Melissa poked her head out from her old bedroom and searched the hallway. She finished clearing out her wardrobe of her dresses, but she had been waiting around for ten minutes with no sign of Sadie anywhere. Melissa may have been blind to Sadie's true nature, but she knew her friend was anything but untimely. Something wasn't right.
Making sure her hood was covering a good portion of her face, she tiptoed out and gently kicked the door shut behind her. She dragged a large sack of dresses with her, thinking about all the cleaning she'll have to do to get the wrinkles out. She wondered if either Pandora or Tank could make her a spare wardrobe to hang her outfits.
Melissa shook her head and refocused on the present. She uncurled her ears and listened out for her friend. "Come on, Sadie, where are you? I cannot wait around all day."
Her ears jolted to a crash coming from below. She gasped and bent down, placing her ears to the ground. She listened in, detecting sounds rummaging through the downstairs hallways. It sounded like a group of people were running through the castle, or chasing someone. She heard things breaking and something akin to localized explosions.
"No one but Jason and I should be near the castle, so…" Melissa gasped and scooped up her dress bag. "Sadie! She must be in trouble!" She bounced through the hall in search of the stairs. "Hang on, bestie! I am coming!"
As soon as alarm was raised over the Foresters' invasion, the castle staff quickly migrated to the kitchen and barricaded the doors. Most of the staff cowered into the far corners of the dining hall, staying as far away from the windows as possible. Others have raided the kitchen and armed themselves with knives and pots for protection, shaking like leaves as they waited for their cover to be blown open.
Gustavo floated around the dining room in a panic. "Mama Mia, please don't use my cutlery like barbarians! They're meant for cooking, not bloodshed!" He covered his face and cried. "Oh, why is this happening again? Can't the Foresters terrorize some other kingdom?"
He felt a hand wrap around his and pull him to the ground. He turned and faced Hilda, who offered him a friendly smile. "Stay true and strong, Gustavo. This will all be over soon."
He sighed and pulled his hand away. "Somehow, I don't believe you." He awkwardly massaged his wrist while staring worriedly at the barricaded door. "Their last thieving expedition was bad enough, but with the recent events taking place, I fear a shift in the tides. To what end will they continue this mischief? Until all is razed and flatten beneath the pyres of Hell?"
"Now you're freaking me out!" a Vileplume maid shrieked, clutching a wooden spoon close to her chest.
Hilda sighed and turned toward the doors. "The Foresters' motives are beyond our understanding. That much, I'm certain. What more could they want with all this stealing and chaos? It's as if they want to plunge us into an endless spiral of torment." She rubbed her arm and turned her gaze sadly to the floor. "No different to how they ripped the pride and joy of this kingdom from our arms."
Gustavo frowned. "Oh, Hilda…" He placed his hands on her shoulders. "So long, yet we're all still feeling her absence. I can't imagine the pain you're still feeling."
Hilda sniffled. "My time under your tutelage has helped quell the lingering pain, I admit. You've helped me keep my mind off it. I only wish to hear her voice one last time. Something to tell me she's alright, that she's being strong and kind like her mother. A nurse's job is never truly done, is it?"
Gustavo patted her shoulder. "She could still be alive. I'm certain of it."
"How do you know?"
He shrugged. "I cannot, but we ghosts just have these feelings. I cannot say for certain, but I choose to believe she's alive and well."
Hilda sighed and turned away. "If only I had an answer. If only I could ask those Foresters myself. What did they do to our precious…little…" Hilda blinked and searched through the crowded dining hall. "Wait a moment."
"Trouble, Ms. Hilda?" Gustavo asked.
"Where are Ydalyn and Sadie?" Hilda gasped.
"Where are…?" Gustavo searched around himself and gasped. "Oddio, you are correct! They aren't here with us!"
Hilda covered her mouth. "This is horrible! What if something happened to them? Oh dear, poor Ydalyn might be in danger! What if someone hurts her?"
Gustavo glared at the ceiling. "There's commotion above us. There might be someone else in the castle aside from the knights."
"We need to help them!" Hilda ran to the doors and started to push the barricade open, much to the distress of the staff.
Gustavo gasped and floated over to her side. "Hilda, no! You'll put yourself in danger if you go out there! It's not safe!"
Hilda shook her head. "I can take care of myself, Gustavo. There's a young girl and elderly woman in danger, and I will not stand by knowing they could be subjected to some kind of catastrophe. Regardless of my demoted status, I am a caretaker, and it is my responsibly to keep the occupants of this castle safe!"
Gustavo backed away from the Chansey, eyes wide in disbelief. "Ammazza…"
Hilda turned back to pushing the barricade open, but stopped as Gustavo took her hands in his. "Huh?"
"At least let me accompany you, signora," Gustavo said. "I may be a chef, but I shall keep you safe from danger." He gripped her hands tightly and passed on a ghostly aura over her body. He stepped back and phased through the barricade. "We shall search for Ydalyn and Sadie together."
Hilda's eyes widened as redness flushed over her face. "I, uh…th-thank you, Gustavo."
Gustavo smiled, then pulled her along. With his energy spread across her, Hilda passed through the wall as seamlessly as the Gengar, leaving behind the frightened castle staff to fend against their own panic-induced minds.
With such little space to maneuver, Luna had to rely on her speed to dodge Yda's relentless attacks. Better said than done, though, for the Inteleon was matched in speed with the Snivy, maybe ever faster.
Luna leapt around the dungeon, springing off walls and dodging the flurry of tail strikes tracking her. With each close shave of the tail, she caught a glimpse of the hidden blade protruding from the tail's tip, radiating with a red aura. Luna could sense its power, its hunger for the defeating blow.
She latched a Vine Whip to a lantern and threw herself away from Yda to gain some breathing room. She skidded to a stop in front of Theobald's jailcell and whipped her vines at Yda.
Yda dodged one whip and caught the other in her hand. She tugged it and pulled Luna in toward her bladed tail. Luna reorientated herself and raised her own tail. "Iron Tail!" The leaves hardened into metal and struck back. The minor shock threw Luna back, pulling her vines free of Yda's grip.
"Piercing Cold." Yda extended her finger and fired off bullets of water.
Luna quickly sidestepped a water bullet and watched it instantly flash-freeze across the floor. She moved swiftly through the dungeon and dodged the freezing bullet. She jumped into an open cell out of Yda's line of sight.
Yda narrowed her eyes and approached the cell. "Hiding, are we? Am I to believe your little ultimatum not too long ago was a bluff?" She peeked her head around the corner, only to see the cell was empty. She looked down at the cell's cot and noticed a loose brick was removed from the wall. A gap wide enough for a Snivy to squeeze through.
