Chapter 17
Lumbering Golurks and Golems
Gathering the students from their first trip to Abyss had been relatively simple. N knew the students well enough that he knew of the places they frequented after classes were done for the day. The one person that had been difficult to find was Linhardt. Caspar had told N he disappeared shortly after class and N could not find him at his usual napping spots.
He was about to give up when Edelgard found him by the Knights Training Hall. She told him Linhardt was already in Abyss and that he was in their library. N sighed in both relief and annoyance, how he managed both was a mystery to him.
The two walked back to the entrance to Abyss in an awkward silence. Whenever N tried to glance in her direction, he would immediately turn away when she turned to meet his gaze. Whenever he would try to speak, the words would not leave his mouth. N wanted to be able to speak normally with her again, but something stopped him. He let out a resigned sigh and put his hands in his pockets.
Edelgard turned to him and saw the look in his eyes; he looked sad. She knew why. Ever since their conversation and him giving her the stone, she had trouble seeing him as anything besides her professor. She did not want their relationship to be anything more then professional. However, she did enjoy their moonlit conversation and she missed them. She would go out sometimes and try to 'coincidently' meet up with him, but he would never appear.
Now there was that girl from Abyss, Hapi. They way the two talked and how casual they were around each other made feel something she did not know she could feel: jealousy. She knew there was likely nothing really there, but seeing him smile so happily around her like he did beneath the moon made her feeling grow. She wanted to see him smile like that again around her, not anyone else.
She knew what the feeling she felt for him was, but she tried everything she could to deny it. There was something about N that made her feel warm. He fit in her life in a way she would have never anticipated. She missed the first conversation they had beneath the moon and how sympathetic he was towards her. There was a chance he could agree to her ideals. A chance that her mentor did not believe was there, but she wanted to take it anyway.
"By the way, N. There's something I wanted to talk with you about," Edelgard said, not facing him.
N turned to her and nodded.
Edelgard took in a breath and released it in order to steel her nerves. She brought a hand towards her chest. "There's something I want to show you."
N took his hands out of his pockets and straightened his posture. "Okay. What is it?"
Edelgard unbuttoned the collar of her uniform jacket. N's face began to heat up and he winced. He wanted to turn away, but that felt rude for some reason.
There's no way it's what I think it is. Wait a minute? What do I think it is? N thought.
Edelgard then pulled on her undershirt's collar and N got a glimpse of a leather cord. The heat from his face disappeared and straightened himself again. From underneath her shirt Edelgard pulled out the moon stone he had tied to the leather cord. His gift to her that night.
N felt embarrassed and put a hand behind his head. "So you kept it. You left running so I thought you might've thrown it away."
Edelgard smiled and shook her head. "I wouldn't. You went through the trouble of giving it to me so I wouldn't."
"Then why did you run?" N asked.
Edelgard met his gaze. She could she the confusion in his eyes. She could see that he had thought he had hurt her in some way. She closed her hand over the stone and brought it closer to her chest.
"Because I did not know how to feel in that moment. Very few have given me a gift out of kindness. Seeing such genuine kindness was not something I was expecting," Edelgard explained.
"I understand. I'm glad I didn't hurt your feelings or anything like that," N said with a relieved expression.
Edelgard smiled. "I know I'm very late, but thank you for the gift. I always have it on."
N felt his cheeks heat up as he put a hand behind his neck. "I'm glad. So can we go back to how we talked before. I miss out conversations beneath the moon."
Edelgard put the necklace back underneath her shirt and buttoned her uniform jacket. "I would like that. I missed our conversations as well."
N smiled and Edelgard fought the heat the was forming. How she missed that smile.
"We should get going. We've been gone awhile," N said.
"Oh, you're right. We shouldn't keep the others waiting."
—-
Aelfric paced back and forth in the Ashen Absol classroom. He made sure it looked like he was looking between bookshelves by stopping to look at them for a moment should anyone pass by. As those from the surface began to enter Abyss in order to provide assistance to his flock.
However, all he could think about was how well everything was going so far. While a bit too many people from the surface arrived to help, the people he wanted to descend did. Now he had all the pieces he needed. With their curiosity peaked as to why Abyss was targeted by so many bandits, now he could have them find the artifact. He had to thank Zinzolin for helping while making sure to get rid of him afterwards.
Soon you will return to this world, to me. Everything will be right again, Aelfric thought as a smile came to his face. Should things fail for any reason, there is still my other project.
He glanced towards a bookcase at the far side of the room. He made sure no one was looking and walked towards it. He grabbed a thin book. It had a weathered cover and yellowed pages, so he was careful as he opened it to the page he needed. The title of the chapter was a single word: Mew.
He snapped the book closed as he heard a collection of voices coming form the hallway. He let his kind smile come to his face as he called over Reuniclus. Now to point them in the right direction.
—-
The group for the surface and Abyss entered the Ashen Absol classroom where Aelfric was waiting for them. N and Edelgard were the last to arrive, which Claude did not waste a moment in teasing them.
When they entered the classroom, some took seats close to Aelfric while others remained standing. They all ended up encircling Aelfric.
"Let's get this meeting started, shall we?" Claude said.
"Indeed," Constance said. She turned to Yuri. "Pray tell, Yuri. Did those foul bandits whom we bested at the arena confess anything?"
Yuri shook his head. "Not a word. They didn't even name names. I got the feeling that even they didn't know what they were after."
"That is true. The few that I fought seemed to have no idea where anything was in Abyss," N added.
Yuri nodded in agreement. "However, one thing is clear. Whoever hired them is looking for something in Abyss."
"That's gotta be it," Balthus chimed in, "Must've been a treasure hunt, or something."
Hapi turned to the tall man with a brow raised. "Really, a treasure hunt? I don't think there's anything worth finding in these tunnels."
"Maybe it's something none of you have heard about," Linhardt suggested. He turned to Aelfric who seemed unfazed by their line of thinking. "Aelfric, was it? Looks like this is ringing a bell for you."
Aelfric turned to the green haired teen and shook his head. "Well, something does come to mind, but the likelihood of it being true is rather low."
"Never discount of wild hunch," Claude said as he ran a hand through his hair. "Sometimes they're closer to the truth than you think."
Dimitri nodded in agreement. "Any lead will do, as long as it helps determine our next course of action. Please, tell us."
Aelfric pondered their words for a moment before letting out a resigned sigh. "As you wish, though again, it is quite unlikely. You see, there is a long standing legend here. It is said that deep beneath Abyss there is a place called the Giant Chasm. Within it, is buried something known only as splicers."
"Wait, did you say Giant Chasm?" Yuri asked in surprise.
Aelfric nodded. "Have you heard of such a place?"
Yuri placed a hand on Absol's head and locked gazes with his partner. "It's where I bonded with Absol, but that was in Faerghus. Are there two places named Giant Chasm?"
