The Forgotten Zodiac

"Ophile was and is a very old friend of mine. Don't get me wrong, I want absolutely nothing to do with your little group. Dangerous adventures are not my cup of tea, you see." Drew ruffled his feathers in what Forin figured was a shrug. "And it is not easy to stand aside and watch an injustice be done to one of my little brothers."

"I'm older than you, Drew," Forin sighed a bit.

"Maybe, but I'm certainly a lot bigger than you now, aren't I?" The owl hooted with a small bit of teasing laughter, then he flapped his wings. "I'm off, then. Worry not, I will keep an eye on things from here on out to ensure that whatever happens doesn't land in your lap."

"Right...thanks," Forin dipped his head, watching as Drew flew off. "Let's go," Forin turned, leaning against Luen to support him. "Skip the Divine healers, Seria can fix Ophile up just as well."

((I'm off to schooooollll! :c))

The kirin turned his head and put his muzzle close to Forin's head, blowing out a grass-sweet breath that ruffled his hair, then the two headed off to find the half-cat healer. Luen limped along on his three legs, not complaining even once over anything. Still the soft-spoken, shy, frail little thing they had encountered so long ago.

"Are you alright?" he asked Forin quietly, turning his round eyes on his best friend.

((Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat. pDp My bunnyyyyyyyyyyyy...))

((:T))

Forin looked down at himself. He wasn't all too sure, to be honest. He didn't have any broken bones, and he was certain that his internal bleeding would only cause normal bruising. But he felt...worn down. He desperately needed a good long rest, and perhaps some donated energy might help, too. "Yes," He said softly. "I'm alright. I will be, at any rate. I just need to get back to Luna and Diana..." He sighed wearily, walking steadily towards the guest house. For the time being, he was fine, but if he put off his rest and a bit of healing, it would only get worse from here.

Luen tilted his head to the side, then said "Alright then. After we drop off Ophile, me and you will take to the hotsprings. Those things are so infused with magic that it's like taking a bath in pure healing aura. As weird as that sounds." He rested his muzzle against Forin's shoulder, closing his eyes and walking along easily just by feeling Forin walk. He lifted his muzzle and put his nose against Forin's neck, sighing quietly. Here, with his best friend walking with him, was where he felt the safest.

Where he would always feel the safest.

*

Tasia was curled up in the soft gray grass outside of Vaira's old cage-cave, resting with her wings unfurled behind her and her tail resting over her legs. With one arm over her round belly and the other curled under her head for a pillow, she felt content. But she missed Nate badly, and she had to sigh at the thought of him. Her beloved husband. She knew he had a job to do, helping Werr and everyone else, but she was starting to wonder if she would see him again soon.

Nate had asked around for quite awhile before finding someone who had indeed seen Tasia recently. He was directed to the cave, where he saw his wife lying in the grass. He spotted something else, though; Spy, little Spy, creeping along in the grass towards Tasia, his long tail twitching in the air as he stalked closer and closer.

"Gotcha!" Spy popped out of the bushes, but quickly realized that something was different with Tasia. "Oh! You're preganant, too? Lily had her baby. I'm a big brother now!" He purred, smiling at the Dragonian woman. Nate lingered back, wondering what Tasia would say, if anything.

Tasia squealed at first, ducking her head under her hands fearfully, then relaxed when she realized it was only Spy. "I know. I saw her baby a few days ago. He's going to be handsome like his father, indeed. A cute little ginger gryphon." She smiled and sat up, keeping one hand over her belly. With her other, she stroked Spy's head, saying "Yes, me and Nate are going to be parents." She sighed, looking down a bit. "...I miss him," she said quietly, folding her wings. "I know he's doing his job and I trust him, and I know that he'll be back, but...that doesn't mean I can't want him back now. And that I can't worry about him..." She pulled Spy into her lap, stroking his fur gently.

"He's fine." Spy nodded. "You don't have to worry, he's back right now, and he's not hurt. The others got here about an hour ago. Maybe a little less. I checkeded on everyone; they're all there. Nate, too." He purred, putting his small hands on Tasia's swelled stomach.

