The Forgotten Zodiac

"I-I'll warp us!" Luna said suddenly. "Like I did before! It's hard, and I'll have to change the spells so they don't hurt you, but I can do it! Just hold on, please..." She bent forward and kissed his Tartaran mark, right in the middle of his forehead, ever so gently, then pulled back and began to gather her magic. She stopped his bleeding first, taking the bandages out of his bag and wrapping them around his wounds, then said "I'll have to do the warp in two parts. We'll land somewhere safe first, then on the second warp, we'll reach Amnairus." She looked down and started murmuring chants weaving the words so the light would carry them to the point she asked it to while making the orb that would carry Forin a very dark black.

The first warp took them to a warm, gently breezy grove. Sunlight filtered down from the leaves of the trees, and Forin observed that the leaves were starting to turn yellow and orange. Winter drew close. Forin double-check to ensure both Diana and Luen were with them; they were. Diana was wide awake by now, clinging to Luen out of a desperation to not be lost or left behind. She smiled slightly as Forin locked eyes with her, but Forin just laid his head back and shivered.

Luna panted heavily, her wings shaking, then she glanced over at Diana and gave her a smile. She turned back to Forin and checked him over, making sure nothing was bleeding, then checked Luen again. He was fine, still unconscious, but holding on tightly to Diana. She turned back to Forin and took his injured arm's hand into hers, rubbing his fingers gently. She smiled at him, then flinched sharply at a twig breaking, her pupils narrowing down to slits in mere seconds. It was only a rabbit, as she discovered, one that hopped away at once at her gaze. But she was willing to ferociously defend the three there, with her own life, if needed. Forin, Diana and Luen were her family now. She felt motherly towards Diana, sisterly towards Luen, and definitely loving towards Forin.

Forin relaxed as Luna held his hand, but he knew that if they were going to be allowed the comfort of healing from the Amnairan healers, they wouldn't be able to make contact much without causing suspicion. "D-don't hurt yourself transporting us..." He said quietly, knowing that she didn't have much energy left to spare.

"I won't," she said, shaking her head slightly and ignoring the drops of sweat trickling down the side of her face. "It's okay, I'll be fine." She stared down at him, then stroked his bangs back gently and said "You know, when I first saw you, I actually didn't like you at all, and I think the feelings were mutual. During our two years apart, however, I grew to think a lot about you and Diana and Luen. It hit me how different you were from all of the other Tartarans. You actually cared for someone who wasn't a summoner. That little once-wolfling Luen. And the care you gave to Diana was just so gentle. The more I thought about you, the more I grew to like you." She smiled at him, then bent her head forward and kissed him again, a little more passionately than before.

Forin closed his eyes as they kissed, unable to hide how feverish he was getting. When she moved away again, he sighed heavily. "I didn't love you then. It's true. But Diana started to like you...you helped her and comforted her. So I decided to look into you a little more. I really didn't think too much about it in the two years that followed...I was always busy protecting Diana and searching out Cern. But the jail...I'm not proud to say that I hallucinated. It wasn't too pretty, most of the time, but you were there, once. Everything else teased me or laughed in my face. You...just sat there. And smiled. I think it was then that I realized how much I missed you."

"I think you two are nice together," Diana held her little smile, though she was clearly very worried for Luen still.

Luna smiled at Forin as he spoke, then looked over and blushed at Diana. "Thank you, dear," she said, fluttering her wings a bit. She looked back down at Forin, then glanced up as Luen stirred. He blinked his eyes open slowly, making a small sound of wondering, then turned his gaze upwards and saw Diana. His eyes filled with fear and his arms trembled, but he didn't have the energy to push away. He clearly remembered hurting her, after all, though he still didn't know why he had done that. His eyes fluttered shut a moment later, not having the strength to stay awake.

Luna sighed, then said "I'll work on the next teleport soon. I'm almost ready."

Forin nodded, closing his eyes again. "Diana," He said softly. "Are you hurt at all?"

"No." Diana blinked at him.

