Chapter 5

The Culprit

Immediate uproar burst through the crowd, something that usually was welcomed, and signified a win or precisely landed hit in a match, but this time was the exact opposite. It was a roar of terror, a roar of fright, a roar of disbelief.

A roar of blind desperation.

No. It couldn't be true. They couldn't just be dead, just like that. They were the leaders of the Order, the rightful, powerful, wise leaders. They led the way to defeating the despised and maniacal Shadows, the masterminds behind the one thing standing in the Shadows' way of complete power over Rastesia. They couldn't all just be killed one day, without anyone knowing, to be abruptly discovered, leaving the Order in utter shock and terror.

Right?

Rowan was silent, blinking in forced skepticism. He had seen High Order face to face once, when he and Zav had returned from their daring, rule-breaking mission in the Southern Islands, where they ended Torin's reign of power with Aves. They had gathered to determine punishments for Rowan, Zav, and Aves. He remembered their judging yet fair looks, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't picture them gone, just lying on the floor, dead.

He turned to Zav, who was silent as well. It seemed he had the same mindset, as he gave a horrified, near pleading look to Rowan. They both turned back, unable to comprehend what had happened like most of the crowd. It wasn't until the Loudred's call of silence hushed the mass, and everyone's attention turned back toward Aves, as Glade had disappeared.

"Glade has to be kidding, right?"

"Who killed them? H-How did they get into the base?"

"They can't be dead… not just like that."

Rowan heard whispers around them, but his gaze remained on Aves. He had a similar look, a mix of bewilderment, disbelief, and a twinge of sorrow. He was unmoving, mouth hanging half open, staring off into space, his eyes clouded with loss.

Rowan's mind reluctantly drifted onto the question everyone was asking. Who killed them? And how? Certainly it must've been the Shadows, no doubt about that, but how in Arceus' name did they get into the base? Rowan himself knew how fortified it was, it not even being visible to the rest of the world unless being entered, so locating it was enough of a feat in itself. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't even come close to thinking a way someone, certainly not a Shadow, could just slip into Cliff Base undetected, murder all three of High Order without anyone even noticing, and then escape without a trace. Even with all the things Rowan had seen, this seemed purely impossible.

Glade returned after a long, dragged out minute, and the few whispers that could be heard instantly dropped silent as a sickening thud sounded throughout the coliseum. Everyone stared in horror, heads shook slightly in utter disbelief and sorrow, and people looked away, unable to comprehend the sight they were seeing.

In the middle of the arena, three bodies lay sprawled out on the ground. One, a Mightyena, whose eyes were clouded and lifeless, deep slashes riddling his pelt, both his left legs broken. Next to him lay a Fearow, whose wing was twisted in painfully many spots, and had a deep gash in his throat, dark red feathers surrounding the dried up gouge. Next to him was finally a Blaziken, whose chest had a large slash, and had been stabbed by something right through her heart. Her eyes were lightless and unmoving, like an extinguished flame. They all had desperate, shocked looks written on their faces, as if they too couldn't believe they were dead.

Glade stared at them, tears welling in his eyes, until he fell to his knees feet from them. He shook his head, muttering something as the crowd watched in horrified silence. It was a long couple moments until voices sounded around Rowan.

"No… no, it can't be…"

"Who could've done this?!"

"What if they are still in the base?!"

Glade stood after one of the longest minutes Rowan had ever encountered. His eyes shot to a Pidgeot who had hurriedly flown from the stands. Rowan saw that the Gallade was seething with anger now, and the Pidgeot had a disbelieving and nervous look on his face.

"Did anyone enter the base last night, anyone at all?" Glade spoke in a wavering tone, his rage making his voice quaver.

"No, not one. There were no missions, and the base was invisible and fortified. There is no possible way someone could've snuck in." He said hesitantly, shrinking away as if Glade was going to strike him. Rowan didn't blame him, the Gallade looked about as angry as one could get.

"Then how in Arceus' name did someone waltz in here and just murder High Order?!" He shouted, and the Pidgeot flinched. He didn't reply, and simply looked away from Glade's rage-filled look, avoiding his piercing glare as if his life depended on it.

Everyone turned to the stands as movement was spotted. Rowan recognized the Abra that had been next to the Loudred float slowly down toward the arena, clutching her head, eyes shut tightly. Once she reached the arena, she turned to Glade, slowly releasing her hands from her head. She appeared to be in pain, though Rowan couldn't see why. Glade met her face with a angered and confused look, it suddenly grew even more flustered, and the Abra flinched at this. The Gallade looked as if he was about to attack the Abra herself until his look melted into pure shock and bewilderment. The whole time no words had been exchanged, but everyone knew what was happening. The Abra was communicating through telepathy.

