Culus had spent the previous day thinking about how he would be able to escape the castle and the fate of Undeath. The first answer - escaping through a window - provided unsatisfactory results. While Selene was busy off in the castle, doing who knows what, he had attempted to see if he would be able to squeeze through a window. Hopefully, if nothing else, he would have been able to use that as a backup escape route if things went awry. With a broken foreleg, it was difficult, but he managed to climb his way up to the window stool. It still called in agony to him, but it wasn't as important as avoiding Undeath.
However, the second he opened the window and put his whiskers out the window and smelled the sweet breeze, the slavery band burst to life and poured rivers of fire into his blood. He fell to the ground. The pain receded eventually, and it let Culus remember something crucial from last night.
Caesian, the Nidoking general who had broken his foreleg that morning, had said something about the slavery band activating if he left the castle. Was simply exiting the window enough to activate it? Or was it intent-based? In the end, Culus was left with more questions than answers.
While he was recovering from the fall and the assault of the slavery band on his nerves, he started to read a book that Selene had left him. But even as he read through the myths of the Elemental Trio and their timeless servitude to Lugia, the question of how he was going to escape kept on gnawing at him. Even when he managed to distract himself, all it took to bring him back to reality was the innocent-sounding tinkle of the very thing that kept him here - the slavery band.
They had set it to activate whenever he tried to escape, and when he wanted to harm members of the castle. Oh, and it would activate when he tried to destroy any property, so breaking the slavery band wasn't an option, assuming it was breakable.
The slavery band was designed to keep him out of trouble - and while Culus was glad they didn't, say, force it to activate every three seconds or something, he wasn't left with many options. Any conventional escape, where he could simply leave the castle wasn't an option since the slavery band would react to his escape. He couldn't break the slavery band, as it would light up the second he tried to even scratch it on purpose.
And forcing whoever made these stupid rules to let him go? Not with the 'no aggression' part - and he couldn't exactly do anything if he was always writhing on the ground in agony.
He couldn't use any help - anyone who knew him (barring someone from his forgotten past) either believed him to be a dangerous criminal or forced him to implicate himself in the first place. The friendliest person he knew was Selene, who was nice to him out of habit and general compassion more than anything else. Culus knew she would rat him out if she even got an idea of him thinking of a way to escape.
Culus sighed, then turned back to The Tales of Eonia. To think properly, he needed to recover. The remnants of the agony from the slavery band and his still-healing leg brought spurts of unpleasantness into his head, even hours later.
But as he settled down to The Tales of Eonia and continued reading the origin of the rivalry between Ho-oh and Lugia, the door to Selene's room creaked open. Culus put the book down and prepared to greet Selene, only to come face-to-face with a large pair of lavender eyes.
He blinked a couple of times. "Hello? Can I help you?"
The two eyes blinked as well, before retreating from his vision to reveal a small female Eevee. She quickly scanned him as she spoke in rapid-fire. "He reads, is polite, isn't shocked too easily, and isn't insufferable. Honestly, he isn't as bad as you made him out to be, Selene, I still don't get what you're so worried about."
Behind her, Selene stepped into her room, shaking her head. "I told you, Eve, he's not as harmless as he looks. He told me himself, he's the one that-"
"Broke the Life Harp, killed the general's daughter, yeah, everyone has been saying the same thing over and over again. You'd think that with the Twin Moon Ball coming around that would be talked about more, but no, a criminal is more important than one of the most political meetings of the year!" Eve looked at him again. "Did you do those things, by the way?"
Culus blinked. "Of course." He desperately wanted to add 'not' to the end of that, but couldn't due to whatever weird mind-control he was under. The Life Harp was definitely still in one piece, and in the hands of that Zoroark, but he couldn't say that for an unknown reason.
"So you did break the harp and killed the general's daughter?"
"Yes."
Eve frowned. "And you're not even going to deny it? Not even try to put doubt in anyone's mind? No pleas of innocence? Do you regret what you've done?" she pressed.
"No, I did it," he said simply. "I do regret it, but I'm not a liar - I did it." And that was the lie of the century.
Eve groaned. "So it really is that simple, then. There's no secret mystery, there's no 'no one will believe him even though he's telling the truth', and nothing to it - just some thieving Shinx that won't tell a lie to save himself."
"Was that sort of thing what you were expecting?" Selene asked, faintly amused.
"Well, I wanted this to be interesting, or at least worth the problems he was making!" Eve said instead. "The Twin Moon Ball won't set itself up!"
"What is the Twin Moon Ball?" Selene had mentioned it several times in passing, and it was supposedly the reason why his Undeath was being put off. "Can you explain it to me?"
"Sure, now follow me" Eve ordered, before almost teleporting out of the door.
Culus blinked, turning to Selene in confusion. Why did she…
"She's supposed to bring you to His Majesty - he wants to speak with you," Selene told him, figuring out what he wanted to know.
King Midos wanted to talk to him. Considering he was the public enemy, one that destroyed the pride of Regilia, it wasn't a very good sign.
"Are you coming or not?!" Eve shouted back, walking back to the doorway. "We can't keep the king waiting - you're already in enough trouble as it is!"
"Coming!" Culus shouted, before shooting one last bewildered look at a shrugging Selene.
He limped up to Eve, as she looked at him with an irritated look, hopping in place. "What's taking you so long? I thought thieves were supposed to be fast and deadly?"
Culus showed her his broken leg, which had a small cast and splint bound to it. "Sorry, no running."
"Ah." Eve looked at it with a grimace. "How bad is the wound?"
"Completely crushed and infected with poison." He had to take a couple of Pecha Berries that morning to help him get through it, as he woke up that morning in a pool of his own sickness.
