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[PKMN FULL] Crimson Dawn: A Tale of Conquest (IC)

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Gerrick Errias...and others

Gerrick took a deep breath. The Raichu Gold Tribe member had taken him through the Citadel all the way to the top. Any guards or other dignitaries that saw them looked to their insignias and the Raichu's words for any credentials, with Gerrick deciding to maintain a lower profile and allow him to do the talking. Of course, he knew he probably shouldn't be doing that. As the apparent second-in-command of the Gold Tribe, he had to act the part if he was going to convince the highest authorities in the lands. Yet for the moment, he was frozen, struck with anxiety and fear. He certainly didn't want to get his head chopped off, and if he was discovered impersonating, that was likely the reaction he would receive.

No. Gerrick exhaled, his mind coming into focus. He told himself that he needed to calm down, and to just assert himself. If he did that, if he did what just felt right, and stuck to his story, everything should turn out alright. They reached the elevator to the Obsidian Throne. Gerrick furrowed his brows, appearing confident and serious, and proceeded inside.

"Hey," He remarked to the company inside, only afterward seeing who inhabited the room, including Generals, Councilmembers, a room full of Gold Tribe members and the Emperor himself. "Err...respectfullly."

"Shadowrend!" Garland exclaimed, thoroughly confused. "It can't be... I was told you fell in the Mark. How are you alive?"

"You doubt my skill, brother?" Gerrick asked in reply, trying to come off as calm and confident. He wasn't sure how his twin normally acted, but he could play it off as either sarcastic banter between he and the leader, or a simple question.

Garland's eyebrows joined in a troubled expression. He looked at the Krookodile from head to feet; he was dripping blood, as if severely wounded. "No. Of course not. What happened to you? Where were you?"

Good, Gerrick thought. It seemed as though, at least for the moment, he wasn't being suspected. He replayed his story one more time in his head, making sure everything made sense. He stepped forward, providing a fake limp as he did so, but acting as though he was doing his best to conceal it. "After the fight, most of us were either captured or killed. I barely managed to escape, but suffered some injuries, impairing my abilities to walk right away. Once I was well enough and heard of the siege, I came back here to...err...assist my brothers in combat. I see you've taken care of most things, though."

Wise Master Rethlor squinted his small grey eyes; there was something in his look that gave off his complete mistrust of this new 'Shadowrend'. However, he did not look to be displeased. The Mienshao was examining the Krookodile, measuring him. "Interesting story!" he said, then he clapped a few times, still holding the black-leather book.

"You have already been replaced, I fear," Garland told Gerrick grimly, ignoring Rethlor. "Jacob 'Prankster' Marinos is now the Second-in-Command."

Gerrick gazed over at the one who clapped, the one called Rethlor, trying to make out the meaning of his outburst. However, Garland quickly continued and Gerrick didn't press the issue. He immediately felt a bit of relief upon discovering that he had already been replaced with another as Second-in-Command.

"Ah, great!" He exclaimed, before quickly redacting the statement, as he expected it would come off as a bit strange. "That is...I mean that is probably for the best. I am probably too injured to continue in that position for now. I'll just take a...err...supporting role." He glanced around, then quickly added another statement. "For the time being at least as my injuries heal and...to err...uh...allow for the continued function of the Gold Tribe...to it's maximum potential!"

Everyone in the Council stared at the Krookodile in silence. General Althalos tilted his head in confusion, Vektor smirked as Rethlor whispered something in his ear and Garland scratched the back of his head in confusion, looking at 'Alonsus' as if he was greatly concerned. The Emperor had noticed something was off, too, for he was watching the Krookodile carefully with a restless eye.

"You appear changed, Shadowrend," he commented intently, then he told the others, as if Alonsus wasn't present, "I believe I was once fond of this man for his straightforwardness and brevity."

"It is true, he uses so many pretty words now," Achilles added with a lazy smile, as if the matter was not of importance. Ding. The doors of the elevator opened and a Jellicent walked into the room.

"I apologize for the interruption," said the Blue Baron, kneeling in front of the Emperor, "I'm afraid I am not as young as I used to be. The commander of the enemy fleet, a Braviary named Johnson, is dead."

The Emperor smiled for the first time; his eyes gave away his satisfaction for the news. He got up from his seat briefly, clapping twice. "Bravo, Blue Baron, that is one more victory for justice. You were the one to strike Jonathan the final blow, weren't you? I wish I could have done it myself. Our faith in you was not misplaced."

Suddenly, the doors of the elevator opened again, out coming Jacob, Brynjolf and a Slowking.
 

Jacob

The wounded defenders of the city were taken inside the Citadel to be mended by the doctors; one of them rushed to Brynjolf's aid just as Jacob was reaching the elevator. The Aggron had spasmed violently all the way there, but he wouldn't scream yet, as he was knocked out.

The Slowking doctor attempted to make a quick diagnosis as the elevator went up; he put his hand on the Aggron gently and shut his eyes. When he opened them again, he looked at Jacob with worry. "This man is dying very quickly. It is a curse, I am fairly certain, but I cannot really determine what causes it... a Healing Pulse can save him, I would say, but his injuries will also heal. He will no longer be weak. Are you ready to restrain him, in case he retaliates?"
"Yes," Jacob answered, standing between Brynjolf and the elevator's doors as they ascended. "I'm expecting him to retaliate, in fact." The Meowstic's face was expressionless as usual, but Jacob was worried. Bringing Brynjolf up to where the Emperor, the Gold Tribe, and the Council were? One of the worst ideas ever!
"You won't need his limbs to be loose, will you?" Jacob asked, raising his hands to chest level. Psychic restraints immediately formed around all of Brynjolf's arms and legs, as well as one holding down the Aggron's middle.
"No, him being loose is not necessary," the Slowking muttered, leaning over and placing his hand on the Aggron. A bright blue light passed from the Slowking's hand to sink into the steel of the Aggron's body. The burns and wounds from his battle before instantly lessened, closing on their own, his body loosened up and his next spasm wasn't as violent. He regained consciousness, but he was still seemingly in pain. "NO!" he screamed again, "Get away from me, fiend!" he thrashed wildly, trying to break free from his restraints. The Slowking doctor stepped away, alarmed. The elevator's doors opened, and the bell rung; they had reached the top floor. Two lines of Doublades were leading up to the Obsidian Throne; the Emperor's gaze found the three Pokemon in the elevator.
"You might all want to get between us and His Majesty," Jacob called to the Doublades and the Gold Tribe in the room. They did exactly as he told them to do, adopting a cresent formation in front of the Obdsidian Throne. Meanwhile, Jacob kept his focus on the restraints, making sure they didn't break. "Even if Brynjolf's been cursed, he's still dangerous."
From the side, Sophia dashed forward until she was a few yards from the elevator. A trio of fire orbs hovered around her as the white Meowstic lifted a hand and added some of her power to Brynjolf's restraints. She didn't feel like pointing out that it was dangerous to have the Aggron up here in the first place.
"Did you say cursed?" Garland whispered. The entire Council's attention was upon the Aggron, who was spasming occasionally; Rethlor, Achilles, Vektor, all were watching him with interest, all but the Emperor. His look was furious.
"Cursed," the Ampharos said intensely, "a righteous retribution for a rebel."
The Aggron shook entirely, but he looked healthier now, and his eyes were open and aware, although reddened and looking frantically left and right. He didn't seem to be in a position to fight conventionally, but he would be dangerous if he started to rampage.
"This was bound to happen," Achilles spoke quickly, in a hushed tone, "are any of you familiar with the custom the Stygians call 'Ritual of War'? The leaders pledge an alliance for a war that is waged for changing the history of the Stygian nation. For this, they each give an item of great personal value to a person they may put their trust in. That mutual ambassador is to curse and keep the items. If any of the commanders of the war that followed the Ritual betrayed their alliance, the holder of the items would destroy his, and he would be cursed to die a traitor's death, shaming his entire clan afterwards. Apparently, this one has betrayed the alliance... by getting captured, perhaps." He watched the Aggron spasm again, his mighty body shaking as if pierced by a needle. Achilles's look did not have any sympathy in it.
"And that was for today's history lesson," Rethlor hummed sarcastically.
"Alright! Alright!" the Aggron was yelling, flailing his chained arms, as if he wanted to protect himself from something that was leaping on him. He didn't seem to have heard Achilles.
As an additional measure, Jacob threw out a Thunder Wave that struck Brynjolf, paralyzing him. After Sophia came to her brother's side, the two Meowstic concentrated and pulled on the Aggron's chains from a distance, forcing Brynjolf out of the elevator. They stopped him just a few yards later, and Jacob's hands lowered. The psychic chains lowered with him, slowly pulling Brynjolf's arms down until the Aggron was forced to lie on the floor. No room between his limbs and the floor meant Brynjolf wouldn't have room to make any real tremors.
"Alrighty, then." Jacob's voice was forcibly lighthearted. "Know what we're doing with him yet?"
"Shall I interrogate him, your Highness?" Vektor offered humbly.
"No. That will not be necessary; for I will do that myself."
Their Emperor got up from his dark seat, walked down the steps towards the Aggron without fear; the doublades of the protective crescent parted to allow him through and the Aegislash, their captain, followed him close behind. Lord Brynjolf looked everywhere, from where he was lying on the floor, yet he did not seem to notice the Emperor's presence. His reddened eyes looked past him, seeing phantoms that the present Pokemon could not.

"You are a shame, to both Stygians and rebels," Emperor Zhaolong declared and raised his arm. His silver crown burst, a shower of sparks flying everywhere around it for a brief moment, then focusing on travelling down the tip of the Ampharos's claw. There, they gathered and burned and shimmered with great intensity. The sound of lightning had filled the the room, and the light played on the faces of the Pokemon of the Council. The Aggron finally took notice of the sparks, and he drew back, spasming.
The Emperor touched him, and lightning passed onto the steel; the Aggron opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came out. He spasmed again through the shock, and he remained at the ground by the end of it. It was one hell of a lightning - it didn't take experience in to know that that lightning was enough to kill a fully grown Pokemon. And no normal Pokemon could possibly produce that amount of power. The Council and all the gathered members of the Gold Tribe were reminded of the Ampharos's obscene powers. Yet the Aggron lived, whether it was by Zhaolong's will or by chance, and continued to be tortured by the curse and the paralysis. "Heal him," he ordered the Slowking doctor.
The Slowking poured the bright blue light into the Aggron's body, but he looked at the Emperor, worried that he might electrocut Brynjolf again. "Your Highness, healed or not, I do not think he can take much more of this."
"He is a big man," the Aegislash interrupted him, "he can take it if the Emperor says so."
"Lift his head," Zhaolong commanded the Aegislash. "I want him to look at me."
The sword lifted the Aggron's head by the chin. Their gazes met. "I know mercy, unlike you. Answer me, and I shall let you live. The Stygian lords have risen in rebellion. Why?" the Ampharos said, his voice almost trembling with fury. "The party of Gold Tribe I sent for negotiations never returned. Half were slaughtered, half were taken. Where are they?"
The Aggron shook his head and made a sad expression with his mouth, as if he was a child that was being scolded. He blinked furiously, then his body was shook by another spasm from the curse, and he moaned like a trapped beast. Even in his restraints, he reached violently to the Slowking, grabbing him by the neck, but he had no intention to kill him. He had trouble speaking, and his red eyes were wide and fearful. "Memory... look... inside..." he managed to say. The Slowking tried to get back, when the grip loosened.
The doctor looked up at the Emperor. "I can sense the curse is troubling his mind, apart from his body. I believe... what he wants is for me to retrieve a memory of his."
"Hold on," a voice said from the back; attention was drawn to the Electabuzz who had appeared out of nowhere. "Some of us need medical help. How about this, I'll let my friend Frank here enter this lord's mind - he's an expert, don't worry - and you tend to Pendro and the rest of us," Zack said to the Slowking, who nodded and paced over to the fallen Metang to examine him; he placed a hand upon him and infused him with a Heal Pulse, then took out a few berries from his satchel to feed the Metang.
"Do what you have to do, and be quick about it." The Emperor had returned to his dark seat and was watching the Aggron. Frank the Kadabra nodded quietly and headed over to the restrained lord. He touched him gently, once on one of the two spikes on his head, and once on his jaw.


