Chapter XXX: Prelude

Once, Our Kaiser looked fatefully at the ceiling of the underground chamber we stood in. The concrete rumbled with the reverberation of steel ravens outside.

"We have journeyed so far, and they are still searching." I said wistfully. "How much longer may we run, I wonder? How much farther must we go?"

The chamber still shook, the roars of blades sounded all around, and now voices were shouting above them. Synthesised, as if spoken over a badge. They were close. My hopes even closer to shattering—until Our Kaiser stood up .

"I know of a way out," Our Kaiser said with determination. "The Gateway is nearby—I can feel it. Beyond it there are pokémon who can still be saved. The cycle can yet be broken."

Once again, I smiled: for my Son never lost hope as I once had, never lost that fire in his eyes that leaked onto his tail. A fire that could burn down a thousand steel ravens.

"Indeed, my child," I replied. "You are right. This world may be lost, but for theirs… perhaps there is still hope. Let us continue."

Our Kaiser's tail fire flared brightly, as did his smile. "Yes, father. Let us."

— Excerpt from the Teutonii holy scroll Namenloslieder (Songs of the Nameless)

Tromvik

He had been staring at that wooden door long enough to notice the tiny splinters coming out of its surface. It was quite simple in making, really; there wasn't even a handle or a knob. All one had to do was push.

Why, then, did his arms feel so heavy?

"Herr Flame?"

Flame stifled a gasp; he whirled around only to find a certain Braixen smiling timidly at him.

He allowed himself to relax. "Hey…"

"I can help, if you want." Her hands were clasped together, and her eyes darting up and down. "I don't know your friend well, b-but—I'll go in with you!"

Smiling sweetly, Flame shook his head. "I have to go alone. He… won't take kindly to you."

Brynn's ears fell. "O-oh…"

"Not because you're you—to any Teutonii." He looked downward. "You heard what kind of hell he's been through."

"Okay." Brynn stood straighter. "I'll wait for you."

Flame paused, and once again wondered to himself how someone he barely knew could be so caring. Was it because of his status, being the 'son' of their god-king?

That thought left a bitter taste in his mouth. He frowned; no, that couldn't be it. She was a selfless pokémon at heart! He had to hold onto that belief.

"There's no need." He shook his head. "I have to go in alone for this. But… thank you." He turned to walk in, but stopped with a small smirk. He did rather enjoy teasing her, after all… "Just don't go spying from a window, will you?"

While Brynn's face exploded in embarrassment, Flame finally worked up the final crumb of courage he needed.

He pushed the door open with a creak.

The room was veiled in penumbra; its only window had been obstructed with Gaius' own bag. The air itself felt heavy, stale and thick with the stench of sweat. Silence.

Warily, Flame stepped forward. Fiery light followed behind him. It flooded the walls and revealed a dusty room not too different from his: stone walls, austere wooden furniture, and two mattressed beds on opposite ends of the room. One empty and neatly made, while the other…

Flame's heart jumped a little.

Gaius lay on his back, unmoving, with a crumpled white sheet draped over his still body. So still that Flame felt compelled to check that he was still breathing. Was he? Yes—his chest was rising and falling softly under the sheets. Yet his once green scales now looked so pale! Just seeing him like this…

"Hey, Gaius," Flame said quietly.

No reaction. In the dancing orange glow of his tail fire, Flame found that Gaius' eyes looked dead—hollow, almost. They were trained up towards the ceiling.

Nevertheless, Flame stepped closer and mustered a tentative, if forced smile. "I hope you're feeling better. At least a little."

Nothing. And here Flame had expected Gaius to tell him off, to attack him, or at the very least to acknowledge his presence. He couldn't even do that.

WIth the tiniest sigh he could muster he reached the Grovyle's bedside, floorboard after creaky floorboard, and stood directly over him. This close, he could see the tension etched into his features. He could feel the pressure in the air, see the redness in Gaius' eyes, and… and somehow there was a tightness in Flame's chest.

Flame swallowed. Why was he clenching his fists?

"I… thought you might want some company." He bit his lip. "Okay, maybe not from me specifically, but…"

A wave of adrenaline hit him. Flame averted his gaze, struggling not to contort his face.

Visions flashed through his head: visions of Gaius leaving him to die in Portus. Visions of being laughed at—once, twice, thrice, countless times. Visions of that leaf blade being pressed against his throat. He remembered the pain of every cruel joke Gaius had made at his expense, every insult, back they'd first met.

Back then, he'd felt terrified of even being alone with Gaius when Alice was away. He'd always been too weak to fight back. Now, though…

Flame scowled. He ditched the careful wording he'd been trying to cobble in his head. There was no other way of saying this, and frankly, a part of him whispered that Gaius didn't deserve that kind of effort.

"Look, Gaius—I'll be honest," Flame spoke firmly. "I'm not doing this for you. You've treated me like utter garbage, and I'll never forgive you for that."

Though still refusing to meet him, Gaius' eyes grew more misty. Somehow, that look pained him a little.

"The only reason I'm here," Flame continued, "is to help you get justice for your parents. Because it's the right thing to do. So, tell me: what happened?"

"Just leave me alone," came a frail, hoarse whisper in reply.

Flame felt a little bit of apprehension at the sheer weakness of that voice. However, he didn't let it show. "I can't do that."

Gaius' face contorted. "… Are you trying to get revenge? I-is that why you brought me here?"

Flame's scowl deepened. "Gaius…"

"Why, then?" The Grovyle finally turned his bloodshot eyes to meet Flame's. "Why did you make me see him?"

