Chapter Twelve
Kolya winced as a flameball licked his side. The stench of burnt fur filled his nostrils and he fought the natural reaction to wrinkle his nose. Instead he concentrated on watching Jo. She had worked herself into a fine fit of fighting frenzy, which normally would scare him. It had a few days before when Damon paired them off against each other to spar. The first time her eyes went blank and a malice sneer dominated her face he had backed up hastily. Without warning she launched a well-executed quick attack and demanded he defend himself.
Twisting around another ball of flame he took the opportunity to dart forward under her barrage of fire. It would have worked if she didn't suddenly cut off her attack and use double team. He pulled up slightly confused, but not yet panicked. His nose twitched and his pale eyes flickered searching. She couldn't hide that way for long when he intended to ferret her out. Unfortunately, he also knew that she wouldn't stay hidden. She was an offensive fighter with a flamboyant style. She only retreated into defense when she was planning a very skilled and complex maneuver. These flashy ones were killers and usually ended with him panting in pain on the ground.
Within a split second two things happened at the same time. Kolya located the flareon and whirled to hit her with a psychic blast and Jo let out a blinding flash of bright light. Kolya knew then that he was in trouble. Instinctively he squeezed his dishonored eyes shut and pushed off backward hoping against hope that he had shot off the blast in time to be accurate. He heard it crash into the ground and felt his hope sink to the bottom. Shards of sharp rock flew everywhere in protest to the massive energy that had hit the earth and he felt several score across his heavily furred body.
At the last possible second he threw up a barrier. His eyes were still shut tight, but his body automatically corrected his fall so that he landed in a crouch. There was a brief thump and then silence.
Cautiously he opened his eyes to find Jo standing a few feet off looking miffed and panting lightly. Her stance was well balanced and if she had balls of her feet she'd be on them. With a disarming flick of her head she was suddenly sitting and watching him through emerald slits. Her mouth was twisted in a sadistic smile and she bowed mockingly.
"Congratulations Kiddo, you're not dead. This time. But a half *** defense like that wouldn't stop someone really intent on getting to you and ripping your pretty self limb from limb."
I deflected you. Kolya retorted earning a dark glare. He was staring at the pale violet energy barrier all around him in a dome. It flickered dimly like a television in a dark room and he realized it was also semi-transparent.
Suddenly Jo was barreling towards him. He blinked and half a second too late he tried to defend himself. She bullied through his psychic shield and shouldered him with her full body weight. Being hit by a much larger, far more muscular flareon was too much for him to handle. He flew a good yard unchecked before smacking the unforgiving ground and doing a fair imitation of skipping stone.
Finally landing he looked up with narrowed eyes and a growl was rumbling deep in his chest. That wasn't fair.
Jo looked at him for a moment stupefied before roaring with laughter. It stung him and made him even angrier. He charged her straight on and she nimbly danced out of his way like a dancer. For good measures she whipped him lightly across the face with her long tail, goading him on.
He checked his direction and whirled taking her by surprise. She thought he was finished and would give up.
Seizing the opportunity he stunned her with a headbutt. The puff on her head cushioned the attack slightly, but she blanked out anyway. Pinning her he pummeled down a rain of blows some of which glanced off, but others struck hard. Soon he could detect a shift in her breathing pattern as his repeatedly struck her ribs. The feral side of him clawed at his control demanding its price. Payback for all the beatings he had taken from her, payment for all the cutting remarks, and lastly, retribution for daring to laugh at something he so naively said. The last of his honorable ideals.
It dared his better half to hold the devils back. Dared him not to pull the punches. To use his blunt claws to create painful welts, to use his sharp fangs to render multiple shallow cuts. Death was far too easy. Torture would serve his purpose far better. Jo would respect him rather than sneer down her nose as she had done before. He wouldn't have to listen to her patronizing lectures as she explained in the crudest terms how to behave in a battle. True, the respect would stem out of fear, but in his wrathful state that suited him just fine.
Then there was interference. Someone grabbed on hard to the back of his neck and hauled backward. He strained his muscles intent on finishing what he started. Garbled sounds faded in the background before he realized they mention something. Someone, or perhaps all of them, was speaking. Rather than concentration of what he didn't want to hear he ripped out of his captor's grasp, but by then Jo was up and hastily backing off.
