The Forgotten Zodiac

Spy thought about it for a moment, then nodded. "You're right...I just...I just have to go talk to them. I'll tell them the truth about who I am and what's wrong. I'll tell them. Can I?" He looked up at Zex.

"Go ahead." Zex nodded quietly, moving his hands. Spy jumped down, running on all fours out the door and to the room the Jag, Lily and Cinnoa were in. Zex watched him go, then sighed and stood again. He stared at the lantern for a moment, which hummed quietly. The dead slave sighed heavily, then walked out of the throne room and down towards the dungeons.

Jagat was down there, curled up with Lily, who had Cinnoa in her arms. The gryphon looked tired, but he also seemed angry. He wanted nothing more than to get his family out of here, and he didn't know where Spy had gone off to, or why they were locked up, or what to do, and it was all just a huge jumble of things he didn't like and couldn't understand.

Spy wormed his way through the bars, sniffing Cinnoa's hair before nosing Jagat. "Jag? I...I should tell you. It's my fault they know about us." He explained in full, albiet hurriedly. "'Cuz see? I used to be a person like you," He transformed to his human form, something he didn't do very often. Hardly ever, really. "But I died, and my older brother brought me back, but then he died, and so I ran away, and here we are now. But because of that, the bad guy who wants us all locked up here...he knows everything I know..." He trailed off and stared up at Jagat, returning to his odd rabbit-like form. He continued to stare up at Jag, not knowing what the reaction would be. From the slow way his tail was flicking, it was easy to tell that he was a little scared.

The gryphon blinked at him, then slowly stood up, flicking the stumps of his wings. His long tail curled around one leg as he walked over, towering over the little chimera in either form he used. He shifted forms, bending down to pick Spy up by his scruff, holding the limp little thing up off the ground. He then wordlessly turned and tucked Spy down against Lily, taking gryphon form again and laying down next to them.

Spy blinked in surprise, then nuzzled up against Lily's arm. He tucked his nose in baby Cinnoa's lap, sighing lightly and ruffling the baby's fuzzy hair. She was remarkably quiet, in spite of Lily's obvious trembling.

Zex looked on with an odd sort of longing before turning and facing Werr and Lexi's cell. "I'm sure you're aware by now what we came for..."

"I'd say you're going to poison me." Werr frowned.

"Oh?" Zex raised a brow.

"Yes. You addressed Naybrin as the 'first king', set up magic blocks to destroy our chances of fighting, and knew to sort us out like this to reduce struggling. I'd say you know that Naybrin and I are bonded in more ways than one..."

"Physical damage you gain is also gained by Naybrin, regardless of distance. And vice versa. Yes, we are aware of this." Zex murmured. "But poison does nothing to your bond and will not effect Naybrin..."

"You want to hurt me and only me. Not Naybrin, not anyone else...just me. I get it." Werr sighed. "How will you do it, then? You'll make me ingest it...it can't be gas, you'll get Lexi, too. It can't be water, or the same will happen. Needles leave traces. You're...just going to force it down my throat and be done with it."

"...Yes. It would be much easier if you just behaved and drank it," Zex said quietly. "But I can have Kage force you, if it comes to that. But...that would involve hurting her," He looked at Lexi. "I don't want to let him do that. Here," He held out a small bottle filled with a clear liquid. "You have about ten minutes to drink it before Kage comes down here. It's a slow acting poison...you'll have a couple weeks before death."

"But it's a magical sort of venom. Otherwise our healer would be able to draw it out of me." Werr sighed. "I get it." He took the bottle, sitting back down next to Lexanna.

"Yes. And please don't bother breaking the bottle. We have more." Zex said quietly, looking away. He found himself staring at Luna again.

((Kage should come downstairs and break the news about Fawn. She would have just passed away.))

((Aw poop. .n. Where's Malice?))

Lexi burst into tears at once, clinging frantically to Werr's clothes. "No, don't do it!" she said, clearly frightened. "I...I just got you back, I can't live if I have to lose you again!" She sobbed quietly, letting Werr pull her close. She turned her frantic gaze on Zex, begging "Why do you have to do this?! We've done nothing to you, nothing!" Finally, Werr shushed her and held her close, and she sobbed onto his shoulder.

Luna glanced up at Zex, her bright turquoise gaze curious. She didn't know why he was looking at her so intently, and thus, was unnerved by it.

((With Cern, hiding among the shadows. Kage could have found them, too. Probably with Malice crying over Fawn. He can just drag Malice and Cern downstairs and whine about what happened or something.))

Zex met her gaze for a long moment before he finally shook himself out of his odd trance. He looked back at Lexi and Werr. He opened his mouth like he was going to say something, then closed it again. Werr slowly uncapped the bottle, staring at the clear liquid before him. He closed his eyes and drank it all, throwing the bottle back at Zex.