Eve frowned. "When I saw the general yesterday, he looked fine, but Selene said that he was overcome. Your wound is proof of that, then."
Culus shrugged. "I suppose it is." Culus couldn't spare much sympathy for the general. "Either way, the trip will take a while. So, while we're walking, can you tell me more about the 'Twin Moon Ball'?"
"Oh right, you wanted to know more about that. The Twin Moon Ball is the annual Luneira celebration Regilia holds. They-"
"Luneira?" The term was familiar to him, but not in any significant way. Culus could probably remember the term if he was given enough time. "That's when…"
Eve shot him an odd look. "How do you not know what Luneira is?"
"My memory is..." Culus searched around for the right word. "Patchy."
"So you have amnesia, then?"
"I suppose." That didn't feel quite like the right word for it, but it was better than any other explanation.
"Then let's jog your memory," She then pointed to one of the statues of Cresselia in the corridors they were walking in. "Give me your best shot as to what Luneira is."
Culus looked at the statue of Cresselia that she was pointing to. If his vague memories were correct, Cresselia was a bringer of merry dreams, the good half of the lunar duo.
Lunar… Luneira. And the Twin Moon Ball...
"Luneira is some sort of moon-related holiday, then?" He hazarded.
"Bingo!" Eve said as she continued walking through the hallways. Culus caught-up and started paying attention. "Specifically, Luneira is the day when Cresselia and Darkrai descended from the Hall of Origin and blessed the royalty of Regilia with the divine power of the Life Harp." The one that was currently in the hands of the Zoroark. "The power of Psychic and Dark Type Pokemon is incredibly strong on Luneira."
"Really?"
Eve nodded. "Yep. I'm personally hoping to evolve into an Umbreon this Luneira since that's when the evolution is most likely." Eve then shot him an irritated look. "I've been doing my best to make sure the Twin Moon Ball goes off without any trouble, and you've thrown too many wrenches into that. Weeks of arranging things with Arya going down the drain. Honestly, I'm still trying to understand what could cause you to want to steal the Life Harp."
Culus shrugged. "It sounded like it would fetch a pretty penny." Culus desperately wished his mouth would stop flapping when he didn't want it to.
Eve looked at him incredulously. "You wanted to sell the Life Harp? Who would buy it?"
"Most likely, someone with a lot of money and who wants leverage over Regilia."
Eve laughed. "You mean someone suicidal?"
"Suicidal?"
"The Life Harp is - was - the spine of Regilia. Regilia would offer half its coffers and half their people to slavery if it meant getting it back. More likely, though, the King would amass an army of millions to kill the person who wanted leverage, just after they made sure the Life Harp would be safe." Eve sighed. "That would be both nightmarish and interesting. Though, I suppose you've destroyed the possibility of that ever happening."
Culus gulped as he saw a couple of Leavanny hang up a tapestry of the original king of Regilia, King Sotomon, holding a glowing Life Harp in his hand. Luckily, they had yet to see him.
"Let's keep moving," Eve said, pushing him along. "Luneira is the most important holiday. Those in Eonia or Dragnis barely acknowledge its existence, apart from the royalty and the scholars. Here in Regilia, though, you're not allowed to ignore it."
They passed a caroling band of Wigglytuff, who was practicing with a Chatot tutting over notes in front of them. "Jeniet, you aren't hitting the high notes properly! Khieb, make sure you're in harmony with Ferrie and Charle! Dequaf, you were flat! From the top!"
The caroling Wigglytuff burst into song once more.
Towers of steel and stone so haught
Above the pallid poplar~
With not more than thought
Came down the moon born darker~
Cloaked the shire in watery sable
Awakened the music grand~
For when the light was able
Hence came life upon the land~
Culus slowly managed to pick apart the imagery in the carol. "They're singing about Darkrai and Cresselia, if I'm understanding this right. Darkrai is the 'moon born darker' and Cresselia is the light."
"In a nutshell," Eve answered. "They're talking about how Darkrai and Cresselia came down from the heavens - the moon - and how they breathed life into the land, giving life to all Pokemon."
"But what about Mew?"
"Mew? What about Mew?"
What either of them would say next was then interrupted by a short gasp from one of the chorines. A small silence sat in the corridor. Culus slowly turned around to see the Wigglytuff and Chotot frozen in places, all staring at him. The Chatot's mouth was frozen mid-admonishment, the Wiggytuff barely breathing as they locked their eyes on him.
"May I help you?" He eventually asked.
"You… you are the Harp Breaker, correct?" The Chatot stammered, the emotion in her eyes far removed from the fire and confidence of only a few seconds prior.
"Yes," Culus answered automatically. "I am the Harp Breaker."
At this, the Chatot started edging away, his eyes never leaving Culus' face. After a few seconds, the Chatot spoke again.
"P-please leave," the Chatot said in a soft-spoken voice, shivering a little when Culus frowned. "I… if you would be so kind… we… we need privacy." They were practicing in an open-air corridor - there was no privacy.
Then Culus got the hint. "Of course," he said, bowing slightly, before following Eve out of their sight. It was a few minutes before he spoke again. "That look in their eyes was fear, wasn't it?"
Eve's voice was distant. "Yes, I suppose so," she said after a second's pause.
A cold feeling set into Culus' stomach, though he banished it as quickly as he could. There was nothing he could do - not yet. There was aggression from people who thought they had power over him; there was aggression from people who didn't; then, there was something much worse.
They arrived at a pair of magnificent, alabaster doors. Eve turned to him. "Well, we've arrived. Just one last piece of advice - don't think of any insults."
"I beg your pardon?"
