The Forgotten Zodiac

Ophile seemed very distressed to be holding Galai's scepter, but he tried to use it anyways. "T-thank you, Galai. Your kindness radiates over all worlds, as usual. But...I am not worthy of using something like this..."

"Just take the scepter, kid," Sylas groaned, opening one eye in mild annoyance, though he looked a bit amused despite his irritated tone. Ophile didn't seem to know what to say to that, though he looked ruffled at the word 'kid'.

Alima came forward and helped Ophile to the door, looking back as Galai said "I give freely and willingly, Tartaran. Please take it. You need that piece of metal more than I do." She smiled at him, then moved back over to Sylas. Alima put her hands on Ophile's shoulders and guided him out, chattering on and helping to teach him how to walk properly in his new form. She would occasionally lean down and touch a certain part of his leg, saying "Now lift with this part...yes, like that, and you bring your leg forward. Watch your top-half, or you'll lean too far and fall over. Careful." She guided him along, chattering on in her best efforts to help him.

Ophile did his best to follow through, watching her carefully. "Good to know my memory absorption is still working. Kindly refrain from coming into contact with me if you have anything to hide, miss Alima." He smiled slightly at her, slowly working his way down the road from the palace with her help. Eventually, they arrived at the guest house again. "Oh...stairs. How do people walk up or down stairs?" He questioned, staring at his newest formidable foe.

She laughed and shook her light pink hair, saying "I don't have anything to hide. My whole life has literally been here, guarding the queen and my fellow Amnairians." She glanced at the stairs, then said "Okay, you just lift your leg and put it on the step, then put your weight on that leg and move the rest of your body up while putting your other leg on the next step. Like this." She made sure he was steady, then demonstrated by slowly walking up the steps and back down. "Let's go," she said, helping him walk up.

"Right," He moved up the stairs slowly, step after step. He tripped, however, landing hard on his arm, right on the step. "I'm fine," He said quickly, righting himself and making it up the stairs the rest of the way, leaning heavily on the scepter that had been given to him. He worked his way into the room Werr had been placed in.

The human king was still waiting for a divine healer to come in and fix his fingers. He kept rubbing the claws, staring at them in disgust. He had an IV attached to his arm; apparently the healers wanted him to fall asleep again before they came in. They would have to amputate the tops of his fingers and regrow them in order to get the claws off with no residual damage.

That wasn't the strange part. The strange part was the fact that neither Welk nor Cynyr were in the room, attempting to comfort him. Werr was...alone.

Alima helped Ophile into the room, leaving the door slightly open. She moved the Tartaran over to a chair and carefully helped him sit down, then said "Just call if you need me." She left the room, moving aside as Seria walked past in cat form, coming into the room. "Namanai said she would come in a little bit," she said to Werr. "It'll be just her. She's more than enough, she said." She walked over and hesitated near Werr's bed, then carefully jumped up onto his bed and laid down next to him, her blue eyes soft.

"And you are...?" Werr looked between Alima and Ophile.

"It's me, Ophile." He said, scooting his chair a little closer. "A spell was cast over myself and Zephyr; the only way to break it is to have you use one of the artifacts to boost your inner magic so you can use verbal spells. They're powerful when used properly, but only humans - not mages - can use them. Zephyr in particular needs to be returned to his dragon form, or...it'll be bad."

"Right. Makes sense..." Werr nodded a little. "Sure, I'll help. And you...?" He looked towards Alima, frowning slightly.

"I'm only here to help him around..." She pointed at Ophile. "...until he finds his feet. Nothing more, only because I'm Galai's head guard. I have duties here." She shrugged her shoulders, then put her gaze to the ground as Namanai walked in. There was silence for a long moment, then she said "Well, continue your talk, please. Don't let me intrude. I'm here for Werr's sake, after all." She walked forward and Seria moved out of the way as the wiry older healer sat down on the edge of the bed, taking Werr's hand into hers and setting to work. She blocked all pain in his arm and started feeling the tips of his fingers, taking perfect, percision mesurements and memorizing how to recreate his original finger tips and nails.

Seria moved over to offer her energy, then said "So we need to find Cynyr..."

"I don't know where he could have gone. I don't know..." Werr sighed heavily and shook his head, watching Naminai. He sat perfectly still, eventually turning his head away.

"I have a couple ideas," Ophile said thoughtfully. "But none of which are very ideal since I believe that not even Cynyr had any idea where he would go when he left. I only hope he didn't give himself up to the dragons..."

"Just...go, Ophile. I'll think about it. Let Nate know what you told me, but leave for now..." Werr muttered.

"I understand," Ophile said, climbing to his feet again and leaving in a hurry.

Seria sighed, rubbing her eyes wearily with one hand. Hearing them talk about her fiance made her sad and was hard to hear. She lent Namanai her energy when she asked for it, however, and helped as best as she could as the older healer started cutting off the fake claws, one-by-one. Within the span of an hour, his hand was fixed up back to normal. Namanai took her leave after that, letting Seria finish up by wrapping Werr's sore hand in bandages. "We need a plan," she said softly, working her gentle fingers over his hand as she bound the white bandages. "Do you have any idea where he could've gone?"

