Ch.57: The Heralds of Darkness, the Monsters of War! Fear Their Daunting Presence!
Within the hidden base of the Anguis Organization, the leader of the feared crime gang walked through the empty halls, dawning a cloak over his shoulders. He carried with him his trademark, madman grin with his hands crossed behind his back casually. Accompanying him was his loyal Roserade maid. She had her eyes closed as usual, following her master obediently.
Aeternus licked his lips in his devious, sketchy manner. His scheming mind never found time to rest, especially when the dawn of a brand new start was rising before him. "Hehe…my lovely maid, have my subjects replied to my summons?"
She took a light bow in response, keeping up at her steady pace. "They shall arrive momentarily, Master."
Aeternus chuckled darkly. "Good, good…maybe now we'll make some damn progress." His fingers twitched erratically and creepily, like they were possessed by an excitable demon. "Kehehehe…oh, the Shadow King will be pleased by my efforts. And once that igloo shrew finishes prepping for the surgery, our king will be reborn anew." The Mr. Mime's grin stretched even further. "I'm tingling with anticipation."
Preparations were being made between the three active Heralds of Darkness to bring their master back to his former glory. Callista was working with her coven and assisting the madman with his experiments while Voss just went about doing whatever the hell he does. However, Aeternus had other interests in mind before he could start with bringing back the Shadow King.
In light of the death of the Pinsir and Lexx, Aeternus began to devise new plans involving his henchmen and the shadows more effectively. Team Ravenfield was on their mission to gather the keys to the idol and Aeternus wanted to slow their efforts or, best case scenario, kill them. Though, sending out his henchmen to stop them wasn't an ideal strategy.
He got as much as Nightmare could offer about each of their members. The Blood Moon Rogue was well familiar to the high-class mob boss since he had hired him. His men would be slaughtered in seconds against such a monster. His personal grudges against the Lightning Thief, Tony Sapienti, never withered after their confrontation in Fuego Village. He knew the Dewott was impossible to catch once he started running. The oddest of the group was the green Mew, who seems to have control over plants. Callista knew much about, demanding that Aeternus doesn't kill her and rather brings the Mew to her alive.
The Espeon…oh, what did he care? She was the weakest of the group. Sure, taking out a few shadows not even at full power could be impressive, but she was easy pickings to eliminate. The Flareon was another weakling of their group, though was troublesome with a partner.
Then there was the one their master seemed to hold a grudge against…a name he kept repeating to Nightmare after resurrection…Ravenfield. While the Flareon bared the same surname, the Umbreon was the leader of their group and was possibly the most magically gifted. Aeternus remembered the battle against his Monster Pinsir. Even behind a mirror, Aeternus could tell he was strong.
The Shadow King seemed to want the Ravenfields gone. Details were vague, but Aeternus saw no issue in eliminating a few pests.
Aeternus and his maid walked further through the twisting corridors before facing the clown's laboratory. The madman smirked delightfully before pushing the doors open.
His own personal domain of horrors and nightmares. Bloody lab equipment he never bothered to wash hanging presentably on the walls. Cabinets full of strange oddities, like a set of shark teeth, a severed hand, and a jar containing something resembling horribly made chili. Separate workstations were made in the lab to perform different tasks with efficient space provided. There was a testing ground separated from the lab by a strong one-way window and layers of thick walls, since testing usually involved something destructive happening.
But what really stood out in the nightmarish lab was a single door closed off by several locks. Through the tiny window on the door, there was shelves of cylindrical containers containing a pale-yellow dust, each labeled with names. This was the same dust that a victim of Aeternus' Farewell Oblivion turned into upon death. The locked door was labeled 'Life Particle Storage.'
Aeternus switched the lights on and pulled a notebook out from under the central workstation. "Forgot to ask, but Callista got my memo, right?"
"Mistress Callista is busy, unfortunately," the Roserade replied. "However, a couple of her witches were grateful enough to come in her place. Her Hex Caster and her Puppet Master."
Aeternus snickered through his teeth. "Fine by me. The shrew will be useful in this case. I look forward to properly working with them." He slapped the book open, then slammed his finger down on the page he wanted. "We got a lot of work to do. My minions will appreciate this when it's all over. They'll actually be useful for once."
Aeternus reached through his cabinets and pulled out his equipment and oddities, reviewing his notes to make sure all he was planning will go off without a hitch. With his track record, there might be a few dead minions in the end. Wouldn't be the first time.
The lab doors opened and the minions he called down made their way in: a Shiinotic, a Venonat, a Jynx, a Purrloin, Caesar the Sableye, and Rubia the Cradily. They were dressed in the typical Anguis Organization attire, like a street gang. While they were undyingly loyal to their leader, they knew personal summons from him meant they were going to have a hell of an afternoon.
Aeternus smirked over his shoulder in his usual unsettling demeanor. "Ah…you all made it. I'm so pleased that you came…not that you had a choice! Kehehehehehe!"
His minions laughed along with the madman with noticeable unease. In the Anguis Organization, there were a few things to remember: don't disobey Aeternus, don't piss him off, and just smile and nod with his ramblings. "Of course, sir!" the Shiinotic exclaimed a bit too loudly. "Anything to see your vision come to life!"
The Purrloin licked her lips curiously. "Though, I am curious as to why you called us here."
