A/N - Thanks for all reads, reviews, faves and follows! I hope you enjoy this chapter =D

Path of Revenge

Part 2

Soon the mountain forests gave way to flatlands with very little shelter. Harlequin stood on a rocky outcrop, gazing out over it. In the distance stood the Border Woods, a dark smudge stretching along the horizon. The sky above it was an inky blue as the sun rose behind them. Harbinger joined her side with Flutterwick riding on his back. The mothim trembled slightly as the cold breeze ruffled his wings and stirred Harbinger's long coat.

"Once, this meadow was filled with stantler and sawsbuck," the absol said. "I never saw it, but it pains me to see it this empty."

Memories of the little village by the lake filled Harlequin's mind. Once bustling, the bodies of its inhabitants strewn around it.

Harlequin took in a long breath. "Hydriegon has a lot to answer for."

Mischief shuffled beside her. The pawniard were almost silent as they emerged from the trees behind them.

"There are no villages over here, are there?" Mischief asked.

Harlequin shook her head. "Pokemon have fled south. There are no settlements in the north except outlaw camps."

"As far as I know, there are few of them now too," said Harbinger. "Hydriegon has been ruthless in trying to wipe them out."

"Why don't they join the Outcasts?" Mischief asked.

The innocence in his voice rubbed Harlequin the wrong way. She flashed her canines in a brief snarl. "Because the Outcasts don't want them. They're dark- and dragon-types."

Mischief flinched and gave a small nod. He didn't say anything else, falling into step as Harlequin lead them onto the vast white flatlands.

The snow was deep and untrodden. Harlequin bounded through it, her stomach sinking into the icy embrace. Harbinger strolled beside her with ease, his large feet keeping him above the surface. The pawniard cut trenches through the snow, not even flinching at its cold. Mischief followed behind one of them, almost hidden on either side by huge walls of snow. The white fluffy fur that covered his back and head masked him from prying eyes above. Harlequin was aware she didn't enjoy such luxury. Her black and blue fur would be spotted in an instant. Then there was the trail they were leaving.

Harlequin glanced up at the grey sky. Another threat of snow loomed over them, barring any threat from the murkrow flock. Harlequin clenched her jaw. Part of her wanted to see them, to face them in battle. She knew there was no chance Yurlik would be among them, but she began to long for it. Images flashed through her mind of the honchkrow finishing off a battle-tired Enigma, and rage burned hot in her chest.

'Let him come!' her voice hissed in her mind, relishing the thought of ramming her nidoking through the honchkrow's chest. 'I'll kill him myself!'

After what felt like an eternity, they reached a fallen tree. It lay against a large mound, its branches trailing down into the snow like claws. Harlequin leapt onto it, clambering up to its peak and peered out at the buried meadow. Wind whipped against her fur, now slick against her body with snow melt. She shook out her pelt, fluffing it up against the cold.

It had been hard to see where she was going, but the Border Woods was much closer. Soon, she'd be putting her plan into action. Her heart hammered at the thought. Was she ready?

Mischief stood amid the tree's tangled roots, rubbing his paws briskly. Harlequin gave him a sympathetic nod and looked back at the woods.

"Once we reach them, we'll be sheltered again," she told him. "It's always been colder in the north, but at one point the Border Woods was filled with grass-types."

"And poison-types," Harbinger reminded her.

Mischief's spine stiffened and he looked up at Harlequin. "Do you think one of them might know how to help me?"

Harlequin shook her head sadly and leapt back down into the snow. She raised her head from it and spluttered, shaking her head to clear her ears.

"No," she said. "The poison-types were wiped out back when I was a hatchling."

"Why?" Mischief scoffed, following in her trail.

"Because Hydreigon was scared they'd retaliate and poison him." She glanced back at him, a smirk playing at her lips. "Then he recruited me."

Harbinger snorted mist. "You might as well be a poison-type as far as everyone else is concerned."

Harlequin gave a dry laugh and shook her head.

They pressed on in silence, keeping their thoughts on the warmth of the woods ahead of them. The sky was turning darker, increasing its threat of snow. A few stray flakes drifted down as the sky struggled to drop its load on the weary travellers.

