The Forgotten Zodiac

Forin waited impatiently for Diana to be healed. He didn't even care about his own wound; he just hugged his dearest, limp summoner and refused to let go. "Thank you..." He murmured at Seria, knowing that if she went down...well, it would only be a matter of time before the rest of them died. Werr may be the one keeping them together mentally, but they would literally fall apart without Seria. They needed her more than Forin could realize at the moment. Those who had been hurt fighting Gual - well, the ones that weren't dead - they'd need her.

"We-Welk, just leave me here...go and help Obelisk, it's the only way," Werr stammered, staggering over to the couch and flopping down heavily. "Don't worry, I--"

"You can only choose one, Welk," Gual's whisper increased. "Run and save Cynyr, or stay with Werr and have your eldest brother perish. He's still alive...begging. Pleading for me to leave you alone..."

"I'll kill him. I'll tear him to shreds. I'll destroy the very fibre of his being." Forin snarled and spat with rage.

Welk's lip trembled and he looked rapidly from Werr to the door, very upset. Then a thought struck him, and with a single fleeting image of Cynyr in his mind, he spoke. "Cynyr never pleads with anyone for anything!" he shouted. "He wouldn't stop to plead for something he knows could be a lie! He fights! He fights and doesn't stop!" A smile danced on his lips. "The only time he's ever pled for anything was for me to stop setting his tail on fire whenever he walked into a room." He grinned widely, saying "He would never plead for himself to be safe, and he wouldn't waste his breath pleading for us. He would use his energy to break free and save us. So you can't even DARE to ASSUME you KNOW HIM!" He shouted the last words, leaving them ringing in the air.

"But I do know him. I know everyone. All of you. I know your minds, your hearts, your very souls. Every piece of your being is known to me, Welk Kaelen. His too. And Werr's. So...you could give yourself up, or have Werr perish. It's a simple choice, really. Goodness knows you haven't got all day. I'll find another way in before long...and little Luen there is running very low on juice."

"We-Welk, it's not the only way. Find Obelisk, you have to find Obelisk and make him help us! Don't k-kill yourself for me, I..." He whimpered. "I don't want to be alone..."

((Because we all now know how you would end up without him, Werr-bear. :shifty: -sideways glance at Tragic Tale-))

Welk snarled at Gual's retreating voice, then bent down to Werr and nuzzled him, saying "Put everything you have into keeping Luen awake and strong. He's your best protection now. I'll go find Obelisk and return, okay? Okay." He hugged Werr tightly, then gently cuddled Isslia against his neck, closing his eyes as her fur stroked his face. He whispered something in a tight voice, but she couldn't catch it, and he turned a bit red after he said it. He slid her into Werr's arms, saying "Stay with him, okay?"

Seria had slid over to Werr and was healing his back. Once she was finished, she moved over to Luen and began giving him a bit of her powers to sustain his.

Welk did the same, noting that a bit of life returned to the kirin's blank eyes, then he cloaked himself in bright, burning fire and plunged out the door.

((xDDD Yep.))

Isslia nodded. Normally, she would scurry away from Werr and hide under a pillow until Welk returned, but...she knew how important this was. She yelled a, "Good luck!" At Welk as he passed, knowing that the half-cat...well, he could die.

Werr, however, called a very different thing. "Don't stop for anything, go straight to Obelisk!"

The hallways were a mess. Blood was splattered on the walls, and it was obvious that someone had dragged multiple - bleeding - someones across the floor. The direction was difficult to discern, though; it was as though Gual had dragged them in such a way that the blood was trailed along every floor. As Welk moved cautiously along, it became apparent that Gual had literally been merciless; the bathroom door was open. A single glance inside, and Welk could see Nate, torn and beat up, one arm inside the tub, and his head resting on the rim. The tub itself was overflowing, the water that Nate so despised washing over him and spilling everywhere on the floor. If not for the drain under the tub (for conservation purposes), the bathroom would start flooding. He was still breathing, his ragged inhales and sharp exhales audible. But he was so limp and lifeless seeming. He wouldn't last much longer, and his suffering was as clear as day.

That's what Gual wanted, after all. He didn't want them to just die. He wanted them to suffer. He wanted them to be in sheer, mind-numbing agony before he slayed them.

(("Don't stop for anything, Welk!" Werr's voice rang in his mind, but the half-cat was distraught at the sight of Nate. He stepped into the bathroom, shutting off the water and dragging Nate away from the tub. He was quick to help Nate spit up some of the water, murmuring something about how 'everything would be okay'.

A ridiculous lie, at best.

Welk stood and turned back to the door, only to find himself face to face with Gual. "Oops." His grin stood out prominently as he reached out a hand and pushed Welk just once. The half-cat, thrown off balance, tried to regain his footing; but he only slipped on the water and fell backwards into the tub. The resulting splash extinguished the flames, which was exactly what Gual had wanted. He took his chance the second he had it, stabbing three spikes of shadow into Welk. One into his gut, one through his heart, and the other to his skull.

