The Forgotten Zodiac

Tygan began stroking Boko's head at once, tilting his head at the drakeling. "Ask and I will do my utmost best," he said kindly, scratching his claws along Boko's chin. "What do you need, child? The air of depression is not one that fits you."

"He probably just wants to intrude and be mopey again! Drakelings, HUH!" Flanis squawked, then gave a sharp bat screech as Tygan flicked a wing out and bowled him over.

"In other words, Flanis says he wants to help too," the hawk said, glaring over his shoulder at the bat.

Flanis hissed and turned away with his arms crossed.

Tygan thought about it, then said "Flanis? Are your crafting skills up to a new task?"

The bat glared at him through his large, round glasses, then suddenly hopped forward and began taking measurements across Boko's working wings, tutting and moving the drakeling's wings this way and that. "It would be a simple mechanic," he said, pulling a notebook out of his pocket and beginning to scribble away. "If I get the materials, I can make it."

"Can you make it by tomorrow?" the hawk asked.

The bat glared up at him and snapped "What do you think I am?! I would have to go without sleep! I could hardly pause to eat! I would have to work all night along!"

"Do it and I'll give you a vial of my blood," the hawk said flatly.

The bat stiffened, then slowly said "Perhaps...two?"

The hawk hesitated, then sighed and said "Whatever it takes to get you to work properly."

Looking flustered, the bat jotted down a list of supplies and handed it to the hawk, saying "Get me these things and I will craft a masterpiece. I personally think our time would be better spent bringing that demigod that we've heard so much about here. After all, this wing will be temporary, and I can't keep making a new one everytime he grows a bit. It won't work forever."

"Then we'll get him after the ceremony, or even try and get our hands on a dragon-scale potion," Tygan said. "For now, this will work."

"Yes, you can help," Tygan said, eyeing the list. "This says we'll need metal. We'll probably have to find some and melt it ourselves, since we don't have the time to find a town and buy it. Boko, I'm trusting that you or one of your friends knows where to find some deposits. Flanis has the power to shape whatever we'll need. We just need the ore. I'll go gather the wood materials we'll need. I saw some good pieces as we were walking here..."

Tygan stared at the metal and lifted the ore chunk, giving it expert taps with his claws. "The purest form," he said with a wide smile. "What say you, Flanis?"

The bat took the metal and licked it, then began making a few taps on his with his claws, using his large ears to listen intently. "Yes," he said, nodding his head quickly. "Yes, yes, yes, this works oh so perfectly. This is more than better...except I don't have a forge."

"Are you daft?" Tygan said. "We're kind of in the land of dragons. They have build-in forges."

"Bleh!" Flanis squeaked shrilly, sticking his tongue out at the hawk, then turned and said "Now we just need the other ingrediants and I can get to work."

The list wasn't very long, but Flanis' choices of materials were all a bit complicated. All in all, it was about three-and-a-half hours' worth of gathering before he was ready to start. Then, all he requiered was the hot flames of dragon fire to begin work.

Boko couldn't produce that on his own, and most of the other dragons were sleeping...but of course, Boko knew right where to go.

"Firestorm!" Boko jumped up and down in the entrance to the lone dragon male's nest. "Fiiii-ire-stoooo-orm!" He yelled. "I need to turn in a favor. Remember when you had that rat living in a hole in your scales and I smoked it out for you? Yes, yes, I need to turn in that favor. I need your fire. You're the only one who can do it, your fire is the hottest out of everyone's! I need that." He requested eagerly.

Boko's uncle lifted his head wearily, frowning down at the drakeling. "I was sleeping," he retorted, slowly heaving himself to his feet and giving himself a shake. "Fine, fine. What am I doing?" he asked, and Boko happily led him back to the two avons. Firestorm stopped on sight of the half-humans, his teeth pulling back lightly in a snarl. "What are these doing here?" he said. It seemed that the only human he had ever not been angry towards had been Dark, Obelisk's old minion.

"They are helping me, uncle Firestorm," Boko purred. "Don't be angry at them. See," He showed them his torn up right wings. "I can't participate in the coming-of-age ceremony without wings. So they're making me something that will help. And we need your fire to do it. Please, uncle? They're here under Vaira's invitation, if that means anything..."

