The river led to Pinnaleis, as Culus had expected. Unfortunately, he wasn't allowed to rest as much as he wanted to due to the twists, turns, and slopes the river took on its path to the port town. By the time Culus reached Pinnaleis, his bum was somehow both sore and numb, his legs ached from the amount of course correction he had to do, and his mind was buzzing with fatigue.
The river, however, didn't directly lead into Pinnaleis. Instead, it led to an estuary where it merged with the ocean. As Culus approached the estuary, the ice grew thinner until it turned to salty ocean water ahead of him. Culus took the opportunity to leave the icy top of the river and clawed his way to the river bank, heaving breaths.
For a few hours, Culus must have slept there, exhausted from staying awake for the whole trip on the river. He woke up soon enough, though, and after scrounging around for some wild berries for breakfast, he took a look at the tall walls of Pinnaleis.
How was he going to get into Pinnaleis? Off to the side, he saw a Toxicroak and a fatigued Deino standing guard over the gate. He could fight his way in, but that was his last resort. Having the alarm bells raise immediately would stop him from stowing away on a supply ship. That, and he had no way past the gate's iron bars.
Culus didn't think he could sneak his way in, either. He couldn't climb the steep walls. Even if he could, the guards would find him quickly and arrest him. Culus didn't know how far down the foundations of the walls went either, so digging was a no-go as well.
Culus didn't have any skills that would help him. His creation, while strong, was limited. It couldn't make anything overly complicated without draining his stamina. Wider varieties of materials drained him as well. The drain on his energy was also proportional to the size of the object he made - the more massive, the more of a drain.
Nails and needles were easy to make since they were small, simple, and had only one material. The mirror was the exact opposite.
He had attempted to make cloth in the castle and was dumbfounded at how much energy it took. The weaves in it made it very complicated to create, and the number of different materials in a single thread was hard enough. And since cloth was only useful in large quantities, the size was an issue. The fabric he had made in the castle was the size of his paw, yet it left him falling to the ground in exhaustion.
The only choice he had was to wait. But then, how long would he have to wait? It wasn't like there was a massive queue of Pokemon waiting their turn to be let in. He was the only person at this gate that came today. Judging by the utter boredom in the Deino's eyes, this was what usually happened.
Eventually, Culus decided on a risky plan of action. Taunt the guards into opening the gate by revealing himself. Since he was a fugitive, they had come to arrest him. Then he'd quickly hide and sneak inside.
It was a stupid plan, but it was a plan. Nothing else held the slightest chance of working.
Culus walked up to the front gate. "Let me in," he commanded.
The Deino looked at him incredulously, then in shock. The Toxicroak looked at him oddly. "Then hand over your papers."
"I have none," Culus said clearly, feeling more stupid by the minute. "Let me in anyway."
The Toxicroak raised an eyebrow. "No."
"You'd better open the gate.." Time to turn to offense. He would give them a negative view of his character through insults, then reveal that he's a fugitive. That would make them raise the gate to attack him, allowing him to slip inside before they could react. "Otherwise, I'll make your life a living nightmare."
The Toxicroak shot sludge at him, irritated. Culus dodged, then returned the favor with a Thundershock. The Toxicroak dodged that, snorting.
"Kid, do you want to cause trouble?" The Toxicroak asked irritably.
"No. Now let me in." Time to reveal it. "After all, I'm a-"
"Ugh, this is pointless," the Toxicroak said. "Kapun, open the gate."
Culus blinked. "What?" Kapun (the Deino) asked the same thing, looking at the Toxicroak incredulously.
"This brat has a big mouth," the Toxicroak muttered. "Watch the gate while I beat the crap out of him."
"I'm not sure that's-"
The Toxicroak turned on him. "Kapun, open the gate."
Kapun sighed. "Yes, sir." Kapun looked at Culus (at least, Culus thought he did, the hair over Kapun's eyes made it hard to tell) with scrutiny before lifting the gate.
Culus smiled and launched into a Quick Attack, intending to ignore the Toxicroak entirely and run as far into the city as he could to lose them. However, he didn't get three steps forward before the Toxicroak shot forward and slammed a Poison Jab into Culus's gut.
Culus doubled over, heaving in pain as poison started circulating through his system. The Toxicroak stepped back with a sigh.
"Now that felt nice and exciting, after all of today's boredom." In his pain, Culus saw Kapun lower the gate again. Slowly, Culus stood up, glaring daggers at the Toxicroak.
"Still up for more?" Logically, Culus knew that he had nothing to gain from fighting, and this stupid plan had already failed. Emotionally, Culus didn't give a damn. He was sick of being pushed around like a box of toys.
Culus wreathed himself in a Charge, revitalizing his electricity. The Toxicroak grinned.
"Alright, then. Suit yourself." The Toxicroak shot forward again, and Culus was barely able to track his movements. Culus instinctually lunged to the side as the Toxicroak struck where he had been earlier. Then he rolled as the Toxicroak attacked unsuccessfully again before he finally countered with a Bite on the Toxicroak's arm.
The Toxicroak slammed him to the ground, attempting to force him to let go. But Culus only clenched his fangs down harder in his Bite, and while the Dark-type energy did little to affect the Toxicroak, it didn't take long for Culus to draw blood.
Culus, bloodied and battered, grinned before letting loose a Thundershock.
The Toxicroak screamed in pain as the Thundershock ignored his skin and went straight for his internal organs. Culus let go as the Toxicroak spasmed. Exhausted and hungry, Culus watched as the Toxicroak slowly stood up, anger in his eyes. Culus readied to continue the fight.
Then the Toxicroak smiled. "Oh… that was a good fight." He rolled his arms around, wincing in pain. "You want to get in, brat?"
