"Alright, one more time. Begin!"
The rookies scattered within the trees, adorning blindfolds. Jet spun his scalchop around, then fired Hydro Pump at Ragger. The Hakomo-o sensed the incoming water and blocked with his scales. He dragged his hind claws into a thick branch upon landing and endured the impact.
Jet saw Lucient and Leon fleeing from behind and fired. They, too, heard the rushing water and dodged in time, finding their way onto separate branches. They fled into the leaves as Jet gave pursuit. He fired multiple shots into the leaves which the two were able to consistently dodge.
Jet spotted Lillia flipping off some branches like ladder rungs and fired a wide shot. Lillia landed and used Psychic to redirect the water around herself. Jet lunged and swung at her with Razor Shell. Lillia sensed his approach and narrowly ducked under the water blade. Jet spun the blade and thrusted it repeatedly at the Meowstic. Lillia took gentle steps back, barely staying out of the blade's reach. Once she reached the end of the branch, she jumped off and landed on a lower branch before fleeing.
Jet focused his sights on Wyatt, Avel, and Kenny, all three remaining silent in one spot. Jet infused his Hydro Pump with the cold energy of Ice Beam and aimed. The crackling sounds of freezing water, though faint, reached Kenny's ears, which twitched in alert. He tapped Wyatt, who understood immediately as they dodged the attack, instantly freezing over their spot.
Jet held his scalchop over his shoulder and nodded firmly. Alright, good. Everyone's senses are improving. They've memorized the layout of the trees and their branches and know exactly where to jump. They've improved quite a bit in the last three days. He glared and looked over his shoulder. Now for the problem child.
He spotted Melissa hanging quietly with her back pressed to a tree trunk. He could tell she was tense. It wasn't common for her to not be shaking in place. By his guess, she was holding in her anxiety. He would've preferred the nervous jittering. It gives more of a jolt in the escape.
Jet hopped around the trees until he was at a good angle to shoot Melissa. He rested his scalchop on his arm and stared down the edge, lining himself up with the bunny.
Your biggest advantage is your ears, Rookie. Out of all of us, you should have the best hearing, and they double as extra appendages. You should have excellent agility. You benefit the most from this exercise, so show me your training is actually doing something.
Jet sucked a breath in, steadied his hand, and fired Hydro Pump.
All was relatively quiet for the Buneary, save for the few Hydro Pumps she heard nearby. She waited patiently to become the next target, all while keeping the mental image of the trees fresh in her mind.
She heard the rushing sound of water, but closer. She had a split second to think. Assess where the attack is coming from, how fast, and what was the best possible escape route. The space between thought and action had to be centimeters apart from each other, even smaller until both processes were simultaneous.
Concluding the attack was indeed rushing towards her, she leaped off the branch and glided through the air. Jet tracked her movements and swerved the Hydro Pump after her. Melissa backflipped and landed on a branch before springing off. The tip of her foot, however, got nicked by the Hydro Pump before she did. She sprang into a high branch and embraced it.
Jet whistled sharply. "Time! Blindfolds off!"
Melissa pulled herself up and whipped hers off. She plopped down with a pout. "Aww, I got hit."
"Hit?" Lillia leaped over and laughed. "Sweetie, you're as dry as Leon's sense of humor. No offense, Leon!" The Aron, occupying a lower branch, removed his blindfold and rolled his eyes. "What? That little wet spot on your foot? That's nothing."
"You all are dry," Melissa mumbled.
"Don't beat yourself up over it," Jet said as he landed on their branch. "You've improved excellently since the start of this exercise. You're learning to move around and memorize every inch of space. Your reaction time was close to flawless. Though you are far from completing secondary training, your improvements are nothing short of impressive."
Melissa smiled and cupped her hands over her cheeks. "You really mean it?"
Jet rolled his eyes. "Yes, I do. Don't get all gushy over it."
"D'aww!" Jet suddenly felt claustrophobic as more rookies joined on the one branch, with Ragger teasingly poking his arm. "Someone's got a crush on Melissa!"
