The Forgotten Zodiac

Bershee turned her gaze on Thuban, frowning. "I am only trying to assist the Selkie folk, as I have for years now..." She said quietly, knowing her words likely fell on deaf ears. "Please don't meddle with the potion, Thuban...a few of your people could die without it. If you want that on your conscious, go ahead, but--"

"We don't care about the potion," A gruff voice behind her said. "I want my daughter back, you witch!"

Thuban frowned deeply. "If there's one thing I'm adamant about, it's the protection of my people. And we don't need the likes of you meddling in selkie affaris!" he hissed, his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides angrily.

"And what do you mean by that, Thuban? The likes of me? Are you referring to Octi, or just people who care? Because I'm pretty sure those Forestas Champions you've been helping would give an arm and a leg in battle to help you. They care about you and your people, and I do too!" Bershee said, a hint of fear leaking into her voice. Almost desperation. "Are you so blinded by tradition that you cannot see that the Selkie race is losing this hopeless war? You need all the help you can get!" She wasn't trying to be insulting, but it certainly came out the wrong way.

There was a snarl of rage from behind her, and she narrowly avoided being knocked out by a swing aimed at the back of her neck. She avoided this by moving forward; right into Thuban.

Thuban grabbed Bershee's upper arms and held tight to them, threatening to bruise her. "What did you just say to us?" he growled, his voice soft and dangerous.

((When should Eltie get back?))

((In a few minutes.))

"I-I said you...you could use the help," She tore herself away from him, backing to the side, away from the two men. She only wound up bumping into a third, younger Selkie. She sighed, looking down. "Do what you must with me. But...I won't tell you where they are. They're safe...I know you care about them, but those young are safer with me than anywhere else."

Anger flared in Thuban's eyes; his face was livid. "Not what I wanted to hear," he said, stepping closer to the Octi. "Not. At. All."

Eltanin dug around the medicine tent for a while before finding the dropper, then even longer before he discovered they were out of red coral. He sighed, then moved out of the tent to take the three minute trek back across camp to report to Bershee.

Bershee hadn't fought back. By the time Eltanin returned, she was a mess; bruised and banged up from being kicked, punched, and thrown about. She was lying on the ground, blood gushing from her mouth, which held a painful broken tooth. And the Selkies were still at it. One of them grabbed her by the hair and dragged her to her knees again, while the other kicked her in the gut.

The Octi turned hysterical. "N-no!" She gagged out, wheezing and struggling to breathe. She recoiled, desperately. "St-sto-stop, pl-please..." She whimpered, tears finally starting to stream down her face. But the Selkie kicked again, and that's when things got bad. Bershee fell onto all fours, vomiting up something...digusting. Blood, and...some sort of clear, sludgy liquid mixed with...eggshells. White, covered in goo and blood everywhere.

Bershee vomited a total of four times before collapsing on her side, looking almost...dead. She closed her trembling fingers around a mass of shattered eggshell, staring at her blood-covered hand with a dull look in her eyes.

((Whether it's just my two or Thuban as well is your decision.

Also, fun fact: some species of octopi hens can hold fertilized eggs for up to a year, and they can lay eggs in numbers up to 10 thousand. Also, another type of octopi hold the fertelized eggs in sacs near their stomachs, like a regurgitation sac. I figured I'd boost the time, nerf the numbers, and so on.))

((NO NO UNDO UNDO FIX BERSEE BERSHEE'S BABIES CAN SHE KEEP ONE?))

((I'M NOT UNDOING THIS, BUT I GUESS THERE'S STILL FOUR NOW

My goodness, Hannah, I think this is the first time you've tried to veto something. I shouldn't be surprised, though.

But yeah, there's still four eggs (intact) that she's currently struggling to keep from spitting up, because she can't put them back in, and if she laid them down here, the Selkies might crush them. She can't risk that.))

((I AM READY TO BREAK THE FOUR YEAR STREAK.  ))

((GOOD. SOME BABIES LEFT THEN.))

"What is going on here?"

Eltanin's voice was tight with anger as he came up on the scene. The selkies around Bershee, who had stopped their attack to merely stare as the eggshells came up, darted off as their leader returned. Most got away.

Eltanin caught Thuban by his hair. "Stay where you are," he commanded, before kneeling beside Bershee and taking hold of her shoulders, gently. "Are you... all right?" he asked quietly. It was pretty evident that she was not, but he thought the sentiment was appropriate.

"Bershee..." Eltanin wanted to reach out to the Octi, but from how she reacted the first time, he knew that she might only push him away again. "I am so sorry. Please, let me help you," he said, reaching out a hand to her but stopping before he actually touched her.

Eltanin embraced her gently, stroking her hair back from her face. "Shh, shh," he said consolingly. "I'm here now."

Bershee cried for a long while more. It was quite odd, seeing such a strong and upright Octi sobbing miserably into another's arm, but the truth of the matter was dark and chillingly cold. She had been holding eggs, young ready to be birthed into the world, hatched and grown. She had held her children back from that. She had been hoping to settle them in a more peaceful world, but the kicking had broken five of them. She still had four, but the mind-numbing realization of Bershee's intentions hit home more than any kick to the gut.

She had been trying to repopulate the Octi race. Octi genes were hardy and well capable of adjusting to fit the needs of the environment. The problems stemming from interrelations didn't matter for the octi race. The problem had come when there had been no mates for Bershee. But when the war had first started, she had been given - like many other Octi girls - the eggs that would hopefully keep the Octi race going. Her people still had a chance.

The events today had severely damaged that chance.

"Shh," Eltanin said again, lifting her gently. He glanced over his shoulder, not surprised to find that Thuban had disappeared. "You've taken care of ours," he said. "Now we will return the favor."

Bershee rested her head on Eltanin's shoulder. "Do-don't be mad at your people...they were doing what they thought was right. An eye for an eye...child for a child..." She sniffed. "I should go home. I-I'll send your young back ho-home...if I was attacked once, who's to say it won't happen again? A-and if I didn't release the young back to you and your people, th-then your people might search after me with renewed fervor...in fear that I would take out my anger against them on their children. N-not something I would ever do, but...I-I'll go..." She tried to squirm out of Eltanin's grip, but she was still severely weakened.

"You're staying," Eltanin said, not offering her another option. "I will amend this wrong, I promise," he said, looking at her and attempting a reassuring smile. "You just rest, all right?" He carried her to the medical tent and placed her inside, then sat down in the stool next to her bed. "Let me help you."

Bershee looked up at him with an odd sort of worried pleading in her eyes. "I...I-I...th..thank you..." She whispered. "Th-the potion will be able to heal my scrapes, and..." She looked around at the other Selkies here; injured from trying to fight against the demons that had invaded his home. "And these people. The red coral isn't important, it was just to help the taste in case it needed to be ingested..." She sighed, but quickly took Eltanin's hand. "But you can't leave me again. Call Aries, s-she'll hear and come...Jerod hasn't left yet, s-so..."