Eve ignored him and instead knocked on the door. The pristine white doors slowly swung open, leaving the throne room open for him to enter. Eve entered shortly after giving him one final sharp look.
Culus, realizing he wasn't going to get an answer, took a deep breath, attempted to calm his nerves, failed, then walked inside.
The ceiling of the room wasn't visible as far as Culus could see. There was definitely a ceiling, as he couldn't see the sky, but at some point, the mess of crystalline chandeliers blocked out everything else. Culus would have to climb them to see the ceiling. On the walls were painted murals after painted murals of the various kings and queens. King Sotomon, the founder of Regilia, had his murals reaching five feet up the walls. Sotomon's successor had their egotistical artworks above his, the next successor's works above theirs, and so on and so forth reaching high into the tower.
Culus strode forward, attempting to ignore the glare of the guards stationed along the walls. The slavery band was ice on his tail, and he wanted to shiver. His claws clicked repeatedly on the shiny tiles, not letting any silence linger. That sound allowed him to move forward.
At the head of the throne room stood Caesian, the Nidoking general, his eyes in an attempt at calm. But as the pain from his leg twinged when he walked forward, he saw Caesian hold his hands into fists.
Standing next to him, was King Midos. A Gallade wearing a long, fluttery robe around his shoulders. He looked at Culus with a neutral expression.
"Tell me, Shinx," King Midos said after a few seconds. "What is your name?"
"... Culus," he answered.
"Culus." Midos tested, rolling the word on his tongue. "And here I was thinking of other names… perhaps 'Sekhmet' or 'Nemea'. Culus is an unfitting name. From now on, you shall be referred to as Kite."
Culus said nothing. He'd like nothing more than to correct the king, but then that wouldn't have gone over well.
"A wise choice," King Midos said, not smiling in the least. "Verbalising that would have been dangerous, considering the loyalty of my retainers." The guards shifted around before looking at him with suspicion. Midos's random words seemed to be warning enough for them.
But then, he remembered. Eve's warning came to the forefront of his head - don't think of any insults. Midos was a Gallade, and Gallade could read minds - how could he forget something as important as that?!
"Quite," Midos said, smirking. "Attempt to police your thoughts, young Kite. See how well it avails you."
But that wasn't what Culus was thinking. If King Midos could read his mind, then he wouldn't need to verbalize the truth - he could just think it, and Midos would understand anyway! He could tell Midos through his head that he broke the Life Harp and that he was the one who killed the guard.
Culus blinked.
"I'm well aware of your transgressions," Midos said with ease. "There's little need to flout them."
No, that wasn't what he wanted to think at all! He wanted Midos to think that he was the thief and then he broke the Life Harp!
…
… it didn't just control his tongue, did it? His thoughts, too?
Midos raised an eyebrow. "You hold strange thoughts, Kite. Aggrandizing yet peculiar... but no matter."
Kite? Why did... Culus frowned. "My name is not Kite, it's Culus-"
Fire.
Fire raced up his legs and poured into his brain. Culus fell over, gasping. The thousands of chandeliers, twinkling in the morning light, danced and spun above him as he tried to crawl to his feet in vain. He gasped and rasped, yet couldn't even begin to say a word.
Then, just as fast as the pain came, the pain left, leaving nothing but its ghost in his limbs. Culus opened his eyes.
"Get up," Midos commanded, pointing at him with an outstretched finger, one with a small ring on it. "Or you will face that pain again." Culus slowly came to his feet. "When I say your name is Kite, your name is Kite, not Culus. You are no longer allowed to refer to yourself by that name - is that clear?"
Culus grimaced. "Yes, King Midos." The words were painful, but if Midos could fire the slavery band at will...
"So, then, what is your name?" Midos asked.
"Culu- Kite." The pain had started building up again when he began to say 'Culus' and disappeared when he said 'Kite'.
"Correct," Midos stated. "Now that you know your place, we must speak of your punishment for the ultimate sin of breaking the Life Harp - the cost of Undeath. Now, how much do you believe it costs?"
Culus said nothing.
"Too much, Kite. Buying a supply of food for the prisoner, storing it, and maintenance of the pain crystals requires Poke. Poke that we will no longer have, and Poke that is needed for the day-to-day expenses of the castle."
He still said nothing. He didn't trust himself to be kind with his speech - he didn't even know if he was being kind in his thoughts.
"So, Kite, while I do have you in my castle, you will be making up for as much of the Poke as you can." One of the guards threw a dirty and patched black uniform at him, scowling as he did so. "You aren't to take that off until your Undeath, understood?" The slavery band tingled.
"Understood." He slipped the uniform on.
King Midos continued. "A few more rules - you are to obey the orders of every member of royalty from Regilia and other countries, as well as your taskmaster. You will not be allowed refuge in the servants' quarters. And foremost, you are not allowed to speak of the slavery band, the murder, or your breaking of the Life Harp to any foreigners, understood?"
"... understood," he said after a few seconds.
"Then leave for the taskmaster," King Midos said. "Leave, and know this: You are my property, your life being signed away the moment you shattered the Life Harp, and you will have only this one week of life left before you join the Undead."
Midos took off the crystal ring and handed it to Caesian, who took it with the barest smiles on his face. Then, as Caesian slipped it on, Midos let out a smile of his own.
"So enjoy this week, Kite."
Caesian snapped, and the slavery band shot a small lance of pain into his skull, making his eyes bulge. Under the jeers of the guards and the barely veiled loathing of Caesian, he convulsed.
The pain lessened, then. Midos repeated his demand for Culus to leave for the taskmaster, to get his first orders of many. Culus could only crawl to the door as he was laughed at by all in the room… well, all except for Eve, who was looking at everything with a horrified look on her face.
