The Forgotten Zodiac

"No harm done," Seria said gently, giving Nate a hug. She moved her hand along one long green wing, then said "Try to not worry yourself into a tizzy, okay? You must have a lot on your mind. I know I do." It was true. She was also thinking of Malice, though her other thoughts were on her usual subject; Cynyr. Her most recent problem with him is that she wanted to start a family, but they hadn't even been married yet, and it was bugging her. Plus, he didn't seem to want any children at all, while she did. She sighed, then hugged Nate again and said "I'm sure Tasia's fine, you know. The last time I saw her, she was growing rounder by the day and doing well. And missing you, of course."

"Of course. I just...I want to be there when she has her delivery. This trouble with Malice...I would give my life to save this world, if that's what it takes, but I don't dare leave Tasia husbandless and my unborn child fatherless. I'm not sure what to do." He shook his head, letting out a small sigh. "And you. I can't let you get hurt, either. You know how important your magic is to this entire group. All of us would have died at some point in time without your incredible healing skills. Ask anyone. Werr keeps us all together mentally, you keep us all intact physically. So we can't let you fall apart, either." He wrapped his arms around her tightly, protectively.

Seria smiled and flicked her tail, leaning against Nate and sighing. Though each had already found their true partner, they still shared a close bond of friendship between them. Seria smiled as she rested her head against Nate's chest, hearing his heartbeat. "Thanks, Noble-Wing," she said, brushing one hand against his shirt. "It means a lot to me to hear you say that." She stood on her toes and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, then said "Tasia isn't due to have your little one for a while yet. Just stay safe and you'll be there when she needs you."

"I intend to." Nate nodded, smiling down at his friend. "And you know that if you need anything, you have both myself and Cynyr to turn to. Although you should probably turn to Cynyr first." He chortled.

Back outside, Boko was practicing his digging. He would loosen huge mounds of dirt, then scoop it out of his tiny tunnel with his shovel-like claws. He had already made an intricate web of tunnels in a small area, which was complete with a small pool inside that he had connected to the lake. He was absolutely filthy by this time, but he was having so much fun, it was hard not to smile as one watched him.

Vaira carefully shrunk down, slipping forward into the tunnel. She inspected the tunnels and smiled at her son, nuzzling him. He was her pride and joy, especially since she and Zephyr could never have little ones of their own. She nosed his back and snorted as dirt went up her nose, then looked up as Zephyr slid down after her. He touched her flank and she shivered, then he lifted his head and said "Look at these tunnels! This is amazing."

"Secret base!" Boko yipped happily. "Secret tunnels and Boko's base. Mama, can I make a secret base at the Sacred Plains? Boko will dig and dig and dig~!" He sang, pressing his flank against a wall. "Dirt is easy to dig up. Diggy diggy!" He giggled, then darted forward and licked Zephyr's muzzle and Vaira's muzzle in turn. He then backed up and chased his tail in circles for a few minutes.

((Should I have him attacked here? I've decided that he won't be taken all the way, 'cuz Zephyr and Vaira are big and strong and can take on two young Drakelings easy. xD))

((Sure.))

"I'm sure we can find you a place to do what you like," Zephyr said, smiling. "There's plenty of space in the Sacred Plains." He nudged Boko over and stood over him, growling playfully and wrestling with him gently. He allowed Boko to knock him over, giving his son the feeling that he had won, then Vaira came forward and stroked her muzzle down Boko's head, saying "My dear little one," with a loving purr in her voice.

"I love you, mama," He purred, then jerked his head up and looked back as a slight tremor reached his paws. He watched as the entrance and exit to the cave collapsed; he was quick to run forward, nosing the fallen dirt curiously. He had been sure it was stable...collapses like that didn't normally happen. Ever.

Boko could only squeal as Drakeling claws closed around him, locking him in a cage of razors. Of course, none of them were raked across his body or anything of the sort; they separated Vaira and Zephyr from Boko, though.

The other Drakeling's voice could be heard from the other end of the tunnel. "Gull, you idiot! You were supposed to do it in secret!"

"I can't wait any more!" Gull hissed, dragging Boko closer. "Come on kid, let's go back home." Boko whimpered, not understanding anything that was going on.

Vaira lunged up onto her hind legs, screaming loudly and swiping her claws through the air, wailing her baby's name at the top of her voice. Zephyr lunged forward and slammed into Gull, snarling violently but not actually hurting the other drakeling. He bullied Gull back, snarling "Let go of my son! You don't understand!"

Boko screeched as Gull dragged him back. "No, he's not! He's a Drakeling, dragon! You know this! Or are you as blind as a bat?!" He hissed. "I know who this is, too! This is Boko Lava-Tail, son of the keepers of Mount Crysalis! But they were found dead two years ago, their son nowhere to be found. And here he is!"

"Gull, you moron!" The other Drakeling approached from behind, his thick body filling the tunnel.

"I figured it out, Moro! Why he's so familiar-looking! The silver and white scales, the blue eyes, it's obvious!" Gull spat. "He's coming back with us whether these dragons like it or not."

Vaira's following scream shook the cavern, filled with agony. "We're his family!" she wailed. "We love him with all of our hearts!" She snarled in a way Zephyr had never heard before and hissed "You'll never take him from me!"

