The Forgotten Zodiac

L'arc finally made it back into the room, looking around for a moment before spotting Rush. "You got him, then? Good, good... where's Nana?" he asked, glancing to Verolen before looking around for the young witch.

"I dunno. Why, what did she do now?" Verolen frowned, peeling the guaze and bandages off of Sylas to inspect his stitches. "You're lucky, they're intact."

"My ankle isn't!" Sylas huffed, fighting back tears. Rush's claws had torn up his ankle quite a bit, but they were all shallow cuts, thankfully. Upon finding this, Verolen sighed.

"You're oversensitive. You probably just need more pain medication." He wrapped Sylas' chest again, then fetched a rag to clean Sylas' wounds with.

"Poor human," Nana pouted. She was standing in the doorway by this time. "He'll never be out of bed at this rate."

"Not news I like hearing, Nana," L'arc said, running a hand through his hair and sighing loudly. Then, he went over to Sylas' bed, sitting down on the edge, before turning to the witch. "I don't suppose you have any healing powers?" he asked. "Bermuda's are shorting out."

"No...I haven't learned that much yet. Didn't you havea little warlock at once point, though?" Nana questioned.

"Gabe...he and Quay were playing on the beach when we got taken." Sylas pointed out. "He's probably fine...but it would be best if we left him with the Selkies, to be honest."

"Yeah..." L'arc said. He sighed again, then glanced at Rush. "So what can you do for him, tell me again?" he asked.

"Well, if we take him to my sisters..." Nana smiled. "I can't do anything alone. I'm a weak witch, all considering...but if we take him to my sisters, they can reactivate the Library. It should have stored the personality and Rush that you know; it will eradicate this thoughtless monster, at the same time. I bet we can restore his hearing, too, and fix your little...paralysis mishap. But all that is nothing I can do. We've gotta take him to Halberd Hall for that..."

"You witches will fight us to keep him, then." Verolen snorted. "Hmph. There's gotta be a way..."

"Can we at least make a game of it?" Sylas questioned.

"A game?" Nana's eyes lit up.

"Sure. We can play a game of some kind. And if we win, you turn Rush back to normal, fix all the damage, and return him to us."

"And if we win?" Nana frowned.

"You keep Rush."

"Sylas..." Verolen glared at the human. "Witches love games and gambling, sure, but...you'd better not be overestimating us..."

The human blinked at the demon prince for a moment, then sighed. "Well, it's not like I can do anything, like this...and my bow broke, too..."

"I'll get you a new bow, Sy," L'arc said, for lack of any other comment on the preceeding conversation. It was true, he didn't like the risk involved... but their group had never been one to steer clear of risk, anyways.

"Let me ask this," Bermuda said. "If you keep Rush, what is it that you will be doing with him?" he asked.

Nana grinned. "Well, we're not the experimenting type. We already know what the Library does. We're going to use it, silly. All the money in the world can't buy the power that the Library holds. Halberd Hall will become the world's greatest superpower, devouring anything that stands in our way."

"Y-you would turn him into a weapon?!" Manny trembled at the thought, knowing they could very well do the same to him. The Phantom had done it before.

"That's what the Library was made for."

"You're wrong," Verolen snapped at that. "The Library is an archive of magic. It was made to protect the most arcane of powers, not be used by some tyrannical group of witches looking out for only themselves!"

"Idiot. It wasn't made to protect arcane powers, it was made to channel them!" Nana snapped right back.

"Peace, friends. It does not do to fight in the same room you sleep. It only draws in evil spirits that will set in when you are vulnerable," Kendra said, stepping between Verolen and Nana. "And it would do well to allow Sylas some rest. Mayhap we can move this conversation elsewhere?" she suggested, only hoping that the walk would soothe the frayed nerves and that they could get back to negotiations.

Verolen rubbed his eyes for a moment, then nodded. "Okay. Sylas...g-go back to sleep." He shook his head, and walked out of the room. "Come on then, Nana..."

