"Where are we going to stay?" Helios asked, the question at the top of his mind as they approached the walls of Pinnaleis. Slate obviously couldn't just pop back into society on a whim.

"Helios, we'll figure something out," Slate answered, tired. Slate had been spending most of his time in the wild keeping Helios safe and comfortable: he kept guard most nights, only stopping when Helios ordered him to and performed most of the training exercises he had Helios do to make sure that Helios did them properly.

Helios grimaced. "Are you sure?"

"Making sure you're safe is my top priority, Helios," Slate repeated, having said that many times over their journey. "If I have to sleep in some garbage, I'll sleep in some garbage." Upon looking at Helios's guilt-stricken face, he amended what he said. "Of course, I can't imagine a scenario where I'll need to sleep in some garbage. After all, I can just bunker underground if I need to."

That amendment barely helped. Helios made a private vow to find a place where they'd allow Slate as well. His friend more than deserved it.

As they got closer, Helios marveled a little at the size of the walls. Oh, he'd seen bigger in Dragnis, but they were still incredible. Helios wondered who they were so afraid of, though, if they needed to make their walls so tall.

"Helios, let me handle things when we get close. I have more experience with these kinds of things." Slate also gave Helios some more instructions. For their time in Pinnaleis, they wouldn't be Helios and Slate anymore, since Helios was missing ('presumably kidnapped' Slate had said) and Slate was a wanted criminal. They'd have to go by different identities, ones that Slate had thought of on the spur of the moment.

Of course, when Helios heard his fake name (it wasn't worth repeating), he had to override Slate's idea with the name he had come up with in the farmhouse ('Helian'). It worked with Flair, so Helios thought it would work for most purposes. Slate didn't care that much in the end, so he let Helios have 'Helian' again. Slate, meanwhile, would go by another name ('Shale').

"Passable," he said after Helios repeated their fake backstory, sparking a bit of both triumph and irritation in Helios's heart (why wouldn't it be passable?). "Of course, you have a lot less experience with harsh wilderness than I do, since you've only been in the frigid Regilian air for a week-and-a-half. Whatever I say, you still have to agree with, got it?"

Helios reluctantly agreed, and they slowly began to approach the base of the walls of Pinnaleis. There weren't many entrances, so all of them were guarded by a few of Pinnaleis's guardsmen. Slate spotted one that looked more vulnerable than the others, only a Deino and an Electrike standing guard.

"Follow my lead," Slate murmured for what felt like the millionth time. Helios suppressed a groan and followed as Slate approached.

Before either of them could say anything, the bored Deino interrupted them. "Documentation, please."

Documentation?

"Hi there!" Slate exclaimed, way more approachable than usual. The guards just looked at him funny. "My name is Shale! We're wandering travelers, and it's been a long journey! Can you let us in?" Slate's face seemed to be worried. "We really need to enter, since my friend Helian really needs some help with his injury."

There was a sudden spike of pain on Helios's foot, making him wince and hiss. Slate grabbed Helios's foot and pulled it into view, revealing a large puncture wound.

"We were in a battle with a Skarmory, and it dropped some spikes on the floor. Helian stepped on some, taking him out of the battle. We need to get him to a nurse, quickly!"

Helios had a lot to say to Slate once they entered. Still, he grimaced and nodded as his blood dribbled down his foot to his claws.

The Electrike looked shocked, but strangely, Helios felt it wasn't for the intended reason. The Deino, meanwhile, was dumbfounded. For a second, Helios believed that their ruse had worked.

"No," the Electrike said, harsh and unforgiving.

The Deino quickly regained their senses. "Right," he agreed. "Ignoring that terrible cover story, you cannot enter without proper documentation, with or without any external injuries." The Deino sounded like they were reading off an instruction manual.

"I see," Slated said neutrally. "Well, good day then."

Hauling Helios on his shoulders, Slate walked away from the guards. When they had gotten far enough away, Slate dropped Helios on the ground.

"What was that?" Helios shouted, cradling his injured foot and glaring at Slate. "'Let me handle it', he says! Never again! That was a terrible plan, and it didn't work in any way!"

"Laugh it up," Slate groused. "There never was a plan, anyway. There's no legitimate reason for us being in Pinnaleis. They wanted documentation, and there's no way in hell we can get any in our situation."

"So what was all that with the injury? WHY DID YOU DRIVE A SPIKE INTO MY FOOT?!"

"You can call it revenge for getting us in this situation," Slate said, giving Helios a stink-eye. "Ignoring documentation, the only reason I could think off the top of my head for them to let us in without it was if one of us were injured, constituting some kind of emergency. And since neither of us had that kind of wound, I had to make one."

"Then wound yourself!" Helios shouted, tearing up a little at the pain. The blood had stemmed already (Slate had made a wound shallow enough to seem dangerous), but it still stung harsher than anything he had ever felt before. All of those spars with Slate he'd had up till now felt like friendly pinches compared to this.

A small, sad part of him noted that Slate probably wasn't trying for any of their spars and that Helios had never had a chance in a fight.

"It wouldn't look realistic if I were to be the one injured," Slate explained, terse. "There's no way Spikes could do enough damage to hurt me badly, or any kind of Ground-type move. I don't have the capacity to hurt myself in a meaningful way without tipping them off."

"But you tipped them off anyway!" Helios shouted back. "They saw through it like glass! They thought it was a joke! It might have well been one, for all it did!"

Slate hissed but didn't argue further. "Regardless," he switched topics. "We need to find a way inside without letting the guards know. We'll be unable to enter normally, so we'll have to sneak our way inside."

Slate then reached into his bag. "But first, eat an Oran Berry. We can't wait for you to feel better, and it'll dull the pain and heal you."

"I know what Oran Berries do." Helios took it, though, and scarfed it down in less than a second. Soon, the pain subsided to an odd ache, and the wound began to scar over. It still felt tender when Helios put weight on it. "I won't be able to walk or run like this, though."

"Not for a while," Slate agreed. "So we can't enter with anything involving a lot of physical work." Slate thought for a second. "I've got a new plan-"

"If it involves me getting injured, so help me-"

"I'll just dig us a tunnel under the walls," Slate answered. "I'll go deep enough that they won't feel us moving or hear us talking."

Helios nodded. "Okay, I can work with this. Why didn't we start with this?"

"It's risky. Any Pokemon uses Earthquake, we're dead." There was no hesitation or sugarcoating. "We will die, and there's nothing we can do to stop it from how deep we'll go. No escape, no stopping it, just a cave-in that'll crush our entire bodies."

Helios gulped. "O-okay, any other plans?"

Slate sighed. "None that we can use reliably. Using my seismolocation, I could tell that they reinforced the wall with metal. There's no way we can make our way through without being caught, there's no way over it, and if the gates are blocked, that means the only way left is-"

"Below," Helios finished, grim.

"The choice is yours, Helios," Slate said, stepping back. "I'm willing to risk it if you are."

Helios didn't feel particularly reassured. He looked at the walls. "Why this city?" He asked after a few seconds. "There are other port towns, aren't there?"

"Yes, but this one is…" Slate hesitated.

"Is what?"

"It's the one where we're least likely to be caught as fugitives," Slate explained after another moment's hesitation. "I'm pretty sure every other city in Vidnes has the populace on the lookout for me. This city is our best bet."

"Why? Why this city? Why Pinnaleis?"

Slate refused to answer, even when Helios prodded further. No matter what he said, Slate wouldn't tell him why Pinnaleis was so special.

