Resurgence | Medieval Pokemon 1x1

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Haku's words brought forth a slow nod from Suzume, who continued to look ahead of them. Her eyes remained focused on the craggy path that had once been full of shrubs and leaves. Even though they had not been in Leonias for more than a few minutes, she wanted nothing more than to see the greenery once again. Soon the trees would become nonexistant and the skies would spread above them without any boundaries. They would be exposed to any hungry beasts that soared the skies or roamed the cliffs. There was nothing they could do if they were trapped so close to the edge; if they tried to fight, some may be pushed over and sent plummeting to their deaths. Her thoughts ushered forth a shiver from her body. I only hope that I don't die while treading through these bloody cliffs. She prayed to Ho-Oh that he would spare her life until later-- she was a warrior; she was meant to die on the battlefield, not by falling to her death.

The tread over sharp inclines and declines was filled with silence, at least, for the most part. Suzume noticed that the women and men were preoccupied with keeping an eye out for anything dangerous rather than speaking to one another. Even she noticed that there were more Pokemon hiding in crevices and caves than she expected there to be.

Mauve, who had spent most of time curled up in the satchel, had stepped out onto Seraph's back to relish the moonlight. Though the Umbreon had only emerged from his little hideaway to take in fresh air, he appeared to be antsy about the heights and the Pokemon hiding in the shadows. Growls and hisses, scales and claws grinding against stone... all of the noises filled his ears, making his lilac-colored eyes flick to and fro in search for the ones who stalked the shadows. Caius flew over the dark depths beside them, his wings beating every so often. The blonde-haired soldier turned to face the Dragon-type, making sure that he was not in danger from flying in the darkness. Suzume's lips became a frown as she continued to guide Seraph around the edges of the mountains.

"Sure is tedious," Takashi began as he walked beside her. Ciel followed his footsteps, along with a large, two-legged Dragon-type. His Haxorus, Lamios, preferred to stay on his lonesome, she remembered. But now that the path was so narrow and dangerous, it appeared he wished to remain beside his partner. The olive-green beast's eyes remained facing forwards, undaunted by the heights and the Pokemon who refused to reveal themselves.

Suzume blinked at his words. They only made her more aware of the perilous fall just inches away from her. If Seraph slipped and fell... "Yeah," her gaze flicked towards Haku, noticing that Ryou was uncomfortable. She felt sorry for the poor thing. "I think there's a cave up ahead. Do you think it's a good idea to rest there for the night?" she asked the Argentian man.

Seraph, however, smirked at Ryou. His tail swished mischievously as he opened his mouth to speak. 'Afraid of heights, I see.'

The Umbreon on his back rolled his eyes. 'Don't start, Seraph. It's better to keep quiet and focus on the path ahead of you. If you slip and fell, Caius can only save Suzume. You know this, right?'

Seraph fell silent, but his troublesome, sidelong glance remained planted on Ryou.
 
As the Samurott reluctantly continued along the cliff, it was first then when Haku noticed how quiet their group was. One of their Staraptors passed by him, the beating sounds of its wings breaking the silence momentarily as it circled around, but other than that, it was as if an aura of dread hung low over them. Allowing himself to glance over the edge, he stared into the depths below. If they fell... how quickly would they reach the ground? Would it be slow enough for him to hear the screams before they cut abruptly? He was all too aware of how vulnerable they were in this place. One mistake-- one, was all it took. On the battlefield, he never had a reason to worry about these things, but this was not a battlefield.

Straightening himself in the saddle, Suzume's question made Haku look around their surroundings. They've been walking for several hours; he didn't see a reason as to why they shouldn't rest for the night. Ryou would need it, especially after this. Nodding, he shifted his gaze back to her. "That would be best. It would be thoughtless to continue the journey in this darkness," he told the blonde. At least when the sun was out, they wouldn't be surprised by any sudden declines or overhangs as they advanced further into the country.

Lifting his trembling lip over a canine, Ryou tried to muster a glare, but the result was at most a grimace. 'Shut it...' he muttered to the striped beast. He hated this. He hated every second of this. And with Seraph's incessant staring, the sea-lion's mood quickly turned foul.

With the change of plans, it didn't take long for their group to reach the cave. Apart from a cloud of Zubat fleeing in all directions, the cavity seemed to be empty and a camp was set up inside. Both human and Pokemon appeared relieved to have escaped the dangerous environment, even if it was for just a few hours. With the space lit up by the scattered campfires, a few of the men and women were engaged in muted conversations as the others went to sleep. Sharing one of the fires with an Argentian man and his Skarmory, Haku sat in silence as Ryou's shape slowly rose and fell beside him, the untouched food remaining on the ground. This had surprised him, but he knew better than to nag such a large creature. He never had this issue with Gardi or Nene-- the latter being more than happy to devour anything he handed her. He just hoped that this wouldn't be like the other times, and that the Pokemon's appetite would return in the morning.
 
