This is a sad, sad chapter. Especially for you Charizard lovers like me... Get tissues if you want. I'll wait.
Chapter
Nine
In which Ash is found, a sacrifice is attempted, the truth is revealed,
and a tragedy occurs.
It was dark, that was the first thing Aliet noticed. The next thing she noticed was thick, heavy chains restricted her movements. A fire burned in the corner. Wait... She blinked and the world suddenly came into focus. She was in a cell. All she remembered was the man hitting her. She must have blacked out after that. Her head ached. She stole a look at the fire and gasped. The fire illuminated a draconic shape, lying curled on the floor, chained around the neck, tail, wings and all four legs. A muzzle covered his mouth, preventing fire. Charizard. She moaned inwardly. They'd captured her first-and beaten him by the looks of it. A bloody wound in his shoulder looked fresh, as did a small cut on his lower lip. Anger rose in her.
As she watched him, he stirred, groaning. -'Et,- he growled. Apparently, he couldn't speak with the muzzle either. Fortunately, growls were his language too, and had no need of lips or tongue to form recognizable words. -You okay?-
"If you mean okay as in alive, then yes," she replied a horse voice. "You?"
-I'm fine, thanks for asking,- came a surly, yet familiar voice from the shadows. -They cracked me on the head pretty good.-
"Scyther..." Aliet groaned. They were all captives. This was great.
"And me," said another voice in the dark.
Thomas. The Fslam felt despair well up. If he was here, then this was the cell for traitorous prisoners. "Is Ash there with you?" Aliet asked, suddenly even more fearful.
"Yeah..." came the small, fearful voice of her brother. "I'm here, 'Et." He sounded as if he'd been crying. It almost tore her heart in two. "Are we gonna be okay?"
Neither Aliet nor Thomas answered. Instead, they changed the subject. "How long have we been down here, Thomas?" she asked, ignoring the fact that the boy was a traitor.
"Not very long," he said. "Although, it's hard to tell down here." After a brief pause, he added, "Is your Charizard going to be all right? Looks like they beat him pretty bad."
-I'll survive,- was the fire type's growling response. -You doing okay Scy?-
-Let's see, I'm chained in a dungeon by water psychopath Shietaor-whorshipers, got whacked on the head by some crazy converted Drejian... and want to throw up... yeah, I'd say I'm peachy,- Scyther said, tone dripping with sarcasm.
The two slipped into private conversation while the humans tried to remain calm in the situation at hand. "Is there anyway out of these that you know, Thomas?" Aliet asked.
There was a movement in the dark. "No. Only Splashora has the keys," his tone was blacker than the darkness surrounding them. "She doesn't even let her Drejian servant touch them. And he's the one she trusts the most."
"Great..." Aliet sighed softly. She had pretty much given up by now. Eatusur would take her soul... but, oh gods, she wasn't ready to die yet! She was fifteen! Not old enough to have lived the life she had wanted. Of course, she'd flown through thunderclouds, tasted fresh mountain snow and watched both sunrises and sunsets. And yet, she still felt as if she had not really lived. Tears began to form in her hazel eyes. For once she was glad for the dark. She could shed her tears and emotions without being seen by those other than her first. Why was that law among the Fslam created anyway? She didn't know, and would never know now. She laid her head back against the hard stonewall, crying and silently preparing to die. Eventually, she fell into a very troubled sleep.
Brilliant light shoved aside the shadows, blasting them into nonexistence across its path. The occupants of the cell blinked painfully against its brightness, hearts hammering in their chests. Rough hands grabbed them, hauling them to their feet. One snapped an iron muzzle over Charizard's snout, preventing him from flaming, while another slid iron guards over Scyther's blades. Neither one of them protested or fought their captors. Aliet was yanked up violently, chains being replaced by wrist cuffs. Her cuffs were attached to Thomas and Ash's via a long chain. The Jha'ik guards pushed the humans between them while five more of them muscled the poke'mon duo along. Aliet cursed herself mentally for not brining their poke'balls along on this venture. They might have survived if she had released them now. But, then again, the Jha'ik might just as well have taken her belt anyway.
The little band was hustled along dark corridor after dark corridor. Their guards carried torches to illuminate the path. No one spoke. Ash could be heard crying behind Aliet. The Fslam led the group of captive humans, Ash behind her and Thomas bringing up the rear. She and Thomas walked in utter silence. Even the guards and poke'mon grunted occasionally as they moved. But the Fslam and Jha'ik traitor were the epitome of quiet calm. Inside though, Aliet was a wreck. Each step she took was filled with a prayer, a silent plea to Eatusur to save them.
So far, her prayers hadn't been answered.