"Have you decided yet?" Slate asked out of the blue. "We can't wait around forever. Either we dig the tunnel now and find a place to stay in Pinnaleis before it gets dark, or we go foraging around some more."

Helios turned away. He didn't want to think about what would happen if everything went wrong. If they died here, Helios wouldn't have amounted to anything. It would be unlikely that they ever find his or Slate's bodies. Helios would have nothing but failures to his name and would have dragged Slate out here to die.

'But…'

"We have to do this," he decided, his blood colder than ever before.

"What." To say that Slate was surprised would be an understatement. "What."

"If… if I let the possibility of a collapsing tunnel turn me away now, what will I do if I come face-to-face with Kite? There's only a chance that some Pokemon will use Earthquake and kill us, and it's a small one. If we fight Kite… he has experience killing. There's no way we can ever face Kite if we can't face this."

"Then we don't!" Slate shouted, startling Helios. "This whole adventure is stupid. It's not our responsibility to stop Kite! I'm just a bodyguard, and you're powerless! This whole thing was an exercise in stupidity! I can't believe you!"

Helios stared at his friend. "Slate?"

"Living in awful conditions doesn't dissuade you! Death doesn't make you stop! What will?"

Several seconds passed before Helios realized the question wasn't rhetorical. "I… you were trying to stop me?"

"Yes! I was trying to make you realize that this journey will kill us! We're nothing compared to Kite. You saw how easily I was able to hurt you. Now think about how much damage someone who isn't holding back could inflict on you!"

"... too much?"

"Yes! Way too much damage!" Slate growled. "You said it yourself - Kite has experience killing. So don't approach him! Don't do anything! Your pride and honor won't die, but you will!"

"... make the tunnel."

Slate fell back as if struck. "What?"

"MAKE THE TUNNEL!" Helios shouted, glaring back at Slate. "I know I can die. I know that Kite can kill me. And Dad faced worse odds! Dad wouldn't back down from Kite! Dad would stop him."

"You aren't your dad."

"I know." Helios agreed, feeling the little piece of him that he ignored until that fateful night grow. "I know that I'm worse."

"No, you-"

"Dad - King Hyperion - could catch Kite. As I am now, I can't." Helios breathed. "But I have to try. Even if I'm not strong enough, even if Kite will kill me, I can't be King without facing him." Helios then fixed Slate with a glare. "So, as I am a Prince, you will follow my orders and make the tunnel."

Slate glared in return, but Helios stood his ground. If there was one thing Helios knew that he excelled at, it had to be his ability to remain stubborn. He tapped his foot impatiently.

And with that, Slate sighed in resignation. "Fine. But I won't let you fight him."

Slate stomped on the ground a few times, creating a tunnel. Helios didn't know how deep it went, nor did it matter. Before Slate could say anything else, Helios jumped down the mouth of the tunnel.

Of course, Helios had no experience jumping down the mouth of tunnels. So he bumped and bruised himself a lot more than he cared to admit as he rolled down further. Helios then came to a stop at the bottom of the tunnel, dirt and soil caking his scales.

Slate slid down the side of the tunnel with ease. "Really, Helios?" He bit. "Do you have to make everything difficult?"

Helios ignored him. "Keep making the tunnel, okay?" He pointed at the dead-end ahead, illuminated by the flame on his tail. "We might need to go down even further."

"We can't go down too much further," Slate warned. "I can't dig through bedrock, no matter how much I'd like to do so."

"Bedrock?"

"The soil and ground that I've been digging through are on top of a giant layer of rock. That rock is called 'bedrock' since it acts as a bed for the ground. If I were a Rock-type, I could go through it."

"But you're not, so…"

"So I can't go through it. End of story."

"Then go as far down as you can," Helios said. "We have to put as much distance between us and any Earthquakes."

Slate sighed but got to work. Soon the dead-end disappeared to form a deeper tunnel, which Helios jumped down. This time, he used his claws to slow himself down, and though it hurt, he was able to control his fall.

Soon, Helios stepped on a layer of rock. Slate walked behind him. "As I said, I can't go any further." Another tunnel formed as soil pushed itself out of the way for him. "Let's go. It shouldn't be too far of a walk to get into Pinnaleis."

A question floated to the top of Helios's mind. "Once we're under Pinnaleis, how will we get into Pinnaleis?"

Slate shrugged. "I'll have a good spot for us to surface. We might be down here for a while, for how long that takes." Slate then frowned. "Strange, though… I might be mistaken, but it feels like there's a lot of empty space under Pinnaleis."

"What, is there a giant cave down there or something?"

"... maybe?" Slate hedged. "We have to see, either way." Slate then dug a little further, and the dead-end collapsed.

What Helios saw through the tunnel caught his breath.

'Giant cave' didn't give it enough justice. The cavern was an underground metropolis. Pokemon were everywhere, discussing various bits of news. Giant staircases adorned giant pillars that held up the top of the cavern, with one large staircase spiraling up to daylight.

Luminescent crystals lined the walls, casting a cool glow on all the buildings (which, looking at them more closely, were all warehouses). Blazing torches next to them cast an eerie light everywhere.

"Slate… where are we?" Helios whispered. Slate didn't answer, mesmerized by the entire spectacle. Well, not at first.

"Somewhere we're not supposed to be," Slate murmured. "This feels bad…"

Helios felt it too. Though nothing was inherently creepy, there was something off-putting about it all. Why was there a giant cavern below Pinnaleis? Why was something like this hidden?

"Let's stay hidden for now," Slate suggested, sneaking behind a building. "I don't think we have to worry about Earthquakes anymore, but…"

Now there was something else concerning.

Helios and Slate hugged the wall. "We have to make it to that staircase at the center," Helios murmured. "That has to lead to the top." Slate didn't argue, so Helios took that as agreement. "How are we going to get to the center?"

"Go through as many alleys as you can. Don't let anyone see you. I'll be right behind you." Slate whispered. Helios grimaced. Sneaking, one thing he was consistently failing in doing correctly.

Helios made short jumps through alleyways, careful not to let a single Pokemon see him. Nobody did, yet Helios felt his nerves fray as more Pokemon got close to doing so.

Then there were loud shouts, causing Helios to jump in fear, knocking Slate back slightly.

"Watch it!" he hissed.

"Sorry!" Helios whispered, shaking a little. "What made that sound?"

Then Slate hissed again before dragging Helios into the shadows. Helios almost asked why until a curt voice stopped his mouth as it opened.

"Get a move on! The customers won't wait all day!" A gruff voice, deeply irritated, ordered. Helios recognized the voice as the one who shouted.

As the Pokemon (an Armaldo) passed by, Helios made sure not to make any movements that would alert them. Behind the Armaldo, a line of muscular Pokemon marched, holding thick metal cages.

Upon seeing what was inside, Helios went cold. Inside those cages were Pokemon. Bound with collars and slavery bands, they just sat there, wasting away in the scraps of food they had left and their crap.

Slate let go of Helios and began to shake. Helios turned around and saw Slate in fear, for the first time he could ever remember.

"We can't stay here," Slate said finally, once the line of slavers left. "We're going back."

"Slate, they're-"

"Helios, we're not heroes. Do you want to risk being captured? Do you want to be put into slavery and risk never finding Kite?" Slate's eyes stared at the procession.

"But we can't just-"

"We can, and we will. I won't risk you like that," Slate promised. "End of discussion." Before Helios could say anything, Slate finished with another threat. "And if you dare to use your princely authority, I will muzzle you."

Helios shut up.

