The Forgotten Zodiac

With a small, fearful sob, Tasia flared her good wing open and flung herself forward, the floor beneath her snapping sharply and caving completely away. She frantically held Ariana close as the baby starting wailing, not liking the sudden movement and sensing her mother's fear.

Tasia herself couldn't bear to keep her eyes open. She shut them frantically, not even opening them when she felt Obelisk's arms encircle her, catching her and holding her close, protectively. She didn't open her eyes even as she began to sob against his chest, holding tightly onto him as Ariana continued to cry.

Obelisk spun quickly, clearing her from the doorway before it collapsed. "There we are." He said softly, lifting her fully into his arms. He hurried straight for the courtyard where the others were gathering, Fawn hot on his heels. "Look. The sun is out," He smiled gently as he settled Tasia on the ground. It was setting at the moment. When he realized Tasia still had her eyes shut, he chortled. "You can open your eyes, quiet one. We're quite safer now than you were moments before."

"Tasia!" Werr looked relieved. "Thank goodness you're alright. I was beginning to worry..."

"As was I!" The Elder's irritated voice came from behind them. The advisors were safe and sound; they had been at home since Werr's departure, obviously. As had the guards. "I didn't expect to see you back here. And here you are, and here...this...is."

"I've decided I'd much prefer to live in a smaller house." Werr shrugged. "We had a bit of...help with the, eh...demolishing. We'll be back to clean it up later. Make sure the people know I'm not dead."

"Oh, whatever...go off, save the world again." He grumbled, rolling his eyes.

Tasia, upon realizing she was safe, promptly sat down on a piece of rubble nearby and bawled, holding Ariana close in her arms as the baby continued to cry as well. Mother and daughter both wanted one thing, and it was the thing they couldn't have; Nate.

Zephyr tilted his head sadly at her plight, lowering his head down and touching his nose gently to her shoulder. She sobbed and leaned against his smooth scales, reminded that he was one of Nate's closest friends.

"O-okay, j-just...hold on a sec..." the kirin said shakily, lifting himself slightly in order to grasp the spike. His own leg was mended to the point where he could walk decently, thanks to Lexi, who couldn't perform complete healings if she wanted to have enough magic for everyone. That didn't stop the deer from gently working at the spike in Forin's arm until it came free, using his ice magic to numb the place and slow the bleeding.

The ice couldn't stifle the mandatory cry of pain that occured when it was removed. Forin let out a disgruntled sigh and flopped back in the dust and dirt. Diana, who would have to live with scratches and cuts on her feet and legs to allow the worse injuries to be healed, sat down gingerly next to him. "Forin?" She asked quietly. "Is Luna really..."

"Yes." Forin sighed. "Come here, let me help you bandage that..." He sat up again, fetching a roll from his bag. "We can't have these getting infected, after all...what are you holding?"

Diana had been clutching something in her small hands since before the building collapsed. "A...uh...a necklace. It was for Luna..." It had a pretty golden heart shape and two stunning blue feathers from Jagat's crest on either side, hanging from a shining gold chain. "I was wondering when we'd...see her again, s-so I could..."

Forin took the necklace and put it into his bag. "We'll...we'll see her again. Her body, anyway. I'll make sure it goes around her neck, where it belongs." He sighed, then pulled her legs into his lap so he could wrap her legs with the bandages.

Luen exhaled softly, wishing he could help more but knowing that his powers and strength were very limited. He instead turned his gaze to the side as Welk spoke up from where he had sat, back-to-back with Werr, holding Isslia in his lap.

"What happened to Cynyr? Zephyr?"

The dragon tilted his head, then said "I sense no presences beneath the rubble, either alive or dead. It seems he's not here, Fire-Heart."

Welk frowned at this, slowly resting his chin on Werr's shoulder, expression thoughtful.

Werr sighed. "If Cyprus fled to the Realm of Light...that's a place where few can go, right?"

"Indeed. The Realm of Light, much akin to the Realm of Darkness, is limited in visitors. They are very similar in that only beings of the highest power can access them. But they are...different. The Realm of Light is more tolerant to visitors. The Realm of Darkness will attack and devour those who do not have the strength and power to hold it back. The Realm of Light will punish the one who brought weaker beings in, but leave visitors alone. As such...I would not be surprised if Cyprus intended to stay for awhile..."

"Knowing him, that means he was threatened in some way. He, and Seria, and Airlia..." Werr mused. "So did Cynyr escape? No...Cyprus could have managed that. And that doesn't explain why the castle collapsed...so the only other possibility is that...Veros was here."

"He could have easily killed you lot if he had wanted to. I wonder why he chose instead to break the castle..." Obelisk frowned.

"He's driving us back to Kaislun. I...don't know why, but he wants us there." Werr frowned. "Well, we're not going to play his games. We'll go on the move."

"And let him injure us again and again until we're forced into going where there's trained healers?" Forin snorted. "I'll have no part in it. Luen, Diana and I are returning to Kaislun." He stood with a small 'hmph'.

Luen gave his friend a small, sideways glance, but said nothing against it. He wished Luna were here; she knew Forin inside and out, better than anyone else, even Diana, could know him. Luna knew him intimately, knew him in a way that the kirin and the little girl couldn't match.

Now, more than ever, Luen wished Luna were back with them.