The once-dead being caught it deftly. "Not my will, but Veros' done this day. I'm sorry. However useless a gesture it may be, I...I am sorry."

"Tch...you got what you want. What else are you here for?"

"Nothing," Zex said honestly. "We'll be leaving now, actually..."

"Seems like a lot of trouble just to poison a king."

"I thought so too. But again, this isn't my plan."

Lexi had tried frantically to knock the bottle from Werr's hand, and she burst into wailing sobs when she couldn't reach and he swallowed it. He couldn't quiet her this time, no matter what he said to her.

It all got worse when Kage strutted down the stairs, scowling and dragging little Malice by one horn, Cern following behind. "Yeah, keep up, Scarecrow, or the kid might lose an arm," the dragonian snapped, knowing he had Cern trapped in this regard. He let go of Malice, who stumbled to the ground when Kage pushed him, sobbing into his hands and saying something unintelligable. Something that sounded like "Mommy..."

"Kage, wha--this is Obelisk's son. Come on," He opened Obelisk's cell, getting Malice inside quickly. Cern followed, ignoring Zex's stares. "Kage, where did you find him? I thought his family was still in Herrace, not here." His eyes narrowed. "Where's Fawn? Obelisk's wife? I swear, Kage, I'll have you beheaded if you touched her..."

"I didn't do a thing! She was much too old for me," the dragonian answered, growling. A second later, his expression lifted into a cruel grin. "Which reminds me," he said, licking his lips darkly. "You'll notice I said 'was' too old for me." He cackled, then said "I'm afraid the little lady...is dead. Claimed by her sickness, that dreadful Scarlet Fever. She didn't stand a chance without the medicine."

Something started when Kage said those words. Something was boiling over. Something that Zex hadn't wanted to instill in anyone, least of all the almost-titan himself, Obelisk.

Rage.

"We need to leave. Go get Lance," Zex ordered, feeling...odd. The magic seals on this place were strained and stressed in a way they shouldn't have been. The once-dead boy stared into the cell that contained the limp, ancient being; Obelisk was nearly pure magic. The seals had forced him into a state of unconsciousness, or so Zex had thought. But he had definitely heard that, and he was definitely mad now. Even as Zex watched, a dark orb dislodged itself from Cynyr's satchel and slowly floated towards Obelisk's cell. Zex didn't even try to stop it; he held his hand out, waiting there for a long moment.

His lanteren returned to him. He snatched it out of the air before it could zoom past, and with that, he vanished. He reappeared in Forin and Luen's cell; he wrapped his arms around Luna and pulled her close to himself before disappearing again.

He reappeared in the carriage. Zex didn't let go of Luna, instead peering out the window, waiting on Kage and Lance. Hoping they'd make it out in time.

Luna gasped, struggling at once. "Unhand me!" she shouted, thrashing about to try and make Zex let go. "What are you doing?! You bring me back to Forin this instant! I want my boyfriend! Let GO!" She struggled again, saying "What are you even doing to me? Let me go! FORIN!" She knew he couldn't do anything, but it felt good to call for the one she loved beyond anything else.

Zex's grip was like steel, practically unbreakable. He held her still, pushing her away from the door when Kage entered the carriage. Lance slammed into the carriage after him, taking the reins and drivers seat and setting the horses into motion. They barely made it away in time; as they pulled away from it and the horses pounded down the road, what seemed to be a black flame engulfed the castle. There was a pop and a hiss from Zex's lantern, and he knew the magic seal was broken.

Lance quickly grew annoyed with Luna's screaming. "If you want to live, you'll shut up!" The woman snarled.

"Leave her alone," Zex snapped. "Focus on driving. Take the trade road." He ordered. Lance didn't have much of a choice.

((We'll go back to them soon.))

"Obelisk?" Werr hesitantly stood. Shadows were everywhere, crawling along the floor like huge spiders, engulfing every corner and every wall. With a number of clicks, the cell doors were unlocked and opened, all at once. Obelisk literally ran out of his cell, determined to get to his wife. Forin was right behind him, more determined to see if they really had taken Luna.

For both cases, it was far too late. Soon enough, Obelisk carried a corpse into the throne room, wrapped in bedsheets. He carefully rested her on a table to the side, and stepped back. Werr cleared his throat. "We'll...have a funeral...she can be buried here,"

"No. She'll be buried in Kaislun. I want her spirit to have Galai's blessing."

"We can't go to Kaislun! We have to get to Gossain as fast as possible," Forin snarled.

"Don't be a fool." Obelisk hissed at him. "We're going to Kaislun. It's on the way regardless."

"The dead are dead, Obelisk, where they're buried doesn't matter. You of all people should know that."

Obelisk stared at him, then sighed. "And what of Diana?"

"What about her?" Forin snorted.

