The Forgotten Zodiac

"Crap...alright, it's okay, hang on." Sylas weakly climbed to his feet, using the buildings to support him. He paused when he saw something out of the corner of his eye; a flicker of a white shape, nothing much. He felt like he was being watched. He payed little attention to his surroundings after that, though, focusing on finding someone who could help. He stopped and promptly fell over as a stunning white unicorn approached him.

"Peace, human. Where did you come from?" She murmured, nosing him softly.

"Wha...the...Eternal Garden?" Sylas blinked.

"But of course. Your friend bleeds, why did you leave his side?"

"I was trying to find help!" Sylas said, exasperated.

"All the help you need is here. Come," She grabbed the back of his shirt in her teeth, lifting him to his feet, at least. She helped him back over to where Leo sat. "Get him onto my back. I'll take you to the castle." She smiled at them, allowing Sylas to crawl to Leo's side. She laid down to make it easier for them.

"This is a bit better, don't you think? Don't...don't die on me, Leo," Sylas murmured, moving to help Leo onto the unicorn's back.

Leo groaned and tried to help Sylas, but he was too weak to do anything. "I'm...trying not to..." he said, never losing his dry sense of humor, even to the last. He was still conscious so far, which could either have been good or bad. Good because that meant he was still functioning, and bad because he felt every bit of pain and was constantly wincing or making small whimpering sounds. He held his side the entire time, his fingers clamped firmly around the arrow stuck there.

Finally, Sylas managed to get himself and Leo onto the unicorn's back. Within moments, they were up and off, the four-legged being moving quickly through the streets. Sylas now looked at the scenery; this place...was incredible, in short. Amazing. Beautiful. The white streets, the cloud-like grass, the golden homes...there were more creatures, too. Large cats, horses, other stunning creatures. If Sylas' eyes weren't deceiving him, he was pretty sure he had seen a large white snake.

And then they were placed in the throne room. The unicorn stomped away to collect a healer as quickly as she could.

Sylas stared at the one sitting in the throne, his mouth opening and closing in shock. He snapped out of it, then shook his head and cleared his throat. "Don't mean to intrude," He said softly. "My friend...he needs help..."

The queen of Amnairus, cloaked in all of her glory, blinked softly down at the two. Her long blonde hair flowed down her back like golden water and her solid white eyes stared down at them for a long moment. She slowly rose up and desended the steps, her white gown following her in waves. She tilted her head slightly to the side as she approached them, her beauty radiant in her every move. She bent down and looked Sylas right in his eyes, then transferred her gaze down to Leo. She watched him gasp for breath for a moment, then moved her thin hand down and gently stroked his hair back. That move alone seemed to soothed him, and his breathing grew a bit easier.

Sylas was quick to shake off his hesitation. He normally wasn't like this with anyone; but Galai had a beauty that Sylas couldn't even begin to understand. "Your majesty. I hope...I hope we aren't intruding or anything. We're just travelers, seeking refuge from the troubles of our own world. My name is Sylas, and this is Leohaidus. He was injured in the Eternal Garden, I'm afraid...and the giant snake on the bridge threatened to eat us, but here we are. Please, your grace, heal his wounds, at least..."

"Here we are," The unicorn returned, bringing a shrouded figure on her back. "Galai need not use her magic on your wounds. I have brought a healer for your friend, human."

Galai moved her hand forward and gently touched Sylas' chin, her perfect lips turning upwards at the edges. "You don't have to say anything," she said softly. "I know." Her touch was healing in itself. Her delicate fingers were cool and yet warm, filling Sylas with a trembling hope. It was trembling because the hope was so pure and fufilling that he couldn't help but quiver. Then Galai returned to her throne and the cloaked figure came forward.

She bent down and touched Leo's chest, saying "His life-force grows weak. I will restore it." She pulled her hood back, revealing gray hair tinted with streaks of brown, all of which was pulled tightly back into a bun. Namanai touched her hand to Leo's forehead, then his chest, murmuring things, then she grasped the arrow and pulled it free.

Leo's shriek of pain was loud, but he went silent instantly when the healer touched his forehead again. Instantly unconscious.

Sylas felt the numbness in his limbs leave him at Galai's touch. He watched the healer work on Leo, and when she was done, he quickly shifted closer to his panther friend and took hold of Leo's tail, holding onto it for his own comfort and Leo's. "Um..." Sylas murmured, unsure of what to say. "Thank you." He said quietly, looking up at Namanai, then towards Galai herself. "I don't think there is anything I can do to repay you, though..."

