The Forgotten Zodiac

Did I ever say you were here to die?

The quiet interjection was enough to silence her for a moment. Again, the voice pushed into her head. There are things I need that I require you and Lexi's presence for. Lord Veros has power unlike anything I've seen before, and if I can't have his help soon, I- He cut off suddenly, closing his eye quietly, apparently in pain. He quickly shook himself off, but evidentally decided not to finish his sentence.

"If you're asking a monster like that for help, you're a lost cause," Isslia grumbled, turning her back to him. She laid on her side, facing the stone wall of her cell, her knees curled up to her chest still. She wanted desperately to be back at Welk's side, but...it wouldn't happen. If 'Lord Veros' demanded her presence here, here she would be. Dead or not.

Lexi glanced sadly at her, then looked up at Cynyr. "What could be so important that you have to risk our lives? Werr's? Welk's?"

You've mistaken me. Your lives are not at risk yet.

"But we're trapped here, and Welk and Werr will come after us and potentially get killed."

Again, you've mistaken me.

"How can I-"

Shut up already. Your voice is making it angry. He winced, rubbing around one of the little horns on his head.

"It? Cynyr, what's going on? I know you love your brothers dearly. And Seria, what about Seria? She has two little lives inside her, lives you helped to create!"

The name seemed to strike him like a knife, and he snarled viciously, silencing her. If you don't shut up now you'll have more to worry about than that, he spat, and Lexi fell backwards onto her bottom, her lips trembling as tears slipped over her eyes.

"Just leave him be," Isslia said hotly, tears filling her eyes again. "He'll do what he wants regardless of what happens to us. It's not like we can do anything to stop him. Locked up in cages like animals...I was raised like a pet anyway, I'm used to it, might as well die like one," Her voice quickly grew hysterical, and she started clawing at the shackle again.

Will. You. Shut. Up? Cynyr spat, lips curling into a snarl. You don't even understand, so pipe down, will you? The point is, you both need to keep cool heads or you really will die. I'm trying to keep you alive, and that requires you to be here, because no matter where you go, you won't be safe. Nobody will be safe. I messed up, okay? I made a mistake, probably one of the worst ones of my life, and if you keep making me angry, it'll just come-

With a literal sound like he was being strangled, he cut off suddenly, closing his eyes in pain.

Isslia sniffed and turned to look at him, but she quickly went back to trying to rip off the shackle.

"Stop it, you're only hurting yourself," Zex said softly. "C-Cynyr, do they all have to be separate? They'd be much...calmer if they were all in the same cell..." He looked towards the newest servant. "We can't let her keep hurting herself."

"Yes, please, let me go into her cell!" Lexi said, putting her hands on her bars and staring through them at Cynyr, begging with her soft brown eyes. "I don't want to be alone, and neither does she. Please, Cynyr."

I'm still the same person, Lexi. You don't have to beg.

He flicked a finger and her cell unlocked, and a tiny wraith appeared, gently taking her hand and leading her to Isslia's cell, which opened and allowed Lexi to enter, locking behind the girl. Lexi immediately dropped to her knees beside Isslia, offering a hug to the frightened girl.

Isslia scrambled into Lexi's arms, whimpering softly and hugging her as tightly as possible. She managed a muffled, "Thank you..."

"There. That's better." Zex smiled a bit, watching their reunion. But his smile faded when he remembered the message he had been sent to relay. "Cynyr...starting this evening, the prisoners are to be...bled out. All three of them."

Lexi knew from Cynyr's expression that this wasn't something he had foreseen or had known about. This sentence uttered from Zex also brought up another point in the girl's mind; Luna was here somewhere. She glanced around, soon spotting the Amnairian.

Luna was curled up in a cell far to the back, where she could have quiet. Zex had brought her a blanket to curl up in, but it had remained untouched. Luna seemed traumatized; she blinked, but it was dull and silent, and she didn't seem to have eaten much. Her long silver hair was lank and her overall appearance spoke of someone hurt inside.

Zex said nothing further, walking over to Luna's cell. He still said nothing, sitting and folding his legs under him. He merely sat there, watching Luna. It was a bit creepy, but his intentions were good. He wanted her to see that he was okay. Whenever she snapped out of whatever this was, he wanted to be there to show her that he was, and would be, fine.

