WARNING: This chapter contains serious blood and gore, which some people may not want to read. Reader discretion is advised, this is when the story begins to get darker. (No worries, there will still be a lot of fluff and whatnot, but hey. Need something for everyone, right?)
Part 2
[POV: Duke]
{To think that when we first met, you were so hollow inside. My, how you've grown, My Champion.}
Duke was relaxing, wasting away the time until he needed to go to a meeting or appointment, or any of the other two-hundred thousand things he needed to do. He was also waiting for his mate to show up again, with her having disappeared last night on some other business. She hadn't returned for quite some time.
He briefly wondered where his friend, Devon, had disappeared to. He hadn't been seen on base for two nights, and he was beginning to worry. However, as leader of the Dark Army, a title that filled him with immense pride, he couldn't waste his time looking for someone who was probably off galivanting with some easy lady. Wouldn't be the first time he'd done something like that.
That pokemon needs to have more faith to his mate, he thought. Duke was famous for his loyalty to Luna, and she to him. Of course, every now and then he had some suspicions. But, they always proved to be unfounded. In the end, he just trusted his mate to do the right thing.
In Devon's case, however, Devon openly flirted and romped with other pokemon. But he never let his mate have that same luxury. Hail was for Devon and only Devon. Of course, Duke knew there some rumors floating around about Hail and the Demon, Wolfe. They did spend a lot of time together after all.
Just thinking about Wolfe got Duke's blood boiling. There was something about that pokemon that he just didn't like. He didn't like his attitude, he didn't like his personality, and he most certainly didn't like his way around females. Especially his females.
It had been bad enough that Wolfe used to be mates with Luna. That didn't sit right with Duke. He knew that it was jealousy on his part, and that it was probably unwarranted, but he couldn't help it. But, he probably still would have liked Wolfe if it hadn't been for one thing. His daughter, Cordina.
Duke, of course, knew all about Wolfe and his mannerisms, and had figured that if he wanted to get a good deal on hiring him, he should send someone pleasing to the eyes. He also knew, of course, that Cordina was an exceptional beauty, if not a little young. He had figured that sending her would give them the best possible chance and deal to hire Wolfe.
And that plan had backfired a little bit.
Not only did she disobey his instructions to just tease, maybe flirt a little, but to not mate with him, she ended up coming home a mother and having a mate. That already had another mate. He didn't want his daughter to be a part of any of the polygamy that Wolfe apparently practiced. If he hadn't already told her that he wouldn't arrange a mate-ship for her if she found her own mate, and if she didn't have her kit, he would have ended that relationship.
And of course, he didn't exactly get a good deal with Wolfe. The umbreon was most definitely not worth the time, effort and money that Duke had put towards hiring him. It seemed that everything ended up being turned against him when it came to Wolfe.
If he wasn't such a damn good talker or fighter, I would have been done with him already, he thought.
And he wasn't getting to send Wolfe on anywhere near as many missions as he had hoped. Overall… he was very close to just cutting his losses and sending Wolfe away. The amount of money it took to hire Wolfe was substantial, yes, but the Dark Army made and had more than enough money to make up for it.
Duke was shaken from his ponderings by a voice calling from the entrance of his room.
"Sir, Via says she has a message to give you!" shouted a young male mightyena.
The absol raised his head to stare at him, a satisfied look on his face. "Finally!" he exclaimed, before pushing past the young runner, and making his way towards his Seer's quarters. Once he reached the entrance, he had to pause for a second to gather himself as always. Then he pushed himself inside.
Inside, he saw the espeon staring into the pool of water that was central to her choosing the cavern. She said that it helped her concentrate. It was a slight pain to make comfortable, but Via so far had proved worth it. She had helped make the Dark Army what it was today, a force to be reckoned with throughout all of the Southern Region. Unless one were to go too far north, that is.
"Welcome, Duke," Via greeted, elegantly turning around to face him. He grinned fiercely, but that expression fell when he saw her face. She looked scared, and beyond worried.
"Greetings… I believe you have news for me?" he questioned, no longer looking or feeling so happy.
She nodded sagely. "That I do," she said. She closed her eyes and seemed to concentrate for a minute, as the jewel on her forehead began to shine. "A warning. I see a great darkness befalling the Dark Army. It will burn through us like a fire will burn through paper. That which you no longer consider a threat, will prove to be the undoing of your life's greatest work," she intoned. Then her jewel dimmed and her eyes opened, staring at him worriedly.
Duke's mind was racing furiously. That which I no longer consider a threat? It has to be Wolfe. There's no-one else that could be a threat, at least that I wouldn't consider one. There's Sin, but I'm already wary of him. No, it has to be Wolfe, he thought.
He raised his eyes to stare at Via. "How much time do we have before this happens?" he asked.
She frowned. "It has already begun," she said. Then she sighed. "If only I knew what it was warning us about," she fretted.
Duke's gaze narrowed into a glare. "I think I know exactly what it's warning us about. Or rather, who," he growled darkly. His thoughts then turned to what she had just said. It has already begun… Devon!
[POV: Luna]
Luna murred happily, cuddling with Wolfe in their secret room. She had almost thought he wouldn't show up, but, last night he did.
She had been waiting there, lost in her misery and feeling like he would never show. He hadn't the previous nights, so why should he now? But, she had said she would wait, and wait she did. Until well past midnight, when she finally gave up hope. She had looked at the ground and sighed, and had slowly made her way out of the room.
She had only made it about halfway out of the door, when a soft voice had spoken. "Wait," it said. She had turned around and found that Wolfe was already in the room. He had showed up. After he had spoken, they didn't say a word. They didn't need to. And that night had been the happiest Luna had been in a long time, she felt.