Culus blinked as Kapun widened his eyes in protest, watching the scene as it occurred. "Yes?"
"Do you have any place to stay?"
Culus had been planning to stowaway on a boat immediately. "No," he admitted.
"Then do you want to join us?"
"... what?"
The Toxicroak spread his arms. "Captain Admer lets any vagabond, miscreant, and crook in his forces as long as they can fight a good fight and know the pecking order. You can fight a good fight, and it'd be a waste placed elsewhere."
Culus was having trouble following. "You… want me to be a part of your army?"
"Of course. Though, if you refuse, Kapun and I will strike you down right here." The Toxicroak left no room for argument.
Considering how hungry and exhausted he was, Culus could only say one thing.
"Fine. I accept."
The Toxicroak made Kapun guard the gate, with orders not to let anyone in until he returned. In the meantime, the Toxicroak led Culus through Pinnaleis.
For a port town, it was surprisingly bleak and dreary. Most of the citizens glared at him as he passed (which he had come to accept as ordinary), but none of them said anything as he and the Toxicroak passed.
The Toxicroak snorted as he saw Culus gape at the citizens' reactions. "Oh, you're surprised? Come in expecting fanfare and applause?"
Culus looked at him oddly. "Of course not. But what's with all of the loathing?"
"Ah, so you're ignorant." Culus seethed as the Toxicroak laughed mockingly. "But then again, you challenged me. What was I supposed to expect from an idiot like you?"
Culus unsheathed his claws but then pushed them back in with some effort. He had an opportunity to get into Pinnaleis, and he wasn't going to let his temper get the best of him. He had to control his emotions.
At that, an odd calm came over him, and his emotions wiped away. "If you think of me as an idiot, you'll find yourself sorely mistaken," he corrected offhandedly.
The Toxicroak looked at him derisively, but Culus could no longer bring himself to care. He was more concerned with this odd calm of his than anything else. The minute he wished himself to be calm, his emotions abandoned him, leaving him with serenity. It wasn't something he had expected to happen, as random, out-of-the-blue wishes don't tend to come true.
Once he completed that thought, he turned to the Toxicroak. "Regardless, some extra information would help. Why exactly am I hated here?" Had his notoriety traveled this far already? Perhaps teleporters were involved. If so, then the Toxicroak may be leading him into a trap. If so, it may be a trap which he wouldn't be able to escape.
"It's not you that they're glaring at."
Culus blinked, surprise penetrating his calm slightly. "Why is that?"
The Toxicroak waved it off. "You'll see soon enough. They'll hate you as much as they hate me in a week, mark my words."
A week? Culus would have already left on a ship in a week''. "I see." He commented in the most neutral tone he could form, the calm already fleeting from him.
They approached the center of the city. More Pokemon wore the Toxicroak's strange uniform, a navy blue suit with wave-patterned lapels and shell-shaped badges. Some were standing around and joking, while others were keeping guard. Culus took note of a strange, small percentage of them. Their eyes, faces, and demeanors were perpetually calm. One of the jokers elbowed a strange one in the ribs, and there was no reaction past an initial wince.
The Toxicroak dragged him inside. "If you want to make friends with the slackers, that's fine by me, but now you need to talk to Kenki to see if he approves of you."
Culus raised an eyebrow. "Kenki? Who's that?"
The Toxicroak looked at him oddly. "How much do you know about the recent events in Pinnaleis?"
Culus winced. "Very little, I'm afraid. I haven't caught up to recent events and came here for personal reasons."
"Do your research next time," the Toxicroak muttered. "Kenki, far more widely known as the Pirate Captain Admer, is the usurper of Pinnaleis. We sailed in on our ships and took over the entire city. He controls all trade, all laws, all businesses, and us. He is the authority, and you're lucky I'm highly ranked enough to request a meeting with him."
Culus blinked, taking it all in slowly. "Huh." As he processed the information, something came to mind. "He controls the trade?"
"Yup. All ships coming in and out are his ships. No ships sail without his permission. He controls the economy, and trade falls under that umbrella."
"How often do the ships sail?"
"Oh, once every week, week and a half, etc." The Toxicroak waved his hand. "It'll be a week or so until the ships return." A week? In reality, it wasn't that much time, but the longer he stayed in Vidnes, the more he risked Regilia popping by and finding him. He'd have to be patient for a small while, but if he became a member of Kenki's gang and thus could get on the ship, then escaping would be easy. "Any particular reason you want to know?"
"Just wondering how often we'd have to be careful," Culus redirected.
"Don't worry about that. You'll be in an entry position, and we don't trust potentially traitorous rookies on trade ships." The Toxicroak laughed grossly. "After all, we wouldn't want Regilia on our ass for a failed shipment, would we? We're already on thin ice for taking over the city." Culus honestly agreed, for different reasons. While the reasoning was sound enough, the need to scale the ranks first irked him. He'd have to excel to be trusted, and that took time.
They reached a room in the center of the third floor. The Toxicroak's twisted expression turned neutral as he knocked on the door. "Lieutenant Dokur, requesting an audience."
There was a silence, and Dokur winced. A few seconds later, a voice commanding authority came through the door. "Enter." Dokur opened the door and stepped inside, and Culus walked in after him.
Culus immediately froze as a large, battle-worn Samurott stared him down. Tiny little nicks and scars dressed his body, merging into larger lesions that discolored his body. His seamitars were cracked and broken, even as new scales grew to replace them. All but his frontal horn were sanded down by the edge of time, while the last horn and claws were as sharp as knives. Battle had tempered the Samurott throughout its life.
However, the most significant proof of that fact wasn't in his body. As Culus made eye contact with him, he saw flashes of different thoughts (recognition, annoyance, contemplation, and a hint of interest) before they were all washed away by pure judgment and supreme confidence.