"Good." Slate looked at the line, shook his head, then turned back to Helios. "As long as they think we're customers, they won't try and enslave us. If we can get to that opening at the top of the cavern, I think we'll be home free."

"Slate," Helios hesitated. "Are we just going to leave them there?"

Slate made an aggravated growl. "Helios, we only have two Pokemon, against their entire security force. Not only that, we'll make enemies of this entire underground city. We have to leave them there."

Helios shivered. "Once I return to Dragnis, I'm going to tell Uncle Theus and we're going to burn this place to the ground."

Slate didn't comment as they snuck their way through the eerie metropolis. As they walked, Helios slowly began to understand why the situation was so off-putting to them. There were no children like them, except for those in the cages. All of the adults were either muscular or weasel-like.

Once Helios saw what was on sale in one of the shops, the pieces fit together.

Slavery bands. A wide selection of them for all shapes and sizes of Pokemon. There were also other kinds of contraband, like the expensive Reviver Seeds and Gummis.

"This is a black market," Helios whispered, feeling a million miles away from home. "They're all criminals."

Slate rolled his eyes. "Thanks, Helios. Now you'll tell me we're on the run, too."

Helios wanted to punch Slate for his sarcasm but laughed hollowly instead. He had to keep his spirits up somehow, and this was all he got. The laughter died quickly.

"How much longer until we get there?" Helios asked, feeling a little queasy.

"At least another hour," Slate answered. "We've traveled a long distance, but this place is huge." That was hardly reassuring to Helios, but he decided that whining about it wouldn't help in any regard. The speech he had made earlier still resonated within him.

He had to try to be what his father had been, and standing around complaining wasn't befitting of a prince.

Slate had a good sense of moving through the alleys to avoid getting caught. Helios's tail made things difficult at times, but they managed anyway.

Then, as they grew closer to the central supporting pillar where the exit lay above, they heard the excited cheering of a crowd. Helios desperately wanted to see what was happening but needed to focus on escaping.

However, his curiosity was satisfied regardless of the plan. The crowd had stationed themselves at the bottom of the central pillar. Of course, that also meant that they couldn't go up it as they had wanted.

"We have to wait for this to finish, right?" Helios asked, sitting down and waiting. "What do you think will happen?"

"Nothing good," Slate warned.

As if waiting for Slate's bleak statement, the event finally started. An elegantly dressed Froslass floated out from behind the curtain, curtsying to raucous applause. A tiny little Whismur scurried along the floor of the massive stage to hand the Froslass a device with a wire attached to an Exploud nearby. The Froslass smiled as the Whismur ran back out of view.

"Thank you, thank you," the Froslass demurred. "Welcome to the biannual Pokemon Slavery Celebrations. Today, we'll be presenting the fruits of our diligent workers' efforts. Many of these Pokemon were difficult to capture and subjugate. Through the sheer determination of our capturers and trainers, however, we have a wide selection of items for you to view."

The crowd's cheering grew louder, but Helios could barely hear it through the ringing in his ears. The line of Pokemon had been walking in this general direction. They must have arrived for the organizers of this event to sell them like food.

"Now, this year marks a most wonderful turn for our fair Celebration. With Captain Admer's conquest, we now have the autonomy of trafficking we all so desperately craved!" The Froslass's speech grew more passionate and excited by the word. However, the swelling roar of the crowd and sickness in Helios's stomach matched it completely. "Today's Celebration has more than double the products for consumption! Please, take a look at everything on sale!"

The Froslass floated over to one side of the stage and swept her arm widely. On command, Pokemon on the other side of the stage started walking out.

Helios realized why the stage was so massive as the slaves continued to stream out from backstage. There were hundreds of slaves on sale, and as the crowd roared over their appearance, he also understood that his childish thought of freeing the slaves was as likely to occur as Kite submitting to Helios in the next ten seconds.

It was nothing more than a delusion.

As the cheers of the crowd continued, Helios turned to Slate. "I… I hate this," he said weakly. Of course, Helios hating slavery was the bare-bone basics of him being a decent Pokemon. It was a standard against which very few of the Pokemon in this cavern held themselves.

Slate just stared at the congregation of slaves and buyers with emptiness. "This is the real world," Slate said faintly.

Helios gulped. "I hate this so much," he repeated, though it was far less meaningful than Slate's words. Neither moved from their position, though both desperately wanted to. They had brought themselves to see this, and fatal curiosity ensured they would see it to the end.

Once the crowd's energy finally began to calm down, the Froslass continued. "Though we will continue with the normal exhibitions, this year we also have a special new batch for sale. If you would take it from here, Captain Admer?"

A Samurott, who everyone in the crowd had been giving a wide berth, stepped up onto the stage. The Froslass handed the device she was speaking into wordlessly to the Samurott. As she did so, almost all of the slaves left the stage again. Only ten motionless slaves remained.

"Hello, celebrators," Captain Admer intoned. "I trust you all are having an excellent day today?"

There was silence. None of the Pokemon in the audience knew how to respond.

"Regardless, today I have brought with me ten of my tools, all of them up for auction! All of them superior to any other slave you can buy!"

The crowd began to murmur contemplatively. Helios took a closer look at all the slaves. None of them had any reaction to what Captain Admer said. They all had no issues with being sold off like cattle.

Other than that, there was little else that the slaves shared. One was a Clobbopus, another a Kommo-o. Stunky, Servine, Ambipom, Magby. They didn't share types, body sizes, or anything in particular.

Except for one thing - all ten of the slaves had a collar around their necks, with a large gem embedded deep within. Helios recognized that collar.

Was Kite another one of Captain Admer's tools?

"These slaves are smarter, stronger, and faster than they were before their enslavement. Their minds have been permanently altered to ensure their loyalty, and their collar censors their thoughts so that they can't even contemplate betrayal."

As Captain Admer continued to speak, the crowd's interested whispers grew louder and louder. Many of them were eyeing the slaves with greed and lust, some rubbing their hands together in anticipation.

Captain Admer continued. "Any secrets you wish for the slaves to keep will be permanently kept, for the collar will alter the secrets in their head when anyone pries. They will obey any and every command their designated master gives them."

Captain Admer turned to the Froslass, who brought out a weak and frightful Swinub.

"P-please, no…" the Swinub begged.

Captain Admer snapped. "Magby, kill this Swinub as fast as possible."

Helios blinked, and already the Magby was tearing the Swinub to pieces, spilling the Swinub's insides everywhere. The Swinub hadn't even cried out. The Magby had already bisected them by the time the Swinub had taken another breath.

The silence in the crowd was damning. Helios's breath caught when he saw the blank expression on the Magby. They showed no emotion toward killing. Idly, the Magby flicked off a spot of blood as they turned back to the audience.

"These slaves can be used in whatever way you please," Captain Admer resumed. "If you want a doll for pleasure, they will be the best lay you could ever imagine. If you need a friend, you can rely on them without pause. Upon purchase, their existence is yours! They hold no prior loyalty, and their personality can be fashioned however you desire!"

The crowd gave no reaction, all eyes locked onto the Swinub's eviscerated remains.

"If you hold any doubts about the abilities of what one of these premium tools are capable of, please remember the most Black Star Outlaw." Captain Admer snorted. "Kite… A simple test run of what one of the collars can do. All of these items are as capable of the sins Kite has committed, if not more so."

He then smirked. "And if you're concerned about these slaves being conspicuous, then be at ease. All of them can imitate personalities to absolute perfection, with the collars generating thoughts and emotions to match." He clicked his fingers. "Turn into a normal person."

