The Forgotten Zodiac

Diana woke up with a scream, and she promptly buried her face in Forin's shirt. No one really reacted too much; she had been muttering and crying out in her sleep for the past half hour. Forin kept her tight in his embrace, murmuring softly to her that everything would be fine. That nothing had happened. It looked like he didn't sleep at all; and with his lowered magic rates, that meant he was exhausted.

Werr was up and with enough strength to walk, though he depended on Cynyr for support. Right now he was pacing, using the bedframe as a crutch as he walked from one end to the other, back and forth, the monotonous pattern helping him think. Sylas seemed to be broken or something; he rocked back and forth on his heels, keeping one arm around Leo and the other was constantly rubbing his gut. He had literally died for more than a few seconds; it was natural for him to be in shock. It wasn't something he had ever experienced before, although he had come close to it, at times.

And Obelisk just watched, intrigued by the behavior. Of all of them. They were all so scared, and half of them weren't even trying to hide it. Rather pathetic, perhaps, but he wasn't about to say anything. He was uninjured solely because the Things had been afraid of him.

Cynyr limped by Werr's side, turning with him and making sure he was there at every step, moving fluidly with Werr's pace. He was right by him in panther form, letting the boy use him for something to hold when he needed it.

Leo stayed right by Sylas, never moving. He put his forehead against his friend's chest, purring softly. The purring in this instance was a cat instinct; when afraid or nervous, cats commonly purred, which released calming hormones into their blood. Right now, it was to calm himself and to reassure Sylas.

Sylas paused, then let out an odd sort of half-cry, pressing his nose against his friend's fur. "I-I don't und-understand, Leo..." He murmured gently. Werr paused for a moment, looking over as Sylas continued. "I've felt the cold hand of insanity before. I kn-know what it's like. But this...this madness...it's literally everywhere, I can't...I look into a corner, there's one. I-I thought you were one, for an instant of time...I'm so terrified and shaken th-that I can't so much as bl-blink, or there's one there when I open my eyes again! Clawing out my insides, tearing me apart..." He choked up at this point, then let out a small whimper, checking his stomach for the wound again. "I can still feel it, that peircing, tearing, ripping pain..."

Leo listened silently, then he said "You know what I think we should do?"

"I swear, if the words 'go out drinking' come out of your mouth, I'm clawing your tongue out," Cynyr spat.

Leo glared at him, then said "Fine. I'm going later, I know that much." He looked back to Sylas, sighing heavily. He gently licked the back of Sylas' neck, his rough tongue catching at his friend's hair. "You'll survive," he said. "We've been through worse, eh? Remember that time we fell into that tuskerbear den? Neither of us could barely walk after that attack, and we were so injured that we nearly starved to death. But we still made it. And we've made it all these years..." He nudged at Sylas' stomach, resting his head right there so the man wouldn't be able to feel it anymore. "I'm here, Sylas," he said quietly. "And...I still need you..."

"No, this is worse, this is so much worse..." Sylas murmured, shaking his head and moving his hand down to his somach again, but his hand bumped into Leo's head, and he wound up petting his friend instead. This seemed to calm him down, although he was still shaking. Werr continued pacing, sighing a bit. After awhile, Sylas said, "I'm not going to drink with you, Leo. I swore that I would never sink to that level, ever again."

Leo flicked his ears in annoyance, saying "I don't have a problem with going there."

"You have problems with self-worth," Cynyr snapped.

"Looks like that's something you got from me," his father answered.

"Why don't you shut up?!"

"Why don't you mind your father?"

"You're no father."

"Sorry, but I'm all you have."

"Too bad I can't make a withdraw."

"Too bad I can't either."

"SHUT UP!!" Welk suddenly screamed at the top of his lungs. "Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP! Why do you have to fight so much?! It's hurting me! Leo, I'm your son too, and Cynyr, I'm your brother! I can't take the fighting anymore!" He pushed away from Cynyr's head and darted out of the room, coughing and sobbing nearly at the same time.

"Welk, no," Werr lifted a hand weakly as Welk left, but he knew that he wouldn't be allowed to leave. Welk could slip past the guards, but Werr...not ever. Especially not now, in this condition, where he couldn't walk without assistance. The king lowered himself to the ground, sitting with his back against the bedrest, looking downcast.

"Leo..." Sylas murmured, sighing unhappily. But he didn't push his friend away, nor would he dare let go. He didn't care if Leo went drinking, but Sylas...he was stupid and hard-headed when he was drunk. He didn't want to show that side of him to anyone ever again. That was all he had been implying, but Leo had taken it the wrong way, apparently.

Leo closed his eyes for a moment, then said "It's...hard, to quit doing something, you know. I've stayed away for so long already, it's just..." He shook his head slightly, then looked over at Cynyr, who was pointedly staring in the other direction. "You don't make it any easier for me to try, you know," Leo said.

"What do you mean?" Cynyr snapped.

"You never let me say anything without answering harshly," Leo said, trying to keep a growl out of his voice. "I know what I did to you was wrong, but...I'm trying to start over."