"Miracle Eye," Frank whispered, and a grand, shining triangle of purple light appeared above the Aggron's head. The light played on everyone's faces as they watched intently, and their shadows grew on the marble floor. A cold, ominous aura filled the room and a distant, monotonous voice came ringing to their ears; as if somebody was singing: ooooooooooooooooo... Jacob stood besides Brynjolf, maintaining his psychic restraints, when he noticed a thick, purple gaze had begun covering the Aggron. He jumped, although his face remained calm, but Frank brought his hand on his mouth, gesturing for silence.

The shadows trembled and changed; they were completely amiss, new shadows being born and raised from the floor. General Althalos shied away and Rethlor let out an angry cry when they noticed some of those shadows were close to them. Visions started to materialize around Brynjolf. The chanting became louder as a tree-like figure appeared, leaning over above him. The Trevenant's red eye was full of hatred as he looked upon Brynjolf, who struggled wildly in his restraints. "No! NO! Away with you, fiend!" The other shadows transformed into Trevenants that begun gathering around Brynjolf and poking him with their root-like claws.

"Fascinating!" Frank said out loud, shouting so he could be heard through the buzzing ooo. "These visions appear to be what he is experiencing right now. The curse isn't a simple one, no. Dispelling it will be a complex procedure - the curse was not meant only to kill, but to torture as well. These Pokemon are spirits that have come back from the dead to haunt him... I wonder who put them up to it."

"Let's see what memory he's willing to show us," Jacob urged Frank. He didn't tell anyone, but he was afraid these Trevenants would suck the life force out of Brynjolf, become real and attack all of them. It was a possibility, of course.

"The memory, yes," Frank said.

The images faded as the Miracle Eye seemed to relocate. Brynjolf blinked as the light dove into his eyes. Everyone who was watching dived abruptly into a vision.


***
​

​

"Smells like somebody's pissed in here."

Brynjolf's gruff voice echoed in the dark tunnels along with the sound his heavy feet made as he followed close behind the green witch, a Meloetta who floated gently, a green flare above her head guiding them through the corridor.

"Show some respect," the Meloetta snapped, "this is a sacred place!"

Sacred or no, it's a bunch of rocks in here, Brynjolf's voice echoed in the vision; the Aggron looked down and crushed a rock under his foot on the pale ground. All the stones seemed to be white here. It made him miss his green, muddy homeland.

"Alrighty, little Vendra, har-har. No need to be gettin' irate now. Not like anybody can hear us."

They walked a bit in the dark. The memory seemed to move fast forward, the figures spinning faster. Brynjolf must have been absent-minded at the time, not paying much attention to where he was going and instead following the elusive witch called Vendra.

They arrived, at last, in a chamber. Runes glowing faintly red, blue and white were engraved on the pale stone walls of this circular room; the room was dimly lit by levitating candles which burned hot blue, yet its center was dark, very dark. A slow humming was coming from there, echoing in the room like a herald of doom. Brynjolf was left staring around in wonder; his mouth was slightly opened when his eyes fell on what was the center of the chamber.

It was an enormous, dark rock that was so massive, it almost reached the ceiling. It was fine like a jewel, as if someone had groomed it in the wheel to look perfect. It seemed deep, too, but so dark that you could not see what lay beyond. An overwhelming sense of dread filled Brynjolf, who was a fighter well acquainted with power - he knew it was power coming off of that thing, but the kind of it seemed unheard, undreamed of for anyone on Exathor. He shivered, feeling like a weak stick that would snap in two and be washed away by this unknown, hateful force.

The room was essentially three rings around that object, separated by a two-foot step. Onto of the outer ring, the third one where Brynjolf and Vendra were right now, there were runes marked on the floor, glowing red. Their light seemed to fade as Brynjolf stepped onto them. He was sensing a trap of some sort, but Vendra just waved for him to come, so he leaped down the step into the second ring, where the runes glowed blue. There they stopped.

Into the inner ring, the smallest of all, the runes were white and pulsing. There were Pokemon, some kneeling on the floor in front of the dark rock, some standing up. The kneeling ones were five: a Beartic, an Emboar, an Ursaring, a Goodra and a Cacturne. They had the golden garments members of the Gold Tribe would wear. Brynjolf thought it strange that they would kneel like that, but then he noticed the blood. They were beaten so much, they couldn't stand. As for those who were on their feet, they were the usual bunch, and just one more: a Pangoro in a white robe with a serious expression and deadly, black eyes; on his right sleeve, a symbol meaning 'wolf' was drawn. He was standing beside the Beartic, vigilant and silent.

"Brynjolf, welcome to our company," Lord Teneth said softly. The Umbreon was smiling gently, but it was a terrifying sight, for his jaws were dripping blood. Lord Brynjolf approached.

"Looks like I missed the action. What'll happen if I dare touch one of these?" the Aggron jokingly said.

"They'll fall over," Romulus said. Zoroark and Haxorus, side by side, Brynjolf noticed. Romulus's fists were bloodied.

"Don't even think about it," Chantalai said in his commanding tone, "I will not lose one of these precious specimens simply because you wanted to play."

"No worries, man," Brynjolf said, "they're hurt enough."

Asaito was there, too. "My lord," he said, bowing slightly when Brynjolf neared the inner ring, his heavy steps echoing in the chamber.

"Har! Asaito!" the Aggron exclaimed, reaching to shake the Greninja's hand.

Then he noticed Vendra was headed towards the Beartic, who had his hands chained and was forced to kneel directly in front of the dark rock. The golden shoulderplates he was once wearing lay in front of him, on the runes. His eyes were closed and blood was dripping from his ear to his icy beard, and he was breathing heavily. Vendra sat on the man's shoulder playfully. She kissed the side of his head, but he did not respond. The Meloetta took flight again, and called to the shadows: "Polo! Our Caretaker has a request. Tear off the garments of those filthy Pokemon who call themselves golden."

A Gliscor appeared from the shadows of the ceiling; his claws were also dipped in blood, which he licked with his long tongue as he flew downwards. Vendra had confessed to Brynjolf that she couldn't think of someone more suitable to torture members of the Gold Tribe than a former member of the Gold Tribe: Polo 'Furious Gaia', known for his improved Earth Power technique. Brynjolf himself had often thought of what it would be like to battle Polo, but he was much too afraid: after the few 'modifications' Vendra had come up for him, he was a powerhouse - a challenge even for a Mega Aggron. And that power helped a lot when torturing the golden ones, who would not yield as easily as the common Pokemon.

So, the Gliscor dove down with incredible speed, and a few Aerial Aces later, the bloodied garments of the Gold Tribe lay on the runic floor, broken and torn. "The Caretaker has made his decision," Vendra spoke, then called out their names. "Brandifer, "Fire King"," she said, looking at the Emboar, then turned to the Ursaring, "Laila, "Spinebreaker"." She then looked at the Goodra, calling out "Ileas "Champion"," and then to the Cacturne, "Simon "Chloe". You are relieved of your titles and duties. You can forget your brothers and sisters. You are not members of the Gold Tribe anymore, after command of the Caretaker. His will be done."

The Ursaring managed to push herself off the floor in retaliation to those words. "You... you're... you don't know what you're saying..." The Gliscor laughed and brought his pincher on her head, forcing her on the ground again.

"No talking!" he screamed in her ear.

"Caretaker? That what you call him?" The Fire King, the Emboar, spat towards Vendra. "That's what I say to him. Worthless piece of nothing."

Romulus stepped forward and let fly a vicious backhand blow that struck the Emboar hard across the face, shattering one of his tusks. It'll grow out again, Brynjolf found himself thinking. If truth be told, he wasn't feeling comfortable with torture. He'd much rather fight others justly on the battlefield, not deal pain to helpless people on their knees.

"Romulus," the Goodra cried, "I don't believe you, how could you side with these lunatics...?"

The Haxorus was silent, his dark eyes glazed, as he stepped back to the side of his master.

"Kill me," Simon the Cacturne said, "don't take away my title. Nobody has that right."

Vendra was not pleased with what she was hearing. Her delicate face twisted so much that she became an ugly little thing, and her voice was as shrill as ever. "The Emperor has that right. And guess who is your Emperor. Dareon?" She laughed, "no. It is the Caretaker, and if he wishes to dismiss you, you have no say in it."

"You're insane," the Ursaring blurted out, "you--"

"Silence!" Vendra screamed, and Polo smacked the Ursaring on the head again. "Do you know what will happen to Exathor soon? Do you? Shut your mouth, insolent creature. If you think Dareon is going to be the Emperor for long, you're bigger fools than I'd imagined. Haven't you been paying attention?" the Meloetta laughed shrilly. "The sun will rise, and the sky will be crimson! Crimson with the blood of the enemies of the new, rightful Emperor and heir to the entire Realm! We will work to give him the crown that is rightfully his - the Thunder Crown! And our first step is, Alamagna. The city will be destroyed," she mumbled, as if she'd forgotten she was supposed to be scolding the insolent Ursaring.

She makes it sound easy, Brynjolf thought, grinning widely. "Har! I fancy your optimism," he said out loud.

"Quiet, fool," she snapped. Silence settled in the chamber.

"We are done here," Chantalai decided and he and Romulus begun walking away.

"Let us be off," the Umbreon, Teneth said, jumping lightly over the step to the middle ring of the chamber. "To the teleporters! I cannot wait to arrange my host!~"

"Oh, brother," Brynjolf muttered. I got here just to leave again. Must never be late again.

The Pokemon on their feet started to leave, leaping over the steps towards the tunnels of the outer ring. "What of the golden ones?" Polo screamed, flying frantically above them. "Well, they ain't so golden anymore. Heh."

"Keep them company," the Pangoro commanded him; he was the first one to exit the tunnels.


***


Everyone in the room was dead silent. It was like lightning had struck the top of the Obsidian Citadel - a crimson-colored one. The tension could be felt, pulsing out of the Mega Ampharos on the throne; his aura had become so solid that it was heavy to breathe. The Thunder Crown, the silver piece, was resting on his head and it seemed like a heavy burden, sunk as it was near his eyes. His cheeks were reddened and his dark eyes were wide and full of furor; they reflected the blue sparks that occasionally flew off the antennae on top of his head. Jacob could guess, as everybody could, why the Emperor was so angry. It wasn't only the statements made in this memory that angered him greatly. It was something else, but Jacob was clueless as to how it had happened anyway.

"My, son," Zhaolong said, the words stuck between his gritted jaws.

The Council erupted with every member talking at the same time, until the Aegislash unleashed a great metallic sound that made them silent.

"Send for the White Citadel," the Aegislash commanded, but before any Doublade could move, a Shedinja appeared in front of the elevator.

"Your Highness," the ghost spoke, "if I may deliver a message..."

"We know," Rethlor told him.

The Mega Ampharos stood abruptly from his throne. He tightened one hand so much, that sparks flew in every direction, making those near him shy away, lest they be shocked. He couldn't speak. Jacob thought he'd lost the ability to speak, somehow.

"Did you all see the Beartic?" Garland spoke grimly, at last. "There is no mistake. He is missing from the White Citadel, is he not?" he asked the Shedinja, without waiting for an answer. "That was without a doubt the Crown Prince, Cyrus."
​
 
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Jeremy "Juggernaut" Daraxus

Even though Jeremy was late to the battle at Alamagna. he thankfully was perfectly on time for the meeting between the Council, the Gold Tribe and the Emperor. For most of the time the Juggernaut had been silent, listening taking in information, sorting though it... although his report on his observations of the 'Rebels' as some called them could be taken to their advantage, now was not the time to mention such things... not just yet so Jeremy decided to wait.

