The Forgotten Zodiac

"Does that change anything?" Werr questioned seriously, blinking down at Welk. "Not at all. I missed you more than you can believe. Malice...he crushed your copy...it scared me." Werr reached into his other pocket, pulling out the torn bear's ear that he had saved. He allowed the wind to snatch it from his hand. "Welk...we're still going to take your body back. You'll have your legs back before you know it..."

Welk sniffled and weakly wrapped his arms around Werr's finger, holding on tightly. Barely the length of Werr's hand, his miniature arms felt a bit odd as he clung to the boy's finger. He leaned tiredly against Werr's hand, closing his eyes as he stopped his tears, then he said "I trust you...I believe in my brothers..." He glanced up, then, with tears in his eyes, whispered quietly "Don't let me go..."

"Never." Werr smiled. They flew on for another short while, before landing in Alastor. Werr wasn't too sure what to expect. Was his dear friend entirely stone? He knew that would be terrible. The absolute worst. If Naybrin was dead...he could still feel the nagging depression weighing on his heart, and he quickly realized that it was getting worse. He dreaded and feared the worst. That Naybrin was dead, that they had been too late...

Naybrin was still there, still alive and laying where they had left him. He was even thinner than before, and his bones stuck out sharply through his skin. The stone-crawl had moved up to his shoulders, just beginning its way up his neck. He was still breathing, but he just seemed so utterly lifeless. As the dragons landed, they both cried out in horror. "Lord Naybrin!" they said, rushing towards him the second they were relieved of their passengers. They sniffed along him, feeding him their energy as quickly as they could. "Naybrin, stop!" Zephyr cried, licking along the old dragon's skull and horns. "Please, great king, I beg of you. Do not let yourself die this way!"

"Naybrin..." Werr put Welk in Cynyr's hands, then staggered towards the first king. He didn't make it very far. The sadness was completely overwhelming to him. Nate had to help him walk to Naybrin's side, where Werr put his hands on the solid rock and started to cry. "You're letting yourself become a statue...Naybrin," He wobbled over to where Naybrin could see him. He touched the first king's curled and damaged scales. "P-please, Naybrin...I'm not worth giving up your life for...please, wake up...I'm right here. Look at me. I'm here..."

Slowly, ever so painfully, Naybrin opened his deep green eyes. This close to the huge orbs, Werr could see how they shook and trembled, wanting to close again. But Naybrin focused on Werr and stared at him, blinking slowly. He twitched a paw, as if wanted to reach out and touch the boy, but he no longer had the strength. Slowly, in a whisper that Werr had to strain to hear for the first time, he said "...W...e...rr...?"

"Yes!" Werr said desperately, pressing against his old friend. "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry, I...I should have let you know, somehow...I'm still alive, I'm right here! Please...stop killing yourself, you...it hurts me, too, Naybrin..." He murmured, really unsure of how he was supposed to live with this crushing unhappiness.

((Mumbrez befowe I has to leave? D: ))

((I can't. pDp I have 500 more words to write and can't Mumble until their done. Trust me, if I could have it another way, I would've been on as soon as possible.))

Naybrin stared at the boy clinging to his muzzle, then sighed and whispered "A dream..."

"It is no dream, my king," Zephyr said, pushing his muzzle against the old dragon's horns. "Please, this is not your time. Wake, I beg of you!"

"I have...no...strength...left..." Naybrin whispered, closing his eyes again.

Zephyr and Vaira both moved at that, putting their heads against Naybrin's and giving as much of their magic as possible to him. His eyes opened again, and he stopped quivering as much as the strength flowed into him. He managed to really focus on Werr, through the stone-crawl made it hard for him to move at all. Slowly, Werr felt a flood of warmth seep through him from their bond. Naybrin managed a weak purr, whispering "I thought...you were dead...I should've known. The bond...hadn't been broken. But...it felt like it." He closed his eyes, sighing heavily.

((Well, I have to go soon. Oh well. I'll tackle you when I get back. >:3))

Werr sighed with relief, climbing on top of Naybrin's muzzle. "I'm not dead. I really am right here, Naybrin. Please, don't give your life up to this stupid stone..." He stood and walked down Naybrin's neck, then started picking the stone off of his friend's body. He kicked it to put cracks in it, then used his hands to pull it away. By his method, Naybrin would be free in...five days. But it was a nice gesture, him attempting to help his huge friend.

((n-n ~ ♥))

Cynyr came forward and moved to help him, difficult as it was for him, and he and Werr smiled when Welk, leaning through Cynyr's fingers, grabbed weakly onto a tiny flake of the stone and tried his best to limply pull it off. Cynyr had to help him, but he still looked pleased with himself over it. Zephyr and Vaira helped as well, being as gentle as possible. The stone was growing on Naybrin's skin, after all, and peeling it away was a bit painful for the skinny dragon. But he was silent as they slowly worked on the stone, and to their relief, the crawling-death had stopped moving. They knew that if they removed enough of the stone, Naybrin could break free alone.

Luen moved forward next, followed by Luna, as they started pulling the rock from Naybrin's scales.

Forin watched as Diana ran forward, picking the stone off of Naybrin's claws. Forin followed her, smiling as they worked. Nate shrugged and joined them.

Aries walked outside at this point. She had been observing the crawling death and wondering what it was; she was just coming back from the usual burial ceremony. She looked a bit surprised at the sight of the people pulling chunks of rock off of Naybrin, bit by bit. She looked even more surprised when her eyes fell on Werr, working with everyone else. She didn't say anything; just stared numbly at them all.

((Last post for nao. :T))

((p3p I'll talk to you later.))