"Well...no. I have no idea. But...Leo might." Werr said, sounding serious. "Cynyr's father. He said that he had been watching us for awhile now...and Sylas--my dad, they seemed to be friends. I...I think Sylas might know where we can find Leo. And from there...we can find Cynyr...I hope, anyways."

Seria's eyes widened, then she whispered "You...you met...Cynyr's father?" She stared at the young man for a long moment, then said "I...I don't believe it." She finished with his hand rather slowly and let go, saying nothing for a long time. Finally, she spoke. "When you want to go...I'll come with you..." she said. "I want to see Cynyr's father. He..." She shook her head, then said "When you're ready...Werr."

Werr nodded, knowing full well what Leo had done. But...they needed him...

Time passed slowly. It became evident to Sylas that it was approaching a special time; Galai was having her people prepare things left and right. She was leaving for something, perhaps? Sylas finally decided to ask, giving up on pretending to rest. "Where are you going?" He asked.

"It's the full moon," she said. "This is the only time when I and Titus can safely meet and be together for a while. Once a month, thought it can't possibly come soon enough for me." She sighed heavily, her eyes growing dreamy, then shook herself out of it and said "You can come with me, if you like. You can meet Titus, then speak with the Divine. I do want time alone with my mate, after all..." She smiled sheepishly at him, shrugging. "I'm sure the Divine will love seeing you again."

Sylas nodded eagerly, sitting up and pulling off the blanket. He stood and stretched, yawning slightly. Finally, he looked up at Galai, smiling. "Yes, I'll come along. It still hasn't figured out my riddle, after all, otherwise it would have pressed into my mind and told me about it. I'm sure it wants its answer by now." Sylas chortled, grinning thoughtfully. "When are we leaving, then?"

Galai smiled at him, then said "I was leaving at the human equivalent of evening. It isn't much longer now." About an hour later, they set off, walking through the quiet streets of Amnairus out to the place between worlds. Once they got out there, the gates of Amnairus closed tight, literally impenatrable unless the person had proper authorization by Galai herself. The two walked along until they came to the fork in the roads, which was the split at which once chose to go to Amnairus or Tartarus. That was where Titus was meant to meet them, and they weren't dissapointed.

Titus was there, his cold eyes glaring as they fell upon a smiling Sylas. "Good evening, my love," Titus spoke as calmly as ever, putting serious emphasis on the word 'my'. "And who is this you have with you? What mortal have you deemed worthy to be graced by your presence now?"

"Sylas Rowe, at your service, my liege." Sylas bowed, in all seriousness. "Friend to both Amnarius and Tartarus alike."

"Even though you gave the Silver Tornado information on both of our kingdoms."

"You know?"

"Every time the word 'Tartarus' is uttered, Rowe, I am aware of it. I care not what pain was caused to you in order to get the information out; you still gave it." Titus said, starting to sound angry.

Galai interruped her mate, however. She finally couldn't hold herself back anymore and ran forward, burying herself against his side and wrapping her arms as tightly around him as possible. Her entire demeanour changed completely, going from a strong-willed woman to one who was in desperate need of her husband. "Oh, Titus!" she exclaimed, pressing her face against his neck and clinging to him as if she would never let go. Which she really, really didn't want to. "Titus..." she murmured, hugging him tightly. Her voice was low and heavy with emotion as she moved her head up to kiss her husband's lips, moving hers against his in a soft caress.

Sylas was delivered a final glare before Titus closed his eyes, wrapping his arms around Galai and holding her close. Sylas smiled as he watched for a moment, then turned and walked a little ways towards the gate to his own world. He stopped when Galai and Titus were out of sight, then looked up and around, grinning again. "At the beginning of the end, present at the end of time, always hiding in yesterday, yet ne'er found in tomorrow. Have you figured it out yet, Divine?" He called to the abyss, sitting down on the edge of the bridge, his bare feet hanging over the black expanse of nothing.

There was an angry snort from the darkness, then the Divine shot up over the edge like a bullet, a snarl echoing behind it. It landed with a thud on the bridge, its long, serpintine body wrapping several times around the bridge as it folded its wings against its back. "You stupid, low-life, worthless, pathetic, human," it snarled, bringing its head merely inches away from the man. "I oughta tear you to pieces for leaving me with that...that rediculous excuse for a riddle! I've been pondering that for YEARS now, you jerk! Now the only thing I can even THINK of saying to you is..." It dropped its voice lower, a smile hinting its way onto its mouth. "...Will you PLEASE tell me the answer already?" it asked, bending its head forward to delicately nuzzle the human. A move never before heard of in all man-kind. Sylas was literally the only human to ever capture the great Divine's friendship. In it's askewed, odd way of being friends with someone. But Sylas obviously understood what it meant.