"Potential, my dear." Aeternus grinned evilly. "A war is brewing. Once my organization brings about the dark ages with my master once again reborn, a new age will be dawned on us. In order to achieve this, I need new warriors to lead my vision. Of course, I don't just want strong warriors. I want ones filled with power!" He clenched his fist. "Transforming Pokémon into killing monsters."
Caesar tiled his head. "You're not suggesting what you did to that Pinsir, are you?"
Aeternus waved his concern off. "Oh, don't be absurd! I can't have unstable monsters running around without meaning babysitting them! The work I'd have to put in would be maddening! And I'm already mad enough as it is!" He threw his head back and went into a quick cackle of insanity before snapping back to serious mode. "No, I need rational warriors to do my bidding." He smirked at the six. "You all will be the prototypes for my newest brand of shadow hosts."
They blinked in bewilderment. "What…does that mean?" the Jynx asked.
Before Aeternus answered, the lab door opened once more. Stepping in this time was Reuben and Isidore the Hex Caster. Isidore, no longer concealed behind a cloak, was revealed to be an Ambipom. She wore robes similar to a mage, but had a more witchy design incorporated into them: mainly black with a red shirt partially hidden under it, a few silver buttons down the middle, and a skirt that covered her legs. The skirt itself had a spider web design to it. It was designed to also let her twin tails stick out, with the left one carrying her staff.
As for Reuben, he- in the nicest way possible- looked horrible. While back in his suit, his face suffered long term damage after getting the shit kicked out of him by Flint's Guardian. His left cheek was slightly caved in due to facial fractures. There was a long scar that curved around his right eye, resembling a bruise in color. A part of his igloo head was permanently chip over the left side of his face. Aside from that, there was minor scarring over his face. He was seen walking with a limp and had his weaponized arm in a sling.
Aeternus smirked at the two, then looked back at his minions. "In response to your question…with the dark arts of witchcraft and my brilliant mind, we're going to transform you all into killing machines." He held his hand out and summoned a thick cloud of darkness in his palm. "The power I wield cannot not be understand or appreciated my mere mortals. A part of me will be incorporated into your new designs. Cherish the thought that your leader will share his power to make you worth something."
"Y-You mean that, sir?" the Venonat asked meekly.
"Of course I do. I'm a generous man when I want to." He smirked. "Now…who wants to be my first test subject?"
Not so surprisingly, they all raised their hands. A bit out of fear since the madman doesn't take kindly to defiance, but a promise of power was also tempting. To achieve their leader's goals and benefit their futures was a goal they'd risk their lives for.
He laughed and pointed out the Purrloin. "Why don't we start with you?" He snapped his fingers. "The rest of you, I want to test your combat abilities. I have other plans for you." He pointed at his maid. "My lovely maid here will evaluate your skill. Don't disappoint too much."
The minions couldn't help but grimace at the maid. Sure, she looked harmless, but she wasn't exactly…normal. A soulless body created by Puppet Master hands that lived to serve Aeternus? They knew full well that since she was Aeternus' Puppet, she wasn't some dainty maid to take lightly.
They sighed worriedly and made their way into the testing chamber with the Puppet maid following behind, neutral in expression. For their sake, the maid wouldn't kill them.
The Purrloin looked to her boss and stood at attention, awaiting further orders. Aeternus grinned creepily as the darkness sprung from his hand. It slithered around him like a snake, then revealed two gleaming red eyes. "Take a long, hard look at this shadow, Lithia. This shadow is a creation of my power. I'll give you a sample of my magical control over matter. This shadow will not only be bound to your soul, but it'll also be used to modify your abilities. We're going to turn you into an unstoppable killer. A killer…with a task to complete."
Lithia smirked gently and crossed her arms. "I feel honored, Lord Aeternus." She glanced over at the two witches. "But, to what is the use of their presence."
Reuben lowered his head and smirked. "I guess the crazy man didn't tell you or the goons about the second purpose of this little warrior project of his."
Aeternus grinned. "These experiments are merely to help test a certain formula I'm working on, in order to revitalize the Shadow King. I have to see if a basic mortal body can handle the experiments. Not just the body itself, but also the modifications made into it."
That statement caused Lithia to pale. "Modifications…to the body?"
Aeternus held his hips. "Oh, don't worry about a thing. Nothing major, of course. We're just going to perform a little…surgery."
The Purrloin gripped her arm as sweat dripped down her forehead. "What…kind of surgery?"
The Mr. Mime patted her head with a cold stare and wicked smile. "If you want, I'll even considered putting you under. I enjoy watching my subjects scream during this part. But, because I want you to stay somewhat sane, having you unconscious might be the best course of action."
The purple cat was obviously nervous, but she wouldn't dare defy her lord. Besides, if all goes well, she'll be stronger than ever. Where's the harm in that? "O…kay, whatever you say, sir."
"Prep her on the table," Aeternus ordered Reuben. He nodded and whispered further instructions into the Purrloin while Aeternus walked over to the glass window separating him from the training room. "Now, how are my subjects handling my lovely maid?" He blinked, then smirked evilly. "Ooh, not too well, I see."
Isidore grew curious and joined his side to see what it was that the maid was doing. In her brief surprise, she faltered back as the Venonat slammed into the window face-first, twitching as he slid back to the ground. "Your methods are rather unorthodox, wouldn't you say?"
