr looked over at Cynyr, and smiled a bit. "If they're not all liars, then it should be just us. I don't think any of us mind." He said, guessing what was troubling Cynyr. Which, the look on his face pretty much gave it away.

"Well, I guess there's no peeping toms allowed, then," Nate snorted, smiling a bit. Of course, he would never dream of doing such a thing, noble man he was.

"A bath..." Airlia looked down at herself, nodding. "I definitely need one..."

Cynyr nodded once, curtly, wrapping his arms tightly around himself.

Seria smiled at Diana and picked the little girl up, holding her gently. "Don't worry." she soothed. "I'll be here."

The two different genders split apart once they entered the house, heading to the different sides of the building. The boys entered the room where they could change their clothes, which was open to the spring outside. Zephyr was the first into the water, letting out a deep sigh as he waded in. He was in his middle-sized form, but there was still more than plenty of space left for the others in the steaming waters. "Ahh." he sighed, submerging his entire form. "Now that feels wonderful..." He blew out a huge cloud of smoke, clearing his lungs of the blackish air, then rested his head on the thick walkway around the edge of the pool.

Luen was in next, though, like he suspected they all would do, he had kept his undergarments on, which was revealing enough for him. He actually yipped when he touched the hot water, not liking it at all due to it being so warm and he being an ice mage. Once he got in, however, he found it to be relatively soothing.

Cynyr just sat down in one of the corners and glared at the floor, still unwilling to go near the water. The most he consented to do was take off his single tattered glove and his boots, placing them nearby. Even then, he folded his hands in his lap so nobody could see them. His face was still mask-less, as he had decided to forever leave it.

Welk, of course, wasn't in this spring.

Werr slid into the water after undressing, letting out a relieved sigh as the warmth enveloped him. He was still a little worried about Welk, and his stomach was still aching oddly, but he didn't really care right now. Nate was a bit hesitant to tug off his shirt, but he managed to slide into the water and find a spot to sit without turning his back to any of them. He relaxed quickly as the heat soaked into his spine, removing a good bit of his constant pain. He knew it would be back, but it felt good to not have it dragging him down for a little while.

Spy was quick to jump in, not having to take off anything. He doggy-paddled in circles before finding a rock he could sit on while keeping his head above the water. Forin was next. He pulled off his shirt, revealing the half-healed scars that never would fully heal. The ones on his arms were small compared to the scars on his chest and legs. There was something else on his chest, too; a shaped scar that looked like it could have been done yesterday. It ran along his collarbone and down to his navel in a gnarled 'T' shape. He didn't seem to care about the others seeing it, but he gave them all a look that basically stated that he was not intending to answer any questions about it. Ever.

He slid into the water after that, though he kept glancing at the rock wall that stood between him and Diana.

Luen took wolf form, ducking his head under the water and coming back up soaked. He shook himself, fluffing his fur out in all directions and making him look silly, then looked up from the corner of his eye at Forin. He grew saddened when he looked at the scar, but he wasn't going to ask about it. Forin had the right to keep his own secrets, if he so wished it.

Jag was in next, fanning out his wings in the water. He didn't like getting them wet, as it bogged him down and made it impossible to fly until they dried off, but the water felt wonderfully warm and soothing.

There were a few smaller pools in the boy's side of the spring, and Cynyr finally decided to go for one of those. He undressed and slid into one, making sure the steam obscured him from view. He curled up against the side of the pool, folding his knees up to his chest and resting his arms and head on them. He felt uneasy and the fur along his tail was bristled out nervously. This was the first time since he had aquired these scars that he had shown so many of them. That was why he had chose to sit by himself, alone and away from the others.

Werr looked over at Cynyr, giving him a sad smile. He said nothing, though, nor did he attempt to go over to Cynyr. The half-cat needed his privacy, Werr understood that much. He eyed Forin's scars, watching as the Tartaran slowly relaxed, sinking into the water up to his chin.

Werr glanced over at Nate, who was quickly giving in to the water's warmth. His mind trailed off as he thought more about his more recent nightmares. It had been a long time since he had even thought about the fire. The woman had been his mother, obviously. All considering, she had probably been screaming for him. The man was just desperate to get her, at least, out of the fires. And Werr really had been pinned down amongst the inferno, left to burn to death.

