The Forgotten Zodiac

"Thank you, Luen...don't worry, I...I think I might know what's going on here. Just...hold on. Don't give up." Forin murmured, brushing his fingers against Luen's cheek before turning back to the glowing, pulsing orb, and the new sword. Forin thought long and hard about what ideas he had about this, then slowly held the glowy orb to the blade, pressing the two together. He wasn't entirely sure what he was doing, to be honest. He just wanted...he wanted a dear friend back.

Nothing happened at all.

A stray tear wandered down Forin's cheek. He sighed heavily, then held the orb closer to himself, starting to cry. "I...I'm so sorry, Vorpal...I shouldn't have been so stupid. I should have...prepared more for the fight, or...something..."

Slowly, the orb grew soft in his hand, like it had turned into putty. The sword in Forin's other hand was consumed soundlessly in light, fading away into nothing. The orb glowed to match the absorbed blade, then Forin felt a small brush of warmth on his cheeks as his tears were taken in as well. With each object consumed, then orb grew more and more like a liquid. Except...it stayed together. Then it formed a shape.

It glowed so bright for a moment that it hurt Forin's eyes. Then it faded, revealing a tiny, familiar silver imp that was left behind, except this imp was a mere half of his old size. He was hardly any taller than Forin's pinky finger, but the Tartaran could see that he was growing very, very slowly.

But it was indeed Vorpal, because the connection had just flickered back to life in Forin's mind.

Forin blinked in astonishment, letting go and allowing it to float in the air. He cut his own finger open and let the growing Vorpal absorb that. A strand of his hair, a couple more tears, it all helped Vorpal grow and connect further with him. "Vorpal...Vorpal? Are you there? Are you...alive again?" He swallowed hard, smiling slightly.

The tiny imp, who had been steadily growing with each addition of Forin's, finally shifted a bit. Forin at once felt the old connection stir in the back of his mind, then Vorpal opened his glowing oval eyes and coughed. He tilted his head up at Forin, ever so slowly, just breathing softly and peering up at his master. Then he slowly extended a tiny hand and draped it over Forin's finger, resting his head against his palm as a tiny smile flickered over the pale, miniscule mouth.

"Vorpal...Vorpal. My dear friend..." Forin sighed heavily, closing his eyes. He held the little imp close, which helped him grow even faster. "How are you still alive? You burned in the lava...I thought for sure you were gone for good, I...I was so ashamed of myself. I couldn't even kill Dulce without relying on the corruption..." He sighed heavily, looking down. He was still upset at himself for that. That reminder of his weakness...that was why he left the scar around his arm. That was why he didn't want it gone. A reminder of how useless he was without his friends.

Vorpal rested for a moment longer, then murmured "I...was dead...for a while, there... But...master Forin, I am only...a weapon...my 'spirit' had to go somewhere...because of that...and so I returned...to my creator...and I'm well aware...that I nearly killed him. It wasn't...my fault, though...I had no control over it..." He exhaled against Forin's skin, then said "I'm...just...a weapon. That's all. I am only...allowed to die...when you do. I am just a mere weapon..."

"It's fine...he'll be okay. We need to get you out of here, Vorpal. Luen will be better once you're out of his mind again." He turned back to the Kirin. "Luen, open your eyes. Look who's here!" He smiled, stroking the Kirin's forehead gently. "It's Vorpal. Vorpal was hurting you because he needed to get out, that's all...so we can leave now, and everything will be okay. You'll feel better, Luen, you won't be sick anymore..."

Luen groaned weakly, sweat dripping lazily down the side of his head from just under the wraps around his eyes. He didn't have to fumble for Forin's hand; the Tartaran saw the faint twitch of his fingers and clasped his hand tightly. That was all it took. Luen sighed, and they were teleported back into their proper bodies, now with Vorpal in tow.

Back outside, Luen was still severely weak, but already slowly regaining color. Having another spirit invade your own was truly dreadful.

Obelisk would know.

"Ah...haa..." Forin blinked a bit, sitting bolt upright. "Vorpal, you're with us. Good, good, good..." He leaned back on the couch, setting the imp down in Diana's hands. The others hadn't moved them much, thanks to Obelisk's instruction, but Allie was there.

