Ch.27: Dread Approaches! Call Down the Fog of Pestilence!

Holly threw down a stack of books in front of Griffin and sat down. He picked the top book up and flipped through the pages. He glared. "You're sure this is every book you could find on the Fire Zone?"

Holly sighed and rubbed her face. "I spoke to the librarian a gazillion times already. That's every book from the library and whatever I could borrow from the villagers. If there's anything regarding an unmarked grave, it has to be in one of these."

Griffin sighed. "Guess we have no choice. This is going to take forever, though."

"That's why I'm here to help!" Griffin turned and smiled as Hallie grabbed a stack of books off the table and threw them onto the floor. She puffed her chest out proudly. "Anything to ease Master Griffin's burden!"

"Heh. We really appreciate the help, kid. I know you'd rather be training than reading through some old books—"

Hallie shook her head. "It's the least I can do for helping my village get here. My dad would do the same if he were here."

Holly smiled. "It's good to know he's cutting down the crime waves going on over the region." She picked up a book and began skimming the pages. "Still, even if we had his help, it'll take weeks just to find some vague clue. Isn't the Ravenfield bloodline super hidden from the world?"

"If we had the Immensus Library, this would take five minutes at most," Griffin grumbled. "Unfortunately, unless one of us is skilled in reversing the Shadow King's magic, it'll be completely inaccessible to us."

"Hal said we're looking for one of the strongest Ravenfields in their recorded history. What do you suppose made Buster Ravenfield so renowned?"

Griffin shrugged. "When it comes to Ravenfields, I don't bother questioning it. This guy could probably atomize people for all I know." He glared. "There's even a real chance the shadows already found the grave. They have all the information they need."

"So, we're pressed for time. Wonderful. The added pressure will make this go by much smoother," Holly grumbled.

"Well, not while you have that attitude."

"Tsk, coming from you? That's rich."

Griffin rolled his eyes. "Fair."

They sat in silence for a moment as they skimmed through the pages, cutting through entire sections for chapters more directly related to their search. Given the momentous task they were faced with, skipping a single line of important information would make their search go in vain. It was either find it on the first time or work through the dread of continuous rereads.

Ten minutes of mind-numbing silence passed, which drew on Holly's nerves. Did she consider herself a patient person? Sure, in some respects. Right now, however? Not so much. Just the notion they were searching for a single line of confirmation for something so vague drove her mad. In fact, how many unmarked graves could there be in the Fire Zone? It'd be easier to find a corpse in the Snow Zone.

Holly groaned, then looked up at Griffin, who was deeply engrossed in his research. She could tell he was frustrated, too, though he kept it to himself better, which was strange compared to the impatient 'kill first, ask questions later' mentality he adopted for most of their teen years. It was so strange to see the Grovyle so calm for once in her life. No matter how many times she saw it now, she'll never get used to it.

Holly turned her eyes over to their Nuzleaf companion, who lay on the floor with her feet kicking the air and eyes skimming diligently through her book. She rubbed her eyes a bit, grunting under her breath. Her eyes seemed a little bloodshot, though she did get back from a rough training session with Griffin the other day. Holly shouldn't be surprised if the kid was worn out.

Holly looked back at Griffin, then leaned forward. "Hey, Griffin?" she whispered.

"Hmm?" he hummed, not taking his eyes off the book.

"I know searching for Buster Ravenfield's grave is really important right now, but…"

"Mhmm."

"What are we going to do about the villagers?"

"…" Griffin looked up from his book. "What do you mean?"

Holly narrowed her eyes. "Griffin, we're in one of the most poverty stricken villages of the Fire Zone, and we're pretty much the best defense this place has. What are we going to do once we leave? Are the villagers even prepared to handle a bandit attack while we're gone? Or worse, a shadow attack?"

Griffin glanced warily at Hallie, then faced Holly again. "I'll make sure that doesn't happen."