After a few seconds of staring each other down, the Samurott turned to Dokur. "Explain why you've left your post at the entry and brought this criminal here."
Culus tensed a little, even as the weight of the Samurott's voice crashed on him like a waterfall. They referred to him as a criminal, meaning it was likely they knew him as Kite.
Dokur briefly looked at Culus with veiled confusion before returning his gaze. "This Shinx demanded entry, and when I refused, he attacked. I defeated him, but he put up a strong fight. I reasoned that he would waste his unique battle prowess if I left him alone, so I offered him a position, Captain." Dokur's voice held no snark or snide when he gave the altered report.
The Captain (no, he must be Kenki) looked at Dokur with disdain. "So you viewed yourself as a recruiter, Dokur? Thought that any old fighter was worth leaving your post?"
Dokur quailed for a microsecond before his eyes shifted to Culus and then back to Kenki. "I'm no recruiter, but he's competent. As I said, any other decision would be a bigger waste of time than leaving the Deino to hold the fort." As he said that, Dokur realized that he had slipped into the rougher and more natural way of speaking as Kenki maintained his silence. Dokur said nothing else, however, and continued looking at Kenki.
After a few more seconds of silent pressure, Kenki chuckled. "Nice to see your spine's back," he remarked dryly. Dokur sighed with relief and unconsciously fell into a more relaxed position. "I imagine you made your decision without knowing this particular Shinx's circumstances."
Dokur crossed his arms, confused. "Circumstances? Dokur took an odd look at Culus.
Kenki reached into one of his desk drawers and pulled out a wanted poster, one that had his face plastered over it. The news had reached Pinnaleis. "This Black Star criminal looking familiar to you, Kite?"
Culus said nothing as Dokur, gobsmacked, turned to him. "Black Star? You're a Black Star?" A memory of what that meant flooded into Culus's head, and he grimaced. That meant he was a criminal to be apprehended at any cost. They weren't holding anything back, were they? "But you're so weak! How'd a punk like you become a Black Star?"
"I murdered a guard and broke the Life Harp." The words, as usual, fell out of his lips without his control. "I was attempting to steal it but was stopped by a guard. In the fight, I broke it by accident."
Kenki snorted, even as Dokur went still with shock. "So you aren't that strong, then. Still, to escape from Regilia, and even to get to the Life Harp in the first place… both reek of skill and untapped potential."
As Dokur collected himself, Kenki started tapping his scratched desk, apparently mulling a decision over. Culus decided to say something that he thought would influence Kenki's decision. "As long as you protect me, I'll do whatever you want me to do. I'm not against working with you at all, and I have a lot to offer."
Kenki snorted again, but a smile fell on his lips. "You say that, but you fell to Dokur."
"It was closer than he said it was." Dokur made it sound like a complete victory on his part, but Culus might have been able to beat him if the battle hadn't been interrupted by Dokur's proposition.
Dokur started to protest, but Kenki shut him up with a glare. Dokur glared back but said nothing. Kenki turned back to Culus. "We'll have to see that in action, Kite. Let's see if your claws can back up your claims."
Kenki turned to Dokur. "Go get Runt. If Kite passes my test, we'll need some illusions to cover up his identity." Dokur nodded and saluted, before leaving promptly.
Culus shifted around, readying himself. "You're going to test my combat potential, then?"
Kenki got out of his chair and stretched. Then he gestured to the clock, which was pointing roughly to half an hour before noon. "Last a minute, and you're in. Any shorter and you're on your own."
Culus crouched in a battle stance as a response. "I'm ready when you are." He was still aching a little from the battle with Dokur earlier, but he was ready to tussle with Kenki.
Kenki smiled. "Excellent." He pushed his desk aside. "On three," he commanded, readying one of his seamitars. "One… two…"
But instead of saying three, Kenki launched forward, and only Culus's reflexes saved him from bisection, barely managing to dodge an instant horizontal slice. Kenki didn't pause for a second, though, and shot a Hydro Pump just as Culus finished crouching.
Blasted away, Culus was sent flying through the air. Even as dazed and confused as he was, he managed to roll and land on his legs. That proved to be a saving grace as it allowed him to dodge a seamitar thrown like a harpoon by only a hair.
Kenki charged him, and Culus instinctually ran away with a Quick Attack, ending up on the other side of the room as Kenki stopped to pick up his sword. Culus's heart was beating loudly in his head, but he had enough sense to launch a Thunder Shock to buy even a second of time.
Unfortunately, it didn't work. Kenki batted the weak Thunder Shock away as he launched forward again, the attack not slowing him down a microsecond. However, the distance was enough for Culus to prepare to dodge the next sword slash, only to be blindsided by Kenki sheathing the seamitar mid-jump and batting him away with a thick leg.
Culus slammed into the wall and slid down, dazed. For some reason, Kenki let Culus collect himself, simply standing there with an idle look on his face.
Culus slowly stood up. "I'm… not done yet," he wheezed, readying himself for more.
However, the test didn't continue. "You're right, and I admire you for that." Kenki agreed, surprising Culus. "Nearly all of my underlings would have already fallen from that onslaught. I don't need to use the remaining forty-five seconds to know you're both talented and dedicated enough to be useful to me."
Culus staggered as he sluggishly caught up to what Kenki said. "So I… pass?"
Kenki grinned. "Absolutely. And until Dokur comes back with Runt, Jurentia involtas mulaties, adjutt benker signitz shutal."
"... huh?" Culus raised an eyebrow at the gibberish. "What was that-"
His question was interrupted by a loud knocking on the door. "Who is it?" Kenki asked without looking.
"It's me," Dokur responded with ease, opening the door. "Sorry it took so long. Runt was on break, and it took me a while to track him down." As Dokur entered, a puny Zorua entered. Abnormally small, they looked like they were only a couple of years old.