There it was: that pang of guilt in his chest. Even his pent-up anger wasn't enough to suppress it. He averted his eyes from the Grovyle, but then forced himself to look again.

"I didn't know." Flame replied quietly. "How could I have known if you never told me?"

"Why did you think I hate your kind so much?" Gaius squinted his eyes at him. "Just out of propaganda? Please. I know they're monsters. I saw it."

The temptation to jump to the Teutonii's defence lingered in Flame's mind. But that pained, angry look on Gaius' face gave him pause.

There was something else, too though. Glancing around the room, he sniffed the air. Underneath the stale smell, underneath the hint of sweat, he could smell something pungent. Something…

His eyes widened. He reached forward and quickly tore the sheets off an incredulous Gaius, revealing a metal flask firmly in the Grovyle's good hand.

Flame's lip quivered at the sight; there was a sickly feeling in his stomach. "… Have you been drinking?"

"What the—what do you care?"

Growling, Flame ripped the flask from Gaius' claws.

"Hey!" Suddenly, the Grovyle shot up into a sitting position, his red eyes awash with anger. "The hell is wrong with you?! Give it back!"

Flame ignored him and weighed the flask. It was almost empty. I thought you'd changed. At least a little…

Flame snorted. "How long have you been killing yourself with this?" He let his tail swing slowly. " Since Aesernia? Since before I came along?"

"Give it back," Gaius growled and stared him in the eye.

Flame narrowed his eyes in return; he tossed the flask behind him, landing with an empty metallic plink.

"You godsdamn fucking—!" Gaius shouted and lifted his leaf blade menacingly—and Flame froze in place, but so had Gaius all of a sudden.

Slowly, the rage contorting Gaius' face faded. His raised leaf blade quivered. Eyes squeezed tight, Gaius grunted as a lone tear rolled down his cheek. The fight drained out of him. Then he slumped over all at once: his leaf blade, his shoulders, his very neck as he stared down into his lap with more tears in his once-again lifeless eyes.

A sob wracked the Grovyle. "... Why are you doing this? Why help me?"

"I told you. It's the right thing to do." Flame replied sternly. "And because…"

He hesitated. There was something else, but he didn't want to admit it. The mere thought made him grit his teeth. Surely he couldn't still be so weak. Was it weakness, even? It certainly felt that way.

Regardless, Flame let out a tiny sigh. "I'll be honest with you, Gaius. I think part of me was hoping this would feel like revenge. Sweet payback for the hell you put me through." He looked down. "But it doesn't. Friend or not, I… I can't stand to see you like this."

Gaius' eyes flashed with pain at that. More than Flame could process. "Just go," Gaius whispered. "I deserve it."

"No." Flame channelled his self-frustration into a glare. "Not until you tell me what happened. Not until I get justice for your parents."

"You can't."

"I'll be the judge of that."

"But you can't." Gaius clawed at his face with his good hand, hunched forward. "All of them murder, don't they? They're fuckin' savages. Why would they punish that monster for something they all do?"

Flame frowned. "Gaius…"

"The only reason I'm alive is because you're their chief's son, and, and they think I'm your friend!" Gaius began shaking. Still clawing at his face, he gasped for air. "Otherwise they'd burn me alive like they did Dad! Like Mum who dived in after him. And Irena…"

"Gaius!" Flame grabbed him by the good wrist. "Get a hold of yourself!"

"Don't touch me," Gaius hissed, tears streaming down his cheeks.

But Flame only squeezed Gaius' wrist harder. "I can't promise you justice—but I'll be damned if I don't try!"

For once, it was Gaius who looked away.

"Now, tell me. What. Happened. To your parents?" After a few seconds, seeing the tears on Gaius' face, Flame's stern glare softened; he bit his lip. "I-I realise it's the last thing you want to think of. But I have to know…"

Instead of saying anything, Gaius started chuckling. "What's there to say?"

"When did the attack happen?" Flame pressed. He wasn't sure if this was the right strategy, but…

Gaius looked too spent to resist. "Must have been ten years ago, now," he mumbled. "I was still a Treecko."

"And what happened on that day?"

"Look—" Gaius squeezed his eyes and grunted. "Just shut up. I'll talk."

Flame merely nodded. Noticing he was still standing over Gaius, he sat down next to him on the bed.

"That day," Gaius whispered, "those demons came to our village. Led by that fucking Hydreigon." That last word was dripping with venom. "My parents went to help the garrison, to buy Irene… my sister and I more time to run. They didn't make it far."

Flame's eyes were glued to the floor. A sister… so Gaius had a sister? He'd never mentioned her before.

Gaius audibly held back a sob, his eyes clenched shut. "I watched that monster lift Dad up and drop him into a burning house. I watched Mum dive in after him… and never come back. Irene just grabbed me and ran as fast as she could." The Grovyle clenched his good hand into a fist. "There. That's my sob story. Happy?"

No. Flame could hardly claim to be. Sitting there on Gaius' bed, he stared forward into oblivion, his stomach stewing with a concoction of pity, sorrow, and confusion.

Was that why you ended up a thief? Flame asked the void. Was that why you were always so bitter?

None of those stories excused the awful way Gaius treated him, but… it certainly explained a lot.

"I'm sorry," Flame looked. "I didn't know you'd gone through all that."

"Didn't ask for your pity," hissed Gaius, his eyes still red, still sitting in bed with his shoulders slumped.

The more time passed, though, the more Flame felt like something was amiss. The story wasn't sitting right with him. Gaius spoke of the Teutonii as amoral and blood-thirsty monsters, but then…

"Why?" the whisper escaped Flame's lips.