"I was going to say something similar. The farthest point north in Faerghus there is a place called Giant Chasm. It is almost impossible to traverse due to an eternal blizzard. So the legend goes," Dimitri added.
"The likelihood of two places having the same name is low. I doubt it's a coincidence," N said.
Aelfric nodded in agreement. "Yes. There must be a connection between the two places."
"But what about what you called 'splicers'?" Byleth asked, cutting through the conversation.
"It's from an old book I read on the Rite of Rising. Pages were missing, so I did not have a full understanding of what it was, but it did mention something called a splicer. The text said it was something crafted by order of Saint Seiros herself. The Saint apparently used the artifact to carry out the rite, along with the Four Apostles," Aelfric explained.
N tried putting the pieces together in his head. He felt like he had heard about these splicers before, but could not places exactly where. He wondered what their use was. If their creation was ordered by Saint Seiros, then they must have had some kind of purpose. What that purpose was, was a mystery.
"What is the Rite of Rising?" Byleth asked.
N turned to her. Her question breaking him from his thoughts. He too wanted to know. That could give him a clue as to what the splicer could be used for.
"It is a ritual that is believed to have the power to resurrect a life that was lost," Aelfric explained.
Everyone let out a surprised gasp and eye went wide. Even N was caught off guard by the possibility. If that was the case, then the splicer was likely the object needed to preform it. Now the question became how it could be used.
"However," Aelfric continued, "the ritual failed. The Four Apostles sealed the splicer away so that it could not be used by a mortal's hand again."
"The Rite of Rising, huh?" Claude mused as he looked to the ceiling.
"Wait. I do believe I've heard of this. My father mentioned something about a splicer long ago. However, it had something to do with legendary dragons Zekrom and Reshiram. A secret treasure of the Church." Constance said.
"The dragons you say?" N asked.
Constance turned to the green haired professor and nodded. "If legend is to be believed there is a third dragon of unknown name and the splicer is some kind of key to unlock greater power. When it comes to raising the dead, however, I'm not too sure."
"A third dragon?" N mused as he put a hand to his chin.
N took a step back to process everything. There was now the possibility that the splicer was connected to the legendary dragons. There was also the fact that it could be used to raised the dead too. There had to be a reason why it failed the first time. Maybe the Apostles were using it in the wrong way.
N shook his head. So many thoughts were running through his mind. What always stood out however, was the fact that there was a possibility of a third dragon.
Kyurem… N thought.
"If it is used for raising the dead, then it is no wonder people are after it. If it is connected to the legendary dragons as well, then it must hold a key to returning them to the world," Dimitri said.
"Even if both are true, we still don't have much to go on. We should gather more information about these legends first," Edelgard argued.
Aelfric nodded. "I wholeheartedly agree. I will track down more clue within the monastery. While Garreg Mach's library is… well curated, I doubt any further records will be found."
"Wondrous! We shall do all we can as well!" Constance exclaimed.
"I guess that's meeting adjourned. We'll meet back up here when we find out more," Claude said.
Everyone nodded in agreement and turned to leave the classroom. N remained still, still lost in thought.
Hapi walked to him and tapped his shoulder, breaking him from his thoughts. N met Hapi's gaze but looked past it and saw everyone was leaving.
"Oh, are we finished?" N asked.
Hapi nodded. "Yup. We tracking down more clues about the legend of the splicers and the rite."
"I see. I'll catch up with you guys later. There's some things I need to think on and I'd rather be alone," N said.
"I understand, but Chatterbox looked worried," Hapi said.
N rose an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, 'Chatterbox'?"
"Byleth's nickname."
"Ah, that makes sense. An ironic nickname," N said.
Hapi smiled and nodded. "Yup. You should go talk to her, she is worried about you."
N looked to the door of the classroom and saw Byleth leaning against the frame. He nodded towards her and gave her a reassuring smile. The one that meant they would talk later. Satisfied, Byleth turned and exited the classroom.
"We will," N said turning back to Hapi.
"Just looking out for you."
N chuckled. "I appreciate that."
Hapi turned and exited the classroom too, leaving N alone.
N let out a breath and ran a hand through his hair. He sat down on chair and began to let his thoughts run wild. First, there was the splicer. It supposedly had a relation to the legendary dragons. What it was or its purpose was unknown. Then there was what Constance had said about a third dragon. Kyurem was the first thought when it came to that. He had recently learned from Cynthia that a researcher in Enbarr was looking into the authenticity of the dragon's existence. From her notes, he believed the dragon existed and was in Faerghus investigating it.
What Dimitri had said also had him make the connection to Kyurem. Being that the Giant Chasm of Faerghus being trapped in an eternal blizzard. Kyurem was said to have a dominion over ice, which could branch out to snow. If the existence of third legendary dragon was true, then a lot of what the Church of Seiros preached about the legendary dragons being only two would be wrong. However, he had heard some rumors of the existence of a third within the church itself and there was that odd carving of a face underneath the statues of Reshiram and Zekrom.
N rubbed his forehead. This new discovery brought forth so many question about the dragons. He wondered if it played into his crest as well. Cynthia had said that his crest gave him a greater connection to the creatures, which could explain his ability to speak to them.
One thing he was sure was that someone was working towards bringing back the dragons and the splicer was needed. His only guess was him, but he could not be sure. Though there was that black sphere Byleth had heard voices from. Could the sphere be connected to the dragons as well?
N sighed and turned to the ceiling. He needed to better understand the legend of the dragons. Maybe it was time for him to take that trip to the village Cynthia had mentioned.
"Kyurem, Reshiram, and Zekrom. What do all three have in common?" N mused aloud. "What could he want with them." N rolled his eyes. He knew what he would want with them. "So many questions. I wish I knew the answer to at least one."
"Do you need assistance?"
N's head shot up. He saw Aelfric looking at him with a concerned look on his face.
"Crap. Was I thinking out loud?" N asked.
Aelfric chuckled. "Indeed you were. You were so absorbed in your thoughts not a single one of my calls reached you."
N put a hand behind his head. "Sorry about that."
Aelfric shook his head. "No need. But you seem to have some sort of dilemma. Could I help in some way?"
N shrugged. "Guess it doesn't hurt to ask. Have you heard of something called Kyurem?"
Aelfric was silent for a moment, but N noticed how his eyes widened. Aelfric quickly collected himself and returned to his usual calm expression.
"If the rumors in the church are to be believed, Kyurem is one of the legendary dragons like Reshiram and Zekrom. However, its existence is debated as no records of it exist," Aelfric answered. "Why do you want to know?"
"Saw it in a book once. I felt like I recognized it, but could not place where," N said.
Aelfric put a hand on his chin. "Most interesting. Do you believe Kyurem exists?"