He watched the vision with the others after the vision Everyone in the room was dead silent. It was like lightning had struck the top of the Obsidian Citadel - a crimson-colored one. Tension could be felt, pulsing out of the Mega Ampharos on the throne; his presence had become to some Tremendous, to the point to where none would dare whisper in his presence. The Thunder Crown, the silver piece, was resting on his head and it seemed like a heavy burden, sunk as it was near his eyes. His cheeks were reddened and his dark eyes were wide and full of furor; they reflected the blue sparks that occasionally flew off the antennae on top of his head. from what he could guess, as everybody could, why the Emperor was so angry. It wasn't only the statements made in this memory that angered him greatly. It was something else, but from what could be told, many were clueless as to how it had happened anyway.

"My, son," Zhaolong said, the words stuck between his gritted jaws.

The Council erupted with every member talking at the same time, until the Aegislash unleashed a great metallic sound that made them silent.

"Send for the White Citadel," the Aegislash commanded, but before any Doublade could move, a Shedinja appeared in front of the elevator.

"Your Highness," the ghost spoke, "if I may deliver a message..."

"We know," Rethlor told him.

The Mega Ampharos stood abruptly from his throne. He tightened one hand so much, that sparks flew in every direction, making those near him shy away, lest they be shocked. He couldn't speak. as if he'd lost the ability to speak, somehow.

"Did you all see the Beartic?" Garland spoke grimly, at last. "There is no mistake. He is missing from the White Citadel, is he not?" he asked the Shedinja, without waiting for an answer. "That was without a doubt the Crown Prince, Cyrus."

Jeremy nodded in aggreement, "this is most unexpected" he said with a pause, "what should be done about this... with him" he said looking at Brynjolf. In Jeremy's eyes the Aggron was a traitor to all Aggron. bringing dishonor to their species name. Jeremy was in the mindset to put the two of them in the same room and let Jeremy knock him around a few time times. but he held his tongue. instead he said, "this Caretaker... who is he to remove the titles of members of the Gold Tribe!! and torture! this is an OUTRAGE!!" Jeremy knew that many would agree due to the silence after word. he then let himself fall silent again, knowing full well that he should not tempt the wrath of the Emperor... instead though he tried to be more helpful. "perhaps we should attempt to watch them... inject some pokemon into their ranks as spies. try to be a step ahead of them. such as replacing this sad excuse for an Aggron."
 
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A well remembered meeting!​

Thrasher watched on as the scene took place. He made sure to look everywhere, knowing that details were very important. Every single image he would see might have a place in the future, help to give them some sort of clue he could possibly remember later on to help them. Five members were stolen away and they were kept captive. Question was... why? And only the emperor had a ways of removing a Gold Tribe's title. Obviously the people gathered here believed this Caretaker was the rightful emperor, which only made him sigh. "This war isn't for taking land... it's for crowning a new emperor. Already they treat this one as an Emperor. And Polo is there too." He frowned, "So we have a Meloetta leading this whole thing. If anything she seems to have an aura of knowledge. She seemed to know what she was doing."

He shook his head, "Still that Pangoro seemed to be in league with them. It is not only the lords there but others that seem to be in on this as well. Whoever this caretaker is, he seems to be powerful enough for them to place their loyalty in them." He nodded, "Alright, they seemed to be under ground from what we saw... or in some chamber. Frank, can you look back further in his mind? See how he got to that exact place? The land held by the rebels is large, if we can find where this place is, we can narrow our search radius for the prince. Not only that we can check Brynjolf's more recent memories to find out if he has been moved anywhere."

Frank nodded, "let me check," and checked on the Aggron, who had stopped spasming, but was still moaning out of pain; blood was dripping out of his mouth and his red eyes stared upwards, not seeing; he breathed, occasionally and weakly. The Kadabra tried touching his forehead and produce another Miracle Eye. The psychic spell was up for a few seconds, before it vanished. "Lord Teneth spoke of teleporters," Frank said, "then they went to the tunnels and ported in the middle of the Grey Waste... as for before, they never mention their destination, only the teleporters. That's strange..."

Zack was rubbing his chin, having forgotten of the stress of the battle. "It is strange. I've a bad feeling about this. This almost seemed like a scene made up - as if they wanted us to see what we just saw, but they would not let on the location. And I notice something intriguing about the Aggron," the Electabuzz pointed at the restrained lord. "The curse seems to have easened up on him." He spasmed again and yelled; the last attack was a few minutes, ago, though.

Skysaber looked up at Garland and the Emperor and gulped, suddenly aware of the Ampharos's mighty temper. "I-I've seen this robed Pangoro, I think... he was on a black airship; he created a blast strong enough to blast the Storm's Fury to bits."

"Show us that Pangoro again," Rethlor told Frank, who nodded. A psychic vision was created into a miracle eye. It was a close-up picture of the Pangoro's face.

"We know that man," Rethlor decided, glancing at Zhaolong, who nodded. "That's Materasu Kagemusha. Hesperian entrepreneur, explorer, geographer and historian, but also teacher and engineer. He graduated from the ECUL with congratulations for his perfect grades, a long time ago, but never joined the Gold Tribe for reasons he preferred not to share."

"He's worked as a teacher briefly in the ECUL, a year ago," Garland said, as if he had just remembered, and then Zack knew where he had seen him before; in the time he spent in the ECUL, Mr. Kagemusha was the history teacher for something less than a month. Zack was never paying attention in his class, and Mr. Kagemusha didn't seem to care, so he was prone to forget even his face. Mr. Kagemusha had quietly resigned and disappeared after a few weeks teaching in the ECUL, and he was replaced, but Zack didn't even notice the change. Still, it was hard to believe Mr. Kagemusha had joined the wrong side.

Punisher chuckled, "Oh I know that guy too! Heh, his class was a piece of cake!" The Machamp said with a bright grin.

Thrasher nodded, "Obviously they must have recruited him then. Some great offer must have been presented to him... but why him? He's mostly indulged in non combat roles and to think that he would be accepted as a sort of ally in battle... I don't know. If he has any family or close friends we could question them, see if they have any clues as to why he is doing what he's doing now. But we know one thing now... they are accepting Hesperians into their ranks. As I said... it's not a war against Hesperia... it's a war to get a new emperor on the throne and they'll need all the help they can get."

He turned to the emperor, "The curse is subsiding... because they wanted you to see what he saw. It's possibe the Brynjolf... well... he's a messenger. Someone who was sent to give you this specific image. Frank, this Meloeta... she knows quite a bit. Brynjolf would have to at least know why she's leading the lords on like this. Can you dig in deeper? See when she first appeared to Brynjolf? I can tell that she's close to this Caretaker fellow."

"Nope," Frank sighed, "I've already pushed him past his limit. Look, he's fainted. And I can't do this all day either..."

"He-hello, uhhhh..." A voice murmured shakily. Pendro's eyes flicked open in a daze. "I'm... what happened? What's happening...?"

Cassandra crouched down to Pendro's level, whispering to the metang to bring him up to speed. "Four Gold Tribe members were captured, and the Emperor's son, Cyrus, was one of them. We're trying to find out where they are being held and devise a plan of action."

"What, just now? How long was I out?"

"No, we're viewing the memories of Brynjolf. This probably happen--"

"Shh!" Tavhir said in chastisement. "We'll catch him up to speed later." The pawniard looked troubled, a mixture of anger and worry evident in his expression. Stripped of their titles? By what authority? Even though Tavhir disagreed with the Emperor in more ways than one, he knew that only Dareon had the authority to stip a Gold Tribe member of their status. The fact that these rebels, these... pretenders, had the arrogance and audacity to even make such a power claim angered him greatly.

Gerrick was silent through the entire ordeal, merely observing from a distance as everything was revealed in front of him. He dared not speak his mind, lest more bewildered eyes would be put on him, which might probe further questions as to his whereabouts and condition. Yet he couldn't help but let out a soft groan and a roll of his eyes, catching himself doing so only after the act. The battle seemed certainly over by now, but all the Gold Tribe had been doing was planning what seemed to be their next objective. Would Gerrick even get a chance to rest and relax in luxury? Would he get paid for his services after this? Wait, do Gold Tribe members even get paid? Of course they do! They had to be...right?

Gerrick had no intention of going along with them for much longer if they didn't. The problem was trying to lose them. It didn't seem like it would be the easiest thing to do. Gerrick sighed, deciding to speak up. "So, what happens now?"
 

Skysaber

Zack held his tongue throughout the memory projected by the Miracle Eye, keeping a few feet away from anybody else. When that girl, Vendra, started this preach of the new, rightful Emperor, he stepped backwards, an irrational fear and a desire to run taking over his mind. There was something really fishy about this and his intuition was pushing him to suggest they leave their brothers and sisters, along with the Crown Prince, to their fates. The rebels had made a show here, setting up a trap. How did Prince Cyrus get caught so easily? Zack wondered, Knowing him, he'd probably be locked up in the palace, where not even a Ledyba may enter... then his mind wandered elsewhere. He brought his hand to rub the fur over his mouth and looked down in deep thought, having forgotten about the Council and his fear. The captives were behaving strangely. What's the possibility they have been brainwashed? But how? This makes no sense... And what of the curse? It's gone now, poof. That's convenient.

"Frank!" Zack whispered to the Kadabra, who had just finished casting his spell and was walking to Zack, who grabbed him by the neck and drew him to the shadows.

"Hey! What gives?"

"Shh!" Zack whispered, "I don't want the others hearing any of this until we're sure of what we're talking about. Don't wanna go looking like a fool in front of the whole Council."

Frank nodded in understanding.

"Did you notice anything... strange, with the memory you just saw?"

The Kadabra smirked, then nodded negatively. "Nope."

Zack hadn't lost hope. "I thought... maybe a... distortion? They could be making up images, Franky, everybody knows psychics are capable of doing that. What we just saw may not be the truth, and if we go by the book, we may just end up next to those captives before we know it."

Frank rubbed the back of his head, having a neutral expression, "I'm no expert at uncovering frauds, Zack, but no, I do not think there was a distortion. This was a real memory, no doubt."

Zack turned his back to him, now looking to the open, dark night sky of Stygia. "I need time to think of this, and this isn't the right time," he mumbled. There's a crazy theory to be made here, but babbling about it won't help. He glanced over the Council.

Then the matter of the Pangoro was brought up. It turned out, that was that history teacher that Zack never paid much attention to. The Council couldn't think of a reason as to why that man had joined the opposition.

Thrasher said to the Emperor, "The curse is subsiding... because they wanted you to see what he saw. It's possible that Brynjolf... well... he's a messenger. Someone who was sent to give you this specific image. Frank, this Meloeta... she knows quite a bit. Brynjolf would have to at least know why she's leading the lords on like this. Can you dig in deeper? See when she first appeared to Brynjolf? I can tell that she's close to this Caretaker fellow."

"Nope," Frank sighed, "I've already pushed him past his limit. Look, he's fainted. And I can't do this all day either..."

Zack knew somebody the Gold Tribe could count on for a different kind of thinking. He turned to look at Shadowrend, the Krookodile who was covered in blood.

"So, what happens now?" he said, and Zack blinked. I guess he's clueless like us.

Achilles was the one to answer the question. "We locate them," he said, as if it was the simplest thing they would be doing. "Frank, show us the start of the memory again."

Frank groaned in dismay, but he cast another Miracle Eye, which showed Brynjolf and Vendra walking in those tunnels; Zack tried looking for clues, but all he could see was a pale haze that rose in the air from the pounding of the Aggron's heavy feet, the white stone Brynjolf stepped on... he blinked. That was familiar, somehow.

"Pause it," the Medicham said, and everyone could hear his smile in his voice. The Miracle Eye was showing the white tunnel ground and the walls in a moment of good lighting. The members of the Council glanced at each other, except Emperor Dareon, who was staring intently at the ground. Achilles returned his look and satisfied smile. "It is clear... that those shown in the memory have taken a trip to Stoneyard."

"I doubt Stoneyard is the only place on Exathor with white stones on the ground," Rethlor said.

The Council was silent for a few moments, and Achilles didn't bother to reply to Rethlor. "Show us the runes," he only said. When the runes on the floor of the chamber appeared, the Trade Prince looked satisfied; he walked towards the Miracle Eye and leaned into it to take a closer look. The runes were glowing red, blue and white in the memory. "Can anyone read these runes?"