She checked the neighboring cell and found the same gap on the other side, but no Snivy inside.
"Tsk. Your kingdom doesn't use this dungeon much, it seems." She traced her fingers along the walls and scanned through the dark dungeon. "So, you are aware of the princess' little disappearing act?"
"What's it to you?" Luna's voice echoed out. Yda tried to gauge the source, but the dungeon's acoustics made it near impossible. "What is your relation to the princess?"
"Oh, me?" Yda laughed and shook her head. "I never met the dear. I just know the Foresters have been housing her since she ran away."
"Ran away?"
"What? Did you really think the Foresters, after all this time, would waste their time with a petty ransom or kidnapping? And not even bother to confirm the princess' safety? They are many things, my dear, but they're not monsters. Do you have any idea why the princess ran away?"
"Only thing that comes to mind…was that argument she had with the king. About the marriage to Prince Talbot."
Yda shook her head. "Are you sure that's all it is?"
"Whatever internal affairs happened between the king and princess don't concern me. All that matters is keeping the people safe."
"Are they safe, though?" Yda looked up and glared at the ceiling. "Roscoe Fletcher is a man driven by selfishness and envy. I pity the man, almost, if only you knew his true history. He's only doing this out of obligation. Out of spite. I don't know the man personally, but I think we can all agree on something: Roscoe Fletcher changed after the death of the queen."
No response came from the hidden Snivy.
Yda sighed. "Ms. Freia, what are you even fighting for? You've gone this far just to uncover our secret, and yet there's still so much left to uncover. And you see us as the villains because it's easy. So, so easy. It'd be too easy for us to see Roscoe as an unforgivable blemish for his harsh rule. He's no saint, but to call him heartless would be the words of an ignorant lout screaming into the void. No different to how are actions are hardly just, but we aren't here to start wars.
"If you ask me, Ms. Freia, you're just as ignorant as everyone else."
"Earth's Wrath: Witch's Cursed Grove!"
Spots of green light appeared over the walls, surrounding Yda from every direction, and extended out into bindings of grass. Yda used Liquidation and sliced through them, but the sheer number overwhelmed her and bound around her arms and legs one after the other. More piled onto her until she was strung up off the ground, dangling like a pinata tangled in a spider's web.
Luna lowered herself from the ceiling with her Vine Whip and landed in the web of grass. She hung upside-down and faced the tangled Inteleon with a glare.
"I'd say I've gotten pretty close," Luna spat. "So, why not cut the pretense and just tell me what's going on? What do you know about the king?"
Yda chuckled. "Dear, I don't have all the time in the world to entertain your postulations. You just need to ask the right people."
Luna sneered. "You think this is funny? Why can't you and Dencourt over there just give me a straight answer? What is with you people and countless riddles?" She pulled her sword out and raised it against Yda's neck. "Enough mind games! Who is the Crownless King? What is your objective?"
Yda glared. "Stubborn, aren't we?" She sighed and shook her head. "Tell me something, child, do you know what the four seasons represent?"
"I'm not playing your games," Luna growled, pressing the sword closer to Yda's neck.
Yda ignored her and continued, "Spring is new life. Summer is the time of youth. Autumn is old age. Winter is death. There are several ways these things can be interpreted." She closed her eyes. "Autumn is a time where youth must die and make way for the next generation. Some people, however, strive to hold onto the beauty of spring and the memories of summer. Others take it a step too far. They don't want another winter, and they'll go to great lengths to prevent it and keep the world as an eternal summer of their own."
"What part of no games hasn't clicked with you?!" Luna yelled.
"Last. Autumn. That's your enemy."
Luna's eyes widened. "Last Autumn? Wha—"
The grass bindings around Yda suddenly snapped off, throwing Luna to the ground. Yda's hand cut through the grass and tore open her escape. Luna rolled to her feet just as Yda landed on the ground.
"Very well, my dear, no more games." Yda glared. "Only battle." She activated Liquidation and charged at Luna.
Luna gasped and raised her sword, blocking Yda's swift strikes. The Inteleon struck in rhythm, a continuous beat that pounded into Luna's sword without stop. She was flailing and spinning with the grace of a dancer, pushing Luna back whilst the Snivy tried to anchor herself down with Vine Whip.
"Fell Stinger!" Yda thrusted her tail at Luna, its hidden blade shimmering in a menacing red aura.
Luna jumped to the side and winced as the blade sliced across her cheek. That's why it looked so intimidating. Fell Stinger. That move is the bane of Grass-Types and armies!
Yda launched a flurry of Fell Stingers at Luna. She raised her sword and blocked against the bombardment of tail strikes until one struck her off her feet and sent her into the wall. Yda rushed the Snivy with Liquidation, but Luna dodged at the last second.
"Icicle Spear!" Yda trained her index finger on the fleeing Snivy and fired a volley of icicles at her.
"Earth's Wrath!" Luna plunged her vines through the ground and summoned a Grass Pledge pillar in front of herself, destroying the icicles. "Take this!" Multiple spots opened up over the walls and fired Grass Pledges on Yda.
Yda extended her cape membrane and jumped into the air. Dozens of pillars shot up around her, yet she maneuvered through them with minute corrections to her flight. She dove through tight gaps and swerved around surprise pillars. She rebounded off the walls to keep herself in the air, climbing higher and higher until she reached the darkness in the ceiling.
"You can't hide from me up there!" Luna slammed her hands down and fired off more Grass Pledges, blasting into Yda's location.
"You rely on your eyes too much, dear~."
Luna's eyes widened as a thick, icy mist descended onto ground level. She fired off warning shots of Grass Pledge around herself, blasting apart everything around her. Theobald ducked and covered inside his cell as a Grass Pledge whizzed through the bars and over his head.
"Peek-a-boo~."
A sharp blow struck Luna across the side, throwing her across the floor. She rolled to her hands and feet and fired off another Grass Pledge, but another kick nailed her chin and threw her back further. She quickly used Vine Whip to pull herself to a higher elevation.
"Camouflage," Luna growled. Her sclera turned purple upon activating Glare. She scanned the ground level while using Vine Whip to climb higher off the ground. The second I make eye contact with her, I'm not taking chances. I have to take her out of commission.
A shot fired out of the mist and struck her vine. Luna gasped as ice froze over. Before she could retract it, a Snipe Shot fired immediately after and severed through the frozen extension. With only one Vine Whip holding her aloft, Luna swung down and crashed into the wall, just above the cells.
She heard a disturbance from the mist and opened her eyes, seeing an invisible, yet slim shape draped in the mist. "Surprise~." Another freezing water bullet fired at Luna.
