Ch.84: News That Shakes the Pillars! A New Plan is Needed!

Team Ravenfield's disgraceful defeat left them completely lost as they took their time to recover. Thankfully, they faced no opposition from the shadows in any search attempt. By some miracle, it's likely Griffin and Tony's meeting with the Desert Beasts saved their skins. They were able to ease up in their new hideout while they nursed their injuries.

Once they were back to full strength, it was clear where their next destination was. Since the Power Key was out of their reach, Ironworks Kingdom was their only option. A place to train and to obtain their next key, assuming this Margo mage doesn't aggravate their injuries further. They only hoped whatever special test she had planned for them wouldn't be something impossible.

With that said, there was only so much they could do for the time being. Right now, one thing needed to be done. With their different allies helping in their cause, they had a lot of people to contact and inform of the…great loss they endured.

Wes didn't want to be apart of the call. In fact, he had himself sequestered in the back of the cave with his head held in his forelegs. No one dared to bother him, though Flint and Ella stayed close by. As expected from a loyal brother and friend. Gwyn was busy with medicine, which left Tony and Griffin to give out updates.

They weren't looking forward to it, but it had to be done.

The traveling circus troupe made their way through a heavy rainstorm in the middle of the night. The Tauros, all donned in rain ponchos, that pulled the train of carts dug their hooves into the road, giving it their all for as long as they could. Vincent manned the rains, gripping to his raincoat as the winds pushed on him.

The Hawlucha pushed his hood up and shouted, "We should call in a night, boys! I can't have you walking in this rain forever!"

"We've got a couple of miles left in us, boss!" one of the Tauros shouted. "We want to get as far as we can, right?"

"I wouldn't want my crew getting sick at my expense!" Vincent tugged on the reigns, ordering the Tauros into an immediate stop. "Enough! You all need rest." He held his arm over his eyes and gazed up at the storm clouds. "It's getting pretty late and I don't see this storm ending anytime soon." He jumped off his bench and unstrapped them. "Let's get you boys inside."

"Boss, seriously, we can keep going," another Tauros complained, though was betrayed by an involuntary sneeze. It didn't sound like a common sneeze.

Vincent glared at them firmly, then tucked their reigns under his arm. "Oh, you all are definitely heading inside. Come on, I'll get you some medicine before bed." Begrudgingly, the Tauros followed, though they silently admitted they needed their sleep, even if they were too stubborn to quit.

It hasn't been all too long since Ava and Morgan last received a call from Team Ravenfield. They, of course, wondered how their journey was going and hoped they were treading well and safe. However, it wasn't a good sign when the first thing they see is the disheveled state of the team and their rather down mood.

"What the heck happened to you kids?" Morgan asked. "You look like you got into a nasty scuffle."

Tony grimaced. "Trust me, Pops, it was more than a nasty scuffle. I don't think I was this bruised up since my battle with my father."

"Are the others okay?" Ava asked worriedly.

"For the most part," Griffin answered. "We're working with the best we have before we head out again." He gripped his shirt. "We suffered a lot of damage and…scarring."

Morgan glared. "This was the work of the shadows, was it?"

"Much worse than that," Tony answered, gritting his teeth into a vicious scowl. "It was a planned attack on us, but they weren't primarily aiming to kill us. They were after a man named Jonathan Geno."

Morgan blinked, then held his chin. "That man who works as a professor from Quartz Plain Village. Yes, I believe I heard of him back in Fuego Village when you all called him." He glared. "Why were they after him?"

Griffin closed his eyes. "…You both might want to sit down for this one." He took a deep breath, then sighed. "…We weren't just jumped by the usual shadows. A group of pirates the Eeveelutions are very familiar with have joined forces with them. It's likely they're being promised great power, while also being held hostage to do their dirty work. They're fairly competent as a team, I'll grant them that."

Tony spat on the floor. "Hardly compares to those devils we faced. They were playing with us. We suffered while they laughed."

"Devils?" Ava questioned.

Tony nodded. "My little way of saying…that we met the Heralds of Darkness."

The veteran fighters' eyes widened in alarm. They knew all too well what the heralds were capable of from the obscure history on them. As the Shadow King's messengers of dark days approaching, a battle with them was instant death for any grand armies. To have survived such an encounter…

Morgan held his mouth and looked away, unable to bring himself to speak. Ava, however, gripped her crystal ball tightly. "Dear children, are you sure you're alright?! How did you get out with your lives?!"

Tony raised a weak smirk. "Heh…divine intervention, believe it or not." He glared. "Uxie blasted us into the snow before the Immensus Library got swallowed up in darkness. For the most part, we have all our stuff…and we're alive." He pulled on his vest a bit, revealing the bloodied bandages wrapped around his stomach. "We've identified three of them. Count Aeternus, who seems to go by Puck for some damn reason, was one of them. He riddled me with holes."