"Griffin, if you're banking on Hallie's training to be this village's last resort, well—"

"We're doing everything we can to reinforce the village," Griffin assured. "We found some decent fighters within the village and got them up to speed. At most, they just have to worry about the shadows. They'll be too preoccupied looking for the grave than to bother with some village."

"You can't assure that."

"No, but it's the most likely outcome." Griffin glared down at the table. "Besides, it's either that or bring them along with us, and I rather they stay here where it's safer. If we find Voss or anyone else dangerous, they could get caught in the crossfire."

Holly sighed. "I suppose. Still, how can we be sure they'll be ready?"

"Who knows?" Griffin crossed his arms and leaned back. "I've never had to worry about other people before while on the road. I usually just help the team where I can. I'm not use to taking the leader role."

Holly blinked in surprise, then chuckled. "You really have become a softie."

"Hush."

"But it's nice." Holly leaned forward and touched Griffin's hand. "You got a good heart. I know you're worried about these guys, too. If you want, Mack and I can go on ahead instead and find the grave."

Griffin frowned. "I don't know. I don't want to leave you two doing all the work."

"We need to keep the peace just as much as prevent the shadows from winning. Besides, you may have raw power, but we have technical knowhow on our side. We wouldn't be able to break Voss' armor, but we can still give him a run for his money, especially since we know it has some weak points."

Griffin smirked. "Fair." He sighed and picked up his book. "If you're sure, then I guess you and Mack can—"

They stopped as Hallie started coughing aloud. She sat up and pounded her chest. Holly knelt down and asked, "You okay, Hallie?"

"Y-Yeah," she answered in a raspy voice. "I'm feeling pretty sore today, actually."

Holly sighed and glared up at Griffin. "Geez Griffin, she's still a kid. Take it easy with the training next time."

He shrugged. "Hey, that's how I learned."

Holly shook her head and stood up. "I'll get you some water, sweetie."

"Thanks," Hallie wheezed before coughing again.

"Aha!" Mack drove his shovel into the ground and looked up to admire the deep trench he made. Twenty-five meters deep, all dug up with nothing but pure grit and a magical persona lending its aid. He leaned against the dirt walls and broke out into laughter. "My beautiful creation is complete! Now those who dare try to cross us shall feel the wrath of my moat!"

"Uh, Mr. Crowgaze?" Mack looked up and spotted Tilly and Sonny looking down at him from the edge. Tilly shouted, "While we, uh…appreciate the effort you put into this, where are you going to get the water for this moat?"

Mack laughed and shook his head. "You misunderstand, my dear! This is no common moat for water! This is a moat built to hold a fire! It's not meant to drown, but cremate your enemies! Ahahahahahaha!"

Sonny inched over to his mother and hugged her side. "He scares me…" Tilly patted his head.

Mack grabbed the dirt walls and started scaling to the top. "Oh, you worry too much, kid. Life is scary, and sometimes you have to be scarier to scare the scares away. So, when the enemy sees a deranged maniac defending people, they have to ask themselves 'Why the freakin' hell was this guy hired to defend a village?' Next thing they know, they're being chased into a flaming moat. If they survive, they'll tell their friends and spread the word of this village's mad protector. Or, you know, before I snap their necks."

Tilly had covered Sonny's ears halfway through Mack's rambling. "Must you say such things in front of a child?"

Mack reached the top and hoisted himself up. "It's part of my rugged charm." He stood up and dusted his hands off. "Anyway, with that all set, I just need a bunch of flammable material, someway to create a fire that'll never extinguish, and a scarecrow of the grim reaper."

"Why the scarecrow—"

"To send a message to your enemies! Ahahahahaha!"

Tilly blinked, then backed away slowly from Mack, keeping Sonny close to her. "Well…it's the thought that counts, I guess."

Mack pointed to the old Gogoat passing by. "You! I need you to help me with something. Do you know if there's any material in the Fire Zone that can—" Mack paused as the Gogoat started coughing out loud. It sounded rough and scratchy. "Yeesh! You might want to get that checked out. Might I suggest tea with honey—"

The Gogoat collapsed onto his side. Tilly gasped and covered her mouth. Sonny hid behind her and shook worriedly. The nearby villagers gawked and murmured aloud in concern with panic rising in their voices.