And now here they were, cuddling with eachother after a long night, filled with many emotions on both sides. And Luna couldn't be happier.
She stirred slightly as a thought struck her. She turned to look at the male umbreon curled around her, and found that he was already looking at her with an emotion in his eyes that absolutely thrilled her. He smiled at her, and she returned it readily.
"How did you sneak in here last night without me noticing?" she asked. He chuckled softly.
"Oh, I didn't sneak in. I just arrived much earlier than you did is all," he replied.
Her eyes widened slightly. "You're telling me that you were here that whole time? I find that surprising, I'm usually very observant," she pondered.
He grinned cheekily. "Well, Ms. Observant, you didn't notice me any of the other nights either, now did you?"
Now her eyes widened to the furthest point they could, with her jaw dropping as well. "You were here every single night?" she asked in a whisper, tears filling her eyes. He nodded softly, his smile falling slightly.
Then she practically threw her head at him, nuzzling him furiously. "Thank you," she cried softly. She felt him stroke her back with his tail gently, soothing her. A little while later, she regained her composure, and then glared at him. "Would it have been too much to ask for you to make an appearance earlier?" she asked, rather angrily. He shrugged nonchalantly.
"I had to think about a lot dear," he justified quietly. Oh, she thought, and nodded.
"I'm sorry to put you in this position, I truly am… but I won't say that I regret it," she told him, smiling gently at him.
He smiled at that. "No, I'd imagine that you don't. I suppose I don't either, even though I don't think we should do this every night," he said.
She nodded, smile fading. Then another thought struck her. "Hey, do we know what time it is?"
His gaze lost focus momentarily, before it snapped back to her, his eyes widening in shock. "Uh… noon…," he said sheepishly. Her eyes widened again.
"Shit," they said in unison. Almost as soon as that exited their mouths, they began to hear voices, growing louder as they got closer. They're gazes snapped to the entrance of their room.
"The trail leads this way, sir," a young voice said. "That room right there… sir, there's another scent here."
"Well, who is it?" a voice she recognized as her mate's said.
"Uh… your mate's, sir…," the same young voice said.
"What!?" Duke shouted angrily. She heard the quick burst of paw steps running towards their door. Right as she saw the door burst open and she had caught sight of a furious looking absol, the room winked out of existence.
[POV: Duke]
He burst into the room angrily, throwing the door open hard enough to shatter it, and briefly thought he glimpsed a blur in the center of the room, but it was gone too quick for him to be sure. His gaze darted around the room quickly, eyes searching furiously. Nothing, he thought darkly.
But as he inhaled, there was no doubt about the smell. It smelled of musk and sex, but also of Wolfe and his own mate. That's the last straw!
"Soldier, get in here!" he shouted. He heard the young mightyena sprint into the room, where it skidded to a halt.
"They're not here?" the young soldier wondered aloud.
"No, but they definitely were. Good nose son. Now, I have a mission for you. Go to the 'C' wing, and grab that vaporeon, my daughter, and their two kits. Bring them to the arena. Then spread word around that if Wolfe doesn't show up, I'll start injuring them, got it?" Duke demanded.
The mightyena's gaze locked onto his, eyes widening in shock. "You wouldn't actually do that, would you sir?" he asked incredulously.
Duke growled. Of course he'd ask that. "No, of course not," he lied. "But Wolfe doesn't know that, now does he?"
Understanding filled the mightyena's eyes. "You got it sir, very clever!"
Duke grinned savagely. "Of course it is. Now go! Quickly!" he demanded.
Without another word, the mightyena sped off to do his bidding. And now, to wait.
He made his way towards the arena, lost in thought. He was about halfway there, when a couple messengers met him, a human and a linoone.
"Sir! We found him!" the human shouted, the linoone panting for breath.
Duke's interest sharpened. "Found who? Wolfe?" he demanded.
The human shook his head, now trying to catch his own breath. They'd clearly run for quite a while. The linoone answered his question.
"No sir! We found your second! Devon the growlithe sir!" she reported.
Immediately Duke's demeanor changed to one of worry and concern. "Take me to him," he ordered.
They immediately turned around and began to run down the main hall, with Duke hot on their heels. Then they turned down another hall, and Duke realized that they were heading to the medical wing. Oh no, he thought.
They entered the wing, and Duke was immediately hit with the scent of blood, pain and sickness. He was surprised at the number of occupants in the room. He hadn't realized there were so many injured.
Then he spotted a familiar orange and black striped pelt, laying on a bed surrounded by healing pokemon such as chansey and audino. He rushed to his friend's side immediately.
"Devon! What happened? Who did this?" he asked hurriedly. He got no response from the growlithe, and he soon realized that he was unconscious, though he could tell that he was still breathing.
Instead, an audino to his right answered. "Calm down sir, he's going to live. As for what happened, well, it appears that he fell off a mountain. He's been out in the cold for several days now, but he's a fire type, so the cold didn't affect him like it would you or I," she told him.
Duke turned his attention to her. "How bad are his injuries?" he asked, quieter this time.
She hesitated, sorrow flitting across her gaze. "Well… I'm not going to lie sir. He has a hard life ahead of him. The fall… sir, he broke his spine. And four ribs, three legs as well as a fractured skull… sir, it's a miracle he's still alive, and that's something to be thankful for, but… he's never going to walk again," she stated. Even though she spoke gently, her words hit him like a blow to the head. Here lay his best friend, who had been his friend since before he had founded the Dark Army, and he was told he wouldn't be able to walk again. Wouldn't be able to father kits. Wouldn't be able to do… anything normal.