Eventually, the reached what they thought to be their destination. The blue-robed guards stood beside the double doors, opening them with a flourish that irked Aliet. Nothing inside this place should be worth such attention-in her opinion anyway. It was unholy, tainted, and evil. She caught a glance into the room beyond the great doors... and stopped dead, causing an almost domino effect. The room was huge. Sculptures of Seaking adorned the walls, water flowing from their mouths into pools loaded with the smaller versions of the actual poke'mon. Light arose from the pools, filling the room with blue-tinged light and weird reflections. A rich carpet of blue fabric ran from the iron doors to an altar, which dominated the center of the over-done room. The altar was also sculpted of iron and had a small, strange looking platform welded to it. Mounted on the altar, behind the platform, was a bronze idol of a Seaking.
Although, where the Seaking's eyes should have been was the symbol of Shietaor; the god of Darkness and Evil.
Aliet felt her heart skip too many beats to be healthy. Her hands instinctually tried to make the sign of Eatusur for protection, but were unable to comply. The guards shoved them roughly forward, almost pushing them to the floor in their eagerness to get them into the room. Ash wailed loudly in fear. Charizard came up behind him at Aliet's unspoken plea and nudged the boy reassuringly in the shoulder. Thomas swore in Jha'ik, then made his way to Aliet's side. "We're doomed," he murmured. "This is where... where Splashora does... does sacrifices..." She could smell his fear through his breath. Ash's head hit her back and she tapped him in response. Gods she wished her hands were free... Charizard hit her with his nose as Scyther drew up along side of her. All of them stood there in a ragged row, trying to comfort their fellows to the best of their abilities. They knew it was hopeless, yet they all sought comfort and gave it, so they wouldn't have to be so afraid at the end.
Out of nowhere, two lines of Jha'ik appeared on either side of the altar, chanting in the flowing Jha'ik tongue. Aliet's heart hammered as the two lines drew up before the altar, bowing low to it. A puff of blue smoke later, and Splashora stood before them all, smiling evilly. At her gesture, the guards pulled the prisoners backwards, leashing their chains onto rings set into the stone floor. Only then did they join the ranks. The Fslam's magic-aware senses blazed with the dark power that was building. It fairly hummed about the room. As the chanting reached a high point, Splashora gestured again, this time beckoning with her left-seemingly dominant-hand. Aliet felt her chains vanish and her body leave the floor. She cried out, fighting it as best she could. Her struggles were to no avail. The black magic dragged her forward, pulling her up and onto the altar. Her chains reappeared as the magic vanished. She was slammed violently against the hard iron surface of the odd platform. A coppery smell filled her nostrils, triggering a vague memory to bubble up.
Blood.
She almost retched all over herself. Another chain appeared around her neck, pulling her head back and forcing her to stare up at the Seaking idol. Normally, she would have spat or cursed in the presence of paganism. But, now such things were useless. The ceaseless chants continued from the throats of the Jha'ik, filling her ears with its voice. All she could see was the awful Seaking. All she heard was the chant of the Jha'ik. Splashora's face filled her range of vision. The Jha'ik had walked around the side of the idol, making a show of it no doubt, and now knelt on the platform beside Aliet's head. She whispered a few simple Jha'ik words, moving her hands to her hip as she spoke. Her robes moved aside, allowing Aliet to glimpse the sheath of her dirk. The Fslam's eyes went wide with terror and she almost screamed. Tears formed in her eyes but were blinked away. She prayed and prayed, saying silent good-byes in between prayers. There was one thing she would not give these asermioks: the sight of her fear.
Splashora pulled her dirk from its sheath...
Positioned it over Aliet's heart...
And prepared to plunge it down...
-STOP!-
Everyone froze in place at the roaring cry. Aliet pulled her head up enough to see around her. The guards were poised around her first, ready to attack if need be. Charizard was fighting the grip the chains had on him with every ounce of strength his huge body possessed. The muzzle bit into the soft flesh of his mouth as he fought to cry out loud enough to stop the awful proceedings. Horror, rage and terror filled his eyes, fire flickering at the backs of the blue pools. With another roar, he flung himself towards his trainer, claws scrabbling at the stone floor. Scyther backed up, afraid of this transformed char. The guards were confused as well.
Splashora laughed. It had an evil, deadly sound to it that only made Charizard strain harder. "There's nothing you can do, lizard," the Jha'ik laughed. "She's dead."
-Stopstopstopstop!- he chanted insanely. -STOP! Oh for the love of Moltres STOP!-
"I told you there was nothing you could do," Splashora snapped, losing her mirth. It struck a few as odd how the Jha'ik was able to understand Aliet's first. As the big fire type strained again, Splashora gestured and vanished, only to reappear in front of him. A sneer dominated her warped face. "So I would save your breath, and your strength for your turn."