"Good. That's good...that's right," He smiled a bit. "We'll have to find you a bow. You told me you were good with those."

"I am, I really am. Luen and I trained and trained so that someday, we could protect you." Diana nodded eagerly. "So that someday, we can repay you for all you've done for us."

"I look forward to that, then." He smiled a little wider, but that faded quickly as his arm started to ache. Oh, how it hurt...like fire and brinstone was coursing its way through his bloodstream all the way down his arm.

Luna looked on in concern, then said "I'll begin the teleport." She folded her hands and wings and started to chant, repeating it quietly but with a few different words in order to make sure they landed in Amnairus. When she finished, the spell took effect and the small group was taken away.

They landed right in the center of the infirmary.

Namanai glanced up sharply from the Tartaran she had been working on, frowning. "Goodness!" she said as Luna collapsed. "What have you done now?"

"Naminai, this one is afflicted with a venom of some kind," One of the younger healers spoke up, being able to sense it. She reached for Forin to help him into a bed, but the Tartaran snarled at her.

"Heal Luen first!" He snapped, backing himself into a corner. "Hi-his life was in more danger than mine is now. Get him more blood, close his wounds, check him for poison and internal damage. On-only when all that is done will I accept help." He was clearly in pain, but he growled at the healer who tried to approach him again. Diana wiggled away from Luen, eager to get out of the way and let the healers work. She crawled and sat down next to Forin, wrapping her arms around his uninjured arm and watching Naminai and the others.

((It's Namanai. Three A's. xD Na-ma-nai, not Na-mi-nai. I just noticed that you were doing that.))

Luna backed into a separate corner, not even glancing in Forin's direction. She had a strong, powerful will, and she didn't want their relationship even suspected. So not a thought crossed her mind to Forin. When she glanced his way, it was to look at Diana and make sure both were still alive. No loving emotion showed, so skilled she was at hiding it.

Namanai snapped out her orders and the healers obeyed, carefully picking up Luen. One of them commented with "I didn't know these creatures were so light." Another said "Set up a blood-transfer." Namanai walked over to Forin, her expression dangerous. "He is being cared for," she said sternly. "And you will be seen to as well. I will do it myself, if you wish, to ensure that Luen is still cared for." She bent forward and plucked him up, glancing over as Luna scurried over and scooped up Diana, holding her close. Namanai turned and set Forin down on a bed, giving his forehead a sharp smack when he protested. "Shut up," she said flatly. "Now sit still. It wouldn't do for me to mend something in a way it wouldn't naturally go."

Forin growled at her, but he slowly settled down and just glared instead. "No mind-numbing spells," He said, slowly moving his hand away from his wound so Namanai could get to it. "It's P-Poison-Tip Saber Cat venom..." He said quietly, knowing that the information would make it easier for Namanai to heal all the damage in full and prevent it from spreading.

She nodded once, then took his arm into her hands and generated the proper spells, starting her work. Once his arm was set and mended, she gently touched his other wounds and closed them, then touched his face to heal his torn skin. She paused on his cheek, frowning thoughtfully, then suddenly touched his lips once. Nothing happened, and a moment later she moved back to prepare the antidote for the poison, but she had a distant look on her face. She glanced over at Luna, who did nothing but nuzzle Diana's forehead, though inside, the female Amnairian was nervous. Could Namanai tell, by only a touch, that her and Forin's lips had come together in a rather passionate kiss? The oldest healer said nothing, however, simply turned with a needle in her hand and inserted it into Forin's arm, pumping the purple contents into his bloodstream. "There you are," she said, pulling back and healing the remaining spot. "Now you just need sleep." She had left the wound on his arm partially unhealed, just along the skin line, so it would scar. For a Tartaran, scars determined respect, after all, and though Forin had a lot already, Namanai didn't see the harm in giving him more.

"I don't want sleep," Forin pushed himself upright, ignoring Namanai's protests. Diana wiggled away from Luna and returned to Forin's side at that, sitting down on the bed and wrapping her arms around him, reaching up and kissing his cheek.

