Chapter 2
The giant creature looked down his nose at Ember, "A mere kit dares to address one of the Mountain Clan? Where is your honor?"
"If you will not take her word, here is mine, as I repeat from what my counterpart said, we're from the forest and come in peace." Kashen stated with no sign of impatience on his face or in his voice. The Umbreon was at complete calm around the huge Absol-monster.
"You are both without honor." The Absol replied gruffly, "There is no reason why you should set your tainted paws on the pride land of the Mountain Clan. So turn around and-"
"There is no reason why the cannot come this way." Another of the deep-voiced Absol jumped limberly off of a white-splotched boulder that was colored in a way that camouflaged him completely. Upon further inspection, Ember swallowed heavily. Three more sets of the dark eyes that Ember realized were not black, but a glowing dark red, that were gazing upon the newcomers that she could see.
"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea…" She whimpered quietly as she backed away from the first Absol and into Kashen's chest.
"Travelers, please excuse the insolence of Nightwing, he's only been a Defender for the shortest of times." Spoke the second Absol that had cuffed the first, Nightwing, over the right ear, the one that had the horn folded down.
"We've reached our destination." Kashen replied, dipping his head to the two Absol, "We have come to meet you, Pokemon of the Mountain Clan."
"You understand how that changes things?" Nightwing snarled, and was cuffed over the right ear again.
"Of course." The second Absol smiled, "The Foreseers have seen your arrival. They couldn't describe you, one of black pelt, so we could not invite you to our nest until we knew you wanted to see us." He stepped forward to Kashen and bent his head so that the horn was facing the Umbreon, "Merlin of Mountain Clan."
Kashen blinked at the strange show for a moment before he mimed the movement so that his left ear was overlapping the horn of Merlin, "I am Kashen of the Whitefang Pack. And an Umbreon, if you were wondering."
"And your kit?" The Absol looked to Ember, whose fur fluffed out angrily and she offered a hot retort.
"I am not a kit!"
The fond little smirk that an adult Ninetales might have for a cub vanished from the Absol's face as he gently padded to her and circled. "You do look to be a kit… but of course the last of your kind to ever visit us was not much bigger. I see, my apologies-errm…"
"Ember of Eaglefire Pack." She muttered.
Merlin nodded and placed his horn on the top of her head briefly before turning around and jumping onto one of the smaller boulders. "I will take you to my clan's nest. Nightwing, you're a big boy now, bring up the rear."
The Absol Nightwing grumbled to himself as he scooted by Ember, taking care to bump her with his tail as he followed the orders of his fellow. The Vulpix glared after him and looked up to see Kashen by Merlin's side, giving her a disapproving look. "Alright, I'm coming." She huffed and launched herself up the boulder.
"Look, an Absol kit!" Ember squealed as the smaller version of the giant creatures passed by her and Kashen. Together they shared a patch of moss that was on the third tier of the Absol nest.
Weathered away by the river that flowed at the heart of the first mountain, it was a cave with a wide entrance that yawned out ten Ninetales-lengths wide and high. It was quite open for invasion, and for rain and snow to fall in, but the stone was a cold white that matched the pelts of the Absol perfectly. Not even the Swellow with the sharpest eyes could have picked them out.
Nothing lived in the mountains that could catch and eat an Absol anyway. Mostly Rattata lived there, and the giants of the mountains harshly controlled their numbers in hunts.
Ember and Kashen stuck out like sore thumbs in the sea of white stone. If they were prey species, they'd be eliminated.
The nest was layered, the first tier held the oldest members of the Absol clan that were losing their limberness, the Absol mothers and mothers-to-be, some with kits that could not yet jump the five feet to the next tier. The second layer held the Warriors and Defenders, as did the third and fourth. None of them had a bed on the ground level.
"You should go talk to her." Kashen said, sounding only mildly amused as he watched Ember stare at the kit. "She as small as you are."
"Oh, don't you start too." Ember grumbled as she got to her paws, "You know, I think I will." She walked off with her tails held high.
"Hey!" She exclaimed after the retreating form of the kit. They went down to the first tier where the kit stopped and looked around at Ember.