"No, impossible…" Glade muttered to himself, shaking his head in disbelief, but the Abra was cautiously nodding her head. Rowan had a growing sense of dread that things were about to, somehow, get worse.

Glade stood silent for a moment, his eyes focused in thought before speaking, processing whatever the Abra had told him. No one was prepared for what he was about to say, Rowan most of all.

His eyes unblinking, face stern with focus, Glade spoke clear.

"Rowan."

The Umbreon blinked, suddenly knowing how the Pidgeot had felt. What did he possibly have to do with this?

He instinctively turned to Zav, and the Jolteon's confused and baffled stare confirmed that Rowan's ears hadn't deceived him. The sea of confused eyes now rest upon the Umbreon, and he felt stuck to the spot, unable to move. It felt like one of his many dreams, where he would be immobile and anchored to the spot, inevitable to suffer whatever was coming his way. All that was missing was sweet relief of gasping awake, calming down after realizing he was still safely secured in his room.

But there was no jolting awake, no unwelcome shock from Zav that Rowan would be more than thankful for. No panting heavily as his eyes flung open, revealing that dark, calming room he longed for more than ever right now, thankfully confirming that all this was just some horrible, twisted nightmare. Just the piercing silence of the coliseum as people's wide, bewildered eyes glued to him.

"Rowan." Glade said again, this time more clear, yet still with an unreadable tone. The Gallade spoke oddly, and said the Umbreon's name as less as an address but more of a statement to himself. Rowan caught Aves' eye, his face as bewildered as Zav's.

Rowan's muscles seemed to lift him to his feet, disregarding the numbness his mind felt. Thoughts were spinning through his mind, swirling in a dizzying vortex.

Glade slowly shifted his gaze toward Rowan, his tired, disbelieving eyes locking with Rowan's. The Umbreon felt cold, and he suppressed a shudder as the Gallade's eyes narrowed. He had never before seen Glade like this, as he had always been similar to Zav; hardworking, optimistic, and always positive. Now, it looked as if he was looking at the other side of the Gallade, the one he preferred to hide from everyone, the one that was only brought out by the very worst circumstance.

"Rowan…" Glade murmured so low that few could here. The Umbreon didn't need anything more to know the Gallade's command. Rowan started down, a clear path marked by the crowd moving away from him as he slowly descended the stairs.

When he finally leapt into the arena, which seemed like an eternity, he was near yards from the Gallade. Rowan saw blurred movement of white in the background, his eyes unable to focus on anything, as his head was spinning in pure shock.

There was a silence as the crowd blinked in confusion. Though no one spoke, each was thinking the same; what was happening?

Glade stared at Rowan, his eyes locking onto the Umbreon's. Rowan was even more confused for a moment until a sharp pain split through his brain. He winced, and shut his eyes, a sudden headache coming over him. Ringing filled his ears, but it was inconsistent and seemed to be coming from within him. Pictures flashed before his eyes, and they moved so fast he no chance to decipher what they were. He could pick out some things, one being one of the Crystals he had grasped up north, another being a startled look of a Jolteon. He saw walls with blood streaked onto them, deep claw marks etched into the wall. High Order flashed before his eyes, their dead, lifeless eyes piercing through him. It was a while until the sensation terminated abruptly, everything going black, his splitting headache fading, and the ringing subsiding.

Rowan eased his eyes open to see a Gallade looking at him in pure incredulity. His eyes were wide with disbelief, a purple glow fading from them. Rowan blinked, unsure of what had just happened, spotting an Absol approaching from behind Glade.

"No, no, no…" Glade muttered to himself in disbelief.

"What is going on, Glade? What's Rowan got to do with this?" Aves asked, an unsure look on his face. He didn't look at Rowan, who was left standing in confusion. Glade didn't look at Aves either, and instead kept his eye on Rowan, petrifying the Umbreon to the spot.

"...Glade?" Aves asked cautiously. Rowan took a step back as Glade's stare turned into a hostile glare, unsure of what had set off the Gallade.

Glade suddenly jetted at Rowan without warning. He swung his arm, which had turned bright purple in a fraction of a second, and nailed Rowan right in the side. All the Umbreon could do is yelp in surprise, as Glade had struck him in less than a second, and he flew across the arena, slamming into the concrete wall. His air left him, and he fell to the ground, the crowd gasping as he gasped for air. He faintly heard Zav cry in protest as Glade stalked towards Rowan.