"Please," Zephyr begged. "You don't know the full story. He means more to us than life itself."

"I don't need to know the whole story!" Gull hissed at them.

"Boko was supposed to be the next guardian of Mount Crysalis. That place contains all of our history, all of our past. He means more than life to us. He means all of our anscestors stories, tales and past...he was ripped away from us, but now we've found him again...we don't intend to leave without him," Moro snorted.

"I don't want to," Boko wailed. "I want to stay!"

"You don't have a choice, kid," Gull growled.

"Then you condem me to death!" Vaira wailed. "I can't live without my baby!" 

Zephyr shouted next, throwing his head back. "And who are you to determine Boko's fate? We're his family! I will take on the entire world of the drakelings to keep him! What could we possibly do to keep him with us?"

Gull hissed dangerously. "Nothing! You can have him back...over my dead body!"

"Gull!" Moro barked. "Silence yourself, brother. There must be some form of agreement we can come to. Boko clearly doesn't want to go anywhere, and to make the dragons angry with us over something as stupid as a hatchling..."

Gull growled and growled, but finally sighed. "Fine. What do you have to offer, exactly?" He snapped, but didn't release the crying Boko for a second.

"My life! My very soul!" Vaira cried, but Zephyr silenced her with an upraised wing. "Ask it," he murmured. "and we'll do it. We will become servants to another in order to stay with our greatest joy and love. My mate cannot bear children of our own; Boko is ours, wholly and completely. We would give up every scale on our very bodies, drain all of the blood from our veins, to keep him. We cannot live without him."

Gull hesitated, eyes narrowed. "Very well then...we'll take this to our leader. But hear this; we'll be back. I will return him to you...for now. But you have a debt to repay us now." He lifted his claws away from Boko, who squealed and immediately darted straight into Vaira's pouch. It was a tight fit as she was in a smaller form than normal, but he didn't care. It was warm and safe. "We'll meet again. Count on it." Gull hissed before turning and burrowing into the tunnel wall.

"My apologies, Gull is a bit...hot-headed..." Moro muttered, but turned and dug his way out before the dragons could speak.

"Let's leave," Vaira said as soon as they were gone. "Zephyr, we'll go far away. I won't let them have my baby, do you understand me? Boko is ours!" Tears shot down her cheeks. "I'll never be able to bear you the little ones you deserve, and dragon orphans are next to unheard of. No female would give up her young, and...and Boko is all we'll ever have. I won't give up my little one, so let's leave!"

"No."

Vaira froze at Zephyr's tone. "N...no?" she stammered, her yellow eyes full of fear. Zephyr turned his crimson gaze on her and she saw the tears in his eyes. "We can't run from them, my dearest, darling Vaira," he whispered. "They'll find us wherever we go, and what impression would that give them? That the noble dragons run from their debts? No. We must show them our strength. We must face them; for our son."

Tears dripped down Vaira's cheeks in abundance, but she finally gave a faint nod and put her muzzle under Zephyr's chin. He licked her muzzle, then bent his head and gently put his nose into her pouch, brushing Boko's cheek so tenderly. "If we ever lost you..." he murmured. "...for any reason at all...know that we loved you with all of our hearts. There could never be someone that loved you more than us."

Boko whimpered and clung to his father's nose, afraid. "I'll fight them," He said bitterly, fearfully. "I do not know what Boko must do for them, but Boko will not do it. Boko will fight with everything he has to stay with mama and papa, I will!" He sniffed, pressing his face into the very bottom of Vaira's pouch after Zephyr withdrew his nose.

Zephyr nodded once, then put his nose to Vaira's neck and they joined their voices together, quietly singing an ancient dragon lullaby about the bright skies after a harsh storm.

*

"Perhaps you should concentrate a bit harder."

"What do you THINK I'm doing?"

"I'm only giving suggestions, Shadow-Step."

"Yeah, well, keep 'em to yourself, old man."

"Dragon."

"Yeah, you're still old either way."

"No matter. I still think maybe a rest would do you good. Your hand is looking quite harmed."

"If I wanted advice, I would've gone to Werr's new girly-friendy advisor."

The more Cynyr worked with the gauntlet, the more testy he seemed to grow. Even when Naybrin gave him a few mere suggestions, he snapped hard at the dragon. It was true, however, that it was starting to get hard for him to wield the gauntlet. His hand was burned badly by this time, and with Werr and Welk both watched, he felt a rather unessecary sense of pressure.

"Cynyr..." Welk murmured sadly, lifting his head a bit from where he was resting on the edge of Werr's shirt, poking out of his collar with his back to Werr's skin. Just draped there, out of the front of his best friend's shirt.

Boko cried and cried as they sang, deeply afraid that he would be taken away from his beloved step-parents. While it was truth that they weren't his real mother and father, Boko had no doubts in his mind that he was loved. That he would always be loved and cared for. But for that to be taken away from him...the poor youngling was terrified.

But eventually he did drift into sleep, especially after Vaira gave him her claw for him to chew on. Chewing on things definitely calmed him down, that was for sure.

"Cynyr, perhaps I should take a turn with it," Werr offered, standing up. "Here, you can hold him." He gently lifted Welk and placed him carefully in Cynyr's hands before holding his out, waiting for the guantlet to be given to him.