"Then you dig your own grave." Werr said quite seriously, frowning.

"Or you dig yours. And what of the rest of you? What'll it be?" Forin asked, standing. "Obviously, you'll stay with Werr, Welk..."

"This is troubling. Do you realize what you are doing, Forin?" Obelisk said quietly.

"I'm going home, that's what."

"You are dividing us. Is that not more what the Titan wants?"

Forin curled his lip, but shook his head. "You lot have survived without me before."

"And you returned, beaten and battered, every single time." Obelisk snorted.

"I won't have to. The healers will take good care of whatever happens. I'm leaving, Obelisk, and you can do nothing to stop it."

"Forin..." Luen said quietly, glancing sideways at where Allie was helping Lexi with some of Zephyr's minor wounds. The kirin shifted forms (in deer form, he could stand on three legs; it was painful to stand on both in human form) and put his muzzle gently to Forin's ear. "...maybe we should stay." He sounded very timid, his eyes round and glossy. "I mean...we have to fight. Veros...Veros has Nate." His voice constricted slightly and he was quick to swallow. "I know...you're upset, but...I...I think...it's a mistake to leave."

"I think it's a mistake to prolong the inevitable. If Veros wants us there, then isn't it obvious that he'll attack us there? We'll have a better chance of facing him directly if we go there." Forin snapped. "You can stay with them too, if you want. I don't care. But you'll return to Kaislun sooner or later, with wound and lost wits, unprepared to face what you know is coming for you."

"That is indeed a good point..." Obelisk nodded thoughtfully. "If we know where he'll attack us, we can pull a counter...but if we're running about like headless chickens, there's no way of knowing when he'll strike..."

Luen flinched at his friend's tone, pulling his ears back against his head and quickly averting his eyes. In the matter of a few seconds, the kirin's instincts had given him an odd response to his friend's anger; by treating it as if he were faced with a predator. He had showed his submission to Forin as if the Tartaran were a wolf, with words and teeth sharp enough to inflict pain. Doubly ashamed, the kirin now turned completely away, resting his head gently on Diana's shoulder, expression crestfallen.

((Where are youuuuuuuuu bunnyyyyyy.))

"Whether or not I have a good point, I'm going to Kaislun. Whoever wants is welcome to follow." Forin snorted, turning away and starting to walk.

"It's okay, Luen...you don't have to come. I'll be okay with just Forin, I think..." Diana looked just as upset. She gave her friend a tight hug, then turned and hurried after her guardian. It wasn't that she thought Forin was right, or that he should stay. She honestly didn't know what to think, but her instincts told her that she needed to stay with Forin. So, off she went.

Luen hesitated, taking a small step after them, feeling distraught. He wanted desperately to follow after them, but he had already taken his place, and Forin's attitude scared him greatly. With a small, forlorn whimper, the kirin slowly turned his back on them, head lowered sadly.

Forin glanced over his shoulder, but even though he saw not a soul following him, he continued walking.

"...are we really leaving them behind?" Diana asked quietly.

"They can suffer out here. It's not us Veros wants. We'd be safer away from them, anyway." Forin shook his head with a small sigh. He took Diana's hand, continuing to walk. "Let's not linger...getting to Kaislun as fast as we can is important. We'll get a horse."

"A white one? With spots?"

"The whitest one we can find."

"Riordan. Have you rested? You look weary." Veros' voice was laced with concern as he stepped into the castle throne room. "Castle Alastor has fallen. Werr and his crowd are prolonging their stay on this world, unfortunately...it seems even falling buildings cannot cease their resilency. I blame Obelisk for keeping more than half of it intact so they would not be crushed by the roof and towers..." He tutted, shaking his head. "But no matter. Your armies have been sent forth as I requested?"

((Foweeeeeeeeen, Luewen...))

"Yes, they march on even as we speak," he answered, rubbing his eyes lightly. Valley was beside him, moving her fingers gently over the back of his neck to try and ease a bit of his pain. Riordan glanced to the side, where Ink was sitting beside his throne, doodling on some paper and the floor. The king had been keeping his older brother closer ever since the somewhat awkward hugging incident, thought whether or not this had anything to do with family-feelings remained to be seen.

((o3o))

Ink would hold up his paper every so often, showing Valley or Riordan. Valley was slowly getting used to his presence; he was like a little child version of Riordan, after all. It wasn't that hard for her to get him to calm down when she wanted.

"Excellent. Then everything should go according to plan. I've decided that even if they don't, so long as the three of you survive, I am at little loss. Back at the peak of my power, I had never seen humans so intelligent and trustworthy as yourselves. I am quite pleased to know you."

"I like you too!" Ink smiled happily.

Riordan rested his chin on one hand, the elbow of which was positioned on an arm of the throne. He said nothing, merely closed his eyes as if tired. To put it bluntly, he was becoming unenchanted with all of the plans and threats of their enemies' deaths. It still amazed him how the little group was able to survive all of the stuff that they had been put through.

Veros paused his pacing, looking down at the king with a small frown. "Riordan. I need your blood." He said softly.

"How dare you," Valley snorted, frowning furiously at him. "Cannot you already see that he is in pain? You would cause him to suffer another loss?"

Veros didn't even look at her, keeping his gaze fixated on Riordan. "If I am to return to my old form at this point, I need your help. Will you aid me in this?"