Mack raised his brow, then approached the grass goat. He bent down and poked his side. "Hmm. Yep, he's dead!" The villagers gasped, some even fainting. "Oh, wait!" Mack squinted and saw the goat's chest rising. "No, never mind. He's just a slow breather." A chorus of relieved sighs and facepalms followed after.

Mack turned the goat onto his back and gave him a few gentle pats to the cheek. "Wakey, wakey, old guy. This isn't the time to be taking a dirt nap. You don't want to ruin your back or something, right?" He glared, noting the goat's ragged breathing. It's almost like he was having trouble drawing a breath. "Seriously, are you okay?"

Mack pulled the goat up into a sitting position, then felt his forehead. Normal temperature, so not a fever. However, something felt off about it. Mack got a tingling sensation touching the Gogoat's skin. It wasn't goosebumps, nor some frigid temperature. It just felt…tingly.

"Odd." Mack steadied the goat's head, then carefully position his bulbous tree digits to pry his eyelids open. He glared, immediately noticing something off about them. "What the hell am I looking—"

THUD!

"Sonny!" Mack whipped his head around and saw Sonny collapsed on the ground. Tilly picked him up and cradled his limp body in her arms. "Sonny, what's wrong?! Sweetie, wake up, please!"

Mack looked around the gathered villagers as their panic started setting in. He noted some of them were swaying around and looking fatigued. Mack narrowed his eyes and focused on them as hard as he could.

He saw it. He saw it right before his eyes.

Ah shit.

After getting Hallie her water, Griffin and Holly returned to their research. Griffin managed to skim through four books before looking into one on Fire Zone expeditions. He traced his finger along the text, nearly nodding off halfway through. His finger stopped on one peculiar line that caught his eye.

"Hmm?" He picked the book up and read the page more thoroughly.

Holly looked up and raised her brow. "Did you find something?"

"Potentially?" Griffin read through the pages a few more times, then set it down in front of Holly. "It's a start, at least."

"Lay it on me."

"You know how after the Grand Imperium War, magic started to work its way into the land and change it into what it is today?" Holly nodded. "Well, it seems there were a handful of explorers navigating the Fire Zone sometime after the war. With the land changing so much, they wanted to colonize what was essentially unusable land. Unusable to a common Pokémon, at least. Seems these explorers were magic users."

Holly crossed her arms and leaned forward. "Okay, but what does this have to do with Buster?"

"From what little I remember about Mysto's development, a lot of people had to adjust to the changes in the land. Some had to move out of the Fire Zone because they couldn't stand the heat. Same idea with the Snow Zone being too cold, Aqua Zone being too humid, Storm Zone being too…Storm Zone, etc. Point is, with how much turmoil that fifty-year war caused, there was a mass migration all around the region."

"And thus began the exploration of not only new land, but the access to the different pocket dimensions that could serve as safe havens and new cities," Holly guessed.

"Exactly. See, this entry in particular wouldn't matter too much if we didn't know who we were looking for."

"How so?"

Griffin turned a page and flipped the book over, showing her a map with the path marked out. "These guys were farmers searching for fertile land. They must've been exploring the Fire Zone for decades. This is where things get interesting. There was a kingdom that established itself from the ashes of war, the Entrustian Kingdom. There's many mentions of it, making me wonder if these guys were from that kingdom." Griffin glared. "Then I come across this weird quote."

"What?"

"It reads 'Though this journey marks a perilous quest in search of lands anew to mortal eyes, we will not falter in the face of the unknown, not while the shining light of mortal's hope draws his sword and guides us to promised land from the blistering heat.'"

Holly glared. "Shining light of mortal's hope? What does that mean?"

"It's a person," Griffin said. "I think, what I'm looking at, is the final expedition made by representatives of the Entrustian Kingdom, which led them to the most fertile land of Mysto today."