And all were silent. Not even Rethlor, who had studied languages of old, had anything to say about the meaning of the runes. The face of the Mienshao was drawn, his mouth forming a line that showed his displeasure. Achilles turned to them.

"Wise Master, can you tell us what these runes represent?" Achilles asked nonchalantly quickly afterwards.

"This is an archaic language, dark for even the most learned modern historians," he admitted, "the meaning of these words has long been lost. These runes cannot be understood by anyone on Exathor."

The Trade Prince looked at him scornfully, as if doubting his words. But he didn't say anything about that. "The meaning is of no importance at this moment. What does matter is that, the biggest source of forgotten symbols in our land are the monasteries of Stoneyard."

Zack almost clapped for Achilles at that moment. He never disappointed him, although others didn't seem to appreciate him as much as Zack did.

Emperor Dareon pointed at the Trade Prince. "It is good that you decided to share your intellect with us, for once," he said in disdain, then turned to the Generals. "Make ready, for we are marching to Stoneyard. I shall bring the whole might of Exathor upon these defilers, and they shall be reminded of who rules this land rightfully, and justly. Only the gods will stop me from getting my son back."

Garland slightly bowed, "well put, your Highness, but let us not jump head-first into deep dark waters, where we do not know what sort of Pokemon is lurking. A plan of action is essential here."

"Agreed," Jacob jumped into the conversation, "but before you say anything, give me a spoon, Fi!"

"Yes, the spoon," Sophia threw him the spoon, which he caught in the air. He bent it in an instant with a flash of blue psychic energy. The whole Council was staring at the siblings, dumbfounded.

"What are the twins up to?" General Vektor muttered.

"We're not twins, sorry," Jacob said, now staring intently at the spoon, but he glanced frantically to the Emperor, who was showing his impatience by fiddling with sparks on his hand. "I know somebody, who knows somebody, etc. etc. who lives in Stoneyard," he said, "spoons are a great way to talk to friends." To the spoon, he said, "Coach here, talking is worth a million berries."

Zack was surprised with this method; he knew that psychic communication was limited in Exathor, so the psychics resorted to using items that multiplied their powers, to enhance their chances of their message reaching the target. From what Jacob had said, Zack assumed that this message was carried across Exathor through people Jacob knew or items such as spoons. People and items acted like beacons, carrying the message further until the next beacon. Otherwise, there was no psychic capable of producing a psychic wave potent enough to reach Stoneyard from Alamagna.
​

But several moments passed with no response. Jacob gave up, throwing the spoon backwards; Sophia guided it in the air with her powers, then made it fall directly into her pouch. The dark blue Meowstic shrugged, his face casually stoic. "I guess they're out of commission."

Garland sighed, looking down, "that is grave news... the Stoneyard may have been conquered already. And I am worried about the Sky Nexus. If the rebels decided it was okay to vandalize Alamagna, we cannot call a Sky Nexus safe when they are near... who knows what follies they are determined to do in Stoneyard."
 
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Jeremy "Juggernaut" Daraxus

Jeremy found himself yawning in the middle of the conversation, he wasn't much of a strategist after all but from what the Electibuzz, was saying this was indeed strange, Images being made up, memories being faked, traps, and a threat to the Sky Nexus... this was indeed a major problem.

Jeremy then spoke up, "the question lies with... where do we go from here, we are unsure if what we've just seen is a trap or not... and Stoneyard may be captured or destroyed, making the Sky Nexus vulnerable..." after a moment of thought he spoke again to the Emperor directly, "Sire, an army would no doubt make Alamagna vulnerable, and not to mention would be detected long before they even reach Stoneyard... a small strike team however... can move swiftly without much detection, it seems like that would be our best course of action... besides if these rebels were to kill off the entire army and yourself... and the generals... there would be nobody opposing their 'Caretaker's' right to rule, nobody significant, at least. I would advise that you send a select group of the Gold tribe to investigate these Runes." Jeremy bowed his head, "with the greatest respect of course, we cannot afford to loose the most important individual to the Nation. to loose you in a single battle could be the end of the nation as we know it and the beginning of destruction for us all" Jeremy stood waiting... he knew very well that the Emperor was cross and wanted to save his son... but this was a simple truth, they couldn't afford to loose him. especially not with his son missing in action.
 
The Council Meeting:
a Plan of Action​

|"Thrasher" - Gerrick - Tavhir - Pendro|​

The Emperor listened to Jeremy the Juggernaut closely, his eyes fixed on the Aggron intently; he was going to refuse staying idle while his son was in captivity, then he thought better of it. It was good Zhaolong wasn't entirely without wisdom. He seemed pleased by Jeremy's words, so he said, "I see the wisdom in that, and I will consider your idea. Let us hear what you other members of the Gold Tribe have to say."

"Out of commission huh?" Thrasher asked. He thought for a moment as he rubbed his chin, "Your highness... as I said before it could be a trap. In any case, they could have moved the captives and instead have their own army there. The problem is this though... they have the crown prince. If we move en mass then they will know... and it is likely they will send threats of killing him if we move in. You saw how battered they were! And there is the fact that they stole him out of the Citadel and yet no one noticed it. I think that someone within the Citadel helped them to steal the prince away. I suggest you at least send a message back to alert those still loyal to you that there may be a traitor in their ranks. Given how easy he was stolen away... I think that's also a sign that you shouldn't return. There very well might be an assassin hiding there for all we know."

Zhaolong snorted at the last words of Thrasher. "There are no traitors amidst my vassals in the White Citadel." His look was telling, I have made sure of that.

Thrasher gave a nod and looked at his brothers and sisters, "If we do anything... it would have to be a stealth and information gathering mission. First go in and scout out the area, see if there are any traps laid out to greet us or such. Second, we see if we can interrogate the other prisoners we have captured as well. I know we caught Shayla and there were some guards with Brynjolf that are down there too. It's a long shot, but they might have some information that could give us a few clues of what we are to find there. Third, we go in stealthy. If we go in screaming and punching everything, that will give them not only a warning but also allow them to reach the captives and kill them before we so much as get close enough. Garland, what moves does Polo know and how experienced is he?"

"He is known for his Earth Power technique," Garland said, "which was cited dangerous for friend and foe alike by the Council, so he was banned from using it... injustice, he called it, so he thought it would do him good to forsake his oath to us. He is a twisted, vile thing, and a capable enemy of ours now. Brynjolf seems to mention 'modifications' made to him in the memory, but I could not tell any difference... his blows did seem exceptionally strong, though."

Thrasher frowned, "Then it is as I thought, this is a kind of jib at us. The Meloetta probably had this whole scene planned out, maybe even telling Polo not to use his full strength or the like. It is probably a surprise we'll be faced with soon enough. Though... if we can get in with a stealthy approach it might, MIGHT be possible to avoid Polo. Still... it's going to be hard to move around if we have no inkling of what this cavern is truly like." He looked at the rest of his brothers and sisters, "What do you all say? Stealth... or go in shouting war chants?"

Gerrick caught himself glaring at Thrasher, finding his eagerness to take more, immediate action unsettling and annoying. It was soon becoming clear that the only two options he was presenting was going in quiet, or going in suicide-style. Both of which Gerrick wanted no part of, because both involved actually going in. He wanted no part in their glorified slavery to false gallantry and duty. He decided to try to subtly steer the conversation away from those two ultimatums, and toward his own end, which involved not going at all.

Straightforwardness and brevity, Gerrick reminded himself, as he heard the Emperor describe 'Alonsus'. He sucked in a deep breath, and cleared his throat. "Well, err...brother. I think you should take a step back and not do anything too rash. I don't think we're stressin' enough that this could be a trap, and we'd be walking into it. Maybe we should just...cut our losses, ya know? They're likely dead, and if we go we might end up the same."

Tavhir flinched at Gerrick's statement. "Cut our losses?! Those are our brothers and sisters down there, and if there is even the slightest chance that they live, then we will take those chances!" It took all of Tavhir's self-control to prevent him from doing something he'd regret. "You used to be second in command? How someone as callous and apathetic as you rose to that position is beyond me."

"Well, err, what I mean is..." Gerrick trailed off, not sure how to respond to the question posed. He screwed up, but figured now wasn't the best time to back down from his stance. Straightforwardness and brevity, he repeated in his head. "Forgive me, must have been the injury to my head. But I do believe we are jumping into this much too fast without considering other options or possibilities..."

Thrasher couldn't help but feel his jaw slack at Shadowrend's words... and quickly stepped away from him lest he too feel the punishment that the Emperor might inflict on his brother given... oh I don't know... how he just insinuated that his son might be dead!

Pendro took the moment of shocked silence to speak up slightly, "Erm, whilst caution is certainly a good policy, I... wouldn't have said it for, uh, that reason... In any case, if the prisoners were going to be killed, they would be dead already. If they are still alive, then they will be left that way; there's no need to rush into this without preparation."

Gerrick's words didn't seem to calm the Emperor, who stood up from his Throne once again. "I will not accept this presumption. My son is still alive, I am aware of that well enough..." he seemed sure of himself.

Pendro was about to raise a hand to tell him how silly that was, but thought better of it.

"If the rebels lost the Crown Prince, then they would know that there would be no salvation for them," Garland noticed. "Then again, I do not think they care much for keeping him alive, seeing how he was covered in blood... but I agree with Thrasher and Pendro. Our duty is to protect the Crown Prince, but caution is our first priority, lest our efforts result in his death, or ours. Stealth is of the essence." He looked at Jacob, and the two nodded at each other. "I will let Jacob handle our mission into Stoneyard, as I presume he has contacts which can prove helpful to our cause, if we find them."

"Since we cannot march on foot with speed and safety, we ought to use an airship to reach Stoneyard. Let us think of the details of our plan later, when we are all relieved of the stress and fatigue."

"Then take my airship," Emperor Dareon said and walked down the steps of the Obdisian Throne, heading for the elevator. "Rest here, but not for long. You are leaving upon dawn, Gold Tribe."
 
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Jeremy "Juggernaut" Daraxus
an odd conclusion

the events that unraveled before Jeremy were odd to say the least, first the former second in command, Shadowrend, made the most odd term for him to say, Jeremy and from the response from Tavhir confirmed it, something was off... and it wasn't just the mission, Shadowrend had referred to a head injury... however from what Jeremy knew of it would take much more than a pound to the head to change someone's personality. this caused Jeremy to look oddly at him.

the second odd thing that happened was that the Emperor gave them his airship to travel to Stoneyard. Jeremy knew he wouldn't do so well on a stealth mission... but perhaps there was something he could do... in case they need a distraction while in there perhaps, he guessed he would just have to wait and see.
 
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|Demetrus "Thrasher" Sinclair - Tavhir "Restless" Eldren|​

Thrasher thought for the moment that he would have to get his own small bruises attended to and he made his way over to Tavhir. "Uh... so... you noticed Shadowrend acting... odd?" He asked in a low voice. "I mean... it's one thing to declare hope lost if you see some form of carnage, but we saw that they are being held captive and still alive. How can you let go of hope so quickly?"

"I can't say that I knew this 'Shadowrend' personally, nor have I heard much about him," Tavhir started, keeping his voice quiet, "but it seems very... unbecoming for Gold Tribe, especially considering he used to be second in command. A leader doesn't just abandon his men in the field like that."

Thrasher nodded, "You haven't been around long brother. I've been around for twenty years. I knew him a bit. There was one time a long time ago... but that's classified. If anything, the Krookodile back then wouldn't have made such a rash decision. You have my word on that." He sighed, "He must have had quite the head injury though. So, how hard do you suppose this infiltration will be?" He asked. "I don't think it will be easy, that's for sure. They have our brothers locked down there with Polo possibly guarding them."

"True. We have our work cut out for us, especially if they do have the Crown Prince prisoner..." Tavhir said, crossing his arms in pensive thought. "A prize like that is something they'd guard jealously. They most likely have some sort of counter-measure set up for us. We might be walking into a trap..."