-You have to stop!- The fire type just wouldn't listen to her. He strained, roaring and nearly flaming. The chains cut into him, drawing blood out from its hiding places.
The Jha'ik growled in rage. She drew back her hand and hit him across the face. The impact was almost nothing to him, but it shut him up instantly. "Listen here, lizard, if you don't shut your trap, I'll kill you both! We only need one sacrifice per month, but I would be glad to make it two!" She leaned in threateningly. "Truth be told, we are only allowed to give humans, but if you don't keep quiet, I'll kill you too! And I was planning on releasing the two of you to spread the word of our power!"
-Kill me,- he said quietly. There was an eerie calm in his voice. -Kill me and set her free. That's what you originally wanted anyway. The council's poke'mon dead. Let my trainer go and kill me. Anyway you like. Just let her go. A human can spread tales of horror far better than my kind can.-
It took a moment for the full impact of his words to sink into Aliet. Now it was her turn to scream at him. He couldn't die! She should! If she was gone, he would have others to care for him, to comfort him, to love him. But if he died... She would be alone. Completely alone. Without her first, she would be unable to cry, to grieve, doomed only to show anger. The Fslam needed her first more than he would have ever needed her. The chains loosened, as if to spite her, and she jerked up to stare at him. Accusation colored her stare, followed closely by denial. "You can't do this..." she murmured, dazed. "No! You can't! Oh Eatusur no!" Sobs threatened to emerge from the light hold she held on them.
He didn't look her in the eye.
"So..." Splashora mused, oblivious to the wild emotions whirling about the room. "You're willing to trade your miserable blood for hers?"
-Yes,- he growled, avoiding Aliet's pained gaze. -Only though, if you release her.-
"You have my word," the Jha'ik grinned. In a subtle movement, she drew a large stone out from under her robes, holding it out for the fire type to view. The blue glow of the Waterstone was visible even from Aliet's distance. This is all a bad dream... Aliet chanted mentally. This can't be real. I need to wake up. Oh gods, he's going to die! "This, lizard breath, is how I chose for you to die," Splashora intoned. Strange dark movements hovered about her body. "Slowly and painfully, so your precious trainer can see how much you suffer for your folly. Slowly and painfully so she may see the true power of the Jha'ik!"
The big fire type's eyes never left the gleam of the polished stone. His struggles had long since ceased. He refused to look at his trainer, as he knew her longing look would only weaken his resolve. A huge sigh sent a smoky scent across the room. -As you decree. I take my fate and await my meeting with Eatusur,- he said, quoting a Fslam saying from Aliet's book. The glazed look left his eyes, replaced by a look of contempt mirrored by flickering flames. -Do your worst, Jha'iktaor.-
Roughly, Splashora grabbed his muzzle and jammed her hand inside. Charizard's eyes crossed in surprise, but righted as he realized his insult had hit. He stared straight at her, unmoving. Finally, the Jha'ik removed her hand allowing him to swallow the deadly rock. It burned his throat in a way fire never could. Only now could he look at Aliet. Tears were streaming down her face, having broken through what resolve she'd had left. Her chained arms held no power to wipe them away in the gruesome faces of her peoples' enemies. Why? her eyes begged him. Why?
He shook his massive head. I don't know, the gesture answered.
Splashora had moved back to the altar in the long silence. She began removing Aliet's chains dutifully, but there was something about her manner and the quick way she moved that frightened the Fslam. "Take her back to her cell," the Jha'ik barked to the guards. "We'll use her next month."
There was a stunned silence in the large room. Both Aliet and her first cried out in disbelief at the same moment. "Liar!" the Fslam screamed, lashing out at her captor with her legs. "You gave him your word!"
"That may mean something to fire brats and their lizards," she sneered, pinning Aliet's freed legs to the ground. "But to the Jha'ik, our word is what we wish. And I wished mine to be a lie." Her ugly face loomed an inch from Aliet's. "Where is your pathetic firebird to save you now? Hiding probably. It must remember the beating the Dark One gave it and is afraid to come before it once more." Her voice held a strange, otherworldly echo to it.
Pitiful Jha'ik! the voice boomed in all minds. You have denounced me for the last time! Through my Tool I show myself!