"I will break your shoulder," Jet threatened.
Lucient shook his head. "Ease up, Ragnarok. Stop giving our teacher a hard time."
"Let me have my fun!"
Wyatt popped out of the leaves upside-down with Avel somehow defying gravity on his lily pad. "So, does that mean we're done with training for today?"
Jet nodded. "Yes, it appears so. Good work, everyone. I'll give my full thoughts on your improvements tomorrow. Our next training session will deal with strategy planning."
"Ooh, are we going to play a game?" Wyatt asked. "I vote for Capture the Flag!"
"I prefer a game of chess," Avel suggested.
"What about Hide-and-Seek?" Kenny signed.
"Wait, what is Capture the Flag?" Melissa asked.
Jet whistled and regained their attention. "Nothing like that. This will be in-class work instead." That drew out groans from the rookies, save for Lucient and Avel.
"More paperwork?! GAH!" Ragger slammed his head into a tree. "I thought we were done with that shit!"
"So boring!" Lillia groaned.
Jet scoffed. "Tough luck. Training isn't all fun and games. I will be going over basic strategy planning and tactics with all of you, with some guest lectures from Percival. You will have homework, but you are free to work together. That is important for team synergy. It's a lot of bookwork." He noted their sour expressions, prompting him to roll his eyes again. "…Though, if you all get high enough marks, I might consider extra credit with a game of Capture the Flag."
Their moods brightened instantly. "Ha! You're the best, Teach!" Ragger cheered.
"Look out, you guys, because I'm the one getting those high marks!" Lillia bragged.
"I have nothing to worry about, but I wish you all luck," Lucient lightly bragged.
"I still do not know what Capture the Flag is, but I am just as excited!" Melissa cheered.
Jet shook his head. "Alright, enough. Class is dismissed for today. I have to get started on my lecture plans for the new rookies. Try not to cause a mess." Jet hopped back into the fort and headed off.
Ragger laughed and raised his hand to Melissa. "High-five!"
Melissa beamed and slapped his hand. "Hee! This is such a fun ritual!"
Lillia hooked her arms around them and grinned. "Well, let's stop talking and chill for the day. Dinner won't be for a while, but I'm hankering for a snack. Care to join me?"
Lucient smiled. "Sure. Perhaps I could read us a book to pass the time."
"Will you do funny voices?" Ragger asked.
Lucient rolled his eyes humorously. "Sure, why not?"
"I'm down!"
"Me too!" Kenny joined.
"Count us in, too!" Wyatt exclaimed. "Ooh, maybe we could put on a puppet show for everyone! That sounds awesome!"
Avel chuckled quietly. "Perhaps we should stick to the private arrangement first."
Leon prepared to leave them be in silence, but Lillia caught him in her Psychic and dragged him back. "No, you don't, Mr. Bittersweet! You're not missing out on this!" The rookies jumped out of the trees and started off with their spirits high.
Leon rolled his eyes, but put up no resistance, choosing to accept his fate. "The popcorn better be good…"
"…And that is why we should incorporate my brand new flying contraptions into our forces!" Pandora finished her pitch, gesturing extravagantly to the sketch lay out on Jason's desk.
Jason stared at the winged contraption skeptically. "And this is called…"
"Ah yes, came up with the name myself. Quite proud of it. A contraption that flies through the air with the winged assistance of two flat wings, or planes as the fancy people would call them. I call it…a wind-slayer! Pretty neat, huh?"
Jason picked up the sketch and looked closer. "Pandora, while your…wind-slayer is certainly creative, how is this supposed to sustain flight?"
"Well, I haven't worked out the science yet, but that's why I'm requesting all of our avian Foresters to assist me with some tests. If I can replicate the flight process, we'll dominate the skies and take over Virdis—uh, I-I-I mean, take our enemies by surprise. Phew, saved it!"
