Marcus peered into the eyes of all the members of the company. Rei could not tell what his intentions were, as if the Mountain Lord was clouding the minds of everyone present. Whenever the being spoke it seemed that all other voices were harsh and uncouth, and many remembered that they had delighted in hearing the voice speak, for it seemed very wise and reasonable, befitting one of such high station as Marcus.

"We, Lord Marcus," Cyllene began. "Are a group of travelers who wished to explore Mount Coronet in the name of the assembly of Ten Thousand of Jubilife Village, in the southern land of Hisui. We give our utmost thanks to you for bearing us with such generosity and with no evil purpose yet revealed, and giving us such a fair shelter. "

"That may be, lady," Marcus said, and now his voice seemed strong, but kindly, aggrieved by injuries and suspicions undeserved. "But I have grave doubts about the sincerity of your words, a woman's no less. Why would three young folks accompany you and your strong warriors, and you studious man of science on such a ruinous journey? Perhaps in your lands the young grow quicker, or there is some strength in them that I do not know of."

Rei did something that none expected. Glancing at Akari with a flinty glare in his eye, he threw a small piece of hard bread from a deep pocket, and she swiftly notched an arrow and shot it through the air, skewing the morsel. The garrison cried and drew their weapons, but then saw that the threat had passed. After retrieving her arrow from the great table, Akari respectfully bowed to her audience, while Marcus looked ever deeper with his crimson, solemn eyes into hers.

"If it would be so given, these young folk seem to have some measure of skill, at least the girl. Of course, now that I know..." Marcus raised an open hand into the air, as if he was about to strike someone. There was a nearly imperceptible change in the air, and Rei felt a minute seizing in his chest, as if he was about to cough.

Suddenly the Lord's face fell, and he lowered his trembling hand. For an instant, his countenance was terrible to behold, but then it passed like a breeze in the sweltering desert, replaced by a mask of disbelief and heavy sorrow. Marcus glanced at Malacus, who was incredulous of his master's purposes. Marcus strained a plastic smile and lifted his hand over the Golden Company. Suddenly, every thought was turned away from the strange deeds of the Mountain Lord to the great feast that had appeared on the banquet table.

Every conceivable food and dish was prepared. Berries, pastries, fruits and warm, steaming loaves of bread of great virtue and rich stews and piled-high stacks of meats and Hisuian dainties all emitted a combined aroma that made the company realize their ravenous hunger ran deep. Golden plates and goblets encrusted with gems also had come into being, adding to the resplendent wealth of the great feast of kings of Elder Days. Immediately, everyone, including Malacus and the guards, started to feast upon the incredible meal.

Amid bites of a honey-glazed mutton chop, Rei asked Marcus how he had made the food appear.

"I am known as the Lord of Gifts to some, and such is my power. Whether I am man or spirit is a question that I have little answer to, except for that I am great, set on high by the Original One. My endowments feed the desires of all who give homage to me, and they receive the due reward for their service, or penalty for their foolishness. It is not wise to anger me, although I am slow to wrath."

In their right minds, the Company would be wary of one who claimed that he was great and mighty, and could bring down judgment with little cause. But the food seemed to have some kind of spell to it, erasing suspicion and contention within the assembly. Marcus was a kindly king, after all, and he had done no wrong! How could he be anything else than an ally and a being of the light? In their hearts the Golden Company stirred, murmuring with approval at the words of the Mountain Lord.

A steady stream of questions came from Marcus, who did not eat the enchanted meal. Their guard down, the company answered the queries with little hesitation or concealment. "What is your business here?" Marcus crooned, although knew within his heart. "Why have you come to these mountains?"

Adaman spoke first, his pride inflated by the enchantment. "We are on a journey to stop a diabolical plot! The details do not concern you, regent!"

"Good...good. Now, did Captain Malacus invite you in? Has he given you the guest-right?"

The question was so innocent that Iscan told the truth without hesitation. "Yes, he did. A good man at that, if you get past his scarred face! Haha!"

For a moment, the Mountain Lord scowled, and Rei saw a red gleam in his already crimson eyes. A shadow passed over his face, and it went deathly white. Before he could conceal it Rei realized the loathing in his voice. Once it vanished, Rei assumed that it had been a ruby glinting in the reflection of his pupil, magnified by his red corneas. Malacus realized what the question meant, and stood in repentance.