He started to growl, deep and low and fierce. "Who did this?" he asked ominously.
The audino hesitated. "We don't know for sure that anyone did, but he's been muttering in his sleep. He keeps saying 'Wolfe', and 'Gale'. I… I would have to hazard a guess and say that they were the ones responsible," she answered sadly.
A dark cloud seemed to crash down over the absol, sending him into a fury the likes of which he had never known. "Thank you, nurse. Now then, I have some business to attend to," he stated coldly, before turning tail and marching out of the medical wing and towards the arena.
That demon will pay, he vowed silently.
He stopped his forced march just outside of the medical wing, and turned to the two messengers who were following him. They immediately stopped and waited for his orders. "I want you two to go and get Hail, or Gale Valentine. She is to be brought to the arena along with Wolfe's mates and kits. I want her there before I arrive," he commanded.
They nodded smartly, and then quickly sped off towards Hail's room. Then Duke continued on his way, alone this time, his thoughts on how he would punish the pokemon. Then he snarled fiercely. I know exactly how to punish them, he thought.
The hall leading into the arena was packed with soldiers of the Dark Army, both pokemon and human, all vying to get into the arena and watch the trial they had heard about. He could hear the whispers running through the crowd as he forced his way through them. "I hear that the Demon is getting punished!" "No shit, that's why we're all here. I hope he gets punished good." "I don't! He seems like such a great guy! Better than our leader anyway…"
He did his best to ignore them, as he finally entered the arena. The huge cavern, the largest in the base actually, was filled with soldiers. There were easily a couple thousand in the room alone, with many more in the hall outside. There was just enough room for Duke to make his way through the crowd, although he did spot the odd gap here and there. In the center of the room, stood a vaporeon, an umbreon, a white vulpix with black tails and head fur, and two eevee kits, with a circle of soldiers surrounding them. Plenty of room for them to carry out any sentence he deemed necessary. Perfect, he thought.
He made his way to the edge of the circle, in front of the cowering pokemon. He glared at them all furiously. He turned to the crowd behind him, and pointed to two random humans. "You two. Take my daughter and bring her to my chambers. She's not to leave until I say otherwise. And be quick about it!" he snapped to them. They both saluted smartly, before rushing past him and grabbing the female umbreon and lifting her up between the two, dragging her wailing through the crowd as she was parted from her kit. He heard some in the crowd mutter about that, but he ignored it.
Then he turned back to the remaining pokemon in the center, and glared at them. And now we wait, he thought.
He didn't have to wait long. Ten minutes after he had sent Cordina away, a dark flash filled the room, and suddenly there were two more umbreon's in the center, one regular colored, though admittedly larger than normal, and the other one with blue rings and an appealing figure.
Duke didn't wait for any words to be spoken, and turned to two more random soldiers. "You two, take my mate to my quarters as well. Then you are to join the two guards already there and make sure that neither of them leave until I say otherwise," he ordered. The soldiers nodded, and then rushed to do his bidding as well.
He only turned his attention back to the pokemon in the center when another flash filled the room. His eyes narrowed. Wolfe had turned into his human form, with his face shadowed in his deep hood and wearing his combat armor.
The entire cavern suddenly went eerily quiet, with not even a whisper to break the silence. Duke nodded his head firmly.
"Soldiers of the Dark Army, we are gathered here this dark day for the mercenary, Aurumn Wolfe, to stand trial," he shouted.
His voice cut through the silence loudly, and he knew that everyone could hear him clearly. It was then that he noticed Via sitting next to him, and saw her jewel glowing again. She's probably amplifying my voice, he thought.
He continued, saying, "He stands accused of three crimes. One, bedding the mate of me, the Dark Army's leader. Two, of assaulting a superior with intent to kill, with the help of one Gale Valentine. And three, evading capture and delaying justice."
Some muttering broke out at his accusations. They quickly faded into silence again.
"Now then, my soldiers, I must ask you. What is the penalty for assaulting a superior with intent to kill?" Duke called.
A quick muttering ran through the crowd. "Death," it said.
Duke tilted his head to listen. Then he nodded. "However, this raises a slight problem. Aurumn Wolfe cannot be killed. So what does that mean his punishment should be?" he asked.
There was some confused muttering going through the crowd. He noticed Wolfe begin to tense. Duke grinned darkly. He knows what it is, he thought gleefully.
He cleared his throat, bringing silence to the room again. "I'll tell you, my soldiers. If we can't kill the Demon, why, we must take that which he loves," he shouted loudly.
He fixed his glare on Wolfe. "I hereby order Gale Valentine, Lura Wolfe, Aurumn Wolfe, and their kits, to death!" he roared.
Immediately shouts filled the room, some shouting with encouragement, and other shouting in rejection.
He grinned savagely at Wolfe. "What have you to say, Demon?" he asked him.
He could have sworn just then, that he heard the human growl in a most inhuman way.
[POV: Wolfe]
'Partner, I'm going to need your help,' Wolfe sent to Gabe.
'What's going on? You sound pissed,' came the response.
'Duke just sentenced me, Lura, Gale and my kits to death,' he replied.
He didn't get a verbal response, but he noticed that Gabe had immediately appeared to his left.
'Are we going to join, partner of my soul and mind?' Gabe asked.
'We might have to, but these are tough odds even for that. Let me try and talk us out of this, but stand ready,' he replied. He saw Gabe nod out of the corner of his eye.