Jason shook his head. "That's not what I meant. Pandora, while you are vastly smarter in this stuff than me and I trust your capabilities, you do realize most winged Pokémon either have hollow bones or absurdly strong wings, right? And what you're suggesting is not only heavy, but wouldn't lift off the ground. The best I could see is a gentle glide, but even that could lead to disaster."
Pandora pouted. "I'm working on that! I still have that idea for winged suits in the backlog."
"Look, if you can somehow make a working model, I'll consider funding your project. I doubt we need wind-slayers right now."
Pandora rolled her eyes. "Shows what you know." She grabbed her sketch and packed it away in her saddlebag.
"Uh huh." Jason glanced out his window, then slid off his chair. "Well, since you're here, I need to get back to your lab to pick up Marie."
"How's interrogation going?" she asked as she followed him out.
"Marie says she has everything handled, but hasn't given me the full details yet."
Pandora scratched her chin. "You know, I've never actually seen Marie torture someone. What does she do? Water torture? Blinding? Boiling her alive?!" Pandora's grin grew wider and wider with each possibility.
Jason shook his head. "It's a little more…depraved than that."
"Depraved? You mean like sawing into her skin or…" The second Pandora saw Jason's raised brow and clear-cut expression, it all clicked with Pandora. "Oh. Oh, that poor, poor Wigglytuff."
"Yep. That's how she forces it out."
"And I thought her advances on me were too much."
They traveled down the elevator and made their way to Pandora's secret hatch. The green-eyed Growlithe produced her key and undid the lock. She took a deep breath, steeling herself for the worst, and threw the hatch wide open.
Complete silence.
Jason and Pandora looked at each other puzzledly, then started down the ladder. Pandora reached the bottom first and turned into the dimly lit area. "Hey, Marie! You still alive down here—" Pandora's eyes widened as a deep red blush crossed her face. "Oh my—" She covered her eyes and looked away.
Jason landed, then sighed upon seeing they came at a bad time. "Marie, your…three hours are up," he announced, trying to hide the twinge of red on his face.
The Mawile certainly looked like she was enjoying her time. Marsaili had been pushed to the ground, still tied to her chair, with Marie sitting on her chest. She got off Marsaili and blew her a kiss. "Looks like our time is over, honey~. Try not to miss me too much~."
Marsaili had a…confused, yet mortified look on her face, along with a sunburnt-colored blush over her face. "Th-That…was the scariest…three days of my life. P-Please…keep her away from me…"
Marie waggled her fingers in a playful wave. "Sayōnara, dārin." She walked over to Jason and Pandora and grinned flirtatiously. "You'll be happy to know that I squeezed just about everything I could from her—"
"Agh! Don't say squeezed!" Pandora yelled, covering her ears. "What did you do to her? Did you…you know—"
Marie looked offended. "Oh Fluff Butt, I may enjoy the sensual pleasures of two hearts beating side-by-side, but I ask for permission before I take things that far."
"Then what did you—"
"It's her Fatal Attraction," Jason clarified before pointing up the ladder. "Now, let's discuss what you learned, then I'm tipping off the authorities about a wanted bandit." He and the girls climbed up the ladder, leaving the poor Wigglytuff to quell with the conflicting emotions wrestling in her head.
Once they reached the surface and when Pandora locked the hatch, she asked, "Fatal Attraction?"
"It's a special move I developed for interrogation," Marie stated with a wink. "Want a demonstration?"
"Yeesh, I'm good!"
Marie laughed. "Nah, I would never do that to you. I want our love to be of your own emotions."
"I don't like girls like that."
"You'll come around~." Marie waved it off. "Anyway, my Fatal Attraction utilizes my Attract through Intimidate. I hate using Attract, by the way. Nothing real about it. There's no real love from that. It's just some doofus stuck in a zombie-like state. But I discovered, when used in tandem with my Intimidate ability, it causes quite the…stimulating reaction to the body. I'm talking fear, pain, pleasure, and all that fun stuff. A simple brush of my hand can overload the brain and cause quite a lot of uncomfortable stimulations." Marie smirked deviously. "It never goes farther than gentle caresses and light brushes, I assure you~."