Flutterwick let out a small exclamation and leapt from Harbinger's back into the air. He hovered above them, drawing the eyes of his friends. He soon dropped back onto the absol and pointed a claw towards the woods.

"I can see something," he whispered.

Harlequin craned her neck over the snow to see what had caught the mothim's eye.

Harbinger narrowed his eyes and grunted. "Someone's moving towards us."

Harlequin still couldn't see anything. She rose onto her back legs until her head reached Harbinger's shoulder. Mischief remained beside her, while the pawniard moved closer to Harbinger.

Snow rose up towards them as if someone was shoving it aside, carving a way through. It was impossible to see behind, but the way they were moving suggested it wasn't a small pokemon. Every now and then, Harlequin thought she saw a flash of silver.

"Well it's not weavile," she said. "We should go around so we avoid running into them."

"Could it be the Darkness?" Mischief asked.

Harlequin nodded, and Harbinger exchanged glances with her.

"I've no idea who," she said. "Assassins are small. I've not met many of the soldiers, but most of them loathe the cold."

"Like what?" Mischief hugged his arms around himself.

Harlequin bit back her frustration and cut through the snow at an angle to the oncoming patrol. "Shiftry, cacturne, tyranitar, krookodile… they're all weak to the cold. As are most of the dragon-types."

Harbinger fell in step beside her, pausing to look back at the rising snow. Scratch and Claw stood on his other side, straining to see over the piled-up snow. Flutterwick watched with widening eyes and nudged Harbinger to move faster. The absol nodded to Harlequin and dropped into the trench behind her.

"We need to remain hidden," he said. "Keep down."

Flutterwick pressed himself to Harbinger's back and tucked in his wings, but his antennae twitched with agitation.

The twins took over, forcing their bodies through the snow, creating a path for their friends. Harlequin followed close behind them with Mischief sandwiched between her and Harbinger. Her ears were trained on the soldiers. She could hear them now, cleaving a path through the snow. Her heart pounded and her breath formed thick clouds of mist before her face, which rose into the air. She watched it fearfully and tried to calm her breathing, keeping her head low.

"They've moved!" Flutterwick squeaked.

Harlequin froze, her ears swivelling. He wasn't wrong. The scraping sounds had grown louder and Harlequin could make out rhythmic grunts. She could hear faint voices behind it, not clear enough to work out what they were saying.

Scratch and Claw had frozen, glancing back at them for instruction. Harbinger nodded to their left and the twins swerved dramatically away from their path. Were they heading away from the Border Woods? Harlequin resisted the urge to raise her head. She just had to hope they were still on the right path.

"They're coming this way." Flutterwick spoke in a quiet whimper. "I think… I think they know we're here."

Harlequin swore under her breath. She looked back at her friends. "We might have to fight."

Harbinger was silent, but the light of battle flared in his eyes. Flutterwick trembled on his head, rearing up to peer over the snow.

"Can you see them?" Harbinger asked the mothim.

Flutterwick flapped his wings, rising gently into the air. After a heartbeat he landed again and nodded.

"Grass-types," he said. "They're being lead by… by some… silver dragon."

"Silver dragon?" Harlequin flicked her tongue over her lips as her mind wandered back to the Shadow Lands. Had she ever seen a silver dragon?

"I think it's a dragon," said Flutterwick. "I've never seen one. But it's using fire to melt the snow, and shovelling it with… with its head."

Mischief rubbed his arms and shifted his weight from foot to foot. "I thought dragons were weak to the cold?"

"Not all of them," said Harlequin. "It sounds like it might be a duraludon."

"Is that bad?" Mischief asked.

Harlequin grunted and motioned for them to move on. "Let's just hope they're outlaws."

As much as she hoped that was true, it felt very unlikely. Whoever it was knew they were there and were trying to cut them off. If they kept weaving, they might move past each other and the soldiers would lose their trail.

They continued in silence, keeping their ears pricked. The only sound came from the twins as they whisked their blades over the snow, shovelling it up on either side of the trench. The grunting from the oncoming soldiers grew louder. Harlequin braced herself. It seemed very likely they'd soon encounter them, that there was no escape.