Wolfe stepped forward. "I say this now. One, Gale did not have anything to do with Devon's injuries. That was strictly me. Two, he was an abuser, and assaulted Gale Valentine physically, mentally, and sexually. He deserved everything he got and more. And finally, three. If anyone so much as touches me or mine, will subsequently be slaughtered like the animal they are," he stated calmly, his gaze like ice as he stared at Duke.
More muttering broke out among the crowd. Duke's glare narrowed even further. "My judgement is final. They all die," he said.
Before anyone else could speak, Via suddenly leaped away from her place at Duke's side, and then ran in between him and Wolfe. "Sir, I must protest. Lura, Gale and the kits are all innocent in this. They should not be punished!" she exclaimed.
Duke turned his glare on her. "My orders are final. They all die," he said coldly.
Via's gaze narrowed. "A leader who does not listen to reason is no leader of mine. If you want to kill them, you'll have to kill me," she stated defiantly.
Duke's eyes widened slightly. "Via, be reasonable. You yourself warned me about an enemy that I no longer considered a threat would be the destruction of the Dark Army. That threat is him," he said, pointing a paw at Wolfe. "Be reasonable and stop this foolishness. Come back over here and I'll forget that this ever took place."
Via shook her head, her gaze determined. "If you would do this, then you are no leader of mine. I'll remain where I am," she said solemnly.
The absol snarled and glared at the espeon. "So be it. I hereby sentence Via Shepherd to death, on grounds of treason," he shouted.
There were more people that seemed to be upset at this proclamation, though the majority were still supportive of Duke's decision. 'It appears some of their loyalties are absolute,' Wolfe sent. Gabe nodded again, his eyes narrowing.
Upon the announcement of Via's death sentence, Wolfe noticed a familiar dark jolteon leap into the ring, again in between Wolfe and Duke. Duke eyed him steadily.
"You too?" he growled. Artul nodded, and narrowed his eyes. "Then you are sentenced to death as well."
Immediately, a familiar luxray leaped into the clearing as well. Derrick. The old luxray turned his penetrating gaze on Duke. "As a master of the traditional way, I must defend my student with my life. You will have to kill me as well, Duke Sol," he stated strongly.
Upon that declaration, more soldiers of the army began to fill the clearing, shouting out their defiance and anger, joining Wolfe in the center. As they began to take their place alongside him and Gabe, Wolfe spotted a few familiar faces, people and pokemon whom he had either spoken to in passing, or who he bonded with. There were, however, some faces that surprised him.
One was a zoroark, who had challenged him to a fight and was very arrogant and cocky. He didn't think that the 'mon had liked him at all. He also saw the ditto, Freya, join them. First as a familiar emolga, but as he watched he saw her change into a lucario. As it did so, Wolfe's sharp eyes noticed something about her. His eyes narrowed. Then he went back to scanning the faces of the soldiers who had all defied Duke and the Dark Army, for his and his friends' sake. A memory flashed through his mind, though he did his best to ignore it.
A memory of one of his combat missions in his previous life. Where he and his comrades had all vowed to fight to the end, even though they were trapped in an old concrete building, outnumbered by over 25 to 1.
[Wolfe's Memories]
"Zero, if we make it out of this alive… I swear I'll probably marry you," a soldier, whose name he remembered to be Corporal Johnson.
Wolfe turned and grinned at him, ignoring the sounds of gunfire and explosions. "Well, let's hope we don't make it through this then," he joked with him. The group shared a laugh, before they all sobered up.
Twenty soldiers all sat in the small building, looking at each other, eyes hopeless. As he looked at them, Wolfe noticed that he was the most experienced on there. They all seemed to be looking at him. He looked right back.
Then he sighed, and looked down at the ground between his feet. He could practically sense their morale plummet. He wished he could offer them some kind of comfort, but he knew he couldn't.
"We should surrender," another soldier, a private, spoke suddenly. He heard some mutters of agreement from the men.
He began to chuckle. Then he began to laugh. He started to laugh so hard that tears were streaming down his face. The men all looked at him like he had lost his mind, but he kept laughing. Then he looked at the private who had spoken earlier, and threw some bullet shells at him. The young man looked hurt, glaring at Wolfe, before his laughter caught on, and he too began to laugh. Slowly, more and more soldiers began to laugh, until soon all of them were laughing as hard as Wolfe was.
Wolfe finally regained his composure and grinned at the soldiers around him. "You want to surrender? You want to just give up? Wave a white flag, let them capture us? Is that it?" he asked incredulously. They began to glance at each other, confused. Wolfe chuckled some more. "Private, I don't think you realize our situation," he chuckled.
The private began to blush, even as he looked confused. "What do you mean Sergeant?"
This time his friend, Hendricks, spoke. "What he means, son, is that not only are we ahead in the game, but they are all sitting back on their asses, shitting themselves, because they know we have an unkillable with us. You want to surrender when we have the upper hand?" he asked in disbelief.
The private frowned. "With all due respect… how exactly do we have the upper hand?"
Another soldier spoke this time. "Because the odds are only 30 to one. They didn't bring enough men. Shit, I've killed twice that myself in my time in the service. Hendricks? He's killed triple that. Palinski has at least 40 under him-," "58," Palinski interrupted, before waving for him to continue. "-and that guy over there, that demon, has over 50 times their number under his belt. Son, this is a fucking cake walk," he finished.