"Ask daddy." Gaius muttered lowly, eyes squinted. "I've got no fucking clue why. Our village wasn't even near the front lines! All we had was… th-the plantation where Mum and Dad worked. And a temple."

Plantation? Flame looked on with concern; from what Alice had told him, aristocratic plantations were always staffed with slaves… But this wasn't the time for that.

"That's not what I meant," Flame continued, biting his lip. "You said your parents were helping the garrison. Did all the adults in the village do the same?"

"Wha—" Gaius looked at him as if he'd gone insane. "No shit, what did you think they'd do? Lay down and let the Scum have their way?"

There it was: the answer that Flame had dreaded the most. All the adults in the village, civilian or legionary, had fought as one against the Teutonii raid. Only the children had tried to run. The elderly too, perhaps. Gaius himself had been close enough to the fighting to witness his parents' detailed deaths. And yet, here he was.

"Gaius…" Flame frowned, and stared into his eyes. "Why do you think the Hydreigon let you go?"

"... Wha?"

Flame bit his lip. "I said too much."

"The hell does that mean?" Gaius growled.

"Forget it." Flame shut his eyes. "I wasn't thinking clearly."

"… Tsk. Fine. Whatever," Gaius grumbled, yet kept staring into his eyes.

Regardless, Flame stood up from the bed and let his tail swing free. Head tilted up, he quickly ran their conversation through his head again.

"Okay…" Flame mumbled to himself. "I think I can work with that. Yeah, I can work with that." It wasn't what he'd hoped for. But it would have to do.

Turning towards the door, he paused and breathed deeply. One last loose end. "I'm contacting Daedalus in an hour to decide. We'll be in the next room."

He waited. No reply. Was Gaius not interested in having a say? Even when it came to his parents' killer? Somehow the thought made him both confused and angry. Wanting to be done and over with this conversation, he walked swiftly towards the door, and pushed it open…

"Y'know, you could have left 'well enough' alone."

Flame paused there, with the door still half-open. He turned his head back.

"We were on an adventure," Gaius whispered, still sitting on his bed, his shoulders still slumped forward. "We had a dream to keep us going. I felt… part of something. How could you throw it all away?"

Flame resisted the temptation to sigh. "We'd been dreaming long enough. Winter was coming, and you wouldn't have survived it." He kept his steadfast expression. "I saved your life, Gaius—you know that."

Gaius glared down into his sheets. "Did you drag me here just to brag about that?"

"I never said you couldn't leave."

Gaius growled. "Oh, you bet your ass I'm leaving this… this hell hole!"

Flame's stomach sank. He squeezed his eyes shut. "Okay."

"You said a week. And in a week, I'll be gone, you hear me?"

"... Okay."

"B-but even if we both left," Gaius blurted out quickly, "Alice and I… you'd stay here. Wouldn't you?"

"Yes." Flame replied without needing to think.

"You don't even care, do you?" Gaius whispered down to the sheets. "All this time. All the bleeding and suffering and going hungry together… it meant nothing to you."

He did care. To a fault, perhaps, but he nevertheless felt the faintest of bonds of camaraderie tying him to the Grovyle. None of that changed his answer.

"I'm tired of running away."

Gaius hung his head further. His misty eyes glazed over. "A-and if, say, both of you stayed… what the hell will be left for me out there?"

Fighting back a frown, Flame made to leave. "I don't know, Gaius. That's for you to figure out."

An hour had come and gone, yet Gaius was nowhere to be seen.

Whether he was still too traumatised to see any Teutonii, or was convinced that no punishment would come, Flame couldn't know. Perhaps both of those things. Regardless, it was too late now.

"Thank you for talking to him, Flame. I can only imagine how difficult it must have been for you."

Even though Daedalus couldn't see it, Flame found himself smiling sadly. "He's always been difficult."

A pregnant pause followed. Sitting at the wooden table where he'd eaten lunch hours before, Flame swayed his tail nervously, and clutched the badge in his hand tighter.

His eyes remained glued to the badge. He had to remind himself to breathe. Was Daedalus still processing all the information he'd given him? He couldn't bear the wait.

"… Daedalus?" Flame whispered.

"Yes, my child?"

He looked down. "There will be no punishment, will there?"

There was only a couple seconds' pause. "Based on the account you just gave me… no."

Flame's heart skipped a beat. "O-oh."

He was surprised at his own lack of a reaction. Was it because he'd already known…?

"I'm truly sorry." Daedalus whispered sweetly. "I know you wanted to do right by your friend."

"No." He swallowed. "I understand. It would be one thing if our warriors attacked civilians. But if those same civilians already think we'll kill them, and they fight us to the death…"

"Precisely. That is… a reality of war."

Of course, one could argue that it was the Teutonii who'd set out to capture the village—but what were they to do? If Daedalus was right, the Presence was a world-ending threat. The Teutonii army had to keep advancing.

A sigh escaped Flame's lips. Then, without quite thinking, he leaned back in his chair, feeling his tail fire dim.

"Is it wrong," he whispered, "that I almost wish Hydreigon had murdered them in cold blood?"

"Things would be simpler, would they not?" Daedalus' voice sounded sympathetic, much to Flame's relief. "But war is rarely that simple. No matter how much we wish otherwise."

Flame nodded vaguely. "Still…" He gritted his teeth, squeezing the badge in his claws. "Why does this feel wrong, then? Maybe it wasn't a crime in this case, but... there has to be a reason if all those civilians are so afraid of us. It can't all be propaganda."

Though he couldn't see him through the badge, Flame could imagine Daedalus hanging his head in thought.

