The Forgotten Zodiac

((Neathor won't be killed here, obviously. Maybe Lexi will call Obelisk to help them and Remor will try to control Neathor and Welk will spot his change and go for it, yanking the eternal crystal free and dying.))

The dragon flung his wings out and flapped quickly to get air borne, but Neathor had spotted them. He turned from Welk (who shouted several unmentionables at it) and sped towards the dragon, who quickly leapt high into the air, circling overhead.

"We made it!" Lexi said, clutching the book to her chest.

"No," Naybrin said, making them freeze. "Be ready. We're not free yet."

Neathor had sunk down into the water, bubbles frothing up from the deep. Welk, who was still near the surface, cocked his head in confusion before turning and trying to get up to the others.

A long tongue shot out of the water and wrapped around him, and he hardly had time for a strangled yelp before he was yanked into the water.

Lexi immediately ducked her head and pressed her hands together, closing her eyes tightly. "Obelisk, please!" she cried, tears leaking from her lids. "We need your help! I don't want to die, and I don't want my friends to die either! Please help us!"

The air grew colder at once.

Neathor was dragging Welk through the water, still held tightly in his tongue, and when the beast saw Carlyle approaching, he turned in the water and opened his jaws wide, his tongue yanking Welk's still-struggling figure towards its gaping maw, where sharp white teeth waited and a long throat yawned wide, ready to suck the half-cat down into the depths of its body.

A heavy rumble echoed from the water, then the huge monster turned towards the dragon again. If they thought they were safe, high up in the sky, they were wrong.

The huge creature moved faster and faster in the water, heading for the surface, and leapt out. Only a mere quater of its body breeched the surface, but as it headed for the water, it did not reenter. Slowly, its entire long, snake-like body rose from the water like some sort of strange flying snake. It bared its teeth in a cruel snarl, bellowing to the world of its power, and rose up, up, up into the sky. They could see several thick white bags on its stomach that had inflated, allowing it to fly, but they were so big that they knew they would have a hard time puncturing them, if at all.

Welk shook his head, blinking his eyes open and spitting out a mouthful of water, then lifted his water-logged wings and managed to get into the air, pulling Carlyle up with him.

"Fly, fly, fly, fly!" Carlyle screamed.

"Lexi, use the book!" Cyprus wailed. "Throw it back in the water, do...do something!"

"This is all going to Tartarus in a handbasket," Forin snarled. "Wait...Tartarus! We've got to teleport, or--"

"Nopity-nopeity-nope~!" Snider laughed, floating on his back next to them, flying without wings or anything of the sort. "Kaislun is closed. Resu locked it up tight the second the Temple of Stars was wrecked. She's not going to open it until the Titan souls are secured, at that. Sorry~!" He vanished again, his laugh lingering for a moment.

"Shoot...what are we going to do...?!" Werr looked back at the great beast chasing them. This was insane, there was no way they could take down something like this...

But they had to. If they failed, not only they would perish, but so would the rest of the world. Everything would be laid to ruin, just like Snider wanted. They couldn't let that happen.

Welk flew up and deposited Carlyle on Naybrin's back, flying close as the dragon put up a large shield of magic around them to warn off Neathor. The massive monster flew circles around them, and there were times when all they could see were its scales, not a hint of sky or sea. It tried to bite the shield several times, but Naybrin held it off strongly. But he was weakening quickly; he was old, and the power of a huge Titan was draining to fight.

Welk flew in and landed just in front of Werr, sitting backwards on the dragon's back and facing his friends and family. He let his crimson eyes met Werr's over Isslia's head. In the coal-black depths of Werr's eyes, Welk saw many things. He saw fear and concern, which he felt rivaled in his own. Seeing Werr afraid made his heart hurt. Seeing Lexi crying, Isslia with her face pressed into Werr's chest, was hard to stomach. One of the worst ones was seeing Cynyr hold Seria close, tucking her head under his chin and closing his single eye, as if waiting for the final blow to fall. Luna was holding Diana tight, with Forin's arm wrapped around her from behind, trying to hold his dear ones close. Luen sat with his back to Forin, one hand twined tightly in his dear friend's, the other holding Nate's hand. Nate, with a new child at home and a lovely wife waiting for him to return, waiting for the one she couldn't live without. Zelana looked at Carlyle and slowly took his hand, then leaned in and kissed him, tears sliding down her cheeks. Dmitry held Marion close, stroking her hair and running his fingers down her back, wanting to comfort her and himself, Spy curled up in his lap. The little chimera had his own family to go home to.