She didn't do anything to stop it, not that he expected her to do anything to cross the king… but she clearly didn't enjoy seeing him suffer like all of the other guards. She held something resembling sympathy toward him. And something about that gave Culus the strength for one last thing.
As he was about to cross the threshold, he shot one last glare at Midos. Though he knew his voice wouldn't carry that far, the pure emotion, the thought behind his words would carry the message much farther. And more than that… Eve would hear as well.
"My name isn't Kite… it's Culus."
And as the pain from the slavery band engulfed him and he fell, he finally saw Midos frown.
Worth it.
"It's not that big," Helios muttered, as the various guards spoke in hushed voices around him, talking in awe about the magnificent splendor and size of the castle. "The way Uncle was talking about it you'd think that it's bigger than Mt. Roost, but it's just some normal castle."
Next to him, Slate whistled. "But it is taller than our castle," he remarked, causing Helios to grimace. Unfortunately, it was taller than Castle Etna, something that boiled Helios' blood.
"Well, then, it's filthy," he said, snorting a small puff of smoke. "Cleaning all of that stone and metal would take ages, and that's if you have the right Pokemon for the job!"
"Quiet!" Uncle Theus hissed, looking at him with a measure of disappointment. He and Aunt Hessie had been discussing politics, only to be interrupted by Helios' loud declaration of the likely state of Regilia castle. "We need to be on our best behavior! What will other nations think of us, of you, if they hear you make such obtuse and rude remarks?!"
"I thought you said it couldn't get much worse after the dinner incident in Eonia?" Helios couldn't help but remind Uncle Theus. "After all, you said that spilling that drink on Lord Black nearly caused a 'diplomatic incident' and-"
"There's always potential for things to become worse, Helios," Uncle Theus snapped. "Don't pretend that I've said that. And Regilian royalty are much more concerned with their appearance than the Eons.
Helios would have said something, but suddenly found himself with an apple stuck in his mouth. He bit down and pulled the rest out. "Aunt Hessie, what the-"
"Don't speak with your mouth full!" She hissed. Helios rolled his eyes, then chewed and swallowed. "Finish that apple, you won't be getting anything else until supper."
Helios' eyes bugged out. "What?!"
"Hush!" Aunt Hessie whispered. "We will be guests at Eonia Castle and are here to make an impression and show that Dragnian royalty is the height of nobility and discipline. That means that you can't beg for food, or order a servant to get you any! We must be seen as the height of strength while we're here for the Twin Moon Ball."
Helios rolled his eyes while chewing on the apple. "Balls are just big dance parties, right? What's so important about this one?" He mumbled through his chewing, just to irritate her.
Aunt Hessie and Uncle Theus, though, had stopped paying attention to him again, returning to discussing politics. With a sigh, Helios turned to Slate. "This is going to suck so much," he complained, coughing from accidentally inhaling a little apple. "Food only at mealtime, no pranks, nothing fun."
"Well, we're still going to do that," Slate reminded him, which cheered him up immensely. That's right - they were going to continue that spar from a few days ago! Unless Aunt and Uncle wanted to keep him locked up all day (they had tried that before and nearly went insane from his never-ending attempts to escape), he could explore the castle, and find a place where they could battle in peace.
Until then, though, he had to tough it out. Helios grimaced as he ate his apple. Lunch was only a short time ago, so he still felt full from it, and this apple was tasteless. Aunt Hessie would throw a fit if he threw it away before finishing, though.
Honestly, this was torture!
While he ate, Slate looked at Ascendance Palace. "Still, Helios, look at the palace! Look at how high that spire reaches! Do you think it's as high as Mt. Roost?"
Helios snorted. "Nothing reaches as high as Mt. Roost. Be real, would you?" But, in all honesty, Ascendance Palace came close. It had a very wide base, where everything important was, and the tall spire, which housed the throne room. Supposedly, all the height was born from each successive ruler of the Palace, who added any number of floors to it. With the addition of the new floors came the lifting and extension of the 'Tower of Chandeliers', whatever that was.
Ascendance Palace reached high into the heavens above, and neither of them could really see the top of it. It made for an imposing sight. They had entered the Palace's shadow many, many miles ago. One thing was for sure - the Regilians were good at making themselves look important.
"This Twin Moon Ball… why do we have to go again?" Helios muttered, feeling a little small.
"The guards say that this meeting's really political," Slate answered. "All sorts of trade deals go on in the days prior to the Ball - last year Regilia agreed to export 10% more steel to Dragnis in exchange for more charcoal…"
Helios yawned. "Okay, I get it, important adult 'trade' stuff. Why here? Why before a ball?" Balls were the most boring thing imaginable. No games, nothing to do but dance or talk to girls who were obviously told by their royal mummies and daddies to suck up to him. No one fun was there, and all he could do was dance to whatever decrepit song the band played.
Slate shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. Still, from the sound of it, Dragnis has gone to it ever since they've been important enough to be considered a real kingdom, so it probably has nothing to do with us specifically."
Great, it was tradition - the stupidest word and idea ever invented! Who cared if you followed 'the path of your ancestors'? As long as you did what was good and right, the dead people could stay dead. No point in bringing them back up again!
Finally, they made it to the front door of Ascendance Palace. The Regilian guards, cloaked in their pink uniforms, saluted. "Welcome, king of Dragnis!" They bowed deeply. Uncle Theus nodded, and the guards quickly opened up the doors. "Please, enter!"
They all slowly walked in. Once they were out of earshot, Aunt Hessie came down to whisper at Helios's ear. "Helios, pay attention to what your uncle does and learn from it. Remember, once you come of age, this will be your responsibility."