It comforted her that they were once again far from any sharp turns or edges and on safer grounds. The heights had terrified her, even though she didn't want to admit it. No... she wouldn't seem like she was dwarfed by any sort of petty fears. Suzume was better than that-- she was a warrior, a fighter, not the kind of person to be afraid of the dark and the like. But... deep inside, she had been terrified. Was it normal for someone like her to be afraid of things like that? She had seen other warriors that trembled and shook at the sight of such a perilous fall. Maybe there were more things that she was terrified of than he thought.

Seraph and Mauve had curled up in a corner, sleeping against the ragged rock wall of the cavern. Suzume could hardly see the Umbreon in the half-light, only catching sight of his glowing markings. The large Arcanine provided some warmth to the black fox-like Pokemon, as he was curled up around the smaller form. Seeing the two huddled together made the light-haired woman smile a bit. It was nice to see her partners get along so well, even if they were completely the opposite of one another. They were in this together, after all, no matter their differences or similarities. Caius had stayed up and was currently at her side, his yellow eyes studying the area around him as he tucked his wings into his side. She reached over and stroked his leathery back, listening to a purr come forth from his throat as she, too, looked around to see what was going on.

Takashi was speaking to a group of five or six Phoenicians, and Suzume decided not to join such a large group. She would rather speak to someone who had nothing else to do. And so, when her brown eyes came to a rest on the blue beast and the dark-haired Argentian man across the cave, she thought about going over and chatting with him. In a way, he was like Mauve and she was like Seraph-- two different beings with different personalities, but in the same situation. There was no point to being pure enemies if their lives were on the line for the same exact cause. The woman sighed, running a hand through her greasy hair before beginning to walk toward the Argentian man and his Skarmory and Haku. Caius followed after slight hesitation, his claws making a soft clicking sound against the stone floor.

"Greetings," Suzume said, standing nearby the two men. Caius's tail swished lightly as if he was greeting them as well. Her eyes flicked towards Haku, still showing a slight amount of malice towards him. She was moreso tolerating him at the moment, more than anything. "I wanted to ask if I could join you?"
 
'What if something had happened back there?'

Having kept his eye firmly planted on the campfire, Gardi shifted it to the crouched Crobat. 'You saw those cliffs-- they shouldn't have been walking so close to them,' Nene continued, her golden eyes glazed with worry as she looked up at the Ghost type. After a brief moment of silence, they widened into huge orbs. 'Oh Gardi... what if... what if Ryou had taken a wrong step and sent Haku down with him? He can't fly and I can't carry him myself! What would we do if that happened?' she asked the other Pokemon, sadness replacing the initial fear in her voice. 'What would we do if Haku fell down those cliffs?'

'He won't.'

A slight scratching sound was heard as Nene sat up, blinking slowly. 'I don't mean to be a pessimist Gardi, but...what exactly do you mean?'

Floating casually in the air, the Aegislash appeared as if he was sighing. 'Haku won't fall,' he clarified, his single eye half-closed. 'He is our master. Our duty is to trust him to make the right decisions.' And to Gardi, that included leading Ryou to a safe path.

As the Argentian man tended to his Skarmory, the bird opened its toothy maw and clamped it around an arm as it nibbled him affectionately. Although he was staring in their general direction, Haku's gaze was far too unfocused to have allowed him to notice anything. Sitting there and rubbing his chin contemplatively, he pondered over their options. If they continued on their route through the valley, it wouldn't be long until they reached a town or a city. Being unfamiliar with Leonians, Haku could only hope that the people would be civil enough to let them pass through without any hassle. In the long-term, they were after all doing this for them-- for them, their own nations and for Atlas. It would be foolish to think that only Argent and Phoenicis were troubled by those beasts. While it may be wishful to think that, other nations were likely at equal risk-- especially since they had no information of where those things came from.

Hearing a feminine voice, Haku's eyes flicked upwards as the fellow Argentian had greeted her back. Meeting Suzume's gaze, Haku had at first been silent. The way she looked at him, he got the impression that she didn't really want to be there. That was fair enough; he didn't want to be there either. But since she had approached them...the least he could do was to reciprocate the politeness. Furrowing his brows slightly, a slow nod was brought forth from him as he glanced towards the other man. "You wouldn't mind?"

Rubbing his arm, the Argentian man smiled briefly and shook his head. "Not at all. Please, do sit down," the man offered to her as he motioned towards a spot.

Haku was surprised to see her there. He would never have thought that she would seek their company so willingly, but perhaps he had been wrong about that. 'What is she up to?' Stretching his back, it was as if he prepared himself for a gruelling task. "So," he began as he sat back. "What brings you here, Suzume?" As he added her name to the end, Haku couldn't quite hide the slight venom in his tone. Although he didn't seek for a fight, it wasn't much of a secret that he was still getting used to the presence of the Phoenicians.
 