Thrasher chuckled, "Well they had a trap here of sorts for us right? Whoever opened those gates led us into a trap, but we got by it easily enough. We will be ready for anything they throw at us." He began to walk away, "You know it's funny, that Meloetta goes on about them destroying Alamanga, but we showed her!" He let out another laugh, and then stopped in mid step as a thought hit him. "... Wait... Restless, remind me. All of the Gold Tribe are heading out... right?"

"I believe so," Tavhir responded, unsure of where Thrasher was going with this question. "This mission is important, so we'll need all of our strength to ensure success. Why do you ask?"

Thrasher was staring through Tavhir at this point. "And... no one will be around in Alamanga... I said Brynjolf was a messenger... and... and that Meloetta said their first step... was to destroy Alamagna..." He murmured.

"And if all of us leave, the city..." Tavhir started, eyes going wide at the sudden realization. "...Alamanga will be left completely defenseless...!"

Thrasher stared right at him, "♥♥♥♥." He muttered. "Your Highness!" He called out suddenly. "We can't leave! Or... not all of us!" He said. "That Meloetta said that their first step was to destroy Alamagna, that the city would fall! I already equated Brynjolf to a messenger, and she was taunting you - us - with that message!" He panted a bit as his adrenaline rose, "Sir... she wants us all out of the city! She knew we would immediately jump on the image of our brothers being held! Of your son being held captive! If we all depart now then we leave Alamagna defenseless! She told us what her plan was and if we all leave... the city will fall..." He fell silent for a moment, "We need to divide up. Now. We need to keep this quiet as well... they think we're going to split up, that you'll force all of us to come with you. We can... we can set up an ambush this way... they won't expect it!" He cried out happily.

"I believe my brother is right," Tavhir said. "This could very well be a trap of a different sort, not intended for us, but for the city itself. How convenient it would be for us all to leave immediately after the battle. Alamanga is in no position to defend itself after that nightmare of a siege..."

Tavhir paced around the room slightly. He hadn't thought of any of this, and if Thrasher hadn't pointed it out, he most likely would have missed it himself. The more he thought about it, the more he realized how it all seemed incredibly convenient. The curse on Brynjolf subsiding just enough so they could see the vision, seeing their brother's and sister's in captivity - knowing they would rush to their rescue - it was the perfect bait. While they were away, they resume the siege. All of their effort wasted, their prisoners freed and returned...

Their prisoners...

The thought struck Tavhir and he nearly gasped at the revelation. "If the city is sieged again, they'll get their prisoners back as well! Brynjolf, Shayla, and what rebels survived... all of our work here will have been for naught!"
 
Jeremy "Juggernaut" Daraxus

Jeremy looked up from where he was, thinking to himself about Shadowrend, at the sound of, "Your Highness!" coming from Thrasher suddenly. "We can't leave! Or... not all of us!" He said. "That Meloetta said that their first step was to destroy Alamagna, that the city would fall! I already equated Brynjolf to a messenger, and she was taunting you - us - with that message!" He panted a bit as his adrenaline rose, "Sir... she wants us all out of the city! She knew we would immediately jump on the image of our brothers being held! Of your son being held captive! If we all depart now then we leave Alamagna defenseless! She told us what her plan was and if we all leave... the city will fall..." He fell silent for a moment, "We need to divide up. Now. We need to keep this quiet as well... they think we're going to split up, that you'll force all of us to come with you. We can... we can set up an ambush this way... they won't expect it!" He cried out happily.

"I believe my brother is right," Tavhir said. "This could very well be a trap of a different sort, not intended for us, but for the city itself. How convenient it would be for us all to leave immediately after the battle. Alamanga is in no position to defend itself after that nightmare of a siege..."

Tavhir paced around the room slightly. He hadn't thought of any of this, and if Thrasher hadn't pointed it out, he most likely would have missed it himself. The more he thought about it, the more he realized how it all seemed incredibly convenient. The curse on Brynjolf subsiding just enough so they could see the vision, seeing their brother's and sister's in captivity - knowing they would rush to their rescue - it was the perfect bait. While they were away, they resume the siege. All of their effort wasted, their prisoners freed and returned...

Their prisoners...

The thought struck Tavhir and he nearly gasped at the revelation. "If the city is sieged again, they'll get their prisoners back as well! Brynjolf, Shayla, and what rebels survived... all of our work here will have been for naught!"

Jeremy Stepped forward, "I'm not much use in stealth missions, I'll stay behind to help in rebuilding and protecting Alamanga... and I'll protect it and everyone within the walls till my last breath. if neccesary," he then turned to the others, "those who go... I wish you the best of luck... those of you who stay... we know the risk... this is the kind of thing we were trained for... no matter what happens, let us fight with the greatest Honor we have ever fought with... and no matter what,let us fight and die with honor... always brothers and sisters... no matter our fate." With that Jeremy made his way to the elevator then he turned around again, "and best of luck everybody."
 
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The Exalted

General Vektor had burst laughing at the thoughts Tavhir spoke out loud. "Brynjolf? Shayla? Who are they?" he rasped, "they've already forgotten them, boy. Don't be so naive."

Wise Master Rethlor laughed softly as well. "Did you think that they care for their own? That is almost... cute. Let me tell you: if this Caretaker of theirs is crowned their Emperor, that implies that the rebel commanders each seek the position of the Stygian General - one Althalos has secured so well for so many years. If Brynjolf is out of the way, that makes for one less candidate for the new Stygian General, and if Shayla is out of the way, that makes the Tocan tribe free of command, as there is no other direct relative of theirs to lay claim. Chantalai will probably have declared a new lord for them, who would not oppose the rebel lords in their hunt for power and instead serve them loyally."

Garland the Exalted had followed the Emperor and his Aegislash servant as they were heading for the elevator. They all stopped and turned to look at the comrades who had begun speaking up. The Ampharos's patience seemed to grow weary, and Garland feared he would snap at his fellow brothers, no matter how honorable their words. But he wasn't the one to speak - the Hesperian General Vektor, the Drapion stepped forward.

"As for Alamagna, it will not be defenseless. It is safe as long as we're here, your Highness. Of the rebels, there's only Lord Teneth's host left unscathed in the wilderness, and I welcome him to siege the city so I may deliver his head to you. If I and Rethlor do march south to your help, it will not be in the fulness of our power."

The Ampharos raised the end of his tightened hand, looking at those who spoke critically. "Trap or not, my son is captured, and I will not stay idle after such insolent claims to the Thunder Crown. Do you propose we stay safely here in Alamagna, play berry-picking with Vektor and his troops and wait for the rebels to show up for another unlikely attack, all while my son is in captivity? Nay!" he shouted.

Garland stepped up before the Emperor's sarcasm got any worse. "The Gold Tribe is going to Stoneyard to do their duty to the Realm, which is to protect it at all costs from our side," he said gravely, "if any of us stay back in this time of great peril, what honor will there be left for us if news of the death of the Realm's heir reach us?" His gaze fell cold onto Vektor. "I say, Vektor commands an ample host, capable of defending the city for several months. If we catch news of another attack, we will rush to their aid then. Otherwise, our strength is most needed elsewhere. With caution, the mission to Stoneyard will not be compromised, I promise you. I have a plan, which I will discuss with you on our way there. Let us rest, now, I am sure we are all equally weary."


ooc: Typh, mate, you can't simply make Jeremy ask Frank to reveal Shadowrend's identity. The Miracle Eye doesn't work that way - only with the consent of the target, does it show memories of the past, the way Frank is using it. Plus he's already drained from using it on Brynjolf. OOC wise, your characters can suspect Shadowrend, but his identity is not ready to be revealed yet.
​
 
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|Pendro "Reaching Mind" Malis - Cassandra "Peacekeeper" Eldren - Tavhir "Restless" Eldren|​

"With all due respect, Garland, I--"

Tavhir was interrupted with a nudge from behind, turning to see his sister Cassandra glancing at him. She motioned for him to follow her, the pawniard begrudgingly complying, the two of them walking a small distance away to commune in private.

"What do you think you're doing?" Cassandra asked in an alarmed tone, keeping her voice low so as not to be heard.

"Can't you see sister? This is too convenient. We can't just leave like this!" Tavhir replied in a whisper as well.

Cassandra bent down to his level, placing her hands on his shoulders. "That may be so, but you have to control yourself. You might not agree with them, but it is not our place to decide."

"Yes, but--"

"But nothing," Cassandra interrupted. "You heard Garland; General Vektor has more than enough men to defend the city, and Brynjolf is of no concern to our enemies. The rebels had effectively sentenced him to death when the curse was inflicted, so it is likely they did not expect him to live as a prisoner to be freed later."

Tavhir let out a sigh. He couldn't help but feel that they were wrong - that the situation was most likely a diversion from something else - but one again he had let his emotions get in the way of his better judgement. "... I'm sorry, Cassandra. It's just that we've seen the ruthlessness of our enemies. I do not feel they will give up Alamanga so easily, especially when it is in such a weakened state."

Cassandra nodded. "I understand your concerns. But regardless of your own personal opinions of them, the lords are not foolish. They know what they're doing, and the city is not without defense. Right now, it is imperative that we find the Crown Prince and our captured brothers and sisters. We have our mission, and the lords have theirs."

"I'm sorry, Cassandra. Forgive me." Tavhir said, bowing slightly as he did.

"It's okay, brother," Cassandra responded reassuringly. "You were only speaking your mind, just be mindful of whom you are speaking to. Now come on, we should get some rest before we head out."

A soft voice stopped the two on their way out. "The lords don't know what they're doing."

Cassandra turned towards the sound, seeing Pendro still slumped on the floor. "What do you mean?" she asked quietly.

"They have no more idea what they're doing than we do. They just look like they do, because they're trained to. Politics 101. Present opinions as facts, maintain confidence at all times, and lie. Lie well. It's disgusting, but there's no other way."

Cassandra looked around the room nervously, hoping that none of the other lords heard them. Thankfully, it appeared that they didn't. She gestured towards Pendro, signalling for him to follow them out. "We should continue this in private," she said, half whispering.

Pendro groaned, but complied, waddling on his two arms somewhat unstably. The three of them left the throne room, heading for the stairs and making their way to the lower levels.

"Why didn't we just wait for the elevator...?" The Metang moaned, dragging his metal bodice down onto the 21st stair. 22nd, 23rd, 24th... He hadn't signed up for this.

Cassandra noticed Pendro's struggle, reaching and helping the metang carry himself down the stairs, Tavhir following suit. After some moments later, they had reached the ground floor. The walls were lined with small beds for pokémon to rest, as well as lockers for storing personal items. A few medical workers walked to and fro, tending to the wounds of other soldiers. Pendro plonked down off of the final step and into the room, dragging himself up to the nearest bed and giving himself a quick burst of levitation to make his way onto it.

He sighed contently, then frowned, "Guys, the Emperor's kind of... he's not... you know what I'm saying, right?"

"I do," Cassandra said with a sigh, taking a seat on a nearby bed as well. "Look, I know he may not be the kindest person around, but he is still the emperor, and we swore an oath as Gold Tribe to defend him and all of Exathor."

"Eeehhhh, yeah, we did... I... what was I saying?"

"I believe you were saying something about politicians and lying," Tavhir said, taking a seat on the floor nearby and crossing his legs.

"Oh, yeah, that, I- sorry about all the pessimism, I'm just not really in the best of minds right now. Pretty understandably, I think, seeing as the Emperor sees fit to call all of us up immediately after a soul-destroying battle, when just a little bit of a wait beforehand could have prevented little hiccups, like, say, fainting in front of everyone, just not a single care in the world for people devoting their lives to-! Agh, sorry, I'm... I just need a good night's sleep. It just goes to show, though, the Emperor especially doesn't know what he's doing. He's rushing us into meetings, rushing us into this, now. And there's no doubt in my mind that he hasn't at the least even considered any part of the plan other than rescuing his son... and we're in the firing line for it..."

"I wouldn't say he doesn't know what's he doing," Cassandra said, thinking over the situation. "Seeing your own son captured, bloodied and beaten as he was, with your own eyes... I mean, surely you can understand how he must feel right now? I might have reacted the same way if I knew my family was in such distress."