"Reidar, stand down!"
That jolted through him. That's what Master had said to him! Whirling he almost expected to see the arrogant hybrid leaning against one of the surround trees with a smirk across his mutated features.
Instead he came face to face with a deadly calm Damon. Black bore into pale blue before he lowered his eyes in submission. The demons still clawed at him, but now he had firm hold of his emotions. He wasn't about to relinquish control.
"Go for a swim. Twenty laps in the moat." Damon ordered in voice that brooked no argument. It also promised one of his infamous fits of rage where he usually went psychotic on the victim lashing out with words. Kolya knew it was to be him this time, not that he didn't deserve it. Damon never dished out punishment one didn't earn. "Once you cool your temper down you may rejoin us. We will be on break."
Kolya trudged down to the moat slipping slightly on the cold, squishy mud as he was lost in his thoughts. No matter how he played it over in his mind, what he did was unacceptable and unjustifiable. It wasn't self-defense, she wasn't attacking him. In fact, she had pulled short expecting him to do the same. You didn't go around striking your teammates. How could they trust each other with rules like that? No. He lost his temper. There was nothing to excuse his behavior.
He hardly noticed as his forepaws hit the icy cold water. Staring down he glared into the murky, ink colored water. A stray thought of lurking water beasts crossed his mind temporarily distracting him from his self-berating. Once it past he found he couldn't regain the fury he had before. Instead he resolved to do anything to make it up to Jo. Unfortunately, he didn't like the directions that deed could go. Who knew what she would make him do? Then there was the matter of Damon and punishment. He hoped it wasn't light.
He shuddered as the shockingly cold water lapped at his shoulders and pushed off the slimy bottom to tread into the unknown waters. He could see the far side. From the level of his head it was just a dark smudge, but he knew that the crossing was barely a forth mile across.
After his fifteenth lap he was beginning to feel a stitch in his side and he still hadn't reached a conclusion about how he could hold in his temper. He wasn't the type to conceal everything, although his deafness had forced him to do so. He couldn't be like Karis. Hiding things under a cheerful exterior. Denzel hid them under cool politeness and Damon used loud anger. Jo? She used her bitchiness of course. So what could he do?
Reaching twenty and still as clueless as when he began he dragged his numb limbs up the hill to the others. Picking a spot a few yards away he mustered up his courage and shoved down his pride. Slowly he stopped shivering feeling spent from the fit of rage he had executed. It left an empty feeling, like a dark void.
Rising he shuffled over to Jo. She looked up with hooded eyes her muscles slightly tensed in anticipation.
"Come to beat the sh1t out of me a second time?" She snarled backing up a bit. He realized she was quite ready to fly at him if he made the smallest wrong movement. He shouldn't have expected anything else. All the warriors here had the mentality that anything could be beaten and fear was a waste of energy. She wouldn't just cower in a corner or avoid him. If he hadn't approached her she would have worked up her nerve and confronted him directly.
Kolya sat down feeling a slight tingle ripple through his cold flesh. He lifted his pale blue eyes to her green ones hoping to convey his intentions that way. It didn't work very well. He was so used to hiding his emotions he assumed that even now, when he wanted to be open, they were clouded, hidden.
I am sorry. He began carefully and watched her face twisted up into a mocking sneer. Instead of letting her chew him up and down in the nastiest, most insulting terms she could think of he cut her off with a look. I lost my temper. I take entire credit for that. However, you are incredibly vexing at times. I do not suggest doing that again.
There. That was as much of an apology as his pride would allow him to give. He watched the expressions flit across her face before they settled on unbridled indignation.
"You MALE." She howled in disgust. "You tried to kill me and all you can do is say I asked for it? Stupid jackass!"
Kolya blinked dumbly. Whatever he expected this wasn't remotely it. This scenario never even crossed his mind. Dimly he heard Damon chuckling in amusement and Denzel sighing lightly. From the corner of his eye he noticed Karis frowning darkly. Honestly, what did he do?
"Reidar, I think you need to let Jyotika cool off." Denzel advised. He used her full name, but her murderous eyes never wavered from Kolya. He was starting to get slightly nervous, still not understanding what he had done wrong.