"You should listen to Namanai," She said softly. "I'll be okay. I'll watch over you and Luen, okay? So you should sleep."

"Right..." Forin sighed heavily, laying down when she let go. Diana pulled a chair up and sat down between his and Luen's bed. It took several long minutes for Forin to start to drift off.

By this time, the room was quiet. The healers had given Luen enough blood to ensure his safety and had given him proper antibiotics to warn off infections and any possible sicknesses. He had woken up, though he was utterly exhausted and scared. He had pressed back against the wall, for each bed had one side pushed against the wall, keeping the white blankets wrapped all around himself. He had been crying, the blankets pulled up to cover his face.

Luna took note and walked over, sitting down on the edge of his bed and stroking his snowy white hair. "What's wrong, sweetheart?" she asked quietly.

"It's my f-fault..." he rasped. "I-I hurt...Diana...a-and I don't e-even remember h-how..."

Luna sighed and moved to hug him, but he shrank away from her. She sighed, then slowly slid off of the bed and resumed her place in a chair.

Diana watched Luen quietly. She wasn't sure what to do. If she tried to speak to him, Luen might freak out and run away again. He wouldn't take to her touching him, he would be afraid of hurting her again...it just didn't make sense. She didn't know what to do. So she sat there in silence, her eyes on the floor, suddenly wishing she hadn't told Forin to lie down and sleep.

She looked up as Namanai walked over to check on Forin. "Um...miss?" Diana blinked up at the healer, then turned a little red. Namanai was definitely one of the more intimidating people around here. "Thank you," She looked down again. "For healing Forin, and Luen...and all of our other friends. We wouldn't survive without great healers like you..."

Namanai smiled gently and said "Think nothing of it, dear. I won't up and let someone die around here without a firm fight." She moved her hand out and stroked a lock of Diana's hair back, then busied herself with organizing the contents of the shelves and making sure they had enough supplies.

There was a quiet flump as Luen tumbled off of his bed, taking his covers with him. Before they could move to help him, he slowly staggered upright, looking weak and tiny with the large fluffy blanket wrapped around his shoulders. He stumbled forward slowly and went over to Forin's bed, where he woozily climbed up and flopped down against the Tartaran, wrapping his arm around him and curling close, tears dripping down his cheeks. He glanced over his shoulder at Diana, his emerald eyes welling with tears, then held his arm out to her, fingers trembling.

Diana blinked at him, then stood, curling up next to Luen. They were hanging off the edges of the small bed, but Diana didn't care. Luen wasn't as afraid as she thought. Which was a good thing. She kept one arm around Luen, but her other over her stomach. She wasn't afraid of Luen, really. She just remembered the pain she had felt when he had stabbed her. It was more than just physical pain. She sighed, lying still in spite of her thoughts and emotions.

Luen held her close, his tears dripping down his quivering jaw to slid down his neck. "I-I'm sorry..." he murmured, holding her hesitantly. "I d-don't know what h-happened...I d-don't know...I b-blacked out, then when I w-woke..." He sobbed softly, then said "I'm...so s-sorry..."

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Luen," Luna said. "I heard from Seria later, when I asked towards your location. You were controlled with spells and forced to do the dirty work for sick, sadistic people who wouldn't do their own repulsive work. They tainted your hands so they wouldn't have to soil their own."

"B-but I-" Luen started, but Luna cut him off.

"No. You have nothing to be sorry for."

"But it was my-"

"No."

"But-"

"Luen."

"I-"

"No."

"B-but...b-but..."

"LUEN!"

Silence.

"Thank you," Luna said, closing her eyes.

"It's my fault," Diana said quietly. "I should have stuck closer to the others...I wouldn't have gotten captured if I hadn't...and they...they used you...to hurt me. So it would hurt worse. So I would beg to die. That's what they wanted. Yemara..." Diana shivered. "I won't be forgetting that anytime soon. It was evil and c-cruel of them to use you..." She hugged Luen tightly, moving her hand away from her belly to wipe her eyes. Unable to hold back her tears, she cried at last, the familiar sobs shaking the body of the hurting Diana.