Helios nodded dutifully. "Of course, Aunt Hessie." But when she turned away to face forward and continued strutting in her Aunt Hessie way, Helios rolled his eyes. Slate shot him an amused look, which Helios returned with a grin. Like he'd actually pay attention. He had enough etiquette and manners classes back at home, he didn't need to bother himself with more than that.
Still, the inside of Ascendance Palace was much cleaner than he had thought. The walls were immaculate, though servants still rushed around to clean any iota of dust and dirt, quickly bowing respectfully as they passed by. Uncle Theus gave them no heed, though Aunt Hessie smiled and nodded her head as they passed by. That was their shtick, the image they wanted to present - Uncle Theus was strong and stalwart, while Aunt Hessie was kind and matronly.
Helios ignored them all. All of the servants looked stressed enough as it was, and Helios had nothing to say or do to them. If he said the wrong thing to them and the royalty heard of it, there would be hell to pay from Uncle Theus and Aunt Hessie.
Winding their way through the corridors, tapestries, and one strangely shaken Chatot that was leading a choir of equally shaken Wiggyltuff, they all eventually made their way to a throne room with giant gaudy doors. The guards, bowing, opened the doors for Uncle Theus. Slowly, they walked inside.
Once they were inside, Helios whistled. The Tower of Chandeliers was humongous - Helios could only see the bottom layer but knew that there were many, many more above him. Next to him, Slate shifted around nervously. Helios elbowed him, and Slate straightened up with a rigid stance, staring straight at the ground as to not look at the dizzying chandeliers above him.
King Midos, a pretentious Gallade, stood on the dais where this throne rested, the renowned general Caesian standing next to him. Caesian's eyes were trained firmly on all of them, as though he were immediately trying to gauge which of them were threats.
Midos put a hand on his arm. "At peace, Caesian. All of them have good hearts and are under no control." Caesian slowly relaxed, before crinkling his mouth into a half-hearted attempt of a smile.
Uncle Theus strode forward. "Excellent to see you in good spirits, Midos." He stuck out his hand. "May your tower grow ever higher."
"May your flame burn ever brighter," Midos turned to the servants. "Prepare Sections A through D of the servants' quarters for them,"
"It is already ready, your Majesty." the servant responded instead.
Midos nodded. "I see…." Midos turned back to Uncle Theus. "My apologies, but I would like to start discussions once, at the very least, the delegation from Eonia shows up."
Uncle Theus tilted his head. "Amenable," he stated. "I hope that you have provided entertainment. Perhaps one of your musicians can play a ditty on the Life Harp for us"
For the briefest of seconds, a pained look appeared on Midos' face, before it was wiped away. "The Life Harp is undergoing maintenance, and can't be played at this time. If it would please you, I shall send one of my younger daughters to host you."
Uncle Theus curled his lip. "No need," he stated. "We can provide our own entertainment." The two monarchs stared at each other before Midos nodded and turned back to the bowing servants. "Very well. Please, lead the good Dragnians to their chambers."
The servants nodded. "Of course, your Majesty"
"Does that mean that after that there'll be nothing to do?" Helios whispered worriedly. Slate shrugged, leaving Helios dumbfounded and a little upset. This would be the worst vacation ever!
After the servants led them through the hallways to their chambers, they bowed. "Please, if you have any requests, make them known. All the servants in Ascendance Palace are yours to use for the duration of your stay."
"There's no need," Aunt Hessie smiled and bowed. "Thank you for all your help."
"It's out duty ma'am," one of the servants said while hiding a blush. Helios raised his eyebrows. Was the servant… no way… "We must be on our way - oh, but there is something that must be said before we leave."
"Yes?"
"There is a certain… servant. A Shinx, by the name of Kite. If you are to meet him, please, give him the most difficult, painful, or tedious orders you can think of."
"... excuse me?" Aunt Hessie said, the polite composure falling to pieces.
"He is under punishment for a past misdeed, one that the king needed to personally address. Punishing him is under the collective responsibility of the palace. Please just keep that in mind." The servants bowed. "Have a good day, ma'am." Then they left, closing the door quickly behind them.
Immediately, the guards began whispering to each other, nervous. Uncle Theus raised his voice above the din. "Quiet!" They all fell silent. "The trip has been long and arduous. Hesione and I will be retiring to the bedroom until supper. Keep watch and stay silent until then." Then Uncle Theus turned to him. "Helios, behave yourself. Don't embarrass Dragnis in front of the Regilians, or I will be meting out punishment personally."
"... yes, Uncle." Helios sighed but nodded.
Uncle Theus sighed. "I hope you will," he said, before stretching. "Hessie, I want to try that-"
That was all Helios heard before Aunt Hessie closed the door behind them, leaving Helios, Slate, and the rest of the guards outside.
Helios quickly hatched a plan. "Well, I'm beat," he stated, rolling his shoulders. Slate looked at him questioningly. "Hey, do you guys mind if I take a nap?"
The guards looked at each other. He had never asked this question before - usually, he would just bother them for hours on end. "... no?" One of them eventually stated.
"Great. Don't bother me until suppertime." That would give him and Slate enough time.
Slate raised an eyebrow and was about to say something when he caught Helios' wink. Then he stayed silent. Helios closed the door behind him and locked it, before turning off the lights and climbing to the window.
Just as he thought - a latch. He pried it open and felt the cold Regilian air on his scales. Much less enjoyable than the crags of Mt. Roost or the lava of Hela Volcano - but he could tolerate it for a minute or so.