"I honestly don't know," N replied. "Anyway, there's something I wanted to ask you."
"By all means."
"Are you sure the splicer can be used to return someone to life?" N asked.
Aelfric sighed. "I'm not sure. The use of the splicer is not clear. There is no specification if it can be used on creatures or humans."
"I see. Guess we'll just have to find it and figure that out ourselves," N said.
Aelfric nodded. "That would be ideal. I would like to study this artifact myself and discern its use."
"I would as well." N stood up from his seat and called for Zorua. The fox perched himself on his shoulder with practiced ease. "There's somethings I need to find. I'll return later."
"By all means. I'll wait here for your return," Aelfric said.
N nodded and exited the classroom. He glanced towards his bag, which was still empty. He needed to go shopping.
—-
When N returned from finding the supplies he needed, he passed by Aelfric, who appeared to be in a hurry. The monk did not even notice him as they passed each other. N shrugged and assumed that he had somewhere to be and was lost in thought.
As he turned the corner to enter the Ashen Absol classroom, he saw the group of students gathered around Byleth. They were talking about finding the splicer and how it was well guarded. N managed to catch Claude saying something called a golem protected the splicers.
"What's this about Golem?" N asked.
Claude turned to N and shook his head. "Not the creature Golem, something referred to as a golem." He paused when he realized he was talking to N. "Oh, N, you're back."
"I am," N said with a nod. "and what's going on exactly."
"We're going after the splicer, obviously," Constance replied.
"Okay, but do we have a starting point?" N asked.
"Aelfric pointed us in the direction in which we need to go," Constance answered.
"Well, that's great and all, but how are we supposed to unbound it?" Claude asked.
Constance turned to the Golden Stantler house leader with a confident smile. "That is but a trifle! We shall first ascertain whether it is still sealed, and then we shall release it."
"But where is this chasm, anyway? I've never seen or heard of the place," Balthus asked.
Constance giggled in delight. "As luck would have it, I have discovered another hidden tunnel!"
"That's convenient," N muttered, earning an elbow from Byleth.
"It appears to go deeper underground. According to my superior instincts," Constance flipped her hair to accentuate her words, "it undoubtedly leads to the Giant Chasm."
Yuri shrugged. "We have no other leads. I suppose it's worth a look. I don't much about this splicer, but if it helps in protecting Abyss, I'll support the cause."
Constance turned to the students from the surface and crossed her arms. "You surface dwellers do not have anything else to do at present, do you? You'll assist us, will you not?"
Byleth turned to N, but he gave her shrug in response. "We'll join you. We'd be safer in greater numbers."
"While we do have a mission to prepare for, we do have some time to spare," Dimitri added. "I am curious about this artifact myself."
Constance laughed happily. "Splendid! It is decided. We leave at once!"
Constance marched out of the classroom with confidence. The others looked at each other for moment before deciding to follow her.
The group followed Constance down her newly discovered tunnel which would narrow and widen as they walked. The screeching of Zubat and Woobat above them always kept them looking up, but there were many Rattata scurrying about. N was sure he saw a group of Diglett on the side of the wall.
Luckily the tunnels were all lit by torches, which was both fortunate and unfortunate. While they could see in the darkness of the tunnels, the fact they were lit meant people had been though the tunnel before. How recent was anyone's guess.
They walked for so long that Linhardt was the first to ask what was on everyone's mind: how much had they walked. While his own suggestion made everyone roll their eyes, N found a bit of humor to it and chuckled to himself.
Edelgard voiced her concerns with the fact that they did not bring much provisions with them and N agreed there. He had only packed what he needed to keep their partners healed up. He barely brought enough for himself.
This lead to Dimitri asking why Constance we so inclined to find the splicers. Constance tried to avoid the question, but Yuri's reply made everyone aware of Constance's origin and what he goal was. Apparently she was the heir to a disgraced house in the Adrestian Empire and she wanted to find the splicer in order to have the church restore her house and noble titles. For many it came as a shock, except for the two from the Empire.
"House Nuvelle?" Byleth asked.
"Until a few years ago, it was a house of viscounts in the western area of the Empire. They had a long and distinguished history," Linhardt explained.
"House Nuvelle lost its status five years ago, as a result of their part in the war," Edelgard added.
Constance scoffed and turned to Edelgard. "You speak as though it has nothing to do with you."
Edelgard did not face her. "I can only ask forgiveness for my foolish father."
N stepped forward in order to calm things down. "There's clearly some resentment here, so let's try to not fight each other in these cramped tunnels. Rather not have the ceiling cave in on us."
Constance huffed and turned forwards. "Fighting is not necessary. There is only one thing I desire. I order to honor my parents, I shall revive House Nuvelle and restore out status."
"And all that effort got you sent underground. Life's cruel. It's like you're back to the starting line. Or maybe you were just unlucky," Hapi said.
"What is that supposed to mean, Hapi!? I never intended to share this side of me with you…" Constance's voice trailed off.
There was silence in the group when Constance stopped talking. No one was sure how to respond. However, as they continued forward, there was a literal light at the end of the tunnel.
'Would you look at that! Good thing we didn't turn back. That exit looks mighty chasm-like if you ask me," Balthus said. His Grapploct howled in agreement.
When they exited the tunnel, everyone brought their hands to block out the sunlight. Being without it made their eyes used to the darkness of Abyss. However, for may it was nice to feel the fresh air again. Hearing the sounds of the birds and other creatures made N feel a lot more alive than underground.
They appeared to be in some kind of canyon. High cliffs surrounded them on both sides, but there were trees and other plant life growing around them. N saw Fletchling perched on trees and a few Nidoran scurrying about. All the creatures kept a close eye on the new arrivals.
Dimitri was the first to look up and notice a familiar sight. "Isn't that the bridge that leads to the cathedral? Are we beneath the monastery? Incredible…"
Claude looked up as well and whistled at the sight. "Never thought I'd be gazing up at the bridge we've crossed a thousand times form way down here."
"Kinda puts things into perspective," N added.
"So, is this the right place?" Yuri asked.
"It is. I think. I believe. I…hope?" Constance said.
"That doesn't sound all that hopeful," N replied.
N turned to the girl and saw her standing underneath a tree. Edelgard noticed as well and out a hand on her hip and raised and eyebrow.
"Why are you staying in the shade, Constance? You were the one who insisted on finding the splicer," Edelgard asked.
Everyone turned to Constance and noticed her beneath a tree. She scowled and stopped a foot.
"Fine! If you insist that I join you, then I shall." Constance stepped into the sun and the moment she did, her face got very depressed. She bowed her head and a frown replaced her usual noble smile. "Satisfied?" The usual energy in her words were completely gone. Even her Lampent hovered closer to the ground.
