The Forgotten Zodiac

Werr blinked at her, then sighed. "It's hard to forget the past. And in some places...too hard. I know that Malice was controlling him. I know that it wasn't his fault. But...in spite of all that, I still only see Obelisk at fault when I think back on those days. And for that matter...he hasn't exactly been eager to make himself better in our eyes. I don't think he sees the point; he keeps talking about how he'll be dead once we take down Malice." He sat down across from Lexi, sighing unhappily. "What creeps me out the most...is the fact that Obelisk isn't even a person. Did he tell you that? He's the embodiment of Remor's Dark Magic. Remor himself...is buried deep down in there. He's a different person entirely. I haven't talked to him much...but I know that he's a lot more docile. Did he like you? He might let you talk to Remor, if you ask...heck, I don't even know why I want you to. I think...maybe he needs a friend. And you...you're nice. He won't trust us, but you're kind. Kinder to him than we are, at any rate..."

Lexi slowly put her drawing aside, thinking over Werr's words. "I think you're right," she said. "Lots of people in this world could use a friend." She smiled at Werr and said "I'll do my best to see to it that he at least has someone to talk to. ...And you, too." Welk chirped indignantly, but Lexi quickly hushed him. "Not like that," she said. "I mean, I know he already has good friends that love him and would hear anything he has to say. But...I meant...something else." She blushed and looked down, then said "I should go," and stood quickly, meaning to run out.

Werr grabbed her by the hand before she could leave. He stared at their hands for a long moment, then uttered, "I like your singing," He said, then let go. "Just...thought you should know that..." He smiled sheepishly, not sure what else to say. He dropped his hand, looking down at her drawing. "You're really good at drawing, too. Um...yeah."

She fidgeted at his words, clearly not used to compliments, then said "Oh...thank you very much. It was always the one thing I could do to get away from the way my life was. I drew beautiful places and delicate people, like elves and fairies, things I knew would never hurt me." She carefully sat down and started flipping through the worn pages of her book, revealing to him perfect hand-drawn images of sceneray, animals, people of all kinds, dragons, and the most recent ones; Naybrin, his head tilted back to study the sun; Cynyr, leaning against a window with a hand on his chin; Ophile drawn like a fluffy young puppy, and the last one of Werr, holding Welk and smiling at him. This one had been drawn with great detail and care, and when she turned the page to that one, she blushed and covered it quickly.

Werr smiled a bit. "I like the one with the puppy," He murmured, though it was obvious which one he had liked the most. "Anyways...I think I'm going to join Cynyr in his nap. You go...talk to Remor. See what he'll tell you. He's...wise, at any rate. Perhaps he'll be able to answer any questions you had. About anything, really..." Werr shrugged, smiling as he stood. "I'll see you at dinner. Any requests for the meal?"

She smiled and said "No. I'm happy with anything that's served. In fact, I'll go help with the cooking, if they let me." She seemed to be quite the homebody, and unknownst to them, she had actually been enrolled in a healing school for a while before her father had forced her to quit. She didn't know as much as Seria, of course, but if she had training, she could become grand. She didn't feel like she could do much, however, and she had had a general feeling of unworth since her father had turned on her, so she hadn't pursued the healing art, as much as she had wanted to. She dipped her head to Werr and slipped past him, heading off to go see if she could help with anything.

"I'm sure the servants would appreciate the helping hands." Werr nodded, smiling a bit as she left. He moved on to his room, slipping into his bed next to Cynyr, carefully laying Welk down next to himself. He fell asleep quickly, his body grateful for the rest.

Obelisk, in the meantime, had returned to his 'game'.

Lexi bumped into him in the hall. "Eek!" she squealed, having walked into him as she turned the corner. She pulled back a step quickly, saying "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to walk into you!" She blinked, tilting her head back, then smiled and said "Hello, Obelisk. Remor." Surprisingly, she greeted both the human inside and the powers themselves. "How are you?" she asked, smiling at the bandaged figure.

"Doing a little better since we last spoke," He said thoughtfully. "My stomach isn't growling anymore, and I feel a bit more...at ease. " His lips twitched in what was perhaps a smile, but it was gone sooner than it emerged. "Now...how do you know that name, exactly? Did the mighty king actually pause to talk to you about me? Or was it the ever-nosy Ophile?"

"Werr spoke to me," she said. "He caught me singing and we talked a bit." She slid around him and watched as he followed. "I was just on my way to the kitchen. Are you feeling okay? Do you need anything?" She bumped into a suit of armor and jumped back sharply, wincing as the sharp edge cut her arm neatly. Without thinking, she murmured a healing word and touched the cut, sealing it. She turned right back to walking, smiling at Obelisk. "I'm willing to help out," she said. "I want to prove myself worthy to stay here."

