Cold. It was so cold. But that was to be expected here. I was heading back down from the top parts of Mount Coronet. I skirted around Spear Pillar. That site is sacred even more so for us. Humans held it in a regard just as high at one point, but your kind age and fade, as does your memory. But that is talk for other times.

I was jumping down, rock to rock, nimble and quick as my kind are know to be. I hear voices, and get curious; my undoing. A group of Machop and Machoke were dancing around, chanting and circling their leader, a Machamp. I had never seen one that looked so strong! I lean closer, and a small spray of pebbles fall down. I had never heard so much noise from such small things since we had run into a group of Whismur in Rusturf Tunnel.

I ran. They followed. I knew I was royally fucked if they caught me. You humans think you know everything as far as the "type matching" goes, but we can feel it by instinct. I knew I had to get away, that they would probably kill me if they caught me. They ran so fast, not surprising considering they are 90 muscle. Luckily I was in my element, and was gaining ground fast.

But gaining ground counts for naught if you are in someone else's home and they know the layout. One moment I was running full tilt, jumping and dodging and weaving through the craggy, tree laden mountain face, next thing I know, rocks. Oh god the rocks. It looked like a rain of rocks, a literal downpour of stone and granite and pain. I hear the snaps of bone, feel the pain of breaks, and I'm down, and they're on me. The leader comes through their ranks, and kicks me, hard. I cough up blood. He laughs.

"Unkata nogalla krutta abbsoll?"

I hear the words and can't understand. Believe it or not, we don't all know each others language. While you hear the sounds we make, we hear something more like what you hear when talking to someone from another place. We hear the words, the annunciations, but not the meaning. And this was new to me, as our kinds by nature do not co-exist in the wilds. He grabs me by my scythe, my neck, and my midsection, and yells in my face.

"UNKATA NOGALLA KRUTTA ABBSOLL?"

He throws me to a machoke who catches me in a bearhug.

"Kretcha ko puutna balala obokno."

And then we are moving, and then nothing.

I dream.

"Good going, Orpheus!"

I hear his words, I know his voice. It has been so long since i heard his voice. My brothers are there too. I know this, oh so well. This was when I finally learned night slash. I was just a cub, and I did it. I was so proud, so happy to hear the warmth and joy in his voice, to see the light in his eyes. And then they are empty, and fading, and he is dying again, right there in front of me, dying again as I watch, and scream, and then the darkness, the pure power of my line welling up, and then it's loose, but I'm knocked down again, and her Primeape is above me again, and I'm gone, and then the blackness again, and then...

Cold. So very cold. I wake. I'm tied to the bare mountain wall, and a Machoke is using wake-up slap. I hear the Machamp again, his words harsh and uncaring.

"Grobba kro utka bonno prota kee keelee! Nonta po bala fro mallaa bro palla balla!"

Cheers, and then he comes close to me.; he whispers in my ear "You will die here, dark son. You will die, and my clan shall wave high your hide as our prize for your kind's arrogance, and never again shall a doom-sayer make his way into our sacred hall."

My eyes widen in shock. He can speak in my tongue? And then he hits me, and I hear them leave. I'm alone. It's cold, I'm alone, and my brothers are not expecting me for another two days. I'm going to die on this god-forsaken mountain strapped to a fucking rock by a fucking Machamp! I scream. It takes the last energy I have.

I sleep.

I dream.