"I need no repayment," Galai said. Namanai also nodded her head at this, saying "It was my pleasure." The healer stood up and pulled herself back into the unicorn, saying "Please take me back. I'm getting too old to run around everywhere." Once they were gone, another unicorn stepped forward to them. "I will take you both to your rooms," Bala said, stepping close and bending her head down to Sylas. She brushed his shoulder gently with her muzzle, then took Leo's shirt in her teeth and lifted him onto her back.

Sylas smiled a little, allowing himself to be taken off by the unicorn. Amnairus was amazing. Incredible. So big, but seemingly tiny...and so few squabbles. No real fights or arguments. Life here was comfortable and pleasant. Joyous and happy.

"Why did we ever leave?" Sylas questioned his friend, letting out a heavy sigh. They were sitting alone, Sylas' wounds healed and the both of them placed in one of the guest rooms so they could be alone for a bit. The others had to resupply and recuperate before going after the final two Artifacts, after all. Which, they surmised, both were in the desert. "Amnairus was perfect...is perfect." Sylas sighed. "You really should retire there with me someday, old friend..."

Leo sighed, then said "You know that wherever you go, I'll follow. I have nothing else to keep me here." He flicked his ears, thinking for a moment, then said "Cynyr and Welk are my only family. I'm their father, after all. But I haven't been the greatest father ever, if you hadn't noticed. I basically ruined Cynyr's looks and Welk didn't even know who I was for the longest time. I was worse to Cynyr, and I still don't know how to truly make up with him. I don't hate him anymore, but I just can't...be that father to him." He sighed heavily, taking panther form and getting up onto the bed. He laid down and rested his head on Sylas' leg, sighing.

((Soooo...been in another spat with Chzy? Why is I the only reason you evar come on anymore?

You don't have to tell me if you dun wanna. Just say no, I won't pry. .3.))

"At least your children still have a chance to live longer than you," Sylas murmured quietly, scratching Leo behind the ears. Finally, he closed his eyes and laid down next to the panther half-cat, slipping off into sleep.

Werr. Poor, tortured Werr. He jerked awake, seeing nothing but the cold grey stone and solid metal bars. How long would it take before the others realized their mistake? Before Naybrin returned his happiness? Werr could feel nothing but dull misery, the last thing he had felt from Naybrin before the link had been weakened by distance. Werr wondered if he was still on the other plane of existence. He had no way of knowing, really. There was nothing to try to pick up here, and the metal bars wouldn't move at all either way.

So he just laid there and stared at the wall, wondering what Malice would do with him. If he was lucky, nothing. But he didn't put much trust in luck.

((No, I just really only feel that closeness with you. I'm just getting a liiiiittle iffy with all of the 'I love you's' he gives. Like, to nearly every girl on the Mumble. It just seems a little weird to me. First thing he said to Tasumi when she got on. I just think a proper 'hello!' would've worked better. I even think he's doing it a bit too much to me. Like, with you, you say it once or twice during a day, and I like it.

Also, pleaseee don't tell him any of this. He'll get sad and then I'll look like a bad person for telling my thoughts. .n. I trust you.))

There was a soft swishing sound, then Relic slowly dragged his half-decayed body down to Werr's cell. He paused to look into the bars, his gray tongue hanging out of his mouth and dripping with a strange green liquid. His empty eye sockets loomed at Werr, 'looking' without sight. The raptorix turned his head slightly to the side, then to the other side, then again. Finally, he slumped off to the corner, where he sat down and continued to stare at Werr.

((I understand the closeness bit, we're like peas in a pod. xD Should-be-sisters, and thankfully sisters in Christ.

I won't tell him. I'll let you tell him. If you want to tell him. My advice though? Don't let that rift get too big. Chzy WANTS to be friends with you. He's the big leader guy, and my personal opinion is that he thinks that if he says 'I love you' all the time, it'll make people happy. I personally love hearing him say that. It's not as warm as when you give it, but I love hearing it anyways because he takes the time to say things like that.

Let's not forget that he's a 15 year old boy, too. Which means he's pretty much crushing on all of us girls that he will never get. xD))

Werr looked around at the noise, immediately pushing himself backwards into the corner, as far as he could get. Toro...the boy had been attacked by what Ophile identified as Relic. This had to be that same thing, there was no other explanation. Werr shivered, his momentary panic fading and allowing him to sink back into dull depression. He watched the undead Relic, unable to do anything else.