"Hi… you're the Ember, right?" The kit asked uncertainly.
"Errm, yes, I'm Ember."
"Hi! I'm Flash." She responded, "Arra deia."
"Eh? What?"
Flash laughed at the dumbfounded look on the Vulpix's face, "It means 'good day' as my ancient ancestors would say."
"Oh… you actually speak something that your ancestors didn't? Isn't that kind of stupid?" Ember had never heard of that, of all of the stories she'd heard of the old of her pack, none of them had mentioned a different language being spoken.
"Just a little bit." Flash giggled, "But the Foreseers know it fluently. They yell at me in it all the time…"
The Vulpix felt a slight tug at her heart that she'd made a friend so quickly. Sure, she and Flash were the same size, but did that matter in friendliness? She didn't think so, and Pokemon like Kashen and Noric didn't either. Part of Ember missed the friendly Flareon already, but she'd return and see him again. Eventually.
They had walked into one of the many alcoves, but a fully-grown, female Absol was sitting in this one with another that Ember guessed was Flash's sister, she was also small like Ember. A half-eaten Rattata sat at the kit's paws, and she was picking at it boredly.
"How was it?" She asked lowly to Flash when the Absol and Vulpix sat down around her. Her mother seemed to twitch, yet said and did nothing.
"Uneventful. They don't have anything on the third floor… perhaps we should try the fourth next time…" Flash replied when she was feinting taking a bite out of the Rattata.
"You're not supposed to go up there until after your Crowning, you know, kit-san." The fully-grown Absol chuckled, her deep voice full of nothing for her kits but amusement. Flash and her sister giggled nervously, but said nothing. "'Ello Ember-san, it's a pleasure to see you." She continued, "I am Nakati, mother of Gata and Flash."
"And I'm the said Gata!" Flash's sister exclaimed, "Good to see you, Ember-fox."
"Everyone knows my name…" She replied, "It's amazing."
"News travels fast where there is nothing else to do." Nakati replied.
"There you are!" A male approached the alcove, Ember recognized him as the grumpy Nightwing. "Well, why are you standing there staring, Ember-butt? Come on."
He turned around and dashed off down to the ground floor. After turning, looking puzzled, to Flash, the Absol smirked and made a shooing motion with one paw. "See ya." She murmured.
"When did I become 'Ember-butt'?" The Vulpix asked neutrally as she was led out of the nest and followed Nightwing up a steep sloping path that wound around the mountain. She was beginning to get dizzy when he grumbled back to her.
"It's your new honorific. Feel happy." He looked over his shoulder and continued, "Don't look down, that helps."
She snapped her head up quickly and saw another, smaller cave mouth that they were heading to. "Keep quiet, if you know what's good for you Ember-butt. Only speak when addressed." Nightwing sneered.
He moved to the side and gave her a nudge into the cave before padding back the way they had come. Ember growled over her shoulder and slipped the way down into the cave over the slippery entrance stones. Her paws touched cold water and the Vulpix self-consciously shook her paws. Water was not her favorite thing.
Kneeling there were three Absol that were watching her with identical amused expressions. Kashen was there as well, the Umbreon stood uncomfortably in the water. They were in a small cavern with glowing blue-green stone walls that reflected white from the chilly, clear water. It was flowing to the right, where the heart of the mountain lay.
"Arra deia." The largest Absol said, his voice oddly light for the giant mountain Pokemon. He was, by far, the oldest Pokemon there, his pelt was hanging limply in places, showing a bony frame. His eyes burned with the age and intelligence that many of the golden-pelts of Ember's pack shared.
"Umm…" Kashen said, "But-"
"It means 'good day'." Ember said automatically.
"Very good." Another of the Absol, the only female, replied. She was the smallest, but had a fighter's scowl that transformed her appearance from one of content happiness to the look that she was about to go into a battle. "I suppose you've been told that already?"
"Oh, yes." Ember replied.
The first Absol spoke up again, "We've called you here for a reason. You see, you've only been allowed to come into our nest because you've shown signs of intelligence on the level of the Absol. But we have to check to make sure that is true."