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Suzume was surprised to see that Haku had let her join them. She had expected to be rejected and told to go elsewhere, but the Argentian man seemed less than willing to be in her presence. Oh well, it was natural, wasn't it? Even though they had to work together, they didn't exactly have to be friends. They were moreso allies in this situation. She nodded at the man with the Skarmory before taking a seat across from Haku, deciding that it probably wasn't a good idea to sit next to him. Caius sniffed at the armored bird near them, wrinkling his nose at the smell. The bird definitely had to smell of musty steel, especially to the Dragon-type, who had such a sensitive nose. She gave her partner a grin, stroking his back again. He probably didn't mean any harm with his childish reaction, but she hoped that the other man didn't become offended.

At Haku's question (which had an overlay of venom), Suzume's gaze went back to him. What brought her here? "The Phoenicians are busy doing other things, so I came here," she explained, stroking the floor with a finger idly. She didn't know what to do with her hands at the moment. It was an awkward situation, after all. She was in the presence of someone who had tried to kill her and someone else who would probably try to kill her in the future. They were bound to meet in battle again.

A long silence happened between them; she wasn't sure what she was supposed to say. Suzume thought it was stupid to start off with 'How's the weather?' or something of the sort. Caius had settled down beside her, his eyes half-lidded. He was probably as tired as she was. And so, she decided to go ahead and remain silent, and soon after that, she began to drift off into sleep.

Suddenly, there was a light pitter patter of feet that caught her attention. Suzume looked up to see four small, stumbling figures run up to the group of humans and Pokemon. In the dim light, she could see that they had an azure color to them, with a white-gray head. They were Bagon; newly hatched Bagon, at that, and friendly ones as well. They cried out as they sprinted from person to person, chewing on their armor and licking their fingers. One or two people were bitten or headbutted, but most people laughed it off-- they were young Pokemon, after all, and this was probably their method of playing with others.

One of them ran up to the group, cackling lightly as it bit down on Suzume's arm. It was then that she thanked Ho-Oh that she was wearing armor. Even though the cute Bagon was young, its stubby teeth still made dent marks in the metal plates. Yet, she still laughed and patted it on the head. It was adorable; its eyes glittered with playfulness and it made purring noises as she rubbed its tough cranium. Caius watched the small blue dragon, his tail twitching ever so often. His tail movements caught the attention of the hatchling, though, and so the Bagon went over and caught his tufted tail in its jaw. The Noivern, however, was less than pleased to have his tail chomped on. He jumped to his feet, squealing in pain as he tried to remove the Bagon from his appendage.

"They're cute, aren't they?" Suzume laughed as she helped Caius with his task, successfully removing the Pokemon that had latched on to his tail. After freeing him, he beat his wings and flew to a rock that jutted from the floor, taking a set on the flat surface. His golden eyes glowered down at the Bagon as he hissed at them, lashing his tail back and forth. "They're biters, though."
 
When Suzume chose a spot directly across him, Haku couldn't help but to feel relieved. 'Good,' he thought as he ran a hand over Ryou's smooth back. 'Wouldn't want the rest to think that I've become too friendly with a Phoenician.' Like the man and his Skarmory, a few Argentian soldiers seemed to have gotten friendlier towards the Ho-Oh worshipers during their journey to Leonias. But of course, there were always going to be those who simply refused or those who needed time to wrap their heads around the idea of being allies with their former-- as well as potential, enemies. He wasn't entirely sure which of them he was himself, but he supposed that he would find out in due time.

As Suzume replied to him, he eventually removed his hand from the Samurott beside him. "I see," he returned rather curtly, and a long silence erupted between them. Really, it was as if a knife could through it. But Haku saw no reason to end it. She may have chosen to sit among them, but that didn't mean that he would act like a host without an ounce of dignity to spare. On this journey, they were allies. Nothing more, nothing less. As no more conversations occurred between any of them, Haku allowed himself to drift back into his thoughts as he stared into the campfire.

Having been approached and sniffed at, the metallic bird peered down at Caius while its owner polished its claws. The man didn't seem to have minded the Noivern's less-than-courteous reaction and wiped his forehead when he had finished tending to his partner. "You sure are a handful, Gladys. How I wish that you didn't dirty yourself that often." Swiveling her head around, Gladys released a hoarse caw before she bumped her beak against him.

A long time passed by before Haku heard the man exclaim "What's this, then?", and looked up from the fire. A Bagon was standing near him, staring up at him with big eyes. Before long, the tiny dragon had moved even closer and butted its head against his chest. Surprised with the new arrival, Haku hesitantly placed a hand on its head while it idly chewed on the plates of his armor. From the looks of it, it was a hatchling. Having just begun to wonder where it came from, he paused when he heard a laugh-- very soon realizing that it came from Suzume. For someone he had fought on the battlefield, he admitted that she had a pleasant laugh; it was the kind one could listen to without ever growing weary of it. As he stroked the tough ridges on the Bagon's head, the sound vaguely reminded him of... 'Lilies.'

With the presence of the hatchlings, Nene's ears twitched as she kept a close eye on the Dragon types, moreso when one of them took a nibble on Caius' tail. And as soon as one of them ran for her with its stubby arms stretched out, her mouth arced downwards before she spread her wings and flew towards a spot close to Caius. Landing softly on a rock and curling up, her eyes were half-lidded as she shuddered. 'Oh dear...how troublesome.'