"Be quicker about it next time. There's only so much daylight to burn." Kenki asked, looking vaguely irritated.
Culus raised an eyebrow in confusion. "It's only been a minute," he remarked. "He wasn't gone for that long."
"A minute?" Dokur asked incredulously. "Kid, it's been half an hour!"
"Half an… hour?" Culus wordlessly looked at the clock, before stepping back, confused. "It… that can't be right," he protested. "It hasn't been that long!"
The clock was pointing to noon.
Thirty minutes… thirty minutes… that was impossible! They had started at 11:30, but the battle had lasted for less than a minute! Even if he accounted for the time it took for Kenki to pass him, that only would add thirty seconds, at most, to the total. Where had the other twenty-nine minutes gone?!
Was… was the clock wrong (wait, if the clock was wrong, then it would have been wrong when they started and wouldn't account for the time in the middle)? Was it going faster (no, Culus could see that it was going at normal speed, and Kenki wouldn't rely on a fast clock)? Did someone change the time when he wasn't looking?
Culus shook his head, trying to rid himself of the plague of questions. "I must have lost track of time," he said weakly. "My mistake."
Kenki frowned. "Fix it," he ordered. "Runt, you're paired with Kite over here. Give him a disguise and show him around. You'll be working with him on guard duty from here on out."
The puny Zorua nodded obediently. "Yes, sir. I'll perform admirably."
"Good. Now get to it, Runt." Kenki demanded. "Make sure he gets a uniform too."
"Yes, sir." Runt turned to Culus. There was a strange look in his eyes that Culus could almost place. "Let's go."
Without waiting for a response, Runt walked out the door. Culus followed after him, closing the door behind him.
As soon as the door closed, Runt's neutral face morphed to a severely pissed off one. "Great," Runt muttered quietly as they walked, low enough that the sound wouldn't travel through the door. "Now I'm on fucking guard duty again." Runt sighed, exasperated. "Fucking hell... "
Culus processed the complete turn-around in personality. "I'm… sorry?"
"None of your business, asshole." Runt threw him a glare. "Unless you're willing to quit and save me all the trouble."
"Don't count on it," Culus rebuked. Runt scowled but continued walking.
A minute or two later, Runt sighed. "Right, I'm supposed to put an illusion around you. You're Kite, that Black Star Shinx?"
"Yeah."
"Then hold still." Runt stopped walking, turning to Culus. "Let me get a good look at your features." He stayed still as Runt walked around him, inspecting his looks. "Too big to be a Skitty or Eevee, too small to be a Jolteon… yeah, that'll work."
Runt then stared at him, and Culus felt a shiver go down his spine. "All right, it's in place. It'll break if you or anyone else disrupts it, so don't fuck up and do something stupid like getting into a battle when I'm not with you." That was reasonable enough.
Though, if he was a Fire-type that couldn't use fire moves… "What do I look like now?" Culus pressed.
"An Electrike. We'll pass you off as a runt like I am." Rust smirked. "And I'll tell you now, it ain't easy being a runt around here."
An Electrike. He could work with that. The species fought differently, but Culus's style matched the Electrike kind more than the Shinx kind.
"There's more to a disguise than looks." Runt interrupted his thoughts. "But lucky you, your personality and speech ain't weird, and your past is easy enough."
"My past? How is that the part that's easy?"
"It can just be that stock-standard past around these parts." Runt then started detailing Culus's new past. "Your family's poor thanks to the Captain's takeover and you needed to get money to survive. You then swallowed your pride and asked to join. No one's going to ask you any more than that. Even if they do, you'll have been around Pinnaleis long enough to make up some bogus answer."
"... that's it?"
Runt snorted. "Don't put too much thought into it. How many times have you been asked every detail of your past before?"
"Not too often," Culus admitted. "Fine. What's left?"
"Your name. Can't use Kite, after all."
Culus smiled. "Easy, since that's not even my real name." Upon seeing Runt's confusion, he elaborated. "Regilia's king gave me the name 'Kite' since he didn't like my real name."
The look of confusion cleared up. "Ah, so your name is Culus, then."
Culus's smile melted. "How did you know that?"
"Because of that." They had stopped at the entrance of the base. On the far wall was a bulletin board with many notices and rules on it. A small section of it, though, was plastered with wanted posters. Runt had pointed to one poster with a big black star on top.
The poster had a picture of Culus's face and the fake name(the same picture as the wanted poster that Culus saw in Kenki's office), with several lines of descriptions below it. The descriptions stated that Culus was a thief and murderer, that he was working with two other criminals (Selene and Helios' guard Slate, a weird combination), and that he responded to the name of… Culus.
"... so my real name is unusable too."
Runt walked away from the bulletin board, leading him somewhere else. "Culus ain't that common of a name. If you've lived with two names, you can live with three."
Culus sighed. "Fine. I guess it's time to get a new name. Any ideas?"
Runt sneered. "You can always go by Runt, like I do. It'll fit your new look."
"No," Culus vetoed. "That'll make things confusing." Culus thought about it for a second. "How about 'Culite'?" Culus didn't want to put too much brainpower on something as trivial as a name, so mashing his two identities together would make things easier.
"Too tacky and weird," Runt shot down. "Slapping those parts of your names together makes you sound like a Rock-type. That, and it's too similar to your old names. You'll make a mistake and use one of them instead of the fake one. Think of something else."
Culus groaned. "You know what, I'll hand that off to you too. As long as it isn't stupid, I can work with it?"
Runt gave him an odd look. "You want me to choose? Seriously?"
Culus waved it off. "Like I said, if it isn't stupid or offensive, I can work with it. Just don't make it too crazy."