She stopped, almost tripping Harbinger. The absol gave her an exasperated look and turned his head towards the rhythmic grunting.

"We don't have a choice," Harlequin told him quietly.

The snow parted just before her, cutting between her and the pawniard twins. A large silver head rose up, snow tumbling off the dragon's shiny hide. Steam whistled from a large opening above its head as a pair of yellow eyes fixed on Harlequin. Orange patches of rust marred its joints. The plates that formed its armour creaked as they slid over each other with each small movement.

Four cacturne and a shiftry crowded behind it, straining to see what had brought their companion to a stop. Their eyes widened when they fell on Harlequin, then turned fearful as they met the ruby gaze of the absol towering over her.

"Well, well." The duraludon's voice echoed as if its body were hollow. "Your senses were right, Galtar. We aren't alone on this plane."

The shiftry grunted in reply. His leaves rustled as he became restless, his gaze not leaving that of Harbinger.

"I didn't expect to find a renegade, though." The duraludon chuckled, an odd creaking noise that set Harlequin's fur on end. "Lord Hydreigon will be so happy to see you, little assassin."

Harlequin bared her canines. A fleeting thought crossed her mind that letting this group take her to the Shadow Lands would be an easy way in. But what about her friends?

No. She wasn't about to let that happen.

She opened her mouth and yelled. A feeble cry that served only to make the soldiers laugh. Her heart sank and her ears drooped as she stared into their amused faces.

The duraludon gave a creaking laugh. "What was that? Was that meant to frighten me?!"

Harlequin stepped back into Harbinger's leg. So she'd still not mastered 'disarming voice'? She shook off her embarrassment and drew her nidoking horn from her bag, just as the duraludon swung his head towards her. Another whistle forewarned an attack. She leapt between his feet, feeling searing heat as flames exploded out from the opening at the nape of his neck. Harlequin had her attention on the grass types. She swiped her nidoking horn across the legs of one of the cacturne, drawing a loud scream. He fell back, stumbling into one of his companions.

Harlequin ducked to avoid a prickly arm as it was swung her way. It was joined by the shiftry, keeping his distance. He brought his leaf fans together, sending a blade of air at her. It struck Harlequin in the side and she flew backwards, her mouth gaping open. Her nidoking horn landed beside her, point first in the snow. She braced herself for the cacturne to leap at her, but the two grass-types were caught in a flurry of green sparkling air. A dull drone joined it, beating against Harlequin's eardrums. She clenched her teeth as she pushed herself to her feet.

Flutterwick drifted down in front of her, watching the dazed grass-types as they struggled to remain standing.

"Thanks," Harlequin told the mothim.

Flutterwick nodded and, after reassuring himself that Harlequin was okay, took to the air again. Another bug buzz washed over the two grass-types, and they sank into the snow. Harlequin grabbed her weapon and ran to finish them off, then faltered, her paws skidding over the slick ground. No… if she did that, they'd be robbed of any chance at finding their way to the Fairy Garden.

"Get out of here if you aren't going to fight!"

That was Harbinger's voice. Harlequin ran over to where he was engaged with the duraludon. White fuzz surrounded his jaws like frothy spit. His fur stood on end making him look twice his size. His red glare was locked on the duraludon's, a blatant challenge.

Before Harlequin could reach him, the massive dragon stumbled as the ground beneath him lurched. One of the pawniard exploded from beneath the dragon's feet. As the duraludon stumbled backwards, the second pawniard swept his feet from beneath him. The first leapt at the dragon, ramming his head blade into his plated chest. Harlequin scrambled backwards then turned to bolt away from the massive pokemon as he crashed to the ground. Snow erupted around him, clouding the air and smattering the other pokemon. Harlequin skidded to a halt, turning back to assist her friends.