Luna untangled her vine off the wall and purposely dropped herself just before the Piercing Cold shot her. She slammed her hands down as soon as she landed, plunging her vines into the ground and setting off dozens of Grass Pledges. Yda reappeared and flew around the pillars. She dove straight onto Luna's position and kicked her across the stomach.
"GAH!" Luna crashed into the wall. Her chest plate was dented in, pressing into her stomach. She ripped it off and tossed it aside, then held her bruised stomach. "So…s-strong. What kind of training…is this?"
Yda, hands on her hips, stepped out of her mist and looked down at the Snivy. "The kind that breaks the bones and turns them to powder. The kind that rips your muscles to shreds. The kind that breaks your spirit. You wouldn't know that, though. Despite all your hardships, at least you had wealth to fall back on."
Luna scowled. "You…!"
Yda bent down and looked Luna in the eye. "Like I said earlier, I never lied about my praise toward you. Your mother, I looked into her at the local archives." She chuckled to herself. "She trained you well. I can see how you're the only woman here to pass the training. Compared to Senbo and Umbra Clock, you couldn't have asked for a better recommendation."
Luna pulled a hidden dagger from her waist and lunged at Yda. The Inteleon merely grabbed her arm and twisted the dagger out of her hand. Luna squealed and cried in Yda's grip.
"You're wasting your talents here. If you want that itch for knowledge to go away, you need to carve a new path. Only then will you learn the truth of the Crownless King, and the mission we've inherited from a thousand years ago."
Luna struggled to stay conscious against the pain. "Wha…What are—" A sharp pain jabbed into the back of her neck. Luna gasped, then her eyes started to lose focus. She slumped forward and collapsed in front of Yda.
Yda retracted her tail and the hidden blade. "Sorry, kid. No hard feelings." She stood up and walked over to Theobald's cell. "Next time we meet, hopefully it's under better circumstances."
Luna struggled to lift her arm, reaching out to the Inteleon. Her vision blurred, everything around her fading into one big smear. Consciousness started slipping away from her, yet she persisted to stay awake. She had to know the truth. Everything. Roscoe, Last Autumn, the Crownless King, the inherited mission, everything!
"S…S…Stop…!" Her voice cracked and strained trying to get the word out. Thinking was a chore. All she wanted to do was sleep, but not until the mission was complete. She tried to call out to Yda again.
If only she could.
Melissa hustled through the castle, tracking the noises up ahead. The closer she got, the more defined the shouts and screams were. She could pick up the subtle changes in octaves and pitches, the tones of voice. She definitely heard Sadie among the voices, her pants and cries from evading a full-on assault. The other voice, though less familiar, was most definitely one of the knights.
Hang on, Sadie! Melissa hopped faster and reached the end of the hall.
She stopped and poked her head around the corner. She shrieked and pulled back as knives coated in purple aura flew past her, impaling through the hallway rug. She took a moment to catch her breath, her head spiraling from flashes of her life emerging to the surface, before checking around the corner again.
As she deduced, it was indeed Sadie fending herself off in a mad chase. Her pursuer was a Corviknight that shimmered in a rainbow light. She recognized him as Ivone, the Prism Knight. She heard and even seen him a handful of times during public matches hosted by her father. Ivone was one of the strongest knights aside from Matthias due to his incredible defensive might.
Better him than Matthias, but still! Melissa winced. Darn it, Sadie, what did you get yourself mixed up in?
While Melissa collected her thoughts, Sadie continued to evade Ivone's aerial attacks. She used the walls to get a height advantage, but the armored crow had her beat in aerial combat, dodging her attacks and bashing her with his wing. The light of his armored body, pure light construct of the Light Screen and Reflect, made his steel body even harder.
Sadie crashed through a window and nearly fell out, but she drove a dagger through the windowsill to catch herself. She quickly pulled herself in and jumped out of the way as Ivone dove on her location. Glass shards flew at her, but she covered herself under her uniform.
"Steel Wing!" Ivone sped into the vulnerable Audino and rammed his wing across her stomach. Sadie gasped spit from her mouth and slammed into the opposing wall. Just as she tried to stand, Ivone crashed into her and clamped his talons over her neck.
"I won't allow you to use that pitiful kiss of yours to escape," Ivone said, squeezing Sadie's neck.
She winced, but managed to work up a grin. "I only use it for emergencies, admittedly—" She gasped and choked as Ivone dug his claws into her throat.
"I'd argue this is an emergency."
Sadie flailed and struggled, punching at Ivone's body, but his naturally armored exterior made her measly punches nothing more than cotton balls pinging off the wall. Worst of all, she was struggling to breathe. She could feel one of Ivone's claws pressing into her windpipe, cutting off her oxygen.
"I could spare you," Ivone hissed. "All you have to do is tell me what became of the princess. What have you done with her? Where is she? Is she safe?"
Sadie grabbed his ankle and sneered at him. "S-Screw…you…"
Ivone narrowed his eyes. "Pity." He squeezed tighter around her neck. Sadie gagged and squirmed. She tried to scream, but Ivone had an iron-tight lock over her neck. "Perhaps you'll be easier to drag answers out of than Dencourt."
"Let her go!"
Melissa suddenly sprang from hiding and dropkicked Ivone across the head. The surprise blow threw him off balance, not helped by the newly acquired Klutz ability, and flew across the hall. Melissa landed in front of Sadie, legs and body shaky with anxiety.
"Oh my Arceus, I just attacked another one of my knights," she whimpered quietly.
She paused and turned to Sadie, who coughed and took deep breaths of fresh air. As she massaged her neck, she looked up weakly at the hooded Buneary who saved her. Melissa naturally tensed up and pulled her hood over her eyes, awkwardly rolling her heel against the floor.
"I…I, uh…" She turned away, hiding her flustered blush. "H-Hey."
Sadie blinked at her in awe. "M…Mel—"
"H-Harlow," she quickly corrected.
"…Harlow?" A smile broke out over Sadie's face, eyes shimmering with fresh tears. "Oh my gosh, Harlow!"
Melissa squeaked as Sadie scooped the rabbit up and swung her around in a tight embrace. However, she recovered from her shock a second after and melted into the embrace, hugging her friend back with a warm smile. She could feel the warmth and love of Sadie's embrace, the gentle and tearful look of joy in her eyes, and the melodious cadence of relief in her voice. She really was reunited with her longtime friend.
"You're really here. You're really okay," Sadie whispered, nuzzling her cheek against Melissa's.
Melissa smiled and patted her back. "Of course I am. You are the one who helped me, remember?"
"Heh." Sadie looked down and smiled sadly. "You know, somedays I was wondering if it was all a dream. I wanted to believe you were in Fort Lucus, but I wanted to see it for myself." She squeezed the Buneary gently. "Oh, I missed my bestie so much. It's been so drab without you."