He went back to the bed and got some pillows. The blankets and sheets were fireproof like guest blankets traditionally were, so Helios fluffed some pillows, arranged them under the large and thick blanket to make it seem like he was completely cocooned in blankets, and lit one of the candles before placing it where his tail would be.
Looking at it from a distance, it looked like he was just napping under the blanket. Now no one would bother him, and he could escape for as long as he wanted! It was foolproof!
Helios climbed out of the open window and stood on the small overhang. Helios was no fan of sneaking around, but drastic times called for drastic measures. He quietly closed the window. Then he started shimmying to one of the windows a long way away from the windows of his temporary bedroom. He bumped his tail into the window around seven times, making him wince, but he eventually managed.
After a minute, he arrived. He tried to open the window - and it was locked. Crap.
Helios was about to shimmy back and think of a new plan (Slate would understand) when he saw a small tail whipping around. Quickly, he thought of another brilliant plan.
He tapped the window several times, and the tail whipped around again. Quickly, Helios moved out of sight. Slowly, the window opened. Then it closed again. Helios shimmied back to the window and tapped on it again, before scurrying out of sight once more. A minute later, the window opened, then slowly closed.
Helios peeked into the room. There was no one there. He slowly opened the now-unlocked window and jumped inside. Persistence pays off - not that his genius didn't play a role, of course.
"Hello," a quiet voice said next to him. Helios jumped and whipped around. A Shinx servant was standing there, looking at him with curious yet intense eyes.
"I - who are you?!" Helios demanded, before looking around quickly. "Has anyone else seen me?"
"As far as I know, it's only been me," the Shinx answered. "You didn't move your tail out of way in time the second time you rapped on the window. Since you piqued my curiosity, I decided to let you in."
There was an awkward silence. Helios couldn't believe he was so stupid as to forget to hide his tail. Of course, only a criminal would be good at sneaking around. He wouldn't have done it if there weren't circumstances forcing him to do it to get some sparring in.
Then Helios remembered what the servants had told him.
"Are you Kite?" Helios asked, looking at the Shinx with wide eyes.
"..." The Shinx stayed silent.
"Are you? Answer me!"
"... if that's what you wish to call me," he eventually said in the most ambiguous way Helios could imagine.
"And you pissed off the king?!"
"Yes," Kite said much more easily. "Not that I wished to."
A Shinx named Kite, one with enough bravery to anger the king and not look scared. Helios remembered what the servants that had shown them to their rooms had said - this had to be the same Pokemon. They were allowed to punish him… what would Kite do if Helios ordered him to do something?
"Kite, balance your body on your front paws."
Kite winced and shivered. Something at the base of Kite's tail lit up. With a sigh, Kite nodded. He slowly backed up to the wall and placed his hind legs on it. Then, crawling backward, he slowly balanced himself on his forepaws. Helios stared as Kite grimaced and unsteadily shook in the unnatural position.
It was true! Kite would obey any punishment - any order - that Helios gave him!
"Kite, go to the Dragnians' chambers, and request for Slate!" Now he wouldn't have to talk to the guards and could get Slate here easily! Things were looking great all around!
Then Kite did something he didn't quite expect. Instead of getting down and walking like a normal Pokemon, Kite steadily tottered forward on his forelegs, wincing every time he stepped on his right leg… that was in a cast.
"Get down!" Helios ordered, a small flash of concern flashing through him. Kite immediately flopped to the ground, hind legs crashing on the stone ground. "Why were you walking on your forelegs?"
"You told me to balance my body on my front paws," Kite answered. "I couldn't get down from there until you told me to." Kite cracked his neck a few times then walked to the door. "His name was Slate, right?" Helios mutely nodded, still trying to process what happened. "Good, I'll be back as soon as I can." Then Kite left.
Helios was left with a strange feeling in his stomach. Kite was obeying orders that were ridiculous. Yet there wasn't any protest before Kite did exactly what Helios wanted him to do. For goodness sake, his leg was in a cast - that meant it was injured, right? Shouldn't he at least argue, or at least get down?
What was making him obey his orders? And what was with the cavalier attitude he held toward, well, everything?! Kite opened the window even when he didn't know it was Helios (would he do it for a thief?), and went straight from order to order, with no frown on his face!
The door opened again, and Kite walked in, Slate next to him. "I brought Slate-" Helios ignored Kite, and instead grinned at Slate. Enough thinking about Kite - time for the spar!
"Looks like we've found the place." Helios turned to Kite. "No one will come here for a while, right?"
Kite frowned. "Cleaning this room for the next hour is my job." He stated plainly. "No one will come here for that long at least."
"Excellent!" Helios rubbed his hands together. "Then we have the perfect place for our spar! Kite, I'm feeling a little hungry, so while we're sparring, go get us a snack or two! And don't tell anyone about me!" That would keep everything a little secret and would get Kite out of the room so he and Slate could have some fun.
"Fine," Kite nodded, before leaving, closing the door behind him. Soon, he and Slate were alone in the room.
"Isn't it great, Slate?" Helios smiled. "Free snacks whenever we want, someone that'll keep our secrets, and-"
"Are you sure you can trust him?" Slate asked, causing Helios to lose excitement. "He's a Regilian - and more than that, he's the one that the servants told us about. The one that angered the king, the one everyone is free to punish themselves. What do you have to do to be punished by everyone?"
Helios waved his hand. "As long as someone else doesn't order him to do something against what I want, we can trust him. He'll obey any order I give him."
"Why?" Slate asked.
"... what?"
"Why trust him over the other servants?"
"Because he can't disobey me. If I tell him to say nothing, then he won't say anything to his superiors. Not of his own accord, at least." Helios shook his head. "But anyway, let's not talk about that weird servant - after all, we can spar now!" Now he could actually have fun!