They all began to laugh again, as they felt their morale increase. Finally, Hendricks shook his head and raised his hand for silence. "How about this. Whoever fucking surrenders owes the rest of us a case of beer each, alright?" he asked. The men laughed again. Hendricks raised his hand once more, and looked them each in the eye, all of them meeting his gaze easily. "I don't know about you all, but I'm not surrendering. I'm staying here. If I die, well shit, guess I died. But I swear I will not quit till then. After all, what are, some fucking girl scouts? Hell no. We're soldiers, and soldiers never quit."
Slowly but surely, the other soldiers all raised their hands, swearing they'd do the same. Finally, they had all sworn. Everyone… except Wolfe. He felt them turn their gazes on him. He saw the determination in their eyes, and then nodded.
"Well, it seems I'm the last one. Guess that means I'm buying, doesn't it? You all better be there to collect on that debt. If not, I'll take a trip down to hell, pull your dumb ass out, and then shove that case of beer up your ass for failing to collect," he said firmly.
They all laughed again, and Wolfe raised his hand. "I swear, I will never quit on you. I will fight till I can no longer do so, and even beyond that. I will fight to make sure you all make it home to your loved ones. I swear, I'll fight till my last breath."
[POV: Wolfe] (Warning, violence ahead)
He was brought out of his memories by Duke speaking again. "Fine!" he roared. "You'll all die like the traitors you are!" Every single body in the room tensed.
'Kage, get here now. Don't ask why, just come, and be prepared for a fight, the likes of which we haven't seen for many years,' Wolfe sent to the red ringed umbreon.
He didn't get a response, but he did see the umbreon appear with Nova on his back, appearing on the other side of Gabe.
"Soldiers of the Dark Army!" Duke shouted again. "Slaughter these traitors!"
'Now.'
With a roar so monstrous that all near them shrank back in fear, Wolfe and Gabe joined their minds together. And in doing so, they cemented their bond once more.
The cavern was filled with both a dark and a white flash, so bright that the occupants of the room had to shield their eyes. Then it faded, and where Gabe, an ordinary gallade, had been standing stood something much more… ominous.
He still appeared to be a gallade, but there were several differences. One, he was much bigger. Two, His blades were now significantly longer and sharper. Third, he now wore a cape. And finally… his color changed.
What was once white was now a dark black, and what was green a deep grey. He also gave off an incredibly dark aura, one that intimidated even the most stoic of Dark Army soldiers. He flexed his shoulders, showing off his power and strength, as well as his intimidating blades.
Wolfe himself didn't appear different initially… until one were to look into his eyes and see that they were now a solid black. He too gave off an incredibly dark aura, and the look in his eyes made those before him tremble.
Immediately after Gabe's transformation, the entire cavern filled with the sound of thousands of soldiers shouting a mighty war cry, and the sounds of weapons leaving their scabbards.
'Protect Lura and the kits,' Wolfe sent to Kage, before he drew his daggers and charged at Duke, who was snarling fiercely. He had barely taken a step when the cavern became filled with the sounds of feral snarls, flashing lights and the ring of steel against steel. Then he focused only on what was in front of him.
A human soldier met his charge, blocking his path towards Duke, and wielding a short-sword. Wolfe parried the man's downward slash and elbowed him in the ribs, hearing a satisfying crunch as he did so. To his credit, the man barely flinched, and swung his sword at Wolfe's neck. Wolfe blocked that as well, and then plunged his right dagger into the man's throat, before tearing his blade free as his opponent collapsed. Wolfe didn't even look twice at the corpse.
He tried to spot his target again, but couldn't see it through all of the bodies. He cursed, and then leapt to the side as a liepard sprang at him. He kicked its midsection, and then buried a dagger in its chest, stabbing its heart. It spasmed once, and then was still.
He looked once more for any sign of Duke, but saw nothing. He growled, and then began to fight his way through the crowd, slaughtering those who charged at him, or rescuing any soldier he came across that he recognized as having stood next to him.
It was utter chaos. The battle had just begun, and already he could see dozens of bodies littering the ground, some he recognized, others a mystery. He didn't waste time to check the bodies for who was friend and who was foe, he just killed and killed. Slowly but surely, he made his way back towards where Gabe had taken his stand.
Finally he stood next to the transformed gallade, and had a quick conversation with him.
'Where's Via?' he sent.
'She's over by the kits. They're to my right, about twenty feet away,' came Gabe's reply.
Wolfe nodded, blocking a clumsy thrust from a rookie. A quick stab through the young man's chest ended his life. 'Are you good here? I need to talk with her.'
'Make it fast partner. There's a lot of bodies here, we won't be able to kill them all, even with the help of those that sided with us. If you have a plan, put it into motion.'
'Wilco,' Wolfe sent, finishing the conversation. He then waded through the soldiers, blocking any blow aimed at him and slaying the wielder of whatever weapon attempted to harm him, be it paw, fist, sword, dagger or axe.
Eventually he reached where his kits were, and saw them cowering in fear at all of the bloodshed and noise going on around them. He quickly spotted Via, and saw her send a soldier flying using her psychic abilities. Artul wasn't far away, doing his best to fry anyone that came close.
"Via!" Wolfe shouted when he was close. "Mental link! Now!"
'What?' a feminine voice asked in his mind, one he recognized as Via's.
'I need you to do something for me,' he replied.
'What do you need?' she asked, using a Protect to block another blow.
'Can you psychically tear up my cloak into grey ribbons? And then teleport those onto soldiers who are fighting for us?'
'Smart. That way we can tell who is enemy and who is foe. Yes, I can, but it'll drain me considerably. I won't be able to defend myself,' she answered.
Wolfe nodded, his daggers beheading another soldier. 'Understood, and don't fear. I'll protect you, just make it happen.'
'On it.'