"Nate isn't with the others. Nate is right here." He suddenly sat down next to Tasia, smiling a bit as he wrapped his arm around her. "You need to recheck your sources though, little Spy. I am too hurt. See?" He held out his hand, where a small splinter had embedded itself. "I was working with wood and this happened." He pouted jokingly.

"...you've had worse," Spy just blinked at him.

"Nay! The agony tears at my very soul! Oh, be rid of it, doctor, just cut the hand off now!" Nate laughed, then started picking at the splinter with his claws while Spy giggled.

Tasia had froze as soon as she heard his voice, her hands darting over her mouth as tears flooded her eyes. "Nate!" she said, her voice high with emotion, and put her arms around him, holding him tight. "Oh, Nate..." she murmured, moving her head up to kiss him gently. "I've missed you so much." She took his hand into hers, leaning against him as she tenderly worked the splinter loose with her misshaped fingers. She laid against him once she was finished, keeping her face close to his neck and closing her eyes as tears slipped down his cheeks.

Nate smiled as she got the splinter loose. When it was, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her gently on the head. "Dear Tasia, don't cry. I'm here. I don't know when we'll be leaving again, but I'm here now." He wiped away her tears with his thumb, then reached into his bag, pulling out a small wooden pendant. It looked like a little person with dragon wings, holding a bundle in their arms. It wasn't all too detailed, but it was obviously a Dragonian. It was no bigger than Tasia's thumb, at that. "Here. I made this for you. I'm not the best at whittling, I'm afraid...but that's supposed to be a baby in her arms."

"Cute~!" Spy squeaked, about to start bouncing up and down, but he slid off of Tasia's lap before deciding to do so.

Tasia smiled widely and took the pendant gently, saying "Oh, Nate. It's beautiful. I love it." She held it close, giving it a soft kiss before leaning against Nate again. "I love you," she murmured, sliding onto his lap and letting him hold her close. She always felt so safe in his arms. Safe, protected, and loved. She took his hand, resting it on her belly as she nuzzled against his neck. "We love you," she whispered.

"I know." Nate smiled at her, nuzzling her gently. He picked her up and lifted her into the air, leaving Spy to smile and wave at them from the ground. While he scurried back to the guest house, Nate carried Tasia to the roof of the castle, where there was a perch just wide enough for the both of them to sit on and look out over the entire city. He held his wife close, more than happy to be back here with her.

Little did they know, they were being watched. They were all being watched. Obelisk, naturally, simply couldn't keep to himself. It was interesting to see how the group worked. They were more or less like a tribe; they each had their families, their circle of friends to and for support. Werr, Cynyr, Welk and Seria all made up one group. Nate and Tasia made another, as did the Dragons. Jag, Lily and Spy were another obvious one, and the last was Luen, Luna, Forin and Diana. It was curious to see how the groups seemed to split up during a time of rest; each went where they were the most comfortable.

Obviously, they were all still attached to one another. Nate and Luen were good friends, as was Nate with Seria. Diana was close to Boko, and both the Dragonians had ties with the Dragons as well. Werr maintained his tie with Naybrin, and had Nate as a trustworthy subordinate. Jag and Lily were rather isolated, but little Spy was almost his namesake; people hardly noticed him poking around, but he was good at keeping up with events within the other groups. Ophile obviously had ties all around the group, from Spy all the way up to Naybrin, but he might as well be a group in himself, the way he bounced between Werr's crowd and the others.

That wasn't all Obelisk was curious about. He was mostly wondering how on earth they all agreed on things. Important descisions were taken care of by Werr and Cynyr without much debate. That bothered Obelisk. Werr was stupid and overemotional, and Cynyr was unhappy all the time and without mercy at times. Yet those two were practically the leaders here. Even Nate, who was older than them, or Naybrin, who was the age of everyone combined and multiplied by 20, didn't argue. They just went about and followed what Werr and Cynyr said. Oh, how it bugged Obelisk...

A shadow fell over him suddenly, and Naybrin alighted on the roof next to him. "Greetings, Sharp-Spirit," he said, folding in his wings and curling his tail around his legs. He had been working on regaining his larger size, and he was now about as tall as Obelisk if they both stood side by side. The First King tilted his head back, allowing silence to fill the gap between conversation. He watched the clouds drift by for a moment, then said "Tell me, Obelisk. Do you fare well?"