Aeternus shrugged. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Currently, they were witnessing highly trained grunts in his forces having their asses handed to them by a Roserade who was just a mere Puppet. The Shiinotic and Caesar tried to stab her with their knives, but she deflected their attacks and performed elegant, but deadly high kicks to the faces. Blood splattered out of their mouths. Rubia and the Jynx attempted a sneak attack from behind, but the maid easily intercepted and surprised them with a quick turn and the reveal of weaponry hidden under her bouquet hands. Gun barrels, loaded and ready to fire.
They shrieked and tried to run away, but were inevitably taken down by the splash of magic bullets that pierced through their bodies, avoiding vital areas, of course.
Aeternus laughed at their misery. "Oh, as much as I enjoy my minions having their shit kicked out of them, there is purpose to this. I'll beat them down more and more and improve them. I'll study their flaws and improve around them, giving them the skills necessary to take out their opponents. With every beating they take from my maid, I'll improve them until even she can't overwhelm them."
Isidore glanced at him. "And my purpose for being here?"
He snickered. "Well, I'm actually glad Callista sent you down. Your dark arts should prove useful. Think you could help whipping up special formulas combined with the essence of shadows?" He held his hand out and spawned another shadow from his hand. "With me providing their power and my genius intellect, I need a crafty magic user to assist in the finished product. Believe me, if we can turn these amateurs into unbeatable powerhouses, not even those pesky treasure hunters will stand a chance."
Isidore narrowed her eyes, then chuckled. "It'll be an honor to work alongside you."
Aeternus grinned satisfactory. "Kehehehehe…excellent. Let's get to work."
With no interest nor relative skill in helping Aeternus with his projects, Voss took to training in his lonesome. Since he wasn't allowed to kill the Anguis grunts (only Aeternus was allowed to do that), he took the next best thing. The witches were kind enough to lend him their supply of stone imps so he wasn't sitting around and doing nothing.
Problem was, the stone imps featured the exact same problem the man struggled with: lack of challenge.
He stood there, motionlessly and without armor, letting the imps beat and punch him without resistance. They clawed at his skin, laughing like the little devils they were. He could tell these imps were enjoying the lack of effort he put in, since they were used to mercilessly slaughter their targets. Though, eventually, they will realize their attempts were all for naught.
Voss sighed in disappointment and walked towards a bench that had a fresh bottle of water waiting for him to drink. He was currently outside the base, training on Aeternus' private rooftop dojo. The environment around him was…bleak and depressing. Dark storm clouds that looked unnatural, with purple lightning shoot down at the ground and roof. Rocky terrain for miles, too.
Voss has never seen anything like this before in his travels around Mysto. Being immortal, he has seen the changes Mysto went through with his own eyes. Advancements in spells, development of new weapons, and, of course, the new warriors that sprung up and disappointed his miserable existence. Yes, it was quite clear he wasn't in Mysto exactly, but rather one of the many hidden dimensions scattered all across the region. Seems Aeternus just really loved the view of this place.
Voss picked up his water and squirted the clear liquid into his mouth, still not acknowledging the imps that scratched at his body. He set the water down and stared off at the miles of ground to cover.
Perhaps I can test my abilities on those mountains. Surely a far more useful waste of my time. He closed his eyes and leaned his back against the roof's edge. Power without a rivaling force to test it…how monotonous. The only one who has ever defeated me is the same man who refused to execute me: the Shadow King. Voss glared at the ground. He taunts me with this gift of power and immortality. Is this your divine wish, my master? To watch me suffer as I face the roads of disappointment? Or perhaps you wish that I find a worthy rival to satisfy my desires?
Voss stepped away from the roof edge and walked back to the center of the battlefield, still not acknowledging the imps who were still relentlessly trying to make him bleed. Voss gripped the hilt of his sword. Perhaps I should just accept my fate for what it is. He drew the weapon out. A pointless existence that'll grant me no satisfaction. He slashed the air twice, confusing the imps into stopping their pointless attacks. No death…just eternal life. He slid his sword back into its scabbard. A warrior who will never die…who wishes to find the ultimate challenge.
The moment his sword clicked back into its scabbard, the imps cried out in agony as they fell apart in stone fragments. The speed of his slashes were so fast, they couldn't register anything after the first and only visible swipe of his sword.
Voss sat on the ground and crossed his arms, sighing tiredly. "What a waste of my time…"
"I feel like I'm the only one who has been rather cheery in her five centuries of immortality." Voss glanced to the side and was graced by the presence of the Witch of Darkness. "First Puck goes insane, Wendrake abandons us and is off doing who knows what, then we have you who is even more depressed and suicidal than before."
Voss glared at the Ariados before resuming staring off into the distance. "You aren't me, Callista. I am, and forever will, be eternally unsatisfied until I find my rival."
Callista narrowed one eye at him. "So, you decided to massacre an entire clan just so one of their few survivors finds the will to kill you? I don't disapprove of the murder of an entire clan- heck, if I knew where you were at the time, I would have gladly joined in- but you are only setting yourself up for failure. What is it about that Grovyle that interests you?"
Voss closed his eyes. "…potential. His clan's power is…intriguing. I wish to exploit his hatred and see just how far I can take it." He grunted. "However…even after massacring his entire clan, there's still something holding him back. I want him to hate me with all his heart, but something won't allow his hate to grow farther than that." He sighed. "I'm beginning to wonder if there's a limit to the amount of hate you can feel towards someone. Is it possible to have an undying, unlimited hatred for someone?"
