The Forgotten Zodiac

"Yeah, go ahead," Werr brushed himself off, wondering what the heck happened. He untied Welk quickly, pulling the ropes off of his friend. "You okay? You're not hurt, are you?"

"No one's really hurt, but Nate is stuck in the chimney, and I'm fairly certain Isslia is locked outside. I would have let her in, but I can't get down the stairs." Allie said from the hallway, a bit irritated sounding. "You might as well go help her first, Nate will be fine. Unless they light a fire or something. In which case, we'll have fried Dragonian on our hands.

"Sheesh!" was the first thing out of Welk's mouth, then he turned and ran off down the hall, his tail looking a bit crooked and squashed from his time in the closet.

Werr was suddenly aware of a strange sound coming from one of the drawers in the room. It sounded like a mouse squeaking. When he opened the drawer, he was greeted to the sight of Naybrin, in his penny-sized form, squealing and tapping his claws against a glass jar, which was enchanted to prevent him from changing size so he could knock it off. He squealed upon sight of Werr, his deep green eyes begging him to let him out.

Welk returned a minute later with Isslia held tight in his arms, cradling her gently against him. "Are you okay?" he asked softly, the tender look of concern on his face quite touching.

Werr immediately opened the jar, then looked up at Isslia and Welk; his mouth dropped open immediately. Isslia was a crying mess, shivering horribly. There was a mark on her stomach that was obviously there to prevent a transformation into dog form, and she was...well, she didn't have anything on. Aside from underwear, she was exposed and vulnerable, tucked up weakly against Welk.

Welk looked ferociously angry, and he was swearing under his breath that he would personally rip the person that had done this to her limb from limb, and laugh about it once he was done. He slid his own shirt off and put it over her, tugging it down over her waist in order to cover her bra and underwear. His shirt was long on her petite frame, and he didn't mind going without a shirt on, so it worked out well enough until he could grab a blanket from bed and wrapped it around her, averting his eyes from her each time, so she could see he wasn't even looking at her undergarments. He really was quite the gentleman about it. He wrapped her all up in the plush blanket and sat down against a wall, cuddling her against him and trying to soothe her with soft murmurs and words of comfort. "Nobody saw anything, it's okay," he whispered, stroking the back of her head over and over.

Isslia trembled, apparently...in shock or something. She buried her face in Welk's shirt. "H-he saw...he to-tore off my ni-nightgown and made me go outside. I cou-couldn't move...he was do-doing something with shadows..."

"Shadows?" Werr instantly sounded serious. Just short of angry. "Who was he? What did he look like?"

"H-he was tall...really, really tall...h-he had blackened skin like he had been burned, and bandages..."

Werr had realized what it was as Isslia was still talking. It all matched up. The strange feelings, and now this? Obelisk was here somewhere. It was too obvious. Lexi...Werr immediately panicked. Where was Lexi? He hadn't seen her since he had entrusted the group to Dmitry...he started looking through room after room (having to help get Marion untied before continuing), but after turning up nothing, his panic really set in. It was clear as day; Obelisk had taken Lexi. He had always had a soft spot for the girl, and now he had basically kidnapped her. Why?

"Naybrin! We have to find Lexi, now!" Werr snapped. "Come on, Welk, I need some back up!" He called as he jumped down the stairs, bolting out the door with Naybrin (and the opened jar) in his hands.

"Lexanna? What a surprise," Obelisk had woken up to find the girl. sleeping in his chair. He gently patted her arm to wake her, smiling a bit. "How did you get here? Are you quite alright, young miss?" He asked softly, brushing a strand of hair away from her face with his ever gentle fingers. Fawn peeked curiously at the girl, but hurried off to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. She had a couple extra to feed now, apparently. Which wasn't a problem, but she needed more bread and eggs. She wrote it down and handed the small bit of parchment to Obelisk, who nodded. "Just a moment, Fawn."

((Hope you don't mind this. I can changeh it if you want.

And don't have them show up just yet, obviously. xD Obelisk has to be out of the house for them to hurt Fawn, even on accident. Thus...the eggs and bread.))

((Nah, that's fine.

Also, I had to leave right after this post. Like I told you yesterday. But I have my phone, so text me, please. -hugs so tiiiiiightly-

And I don't want Fawn to die, remember. .D.))

Lexi stirred with a soft moan, finally opening her eyes with a small "Werr...?" Confusion spread over her face ever so slowly as she woke further, realizing that she was not in the inn, and that it was not Werr touching her. She blinked, then forced herself to full awareness and glanced up. "Obelisk?" she said, blinking again in shock. "What...what are you doing here?" She glanced around, then shuddered and said "Wha...where are the others? What happened?" She didn't seem too concerned for herself, of course; she trusted Obelisk completely.

((I know, I know. No dead Fawns here.))

"The others are at the inn still. I'm not entirely sure what happened, but I am unaware of any deaths in the direct area. Worry not, I'm sure they're all fine." Obelisk answered her feverish questions in stride. "As for why I'm here...I live here, child. This is my home." He straightened up, smiling a bit. "You're free to return to your friends, but I'd much appreciate it if you stayed here for breakfast. I'm off to fetch more eggs and bread, though; I'll be back in a few minutes." He stood and left the house, but he held the door open for Cern to enter.