"Is he okay?" She murmured, leaning over the side of her chair to inspect Luen carefully.

Forin blinked up at her, then slowly nodded. "Yeah, he's fine." He smiled a bit, then moved out from under Luen and helped Allie sit in that place instead. Forin took his place behind the couch, leaning over it slightly so Luen could still see him, but the Kirin mostly saw his girlfriend.

If he could see, at any rate.

Allie smiled down at Luen. "Are you feeling any better?"

((Fixed))

The ice mage panted softly, then hesitantly pushed up the edge of the cloth around his eyes, straining to see them. After a moment, he finally managed to get his eyes to focus. His smile, when it came, was soft and tender, and obviously heartfelt. Tears leaked down his cheeks as he murmured "Yeah...a bit." He held Allie's hand tightly, still feeling rather sore internally, and blinked quietly up at Forin. "You...got him?" he asked weakly, his long ears laying flat against Allie's arm.

Vorpal was still sleeping solidly in Forin's hand, exhausted and fragile. He was still reforming his hard silver coating, after all, and would be tender for a few hours.

((Whoops, forgot about that. Editing last post. 939))

"Yeah. I got him." Forin smiled slightly. He was just as gentle as always with the little imp. Nothing had changed about that.

"Oh, Luen...don't worry about them. You should focus on resting, and healing yourself..." She leaned over and kissed his forehead, smiling gently. "I'll hold you until you're well enough to hold yourself up."

Forin smiled a bit. "I think I need a nap, myself. We can take one at the same time, Luen. It's alright; Obelisk is here, after all. And hopefully, Cyprus, Galai and Naybrin will return soon, too." He walked over to another couch and laid down on it, smiling when Diana immediately snuggled up with him. Ophile wandered over and laid down in front of said couch, also smiling happily as he dozed off.

"There. That has to be it." Cyprus pointed down. The cliff edge was wide and...blank. Nothing but rock and patches of grass. "I can see life force down there. A lot of it. If that's not the ocean-pounding cliff we're looking for, I don't know what is." Cyprus murmured. "Is this right, Death?" He looked back to the Titan, frowning slightly.

Death was sitting quietly on Naybrin's back, his long, slender bone-legs folded under him, his wings spread slightly to help keep his balance.

"Where the Western Winds blow..." he quoted, tilted his head back a bit at the soft breeze that blew. "...to the tidal sea ye go..." He glanced over to the sea nearby. "...where the skies doth bash..." The clouds overhead literally seemed to be tearing each other apart as two different currents blew them around. "...where the sea and rock clash..." He winced as some of the sea-spray blew into his face. "...yes, it seems all ye are missing is one next to three, ten steps past the wind-swept tree. And that won't be hard to miss."

"Thou art an old tale-teller!" Life snapped, folding her arms across her ample chest and glaring at him. "Honestly, one next to three? What doth that even mean?!"

She flopped backwards against a large rock settled neatly between three smaller rocks, frowning at her brother.

"I know what it is! I know!" Althos pointed, jumping up and down once he was let off of Naybrin. "Look," He pointed up. One large cloud was in the sky, right behind a leafless, leaning tree. Three large birds were sitting there, regarding the group with contempt; vultures. Not a very common sight near the sea, but the islands were definitely odder than most.

"I don't think that's quite it, but that is a windswept tree," Cyprus tilted his head. "Be careful, child, I don't want to lose you. Here," He crouched down and offered his back to the small boy. Althos quickly climbed up, happy to have a piggy-back ride from anyone.

He still had no idea who all he was with, really. He was just an innocent child.

((I see what you vulture there. >:3 ))

Naybrin slowly began to count out ten steps past the poor, tilted tree. At his tenth step, they heard something under the sand and rock shift, followed by a loud clicking sound.

The ground under Naybrin fell in, and he released a roar of terror, lashing out with his tail as long spikes knifed through his thick scales. He was gored through in several places, blood spurting from his mouth. A trap, a clever trap, to protect the main entrance from being found. Nobody showed up, however, so they knew they had not yet been discovered. But from the way Death flinched and started toward Naybrin and then stopped told them the king was hurt. Badly.