Callista rested in front of the Warrior of Darkness with narrowed eyes. "Look, I didn't study weird philosophy junk like you, pal. I'm a witch. I don't care about hatred and the nature of it and whatever. All I care about is amassing the powers of Hell." She closed her eyes. "Despite my place in the Tribe of Shadows, my power relies mostly on the demons I've made contracts with. I didn't bother using the high tier ones on that Flareon I fought. I didn't take the fight seriously. I just wanted to see if he cared for that little Mew as much as he says.
"My eyes are set on that green Mew, though. She impressed me with not only her magic, but her potential to be unstoppable." She hissed gleefully. "Oh yes, how I loved watching her slip into madness because I nearly killed her precious friend. If you want to talk about hatred, I felt plenty of that when her hidden godly magic exploded from her depths. Her passive control over plants makes her a deadly prize worth snatching. The demons of Hell will be pleased when I bring them her soul in exchange for the contract I seek."
Voss scoffed. "You and your demons. You're a weakling to rely on the forces of Hell."
Callista narrowed her eyes. "I'm a witch, asshole. My strengths don't fall under physical combat." She quietly snickered. "Still, if I need to, I do have other ways of relying on the power given to me by our master. Does that bring a little more faith in my strength?"
Voss sneered. "Hardly. You're not even worth meeting the end of my blade."
"When did this turn into a conversation about us fighting?" She laughed under her breath and looked ahead. "I have all of Hell to back me up. You have that unbreakable armor of yours. Puck has his freaky little abilities." She glared. "And then there's good ol' Wendrake, master of assassination."
"How I dream to drive my blade down his throat for his betrayal…" Voss growled. He then sighed. "Speaking of him, I miss the times of war. At least back then, I had purpose in myself. The ensuing war of countless lives, trying to fight back for their freedom. That brought out their own hidden strength, and brought me worthy fighters to test their will to live."
Callista clicked her mandibles and hissed with glee. "Ah yes, that fifty year war where we ravaged the land and nearly brought those pathetic Pokémon to their end." A gleam of evil flashed from the corner of her eye. "Those were some good times, you have to admit. Back when we were all just getting used to our power. Back when we first learned what it meant to be the best."
Voss narrowed his eyes slowly, then grunted. "Tch…you're not wrong."
Desolate land ravaged from destruction and chaos. A world crumbling under the strain of war. A region once full of life. A region without a name. A dark mist rolled across the rocky land, only the sound of the wind rolling by for minutes on end.
Then…a sound was made. Warriors armoring themselves for their life.
A nearby settlement, a town, stood in the empty land, alone without the lush expanse of nature to comfort it. A town full of scared Pokémon, slowly evacuating to flee for their lives. Ever since the war started, there was no hope. Only survival. They could only survive. Only run. They could see the signs.
The Heralds of Darkness were coming.
The warriors of the town amassed into a large army, armed with the finest weaponry they could get and dressed in their best armor. Everything they needed to hold off the heralds…they hoped, at least.
The dark mist grew in size as four figures came closer to the approaching army. Their deadly presence was menacing from distances away. Up close, they were monsters born from Hell. A miracle had to be granted to allow them to survive this day. A blessing from Arceus himself.
The Warrior of Darkness, adorning his unbreakable, self-improving armor and wielding his sword over his shoulder with a firm glare piercing through his mask.
The Witch of Darkness, wearing a cloak as she scuttled across the ground, clicking her mandibles together in delightful anticipation.
The Strategist of Darkness, floating over their heads wearing a gentlemen's suit with a cape and delivering a cold scowl to the amassing Pokémon.
Finally, the Assassin of Darkness. Black suit, gloves, boots, and hood with a silver mask covering his face. His pupils shined with a red glow through the mask's eyeholes. His physique showed a humanoid body type.
They stared down the army as they readied to fire on the heralds, refusing to surrender to these merciless killers without a fight. However, that assumed they were going to survive this day long enough to consider surrender. No, surrender wasn't an option to be granted. It was live or die once the first gunshot rang. All the warriors knew this. It was their last stand to protect the evacuating civilians.
As the warriors prepared to fire, the heralds observed their opposition with judging eyes. The Strategist, Puck, floated down to their level and sneered. "Insolent Pokémon…they should accept their deaths with some dignity. Their fruitless show of force will only result in despair."
Wendrake the Assassin closed his eyes and sighed. "Give them some credit. They're at least thinking of their town before us. They're clearly evacuating as we speak."
Callista the Witch hissed. "So, should we intervene and dispose of the escapees?"
"Our orders are to remove their forces," Wendrake reminded sternly. "The citizens will be no threat. We're only here to eliminate their line of defense. Our armies will wipe them out."
Voss the Warrior scoffed dryly, impatiently clanging his sword against his armored shoulder. "I don't care what we do. Right now, I just want to see which one of these pathetic warriors can match my power. If the citizens wish to flee, whatever. They're not important."
Puck scowled in annoyance. "Pathetic lot, you are. Thinking of yourselves half the time." He glared at the warriors. "Information on our previous battles have given them some much needed prep time. Their weapons must be loaded with a secret weapon. Exercise caution as usual." He glared at Callista. "Intercept the first wave."
Callista narrowed her eyes and scuttled forward. "Right…"
The warriors armed their weapons warily as they saw the witch taking the first steps into battle. Callista remained expressionless as she observed their stances. They were clearly suppressing all forms of fear to kill them. She'll give them credit for accepting their inevitable deaths with some pride.