"Okay, what is going on here? Why are you depressed all of a sudden?" N asked.
"I apologize for what I said before. I was so rude. Please accept my humble apologies," Constance said, her voice low and deep. "I presumed too much to stand beside nobles such as yourselves. Allow me to dig a hole to bury myself in…"
"Oh boy. No matter how deep we are sunlight is still sunlight. Poor Constance," Balthus said.
"Wait so this is normal?" Ashe asked.
"This is what Coco's like under the sun. It's why she lives underground," Hapi explained.
"I fear I cannot guarantee this is the Giant Chasm. I have almost surely waster our time," Constance said.
"I wouldn't say that," N said.
The group turned to the green haired professor and saw him looking off into the distance.
"What is it, Professor?" Dimitri asked.
"It's faint, but I can hear mechanical voices coming from that directions. They all repeat the same phrase: 'Must guard the seal.' There's only one creature that sounds like that: Golurk," N said.
Hapi turned back to Constance. "See, Coco? You did lead us in the right direction."
"And now I have been forced you into a state of pity. I feel so very hopeless," Constance said.
"Oh boy. This is going to get old fast," N muttered. The comment earned him another elbow from Byleth.
"We should keep moving or we'll never find that damn splicer," Balthus said. He turned to N. "Which direction did you say you heard voices?"
"Straight ahead. Over that hill if I had to guess," N replied.
Yuri nodded. "We'll start there."
"I think the professor is right. I sense magic in the air up ahead. Perhaps it's the binding spell," Constance added.
"Guess it's almost a given. Though not sure how much I trust the voices in N's head," Claude said. He turned to N. "No offense."
N shrugged. "I'm used to it."
The group reached the top of the hill and lumbering about were a group of Golurk just as N had said. Among the Golurk were groups of Sigilyph flying about. At the center of the Golurk was a larger one that was white instead of blue. Its yellow eyes locked onto the group and held out an open palm. The other Golurks turned and started to lumber forwards.
"So that's Golurk? First time I've seen one," Claude said.
"What are those flying things? They're creepy," Hilda asked.
"Those are Sigilyph. If they're with Golurk then there must be something worth protecting here," N explained.
"All we gotta do is topple the giants and ground the birdies? Seems simple enough," Balthus said as he slammed a fist into his open palm. Grapploct mimicked the gesture with his own.
"There's something on the far wall. Could that be the seal?" Edelgard asked.
"Only one way to find out," Yuri said. "While I'm not too sure what's going on, if we don't take down those Golurk we'll be crushed."
"What about those three terminal things by the wall? What could they be?" Hapi asked.
"We'll just have to reach them and find out," N said. "Let's separate into teams. That way we'll all reach a terminal. Try to avoid the white Golurk if you can. That one is definitely way too tough."
"You are the battle professor. I trust your judgment," Yuri replied.
N nodded and the group began to separate into their teams. N spared one last look at Byleth, who sent him a nod. N returned it with his own and jumped to fight the first Golurk in the way.
"Let's do this Zorua! Dark Pulse!"
Zorua jumped off his partner's shoulder and a black energy collected in Zorua's mouth. With a screech, the energy was released hitting Golurk in the chest. The tall creature staggered by continued its advance. While a flock of Sigilyph moved to attack Zorua.
"Shinx, use Shock Wave!"
Dimitri's blue lion cub jumped in front of Zorua and released a stream of electricity. It hit several of the Sigilyph, which made them halt their advance.
N looked behind him and saw Dimitri, Hapi, and Ashe joining him. Ashe's Grovyle growled at the oncoming Sigilyphs and Golurk, while Hapi's Misdreavus hovered next to her partner.
N felt lucky that his group was as well balanced as it was. They coved what they needed when fighting Golurk and Sigilyph. He turned to their opponents and Golurk had resumed its charge toward its opponent. While the flock of Sigilyph regrouped around the automaton.
"Everyone, listen up. I have a plan," N said. "Ashe, you and I will handle Golurk."
The grey haired teen nodded in response and Grovyle turned his attention to Golurk.
"Won't you need more power to take that thing down? Let Shinx and I help too," Dimitri said. Shinx growling in agreement.
"No. Golurk is a ground type. Shinx is at a severe disadvantage. I want you to focus on the Sigilyph. They're flying type, so Shinx will easily defeat them," N explained.
"I understand," Dimitri said with a nod. He turned to Shinx. "Let's go, Shinx."
Shinx nodded in response and turned his attention to the flock of Sigilyph.
"What about me?" Hapi asked.
"Support Dimitri. Misdreavus has the advantage over Sigilyph as well."
"Got it. Wait up, Didi!" Hapi said moving to the blonde's side.
"Let's do this, Ha- wait, Didi?" Dimitri asked.
"Not important right now, Dimitri," N called out.
Dimitri shook his head and focused. "Right. Sorry."
Satisfied that the two could handle their situation, he turned back to Golurk. Despite its low speed, it managed to get close in a short amount of time. He turned to Ashe, who was ready to fight and had complete faith in Grovyle's abilities.
"Ready to go, Ashe?"
"You bet, Professor! Grovyle and I want to show you just how strong we've gotten!" Grovyle added his own comment by growling towards Golurk.
"Then let's hit Golurk with our strongest moves first! Zorua, Dark Pulse!"
"Grovyle, Leaf Blade!"
Dark energy gathered in Zorua's mouth and he released it in a beam. Grovyle's forearm leaves glowed green and extended into sharp blades. Zorua's attack hit first causing Golurk to stop in its tracks. Grovyle's attack hit second pushing the automaton back.
Bothe creatures returned to their partner's side and waited for their next attack. However, Golurk charged up and attack next. Golurk retracted its legs into its both and held out its arms. Its hands glowed with an orange energy and began to spin. In a burst of speed, Golurk closed the gap between it and its opponents.
"Crap that's Gyro Ball! Zorua, try to dodge!" N called out.
"You too, Grovyle!"
Both creatures tired to jumped out of the way, but Golurk's burst of speed was faster than the creatures could dodge. Due to its size, Golurk was able to knock both creatures back with ease. Both creatures were knocked back and crashed into the ground. Ashe and N rushed to the side of their partners and helped them get up.
"It's so strong," Ashe said.
N turned to the Golurk. It had stopped spinning and its legs returned.
"Golurk must have a high attack stat for Gyro Ball to deal so much. It must be very slow too," N theorized.
"We'll have to take it down faster than it can attack," Ashe said.
"That's easier said than done. Let's see if we can keep it at a distance," N suggested.
"I understand. How about it, Grovyle?" Ashe asked his partner. Grovyle nodded in response.
"Zorua, Dark Pulse!"
Zorua fired the beam of dark energy. It collided with Golurk pushing it back.
"Grovyle, Giga Drain!"