The duraludon lay in the snow, steam rising from his head. He rolled away from the twins and pushed himself clumsily back to his feet. The opening above his head whistled again and he swung his head in an arc, blasting a flamethrower over the gathered pokemon. Flutterwick arced into the air from where he'd been battling the cacturne, narrowly dodging the blazing flames. Shrieks came from the two remaining cacturne as they found themselves trapped in the blaze. Harlequin raced across the snow back towards Harbinger, followed by the duraludon's flames. Heat seared her tail. She clenched her teeth against the pain and ducked into the snow, bracing herself against the intense heat. Once it had passed, she blinked her eyes open, checking for her friends. There was no sign of Mischief, or the twins.

Harlequin's heart hammered and she exchanged glances with Harbinger. He didn't look worried. His furious glare remained locked on the duraludon as the shiftry rushed up behind the massive dragon, raising his leafy fans to assist his sergent. Harbinger jerked his head forwards, sending a night slash at the dragon. The duraludon stumbled backwards as the snow beneath his feet exploded. One of the twins leapt from the snow once more, upending the dragon as Harbinger's night slash struck it in the chest. Knocked off balance, it landed in the snow again with a mighty crash and a shrill scream split the air, cut short. A flash of black metal shot across its body. The other pawniard landed beside his brother, his blades glinting with blood.

Harlequin stood beside Harbinger, her eyes not leaving the duraludon. After a long moment, she let out a breath.

He was down.

She plodded quietly over to him and sniffed his body. Spiky leaves jutted out from beneath him. The shiftry hadn't managed to get out of the way in time. The sharp tang of metal and blood made her nose crinkle. It pooled around the dragon, dying the snow pink and soaking the shiftry's leaves. She couldn't see where the twins had cut him. His armour plating was undisturbed. The two pawniard would have made deadly assassins had they been recruited to the wrong side of the war. That thought unsettled Harlequin more than she expected.

She glanced back at the grass-types. The cacturne that Flutterwick had taken out was still down. The other two cacturne lay in a crumpled heap, their green bodies seared black from their companion's friendly fire.

Harbinger limped over to her, favouring his right fore paw. He spat fluffy seeds from his mouth. "Is everyone okay?"

Harlequin glanced over her friends. Flutterwick nodded, hugging his paws around his little body. The twins didn't look even slightly scathed. Their quick movements had got them to safety before the flamethrower swept over them. There was still no sign of Mischief.

Harlequin raised her head. "Where's Mischief?"

The snow at the side of the trench shifted and the whimsicott poked out his fluffy head. Harbinger grunted, his breath misting in the air. Mischief shook snow from his horns and clambered out, sucking in air at the stinging cold. Harlequin's heart sank and she bit back a retort. The fur around his neck was mangled where he'd been picked up and tossed aside.

'Get out of here if you aren't going to fight!'

Harlequin said nothing. Hiding was the better option whether he was fighting or not. If he'd been caught in that flamethrower it might have been his last battle.

She turned her attention to Harbinger, sniffing at his left paw.

He jerked it back and tutted at her. "Worry about your own wounds."

"My tail is fine," she told him. "You need to put some sitrus on your pads. They're blistered."

"His flames skimmed me, that's all." Harbinger forced his paw into the snow and flinched. "The cold will help. Let's get a move on before any more soldiers show up."

Harlequin watched his tail as he limped after Scratch and Claw. Flutterwick returned to the absol's back, glancing back at Harlequin. She shook her head and fell in step behind Harbinger, with Mischief following behind her.

"I was useless, wasn't I?" Mischief asked.

Harlequin kept her answer to herself. Harbinger's words had done enough damage. Perhaps it had been better for him to hide in that battle, but if he was going to help them defeat Hydreigon she hoped he'd put his strength to good use. If he could get past his fear of hurting his friends, with his powerful dazzling gleam he might turn the tide of battle in their favour.

...

The Border Woods enveloped them on either side. Snow sat in frozen mounds above the canopy, trickling down into sharp crystal points. The branches swayed in the breeze, rattling the icicles like a tinkling bell, yet the snow remained where it was. Harlequin's ears twitched at each little chime, her gaze flying to the canopy. Yet she knew she wouldn't find Enigma there. A gnawing feeling spread through her chest, and anger burned, pulsing through her veins like magma. She stifled a low growl and tried to tune her hearing away from the jingling icicles and onto any possible threat.