Pandora gave her an odd look. "You are a freaking succubus, I swear."
Jason sighed and tried to shake off Marie's eccentric behavior. "Regardless of the method, Marie is efficient in what she does." He looked back at the Mawile. "I take it you got some solid information on the people we're up against."
Marie cast aside her playful attitude and adopted a serious expression. "Yeah. We may have some problems on our hands now."
Pandora went about her day while Jason and Marie headed for the archives. Marie combed through their files while Jason hung back by the entrance, patiently tapping his foot. Marie looked back at him and asked, "So, how's the cutie doing in secondary?"
"According to Jet, she's excelling in her training. She might catch up with everyone in no time."
"I'm proud of her. All that torture and sweating paid off." Marie grabbed one final scroll and shut the file drawer. "And you wanted to get rid of her."
Jason rolled his eyes. "Just tell me what you found."
Marie nodded and unfurled one of the scrolls. "I got Marsaili to tell me everything about the situation. We were right. She's a part of a bandit group. A pretty notable one, too. Seems she and Amos were their newest recruits and have been with them for a few years."
"Which group?"
"They're the Dukes of Buzzard. According to wanted information, they're a seven-man group of notorious bandits. No one has actually seen their numbers, but they have serious notoriety among the black market/trading rings. They can get you what you need for a price. Seems they also dabble in bounty hunting, too."
"Trading ring, huh?" Jason narrowed his eyes. "Did you get any names?"
"Of course. We already know about Amos and Marsaili, but the others have a bit more of a record." Marie scanned the scroll. "Big Bad Rogier, a Poliwrath brute of the bitter Algus Kingdom. Naturally drawn to a good fight. Known to crush his victims with brutal efficiency. Story is he was an Algus knight, but got kicked out due to his violent tendencies. He's been doing mercenary work for eight years." She pulled out the next scroll.
"Wicked Wind Ainsley, a convicted Absol who has been imprisoned three separate times on the account of murder. She escaped all three of her sentences and has been on the run ever since. Deep-seeded interest in sacrifices and lived out as a wandering hermit before joining the gang. Very dangerous if left to her own interests.
"Here's a fun one. Terrick the Skipper, a Sawsbuck and former jewel thief. He got caught because he found some grime on one of the stolen jewels and sort of passed out."
Jason suppressed a snort. "He'd get along great with Eadwulf."
Marie smiled and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, the reporters had some fun with this article. However, they discovered Terrick has connections to the notorious Spring-Loaded Harriet. He was actually one of her many students."
Jason glared. "Just like Marsaili." He straightened up. "Harriet's influence in Virdis is stronger than I anticipated."
"She's up there in the top ten most wanted. To think a dullard like this was trained by her…" She shook her head and switched scrolls. "Anyway, we also have Seismic Frank, a Throh with a record for challenging knights and breaking them. He once joined a raid on a village in the Senbo Kingdom to draw out the knights, but they took too long to arrive. Many were killed and he reportedly left unsatisfied."
"So, we're dealing with convicts and professional criminals." Jason shoved his hands inside his pockets and scoffed. "Though they aren't the only ones gunning for Melissa's bounty, they may just be the most tenacious. We'll have to take them out quickly so we can get back to more pressing matters."
Marie nodded firmly. "Agreed."
"That reminds me, who's the leader of the Dukes of Buzzard?"
Marie glared. "Remember when I said I got just about everything I could out of Marsaili? Turns out she has a will of iron."
"She wouldn't spill the leader's name?"
"I tried everything to get her to talk, but she wouldn't budge. There was something off whenever I asked about their leader. She ratted out names for her teammates eventually, but nothing I did got her to expose the boss."
Jason glared. "What does that mean for us?"
"It's very likely she was instructed, perhaps threatened, to never disclose her boss' identity. That can be taken one of two ways. He prefers his privacy, or he doesn't want any connections to himself floating around."