Cassandra sat silently, seemingly lost in her own thoughts for a moment. "I understand that, even as lords, they are just a fallible as the rest of us, but I don't think they would have been chosen for their positions if they were not suitable for the job. Does that make sense?"

"... I... are they suitable? Would a suitable Emperor put lives at risk in a futile rush into battle? I can understand how he feels, but... I don't understand that he doesn't understand his, so much to adjust his decisions accordingly. Or at least put aside such emotions for the good of others. I said it myself; if Cyrus is dead, he's dead, so there's no point in rushing. If Cyrus is alive, he will be left alive, so there's no point in rushing. It just... defies all logic..."

"I can see your point, a little," Cassandra responded. "I may not like the situation either, or the behavior of the lords, but as I was telling Tavhir earlier, it's not our place to decide what happens. We are Gold Tribe, and even though that puts us at a higher rank, so to speak, we too are subject to certain authority figures."

Pendro looked down, burying his face in the bedsheets."We're being led through a minefield by a blind 'mon..."

Cassandra sighed, before continuing. "That as it may be, there's no sense in debating the matter. We have our orders, and nothing can really change that. Regardless of our own personal convictions, we signed up for this - took our oaths of loyalty - knowing full-well the risks in store for us, knowing that there was a serious chance that our next mission could be our last. Maybe the Emperor is being hasty, but it's not just Cyrus down there. Our own Gold Tribe siblings are being held captive as well, most likely under far worse conditions than the Crown Prince. If not for the prince, can we at least do this for our fellow Gold Tribe?"

"It's not important who is down there, a mistake is a mistake... I..." Pendro sighed. "It's just all so futile, I- maybe you're right, maybe there is some reason I'm missing, here... but on the other hand, this could still be a complete moronic death-trap- no, no, I..." He sighed again. "I want to go home..."

Tavhir sat quietly, listening to the exchange between Pendro and Cassandra. He nodded once, before speaking up. "While I do agree with Pendro in that this sounds like a hasty decision, Cassandra does have a point. As much as I disagree with the lords' choices, there's not much to be done about it. All we can do is go to the Stoneyard and hope for the best."

Pendro nodded solemnly, reaching to the satchel at his back before managing a weak smile. "There better be libraries there..."
 
Jeremy "Juggernaut" Daraxus
a final choice

the General quickly stepped in assuring the Gold Tribe that his men could hold Alamanga... although Jeremy had his doubts of the General's men capable of holding the city... and he didn't like the Idea of the Emperor joining in on the fight... the plan smelled of disaster, but Jeremy didn't argue... so soon he would find himself on the Emperor's Airship with the rest of the Gold Tribe... going to save the Emperor's son... or die trying

Jeremy took the Elevator to the ground floor, which was packed with pokemon, young and old, citizen and soldier alike, some looked at him with weary expressions on their faces... this war has really taken a lot out of them, and would take more until this war is ended. Jeremy walked though the crowd of beds and wounded pokemon, he was soon giving encouragement and hope to those who thought all was lost, he lightened their hearts. and for once in a rare time, pokemon seemed to be looking better, more confident, more hopeful. Lastly Jeremy found himself a place and soon some of the young ones came running over to him, asking him questions, which he answered without hesitation. then he told them a story, a story from when before he was Gold Tribe, when he lived in Ashenfell.

Once he finished the children were in awe, and ran quickly to their parents, full of happiness and glee... full of hope. Jeremy then instead of taking a bed, leaned himself up against the wall, sitting on the floor, and smiled saying, "oh, the hopes and dreams of youth," he then chuckled slightly, "how bright they are. how much they are like a shining star among the blackness of the night. how truly special they are, I only hope that everything we do... won't bring ill on them." with that he simply sat there, resting in a sense... but wide awake in another.






OCC: Ray, Sorry I forgot about that Frank had previously said he was tired from the effects of Miracle Eye... I corrected my past two posts to fix it.
 

OOC: we're doing a bit of a time skip. A new day is dawning, but the GT have no time to waste: they must travel across country in the only airship available, the Emperor's, and reach Stoneyard ASAP!

The Exalted

Garland was carrying papers from the Observation Room to the Emperor's airship, the HMS Grand Megaera, which had docked right outside the window. The sky was still dark and the only lighting came from the lamps that were held on spikes on the HMS Grand Megaera. A wooden bridge helped him carry over the things to the deck, where Jacob and a servant of the Emperor took them belowdecks, in Garland's room.

The Floatzel let a sigh and wiped his forehead tiredly, after the last trip was done. "My thanks, Jacob." He was really tired, but he almost laughed when he saw the Meowstic get back to what he was doing: stick his ear onto the floor and scour the entire deck. "What...?"

"I'm looking for bugs," Jacob said quickly, "can't be too careful."

Zack popped out from belowdecks, "Woo!" he raised both his fists, walking with sass up to the wheel and controls, then pulling the big lever down. "I tuned these babies to the max!" The engines roared when they started, but they stopped right away. Zack gave a look of surprise, "what the?"

The Aegislash servant of the Emperor appeared next to him and he let out a shout, jumping into the air.

"We don't play games here, Electabuzz," the Aegislash said. "The engines will start after the Emperor is on board."

Garland shook his head. He didn't know how he felt about the Emperor coming with them. A week's time of travel with Dareon would prove more challenging than the siege they had just survived. He only hoped Dareon would remain on the airship while they went ahead to Stoneyard, and would only come if it was secure; knowing him, the Emperor would hurry along with them in hopes of saving his son sooner. And if not for that, he was like to join them in a quest for battling every rebel they came across.

"Skysaber, come over here," the Floatzel told the Electabuzz, who was arguing with the Aegislash about how testing the machines was not a game. Skysaber stopped and ran in front of his leader.

"Sir!"

"Jacob seems to be occupied at the moment. Dawn will be here soon. Do me a favor and summon our brothers and sisters selected for this mission, so we shall at last be on our way."

"Yeah! Uhh," Zack rubbed his hands together, looking to his sides awkwardly, "I'll go see the Trade Prince afterwards."

Garland nodded, his mind already elsewhere.

"Gold Tribe," Zack called in the minds of everyone who was to go on the mission, "the airship will be leaving at dawn, a short while from now. An order to gather to the Observation Room of the Obdisian Citadel has been given, so best start heading there now. If you're still asleep when we leave, it's not my fault."


Skysaber
​


Knock, knock!

The Trade Prince Achilles was already stationed in the Flogistron facilities, which had survived the brunt of the attack, as they were in the north part of Alamagna, which was largely left intact. That's where Zack had gone, and the door he was knocking was the door to the CEO's office.

"Yes?"

Zack kicked the door open, to see Achilles sitting on his rotating chair, wielding a rubik's cube. "Hey, sir, greetings, sir," the Electabuzz said, standing on the doorstep.

"An unexpected visitor," Achilles mused, putting his almost-solved rubik's cube on the desk. "Welcome. Take a seat."

Zack did as he was bid. He noticed a book with 3D pages onto the clean, empty desk. Apart from the book, everything was in its proper place. The room was tidy and organized.

"Hm, where to begin," Zack mumbled. "Ah! Aren't you coming with us, sir? To Stoneyard, I mean."

He looked at Achilles. His expression was a mask plastered on his face, as always. Zack owed that man everything: his career as an engineer, his admission to the ECUL, and finally, his recommendation for the Gold Tribe. He hadn't even graduated from the ECUL, yet he had managed to join, thanks to Achilles. It was almost like this, when they had first met; Zack was working as a security guard on one of Flogistron's workshops, and he was secretly tinkering the old machines and assembling new ones at night, when the engineers had gone home. He was caught one time, and he was brought to the clean and organized office of the CEO of Flogistron, Achilles Proudmoore, in Union City. Instead of punishing him, Achilles hired him as an engineer.

The Medicham put his hands on his desk, joining his fingertips together. "No," he said. "I'm afraid I can't. What use would I be, anyway?"

Zack laughed and smiled awkwardly, "heh, well, your counsel is required, I think."

But the Medicham didn't seem too keen on the idea. He smiled faintly. "Since counsel is all I have to offer, I have to spend it wisely."

Zack didn't quite understand what he meant. "Oh," he said, after a brief silence. "... by the way, I thought I'd drop by and see you, sir. It'd feel strange to leave the city without having said hello."

Achilles nodded and another brief silence settled between them. Zack's eyes fell on the book with the 3D pages. It was open on a page where a great tree emerged from the page. There were many Pokemon beneath it, on a valley of grass, which had been bloodied. Zack realized that was a depiction of a battle under a giant tree. He raised his eyebrows, though he regarded the book with dislike. "What sort of book is this?"

"It's a fairytale," Achilles answered, closing the book. The cover was so old and worn out, it was impossible to see if there was any title or no. "I believe it is a very rare book."

"Where'd you find it, sir? Looks valuable."

"I took a tour in the Vaults of Reflection. There's an underground floor in there with all sorts of treasures."

"Junk, you mean?"

Achilles raised the book, half-smiling. "Treasures." He put it on a shelf and got up on his feet. "I've business to attend to, Skysaber. You should know, I don't approve of you joining this mission. If you happen to die, I'll be left friendless." He laughed softly. And Zack joined him in laughter too, although very late. He got up from his chair as well and extended his arm.

"I am glad to have met you, sir." Achilles shook hands with him and nodded.

"It was a pleasure working with you."

​
 
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It's tiiiime fooooor.... FUN WITH GERRICK! Starring: The lovable Gerrick! The eager Punisher! And the determined Thrasher!​

Punisher just stared on as the various events began to happen around them. He wasn't entirely sure why everyone was making a big fuss out of leaving the citadel. To be honest, he was eager to head out and punch up anyone that might end up in his way. It WAS what he did best after all and he knew that when he got there he would grab each and every guy he had seen in that memory and punch them all sky high! Well... except that Meloetta. He couldn't picture himself punching someone so... delicate. It just seemed wrong in his eyes. Still as the group began to disperse he made his way to the stairs and began to make his way down the flights. He wasn't one for the elevator and to be frank he was quite big and would block a lot of room in there.

Thrasher meanwhile just stared on, completely flabbergasted at how the Emperor was taking this news. On the one hand he wanted to snap and just... well, he had to make sure that the Emperor truly knew WHAT he was doing. Sure the army was here, but how would they deal with a traitor among their ranks? How about that one who opened the gates and let their attackers in? What about the demolished walls? Or of the lack of Gold Tribe here? It was already shown that some Gold Tribe had sided with the enemy so what were the odds that they were simply waiting in the wastelands? Waiting for them to leave and then rush in and slaughter everyone? For maximum effect they would wait until they reached their destination so even if they attacked the Gold Tribe would be torn. If messages came back of former Gold Tribe attacking the city they would either abandon their mission then and there to head back as quickly as possible. That would jeopardize their mission as well as probably cause the enemy to kill the crown prince. It was all a well laid trap, but he had one thing to do.

He made his way to Shadowrend as he took in a deep breath and stood before the reptile, "Listen here." He said through his gritted teeth, "No one still knows of what happened that day. I request that you don't say anything. It still haunts me as you well know, so please do NOT even hint at it. It will make this trip so much smoother if you don't bring it up. Got it?"

The situation was slowly becoming more and more unbearable for Gerrick. The more he began to realize what he was getting himself into, the more he understood that if he didn't get out, he would be in big trouble. His eyes wandered to the ship of the Emperor parked beside the Citadel, and his hand trailed across his neck at the pending decapitation that might follow should he be discovered. Even a mountain of gold wasn't worth the trouble. What made the situation worse was the threat of possible familiarity between the real 'Shadowrend' and anyone of them. Just like it appeared to be when the Primeape Gold Tribe member approached him.

What the hell was he talking about? Gerrick had no clue what he was saying, but did his best not to act surprised or confused. Instead, he simply nodded and then spoke softly. "Yeah, sure. Don't worry about it." He replied, offering a slight smirk, before turning around to begin leaving. Hopefully he would be able to deck out and leave before anymore unnecessary questions were posed.