Having caught the scent of food, the Bagon clumsily scrambled off Haku before making its way over to Gladys' owner, a whole group of them now assembled around the man as he fed them meaty strips one by one. As Haku watched him laugh, a smile wasn't far away from forming before he grew aware of a slight nudge. Turning his head to the side he instantly tensed. An Ampharos, with something bundled up in her small hands. Bending over, Sachi placed the bundle on the ground before straightening herself and blinking at him with her beady eyes. Unsure about this, he picked it up and unwrapped it...a riceball?

Hearing someone walk up to them, Haku moved his head so to give the person a sidelong glance. It was of course Heisuke. The man still carried signs of their fight back in the previous camp; his nose was covered under a gauze and looked somewhat painful. Not like it mattered to him. "...What's this?"

"Consider it as a token of my apology," Heisuke replied as he fanned himself, his green eyes subtly scanning the company the other was in before briefly landing on Suzume.

Furrowing his brows, Haku put the riceball down as he turned away from the long-haired man. "I never asked for an apology, nor do I need to hear one." It was just like Heisuke to do this; he never did anything himself. Did he honestly expect this to be enough after what he did?

Returning his attention to Haku, the brown-haired man had smiled, but it was tight-lipped at most. With Sachi having skipped over to hide behind him, he folded his fan as he turned to Gladys' owner. "Enzo, we should head deeper into the cave and see if the nest has been left unattended. With a litter this size, the parent is guaranteed to be nearby."

Interrupted from feeding the Bagon, Enzo appeared as if he wasn't entirely sure what to say. "A-ah...of course." With a seemingly bothered frown on his face, the man rose up on his feet, patting a hatchling as he did so. "I apologize. You may all go and play with the others now," he told them before he gave them a brief smile, soon disappearing into the cave's depths with Heisuke and his Skarmory.

Having watched them leave, Haku remained tense while his eyes shifted to the four Bagon. If the nest turned out to be guarded, then they would surely be in danger by staying there.
 
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Caius stared down at one of the Bagon who had staggered over to the rock he was sitting on. The small blue creature's stubby arms rubbed at the rock as it tried to climb up, a soft cry emitting forth from it mouth. While other Pokemon might have felt bad about leaving the Bagon struggling at the bottom of the rock, he didn't want to risk getting bitten again. That had kind of hurt... He didn't expect Nene to fly up and take a seat near him, however. He expected her to be motherly toward the small beasts. 'That's an understatement,' the Noivern replied, resting his chin on the rock as his gaze flitted over the rest of the Bagon. 'I don't understand how there are some Pokemon that can deal with their bites and headbutts. It's all fun and games until someone gets a finger chomped off.' The Bagon were getting rather rowdy, after all. One of the humans had taken out meat strips and started to hand them out to the baby dragons, and the one who had tried to climb the rock scampered away towards the owner of the Skarmory.

The Bagon that Suzume had been playing with ran off to get a piece of meat as well, squealing hoarsely in delight. She watched it receive a piece of the food and gulp it down much like a rabid Mightyena. Where was their parents? They seemed like they were starving. Maybe the Salamence that had reared them had abandoned them? Maybe dragon hunters had killed him or her during a hunt? While she honestly cared for the hatchlings, she knew that the group couldn't raise four or five Bagon. They would have to be left behind to fend for themselves.

Suddenly, Heisuke came up to them, his Ampharos handing a riceball over to Haku. She noticed that had looked at her, even if it was for a moment. Suzume still didn't like the long-haired man; he smelled fishy. Then again, he could honestly be friendly, period, and everyone didn't like him for it. Unlikely. He's obviously too obnoxious to be classified as a friend.

She felt someone press up against her, and she turned to see Mauve with ruffled fur that had patches of saliva on it. Apparently, the Bagon had taken a liking to him as well. Suzume allowed another laugh to come forth from her lips, and she ruffled the fur on his head. "Hey, don't give me that face, boy. They're only babies, so I can't really yell at them for bothering you." Mauve sounded less than pleased to hear that, and his ears flattened, his violet oculars becoming narrow. Enzo and Heisuke decided to go ahead and see if the nest had been attended to, and she turned back towards Haku with a concerned frown on her face. It was certainly a change from the smile she had on her lips before. "Do you really think that a Salamence is roaming around?"
 
With Enzo being absent, the once rowdy hatchlings had long since abandoned their mischief and were now snuggled up to each other in a messy pile on the ground. They had clearly been starving. It struck Haku as odd that the Bagon hadn't been tended to. While he wouldn't claim that he was an expert on Salamence, he would have assumed that the parents would have been at least somewhat protective of their young. Turning his head to meet Suzume's gaze, he could see that she was concerned-- and for a good reason. Allowing himself a moment to organize his thoughts, his brows furrowed slightly. "It would be strange for their parent to be absent," he responded to her, his eyes flicking down towards her disgruntled Umbreon. "Unless anything had happened to it, it would be safe to assume that we may not be alone." And that didn't make him feel any better.