"My lord...I am sorry that I did not follow your express command. I believe that I was supposed to allow the Company inside without any word or invitation, but I did do so. They wished for a guest-right, and I gave such a thing to them. I ask for forgiveness, but your servant did not see the harm."

Then darkness so great and terrible was revealed in Marcus that the spell of the food was nearly broken. A mask of anguish and doubt passed over the concealed Dark Lord, and his face with livid with a red fire kindled in his eyes. The company stopped their feasting and merriment to gaze in suspicion at Marcus, who was standing, his bound fists trembling in rage.

No! Marcus thought. It would have been so simple...so simple! But now they have a blessed place here, and I cannot touch them, or send a proxy to accomplish my work, as with the fool Enamorus...all for this stupid little man! My designs are going awry, and victory is being snatched away from my hands

Then the shadow subsided, and Marcus was once again a calm, wise lord and ruler, with a merry twinkle in his eyes. He smiled, his eyes glinting with fey partnership and kindness. "Well, one cannot be so devoted to their master that they do not show some cordiality! You are forgiven, Malacus. Now, let us finish our meal!"

.

.

.

The Devil, that proud spirit, if he is not cast down by prayers and holy words, cannot endure to be mocked.

.

After everyone had glutted themselves to the bursting, Marcus gave them an exhibition of the great hold, to the marvel of all. Each member of the Golden Company was given a massive, down-filled bed in a private, well-kept room. The Pokémon were given the finest treatment that could be given from the star-land of Kalos to Jubilfe, and the company's Avallugs were brought up to the stronghold with fair ropes drawn by strong men.

But no other Pokémon besides Malacus's Bisharp were to be seen. Cyllene asked Marcus about the lack of Pokémon, to which he gave a cryptically irregular response. "The other Children of Arceus may dwell here, but they do not come so easily. I am what they wish for and do not wish for, but it is only dependent upon the will of their master. Little of them have made this place their haunt, and that will continue nonetheless. All will be revealed in time, and this should not trouble you."

Akari tasted a sage plant that was growing around a pillar in a passageway in the darkhold. Her Parasect feasted on the strange growths with strange fervor, and Akari also noted how it was not quite like any sage she had ever tasted. "It is like plain sage, but the flavor changes a little bit every time it is eaten. Delicious...like people have said; If one would live for aye, he must eat sage in May."

Marcus smiled a pale grin "To which a more skeptical observer may reply; Against the power of Death, there is no cure that can be grown by the hands of Men. But I do grow the finest varieties of all flora that Imbar has in its habitation. In this great hold, you will find many strange plants and beasts that no Man of Hisui has ever laid their eyes upon, and through my secret arts, they bloom to ever-greater heights under my own power."

Of all the people present, Iscan was the only one who seemed to feel that something was amiss. Conversing with Adaman, he wondered about all the strange things that he had seen. "We have journeyed for nary but two months, and ten days. The desolation before the mountains seemed to swallow up time, and I could not record it except for the movements of the sun and moon which were seldom seen. But I am troubled here, and by what I cannot say."

"Come now!" Adaman laughed. "Wherever this Iron King may be, he exerts a heavy toll upon your Willpower. Once we discover where he has made his fastness, we may find allies in the men of the garrison to cast him down. If I would be prompt, let us do this thing now! Marcus, we have need of you!"

Marcus strode over, his hands clasped in goodwill. "What is it, great warriors? Do you wish for food or women? I have both and other pleasures!"

A bit took aback by the debaucherous offer, Adaman blanched in wrath "We desire none of those, as honor demands it! I will put aside your strange words for a time, but perhaps you have a sense of decency unlike those of the Men of Hisui. Have you or your men sighted any wicked Iron King that is present in these mountains, as we wish to know of any fastnesses of the strength of the Enemy that lie here? Arceus nai tye manata, may God bless you if this is told of."

Marcus licked his lips with a scarlet tongue, and for a moment he lost his fair guise, and his wrapped hands changed in a flash into what the two warriors perceived to be some sort of hide. But then it passed, a wave of forgetfulness washing over the duo. I must not be daunted by their blessings and prayers!