Grovyle roared as he jammed his hands into the ground. Roots seemed to latch onto Golurk's legs. The roots began to glow green and that same glow enveloped Golurk. Golurk groaned as the green energy intensified until it was brought to one knee. The roots retracted and Grovlye glowed green for a moment as his wounds disappeared.
"Not bad. That should keep it from advancing," N said.
Before Ashe could reply, Golurk began to stand. It held out an open hand a purple orb generated from the palm. The orb grew in size before it was fired. The orb rocketed towards Zorua and Grovyle, the impact causing dust to kick up.
"So it can fight from a distance too," Ashe said.
"Yeah, but look," N said gesturing to the disappearing dust cloud. "Zorua and Grovyle are practically undamaged."
"Ranged attacks must be weaker than physical attacks," Ashe noticed.
N nodded. "Let's keep up the pressure."
—
On the other side of the battle, Byleth was teamed up with Claude, Hilda and Bathus. Their team composition made the battle between Golurk and the flock of Sigilyph a bit harder. Lukcily, Balthus and Grapploct's strength made up for a lot of what their team lacked.
Claude and Balthus focused on the Golurk, as they had partners that could deal more damage to the automaton. Hilda and Byleth took on the Sigilyph, but Hilda's Stufful was a severe disadvantage against Sigilyph.
"Why don't these creepy birds just buzz off," Hilda complained.
Off to the side, Balthus let out a boisterous laugh as his Grapploct fought Golurk.
"If those two can take down Golurk then the Sigilyph should run away," Byleth inferred.
"The Baltie and Claude need to hurry up," Hilda said.
A Sigilyph moved to attack. Its wings glowed with a blue color and in a quick motion it flapped them, forming saw-like blades out of the wind generated. Byleth called for Eevee to dodge, and managed to jump out of the way. Hilda had Stufful do the same, but the fluffy bear could not avoid the attack in time.
"Oh no, Stufful!"
Hilda rushed to her partner's side and quickly picked her up. Stufful let out a weak groan as Hilda rushed back to Byleth's side.
"I don't think Stufful can fight more," Hilda said.
Byleth grit her teeth. Eevee alone could not handle so many Sigilyph. She knew the Golurk would fall soon, but she was not sure how long it would take. She glanced to Charmander, who had remained by her side. She knelt down next to the orange lizard, who turned to her with a surprised expression.
"Can you handle this fight?" Byleth asked.
Charmander's eye went wide. He was surprised that his partner wanted him to fight. Charmander put on a serious expression and nodded, releasing a fiery breath to emphasize the point.
"Then I'm counting on you to help Eevee," Byleth said, standing up again.
Charmander jumped forward and moved next to Eevee. The small lizard called out to his battle partner who looked happy to have him join.
"Are you sure about this, Professor? Charmander doesn't have a lot of battle experience," Hilda asked.
"He's been training hard. I trust him," Byleth replied. "Eevee, Take Down! Charmander, Ember!"
Eevee darted to the first Sigilyph she could see. Cloaked with a white energy it rammed into a Sigilyph. The force pushed the flying creature into a tall stone, knocking it out instantly. Charmander's Ember hit its target, but compared to Eevee's attack, the damage was miniscule. The Sigilyph moved to attack Charmander, but Eevee was there to defend her friend. Her teeth glowed as it bit down on one of Sigilyph's wings.
"Charmander follow up! Fire Fang!"
Charmander's jaws were cloaked in flame. The orange lizard jumped into the air and bit down on Sigilyph's other wing. Ember's shot out from the bite as Sigilyph squirmed to remove both creature's from its wings.
"Don't let go you two!" Byleth called out.
The two creature's bit down harder, causing Sigilyph to intensify its squirming. Just as their grip was loosening, a large shadow covered the three. Byleth looked up to see Golurk falling and it was falling atop her partner's.
"Charmander, Eevee! Come back!"
The two creatures released their bite and noticed the Golurk about to fall on them. With a yelp the two creatures sprinted back towards their partner managing to avoid being crushed by the falling Golurk. The Sigilyph on the other hand was not as lucky.
"Sorry 'bout that!" Balthus called out.
"Watch where you're battling Baltie!" Hilda exclaimed.
"I just having so much fun I lost sight of my surroundings," Balthus said. "On the bright side, Golurk's down."
"We should get moving then. The terminal's just ahead," Byleth ordered.
The three youths nodded and followed the Professor. The managed to avoid another Golurk and group of Sigilyph. However, Byleth's attention was drawn to the white Golurk. It appeared taller than the rest, but it had not moved from its spot. Other Golurk and flocks of Sigilyph had already been defeated but the one that appeared to be the leader did not.
"Teach watch out!"
Byleth looked forward and saw a massive fist moving toward her. She managed to stop and jump back, avoiding the first just in time. Another Golurk had moved to attack them with another group of Sigilyph.
"Man, I'm all for a long fight, but this is getting ridiculous. No matter how many we defeat more keep coming," Balthus said.
"It's likely then if we reach the terminal the Golurk will stop attacking," Claude said.
"Let's just focus on taking this one down. Balthus can you handle it?" Byleth asked.
"Thought you'd never ask," Balthus said as he cracked his knuckles. "Let's get 'em Grapploct!"
Grapploct roared in agreement and moved to attack Golurk. Claude and Byleth focused on the flock of Sigilyph. Byleth used Charmander again, but made sure that Eevee was always there to back him up.
She shifted her gaze towards the white Golurk again. There had to be reason it was different. Hopefully someone would figure it out soon.
—-
Yuri, Constance, Linhardt, and Edelgard had managed to avoid fighting too many Golurk. Any of the automaton that got in their way, Yuri was quick to cut down. Absol's strength was in full display. The other three were focused on taking down any Sigilyph that got in their way.
They managed to avoid fighting thanks to Yuri keeping them well hidden. While the battle was not chaotic, the Golurk would lumber to where fighting was strongest. While the other two teams had a move offensive approach to getting to the terminal, Yuri had his team take a more stealthy approach.
"I must say, you are quite the sneak," Edelgard said.
Yuri chuckled. "Well when you're a street rat for a while, you pick up a thing or two."
"I must apologize. I'm slowing us down," Constance said.
Yuri sighed. "No, you're not. You and Lampent are doing just fine."
Constance let out a dejected sigh, and said nothing in response.
"Though there is still that white Golurk," Linhardt said.
"It's definitely the leader of all the other Golurk, but likely the strongest. I'm sure even Absol would have trouble taking it down," Yuri said. Absol however, disagreed and growled at his partner.
"There's the terminal," Edelgard said as she pushed past a bust.