((x3 I realized that I had never mentioned them before. It's not often that I do, but I felt like I needed it. o3o))

"No! Don't!" Cyprus grabbed Death's arm and pulled him back, lowering Althos to the ground. He tried his hardest, focusing as he slipped down into the cavern. "Hold still, Naybrin, hold still..." He murmured, placing his hands on the great dragon's neck. The forced transformation was effortless, but left Naybrin still stuck to one spike.

"Galai, I need help!" He called up to the queen, very unhappy. He pulled Naybrin off the spike and did what he could to keep Naybrin alive. He couldn't heal the wounds very much, though...

((Haha~))

The king twitched and gurgled, withering around in Cyprus' arms, blood gushing from the gaping hole in his stomach and the one in his chest, where he had been spiked completely through. Galai rushed over, bending next to the pale dragon and placing her hands over his chest, quickly trying to close the jagged wounds. "Naybrin, Naybrin, look at me," she said, placing a hand on his cheek as she tried to get his eyes to focus on her. "Look at me, Naybrin!"

His head lolled lifelessly under her fingers, his eyes struggling to stay open.

"These wounds are on Werr now, too," Cyprus murmured unhappily. "The most we can do is keep him alive. But if Werr...if Werr isn't with Seria, then..."

Seria, thankfully, was there. But she and Lexi were both tired from healing other wounds. So when Werr suddenly started gushing blood from his chest, stomach and mouth...oh, the screaming. Lexi and Isslia both screamed the second it happened, and Welk had screamed for Seria to come. All the sudden noise woke Diana up, who curled tighter into Forin's grip and started to cry quietly.

"Stay alive, Naybrin, please...we can't do this without you." Cyprus murmured. Sure, he wasn't on a time limit anymore, what with Yemara's abilities - and magic - lengthening and strengthening his own. But he wasn't talking about their current mission. Something...something else. Something he knew Naybrin had to be around for. "Come on, Naybrin, stay awake!" He wailed, pushing more magic into the first being that had ever existed on the planet.

((Also, since we didn't do it last book AND YOU GOT TO DO IT TO LUEN IN THE FIRST BOOK someone is going to be missing by the end of the book and won't turn up until the fourth. 030

Not sayin' who. Just thought you should have a heads-up.))

((What, whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy. Who is itttttttttttt. -rolls depressedly on the ground-))

Naybrin coughed several times, blood splattering from his throat, and it was about by this time that Life stepped forward. "I am not meant to interviene," she murmured. "But...I cannot bear the suffering of the First..." She bent her slender, gold-tipped nails down and pressed her palm against Naybrin's forehead.

His wounds closed and he was instantly restored to full health, blinking in shock.

((Still making my mind up on that. But Remor will be involved.

I was thinking a split like Dulce and Forin's. A duplicate body will be made with Remor in it. He'll steal Cern's darkness (I thought it was time to get that out of him) and make off with someone. Probably not Werr, Isslia, or any of yours. Not to worry.

Probably Diana.))

"T-thanks..." Cyprus murmured, examining the wounds. They didn't return. "Okay. Well...Werr was healed too, then. We need to be more careful, I don't want--" He stopped short as Althos let out a wail.

Climbing back up the pit wall revealed the simple truth; the vultures were pecking at him and going after his bag, which held his lunch. Bread and cheese. The vultures were hungry enough for it, apparently. Little Althos was scratched and pecked (and very scared), but his wounds were miniscule. Cyprus was easily able to heal the wound and get the boy back onto his back safely. "Can you walk on your own, Naybrin?" He questioned, curious.

((Mememe. I hate the thought of Diana being taken by that creep. Who knows what he could do to her...?
And I wouldn't mind if he snatched Lexi or Seria.))

"I...I can," Naybrin said, sounding shaky. He stood up, feeling his chest softly, then shook himself and turned, shifting back to dragon form and prodding at the spikes in the hole in the ground. Sure enough, there was a secret lever than, when thrown, revealed a long staircase down into darkness.

"This looks like our place," the First King said, then began the trek down.