Once she stopped walking, she hissed in amusement. "Now…which contract should I use?" She clicked her mandibles in thought, then laughed suspiciously. "Ooh…how about this one? I call upon the Sealed Army of a Thousand Demons!"
Her cloak sprung up and released a thick black fog that covered her side of the field. The warriors didn't wait for her to summon anything and fired their guns at the witch, shrouded deep in the black fog. Their guns were single fire only, so they fired off one after the other, quickly reloading without breaking the flow of fire. Their shots pierced the fog, but some of the warriors with sharper hearing heard the faint sound of metal clanging with each round.
The firing squad was called off, leading them wait for the fog to clear. As the fog receded back into Callista, the warriors stood in horror as the fog revealed a massive army before them. Purple, leathery skinned demons with horns, piercing red eyes, and snaggleteeth, each wearing minimal armor and carrying swords and shields, bows and arrows, or operating mobile cannons.
Callista hissed evilly. "Now my demons, fulfil my wishes and vanquish their forces."
"By your command, Mistress Callista!" the demons roared before charging into battle.
Getting over the initial shock of demons spawning from nothing, the marksmanship warriors took aim again and fired on the approaching army. Some were lucky to get a few clean hits on the demons, but the demons got in fast and brought their weapons down on the Pokémon.
Swords clashed fiercely as both sides pushed back. The Pokémon got lucky in eliminating the demons, as their purpose seemed to be overwhelming numbers. However, the demons weren't without their own training, able to keep up and eliminate just as many Pokémon warriors as the enemy.
Two Nidoking roared and smashed a group of demons into a bloody pulp with their war hammers. They were charging through the demons and holding them back for their allies.
Callista sneered in annoyance. "I should really start acquiring higher tier demons to do my bidding." She narrowed her eyes and chuckled darkly. "Hmm…I think I might have a contract that requires the sacrifice of a Nidoking." She looked back at her allies. "If one of you would be so kind as to get me a Nidoking…"
Voss swung his sword and took a few steps forward. "I'll proceed with the second wave…" His steps turned into large strides as he rushed into battle, stomping the ground with each powerful step.
The two Nidoking bashed their way through the thousand demons until feeling the overwhelming presence of a new opponent. They raised their war hammers at the approaching opponent. Voss narrowed his eyes sharply on them, a glimmer of intrigue shining off them. They looked strong. Maybe they could satisfy his wishes.
The hammers swung for both the armor-cladded Electivire's sides. Voss stopped and took the hits to his sides. Much to the Nidokings' shock, their hammers didn't put a dent into the armor. In fact, once they pulled their hammers back, they saw the heads were chipped and crumbling.
"That armor…!" one of the Nidoking's gasped in alarm.
"What the hell is it made of?!" the other exclaimed.
Voss narrowed his eyes and aimed his sword for their heads. "Are you discouraged to fight already? I don't want to be disappointed."
The first Nidoking dropped his hammer and attempted to tackle the armored herald down. "We won't let you take our town!"
"We're only letting them evacuate." The bipedal rhino gasped as the evil warrior's sword impaled his throat. He was stunned silent as the light faded from his eyes. "If you're their best, what do we have to worry about from them?" He withdrew his sword and let the Nidoking drop dead.
The second rhino clenched his teeth in anger. "You…You bastard!" He charged for Voss, but the Electivire stepped out of the way.
"You're dealing with me, my new sacrifice!" The Nidoking was suddenly grabbed by a massive shadow hand and lifted into the air. He gawked in horror before staring down at the Ariados holding him hostage. From under her fluttered cloak came the shadow extension. She hissed deviously. "Perfect. Just what I was looking for." She tapped the medallion around her neck.
A portal opened up in front of her legs, leading to an unknown location for the Nidoking. He flailed defiantly in the spider witch's hold. "Release me at once!"
Several Pokémon suddenly dashed for Callista before she could throw him into the portal. "Strike swiftly, men! All we need is a clean strike!" They raised their swords and jumped the spider as she focused on her hostage.
She stayed silent for a moment, then chuckled arrogantly. "You fools? I'm not wasting my time on you."
The swords came dangerously close to stabbing her, but something…something caused their swords to shatter to pieces before they could make their kill. The Pokémon jumped back immediately, fearing the spider had something to do with the destruction of their weapons. A Herdier with only a hilt held in his teeth growled. "What was that?! Another demon's doing?!"
His eyes suddenly widened in alarm as most of his men broke down in splashes of blood. Severe lacerations crossed the front of their bodies in such a horrid display of clean cuts.
"Not a real demon…but close enough." The Herdier's head snapped forward as the feared Assassin of Darkness calmly walked towards him with his hands behind his back. "Don't make any foolish attempts for your life. Do me a favor and surrender. I'll make it quick and painless."
Herdier's face twitched in discomfort. Before he could bark his objection at the evil man, two remaining swordsmen, a Marowak and a Blaziken, rose and dashed for the assassin with newly drawn swords at the ready.
"The Heralds of Darkness will die on this day!" the Blaziken proclaimed as they both got in close with their weapons.
Wendrake sighed in annoyance as the swords swung for his neck. "Put those damn things away." The swords suddenly shattered to pieces, then the shattered shards flung into the swordsmen, almost like they were being telekinetically controlled. They cried out in pain as the blade shards jabbed through their bodies, but not deep enough to kill them on the spot.