He looked to the last Absol, who had not yet spoken up. The other male took his cue and said, "Yes, that is correct. Welcome to the Secondary Cave of the Elders. We are, of course, the Elders of the Cave. Heh…" He smirked at his own joke. The Elder jerked one heavily muscled paw at his chest, "I am Dracoheart."
"Lightwind." The female Absol said after him.
"And I am called Dewfire." The oldest said, "Are you ready for your test, Ember and Kashen of the forest?"
Kashen looked back at Ember, his eyes twinkling slightly, "I am ready."
The Vulpix nodded, and Dewfire seemed to smile, "Good. You're test is as follows: my fellow Elders and you two shall battle. If you show what we're looking for, intelligence basically, you will be allowed to stay as honored members of our clan for as long as you like. But if you fail to give us a reason for that to happen." He shook his head to prove his point. Looking to Dracoheart and Lightwind, he nodded.
The two Absol leapt to their paws and approached them with light steps on the water. "Ember." Kashen murmured over his shoulder, "I'll take care of this. Don't jump in, you haven't had training."
"But…" She was too late, the Umbreon was already to his paws and going over to where the two Elders were waiting.
"On their lives, may the four before us fight with all the skill and honor they possess." Dewfire began to recite, "For many Turns have we guarded over the Clan of the Mountain. May all our experience be used to deal the correct fate to the two before us. By Terran, I will the test to begin!"
Kashen yowled his battle cry as he jumped forward with paws extended. With a graceful, hardly seeable movement, both Lightwind and Dracoheart jumped to opposite sides and cried as fire came from Dracoheart's horn and electricity from Lightwind's. The Umbreon saw the attacks coming and used Faint Attack to teleport out of the way, causing both fire and electricity to meet in the middle and generate a small explosion that was weakened by the water under their paws.
It was then that Ember understood. The Pokemon that had come to the Absol pack after father hadn't been killed because the Absol were barbaric; they'd been killed because they had failed this test! The last that she remembered off her head that had come to meet the Absol and never came back were mostly old Pokemon that were near retirement! A thrill of horror went up in the Vulpix's heart when she saw Kashen get caught in a fiery blast and she yowled, "Kashen, I'm coming!"
She jumped into the battle, where she had to quickly dodge a bolt of lightning that was heading her way. Ember jumped onto Dracoheart's back and bit the middle of his horn. It was a big mistake, the next second her senses were filled with red. Vaguely she felt air around her body as she flew into the sidewall and hit it heavily.
She opened her eyes just in time to see the beginning of another flame heading her way before it hit her. Her whole body was filled with a burning sensation, it felt hot all over. But somehow, Ember felt more powerful all of a sudden, as if the burning flames had awoken her fiery battle spirit. The Vulpix shook her fur and the flames scattered harmlessly to sizzle and be put out by the water underfoot.
Dracoheart was still a long way off; Ember dashed over to greet him, and did something he totally didn't expect. She flamed him. The Absol's sheik was of surprise mostly as his huge forepaw swung around and down upon her back. Ember sunk to her knees, looking up helplessly up at the larger Pokemon.
It was a position she'd seen her mother in once with another Ninetales, but never knew it hurt so much. The Vulpix cried out vainly as she flamed again, her attack scoring the fur of Dracoheart's underbelly and the flowing water underneath. There was a yelp, and the pressure on her back released. She jumped to her paws and was hit again with a flame attack from the Absol's mouth. The reviving effect of the attack was just what she needed as she jumped out of the flames, a living fireball, to land on Dracoheart's back and set it aflame.
His reaction was faster than the wind as they rolled on the ground, the fire going out on both of them. But the Absol was scorched up, and panting. With one last groan, he lifted one paw. "I give."
Ember was so surprised that she was staring, her mouth open. She'd beaten a full warrior of another clan! With only minor… no, scratch that, major bumps and bruises. Panting, she sprawled onto her belly.
Looking over to Kashen, she saw that he was still in battle with Lightwind, his black fur sticking out at odd angles in patches. Lightwind was looking banged-up; her pelt ruffled all over and scratched from being bitten and the teeth tearing from her jerking away.