Helios fell to the ground, his ankle twisting under the large weight in was under.
He was not having fun.
Immediately, Slate rolled to his feet. "Why did you try to pick me up?!" Slate demanded.
As a battle tactic. Slate had sat on Helios so the Sandstorm he had whipped up could take its course on him, buffeting him to exhaustion. Helios knew that Slate was trying to make it so that the injuries wouldn't be any gaping wounds (it was a very Slate thing to do), but the very idea of Slate not going all out incensed him. But with Slate on top of him, there was very little he could do otherwise.
So he did something very risky and, in retrospect, very stupid.
Helios couldn't answer as such, though, as he had forced his mouth shut to stop the immediate impulse to scream. His foot had twisted ninety degrees and was sending rivers of pain into his soul. Tears started forming at Helios' eyes.
"H-Help!" He managed to force out after a second before those tears started falling. "S-Slate, help!"
"I - I…" Slate was dumbstruck. "I... "
"S-Slate… it hurts…" Helios moaned, cradling his foot. He knew Slate could do nothing - he was his bodyguard and friend but had learned nothing of first aid. Neither of them knew how to handle something like this.
"We - we have to take you to the infirmary," Slate said, gulping. He went forward to pick Helios up, but the second he jostled Helios the foot twisted a little more, and Helios bit his tongue harder. Slate immediately let go, wincing as it moved even more.
Neither of them knew how to handle something like this. The worst that had ever happened in one of their spars was a burn from a Dragon Rage or Ember. Helios shut his eyes in pain, feeling tears fall and wet snot dripping from his nose.
A familiar voice echoed through the room. "His ankle is sprained," Kite, back from his order, said in a neutral tone. "Give him this."
Helios couldn't see what was forced into his mouth - but as he chewed on it, he realized it was an Oran Berry. As he was fed a second one, the pain slowly lessened. Helios opened his eyes. Kite and Slate were staring at him. Slate had a deathly pallor on his face, as he shakily handed Helios the third berry. Kite was standing a little ways away, a box of food in his hand.
"We need to bring him to the infirmary - Madam Dia will know how to help him," Slate declared, shaking a little. Madam Dia was the healer that was accompanying them on their trip to Regilia, and was currently helping the Regilian state healers at the infirmary.
Helios shook his head. "No," he croaked. "You can't bring me there."
Slate stared. "Are you joking, Helios?" Slate said, his voice rising a pitch. "You need help - I'll go call Madam Dia to come here herself." Slate got up.
"N-No, they can't come! Aunt and Uncle will have fits once they see me like this!" Helios felt panic seize him when Slate made no attempt to stop and continued walking to the door. "Kite, stop him!"
Slate stopped. Something at the base of Kite's tail lit up again. Kite winced, as though something bit him, then started walking forward, eyes apologetic.
Instead of gearing up for a fight, Slate did something Helios didn't quite expect. "Kite, go and get Madam Dia from the infirmary," Slate ordered instead. Helios's blood ran cold as Kite walked past Slate - Slate could command things of Kite as well.
"Kite, stop!" He desperately commanded. Kite stopped, and for the first time, an irritated look appeared on his face.
Slate opened his mouth to give another order, and Helios did too, but the Kite shot the both of them the most withering of glares. Slate immediately fell silent, but Helios didn't.
"Kite, stay here, and ignore Slate's orders!" Helios commanded.
Kite didn't move, owing to the command, but he then shot Helios with a look. Helios felt his face heat up. "Why are you looking at me like that?!"
Kite just continued shooting one of the most withering glares Helios had ever seen toward him, one that just reeked of disappointment. Then, sighing, he turned to the door. "I have an alternative solution for medical care, Prince Helios," he stated. Slate narrowed his eyes, suspicious, but Helios' heart lifted.
"Tell me this alternative solution, Kite," he quickly demanded. He desperately wanted medical care, but Madam Dia would spill everything to Uncle Theus and Aunt Hessie the minute she got the chance. And Helios didn't want the pain of a lecture as well as this pulsing, throbbing pain.
"There's this healer I know," Kite explained. "She's normally very kind and considerate. I can't imagine her refusing to help you. And if you ask her to stay silent, I'm sure she will." Kite shook out the leg that was in a small cast. "She made this for me a few nights ago, so she'll be more than capable of helping you."
Helios slowly brought himself to stand on his good leg. "Kite, lead us to this healer of yours," he commanded. "And make sure that we aren't seen," he added as an afterthought.
"Alright," Kite answered with a neutral expression. "Follow me." Kite walked to the door and stood there waiting.
Slate walked over to Helios, allowing him to prop his weight on him. "Are you sure of this course of action, Helios?"
Helios nodded. "Kite will do what we say, so there's no harm." Kite couldn't be a threat to either of them. Slate didn't say anything and instead continued looking at Kite suspiciously. Still, acting as a crutch, he allowed Helios to move forward.
Kite opened the door. "The coast is clear for now, but make sure to stay vigilant," he warned.
For the next ten minutes, they slowly made their way through the castle. They were heading off into an empty wing, one that had rooms reserved for storage items and the occasional bathroom. Helios felt a little nervous, but stamped down on that as soon as he could - he was a Dragnian, they weren't afraid of something like this.
They arrived at a small black door. Kite knocked on the door several times.
A female's voice answered. "Who is it?"
"Me," Kite said. "I've brought someone that needs your help."
After barely a second, the door opened, and an Eevee popped out. "Culus, you came at the perfect time, now come here and help me rescue Selene."
Was 'Culus' Kite's nickname?