The Marowak, taking a moment to collect himself, retrieved his bone club from behind his back and swung it at the assassin with a fast series of jabs. Wendrake raised his finger and casually matched of the speed of the jabs, stopping them without any visible effort in his finger blocks.
"You're wasting my time." Wendrake caught the club between his index finger and thumb. Before the Marowak knew it, a series of slashes traveled down the club and transferred through his arm and into his chest, tearing apart in his heart in seconds. He gawked with a few sputters of blood from his mouth, then dropped unceremoniously at the assassin's feet. Wendrake held the Marowak's prized possession between his two fingers before it crumbled to pieces. "You forced my hand."
The Blaziken slammed his hand against the ground and growled furiously at the assassin. He drew a knife from the back of his waist while the assassin's back was turned. Without making so much as a sound, he lunged straight for his exposed back, aiming for the heart.
Wendrake didn't attempt to dodge, sensing his angered movements with ease. He closed his eyes as the Blaziken drew nearer. His assassination attempt was cut down as the land flickered with a pale yellow glow before springing up and jabbed through the humanoid chicken as spikes. His face was twisted in a permanent expression of anguish, no signs of life remaining inside.
The assassin glanced to the side with an unimpressed look in his eyes. "Rather messy execution, Puck."
The scowling Mr. Mime floated into action with his arms crossed. "Quit lollygagging. We have a job to do. Nightmare is amassing the shadows for the final push. Weaken their forces or kill them. Not that complex."
The Herdier grinded his teeth together in rage. "You monsters…I can't allow this to continue!" He lunged himself at them with the broken, yet jagged blade aimed for the mime.
Puck sneered and dodged his attempted strike before kicking him across the face. "Then allow me to end your miserable existence." He pressed his hands together and channeled his magical power between his hands.
The Herdier ignored his facial injury and recognized the attack from the many notifications of miraculous survivors. "No…NO!" He hightailed it as fast as he could. "Everyone!" The warriors, still fighting off the persisting demons, turned towards him in shock. "Retreat! Retreat NOW!"
Puck narrowed his eyes, then slowly opened his hands like a pair of gates. "Particle…Eraser." He fully revealed his palms and fired a massive, pale yellow beam at the warriors.
Herdier lunged to try and gain distance. He let out a horrified scream as he, and the other warriors, were consumed into the beam. Their figures darkened within the light, then broke apart as their screams went silent. Within the light, their darkened forms blew apart like dust in the wind. There was no hope of escape. There was no one to survive.
Puck lowered his smoking hands and smirked at the blackened ground. No flesh or bone remained. No armor, weapons, or clothes. They've been completely erased in a single instance. He crossed his arms and leaned back in the air. "And that…is how you finish off the enemy promptly."
Callista threw the panicking Nidoking into her portal and closed it up before retracting the shadow appendages. "Puck, you should really learn to relax. No one can stop us. Years of this war has turned into a game for us to exploit. Enjoy that."
Wendrake crossed his arms. "Mission complete. Now for the final wave, for the shadows to destroy what is left of this pathetic town."
Voss sighed in disappointment that he couldn't fight any more worthy opponents. "What a drag…" He sheathed his blade.
Callista tapped her medallion and opened up a second portal, this time for all four of them. She looked over the horizon and hissed. "The shadows are approaching. Let them indulge in their mayhem while we wait for more worthy prey to foolishly waste their lives."
Wendrake bent down and picked up a shard of a bullet. "Well, I'll give them this much, they at least tried to be smart. The bullets were laced with poison."
Callista chuckled darkly. "Oh yes, that was a desperate attempt on their part." She stepped through the portal, followed by the other three.
Once it closed up, the black mist the rolled around the ground would soon become darker.
A clanking of glasses echoed in the private dining room of the Shadow King's castle. Callista and Puck celebrated another successful destruction of enemy forces with their demeaning laughter while Wendrake and Voss silently kept to themselves while not totally excluding from the enjoyment of the banquet thrown together for them.
Voss had his armor set into its dormant state while Wendrake remained wearing his mask. Callista made a few playful jabs at him for this. "Yo, Drake! You know that mask doesn't come with a mouth hole, right?"
Wendrake sighed tiredly. "I think you know by now that I'm perfectly capable of eating with my mask on." He lifted his wine glass and tilted his head up, enough for a small gap between his face and the mask to smoothly pour wine down his throat.
Puck pressed his fist against his cheek and raised his brow. "Seriously, eight years and you still haven't taken that damn thing off?"
"I take it off in private," he corrected him.
Puck smirked. "Oh really? What's wrong? Ashamed to show your face in front of us?"
"This becoming a problem?" Wendrake asked, flashing a sinister glow from his left eye, which didn't faze the strategist.
Puck found himself laughing manically. "Someone's having issues~!" He nearly went into mad cackles, but he reined himself in and cleared his throat. "Ugh…pardon me." He lifted his wine glass and sipped delicately.
Voss closed his eyes. "You do seem to like keeping your face hidden from us? I don't think we ever asked."
Wendrake narrowed his eyes at the dining table. "Guess time flies when you're given immortality…" He felt his chest. "Hard to believe I'm still in my mid-twenties." He clenched his glass tightly. "…you know I'm only doing this because I have to return the king's favor, right?"
Puck smirked and sipped his wine. "So, you really are ashamed. Eh, give it a few more centuries. I'll admit, I had trouble accepting this new life of anguish and tyranny, but I was quick to go along with it. It's like my true calling has been realized."