Welk would suffer in the afterlife with the knowledge that he had failed.

GAME OVER))

((Felt like writing that. xDD But yeah, Welk, don't go in there. .3.''))

((p3p Why would you write that? Eet is sad sad sads.))

Welk gasped and clapped his hands to his mouth, resisting the urge to throw up. Every fiber of his being wanted to run forward and grab Nate out of there, but Werr's words rang in his head. Don't stop for anything, go straight to Obelisk! Once he found Obelisk, he could protect them long enough for Seria to save everyone. That was why he had left them; to find Obelisk. And that was what he was going to do.

He plunged onwards, the fire around him literally clinging to the walls as he passed, like some sort of livid torch. The fire around Welk sparked angrily, as he was furious at this point, despite the queasy feeling in his stomach.

((NOT AS SAD AS CYNYR AND WELK BOTH DYING AND THEN WERR DYING OUT OF MISERY.

xDD I was bored.))

Gual appeared behind Welk, just in front of the bathroom. He peered in at the mess that was Nate; there would be more blood, if not for the water. He had been seriously hurt, after all.

All of those who had been taken were. Welk nearly slipped on something; blood. And what appeared to be a pinkie finger. Carlyle's pinkie finger, severed from his hand. Blood dripped steadily from the ceiling; Carlyle himself was there, wrapped up in ropes and tied to the ceiling. It was more than just his finger; his ear was bleeding profusely, and blood was overflowing from his boot. He was unconscious, but his eyes were open, staring blankly down as Welk looked up.

"You see? You see what happens to those who--" Gual cut short as there was a pair of roars from outside. Of course...both of the dragons had been outside. Gual was keeping them off and out of the house, somehow. And apparently he had soundproofed the main room; they hadn't heard anything before. "Tch...you should help him, Welk Kaelen. He could bleed to death like that..."

((Fien, we're even. xD))

"NOPE! I CAN'T HEAR YOU! LA LA LA! GET THE HECK AWAY FROM ME! NOPE, NOPE, NOPE!" Welk shouted at the top of his lungs, shifting to human form and plunging his fingers into his furry ears, flattening them against his head and squeezing his eyes shut. He raced down the halls, screaming when he caught sight of Cynyr.

The panther half-cat looked absolutely broken. His stomach had been ripped open and Welk could see several internal organs leaking out. Blood coated the floors, from the massive wound in his stomach and from the spot where his right arm and leg had both been broken so badly that the bone tore through his skin and clothes in two different spots.

Welk screamed and screamed and screamed as he plunged off down the hall, tears pouring down his face in waves, his fire flickering brighter and brighter, higher and higher.

((:3))

Gual laughed after him, but before he reached the door to the master bedroom, Gual tackled him from the side and pinned him to the ground. He pushed a finger against Welk's head. "How many bolts do you think it would take to fry your brain permanantly? You'll suffer in the afterlife knowing how badly you failed...you saved none of your friends, not even your own brother. You didn't stop for a second to help them...you're terrible. Honestly, I would be miserable to have you as a friend or a sibling..." He paused, a strange look in his eyes for a long moment. Long enough for Welk to react.

With a blood-curling scream that made his throat raw, Welk broke Gual's hold on one arm and slapped his hand to the man's face, concentrating his fire powers there.

It was like someone set off a firework.

The room was instantly ablaze with light, burning into every inch and crevasse of the floor, walls and surroundings. With Gual distracted, Welk threw him off and leapt up, plunging through the house and screaming "Obelisk! Obelisk!" frantically.

Obelisk was sitting in a chair, sprawled out; he had a sword through his chest, but he stirred as Welk called his name. He slowly opened his eyes, looking up at Welk with almost a glare before he shook it off and looked down at himself. He would be dead right now if not for...well, his immortality. "Get...th-this sword out of me," He gasped. "I...will...destroy him..."

((Also, Vorpal has gone through a dramatic change, so make sure they can't find him for a while after this.))

Welk lunged for it instantly, tearing the sword from Obelisk right as Gual roared and leapt for him. Welk fell to the ground, curling up in a timid, shaking ball, sobbing as he covered his ears with his hands, rocking back and forth. "No, no, no," he muttered. "No bleeding, no death, no nothing. Silence, silence..."

((Oh, uh...okay. .3.))

There was a scream from Gual, a shout from Obelisk, and a collision of lightning with shadow; the fight lasted literally two seconds. Gual, enraged, screamed and threw a bolt at Obelisk. The eternal being had merely deflected the shot with a yell of pain from the movement; he still felt pain, after all. But the electricity hit Gual dead-on in the chest. He staggered back, then - with an odd twitch from Obelisk - he vanished.

There was a scream from the main room, and a pained roar from outside.

Werr.

