The Forgotten Zodiac

Lutrez sat on the ground near her claws. He batted at them for a moment, then peered up at her. "Flora. I like that name. It's a good name." He cooed, putting his front feet on her claws and leaning up to peek at her. "There's no need to be so sad. We'll take care of you here." He said, tilting his head to the side in an adorable fasion. He eyed her grey, withering scales, then looked back up at her again.

Salana, in the meantime, was distracted by a certain sleepwalking Drakeling. Boko, crawling towards the food pile with his mouth open and waiting.

((By the way, Drakelings have pouches on the sides of their stomachs for newborns and eggs. It's a bit like dragon females pouches, but it's a lot smaller, it's closer to their insides, and it closes by itself when there's no egg or newborn to protect.))

Shiya followed him in her adoration, then giggled and picked up a fish, sticking it in his mouth and giggling as he ate it. She picked up another one and poked him with it, giggling and smiling before putting it into his mouth. She then bent to his ear and called softly "Boko? Booookoooo? You are sleepwalking. You should wake up." She giggled, then spotted Lutrez and Flora and frowned. She picked up another fish and toted it over to them, gently setting it down nearby. "Here," she said softly, then ran away.

((Oh, that's cool. And they would notice that hers hasn't sealed yet. :eyes: ))

Boko was not to be woken up so easily. He finished off the fish, nearly swallowing it whole, then curled up and went right back to sleep where he was, snoring loudly. It was adorable, almost terribly so, as one had to question how long he had been in the practice of eating while asleep. It wasn't exactly healthy, after all.

((o3o Indeed...

You know I put Lutrez there for a reason, yes? 936))

((Yeah yeah yeah.))

Shiya smiled at him, her gold-colored swirls bright in the morning light. She glanced over at Flora and Lutrez, just in time to see the female drakeling slowly stand up and pushed the fish away with her tail, blinking slowly.

Then she turned to Lutrez and blinked wearily at him before her eyes suddenly regained a spark.

Before Shiya could barely register what had happened, Flora had grabbed Lutrez and raced off, but not before snatching up Shiya herself as well. Shiya screamed and struggled, but she and Lutrez were both too small to fight against the full-sized drakeling.

Lutrez wailed and wailed. "My baby!" Salana cried out at once, flying after Flora. She clawed at the Drakeling's tail, but she didn't want to give the Drakeling a reason to hurt the children.

Boko was awake since the instant he heard Shiya's cry; he bolted into action, catching Salana's tail in passing. He drawled up from there, making it all the way up her back and down to her paws. Salana dropped the small Drakeling on Flora's tail, watching in terror as the huge Drakeling just picked up spee and flicked Boko off before he could get easy footing.

"Stop it!" Flora shouted. "I have my own family to think about!" Tears streaked down her cheeks as she flew on, flapping as hard as she could in order to outdistance them. Which she slowly did.

Zephyr stumbled out of his cave, calling "What happened?!" He craned his head back in the direction of the retreating forms, then hissed "Du'uru, are you using families to do your bidding now? How dare you..."

Salana halted. She still had an egg to care for here, she couldn't just abandon that. She slowly walked back, gently scooping Boko up in her mouth as she did so.

She set the drakeling child down in front of Zephyr. Boko was whimpering and twitching erratically, finding it difficult to move. His spine had cracked, which was never a good thing for anyone. He was still able to move, but it clearly hurt. He squirmed around and tried to crawl off in the direction Flora had gone. "Lu...trez...Shi...ya...!" He squeaked out painfully, wailing with pain as he slipped and bashed his chin against the rocky ground.

Zephyr curled him close, carefully bending his head and sending a wave of his ethereal magic over his son. It healed the crack in his spine, but left Zephyr weakened. It was the same kind of magic Naybrin had, as the first king had granted him this magic. "We'll get them back," he growled. "Obelisk, I need you to get me in to Du'uru. This has to end; now."

"No, no, no, no," Boko moaned, immediately flapping his wings and trying to take flight to chase after Flora. Obelisk took him by the tail and easily prevented his chase.

"Child, stay. Your father and I will take care of--"

"She'll kill her! They'll kill her! Shiya!" Boko wailed, writhing in the air. He suddenly turned, bringing his large claws only inches away from Fawn's face. "LET ME GO!" He roared. Obelisk did so, immediately. Boko was quick to fly off, much to Obelisk's displeasure. Fawn watched him go with only sadness in her eyes. The poor child...

Boko's shape in the distance dove without warning, vanishing through the ground. The Drakeling could travel much faster through the ground, especially using the tunnels he had once built, that spread out underneath the forest like a maze. It led right up to the mountains that seperated Alastor from the desert.