"Sure. Your name is now Flash." Runt didn't take a second to make the name.
"No, it's too stupid. Try again."
Runt, annoyed, rolled his eyes. "Picky. Electross?" Runt offered
Nope. "Sounds way too much like Eelektross. Might be offensive."
"You're not making this easy, Kite." Culus glared, which Runt returned. "Fine, I dunno, let's just combine words together and make some name out of it." Runt thought for a bit longer this time. "Let's use some sort of electricity word to start it. Watt, Amp, Volt… anything jump at you?"
Culus thought for a second. "Volt." Culus rolled it on his tongue, as the last one sounded nicer than the others. "Yeah, Volt."
"Fine, Volt. Let's add your species name to it too. Since your disguise is an Electrike, it can be… Voltelctric, Voltric, Manevolt… any of those sound good?"
"I'd prefer something Shinx-related, personally." Then it came to him. "Volux."
Runt thought it over. "Not against it," he agreed after some deliberation. "You sure?"
"Absolutely. My disguise's name is Volux."
Runt snorted. "Great, let's move on."
Culus, though, was still thinking on the topic of names. "Both Kenki and Dokur called you Runt. What's your actual name?" It had finally struck Culus that, though Runt fit his current companion's stature, Runt was probably a nickname.
Though, as Runt stopped halfway up the stairs they were climbing, Culus sensed he touched a nerve. "Runt. Everyone's called me Runt for my whole life, so there is no 'actual name'." The answer was delivered with a boatload of resentment.
"You resent it, huh?"
Runt laughed hollowly. "Obviously. Nobody really gives a shit, though, except to push my buttons."
Runt slowly started making his way up the stairs again, but Culus didn't. Something about Runt's sentiment resonated with him. "We just made a new name for me, so we can make one for you too."
Runt laughed again, hollower still. "Names don't matter unless that's what you're called, Volux. You can call me whatever the fuck you want, everyone else's still gonna call me Runt."
"So?"
Runt turned to stare at him incredulously. "'So?'? So what?"
Culus looked at him oddly. "So why do you care? It's clear that you hate the name Runt. If you're going to do it for anyone, do it for yourself." Culus snorted. "Do it out of spite, if you must, and give yourself a shred of dignity. You don't get any by letting them disrespect you, after all."
Runt didn't say anything for a solid minute, nor did they go anywhere. Runt just looked at Culus. His eyes reflected nothing but judgment.
"Know, at least, that as long as you respect me, I will respect you. Whatever name you decide on is what I'll call you. Runt, Flash, whatever. It's your choice."
"Why?" Runt asked, not moving an inch. "Why does it bother you so much?"
"Do you think I wanted the name Kite? Do you think I chose it?" Culus spat. "The king forced it on me against my will. It's the name of someone without the ability to choose their destiny. It's not me. Your name is what you want, not what I or anyone else want." Culus then locked eyes with Runt. "So, do you want to keep the name Runt? Because even if nobody but us acknowledges it, your name will be your decision."
Runt didn't respond. He just looked at Culus, thinking. Eventually, he turned around and climbed to the next floor. Culus didn't push for an answer and followed.
Runt didn't talk to him about names or anything personal for the rest of the tour. He found one of the uniforms for Culus (which felt a little uncomfortable) and showed him around. There was a tense atmosphere for every interaction.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Runt brought Culus to what looked like a set of barracks. "We'll sleep here. You're wanted, so we have to stick together until the heat dies down. Got it?"
Culus nodded. As they entered, Culus saw an empty cot to his right, with no decorations around it. "That's…"
"Where you'll be hitting the hay," Runt confirmed listlessly. "We'll have to do sentry duty at the gate tomorrow, and that starts early." Runt yawned. "Before you do, do you want to try your hand at some looting?"
Culus raised his eyebrows. "Looting?"
"Kenki put a curfew around Pinnaleis, don't ask me why. Violate it, and we're allowed to punish them however we want. Steal money and objects, take out your anger on some unlucky sap, or just fuck around. I do it whenever I'm bored."
"... that sounds fun and all, but I don't really see the point. I mean, anyone with any sense would just stay inside, right?"
"Yep, and that's why it stopped being fruitful after the first couple of weeks. Really, it's more just going wherever you want in Pinnaleis without having to worry about duty." That made a bit more sense. "Of course, there are always some idiots, so looting doesn't always give you empty hands at the end of the night."
Culus thought about it. "I still don't see the appeal.
Runt shrugged. "Whatever." Runt sat on the cot opposite to Culus's. "... so, any ideas?"
"On what?"
"... a name?" Runt said hesitantly.
Culus looked over. "So you've been thinking of a name, huh?"
Runt sighed. "It's… not easy, when it's your name, is it. I threw names around so easily earlier, but mine is a lot harder than I thought it would be… how does 'Crimson' sound?"
"Too tacky," Culus said, and Runt snickered a little. "No offense, but I think that'd fit some overdramatic Scizor than it would fit you."
"Yeah, figured as much." Runt sighed. "Live as a Runt, and it gets hard to be someone else." There was another small silence. "How about 'Claw' or 'Fang'?"
"That's even more tacky." Culus muttered, to which Runt snickered quietly. "Do you get paid as one of Kenki's men?"
Runt looked at him oddly. "I occasionally get pocket change when Kenki feels generous enough to share with the rest of his underlings. What about it?"
Time to dig a little deeper. "What do you spend it on?"
The confusion grew. "Why does that matter?"
"Eh, thought it might reveal enough of your personality to give me a better idea of what to call you," Culus explained.
"Ah," Runt tapped the frame of his cot thoughtfully. "Just the odd trinket or pie. There was one piece I particularly liked, a jade ring in a Hovetian port."
"How much did it cost?"
