The Forgotten Zodiac

Naybrin stepped out of the cave with Werr in his hand, glancing back at Cynyr once. The living shadow hadn't so much as moved from his curled up position in the center of the room, other than the peaceful rise and fall of his chest as he breathed and a flick of his tail. Naybrin smiled, then opened his huge wings and leapt skywards.

If Werr thought Zephyr taking off was scary, then Naybrin's was absolutely terrifying.

Being much, much bigger than Zephyr, Naybrin easily leapt higher and faster than the emerald dragon Werr was used to. Werr was knocked backwards from the sheer blast of air that pushed against him, but Naybrin expertly curved his claws up and his fingers down, making a sort of chair out of his hand. His claws blocked incoming air from pushing against Werr again as he climbed higher and higher into the sky, heading towards the very top of the tallest mountain there. He suddenly dipped his head down and touched Werr's forehead with just the tip of his huge tongue, which was still big enough to practically cover ALL of Werr's forehead. When he pulled back, Werr found it easier to breathe as they headed up into the sparse air amounts at the top of the tallest mountain in the entire land.

Naybrin circled around and around, curving in long, elegant circles before slowly coming to a land on a cliff on top of the world.

The entire land stretched out below them.

Werr gasped; he could see absolutely everything, and it was gorgeous. Forests and plains stretched out to one side, plains and rivers visible on the other. He was able to stand once they stopped moving, though he didn't walk off of Naybrin's hand or anything of the sort. He could see his entire kingdom; little brown towns amongst the plains, tiny dots of villages amongst the trees. Werr could even see the capital city, seemingly small and meaningless from up here. In the further-off distance, he could just make out Storaph Palace, a black dot that dark clouds seemed to flood from. It was ignorable, though; the rest of it was his land to rule. Though he didn't want it, it was still his, and Werr felt a small amount of guilt. He was supposed to be leading this country, yet here he was, looking down on everything from above.

As beautiful as it was, it was hard to ignore one key point. Although he could see the beauty and glory of his kingdom, he could also see destruction. The towns closest to Storaph Palace were...well, wrecked. One was apparently ablaze as Werr watched. Obelisk had spared literally no time. Werr sighed heavily, turning to look at what was on the other side of the mountain.

Rolling desert. There were patches of vegetation towards the bottom of the mountain, but it quickly became less and less as sand dunes stuck up from the ground here and there, creating a sea that wasn't a sea. Werr blinked, wondering what all could be out in that great expanse; his father's journals had referred to the land as the Sub-Alastorian Deserts; the land belonged to Alastor, but no villages or cities resided there. The land was teeming with bandits, or it used to be. Werr shook his head, staring down at the desert for a long time. Even this land was...well, beautiful. In its own way. He turned back to the forest side, smiling still.

"This is incredible," He said, looking up at Naybrin happily, though he couldn't help but continue glancing at the burning town. It was a relatively small village, and he could pick out a small line of ant-sized people moving quickly away from it, but...most likely, they weren't without casualty or injury. No one ever really was...

Naybrin moved a step forward, his regal head tilted back to catch the thin breeze wafting past. "This land is a proud one," he said. "I was here for the great Dragon War, which first sent us into hiding. I was here when wolfling, half-cat, and all of the others were made. I was here when Amnairians and Tartarans walked among humans as friends, before summoning was used. I was here back when the raptorix was as plentiful as any other kind. I was here in my youth, if you could call it that. I was old when I was young. And I was proud. Proud of this land, of its people, and of the future I saw ahead. And I still see that future; in you and in younglings such as yourself. In your friends and your enemies. In birth and death, in pain and suffering, in pride and loyalty. This land is a proud one. And you should be honored to live in it. To fight for it."

He looked down at Werr and said "Well, little one? Someone is hurting your land. Your land. The land your ancestors grew up in, the land your family lived in, and the land you live in. The land that gives your friends air to breathe. What are you going to do?"

At the mention of the Raptoixs, Werr reached back and felt the feathers, still tied neatly into his hair. He looked back out towards the burning village, letting Naybrin's words soak in. He clenched his fists after that, closing his eyes. He knew what had happened to the kingdoms before his; they had crumpled like parchment, their soldiers either taken in by Storaph or killed. All the people, all the destruction...enough. It would not happen to this land, it would not happen to his kingdom, it would not happen to his world.

"Naybrin...please take me to the castle," Werr said quietly. "Cynyr can be brought as soon as he wakes up, but I need to move the calvary out immediately. And unfortunately, I cannot do such without being on the throne once more. As much as I despise the burden that comes with it, I have been given no choice but to put on my crown and lead my army like a king rightly should."

Such a silly facade. He wasn't a real king...he was barely 18! Not to mention...this was exactly what Obelisk had wanted. Exactly what Obelisk had said. Werr pinched the bridge of his nose, thinking back. The freak had said that he would return to the throne. But his kindom would burn and him with it. But Obelisk couldn't see into the future, could he? Werr thought back; Obelisk had predicted two things; that his friends would realize nothing for quite some time (which had already come to pass), and that when they did turn up, that he would have them imprisoned.

That would never happen.

...Would it?

A shadow fell over him and suddenly he found himself looking right in Naybrin's great eye. The king of all dragons. The FIRST dragon. The one that had fathered the ones who had come after. The High Alpha of all of the packs.

The dragon.

Suddenly, Naybrin pushed into Werr's mind, filling the boy with his deep voice, like the rushing of a waterfall that had been running since time itself began.

"Obelisk predicted many things for you, child, but those predictions are false. You are not the same person you were when you first started out on this mighty quest. Yes, I know of it. I was watching, from the moment you were conceived inside your mother's womb. From the moment 'Welk' first came into being. From the moment Cynyr was born as a tiny, untainted, unscarred kitten. I have been watching all three of you and many more through these eyes. Obelisk predicted that your kingdom was to burn, but predictions are never true until it happens in front of your eyes. Who is he to tell you that? To say it will happen? And was it not true that he said he would be commanding you when you sat on that throne? Do not believe it until it happens before you.

You have the power to change your destiny. Not Obelisk, not Welk, not Cynyr, not me, not anyone in this world.

You."

He pulled back and smiled down at the boy, then said "Now hang on tightly; we have a land to save." And he threw back his head and released a roar that sounded like a blast of thunder, like the sky itself along the entire land was bellowing a great bugle of war. Like over a thousand dragons had turned their muzzles skyward in an echoing roar that rang out over the world itself.

Werr covered his ears just in time, though the roar was perhaps ten times as loud as Zephyr's. He sat down in Naybrin's hand, smiling a little bit. He was grateful for the dragon's support. If this dragon, mighty and powerful as he was, was supporting him - a weak and feeble human king...well, it was definitely a bit of a morale boost. Werr prepared himself for takeoff, his eyes locked on Alastor Palace. His kingdom needed him.

Naybrin lunged off of the cliff, plunging down through the sky at hundred-mile-an-hour speeds. He swept downwards, his huge body as agile as any half-cat. In the sky, he was master. No storm could hope to overpower him, no force could bear to push him down. He flung his wings out and twisted in the air, flapping powerfully to prevent himself from crashing into the ground at such high speeds. When he got back to the Sacred Plains, he landed delicately on his hind legs. He snorted giddily, sounding young and spry for a moment, then looked up when a dragon walked over to him.

"Father," Grey's voice came, along with dragon footfalls. The human had been transformed into a dragon, but unlike any of the others. He was built like a tyrannosaurus dinosaur almost, though his front arms were long enough to grasp things and hold him up. His wings were folded calmly over his back, his gray-and-black-striped scales dull. They didn't shimmer like the others dragons' did. He was more of a wyvern.

"Father, I caught the lizard thing trying to escape the valley," he said. "I caught him, gently of course, and put him back in your chambers, but the oaths he spouted and how he tried to hit me repeatedly made me consider throwing him off of the Great Mountain. I didn't, much as I wanted to."

"Oh, great..." Werr sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "It's alright, I can calm him down, I think. He was probably taken off guard by all the dragons here. Naybrin, please take me back to your quarters. We can head to the castle immediately after he's calm again." He looked over at Grey, smiling a little bit. "Uh, thanks for not throwing him..."

Grey leaned in, bringing his rather small muzzle mere inches away from Werr's face. "Trust me when I say that I really, really wanted to," he growled, then turned and walked away. He was much smaller than Naybrin, and even Zephyr and Vaira. He was pretty much the smallest dragon Werr had ever seen, not that he had seen many. But he was definitely the smallest one here. He was practically new-born sized.

Naybrin sighed, then took Werr back to the dragon's chambers.

Inside the sacred chamber, the newly-healed Cynyr was clawing at the walls and ranting about how much he hated dragons.

It was good to see him back to normal.

Though he was still in the form of a hulking living shadow. No potion could fix that, of course.

"Cynyr?" Werr climbed off of Naybrin's hand once the dragon allowed it. "Cynyr, it's me, Werr." He said, walking to about the center of the room. He didn't want to get too close, in case Cynyr had forgotten him. He was a little afraid of that, yet again. But he definitely didn't want to be on the wrong end of Cynyr's claws.

The living shadow twisted his head around on his thick neck, then turned and lumbered over to the boy. Without even hesitating, he pressed his snout against Werr's shoulder and neck, sighing quietly. He let out a small, hoarse whimper, then pulled back and stared at Werr through his single eye. His empty right socket was painful to look at, but they had to get used to it eventually. It would never come back. "Werr..." he said softly, then shook himself. "We need to leave," he said, shaking his reptilian head from side to side. "To Alastor."

"Yes, I know. A dragon by the name of Naybrin saved us, and he's offered to carry us whever we need to go. I know you don't like dragon rides, but we'll be getting there within a few minutes, and in comparison to the hours it would take to walk..." Werr sighed, then wrapped his arms around Cynyr. "But yes. We're going to Alastor."

Cynyr nodded, then said "Then let's go now. I don't want to stay here anymore, with these stupid dragons." He snorted, sticking his tongue out slightly when Werr hugged him. He didn't mind the hug, of course. He had improved a lot since they had first met, when the best that Werr had been allowed to do was maybe a stroke on his ears or tail. Maybe.

Cynyr bent down on all fours and crept to the edge of the cave, cautiously peeking out. It was sad that he was now bound to this reptilian body, unable to take human form nor panther. But he seemed to be bearing it well enough, and he wasn't dwelling on the dark thoughts he had about this form. It seemed that taking on this new body had helped him be more open with his feelings, as he turned to Werr with genuine concern in his eye. "Are you okay?" he asked, reaching out with his tail to brush the boy's leg gently. He planted his heavy hands down on the rocks in front of him, digging the long, thick claws down into the ground.

"I'm alright, for the most part," Werr said quietly. "I still have the needles in my wrists and neck, but I fear what might happen if I take them out. I could burst an artery, or sever the nerves in the back of my neck, which would paralyze me...I need Seria to heal me, but..." He thought for a long moment. He had told Nate that they should return to Alastor before heading to Storaph, but with Cynyr missing now, their plans would probably change. Werr let out a heavy sigh; he still had to return to Alastor, no matter what. "Come on then, let's get out of here." He walked past Cynyr, where Naybrin was waiting. "We're ready to leave," He said up to the dragon, smiling a little.

Naybrin dipped his head once, lowering his hand for them both to climb on.

Cynyr hesitated, obviously wishing he was anywhere else but here, then moved forward and nudged Werr up onto the huge, scaley hand. Whilst they were getting on, Naybrin was speaking to the surrounding dragons, instructing them on what they were suppose to do while he was gone. "Just go about your business," he said. "I'll return soon enough. If any problems arise, just speak to Mithor." He nodded over at a brown dragon with several claw scars over his left eye, watching as the huge creature nodded honorably. He was obviously a sort of war veteran, what with the faint traces of battle-scars lining his body. Plus the broken horn on the side of his head.

"I trust him," Naybrin said, eyeing the surrounding dragons. He touched muzzles with many of the dragons there, including Mithor, who said "Return safely, old friend."

"Of course, General," Naybrin said, a smile on his face. He looked down at Werr and Cynyr when he felt the living shadow carefully put his hands on the dragon's paw, as if making sure that the huge creature could his weight, which was at least two times his previous stature.

"Up you go," Naybrin said, moving his muzzle around to bump Cynyr up onto his hand.

The living shadow hissed violently at being touched, but before he could attack or do something of that like, Naybrin had opened his wings and took off. Cynyr quickly ducked his head and pressed his snout down, closing his eyes tightly.

Werr wrapped his arms around Cynyr again, not really minding the takeoffs now that he had ridden with Naybrin twice. He watched as they quickly approached the castle; he wondered vaguely if they would land right in front of the castle, or a little bit away--not that it mattered too much. Naybrin was too large to go unnoticed no matter where they landed.

Naybrin obviously didn't care where he landed, as he plunked himself down right in the courtyard. In plain sight of the guards, who all freaked out and started running around, unsheathing weapons and calling out frightened threats or orders.

Naybrin flicked his ears in amusement at their fear, then lowered his hand down so Werr and Cynyr could get off. He ignored the spears thrown at him, knowing they couldn't hope to pierce his thick hide. The diamond-hard scales were nearly impenitrable.

Cynyr stepped off of Naybrin's hand, feeling awkward and out of place here in the castle settings, especially in this lurking body.

"What...what is that?!" a guard shouted, stumbling backwards in his haste to get away from the, to him, scary black creature. Cynyr snorted in his direction, then suddenly snarled out as an arrow tore into his shoulder, releasing a flood of black blood. He stared at the thick cascade of liquid for a moment, then slammed his thick claws into the ground and roared at the bow guards nearby, sending them into a panic.

"Stop, stop this instant!" Werr marched forward, ripping the bow out of a soldier's hand and throwing it on the ground. "I, king Werr, command you all to stop at once!" He snarled at everyone. They pretty much froze, looking at each other in mild confusion. Werr sighed, then shook his head. "Go inform the other guards that we mean no harm. No one here has harmful intentions.When you've calmed everyone down, gather Hurst and Blackwood in the map room, along with the council. I need to speak with them. You," He pointed to another guard. "Fetch me the doctor at once."

Most of the guards moved off, though a couple stayed behind, inspecting Werr curiously. Just to make sure.

Cynyr curled his lip and snarled at a passing guard, watching the man flinch back in fear, then moved forward and stuck close to Werr, seemingly...well, hiding behind the boy, though that was impossible due to the sheer size difference. Cynyr was much, much bigger than he used to be, now.

Naybrin shook his head and glanced down at them both, then said "I haven't changed size in years, so I've lost the ability to due so. I'm afraid I won't fit into your lovely castle, Werr." From the way he spoke, it was obvious that he really meant it when he called the castle 'lovely'. He was now tilting his head this way and that on his long, icy blue neck, inspecting the front of the castle from all angles.

"Well...that's okay," Werr shook his head. "You're free to come and go as you please. I'll ensure that everyone is aware of who you are." Doctor Marr came to the courtyard, armed with his bag of supplies. He stopped for a long moment, staring up at Naybrin in shock before Werr snapped him out of it. "Doctor, over here,"

Marr blinked down at Werr, nodding as he looked at Cynyr. He saw the blood, of course. It was obviously blood; despite its black color, there was still the distinct smell. He quickly pieced together what happened, looking at the discarded arrow on the ground. "Alright, um...will he try to eat me if I get too close?" Marr questioned, frowning.

"Maybe. Cynyr," Werr turned to his (smaller) scaled friend. "Do you remember the doctor? He's going to patch up your shoulder. He won't try to hurt you, okay?" He rested his hand on Cynyr's head, smiling a bit.