A feeling of power swelled in the room. It rose to a suffocating level, making it hard to breathe. Suddenly, Thomas rose in the air, suspended in s ball of red light. Flickering flames licked the edges of the ball, rising into the young boy. When his eyes opened once more, they were hot and the color of fire. All eyes were drawn to the strange site. "You made a foolish choice to bring my Tool into your stronghold," the voice continued, speaking through Thomas now. "Just as the evil works in this world through you, I can enter this vile place through my Tool!" An image of a firebird in an attacking stance appeared behind the boy. "I have seen fit to take this moment and send you all to a place where none shall touch you again!"
Someone charged the shining form. It was the Drejian convert. His sword raised, his eyes oddly blank, he prepared to cut Thomas down. A war cry rang from his lips. White-tinged fire lashed out, felling him in a single, swift motion. "I am the God of Fire, Shietaor!" Thomas/Eatusur intoned. "Leave here now or I shall be forced to send you to the Phantom Realm as well! Not that I would mind that..." the voice held a trace of humor.
"Never!" Splashora hissed, the odd echo dominating her voice. "These mortals are mine!"
"They never were, nor will they ever be!" Thomas/Eatusur cried.
The strange, white fire raced throughout the room, devouring everything, save the Fslam, her brother and her two poke'mon. Screams from the burning Jha'ik filled Aliet's ears as she hid her eyes from the sight. The fire roared higher, shooting straight through the roof and into the rooms above. It blazed with no heat, yet consumed everything in the building. Just as suddenly as it had begun, it spun into a large spiral column, only to come crashing back down and vanish into a flash of white light. The firebird image gave a cry as the light turned into a an orb. It beat its blazing wings and the orb fell down into a black hole that closed instantly. With another cry, all the images vanished, leaving the foursome alone in a normal, if dilapidated warehouse.
It took Aliet a moment to recover from what had happened. She was unchained, lying on a cold concrete floor where the altar had been. Her poke'mon were also lying still, in the same places where they had been chained. She pushed herself up, dazedly trying to remember all that had happened. It came to her as her first coughed sickly. She scrambled to her feet, getting to him as quickly as she could.
He was awake, his blue eyes large with fear. Scyther had sat up herself and was sitting a few feet off, silent. Ash was with her, his head buried against her armored chest. Aliet checked him over out of force of habit. The marks from the chains were ugly and would most likely become scars... if he lived long enough. Already, the telltale blue hue had appeared beneath the orange of his hide. There was no time to get to a center. It was already too late to do much of anything. The stone had been too large. She lay her head on his chest, letting the tears of grief come. "Why?" she choked out. "Why?"
-I had to protect you, 'Et,- he murmured. -I promised to do that... the day you found me.-
"But you..." she stopped, unable to continue any further. Her closest friend, her protector, her baby was being ripped away from her forever. He had done it to vainly protect her. Out of blind loyalty to his trainer, he would die. "You can't," she cried. "You can't. I need you here!"
-I'll be with you in your mind,- he tried to comfort her, but was cut off by pain mounting in his chest. Instead of speaking, he forced himself to roll over. Aliet threw her arms around his neck, sobbing. Old memories had flared up to taunt her breaking heart. Thoughts of the wings he could never use again, the joys he would never feel... the battles they would never again fight. He coughed again, this time blood trickled from his mouth afterwards.
She prayed. Her mind never stopped chanting the familiar phrases that had worked so many times before. She held him tightly, feeling his warmth, smelling the smoky-cinnamon smell of his skin as if for the first and last time ever. She wanted to take every part of him that she could and save it, hold it forever in her mind. She pretended she could not feel him weakening, pretended she could wake up from this nightmare. Pretended he wasn't going to ever leave her alone. Hard, red tears fell to the ground with a crystalline clink. She ignored them. All that mattered was her first.
Scyther sat watching them, feeling her own heart break.
Finally, he grew too weak to hold his elegant head up. He lay it down in Aliet's lap, letting her tears hit him. -I love you both...- he murmured hoarsely.
She couldn't answer. Her pain was indescribable torment, weighing down on her heart and breaking her soul to shattered pieces. The once powerful fire type had to force his eyes open one last time. Her silence was broken in that moment. "Don't go don't go don't go!" she chanted, her voice broken. "I need you, I love you, I need you here!"
His trainer's pain-wracked hazel eyes were the last thing he saw as the beautiful plume of fire on his tail flickered and went out.
Aliet screamed in utter torment and grief. Scyther went limp, allowing her own tears to shed. The Fslam held her dead poke'mon, so deep in grief that she seemed unable to register his passing. She begged him to wake up, to tell her it was okay again, to flame and battle and be with her. She screamed at him not to leave her alone in this world.
But her only answer was the sobbing echoes of her own, pain-wracked voice.
(AF: *sniff* This chapter made me cry...)
(Jendai: Oh, does someone need a hug?)
(AF: Yeah...)