"More money than I've ever owned, that's for sure." Runt deadpanned. "I loved the way the light reflected off it, though, like the emerald sea at a rainbow sunset. I was tempted to steal it, but decided not to."
"Why? I would have taken it without a second thought." He'd almost taken that mirror.
Runt looked at the wall in contemplation. "Not sure. I just… eh… felt like it would lose its value and beauty if I just took it. If I were to ever have it, I'd want it fair and square."
"You think you'll ever find it again?"
Runt was silent for a bit. "Maybe… if it hasn't already been sold. I'd have to wait til Kenki swung by that port again. Then I'd have to find the merchant, and…"
"So it's not likely if things keep going the way they are." Culus surmised.
"Yeah, basically… " Runt said, a tinge of regret in his voice. Then a strange light glowed in his eyes. "Say… would the name 'Rowan' sound nice?"
"Rowan?"
"It was written on the inside of that jade ring. I always wondered who or what 'Rowan' was." Runt then smiled. "Why not let it be me?"
"It sounds nice," Culus admitted. "I think it's the name of a kind of tree, but it isn't as tacky as those other names you had come up with."
"Rowan… Rowan… yeah, that's my name." Runt (no, Rowan) declared.
Culus smiled. "Well, nice to meet you, Rowan."
Rowan didn't say anything and instead curled up on his bed. Rowan had left Culus alone with his thoughts again.
The day hadn't quite turned out as he had expected. He'd expected to sneak into Pinnaleis and keep moving like he'd been doing before. Instead, he was conscripted into the ranks of Kenki's group, fighting desperate battles and meeting Rowan (whose illusions he'd be relying on since even now they were still up around him), who he still didn't know too much about.
And then there were the missing thirty minutes. Culus didn't know what happened, but the likeliest answer was that the battle messed with his head and perception of time. There wasn't anything else that could have caused it, other than those nonsense words Kenki spouted before Dokur returned.
In the end, it wasn't that important, but Culus still felt something was off. He was missing something important, but he wasn't quite sure what.
Culus shook his head. Plan of action, plan of action… his tenure with Kenki's group couldn't last too long, since he was pretty sure Kenki couldn't withstand the might of an entire army, and wouldn't for some kid. The longer he stayed, the more he was a sitting duck for Regilia to find, and the illusions couldn't protect him for too long.
He'd have to leave on one of the ships as a guard and to do that he'd have to build trust and raise his rank in the organization. He'd have to impress… but then, Kenki had already seen his faults. That method would take far too long.
Culus yawned, feeling the aches of battle and the stress of the day catch up with him. He'd have time to think of that in the morning. For now, it was time to sleep.
Culus fell into a dreamless sleep.
(The Night Prior)
"What are you doing here?!"
Selene and Eve stayed rooted to the spot as the Deino guard pinned them in place with a glance. Neither of them could say anything, as there was nothing they could say. No matter how you looked at it, neither of them were supposed to be here.
"We're sorry, sir," Selene eventually said. "We'll be on our way-"
Selene's vision was engulfed with glowing purple flames, which burned lightly at her eyes. There was no pain, but when Selene could see again, she saw the Deino guard hissing at her.
"Who are you?" he growled. "What is a Shadow Worker doing here, stealing food?" The Deino got into a battle stance, mouth spewing more draconic energy. He turned to Eve. "Speak, or she gets it."
Selene gulped. "Um… er… uh… " All the suaveness of speech she had earlier in the day had evaporated. Eve was panicking and tongue-tied, so she wouldn't help either. "You see…"
"Now." The guard ordered.
"We're not Shadow Workers!" Selene shouted, blurting the truth out. "We lied!"
The guard blinked. "What…?" He shook his head. "No, don't lie to me!" he hissed again. "You knew the Captain's name, so you're associated with the Temptress in some way."
"We don't know anything!" Selene explained. "We just bluffed our way through the gate! I have no idea who the Temptress is, or anything like that!"
The Deino guard opened their mouth to speak again, only for a wizened old voice to stop his rebuttal. "Kapun, what's going on?" The concerned voice asked.
"Thieves!" Kapun answered with disgust. "Thieves and liars!"
They were digging their grave, weren't they? "We're… we're not liars…"
Kapun ignored them, as a large silhouette appeared in the doorframe. The silhouette walked in, and moonlight revealed them to be an old Dragonite with a jagged scar across its belly, who looked at them with piercing judgment.
"Thieves and liars?" The Dragonite eventually asked. "Well, that remains to be seen. Brace yourself for a little fire, Kapun." Kapun shut his eyes and huddled into a ball, and a second later, Selene realized why, as the Dragonite's eyes glowed red with a Heat Wave.
The intense heat forced Selene and Eve to the ground. Blood started rushing to Selene's face, and her breath grew dry and raspy. Selene didn't dare open her eyes, for fear of her tears vaporizing. There was nothing Selene could do, forced to lie there, prone.
Then, as soon as it started, it stopped. Selene cautiously opened her eyes to see the Dragonite smiling. "They're not your average thieves, Kapun."
Kapun opened his eyes warily. "What do you mean, Dad?" he accused, eyes still filled with suspicion. "They don't look any different."
The Dragonite nodded. "Exactly. Now, take a look at the Eevee's eyes." Selene realized what the Dragonite was getting at. When they collapsed, Eve's shades had fallen off her face. Eve's eyes were bright and lavender, as they were supposed to be, and that color meant something.
"They're pink?" Kapun asked. "I don't see what that has to do with anything, Dad."
The Dragonite sighed. "Kapun, an Eevee with colored eyes belongs to the Eonian royal family. As of now, there's only one with lavender eyes: Eve Eonia."
Kapun's eyes didn't change their severity, though there was also confusion in it now. "Eve Eonia? Are you sure there isn't a disguise involved?"