"This conflict has been raging for twenty years, Flame. Twenty long years of violence, of mutual hatred. Twenty years of propaganda," Daedalus began solemnly. "Some atrocity or another is bound to have happened—but the Empire makes us out to be blood-thirsty devils. They flood their subjects with so much terror of what we'll do, that many choose to fight to the death rather than capitulating. Your friend's parents were no different."

Of course. He recalled the way everyone spoke of the 'Scum' back in Aesernia: not even as barbarians, but as bloodthirsty devils, for whom killing and torturing were the entirety of their culture. It was unthinkable to consider them otherwise. Most pokémon had either never seen a Teutonii, or had only done so in battle; how could they ever learn the truth?

The indoctrination had reached the point that even Alice, a rational and inquisitive mind, struggled to escape that mindset.

Yes, it made sense. It all made too much sense. And Flame couldn't stand it.

"We shouldn't even be fighting the Empire." He narrowed his eyes, squeezing the badge in his palm tight. "They're innocent in all this. They're not even our real enemies!"

"Indeed. But alas, our true enemy hides on those islands beyond the southern sea. There lies the Gateway that we must close. The same one we entered this world through." Daedalus spoke solemnly, if bitterly. "And… at the moment, we have neither the forces nor the means to reach their islands. Fighting their puppets is the only option that remains. Fight… until we reach the southern coast."

So that was the Teutonii's grand strategic objective; finally, Flame understood. From the southern coast they could mount an invasion; swarm the islands with ships, perhaps teleport small strike teams on it.

But how many tens of thousands of innocent Imperials would have to die to get there? How many thousands of their own depleted warriors?

There has to be a better way. Flame glared at nothing in particular. A way to make peace with the Empire. To help them understand…

He wanted to growl in frustration. If only he still had his memories! Perhaps there was something useful in there, some tidbit of information about the Presence that could make all the difference.

At the very least, the knowledge that they would all come back with time comforted him.

Brynn. Flame made a small, determined smile. I'm going to ask her to start my memory therapy tonight. If we can find something useful in time…

Perhaps there can be another way.

"Forgive me, child," Daedalus spoke up, "I must return to my duties now. I have a war council to assemble."

"O-oh!" Flame's eyes widened. "Right."

It touched him deeply that Daedalus was still so readily willing to find even ten minutes to talk to him—despite being at the front lines.

"Thank you. For… speaking to me." He smiled down at the badge sadly. "I guess the only thing left to do is to tell him."

"I can do it for you tonight." Daedalus added softly. "You have gone through enough stress as it is."

"No." Flame shut his eyes. "I brought him here. My choice. My responsibility."

"… Very well," Daedalus said, and though he ended the transmission, Flame could have sworn he'd heard a hint of pride in those words.

So Gaius was going to leave.

Of course, Gaius himself had already told him as much—but that had been in the heat of emotion, with the Hydreigon's fate still in question. He very well could have changed his mind later.

But then Flame had informed him of said fate. He'd gone into Gaius' room again. And the hollow look in his eyes…

"Herr Flame?"

He jolted back into reality with a tiny gasp, blinking. He was sitting on the floor. Brynn was sitting just in front of him with an uneasy smile. They were both in his room.

"Two." She showed him the two glass marbles in her hand. "I-it's your turn, now. If you still want to play."

"Oh. Right." Flame glanced down.

Between the two of them was a spattering of small glass marbles delineated by a string circle. He could feel the smooth texture of his shooter marble in his palm. Each of the marbles on the floor glimmered in the orange of his tail fire.

"Sorry. It's just so odd to think," Flame muttered softly, "that in a week, he'll be gone."

"But… isn't it a good thing?" Brynn asked with drooping ears. "You said he was cruel to you. What kind of friend does that?!"

Flame stayed quiet for a few moments. Suddenly he wasn't so interested in playing anymore. The air felt cool on his scales as it blew through the paneless windows.

"Gaius wasn't a friend." He steeled his face. "I deluded myself that he was, near the end, when he respected me more—but the more I think about it…" His lip quivered. "He never even said 'sorry'."

"I don't understand. Why are you sad, then?"

"It's not that simple, Brynn. Friend or not, he's been around me for… my whole life, as far as I remember." He chuckled bitterly at that. "Every single day. For two months."

"Oh…"

"It doesn't even feel right to let him go in this state!" Flame said just as another chilly gust of wind blew into the room, onto his scales. "Winter is almost here, and he's traumatised; barely even looked conscious when I went in… How far would he really make it out there?"

Brynn shot a hand up to cover a gasp. "You'd force him to stay?!"

Flame considered the idea for a moment—but quickly grimaced, and shook his head. "I promised I'd let him leave." He shut his eyes. "Besides, what good would that do?"

Gaius' trauma wasn't going anywhere. The Teutonii who'd caused it weren't going anywhere. Staying here would only remind him of his parents more, prolong his suffering.

Brynn was quiet for a few seconds. "You've already done more than he deserves. Th-that's what I think."

"Deserve?" Flame scowled, throwing a glance her way. "That sounds a bit… cruel. Especially from you."

"I-I didn't mean it like that!" Brynn fidgeted uncomfortably. "Okay, it's true—I still see him as an enemy a little bit. But it's more… you've already saved his life at the ambush, right? You brought him here when you didn't have to. And you're trying to get justice for his parents. What has he ever done for you?"

Flame cracked a tiny smile. In that moment, those words from Daedalus echoed in his head: that warning that he was putting the happiness of other pokémon before his own.

Maybe you're right, he told his mental image of Daedalus. I already have enough headaches of my own: my past, the Praetorian Guard chasing me, this entire war… why shoulder Gaius' headaches, too?