They exchanged a couple more attacks before, as one, both Absol and Umbreon collapsed together with an audible splash.
Dewfire smiled and let off a dramatic sigh. "I suppose you win." He said to them, "Congratulations, I have not seen a battle like that in a long while…"
"Does that mean we get to live?" Ember asked anxiously.
"Yes, little fireball." A friendly nudge came from Dracoheart from her non-wounded side.
"Now, you must see a Healer for your wounds." Dewfire said, "Dracoheart, I'll carry the black-pelt if you get Lightwind."
"Sounds good…"
"Sit still." Commanded Ember's Healer, Silverpelt, when she began to squirm. The Absol sighed and dipped her paw back into the pasty mixture of crushed berries and assorted leaves. "This will help your bruises and, hopefully, help the cuts as well." And with the free paw she spread the stuff on her left flank.
Ember was getting annoyed fast with the large Pokemon's ability to just put one paw on her back and get her to stop moving that way. But that was for a later rant towards an unfortunate wall or rock; she had a question to ask. "Excuse me ma'am, but how many different jobs do those of your clan have? I've heard like… umm, three or four…"
"There are many, but some of them you've got to be specialized into." The Absol replied, "For you, it's probably a lot of jobs, since you have like, one, in your clan? Yeah, well there are five here. The Defenders, Warriors, Healers, Foreseers, and Elemental Elders. By the by, there are only seven of that last one. Hold still!"
She smeared most of the paste along Ember's muzzle and some of it got in her mouth. The Vulpix gagged and tried to get away, but again there was that paw on her back. "But anyways, there's always plenty to do. When you live for Turns and Turns, there should be plenty, at least." Silverpelt continued on that line of conversation, but Ember finally tuned her out to a degree.
She was still ecstatic that she'd beaten the one of the two Flame Elders, even though there was a part of her that said it was because she was a fire-type. But still, she'd won! That had to count for something…
"Hey Ember-butt, you're still alive. I, for one, cannot believe your luck." The taunting voice came from Nightwing with his characteristic sneer.
"Don't." Silverpelt said simply when she felt the muscles of Ember's back tensed with her anger.
"Hey, it's the soft foot." She growled, "How goes it, Soft Foot?"
"Oh-ho, think you're smart, do you?" Nightwing growled back, "Why, if it was me you were battling in your test, you'd be shredded by now."
"Good thing you weren't battling me. For your sake." Ember replied, smirking as she let off a slight puff of fiery breath in his direction.
"Nothing doing." He muttered, a small blast of fire coming from his horn and scorching the white rock at Ember's feet.
It was then that Silverpelt released Ember with a muttered, "All done. Don't hurt yourself too much, I don't want to see you plopped half-killed at my paws again in the same day."
"It'll be in this hour if she doesn't back off." Nightwing growled under his breath.
"Yeah right." Ember, who had heard that, muttered under her breath as well, "It will be him that comes back with his tail burned."
They glared at each other viciously for another couple of minutes before Ember's short attention span kicked in and she waved a tail in his face, pointedly turned on her heel, and left.
"You look like you've tasted something bad." Kashen remarked gently went she sat down stormily next to him.
"That too. Haven't you tried to clean your pelt yet?" She grumbled, "That stuff is horrible!"
Kashen shook his head and then there was an awkward silence in which a dust bunny was the prime source of entertainment for them both. Ember watched it dance in a gentle breeze and sighed moodily. "I have an enemy." She finally admitted.
"Let me guess… Nightwing."
"Bingo."
"He's over his head, don't worry about him." Kashen replied automatically, "I saw some of your battle, you were good! At least, for an untrained tyro. When we get back to the forest, you're going to have to battle like that for your pack. There will be no doubt about you then…" He purred.
Ember felt herself grow warm, and she stated nervously, "Uhh… I was fighting for my life, I think it's understandable…"
"Hmm… true enough." Kashen replied. "Well, now what, Ember?"
"We get inducted as honorary members of Mountain Clan, that's what." Ember replied confidently.