Chapter Sixteen
Arric awoke with a start, searching in the darkness in a panic for the stone but there was no dim light in the darkness. Arric looked around him and realized he was in his dream. The entities had grown in size and towered over him. He hugged his knees to his chest, rocking slightly to calm the panic that was bubbling inside his chest.
"Master Volke will have the stone by now and if I don't hurry up and wake up he'll force me to evolve for sure!"
Arric forced himself to keep calm, taking deep, slow breaths until he felt the tightness in his chest disappear. He closed his eyes tightly and willed himself to wake up. He peeked one eye open, seeing the lonely shape of the ice sphere above him. He let out a frustrated cry and got to his feet, dusting himself off. He stared at the entities around him and knew deep down that none felt right. No one entity pulled more than the other.
"Maybe I'm not meant to Evolve at all." Arric murmured to himself.
A rumble behind him made his hair stand on end. Slowly he turned around and sure enough, at the edge of the mist stood the creature. Its eyes glowed brightly in the mist, a shadow of itself, it paced the edge of the mist. Arric suddenly felt the urge to laugh. It started as a small chuckle, rising to a bubble of laughter until he was bent over hollering with tears streaming down his face.
"This is too much; I must be going crazy. This can't be it."
The creature let out a howl, it vibrated in Arric's chest, making his knees feel weak in fear. Arric swallowed to try and make his mouth feel less dry and failed.
"Who are you?" He managed to croak.
"Arric." The creatures voice boomed in his ears.
Arric felt his anger rise inside him. He clenched his fists at his side. This was a dream. His dream. He would always wake up from this dream no matter how scared he was, how many times these entities tried to hurt him. Out there in the real world was where it mattered, where he was most afraid. He had enough of this creature's torture, this endless running away. It was time he faced his fear.
"I said WHO ARE YOU!"
His scream echoed through the mist and it felt even more silent than it could be possible. The creature glared at him from beyond the mist. It raised its head, coiling its long neck back in a stance to attack. The creature crouched low and with a thunderous roar, leaped out of the mist at Arric. Arric braced himself for impact, to feel the jaws of the creature rip into his flesh and devour him. He closed his eyes, unable to look at the fangs that hurled towards him. It was time for Arric to face the entities. To show he was no longer afraid. He had to decide and being afraid was not getting him anywhere. He would wake up, find the stone and stop Volke once and for all. He would save his friends, they would get to make the choices they wanted to make and no Tribe Leader was going to push them into any of their secrets anymore.
Arric waited. Nothing came. He waited again. Still nothing. Carefully Arric opened his eyes and was met with two amber eyes staring at him confused. He blinked and the eyes blinked with him. He stepped back, a small gasp escaping from him mouth as he realized he was staring at his own reflection. It was different though. It was fragmented in metallic rows that moved steadily up and down in a calm rhythm. Arric drew his eyes up, following the long reflective body, up along the neck until he stopped on a pair of blue eyes that swirled with different colours. The creature breathed at him, a deep rumbling in its chest that Arric could feel the vibrations sounded. The creatures tail flicked, thick and whip like. Four clawed feet attached to thick, strong legs carried the weight of the enormous creature.
"Wh- who are you?" Arric tried to speak but barely managed a whisper.
"Arric." The creature voice rumbled so loudly that Arric could barely hear him.
Arric stared at his reflection in the creature's scales. Before him stood a scared, tiny, limp Eevee. His fur and hair were a complete mess and his eyes looked tired and dull. The more he stared at his reflection, the more it seemed to change. His ears grew longer, sharper, his tail began to thin and stretch, looking almost whip long like the creature itself. His ruffled fur looked stiff, melded into shiny plated armour, broad at the chest and scaled at the hips, elbows and ankles.
"This is impossible." Arric reached out to his reflection, brushing his hands against the scales.
One of the scales felt loose. Arric gripped onto the scale and wiggled it, loosening it a little, giving him a bit more to hold onto. He tightened his grip and pulled with all his might, using one foot to leverage himself against the creature, who merely watched with curiosity at what the little Eevee was doing. Arric pulled harder, his arms strained with each pull until suddenly the scale gave way and he fell to the ground hard, scale in hand.