"Thanks," Sylas offered to Kendra, feeling his cheeks burn again upon her mention of his name.

((I THINK I LIKE THIS PAIRING. IT SHOULD HAPPEN.))

"Be at ease," Kendra said, offering a smile to the human. "And rest well. Worry not - we will find a solution to these troubles," she added, following Verolen and Nana as the left the room. After a moment's hesitation, L'arc exited as well, waving at Sylas before heading down the hallway.

((Okay. xDD))

Sylas waved in return. He laid down again, still a bit red in the cheeks as he pulled the blankets over his head and curled up to sleep more.

"Solution? Hey, that human back there had a good idea," Nana grinned.

"Shut it. I'm not gambling with a life, much less the life of my friend." Verolen frowned. "What would you take in substitute?"

"I already told you, no amount of money can compare to that Library's power." Nana shook her head.

Kendra prepared herself to act as the unbiased mediator as L'arc chimed in to the conversation. "That's hogwash. There's got to be something," he said. "Maybe we should try talking to a different witch..." he muttered.

"Are you kidding? If you even mention to any of my sisters the location of the Library, they'll all swarm here ready to take it from you. I'm the temperate one, honestly." Nana shook her head. "Us Witches aren't bad, but we know what we want and we aren't afraid to take it from you. But...I owe you lot for something. That's why I haven't called them here. And if I leave without Rush, I'm not gonna tell the others."

Verolen frowned. "What have we done for you, exactly?"

"I got a chance to study the Dragonstones. I didn't touch anything, I swear it, but that's been something we've wanted to invesitage for awhile. I took down notes and may have done one little test -- nothing's harmed, I assure you." She shook her head. "But I wouldn't have gotten that chance if you hadn't invited me in here. So...that's what I owe you for, and that's why you're not being attacked by my sisters right now."

"Well, we can all be grateful for that," L'arc said, though there was a bit of bitterness in his tone. Kendra shook her head at him scornfully.

"Mercy, friend. As she has said, she is repaying a debt. One should always react graciously to such sentiment," she said.

((Mercy is my nickname. 936 You can imagine my instant assumption that you were talking about me. xD

Another fun fact: Jemina, the name of Sylas' tree mother, has also been used in most of my roleplays. But never as a living person. Always a dead woman of importance.))

"Hmph. So, what are we going to do about Rush? You want him back to normal, and I want...him." Nana snorted.

((PFffft, oops.))

"What of this wager that Sylas spoke of?" Kendra offered. "You might should discuss the terms of that, and see if a solution cannot be found," she said.

((It's fine. You didn't know.))

"That's way too risky!" Verolen shook his head. "Witches..." He frowned at Nana. "No offense, but witches don't exactly have the cleanest track record!"

"That's a bit racist," Nana tutted. "But you know that Sylas and Kendra are right. If you can beat me with Rush on the line...my sisters would have no choice but to go along with it. We witches don't hold debts. Ever."

"Tch. Then what game would you suggest, Kendra?" Verolen questioned, still not happy.

((BUT I DID ACTUALLY. YOU TOLD ME YOUR NICKNAME LIKE BACK ON NEO AND I MEREMBER.))

"...I know not," she replied after a moment's thought. "It must be a fair game by all standards, so no contest requiring magical ability should be considered. Nor should you think of using your sharpshooter to your advantage," she said.

((OH, OKAY

Well, it's not like you can't use the word. It just slightly confuses me for a moment, and then amuses me afterwards.))

"Sylas is down anyway, I don't want him popping his stitches for anything. Goodness knows he doesn't need another heart attack..." Verolen shook his head. "He's been through too much lately. If I had my way, he'd be put in an underground bunker under lock and key until he's better. He nearly popped a stitch today, trying to get away from Rush...we were lucky the damage he sustained was only on his ankle. And if Rush had gotten ahold of those ether shards..."