Morgan narrowed his eyes. 'Count Aeternus…Puck?'

Griffin pressed his hand against his shirt. "Another goes by Voss. He wears an unbreakable armor and is proficient in magic and the dark arts of shadows. He left a nasty scar across my body."

"Finally, that spider lady, Callista, who wants Gwyn for some stupid ritual," Tony finished off. "Physical injuries aren't that bad, though…" He looked back at the green Mew, who was changing out the bandages for the Eeveelutions. "…Emotional trauma may be a different story."

Morgan gripped his arm tightly and panted softly as a soft pulsing thumped from it. He lowered his head, hiding the dark glare on it. "…You battled with three of the heralds?" The duo nodded. "…Why were they after this…Jonathan Geno?"

Griffin narrowed his eyes sympathetically. "…We don't know the full story ourselves, but…Jonathan Geno seems to have been a manmade personality designed by…the Shadow King."

The air dropped below freezing around Morgan and Ava. Their hearts stopped, their breaths held short, and their bodies rigid. That didn't make any sense. Alex was the last person to have been possessed by the Shadow King. Unless Alex actually died in that battle years back, the body should still be good to use. Why would the Shadow King inhabit a different body?

Unless…

Morgan gripped his arm tighter. "…Kids…this Jonathan Geno…he was a Scrafty, right?" The duo nodded slowly. "…That can't be true…"

Ava covered her mouth as tears flowed out. "This is…terrible!"

"Alex is alive…" Morgan gritted his teeth furiously. "And that bastard…that damned monster is out!"

Griffin closed his eyes. "Let it be known that we did everything in our power to keep Mr. Geno safe, but we simply couldn't match the experience held by the heralds. It was a matter of time before they got the drop on him."

Tony grunted. "Maybe if he just ran away like he was supposed to…"

Ava rubbed her eyes, but the tears still came out. "No…it wouldn't have been that simple." The two looked at her oddly. "…Alex would never let an ally down." She gritted her teeth. "Even if on a subconscious level, he knew what he was throwing himself into, he wouldn't standby and let a fellow comrade down without a fight." She held her face and choked out a sob. "That damned idiot…even while possessed, he's still fighting! Now look what happened!"

Morgan took the crystal ball from her and held it to eye level. "I want you two to listen closely to what I have to say." He glared. "But first…where are you all heading?"

"Ironworks Kingdom," Tony answered. "We figured we could use the training and get the key from the Metal Mage, Margo."

"Listen to me…you need to be extremely careful how you play out your next steps." Morgan had to restrain himself from breaking the orb in his tight grip. "It's a self-proclaimed axiom that the Shadow King is a monster of power and strength. He waged war for fifty years, with the Pokémon on the losing side. You're not dealing with his pawns or his heralds anymore…by now, the Shadow King has recognized you all as threats.

"His shadows and heralds are obsequious to a fault. They will do as he commands with the promise of personal gain. Most who fall for his flattery and tricks will pledge their eternal soul to him, with a warning held over their heads…" He gritted his teeth. "No matter how far you run away…he'll always find you…whether a traitor or an enemy…"

The duo and Ava stared at the Hypno suspiciously. The way his body was tensed up and…the way he spoke about the Shadow King…there was something off about him. "Pops…" Tony called to softly.

"Morgan…" Ava rested her hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged it off.

"…The Shadow King will likely come after you and your keys. Now that he has been revived, he'll want to test his new power out soon. The Heralds of Darkness are monsters you have little chance of defeating at the stage you are now…but the Shadow King is on a whole other level.

"Do NOT under any circumstance engage him in battle! You'll risk your lives and the safety of those keys!"

Tony and Griffin stared back at the Hypno tirelessly, even in their exhausted states. No longer was a time for jokes or vengeance. This was a serious matter they had to take to heart. They felt the overwhelming power through that monster's presence alone. They didn't want to imagine what a magical attack from him will do to them.

Instant death, complete erasure, agonizing torture…they could see it all happening. It's what they felt when they stared at him and…experienced his deathly intentions. It was the worst feeling they ever experienced and they wanted to stay as far away from it as they could. As Morgan stated, they weren't strong enough to have a ghost of a chance.

However…it wasn't all that simple.

"Pops…we appreciate the warning and we'll take it seriously," Tony assured. "We won't go hunting down the Shadow King for a fight. We're not stupid."

"However," Griffin continued, "the keys are top priority. If the mages hold their value over the life of another, then our lives mean little if they get their hands on all our keys and our map. We won't engage in battle with him purposely…"

"But don't expect us to stand back and let him take all our hard work," Tony finished. "We won't let him get the idol."