He woke to the surrounding darkness of the cave. Arric groaned, rubbing his pounding head where he had hit the wall. He realized he was awake and searched for the stone but found it gone. There was no sign of Volke either. Arric groaned and leant against the wall. He had failed. He had not saved anybody and now Volke has the stone and is probably headed back to his friends right now. Arric wondered if he stayed there, perhaps he would just fade away back into his dream and this time not wake up. He cried out to the darkness, listening to fading sound of his voice. Kicking at the stones beneath him, he started to make his way out of the cave but stopped when his foot kicked something that sounded a lot different than stone.
Arric dropped to his knees and felt in the darkness. His hands brushed over something smooth and cool, slightly jagged on the bottom edge. He sucked in a breath as he held the scale close to him. He felt strange. His dream felt so close to him now, like a vivid image in his mind he could reach out to and stranger still, he could feel a heavy feeling growing in his chest. His heart beat faster and he closed his eyes as blinding light began to envelop him. A metallic rumble filled his ears as he felt his body grow heavy and hot. His could feel his body stretch and grow, the heaviness overwhelming him as he sunk to the cave floor. Then the light faded back to darkness and he could feel himself move again. Everything felt different. He could hear the droplets of water so much clearer, he could feel the energy of the earth beneath him. Arric felt along his ears. They had grown long and wide with jagged edges at the tips. Steel scales feathered the edges of his face, covering his head like a helmet. The scales continued to large plates that protected his back and hips, down the side of his thighs. His hands were scaled up to his elbowed like gloves. His hair still felt soft and short and it reminded him of Orion's Mohawk. He felt along his chest, it seemed to be smooth, scaled like an armour plating that spread to a broad kite shape shield on his chest, leaving his under belly, legs and arms with soft short grey fur. He flicked his tail and felt it whip around him fast, the end thin and pointed. He felt taller, he felt faster and stronger and he no longer felt afraid.
Arric leapt forward and raced towards the entrance to cave. His legs felt longer and lithe, making the trip up the narrow tunnel easy. He stumbled in the darkness as he got closer to the entrance of the cave, the light beginning to shine as the dawn rose. How much time had passed while he was down there? Arric gritted his teeth and sprang out of the cave into the forest. He made his way back to the clearing, a silver streak through the undergrowth. He slowed to a stop at the edge of the clearing. There stood Volke, Nia, Estella and Vesper. Beside Estella sitting on the ground a small Jolteon lay unconscious with Nia knelt tending to her. He could see no sign of his friends, hoping he had saved them enough time to get out of there.
The clearing was a total mess. The ground had been ripped up, a few trees had fallen and the ground sparked with electric residue. Volke breathed heavily, his bulked shoulders hunched but still poised to attack, blood soaked his body from cuts. Vesper stood in front of the others, crouched in a stance of attack. His fur was tattered, wounds scattered his body and he breathed heavily. Flames licked around his body, filling the air with a heat that Arric suddenly felt wary of. The thunder stone lay forgotten at Nia's feet.
Volke gave a roar and the air cracked with lightning towards Vesper. The Flareon rolled, narrowly getting missed and shooting a ball of fire at the Jolteon. Volke dodged to the right, getting hit on the shoulder, snarling with rage. The two circled the clearing, each one hurling attack after attack at one another. Volke was starting to get the upper hand, his speed outmatched Vesper, with each movement becoming harder for Vesper to pinpoint before Volke would move and attack again.
Vesper can't take much more of this. Where are the other Tribe Leaders?
Arric watched in horror as Vesper threw a large wall of fire at Volke in an attempt to swamp him but Volke leapt up, narrowly scaling the wall of fire and landing a thunderous punch on Vesper, shocking him to the core, causing him fly into the ledge behind them, rendering him unconscious. Volke huffed a laugh of triumph, straightening his stance as he glared at Estella and Nia. Nia stood, her eyes flashed with determination and anger. Arric saw his chance. He skirted the shadows of the clearing, making his way closer to the Pokémon. Nia created two large vines that soared towards Volke. He scoffed and leapt forward, dodging between the two vines and hitting Nia with an uppercut. Nia flew to the ground, sliding to a stop and leapt forward, shooting a flurry of leaves at him, knocking him back. Arric pounced from the shadows at Volke, using his advantage of surprise to gain enough ground before turning back, whipping his tail around and hitting Volke hard, sending him flailing. Arric did not miss a step and shifted his weight to leap again, landing on Volke to grapple him to the ground. He held the Jolteon down, Volke sending electric charges through Arric. Arric gritted his teeth and focused all his weight on Volke, allowing Nia and Estella to take the sides.