Remembering that he still held onto his shooter marble, he glanced down at the string circle. At the scattering of marbles within.

He squinted. If he hit that marble first… and aimed for the one behind it…

Without warning, Flame leaned forward and knuckled down; then, he flicked his shooter. When all was said and done, he'd knocked half the remaining marbles outside of the string circle.

"Seven," he declared with a small grin.

"What?!" Brynn gawked at him, shoulders slumping. "B-but how? You don't even know your own strategy!"

Flame shrugged, and glanced away with a sheepish smile. "I don't know. Something something… superior dragon genetics. Muscle memory."

In reality, he himself wasn't sure. Just how much had he and Daedalus played before coming to this world?

Flame shook those thoughts from his head. Not the time.

There was something more important on his mind. Something only Brynn could help him with.

"You know," he said softly, "I'm not really in the mood for marbles anymore."

"But… but…" Brynn frowned—until she glanced down to compare her marble pile with Flame's much larger one. "I-I guess we can stop."

Fighting back a grin, Flame gazed confidently into Brynn's eyes. "I'd really like to start my memory therapy. As soon as possible." He gazed out of the window, at the darkening sky outside. "If this war we're fighting is so important, I have to do something to help."

Brynn's mouth morphed into a small 'o'. "Yes! Yes, yes, of course!" Still sitting, she quickly scurried up to him and knocked marbles away in the process. "We can do it right now. D-do you want to start right now? I really really don't mind, I've been waiting for you to ask!"

Faced with such enthusiasm, Flame couldn't help but laugh. "Thank you, Brynn. Really."

"Yay!" Brynn sat upon her calves, her bushy tail wagging behind her—before glancing away. "P-please don't get angry at me if I see anything, um, private. Okay, Herr Flame? I can't really avoid it and, and—"

"Brynn." He said sternly. "Relax. I know that."

Brynn nodded hesitantly, and Flame couldn't help but feel uneasy. Was she… intimidated by him?

"Besides," he chuckled to calm her, "better you than Alice. Things are already complicated enough between us right now."

Although… if it's something major, I'll have to tell her eventually, Flame mused to himself. She made a promise to be honest, and I should be too. No more hiding.

"… Oh?" Brynn's eyes grew a little. "I-in what sense?"

"She hasn't been completely honest with me thus far." He rubbed the back of his neck, fire-tipped tail swinging behind him. "But we're trying to change that! I know she's a sweet, genuine pokémon at heart, so don't take that to mean you can't trust her. Okay?"

After a moment of apprehension, Brynn looked relieved, and nodded. "Come on—let's start now, Herr Flame!"

Flame nodded, and breathed in to relax his muscles.

Brynn's forehead slowly approached his. "Close your eyes and—"

It was at that point that the door to his room creaked.

"… May I?" came the muffled question.

That voice…

"Alice?" Flame gasped.

But by then it was too late; Alice was already peeking through the barely-open door, her sky-blue scales contrasting with the gray stone walls and wooden floor.

"Hello, Flame. I… hope I'm not being a bother." She said quietly, a guilty look on her face. She opened the door a little wider. "Gaius wants to be left alone, and I don't quite know where to sta—" Her face tensed upon locking eyes with the extraneous Braixen next to him. "Ah! G-g-greetings."

Flame tensed, too; his eyes darted between Alice and an equally tense Brynn.

"H-hey, Al!" He smiled sheepishly. 'Al'? Since when did he call her 'Al'?! "We were just, uh, playing…"

Shit. Shit. Why hadn't he planned for this? Alice was understandably still nervous around the Teutonii, and from how Brynn still spoke of the Imperials...

Pushed by a new sense of urgency, Flame cleared his throat and glanced over to his side. "A-anyway, this is Brynn. Brynn… this is Alice. She's my friend I told you so much about—remember?"

That remark seemed to alleviate Brynn's glare—if only slightly. Her tail was still as stiff as a log.

Alice, for her part, stood unsure a while longer before hesitantly slithering closer. She swept some marbles away with her tail, then settled on the floor—by Flame's side, yet still far from Brynn.

"My apologies," Alice added after an interval of silence. "It's… my first time talking to one of your people."

Brynn merely nodded in agreement.

Alice seemed confused by that. "Can you understand me?"

"Yes," came the Braixen's quiet reply—thankfully she was broadcasting to him, too.

"Oh!" Alice pulled back for a moment, as if taken aback by something—but then seemed to hesitate. "W-well, that's quite the relief." She smiled curtly. "On my approach, a-all I could hear was Flame talking to himself. I feared he'd lost it completely!"

"Wh-what?" Heat flooded into Flame's cheeks. "It sounds like that?"

"It sure does," Alice lifted her tail to mask her snickering.

Even Brynn's glare weakened; the Braixen visibly held back a smile. After a moment, she relented and joined Alice in laughter.

Flame looked away and felt his tail fire sputter, but nevertheless felt the weight easing off his shoulders a little. Even if at his expense, it was a relief to hear them laughing together. That's a good sign—right?

"Believe me," Alice smiled candidly, "it would hardly be your first sign of psychosis. Need I remind you of that time a week ago, when you, oh… jumped off that bridge?"

Laughing nervously, he crossed his arms together. "A-and who was it that followed me down?"

"… Touché."

"Tsk. I'd argue that makes you crazier than me. I-it's literally that old proverb! The one about jumping off a bridge if someone else told you to!"

Alice quirked her brow. "Flame—are we truly arguing over who's the least stable between us?"