"Ah, we have seen ill signs and rumors as of late. Mount Coronet, the Cruel as it is sometimes called, had become a place of strange doings and movements. No Pokémon go there in peace, for they sense Evil around the peak as of late. Inside the great mount, I cannot speak of, for my sight does not go there. But some great Dark Lord may dwell within, commanding the frosts to malicious ends. Soon, I might be able to have you go or send my men. I have not viewed that land as of late, but I may have strength too in a little while. I am the Lord of Gifts, and that would be a great present for you and your company."

Lian had his magnifying scope repaired by an artisan of great skil and it was given a fine gold polish, concealed by a coating of black dye. "In case anyone wishes to seize it for the gold," The craftsman had said. "But they will not know its true value when they only see darkness!"

After this, two days of rest passed. They were given a full resupply from stores and wares unknown, and Marcus bade them stay until the month's end. "Truly, I desire your company! We do not often receive such visitors that are full of spirit and life in these cold northlands. You are a blessing to these aged halls, and I do not wish for you to leave so soon, to a path where some of you might not return."

And the company did decide to stay. Later, Rei could not fully tell if it was of their own Will or some enchanting curse, but they did stay nonetheless, willing to dwell in the stronghold until the beginning of the third month. Promising his aid, Marcus sent small sorties of guards out to Coronet. They never came back with any news that could suggest that they venture further, always saying that winter was tightening its grip, and nothing could be done outside of mapping a safe route.

As the days passed in comfort, Rei still noticed that not all was wholly known to them, and many strange secrets lay within the hold.

For one, nobody knew quite how large it was. It became more and more difficult to believe that the scope and size of the great structure could have been made by the hands of Men alone, and without the aid of Pokémon. The southern lands not hearing of this vast dwelling being crafted was a near impossibility, as the raw jewels and fair green groths would have to have been brought north from the blessed southlands. Marcus had not demonstrated any other power than summoning food, which led to Rei's next concern.

The identity of Marcus was unknown. The guards simply referred to him as "Lord" and gave no elaboration on who he was or how he came to live here or for how long. If he was a friendly Elohim, then why had he made some statements that were on the uttermost border of blasphemy and indecently against Arceus? Marcus clearly thought highly of himself, and the initial meetings did not give a favorable light to him, as he had intended to strike them for a moment, (although that memory was dulled to them at the time) and he was clearly not a moral Man or being.

Stranger still, Marcus would slip off into dark, forbidden passageways with an air of purpose and preparation, and always came back with new arrogance. Malacus said that he was viewing the construction of a new wing, where miners delved and chisels grabbed, but no one ever came into or out of the labyrinth except Marcus himself. Once, Rei had dared to creep down the hall, but was met with an obstinate stone wall before a guard caught him, and he was ushered out of the passageway without harm. Lord Marcus had forbidden any intrusion in that area, the warrior said.

The guards themselves were a mystery altogether. Whenever any of the company asked them of their past, they simply said that they had journeyed into the mountains and decided to live in the stronghold and labor for Marcus in return for food and comfort. But on a note of greater dread, no one seemed to remember their names or past besides a faint, half-remembered dream. Malacus was the only one who had full memory and told stories and tales of his estrangement from his kin in the Tawar-I-Druedian, the Forests of the Unwilling, and Marcus taking him in to be the captain of the guard as he wandered witless in the mountains.

Only three days from the end of the third month, Marcus was now hardly ever seen, for he had slipped into the passageway nearly every hour of the day. These strange doings had wholly lifted any remnants of enchantment or sorcery from the company, and they now had the will to directly investigate what was awry. Hiding in a wine-cellar out of the eyes and ears of any of the guards, the company started to address the strange signs.

Akari began the debate by saying that she had gotten a glimpse of what had happened when Marcus went down the hall, if only for a moment.

"I was going about the place, looking for interesting sights, and then I saw him down that terrible passage. It was a strange thing, very queer in my mind. He was at the brick wall at the end of the dark chamber and he raised his hand and spoke some horrible word, it sounded like some deep scratching and screeching, like the cry of a Jynx, but some sounds are better suited for the tongues of Pokemon than the tongues of Men. The wall crumbled to dust, and he stepped into an even longer hallway, which had no end that I could see. The wall rebuilt itself without sound, and I fled before I was caught."

Laventon showed what maps he had drawn of the fortress and the surrounding mountains. "It appears...that if that passageway is a straight road...then it would lead directly to Mount Coronet, many leagues away. That seems like quite a long way for a new wing to be constructed, but I do know little. This is all very odd to us, and other Powers than good are about in these halls."