"There's no following him through that route. We have to go immediately, and hope to intercept him." Obelisk growled. "No matter...but Zephyr...are you really up to the task of facing Du'uru? You need more rest..."

Zephyr shook his head quickly, then said "No, Obelisk. I have to do this now. I can't just sit back and let Du'uru have his way with innocent lives. He obviously has Flora's family held captive, on pain of death if she doesn't do what he wants. Come on, we have to go now. I won't let this continue anymore." He growled and lashed his tail, saying "If you are ready, Obelisk, we will take flight."

Obelisk looked towards Fawn. It would be dangerous. Far, far too dangerous. He murmured something to her, and she shook her head and looked up at him sadly. He pulled the syringe of her medicine into her hands, gave her a kiss on the forehead, then looked up towards Vaira. "Fawn knows it's dangerous. She doesn't want to come with us. Would you...do me a great favor and watch over her in my absence?" He asked quietly, his request certainly not to be taken lightly. He climbed up onto Zephyr's back before the answer was given, though he made sure to wait.

Vaira nodded once, infinite concern on her face for her family, then said "I will, even with my own life." She gently curled around Fawn, making sure she was comforted and protected. Zephyr gave his mate a kiss, then took after after his son and the two little ones that had been stolen, flapping his wings easily and powerfully. "When we're close enough, I will shrink down. I need you to make certain I get in to Du'uru," he said, gaining ground rapidly.

Flora landed roughly on the ground, also panting hard. Shiya sobbed and cried into her claws, then said "Why are you doing this to us? I want my mommy..."

"Be still," the drakeling said sadly. "All I do, I do for the safety of my family. Du'uru has held them captive and told me that I had to capture some dragonlings in order to get them back. I must do as he says or he'll...he'll..." She stopped talking, moving quickly along the ground.

"S-so..." Boko dragged himself out of the dirt in front of them. "You'll destroy two families - one of which has already suffered a loss - for your own? How selfish can one Drakeling be?!" The little one demanded, hot tears in his eyes. "Flora, we can help you...daddy and that one man are on their way to stop Du'uru right now! Please, let my friends go, they don't deserve--" He was cut short as another drakeling burst from the ground, tackling Boko bodily.

"Keep going, Flora!" The girl screeched, pinning the smaller Drakeling to the ground forcefully. Boko wailed and cried, but couldn't do anything about it. He was stuck.

"I will not let my family die! If Zephyr and Obelisk can help us all, then I pray with all my heart that they do! But...I cannot stop. Not until my family is secured." She kept going, tears dripping from her eyes. Shiya cried Boko's name and sobbed and wiggled in Flora's claws, but nothing she did could convince the drakeling to let her go. With a mate and two unborn eggs to think of, Flora could think of nothing else but saving their lives.

The Drakeling that had stopped Boko was relentless. She threw him around, beat on him with claw and tooth, and didn't let up even when she took note that he wasn't fighting back. When she was done with beating him up, she turned and started after Flora; then promptly realized that Boko was following her. She batted him away, but he got up and crawled forward again, determined to save and protect his dear friends. But he was weak...

The girl grabbed him and shook him roughly, then threw him against a rocky outcropping in the sand; he gave a final squeak and then laid still. She poked cautiously over to him, half-expecting a trap, but he just laid there, breathing hard. She snorted, realizing that she must have broken something important. It was so; healed as it was, Boko's spine had still been delicate. Running off and trying to fight had broken it entirely. He laid there in the sand, starting to cry as the Drakeling turned and flew off, leaving him for dead in the sorching sands.

Luckily for the little drakeling, Zephyr and Obelisk were not too far off. Zephyr sensed his son's pain and made for it, desperation in the beat of his wings. When he found his son, he gave a wail and landed, quickly nuzzling him and touching him all over. "Boko, what have you done to yourself?!" he said, gathering his vital magic and healing his son's injuries. "Do you know what could've happened to you if I didn't find you? I will NOT lose you like that!"

Zephyr crooned a low note, pulling Boko close and nuzzling and licking him. "No, no, Boko! It's not that you're too weak. You just need to use your strengths." When Boko stopped crying, Zephyr explained further. "You aren't the best at strength, it's true. But look at these fine, sturdy claws!" He lifted one of Boko's hands, showing the sharp tips. "You are one of the best diggers I've ever seen," he said. "And you're so kind and compassionate, and there are times when even I don't know you're there, you can be so stealthy! Come, Boko. I won't send you home, because I need your help. Work with us."