Emotion flooded back into the slaves, but none seemed concerned or at odds with their situation. The Magby kicked the Swinub carcass aside, grimacing, while the Stunky snickered at the crowd and the Servine gave a jolly wave. All ten of them looked like your average Pokemon, and Helios could barely connect them to the emotionless tools they had been seconds before.

Captain Admer clicked his fingers, and the slaves immediately returned into their emotionless servile state. He bowed. "Please, buy at your leisure." He handed the device back to the Froslass.

The Froslass's eyes gleamed. "The auction starts at half a million Berries!"

What followed sunk Helios's heart to its core. The crowd fell over themselves bidding, offering absurd amounts of Berries for a chance at one of the premium slaves. The pre-evolutions averaged at ten million berries, while the Kommo-o fetched half a billion.

Eventually, the last bidder bought the last of the collared slaves. Captained Admer returned to the stage and took the device from the Froslass. "Thank all of you for your participation in the auction. You will be pleased to know that all proceeds will go to the production of more such premium tools like these. If you have any further inquiries, direct them to the Temptress in Illusuria."

And with that, the event was over. The vendors were now selling non-collared slaves, all of them bound with the slavery band. One by one, each of the winning bidders went backstage to receive their premium slave.

As the excited vendors sold their slaves, bound with the slavery band and looking very unhappy with their situation, Helios turned back to Slate. "What do we do now?" He asked, feeling more lost than he ever did before.

Slate didn't say anything, transfixed on the Celebration below him.

"Slate!"

Slate slowly looked at Helios. "I… I don't want to wait here anymore. We have to go now."

"But the Celebration is still going on, so we won't be able to sneak past!"

"Then we go quickly," Slate assured. "We won't draw attention too quickly, especially if we act suspicious. We just have to go down there and pretend that we're one of them."

"We have to pretend like we're one of these… villains…?"

"Sooner or later, someone is going to find us here. Right now, we're undeniably suspicious. The faster we make a move, the better. Now, do you want to go back and let me make another tunnel to the outside of Pinnaleis, or do think we can bluff our way past these traffickers?"

Helios was dumbfounded. "I… I…"

"The clock is ticking, Helios. There's no good option right now."

Helios closed his eyes, desperately trying to concentrate. "I…" There was no right answer, not one that Helios could think of off the top of his head. If these criminals caught them, they would be dead or would be wishing that they were.

Helios was afraid of all these awful people, of the monsters that they could create and support, and the lengths they would go to fulfill their selfish desires. And the thought of pretending to be one of them, far enough to get up the pillar and into the city…

Maybe… maybe running away was okay. There were other ways to get into Hovete, so they weren't forced to use Pinnaleis. One of the other port towns could work…

… Helios's earlier speech clashed against the present fear in his heart. Dad could have pushed through his fear and pretended to be someone he wasn't, and that was if Dad didn't burn this nightmarish city to the ground himself.

Helios balled his claws into a fist. "It's just… pretending… right?"

Slate's eyes shadowed. "So we're going to bluff our way through?" Slate fixed Helios with a dark stare. "You saw what that Magby did. We haven't scratched the surface of what Kite is capable of. We can't beat him, and we'll die trying."

Helios gulped. "He… he can't be invincible," he said, forcing the words out of his throat. "Those slavery bands can't just magically appear on the slaves. They had to have caught him to put the slavery band on."

"Those guards that caught him are magnitudes stronger than us."

"But we can prepare. We can check his limits, and we can use those limits against him," Helios said, trying to convince himself. "Kite isn't invincible, so it's possible. I have to try."

Slate groaned. "Helios, you are insanely arrogant."

"That's… something, at least," Helios agreed.

Slate didn't acknowledge those words. "Okay, fine. If we're going to bluff our way past, we'll have to be confident, seem sure of ourselves. Keep that attitude of yours up, Helios. We'll need it for the disguise."

Helios swallowed. "What else?"

"We have to pretend that we're one of these criminals. Sneering and scowling at the slaves will help us sell that arrogance, and it'll make us seem we aren't concerned about the morality of all this. Pretend they're all Kite if it'll help."

"Got it. Anything else?"

"Let me do the talking-"

"No. You messed up last time, so I'm the one that talks now."

Slate rolled his eyes. "Can you even come up with a good cover story, Helios?"

"I did it with Flair, I can do it with anyone who pries," Helios promised before pounding his clawed fist into an open palm. "Better now than never," he said, trying to leave before he lost his nerves again.

Helios took a breath, then walked out of the alleyway. Slate, thankfully, followed him without saying anything. Soon, the two were standing in front of the Celebration.

A vendor (a Thievul) inspected Helios and raised an eyebrow. "Hey, what are you two kids doing over there?" He asked, drawing some attention to them.

Helios froze. What should he say?

"Just looking over some of your slaves," he said, closing his eyes with a nervous grin. "Our parents told us that we could buy something we want if we behave while we're down here."

Why did he say that?

"They didn't want to pay for a babysitter," Helios clarified, feeling like a foolish clown as he did so. "I don't get why, we can take care of ourselves just fine."

The Thievul rolled his eyes. "Irresponsible parents," he muttered. "Risking the Illicity because they couldn't be bothered to have someone else take care of their kids."

It worked?!

"Anyway, see you later," Helios waved, feeling both terrified and bewildered at the same time. Soon, Helios and Slate were off, leaving before the Thievul could ask them anything else.

"Hey, so are either of you interested?" The Thievul asked as they were about to leave earshot. "These slaves are good for the cheap prices."

Helios looked back and saw the emaciated and decrepit state of the slaves. "They're ugly and thin," Helios blurted out. "You should probably feed them a bit more."

Slate froze next to him, waiting for something to go wrong.

"Ha, ha," The Thievul pretended to laugh. "You think feeding them is cheap? I'm trying to make money, you know." Then the Thievul went back to selling, though he shot them a stink eye once in a while.

Helios and Slate moved on. "I almost messed that up, didn't I?" He moaned.

Slate rolled his eyes. "You were fine. I thought you were going to fall to pieces, but you held together well enough," he praised. "Though, you were incredibly lucky."

"Let's hope it stays that way."

No other slave vendors spoke to them as they moved through. All of them were busy tending to their customers or spying on their competitors. No one gave Helios and Slate a second glance since they looked like they were supposed to be there.

Before they were clear, though, Helios bumped into a Purugly. He tripped and fell onto the ground.

"He-Helian!" Right, fake names. Slate turned to the Purugly. "We're so sorry, we didn't see where we were going."

"Did you now," she said skeptically, narrowing her eyes. "Watch your step, then."

Helios got up and turned to apologize, but froze in place before he could get the words out. He recognized this Purugly.

"You… were the one who paid for that Servine, right?" Helios asked, speaking before thinking.

The Purugly smirked. "Madam Collown. A pleasure to meet you." She glanced over her shoulder. "Jeanine, a few children are interested in you. Come and greet them."

Helios could only watch as the Servine he had seen on the stage came from inspecting one of the stalls to greet him. "Hello," she greeted with a charming smile. "My name is Jeanine. It's very nice to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you two," Helios said. "I'm Helian."

"I'm Shale," Slate said, bowing a little. "We saw the display earlier. You cost a lot of money."

Madam Collown laughed. "Fifty million berries, a small fortune in some places."

"You must be very rich, then," Helios said, feeling a little awkward. "Do you think Jeanine was… worth the money?"