Werr stared down into the water, trying to ignore the thought that Obelisk had forced upon him. That Darius and Heather weren't really his parents. That Grehi wasn't his surname at all. It was unpleasant and horrible to think about, but unavoidable at this point. It was a horribly serious matter; though he was still the king (or at least, anointed by oil to be one), his entire journey started when he decided to avenge his parents. If they weren't his parents, two problems arose. The first being the trustworthiness of the Council. If they didn't tell him the truth on that one matter, what other things had they lied about? And secondly...who were his parents? Were they still alive?

Werr sunk further into his dangerous thought-spiral, while he became more aware of the pain in his stomach. It was a bit more pronounced now; like something was eating him. Was he hungry or something? Werr considered it on the side. He had felt fine before...he supposed it was possible...

Eventually, once they felt better, most of the boys got out of the water and went to get dressed. Their old clothes had disappeared, seemingly into nowhere, and they had been replaced by clean outfits that mostly consisted of a simple shirt and pants, along with boots. Their regular weapons and objects had been left there, along with their bags, the contents of which hadn't been disturbed. Zephyr stayed in the water, enjoying himself too much to be bothered to move. Out in the main room, Luna had returned from wherever she had gone and was sitting on a couch, eating a piece of fruit. The table in the middle of the room had plenty of food on it, with lots of delicious fruits, bread and meat. It also had a plate with little soft sugary things on it that looked like some kind of odd candy.

Werr was one of the first to return to the main room, clothed in his new garb. He thought back to his earlier thoughts as he looked over at Luna, and picked up a plate of food, starting to eat. He wound up eating rather little. "Well..." He sighed, standing up. "I suppose I should go see what Galai meant. I don't like these nightmares...if she knows how to get rid of them, might as well go as soon as possible."

Luna sighed when he spoke, watching him in a slightly envious way. "You clearly have no idea how lucky you are." she said. "Her Majesty has only used her magic on a mere human twice in well over ten thousand years. You will be the third being to ever experience her powers. She has never even used them on any of us, her own people. I would suggest telling no other Amnairians of this, or else you could gain some extremely jealous enemies. If word spread, you could turn the entire race against you." She glared at him for a moment, then sighed again and steadied her thoughts. "I, of course, will contain my feelings because I know you. The others, however, will not." she said, then murmured "Lucky." and continued eating.

"O-oh..." Werr blinked in surprise, nodding a bit. "Well...that's..." He stammered, a bit surprised. Luna definitely got the point across. "Erm...thank you, for not...uh...yeah." He bit his lip, then moved away. He remembered the way there from here, he was pretty sure. He suddenly felt nervous as he left the springs. How many people knew, then? He hoped the others wouldn't think to say anything about it. The last thing he needed was a blabbermouth going and spreading rumors...

He felt especially strange as he came into view of the throne room doors. He leaned against the wall, coughing. He coughed and coughed, then reched up his meal from earlier. It came out red, mingled with blood. Werr let out a cry of pain that came to a gurgling stop as more blood spilled from his mouth. He stumbled a few steps towards the throne room before collapsing.

He shuddered as he felt something inside him. Inside him. Under his skin. It shifted in his gut, and then started moving upwards. Werr realized faintly that it had settled in his chest. He felt...cold. He closed his eyes, a numb feeling overcoming him as his heart pounded. He struggled to keep breathing, blood spilling out of the sides of his mouth. A weak splutter later, and Werr realized something else, just before blacking out.

His heart had stopped.

Luckily for the poor boy, one of the three Amnairian guards that knew what Galai had been meaning to do came trotting along and spotted Werr. She titled her head sharply, her magical horn glinting in the sunlight, then took anthro form and scooped Werr into her arms. She was the youngest of the three guards, which consisted of herself, her friend, and Bala. She turned and fled into the throne room, calling "Your Majesty!"

Galai had been talking earnestly with Cici this whole time, listening as the light fairy had explained everything she knew about the land below and Obelisk and their various adventures. The queen glanced up sharply when the guard shouted for her, already standing and handing Cici to the other guard there. "Alima," she said, her musical voice drifting throughout the room. "What happened?"

"I don't know, your Majesty!" Alima said, hurrying forward and holding Werr where the queen could see him. "I found him like this outside the throne room! His heart no longer beats!"

Galai stared down calmly at Werr, then said "Lay him down."

