The Forgotten Zodiac

When Rush returned, he was holding onto a very pale Sylas. "Wha-wha-why-what..." Sylas spluttered when he looked at the cloud. "That's a cloud. Why are you bringing me to a cloud? Nonononononono, don't put me dow--" He was practically hyperventilating as Rush set him down on the cloud. "Too high, too high, too high, too high..." He shut his eyes and covered his face with his hands, as though that would make it lower.

Rush just watched and snickered.

"Oh, he really is scared," Israel said, moving over to Sylas's side. "Don't be scared, Sy, it's safe, I promise," the siren assured, putting one wing around the human. "You know we wouldn't let you fall, right? Trust us!"

"It's too high," Sylas immediately wrapped his arms around Israel, clearly panicking. "It's way, way too high. We're on a cloud! We're gonna fall, I'm gonna fall, it'll break my legs and I'll be eaten by wolves and so if I don't die from the fall, I'll die from the wolves, just like--" He stopped short as he felt the lurching sensation in his gut, which led him to hold onto Israel tighter. Which was a good thing, considering the cloud had lost its solidity; Sylas and Israel dropped like rocks, naturally. Rush had picked up Verdi only moments before.

But of course, Sylas screamed as loudly as a small child faced by a spider would.

"I've got you, I've got you!" Israel said, his wings fanning out to catch them both. He held tightly to Sylas, helped by the fact that Sylas was clinging so tightly to him back. "Don't worry, I've got you." Israel headed for the tree as fast as he could, not wanting the human to have another heart attack.

"I knew it was on a time limit. I didn't expect it to fade so quickly." Rush landed next to them as Israel settled Sylas on one of the platforms. The human immediately hugged the nearest branch, trembling terribly.

"But you certainly knew of his fears," Versha, the Tree Spirit from before, approached from the bridge connecting the platform. "I sense that his heart is weakened. Why would you torment him in such a way by lifting him from his comfort in the first place?"

"Well, he's not going to get over his fears by hiding all the time," Rush snorted, flying off again.

Versha watched him go, then turned her gaze on Israel. "A distant time ago, a human boy once fell from a great cliff. How he managed to crawl all the way to my tree is beyond me; but he was very fortunate to reach me. He took refuge in my branches and I assisted in healing his legs, but he had other various wounds. As though he had been...bitten." She shrugged and turned. "What you make of that is for you to decide. But be warned of your friend. Though he bears the magical archives, I sense a great malice deep within him. I fear...suffering at his hand."

Israel frowned deeply, sitting down next to Sylas and wrapping both wings around him. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I'm really, really sorry. I didn't think it'd scare you so bad, Sy, I didn't know, I'm sorry," he repeated.

"I've always been scared of heights..." Sylas muttered. "Being here is weird. I keep remembering things...things that I hate." He wiped his eyes and shook his head. "Sorry. I should have trusted you more, I knew you wouldn't let me fall. I just kind of...panicked. When I remembered." He sighed. "I hate heights..."

"You're fine, you're okay," Israel said. He paused, then said, "I didn't know you... couldn't remember things. I have that problem, too. I don't... remember my family. Just Verolen. Both Verolens," he muttered the last sentence, still sitting close to Sylas.

Sylas sniffed, then smiled a bit. "I don't even remember the first time we met. I didn't know why I was afraid of being high until today..." He shivered. "Versha said it. I fell off a cliff and broke both my legs. I crawled a whole mile to her tree. She was the closest, so...but on the way, I was attacked. Wolves. I couldn't do anything...wh-why didn't they kill me...? I should be dead a long time ago. What happened? Who stopped the wolves...?" Sylas frowned, very much confused. "Why don't you remember things, Israel? Why can't I remember?"

"I don't know," Israel said. "Rush said something about... post-tramatic something? But... to forget EVERYTHING about Oceania... I mean, I didn't even know that there was this world up here. I didn't even know I was a Siren. I didn't... urgh, it's confusing, I know," he said, making a soft bird trill. "Maybe we'll both remember soon. Maybe. It's a nice thought, yeah?"

"Maybe...maybe we should go ask Rush more. Or maybe Verolen...someone nicer..." Sylas muttered, standing up again. He immediately realized that the platform they were on was on the highest level of the city. He sat down again, crawling back to Israel. "I need to be on the ground again..."

"I'll take you. Hold on to me," Israel said, scooping Sylas into his arms and leaping off the platform. A few seconds later, they had landed safely on the ground, and Israel sat Sylas down. "Better?" he asked.

Sylas plopped down in the grass, panting slightly. "Yeah...I feel better. Thanks." He nodded, feeling the blades of grass between his fingers. "Now...we need to talk to someone about our forgetfulness. It's not a good thing to forget. I might wind up forgetting something important, and you could too. So...let's ask Bermuda first, see if he has any answers. I think I'll be okay with you, Israel, you can catch me if I fall..."

"All right," Israel said. He sat down next to Sylas with a sigh. "I don't want to wisk you off too fast, though. We can sit for a minute or so," he said, putting one wing around the human. He stared at the grass for a moment, then asked "What does it say?"

Sylas looked down, then smiled a bit. "It's thanking you for bringing me back down. And they're sorry they can't help us. Grass is simple; they don't know much. Not like a tree; you can ask a tree a whole bunch of things and never get a straightforward answer. I think Versha is a rare exception to that. You can ask grass and flowers the same questions and...they just don't know. They just don't live long enough to have a need to pay attention to the world around them, so...I wouldn't call them stupid, but they don't have the kind of knowledge and understanding a tree has. They're very simple, and...giggly." He smiled wider, then started laughing. "I-it's contageous, too..."

Israel smiled, looking between the grass and Sylas. "I'm glad you're feeling better, I am," he said. "I didn't mean to scare you like that... I'm glad you're okay." The siren nodded, then, after a few more moments, stood. "You ready to find Bermuda?"

"I'm fine, I really am." Sylas chuckled, climbing to his feet. "Yes. Let's go find Bermuda and talk to him. You and me, Israel. Buddies in...forgetfulness." He laughed a bit more before shaking it off and hugging his friend again. "We can fly up to him. I trust you."

"Are you sure?" Israel asked, then nodded. "Okay, hold on." The siren scooped Sylas up and lifted off, landing on the third platform. "I think this is where the others went... this is where Rush picked you up, right?" he asked.

"Yeah. We were almost done with the tour, Bermuda was talking about finding the guest houses after..." Sylas nodded, not letting go of Israel's hand as he walked along the bridge. Though he tried to hide his fear, it was difficult. To think he had been here as a child...

Israel sensed Sylas' unease and stayed close. After a few more minutes of searching, they found Bermuda inside one of the guesthouses, Verolen and Kendra nearby. Israel smiled at Verolen and pulled Sylas in to the room, mostly ignoring Kendra.

"Verolen, hi! Rush and I went and sat on a cloud!" he said happily.