Holly's eyes widened. "The Earth Zone!"

"Exactly. However, there's this. 'A star burns bright through the night sky, but even its light isn't unextinguishable. Though his light carried us through the dark times of the past, we must not falter. In his final words to us, conquer the land and bring about hope to the people. His will shall live on through his son and many more after him.'"

Holly narrowed her eyes. "Don't tell me that's…"

"They speak of this mysterious figure like he's some kind of hero." Griffin glared. "Don't most Ravenfields have an unfortunate habit of dying young?"

"So, you think somewhere along this expedition—"

"That was Buster Ravenfield's final journey before he succumbed to the Fire Zone's climate." Griffin sighed. "It makes sense. Magic wasn't as refined back then. Of course, even he couldn't survive the toxic air at the time."

"So, Buster died on the final expedition to the Earth Zone," Holly mumbled. "Wes and Flint are from the Earth Zone. It'd make sense if members of their family migrated there at some point."

"It's just a guess, but this might be the best lead we've acquired." Griffin closed the book. "I'd say it's too risky to take it as fact, but we're at a major disadvantage at the moment. The shadows have the exact location in their hands. It's either we dive head first and get lucky or lose our only opportunity."

Holly glared. "Hal said Buster Ravenfield was the strongest. I'd hate having to fight reanimated puppets of Wes and Flint's ancestors, but—"

"We can't allow another one to be resurrected." Griffin stood up. "This is our best shot, so let's make it count."

Holly stood up and nodded. "Alright. We'll get Mack, formulate a plan, then set off on the original expedition route. If we're lucky, we're not too late."

Griffin nodded back. "Right. You go get him, I'm going to do some more research. Maybe if I find something to cross-reference with the expedition, I can get exact coordinates on the graves—"

Water spilled out over the floor as Hallie broke out into another fit of coughs. Griffin and Holly looked down at her worriedly and crouched down. "Hallie, are you okay?!"

Hallie stood on her hands and knees, trembling. "Why's…the room spinning?"

Griffin glared in concern. "Okay, this is definitely not post-training injuries we're looking at." He grabbed Hallie and turned her onto her back. "Hallie, do you feel hot?"

"N-No."

Holly felt her forehead. "Normal temperature. It's not a fever. Dizzy spells?"

"I'm not so sure. Hallie, can you tell us what symptoms you're feeling?" Griffin asked.

"I…it's getting harder to breathe. My skin feels like it's on fire. Every time I'm breathe, I…I feel like I'm inhaling scorched air."

Holly glared. "Is this some sort of Fire Zone illness?"

Griffin shook his head. "I've heard of something called Spontaneous Tephra Lung, but she should've had a fever first. Hallie, are you feeling anything else?"

Hallie squinted. "Eyes…blurry. Itchy. Really, really…itchy."

"Hold still." Griffin grabbed her head, then pulled her eyelids apart. "They are looking a little bloodsh—" Griffin's eyes widened in horror. "Holly, look at this!"

Holly looked over his shoulder and gasped. The young Nuzleaf's eyes were severely bloodshot, but they also carried another worrying sight: the blood vessels were a sickly green. Not a trace of red in her eye, only a disgusting green.

"W-What?" Hallie stuttered fearfully.

Griffin summoned one of the Exiled Soul daggers. "Sorry about this, kid." He gave her a tiny nick on the arm and squeezed some blood out. It was coming out red at first, but the duo saw traces of green mixed in seconds after. Griffin covered his mouth. "Shit."

"What is that?!" Holly gasped.

"I don't know. I've never seen anything like this before." Griffin was trying to stay calm, but too much blood pumped through his system, sending him over the edge. "This doesn't make any sense. Did some kind of virus just find its way into the village?"

"If that's the case, why aren't we getting sick?" Holly asked. "I've gotten the flu before. What makes this any different?"