Alima did so, moving back when Galai motioned for her to move away. The queen stepped forward, her dress trailing behind her, and everything went totally quiet. Alima and her sister guard, Touri, watched in amazement as Galai, the queen, actually got down on her knees and brushed Werr's black hair back, then touched a hand to his chest, beginning to chant softly. Her powers began to seep into Werr's body, filling every inch of his being with the most pure form of light magic that there ever was. It filled every part of him and moved over his entire body, even seeping into his mind. It healed everything. Any scars that he had ever received in his entire lifespan vanished, along with the tiny trace of dark magic in his body that had been giving him nightmares. The queen's chanting combined with her actual powers gave a certain kind of healing to Werr that no healer, not even a divine healer like Seria, could ever hope to give. The light magic washed over his body, easily restarting his heart and restoring his body to the most healthy he had probably ever been. The healing power washed over his mind in a soothing wave, like a gentle hand was caressing his soul itself, reassuring him and giving him the mental, spiritual, and physical strength to recover and be strong. When Galai finished, Werr's skin was a healthy color and it was like when he had first met Welk and Cynyr, the only difference being that he still had all of his current memories.

Galai picked him up and held him in her arms, closing her eyes and smiling slightly as she held him close, pressing her cheek against his head. "You have earned that which I have just given." she murmured. "Use your strength well, little one." She opened her eyes slightly and murmured "Like your father."

Werr was limp for several more moments, then he stirred. He opened his eyes slowly and coughed once or twice more, getting the last of the blood out of his throat. He blinked quickly, making sure that what he was seeing was real. That what he was feeling was real. He felt...better. The fog he had gotten so used to that had clouded his thoughts, the gnawing pain in his stomach, the raw feeling of scars rubbed against fabric...all of it was gone.

He turned his gaze to Galai. He cleared his throat, struggling to think of something to say. The fact was as clear as day; she had just saved his life from...something. "What happened?" He managed to ask, looking around again. He felt...well...alive.

She smiled and said "You had a small trace of Dark Magic in your stomach. Small, yes, but large enough to attack you and kill you, at least for a moment. Luckily, one of my personal guards, Alima, found you near the throne room and brought you to me in time for me to heal you. My powers can repair any hurt that was ever given to you. Any scar you had, even one you might have gotten by accident when you were five, has been removed, and you now have clarity of your mind once again." She helped him up and turned to Touri, saying "Is the half-cat ready to see his friend?"

The guards exchanged a quick look, then Touri said "Ah...about that, your Majesty...we can't find him anywhere."

"What?" Galai said, blinking at them. "What do you mean?"

"I left him in the healing spring by himself, as you requested," Touri said. "but when I came back, he had found the clothes I had left out for him and had vanished. I have some of the guards looking for him, but we can't find him anywhere."

Galai sighed, closing her eyes for a moment, then looked down at Werr and asked "Do you think you could find him? I know, having helped you, that you share a very, very close bond with him. If he won't show himself to my guards, do you think he would come forward for you? We don't wish to hurt him, of course, and there is no punishment for running away." She sounded actually concerned for him.

"Y-yeah," Werr nodded a bit, climbing to his feet. He looked down at the blood on his new shirt, and grimaced. "Um...sorry about your clothes...he shuffled his foot, wondering what else he should say. "Thank you," He blurted out. "Luna told me how rare it was for you to help...um, my kind. I'm grateful, truly I am, I..." He looked back at the door, then nodded. "I'll go find Welk. I don't think he would have left the castle, with me here..."

Galai smiled a bit wider and said "Think nothing of it, child. I have no qualms against helping a human, I just require that the being be worthy of my touch." A strange looked passed over her face, though she continued to smile. "I found you worthy of my touch." she said, then returned to her throne. "Go." she said. "You and your friends are allowed to roam as you please, so long as you don't cause trouble." She flared her six wings slightly, taking Cici back from Touri. "As you were saying, Cici..." she said, resuming her conversation with the light fairy.

Werr nodded slightly, wondering what she meant by that. He was worthy? Werr shook off his questions and hurried off, desperate to find Welk before something happened.

He soon found himself wandering the halls. It was the best thing he could think of to do; he didn't know where any particular place was, so it was hard to tell where Welk would try to go. He thought carefully. Welk hadn't eaten, he remembered. He asked one of the guards where the kitchen was, and he was quick to make his way there, calling Welk's name as he walked.

He couldn't quell his giddy feelings; no longer would he be held back by thoughts of the past and 'how it could have happened', as the irritating fog had forced him to dwell on such things. No more. Galai had freed him. He could think easy, breathe easy. His energized mind flicked back to the trial, remembering the thought that had crossed his mind then. Get someone to teach him how to fight. Even just a little.

Still, the task at hand had to be completed first. Werr kept going with renewed vigor.