The adults were silent for a minute. They pretty much expected that answer from them. This new era of Team Ravenfield was filled with rambunctious and dangerous individuals who will throw themselves in danger just for the heck of it. It was a shocking mirror for the two active members to stare into. A modern version of their own vices come to life.

Ava sighed and pinched between her eyes. "You kids…are the worst." She smiled. "…You've been tasked with this responsibility and will see it through without backing down. Please, let us count on you to do what is right, for the sake of Mysto and the entire world."

Tony nodded. "We won't let you guys down." He raised his fist and glared at it. "Once I get stronger, I'm teaching that damn clown a lesson."

"One objective at a time," Morgan warned. He sighed. "…Please don't get yourselves killed. I've…We've lost to many in our lives because of those monster. Don't add yourselves to the list."

Griffin glared. "No promises."

"Typical…"

Tony held the orb up. "We need our rest soon, and we still need to fill in Fernando and Hal."

"We'll leave you to it." Ava clasped her hands together and bowed her head. "Safe journeys, please." The duo nodded, then Griffin waved his hand over the orb and ended the transmission.

Morgan sat silently on the floor, with a hand still clenched over his arm. Wordlessly, he stood up, then whipped out his flask. He guzzled down the full container of whiskey in mere seconds. Ava didn't bat an eye as she stood up and tucked her arms inside her sleeves.

"You sounded awfully concerned back there."

Morgan sighed and shoved his flask away. "The Shadow King has been revived. Why wouldn't I be concerned?"

"I am, too. Gravely, in fact." Ava glared. "You, however, sounded horrified. Dreadfully horrified from the way you spoke of the Tribe of Shadows."

The Hypno didn't look her way. "Ava, understand that I'm taking the gravity of the situation seriously. Too seriously, maybe, but this is literal life and death of the entire planet at stake. It would take an army of well trained, veteran warriors like us from all across the globe to have even the slimmest of chances to end the Shadow King for good. Team Ravenfield needs to step up beyond their limits, breaking the walls that hold them back to achieve the status of a semi-god like the Shadow King."

Ava closed her eyes. "Six warriors will band together and wage battle with the Shadow King. The prophecy is interpreted in different ways, but an actual victory for our side isn't set in stone. Regardless if interpreted optimistically or pessimistically, it's still an undetermined future. Team Ravenfield stand the best chance of saving everyone from eternal darkness. We need hope."

"We need a long-term plan." Morgan crossed his arms. "The Pokémon skidded on by in the Grand Imperium War and won because the Shadow King was unprepared for their magical gain. New spells were made to counter his heralds' magic and his own. He's likely prepared for it now that he has had the time to study the present."

Ava sighed. "I understand, but we don't know much about the Shadow King to formulate a countermeasure."

Morgan glanced off to the side. "…Well, I'm going to look into one, anyway." He sighed. "That monster deserves everything he has coming to him." He clenched his fist. "I want to keep Team Ravenfield safe, especially Tony. I can't sit back and watch them die when a high burden is held over their shoulders. They didn't ask for these consequences and risks. They went into them blind and now know the truth. We owe it to them to stick by their side and help them fight."

"Do you think we're enough to beat the Shadow King? Or at least push back his forces?"

Morgan closed his eyes. "…I hope so." 'Otherwise…everything I worked for will be ruined.'

Ava still felt something was off about the way Morgan was behaving. True, these were dire times they were entering and the Shadow King's rebirth is no laughing matter, but she knew her friend more than anyone. This witty, genteel Hypno who remains calm in all matter of dangers never seems to have a worry in the world, even if he took a situation with the utmost seriousness.

That's another thing she noted recently. Morgan has been acting strange for the latter half of their trip. She sometimes walks in on him groaning from a bad ache. Once or twice was one thing, but it has been happening a lot and he always brushed off her attempts to check on him. For as long as she knew the Hypno, for as extroverted as he was in their day, he had his secrets he never shared.

Ava didn't know where to start with the Hypno, but their duties were clear. "…We'll discuss this in full later. It seems the carts have stopped moving. I'll have Vincent set a course for Ironworks Kingdom." She narrowed her eyes. "Huh…we hardly go out that far, actually. There aren't too many major towns or cities to take the circus to."

"Are the Tauros prepared for a trek like that?" Morgan asked.

"I'll have to check with Vincent on it. I'll be back in a moment." She pushed the connecting doors open and went through the row of carts.

Morgan stuffed his hands in his pockets and leaned against the wall. He reached for his flask, but remembered he just drank it all in one sip. He groaned. "Dammit…" He pinched between his eyes, then looked to his arm. He gripped it tightly, but there was no pain this time.

His eyes narrowed into a cold glare, but then warmed up as the opposite doors to the trailer opened. In came Cheri, who was wearing a large white shirt and blue pajama pants. She yawned and rubbed her eye. "Hi Mr. Morgan…"

The Hypno smiled and knelt down. "Hey kid. We didn't wake you, right?"

