Part 6

The largest building in the whole sky came into perfect view past the clouds of the Opelucid, and all Brandon could think of was how much he wanted to go home. He could deal with the procedures and practices back home where they weren't taken terribly serious. The little lord would have to follow all the rules he had been taught and had ignored since we was a boy. He could hear his mother run through several of the rules with Lily.

"You are only going to talk to anyone wearing white unless they talk to you, okay?"

Lily murmured a yes, but she was far too busy looking at the Golden Alcazar. The original castle, had been much smaller, had been built up and up until it reached so far into the sky that the top was near impossible to see. Building the uppermost sections was nearly impossible but the best builders in the sky had managed barely. Not without half a dozen deaths however.

The original castle was painted in a dark gold, and wasn't too much bigger than the manor Brandon lived in. The great-great-grandfather of the current Sky King was the first to build onto the Alcazar. Tradition since him has been to add to the castle. Turrets and towers of light gold touched the heavens at the Alcazar's top. Brandon thought it would be impossible to continue building upwards as the whole structure looked impossible.

"Mommy can I go to the very very top?"

"I don't think that's entirely safe Lily."

"I'm going to go anyway," the Little Lady giggled. Her mother sulked.

"Don't worry, the whole structure is completely safe," their tour guide informed them through her wide fake smile.

Brandon wasn't taking her word for it. He had heard that the upper sections of the towers were just for show, that access was restricted and it was hazardous to your health to venture above the section built by the fourth last King.

Brandon turned his thoughts from Alcazar to his sister, who was soon to become its newest residence.

"Hey Monica."

The soon to be princess was sulking at the carriages rear-end. She had been made to wear the most hideous outfit of all of them. To show her transition between families, Monica was wearing a dress that mixed the colours of the Cragpurs and the Royals. When fused, the hard dark Cragspurs brown and the piercing royal white created an ugly dirt brown.

"Please Brandon, I'm not in the mood for light conversation."

It had hit her, the realisation that this was her new home. She wouldn't be going back to the Crumberly Castle with her family. Her new family, the royal family, were who she would associate with now. She had also now realised the size of this marriage. She couldn't make jokes, she couldn't be the rebellious little lady anymore.

Who Brandon saw was no longer a warrior. Monica's eyes were dull, her face was pasty and tired. Any plans she had had to cause trouble were thrown out the moment she realised how serious this was for her and her family. Monica knew how powerful the Sky Queen and King were, for her families sake she would stay in line.

"Can I ask you something Brandon?" asked Monica, with a voice that was far quieter than usual.

"Yeah."

"Will you promise me you will marry for love?"

Brandon held his hand out to his sister, took hers and squeezed it tight.

"I promise."

The rapidash trotted around the castle grounds twice before bringing the carriage to a stop in front of the main entrance. Much like dinner parties at home, Brandon had to mentally prepare himself before stepping outside. The carriage had been parked in shadow cast by the looming golden tower. The Alcazar looked terrifying in a dark silhouette. Standing in the shadow of the building was a large crowd of nobility awaiting the family's arrival.

Among them was the Queen of the Clouds, notably standing out from the crowd with her shining white dress. It fell from her shoulders to her feet, where it continued to trail behind her for metres and metres. The extravagant outfit made it seem as if it were her wedding day. Floria Culous was an old woman, apparent from her hair the same colour as her dress but she had a quality of agelessness that surrounded her.

A large altaria rested by her side where she stood. The Pokémon was one of the two Pokémon that symbolized of the royal Culous family, and was always trained by female members of the family. Brandon thought of how Monica would most likely receive one as a wedding gift.

"Welcome everyone, to what my family hopes is the grandest event in recent sky history; the wedding of Makoll Culous and Monica Cragspur."

The beginning of the queen's speech gathered applause from the large circle of people attentively listening.

"As customary I, as mother of the groom's house, welcome the bride's family into our home."

Floria stepped forward and met each of the Cragspur's individually.

"Arron Cragspur, Lord of the Stone and keeper of Crumberly Castle, I welcome you to the Golden Alcazar."

Brandon's father bowed to the Queen as she welcomed him.