Melissa pulled away and showed her brightest smile. "I feel the same way."
Sadie smiled back, then looked the Buneary up and down. "Heh. Well, I'll be."
Melissa's eyes widened. "W-What?"
"I remember you being a weak, verbose bunny who couldn't even look a fellow in the eye. I'm looking at you now, and…by Arceus' beard, you've changed."
"I-Is that a good thing?"
Sadie winked. "I'd say so." She felt up Melissa's arm, then smirked. "Dear me, is that muscle? I never thought it possible."
"Hush!" Melissa snapped, slapping Sadie's hand off. Sadie held her stomach and laughed. Its infectious nature penetrated Melissa's exaggerated pout and broke her into a giggling fit, too.
Their time of merriment was sadly cut short, however. The resounding stomp of metal claws broke the girls from their giggling and turned their attention to the source. Rising up from the ground, Ivone flashed his red-eyed glare at the two girls.
"EEP!" Melissa ducked behind Sadie and held her shoulders. "I almost forgot about him!"
Sadie grimaced. "Taking him head-on won't help us, either." She grabbed Melissa's hand and pulled her the opposite direction. "Come on, we'll lose him down this—" Sadie dug her heels in and stopped just as Jakke and a weary Nathaniel hopped out from around the corner. "Oh shit!"
"AAAHHH!" Melissa shrieked, clinging harder to Sadie.
They backed away from the two knights, but stopped upon remembering who was blocking the other way. They looked back and met eyes with Ivone's radiant glare. Melissa pulled her hood down more, hiding as much of her face as possible.
"How cute," Ivone said with a growl. "You two are friends? Then you won't get lonely in the cells." He cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders. Ivone then cried toward the ceiling and raised his wings, lighting up his body in rainbow light. Melissa and Sadie turned away and covered their eyes. "You won't escape."
Melissa and Sadie stood back-to-back, staring down their trio of pursuers. Melissa gulped, hugging her bag of dresses, and asked, "You have a plan to get out of this, right?"
Sadie grinned sheepishly. "Honestly, I've been winging it before you got here."
Melissa whimpered. "Why are you like this?"
Sadie reached into her satchel and dug around for her throwing knives. She clicked her tongue in disappointment. "I'm almost out of knives. A few handfuls left. You?"
"I'm still trying to keep myself from passing out from stress," she mumbled.
Sadie sighed, but laughed. "Guess you haven't changed that much."
Ivone stomped his foot down and spread his wings. "Enough chatter! You two are under arrest!" He kicked off and soared toward the girls.
"In that case—" Sadie turned and tackled Melissa to the ground, barely avoiding Ivone's attack. The girls rolled over themselves and onto her feet. "Guess we'll need to create our own escape!" She pulled out one handful of knives, coated them in purple aura, and threw them at the knights.
Ivone stretched his wings and shielded the other two with his Reflect. Nathaniel and Jakke stepped out from behind and fired off Aura Sphere and Rock Blast respectively.
Melissa stepped in front of Sadie and raised her shield. Both attacks exploded against her shield and threw the girls backwards in the blast. Melissa's shield flew off her arm and shattered across the wall, rendered into charred splinters. Sadie pulled Melissa up and dragged her down the hall.
"Stone Edge!" Jakke slammed his foot down and tracked the girls with a pathway of rising stones.
Sadie hooked the corner and threw herself and Melissa down the next hall, barely avoiding the Stone Edges. They scrambled down the hall just as the stones shattered behind them. They didn't look back, lest they'd see their pursuers breathing down their necks.
"They're persistent!" Melissa cried.
"Please tell me you learned something more useful than a surprise dropkick!" Sadie yelled.
"Erm, yeah! Right!"
Melissa stopped, pulled her arm from Sadie's grip, and faced the knights. A dark aura surrounded her as she raised her hands, channeling dark clouds into her palms. Sadie gasped at the sudden stoic expression in Melissa's face, something cold and logical, and completely unfitting to the bubbly coward that were her friend.
"Abyss Cloud." Melissa slammed her hands against the floor and flooded the hallway with dark, cloud-like smog.
Ivone pulled back and flew higher up. "Stay back! Something's wrong!"
"Magnet Rise!" Jakke propelled himself off the ground with electromagnetic waves and picked Nathaniel up just before the clouds could grab his feet. "What is that stuff?! So scary!"
Sadie looked at Melissa in shock. "Where did you pick that up?"
"No time to talk." As if it couldn't get weirder, Melissa grabbed Sadie's wrist and dragged her along instead. "We must evacuate immediately."
"Where did this side of you come from?!"
Ivone growled at the girls fled down the hall. "They're getting away!" He tried to fly after them, but the Abyss Clouds shot up and nearly dragged him down. "How long is this stuff going to last?"
Nathaniel glared, then swung himself out of Jakke's grip. "Knight's Guard!" A blue aura surrounded him as he landed in the middle of the Abyss Cloud.
A force coming from Nathaniel compelled the darkness to leap from the ground and bury onto him. Fortunately, it couldn't reach his body, as an invisible force pushed back on the darkness. Ivone and Jakke watched as the path through the hallway cleared up.
"A combination of Follow Me and Protect!" Nathaniel shouted through the darkness as it continued piling over him. "I'll be fine! I can hold this Protect up for a while! Go!"
Ivone nodded, then grabbed Jakke by the shoulder. "Hang on!" He beat his wings harder and chased after the fleeing Foresters.
Melissa and Sadie rounded a corner and fled toward the main stairwell. The dark aura around Melissa soon receded, and the Buneary shook the dizziness from her head. "Ooh…that still feels weird," she mumbled.
"What the heck was that?!" Sadie yelled. "I know Jason informed me you've picked up some tricks, but I didn't take you for a practitioner of the dark arts!"
"Very long, complicated story I would love to talk your ear off about later!" Melissa quickly unzipped her pack and stuffed her dress bag inside. "Jason's waiting for us outside fighting Matthias! We need to hurry!"
They reached the stairwell and started their way down, but an electrified rock whizzed past their heads and blew them back in the explosion. A light shined from the hall behind them, soon followed by a spine-bruising Steel Wing that knocked them high into the air.
Ivone turned around and aimed Jakke, who charged up another electrified Rock Blast. "Demon Thunder Gatling!" He fired electrified pebbles at the girls. Though their precision was all over the place, they dealt critical damage across the ceiling.
Sadie quickly pulled three throwing knives and threw them through the pebbles. The aura allowed them to pierce through the scattering rocks and nail Jakke. Two impaled his armor while one lucky knife hit a thin gap through Jakke's armor, driving deep into his rocky hide.