"Forget it." Damon advised him with a chuckle. Kolya shook his head and looked questioning at the jolteon. The spiky eon flashed him a grin, "You partner up with Denzel, Jo you're with me. That suits everyone?"
"No." Jo hissed, smoldering, but she let it go. This promised retribution later Kolya was sure of it. Just what he needed at the moment, more trouble.
"You should not be so abrupt." Denzel said in a cautious tone. His dark chocolate eyes cut across to the larger psychic type, but his face betrayed nothing at all. It was constantly set in a pleasant mask.
I still don't know what I did. I was apologizing. Kolya growled to himself still annoyed at the reaction his actions had gotten him. He couldn't decide what irked him more. The way Jo had thrown his carefully constructed sorry back in his face or the amusement everyone else seemed to derive out of it. Shoving it out of his mind he slid into a defensive position and watched Denzel.
The eevee didn't even bother to do that. One minute he was there and the next he was gone. Before Kolya could react the smaller evolution had belted him across his ribs. His slightly soggy coat cushioned the blow, but not that shock to his mind. Denzel was fast!
"You are surprised." The small fox creature noted suddenly standing before him again. "Jyotika relays too much on her element and size. I will teach you about speed and defense."
Again, he blinked off only to cuff Kolya behind the ears. Kolya growled and shook his ringing head. Denzel stopped just out of reach and explained, "You cannot hit what you cannot catch. For that speed is essential. Jyotika has the size and power to compensate for her lack of speed we do not. You were an eevee once. What do you recall?"
Kolya sat down warily and delve through his misty memories. What was being an eevee like? He had evolved hardly a few months before yet he couldn't remember. His psychic power wrapped around him anxiously at such thoughts and he pulled it tighter. Was he really that helpless before? Without any elemental power or superior stats. No, not helpless. Never that. Something else then? He pondered with a grim look and Denzel waited patiently for him to answer.
I used my intelligence. Got my opponent to fight on my turf. That and sheer stupid luck. Kolya admitted looking distinctly troubled. How stupid had he been before? He could have been killed several times over from what he recalled of the past.
Denzel nodded and replied, "Brute strength is a tool, but so is your mind. However, one will always win out over the other in a single, straight forward battle."
Kolya realized what he was saying and started to ask another question before he felt a tap on his rump. The true lesson had begun.
By the end of the day Kolya had more questions than answers.
The eevee was far younger than any of the rest of them yet he seemed to know more. Damon would occasionally ask for help on a strategy, which Kolya found oddly out of character for the arrogant electric type until he realized that this was a team effort. Without each other they were doomed to failure. Jo was still sulking, but even she ventured a comment or two in the impromptu discussion and Karis added her voice every so often. Only Kolya stayed silent, wondering how Denzel learned so much. Was it because he was near Master so much? Or was he specifically taught. Whatever the case the espeon could see why Master had placed him on the team. One the other hand, he also couldn't see why. Why place your prized pet in danger? Surely it would be rather easy to replace Tynan. Just get another poor creature from the laboratory.
"Two bites of dinner for your thoughts?" Karis asked from beside him. Her gentle eyes were filled with curiosity and a smile curved around her muzzle.
Nothing. He replied brushing it off.
Zero_Chan: *shudder* I hate those things. *raises eyebrow at thunder crash*
Melchior the Mewthree: Wow, my first threat! *does dance* I'm afraid you'll have no more luck than my other [RK] reviewers. They keep trying to convince me to have facesucking or whatever... English sucks, and it's my first lang! Word helps me immensely *darts glance around* but don't tell my teachers that. Homophones are things like: heel/heal and vain/vein and there/their. Nasty buggers.
Pheonix Rising: Bad human stuff makes the world go 'round. I like pokemon moreso than human ^^ As much as I like Mewtwo, I'm just randomly running amuck.
Coffee Luv: Good, that was the intent ^__^ Creep thing. Denzel doesn't die, well, not yet anyway.
Paladin Dragoon: Aren't we all...er... what I meant to say is, yes!
Joeyz girl: Never does get old! You can drool? Dripping with drool and sarcasm *thinks about that* Eww.
