The Forgotten Zodiac

"I know that. But will the Dark Matter agree with him?" Verolen asked quietly. "Not only does it have a mind of its own, but Serris...it could use him. Bird is invaluable to our cause. If he's killed or somehow harmed to the point where he can't help us, that's not looking good for the rest of us. There's a fine line between discomfort and fear, and it's hardly irrational on Bird's part."

L'arc considered this for a moment, before looking at Verolen with a grim expression. "I didn't think of that," he admitted, then sighed. "But it is just Byrne. I think it's best that Bird sees that he's our friend, despite the Dark Matter in his body. That way, even if he does get turned into a threat, Bird will look for a way to help him out rather than kill him, which is preferable," he said.

"Probably a good idea." Verolen nodded. "It's good for him to get comfortable around our friends...but I'm not going to force him to get anywhere near Manny. I think that'd be too much."

"You're right," L'arc agreed, looking around a bit more as the trees started to thin out and they got close to the human camp. "I wonder if they're back yet."

"Who knows. Sylas and Kendra are probably going to be a bit slower, but Bird and Byrne might take awhile due to the long list of stuff they have. Mushrooms are really variable..." Verolen shrugged. "Let's not worry until noon."

"Is it not noon yet?" L'arc asked, glancing up at the sky. He smiled a bit, then quipped, "Boy, time really drags when I'm around you."

"Oh yes, I'm terribly boring," Verolen shook his head, then put a hand on his cheek in mock exasperation. "The sun may soon stop moving through the sky due to how awfully bored stiff you are."

L'arc snickered, then full out laughed at Verolen's theatrics. "At least you're apologetic," he said.

"At least you know what a joke is." Verolen grinned. "The last time I tried to pull something like that on Bershee, I got a half-hour lecture. Man, that woman!"

"Lots of Oceanids are like that," L'arc said with a shrug. "Bermuda used to take everything seriously. It was almost funny, until you realized that he really didn't get it," he said.

"Well, I guess everyone has their downsides." Verolen chuckled, interlocking his fingers behind his head. "...Hey, is Verdi still mad about having to leave Foamalought?"

"I'm sure," L'arc said with a grim nod. "If Israel still hasn't let it go, which he hasn't, he's just not saying so, then Verdi still hasn't."

"I wonder why it was so important that they stay." Verolen mused, frowning. "I...didn't really listen to them, I'll admit that. I was more interested in having them back..."

"Same here," L'arc admitted, running a hand through his hair. "At any rate... let's deliver these plants to Bershee."

"Yeah. Best not make her wait." Verolen nodded, hurrying to the Octi's tent in question.

"Back so soon. This isn't everything I need, though. I take it you split up," Bershee observed, taking the bag. "Not a bad start..."

"How did you get these kinds of things when you were in Oceanica?" Verolen questioned.

"I didn't," She laughed at the notion. "That'd be terribly expensive! I'm merely using a different recipe. Plants and animals under the ocean have similar magical properties to those above it, you see. I'm merely using parallels. Might not be as effective, but it'll have to do."

"Happy to help," L'arc said, pulling the vines and leaves he and Verolen had gathered out of his pack and sorting them on a nearby table - he did, after all, need his pack for other things, it couldn't very well stay in here. "How're Bermuda and Manny?" he asked, glancing up to the bed which Manny rested in and the tub that...

"...hey, where is Bermuda?" he asked after a slight pause as he realized the Nereid was not there.

"Ah...I don't actually know. That's not a good thing..." Bershee frowned. "I was tending to my eggs earlier, he might've slipped out then...you'd best try to find him."

L'arc sighed and pushed his hand through his hair. "Trust him to pull something like this. Well, he can't have gone far. Verolen, you coming?" he asked.

"Of course I am," Verolen frowned, following suit. "Bermuda would listen to me, I...think. What could he be doing, though?" He realized there wasn't really a way that L'arc could answer him, so he shook his head and said, "Well, whatever he's doing, I hope it's not something stupid."

"It'll be something he doesn't think is stupid. Of course, not telling anyone where he's gone off to cancels that out," L'arc said, heading off into the town. "Figure he went further into the camp?" he asked.