"GAH!" Jakke flailed in Ivone's talons, trying to reach for the knife with his short arms. "Pain! All pain! AAAHHH!"
Ivone dropped Jakke onto the stairs and soared toward the girls. The rainbow light shrouding his body blazed bright. Melissa and Sadie jumped out of the way just as Ivone crashed through the stairs. The shockwave of light threw them back, throwing Sadie into the wall and Melissa over the stairwell. She crashed into a suit of armor and hit the floor, buried in armor pieces.
Sadie pulled herself up and rubbed her head. "Ow…"
"Heavy Slam!" Sadie was suddenly crushed under Jakke's weight and pressed down by his feet. The floor moaned and cracked under the Alolan Golem's increasing weight. "Got you!"
Sadie pressed her hands down and tried to push herself up, but Jakke was far heavier than her, not helped by the Heavy Slam. "Get. Off. Me!" Jakke pressed his foot down on her neck. She dug her fingers into the floor and screamed.
Melissa pulled herself out of the armor pile just as she heard Sadie's cry. "Sadie!" She looked around at the armor pieces and gasped. She scooped them up and started placing whatever pieces fit onto herself.
Ivone picked himself up and dusted his body off. "Keep her still, Jakke." He peeked over the banister and saw Melissa placing a helmet on. "Seems we may get our answers soon enough." He flapped his wings and dove onto the Buneary's position.
After slipping a bracer on, Melissa jumped out of the way before Ivone crashed down. He recovered instantly and chased her through the main foyer, blazing with rainbow light. Melissa rolled and slid through his attacks whenever he got close and used her springy movements to put as much distance between them as she could.
Ivone the Prism Knight. I do not know you personally, but I have heard the tales of your incredible enhanced move. A cloak of refracted light manifested from Reflect, Light Screen, and Sky Attack, amplified by the reflective properties of your Mirror Armor ability. Melissa squeezed her eyes shut. Concentrate, Harlow! Concentrate!
"No escape now." Ivone climbed higher in the air, tucked his wings in, and dove onto Melissa's position, faster than before. You won't slip away this time.
However, just as he closed in, Melissa stopped and turned on her heel, facing Ivone eye-to-eye. She threw her hands up and caught Ivone by the beak. She held him in place while enduring the pressure of his power. The floor cracked beneath her feet.
Ivone's eyes widened. How is she—
Rainbow light suddenly blazed out from around Melissa, reflecting off her newly acquired armor. The sight of two rainbow flames caught the attention of Sadie and Jakke, the latter taking pressure off Sadie's neck in his disbelief.
Melissa opened her eyes and glared through the blazing rainbow aura. "Faithless Imitation: Ivone." She rolled back, pressed her feet against Ivone's chest, and flipped him over her head. He slid across the floor, dragging himself to a stop with his talons.
Right as he recovered, Melissa pulled herself up and kicked off the ground, soaring toward Jakke. The magnetic Golem gasped and stumbled off of Sadie. "Stone Edge!" He summoned giants spires that tore open the stairs.
Melissa hooked around a spire and maneuvered through them, flying over Jakke's head. She touched the wall behind him and dove down. She slammed both her feet into his head and buried his head through the floor.
Sadie picked herself up and gasped at her friend. "Hars! You just copied Ivone!"
Ivone overheard Sadie's surprised statement and glared. "So, this is the infamous Harlow's special trick." He took off and flew at the girls.
Melissa noticed Ivone's speedy approached and raised her arms. "Sadie, get behind me. I'll—"
However, Sadie grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the way just as Ivone sliced past them with Steel Wing. Next thing Melissa knew, Sadie pulled her into something of a dance, spinning her around and swaying across the stairs.
"You won't beat Ivone at his own game," Sadie said, twirling Melissa by her hand. "So, let me give you a little something extra." She grabbed Melissa by the hips, leading her to jump onto the railing and slide down. "When I give the signal, cover our escape with smokescreen."
Melissa, though confused, nodded in compliance.
Ivone turned himself around and kicked off the wall to increase his pursuit. "Iron Defense!" His rainbow aura receded into his body. No longer a blaze of light, but now a shimmering surface of hardened light. With a trail of light shining behind him, he tucked his wings and dove toward the girls.
Sadie and Melissa danced around the foyer as Ivone rapidly approached them. As Sadie twirled Melissa around, she passed along two different colored auras through the Buneary. One crimson red, the other navy blue.
"The power of Helping Hand, combined with the priority granting of After You." Sadie pulled Melissa into one final spin, then threw her forward. "Unleash your stolen power with my help. Assisted Destruction!"
The two auras mixed around Melissa, combing with the rainbow light to form a blazing purple. As soon as her hands separated from Sadie's, Melissa rocketed across the foyer and collided with Ivone faster than he could blink. She kicked him in the head, sending crackles of light out from between them.
Ivone growled as he tried to push back against Melissa's kick, but the newfound power and speed surging through the Buneary's body matched his own. He couldn't keep up with the force, his wings tiring as he tried to keep himself airborne.
Melissa saw Ivone was waning and put all of her soul into her kick. She howled her war cry and kicked with all her strength. She overwhelmed Ivone's attack and sent the armored crow hurtling across the foyer, crashing into the torn staircase.
She flipped backwards and landed beside Sadie. The rainbow light and Sadie's addition power vanished from around her while the decorative armor slid off Melissa's body. She straightened up and looked at her own shaking hands. "W-Whoa. That was—"
"No time for gawking, sister!" Sadie grabbed her wrist. "Cover our escape, now!"
Melissa fished the smoke bombs out and threw them across the floor, shrouding the foyer with smoke. Sadie pulled Melissa down the next hall and raced away. Melissa looked back and asked, "W-Wait, why can't we use the front door?!"
"There's knights out there, duh!" Sadie's ears twitched. "Wait…" She glared and picked up the pace. "Come on, we're using the escape tunnel in the dungeon!"
"There's an escape tunnel in the dungeon?!" Melissa gasped.
"There's going to be very soon!"
Unbeknownst to Melissa or Sadie, their escape was witnessed by two prominent staff members who were hiding around the corner. Gustavo, barely peeking out from over Hilda's shoulder, shivered. "That dastardly Harlow completely overwhelmed Ivone with his own technique," he whispered. "She's as horrifying as they say."
Hilda made no comments to the chef, her eyes lingering on the escaping thief's back. For a brief moment, just the briefest moment, she saw her face. She saw the thieving rabbit's face. A thief with a huge bag of stolen clothes bulging out of her pack.
"That…was Harlow?" Hilda mumbled.