Wolfe immediately changed gears from self-defense, to defending Via from the soldiers. He knew that he would take considerably more injuries in doing so, but his armor would stop most of them. The rest he just prayed didn't hit anything vital.
He felt his cloak disappear from around him, as he blocked a swing from an axe with both of his daggers. He turned the man's momentum against him, pushing the heavy axe head away from him, and watched as the man was spun around, choosing the moment that his back was turned to quickly stab him in the kidney with right blade, and into a lung with his other. The man collapsed shortly after he had removed his daggers.
He felt a soft sensation around his right upper arm, and risked a quick glance to see a grey ribbon, neatly wrapped around his bicep. He looked around as he blocked another blow and saw grey ribbons appearing on many different soldiers, including the one who was currently swinging at him. Wolfe deflected another blow, and then held the man's mace, and then held it with his grip.
"I'm on your side!" he shouted to the soldier, pointing at the ribbon on his arm, and then the ribbon on his opponents. The man followed his finger, and saw a ribbon matching the one that Wolfe was wearing. He then looked at Wolfe again, and nodded. Wolfe released his grip on the weapon, and watched as the man turned around to find an opponent that didn't have a ribbon.
Wolfe quickly raised his own Protect to surround him and the espeon at his feet, and glanced down at her. She was panting from the exertion, with her mouth open and her tongue hanging out. If it wasn't such a dire situation, he would have found it rather cute.
'Are you alright?' he asked her. She nodded weakly. Wolfe cursed once, and then waved at the soldier who he had pointed out the ribbons to. The man nodded once, finished off his opponent, and then sprinted over to Wolfe.
"Can you keep any enemies away from me and Via? I need to get her back on her feet," he asked the man. The soldier nodded, and turned away, gesturing for a couple other grey soldiers to join him. Soon Wolfe had a protective ring around him and Via, keeping any enemies away from them. Seeing they were safe for the moment, Wolfe knelt down next to her.
He didn't speak to her, even though she was looking at him curiously. Instead, he placed a hand on her shoulder and concentrated on his energies. Then he forced them down his hand and into the pokemon it rested on. He listened as her breathing steadied and became less labored. Soon she looked almost as good as when the fight had first started. She nodded to him gratefully as she slowly got to her paws. Wolfe felt a brief flash of weariness run through him, before he shook it off.
'I need you to send a mental message to everyone wearing the ribbon,' he told her psychically. She nodded. 'Tell them not to fight anyone that is wearing a ribbon.'
She nodded once more, and closed her eyes to concentrate. While she did so, he looked up at the soldiers who had formed a ring around him. A few of them were sporting new injuries, but none of them had fallen. He nodded once in satisfaction.
Soon afterwards, he heard a slight pause in the battle as his soldiers were told about the ribbons. Then battle continued in earnest, though he thought he could make out a few 'Sorry's cut through the noise. He almost chuckled. Almost.
'Now tell them all to start making their way towards the exit. We need to get out of here if we want to survive today,' he ordered Via. She nodded once more, and closed her eyes again, her jewel glowing brightly. As she sent the message, Wolfe made his way towards the man with the mace again. Once he reached them, he tapped him on the shoulder, and gestured for him to enter the circle with him. Immediately as he left, the soldiers tightened the circle and closed off the gap.
"Do you know who I am?" Wolfe asked the man.
"Yes sir, you're the Demon Wolfe," came the answer.
He nodded in satisfaction. "Alright, good. Listen, we need to move over to where the vaporeon and eevee kits are. Either we all go, or someone joins me to go get them. Got it?" he asked.
The man nodded. "Yes sir. I can pull another person from the ring to join us, then we should be good," he responded. Wolfe nodded.
"Good man, make it happen. I'm heading over now, just follow me after. And don't get yourself killed, you seem too good a soldier to lose." That said, Wolfe immediately made his way towards the edge of the ring, and then leaped through a gap as two soldiers split to make way for him.
'The message is sent, they should all start making their way over now,' Via told him psychically.
'Thank you, Via. Don't leave that circle. The energy I gave you was enough to get you on your feet, but I'm not very good at energy transfers. Don't expect it to last long if you get caught in a fight outside the guards,' he responded.
'Understood.'
Wolfe noticed a pokemon that was sent flying through the air from amongst a group of soldiers fighting each other near the edge of the cavern. He smiled thinly. I imagine that's where they went.
Sure enough, as soon as he had forced his way over to the group, he saw Kage standing over Nova, Lura and the kits. Despite her limited training, Lura was handling herself bravely. She was pressed against the wall, firing ice beams over Kage's back as he blocked attacks and attacked himself.
Wolfe roared furiously, and leaped at the men surrounding them, slicing through one's throat from behind, stabbing another one through his back, and finishing a third one off with a stab to their throat.
After that, the remaining enemies took note that there was an enemy behind them as well as one in front, with some turning to face Wolfe and the rest pressing harder against Kage. Shortly after, the man from earlier arrived, along with another man wielding a dagger and a sword.
The five of them, Lura included, efficiently dispatched the rest of the soldiers, sending them all to an early grave. Seeing that they had a moments respite, the two friendly soldiers took up guarding stances, protecting the pokemon and Wolfe.
Immediately Wolfe grinned at Kage. "Well this is busy!" he exclaimed. The umbreon nodded. Wolfe's grin faded away, as he began to speak again. "We need to get to the exit, so you're going to have to stop holding back. I realize that there are a lot of friendlies around, but just take a little bit extra care. Anyway, thank you. We need to move the kits, Lura and Nova over quickly. We're running out of time and men, so let's hurry."