As Gardi moved to his side, Haku shifted himself to a more comfortable position as he cast a glance towards the dark tunnel the two men had gone into. "Sure has been a while...hasn't it?" he remarked, the Aegislash turning to him as if questioning what he said. The cave hadn't looked that deep when they first had entered it, but then again, he hadn't once strayed far enough into the cavern to actually get a good look at the shadow-covered passage. The rest of the men and women didn't appear to be bothered, however. While their Pokemon either laid by their side or wandered around, their muffled conversations continued as if nothing had happened.

Suddenly, the cave lit up from the back as a loud crack pierced through the air. Soldiers scrambled up on their feet, their Pokemon's cries echoing as they stepped nervously. Seizing his spear, Haku flew up just in time to hear a shout over their alarmed voices.

"Out! Get Out!"
​
Bolting out of the passage, Heisuke's face had the look of utter terror as he rammed into a group of people-- flames the size of two Arboks shooting after him as they seared the surface of everything they touched. Heart banging against his ribcage, Haku had all but forgotten to breathe when a large, azure-colored creature stalked into the cavern with steady thumps. Pinning its unforgiving eyes on them, long, lethal fangs glistened in the darkness before a deafening roar shook through his body. All color drained from his face as Nene darted past them. Shit.

As men and women began to run towards the exit in sheer panic, Haku snapped towards his Pokemon while other soldiers attempted to keep the raging Salamence back. "Gardi! Ryou! We have to get moving!" Already on his feet, the Samurott huffed as he hurriedly began to move towards the exit. Haku's eyes fell on Suzume. "You as well! We can't stay!" he shouted before he spun around to retreat with Gardi. It would be outright madness to remain there!​
 
It certainly would be strange if the parents had not been taking care of their offspring. And even if they were around, why weren't they feeding them? Suzume felt a little sorry for the young ones. She understood that it was winter and there probably wasn't a lot of prey around, but the Salamence could have easily caught some of the Zubat in order to provide some nutrition. Haku had told her that there was the chance of the larger Dragon-types lurking within the deeper caverns. That's... more than unsettling. That meant that they should probably leave before the Salamence woke up and started to tear them all to pieces.

"It sure has been," Suzume said in reply to Haku's comment. What was taking them so long? Was the cave really that deep and expansive? Not long after they spoke, there was a loud sound from within the depths of the cave and Heisuke came running out from the cavern. A stream of flames blazed after him, a giant column of red and orange and yellow. The Pokemon that had been so calm before suddenly cried out in surprise, many of them beginning to run toward the mouth of the cave alongside their partners. Mauve screeched in fear as he leapt on top of her shoulder. Even then, Suzume stayed frozen still, staring at the giant Salamence that had been awoken from its slumber. It was only when Haku had snapped her out of her daze that she began to run towards the opening of the cave as well.

Caius flew in front of her and Seraph flanked her, his large, powerful legs propelling him forward. They had almost made it outside, when the Salamence beat its wings and flew over them, landing in front of them and blocking the entrance. Her Noivern hissed angrily, avoiding crashing into the blue beast and flapping back over to the blond's side. It seemed that the Salamence planned to make a meal out of them... or maybe even a lesson that it could show to the rest of the passing humans that dared to invade its territory. A scowl crossed over her lips as she drew her katana. They would have to fight here.

As Mauve gazed on with wide eyes, Suzume cried out a command. "Seraph! Use Wild Charge!" The Arcanine obeyed in an instant, cloaking itself with electricity and beginning to glow yellow as it shot toward the Salamence. She watched as the large striped canine slammed into the dragon's side, making it roar in anger. More flames gushed from its maw in retaliation, sweeping over the Seraph and the crowd nearby. She ducked behind a large rock beside her to avoid the heat and fire, some of the excess of the Flamethrower slamming into the rock itself. It was then that she began to tremble-- this definitely wasn't good at all.
 
With Ryou ahead of him, Haku's sole goal was to get out of there in one piece. The cave opening crept closer and closer as he ran past crimson and silver. He could feel the cold air against his skin from the outside; they had almost made it! But a sound from above made his head jerk up, and his eyes went wide when the Salamence flew over and landed in front of them. 'The entrance!' Grinding to a halt, he could hear Ryou cry out in protest while his breaths escaped him in light pants. The entrance was blocked. He stared up at the creature, right into its malice-filled eyes. He was oblivious of the screams and shouts of the trapped soldiers around him. Ryou's lip had drawn over a canine as he backed towards him, and all Haku could bring himself to do was to raise the tip of his naginata upwards ever so slightly. As if the weapon would do any serious damage against a beast of that size. At that moment, he truly believed that they were doomed. 'May Lugia have the mercy to spare us...'