Gustavo sighed and shook his head. "A sad sight, though what do you expect? You'd think Buneary were the epitome of kind and innocent, but then you see a maniac like that and it suddenly makes you rethink stereotypes—"
"Her face…"
Gustavo paused and looked at Hilda in concern. "Hilda?"
"I know that face. It was brief, but I recognized that Buneary." Tears welled up in Hilda's eyes. "I…I can't believe it. Oh my Arceus, I know that Buneary."
"H-Hilda, you're scaring me. M-Maybe you're mistaken—"
Hilda turned around and seized Gustavo by his apron. "Gustavo, there are only a handful of ways to tell two of the same Pokémon apart. Their smell, the subtle differences of the face, their mannerisms, etc. I know that face! I know it like the back of my hand!"
"H-How?"
Hilda closed her eyes and let the tears fall. She couldn't ask herself if they were tears of sorrow or joy, but she didn't care. She felt relief. Overwhelming relief.
"Gustavo, I know that face because it's the same little girl I've been taking care of all these years. That was Melissa! It's Melissa!"
After unlocking Theobald from his cell, Yda approached a wall and knocked against it. She pressed her ear to the wall and closed her eyes. "Hmm." She moved along the wall, tapping a couple times with her tail, before stopping. "Here." She slashed an X into the wall with her tail blade. "This spot."
Theobald massaged his wrists and approached Yda's side. "You're sure?"
Yda nodded. "I've been studying the dungeon since I arrived. Most are reinforced to handle a myriad of attacks, enough before guards come down to apprehend the escapee. This spot's the weak point."
The Nidoking pushed up on his spectacles and nodded. "I expect nothing less from Yda the Worthless. I'll take care of the rest."
"S…Stop…"
They turned to the floor and watched as Luna slowly crawled toward them. Teeth bared and eyes barely open, she glared at the duo while trying in vain to lift her Vine Whips. The pain crawling through her body, however, kept her from getting an inch further off the floor.
"You…w-won't…escape," she groaned. "I need…I need answers, now."
Yda frowned. "A pity. You have the spirit of a knight, that's for sure. More spirit than the rest of the ones I knocked out." She aimed her finger at Luna, but Theobald pushed her arm down before she could charge an attack.
"She's had enough, Yda," Theobald said softly. "Don't put the poor girl through anymore torture."
Yda frowned and tucked her hand under her cloak. "Right."
Luna trembled as she lifted to her feet, but collapsed back onto the floor. "Crownless King. Last Autumn. Need…answers."
Yda shook her head. "Theobald, get us out of here, please." He nodded and faced the wall. He flexed his claws and prepared to claw his way through the marked weak spot.
"Hurry, Hars! This way!"
Theobald froze and turned down the hall in shock. "Was that Sadie?"
Yda smirked. "She got through my little subterfuge?"
Luna glanced weakly over her shoulder. "Har…?"
Rounding the corner and appearing from the darkness, Sadie ran toward the fleeing group with Melissa being dragged behind her. They skidded to a stop and stared at the scene in front of them.
"W…What the?!" Melissa shrieked.
Yda sighed and ran a hand across her fin. "Dear Sadie, you were quite rude earlier, betraying me like that."
Sadie smirked. "So, you went behind my back and turned some unwanted attention onto me?"
"Both our sides had an agreement not to expose the other…" Yda covered her mouth, hiding the mischievous smirk. "I've never been keen on playing by the rules, either. I suppose we'll both get an earful from our respective leaders."
Sadie snickered. "Seems so."
Melissa blinked, looking between the two with increasing befuddlement. "I…I am so lost right now. Who is she? What is going on? W-Why is Lu—this completely random Snivy who I've never met before doing on the floor?!" She turned and gasped at the Nidoking beside Yda. "Theobald?!"
Theobald lifted his head and smiled. "Well, I'll be. Aren't you a familiar sight for these learned eyes?"
"I…I…" Melissa pulled on her ears and growled. "What the what is going on down here?"
Theobald stepped forward a bit and looked to Melissa with warm eyes. "My dearest student. It's been far too long."
Melissa calmed down to Theobald's inviting tone and let go of her ears. "Theobald…"
He removed his spectacles and hung them from his shirt collar. "I apologize that we had to meet again under such troubling circumstances. I see the extent of my time here has eluded your knowledge, perhaps a conscious choice to spare you any grief. Rest assured, despite these prison rags I wear, I am fine."
Melissa's ears drooped. "I…I do not understand. Theobald, what is going on? Have you really been locked up for the last several months? Are you breaking out? What are you doing?"
Theobald closed his eyes. "My dearest student, I can see from your eyes that you have learned so much since I last saw you, yet you still have so much more to learn." He sighed. "I wish not to burden you with the knowledge I've obtained."
Melissa pulled her hood down and stepped forward. "What is this all about? I…are you working for the Foresters?"
Theobald smiled. "Adjacent, partnership, or a favor. It matters not the relation, only that I am here of my own accord. My path is different from yours." He stroked his chin. "Though, who knows how long that will last."
"I…" Melissa took another step forward, reaching out to her former tutor. "Theobald, please. Talk to me."
Theobald approached the Buneary and knelt down to her. He took her into his arms and embraced her. "I'm sorry, my child, but I cannot stay for long. Yda and I have to flee before more knights show up. I promise, this will all make sense in due time. Who knows? Perhaps our paths won't be as separate as they are now, especially with that leader of yours and his ambitions."
"Jason?" Melissa mumbled.
Theobald pulled away from Melissa and patted her head. "I lied before."
Melissa's eyes widened. "What?"
"The last we spoke, I said I had one final lesson for you. I lied, for a teacher is never truly done parting wisdom to their student." Theobald rose to his feet and walked back to Yda. "A piece of wisdom for you, child. True freedom is not through the liberation of fear. Each emotion has its virtue and vice. Master your will, and you will become truly free."
Melissa's eyes shimmered in awe. "Theobald…"
He flashed one last smile at her. "I'm so proud of you, my fateful student. Become strong, and become the greatest leader Virdis will ever see."
Before Melissa could voice her goodbyes, Theobald lunged at the wall and dug his claws through. With the power of Dig, he tore through the weak spot in the wall and carved a tunnel. Yda saluted to the stunned Buneary and Audino before fleeing after Theobald.
Melissa blinked, then wiped a few tears brimming from her eyes. "Goodbye, Theobald. Thank you for believing in me." She smiled and looked at the floor.
Sadie patted Melissa's shoulder. "You alright?"
Melissa sniffled, but held a genuine smile to her friend. "Yes. I am fine."
Sadie smiled back. "I'm glad—" Her ears twitched frantically. "What the—" She held her ears and focused in on the sounds.
"I think they came down this way. Hurry!"