Welk watched all of this through his deep crimson eyes, feeling a deep sadness well up inside him, then he turned and studied the huge creature circling them. He stared at the huge sacks gleaming along its belly, then turned his gaze to Remor, laughing away above them.

Instantly, a feeling settled in Welk's chest. A feeling he had felt only once before. A feeling he had hoped never to have again.

He swallowed, then looked down at Werr and met his gaze again, his eyes now sad and round with unhappiness.

"Welk..." Werr murmured, then flinched as Nate took off from Naybrin's back. The Dragonian threw himself at Remor, but was too easily thrown aside by the horrible man's shadow powers. Nate redirected his attention to Neathor, screaming out his rage and frustration with their current predicament. He had taken his sword back from Carlyle, and was using it now to try and slash at Neathor's left eye. He was drenched in a hot, bright green blood of some kind; Neathor was definitely not invincible, however large he was. Titans were not gods.

Neathor roared and gave a lurch that followed his entire body, causing his whole frame to ripple like some sort of distended snake. He hissed and snarled, thrashing slowly through the air, his bulk twitching and shuddering about in the clouds. His huge eye opened and stared angrily at Nate, and it was clear that the dragonian was still far too underpowered to do much to him.

A hole opened on Neathor's flank and fired a stream of boiling hot water at Nate, knocking him aside.

Nate managed to cover himself with his wings in time to avoid being burned too badly. It was still hot, though, and Nate was now soaking wet. Soon, the water would cool, especially with him flying about like this...the Dragonian wasn't about to give up, though. He went after the beasts ears, this time. The uncovered holes at the sides of the Titan's head. He rammed his sword in as deep as it could possibly go, and he was met with more green blood. This time, however, he couldn't get his sword out. It was stuck fast, and not about to budge anytime soon. Nate snarled and kicked it in, trying to bury the blade deeper.

Neathor howled and hissed, turning his head and craning his massive jaws around to face the dragonian. He opened his jaws and light began building before Nate could hardly blink. Power that resembled Naybrin's billowed out, until Neathor released it.

Welk darted out of the shield and grabbed the dragonian's tail, jerking him out of the way as the blast shot out, piercing the surface of the water. The waves immediately ruptured upwards, blowing burning water everywhere as the ocean surface came alive with electricity.

Nate let himself be dragged aside, flying back to Naybrin. He couldn't do much more, he had lost his only weapon that could possibly be effective...

"Idiot," Forin snarled. "You've only managed to irritate him!"

"I tried! I don't see you doing much!" Nate snapped back.

"Tch," The Tartaran stood, drawing Vorpal and pointing him skyward. He stood there for a long moment, then turned back and spat, "I CAN'T FLY, YOU IDIOT."

"Don't yell at me, yell at your designer!"

"Guys, we don't exactly have time to argue!" Carlyle growled at them.

"The gnashing ma...maw of destruction and decay...laying to waste all before it...th-the gruesome Titan Nea-Neathor comes..." Obelisk whispered, barely even conscious.

"Oh ye-es, just keep quoting that stupid book. It won't work for you, Obelisk, it won't work for anyone." Remor laughed. "Go now, Neathor! Force them to behold your mighty power, and lay to waste the world for an eternity to come!" He was far from making the same mistake Snider did; he wasn't about to insult something that could very well devour him.

Neathor threw his head back, snarling and roaring, then turned and slammed back into the water, sinking below before turning skywards again and looking to the land. He opened his huge mouth and charged up the most powerful electric blast they had seen yet, then began destroying the ground, slowly moving inwards.