"As I said, the Heat Wave would have forced illusions or transformations to waver," the Dragonite repeated. "Any disguise would have melted as well, and if they wanted to seem like they were a foreign royal, there would be no point to disguising the irises."
Slowly, Selene and Eve regrew their nerves. "Yes, I'm Eve," Eve eventually said, voice still a little shaky. "I'm sorry for the confusion and for the theft. We have no sources of food and Selene here had found this open warehouse earlier today." Looking at Kapun, she continued. "Neither of us know anything about the 'Temptress', but I knew Kenki's name from spying on meetings concerning what to do once Kenki took over Pinnaleis. I don't know how they knew his name, but that's how I learned about him."
Kapun threw his glare over to Selene. "And what about her, Dad? She's not a royal, is she?"
"No, she isn't," the Dragonite agreed. "I have little-to-no idea who she is. If she's accompanying Eve, however, she must be highly important to the Eonian monarchy."
Selene and Eve looked at each other. They didn't know everything. Kapun and his father knew nothing about the events of the Twin Moon Ball, and Selene was hesitant to tell them.
"Regardless, this warehouse isn't the best position to speak. Kapun, grab what I told you to get. I'll accompany these two back home."
"Dad, we still-"
"Kapun." The Dragonite ordered, eyes thunderous. Kapun shut his mouth, glaring daggers at Selene and Eve, but said nothing else. "Eve, Selene, follow me."
The Dragonite led them out of the warehouse. "Stay close," he ordered. "Looters have tried, and failed, to rob me before, so they'll avoid me. Don't make yourself a target." Selene and Eve huddled closer to the Dragonite as they made their way through the city. Selene, a little intimidated by the way Kenki's thugs fled at the sight of the Dragonite, said nothing throughout the entire trip."
Soon, they found their way to a modest house near Pinnaleis' outer wall. The Dragonite extended a claw into the keyhole, which glowed before opening smoothly.
Inside was a homely and messy living room, with stairs that led up to multiple bedrooms. The Dragonite led them to the kitchen. "Since you're our guests tonight, the least you could do is help with dinner."
Selene and Eve looked at each other. Neither had ever cooked their food before. Oh, sure, they recently had to eat off the wildlife, but that was foraging, not cooking. In the castle, food was always prepared for them beforehand. "Neither of us know how to," Selene eventually explained.
The Dragonite laughed. "Don't worry about it. Follow my orders and you'll get through it just fine." He pulled out a wooden board, a knife, and some vegetables. "This is a cutting board. Selene, cut these vegetables into bite-sized portions. Anything that looks tough, leave it aside. Be vigilant of the knife, so that you don't cut yourself." Selene nodded and got to work, as the Dragonite gave Eve some work of her own.
The work wasn't too difficult, though it required a large portion of her attention. Still, she grew used to the monotonous motions. As she and Eve worked (Eve was keeping guard over something on the stove, waiting for it to boil), Selene took a look at the Dragonite, who was slicing and dicing meat with ease.
"Um… sir-"
"My name is Kair," the Dragonite interrupted offhandedly before she could say anything. "'Sir' makes me feel much older than I really am."
"Well… Kair…" she started. "Why are you showing this much hospitality?" The words tumbled out of her mouth, and immediately Selene wished she could retract the words as Kair turned to look at her, curious yet marginally offended.
"I don't know anything about what led you to Pinnaleis, nor why you're here and not in a luxurious castle," Kair answered. "But I can tell that you two aren't thieves by choice. At the very least, you two deserve a night's hospitality. If you desperately wish for repayment, you can tell me the truth at dinner."
At that moment, the door to the house opened. Kapun appeared in the doorway, holding a few bags of vegetables. "Here's what we needed, Dad."
Kair nodded. "Stock the pantry, then help Selene with the vegetables." Kair returned to slicing the meat. Kapun looked at her with disdain, before turning to his work. A few minutes later, he was next to her, chopping a few of the vegetables he had brought with him. The speed he worked at far outpaced Selene, even though he was using an instrument to cut that looked far more awkward than what it needed to be (a blade attached to a lever that Kapun would have to move up and down for each slice).
The conversation was nonexistent for the time they worked. Eve was focused completely on both the pot (which had begun to bubble) and the book of recipes Kair had given her to study. Kair finished with the meat, dumped the chunks into the pot, then waited a few minutes for Selene and Kapun to finish. After they had done so, he took the diced vegetables and slid them into the pot.
"You two can leave now. There isn't much more you two can help with, so go to the table and wait for me to bring it out." Selene nodded, and with a jostle and a reminder, so did Eve. "Kapun, entertain our guests for the time being." Kapun let out a put-upon sigh, but acquiesced, leading Selene and Eve to the dinner table.
The minute they arrived, Kapun turned to the two of them. "Don't make any trouble, or I'll kick you out," he warned. "Neither Dad nor I will entertain cleaning up after your messes."
This was what Kapun thought was entertainment?
"Neither of us will put any undue strain upon you two," Eve promised. "We're only going to stay the night. Once the sun rises, we'll leave Pinnaleis for another port, considering how this port is closed now." Eve then stopped for a second. "Though, we may have to wait longer, if only to recover and plan where we're going to go next. We'll need money as well, since we don't have much-"
"We won't be giving you any." Kapun said that without hesitation nor sympathy, locking eyes with Eve. "You're already freeloaders as it is, and we don't have the money to spare on your expenses."
The air grew frosty.
"You're… poor?" Selene asked, a little awkward.
"Everyone in Pinnaleis is," Kapun answered coldly. "We're only slightly better off, and we're barely making it as is."