Hold your breath.
Estella's voice chimed through his mind and Arric held his breath as Nia shook her body, blue spores raising from her and engulfing them in a thick mist. Volke roared in fury and struggled but as the mist settled around them, his struggled became weaker until he fell unconscious from Nia's sleeping powder. Arric rolled off the Jolteon and brushed himself off. Nia eyed him warily, her fur still standing on end as she carefully stepped back to Vesper who was slowly coming around.
"Thank you." Nia helped Vesper sit up and cradled the smaller Jolteon's head on her lap as she tended to her.
Estella gazed at Arric, nodding her head. "Yes, thank you."
Vesper groaned as shifted his weight to bear a wound on his shoulder. He growled at Arric, eyeing him carefully. Arric was almost as tall as the Flareon now and taller than Estella and Nia. His silver scales shimmered in the morning light.
"So who are you?" Vesper growled.
Estella chuckled and placed a hand on Arric's shoulder, looking into his eyes. They swirled from deep blue to a lavender and she smiled, "He's your son Vesper."
Nia glanced at Arric, then at Vesper. Vesper stared at Arric, who squirmed under the critical eye of the Flareon. No matter how Arric had changed, he was glad that his feelings had not changed, he was still intimidated by the crimson Pokémon.
"But how?" Nia patted the Jolteon in her lap.
"I say! Now this place has certainly seen better days!"
Hiro stepped from the clearing, followed by Karn, Lycia and Avice. The other Pokémon watched carefully from the edges of the clearing, afraid of Volke who slept nearby under Estella's watchful gaze. The Sylveon Tribe Leader clapped Arric on the shoulder with a haughty laugh, rapping his knuckles on the armour. Arric growled and brushed him away, stepping away only to bump into a tall and dark Umbreon who stood beside Lycia.
"Is that really you Arric? What happened to you?" The Umbreon peered closely at him.
Arric's ears twitched. He recognized that voice, "Tak?"
The Umbreon let a sly grin cross his face and cross his arms across his chest, his dark golden circles glowing dimly. He nodded Arric grinned. "The others?"
"Right here!" A light violet Espeon waved over at him as she knelt next to the unconscious Jolteon in Nia's lap. She brushed the soft yellow spiky hair from her face before looking up at Arric again, "I knew you couldn't decide but choosing something entirely new is a bit bold."
"Bree?" Arric laughed and Tak nodded towards the Jolteon, "Master Volke did manage to get one of us. Hannah bought us time to escape when he got back and well, the other Tribe Leaders thought it would be a good idea to get us to Evolve if things turned south for the ones who stayed behind."
"You're welcome." Vesper grunted.
Lea fussed over her mate as Quin helped put some salve on his wounds. His hands moved quickly over each wound and he spoke over his shoulder, "So what is going to happen with Master Volke and the other Jolteon?"
Aria placed a hand on Karn, "Estella, you are surely not going to let him back as the Tribe Leader? Not all the Jolteon attacked, we could just exile the ones who did?"
Estella looked down at the Jolteon Tribe Leader. A look of concern and confliction crossed her face. Avice cleared her throat, grabbing the attention of them all.
"I propose we keep him in isolation for now and deal with him when he is awake and calmed down."
Estella nodded and Avice called for two Glaceon to collect the sleeping Jolteon and take him away.
"For now the other Jolteon may continue to be in their tribe as they were merely following orders. Any further acts of malice to any other will result in them joining their former Tribe Leader." Lycia added.
"Who will lead us now?" A Jolteon called out.
Bree stood and faced the Tribe Leaders, a determined look in her eyes, "Hannah sacrificed her choice to make sure the rest of us had our own. I think she should lead. Master Volke was our father and she was next in line."
Hiro shrugged, "I for one have no objections. What about you Estella dear?"
Estella nodded, "Hannah will take over the Jolteon Tribe. May her choices be far better than her fathers."
Karn pulled Vesper to his feet, chuckling as his brother grimaced with every movement, "Who would think your little brother beat you and your son beat him. Oh how the mighty have fallen."
"Quiet you or you'll be sporting a wound of your own." Vesper snarled.
Karn laughed and helped Vesper out of the clearing, Vesper paused, looking back at Arric, "You're still welcome home, if you have nowhere else that is."
Arric nodded, "I'd like that."