"I doubt Werr would require that of you," Obelisk said quietly, following Lexi easily. Suddenly, he paused. "The question is...do you need anything? Anything at all? I can do just about anything, aside from raising the dead...I can give you wealth, beautiful clothing...power, even? I know it sounds a bit strange, but...I like you. Not in a weird way. You're a good young woman, and I feel that your kindness shouldn't go unrewarded..."

"Oh, Obelisk!" she said, taking his hand gently and stroking his fingers. "Don't trouble yourself, please. I don't need anything like that. Thank you for asking, though. That's very sweet of you." She smiled at him, then continued to hold his hand as she headed towards the kitchen. "I have...one thing, though," she said. "Will you let me draw you? I'd like to have a picture of everyone here, and I don't have a few different people. So will you let me draw you?"

Obelisk actually did smile slightly at this. "Certainly. And if you want to, Remor would like to have a word with you, also. He seems...excited. You're the first human to turn down an offer of power. I have spoken to the minds of many for him. He had no real reason to offer people such things, but I find it interesting that you don't want anything. Nothing but a drawing. I will gladly allow you to draw me." He moved his fingers along her skin, as though trying to feel her soft skin, but he hadn't been capable of feeling such things in a long time.

((Also, I totally have the image of him (once his body is back) getting behind Seria and stroking her cheeks and hair in a totally creepy way. 'So soft...' xDD))

Lexi's smile turned down a bit at his touch, but she shook it off with a shiver and smiled again. "If it's not trouble...could you perhaps let me draw him as well? Remor. If you could give me an image, I could draw him too. Just a gesture of goodwill." She smiled at him again, her brown eyes wide and gentle.

((That is disturbing. xD Cynyr will freak out big time.))

((And attack. And Obelisk will get absolutely furious that they're already ruining his new body. Anger levels will peak, and BOOM. Explosion of darkness. When they wake up, he's gone! >: D
That'll work. xDDD))

"Hm," Obelisk frowned at this. "He wants that, but at the same time, he does not. He does not need more reminders of what he has lost, but he's all but forgotten what he used to look like. I remember, though...so, I suppose I can show you. But you were headed to the kitchens to help the servants, no? You should go do that. Come and find me again when you're ready to draw," He said quietly, pulling his hand away from hers and turning away.

((Pfft. xD))

Lexi watched him go, then murmured "I will," and returned to her task.

*

Luen giggled in his unique tone, laughing as Diana ran over and put her arms around him. He swept her up into his single arm, spinning around in a circle, then set her down and said "Diana! A butterfly, there!" Like a good older brother figure, he had no qualms against pointing out things that normally wouldn't affect him much.

Luna, sitting under a tree with Forin, smile at their antics. She cuddled into her boyfriend, teasing his hair gently with one hand.

Diana instantly let out a cheer of glee, running after the butterfly with much haste. Forin watched her stop short and stare after the bug. She then turned and ran back to them, not wanting to be too far away from her friend. She was quick to start chasing after grasshoppers, though, the butterfly forgotten.

Forin sighed at this. "I look forward to a day when she doesn't have to be afraid of anything. As impossible as it seems. I want so much for her to be able to run about in a field and not have to look back or stop for anything..."

Luna nodded softly, looking up at him through her crystal turquoise eyes. "I know," she murmured. "She's far too sweet for the hand that's been delt to her. But I'm sure someday she'll be able to do what you dream for her to do. Look there." She lifted her hand from his and pointed towards their friends. Luen had created a shimmering ice butterfly and was letting it flutter around himself and Diana, leaving trails of snowflakes everywhere. Luen folded his hands together and concentrated, and the meadow was suddenly filled with ice butterflies. Several of them headed towards Forin and Luna, and one landed gently on Forin's shoulder. "She won't be alone," Luna murmured, smiling at the butterfly and holding her hand out to it. It crawled onto her finger, wiggling around quietly. "So long as Diana has kind, caring people to care for her, she will recover."

"That's...that's what I'm afraid of, though. When Cern kidnapped her, I thought several times that maybe...I would never see her again. That I would be branded as a failure and Diana would be left to suffer, left with no one to care for her. And when Cern scrambled her mind, I thought for sure...I was...heartbroken. I couldn't..." He sighed heavily, then looked at the ice butterfly. "My heart seemed to stop in that moment. And every time I remember it. Did you know that after we first met, she wouldn't talk to me for a whole year? A full year, and not a word uttered. She was afraid of me, I knew it. But she slowly grew accustomed to me, then started depending on me. I remember that time...those were some of the better times. That year we had together before meeting the bandits, then Seria and the others...before the bandits, Diana was just as carefree as any girl her age. Now..."

Luna pushed forward and kissed him softly, holding him close before letting go. "Please don't say that you would go back and never let it happen. Because your life and Diana's life took that turn for a reason. You met Luen and changed the course of his life. And you changed mine." She spread her white-gold wings and curled them around him, moving one hand up to stroke his hair gently. "Please don't worry," she murmured, moving her lips close to his ear. "I and Luen are here as well. We'll help you protect her and help her forget those bad memories."