Kolya winced as a flameball licked his side. The stench of burnt fur filled his nostrils and he fought the natural reaction to wrinkle his nose. Instead he concentrated on watching Jo. She had worked herself into a fine fit of fighting frenzy, which normally would scare him. It had a few days before when Damon paired them off against each other to spar. The first time her eyes went blank and a malice sneer dominated her face he had backed up hastily. Without warning she launched a well-executed quick attack and demanded he defend himself.
Twisting around another ball of flame he took the opportunity to dart forward under her barrage of fire. It would have worked if she didn't suddenly cut off her attack and use double team. He pulled up slightly confused, but not yet panicked. His nose twitched and his pale eyes flickered searching. She couldn't hide that way for long when he intended to ferret her out. Unfortunately, he also knew that she wouldn't stay hidden. She was an offensive fighter with a flamboyant style. She only retreated into defense when she was planning a very skilled and complex maneuver. These flashy ones were killers and usually ended with him panting in pain on the ground.
Within a split second two things happened at the same time. Kolya located the flareon and whirled to hit her with a psychic blast and Jo let out a blinding flash of bright light. Kolya knew then that he was in trouble. Instinctively he squeezed his dishonored eyes shut and pushed off backward hoping against hope that he had shot off the blast in time to be accurate. He heard it crash into the ground and felt his hope sink to the bottom. Shards of sharp rock flew everywhere in protest to the massive energy that had hit the earth and he felt several score across his heavily furred body.
At the last possible second he threw up a barrier. His eyes were still shut tight, but his body automatically corrected his fall so that he landed in a crouch. There was a brief thump and then silence.
Cautiously he opened his eyes to find Jo standing a few feet off looking miffed and panting lightly. Her stance was well balanced and if she had balls of her feet she'd be on them. With a disarming flick of her head she was suddenly sitting and watching him through emerald slits. Her mouth was twisted in a sadistic smile and she bowed mockingly.
"Congratulations Kiddo, you're not dead. This time. But a half *** defense like that wouldn't stop someone really intent on getting to you and ripping your pretty self limb from limb."
I deflected you. Kolya retorted earning a dark glare. He was staring at the pale violet energy barrier all around him in a dome. It flickered dimly like a television in a dark room and he realized it was also semi-transparent.
Suddenly Jo was barreling towards him. He blinked and half a second too late he tried to defend himself. She bullied through his psychic shield and shouldered him with her full body weight. Being hit by a much larger, far more muscular flareon was too much for him to handle. He flew a good yard unchecked before smacking the unforgiving ground and doing a fair imitation of skipping stone.
Finally landing he looked up with narrowed eyes and a growl was rumbling deep in his chest. That wasn't fair.
Jo looked at him for a moment stupefied before roaring with laughter. It stung him and made him even angrier. He charged her straight on and she nimbly danced out of his way like a dancer. For good measures she whipped him lightly across the face with her long tail, goading him on.
He checked his direction and whirled taking her by surprise. She thought he was finished and would give up.
Seizing the opportunity he stunned her with a headbutt. The puff on her head cushioned the attack slightly, but she blanked out anyway. Pinning her he pummeled down a rain of blows some of which glanced off, but others struck hard. Soon he could detect a shift in her breathing pattern as his repeatedly struck her ribs. The feral side of him clawed at his control demanding its price. Payback for all the beatings he had taken from her, payment for all the cutting remarks, and lastly, retribution for daring to laugh at something he so naively said. The last of his honorable ideals.
It dared his better half to hold the devils back. Dared him not to pull the punches. To use his blunt claws to create painful welts, to use his sharp fangs to render multiple shallow cuts. Death was far too easy. Torture would serve his purpose far better. Jo would respect him rather than sneer down her nose as she had done before. He wouldn't have to listen to her patronizing lectures as she explained in the crudest terms how to behave in a battle. True, the respect would stem out of fear, but in his wrathful state that suited him just fine.
Then there was interference. Someone grabbed on hard to the back of his neck and hauled backward. He strained his muscles intent on finishing what he started. Garbled sounds faded in the background before he realized they mention something. Someone, or perhaps all of them, was speaking. Rather than concentration of what he didn't want to hear he ripped out of his captor's grasp, but by then Jo was up and hastily backing off.