"I don't know, it could be…" Griffin narrowed his eyes as something came to mind. "Hold on a moment." He grabbed Hallie's head and focused in on her. "I wonder…"

Hallie didn't have a magic aura for him to see, but that didn't stop him from seeing any magic infiltrating her body. Sure enough, it's just as he feared. A faint, nearly invisible wave of that green aura flowed through her body, following the channels of her blood vessels. And from the looks of it, they were spreading beyond the blood vessels.

"It's a magic-based disease," Griffin growled. "That's why we're not sick. Our auras have been fighting it off without us noticing."

"So, we're safe?" Holly asked.

Griffin pulled his shirt over his mouth. "Technically speaking, no, because I don't think this is something that naturally generated from the earth."

"What do you mean?"

"I'll tell you when I find the answer myself. In the meantime, cover your mouth. For all we know, it might get stronger and bypass our passive auras." Griffin picked Hallie up and ran out of the library. Holly followed after them, covering her mouth.

They ran out onto the streets and gasped, finding many Pokémon collapsed on the streets with some either with larger body types or a passive aura of their own trying to help them. Griffin and Holly focused on the scene and, because of the number of bodies piling up on the street, saw a clear image of green mist flowing through the air.

Holly staggered back in horror. "Oh no!"

Griffin growled. "This is definitely not something you'd find in the Fire Zone."

"Why is this happening all of a sudden? Everyone was perfectly healthy yesterday. No one should be getting this sick so quickly!"

"Symptoms can be delayed with certain diseases," Griffin mentioned. "But you're right, we definitely would've noticed something like this eventually. We're constantly scanning the perimeter for shadows. There's no way something like this could've evaded detection until now. Which means…" Griffin clenched his fingers around Hallie's arm.

"It means…this isn't some random disease, isn't it?" Holly guessed.

"Nope." A wisp of magic flew from his glare. "It's an enemy attack."

Mack pace around in a frenzy as Pokémon were dropping left and right around him. "Okay, I'm not a doctor, but I'm pretty sure we're all royally screwed!"

Tilly sat over Sonny, trying to make him comfortable on a hurriedly-made cot. "What's wrong with my son?"

"If I had to take a wild guess, there's some magical pathogen infecting the air and causing everyone to drop semi-dead." Mack noted the terrified look in Tilly's eyes. "Eh, maybe it's too soon to be declaring everyone dead."

Tilly covered her head and panted in short breaths. "No, no, no, no! This can't be happening. We were supposed to get away from all this. What are we going to do?"

Mack held his hands up. "Ma'am, the first thing you should probably do is stop breathing in some much of the air." Tilly gasped and pulled her shirt over her mouth. "Second, try and stay calm so I can hear myself think." He scratched his head and continued with his pacing. "Why do I have to put up with this shit?"

"Mack!" Mack turned and saw Griffin and Holly running up on the campsite with Hallie nestled in Griffin's arms.

Tilly gasped. "Hallie!"

Griffin slowed down beside Tilly and lay Hallie beside her brother. He looked around at the weakened villagers. "I take it you're up to speed on the situation, too?"

Mack scoffed. "If you mean the diseased air, then yeah, pretty up to speed!" His eyes flashed purple as he scanned the atmosphere. "This shit's everywhere. It's like a fog."

Holly nodded. "Griffin thinks we're being attacked by an enemy."

"Oh, lovely!" Mack growled. "Just when things couldn't possibly get even more frustrating! First someone decides to do a spot of graverobbing, now we're being haunted with a deadly plague! Happy freakin' birthday to everyone!"

"Focus, Mack!" Griffin scolded. "This isn't the time to be freaking out. We need to secure the village immediately. This is likely the first wave to cripple us."

"What even is this? It's too complicated to be a bandit raid."

Griffin glared. "Buster Ravenfield's corpse is somewhere in the Fire Zone, right? The shadows will be searching the land, and they may know we're here. They must've considered the possibility of us finding out, so they need to kill us off before they go after the corpse. Which means…"

"Means what?" Holly asked.

"To send something like this to kill us off, I think they're taking their time. They may not have found the grave yet."