Flame blinked, then laughed at the realisation. Gods, he'd missed being able to speak to her so casually. He could tell Alice had too from the dumb grin he'd left on her face. Yet, there were still traces of lingering unease. They had yet to fully forgive each other, and that was fine. .

He adjusted his expression accordingly, clearing his throat adopting a more somber look. "You said something about Gaius?"

Alice averted her gaze. "He's… in the midst of another emotional breakdown." She settled down on her coils. "To be perfectly frank, I can barely tolerate being in that room. The sheer pressure in the air… i-it's too much. I'm feeling lost enough as it is."

"Stay with us, then." He whispered sweetly. Then bit his lip. "Oh—r-right. Are you not comfortable around Brynn?"

Alice looked tense for a second. "No, 'tis quite alright. I simply… need to get accustomed to it. Um—are you comfortable, miss Brynn?"

When Flame turned to glance at the Braixen in question, he found her much closer to him than before—almost using his body to hide from Alice's view.

Brynn merely nodded in reply.

Flame wanted to ask if she was all right, but decided against it. Alice looked like she was trying to find a topic of conversation. Better to let the two make proper first contact.

"So…" Alice began. "I believe it was you at the harbour earlier, correct?"

Brynn looked down; her ears drooped. "Yeah. S-sorry for listening in."

"No matter," Alice replied with a kind, if tentative smile. "I understand that Gaius and I must be… quite the unusual sight."

Brynn nodded wordlessly. "N-not the only one."

The Braixen then tried to steal a glance at him, with such coyness that almost made Flame feel bad for teasing her so often. Almost.

"I wanted to thank you," Alice continued. "For helping him recover his memories."

Flame blushed a little at that. He wasn't sure why.

"... How do you know that?" Brynn blinked. She turned to him.

Flame shrugged, a bit sheepishly. "I told her about you."

Brynn covered up a tiny gasp. "Y-you did?!"

"Braixen aren't exactly known to be the most powerful psychics," Alice continued. "To be able to help him when you're not even fully evolved… Your psionic powers must be amazing!"

But Brynn seemed too flustered to hear her. "Wow. I didn't think you'd…" She fiddled with her digits. "Er, I meant—Herr Flame and his father mean a lot to our people. It's the least I can do for him."

"I see." Alice glanced at him. "Because Flame really needed that extra boost to his ego."

Flame chuckled reflexively, averting his gaze as blood rushed to his cheeks.

Next, she studied Brynn intently. "On the topic of your powers. I apologise for the intrusion—I realise we've only just met, but…" Her voice betrayed excitement. "You're a Heartspeak user, are you not?"

"... Heartspeak?" Flame blinked.

Brynn, on the other hand, suddenly looked uncomfortable.

"Yes, you must be. How else could I be understanding you?" Alice turned to Flame, her eyes utterly gleaming. "'Tis an exceedingly rare psionic ability. Similar to telepathy, but transmitting emotions instead of worded thoughts. It can actually cross the language barrier!"

It wasn't until now that Flame realised how much he'd missed her 'encyclopaedia mode' rants.

"H-how do you know of Soulspeak?" Brynn tried to steel her face. "Only Lord Daedalus knows."

Alice rose a little, tail tip resting on her chest. "Well—not to be immodest, but I am rather well educated."

Flame made a point to roll his eyes theatrically, all the while still smiling.

"For centuries, Heartspeak has near single-handedly allowed diplomatic relations with the Far Eastern Kingdoms and steppe nomads. Without it, think of the myriad of languages and dialects we'd need to train envoys in!"

Flame blinked. But if that was the case… "How come no one thought of using it with the Teutonii?"

The glee in Alice's eye dimmed somewhat all of a sudden. She frowned, averting her gaze from his. "I suppose nobody thought of the invaders as a party that could be negotiated with."

Of course not, Flame thought with distaste. It was the same reason why all the adults in Gaius' home village had joined the garrison. Why no one back then had even thought of an alternative, of what might happen if they simply surrendered.

"Y-you're wrong."

That caught both Flame's and Alice's attention.

"Our people have tried negotiating for so many years!" Brynn whimpered, "Every time, your soldiers break the truce we just made and ambush us."

"So you're saying…" Alice tilted her head. "But that doesn't make sense. If your people had attempted diplomatic contact—surely the national papers would be awash with the news! That would be unheard of!"

The look that flashed on Brynn's face read pain. She hugged her knees tightly. "Most of my comrades with Soulspeak have… j-joined their ancestors." She looked down. "It's thanks to Lord Daedalus that I'm even alive."

"I don't understand," Alice lowered her head wings in thought. "Everybody in the Empire is tired of the war—even the Emperor. So many lives have been lost, provinces overrun… Wh-why would the Imperial Army suppress such monumental news?"

Flame's eyes narrowed in concentration. "Probably because their real masters ordered them to." He met Alice's confused look. "The Presence. Those the Emperor calls 'Benefactors'."

Brynn nodded in support. "They already destroyed our people's homeland. And, and now they're trying to enslave all the pokémon in this world!"

Alice looked as if she'd seen a ghost. "… It was them that caused the Teutonii's migration?" She breathed shakily. "N-not portal storms, or, or climate shifts? All those leading theories…"

Flame shook his head. "Almost half of their original numbers were wiped out in the Wasteland. That's what Daedalus told me."

Alice did not reply. She merely sat there, absent, her eyes wide agape.

"I… see, " she muttered after a little while, blinking. "Forgive me. This is all still rather overwhelming. Why…? Why would the Benefactors try to wipe you out?"

"Because we are the only ones left who can stop them."

Flame's heart jumped with joy. There, in the open doorway, floated a Dusknoir whose smile alone made his tail fire swell.