(Jendai hands her GIR and walks off)
Chapter
Nine
In which Ash is found, a sacrifice is attempted, the truth is revealed,
and a tragedy occurs.
It was dark, that was the first thing Aliet noticed. The next thing she noticed was thick, heavy chains restricted her movements. A fire burned in the corner. Wait... She blinked and the world suddenly came into focus. She was in a cell. All she remembered was the man hitting her. She must have blacked out after that. Her head ached. She stole a look at the fire and gasped. The fire illuminated a draconic shape, lying curled on the floor, chained around the neck, tail, wings and all four legs. A muzzle covered his mouth, preventing fire. Charizard. She moaned inwardly. They'd captured her first-and beaten him by the looks of it. A bloody wound in his shoulder looked fresh, as did a small cut on his lower lip. Anger rose in her.
As she watched him, he stirred, groaning. -'Et,- he growled. Apparently, he couldn't speak with the muzzle either. Fortunately, growls were his language too, and had no need of lips or tongue to form recognizable words. -You okay?-
"If you mean okay as in alive, then yes," she replied a horse voice. "You?"
-I'm fine, thanks for asking,- came a surly, yet familiar voice from the shadows. -They cracked me on the head pretty good.-
"Scyther..." Aliet groaned. They were all captives. This was great.
"And me," said another voice in the dark.
Thomas. The Fslam felt despair well up. If he was here, then this was the cell for traitorous prisoners. "Is Ash there with you?" Aliet asked, suddenly even more fearful.
"Yeah..." came the small, fearful voice of her brother. "I'm here, 'Et." He sounded as if he'd been crying. It almost tore her heart in two. "Are we gonna be okay?"
Neither Aliet nor Thomas answered. Instead, they changed the subject. "How long have we been down here, Thomas?" she asked, ignoring the fact that the boy was a traitor.
"Not very long," he said. "Although, it's hard to tell down here." After a brief pause, he added, "Is your Charizard going to be all right? Looks like they beat him pretty bad."
-I'll survive,- was the fire type's growling response. -You doing okay Scy?-
-Let's see, I'm chained in a dungeon by water psychopath Shietaor-whorshipers, got whacked on the head by some crazy converted Drejian... and want to throw up... yeah, I'd say I'm peachy,- Scyther said, tone dripping with sarcasm.
The two slipped into private conversation while the humans tried to remain calm in the situation at hand. "Is there anyway out of these that you know, Thomas?" Aliet asked.
There was a movement in the dark. "No. Only Splashora has the keys," his tone was blacker than the darkness surrounding them. "She doesn't even let her Drejian servant touch them. And he's the one she trusts the most."
"Great..." Aliet sighed softly. She had pretty much given up by now. Eatusur would take her soul... but, oh gods, she wasn't ready to die yet! She was fifteen! Not old enough to have lived the life she had wanted. Of course, she'd flown through thunderclouds, tasted fresh mountain snow and watched both sunrises and sunsets. And yet, she still felt as if she had not really lived. Tears began to form in her hazel eyes. For once she was glad for the dark. She could shed her tears and emotions without being seen by those other than her first. Why was that law among the Fslam created anyway? She didn't know, and would never know now. She laid her head back against the hard stonewall, crying and silently preparing to die. Eventually, she fell into a very troubled sleep.
Brilliant light shoved aside the shadows, blasting them into nonexistence across its path. The occupants of the cell blinked painfully against its brightness, hearts hammering in their chests. Rough hands grabbed them, hauling them to their feet. One snapped an iron muzzle over Charizard's snout, preventing him from flaming, while another slid iron guards over Scyther's blades. Neither one of them protested or fought their captors. Aliet was yanked up violently, chains being replaced by wrist cuffs. Her cuffs were attached to Thomas and Ash's via a long chain. The Jha'ik guards pushed the humans between them while five more of them muscled the poke'mon duo along. Aliet cursed herself mentally for not brining their poke'balls along on this venture. They might have survived if she had released them now. But, then again, the Jha'ik might just as well have taken her belt anyway.
The little band was hustled along dark corridor after dark corridor. Their guards carried torches to illuminate the path. No one spoke. Ash could be heard crying behind Aliet. The Fslam led the group of captive humans, Ash behind her and Thomas bringing up the rear. She and Thomas walked in utter silence. Even the guards and poke'mon grunted occasionally as they moved. But the Fslam and Jha'ik traitor were the epitome of quiet calm. Inside though, Aliet was a wreck. Each step she took was filled with a prayer, a silent plea to Eatusur to save them.
So far, her prayers hadn't been answered.