"Oh, that remains to be seen. That display Admer showed was very convincing, though I'd like to see you do something in action, Jeanine."

Jeanine nodded. "What would you like to see, Mistress?" she asked, the patient smile still on her lips.

"I was slighted by this 'Helian', so subdue him as quickly as you can."

"Wh-"

Helios was on the ground before he could form another word. Jeanine had knocked him to the ground instantly, coiling around him tightly. He couldn't even move his mouth as she had bound that too, and a razor-sharp tail leaf was at his throat.

"He is subdued, Mistress," Jeanine said in that constant pleasant tone. "What would you like me to do to him?"

Slate was frozen in place, unable to move a single muscle. Collown purred appreciatively. "Incredible, Jeanine. You truly were worth every Berry I paid."

"Of course, Mistress. I exist to please."

"P-Please let him go," Slate finally muttered, shaking a little. "We didn't mean any offense or harm."

"Oh, I know. I could tell from the boy's eyes that this was no insult. But on the principle of the matter, something had to have been done. Jeanine, let Helian go."

Jeanine uncoiled lazily, returning to Collown's side as Helios took a few breaths he had been struggling to get. Slate rushed to his side and helped Helios to his feet.

"A bit rough, though, weren't you, Jeanine," Collown commented. "I told you to subdue him, not asphyxiate him."

Jeanine bowed solemnly. "I apologize," she said with what seemed like genuine emotion. "I hope it didn't cause you any trouble, Madam Collown."

Madam Collown hummed, looking at Helios and Slate with interest. "Boys, you both are rather interesting," she contemplated. "For entertaining me today, I'll purchase a slave for you." She glanced at the stalls. "Consider it recompense for the additional trouble Jeanine caused you."

"N-no need," Helios coughed out. "I just… want to go home."

Collown narrowed her eyes. "Go home?"

Slate picked up his slack. "It's been an exhausting day for us. We came down here with our parents while they bought something. They told us to mind ourselves down here lest we get into trouble." Slate huffed. "They also said that we can go home if we really need to."

Collown nodded. "I see," she said. Helios got the impression that she didn't fully believe them, but also that she didn't really care. "Then perhaps Jeanine could take you there?"

"N-no!" Helios blurted out. "We - we can get there ourselves."

"Without a pass?"

A pass? Helios opened his mouth to ask exactly what that was, but Slate didn't allow him to. "Yes. Mom and Dad have our passes since they were worried that we would lose them. Do we… need them?"

"Absolutely," Collown answered. "They are the main security feature preventing scoundrels from entering Illicity through means such as underground tunnels or anything like that."

Oh. Oh no.

"Can you… help us with that?" Helios asked, hoping that she would.

"But of course." She tilted her head at Jeanine. "Jeanine, escort through Illicity's top gate. Make sure that they get through, and feel free to use my name when you see fit." Collown then smiled. "Consider it punishment for manhandling Helian earlier. I'll be touring Pinnaleis proper in an hour, so wait for me at the top."

Jeanine nodded her head. "Of course, Madam." She turned to Helios and Slate. "If you can walk, follow me. If you can't, I will carry you both through."

Helios and Slate agreed, and they began to move.

"Wait just a minute, Jeanine," Collown said, prompting Jeanine to stop immediately and turn to Collown. Helios and Slate followed. "You two, if you come to Illusuria, do come and see me, won't you? I do love meeting polite and refined children such as yourselves. Why, 'Helian', you were rather princely." Collown tilted her head.

She knows.

"Of course," Helios said, following into a Dragnian bow. Collown showed no surprise whatsoever.

"Excellent. Then good luck on whatever your endeavor may be, Prince." With that, Collown walked away, and Helios and Slate followed Jeanine up the spiral staircase.

At the top, a guard tried to stop them and ask them for their passes. Jeanine brought her tail leaf to his throat before he could react and politely told him to let the three of them through.

The pillar opened to a large warehouse, which was guarded by a bored Intelleon and a lazy Zangoose. Both of them only glanced curiously at the three of them as they went out through the warehouse door.

Once they left the warehouse, Jeanine bowed. "This is as far as I can go," she announced. "Mistress will be waiting for me here. You can go wherever you please now."

Slate bowed. "Of course. Rest assured, we won't forget the kindness you've shown us today," he promised. Helios knew they wouldn't forget, for reasons entirely unrelated to what Slate just said.

With that, Helios and Slate walked across the abandoned harbor so that they were out of earshot of Jeanine. The second they were, Helios collapsed.

"How did I manage that?" Helios asked, the pent-up emotion pouring out of him.

"As I said, you're insanely lucky." Slate fixed him with a dark stare. "How many more times do you think you can push your luck?"

"As many times as I can. I'll need it."

Slate growled. "Did you not see how you almost died earlier? How Jeanine was inches away from killing you? Think about how much practice Kite must have!"

"It… it doesn't change anything," Helios said, feeling a little weak in the knees nonetheless. "We already knew Kite was stronger than us. Today just confirmed it."

"SO THEN WHY-"

"Because it wouldn't be very brave or honorable to give up here," Helios answered, already knowing what Slate was going to say. "It's because Kite is dangerous that we have to stop him!"

"We don't have to stop him!" Slate stressed.

"You don't," Helios agreed. "But I do. He's my mistake. I'm going to correct that mistake, no matter what I do."

Slate opened his mouth to argue, only for the angriness in his face to melt into shock. Helios twisted around to see what had stopped him, only to feel as shocked as he was.

Selene and Eve, both surprised as they were, faced them.

"... hello, again."


"I see. Well, good day, then."

The second Helios and his bodyguard Slate had left, Culus breathed a sigh of relief.

"What the hell…?" Rowan asked next to him, hidden in the shadows of the gate. He, Culus, and Kapun were watching the gate, as it was the entry position for Kenki's men. It was far more peaceful and boring than Culus had anticipated, and nothing of note happened so far that morning.

Except for that. What were the odds that Helios would come here?

"Wasn't that Gible the guy on the bounty poster?" Kapun asked instead, narrowing his eyes. "The one that's supposed to be working with you?"

"I've only ever met him once. After that one meeting, I can tell he hates me." Culus laughed. "Working with me? That would be ridiculous."

"What about that weird girl, the one whose species is unknown?"

"Selene? She had nothing to do with me either. I have no idea how she got roped into this as well." Selene had been relatively pleasant during his 'stay' at Ascendance Palace, so Culus didn't have many issues with her.

"So you're saying both of 'em are framed?" Rowan summarized.

"Yep. Both have never worked with me in my life. It's their problem, though, not mine."

Rowan hummed, before curling up languidly on in the shade. The afternoon was cold since they had only just gotten past the winter solstice the previous week, yet he didn't seem to care. To be honest, neither did Culus. Rowan could have his rest since he was doing his job of cloaking Culus as 'Volux'.

Culus appreciated the disguise now more than ever since he couldn't imagine the meeting with Helios and his bodyguard would go well without Rowan. In this specific context, Culus was satisfied with Rowan's work.

"So, 'Volux'," Kapun continued next to him, insistent on using the fake name despite everyone present knowing who Culus really was. "What was the reason you stole the Life Harp, anyway?"

Culus sighed as he let the collar's magic take control of his mouth. He couldn't stop it anyway. "It was a test of my ability," he lied. "It was one of the world's most precious artifacts. I'd thought it would be more protected than it really was, but it was easy to get past the defenses."

Though, how did Kapun know that? His bounty poster didn't say anything about the Life Harp.