The group of four reach the terminal and inspected it. It looked to be made out of stone with dots in the shape of a letter inscribed on the top of it. It looked weathered as well. The elements had taken a toll on it. It appeared to be the same height as Yuri. Yuri got close to inspect it. He slowly reached out to touch it, but was stopped by Linhardt.
"You better have a good reason for stopping me," Yuri threatened.
"Something's not right here. There's nothing for us to do at the this terminal," Linhardt replied.
Constance sighed. "It appears I have led us astray again. What misfortune do I bring."
Yuri and Edelgard rolled their eyes, but did not say anything in response.
"If that's true then what do we do?" Yuri asked.
"Well, for starters, the white Golurk is staring at us," Linhardt replied.
The three turned to the white automaton and saw its eyes staring at them. However, it remained still. Its yellow eyes had since turned red. The sight of being stared at made the four shudder.
"That's not creepy at all," Yuri commented.
"Then what do we do?" Edelgard asked turning away from Golurk.
"The white Golurk might be the key," Linhardt replied.
"Whatever we are going to do, we have to do fast," Constance said, looking at the terminal.
"I agree, but why do you look distressed?" Linhardt asked.
"The terminal is moving," Constance replied pointing at the terminal
The three looked to the terminal and saw the whole thing shudder and squirm. The dotted letter at the top broke away and was replaced by a stone face. Color came to the stone, revealing a golden yellow and light blue. The top opened up revealing red eyes and jagged smile. A shadowy outline formed around the object and four hands emerged. The object snickered as four orbs of shadow energy formed.
"It's a Cofagrigus! Take cover!" Linhardt called out.
Cofagrigus shot out its attack as the four scattered.
"Where the hell did this thing come from?" Yuri asked.
"It must be guarding the terminal," Edelgard inferred.
"Then why did that dotted letter crumble away?" Yuri asked in reply.
"It must be a fake terminal. One meant to lure someone to Cofagrigus. It'll seal whoever it grabs within the coffin it calls home," Linhardt explained.
"We still have to take it down! Rufflet, Aerial Ace!" Edelgard called out.
Rufflet descended from the sky at a high speed, cloaked in a white energy. Rufflet's attack made contact, but Cofagrigus remained unaffected. As Rufflet returned to Edelgard's side it was covered in a shadowy energy. Confagrigus snickered at the sight of Rufflet.
"What does it find so funny?" Edelgard asked.
"It must've done something to Rufflet," Linhardt replied.
"It's Cofagrigus's ability," Constance explained, "whenever an attack makes contact, whatever ability a creature had it is replaced by Cofagrigus's own."
"So, no direct attacks, huh? Absol, Psycho Cut!"
Absol's horn glowed a bright purple. With a swing of his head a blade of psychic energy struck Cofagrigus. Like Aerial Ace before it, the coffin creature remained unaffected. Cofagrigus snickered again.
"It must have some wicked defenses if not even Absol can leave a dent," Yuri said.
"Munna, Shadow Ball."
Linhardt's Munna collected shadow energy on her forehead and with a grunt launched it at Cofagrigus. When the attack made contact, Cofagrigus recoiled and groaned in pain.
"That worked! Must have weaker defense for ranged attacks," Yuri said.
"True, but it looks like Cofagrigus is already back on its feet," Linhardt said.
This time, the coffin creature did not have its usual smug look. Its pointed teeth were now in the shape of a frown and it stared right at Munna.
"It sure has a bone to pick with you," Yuri commented.
"How about we focus on taking this thing down," Edelgard said. "Are you going to help, Constance?"
"I'm sorry that my decision led to having to fight such a strong opponent," Constance replied.
"Well, you help fix the situation by helping us," Yuri said.
Constance nodded meekly. "Of course. Lampent, Hex."
Lampent's eyes glowed with a purple color and Cofagrigus was enveloped by an energy the same color as Lampent's eyes. Cofagrigus looked around confused, but the energy's power intensified causing for Cofagrigus to cry out.
When the attack ended, Cofagrigus looked even more frustrated. It produced four more Shadow Balls and fired them. Rufflet remained unaffected while Absol barely took damage. Lampent and Munna were hit and took a lot of damage.
"Let's wrap this up. Can't have this battle take too long," Yuri said.
"Agreed. We need to warm the others about Cofagrigus and that the white Golurk is the key," Edelgard added.
"If we can hold out that long," Linhardt muttered.
—
When N found out they needed to fight the white Golurk, he instantly got worried. Despite being able to take down several of the regular Golurk, everyone's partner was reaching their limit. Even his Zorua was feeling the effects of so many back to back battles. Now they had to fight their strongest opponent yet.
The one that had told him about the white Golurk had been Hilda, whose Stufful had already been defeated in battle. Not long after, Edelgard arrived to relay the same information. She added that the fake terminals were guarded by Cofagrifgus.
The group reached the white Golurk and it did not acknowledge their presence. However, it did seem to be guarding something, as it stood on a man-made structure. Behind it was some kind of smaller structure.
"So how do we get it to move?" Hapi asked.
"Shouldn't we defeat it to get it to move," Edelgard replied.
"That'd take too much time," N said.
"Then what can we do?" Dimitri asked.
N ran through strategies in his head. The white Golurk had not moved, but it seemed to give orders to the other Golurk. From what Edelgard had told him, Golurk had turned its head to see them when they reached the terminal; there was a high likelihood that gaze was what triggered the Cofagrigus to attack. N ran a hand through his hair. So far he could think of nothing.
"I'm back."
Everyone jumped at the sight of Ashe suddenly appearing from behind a bush. His Grovyle at his side. N rose an eyebrow. When had he left the group?
"Back from where?" N asked.
"I scouted around the structure Golurk is standing at. There seems to be something removable from the stone behind it," Ashe answered.
"Ashe were you completely unseen?" Dimitri asked.
Ashe nodded. "Yeah. It was simple enough to avoid the other Golurk and Sigilyph."
"I have an idea," N said. "We'll distract the Golurk and get it to move. When it's distracted, Ashe will grab what he saw. The moment Ashe grabs it, we sprint to the terminal."
"It's worth a try," Dimitri said.
"How do we get it to move?" Hapi asked.
"Attack from a distance. It should get Golurk's attention and it'll have no choice but to fight us," N explained.
Edelgard shrugged. "It's better than nothing."
The group, minus Ashe, moved to confront the white Golurk. When they moved form the cover of the bushes the Golurk looked down at them. It made no movement to attack them.
"Will it even attack us?" Hapi asked.
"Only one way to find out. Zorua, Dark Pulse!"
Zorua fired his attack hitting Golurk square in the chest. Golurk leaned back and its body began to creak. It slowly straightened itself with another set of creaking. When it stood upright, its eyes turned form yellow to red. It lifted its leg and when it took a step the ground seemed to shake.
"Well, that certainly got its attention," Hilda said.