She knew murkrow would be roosting somewhere. There was often a flock of them congregating in the woods, watching out for any outlaws. Countless outlaws would be watching them, too. They'd survived for more than a decade in the Border Woods, hiding out of sight. Harlequin didn't know how. When she was young, her family had lived in a burrow beneath a tree. They'd gone undetected for years. She found herself wondering if their bodies had ever been found.

She shook the thought away and raised her head towards the canopy. Harbinger stopped beside her, his ruby gaze laser focused on the trees ahead of them. She followed it and raised her tail for silence. It was a habit, yet Mischief and the others understood. Either that, or they had also spotted the small crow crouched in the branches of a larch. The murkrow turned its head away from them to preen its wing.

Harbinger motioned them to move off the path. They crept into the undergrowth silently, keeping their heads low. Harlequin moved on through the bracken with Mischief and Flutterwick at her side. After a couple of steps she realised Harbinger hadn't followed.

The absol was creeping towards the larch, his belly almost brushing the ground. His calculating gaze was locked on the small murkrow, blazing with murder. Harlequin opened her mouth to speak, but her words died on her tongue as Harbinger jerked his horn towards the tree. A blade of air shot out, slicing through the murkrow's branch. The bird dropped suddenly, its flailing wings clipped by the broken bough as it twisted under the murkrow's weight. A strangled caw rose into the air, fading out into a gasp.

Harlequin raised her head to see above the bracken. Harbinger joined her side, still watching where the bird had fallen.

"That's one less to worry about," he whispered.

Harlequin moved past him, her heart hammering. What if its cry had alerted the others? She stopped with one paw raised and her sapphire eyes widened. The murkrow lay at an awkward angle amid the branches of a hawthorn. A long thorn poked from its chest, seeping blood over the leaves. Its eyes were wide, unseeing, yet it was still breathing. Blood bubbled around its beak.

She couldn't leave it like that.

She took a step towards it, and teeth met in her scruff. Her heart shot into her throat and she turned sharply, raking her claws through snowy fur. Harbinger leapt back, the whites of his eyes showing. Bracken crunched under his paws. Harlequin's heart was racing and it took her every effort to try and still her breath. Harbinger jerked his head to his shoulder where three scratches bled into his fur. He licked them gingerly as Harlequin moved past him, the murkrow forgotten.

"Sorry," she muttered. "Just… don't grab me like that."

"Noted," he scoffed. He gave one glance back at the murkrow and overtook her. "We need to move before his friends find him."

Harlequin paused, warring with the urge to go back and give the bird a faster more merciful death. "Why did you do that?"

Harbinger motioned for her to keep up. "In case he spotted us and alerted the rest of his flock."

"But he hadn't-"

Harbinger leapt before her and blocked her path. He met her gaze with one that was both cold and unsettling. "Why do you care? They couldn't care less what they do to you!" He paused and flashed a canine. "They didn't care when they murdered Enigma!"

Fire blazed in Harlequin's chest and she raised her head to meet his stare. A thousand words forced themselves forwards, but not one of them managed to work its way out.

"Do you want to kill Hydreigon or not?" he asked quietly. "Because once you're past those walls, you're gonna need to take a lot more soldiers down before you reach him. This is a war, Harlequin, so get past your guilt of 'pointless deaths'!" He snorted. "It's never stopped you before."

Harlequin's heart hit her stomach and her jaw went slack.

The absol turned, plodding through the woods on large, silent paws. The twins fell in step behind him, one casting a yellow gaze back at the zorua. Flutterwick began to follow him and hesitated, his paws twitching as he looked back at Harlequin.

Harlequin exchanged glances with Mischief, but his expression was unreadable. Out of all of them she'd expected him to have something to say, but he moved past her to join Flutterwick. The pair followed Harbinger, leaving Harlequin to plod miserably behind.

What had gotten into her? She relished the thought of hurting Yurlik and Hydreigon. They were the ones who'd murdered her closest friend. The murkrow weren't responsible for Enigma. Were they?

She shook it off and caught up with her friends. Harbinger said nothing when she joined his side. He moved expertly through the undergrowth as if he knew the Border Woods like the back of his own paw. Harlequin found herself wondering how often he'd returned to the woods after his exile.