Thrasher stared on for a bit, sort of confused and he sighed, "You know!" He called out, "You should get your head checked!" Thrasher himself headed out as well, to a place he needed to go to. However as Gerrick was leaving he would soon bump into Punisher who was on his way back up. "Oh hey there." Punisher said with a chuckle. "Didn't see ya there. So... how did you survive out there?" The Machamp asked. "I heard everyone on the mark essentially died."

Gerrick did his best to avoid rolling his eyes as he bumped into another one of the Gold Tribe members. This time, it was a Machamp. He feigned a smile to return the mon's chuckle, and sighed a bit as he asked the question probably most of them were asking. He figured it was best to avoid much deep and in depth conversations, so he decided to try and be brief.

"Err...if it's all the same to you, brother, I'd rather not speak of it," He began, clutching his side where there was still the visible blood of the corpse he marked himself with. "I'm tired, hungry, and worn out. I walked from the mark to here with no food and little rest. A story for another time, perhaps?"

Punisher nodded, "Say nothing more. Need a lift downstairs? I just came up real quick because I forgot something..." The Machamp frowned as he rubbed his chin, his two lower arms crossed against his stomach and then he shrugged, "I forgot about it. Man, that's been happening more and more since I've evolved. If you need a lift I can take ya down. I can carry quite the weight and the elevator has already been taken by some others I think."

"Eh...thanks but no thanks," Gerrick replied a bit nervously, but trying to keep the outer demeanor of confidence. He was just trying to get rid of the other Gold Tribe Pokemon at this point. "I'll just walk down. I could...err...uh...use the exercise. Haven't gotten a chance to fight in this war here."

Punisher shrugged, "Suit yourself. I'll be walking down too. The elevator is a bit too tight for me, but I didn't know ya that well before, well... I guess before you went to that negotiating meeting and all. If you want we can walk and talk, I'm game either way." Punisher's face lit up suddenly as he facepalmed. "Berries! That's it! I'll catch you later! I need to get some more berries!" The Machamp ran on past, his stomping causing the floor to shake just a bit as he ran off.

Gerrick froze up a bit when the Machamp suggested walking and talking, looking up and cursing Arceus's name for seemingly spiting him. However, once the Machamp ran off after remember what it was he wanted, Gerrick looked up again to the sky. "I was just kiddin', thanks for lookin' out for me," He spoke up to seemingly no one in particular. With that, Gerrick began to steadily fastwalk down the Citadel before anyone else caught up to him.

This was a bad idea from the start. Time to move on.
 
|Demetrus "Thrasher" Sinclair - Tavhir "Restless" Eldren|
Contingency Plans...​

Thrasher had taken the time needed to gather the exact thing that could prove useful in this case. Luckily, no one else had taken the elevator, so all he had to endure was a few minutes of that horribly bland music before he arrived at the bottom floor and made his way amid the chaos of patients and medics. "Restless!" He shouted out. "I'm feeling lazy at the moment so I'm not going to spend time to search for you! I need a chat!"

Tavhir had taken to meditating, something he had learned at the ECUL. Admittedly, he wasn't very good at it, but it did have it's uses. He suddenly heard a voice call out to him, as he opened his eyes to scan the area. He noticed Thrasher a small distance off, recognizing the voice as belonging to the primeape. He quickly got up, heading towards where Thrasher stood. "Yes, brother? What is it?"

Thrasher quickly grabbed him and marched his way to the elevator, "Pardon me for this, but it's for good reason." He said as he pushed his brother inside and pressed the elevator button. "Okay, we're alone in here." He opened the satchel he now wore and pulled out a small book. "This is a journal that I first got when I graduated. It was from my old teacher. I never really used it, but we have to now. We almost missed the clue that the memory gave us and with this journal I can write down things I see without forgetting about them. The Emperor is going to lose Alamagna. Think Tavhir. Some of our brothers and sisters have left to join the rebels. No doubt once we leave and there is a smaller GT presence here they will strike.

There are many, many tunnels if you recall. I wouldn't be surprised if they use the tunnel system itself to infiltrate the city. Attack from below... yet we can't say anything. The Emperor has his mind made up, unfortunately, and because of that we are powerless." He smirked then, "Which is why I am taking notes myself. Everything and anything we see will be recorded here. Even small things that might not have any relevance at the time."

He opened the book to show Tavhir the drawing he had made of the symbol they had found. "At least I won't forget, and even if I am considered idiotic for thinking that certain things will happen, well, I'll have this to help me out and show what I knew. You have a level head on your shoulders, but you best say your goodbyes to any friends that are remaining." The Primeape sighed, "It will probably be the last time you see any of them."

"Wait, hold on a minute," Tavhir said, bewildered as he tried to process all of the information. "I see why you're keeping a journal; it makes sense, but what does this have to do with me? What do you think is going to happen to our friends? I... I don't think they'd turn so easily on us... would they?"

Thrasher rolled his eyes, "Not them. You saw Polo in the vision, you saw Romulus too. And in case you forgot, there is that traitor that helped to open the gates who, I remind you, the soldiers are still trying to find. If we leave here and now our brothers who already defected to the Stygian side, such as Polo, may aid the army in attacking. If I recall correctly Romulus was the only one who came here to the city... so why didn't more come? The answer is simple. They are waiting for the best of the best to leave. If you see it from the Emperor's point of view he needs the very best GT there, to help secure his son. That means the most efficient GT will be GONE from Alamagna. Which means for people like Romulus... it might be too easy to take Alamagna. Understand?"

"I understand," Tavhir replied grimly.

Thrasher sighed and put a hand on his shoulder, "The Stygians are already ahead of us. How else could they get a traitor among our ranks to open the gates? They have some Hesperians on their side already. Tavhir... I am sorry to say this, but anything could happen with them now. You saw what they did to their own city, how in less than a second they threw away their own culture. Brynjolf was a messenger. He did his part... and the Stygians got the desired effect."

"Had I not seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe you, but..." Tavhir trailed off, thinking about what had just been said. "I see what you're saying, but what should we do? We've already seen that the nobles are confident in their own victory, and even Garland is hesitant to believe us."

Thrasher closed his eyes, "Well... I've been around the block. I know some time ago I was the same way. Tavhir... in the most extreme case... we will have to defy orders to do what is right. That time is not now. If we stay behind to try and help protect Alamagna we will be surely slaughtered with anyone who is left behind. From this point on we don't tell anyone else about this. We conduct such meetings as this in secret. Maybe if the news of Alamagna's destruction reaches us... they will believe us more, but for now we can only wait on the sidelines. If the time comes... where you may have to defy orders to save many lives... knowing that if you do so your title could easily be stripped from you..." The Primeape opened his eyes and stared at Tavhir, "Would you?"

Tavhir closed his eyes, thinking over the situation. Would he really be prepared to do such an action? What if they were wrong? No... he sensed that there was some kernel of truth in their suspicions, as ridiculous as the others thought they were. He gave a solemn nod, "I would... but only if there is no other way."

Thrasher nodded, "Good. Now remember when Frank had us see those dead spirits that were tormenting Brynjolf? How he asked who put them up to it? I think in such a case there might be a ghost type we haven't seen yet that is aiding the rebels. I know I'm reaching far with this but think about it like this. This is a curse that is caused by the ritual of war right? A curse has to be made in such a case, which means someone had to bring back spirits so they could act as a part of the curse.

Ghosts themselves also know how to curse people with a move. I've seen it once or twice but it's a powerful move, as it makes the opponent weaker and weaker until they finally die. It may be similar to what Brynjolf experienced back there, only this time we got to see the spirits haunting him. There is a ghost among their ranks and no doubt is another surprise that we'll get to meet, either while we're rescuing our brothers... or sometime in the future. If the curse can be laid on others then we'll need to protect ourselves if we are ever cursed ourselves."

Tavhir paused, again trying to process all that had been said. "I see... the idea sounds crazy. Almost too crazy... but then again, these rebels have already done the unexpected and crazy in destroying their capital city. But I have to ask, why are you telling me all of this? I'm not the smartest one here, and honestly I don't think I'd have thought of any of this had you not told me."

Thrasher sighed, "It is just in case. War is not pretty, so I have to find someone to confide in. If I ever die, at least you will be up to speed. And... if there does come a time where I have to defy orders and I am dismissed you'll still be here. At the very least you can act as a second pair of eyes, someone who can also see things that I miss. Unlike Jacob and Garland, you are unbiased. They are truly loyal to the Emperor and would only listen to such theories only when it became too late. You have a level head on your shoulders too."

"I see... well, I appreciate your trust in me. I'll try to keep that trust," Tavhir responded, nodding. "So what do we do now?"

The elevator dinged as they got to the top floor, "Pretend that you trust in the Emperor one hundred percent." Thrasher said softly, "And keep an eye out." The Primeape placed his book back in his bag, though he grunted at Frank's call, "I guess... it's time to go. Get ready and remember, keep an eye out."

"I'll let you know if I see anything out of the ordinary," Tavhir whispered, himself hearing Zack's call to the airship. It was certainly strange, the whole situation. He wasn't even sure if some of what Thrasher said made sense or if was the ramblings of a lunatic, but he knew Thrasher was a smart man, and from what they had seen so far, nothing was too crazy to be dismissed. He'd definitely have to keep his eyes peeled for anything unusual. For now, all they could do was play along with the plan.
 
Gerrick 'Shadowrend' Errias - Gone for good...?

Gerrick packed silently. The sun was barely on the rise, and from his window in the Citadel, he would see the ship prepping itself to depart. He, however, was not bound for the grand vessel of the Emperor. His interest in it or its many fine treasure had sunk on his priority list from the very top to just another job he didn't want to pursue because the stakes and consequences of going too deep in were too much. This was indeed one of the most foolish, and bold, jobs he had ever attempted. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity meeting his fallen brother on the field, and taking up his spot. But from the very beginning, it was all to big for him. He didn't belong here, so now it was simply time to go.

Gerrick finished packing up all of his belongings (however small it was) into a sack and slinging it over his shoulder. He would make his way out of the capital, out to his spot where he planted all of the trinkets he collected on the battlefield, then straight out of Alamagna and Stygia, for a good long while. Maybe Hesperia will hold more opportunities...and less Gold Tribe nonsense.

The door of the dorm opened without warning. In came the Mienshao from before, followed by a burly Abomasnow that barely fit through the door. They just barged into the room, walking to the middle; the Wise Master of Laws had a big, victorious grin all across his face. His two mustachios had been combed into a single, massive braid that fell onto the floor, and that only helped him look creepier. As always, he was holding the black-leather book 'Constituton'. "Greetings," he said formally, slightly nodding at the sight of the Krookodile packing his things. "Packing for your trip, I hope?"

"Uh...yeah, just gathering some last minute things," Gerrick responded, trying to remain calm despite not knowing why the Mienshao and the Abomasnow were in his room. He remembered the Mienshao from yesterday's meeting, and was pretty sure he was someone of fairly significant importance. However, he couldn't remember who he was off the top of his head. He kept trying to tell himself inside his head that there was no way the two knew about his secret. There was no way they knew.

The Abomasnow remained to the side of the Mienshao with a weary smirk, waiting for his master to speak again. After examining the Krookodile and his bags for a few moments, the Wise Master crossed his arms, the book within them. "You've impressed me," Rethlor said, "it is strange. My eye had never again been drawn upon you. You struck me as the kind of person who would cooperate with someone such as myself. I wish to talk to you." He took a seat on one of the two beds of the dorm, and gestured for Gerrick to sit down. "Take a seat."

Kristian was blocking the exit entirely, so the number of options suddenly became limited.

Gerrick fidgeted in place a bit, slowly becoming more and more nervous. The Mienshao was unsettling, although he couldn't quite figure out why. He didn't look at all ferocious strength-wise, yet he had a presence about him that seemed to make any Pokemon fear him. Or maybe it was just Gerrick being paranoid. Either way, he had no intention of finding out. He took a step toward the door, hoping the Abomasnow would budge as he did so.

"Eh...uh...I would love to mister...uh...sir, but I really must....errr...join my brothers for our....undertaking....thing...like now..." He stared nervously at the Mienshao as he tripped over his words. "Wouldn't be a good thing to be late!" He blurted out with a nervous, forced chuckle.