"We need to get it step farther forward," Edelgard said. "Rufflet, Air Slash!"
Rufflet's wings glowed and with a strong flap saw-like air blades shot towards Golurk. The attack struck Golurk and with another creak, it took another earth shaking step.
Golurk help up a hand and a Shadow Ball began to form. It was larger than the other Golurk could produce. Golurk launched its attack and the group called for their partners to dodge. However, both N and Hapi had their partners meet the attack with their own.
"Zorua, meet it with Dark Pulse!"
"Misdreavus, Ominous Wind!"
Both creature's attacks met the Shadow Ball and managed to push through it. Their attacks landed causing for more creaking to ring out. However, Golurk had yet to stop. Its fists were covered in shadows and it pulled back one of its hands. It looked like Golurk punched the air, but the shadow energy that formed in its fists were launched at its opponents.
The attack hit so fast that neither human or creature could call out to dodge. The only creature remained unaffected was Rufflet.
"Damn, even if Zorua resists that attack, that sure packs a punch," N said.
"No kidding. Misdreavus can't take another attack," Hapi added.
"Just a bit more and Ashe will have space to swipe the key," Dimitri said. "I just wish I could be more help."
"Then let me," Edelgard replied. "Rufflet, Air Slash! Don't let up!"
Rufflet took to the sky and attacked from many different positions in the air. Golurk fired Shadow Punches, but none seemed to do damage.
"Hapi, stay back for now." N turned to Zorua. "Ready to fo buddy?"
Zorua nodded in response.
"Let's show the Golurk. Dark Pulse!"
Zorua fired off his attack, which was met by retaliation from Golurk by a Shadow Punch. As the attacks continued, Golurk took more steps towards the group. With the distance they needed to get it away, N looked to Ashe.
"Ashe, now!"
Ashe quickly moved from his spot behind a bush and swiped the key form the stone. Golurk seemed to realize what was going on and quickly turned to Ashe. Its crimson eyes locked onto the grey haired boy. It pulled back a shadowy fist, but before its attack could be fired it was interrupted by Shinx biting down on it.
"Wait, Shinx?!" N asked.
He turned to Dimitri who also had just noticed the his Shinx had attacked.
"It must've wanted to protect Ashe," Edelgard said.
"Run to the terminal, Ashe!" Dimitri called out.
Ashe broke into a sprint disappearing within the bushes. Golurk managed to throw Shinx off its body and turned to follow Ashe. N called for everyone to stop Golurk and they moved to attack the giant automaton. However, Golurk stopped moving and began to stand upright.
Everyone looked between each other, then back to the Golurk. Its eyes were no longer red, but a dull grey.
"What happened?" Hapi asked.
"Ashe must've done it," Dimitri answered.
N let out a relieved breath and turned to the group. "Let's meet up with the others."
Everyone nodded and followed the green haired professor. In distance they could see what they were looking for. Something was inscribed in the stone. Adorning it was the same dotted letter that was on the terminal.
—
When the group met up, everyone looked exhausted. N handed out the berries he packed to the creatures that needed it most. As he handed one of his last berries to Hilda, he silently told himself he should have bought more.
The rock wall they faced appeared to be the end of the Chasm. Cut out was circle of stone and carved into it were five symbols. A larger dotted letter was in the center with four other sybomls surrounding it.
"Are those crests?" Linhardt asked.
"Maybe. It sure looks like them. The symbol in the middle sure is different though," Claude said.
"This is where that magic I sensed early was coming from. This is sure to be the seal," Constance said.
"Then how does it open?" Edelgard asked.
"Well, with a key, obviously," Balthus said.
"Then where's the key?" Byleth asked.
Before anyone could respond, the ground began to shake.
"What the hell? What's going on?" Yuri asked.
"I thought we stopped the Golurk," Ashe cried out.
"It's not them. They haven't moved," N said looking to the Golurk.
The ground in front of them began to crack. The group slowly moved back as the cracks got closer to them. From the middle of the webbed cracks, the group caved in. In an explosion of dust something rose form the group, spinning. It stopped spinning and landed on the ground kicking up more dust.
From within the dust cloud a strange sound could be heard followed by glowing dots. The dots then formed the letter that was inscribed in the stone. When the dust cleared, a creature made of stone stood before them. The rocks on its shoulders were orange instead of the pale brown. Its long arms were formed out different stones, and its legs were similar to its arms, but shorter. It had seven eyes the glowed in random intervals. Everyone could feel the pressure the creature gave off. It felt a lot stronger than the even the white Golurk.
"What the heck is that?" Hapi asked.
Before anyone could respond, the creatures eyes glowed again in rapid succession before focusing on the one in the middle. An orange ball of energy collected from there. N's eyes widened and he turned to everyone.
"That's Hyper Beam! Everyone take cover!"
Everyone scrambled to find cover behind a tree or large boulder. Everyone managed to avoid the attack, but the force of the explosion rocked everyone.
"That thing has to be crazy strong!" Balthus said with excitement.
"Baltie that thing has to be stronger than you," Hilda replied.
"Oh yeah? Then I say bring it on!" Balthus jumped out from behind the boulder along with Grapploct. "Grapploct! Let's go, Drain Punch!
Grapploct charged towards the stone creature with a glowing fist. With all his strength the blue octopus landed its attack. Despite that, the stone creature looked unaffected. The creature warbled as its eyes glowed again, followed by a white glow to its left arm. The attack slammed into Grapploct, sending it flying into a boulder.
"Grapploct, no!"
Balthus turned to the stone creature and saw it charging another Hyper Beam. He quickly dove back to the cover of the large boulder.
"Hammer Arm into Hyper Beam? This thing has some strong attacks," Ashe said.
"Yeah, no kidding. Grapploct's down and out," Balthus replied.
N's mind raced. This creature had the strength that rivaled legends. He was sure he had seen the symbol on its face before. He tried to remember when he had last seen it. He then remembered a book he read when he was young that detailed the many legends of the world.
"I know what this creature is," N said.
Everyone turned to him waiting for answer.
"It's called Regirock and it is a legendary creature," N explained.
"You're saying that the splicer is guarded by a legend?" Edelgard asked.
N nodded. "It must've been tasked with protecting the splicer. Anyone that manages to get past the Golurk have fight Regirock."
"That's why it's so strong," Dimitri said.
N nodded again. They needed a way to stop Regirock. Fighting it was not an option they would all be crushed. N looked to Regirock, who waited for something to happen and scanned its surroundings, and decided there was only one way to stop it.
"Let me talk to it," N said.
"What? Are you crazy? It'll blast you with a Hyper Beam the moment you step out," Claude said.
"Not if I don't attack it," N reasoned. "If appear non-aggressive then I should be fine. I think I can persuade it to let us take the splicer."
"Are you serious right now? No one can talk to a creature like humans can," Yuri argued.