"Lexanna...Jura. You have awoken," He said quietly, sitting down on the floor in front of her chair.

Lexi, still acutely aware of the fact that she was still in her long white nightgown, quietly tucked her legs up under her, sitting comfortably in the chair. "Cern?" she said, then smiled and trilled "It's good to see you. I admit, I'm quite confused, but...stranger things have happened, I admit." She stood up and gave him a hug, then turned when she heard a sound like leather paws on the floor.

Zephyr froze upon sight of her, then said "Why, Lexi! What are you doing here?"

"Zephyr?" Lexi exclaimed, in equal shock. "What are you doing here?"

She ran over to give his long neck a hug, making him smile.

"No! No, no, no, stop!" Lexi cried in horror, then flinched when a dark shape lunged past and slammed into Welk, meeting him in mid-bound.

Malice said nothing, sitting right on Welk's chest, but his coal-black eyes were narrowed furiously. He didn't recognize any of the intruders, but his only thought was to protect his mother. He could hardly stop himself when large black spikes formed, wafting shadows, behind him, ready to strike Welk through.

"Stop!" Lexi cried, but her voice was lost in a thunderous, loud, ringing roar from Zephyr.

That seemed to get more attention.

It was a tad late, however. Cynyr, who had avoided Cern's dark wall, had slipped around and attacked Fawn from behind. Her reflexes saved her from Cynyr, but the knife wound up in her side.

Fawn gasped with pain, staggering and falling onto her other side. Everything went completely silent for a long moment, as though time itself had frozen. Darkness dimmed the sun itself as the gate creaked open, allowing the one the others knew as 'Lennon' to enter in.

"You should not have done that." Obelisk said, his voice as dark as the shadows themselves, which were creeping up around Werr, Welk, and Cynyr's legs. He ignored them, making a beeline for Fawn. She whimpered and wheezed, and tried to stand again, but he forced her to lie still as he gently eased out the knife, his shadows carefully working to close the wound.

"Your lung is punctured. You must lie still, Fawn," He soothed, running his fingers through her hair repeatedly. Finally, he stood, facing the king and his knights. "What have I done to you for you to wish harm upon me and my wife?" He snarled dangerously, practically throwing the eggs and bread to the side.

"L-Lennon?" Werr was confused, but only for a moment. "Tch...Obelisk. That's a dumb question, isn't it?! You tried to have us killed!"

"You're still alive, aren't you?! I wouldn't think you would be the type to hold a grudge for so long, Rowe! That was years ago!"

"Years...years, he says!" Werr almost laughed, watching as the shadows scooped Malice up and carried him to Cern's waiting arms. "You make me sick, Obelisk...why would you hold an innocent woman hostage and call her your wife? She probably hates you, you're just too daft to see it--"

"How foolish can you be, oh king, blinded by the past?" Obelisk growled. "I should kill you for that, you beast of a human. Fawn is my wife. Willing and happy. Rather...she was happy, until you came along and hurt her!" He seized Cynyr by the collar, throwing the half-cat towards his friends. "Give me a reason to not slay you ALL where you stand!"

Cynyr tried to cover the sound of a sharp crack in his arm as he landed, but that was nothing compared to what happened next.

Lexi darted forward towards Werr, but she didn't hug him or kiss him. Instead, her hand flew out and collided with his cheek, leaving a stinging red mark there in the ringing silence after the sharp movement.

Tears were dripping down her cheeks, but the look in her eyes was what hurt most.

"How...how dare you..." she said softly, sounding as though her heart were breaking. "You really can't let anything go, can you? Nothing at all? Are you...are you blind? All those times I told you how nice Obelisk was, how I told you how kindly he treated me, that he had changed from what you once knew...were you never listening to me? I can't..." She sounded like she was choking for a moment. "...I can't...be with someone...that never forgives like you do," she gasped, then brushed past him and raced out of the house, sobbing.

Cynyr stood up, holding his broken arm, then turned and said "Let's go." He hustled them out, noting that Zephyr stayed in order to say goodbye to Obelisk and Fawn. Welk, who was last out, saw him bend and press his tongue to Fawn's wound, sealing it closed before looking up at Obelisk once more. He said something about sending someone to see him later, for the scale, which Welk didn't understand, then turned and followed them out.

Zephyr said nothing, even when Naybrin landed nearby. "I saw Lexi run out," he said. "What happened? Was she okay?" His eyes narrowed slightly, then he rubbed his cheek, which they noticed looked like it had been slightly burned. "Did this have anything to do with that?" he asked.

"She's ticked at me for goddess knows what," Werr snapped angrily. "She's still infatuated with Obelisk for whatever reason. It's like that creep somehow turned her against me. I don't know what to do anymore..." He sighed unhappily, shaking his head. He turned to Zephyr. "Is what he was saying true? He helped you against the Drakelings? Even if that's true, I don't understand why he would do this..." Werr fumed, then continued down the road towards the inn. He hoped Lexi was there, at any rate.