From somewhere to his right, Suzume's voice was the only warning he got before he saw Seraph streak towards the Salamence. The canine hit it right into its side, and flames came spouting from the dragon's maw as it only grew more enraged. The fire licked at them hungrily-- the air searing as Haku threw himself to the ground to evade them. Someone was screaming nearby, and it was clear from their shrieks that they hadn't been very lucky. As he raised his head, the Salamence was snapping towards a crimson-clad man as he swiped a sword back at it. But the man was no challenge to the creature. As Haku remained on the ground, he watched the beast's tail slam into the Phoenician's gut and send him crashing against a wall with a sickening sound. And that's when black and yellow blurred past his vision.

Skidding to a stop before the Salamence, Sachi reached out her arms while electricity danced across her body. Reaching its peak, a blinding thunderbolt raced towards the Salamence and struck the ceiling with one of its stray branches. Debris and dust clouds fell down to cover the nearby crowd, hiding the crimson-winged creature completely. As Haku raised himself onto his legs, a shiver ran down his spine when a quiet growl resonated from behind the cloud. As the dust settled, the Salamence remained standing-- seemingly in good health as light rose up from inside its' throat. "Fuck...!" he muttered under his breath as he turned to get the hell away from it. It was about to torch them again!

Searching for shelter, Haku paused when he saw that Gardi wasn't moving. "Gardi! Get away from it!" But the Aegislash refused to budge. With his wide, unblinking eye glued at the Salamence, it was as if the Pokemon was staring into death itself. That's when he realized that Gardi was petrified. The Salamence opened its maw further and flames yet again spewed out towards the crowds, shooting towards the immobilized Ghost-type. 'No...' He won't let it. He won't let it hit Gardi! In a heartbeat, Haku's plans to flee were all but cast aside as he ran for his partner. Enveloping the Aegislash with his arms, he forced his eyes shut as an intense heat rose up from behind. "Ryou!"
 
The sounds of battle did not fade. Instead, more and more people screamed and shouted as they tried to avoid the Salamence's gushing Flamethrower. The giant beast, merciless and full of hate for the innocent men and women that had stumbled into its cavern, did not appear to mean to grant them an escape. Instead, it roared again, sending a red-clad soldier flying through the air and against the stone wall in front of her. The female fell to the floor and remained eerily still. Suzume clutched her naginata angrily; did this foul beast really plan on killing all of them? Did it have no remorse? Was it one of those crazed Pokemon that had been rampaging around the lands, or was it simply defending its young? All in all, she didn't care. All she cared about at the moment was the smell of burning flesh and pained and terrified screams of both Pokemon and human as they fought against the large Dragon-type.

The blonde peered over the rock again, watching as Caius flew over to the Salamence and released a throbbing blue beam from his mouth. The Noivern's attack slammed against the blue beast's wing, making it screech in pain and whirl its head around to snap at the smaller winged creature. Thankfully, he was much faster than the rampaging dragon and flitted away from its menacing jaws, shrieking back at his foe in anger. Here they were, pinned against a corner, and all she did was hide. No, she was to do that no longer. Her knuckles became white as she clutched at the hilt of her katana, and opening her mouth to let out a wild war cry, got up and raced toward the Salamence as it breathed another column of fire at Haku and Gardi. Mauve followed, crying out in warning, but as soon as he saw that his partner could not be stopped, fell behind as his ears flattened in frustration and fear.

When she was close enough, Suzume sunk her blade into the dragon's soft skin where throat and chest met as far as she could. Blood welled from the gash on the Salamence's underside, making it howl and jerk away in pain after vomiting its latest river of fire. The motion caused the wound to tear open more, and blood was soon covering her hands and wrists. The smell made her heart race more; it was a smell she was used to and fond of. Red droplets fell to the floor as the beast screamed, its face convulsing into a pained snarl as the sound reverberated throughout the cavern. All she did was grin up at it and prepare to deal another blow, but the Salamence was quick this time. Its neck snapped forward in an instant, driven by anger and rage, and grabbed hold of her left leg with its jaws. Suzume cried out as she was hauled into the air, thrashing in its grip as she swung from its maw. The dragon growled as its teeth sunk further and further into her leg, making her yell in pain and fear in turn. She pulled herself up, pain blazing up and down her leg and waist, and stabbed the beast in its eye.

At that, the menace roared in pain again. Suzume found herself falling out of the Salamence's mouth, and as soon as she realized she was going to slam on to the ground, she tried to brace herself for impact. However, she fell on her side, the air rushing out from her lungs and leaving her breathless as pain blazed up and down her side and her broken leg. She gasped as she tried to struggle to her feet and avoid the monster's taloned paws as it stomped around, half-blind. Seraph, seeing that his partner needed aid, sprinted up to her and gently took her by the arm, bounding away from the rampaging Salamence before she could be crushed. "Thanks, Seraph," she grunted as he laid her down away from the Salamence. Suzume leaned on an arm, eyes resting on the mangled and bleeding leg that laid limply on the floor. "Fuck..."
 
The air was boiling as the flames drew closer to the duo. Nothing mattered to Haku anymore; he had to protect Gardi from harm, even if it proved to be futile. But as the sounds of fire replaced the screams and cries around him, he couldn't help but to find this ironic. Fire. It was always goddamn fire that found its way to him. If he had done anything to anger his god, then he sure as hell didn't know what he did. His face twisted into that of pain as he refused to let go, but then... cold water splashed all over them, sending steam furiously hissing into the air. The change of temperature was so sudden, it sent him gasping as he lost his breath.