"What happened?" Kite immediately asked, craning his neck to look inside. "What happened to… oh," Kite then cracked a smile for the first time.
A muffled yet melodic voice resounded from inside the room. Helios felt something strange in him turn. "Eve, who's at the door?"
"It's Culus, the crown prince of Dragnis, and his bodyguard." Eve the Eevee looked at him and Slate. "You are his bodyguard, right?"
"Yes," Slate nodded. He slowly walked inside and let Helios fall into one of the chairs. Now in a better position, Helios could see the entire room. Filled with imagery of dance positions and anatomical charts, Helios was left more confused than anything.
Slate, Kite, and Eve stood by the bed. It was a little askew from the wall - and other than a few playing cards on it, it looked normal.
"So, how did Selene fall under the bed?" Kite asked, the smile still wide on his face.
"Well, Selene's teacher was busy helping Dia - some Dragnian healer - get accustomed to the infirmary, so she got the day off, and we decided to play cards. Then one of the cards fell into the crack between the bed and the wall and Selene went to… oh, it's not important! Look, we have to get her out of there," Eve looked at Kite critically. "Still, with your injury… Gible!"
"Yes?" Slate answered.
"Help us with the bed, we'll need your help," she commanded. Slate nodded, before grabbing one of the bed's posts. Kite grabbed another with his one good paw, with Eve coming to help him after a short while. "On three! One… two… three!"
With a large heave, they pulled the bed from the wall, opening the gap a little bit. A small hand appeared on the side of the bed - then another. And then she pulled herself up.
Helios's breath caught. That… that Pokemon. Helios didn't know what species she was - she looked a little bit like a Budew here, a Petilil there, but was black and purple, had translucent butterfly wings, and luminous white eyes.
Helios's heart beat faster. What… he was feeling strange…
The strange Pokemon - Selene - got up from the side of the bed. "Thank you," she said after brushing herself off. "It was getting a little cramped inside there." She turned to Slate. "Thank you, er…"
"Slate," he answered dryly.
Selene curtsied. "Thank you, Slate. Oh, and you too Culus." She added as an afterthought, nodding to him, a little curter.
"Don't mention it."
She then turned to Helios. "Are you the crown prince, your Nobility?" She asked with what Helios could tell was utmost politeness.
"My name is Helios," he stated, feeling a small heat rise up his face. "Your name is Selene, right?"
Selene nodded, while already examining Helios's foot. "Can you tell me what happened?" She said after a few seconds.
Helios coughed, a sense of shame rising deep within him. It hadn't been one of his more proud losses. "I twisted my ankle during a battle," he said after a few seconds. "I put too much weight on it and it…" he fell silent, cursing his inadequacies.
Selene clucked. "Please be more careful," she said while pulling out a tube of orange paste. "Stay still," she ordered, before squeezing a dollop of the paste onto her hands and massaging it onto his ankle.
Helios shivered as the healing paste soothed him of the pain and started working on his wound. "How long will it take for it to heal?" He asked.
"Several days," Selene answered promptly. "Although that's with only a little agitation - more, and the healing process will take up to a week or two."
Helios's face went ashen. "I… um…" What could he say, what could he say?!
Slate came to the rescue. "There are some tasks that Helios will need to do that need him at top capacity. Is there any way you could expedite the process to a few hours?" Right, suppertime...
Selene shook his head. "I can push some healing energy into it to make the process go by slightly faster, but it will take at least a couple of days for his ankle to heal." She bowed. "I'm sorry, Prince Helios, but I'm not skilled in advanced healing energies."
There was a small silence.
"... thank you," he said after a short while. Selene smiled haphazardly. "If there's anything I can do to repay you…"
Selene shook her head. "I don't like being paid for healing," she explained. "But please, come again. I'd love to see you two more."
Helios' heart leaped into his throat. "O-of course!" He could do that much at least.
Selene smiled. "Then there's one more thing I should give you." She fluttered her wings a few times, then flapped herself into the air unsteadily. Slowly, she floated up to her shelf of medical supplies and grabbed a small blue tube. She fluttered back down to Helios's side. "This is some Oran Paste. It isn't as strong as the Sitrus Paste but will speed it up a little bit. Apply it once every six hours." She then looked at Slate. "Make sure he does it, understand?"
Slate nodded. "Of course, Madam Selene." He turned to Kite and Eve, who had been talking in the corner. "Thank you, Kite, for bringing us here, and for all your help." He bowed. "You truly are a good man."
The temperature of the room dropped. An incredibly awkward silence hung around, and Kite looked away. Selene said nothing, not meeting Slate's eyes. Eve looked at Slate in curiosity.
"... did I say something amiss?" Slate asked, looking a little perplexed.
"... Culus - 'Kite' - is a criminal," Eve said eventually. "After the Twin Moon Ball, he will be exported to an international prison on charges of theft and murder."
Helios felt his blood freeze. Slate blinked, slowly picking apart what Eve said. Then his eyes sharpened, and he went on guard, looking at Kite with unblinking eyes. There were no words said, but Helios knew that the small bud of a friendship between them had evaporated. And Helios didn't want a friendship with Kite anymore, either. He didn't even want to be in the same room as him.
He had been ordering around a charged criminal, a murderer. The servants had told them to order Kite around and give him the most painful punishments imaginable, and Helios now knew why. What if Kite was planning to kill them now?!
Kite, after a few seconds, went to the door.
"Where are you going?!" Slate immediately asked with narrowed eyes and a curt voice.
"I have to continue cleaning that room. Considering the state that you two left it in, I have a lot of work to do. Goodbye, Prince Helios, Slate. It was nice meeting you." The door closed softly behind him.