Jason crossed his arms. "A secretive boss, you say?" He narrowed his eyes for a moment, combing through his archive of thoughts, then raised a brow at her. "That sounds eerily familiar."
"How so?"
"Remember when you interrogated Marlo and his gang? They were Althalos' former producers. They were in charge of producing and transporting his cargo to him."
Marie glared, starting to catch on. "And both Jet and Zephora agreed Marsaili mentioned Marlo. That was in their last report."
"Giles was killed because he uncovered who their gang was working for, Althalos himself. He got a name to us, something they would've taken to the grave with them."
"Are you saying this gang hunting Melissa is also the same gang we're looking for?"
Jason sighed. "Hard to say. It's too big a coincidence to ignore, though." He glared. "If Althalos really is the leader of the Dukes of Buzzard, that might bring us closer to uncovering his cargo trade. We might even get a location on a hideout."
Marie glared to the side. "Ah yes, something else I wasn't able to weasel out of her. Althalos must've made one hell of an ultimatum to keep her mouth shut. I doubt I could wrestle up answers if I had some alone time with Amos."
"We could try our luck with his other four subordinates. If we can get one of them to give us a name, his species, and their hideout, we can bust their transport operation and find out what's been going on around here."
Marie sighed. "Easy for you to say. The only way we're dragging them out is using Melissa as bait."
"We're not letting Melissa get involved with this. I may have agreed not to take her off missions, but I'm not sending her after dangerous criminals on purpose. We'll just have Petra look into our connections and see if any of these four have been spotted in public."
"What's the chance they'll still be in the area by the time we investigate?"
"If they're searching thoroughly for Melissa, we might end up missing them. Still, we can't miss on this chance."
Marie sighed and tucked the scrolls under her arm. "I suppose not. Want me get any useful locations out of Marsaili?"
Jason shook his head. "I think you've…exhausted her enough."
Marie shrugged. "Suit yourself." She followed him out of the archives. "I'll fill Petra in on her new assignment, you pass the word onto the Nature Spirits."
"Sounds like a plan. Oh, and make sure she tips off the knights about a bandit tied up in the woods. I'll have the Weald Rangers dispose of her."
"Can do." They went their separate ways. Marie adjusted the scrolls under her arm just as she bumped into Lucient unexpectedly. "Whoa!" The scrolls scattered, but Lucient caught them quickly in his Psychic and handed them back over. "Oh. Thanks, hon."
Lucient grinned sheepishly. "No problem. Sorry for bumping into you, I wasn't paying attention."
Marie smirked a bit. "Did my beauty captivate you?"
"Still in a relationship."
"Nothing wrong with complimenting another woman's beauty. Actually, what are you doing around here? I figured you'd be hanging out with your teammates."
Lucient jumped a little. "Oh, I was, uh…hoping to look into the archives on…the Echo Bell Kingdom. The topic of the kingdom's annual carnival came up, Melissa and Lillia were pretty invested, so I figured I could grab some articles on the celebration to show them."
Marie smiled. "Ah, the Misty Lights Carnival. I've actually been to a few before I was taken off missions. Granted, I was supposed to be working, but who can resist the appeal of performances, delicious food, and the mystique of folks walking around in masks?" Marie giggled deviously. "And, of course, my own fun~."
Lucient laughed awkwardly and shuffled around her. "Yes, that carnival indeed. I'll leave you to your work, Marie."
"Aww, leaving so soon?" Marie sighed. "Curse the fleeting hands of time. Oh well. Have a good day, hon." She continued off.
Lucient waved to her. "Heh, bye." He watched her leave until she was out of earshot. Lucient dashed into the archives and pressed his back against the wall, eyes wide and shaky. "Oh Arceus, I don't think I was supposed to hear that…"
Lucient wasn't lying about going to the archive, so he did come at a bad time. Jason and Marie must've figured they were alone since hardly anyone comes down to the archives. It wasn't exactly a popular place to hang out. Lucient wasn't such a person, unfortunately. It's not like they were speaking particularly loud. You would have to be purposefully eavesdropping to pick up what they were saying.