"The flush in her cheeks. Her rising temperature and the slight crinkling sound her lungs make when she breathes. It's obvious; she caught Scarlet Fever."

"What...?" Forin blinked, turning to Diana to check on her. In the tense situation they had been in, Forin hadn't even noticed. It was all true. "What is the medicine made from?" He demanded, knowing full well how fatal it could be to young girls like Diana. The illness would take her far easier than it had taken Fawn.

"Gullyroot extract, primarily."

"That's...a Tartaran weed. That's why you were gone for so long?" Forin frowned.

"Yes, Forin. And that is why you're going to agree to go to Kaislun." Obelisk hissed. He turned back to the wrapped body, but glanced behind him. "Malice. Come here." He said, his voice quiet and pleading now.

Obelisk was still human. And this loss was as devastating to him as Werr's loss of Welk had been.

((Okey.))

The little boy shuffled forward at once, his gaze shocked and sorrowful. He didn't know what had happened to his mother, but he did know that he wanted her back. Why wasn't she getting up and comforting him, like she always did? She would tell him, without words, that she loved him, and hold him close, and kiss his forehead, and then, his favorite, gently stroke one of the large, dark-black horns growing out of his skull. She was the only one that made him like those things.

"Daddy..." he sobbed, moving forward to cling to his father's leg. When Obelisk picked him up, he buried his face into the man's shoulder.

"Malice, listen to me. Listen," Obelisk insisted, pulling Malice back so that he was face to face with his son. "Malice, your mother is gone, but I am still here. Never forget that. I'll always be here. And I love you, so much..." He hugged the boy again, sitting down heavily in a chair summoned by shadows.

He had known this day would come someday. Fawn had always been frail and constantly ill, and even if he hadn't wanted to, he knew full well that he would outlive his wife. He would outlive his son, too. He would live on from generation to generation, undying regardless of what may happen. It was a cold and ruthless thing, especially being aware of it, but Obelisk wasn't going to let it get to him this time. Those years were done and passed; he couldn't become a bitter old monster again. Malice needed him.

"Because you just ripped me away from my family without even a by-your-leave!" she raged at him, pushing away the offered hand, kerchief and all. As Forin knew quite well, Luna, as equally as being kind and sweet-hearted, was also fiery and venomous. She looked Zex up and down quickly, continuing to wipe tears from her eyes.

"Your family? You're not related to them." Zex blinked at her in mild confusion. "I...I acted without thinking. I would let you out now, but...we're already on the road. There are bandits out there. I don't want to endanger you so." He bit his lip. "I just...I wanted to look at you more. Your face...your hair. You're very beautiful. You reminded me of her, so I...I-I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have done this to you. I promise you, I'll do everything in my power to ensure you are unharmed." Zex insisted.

"What are you talking about?" Luna said, drawing back a bit more from him. "Who do I remind you of? I've never seen you before in my life, I don't know anything you're talking about. And I've been able to take care of myself before this. Why should that be any different now?" She was still angry, but now seemed thouroughly nonplussed.

"Of course you haven't seen me...I died years and years ago, I was just a poor farmer's boy..." Zex muttered. "I...did a very wrong thing. I called upon Veros, the Titan of Ages, to summon my younger brother's soul from the dead. It created a monstrosity that I had to tame...and then take care of. He was still...my little brother. Little Alexander...he was all I had, for the longest time. Mum and dad were far gone. Just one day...up and left. Not dead or anything, certainly not...but they hadn't loved us and they left us behind. Alexander was trampled by a bull a year later, he didn't survive. So I brought him back...I worked. I worked so very hard to support us both. Before and after my sin. But...I guess some people just didn't like me for what I had done. They just...hated me. Even though I had begged forgiveness from the temple priests, the high priest, and the Goddess herself. I begged and pleaded to be forgiven for my awful crime. And I worked hard to make up for it, too...I was working in the lumberyard on the weekends, and...I fell. Well, no. I was tripped. My face hit the sawblade. I was knocked out cold. I guess that didn't quite kill me, so...whoever tripped me ran me through with a fire poker and threw my chest on the sawblade..."

He trailed off, touching his mask, his yellowed eyes staring blankly at the floor. But then he looked up again, and a curious light entered his eyes as he looked at Luna. He seemed more...lively. "I was dead. Dunno what they did with Alexander, but the fact of the matter was...I was with her. The Goddess, Luna. You remind me of the Goddess. Your face, your hair, your voice. All of it fits so perfectly into what I remember of her...although..." He frowned. "Those memories are slipping away so very quickly..."

Luna blinked, letting her hands fall limp in her lap. "I...look like...the Goddess?" she said slowly, her expression stunned. She quickly shook her head, saying "N-no, no, that can't be right. How can I look like...the Goddess? Surely you're...exaggerating..." Her anger was ebbing now, and she looked extremely confused.