Firestorm stared at them for a moment longer, then exhaled heavily and said "Fine, whatever. I suppose I'll help. What do you need?"

Flanis went on to explain the situation, and that all he needed Firestorm to do was lay down and occasionally blow fire from his mouth when the bat asked for it. The ruby red dragon complied, knowing it was for Boko...and he personally wanted to see Leonen bite it, anyways. "Just promise me you'll win, Boko," he said. Apparently, Mithor had told him of Boko's intentions, and Firestorm himself had seen Leonen's brutallity towards the other dragonlings.

Boko smiled a little bit. "I'll do everything I can. But...I can't make a promise I can't keep. I...I don't know for certain if I can win. I just know that if I don't, Shiya..." Boko trailed off, shaking his head. He shifted uncomfortably a bit, watching the sun approach the horizon. This would be a big day...

Soon, he fell asleep, lying against Firestorm. He had hardly slept at all, and at this point, he kind of needed a bath...

*

Leo opened one bright yellow eye, moving to lift his head and frowning when he couldn't. Probably because Sylas was leaning on him, his arms wrapped tightly around the panther's head and neck.

"Sylas."

A snore.

"Sylas?"

The same result.

Leo huffed softly, then promptly flicked his tail about and whacked his best friend in the back of his head. "Hey! Get off already," he snapped.

Sylas jerked and opened his eyes, grunting a bit as he pushed himself upright. "Sorry," He laughed a bit, then stretched until his back popped. "I guess I was so relieved to have you back that I just held on until I fell asleep..." He surmised, frowning slightly. "I still can't believe we're not dead..."

"It's luck, I tell you," Leodhaius grunted. "And we're going to run out, one of these days. I'm betting on it. Not really, but you know." He stood up and stretched low, curling his tail up over his head for a moment before straightening. "Are we going to go look again today?" he asked. "Or are we calling it quits? I know you don't like to hear it, but he's probably long gone by now. It's...been a while, Sylas."

"Of course we're looking more!" Sylas said hotly, then looked down. "It's...it's all my fault, Leo. I can't just let him be taken...every minute that passes is another that he could potentially be...dead..." He looked up sharply as there was a knock on the door.

"A letter came for you, Sylas." It was Obelisk. "And I'd like to know what this means. 'We have your son, come to the Tanena river bridge two miles south of town at sunrise'. Werr is still in here," He patted his chest. "So what the heck does this mean?"

"Oh...could they have mistaken him for my son?" Sylas stood, taking the note. "Leo, look at this! This is exactly what I've been waiting for. We can't pass this up." He glared out the window. "It's almost sunrise. Let's go, let's go!" He tugged on his friend's arm, practically jumping up and down.

"Not so fast. Explain, first."

"We lost Dark, okay?" Leo snapped. "He was taken around when we entered the capital city. He diappeared for a moment and we couldn't find him again. We've been looking like crazy; it's exhausting work. Sylas is right, though. This is our chance. I guess we're going to get the little flea back." He flicked his long tail and nudged Sylas, saying "Don't forget your weapons. I don't trust anyone that would just snatch a kid off the street."

Sylas nodded eagerly, grabbing up his throwing knives and something that looked suspiciously like a modified hatchet. Obelisk suddenly seized Leo by the scruff of the neck, lifting the half-cat up to eye-level. "Listen to me and you listen good." He growled. "You will get that boy back. Dark is...mine. My child. My creation. Here," He forced a necklace onto the half-cat's neck. A silver chain, and a small pendant in a pentagon shape. Makeshift-looking, and flooding with dark magic. "If he's anywhere close to death, open that. It should fix him right up. Understand?" He dropped Leo and stormed out.

"And if you don't get him back...you're going to pay for not telling me he was missing in the first place. And here I thought you had left him in Kaislun..."

Leo slumped to the ground, coughing and glaring after the tall, retreating figure of the dark lord. "Boy..." he said around choked coughs. "Isn't he just...lovely? If I didn't know any better, I would think he was trying to take my place as 'Happiest Person on the Planet'. Bah." He got back up, shaking his fur out before turning back to Sylas. "Let's go get the little freak back already, before Mr. Happy Sunshine decides to kill me."