Rowan whistled. "Damn, that must have taken some skill," he said.

"As I said, it was simple. I just snuck in during a guard shift. I got caught getting out, though."

Rowan snorted. Kapun, though, peered at him contemplatively. Culus got the odd feeling Kapun wanted something from him, though he didn't know what.

"If you're that competent," Kapun said, "then why are you working for Kenki?"

Rowan rolled his eyes. "Kenki takes anyone he can get, as long as they can pull their weight. He came for protection, nimrod."

Kapun scowled. "Shut it, Runt."

Rowan narrowed his eyes. "Say that again," he threatened, unsheathing his claws. "Say that again, and you won't last another minute."

"Try me, pipsqueak."

Culus groaned. "Both of you, shut up. Those kids are staring." He jabbed his tail at an Azurmarill and a Pichu who had been listening in. With a shriek, they scampered out of sight.

Kapun watched them flee, before turning to Culus. "So, why are you actually working for Kenki?"

"Not your concern," Culus responded promptly. "It's useful to me and that's all there is to it." Useful for now, though Culus would have to find a way to get to Hovete or some other country quickly enough. There was no telling how many other familiar faces Rowan was going to have to trick to protect him.

"Useful how?"

Rowan glared at Kapun. "He said that it's none of your goddamn business. Learn to take a fucking hint."

Kapun hissed. "Do you want to start this again, Ru-?"

Culus banged his head on the ground, temporarily shattering the illusion. Rowan set it up immediately again, so it wasn't a problem, and it caught both of their attention. "Kapun, could you please just stop? Do you have nothing better to do than interrogate me and antagonize Rowan all day?"

"No, because I've been at this post for months now!" Kapun seethed. "I've exhausted anything that could be entertainment long ago! Sorry for being a little curious, I guess!"

Rowan got up, ready to fight, but Culus stopped him. "If you're that miserable, then just leave. I've already gotten the gist of what we do around here - nothing, except stop people from entering - so you can go and do whatever the hell you want. Rowan and I can take it from here, so stop bothering us."

Kapun spit at Culus's feet and took the invitation. The citizenry scuttled away as Kapun stomped across the street, and Culus and Rowan watched as Kapun left their sight.

"Why didn't you let me take a go at him, Culus?" Rowan demanded, glaring at him.

"I didn't want to let it devolve into a fight," Culus replied tersely. "As far as I can tell, the three of us are on thin ice with Kenki as it is. Do you think he'd have been happy if this fight escalated?"

"I've killed before, and Kenki didn't give a shit," Rowan dismissed. "You've killed too, so I doubt you would've minded either."

Another reason floated to the top of his head. "Yeah, but the fight was unnecessary. I got rid of him without needing to spill blood, and even if Kenki wouldn't mind, I'm pretty sure no one else at the base would like you if you showed you can kill them without pause."

Rowan scoffed. "No one likes me anyway."

"Yeah, because you're nothing to them, right? I'm pretty sure murdering someone would make them go from laughing at you to making sure you wouldn't kill them." Culus then pointed to his throat. "I need you to live, Rowan. Both of our necks are on the line, and neither of us needs a scared guard-turned-assassin knocking at our doors to slit our throats in our sleep."

Rowan looked out at the moor stretching out from Pinnaleis's gates.

"Frankly, Rowan," Culus continued. "You shouldn't make enemies. Look at how many I've made with one crime, and tell me how amazing my life's gone as a result."

Rowan rolled his eyes. "I get the fucking picture," he groused. "Make friends with Kapun, sing and dance in the roses, lalalalala, whatever."

"Oh, I don't give a shit about Kapun. Be a bitch to him when I'm not around, I don't care about him at all." Rowan's vocabulary was already infecting Culus's speech, wasn't it? "Just don't let it get to the point where you'll regret whatever you do afterward."

"Do you regret killing?"

The collar influenced his speech but didn't completely control it. "Sometimes, especially when the deed bites me back. That time during the heist was unavoidable, and it nearly killed me in return. I kill as a last resort, not when people piss me off."

Rowan didn't say anything else for a while, only eyeing Culus out of the corner of his eye while he lounged in the shade. Culus sat there as well, idly passing the time by taking naps or thinking about his current situation.

Culus didn't have any memories of killing anybody. The first memories Culus had been of the moments after the heist and after the death of the Nidorina girl. Culus hadn't killed anyone since (as far as he was aware). There wasn't much to regret.

But the urge to murder came often enough, and he knew that if the situation called for it, he could easily slit a throat or two. He had awoken with blood on his claws, so he may have killed the Nidorina before he had awakened.

Who was he before he was 'Culus'? Who was he before that Zoroark had ruined his life?

He'd have to ask the Zoroark when he captured them. There would be plenty of time for answers once all was revealed and Culus could go free again. Though, if he did have family, would they still care for him?

The more he stewed over it, the more turbulent his thoughts became. There wasn't anything he could do to satiate it either. It wasn't like he could talk to Rowan about it, considering the censoring the collar would perform on his thoughts. Combined with his position as a guard, there wasn't anything he could do about it either.

Static electricity crackled in the air as Culus's mood worsened. Even though he appreciated Kenki's help, his main goal - the Zoroark - would get farther and farther away as he wasted his time. Standing around did nothing to help him, and Culus was already getting sick of this job.

But then, there was nothing he could do about it either. As Dokur had said yesterday, the ports were under Kenki's complete control. Culus would need to garner favor with him to travel on the ships, and that would take far too long, assuming Regilia miraculously wasn't able to find him.

In reality, he would have to get his bearings and rest, then leave. Kenki had been helpful, and Rowan was pleasant enough company, but there were other port towns in Vidnes he could use to get to Hovete. He'd have to make another journey, though, and would have to stow away after. Culus would make it, but it would be better if he was well-rested.

With that in mind, Culus copied Rowan and lounged on duty, knowing that relaxing was the best thing he could do at the moment.

He would have continued for as long as he could if Kapun didn't return spitting fire and generally scaring everyone around him. Awakening from a small nap and irritated beyond measure, Culus and Rowan faced him.

"Kapun, keep it down-"

"I HATE those parasites!" Kapun seethed, draconic energy spilling from his mouth in torrents as he kicked the wall of the guard station in frustration. "More of them! Now there's MORE of them! All of my hard work wasted because Dad wants to be a free inn!"

"Kapun, would you shut the fuck up?!" Rowan roared (though it was more of a squeak, considering his small size). "None of us care about your home life!"

"FUCK YOU!" Kapun wheeled on Rowan. "You don't know what it's like to have everything you work for drained away by parasites! I've been at this job for way longer than I want to tolerate! Everything I've tolerated it for is being drained away by those freeloaders that demand we take care of them!"

The zen calm Culus had developed vanished without a trace. "And why is this our problem?"

"Because I'm making it your problem!" Kapun shot back. "I'm sorry that Mr. Murderer has no idea what it's like to care about someone or deal with any sort of real problem!"

"Real problem?" Culus parroted, indignant rage erupting. "I'm sorry, I guessed that being the most wanted criminal on the continent isn't a real problem?" Culus laughed hollowly as Kapun seethed. "Purrloin nicked your tongue?"

"Yeah, but you can run away," Kapun argued after a few seconds. "You can run and run, and you can leave the problem behind you! I can't!"

"Have you tried to deal with the problem?" Rowan asked acidly before Culus could say another word. "But of course you haven't, you're just running your-"

"OF COURSE I HAVE!" Rowan roared, punctuating every word with a kick at the wall. "I. HAVE. SACRIFICED. EVERYTHING. I. COULD. FOR. HIM! I've TRIED to make this situation better, and it only ever gets worse!"