Which…Lucient did.
He sunk to the floor and covered his face. "I feel so guilty." He bared his teeth. "I better keep this to myself. But what do they mean something's going on in Virdis?"
Deep in the castle dungeons of Verde, Theobald sat off in the corner of his cell, lightly humming to himself to pass the time. He wore a ragged tunic and pants, a barely suitable prison uniform, with his neck chained to the wall. He had enough slack to walk around the entirety of his cell at his leisure, but chose to sit in the comforts of the corner.
How long has he been down here? A few days? A week? Two? He lost track. Could've been a whole year for all he knew. Unlikely, but who knows?
For a man imprisoned in a cold, damp cell with barely any light, he was in good spirits like he scored a vacation in a luxurious inn. Sure, the floors took some getting used to and the tiny cot they provided was lumpy and hardly a proper bed, but he made the best of the situation without complaint.
He stopped humming to the sound of a heavy door opening close by. He closed his eyes, smiled, and straightened up. Footsteps echoed off the stone walls, joined by the clattering of armor grazing against itself. Theobald propped his knee up and rested his arms on it, waiting innocently for his visitor.
A strong light illuminated around the corner, already revealing his visitor to him. The black knight himself, Matthias, approached his cell with a leveled glare. He carried a stool in hand and a bag under his arm. Theobald's grin grew with anticipation.
Matthias stopped in front of the cell, set the stool down, and plopped his rear onto it. He set the bag against the stool before leaning forward with his hands clasped under his chin. He glared daggers at the collected Nidoking, intensified under the glow of his fire crown.
Theobald chuckled unabashedly. "I take it you're here for my interrogation."
Matthias' glare deepened. "Have you had time to reflect on your actions?"
"I've had time to reflect on a lot of things. For instance, missing out on a chance to settle down and get married. I knew a woman who was sweet on me, as was I. However, I followed my passion for writing and decided to travel the region. I don't regret my choice, but it would've been nice to see what could've been—"
"That's not what I meant." Matthias leaned closer to the cell bars. "Tell me where the Foresters' secret base is."
Theobald smirked. "Even if I gave you the directions, you would still get lost."
"So, you do know where it is."
"I've never physically set foot in their base. I'm just a close acquaintance. I would've gotten lost myself."
"How do I find the base? What trick are they using to hide it?"
"Trick? What trick?"
"Don't toy with me. You know something."
"I know as much as you. I am not involved with the Foresters personally."
Matthias glared. "You assisted a Forester into kidnapping the princess. Rumors have it that it was some elaborate stunt to win the Fairy Knight's favor."
Theobald raised his brow. "First I'm hearing of this."
"Oh, we know a lot about that particular Forester. She has been causing trouble for some folks. And I bet you know her."
Theobald furrowed his brow. "Her?"
Matthias reached into his bag and pulled out a book. Theobald didn't recognize the cover, but the name. "Life's but a Stalking Shadow? My book?"
"Yes. I had someone bound it in a cover to keep the pages together. I suppose it deserved the proper treatment."
Theobald leaned forward excitedly. "Well, don't leave me in suspense. Come now, tell me your thoughts and opinions. Criticism is welcomed, too."
Matthias closed his eyes, drew a long breath, and set the book in his lap. "…I have to say, for you to make a thief the main character and get me invested in her story despite my position, you show…remarkable talent in your craft. It was beautiful. Astounding. I'm no critic, though, so I can only tell you I thought it was good."
Theobald grinned. "You loved it that much?"
"I had to look thoroughly for clues. I paid attention to every word." Matthias opened his eyes into a glare. "What is your connection with Harlow?"
"Heh. Well, it all started on a sunny afternoon. There I was, trying to come up with a premise for the story when I had the idea of a thief come to mind—"
"No. I mean the real Harlow."