They stared in horror, watching the destruction that was happening as the ocean waves began churning again, slowly beginning to wash up onto the shore.

((Yes.

-sits in the corner crying at the thought of Diana and Seria being with Remor-))

Naybrin panted, his body trembling with exhaustion and fear. "The book..." he said softly, swallowing. "The book...on the 777th page...L-Lexi...read it..."

Cynyr, who had gotten hold of the book, quickly thrust it into Lexi's hands. The pale, frightened girl quickly flipped through to the appropriate page, her hands shaking, and began to read.

"Forger of the skies and sea, master of fire, earth, wind and rain; bless us now, this holy day. 'Lo, the tragedies of men befall men, such as the scourge of evil befall evil. Bring forth thine day, shineth the sun's rays upon us now, as we humble ourselves before thee and offer the world to your mercies. Let these words channel thy bidding upon the land below ye, that the world you created may yet remain wholesome and good, as you first saw fit to make it."

The result was...well, tremendous. Such power flowed through the air, concentrating on the earth, the water, the skies itself. Neathor's energy blast was thrown off course by a sharp wind, redirecting it to the water. The broken, smoldering ground itself moved, clicking together and forming what could only be described as a Rock Golem. It was huge, easily towering up to Neathor's height. With a mighty rumble and a roar that shook the skies and earth alike, it swung its huge hand down and landed a solid punch to Neathor's face.

Neathor recoiled, his huge form rippling with the force of the blow like a water-logged hose. He screamed a roar that seemed to shatter the sky itself and charged forward into the golem, throwing it backwards with a bellow.

On Naybrin, Lexi looked on the verge of passing out. Her arms shook and her nails dug deeply into the leather on the back of the book, unable to let go. Her eyes had taken on a sunken expression, her face slack and weak, her skin pale and sallow. Cynyr and Werr had to pry the book from her hands, and once it was free, she slumped against Werr, her expression still blank.

Werr held her close, clearly panicking. He hadn't expected it to hurt her... "Lexi, are you okay? Lexi, speak to me...look at me, Lexi, look at me. I'm here." He murmured, holding her close. The golem continued to move, slowly righting itself and moving into a steady charge. It barreled into Neathor with all of its might, roaring again. This time, it brought its hand open-palmed into the side of Neathor's head; Nate's sword, still lodged in the behemoth's ear canal, sank ever deeper. More blood than ever spurted forth, splashing into the sea below like a sickly waterfall.

((WHY DO I HAVE THE POWER RANGERS THEME SONG STUCK IN MY HEAD))

((Trinny's post.))

Neathor bellowed and jerked his head around, preparing another blast that he aimed at the golem's head and chest. It destroyed the golem's head completely, along with part of its chest. It flailed slowly for a moment, then rock began lifting from the land and reforming its body so it could keep fighting. It was insanely powerful, and Neathor had clearly found a match.

Lexi slumped against Werr, panting and shaking still, occasionally twitching from the use of the Goddess' power through her. She pressed her face into his neck, crying weakly, still giving slight tremors once in a while.

Welk watched her upsettedly, hoping she would be okay.

Werr watched, tense and frustrated. Behind the golem, the land had suffered more damage. If they were to put Neathor down without casualties...

It was already too late, though. With a jolt of alarm, Werr realized that the hunk of land that had been ripped from existence had engulfed half of the small portside village they had first stopped in. From way up high, Werr couldn't even see the people or hear the screams; but he definitely knew the location of the town. And the pillar of smoke engulfed it.

"We need another golem," Nate gritted his teeth. "Give me that book, I'll do it."

"It won't work," Werr snapped at him.

"What do you mean?!"

"Only the pure-hearted can use this! It makes sense...the Goddess can't be tarnished by human's evil. I'm sorry to say it, Nate, but neither of us exactly have the cleanest hands, you know." Werr shook his head. "Lexi...Lexi is too tired to do it again..."