As Haku raised his soaked head, his eyes were met with Ryou's much wider ones. The rocks around them were scorched-- all but the untouched crescent-shape they were standing in. Hearing a howl, his head jerked to the side as he watched the beast move away as if pained, a stream of red running down its chest. As he released Gardi from his hold, his brows furrowed while he raised his spear. Having seen the deed, the men and women surrounding him let out cries of encouragement as they charged towards the now injured Salamence. That's right...he was a soldier; he should do something, charge with them! But as Pokemon and soldiers passed by him, his teeth were gritted against each other as he found himself unable to take the first step. Why did he feel so useless!?

Before him, the crimson-winged beast had all but regained its self-control when it lunged its head forward and seized hold of something-- no, someone, and hauled them high up over the crowds. Haku watched on in horror as Suzume swung around in its maw, clearly in serious trouble. But the blonde Phoenician was anything but helpless when she had stabbed the dragon in its eye, blood gushing out as the beast had released her and sent her falling out of his view. At that moment, Heisuke had rushed past, his head cast back towards him. "We don't have the luxury to stand and do nothing, Haku!"

Without warning, tongues of fire erupted from above as the man's Volcarona sent blazing columns towards the Salamence, the beast snarling wildly in fury and pain. The odds had been turned in their favor and it was clear that the enraged beast was going down. 'Goddamn it...!' Turning his attention towards the Samurott, Haku threw his arm towards the blue menace. "Ryou! Finish it with Aerial Ace!" And Ryou bellowed, charging towards the swamped Salamence as his forelimbs cloaked themselves in a white light. His claws struck the beast straight into the already aggravated wound, a crazed scream from the dragon threatening to blow Haku's eardrums out. In one swift movement, the huge creature had turned on its tail and rammed its way out of the cave as soldiers and their partners chased after it.

"It's disappearing!"

"After it!"

As a few Argentians and Phoenicians had gone after the Salamence, the rest were left standing in the battle-scarred cave to realize the horrific damage that had been dealt to their group. Charred bodies littered the ground as the familiar smell of blood and burnt flesh crept its way into his nose. People in silver and crimson collected around the injured while others wandered aimlessly and wept for the fallen. Haku slammed his fist into the cold, stone wall. What was wrong with him?
 
Pain continued to sear up and down her leg, and it got worse and worse as she looked at the motionless limb. Seraph simply stared at it, his triangular ears pinned against his head as his sharp eyes met her own for a moment. For a moment, she thought she had done good; she had been the hero that had led the brave onslaught against the vicious Salamence, dealing severe damage to it with her katana before it could do much more damage. But now that she stared at her bloodied leg, Suzume knew that she had been an idiot. Charging up to an angry and sharp-toothed beast with nothing but a sword? That was stupid, and now, she was paying the price.

The Salamence continued to scream in anger and fury as it was pelted by rivers of flames that belonged to no other but Heisuke's Volcarona. The large insect dealt only made it weaker-- and it was then that Haku's Samurott finished it off with a well-aimed Aerial Ace to the seeping wound. Suzume watched in glee as the dragon turned tail and began to barge out of the cave, some soldiers pursuing it. There was no point to chasing it; it would simply take flight if it had to. She hoped that they did not kill it, as it meant that the poor Bagon would be left without a parent to take care of them.

Now it was time to grieve. The soldiers that had stayed behind roamed around, wept, and screamed in both rage and frustration as they set their eyes on the fallen. The Salamence had killed around six to eight of their already small group. Most of them had been scorched by flames, their ashen bodies laying still on the dusty ground. Others had been tossed aside and had their backs or necks snapped by the impact, much like that Phoenician soldier that had flown through the air and slammed against the wall of the cave. She had known that poor young woman. She hadn't been a friend, but she had known her name and where she had come from. Her name had been Akane, a sweet girl from a small southern village. She had a little brother and a mother that needed her to come back. But she wasn't.

Suzume reached up and grabbed hold of Seraph's shoulder, hauling herself up so she was standing. She was careful not to move her leg around too much as she leaned heavily on the large canine. It was then that she caught sight of Haku's act of frustration. "Don't go and break your hand, now," she warned, Seraph beginning to guide her towards the mouth of the cave. Mauve followed after them, uttering a low growl that sounded much like a complaint in regards to her rash behavior. "Let's go. We have no business here. We never did."
 
This wasn't what was supposed to happen. When that beast had first appeared, he should have charged towards it in the name of Argent and his deity. And when that Salamence had trashed and scorched the members of their group, he shouldn't have allowed it to have continued as far as it did. But instead, he had been standing there and he had watched, watched like a coward without a sense of conscience for those who fell. Was he truly able to call himself a soldier? Was this what he had left his village for? Haku did not know what to believe anymore. He had been in a war; he had fought against an actual army, and out here, a single Pokemon had been able to rend him completely worthless.