After a few moments, a sound reached her ears. She froze a heartbeat after Harbinger and the pair raised their heads towards the canopy. More murkrow stood scattered through the branches, their heads twitching as they scanned the trees and woodland floor. Harlequin ducked behind the ferns, her fur blending in with the dark undergrowth. Harbinger crouched and moved backwards until he was nestled under a tangle of brambles. Beside him, Scratch and Claw ducked behind a mound of rotting fallen leaves. Mischief and Flutterwick were already well camouflaged for the woods. They crouched beside Harlequin, keeping their watchful gaze on the canopy.

Harlequin braced herself for Harbinger to perform another murderous stunt, but the absol didn't move. He stared out of the brambles with a mix of anger and frustration. There were just too many murkrow. Taking out one or two would alert the whole flock. They'd need to work their way around and hope they went unseen.

Harlequin glanced back at Harbinger and nodded at him to follow her. She lead them quietly through the ferns until they entered a patch of frost-scorched nettles and willow herb. The plants towered over her, swallowing her up in their stinging embrace. She narrowed her eyes and pushed her way through them, trying to disturb them as little as possible. She heard Harbinger slip in behind her, his large body shifting the nettles. Harlequin held her breath, straining her ears, but the murkrow didn't rouse. In fact, they were oddly silent…

Crack!

Harbinger cursed under his breath.

Harlequin froze, glancing back at the absol. He raised his paw, yanking a splinter from his pads with his teeth.

The canopy flew into chaos as wings beat the air like thunder. The murkrow flew at the nettles, their beaks wide with avian war cries. Harlequin threw herself to the left, dodging sharp beaks as they lunged into the undergrowth. She turned, raising her paws to beat at the backs of two that flew too low. She dropped her weight onto one of them, snapping his wings.

Flutterwick had taken to the air, his wings whipping up green sparkles. A dull drone drowned out the cawing as the birds were blown back with a bug buzz. They quickly reformed, turning their rage on the mothim.

Harbinger was buried under murkrow. Scratch and Claw fought beside him, dragging the birds off their friend with their sharp claws. The absol swung his head, slashing at the murkrow with his horn. He kicked out with his back legs, winding one unfortunate enough to be behind his tail.

Harlequin fought to reach her friends as she slashed out at another pair of murkrow. The flock wasn't massive, but their numbers and speed were swiftly overwhelming them. She tried to reach for her nidoking horn, but a murkrow fastened its claws around her satchel's strap and pulled, lifting the zorua into the air. She yelled, lashing out with her hind legs.

Mischief leapt from the nettles and looked up at her. Hesitation clouded his orange eyes and he raised his paws, his jaw set.

Another dull drone tore through the air, but it wasn't Flutterwick. The murkrow let out a unified caw of surprise, their assault faltering. A heartbeat later, the drone was enough to cause Harlequin to flatten her ears.

A long, serpentine shape swerved through the branches, its dragonfly wings whipping up the air. It careened backwards, blasting the murkrow with a bug buzz of its own. The flock parted, but several murkrow fell to the ground, their wings fastened over their heads.

The flygon opened its mouth, spewing out purple flames at a pair of murkrow that had cornered Flutterwick. The mothim looked up with surprise and bolted blindly for the trees.

A small black shape shifted on the dragon's shoulders, waving a shadowy limb. Its jewel-like eyes flashed in the dim light. "Get out of here!"

Harlequin stared up at the sableye, her mouth opening wordlessly.

Harbinger joined her side and nudged her. "Come on!"

"Go on, we've got this!" the sableye roared. "You don't wanna get caught in this!"

The flygon said something in a vibrating voice that didn't register in Harlequin's head and rapidly beat its wings.

Harlequin turned and fled after Flutterwick, Harbinger hot on her heels. The very trees seemed to shake as the flygon whipped up a wicked attack. Harlequin's paws skidded over the slick, rotting leaves. Once they were beyond the trees, the drone of the dragon's wings drowned out all caws.

They didn't hang around to find out what happened next.

...

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