"Daedalus!" Flame stood up, before gasping as Daedalus lifted him into the air.

"My child…" Daedalus gazed down at him in his arms. "I can't begin to describe how happy I am to see you enjoying normalcy." He said sweetly. "Playing marbles, talking to your friends…"

"H-hey!" Flame squirmed in his arms, his sheepish smile feeling like it might melt off at any moment. "I told you, n-not in front of the others!"

Daedalus put him down, laughing all the while. "Of course, of course. How are you settling in?"

Flame breathed deeply, trying to find the right words. His first day had been confusing. He felt safe for the first time… ever. He didn't have to plan his days around finding food. He had an actual bed—a house. The town itself was fascinating. As if that weren't enough, everybody in it worshipped him! Why? What had he done for them?

"It's been… strange." He looked up into his eyes with a smile. "Beautiful, but strange. There's so many questions I need to ask you…"

Daedalus nodded. "It's only natural that you do." He looked down suddenly. "I won't hide that I can't always be there. I have a people to lead and a war to wage. But rest assured—I plan to spend every moment of my free time by your side."

Flame nodded, feeling significantly more fuzzy inside. "Thank you."

Next, Daedalus turned to Brynn, who had actually stood up and was still bowing her head with squeezed eyes.

"Hello, Comrade Brynn." Daedalus smiled. "Please, stay seated."

Her eyes flew open; she threw herself back down. "Y-yes, Lord Daedalus!"

"Thank you for helping Flame integrate into our people in these trying times. And for helping him to recover his memories. Though it may not be obvious, your contribution to our cause is… invaluable."

Brynn wagged her tail so hard that Flame thought it might dent the floor. Her eyes were sparkling with joy.

Finally, Daedalus' single red eye turned to the last pokémon in the room: Alice. The moment their eyes met, Flame could have sworn she'd cowered a little.

Daedalus nodded. "Greetings, miss Alice. I don't believe I've properly introduced myself."

"G-Greetings." She nodded back curtly. "'Tis… quite alright. We met in difficult circumstances."

"Indeed." Daedalus made a curious smile. "Flame was rather adamant that we rescue you and your Grovyle friend, too, despite my own misgivings. You must share quite a bond with him."

"O-oh." Alice muttered in reply. "I see."

She was scared. Flame couldn't exactly blame her: he recalled the things she'd confessed to him just yesterday. The possibility of her imperial past coming out. The sheer terror of being used as a political tool for marriage.

He wouldn't let that happen. Besides, he trusted Daedalus completely.

"I can see you are uneasy."

Alice was breathing rapidly, her face tensed as though holding back a flurry of emotions. "Th-then I'm sure you understand why."

Flame couldn't stand to see her like this. Unsure what to do, he scooted closer to her and sent her the most encouraging smile he could muster.

To his joy, she seemed to smile back in appreciation—if still tensely.

"I realise it must be confusing, living among those who you've only known as enemies." Daedalus spoke reassuringly. "For what it's worth, know that I have no prejudice towards Imperial-born. You are welcome to stay here—if you so choose."

"I haven't quite decided yet," Alice said.

Flame swallowed, breathing in sharply. It was only fair. Only fair.

"But if I am to live here, even in the short term… then I deserve to know."

To Flame's utter surprise, Alice rose from her coils; despite residual shaking, she raised her determined eyes to meet the Dusknoir's. And to think she called herself a coward!

"I want you to tell me everything," Alice said sternly. "The truth behind this war, b-behind the slaughters. This 'Presence'. Where you and Flame originate from. Everything." She paused to recoup her ragged breathing. "Too many have died. I deserve to know."

The only sound in the room was Brynn suppressing a gasp. Daedalus, meanwhile, simply floated there with his hands clasped together behind his back. Thinking.

Scooting right up against Alice, Flame slipped a hand on her middle. Her shaking eased a little, and she glanced at him with an appreciative smile.

"She's right." Flame looked into Daedalus' eye. "There's a lot I don't understand, either. I think we would all benefit from… knowing what's going on. To help us settle in."

At first, silence. Then, Daedalus met their eyes one after the other. "Very well. I suppose it is only fair."

Brynn's face brightened. "I'll get to hear the stories from Lord Daedalus himself?!"

Alice drew a sharp breath. Her head wings flaring up in surprise. "Th-thank you," she said, then remembered to nod courtly. "I… I've spent the better part of my life thinking about this war. About how little sense it made." She looked down and squinted at nothing in particular. "Knowing I'm so close to the answer… I have to know."

"I respect your drive." Daedalus replied simply. "Why, I can tell you are rather well-educated."

Alice's eyes filled with dread at that. She grew rigid. It was subtle, for she must have been fighting to suppress it, but Flame noticed it right away and squeezed her scales to calm her.

He won't find out, he wanted to tell her. I'll make sure of that.

"I—" Alice cleared her throat, trying to recompose herself. "Yes. Thank you. I shall try to keep an open mind about your people. B-but I won't hide that it will be difficult to let go of my prejudices."

"On the contrary." Daedalus smiled. He set his eyes on Brynn, then on Alice again. "For the first time, I see a Teutonii and an Imperial citizen sitting peacefully in the same room. Perhaps… there is still hope."

"Yes," Alice whispered. "Perhaps…"

Brynn nodded enthusiastically at that.

Flame smiled too, his gaze drifting up towards the wooden ceiling. Yes, enough with this stupid war. They had to find a way to make peace.

If no one else, he would find a way.