Cynyr didn't say anything, and Leo had to sigh and rest his head on Sylas' lap again. "I won't drink anything," he said very quietly. "If only for you, you old nutcase."

Sylas smiled a little, petting Leo gently for a moment before Obelisk suddenly moved, stretching his limbs for a moment. Sylas recoiled sharply, backing into the corner as much as possible, his hand going for his stomach again. After several long moments of staring at Obelisk, he closed and covered his eyes, trying to block the images out of his head. He started rocking side to side without meaning to, muttering something under his breath.

Leo pushed at Sylas' hand, then stood up and took his sleeve into his mouth, pulling at him. "We're at least going for a walk," he said. "Get up. You need to move around. Get up! I'll drag you!" He flicked his tail, literally beginning to drag his friend right out of the room. For a panther the size of a small horse, it was an easy feat. He pulled at the back of Sylas' shirt, tugging away.

Cynyr watched quietly, thinking Well at least I got one good thing from him. Loyalty.

Sylas kept his eyes shut, going stiff as he was dragged out of his corner and out of the room altogether. "Be careful," Obelisk said quietly. "I can't protect you out there."

"Oh, now you're our great protecter?" Werr snorted.

"Fifteen, Krow. Fifteen of the creatures you call 'Things' have escaped and are roaming about in various locations, waiting for a chance to set the rifts up again. If a count of three could do this sort of damage to your own father, strong of mind as he was, do you think they would not do it again if they had the chance? No...they want to. Desperately. But they are wise. They fear me, they dare not attack with so few of them, and myself being present here. As such, I know they have brains. And their body shapes...I'd say they used to be human. Malice used the Artifact to destroy their skin. He tried to reform their faces to grow fangs, but he only wound up destroying the shape they once took. The teeth had to be welded on. Claws, too. I'm unsure of how he made them stronger, but he's Malice, after all...

"I am aware that you fear this reality. That these things we have already slain so many of may actually have once been human. Maybe even humans you've met before. But this is the truth, Krow. And Malice will not hesitate to turn you into one of them. All of you. So yes. Be careful." Obelisk said, speaking slowly so that Werr wouldn't mishear him.

Cynyr was silent, listening to Obelisk speak, then he gave a slight shudder and spoke. "Then maybe it's time to fight. Here, we're just waiting to die. Perhaps it's time to end this all. Malice is only growing stronger." He hesitated, then admitted something he rarely ever said. "I'm...scared. People are losing their minds here." He paced for a moment, turning circles. "Even if I have to take the gauntlet and go alone, I swear Malice is going to pay for all of this. He can't screw with our lives like this. These are our lives! I refuse to let this petty fear rule me!" He slammed his paw into the ground, claws extended. "I'll make him pay...even if it takes my life," he said, then lowered his head and closed his eyes. "I'll give my life away...if it means the end of all of this needless pain."

Werr blinked at Cynyr, then looked down for a moment. He lifted his arm again, and put it on Cynyr's head. "I'm with you. I might not be a fighter, but...I'll help you."

"I lost my powers and over half of my magic. But so help me, if it puts an end to this, I'll do anything..." Forin added in quietly.

"I hope you aren't planning on leaving without me," Nate appeared, sighing a bit. "I heard about what happened. Sorry I wasn't here to help..."

"What's this? You've actually decided to get up and move without my prompting?" Obelisk tutted. "That's a first. Well, once Malice is gone, I'm going to die. Of course I'll help you lot. Even if you turn me down, which you probably would, if you had the choice."

"No," Cynyr said suddenly, staring at Obelisk. "If I had the choice, I would gladly take your help. You're powerful, Obelisk. Insanely so, to some people. I'm sorry for how I treated you before." Another surprising thing; Cynyr apologizing. "I understand now that the past is such for a reason. It's easy to blame you for many things, but...now isn't the time for that, and they weren't exactly your fault. I'm willing to let bygones be bygones so we can work together. That way we'll all get what we want. We'll have peace, and you'll be able to pass on." He spoke simply, without any anger or hatred. Just a determination to end Malice. He tilted his head back at Werr, closing his eyes and leaning into the boy's hand for a moment, then he shifted to human form and offered his scarred hand to Obelisk. He said nothing, but the meaning was clear; can we work together?

Obelisk tilted his head to the side. "Curious. It takes a worldwide crisis for you to fully understand reality. No matter..." He sighed, then put his mangled hand into Cynyr's and shook once, his head angle returning to normal. "I accept. You'll have my power at your disposal until Malice is gone. If you want, I can infuse your magic with a bit of it. It might be painful, but...you've felt it before. Power. Strength. Naturally, I would remove it before I passed on..."

Cynyr hesitated, then said "...No. I fear I would get too used to the feeling and not want you to take it back. That's a problem I want to avoid. If worst comes to worst, I'll take your offer. But as of now, I'm going outside and I'm going to train my magic to its max. And then some. If you have any training ideas I could try, I'd be willing to give them a shot, Obelisk. But before I do anything else, I've got to go see if my wife is okay." He looked to Werr, his gaze saying everything that his mouth wasn't; come with me.