Not too far from his left, he heard Suzume warn him that he might have broken his hand. Haku didn't have the heart to return with a sharp comment, but the longer he stood there, the more he refused to feel this way. His hand slid down the rough surface as he removed it from the wall, and the dark-haired man turned around to look at the blonde. "I won't," he replied to her, determination burning in his darkened eyes. This stops now. He will set out to continue this wretched journey, and he will fight.

The blonde and her Pokemon were heading towards the entrance of the cave, and Haku looked towards the other soldiers. The charred bodies of the dead were now lined up by each other on the ground as some Argentians stood by them and gave them a final prayer. It was only right for them to do that. Out here in Leonias, it would have proved difficult to find ground suitable for burial. And since they were unable to carry the dead with them, they would be forced to leave them in this cave. The group that had pursued after the Salamence had returned from their chase, and from the looks on their faces, they had failed to killed it. At any rate, the creature would likely succumb to the injuries it had sustained during the fight. Stepping towards Ryou and Gardi, his hand remained clenched around the pole of his Naginata while the other went to stroke the Samurott's snout. "We should go with her," he told them, soon letting go of Ryou as he began to follow after the Phoenician soldier. Ryou released a muted grumble as the Aegislash joined his side, his eye planted on the dark-haired man. This had been an absolute disaster.

As he and Suzume left, the other soldiers gradually turned to go with them, some more reluctant than others. Haku was silent as he walked, slowly catching up to Suzume as his eyes remained on the road. The morning rays in the distance had given the dusty ground a golden color...with scattered spots of crimson on it. Following the trail until he was looking at the blonde's leg, it was first then that Haku noticed that she was bleeding. A scene played in his mind, a scene of Suzume hanging from the Salamence's jaws. "...How is your leg?"
 
The path ahead was drenched with the first rays of dawn, and it was then that she realized that they had not slept at all. They would have to reach a village or city before her leg would not allow her to travel any further or some other beast decided to snack on the survivors. Suzume continued to limp forward, her brown eyes catching the amber-yellow light of the rising sun and making them appear brighter and more fiery than they usually were. As she walked, however, a bolt of pain shot up and down her injured leg, travelling across her waist and down to her other leg. The adrenaline was wearing off and she had begun to feel worse. Dizzy with fatigue and blood loss and stricken with grief, she knew that she had to continue forward. She had to look at the silver lining. If she didn't, what was the point of even carrying on? Death had taken a few and it was a matter of time before she would become some bandit's next kill-- or at worst, a toy for him to play with --or another creature's breakfast.

Someone approached her side, and Suzume shot the brown-haired man that had came up to her a sharp glance. Takashi simply frowned at her, his dark brows knitted together in rage. "That was the stupidest thing you have ever done," he hissed at her, his lip curling into a scowl. "You could have gotten killed. Who charges up to a fucking Salamence with only a sword?"

Her eyes drifted back to the path and her mouth opened to let out a retort. "I knew what I was doing."

"Knew what you were doing," Takashi repeated her words, the anger seeping into his voice even further. Ciel padded beside him, giving the blond a look much like the one her partner was wearing. "Seriously, Suzume... if only you knew how much you meant to those around you. It gives them heart attacks when they see you do something so idiotic."

"It wasn't idiotic!" Suzume whirled around to face her friend, her fingers curling into fists. "Are you so dull that you didn't see what I did? If I hadn't been the one who steeled myself and ran up to the thing to stab and blind it, the battle would have gone on further and more people would have died," she yelled at him, her face contorting into one that was similar to both Takashi's and his Luxray's. Did he really care more for her safety than for the safety of the others? She was a rogue, someone that didn't have anything to look forward to seeing when she returned to Phoenicis. It was better to die a warrior's death than to die alone. "I wasn't going to be a coward and cry as I watched people get killed. Speaking of which, where were you in that battle, Takashi? I didn't see Laminos or Ciel attack the Salamence. You were probably crying behind a rock like the weakling you are."

Takashi's hand twitched as if he had meant to hit her, but he held himself back. The two friends simply stared each other down, tension crackling in between them like lightning. "You know, sometimes I wonder if it's even worth trying to communicate with you. It's like I'm talking to a ravenous Hydreigon in heat," his words were coated with poison, and he turned away from her, making his way further down the path. Ciel blinked at her with narrowed red and gold eyes before bounding after him.

Seraph's sharp gaze flicked down at her as her hand curled into his fur. Her jaw became set as she held back a scream. Why was it so frustrating? Why couldn't she just remain strong and not bite anyone's head off when they spoke to her like that? Someone approached her side, and she looked up to see Haku. She wondered why he was asking about her leg as if he really cared about it.

"It's absolutely peachy," Suzume's voice was dripping with sarcasm as she glowered at him. A Phoenician soldier that was within earshot approached the duo, frowning at Haku.

"She must have broken it, but I don't think she wants any treatment," the woman told Haku. "Which isn't good. If she keeps bleeding like that... she won't last that long."
 
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