Cynyr glanced over at her, giving a slight smirk, then felt something soft brush against him and looked up to see Seria working next to him. He smiled as she leaned over and kissed him gently, twinning her tail into his.

Luna stroked down Naybrin's scales, using her powers to put life back into his cold natural armor. She smiled over at Forin, but her smile was nervous. She knew as well as he did that when they next returned to their combined world, they would have to face the king and queen. It had to happen sooner or later.

Before too long passed, the group finished the stone removal to the point where Naybrin could move on his own. A cannon sounded somewhere in the castle, which made Werr jump. "I'll be back," Werr murmured to his dear friend, patting him on the muzzle before turning away. "Come on, Cynyr!" He called over his shoulder, headed to the throne room.

There, the burial ceremonials awaited them. The corpse had already been cremated; the jar containing the ashes, made from silvers and gold, was sitting neatly in the seat of the throne. Werr wasted no time in walking in through one of the side doors. The band that had been playing Alastor's 'March of the Fallen' (a gentle melody with a sad ending) stopped playing when Werr picked up the ash jar and dropped in on the floor with a loud clang.

Werr then turned to the audience, smiling tiredly. "Let it be known that an evil among all evils has caused you, my people, to think of me as dead. But look. Here I am." He sat down in his throne, sitting tall.

Regardless of what Werr expected, all it took was one child; "Look, mama! The king's ghost is back!" His voice sounded in the silence. After that, a scream. And after that, the throne room was quickly evacuated of pretty much everyone, the guards ushering the people out to safety. It was hardly easy for them, as everyone was screaming and trying to get away.

"Am I really all that pale?" Werr sighed, wondering how on earth he was supposed to keep rumors of a 'ghost king' from spreading.

Werr looked up, noting that several larger men had stayed behind, drawing weapons from who knows where. "No ghost is going to be a scourge to our city!" One of them shouted, and they all agreed. Well, great, Werr thought. Perhaps I acted too hasty...he didn't move, though, quickly finding that his legs refused to obey him anymore. He was just too tired...

Cynyr stepped in front of Werr, growling. "He's not a ghost, idiots!" he spat. "I thought Werr had died as well. Many of you saw that. But we were all tricked by a man that wants this entire world burned down to nothing! Ghosts don't bleed and I've seen more than enough blood."

Welk was sitting quietly on the panther's head, tucked down into his fur and holding on as tightly as possible, trying not to fall off.

Cynyr stared at the guards, curling his lips back into a snarl. "We were all made fools by one," he said. "And if you don't believe me, there's an entire group of people and three large dragons outside that will swear on it." He crouched in front of Werr, flicking his tail quietly as he turned his head and slid Welk onto Werr's lap. The tiny Spectral squeaked and clutched to Werr's clothing, looking worried.

"Tch, and now you're calling us fools?" The man snarled, but was silenced when the door opened again. The light in the room dimmed noticeably, signaling to both Werr and Cynyr (and Welk) as to who it was.

"Now, children. No need for pesky arguments." Obelisk's bandages whipped out, snatching up the humans and dropping them at the exit to the throne room. Well, if they weren't scared before, they were now. Obelisk had that sort of effect on people. Especially now; he seemed...angry about something. "Leave me behind, of all times..." Obelisk growled, circling around to behind the throne. He reached a hand out to Welk out of curiosity, but Werr quickly covered his friend with his own hands, not allowing the shadow being to touch Welk. "Then you have the left hand of the artifact, if this is so...give it to me." Obelisk held his hand out expectantly. "Hand it over."

Cynyr bristled and said "Heck no. Why do you want it, Obelisk? I'm not giving it up to you, not after all the pain we went through to get it." He hissed and continued to stand in front of Werr, flicking his tail and making an angry animalistic sound.

Welk pressed into Werr's hands, whimpering and holding on tightly to one of his fingers. He slowly managed to wrap his odd little ghost tail around another finger, finding that he could move it and that his tail-end wasn't just useless.

"Give it to me!" Obelisk seized Cynyr by the back of his neck, lifting him to eye level with himself (not that Obelisk had eyes to be leveled with), shaking him roughly. "I require it for one purpose, and one purpose alone! If you're not going to give it to me, I'll take it from you, and--"

"Remor, stop!" Werr interjected.

"THAT IS NOT MY NAME!" Obelisk screamed in his face.

A sudden, ferocious crackling rang out, and Welk suddenly lunged from Werr's lap and landed on Obelisk's head, sending a sharp pang of magic into the dark creature. "Let go of him!" he shrieked, darting in circles around Obelisk. He didn't know what he was doing or how he could suddenly fly, but he figured it had something to do with being a Spectral. He felt weak immediately and came to a very quick crashlanding on the ground nearby, holding his head and whimpering in pain.

Cynyr raged and raked at Obelisk with his claws, hissing "I'm not handing over anything!"

Werr dove for Welk, scooping him up as Obelisk threw Cynyr away from himself. He turned and stormed away, fuming. "Foolish, greedy, selfish children..." He snarled, bringing his foot down on Werr's leg. "Be that way, then! But this is not the last you've seen of me," He growled, slamming the door behind him as he left.

"Ouch," Werr rubbed his leg, which would probably bruise. But Welk was okay, and that was what mattered to him at the moment.

Cynyr shook himself and staggered up, panting and glaring in the direction Obelisk left in. He moved over to Werr and Welk, sitting down next to them and licking the back of Werr's head.

Welk held tightly to Werr's hand, crying softly in pain. He hurt badly now, and he didn't know how to make it stop. So he just cried, clinging to Werr with his ears flicked back sadly.