Werr staggered to his feet, leaning against the bedframe heavily. He swallowed hard and walked unsteadily towards the door. He would have fallen over, but Obelisk caught him. A black cane appeared with a wave of Obelisk's hand, and Werr gratefully took ahold of it and followed after Cynyr. "I'll stay here with those still recovering," Obelisk said quietly after them. "Beware of the lurking Things, you two. Fifteen."

"Got it, thank you," Werr said over his shoulder.

Cynyr stayed very close to Werr, taking panther form and walking right next to his side, nearly touching his leg. He was worried, and fear was settled in his heart like a sharp needle. They walked along, with Cynyr moving slowly to support Werr, and they finally made it to the infirmary. There, Cynyr had to plead with the Divine healer to let him see Seria. Finally, they relented, and the two were allowed in.

Seria was sitting on a bed, wearing a white nightgown. Her hands were resting on her lap, her tail was curled neatly to the side, and her ears were hanging lifelessly. Large tears dripped down her cheeks, and she was just staring at the wall, infinite heartbreak in her gaze.

Cynyr took human form, his entire body rigid in fear. "Seria?" he said quietly. "Are you...okay?"

She lowered her head, turning away from him at his voice. "...I am," she said in a tiny, meek voice.

Cynyr took another step forward, his tail held straight out behind him. "And...the baby?" he asked, his voice low and quiet.

Seria didn't say anything for a long moment, then she lifted her head and looked at him, bursting into more tears. "Cynyr, I lost the baby..." she whispered, her voice weak. "It's gone..."

The panther froze, unable to believe what his wife had just said. "Wh...what?" he said softly. "No...it...it..."

"When those Things attacked..." Seria said, curling over in her bed, sobbing into her hands. "...one hit me in the stomach...that was all it took... I lost the baby."

Cynyr moved forward, as if in a daze, and sat on the edge of the bed, scooping Seria into his arms and holding her close. "Oh, S...Seria..." he said, his voice breaking. Tears slowly started leaking down his cheeks. Was it a lie? Was this some sick joke? No, it wasn't. And he knew it. Within a few moments, both were crying for their loss, with Cynyr sobbing quietly and Seria wailing into his chest.

Werr eased himself down on the bed across from them, unsure of what to say. He had no idea what Cynyr and Seria felt now. He sympathized with them, certainly, but empathy was so far away at this point. Losing one's parents was one thing...this was something entirely different. So Werr was fine with sitting in silence. With a tilt of his head a few minutes later, though, his ear caught something from out in the hall; Kiraki's voice, singing. Werr didn't understand any bit of it. It sounded like warbled nonsense, like a song sung backwards, but he was certain he heard 'Beoth' sung a couple of times.

Werr jumped a bit when her voice came from directly behind him, next. "Good morning," She said quietly. "I would like you to know that Beoth has informed me that unborn children are sent directly to heaven. They don't have a chance to sin, you see..." She said, then frowned slightly. "Somehow, I don't think that was all that helpful...I'm sorry. I'll leave now." She moved towards the door, just as stoic and quiet as ever. Galliant looked from Werr to Cynyr and Seria, then barked once before running after his 'summoner'.

Seria just wailed ever harder. She took in a shuddering, painful breath, then slowly said "M-maybe...I-I'm not m-meant to have ch-children..."

"Don't say that," Cynyr said, tears dripping down his cheeks.

"M-maybe it's m-my fate," the destraught healer continued. "Wh-what if e-everyt-time we try to h-have children, I l-lose them? Wh-what if-"

"Seria, don't say that!" Cynyr shouted, giving her a slight shake. She froze, staring up at him with a dull look in her eyes. "We all know...whose fault this is," he said lowly, his voice dripping with a level of heartache Werr had only heard rarely.

"Malice."

Seria shuddered, leaning into her husband again as he spoke.

"He sent those monsters. Now, more than ever..." His voice twisted so horribly into a dark, trecherous snarl. "...I'm going to make him pay."

Seria didn't stop crying. Slowly, she said "You d-didn't get to be a f-father...and I just w-wanted my baby s-so bad...I w-wanted to hold them a-and take c-care of them...I wanted W-Welk and W-Werr to be uncles..." She gasped in a breath, then looked up at Cynyr and whispered "Th-there's something wrong w-with me. There h-has to be."

"Seria, no!" he cried, holding her close. "Nothing could ever be wrong with you! I love you with all of my heart..."

She sniffled, clutching tightly to his shirt, then murmured "S-still...I'm not ready to try a-again."

"Of course not," Cynyr said quietly. "I never even suggested that."

"No, Cynyr," she said, ever quieter than him. "I mean...I don't want to try again for a long...long time..."

He was silent for a moment, then said "Alright...I was thinking the same..." Then he just held her close for a while, until she finally gave him a small push and said "Just...just go now. I...I need to be alone..."

"Are you sure?" he asked, tears still dripping down his cheeks. "I could stay..."

"No," she said. "Just...go..."

He hesitated, then slowly hung his head and moved out of the room with Werr by his side. This time, it was Werr that had to match his pace to Cynyr's. The panther walked so slowly...