"As well as I can." Obelisk shrugged, turning his bandaged face away. It didn't really matter which way he turned his head, but it displayed indifference to Naybrin's words. "It's not easy being me. Surely you understand how it is to watch your family and friends die, and live on without them. If not for Cici, I would be forced to sit back and watch as humans with puny life spans die around me. I suppose that's why I'm not inclined to make friends anymore. They all will die one way or another. Like Lexanna...well, I can say for certain that the girl will never die by my hands." He turned back to Naybrin. "But you couldn't have come solely to listen to my ramblings. What do you want?"

"Me?" Naybrin said, tilting his head back a bit. "I don't want anything. I was passing by overhead and chanced to see you, and decided to come in for a chat. You looked lonely, but I suppose you weren't." He blew a breath through his nose, then said "Believe me, I understand living for a long time. I'm older than you, in fact. Much older. And I've lost my mate and son to other hands." He shrugged, then said "Young Lexanna is a good girl. I sense a grand future for her." He closed his eyes, letting a breeze blow past his horns, then tilted his head down and smiled at Obelisk. "If you don't want to talk to me, I understand," he said kindly.

"I'm an all-powerful lord of darkness with a twisted, decaying body who spends his days watching a heroic king and his disfuctional posse run around and try to save the world. Said 'heroic king' and his posse cringe at the sight of me and the only intelligable discussion I've had with any of them was with young miss Lexanna, who denied me when I offered her power." Obelisk sighed through his bony nose. "I long almost desperately for peaceful conversations with people. It's mostly all I have left. Certainly, I could destroy cities and ultimately the world, but...that's so cliche and boring. So I really do just have simple conversation left to entertain me. Why in the world would I refuse someone who wants to do nothing but 'chat'?"

Naybrin smiled at once, a very gentle and calm look. His eyes sparkled with a young light that belied his age. "Would you tell me then, Obelisk, about the earliest you remember the world being? I know you are younger than me, after all, and your memories of the world would probably be different from mine. Let's see. I can remember being born from a rift in the sky, where the Goddess poured out a single love-filled tear. So I was born from crying. Hmm." He frowned, but Obelisk saw the hint of a smile at the edges of the scaled lips, and he knew the dragon was joking in his own way.

"How ironic." Obelisk snorted. He curled his long knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them. "I can't say I remember being born. But I do remember being young. Well...Remor remembers. He was born to a farmer, but he strove to be the best he could. His parents supported him in everything that he did. But after failing Healing classes for the third time, Remor found himself in bar fights. He lost a lot, be he never stayed down...always fought to be better. By the time he was 19, he was working on his parents' farm in order to pay off the debt he had accumulated for the failed classes. He got into fighting, too. Won a bit of money that way, but lost a few teeth in the proccess.

"It's not a tragic story at all, though. Like I said, he always fought to do more. To do better. When he was 21, he finally paid off the last of his debt and left home to seek his fortune in the world. And lo and behold, the next town over, he found himself entranced by a woman a year older than him. He fell for her, she fell for him, and they got married not long after. She was beautiful, but sickly quite a bit. Healer magic was more advanced back then; it could heal illnesses, see. The common cold was naught but a myth back then, if you had the money to pay for it. She...didn't have the money. So he got to work. Tried harder to learn healing magic, but it never worked for him. So instead, he worked for the money to help make her well. She worked as much as she could. He was a great hunter of all beasts; he slayed a Drakeling once, although he didn't start that fight. He and his wife lived off of that for years by selling the scales and the meat. They both were happy. So very happy. They had kids, and soon grandchildren. Cici was their friend; they got married in front of the fountain of youth, and Cici once came to their doorstep asking Remor to heal a broken bone. That much, he could do. Friends ever since.

"I think you know the rest of the story. They went for a walk one day, and were struck by Fairy magic. That's when I was born. Those were my first memories. Listening and watching the fairies debate what to do. Whether they wanted to remove the powers or not. They didn't, but I knew they were watching...so I played dead. I didn't do anything. My power built and built up upon itself, I needed to release it, but I had to be careful. I didn't want to be removed and destroyed, obviously. As for Remor...he would have been fine. But then the cursed war started up, the battle...I killed them all. I knew what I was doing. I knew exactly what I was doing. Yes, I tore his eyes out. Yes, I killed his wife and children. And yes, I was completely in control. I wanted to be immortal. I knew the fairies were after me, I refused to be put down so easily...