Sadie gasped. "It's Ivone! He's heading toward the dungeon!"
Melissa squeaked. "Oh no, we need to get out of here!"
"We'll use Theobald's escape tunnel! Hurry!"
The pair ran for the tunnel, but Melissa stumbled forward as something caught her ankle. She turned and gasped, staring into Luna's hostile glare. She was so enthralled to see her old tutor, she completely forgot there was a nearly unconscious third party on the ground.
"Ah! I, uh…!" Melissa panicked, trying to cover her face. "Release me at once, good knight!" she ordered with as much of a commanding tone as she could with her high-pitched tone. "Or I will bring down the full wrath of my supernatural abilities! Do not underestimate me!"
Luna snarled at her. "You…You treacherous, little…!"
Melissa blinked in confusion. "Treacherous?"
"Princess…Melissa…Penworth…" The last of her strength faded, and Luna fell unconscious at the Buneary's feet.
There was a moment of silence in the dungeon, a silence so thick that it felt like standing through molasses. Both Melissa and Sadie stared down at the Snivy, looks of horror in their eyes.
"She…She just…" Melissa whimpered.
Sadie gulped. Marie and Pandora's warning. Crap, I knew they had a suspicion, but this is so much worse now.
Melissa pulled on her ears and started shivering with panic. "S-Sadie! What do you we do?! She's going to rat me out! I'm going to be in so much trouble!"
"The whole kingdom's going to be in trouble if she flaps her lips about this!" Sadie yelled. "Oh man, of all the bad luck!"
"What do we do?!"
Sadie pulled a dagger from her waist and raised it. "Bury the evidence, obviously!"
"AH!" Melissa grappled the Audino and pushed her arm down. "We're not killing her! Are you mad?!"
"I wasn't going to kill her!" Sadie barked before looking away sheepishly. "I was going to cut her throat so she can't speak anymore."
"That would still kill her!"
"I'm not a doctor! How am I supposed to know how to tear out vocal cords?!"
"That's still horrible, why would you—" Melissa's ears twitched. Now she was hearing the approaching footsteps of the other knights. "They're getting closer!"
"Melissa, we don't have much time!" Sadie reminded. "We need to do something, and fast!"
"I…I…I…" Melissa looked between the escape tunnel and the unconscious Snivy, sweat dripping like bullets through her fur. Okay Melissa, go to your happy place and think. You are one of the most unpredictable thieves in Virdis. What would Harlow do in a situation like this?
An idea instantly popped into mind…and she did not like it one bit.
Oh, Jason is not going to like this.
Staring down the black flames coated around Matthias' sword, Jason raised his own and assumed a defensive stance. He could feel the intensity of the unusually colored fire, the raw power channeling through it. It was as if the flames themselves were sensing Jason's presence, reacting to him. It was a haunting feeling that unnerved the Pikachu.
"The Blackfire Soul Technique," Jason mumbled. "A staple that earned your family the title of Blackfire." He clutched his sword tighter. "What impressive power it holds."
Matthias hissed. "You shall be acquainted with their fury in due time. These flames are reserved for only the most heinous of criminals. They hunger for your flesh."
"Charming." Jason bent down, touching one hand to the ground while tensing his legs. "Then they shall go hungry this day. Thunder Fairy Step!" Crackles of electricity ran through Jason's fur, and he rocketed forward in a flash.
Matthias gripped the hilt and swung his blade like a war club, fanning the black flames around himself. Jason zipped around the blades and leapt into the air, high above Matthias. After landing behind the Infernape, he rocketed forward and thrusted his sword against the black armor.
Matthias dug his feet down and withstood Jason's strike. "I may not be able to tag you against that speed—" He twisted his hip and swung his sword with great speed. "But I can react to it!"
Jason quickly retreated, flinching as the sword's edge singed a few hairs off his face, and skidded to a stop. He sped around the garden, flashing in and out of cover. Matthias raised his sword high and slammed it down. The earth ruptured open once more, pouring out with beams of black light that traveled toward Jason's location.
"Return to cinders! Blackfire Extinction!"
Jason sped out of the blast zone just as the ground exploded open in a geyser of black flame. He covered his face as the immense heat grazed his face. His sleeve caught fire, flickering with wisps of darkness. As it burned through the cloth and licked his skin, a blistering pain shot through Jason's arm, like the feral bite of a Mightyena whose fangs dripped with the most potent acid imaginable…times a thousand.
"GAAAH!" Jason ripped his sleeve off, smothering the flames from his arm, and threw it away. It burned to ash in front of him.
Matthias exhaled a load of steam through his clenched teeth, his body reeling from the immense power he released. "That technique of yours requires the use of Agility, right?" He relaxed his grip and lifted his gaze at the Pikachu. "I've heard tales of criminals and scum who found ways to empower themselves to new heights befitting of a demigod. I say nay to such power, and will gladly use their strength to empower the hunger of my flames."
Jason massaged his arm as he glared back at Matthias. The Blackfire Soul Technique. Its activation is centered around a particularly dangerous move for such foes: Punishment. Though it typically has a limit to how much power can accumulate, one of Matthias' ancestors discovered a workaround. A secret technique that uses the flames to increase Punishment's limit, turning it into a dangerous counter against any Pokémon that increases their natural strength.
Matthias' body finally relaxed from the stress, and he lifted his sword over his shoulder. "On my father's name, I will scar his name through the land with your ashes!" The ground cracked beneath his feet as he tensed his leg muscles, propelling forward with a howling cry.
Jason activated his Thunder Fairy Step and dodged Matthias' next strike, which send a wave of flame that bombarded into the surrounding wall. He readjusted his position and flew at Matthias while his back was turned.
"Thunder Fairy Rush Dance!"
Matthias whipped around and slashed at the approaching Pikachu, but Jason kicked off the ground and sprung over the knight's head. After landing, he sped all around Matthias with quick bursts of speed. His sword slashed and grinded across the black armor. Lightning strikes rang out around Matthias. With each impact, it felt like he was being ganged up on by seven or ten Pikachu at once.
Matthias roared and stabbed his sword into the ground, lighting a ring of black fire beneath him. "Blackfire Domain!"
Jason ended his combo attack and jumped back as rings of fire pillars shot up from around Matthias, expanding further and further out. He kept skipping backwards to get out of their range before reaching the castle wall. Seeing as there was no stopping the pillars, he identified a gap through them and leapt forward, covering himself against the heat.
Matthias pulled his blade free and rushed the Pikachu. "Show me your fury, Stormbreaker!"