Eventually, the reached what they thought to be their destination. The blue-robed guards stood beside the double doors, opening them with a flourish that irked Aliet. Nothing inside this place should be worth such attention-in her opinion anyway. It was unholy, tainted, and evil. She caught a glance into the room beyond the great doors... and stopped dead, causing an almost domino effect. The room was huge. Sculptures of Seaking adorned the walls, water flowing from their mouths into pools loaded with the smaller versions of the actual poke'mon. Light arose from the pools, filling the room with blue-tinged light and weird reflections. A rich carpet of blue fabric ran from the iron doors to an altar, which dominated the center of the over-done room. The altar was also sculpted of iron and had a small, strange looking platform welded to it. Mounted on the altar, behind the platform, was a bronze idol of a Seaking.
Although, where the Seaking's eyes should have been was the symbol of Shietaor; the god of Darkness and Evil.
Aliet felt her heart skip too many beats to be healthy. Her hands instinctually tried to make the sign of Eatusur for protection, but were unable to comply. The guards shoved them roughly forward, almost pushing them to the floor in their eagerness to get them into the room. Ash wailed loudly in fear. Charizard came up behind him at Aliet's unspoken plea and nudged the boy reassuringly in the shoulder. Thomas swore in Jha'ik, then made his way to Aliet's side. "We're doomed," he murmured. "This is where... where Splashora does... does sacrifices..." She could smell his fear through his breath. Ash's head hit her back and she tapped him in response. Gods she wished her hands were free... Charizard hit her with his nose as Scyther drew up along side of her. All of them stood there in a ragged row, trying to comfort their fellows to the best of their abilities. They knew it was hopeless, yet they all sought comfort and gave it, so they wouldn't have to be so afraid at the end.
Out of nowhere, two lines of Jha'ik appeared on either side of the altar, chanting in the flowing Jha'ik tongue. Aliet's heart hammered as the two lines drew up before the altar, bowing low to it. A puff of blue smoke later, and Splashora stood before them all, smiling evilly. At her gesture, the guards pulled the prisoners backwards, leashing their chains onto rings set into the stone floor. Only then did they join the ranks. The Fslam's magic-aware senses blazed with the dark power that was building. It fairly hummed about the room. As the chanting reached a high point, Splashora gestured again, this time beckoning with her left-seemingly dominant-hand. Aliet felt her chains vanish and her body leave the floor. She cried out, fighting it as best she could. Her struggles were to no avail. The black magic dragged her forward, pulling her up and onto the altar. Her chains reappeared as the magic vanished. She was slammed violently against the hard iron surface of the odd platform. A coppery smell filled her nostrils, triggering a vague memory to bubble up.
Blood.
She almost retched all over herself. Another chain appeared around her neck, pulling her head back and forcing her to stare up at the Seaking idol. Normally, she would have spat or cursed in the presence of paganism. But, now such things were useless. The ceaseless chants continued from the throats of the Jha'ik, filling her ears with its voice. All she could see was the awful Seaking. All she heard was the chant of the Jha'ik. Splashora's face filled her range of vision. The Jha'ik had walked around the side of the idol, making a show of it no doubt, and now knelt on the platform beside Aliet's head. She whispered a few simple Jha'ik words, moving her hands to her hip as she spoke. Her robes moved aside, allowing Aliet to glimpse the sheath of her dirk. The Fslam's eyes went wide with terror and she almost screamed. Tears formed in her eyes but were blinked away. She prayed and prayed, saying silent good-byes in between prayers. There was one thing she would not give these asermioks: the sight of her fear.
Splashora pulled her dirk from its sheath...
Positioned it over Aliet's heart...
And prepared to plunge it down...
-STOP!-
Everyone froze in place at the roaring cry. Aliet pulled her head up enough to see around her. The guards were poised around her first, ready to attack if need be. Charizard was fighting the grip the chains had on him with every ounce of strength his huge body possessed. The muzzle bit into the soft flesh of his mouth as he fought to cry out loud enough to stop the awful proceedings. Horror, rage and terror filled his eyes, fire flickering at the backs of the blue pools. With another roar, he flung himself towards his trainer, claws scrabbling at the stone floor. Scyther backed up, afraid of this transformed char. The guards were confused as well.
Splashora laughed. It had an evil, deadly sound to it that only made Charizard strain harder. "There's nothing you can do, lizard," the Jha'ik laughed. "She's dead."
-Stopstopstopstop!- he chanted insanely. -STOP! Oh for the love of Moltres STOP!-
"I told you there was nothing you could do," Splashora snapped, losing her mirth. It struck a few as odd how the Jha'ik was able to understand Aliet's first. As the big fire type strained again, Splashora gestured and vanished, only to reappear in front of him. A sneer dominated her warped face. "So I would save your breath, and your strength for your turn."