"If anyone can it's N," Byleth said. She turned to her friend. "Be careful, okay."
N nodded. He gestured for Zorua to settle down and had ham hop onto his shoulder. He steeled his nerves by releasing a long breath and stepped out from behind the boulder. Regirock immediately locked onto N and Zorua. N raised his hands into the air, but Regirock remained on guard.
"We're not here to fight you, Regirock," N said.
Regirock warbled and its eyes glowed in a sequence.
"We did fight the Golurk, only because they attacked us first."
Regirock warbled in response.
"I understand they were protecting the splicers."
Regirock warbled and took a step forward.
"I know that is your job as well."
Regirock warbled again.
As N and Regirock continued to speak, everyone still behind the boulders looked at their battling professor in awe. They had always heard N could talk with the creatures, but this was the first time they were actually seeing it. The only one who knew to trust N, was Byleth. She had known N long enough to believe him.
"I'll be damned. He can talk to them," Claude said.
"So he wasn't lying," Edelgard muttered.
Regirock warbled again as its eyes lit up in sequence again.
"I understand you can sense malcontent, but that is just human nature. Even I, as much as I like to say otherwise, harbor a lot of those same feelings," N replied.
Regirock warbled a response.
"We want to protect the splicer as well. We can to take it before people worse than us find it," N explained.
Another warble from Regirock followed by a similar pattern to its eyes lighting up. It asked a question. It gestured to the stone carvings behind it.
"Show you those who bear the crests of the Apostles?" N asked in response.
"Guess that's us."
N turned to see Hapi, Yuri, Balthus, and Constance move from the boulder. On the back of their hands, their crests reacted to the wall carvings. Regirock immediately tensed up, its eyes lighting up.
"You four?"
Regirock warbled. The pattern of its eyes signified a statement.
N turned back to Regirock. "They are proof of my claims?"
Regirock warbled and stepped back. It warbled again, its eyes flashing a pattern N could not recognize form their conversation. Regirock turned to the stone wall behind it and charged up a Hammer Arm. With a thrust it shattered the stone creating a hole. It turned back to the group of five and warbled with the same eye pattern as before. N tensed up when he realized what Regirock was saying.
Regirock then jumped spun in the air and drilled into the ground disappearing. The pressure it exerted disappearing at the same time. Everyone let out a heavy breath as the weight Regirock gave off dissipated.
"What was the last thing it said?" Yuri asked N.
"It threatened us."
"Threatened? How?" Dimitri asked moving from behind the boulder.
"If Regirock finds out we misuse the splicer in any way, it will not stop in trying find us and eliminate us. Regirock will find us anywhere we should hide. Should it fail in its mission to protect the splicer from humans, then Regigigas will hunt us down next."
Everyone pondered the threat. A threat made by a legendary creature had to have some weight to it, but no one had heard of Regigigas before. Even N did now know exactly who or what that was, but since it came from Regirock, it had to have had some truth to it.
"To think that is a legendary creature. Its mere presence caused us all to freeze up," Dimitri said.
"Don't think I want to piss that pile of rocks off, that's for sure," Claude said.
"How about we move away from the pile of rocks and find what we came for," Hapi said.
Everyone nodded in response and walked towards the hole in the stone wall. There was a sudden chill that pierced through everyone. An icy mist seemed to exit from the hole Regirock had made.
"This must be the connection this place has to Fearghus's Giant Chasm," Dimitri said. "I only felt this kind of chill in the mountains of the North."
"Someone's gotta reach in a grab the thing," Hilda said.
"I'll do it," Byleth said stepping forward.
N turned to her. "Be careful."
Byleth turned to him and half smiled. "Always."
She stepped to the hole in the wall and reached into it. She felt the cold intensify as she tried to grab their prize. She felt around trying to find something that was not rock when her hand felt something jagged and cold. She moved her hand up and grabbed onto the larger part. She quickly retracted her hand along with the object.
Byleth shivered as she held out the object for the group to see. Everyone looked at it in confusion. It was an odd object. It had a pointed shape, similar to a small pyramid, with a black and white line at the top. On the flat side a yellow spike protruded from it.
"It kinda looks like an icicle," Balthus said scratching his head.
"Feels like one as well," Byleth added.
"Is it going to melt?" Ashe asked.
"Don't think so." Byleth moved the object from one hand to the other. "My palm is still dry."
"Whatever the case may be, we should return as soon as possible. Even if the Golurk are not going to attack, what if Regirock changes its mind?" Edelgard said.
"She's right. We should study the thing later," N said.
Everyone was in agreement and they began the long trek back to Abyss.
—-
From a high vantage point, Kage had watched everything that had transpired. He had been thoroughly entertained by it all. First the army of Golurk and Sigilyph, followed by the surprise Cofagrigus. All the battles had been entertaining.
Then there was Regirock. Even from far away, Kage could feel the power that radiated from the rocky golem. He was not surprised when it knocked away Grapploct with a single blow. Kage had never been in the presence of a legend before, but seeing Regirock checked it off a list he did not know he had.
Next to him, Accelgor grunted. Kage turned to his partner and chuckled.
"Not to worry, I doubt you'll have to fight Regirock," Kage said.
Accelgor grunted again.
"This will most certainly be an interesting report. Having to go up against a legend will prove troublesome, even for Master Ghetsis," Kage mused. "Now, to see where they take the splicers."
In gust of wind, Kage and Accelgor disappeared.
AN: Another chapter comes to a close. And we have our first legendary Pokemon in the flesh appear. The addition of Regirock was actually late in the chapter's development. The reason why Regirock appeared will beomce more apparent in a later chapter. Will the other Regi's make an appereance? Just wait and see. The goal with Regirock appearing was to show how much the characters have to go. While some legendary Pokemon aren't that strong, I wanted their presence to be what sells their strength. So having Regirock OHKO Grapploct was one way to show it. Up until this point Grapploct and Balthus have shown to be pretty strong, but the fact that Regirock can easily take out someone that strong with one blow really sells the legend in legendary.
Something that has been here since the story's inception is the change from the Chalice to the DNA Splicers (they'll be called that in the future I promise). I wanted the Cindered Shadows story have more weight to the overall narrative and by doing this change, it instantly makes that happen. And because this mission in the game has you fight a crap ton of automatons and rando soldiers I decied to play around with the enemies a bit. The fact they're all Unova Pokemon is a coincidence. The lore of the ones I chose fit well with what this part of the story needs so I went with the ones I chose.
With all that out of the way, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. This was one I was looing forward to writing and there's another which I hope to make as good as possible. We're nearing the end of the this arc so I hope you look forward to what comes next. If you're enjoying the story feel free to follow, favorite, and/or review. Also, follow me on Twitter I post story updates and other stuff on their!