Wendrake rolled his eyes and traced his finger around the edge of his glass. "Uh huh…"
The heralds ceased their festivities for a moment when they felt a new presence enter the room. A very powerful one that surpassed their own power. They turned to the dining hall's main entrance before standing up and bowing to the man they obeyed.
"Greetings, Shadow King," they greeted in unison.
Stepping into the dining hall, his presence was overwhelming to the untrained individual. As a shadow, he took on liberties to bind himself to a powerful host to serve his deeds. His current body was a Feraligatr, cladded in black armor and a red cape. However, this was no regular Feraligatr. It is the unfortunate host of the most powerful shadow to ever grace the lad. The possessed gator's pupils were red while the sclera was black. He carried a large broadsword on his back.
His gaze was sharp and cold, staring down at the bowing heralds with low eyes. They could see the dark aura that surrounded him. Black as a starless night, resembling a plume of smoke. He radiated with evil.
"At ease," he ordered, allowing them to relax. His voice was smooth and refine, but with the expected darkness of an evil king. He walked to the far end of the dining hall, where his throne chair sat at the end of the table. "What's our status on the resistance?"
Callista held her glass between her forelegs. "They've been completely pushed out of the immediate area. Our forces are spreading and taking up more of their land." She sipped her wine before continuing, "As of now, this region's population has dropped by a little under ten percent. They're persistent in holding on to their life."
Puck swirled his wine around with an analytical demeanor in his face. "Shadows sent to eliminate survivor strong holds have been eliminated, however. The Pokémon are going into hiding while warring back against us. Their best scientists and engineers are doing everything in their power to build better weaponry against our shadows."
"Progress of eliminating us, however, hasn't gone up," Voss pointed out. "It would be easier to have us wipe them all out."
The Shadow King sat himself in his chair and snapped his fingers. Shadows sprung from the ground and poured him a glass of wine. "I had to send you four to eliminate that last batch of warriors after they took back part of their land. As said, they're steadily trying to improve." He lifted the glass and brought it up to his lips. "We shouldn't have to worry, though. I want this war to last as long as possible. I want to see just how determined these Pokémon are to retake their land." The possessed gator closed his eyes. "Besides, we can't be stopped by mere mortals. The Pokémon have nothing that could permanently cripple our advancements. They can try and build their fancy weapons to counter us, but they'll always fall short. Especially when we have the advantage of utilizing magic."
Wendrake closed his eyes. "Indeed. There aren't many magically gifted Pokémon in the world. It isn't a common practice like for you shadows."
The Shadow King finished sipping his wine and set the glass down. "Whether this war lasts two more years or a hundred years, we'll succeed. I'll take my time to make these inferior creatures learn true power." He narrowed his eyes. "After all is said and done, I'll obtain what's rightfully mine and use its power to become a true god. These mortals are a mere warm-up. My true sights rest on overthrowing the gods."
Puck raised his glass. "And we'll be here to bring your dream to reality."
Callista raised her glass. "I second that."
Voss nodded, raising his. "Third."
Wendrake, however, looked a bit more hesitant to agree, but he ultimately caved in and joined in on the toast. "Agreed…"
The Shadow King raised his glass to theirs and smirked. "Then…to our future as gods."
Voss sighed and looked up at the sky. "The Shadow King was a brilliant ruler who struck fear into the hearts of mortals…but his arrogance got the better of him. His love for war was what ultimately did him in."
Callista nodded in agreement. "I hate to say it, but yeah. Killing off the mortals day after day and letting them grow stronger, but it never effected our plans…not until magic came into the picture." She grimaced. "When we heard about mortals wiping out our shadows by the thousands, we thought they finally built some strong weapon. Instead, we were underprepared for them utilizing magic out of nowhere." She growled. "Damn…that was the first time I got seriously injured, too. We've improved in raw power, but they had us beat in techniques. Only that bastard Wendrake and you got out of it unscathed."
Voss sneered. "I was ashamed to be forced to retreat…yet I felt honored to battle such worthy users of magic. I was forced to improve myself, even after the war."
"I think we all had to improve for the inevitable return of our master." Callista closed her eyes and grumbled. "With my new addition of contracts at my disposal, I won't make the same naïve mistakes again. I've had five centuries to mature."
"As did I."
They sat in silence, contemplating their past actions. It was a good life of war and mayhem. Now they've had five hundred years to watch this world they tried to destroy rebuild itself into a civilization centered around the very force that did them in. They had watched lands they had destroyed change, from the normal to the weird. It flourished in a time of peace, long since forgetting the tragedy that sparked the Grand Imperium Age.
They will soon remind this world why they were so feared.
Voss stood up and unsheathed his sword. "I must resume my training." He glared at the spider. "Your imps aren't adequate opponents, by the way."
Callista snickered. "I wouldn't expect less from you."
Before Voss could resume doing…something to train himself, their private talk was interrupted by the presence of Aeternus' apprentice, standing by the rooftop entrance with his usual serious demeanor. "Mistress Callista. Master Voss."
Callista hissed in delight. "Ah, the apprentice boy! What brings you up here?"
Zaros stepped to the side and gestured to the door. "Lord Aeternus requires an audience with you two. He has something to share."
The two heralds glanced at each other, then nodded firmly. After Voss sheathed his blade, the two followed the chipmunk back into the building to see what their insane ally did.