-You have to stop!- The fire type just wouldn't listen to her. He strained, roaring and nearly flaming. The chains cut into him, drawing blood out from its hiding places.
The Jha'ik growled in rage. She drew back her hand and hit him across the face. The impact was almost nothing to him, but it shut him up instantly. "Listen here, lizard, if you don't shut your trap, I'll kill you both! We only need one sacrifice per month, but I would be glad to make it two!" She leaned in threateningly. "Truth be told, we are only allowed to give humans, but if you don't keep quiet, I'll kill you too! And I was planning on releasing the two of you to spread the word of our power!"
-Kill me,- he said quietly. There was an eerie calm in his voice. -Kill me and set her free. That's what you originally wanted anyway. The council's poke'mon dead. Let my trainer go and kill me. Anyway you like. Just let her go. A human can spread tales of horror far better than my kind can.-
It took a moment for the full impact of his words to sink into Aliet. Now it was her turn to scream at him. He couldn't die! She should! If she was gone, he would have others to care for him, to comfort him, to love him. But if he died... She would be alone. Completely alone. Without her first, she would be unable to cry, to grieve, doomed only to show anger. The Fslam needed her first more than he would have ever needed her. The chains loosened, as if to spite her, and she jerked up to stare at him. Accusation colored her stare, followed closely by denial. "You can't do this..." she murmured, dazed. "No! You can't! Oh Eatusur no!" Sobs threatened to emerge from the light hold she held on them.
He didn't look her in the eye.
"So..." Splashora mused, oblivious to the wild emotions whirling about the room. "You're willing to trade your miserable blood for hers?"
-Yes,- he growled, avoiding Aliet's pained gaze. -Only though, if you release her.-
"You have my word," the Jha'ik grinned. In a subtle movement, she drew a large stone out from under her robes, holding it out for the fire type to view. The blue glow of the Waterstone was visible even from Aliet's distance. This is all a bad dream... Aliet chanted mentally. This can't be real. I need to wake up. Oh gods, he's going to die! "This, lizard breath, is how I chose for you to die," Splashora intoned. Strange dark movements hovered about her body. "Slowly and painfully, so your precious trainer can see how much you suffer for your folly. Slowly and painfully so she may see the true power of the Jha'ik!"
The big fire type's eyes never left the gleam of the polished stone. His struggles had long since ceased. He refused to look at his trainer, as he knew her longing look would only weaken his resolve. A huge sigh sent a smoky scent across the room. -As you decree. I take my fate and await my meeting with Eatusur,- he said, quoting a Fslam saying from Aliet's book. The glazed look left his eyes, replaced by a look of contempt mirrored by flickering flames. -Do your worst, Jha'iktaor.-
Roughly, Splashora grabbed his muzzle and jammed her hand inside. Charizard's eyes crossed in surprise, but righted as he realized his insult had hit. He stared straight at her, unmoving. Finally, the Jha'ik removed her hand allowing him to swallow the deadly rock. It burned his throat in a way fire never could. Only now could he look at Aliet. Tears were streaming down her face, having broken through what resolve she'd had left. Her chained arms held no power to wipe them away in the gruesome faces of her peoples' enemies. Why? her eyes begged him. Why?
He shook his massive head. I don't know, the gesture answered.
Splashora had moved back to the altar in the long silence. She began removing Aliet's chains dutifully, but there was something about her manner and the quick way she moved that frightened the Fslam. "Take her back to her cell," the Jha'ik barked to the guards. "We'll use her next month."
There was a stunned silence in the large room. Both Aliet and her first cried out in disbelief at the same moment. "Liar!" the Fslam screamed, lashing out at her captor with her legs. "You gave him your word!"
"That may mean something to fire brats and their lizards," she sneered, pinning Aliet's freed legs to the ground. "But to the Jha'ik, our word is what we wish. And I wished mine to be a lie." Her ugly face loomed an inch from Aliet's. "Where is your pathetic firebird to save you now? Hiding probably. It must remember the beating the Dark One gave it and is afraid to come before it once more." Her voice held a strange, otherworldly echo to it.
Pitiful Jha'ik! the voice boomed in all minds. You have denounced me for the last time! Through my Tool I show myself!
A feeling of power swelled in the room. It rose to a suffocating level, making it hard to breathe. Suddenly, Thomas rose in the air, suspended in s ball of red light. Flickering flames licked the edges of the ball, rising into the young boy. When his eyes opened once more, they were hot and the color of fire. All eyes were drawn to the strange site. "You made a foolish choice to bring my Tool into your stronghold," the voice continued, speaking through Thomas now. "Just as the evil works in this world through you, I can enter this vile place through my Tool!" An image of a firebird in an attacking stance appeared behind the boy. "I have seen fit to take this moment and send you all to a place where none shall touch you again!"