Rowan scrambled up, pain rocketing through him from where Glade had struck him. The Gallade had an enraged look in his eyes, and Rowan was left in sheer terror, believing Glade was very well trying to kill him right now. What had come over the Gallade?

"Glade! Stop!" Aves cried, barreling towards the Gallade. Glade kept his onslaught, his gaze locked onto Rowan. Rowan couldn't move out of sheer fright of the Gallade, the dreadful look he was giving Rowan freezing him to the spot.

Glade lunged out to strike Rowan again, but Aves had slammed into him. The crowd was screaming in panic now, no one understanding what at all was happening. Rowan watched as Glade and Aves wrestled with one another until Glade threw him off, Aves skidding to a halt feet in front of Rowan.

"GLADE! WHAT HAS GOTTEN INTO YOU?!" Aves roared, standing defensively in front of Rowan. Apparently, he had no clue why Glade had suddenly become deranged either. Glade stopped feet from the Absol, his gaze still terrifyingly locked onto Rowan.

"Move away from him, Aves." He ordered sternly. Rowan was silently relieved when Aves stayed where he was.

"What. Is. Going. On?!" Aves demanded, and Glade finally broke his gaze at Rowan and shot it to Aves. They stood there for a moment, both unable to give in to the other's request. It looked as if they were about to resume their brawl, until thankfully Glade spoke.

"It's him." Glade spat, jabbing his arm toward Rowan, "He's not who you think."

Aves glanced back at Rowan, then turned back to Glade, "...Glade, what is going on?!" The Absol repeated sternly.

Glade took a moment to speak. It was as if he couldn't believe his own words, "He murdered High Order, Aves."

The crowd erupted in shouts, most in disbelief.

"What?! No I didn't!" Rowan cried in protest, now his petrifying fear replaced with a sudden surge of anger. Glade gave shot him a murderous look.

"What are you getting at, Glade? There's no way Rowan一" Aves started, but Glade cut him off. The Gallades voice was now furious, and it tore through the surrounding shouts.

"He did, Aves! I just looked into his mind, and I saw it, clear as day. All three of them, dead, their blood painting his claws!" Glade bellowed, and the crowd went silent.

"... Glade, listen to yourself for a moment. Why would Rowan want to kill High Order? He's not a Shadow, he's proven that more than once, and It's also impossible that he could kill all three of them, not to mention being unscathed一" Aves spoke slowly, his tone fighting to stay calm. Glade shook his head in defiance. Rowan was faintly aware of the Jolteon who had leapt down from the stands, stopping next to the Umbreon.

"Oh, but you don't know him, Aves. He's hid something from us the whole time, and I was a fool to not detect it until now…" Glade assured Aves, the Gallade's furious gaze drifting toward Rowan once again.

"So that's how you were able to do all those things, wasn't it? How no matter how difficult the task, you always seemed to come out without a scratch, right?" Glade said. He was directly addressing Rowan at this point, and the Umbreon's heart dropped, now knowing what the Gallade had discovered.

"What are you talking about, Glade?" Aves said cautiously.

"I'm talking about all those times, Aves. Torin, up north... Arceus, even here! Ever wonder how a fifteen year old Umbreon was able to do all those things?! I stupidly never put too much thought into it, and in return, it has cost High Order their lives!" Glade spat, and Aves remained silent.

"How do you think he was able to defeat one of the most vicious and terrible warlords of all time, when many, many of the more skilled had tried before him?! How do you think he was able to escape one of the most fortified Shadow facilities in all of Rastesia?! How do you think he was able to compete against many of the most skilled fighters in all of the Order?!" Glade shouted wildly, his voice ringing throughout the stadium. Aves didn't move.

"I'll tell you how, it's because he's kept a secret from us that no one would've known. He's a weapon the Shadows have kept hidden for so long, one that possesses the strength destroy the entire world!" Glade claimed, his eyes not breaking off of the Umbreon, whose own were wide with fear. He could barely believe what the Gallade was saying, the crowd all fully drawn into Glade's next words. His voice was unbreaking, and split through the deafening silence of the stadium as his words rung loud and clear.

"Rowan is the Astren!"

Bit of a shorter chapter here. Recent things that have sprung up have made writing hectic, and I was genuinely surprised I was able to finish a chapter in a week, regardless of how short it was. Anyways I hope you enjoyed reading, as even though it was a shorter one, it was a blast to write!

Sincerely,

Eon11