Kage nodded again, and then lowered himself to the ground to let Nova crawl onto his back. He looked up at Wolfe as she did so. "I can take one of the kits with me as well, anymore and we risk them falling off," the umbreon said. Wolfe nodded, and then picked up Keaira and placed her onto Kage's back in front of Nova. Nova immediately grabbed onto her scruff with her teeth, and dug her claws into Kage's pelt.
Wolfe then turned to the man with the mace again and whistled. The soldier nodded, and then stepped over to Wolfe. Without much ceremony, Wolfe picked up Malik and placed him into the man's arms. "You drop him, and I'll break your arm," Wolfe told the man. The soldier grinned, and held the kit tightly to his chest.
"You got it, Demon," the man said. Then he frowned. "I won't be able to fight as well with just one arm, just so you are aware."
Wolfe nodded. "I understand that, just protect him with your life. We should be able to cover for you, got it?" he asked. The soldier nodded, and then turned his gaze to beyond Wolfe, frowning. Wolfe turned and followed his gaze.
Shit.
While they were getting the kits sorted out, the Dark Army Loyals had formed a wall, blocking Wolfe and whoever was with him from reaching the exit. Just beyond them, there were several groups of grey soldiers, human and pokemon, fighting to reach Wolfe, but there just simply too many of them.
"Shit," the sword wielding man said. He looked back at Wolfe. "Hope you have a plan boss," he said.
Wolfe grinned. "Oh I do."
'Partner, I need you.'
There was a soft flash, and suddenly Gabe was standing next to him. Immediately the gallade noticed the problem. He blinked, and then turned towards Wolfe.
"So uh, you have a little problem right there," he said, raising one of his blood-soaked arms to point at the wall of soldiers. Wolfe nodded, grinning faintly. Gabe returned it.
"Well, partner mine… shall we dance?" Gabe asked.
Wolfe nodded, and readied himself. "Stay close behind us, and do not get in front of us. When we do this, we won't be able to distinguish between friend and foe, and I'd rather not be the one to kill you to. And if you're able to, try and cover the kits eyes," he called out to the group behind him.
"What's your plan?" the sword man asked. Wolfe grinned at him.
"Why, we're going to show them the Demon, of course."
[POV: Gale]
Gale paused for a second to catch her breath, having finally reached the exit to the arena like she had been ordered. The grey soldiers had formed a blockade, alternating bodies to keep the line fresh, and were making sure that no-one left the arena unless they had a grey ribbon. She had to admit that it was nice to catch a quick break.
She turned her gaze out towards the sea of bodies that filled the arena. While she could still see some fighting in pockets here and there, it seemed that most of the conflict was at the exit of the arena. A mass of Dark Army Loyals were pressing against their ex-comrades, trying to force their way through. Once she had gotten her breath back, Gale would join them.
She took one more deep breath, and then let it out slowly. Then she jumped, as a bloodcurdling howl pierced above the noise of combat, followed shortly by screams of fear and agony. She looked towards the sound curiously, wondering what in the world could be the cause of such pain.
What she saw truly shocked her.
It seemed that a fog of blood had just erupted on the far side of the arena. As she watched, she saw the fog cut through the enemy like a hot knife through butter, shearing armor, flesh and bone in one single motion.
As she looked closer, she saw that where the fog started, there were two figures standing at the forefront, their arms a blur of motion. She couldn't make out who they were immediately, and as she watched the figures get closer, slaughtering dozens in their path, she thought she recognized one of them.
Although the figure was too soaked in blood and gore to identify any striking features, she could have sworn that it was Wolfe.
[POV: Lura]
Lura ran behind her mate and his partner, who had changed for a reason she wasn't aware of. She did as she was told, keeping close behind Wolfe and Gabe, while also keeping an eye on her and Cordina's kits. Keaira had her eyes closed tightly, while Malik had his opened wide in horror as he gazed at his father. Of course, he didn't know that Wolfe was his father. To him, his father was a big strong umbreon, not this terrifying creature in front of him.
As she followed the kits gaze, she couldn't help but silently agree that it was terrifying. She didn't even recognize her mate. Whenever he glanced back at her, he always wore a fierce grin on his blood-soaked face, one that terrified even her. And his eyes… she didn't like his eyes like that. His eyes weren't supposed to be a solid black. Truly, he becomes a demon, she thought. She was just glad that she would never have to fear him like their enemies undoubtedly were.
Lura did her best stop the blood mist from affecting the kits too much, but there was only so much someone could do. There was just too much.
As they ran, Lura couldn't help but recognize some of the bodies lying on the ground, dead. One such body that struck her like a blow was the body of Derrick.
The old luxray had clearly fought to the death, and put up a serious fight in the process. He was laying on top of a pile of bodies, one of which still had his fangs buried in its throat. He had an axe-head buried in his neck.
Lura didn't realize that she had stopped moving, until she suddenly felt something hard hit her side, sending her flying until she impacted some of the bodies left in the wake of Wolfe and Gabe's destruction. She shook her head, and turned to glare at the human who had kicked her. He grinned at her viciously, drawing a knife. Before he could dodge or attack, she had fired a concentrated Ice Beam at him, watching as the white light punched a hole through the right side of his torso. The man's eyes widened, and he let out a soft gasp, before he fell to the ground, clearly dead. She also saw a line of Dark Army Loyals falling to the ground behind the now dead man, all the way to the opposite side of the wall.
Her Ice Beam had killed every single one of them in a straight line.