Someone charged the shining form. It was the Drejian convert. His sword raised, his eyes oddly blank, he prepared to cut Thomas down. A war cry rang from his lips. White-tinged fire lashed out, felling him in a single, swift motion. "I am the God of Fire, Shietaor!" Thomas/Eatusur intoned. "Leave here now or I shall be forced to send you to the Phantom Realm as well! Not that I would mind that..." the voice held a trace of humor.
"Never!" Splashora hissed, the odd echo dominating her voice. "These mortals are mine!"
"They never were, nor will they ever be!" Thomas/Eatusur cried.
The strange, white fire raced throughout the room, devouring everything, save the Fslam, her brother and her two poke'mon. Screams from the burning Jha'ik filled Aliet's ears as she hid her eyes from the sight. The fire roared higher, shooting straight through the roof and into the rooms above. It blazed with no heat, yet consumed everything in the building. Just as suddenly as it had begun, it spun into a large spiral column, only to come crashing back down and vanish into a flash of white light. The firebird image gave a cry as the light turned into a an orb. It beat its blazing wings and the orb fell down into a black hole that closed instantly. With another cry, all the images vanished, leaving the foursome alone in a normal, if dilapidated warehouse.
It took Aliet a moment to recover from what had happened. She was unchained, lying on a cold concrete floor where the altar had been. Her poke'mon were also lying still, in the same places where they had been chained. She pushed herself up, dazedly trying to remember all that had happened. It came to her as her first coughed sickly. She scrambled to her feet, getting to him as quickly as she could.
He was awake, his blue eyes large with fear. Scyther had sat up herself and was sitting a few feet off, silent. Ash was with her, his head buried against her armored chest. Aliet checked him over out of force of habit. The marks from the chains were ugly and would most likely become scars... if he lived long enough. Already, the telltale blue hue had appeared beneath the orange of his hide. There was no time to get to a center. It was already too late to do much of anything. The stone had been too large. She lay her head on his chest, letting the tears of grief come. "Why?" she choked out. "Why?"
-I had to protect you, 'Et,- he murmured. -I promised to do that... the day you found me.-
"But you..." she stopped, unable to continue any further. Her closest friend, her protector, her baby was being ripped away from her forever. He had done it to vainly protect her. Out of blind loyalty to his trainer, he would die. "You can't," she cried. "You can't. I need you here!"
-I'll be with you in your mind,- he tried to comfort her, but was cut off by pain mounting in his chest. Instead of speaking, he forced himself to roll over. Aliet threw her arms around his neck, sobbing. Old memories had flared up to taunt her breaking heart. Thoughts of the wings he could never use again, the joys he would never feel... the battles they would never again fight. He coughed again, this time blood trickled from his mouth afterwards.
She prayed. Her mind never stopped chanting the familiar phrases that had worked so many times before. She held him tightly, feeling his warmth, smelling the smoky-cinnamon smell of his skin as if for the first and last time ever. She wanted to take every part of him that she could and save it, hold it forever in her mind. She pretended she could not feel him weakening, pretended she could wake up from this nightmare. Pretended he wasn't going to ever leave her alone. Hard, red tears fell to the ground with a crystalline clink. She ignored them. All that mattered was her first.
Scyther sat watching them, feeling her own heart break.
Finally, he grew too weak to hold his elegant head up. He lay it down in Aliet's lap, letting her tears hit him. -I love you both...- he murmured hoarsely.
She couldn't answer. Her pain was indescribable torment, weighing down on her heart and breaking her soul to shattered pieces. The once powerful fire type had to force his eyes open one last time. Her silence was broken in that moment. "Don't go don't go don't go!" she chanted, her voice broken. "I need you, I love you, I need you here!"
His trainer's pain-wracked hazel eyes were the last thing he saw as the beautiful plume of fire on his tail flickered and went out.
Aliet screamed in utter torment and grief. Scyther went limp, allowing her own tears to shed. The Fslam held her dead poke'mon, so deep in grief that she seemed unable to register his passing. She begged him to wake up, to tell her it was okay again, to flame and battle and be with her. She screamed at him not to leave her alone in this world.
But her only answer was the sobbing echoes of her own, pain-wracked voice.
(AF: *sniff* This chapter made me cry...)
(Jendai: Oh, does someone need a hug?)
(AF: Yeah...)
(Jendai hands her GIR and walks off)
