Skyborne

by Meemie

The tribe of Skyborne has been the ultimate powerhouse of the skies for centuries. They are deemed undefeated, unstoppable, and and almighty stronghold for the world's flying(and future-flying) pokemon. However, a great force is rising against them, plotting for world domination. Three unlikely pokemon hold the key as to whether their plans will make it or break it.

44. Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Dawn

The first shreds of sunlight peer over the treetops, turning the black sky into a soft blue. I stare hard into the distance, my eyes like weights. We've been flying all night, not wasting a single second of time. I think Rashi believed that we would be leaving in the morning after a night's rest. But, the Wings of Legend had other plans.

The mountain looms against the horizon like a tower, sending shudders through my spine. It's still far away, but it feels so incredibly close. The stone spires look like knives jabbing at the sky, warding off intruders. Nothing could be more fitting for the Wings of Legend.

I spot Torik not too far in front and I fly faster to meet him. He senses my presence, but he doesn't acknowledge me. I assume it's because he's tired, but then I see the tears in his eyes. He's not looking at the mountain. He's looking down into the forest below. That's right. He was here before, too. He must have watched his own comrades die before him. My memory wanders back to that night, the graveyard of fallen Raptors. The image still burns in my mind. And his, too. "Torik?" His tearful face turns to look at me. "I know. But, their loss won't be forgotten. Ever." He nods with a faint smile and looks down once again.

Our flock enters through the spires of the mountain, descending right into Spear Pillar. Nothing has changed since I was last here. The ruins are still ruined, the pedestals still cracked and crumbling, and the portal that leads to the distortion world is still there. We start to dive and pick up speed. "Brace yourselves!" Rashi calls from the front of the flock. The portal approaches fast and, before I can blink, we're diving headfirst into the belly of danger.

The familiar pressure squeezes the air out of me and I'm struggling for a breath. It's short, though. Before I know it, I'm floating among comrades in the world clouded with dark purple skies. Blake and April quickly follow through the portal and fly right next to me. Our flock has stopped to wait for the last pokemon emerging into the distortion world. When everyone is through, we fly ahead.

Fellow comrades' gazes darts from left to right, taking in every floating rock, every upside down vine, every dust particle they can see. Blake, April, and I concentrate on one thing and one thing only. The fallen ruins of the Wings of Legends' base. The dwelling place of Giratina. The source of all our nightmares as of late.

Finally, before we have to scream at them to focus on the boulder barely intact, Rashi gets everyone's attention. "Soldiers! That's where our target is, the leader of the Wings of Legend!" Eyes still wander like lost children, but the flight path is more direct. We're heading into the core of evil.

Before we can even fly through the craters, I spot movement in a dark corner. It sends intense shivers through every fiber of my body. The movement becomes more prominent and Giratina emerges from the shadows. His glowing red eyes makes me want to fly away, but I can barely manage to fly unfaltering. "Warriors of Skyborne!" He announces in his booming, yet cynical voice. "I sincerely apologize for dragging you into this quarrel! It was never my intention to begin with." Lies, they're all lies. "However, some of your soldiers have made it quite difficult to leave you out of the equation. Yet, it is not too late to set things right. I know the three sacrifices are among you! I can see them!"

It's all I can do not to flee from here, to run away and never see any Skyborne faces ever again. This is it, when he reveals our identities. But, Blake and April hover close by me. They must want to run away just as much as I do. But, this isn't the time to be weak. "So. I have a deal for you. If you turn them over, I will give you back someone you have lost." With one slow, yet smooth movement, he peels back a curtain of vines to reveal the cage behind it. It's a new one, the middle cage between three other cages meant for us. But, that's not what makes my throat close up. It's not what makes my blood boil until I feel like it's going to explode inside of me. No, it's the pokemon in the cage that knocks the life out of every warrior there to witness it.

Bound with thick vines, scarred, beaten, and a gaze filled with defeat that bores down on us is the almighty Grayos.