"No. I'm just tired. I've been playing games with Abby and Carrie." She looked around. "Where's Ms. Ava?"

"She'll be back in a moment." He sat on the floor and propped his knee up, laying his arm over it. "Did you need something?"

Cheri blushed sheepishly and scratched behind her head. "Um…don't tell my mom, but…I'm looking for late night sodas." She stretched an awkward grin.

Morgan smirked lightly. "Kid…"

"I know, I know, but they're SSSOOO good! I promise I don't drink them all the time, but…well, I never lived this good back in the village." She tapped her fingers together. "Plus, we're kind of having a party, too."

"Party?"

"Faye and Ms. Nebula are hanging out with us. Just playing some board games and talking." She clasped her hands together. "So…pretty please~!"

Morgan scratched his chin and playfully replied, "Hmm…I don't know. That pretty please makes a mean argument, but…eh, I'm not so sure…"

"Aww, come on! I'm not asking for whiskey or anything!"

"Heh, then I would definitely have to tell your mom." He shrugged. "Kid, I don't drink soda, so I'm not sure where they would be laying around." He poked her nose. "Buuut…since you are being upfront with me about this, I'll look into it."

Cheri grinned. "Aww! You're the best, Mr. Morgan!"

Morgan scratched his head. "Heh…I…I try to be…" He frowned, then turned away. "I…try to be a good person…"

Cheri blinked, then tilted her head. "Mr. Morgan?"

A dreadful aura hung around the Hypno, yet he wished not to bring his mood down onto the Pikachu. She was young. She didn't need to hear his mistakes. He smiled with a tender kindness. "It's…nothing, kid." Cheri smiled back.

The door opened, greeted back with the presence of Ava. She sighed, rubbing the side of her head. "We've never had to travel so far out into the Snow Zone. We've got snow coats, but it seems the Tauros' snowshoes are a little worn out."

"For all twelve?" Morgan asked.

"Only seven sets are fine. The other five won't do well against the heavy snowfall."

Morgan stood up, hands in his pockets. "Is there a store nearby?"

Ava held her hand out and brought over a map. She skimmed over the landmarks, then pressed her finger down on spot. "Thankfully, yes. There's a store down the road. Pretty far, at least a mile walk from where we are."

Morgan tilted his head towards the door leading to the pouring rain outside. "…In that weather?"

Ava sighed. "Unfortunately. But, we can wait until tomorrow when it'll…hopefully clear up."

Morgan glanced down at Cheri, who minded her time by kicking at the ground a bit. Not a single peep uttered by her. The Hypno's eyes gravitated into the general direction of where the store might be. He could keep up a nonchalant appearance in the face, but his unconscious movements tended to act without his accord.

Staring in that particular direction forced his hand to reach up and clutch around that spot on his arm. No pain, but…something inside him was stirring. He did his best to hide any involuntary and suspecting actions. He gave a gentle pat against the spot, then lowered his hand.

With a lighthearted smile showing, he turned back to the Medicham. "Actually…I wouldn't mind the walk."

Ava raised her brow. "Seriously?" She pointed outside, still staring at him like a surprised Hoothoot. "You want to walk out there…in that downpour? You're serious?"

Morgan shrugged. "I need the fresh air. Plus, better to get it done now so it'll leave us more time to travel." He set a hand on his hip. "You know I'm right."

Ava did to a degree, but she wasn't totally onboard. "Well, by that, I could just have Nebula do it."

"Let me get the stuff, Ava. I'll be fine."

As of now, she was too tired to argue. She rubbed her eyes a bit, then reached into her sleeve. "Goodness sake, you can be a stubborn old fool." She pulled out a pouch of bits and set it on his open palm. "Just don't get lost…or sick."

Morgan tied the pouch onto his belt. "I haven't gotten sick in many, many years. I'll be fine."

"If you say so…" She patted his shoulder, then knelt down and patted Cheri's head. "You and the girls having fun?"

Cheri beamed. "You betcha!"

Ava laughed. "That's good. Make sure you all don't stay up too late." She stood up. "I'm gonna see Wallace about the costumes. Once you get back, just give the snowshoes to the Tauros."

Morgan nodded. "Sure thing." Ava turned and headed down the trail of carts. The Hypno gave a subtle nod to Cheri and winked.

Cheri grinned. "Thank you, Mr. Morgan," she whispered.

"Sure thing. Now, scamper off to your friends. I'll be back soon." Cheri nodded and raced off through the opposite end of the trailer.

Morgan grabbed a raincoat off the rack and through it over his shoulders, not particularly worried about the rain soaking him or his clothes. He pushed the door open, where he immediately received a bombardment of raindrops to the face. He guarded his face with his arm and stepped out, with the sloshing of mud under his soles. