The Forgotten Zodiac

Werr woke up with a start, sitting bolt upright. He flopped back down onto the ground, twitching and staring up at the starry sky before his mind registered what had happened. He looked up at Cynyr, his mouth opening and closing several times before he stammered, "It...it was a nightmare...b-but more terrifying than any of th-the others, a-and pain...so much pain..."

"My apologies," Obelisk sighed. "I don't have the power over my abilities as I would like. When the fire died down, it spread over to you lot, and it seems Werr is quite sensitive to it. Which makes sense, as he has a sizeable amount of it in his bloodstreams thanks to the agony I caused him before Cici sealed me away once more."

"Wh-what?" Werr blinked in confusion at Obelisk, sitting up.

"Dark Magic? Bloodstreams? What are you questioning, Werr?"

"Wh-why didn't you tell me that before? What else have you done to me...?!"

"I assure you, there are only small side effects, like this one--" Obelisk tutted.

"Small? You think that was small?! I felt like I was dying all over again! Not exactly what I would consider 'small'!" Werr shouted.

"Calm yourself, Grehi--"

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!"

Silence. Werr rolled over again, covering his face with his cloak, which he had been using as a blanket.

Cynyr glared at Obelisk, then laid down next to Werr and started gently licking the back of his neck, passing his tongue tenderly over the boy's pale skin in soft strokes. Seria watched them, then took cat form and curled up on Werr's other side, moving her head up to start licking the boy's arm. She felt something curl through her fur and flinched, looking up to see Cynyr already retreating from the soft lick-kiss he had given her. She smiled, then returned to licking Werr gently.

Werr calmed down quickly after that, though he didn't fall asleep again. Ina just sat up and stared at them all, while Ophile took the watch next.

Dawn came slowly, and the sun was quick to start beating on them in its brutal way. They all climbed on Firestorm's back after eating the leftovers of dinner last night, and were off again.

Luen jumped, blinking hard in effort to keep himself awake.

It was morning in Amnairus as well, and the kirin had stayed up all night, caring for Forin and Diana both. The Tartaran's body had gone through extreme fits as he recovered, and Luen had done his best to help him through all of them. Moving blankets around, putting a cold rag on his forehead, caring tenderly but...not really touching him a lot. Normally, he would've been holding his hand or brushing his hair back, but he was avoiding both. He had been taking care of Diana as well, just rambling quietly to comfort with his voice or cuddling her up into some blankets and holding her close. When she wanted close to him, however, he seemed reluctant to initiate the contact, though he eventually consented. He hadn't slept more than a few minutes the entire night and it showed. But he kept going with weary endurance, singing a light tune about butterflies to Diana.

It grew into late morning as Forin finally recovered enough to sit up and open his eyes without shaking, vomiting blood, or attempting to pull out his hair. He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again a moment later.

"Good morning," Nate walked in with Tasia the next second, carrying a tray full of breakfast items. "My, you all look so...glum. You should be happy! You're all together again, aren't you?" He smiled at them all, but that faded when none of them smiled back. "Well," Nate sighed, placing the tray on the nightstand between Luen and Diana's bed and Forin's. "I'll come and check on you in an hour or so. It looks like you all could use a long soak in the healing springs. In the meantime, Tasia and I got permission to use one of the smaller pools alone together, so...see you all in a bit."

They left after that. And once they were gone, Forin finally spoke. But it wasn't even directed at Luen. "Diana..." He said quietly, not looking up.

"Yes?" Diana said, sitting up at once. She had been pretending to be asleep; she looked almost as exhausted at Luen. "What is it?"

"I died. The bond between summoner and summons has...been severed. By law of the summons, I...am no longer your summoner, and I will be forced to return to Tartarus soon."

"Wha...s-so..." Diana trembled, biting her lip.

"So...I am relieved of my duty to you. I-I...can no longer...serve you." Forin said, his voice breaking. There weren't many things that made him cry, but tears dripped down his face now, not held back at all. "I...I'm sorry..."

((So I was thinkzersing, and I've decided that Forin will be returned to Tartarus. But he'll be summoned again a bit later, in a situation where Diana is left alone and/or attacked/kidnapped. And the reason HE'S the one being summoned again would be due to the fact that he was being thought of at the time.

"If the specific thought of a certain Tartaran is paired with their call-to-arms (in Forin's case, pure fear or anguish) 'sung' by a which, then that certain Tartaran will be called immediately." It works with Amnarians, too. I really need to start writing up stuff about summons and lore and whatnot. :T

Also, Luen may get his powers back soon, if you want.))

Luen listened quietly from his curled up spot at the foot of the bed. He was in human form still, not having the energy to change back to deer. He was sitting with one leg bent up so he could lean on his knee, feeling quite worthless. He literally fell off of the bed at Forin's words, shocked. "N-no!" he creaked, trying to drag himself back up onto the bed and failing. "I...I just g-got you back! You c-can't...you can't..." He seemed unable to form a coherent sentence, just stammering something random before sinking down against the bed, staring in horror up at Forin.

((Mmk.

YUS~! He needs those thingys.

Also, -rolls around on floor, giggling and happy- Nate and Tasia~ I love that pairing so muuuuuch~))

Forin looked down at Luen, still making no attempt to hold back his tears. "I don't have a choice...I know you brought me back, but it means nothing to the laws of the summons. I...I'm a criminal, too. I will be placed in jail until my next summoning. S-so even if I wanted to, I can't just return to the human world through the gate..."

Diana seemed to be silenced again. She had been so happy to have Forin awake and okay that the words had just come out, and now they were caught in her throat again. She just shook her head, lying back down on her pillow and weeping silently.

And just when it seemed like it couldn't get any worse, Forin continued. "I...have five minutes."

Luen just stared for a long moment, breathing hard, then slowly looked down and away. He closed his eyes tightly, feeling his stress levels rise further past their already-too-high levels. He broke down and started sobbing. Quiet, tiny little sobs that hiccuped at the end. And he kept crying. He ran a hand through his white hair, wishing he knew what to do, how to take care of them both, how he could stop this.

But he didn't know.

He slowly pushed himself up, his entire body shaking, then managed to stagger over to Forin's bed and come just short of collapsing against the side of it. He sank down, leaning on the bed and staring up at Forin, his emerald eyes exhaustingly blank. "D-don't go," he begged, his voice haggered and weak. He tried to reach out, tried to make his limb obey him long enough to touch the Tartaran, but he couldn't move anymore. He was done.

Tears flowed as Forin leaned forward, wrapping his arms around Luen. "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry...p-please, I only have one request...tha-that you take care of Diana. I beg of you...watch over her w-with everything you have. G-give her the memories...the good ones...that I can't now. Don't let her slip from your grip, n-never let her go, don't--"

"Forin Dulce. We gave you more time than we were supposed to because you were recovering. But it's time," Two wolves pushed their way into the doorway, teeth bared.

"You...you're early..." Forin was quick to hide his tears, wiping them away and returning to his common stony expression. He put his hand on Luen's head for a moment, then turned away. A flick of one guard's tail, and chains and shackles were placed on him in an instant.

"Come. The jail awaits you." The first wolf said quietly, leading the way. Of course, they would be walking. It would bring shame to Dulce, being marched out of Amnarius and through the place between worlds, then through Tartarus. Forin, Tartaran's most popular summons, under arrest.

Luen watched, unable to do anything or else risk being killed for interfereing. He buried his head down into the blankets, his shoulders shaking badly and his whole body aching with each sob. He eventually stopped crying somewhat, however, and instead weakly stood and moved over to Diana. He sat down next to her and touched her shoulder, not hesitating this time. He didn't say anything. He just sat there, feeling sick.

Diana laid there in silence as Forin was forced to walk away. Toro watched from the door of the jail (which he hung around, oddly enough), though he didn't try anything. The Divine would be able to watch him being led away, if it cared to. And of course...all of Tartarus saw his disgraced entranc into Tartarus.

It took a few long minutes of walking before Forin finally sat down in his cell. He sat in a corner, tightly chained and bound, knowing nothing but misery at this point.

The next time he was summoned, his dear friends would probably be either dead of old age, or he would be on the other side of the human world. There was no point in feeling sorry about it or being sad; it was something he couldn't help. He could only reflect on the time he had spent with Luen and Diana, and wish he had more.

Back in Amnairus, Luen sat on the bed with Diana for a few more minutes before wordlessly picking her up and walking off. He took her to the healing hot-springs, heading out to one of the smaller ones. He made sure to stay away from the one Nate and Tasia were in, not wanting to hear or intrude on what he knew the two were doing. He made his way to a more distant pool and slid in his legs in, sighing. He gently set Diana down next to him, making sure her legs where in the water as well. The heat felt good against their skin, warm and reassuring. Calming.

Luen held Diana close, his tears seemingly endless.

Eventually, Diana wasn't crying anymore. She just held onto Luen, staring numbly at the water. And once again, she only had Luen. Just when she thought things would be getting better, they were right back to not having Forin. And this time, there was nothing they could do but allow the soothing heat of the healing springs to wash over them.

Meanwhile, on Tartarus, one of the guards was heading to Forin's cell. It was the one-eyed old gray wolf, Maurim. He trotted down the cells until he reached Forin's, stopping in front of the door. He said nothing for a long moment, then finally spoke. "You used to be one of the best Tartarans around," he said. "Respected, feared. Now? I don't know what to call you." He snorted, flicking his tail.

"You can still respect and fear me, Maurim. I see no problem with that." Forin snorted, glaring at the wolf. "I was placed in here for my recent murder of fifteen humans. I'm sure the rumors have already spread around, so I'll spare you the details. But everything I did was for my summoner and my friend. How is that lacking in respect? And if you know what I did, I think you'll agree that I'm still plenty fearful, you old mutt." He growled. Maurim had always been his least favorite guard, but with Ophile constantly out on orders from Titus, the one-eyed wolf was now the head guard of the entire castle. And here he was, gawking at a criminal.

Technically, his actions wouldn't have been considered illegial if he had just gotten Diana to give the order to kill them, but he would never have wanted her to utter such words. Never. Forin snorted again and closed his eyes, shaking his head slightly.

The old wolf stared for a moment longer, then said "I do neither of those things because I know this wasn't your best. You let yourself get tied down by...rather human concerns. Just because we and the Amnairians used to walk amongst the human race as friends doesn't mean we do anymore. That was a long, long time ago. To be summoned by a human is completely different, now. You could've avoided the charges against you by making your summoner give you the command. You didn't have to blow yourself up in order to kill one wolfling, for that matter. Foolishness, all of it."

Forin was quiet for a moment. Maurim was correct. "Is it really so wrong to strive after peace for not only my inner self, but for my friends? For a few minutes, I was truly at peace. I didn't care that I would have been eaten by Zee. Death was one of the better things that happened to me in my dreary lifetime." He sighed. "If we don't have human concerns, then we have no concerns, Maurim. And because I burden myself with these concerns, you think of me as weak and humanlike. But I have something you don't, Maurim. I know something you don't.

"I know how to be happy."

The gray wolf snarled and snapped his jaws through the bars, growling in Forin's face. "I have no need of an emotion such as that, weakling!" he shouted, his voice resonating through the hallway. "I know only what I must do and I do it. That is all our lives are centered around. Protect those that summon us, that need our strength, and that's it. To form relationships past that is...sickening. Much less, to form a relationship with someone that's not even your summoner! The kirin slowed you down, Forin. You were perfect until you met him." He pulled back, glaring.

Forin just smiled dully at him, not flinching once. "I wonder why you're suddenly so defensive. Jealous of me, perhaps? I would imagine so. I cannot possibly describe to you what it feels like to laugh with joy, or to have a true friendship. It's simply unfathomable to you. But it's the best...the very best thing in the entire world. I wasn't perfect before I met him; I was burdened, miserable, hard and cold-hearted...just like the rest of you. I pity you, Maurim."

The gray wolf slammed against the bars, bringing his face a few inches away from Forin's. "How dare you say those things to me, youngling?!" he barked, his voice rumbling harshly out of his throat. "I need not your pity, nor any human emotion you could possibly feel for me! I am a true Tartaran; I refuse all human emotion other that the drive to finish any mission given to me." He snorted and backed up, his single eye cold and unfeeling. "You aren't even worth my time at this point," he said, turning away.