"Then think of a new strategy!" Culus retorted. "It's not like my plans haven't failed before either. It's rare for plans to go perfectly when you want them to! You have to keep going, no matter what!"

"There aren't any other strategies," Kapun glowered. "Every other one would never work. This is the only solution I have, only it's going to fail too-"

"Tell me," Culus interrupted. "I honestly don't give a shit if you love Kenki, hate Kenki, or are a mass murderer. Tell me and I will give you a solution." It would make Kapun stop ranting, at the very least.

"And if you don't?"

"Then you can kick and punch me all you want," Culus challenged. There was no problem Kapun could give him that would top escaping Ascendance Palace or getting this far. The penalty would only slightly delay him.

Kapun glared at him a little more, then relented. "My father is a fruit merchant. Normally, he makes money for us by selling his fruit in other countries. But when Kenki invaded, Dad fought him one-on-one and lost."

"Wait, are you that Dragonite's kid?" Rowan asked.

"Yeah, Dad is 'that Dragonite'. Kenki cut his stomach wide-open, and he's only recently been able to move around normally. I had to make ends meet while he recovered." Kapun gestured to his uniform. "Guess how happy I am to work for him."

"Is that it?"

Kapun laughed mirthlessly. "I wish. The pay's low at this entry position, and I haven't gotten any promotions. I've done nothing but work at this gate for months now, and it was only barely enough to make due. So because Dad stupidly decided to be charitable and take care of four self-entitled greedy PARASITES, I'm only making a net loss by doing something I hate!"

"Then find a better job," Culus said irritably. "I bet there are at least a few job openings-"

"There aren't. Kenki tanked the job market, and no one is hiring for anything higher than Kenki's wages." Kapun shot that down instantly. "As low as the wages may be, it's still better than what any other job can give. There's an opportunity in this job, too."

"Opportunity?"

"Dad's a berry merchant, remember? If I gain just enough of Kenki's favor for him to forgive my father and give him a ship to sell his fruits with, we can make enough money to get by again." Kenki cast his head down. "But even though I beg and beg and work as hard as I can, Kenki hasn't even contemplated giving permission."

"Obviously," Rowan snarked, drawing their attention. "You never had a chance at all."

Kapun narrowed his eyes. "What?" He hissed furiously.

"Your dad pissed him off. He was actually injured for once, the first time in the last few years. He put up more of a fight than anyone else ever had." Rowan cackled. "The only thing you're doing is amusing Kenki. He's stringing you along with the potential promotion and permission. He's never going to do what you want him to do."

Kapun looked thunderstruck. All the rage vanished away into confusion.

"Were you really that naive?" Rowan continued. "Did you really think Kapun would give the son of the Pokemon that wounded him a promotion? Or did you wish on a star and hope Jirachi would miraculously grant your wishes?"

Kapun didn't say anything for a full ten seconds. Then…

"STUPID! STUPID! STUPID! STUPID!" Kapun banged his head into the wall over and over again. Tiny dents formed on collision as Kapun began ranting. "WHY! DID! I! THINK! THIS! PLAN! WOULD! WORK?!"

The shouting fell away to sobs soon enough. Rowan's snarky scowl fell away, and Culus felt a spike of sympathy rise inside him. Kapun, as idiotic and rude as he may be, had honestly thought that he had been helping.

If only to break the misery and crying, Culus restated the general problem. "So, your issue is that you need money. You figured that the best way to get that money is to have Kenki sign off on your cargo ship and to do that, you need to get on his good side. Which is, as you now know, impossible."

Kapun blinked back the remaining tears. "Yeah…" he said in a low voice. "So now you get when I said that this is impossible." Kapun laughed weakly. "Ugh, I think I'm going to like these kicks."

Culus rolled his eyes. "Don't count me out yet." An obvious solution came to his mind. "Do you have the option of running away?" he asked curiously. "Is there anything keeping you in Pinnaleis?"

"Other than all the properties Dad paid fortunes of money to get? The fact that you need special, personal permission from Kenki to leave Pinnaleis, especially if you're one of his men. If we leave, he'll hunt us down and make an example out of us."

Culus felt his heart tighten. That was bad for his plan of running away to another port town. He'd have to think of some way to stop Kenki from following him, or at least slow him down enough so that Kenki would lose him and think of him as not worth the effort.

"Okay," he said, pushing that thought away for now. "Another plan, then."

Culus thought about what Kapun really needed. Money, at the end of the line, but since the economy had long since tanked, there was no direct way of getting it. With Kenki controlling passage in and out of Pinnaleis, there was no way to leave either.

Kapun's plan of getting Kenki's permission to trade with a boat was both logical and illogical. The end goal - trading what resources they had for money abroad - was logical, but Kenki's permission was impossible to obtain, not without some sort of mind control or…

"Kapun, how does Kenki give permission?" Culus asked out of the blue.

"He talks with the merchants that wish for permission and negotiates cuts, cargo, etc."

Culus shook his head. "That's how he decides to give permission. What does Kenki do to give the go-ahead?"

Rowan answered instead of Kapun. "Kenki keeps a sheet of all the merchants that get to use the ships. It's updated constantly with each merchant he gives permission to, the cargo they trade, and the sailor guards on duty for their ships. On transport day, an official takes the sheet and orders guards to take the cargo into the ships and sail away."

Culus blinked. "How do you…?"

"You hear a lot when your main job is to be the base's janitor," Rowan muttered resentfully.

"Ah." Culus turned to Kapun, the plan fully formed. "Then you just have to forge the permission."

"What?" Kapun tilted his head, bewildered. "Forge the permission?"

"In the end," Culus explained. "What Kenki does and doesn't want only factors into what goes on the sheet. The sheet is what ultimately controls the trade, with Kenki controlling that sheet. Those officials trust the sheet to mirror what Kenki wants, I assume."

Rowan nodded.

"Forge the permission?" Kapun repeated before he blanched. "Oh, you have to be kidding!"

"I'm not, at all," Culus said confidently. "Get to that sheet, put your dad's name and cargo on it yourself, and you get your permission, without having to suck up to Kenki at all."

"But the official isn't stupid!" Kapun howled. "They know what Kenki's handwriting looks like, and I can't fake something like that! There's no opportunity to do so either! If Kenki finds out I tried, I'm dead!"

Culus scoffed. "Then don't let him. When the paper's about to be sent, make a distraction that'll send Kenki running. Once you do, go to his office and forge the papers. By the time he returns, so would the official, and he wouldn't get the chance to double-check. There's an opportunity, alright."

"But I can't fake his handwriting!" Kapun repeated.

"That's not my problem," Culus retorted. "You said it was impossible, but it definitely isn't. You're playing Kenki's game, and that means you have to exploit and rules you can to win. If you can't exploit the rules, then you don't have a chance. But that exploitation is based on your ability. Not misfortune. Not random chance."

"But… but…"

"In the end, it's possible." Culus grinned like a Sharpedo. "So I win. Stop bothering us with your complaining."

"What am I supposed to do, though?!" Kapun asked, ignoring what Culus said entirely.

Culus groaned, before deigning to answer. "Look, either find a good forger or get good enough to do it yourself as I did. You don't have much choice either way. There aren't any better options, and most others involve just as much crime."

Kapun huffed. "I don't know where to begin when it comes to forgery!"