Seven hours of work and Aeternus felt satisfied with the finished product. His Purrloin minion was covered in a sheet, recovering from the exasperating surgery done on her. She was given a special potion to help rejuvenate her body and to adapt to the new changes given to her.
Aeternus sat in the air with his legs crossed, rubbing his chin with puckish glee. "Reuby, you've just become my favorite witch!" He snickered and covered his mouth. "Don't tell Callista, though. She'll probably kick my ass- no wait, she will kick my ass!" He threw his head back and laughed.
Reuben crossed his arms and accepted the clown's praise. "I appreciate sharing my intuitive knowledge on all things macabre. I don't normally amputate limbs, modify them, then reattach them to the body, but I'm willing to make exceptions."
Isidore leaned against her staff and narrowed her eyes at the training room next door. Through the window, she could see the fallen Anguis grunts lying on the floor with the Roserade maid standing with proper poise. "I doubt she'll be as strong as a full-fledged Puppet, given they have no restrictions, but having access to a creative mind will make her new applications suitable for battle."
Aeternus floated over the covered Purrloin, pressing his fist against his cheek. "Kehehehehehe…this is just a field test, but I'll be satisfied with any results. We can improve, after all."
The lab doors opened, leading the Mr. Mime to turn his head and grin upon the arrival of his fellow heralds and apprentice. Callista scuttled up to Aeternus and was about to ask why he called them down when she took note of the sheet with an obvious body under it. "…who the heck did you kill this time?"
Aeternus snickered lightly. "No one, actually. She's very much alive."
Voss crossed his arms. "Why did you call us down? Does it have to do with that body?"
Zaros stepped forward and faced the two heralds. "As you all know, Lord Aeternus is working with the assistance of Reuben to remake the Shadow King into a formidable warlord. We're going through testing and using our minions to perform experiments."
"We know that much," Callista grumbled. "Heck, I'm almost directly involved."
Aeternus grinned. "I still need your help with making the special drug that'll force the Shadow King to take over his current host body while he's dormant. Regular contact with him is shifty since he can maintain control for only so long in his weakened state. A rendezvous point is being devised as we speak."
"And how do I fit into this picture?" Voss asked impatiently.
"Kehehehehe, I'm glad you asked." He pressed his finger against his chest. "What's a drug designed to reinvigorate the body with power without the actual power? Compared to all three of us, you have the most raw power at your disposal. I, at least, want to extract some of your magic. Nothing too serious. Just meditating and sharpening it would be enough to work with."
Voss blinked, then sighed. "I suppose that's not too demanding…"
Aeternus snapped his fingers in their faces, annoying them. "Of course it isn't! This is the big moment, you idiots! No time to screw it up!" He smirked and crossed his arms. "With the field testing with my minions, my genius, and Reuben's handiwork, everything will fall into place. Then we'll overpower those treasure hunters and take the keys for ourselves."
Callista hopped onto the table the Purrloin was laying on, tugging at the sheet. "When do we send her out?"
"She should make a recovery by tonight. After that, I'll send her after the treasure hunters with a shadow to survey her progress." Aeternus smirked. "I'm going to enjoy watching those foolish Pokémon crumble at my power." He paced around the room before stopping and raising his fist. "The Heralds of Darkness will ring back the Shadow King and end this foolish world for good!"
Callista hissed delightfully and, surprisingly, Voss joined in with a bold smirk. The three heralds laughed amongst themselves, reveling in their destiny for destruction.
"When this is all over, I'll have the ultimate contract," Callista announced.
"I'll bring out the strongest warriors to slay me," Voss stated.
"And I'll become a god!" Aeternus exclaimed. "Nowhere near as powerful as our king, but still a god!"
While the heralds laughed with each other, Reuben suddenly brought something up he only now just realized. "Hey, I have a question. Where's that boss shadow that orders around the shadow army? I haven't seen him for a few days." Nightmare's normally gone doing something, like tracking down Team Ravenfield, but he gave no word of that being his objective.
Even Isidore was confused. "Yes, I think I last saw him when I was performing some new dark arts of mine. I have no idea where he went off to."
Aeternus grinned at the two witches. "Oh, don't worry about him. Unknown to those treasure hunters, we've been monitoring their progress as best we could. Though, the last time your Dark Medium probed that Flareon and Mew, she manage to dig up a bit more information that we deemed…useful at a time like this. Some extra…insurance to pressure those treasure hunters."
Isidore held her hip. "What does that mean?"
"Do you know the saying 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend?' That's what Nightmare has in mind."
A strip of shadow flew along the surface of the ground, sneakily trailing a potential lead for a certain lead. With keeping up to date with Team Ravenfield's activities, they've been keeping tabs on how many keys they've acquired. Making a move now would attract unnecessary attention. Team Ravenfield alone was a difficult group to put down, much less nearby warriors or mages. Heck, after their last encounter, Griffin was the one he feared to go up against the most.
Nightmare had a different objective in mind, however. After speaking with the Dark Medium of the witch coven, he grew interested in a certain group that has attacked the treasure hunters on more than one occasion. A group persuaded by riches and fortune. Making a deal with them could help their forces considerably.
Nightmare peeked through the trees, sensing far into the distance, specifically in the air. If this group was as persistent as the Dark Medium described, then they should be in the Aqua Zone or relatively near it.
The Being of Nightmares smirked evilly and chuckled through his teeth. Let's see how easy it is to sway a group of pirates into joining our legion of darkness.