"Lillian Cragspur, Lady of the Stone and keeper of Brandon, Monica and Lillian, I welcome you to the Golden Alcazar."

Lady Cragspur looked as if she was crying tears of joy as so knelt to the queen.

"Monica Cragspur, Lady and forthcoming Princess of the Sky, I welcome you the Golden Alcazar."

Monica also looked as if she were about to cry, for very different reasons to her mother.

"Brandon Cragspur."

Brandon stood tall as the Queen walked by him.

"Lord and heir to the stone, I welcome you to the Golden Alcazar."

Brandon knelt as obliged by his father's darting side look. The queen moved on to little Lily, who she bent down to meet at her eye level.

"Lily Cragspur, Lady of the small stone, I welcome you to the Golden Alcazar."

"Thank you for having us," Lily whispered to the queen. Arron would have been furious with the girl if the queen hadn't have reacted positively,

"It's our pleasure," Floria whispered back. Her face stretched as she smiled, and she hugged the young girl. The audience made noise to show how cute the Queen's actions were.

It had to be an act, Brandon knew that. From everything Monica had told him about the royal family in the past, there was no way that this was the real Floria Culous.

Floria stood up straight again. Brandon was unsure if it was her footwear, but she stood in height slightly taller than him.

"Cragspurs and all attending guests, we welcome you to join us for a feast inside the Alcazar."

The Queen turned. Her long flowing dress, her altaria and the guests all followed her into the golden gates of the largest building in the sky.

…

For their welcome meal, the family were sat at the table directly below the royal families. Aaron and Lillian thought of this as an honour, Brandon thought of it as stupid.

The Sky King Oleg Culous ate from his gleaming white chair, apparently not nearly as impressive as his throne. Brandon was yet to enter the throne room, but he had been told that that was a part of tomorrow's tour.

"I would like to propose a toast."

The elderly King rose from his seat. With one hand he leaned on his marble white cane and with the other he raised his goblet. "To impending wedding of my grandson Makoll and the lovely Monica and to hope that their wedding will be long and fruitful."

The audience of guests raised their glasses, and there was a round of applause. Monica smiled to the guests and gave some familiar faces a wave. Brandon wasn't sure if this was an act or if this was really his sister, and that worried him as usually he could tell with Monica.

The King slumped back into his seat, not without the assistance of his royal guard. The King was the oldest person Brandon had even seen but as the king, Brandon supposed he had access to all sorts of medicines to prolong his life. There were many rumours, but Brandon wouldn't even dare think of them in the King's presence for fear of severe punishment. Any speculation to any secrets the royal family may keep was met with extreme discipline in the Sky King's kingdom after all.

The feast ended abruptly after desserts (the only part of the night Brandon didn't completely loathe.) The guests journeyed home and the Cragspur family was shown to their rooms. Brandon's room was on the castles fifth floor. He tried to remember the way the walls twisted and turned as he climbed step after winding step, but he was lost after making it to the third floor.

"How do I find my way back downstairs tomorrow?" Brandon sheepishly asked. His guide was a hulking huge man, whom Brandon thought could have had a more fitting job than being a tour guide to some kid.

"The staff member who will wake you in the morning will be happy to show you the way."

"Great."

The guide and Brandon didn't talk for the final two flights of impossibly complex stairs. When on the Alcazar's fifth floor, Brandon looked out large glass windows to the city below. A stretch of the crown could be made out, from the height of the fifth floor Brandon could see the city curve around the castle. Even at night the city still looked golden. Opelucid was never asleep, always golden. The lights of torches and oil lamps lit the city when the sun couldn't.

"This is your room here, Lord Cragspur."

The bulky man used all his strength to open two large wooden doors. Brandon followed inside into his large suite.

The room was grand, decorated in gold and Cragspur brown. Brandon was sick of the colour, but for such an impressive room he would make an exception. The four poster bed sat against the back wall, between two doors that led to his washroom and stairs to his parents' bedroom on the floor above (as explained by his guide.)

Brandon wasn't listening entirely as the view of the crown greeted him again. His walked out balcony gave the young Lord an even more impressive view. He could see the forest sprawl on beyond the city, a small mountain in the woods and the islands edge beyond even that.

"This island is huge."