Culus looked at Rowan. "Do you have a sheet of paper and some ink?"

"Backroom," he pointed at the nearby station. "Top-center shelf on the right wall."

Five minutes later, Culus had the paper and ink. "Look," he explained. "Write something down, and I'll copy it."

Kapun wrote down 'THIS IS POINTLESS,' on the paper.

"Good, now look away, both of you," Culus ordered, before hunching over the paper in case they didn't. While his inked claw traced the writing, he used his power of creation to subtly alter his handwriting to match Kapun's.

Soon, 'I SELL HOT POTS IN THE PISS TIN' was plastered all over the paper in Kapun's handwriting. Upon seeing it, Rowan whistled.

"Not bad, not bad at all," he appreciated. "You could get some good money out of doing this in some circles."

The corner of Culus's lip curled up. "Thanks." He turned to Kapun, who looked at the writing in awe. "This is a forgery. Get some other people's handwriting, practice mimicking theirs, then find out what Kenki's handwriting looks like and practice that. If you have time to waste laying around here, then you have the time to learn how to fake his handwriting."

Kapun bit his lip as he gazed at the piece of paper.

"Can… can you do this for me?" he asked tentatively.

"What?" Did he mishear that, or did Kapun honestly think that he would-

Kapun prostrated himself in front of him. "Please!" he begged, shaking a little. "You can forge better than I ever will. You're the Black Star outlaw, Kite! You can sneak around and put Dad on the permission sheet." Kapun's voice started to choke. "P-please! I n-need-"

"No." Culus quashed the little tendril of sympathy with the cold, hard mass of practicality. "You've taken my charity time and time again today. I've had to deal with your whining, complaining, shouting, arguing, threats, and everything else. And through it all, I've done nothing but give you your precious solution on a silver platter."

Kapun looked taken aback, and Rowan was grinning from ear-to-ear as Culus continued the lashing. "You complain and complain about how hard your life is while you stick to stupid strategies and waste your time messing around at this gate. You scream about parasites when you need me as much as those freeloaders need you.

"And, in the end, you want me to solve the rest of your problems for you, and put myself at a ridiculous risk for your sake? For charity?" Culus guffawed. "Oh, I wish I was as naive as you. So, no."

Rowan added his piece too. "People like us need a better reason than 'because we can'. We aren't saviors. If you have nothing to offer, you get nothing in return."

Kapun bit his lip before a spark of resolution entered his eye. "What do you want?" Kapun asked tersely. "Name your price, and I'll give it to you if you work with me."

"The freedom of a non-fugitive," Culus requested. As Kapun blanched, he snorted. "But unless you're the king of Regilia, that's an impossible request. I'm planning to leave Pinnaleis soon, anyway. With your utter lack of skills and resources, there's very little you could offer."

"You're planning to leave?" Kapun asked, a note of panic in his voice.

"Of course," Culus said. "I came to Pinnaleis for a reason, and it wasn't to join Kenki. I planned to take a ship to avoid capture and leave for a land where Regilia's influence doesn't reach."

"But Kenki will follow you," Kapun warned him. "He won't forgive betrayals."

Culus remembered the recent beatdown Kenki gave him and shivered. "I don't have much choice. I either wait here for the Regilians to find and capture me, or I make it hard for both them and Kenki to find me."

Kapun hummed. "And if I were to help you with that?"

Culus narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Well, it would be much easier to sneak away on a boat that you're a sailor on, won't it?" Kapun proposed. "If you help me by changing the sheet, I'll cover your escape for as long as I can. You'll also need food for your journey, right? My dad's a berry merchant, so I can give you loads without you having to risk yourself."

"... sweeten the pot a little more," Culus advised.

Kapun groaned. "Look, there isn't much more we have." Here Kapun looked thoughtful. "I suppose… you'll need a distraction for the plan, won't you? I can serve as that distraction."

Culus mulled it over. "I'm not too sure," he said eventually. "How will you cover for me?" he pressed.

Kapun bit his lip. "I… as long as no one looks too closely, I can fill out any of the busy work you have to do. No one comes to check by this gate, so if I say that you're antisocial and get food yourself, it'll take a while before anyone finds out you're gone."

"And what will happen to you after Kenki finds out about your betrayal, or about the list alteration? And that will happen."

"... instead of covering for you, I can mislead them," Kapun eventually amended. "If you wound me on the day of your departure, I can say that you attacked me and left for another port town. If they didn't find you there, they'd think you lied to me."

"Better," Culus nodded. "Now, if I'm on the run immediately, how will I be a guard?"

Kapun hung his head. "You're making this impossible," he groaned.

"If they come to me this easily, how fast do you think they'll come to Kenki?" Culus retorted. "If you really want me to join, I shouldn't be able to think of flaws in your propositions."

Kapun sighed. "Then… then you'll stowaway. I'll have my dad help you with that, put you in a crate with enough food to last the trip."

"If so, then why do I need you? Why not just stowaway on another ship?"

"For the food, misdirection, and distraction, and because the merchants won't help you stow away as I can," Kapun promised. "Dad will listen to me over anyone else, and he'll help you on the trip."

Rowan snorted. "Both of you are forgetting one thing." His grin turned feral. "Me. What will you do to keep me quiet?"

Kapun froze, only now, realizing that Rowan was there. Culus, though, snorted. "If you're asking something like that, you're amenable to keeping it quiet for a price." Culus thought for a minute. "I'll be out of your hair once everything is over and done with, so you won't have to waste time with me at the gate. You don't have anything to gain, either, considering your position despite years of loyal service."

It seemed that he touched a nerve. "You'll be out of my hair if I betray you too, and my silence doesn't gain me anything either," Rowan said irritably.

Kapun picked up the negotiation. "I'll owe you a favor for this," he promised. "One free order to make me do anything, within reasonable rights."

Rowan thought it over. "Collateral?"

"He wants insurance in case you don't pay up afterward," Culus explained at Kapun's questioning glance.

"This is awful," Kapun groaned.

"This is organized crime," Culus said, not surprised in the least. "This is the option you chose."

Kapun sighed. "Fine then. You can come by my house and take whatever you want from my room. Take that as your hostage."

Rowan snorted. "Not much of a hostage if you're willing to give it up so easily." Rowan grinned. "Still, I'm in. If nothing else, it'll be a fun change of pace from the monotony of gatekeeping and cleaning." Rowan thought about it a little more. "And if I'm already this far in, then I'll go the extra mile. If you guys need help, I'm your guy."

Kapun blinked. "Th-thank you, Runt-"

"If you want to thank me," Rowan bit out. "Call me Rowan, not Runt. You don't want to piss me off."

"Okay, Rowan," Kapun easily agreed.

The two went back and forth a little longer, and the corner of Culus's mouth twitched. The plan was absolutely riskier than it needed to be, but the potential payoffs were enormous. Of course, the payoff might be minimal to non-existent if the two betrayed him, but Culus was very good at running away. If they did betray him, he'd still have to run like hell from Kenki, so there wasn't much he could lose in that department.

And both of them knew how dangerous he could be.

The twitch grew to a full grin as Culus ran through the plan in his mind. When he said he was going to need a distraction, it was going to be far more than a simple song-and-dance like at the Twin Moon Ball.

Consulting the memories that weren't his, he found the chemical formula he would need for the perfect distraction.

This was going to be magnificent.


Took a bit longer than I was hoping for, but this was still a fun chapter to write. Hope you enjoyed it. Feel free to drop a fav, follow, or review! I really appreciate it.

See you later!