The Abomasnow didn't budge when Gerrick tried to pass. The Wise Master smiled at the Krookodile lightly, dangerously. "You are not really going to join the mission, are you? Come, now. Let's be honest with each other, and this will be a start to a very profitable relationship... for both of us." He glanced to the Abomasnow and nodded briefly. Kristian revealed a pouch. It sounded like it was full of golden coins, when it fell on the Krookodile's feet. "We speak the same language, the language of gold, do we not?"

Rethlor stared at him, waiting for his response.

"I don't know what you mean!" Gerrick responded in a slightly strained and nervous voice. However, it was clearly becoming obvious that his identity, at least in the eyes of this Pokemon, was compromised. He sighed deeply, and shook his head. Surprisingly, the Mienshao revealed a pouch of gold in his hand. Was he not planning to turn him in? Gerrick treaded carefully.

"...I'm listenin'," The Krookodile responded, his strained voice all but disappearing and replaced was a calm, steady one.

"Aha!" the Wise Master exclaimed, clapping his hands excitedly. "I was right! You really are not Shadowrend. He would have spit in my face! Good, I am ever so glad. Listen carefully... it would be a great shame if I had to bring you to justice for your fraud. My friend here knows a thing or two about how nasty justice can get." He nodded towards Kristian, who gestured with his hands across his thick neck, the universal symbol of, your head is gonna get chopped off. "That being said... I am in need of eyes inside this mission the Gold Tribe are about to set out to. And there's more of where that came from," he pointed at the pouch on the floor, "if you're willing to be my eyes on Stoneyard. What do you say?" he asked, his voice almost as faint as a whisper.

There didn't seem to be any way Gerrick was able to get out of this. However, this presented an opportunity to get the most out of a dangerous situation. Really, what were his other options? If he refused, he'd be sent to the executioners block. Even if he did manage to push through the two of these, it was unlikely he would be able to escape the city without getting caught. And even if by some small chance he was out, he'd be a wanted Pokemon throughout Alamagna and Stygia, which was never good for business.

Gerrick crossed his arms. "So you want me to spy on the Gold Tribe? I thought you guys were on the same side."

The Wise Master spread his arms and busted a full grin. "I am on the side that wins. Which side are you on?" he asked, rhetorically.

"The one that pays the most," Gerrick responded, walking passed the Wise Master and snatching the gold out of his hands. He extended his hand with the gold out ot his side, weighing it, and then tossing the pouch into his sack, satisfied with the amount. "Anythin' particular you want me to look out for?"

Kristian threw the Krookodile the clam of a Shellder that was shut very tightly. "Use this to contact my associate here," Rethlor said, "speak to it when there is a report to be made. This part is important - I want you to look for something, within the monasteries of Stoneyard. It lies beyond the limits of public access; you will find it in the 'Family Vault'. You look experienced, you'll figure out the way in. The item you seek is a tablet with runes on it; it contains a prophecy of some sort. Find it. Read it. Memorize it. Tell me. Understand?"

Gerrick looked between the Shellder and the Mienshao, then nodded. "Got it," He placed the Shellder in his sack, and slung his sack once more over his shoulder. He stopped in front of the Abomasnow. "Wanna tell your log to move outta the way? Don't wanna miss my ride."

Kristian took one big sideways step, allowing for Gerrick to pass through. The Wise Master turned, as if he just remembered. "Oh, and... whatever your real name is. I suggest you be of use. I do not like it when my money is wasted."

"My name..." Gerrick began, looking back through the open door at the Mienshao as the large Abomasnow passed by. "...is Shadowrend," He said with a large grin. With that, Gerrick headed through the Citadel and toward the loading zone where the Emperor's ship was parked. He picked up his speed, while thinking on to the encounter. His heart still raced slightly, but most of the anxiety of discovery was now replaced with a determination to be more careful. If one Pokemon discovered about him so soon, that meant more could too if he didn't play his cards right.

Now, he had to protect against another secret. Along with his identity, he also had to make sure none of the Gold Tribe found out that he would be watching them, as well as locating a certain item for the Mienshao. From here on, Gerrick had to be more careful. Spying was a dangerous business, but he surprisingly wasn't too worried.

After all, he'd done it before.
 
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Earthquake

After hours of slow walking in the Grey Wastes, Romulus finally stopped. He stood tall on the edge of a cliff, sucking on his teeth hungrily, the wounds he'd taken barely aching him. There was a thick, gray fog settled on the valley before him. The night was starless, so he couldn't see where he was going. But he could hear. Feet were following them in the dark for hours now, Pokemon rushing after his trail. Vendra was sitting gracefully on the spikes of his back, serving as their rear guard; she would sense if anyone dared get too close to the Haxorus.

"Fool girl," he told her, "what did you think you were doing in the battlefield?" Vektor had attacked them from behind, catching everyone off-guard, including Lord Chantalai and Vendra. The little Meloetta was unconscious when Romulus had found her. He was tempted to leave her to rot there for a time, but then thought better of it.

He could almost feel her smirk of annoyance behind his back; he figured she wasn't used to being called a fool. "I got separated from Chantalai. We must find him now," she said. "Humph. It's Vektor's fault! If he hadn't showed up -- ohh, but, but, no matter--"

"Say no more," Romulus told her stiffly. He was already sick of hearing her story - she was repeating it to herself for the past few hours, hoping to compensate for the great losses in the battle. The Vanir tribe had suffered the most in here. "But, no matter, for we accomplished what we sought to do in Alamagna." Romulus had no clue what that was, except than smash their army against the walls and then let Vektor butcher everything in sight.

Their pursuit was drawing close. Vendra touched his bladed head to draw his attention behind him.

Do NOT use Earthquakes, she whispered in his mind, others will notice.

Romulus turned slightly, weary of the witch already. He stood immovable like a statue at the end of the cliff, listening. They couldn't be more than a dozen.

Kill them, uncle. You can kill them, right?

"Stop calling me uncle, for f*ck's sake," Romulus yelled in her face and she let out a little yelp, blown backwards right down on the ground.

"Who goes there?" came a voice from beyond the fog. Romulus dropped on his four, sticking very close to the ground like a predator. He was almost invisible, as his scales looked like rocks.

The Pokemon who were approaching were shadows at first. When they came closer, the banner one of them was carrying became visible: the Swellow of Hesperia. Romulus cussed silently under his breath. The game of the butcher was never ending. He glanced towards Vendra to tell her to stay quiet, but all he saw was the rocky, grey ground. He did a double take when he realized she was gone, then cussed again.

"Over here," he heard Vendra scream from somewhere in the fog.

The Pokemon carrying the banner didn't bother asking questions. They just fired attacks towards that direction, giving Romulus the opportunity to leap onto the side of their little group like a train. His fiery claws sunk deeply into a Frodadier; he had a second to think, this one reminds me of someone on my black list, before he threw him away, onto an attacking Pokemon. He saw a Heliolisk attacking Vendra with lightning; she screamed and he bent his legs and launched himself like a rocket, smashing into the smaller Pokemon in a devastating Giga Impact. The Claydol who was holding the flag tried a pink blast of psychic energy, but Vendra's green one countered it mid-air. Romulus covered the distance between him and his opponent in a second, grabbed the pole with the banner and shook it off the psychic grasp, then impaled its bearer with it. The Claydol let out an alien scream and its eyes shut, the levitation failing.

Another pink psychic blast was let out by a Xatu on his side; it was was bound to sweep him off his feet, if he wasn't any heavier, but he withstood it, and fury erupted within him from the pain. Blue and red dragonfire burst from his feet and hands, then all of his body was covered in it. It was a silent Outrage, the dragonfire engulfing every enemy around him while his claws rose and fell. The battle cries soon became screams of pain and mercy. The Hesperians fell quickly as Romulus's onslaught continued relentlessly, hacking and slashing at everything in front and around him in silent vigor. But when the Outrage technique came to an end, he was left panting and kneeling, incapacitated. Only a Shelgon was left standing, who leaped onto Romulus with a desperate roar. Vendra caught the Shelgon with her powers mid-air, smashing it violently against the ground, multiple times, screaming as she did so.

Romulus watched wearily for a second, drawing his breath and trying to come back to his senses, "enough," he told her, getting onto his feet. He reached the Shelgon, grabbing it off the psychic grasp and buried his claws into his face, for the quickest death he could give, then threw it away.

He fell onto one knee, his hands touching the ground as he looked forward with empty, tired eyes. Vendra rushed to his side; he turned to look at the little Meloetta, and was surprised to find her really concerned. She was saying something, but he didn't care to hear much. For his response, he fell over, his back on the hard, grey ground, and he started snoring almost instantly.
​

 
Jeremy "Juggernaut" Daraxus
the start of a new adventure

Jeremy was up early, finding himself a place to get himself ready for the day. all his gear and everything was already ready to go... including Iron ore for when he got hungry. At the moment however he focused on preparing himself, mentally and Physically for the task at hand. Jeremy did a variety of exercises to get him warmed up, from push-ups, to lunges, and even sit-ups.

Once the physical aspect was done he went into his mental aspect of the morning, a form of meditating, reflecting, putting aside all the woes of yesterday, and preparing for the upcoming battles.

It was during his meditation that he heard Zack's voice calling them to the Observation Room.

Jeremy sighed, paused for a moment, then opened his eyes, grabbed his stuff and went to the Observation Room.

Once he got there, he leaned up against the far wall, waiting for the others to show, in the meantime he took out a piece of Iron and slowly began munching at it, waiting.
 
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Thrasher​
​

Thrasher's casual stroll to the observation room gave him plenty of time to think. Plenty of time to jot down his various thoughts before he lost them. The journal that his mentor had given him had its first two pages now overflowing with all sorts of thoughts. A lot ended up being scratched up but others were circled and some even underlined to make sure that his eyes were drawn to them whenever he would look back among the pages. He needed way more evidence of course, but he knew one thing that was imperative for him to do once they got back to safety... look up in the library any historical sources that might have even once referenced a Caretaker in the past.

The Trade Prince was an ancient title that had been brought back to life, so it was possible that this Caretaker title was the same. Maybe the rebels were getting so desperate in this war that they looked through their history books and saw the title of someone who used to lead them. Thrasher wasn't sure on that theory, but he knew one thing. History repeated itself. If there was no mention of the Caretaker in the past, then it could be possible that he would be able to uncover a battle from the past that was like the massacre that just happened. He could see if the Stygians had partaken in such behavior before and perhaps see the reason as to why it happened.

Still, he put those thoughts away for now as he entered the room and sat on down. He pulled out his journal as he took a quick glance through it again and then set it back in the pack. He had his own thoughts to add into the planning process, but that could wait once they actually got everyone else here.

~~~

Punisher​
​

He couldn't really help it! He was just... he WAS the definition of amazing! Once more the Machamp flexed in front of the mirror, smirking back at himself. "You are one handsome stud!" He said to himself. He crossed his arms and rubbed his chin as he looked more at his reflection... wait... berries! That was it!

He had to facepalm again and he groaned loudly. He couldn't explain WHY he was forgetting to do so many things... but it was like he would head out do a task and then he would find someway to distract himself and then boom! There he was a few minutes later completely forgetting about what he was originally supposed to do! It was happening a bit when he had evolved the first time... but now that he evolved yet again it was happening more and more!

He went to the desk he had and pulled open the first drawer, grabbing some berries and putting them in his pouch. As he turned to walk out he caught sight of his reflection and smirked. He flexed his upper arms and nodded, "Looking good!" He said with a snicker.

He flexed his lower arms and grinned wider, but he felt something itching against the back of his mind. It was probably nothing so he practiced flexing a bit more before he facepalmed again. "The meeting!" Punisher quickly began to run, huffing a bit as he let his footsteps thud against the floor as he made it to the ship and leaped on board. He landed on a knee and quickly got back on his feet. He made his way along to this observation room and pushed open the door. "Punisher here!" He said eagerly. "So... how long is this whole trip going to take? I do want to get to punching some heads in!" He said with a chuckle.
 
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