Selene didn't know what to say. Eve did. "How is everyone poor?" Eve demanded. "That makes no economic sense! Poverty is defined as the lower end of the wealth spectrum! It's relative to the average level of wealth! If everyone is poor, then no one is poor!"
Kapun looked at her cruelly. "You say that, but everyone in Pinnaleis is given the base amount of money needed to survive. Everything else Kenki uses as rewards for working hard for him. You get poverty if you work your ass off, and if you don't, you become a beggar."
Eve pursed her lips. "Still," she insisted. "That's not technically poverty. That just means everyone in Pinnaleis is…" Eve trailed off. "I don't know, actually. This whole thing seems ridiculous."
Kapun growled. "It's simple enough. Everyone works to make things Kenki can sell, barring a lucky few vendors and shop owners Kenki chooses to keep Pinnaleis running. Everything is shipped to neighboring countries to be sold at a fraction of its price, so that other countries and cities lose more than they gain by taking Kenki down."
"But how are you all standing for this?!" Selene cried, feeling more than a little disturbed.
"None of us did, at first," Kapun answered with a grimace. "Kenki sailed in and blew past any defences we had, deposing the mayor and taking city hall for himself. There were resistance efforts, of course, but they were all found out, no matter how hard we vetted the members - and I don't know how!" Kapun shouted the last bit, a dark frustration lacing his words.
Eve tried to interrupt, but Kapun was on a roll. "Did you see Dad's scar? Dad was one of Pinnaleis' strongest fighters, but Kenki eviscerated him! He barely survived, and he only got out of the hospital last month!" Tear tracks were running down Kapun's face. Selene and Eve were transfixed, unable to think. "Like so many other people, I've had to sell my dignity to Kenki! He pays his workers well, so I had to get a job with the monster that nearly killed my Dad."
Kapun was now hyperventilating Dragon Breaths, making them take a step back. "And you two. You two are insults to everything! You Regilians knew about Kenki, knew his name, knew everything he's done and the pain he can and does inflict on us, and you do nothing. You lie, barge into our warehouse and steal our food, and then use Dad's kindness to rob us of even more! And you want to keep doing it until you have money." Kapun laughed cruelly. "You'll be waiting for a long time."
Selene and Eve couldn't say anything. There was nothing they could say, nothing to tear away Kapun from his plight, nothing to make the situation any less of an absolute nightmare it already was. Kapun just stood there, glaring hatefully at them, daring them to say anything.
"Dinner is ready!" Kair walked in, four bowls of stew on his tray. There was a smile on Kair's face, yet it was incredibly strained. Selene realized that Kapun was more than loud enough to be heard from the kitchen.
Selene and Eve obediently walked to some seats on the table. Selene took the bowl with a silent "Thank you," while Eve just stared into it emptily. Kapun stood still for a few seconds, before wiping the tears off his fur and sitting down as well, muttering a "Thank you" as well.
There were a few tense minutes of eating the stew before Kair decided to break it. "So, Selene, Eve, your repayment… it's about time, isn't it?"
"R-Repayment?" Selene asked, confused.
"He mentioned earlier that as repayment, we can tell him why we're here, instead of the castle," Eve piped up. Kapun scoffed at the notion, making Kair glare at him. "It's the least we can do, too."
Eve then spent dinner explaining their particular circumstances (the bonding ritual, Culus framing Selene, Eve's need for a quick evolution, etc.). As she spoke, Kair asked questions, to which Eve took a great delight in answering. Occasionally, he would throw one Selene's way, to which she'd respond to the best of her abilities. Throughout it all, Kapun never spoke a word, paying attention but not showing a hint of sympathy.
Eventually, Eve finished, having finished her stew long ago. "And so, Selene and I reunited, and with no available sources of food, Selene suggested taking some from the warehouse. We snuck our way there, ate a bit, and then Kapun found us. You know the rest."
Kair nodded. "I see. Well, I fully support what you two are doing," he said, igniting a small, warm feeling in Selene's chest. "Kapun and I will help in any way we can." Kapun glared. "That being said, considering the current… 'climate', there's very little we can do to support you other than giving you a place to stay. If you wish to make money, try to find a job. There are precious few floating around, but it's possible." Kair didn't sound very confident in that possibility.
Selene gulped. "We'll do our best," she promised. Selene didn't want to go back into the wilderness so quickly, considering how much more comfortable civilization was. Still, if push came to shove, they could spend another week or two making their way to another town. "If there's anything we can do for you, please let us know."
Kapun started to say something, but Kair silenced him with a glance. "Hospitality, Kapun. Hospitality," he admonished, before turning back to Selene and Eve. "If we have any trouble, we'll be sure to let you know. In the meantime, make yourselves comfortable. The guest room is open." With that, Kair took all the empty bowls and went to wash them.
Kapun left for his room, leaving Selene and Eve alone once more. With nothing to do, they left for the guest room. It was covered in a layer of dust, which the two of them took to cleaning in silence. There was one small bed, and Eve immediately took it for herself. There was a spare hay mattress in the closet (which Eve advised her to hit so that any insects would fall out), so Selene wasn't left on the ground again.
Investigating the odd room, they found other small amenities. There was a modest bookshelf (Eve's eyes lit up with glee) and a small bathtub connected to a hose and a tap that drained outside (both of them loved the idea of a bath).
But no matter how much Selene tried to cheer herself up with the luxuries of civilization, her mind would inevitably turn back to Kapun, Pinnaleis' plight, and the additional difficulties the two of them would have to face.
Despite the soft cushion of the mattress, sleep wasn't easy that night.
A bit faster than last time, no? This was a dialogue-heavy chapter, but I hope it was interesting regardless. If you enjoyed it, please fav, follow, and review. It always gladdens my heart to know that people are reading this work, even if it isn't very popular.
See you later!