"Reidar, stand down!"
That jolted through him. That's what Master had said to him! Whirling he almost expected to see the arrogant hybrid leaning against one of the surround trees with a smirk across his mutated features.
Instead he came face to face with a deadly calm Damon. Black bore into pale blue before he lowered his eyes in submission. The demons still clawed at him, but now he had firm hold of his emotions. He wasn't about to relinquish control.
"Go for a swim. Twenty laps in the moat." Damon ordered in voice that brooked no argument. It also promised one of his infamous fits of rage where he usually went psychotic on the victim lashing out with words. Kolya knew it was to be him this time, not that he didn't deserve it. Damon never dished out punishment one didn't earn. "Once you cool your temper down you may rejoin us. We will be on break."
Kolya trudged down to the moat slipping slightly on the cold, squishy mud as he was lost in his thoughts. No matter how he played it over in his mind, what he did was unacceptable and unjustifiable. It wasn't self-defense, she wasn't attacking him. In fact, she had pulled short expecting him to do the same. You didn't go around striking your teammates. How could they trust each other with rules like that? No. He lost his temper. There was nothing to excuse his behavior.
He hardly noticed as his forepaws hit the icy cold water. Staring down he glared into the murky, ink colored water. A stray thought of lurking water beasts crossed his mind temporarily distracting him from his self-berating. Once it past he found he couldn't regain the fury he had before. Instead he resolved to do anything to make it up to Jo. Unfortunately, he didn't like the directions that deed could go. Who knew what she would make him do? Then there was the matter of Damon and punishment. He hoped it wasn't light.
He shuddered as the shockingly cold water lapped at his shoulders and pushed off the slimy bottom to tread into the unknown waters. He could see the far side. From the level of his head it was just a dark smudge, but he knew that the crossing was barely a forth mile across.
After his fifteenth lap he was beginning to feel a stitch in his side and he still hadn't reached a conclusion about how he could hold in his temper. He wasn't the type to conceal everything, although his deafness had forced him to do so. He couldn't be like Karis. Hiding things under a cheerful exterior. Denzel hid them under cool politeness and Damon used loud anger. Jo? She used her bitchiness of course. So what could he do?
Reaching twenty and still as clueless as when he began he dragged his numb limbs up the hill to the others. Picking a spot a few yards away he mustered up his courage and shoved down his pride. Slowly he stopped shivering feeling spent from the fit of rage he had executed. It left an empty feeling, like a dark void.
Rising he shuffled over to Jo. She looked up with hooded eyes her muscles slightly tensed in anticipation.
"Come to beat the sh1t out of me a second time?" She snarled backing up a bit. He realized she was quite ready to fly at him if he made the smallest wrong movement. He shouldn't have expected anything else. All the warriors here had the mentality that anything could be beaten and fear was a waste of energy. She wouldn't just cower in a corner or avoid him. If he hadn't approached her she would have worked up her nerve and confronted him directly.
Kolya sat down feeling a slight tingle ripple through his cold flesh. He lifted his pale blue eyes to her green ones hoping to convey his intentions that way. It didn't work very well. He was so used to hiding his emotions he assumed that even now, when he wanted to be open, they were clouded, hidden.
I am sorry. He began carefully and watched her face twisted up into a mocking sneer. Instead of letting her chew him up and down in the nastiest, most insulting terms she could think of he cut her off with a look. I lost my temper. I take entire credit for that. However, you are incredibly vexing at times. I do not suggest doing that again.
There. That was as much of an apology as his pride would allow him to give. He watched the expressions flit across her face before they settled on unbridled indignation.
"You MALE." She howled in disgust. "You tried to kill me and all you can do is say I asked for it? Stupid jackass!"
Kolya blinked dumbly. Whatever he expected this wasn't remotely it. This scenario never even crossed his mind. Dimly he heard Damon chuckling in amusement and Denzel sighing lightly. From the corner of his eye he noticed Karis frowning darkly. Honestly, what did he do?
"Reidar, I think you need to let Jyotika cool off." Denzel advised. He used her full name, but her murderous eyes never wavered from Kolya. He was starting to get slightly nervous, still not understanding what he had done wrong.