Gual had brazenly walked into the room. Forin had attempted to intercept him, but only wound up curled up around Diana again as he had fired dangerously close to the vulnerable girl. Werr, in spite of the reopened wound on his back (Naybrin hadn't been healed, preventing his own healing), managed to stand and stagger away. Isslia transformed and hid behind him, but it was obvious who Gual wanted. He put his hands on Werr and poured electricity into him, throwing him aside and snatching Isslia up.

"NOBODY MOVE," He screeched at them, one hand over Isslia's face. If he shocked her, her brain would be fried in seconds. His lightning magic didn't depend on the darkness of the room. He could still hurt people without shadows. "Nobody...move." He put his face close to Isslia's. "Call him here. Scream. Make him run ahead of Oh-blah-lisk." When she kept her mouth clamped shut, he slowly moved his free hand down her stomach and further south. She tensed, but the memories of all the times before...

She thrashed and wailed, trying desperately to push this freak off of her. "WELK!" She screamed at last, tears wetting the hand of her attacker. "WE-EELK!"

From where he lay on the ground in the other room, Welk's crimson eyes opened.

In the next moment, it seemed, fire engulfed the house.

Welk stood in the center, master of the flames, such terrible, terrible rage as had never been seen before by any of them. He screamed into the flames, rounding on Gual, shouting hatefully "You will NOT TOUCH HER!!" He slammed into him from behind, pulling Isslia from his hands and clutching her close, curling her against himself and not even hesitating to kiss her forehead. "Shh, I'm here," he soothed, his voice a bit distorted by the flames. "Stay behind me." The entire house, so engulfed in flames, looked like it should be burning, but it wasn't. There was also no heat at all. Isslia was wrapped in thick, heavy flames, obscuring her body from view. Protecting her as Welk lunged for Gual again.

Gual stepped out of the way (or tried to, at least), but he only wound up on the floor with painful burns on his chest. His head had made an audible crack against the floor, and now he was staring up at the ceiling in utter confusion.

"Wait," Obelisk held Welk back before the half-cat could move again. He pointed the sword at Gual's face. He tried to scramble away, confused and hurt.

"Wha--what's going...on...?" He wheezed, feeling his chest. Finally, he seemed to remember and glared at Obelisk. "S-so...this is it, then? Traitor..."

Obelisk ignored that comment for now. "Are those really your last words?!" He spat.

"N-no, no! Tell...tell Nerin...a ma-maid at the castle...please, tell her I'm sor...sorry..." He muttered, looking down.

"It will be done." Obelisk turned away, allowing Welk to attack. He looked...very much confused, and thoughtful. Too thoughtful to bother finishing the job, at any rate.

Welk panted raggedly, letting the flames over the house disappear, and for a moment it seems as if he would merely walk away. But rage overcame his face when he thought of the way the man had tormented Isslia with his touch. Not a gently, caring, respectful touch. A touch meant to make her scream in fear, a touch meant to summon him to her aide.

The flames fell and Gual spoke no more.

Welk sat down on the ground with his head in his hands, saying nothing.

Obelisk was quick to set things in order. The pressing darkness was gone in instants. Almost immediately, the door was flung open by one of the several Peacekeepers that had been trying to get in. Obelisk picked up Gual's fallen body and stepped outside with them to explain, leaving the door open so the dragons could enter.

"Seria...? You have a lot of work to do..." Ophile said quietly, nosing her hand.

((Let's see...Werr, Naybrin, Nate, Carlyle, Cynyr, Forin (Seria never healed his arm), Cyprus...

Total injured: 6

Missing in Action: Sylas, Leo, Spy, Zelana.

Not TOO bad...))

Seria, her entire body shaking, wordlessly began to work. In order to stand, she had to lean heavily on Ophile, and even then, her shaking was just plain torturous at this point. She couldn't stop, and her hands, when they closed softly over Forin's arm, shook and trembled and bobbled. She worked as well as she could, however, and soon was guided off down the hall to find Nate, Cynyr and Carlyle.

Her scream reverbiated off of the walls and they heard her wailing miserably.

((936))

When Obelisk returned, he was without Gual. He slowly shut the door behind him, sitting down and breathing heavily. He finally stitched up his wound, then stood; he had to help the others. Seria would be worn down from Cynyr's wounds alone, but there were still injured to attend to. "Zephyr, you might want to treat Werr and Naybrin both with a saliva bath," Obelisk suggested before walking out to deal with Nate and Carlyle's injuries. He wasn't a healer, but he could certainly keep them alive.

Zephyr nodded, turning to Werr and Naybrin, the latter of whom was frantically nudging Werr over and over, licking his cheek, pressing his nose to the boy's neck. He looked up gratefully as Zephyr moved over, having the wit about him to begin soaking Werr through with saliva first. He knew Naybrin wouldn't hear of himself being healed over his young friend. Both dragons were the size of horses, but they fit well enough in the house.