Theobald blinked, then glared. "Pardon?"
Matthias raised the book, not breaking eye contact. "We've been hearing rumors regarding the newest Forester. You know her. Her behavior based off the rumors contrasts the Harlow in the book, who's calmer and more collected, while the one running rampant has been causing quite a bit of trouble from her debut. Did you base the character's name off of that Harlow?"
Theobald narrowed his eyes. Harlow? Who is…wait! Theobald's eyes widened in realization, a tiny gasp escaping his lips. A smirk curled afterwards. "Oh, that Harlow. Sorry, I've been down here for so long, memories start to fog up."
"You do know her?"
"Absolutely."
"Then explain to me why you assisted her in kidnapping the princess? What did you have to gain from her capture? And what do the Foresters intend to do with her? It's been far too long for a ransom."
Theobald shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe they sold her into slavery."
Matthias' fire crown enlarged briefly. "Don't you dare joke about that!"
"Look, I don't know what happened to her. All I know is that I helped Harlow kidnap the princess to carry out her personal goals. Maybe they're using her as leverage should you accidentally discover the base. I imagine they would do anything to keep their members safe."
"Why would she kidnap the princess?"
Theobald chuckled a little. "Young Harlow…is what you call a dreamer. I saw it in her eyes. She has big dreams for the good of the region. She wanted to make her statement known by taking the princess away. She got what she wanted, right? Soon, this will become news across the region, and everyone will take advantage of it. Harlow is the one who will pick up the pieces in the aftermath."
Matthias glared. "What makes you so sure?"
"Because the Great War left a scar on the world that can never recover. It can only be healed, so many are working to repair the damaged state. Harlow isn't the only one."
Matthias leaned closer to the cell bars. "Who else is there, Dencourt?"
"People who held a grudge after the Great Kingdom fell." Theobald closed his eyes. "When the Great Kingdom fell, its citizens were divided up among the ten kingdoms, pledging their loyalties to them for their own protection. Not everyone, though. Few resisted the change and remained in the Great Kingdom's ruins. Tell me, Matthias, why do you suppose King Penworth refuses to encroach on what is still untouched land?"
Matthias glared. "It's because the land is cursed."
"Cursed? Or do the legends tell a different story?" Theobald opened his eyes and glared seriously at the Infernape. "Not everyone knows what happened in the Great Kingdom. Any who tried to reclaim the land were swiftly defeated. Decades of fighting over land, yet an unspoken rule among the ten kingdoms was to never invade the center of Virdis. Whether it be mystical in nature or not, one thing is certain: vengeful spirits haunt the ruins."
Matthias sat with his mouth agape in confusion. He pulled away from the cell bars and stared at the floor, pondering. He took a deep breath and asked, "How much do you know?"
"Enough, but nothing worth telling."
"You know more than you're letting on."
Theobald narrowed his eyes. "How well do you know the history of this kingdom, Matthias? How do you know it's still built up on the same goodwill it started out as? Was there any goodwill to begin with?"
Matthias found himself bolting off his stool and gripping the bars. He nearly twisted them open before composing himself. He cooled his flames, then grabbed the bag off the ground. "That's enough for today." He turned and walked away.
Theobald chuckled quietly. "I suppose if you want to know the truth, maybe you'll find something in the Great King's throne. That is, if you can get to it. Perhaps I can bring safe passage—"
"You're never leaving this dungeon, Dencourt." Matthias looked back over his shoulder with his flames burning brighter. "If anything happens to the princess before we find her, you will be tried and executed." Matthias stomped out of the dungeon. Theobald listened to the fleeting sound of metal until the dungeon doors slammed shut.
The Nidoking shook his head and laughed. "Don't get your hopes up, Matthias. I'll get out in due time." He gently rubbed the branding on his right shoulder. "I'm a patient man. Very patient." He rested his head against the wall and closed his eyes, letting the silence takeover once again.
"…Shit, I forgot to ask him to publish my book."