((Hey, hey, I put up several new Darkness Rising chapters. You should go vote for them and perhaps leave some scattered comments on the chapters, saying how much you love the story. People read the comments and think "Wow, this person really likes this story! I should check it out."))

She continued to lay quietly against the wall, hardly blinking, at times completely unresponsive to even that. Tears leaked quietly from her eyes, and there was only one thing she wanted, one thing that would free her from the state her mind had placed her in; Forin. She wanted him and him alone, and it was all her mind could think about, an all-consuming thought that crushed her other emotions and thoughts and feelings until she had become a nearly-lifeless shell.

((People only read comments on the first chapter. xD))

Still Zex sat before her, hoping he could apologize before he had to slit her wrist and force her to bleed.

"Forget it. I'm not lying around anymore." Werr pushed Arilia off for the third time.

"But, if you were to have another heart attack..." Airlia frowned. "Seria can't go with you. She's bearing children, and I don't even think you told her what happened!"

"Do you want to tell someone that their husband has turned evil?" Werr muttered.

((Then you can comment on the first chapter? ;3))

Welk visibly trembled at these words, hardly moving from the huddled mess he had become. Two of his main supports had been hacked from him, and Werr was his remaining piece. Not to mention he was still traumatized from Cynyr's betrayal. He rubbed his eyes, saying "Something...something has to be wrong...he wouldn't...he wouldn't..."

((Sure. :3))

"Calm down, Welk. We're going to get them all back." Werr tutted.

Forin was nearby, sitting next to Luen. "They wanted me out of the way, so they poisoned Luen. After that, it was a piece of cake; you two are far too easy to incapacitate. You both need to wear better armor at all times, at this rate." He grumbled, pacing. Diana was on his back, refusing to let go. The Tartaran, naturally, didn't mind at all. "This is all going downhill fast. We need to get to Gossain soon."

Luen was laying silently in one of the infirmary beds, his living hand raised to where he could see the strange twisting blue-black marks that had been left on his skin. So far, they showed no sign of fading or going away, and he could only hope that he hadn't been branded with permanent tattoos. He sighed and rested his head back down on the pillows, still exhausted, feeling his fingers twitch slightly; he had a fluid bag attached to his wrist, and just above it, a bag with Allie's serum she had made to counteract the poison in his system.

Diana, seeing that Luen was awake, slid off of Forin's back and hurried over to him. She climbed up onto the bed and rested her head on his chest, looking up at him with her big blue eyes. "Are you better? Forin said you stopped breathing twice...but you're breathing now, right?"

"I...think so," he answered softly, rubbing his eyes slowly. The marks had spread to his face as well, leaving an intricate mark around his right eye and on his cheek. He gave the girl a very weak smile, saying "I'm pretty sure I'll be fine, Diana. ...Though I will make certain not to eat random plants anymore..."

Diana blinked slowly at him, then sighed. "Can I tell you something? I keep...hearing things. Talking, but they aren't talking to me. And people keep calling the loudest voice 'Veros'."

"What?" Forin frowned. "Why...why?! You can hear him? That's...that's bad. I don't want you to listen to anything he says, Diana, do you understand?"

"I know...he's not talking to me anyway. It's like he doesn't realize I'm listening..."

"Okay, okay. That's good...that's...we need to ask someone about this. Galai and Titus, or Obelisk..." Forin went right back to pacing, his frown deep.

Luen watched the Tartaran from his place on the bed, absently brushing his metal hand through Diana's hair, in a way to comfort the both of them.

"All I know is that we need to hurry up and get moving, one way or another," Welk said, ears flicked back in a very upset way. "I can't stand the thought of Isslia held captive...and Lexi...and Luna. They're out there and they need us." He looked up at Werr. "And Cynyr needs us too."

"Obelisk," Forin turned to the shadows in the room. "OBELISK. I need to speak with you. I have a question or two."

"On my way. Forgive my slowed pace, I'm old." The ancient once's voice responded with obvious sarcasm.

Werr slowly nodded, looking up at the shadows. "Does...does he know? That Lexi is gone?"

"Of course he knows." Forin muttered. "Even if he didn't see it, he's probably been looking for her..."

"Right..." Werr leaned against Welk, closing his eyes. "We should go visit Seria. We...need to tell her..."