Zephyr's tail shot out and bowled Werr off his feet faster than the boy could blink. One of the dragon's great emerald paws came down over him, pinning him fast, and Welk and Cynyr hardly dared to move when they heard the biting growl in Zephyr's voice.

"I'll have you know right now that if not for Obelisk, I would not be standing here in front of you. Nor would Vaira, or Boko, or any of the other dragons back home, or the drakelings. He helped save us from a mass-murder. And he saved the humans, in turn. The drakelings weren't going to stop with us this time. It was all or nothing. So to see you acting so haughty, so arrogant...it makes me very, very angry." Smoke was leaking from the edges of his mouth, and whenever he spoke, Werr saw light dance at the back of his throat. "And now you're ruining your future," he hissed, his crimson eyes narrowed tightly. "All because of something that happened in the past. Do you still truly believe that people cannot change? If you are...then you are not the Dark-Eyes I once knew." He swallowed the fire that had built inside his throat, then stalked off.

Welk crept over and helped Werr up, saying rather meekly, "You okay?"

((He's not actually being all that arrogant, he just wants answers. xD))

Werr swallowed hard, shaking his head. He frowned at Welk. "Why aren't you angry? Obelisk...he attacked Isslia. I would think you'd be a little more angry..." He thought long and hard. Obelisk...didn't look like he used to. The height, the bandages, the blackened skin...of course, he had his new body. Of course he didn't look the same. Then why did Isslia give them that description...? Werr shook his head, trying to clear his anger.

"He's catching up," Sylas met them on the road. "Calm down, Werr. Your emotions always cloud your mind..." He smiled a bit, almost...knowingly. He knew why. Werr felt another flash of frustration, but he shook it off again as he stood and brushed himself off.

"Th-thanks, Zephyr," Werr muttered, brushing himself off. "I think...I think we should go back. And calmly ask Obelisk what's going on. We might just need his help, anyways..."

((Yeah, but he's going about it all grumpy-like. :3))

Zephyr didn't look back at him, but he finally said "...I'll go speak to him first and see if he'll even face you. He has the full right to refuse, after all." He turned and walked off, snorting quietly.

Welk pursed his lips for a moment, then said "Well...I'm mad, yeah, but...I kinda...believe Lexi." He hesitated, then said "I mean, Lexi is a really smart girl. And you heard Isslia. Blackened skin and all yucky like. Obelisk doesn't look like that anymore. I think there's something odd going on here. Really, really odd."

"No kidding." Werr sighed, watching Zephyr walk off. He looked down, then turned to walk towards the inn again. "I...I need to apologize to Lexi. On the way, Sylas...you can explain to me what you know. You're hiding something from me. I don't like it."

Sylas seemed a bit...distraught. "I suppose you have the right to know..." He shuffled his foot against the floor. "You're such a bright boy. You definitely picked up on my intelligence...but...do you recall the deal I made with that witch? To...to sacrifice someone close to me in order to gain immunity to all illusions, mind-tricks, and...other things?"

"How could I forget?" Werr tutted.

"Witches are...impatient. If you don't get them what they want in time, they...start meddling with your life."

"The pain you were feeling. The pain that didn't give you a choice. You had to...sacrifice mother." Werr narrowed his eyes at his father, not too happy still.

"Y-yes. I did that. The witch...cackled and laughed and told me the truth. She...had cursed your mother. She never was the same woman I married, she...was tempermental, judgemental, and...well, a bit loopy, as you know. She used to be sharp as a tack, always the bright thinker, just like me. But...the witch had cursed her. And that curse carried on to you. Your mind was better, quicker and stronger when you bottled up your emotions...but your friends came along, and you couldn't keep them bottled up anymore. Remember? You've never been quite the same since."

"So...you're telling me that I got cursed, too? What on earth can I do? Make a deal with that disgusting witch, or--"

"No! You can't fix it! Don't go down the same road I did, Werr. It's not...it's not worth it." Sylas shook his son's shoulders, and Werr realized that he was crying. "Y-your mother...I loved her, Werr...I don't want you to suffer like this...that witch will take everything you love away from you, and for what? Clarity of mind? It's just...not worth that..." He recollected himself, wiping his eyes. "Son, I want you to go to Lexi. Make things right with her. And try...try to control your emotions. Don't bottle them up, but definitely do whatever you can to...to be happier. That's a start, yes? Welk can help you. If that little bundle of energy doesn't know how to make you happy, then there's no hope for you. But I know he can do it." Sylas looked towards Welk, smiling slightly again. "Would you kindly help my son? Smack him upside the head when he says stupid things, make him laugh when he's upset...and anything else you have to do. It might be a silly question, but...would you please?"

Welk smiled his bright smile and looped an arm around Werr's neck, saying "If not me, then who else?" He faced Werr with his handsome smile and murmured "I know him almost better than I know myself. He's my other half. I'll certainly smack him around a bit when he needs it, but only because I would expect the same thing if our roles were reversed. I swore that I would be his knight and protect him with my life, and I meant it. And I've kept that promise for years. Almost died a few times, too." He sighed and rested his forehead gently on Werr's shoulder, murmuring "He's my best friend.

"How can I do anything less than everything for him?"