Lea squeezed Arric in a tight hug and ruffled Quin hair as she followed the rest of the Pokémon out of the clearing. Arric watched as each of his friends left with their own tribe until only he and Estella remained in the clearing. A soft breeze gently swept across the ruined clearing and Estella sighed, looking up at the ledge where the Tribe Leaders sat.
"The Evolution Ritual did not go as planned." She said with a halfhearted laugh.
Arric joined her gaze and it dawned on him that now he was well and truly alone. Vesper may have allowed him to live with the Flareon but he was no Eeveelution seen before. He never felt drawn to any of the other entities because deep down, dwelling inside was something entirely new.
"Steeleon." He murmured.
"Oh?" Estella cocked an eyebrow at him.
"That's who I am." Arric grinned at her, flicking his long tail.
Estella smiled to herself, letting the morning breeze wash over her, "Master Arric of the Steeleon Tribe."
Arric raced through the forest under the soft moonlight, the light glinting off his scales as he slipped through the trees. He was shaking with excitement but he was also out of breath.
How am I always late?!
He swung over a small stream from an overhanging branch and skipped over the large rocks covered in the undergrowth of the forest. He was still getting used to his new form but he loved the way he could slink through the trees unnoticed. It was hard in the Flareon canyon where he called home and the heat was a little too hard to bear at times. He could not stand the fires at the forges and he still clashed with Vesper on how to run things so he enjoyed the times he spent out on his many expeditions to find fruit, to visit the other Tribe Leaders and his friends. He stopped briefly, listening out for any rogue Jolteon activity. Anger swelled inside him every time he remembered when he received news that Volke had escaped and joined a band of rogue Jolteon. Hannah had promised him she would never let him back and was on the lookout herself but it still angered him that Estella had been so calm about the whole thing.
More secrets.
He carried on more carefully now as the trees were becoming thicker and going too fast would cause him to run into the thick trunks. Not something he wanted to repeat. His sharp ears caught the sound of voices ahead and he quickened his pace, slipping into a small grove of trees. There stood Quin, Grace, Tak and Bree. Tak and Bree were casually sitting on a large rock chatting away, while Grace lazed on the grass, nodding every so often as Quin chattered away about a new salve he was working on.
"Hey guys am I late?" Arric slipped next to Tak on the rock.
"For once no. Hannah hasn't arrived yet." Grace rolled onto her back and sat up, hugging her knees to her chin.
Since Hannah had taken over the job of leading her Tribe, she had become more and more busy and soon Arric feared that she would no longer be able to make the gatherings they scheduled with the group. It was the one thing he looked forward to every month on the full moon and it was a great time to catch up with the news from each tribe.
"Madame Estella was wondering when you might actually join a Tribe Leader meeting Arric." Bree chided.
Arric blushed in the moonlight and shrugged, "I'm the only one in my tribe, it's not like she can't just come and see me. She knows we meet up every so often."
"How often are you visiting Espeon Tribe?" Tak asked with a low growl.
Even with his new form, Arric was lighter and a little shorter than Tak. He still shuddered under the cold gaze of his friend.
"Oh you know, whenever Madame Estella calls for me. Except when there are meetings." Arric said quickly, "So Quin, that looks like a new salve!"
Quin's eyes widened and he shook his head, "Uh no, I am not getting into this."
Laughter filled the grove as they chatted back and forth. Suddenly Bree froze.
"Someone's coming."
They searched the perimeter on alert when suddenly a figure burst into the trees, her breath heaving, the quills on her back quivering. Bree jumped from the rock and took her sisters hands, "Hannah what's wrong?"
Hannah stopped to catch her breath, her eyes wild as she looked over at each of her friends, their worried faces staring at her.
"It's Volke! He's coming!" She managed to spit out.
Arric leaped up, looking around them, Bree shut her eyes for a moment and then shook her head, "I don't feel anything nearby Hannah, what do you mean?"
"Perhaps you were mistaken Hannah." Arric said, placing a hand on her shoulder.
Hannah cleared her throat and stared straight at Arric. A wild and angry look in her eyes, shaped with fear.
"No Arric. I was there. He said he's starting a war."
Thank you for reading the first book in my Eeveelution series! Look out for Book 2 coming soon "What war will change"
I'd like to give thanks to my sister Phaphah, for if it wasn't for her, this book would have never been finished.
And I would like to thank my youngest brother Bowyn. His love of Eeveelutions was the sole reason I started writing this series.