"I regret that day with every fiber of my being. I wanted to live on. That's all. I was hasty and perhaps a bit foolish. And now I wish for nothing but death. Perhaps that'll change. Maybe I'll find something to do with this eternity I have. Probably not, though." Obelisk rubbed his arm slightly, feeling a tear in his paper-like skin. "It's a little hard to enjoy things when everyone regards you as a beast. It's depressing, I suppose I can say. I have the body. A copy of Remor's old body. I could be free of pain, but that would require the other side of the Artifact. And that...would require me to defeat Malice. And that would convince Cici that it is time for me to finally die. Which defeats the purpose." Obelisk shrugged, peering up at Naybrin. "There you have it. Both of our lives were perfectly fine, and I messed it up for the both of us. Sorry you had to listen to that."

Naybrin listened silently, watching Obelisk with a thoughtful expression. "Don't be sorry," he said. "It's good to unburden your thoughts to someone. Especially someone like me. Because, you see, I'm old. Therefore, I understand the concept of listening very well. Perhaps you'll hear a tidbit of my early memories now, eh? I can't possibly tell you everything; that would take eons. But I'll do my best.

"Let's see. I can remember waking up after the Goddess created me. She told me that I was in a newly-born world, and that I was the first king she had ever created. I can still remember the blessing she gave me... To the mighty lizard that walks the ground and flies the skies, I grant you fire. I grant you strength. I grant you courage. I grant you sharp teeth and powerful wings. I grant you a spirit that, when quelled, is as timid and kind as any young maiden's. But with this same spirit I grant you a fiery rage, that, when angered, you may smite your enemies and see them burn before you. To you, I name you Naybrin, the First and the One, the father of your kind. I name you dragon.

"Ah, I was so proud! She told me that before I took up my duties, I was to wander the land and see all there was to see, and when I could return knowledgeable and mature, she would grant me my crown. I understood how serious her request was, and so wander I did. Every knook, every cranny, I sought out. She had not yet created intelligent life, you see, like humans and half-cats and gryphons. But she had created other things, animals that are now lost forever.

"Towering behemoths that, at times, nearly took my life. I was very small back then, only a newborn, but I had to learn and grow quickly. And so I did. For my first thousand years, I traveled here and there and everywhere, and was finally able to return to the Goddess and say 'here I am'.

"She was pleased with me, so she gave me the best gift anyone had ever given me in my life; Fyaia, the 'golden goddess'. The second dragon ever created and my darling mate."

He went silent then, saying "Our lives were simple after that. The Goddess created the other races and we had many long, happy years given to us. We had many children, some of which died, I'm sad to say, and we found Grey, who we adopted. Wyverns are rare, and Fyaia wasn't about to let him die. My dear little boy... And then, one day...Fyaia herself died..."

The dragon went silent, his head lowered, his neck curved in a regal, solemn arch.

"Ah, death. So very ironic. Those who do not deserve it suffer its clutches, yet those who do, live on. Those who fear it face it before those who strive after it. Almost poetic, in a sick, horrid sort of sense." Obelisk tutted. He didn't try to comfort Naybrin, knowing that he had nothing to say in that regard. Remor knew what it was like to lose a loved one. Obelisk knew of the pain, as well. He lived in it every day. Honestly, it was all he could do not to smirk as his shadowy gaze flicked to Werr, who was starting to look depressed. The emotion joining between Naybrin and Werr was incredibly amusing to the dark being.

Naybrin gave a slow shake of his head that quickly turned forceful. He stood up and shook himself, from his head all the way down to the tip of his tail. "Ah, I shouldn't dwell. Who knows what that would do to my little heart-bond partner?" he said, closing his eyes. Obelisk felt a soft shift of magic, and Naybrin's sadness seemed to ebb away, being replaced by contentment. He felt along he and Werr's connection, absorbing the depression back into himself and forcing it to ebb away as well. He sighed, glancing over at Obelisk through his deep emerald eyes. He suddenly bent his head forward and gently touched his shoulder, closing his eyes and giving a light hum.