"Third biggest in the southern sky," the guide informed, "Behind Castelia and Nimbasa."

"How big must they be," Brandon thought out loud.

"Goodnight Lord Cragspur," the guide said as he left, "Unless you need anything else."

Brandon waved him off without turning, far captured by the surrounding city. Brandon had found something to add to the incredibly short list of things he thought were good about being noble born, the view of Opelucid.

After a considerable period of staring into the night from his high balcony, Brandon walked back inside and shut the balcony doors in case of draft. The city was cold at night, much in contrast to how it had been in the day.

Brandon had missed the large box that lay on his bed when he first entered the room.

"A present?"

The young lord opened the lid of the box and it collapsed to reveal a small Pokémon and a letter addressed to him. The note was short and read,

Brandon, Young Lord of the Stone

Considering the lugia formerly of house Cragspur is no longer your Pokémon to have, I thought of how it would be important for you instead to continue your family's old and great tradition. This roggenrola is yours forever more.

Floria Culous, Queen of the Clouds.

The small rock Pokémon jumped off of the bed and started running in circles and making a strange monotone sound.

"Ugh!" Brandon fell back on his bed. His worst nightmares were coming true. Not only would have to do the dreaded traditions for the weeks to come he would also have to train a gigalith.

"They could have at least gave me one already evolved," Brandon sulked out loud, "It would have saved me training the dumb thing."

One of the doors in the room peered open and from behind it appeared Monica.

"I heard the sigh from my room; I take it you were given a Pokémon too."

Without moving from his facedown position Brandon pointed to where his roggenrola was running around, now in figured of eights.

"Isn't he an active Pokémon, suits you well," Monica said laughing.

"Ha-ha, hilarious."

"My swablu is so stubborn, not half as fun as this little guy, but as princess it's my duty to train one."

Brandon got a small buzz out of being right that Monica received a swablu as a gift.

"I wonder if Lily got a Pokémon." Brandon said.

"Probably not. Our house doesn't have a female trained Pokémon like the royal family do." Monica spoke as if the Cragspur family weren't as good as the Culous for not having two Pokémon to represent them. It hurt Brandon. He would never call his sister a traitor, but suddenly her dress looked more white than brown.

The sound emanating from the roggenrola grew louder. He was now walking around the edge of the room, spinning on the spot every five steps.

"Why is he doing that?" whined Brandon, he knew next to nothing about roggenrola as he hadn't bothered to read any of the many books the library back home had about them.

"Roggenrola don't have eyes. They have one hexagon shaped ear in their centre that they use to find their way about. This little guy has been stuck in that box, such a small space for so long that he is unfamiliar with such a big space. I figure he is using a form of sonar to scan the room."

"How in the seven skies do you know that?"

Monica sighed. "One of us actually did their reading as a child. Ironic that it is you that has to train one."

"Ironic? I'd say down right cruel."

Brandon couldn't stand the sound the Pokémon was making any longer.

"Come on, let's go explore or whatever or… I don't know… anything to get away from Roggy," Brandon walked over to the room's door, taking all his strength to open it.

As soon as the doors were open, the roggenrola spun on its feet and darted for the open entrance running outside the room and down the royal hall.

"Oh shit!"

Monica howled with laughter.

"You've just lost your tiny Pokémon, inn the largest building in the whole sky.

…

Brandon and Monica didn't find it terribly hard to follow the roggenrola, the sound it made echoed throughout the large corridors of the castle. Brandon thought of how he should have left breadcrumbs or something as there was no way he would be able to find his way back to his room on his own.

"I think we're going to get lost," Brandon said worried.

"Oh come on, we are guests here nothing bad is going to happen!"

The duo had made it to the end of the corridor they were running along

"I think I hear it up those stairs," Monica said excitedly, pointing to one of three available routes they could take. It was hard to tell where the sound was coming from. It bounced off of walls so much it sounded like it was coming from all around at times.

The three options presented to Brandon and Monica at the end of the hall were to either go upstairs, downstairs or turn to the left along another long stretch of corridor.

"I can't hear him that way" said Monica, holding her ear to the corridor on their left. "How about we split up, you go up I'll go down."