"And it is not only the deeds of Marcus that are strange," Cyllene said. "It feels like there is some heavy anticipation in the air, so strong that it can be sensed by our mortal minds. It is as if the very air is waiting for some grand event, and the anticipation has only been increasing by the hour. It reached its height yesterday, and Pokémon are growing restless. You know of what I speak of."

Iscan looked grim, and with Adaman. "Perhaps we should address what we have not seen for far too long...that Marcus may be in league with the Iron King, and the Enemy."

Silence reverberated around the cellar, louder than speech for some reason. After a minute of pondering, Lian worked up the will to speak.

"I have been thinking about this...why? Why would the Original One appear in a form that can bleed and be wounded, in the presence of its enemies? We cannot know the mind of the Original One to its greatest extent, but no logic of Earth can excuse this, in my limited mind. Either all seems planless because it is, or because it is all a Plan."

Cyllene crossed herself and then muttered a whispered prayer. "If the Original One is to take the form of an earthly being...assuming the logos of flesh...then He might be working toward something far greater than we can perceive or account for. The total redemption of all the world, taken upon Himself made low in the Fana of a beast. But what are we to do if not to prevent this? Only time will reveal the fate of the Original One's will. Follow the signs, it was said. Is this not a sign to act, and see what we are able to do in a fashion so obvious if all our hopes come to nil?"

"The Old Hope!" Iscan breathed. "It is said that the One Himself will enter Imbar, and heal Men and Pokemon and all that is Marred from the beginning to the end. It is said that this is but a feigned rumor, passed down from the Fall of the Sky-tower of Babel in Elder Days. But the Hope is strange to me. How can Arceus enter the thing that He has made, and than which He is beyond measure greater? Can the singer enter his sale or the artist into his picture? Would not Arceus entering Imbar shatter it, or something more fell?"

"Ask me not," Cyllene said. "These things are beyond the wisdom of Men or Pokemon, or of even the Powers maybe. But I believe that our words mislead us, and that when you say 'greater' you think of the dimensions of Earth, in which the larger vessel may not be contained in the less. Such words may not be used for the Measureless. If Arceus wished to do this, I do not doubt that he would find a way, though we cannot foresee it. For, as it seems to me, if he were to enter the Earth within, he must remain also as He is: an Author without. And yet, Iscan, to speak with humility, I cannot conceive how this healing would be achieved. Since Arceus will surely not suffer the Mbelekoro to turn the world or others to his own will and to triumph in the end, yet there is no power conceivable greater than the Mbelekoro save Arceus only. Therefore Arceus, if He will not relinquish His work to the Dark, who must else proceed to mastery, then Arceus must come in to conquer him."

"And there is yet more to say. Even if the Evil Djinn, the Dark Lord that he has become, is thrown down or thrust from Earth, still his Shadow would remain, and the evil he has wrought and sown as a seed will grow and multiply into many Trees of Darkness. And if any remedy for this is to be found, must, I deem, come from without the world than within its circles."

"Then you belive in this Old Hope?" Rei wondered. "Is it in your thoughts that Arceus may yet come into the world?"

"I cannot say," Cyllene said. "But the matter of the hidden passage still bears upon us. What are we to do with it?"

"Let us be done with our counsel and take action, ere all hope is gone!" Adaman cried. "Let us go down this dark way, and if there is nothing of note, we will excuse ourselves as rude guests, yet curious to a fault. If what we seek to destroy is there, then we will have moved a stride closer to completing our task! Let us bear arms and summon our Pokemon if a battle is at hand within these halls or others."

Everyone now seemed to have some mind to go down the mysterious passage and to see what had been so deftly concealed. "Very well," Laventon said. "But if the Grave swallows us, I will be blameless in the deaths of others, for I do not will this wholly. I truly wish I was back in my house, among friends and green grass! But that is not our fate, as of now."

"All who live in such times wish to be apart from them," Cyllene said. "But it is not our duty to mourn our own fate, but to make beauty while it may last, and love the Earth, for although our lives are longer than any other kindred of Men and many Pokemon, they are short enough. Only those that come after us will have good soil to till because of our work. If they remember us is not a concern we must pay mind to. The time for debate is finished; the time for deeds comes."

The Golden Company stood and left the cellar, and went with light steps to gather their armament for the journey in the dark.