Soon the gap her beam had created was filled by more soldiers. She prepared herself to fire another Ice Beam, but then realized that she was surrounded. So instead, she toned down the beam, and fired it, spinning in a circle and freezing the legs of all the soldiers around her. However, she knew that would only buy her some time.
Before anyone else could react, a sudden surge of screams of pain closed in on her, and she could make out a mist of blood through the soldiers, but this time it was a little smaller.
Finally it became clear why. From the direction of the exit, came her mate, Wolfe.
He still wore that terrifying grin on his face, which was now so red you couldn't even see his skin underneath. "Hello love! Did you need some help?" he asked cheerfully. She nodded, but couldn't bring herself to smile. She had just killed a lot of people. His grin got even brighter, if that was possible. "Well, I guess I got here in time then, now didn't I?"
Without waiting for a response, he stooped down and picked her up, before turning back towards the entrance. "Sorry about your fur love, but it can't be helped right now. Now then, let's get going!" he exclaimed. Lura couldn't understand the look in his eyes, or why he seemed so happy right now.
Before they could move, however, she felt something impact Wolfe's body. Then her eyes widened in horror as she saw a sword point erupt from his chest, inches from her nose. She looked at her mate with horrified eyes, and then her jaw dropped.
He was still grinning like an idiot, as though nothing were wrong at all. He turned to look over his shoulder at the machamp that had just stabbed him. His grin widened as he turned around to face the adversary, with the sword still inside him. "You missed friend! Here, let me show up where it should go," Wolfe exclaimed cheerfully, before reaching behind him and pulling the sword out of his chest, not flinching at all, even when blood erupted from his wound.
He studied the blade for a moment, and then the machamp, who was gazing at him with a horrified look in his eyes. Before it could defend itself, there was a blur of motion, and suddenly a sword hilt sprouted from where the pokemon's heart was. It glanced down, and then slowly collapsed. Wolfe turned and looked down at Lura, who was still looking scared.
"Don't worry too much love, the blade missed anything vital. Might have nicked my lung, but otherwise, I'm good. Best we hurry though!" he exclaimed, before drawing his dagger with his free hand. Then he immediately leapt into the fray, killing anyone that stood in his path, until they had reached the barricade of men that the grey soldiers had set up. Lura spotted Gale among them, as well as Artul, with Via in behind them.
"Well, I suppose this is your stop love!" Wolfe told her, before setting her down gently. Then he stood up and stretched, as soldiers all around stared at him, some with admiration, some with fear, but all with respect. "Got more people to save after all!"
"Wait, Wolfe!" a feminine voice called. Lura watched as he paused and turned around to face the lucario that had called after him. She had a look of worry on her face.
"Yes? Make it quick please, there's more fun to be had," Wolfe said, tapping a palm against his leg.
The lucario shook her head. "Not for you there isn't. You're covered in wounds! If we don't treat them, and quick, you could die! Not only that, but we still need to get out of the base itself, which could be a challenge depending on the door keeper. And besides, you shouldn't be using that for so long, otherwise it could have some lasting side effects," she told him.
He stared at her, curious. "You know about this?" he asked curiously. She nodded.
"Yes, yes I do!" she exclaimed.
"Neat! Well, talk to you later hot stuff, things to do!" Wolfe said.
The lucario rolled her eyes, and then quickly stepped up to him and placed a palm on his head. There seemed to be a brief aura around her and him, but it disappeared quickly. As soon as it did, Lura noticed Wolfe's eyes had returned to normal. He looked confused for a minute, then looked at Lura and smiled.
Then he turned his attention to the lucario, who still had her palm on his head. He looked at her curiously as she removed her palm. "Do I-," he started, before his eyes rolled into his head and he collapsed. The lucario caught him easily, before carefully placing him on her shoulders. She glanced down at Lura.
"Don't worry, I've got him. We should probably get moving. Let's go talk to the gallade," she said. Lura nodded, and then followed the lucario as she led the way towards a familiar gallade who was on the wall.
As soon as he caught sight of the three of them, his eyes widened in concern, and he immediately teleported over to them.
"What happened?" he asked.
The lucario answered. "He got injured one too many times, and it was harming him more than it was helping to have him use that ability. As such, I cleared his mind, which brought him out of it. However… he was worse than I thought, and barely got out of it before he fainted," she reported.
Gabe groaned, and rubbed his face with his hand.
"Stupid kid. He over did it," Kage said. Lura turned to look at him, having not heard him arrive. He nodded at her, before looking up at Gabe. "We should leave."
Gabe nodded. "Yes, we should. I'll stay behind with some volunteers to act as a rear guard to buy the rest some time to get away. Afterwards I'll teleport me and anyone with me to Wolfe's location. I've already sent some soldiers forward to clear the way out of the base, so it should be safe. But you need to go now," he ordered. He looked at the lucario again. "Can you carry him?"
She nodded. "Don't worry, I have him. I won't let him go or drop him or anything like that," she confirmed. Gabe nodded.
"Best of luck. Lura, take care of the kits… especially Malik. He won't have his mother around for possibly a long time. I would go get her but… right now, it's much too risky. She'll be fine, Duke won't hurt her. But you need to go," the gallade said.
Lura nodded, her heart twisting with grief. It had started off as such a nice day…
She followed the lucario as she led the way out of the base, flanked on either side by ex-members of the Dark Army, and followed by many more.
As she exited the base, where the stone sealing the entrance had been blown to pieces, she couldn't help but feel a little afraid for the what the future held. She turned her gaze to Wolfe, who was slung across the lucario's back. She had never seen him so weak.
And as they disappeared into the dark mountains, she couldn't help but feel another stab of anguish at leaving Cordina behind.