"Forget it." Damon advised him with a chuckle. Kolya shook his head and looked questioning at the jolteon. The spiky eon flashed him a grin, "You partner up with Denzel, Jo you're with me. That suits everyone?"
"No." Jo hissed, smoldering, but she let it go. This promised retribution later Kolya was sure of it. Just what he needed at the moment, more trouble.
"You should not be so abrupt." Denzel said in a cautious tone. His dark chocolate eyes cut across to the larger psychic type, but his face betrayed nothing at all. It was constantly set in a pleasant mask.
I still don't know what I did. I was apologizing. Kolya growled to himself still annoyed at the reaction his actions had gotten him. He couldn't decide what irked him more. The way Jo had thrown his carefully constructed sorry back in his face or the amusement everyone else seemed to derive out of it. Shoving it out of his mind he slid into a defensive position and watched Denzel.
The eevee didn't even bother to do that. One minute he was there and the next he was gone. Before Kolya could react the smaller evolution had belted him across his ribs. His slightly soggy coat cushioned the blow, but not that shock to his mind. Denzel was fast!
"You are surprised." The small fox creature noted suddenly standing before him again. "Jyotika relays too much on her element and size. I will teach you about speed and defense."
Again, he blinked off only to cuff Kolya behind the ears. Kolya growled and shook his ringing head. Denzel stopped just out of reach and explained, "You cannot hit what you cannot catch. For that speed is essential. Jyotika has the size and power to compensate for her lack of speed we do not. You were an eevee once. What do you recall?"
Kolya sat down warily and delve through his misty memories. What was being an eevee like? He had evolved hardly a few months before yet he couldn't remember. His psychic power wrapped around him anxiously at such thoughts and he pulled it tighter. Was he really that helpless before? Without any elemental power or superior stats. No, not helpless. Never that. Something else then? He pondered with a grim look and Denzel waited patiently for him to answer.
I used my intelligence. Got my opponent to fight on my turf. That and sheer stupid luck. Kolya admitted looking distinctly troubled. How stupid had he been before? He could have been killed several times over from what he recalled of the past.
Denzel nodded and replied, "Brute strength is a tool, but so is your mind. However, one will always win out over the other in a single, straight forward battle."
Kolya realized what he was saying and started to ask another question before he felt a tap on his rump. The true lesson had begun.
By the end of the day Kolya had more questions than answers.
The eevee was far younger than any of the rest of them yet he seemed to know more. Damon would occasionally ask for help on a strategy, which Kolya found oddly out of character for the arrogant electric type until he realized that this was a team effort. Without each other they were doomed to failure. Jo was still sulking, but even she ventured a comment or two in the impromptu discussion and Karis added her voice every so often. Only Kolya stayed silent, wondering how Denzel learned so much. Was it because he was near Master so much? Or was he specifically taught. Whatever the case the espeon could see why Master had placed him on the team. One the other hand, he also couldn't see why. Why place your prized pet in danger? Surely it would be rather easy to replace Tynan. Just get another poor creature from the laboratory.
"Two bites of dinner for your thoughts?" Karis asked from beside him. Her gentle eyes were filled with curiosity and a smile curved around her muzzle.
Nothing. He replied brushing it off.
Zero_Chan: *shudder* I hate those things. *raises eyebrow at thunder crash*
Melchior the Mewthree: Wow, my first threat! *does dance* I'm afraid you'll have no more luck than my other [RK] reviewers. They keep trying to convince me to have facesucking or whatever... English sucks, and it's my first lang! Word helps me immensely *darts glance around* but don't tell my teachers that. Homophones are things like: heel/heal and vain/vein and there/their. Nasty buggers.
Pheonix Rising: Bad human stuff makes the world go 'round. I like pokemon moreso than human ^^ As much as I like Mewtwo, I'm just randomly running amuck.
Coffee Luv: Good, that was the intent ^__^ Creep thing. Denzel doesn't die, well, not yet anyway.
Paladin Dragoon: Aren't we all...er... what I meant to say is, yes!
Joeyz girl: Never does get old! You can drool? Dripping with drool and sarcasm *thinks about that* Eww.