Mack glared. "Why bother wasting their time with us then if Buster's supposedly super powerful? Shouldn't that be their concern?"

"Not if there's something stalling them," Griffin guessed. "Whatever the case, they want us dead, so they probably sent more than a shadow swarm after us."

Mack huffed. "Alright, what's the plan?"

"We're tightening security around here. Mack, you and I will go back into the village and rally whoever's still standing in the infected air. We need every able-bodied magic user on standby. Holly, help Tilly get everyone comfortable and try to keep them stable. If anything tries to attack them, kill them on sight."

Holly glared, pulled her fan out, and slammed it down. "With pleasure."

"Mack, let's hurry!" Griffin and Mack took off running back into the village.

Holly watched them leave, then looked back at Tilly as she stood over her children, weeping into her hands. "Hallie, Sonny…please stay strong."

Holly bent down and lifted her chin, giving her a sympathetic look. "Don't worry. They'll get better soon. I promise." Tilly sniffled, then smiled tearfully. Holly nodded, then stood up. "Help me get the villages inside the hut. Take the kids in, first."

"R-Right." Tilly picked her children up and raced into the moat-surrounded hut.

Holly glared off into the distance as the green mist started getting thicker. She covered her face and backed away. I got a bad feeling about this stuff. If we are being attacked by the shadows, why would they deploy something that can't take immediate effect on magic users?

"Hoohoohoohoo. I can sense their struggles within my pestilence."

Settled about a kilometer away from Fuego Village, Edwin, Pestilence, and their army of thirty lay in wait. The green-robed Abyssal Knight cackled behind her hand, breathing out a nasty green air that made Edwin recoil in disgust. He was forced to wear a gas mask once she began her work.

Seeping out from beneath her robe was the same green air, spreading across the ground and rising into the air. It flowed on the wind, guided by Pestilence's will, and traveled towards the rundown village with the subtly of the wind itself. As it traveled farther and farther from its source, it soon camouflaged with the wind, becoming completely invisible to those without magic.

Pestilence glanced down at Edwin. "Are you impressed, Master Edwin? This is the fruits of our labor at work."

Edwin glared. "Yeah, it's…quite impressive. Tell me again, however, why this is preferable than simply attacking them? With my Revulsion Anima, I could boost our men's defenses and steamroll through that village no problem. Nothing Everfall and his friends can't overcome on their own. I've since bolstered my mastery of it, so—"

Pestilence raised her claw and waggled it. "But you see, Master Edwin, the solution would still be in their favor. While you yourself have improved, so have they. For what once could pierce your shields has continued to sharpen its spearhead to strike through any good defense. A spear and shield, two weapons at war with each other to see which breaks who first. However, do you know what history has taught us over these last five hundred years?"

Edwin raised his brow. "Uh, what?"

"No great weapon has ever been constructed to fight nature's deadliest: a plague. You can't fight a plague with fists and swords. You can't evade a plague for it'll always catch up to you. You can only face it head on and endure or succumb to its grip. That is what I was created for. Unlike my dear siblings, manufactured for violence and destruction, I was created for the destruction of life. I am inevitable. I am nature's wrath. I am pestilence itself."

Pestilence raised her hands to the sky. "That is exactly why the Grim Ash trio doesn't stand a chance against me. They can try as hard as they wish, but they will soon know the inevitable once Phase 2 of my plan is set in motion. For now, they only struggle as they deal with Phase 1, as the people they protect succumb little by little to my plague." Pestilence narrowed her glowing eyes. "With the more bodies it infects, the larger and thicker the fog becomes. Soon, there will more plague than oxygen itself! Their auras couldn't possibly filter out all this plague! They will soon become infected themselves and fall victim like the rest!"

Edwin crossed his arms. "As cheery a thought that sounds, are you seriously expecting me to stand here for days until your fog does anything to them? For that matter, how long will we have to wait before it finally kills them?"

Pestilence covered her hidden mouth and chortled. "Hoohoohoo~. You're mistaken, Master Edwin. This fog isn't designed to kill, only infect."

Edwin glared. "Huh? You mean to tell me you can't even kill them? No offense, but even if they're a little weakened, I can guarantee they'll blister the land if Everfall happens to swing his sword too hard."

"I said this is only Phase 1. Phase 2 will begin quite shortly."

Edwin huffed. "There's no way any of those three are infected yet. Our army is going to get decimated if we advance like this. How exactly are we prepared to attack?"

"Hoohoohoohoo. It's true. If we were to advance like this, we would be completely annihilated. This army of enhanced puppets isn't enough to stop them." Pestilence raised her finger. "But…what if we forced them into a no-win situation where they're forced not to fight at full strength?"

Edwin narrowed his eyes, starting to feel worried. "I'm not following."

"My plague isn't lethal, and it'll disappear if I lose concentration. I'm not here to kill the Grim Ash Clan. I'm here to tear this world down to its most primal." Pestilence snapped her claws. "Bring him in!"

Edwin's eyes widened. "Wait, bring who in?"

Edwin turned around and saw one of the puppets advance forward. An Aggron puppet coated in shadow. It lumbered up to Pestilence, then straightened up. Edwin stepped back as its front torso split open like a cabinet, revealing the hollowed out cavity inside. Aside from the normal mechanisms and weaponry often incorporated into Reuben's horrid creations, something else sat inside: a cowering Toxicroak.

The poison frog fell out onto the blackened ground and struggled in his bindings. Edwin noticed he had green, bloodshot eyes and that his veins were showing all over his body in the same green color. He looked tired, but alert as he flailed in his imprisoned state.

Edwin bared his teeth. "What the hell is going on?"

"It's quite simple," Pestilence explained. "During our trek over here, when we set up camp for the night, I was considering how to perform Phase 2 efficiently. I wanted your input at the time, but you were asleep. But then, what a stroke of good luck, a small group of bandits happened upon us and attempted to rob us. They were swiftly dealt with, but I kept them alive. My prayers were answered. They will be the catalyst for my plan."

"What are you talking about?"

Pestilence picked the Toxicroak up by his jacket and held him up to Edwin. "Take a good, long look at this man, Master Edwin. He will be the star of our victory. You see, this infectious plague of mine has a unique property that reacts to the toxin in my claws. Count Aeternus may be my creator, but he's a fool to think simply killing the Grim Ash Clan will do us any good. No, I'll use what he gave me to raze this land and dip it into an unstoppable chaos."

Edwin felt his knees shaking. "What are you…?"

Pestilence chortled. "You will be spared, of course. I've taken a liking to you, and I'd hate for you to become infected. Just be sure to watch my back until Phase 2 snowballs into action. You'll see just why I'm superior to my boorish brethren."

Toxicroak screamed through his gag and kicked his feet at Pestilence. She laughed as she placed her claw up against his arm, sending shivers through him. She leaned forward and whispered, "Make me proud, Patient Zero."

She slashed across his arm. He let a horrified scream that made Edwin's blood curdle. Pestilence laughed maniacally as she watched the glowing green toxin seep through the wound. She handed him off to the Aggron puppet.

"Throw him as hard as you can. Make sure he's close to the village."

The puppet nodded, then wound its arm back. With the skill and power of a professional baseball pitcher, the puppet threw Toxicroak high through into the sky, arcing out of sight and vanishing as he plummeted toward the ground.

If Edwin weren't wearing a gas mask right now, his jaw would be hanging loose from shock. Pestilence knelt down and patted his shoulder. "It won't be long now. Once I feel some disturbance, we can proceed ahead."

"I-I…" Edwin mumbled.

"Have you ever rolled a snowball down a snowy hill, Master Edwin?" Pestilence asked, chuckling to herself. "What a better time than to watch that metaphor unfold."

Edwin didn't take his eyes off the horizon, trying in vain to find the thrown bandit. He gritted his teeth, suppressing the disturbed snarl rumbling in his throat. What the hell am I getting myself into?