Before Brandon could argue what a terrible idea it was for them to split up in such a large and unfamiliar castle, Monica was already running down the steps.

She seemed so happy all of a sudden. The deep depression Brandon had saw in her eyes in the carriage was vanished since she stepped inside the castle. She wasn't her old self either, this Monica was confident not in the traditional way, but more in the way he had seen the trait in the Queen, Prince Makoll and all of the royals. Monica had royal confidence, and Brandon wasn't sure if he liked it.

But why was what Brandon kept coming back to, as he climbed the steps in a half-assed attempt to find the Pokémon he really didn't care that much about, why the sudden change in Monica. She had hated the idea of being a princess before today, dreaded their arrival to the castle and yet know was seemingly enjoying her stay. Brandon thought of his sister's many warnings about the royal family; about how not to trust them. Could he trust Monica if she was one of them?

The metallic hum of the roggenrola ahead the corridor let Brandon know that he had come the right way, something he wasn't ecstatic about. He didn't terribly want to keep the Pokémon anyway, and finding it in the haystack that was the Alcazar was probably his worst nightmare.

Still he trundled on. Not for himself or the goddamn Pokémon but for the family. As much as he hated the traditions he hated the rumours more. He had heard others talk behind his back about how much of a failure he was to the Cragspur name. Now that the lugia wasn't is to inherit, he supposed he had to have a Pokémon for appearances, to uphold the family name if nothing else.

Brandon followed the roggenrola's cry to a large brass door on the castle's sixth floor. Light from the room ahead streamed through the slit in the doors opening and the screech of the tiny rock Pokémon grew louder as Brandon approached.

The young lord nudged the door opened and entered the room to find it was a library. Probably not the only one in the castle, he thought. Brandon's roggenrola was walking around the room's exterior, obviously becoming accustomed to the surroundings. Brandon shut the room's door so the Pokémon wouldn't run away again.

Brandon loved libraries. Although he wasn't the biggest fan of nonfiction, fantasy stories were his escape. He couldn't help but sneak a peek at the storybook section while his Pokémon was still freaking out.

"These books are at least three centuries old," Brandon said. He had a tendency to speak to himself, at least when others weren't around. He picked one of a shelf titled 'The Prince and the Pokémon' which told the story from before the rise of the islands.

Books detailing the events, even fictionalized versions of events from before the rise of the islands were rare in the southern kingdom. The royal family liked there version of events and any story that contradicted their story, which these books almost always did were burned, or so Brandon thought. As Brandon should have guessed the royal family hoarded the fantasy books, keeping them locked in their keep.

'The Prince and the Pokémon' was far from a fairy-tale. It detailed the events of a king dying of a terrible disease, who asked his sons to journey beyond the human camps into the lands of evil Pokémon to find a supposed stone that was to cure the king of his illness. The book detailed the journeys of the first four sons who were all killed by different Pokémon.

Brandon was taken aback by the details the book went into; while the binding had made it seen a children's book the actual content was very adult. Each gruesome death was chronicled by at least a page and a half of text.

The fifth brother in the story only a chapter in length but was by far the most interesting part of the book. In the story, the young prince trekked away from his father's lands north into the mineral mountains. While his brothers had suffered brutal deaths before making any advancements, the fifth prince encountered a different sort of Pokémon, a carbink. This Pokémon didn't attack the prince as Pokémon were supposed to do on the ground. The carkbink instead helped him out of the mountains and sent him on his way back to his home.

The book ended with the prince returning home to find his father dead. As his brothers had not returned home, he was crowned king.

Brandon slotted the book back into its place on its shelf, he wouldn't want anyone to know he was reading something that could he considered propaganda.

His new Pokémon, the roggenrola given to his by the Queen, sat in the middle of the room between two bookshelves. He had already scanned the room and know could walk around freely.

"Hey there," Brandon said, waving to the small rock. "Are you happy now you've calmed down?"

The roggenrola replied with weird incomprehensible sounds.

"Good, let's go to sleep then."

Brandon picked up his living rock, and left the library in hope that he could somehow find his way back to his bedroom before morning.

This chapter covers what was happening with Brandon during the events of the others in the last chapter, just incase it caused any confusion.