"If I may, I would like to begin now." Alice rose from her coils, trying—and failing—to appear taller. Fear flashed on her face. "Tens of thousands have died. Innocents, on… b-both sides, I'd imagine. Entire provinces have been devastated. Why? To what end?" She glanced at Brynn, face scrunched up. "Is it… to avenge what the Benefactors did to her people? Is that why this war is still going on?"

It was a fair question, all things considered; a part of Flame was surprised she had worded it so civilly.

"I do not seek revenge from the Empire, or those who live in it. You are victims of the Presence just as much as the exiles." Daedalus paused, a grave look on his face. "The only reason this war rages on… is because the Presence themselves wish it to."

"I beg your pardon?" Alice blinked. "But—the Benefactors protect the Crown! Their celestial bombardment has snuffed out peasant rebellions and pretenders alike. Why, the Eastern Satrapy's armies met the same fate a scarce fifty years ago, when they invaded our border provinces! T-true, the Benefactors haven't intervened in this current war, but… but…"

"Precisely," Daedalus smirked. "Why, if these 'Benefactors' are so benevolent and powerful, do they allow this war to rage on? For twenty years, no less."

Alice flared her head wings in surprise, then glanced away in thought. "I… I don't know. Nobody does."

"The unfortunate truth is that this war benefits the Presence greatly. By withholding help, they have effectively ensured your Emperor's servitude in their grand scheme."

Flame gawked. So… they could wipe us Teutonii out if they truly wanted to. A shiver ran down his spine, through his tail flame. The only reason they haven't is to apply pressure on their subject—and, if I had to guess, because they can't be sure which village I'm in.

Brynn, meanwhile, was wagging her tail like a giddy child listening to her favourite bedtime story.

Seeing how Alice was still busy absorbing all that new information, Flame decided to continue.

"Daedalus." He looked up to him, unable to help a tiny smile. "Back when we first spoke properly, you told me that they seek to enslave all pokémonkind. That's their grand scheme, right?"

"Indeed. They wish to become the undisputed masters of this world—to bring every free pokémon under their heel. However, even that is not the most pressing reason why our people fight them."

"Eh?" Flame blinked, scowling. "Wh-what could possibly be more pressing?"

"Their plans of conquest would take decades more to come to fruition. If we had such time, perhaps we could have found another way." Daedalus paused again. "However, in their pursuit of ultimate power, the Presence has upset this world's very fabric of spacetime."

"Th-the portal storms?" Alice recoiled, gasping. "The mystery dungeons? You're claiming they are to blame? Th-there were those who accused your people of controlling them—but, but I could never quite believe it!"

"Approximately two hundred and forty-five years ago, the Presence tore a rift into the fabric that separates our world from theirs."

Flame stiffened. The Gateway.

"It is the same Gateway that they use to travel between the two worlds. The same that Flame and I used to arrive here." Daedalus looked at them each in turn, his bright red eye captivating Flame's attention. "But the Gateway is like a cancer. So long as it is held open, the fabric of spacetime in this world will continue to unravel. Portal storms will continue to grow greater in intensity and numbers, as will the mystery dungeons left in their wake. Is that not already happening?"

Alice's face darkened. She looked away, shrinking into her coils. "Portal storms used to be a once-in-a-decade event. Now, they're…" She shivered. "… Weekly…"

Once in a decade? To think that Flame could only remember three months of his life, and he had already seen two portal storms with his own eyes. He remembered the devastation that first storm had wrought to the forest. He remembered how the second storm had been even more powerful, ripping an entire valley apart. And they would only grow stronger in power…

The thought scared him.

"Soon, the fabric of space-time may become so irreparably damaged that the only thing left… will be a single, planet-encompassing mystery dungeon."

Daedalus turned to a nigh-terrified Alice. "That is why our people fight. It is not out of hatred toward the Empire, or revenge—it is because we must spare the pokémon of this world from such an apocalypse." He floated closer to the window, and gazed out of it. "We must reach the Empire's Southern coast. We must reach those islands. We must close the Gateway, and ensure that it can never be opened again."

"Eh? Hold on!" Alice rose from her coils, "That doesn't make a lick of sense! Wh-why risk destroying the world they are trying to enslave?! Those two outcomes are mutually incompatible!"

"Even I am not fully certain." Daedalus admitted. "It is likely that the Presence knows the damage they are causing, but have reason to believe that their plan will succeed soon."

"And…" Flame held his breath. "Is that where I come in?"

"Indeed. The Ascension Programme."

Flame felt his eyes widen. "That's…"

"The first word you spoke when we found you," finished Alice.

"The first word, you say?" Daedalus' eye flashed with interest.

Silence engulfed the room. Flame and Alice locked gazes, silently trying to decipher what this all meant.

"Daedalus," he spoke. "Help me understand. How exactly do I fit into their—"

There was panicked shouting coming from outside the window. Flame stopped, and felt his heart leap when he recognised the words.

"Herr Flaaame! Herr Daedalus!"

The alarm in that voice… Flame rushed to the windowsill. Daedalus followed, looming just behind him.

Below, barely visible in the evening darkness, stood a panting Manectric who stared up at Flame as if he were an apparition.

"D-danke der Himmel," she muttered, then stood to attention. "Beeil dich, es passiert eine Katastrophe!"

Flame blinked; he looked to Daedalus, whose single eye was narrowed, and then to Brynn, who looked utterly terrified.

"We must go, quickly." Daedalus declared. "It would seem your Grovyle friend has taken matters into his own hands."

Flame and Alice once again locked eyes. This time, in alarm.

"Please don't tell me it's what I think it is," Flame whispered.

"I'm afraid so. He has found Comrade Hydreigon."

End of Chapter XXX