Jason swung his sword and crossed blades with Matthias'. The mixture of electricity and fire surrounded the two. Jason gritted his teeth as the black flames licked across his uniform, grazing the hairs of his face. With no ground to stand on, Jason couldn't withstand Matthias' strength and flew back. He caught the ground and rebounded just before Matthias brought his blade down.
"Let me show you my blade," Jason hissed after landing.
He rubbed his cheek until a charge passed erupted through his arm. He pressed two fingers against the face of his blade and traced them down to the tip. As his fingers slid across the sword, blue electricity wrapped around it, like it was made of pure lightning.
Once he reached the tip, he swiped his hand off and took the sword in both hands. The electricity passed through the hilt and lit up his fur. It stood on end, turning the tips of his hairs electric blue. The veins in his eyes sparked with electricity, too.
"Thunder Fairy Step: Plasma Cutter Z-Strike!"
Matthias glared. "So, the true face of Zeraora bares his fangs." He gripped his sword and roared from the depths of his soul, igniting the blade in a greater vortex of darkness. "Face me, Mortal Zeraora! Atone for your sins!"
Jason's face twisted into a vicious scowl. With no words in return, he kicked off the ground and flickered with great speed. He cut the distance between them in milliseconds, already in range of the flaming sword. Matthias' body reacted in kind, and his muscles twitched with readiness.
Both warriors roared at each other and clashed their blades. A vortex of blue and black erupted between them, twisting into a violent pillar that reached high above the castle walls. The pressure whipped between the two, but they stood their ground and put everything their bodies could give into their strikes.
Matthias, cloaked in an impenetrable veil of black.
Jason, erupted in a blinding curtain of blue.
Like two plates of earth grinding against each other, the stress building between their swords finally gave way and slid apart. Matthias' sword crashed down on Jason' left, and vice versa. Their elements ignited a trail from their blades and carved through the ground. Wild burns flared over the garden while a precise line of electricity cut through the ground and the castle itself.
The two immediately jumped back from each other to catch their breaths. Jason had burns through his fur and uniform, while parts of Matthias' armor were ripped from his body. What remained attached sparked with remnants of Jason's attack.
Jason let out a heavy sigh. Despite the superficial damage he took, he did not waver in his posture or resolve. Likewise, Matthias stood proud and tall, still snarling like an uncontrollable beast.
Jason knitted his brows into a tight glare. The Verde Kingdom is blessed to have such an unstoppable force protecting them from danger. Matthias Blackfire, you are truly the most dangerous man I've crossed swords with.
Matthias bared his teeth and howled like a wild monkey. "Fight me, Mortal Zeraora! Until one of us dies in battle!"
Jason tightened his stance and readied a second assault. However, not too far from the castle, the ground blew open from below, catching both his and Matthias' attention. From the newly formed hole, Melissa and Sadie popped out, lugging a large bag between them. The remnants of an aura receded from Melissa's body.
"Time to bail, sir!" Sadie yelled as she and Melissa booked it to the castle gate while keeping the bag balanced between the both of them.
Jason gawked at the two in disbelief. Did they raid the entire castle's wardrobe or something?!
Matthias' eyes sharpened at the fleeing pair. "Harlow…"
Sensing Matthias was going to go on a rampage, Jason threw a handful of smoke bombs in the Infernape's face. It wouldn't stall him for a second, but a second was all Jason needed. He sped toward the girls and scooped them up in a flash. He leapt up the wall and zipped into the city, hearing the distant roar of an enraged monkey.
They landed, and Jason let the girls go. He shook his arms and asked, "How much did you two pack into that bag?"
Melissa pouted. "I like dresses! Shut up!"
Jason rolled his eyes and pointed ahead. "Whatever! Get to the capital wall and flee into the forest. We're done here." The girls nodded and sprang across the roofs in sync. Jason turned back just in time to see Matthias scaling over the castle wall, so he fled as well.
He pulled a horn from under his jacket and, with a deep inhale, blew into it. Its sound resonated across the capital, reaching the ears of his fellow Foresters. More horns sounded in return, carrying the retreat order further for everyone to hear. Soon, he saw several Foresters leaping onto the rooftops and fleeing to the capital wall. He dropped to all fours and used Quick Attack to catch up with everyone.
A flood of white rose up the wall like a reverse waterfall, springing from the top and diving into the snow-covered trees. As Jason closed in, he saw Melissa and Sadie working together to scale the wall with their treasure. Though he didn't approve of such a pointless haul, he admired how quickly the pair were working in sync.
Jason soon reached the wall and followed after everyone. Waiting for him at the top were Jet and Blitz, who grabbed Jason's hands and pulled him onto the walkway. "Is everyone out?"
Jet nodded. "No accounts of separation from the teams. Everyone's clear and accounted for."
Jason nodded. "Good." He looked back and squinted, spotting a flame cladded in black armor rushing through the streets toward the wall. "We need to disappear, now. Matthias is on a rampage."
Wincing at the threat, his co-leads agreed and jumped into the trees alongside him. They followed after the rest of the Foresters as they jumped through the branches. With a successful mission complete, they could return to reap the rewards of their haul.
Matthias grinded to a halt after reaching the capital wall. He just missed the last of the Foresters jumping over and fleeing back into the impossibly large Forbidden Forest. He heaved furious breaths, clenching his fists as black flames ignited from the knuckles.
"Stormbreaker," he growled. He raised his fist at the wall, stoking the flames around him.
A tiny gasp snapped him out of his trance. He looked back and saw the nervous looks of civilians who had just stepped out of their hiding spots. Aside from some self-inflicted tears in the clothes, which he based off the cuts in either the knees or skirts, no one looked harmed.
Matthias looked at his flaming fist, then sighed. It extinguished along with the rage in his chest. He pressed his forehead against the wall and closed his eyes. "I'm sorry, Father…"
Before he could sink into self-reflection, the gentle flapping of wings pulled him out of it. He looked through his peripherals and saw Ivone landing behind him. He bowed and said, "I bring news, Sir Matthias. Good and bad."
"I'm not in the mood," Matthias grumbled.
Ivone ignored his request and said, "The good news is, after a sweep of the city, there are no signs of fatal casualties."
Matthias scoffed. "I know. It's always like that…"
"There is, however, some bad news. I'm afraid Theobald Dencourt used the confusion to escape the dungeon. It seems that beggar woman, Ydalyn, had something to do with it according to a handful of statements."
Matthias glared. "The Inteleon." He sighed and shook his head. "Can't be helped. We weren't going to get anything out of that old bastard, anyway. Is that all?"
"I'm…afraid not."
Matthias finally lifted his head and faced the Corviknight. The slight pause in his voice seemed a cause for concern. He discounted the worst, as Ivone already denounced fatalities.
"What?"
"We've discovered an…alarming incident not too long ago."