((You have no idea how big the rush of relief is that I feel at those words. For some reason, I thought you would get mad at me. -hugstight-

I really do want to be friends with him too, don't get me wrong at all. Thanks for understanding me. -nuzzle-))

Relic stared back at him, breathing hard and dripping the green ooze from his eyes. This was a bit of a lighter shade, more like water. It didn't take Werr long to figure out that Relic was crying in the only way he could now. It was painful for him to be alive now, trapped in this undead form. He couldn't escape through death like he had before. He was trapped; forever. He suddenly staggered close to Werr's bars, making a sickly rasping sound, then gurgled out something. "Shadows…speak…no…truth…" Then he crawled back into the corner.

((Oh, Trin. How on earth could I get mad at you? xD Even if I did, I would never stay mad. I'm not the type to bear grudges. They're way too heavy for wimpy little me.

And of course. Thanks for being open. And...well, thanks for being my friend. ^^))

Wait...what? Werr blinked at Relic, not sure what the undead being had meant. "Er...thanks." He murmured, unsure of what else to do. "I'll...I'll keep that in mind," He spoke unhappily, though when he put two and two together, he felt sad for Relic. The poor thing...Werr remembered when the Raptorix had saved his life. He wasn't sure if Relic was still there at all, or if he was just a soulless zombie, but he couldn't forget that. Werr made a mental note to do anything he could to help the trapped beast if he could. Not that he could. He felt more useless than ever, especially with this painful unhappiness bearing down on him.

((-hugs tight-))

And a moment later, it got worse. Malice walked in.

"Hello, my little pets," he hissed, smiling widely. His long shadow cape flickered like black fire behind him, and a small swarm of bats flew out from it and hung themselves from the ceiling, making their high-pitched chittering sounds. "How are you doing on this glorious day, Werr?" Malice asked, leaning close to the bars and smiling. Looking up into Welk's face was hard to do, especially with his hair so black and his skin so pale, but with the same crimson eyes. They didn't hold that kind, adventurous spark in them, however. "Why so sad?" Malice asked. "Missing your dead little lion soul? The one I crushed in my hand? Maybe missing your angsty little panther? The one thinking you to be dead and suffering everyday for it? Poor little human king, you shouldn't miss them. You'll find me to be such wonderful company." He grinned, showing off sharp teeth.

((-hugglesnuggle-))

Werr recoiled into the corner again. "D-do what you want with me..." He struggled to utter. "I know you won't kill me." He had already put it together. With him gone, Cynyr would have no choice but to focus on finding the artifacts. Malice wanted to destroy those Artifacts. Or use them. Either way, Cynyr wouldn't trade the artifacts for a dead friend. "Maybe...maybe I should just kill myself...if it means you keep your filthy hands off the artifacts..."

Malice never stopped smiling. "I think you'll find it a bit hard to go about that," he said, then snapped his fingers. A large sword darted up out of the ground and flung itself towards Werr, on a course that would've impaled him instantly. Suddenly, from the silver bars of the cage, a long tendril shot up and intercepted it, knocking it away. "This cell is enchanted with my own will," Malice said darkly. "It obeys my every command and it senses if you wish to inflict death or harm on yourself. It prevents it. You aren't able to kill yourself, my child." He swept to the other end of the cage, staring hungrily at Werr. "If you want to feel pain..." he said. "...I am more than happy to oblige you." A long tendril of the living chain swept down from one of his pale fingers, arching towards Werr and sinking sharp teeth into his arm, literally feasting on his skin and blood.

Werr panicked, to say the least, trying desperately to get the chain off. It didn't take long before it was biting on muscle and bone, and that just made it all the more painful. Werr screamed and finally managed to rip the thing out of his arm, but it just bit down on his hand and started digging in there. Werr couldn't do anything to stop it, it was obviously too strong for him. Pure metal with a thirst for his blood and a hunger for his flesh. Out of everything that Werr had ever faced, Malice was by far the worst.

Malice only watched, grinning wider and wider as Werr struggled. The chain continued to gnaw at him, some pieces biting him while others thirstily slurped at the blood coming from his wounds. Finally, Malice pulled them back, leaving Werr alone. "There now. You look quite lovely, all stained in blood," he said, running a black tongue over his lips. "Makes me...hungry. But I won't munch on you anymore for now. I've had a good enough taste already." He tilted his head back, then said "I want to be your friend, Werr. I want to be your only friend. Your other 'friends' don't care for you anymore. Even your own father has replaced you." He was silent for a moment, making sure Werr had heard him, then said "You've been replaced by Dark, the little minion of my old minion. Your father doesn't care for you; you 'died' and he filled in your place."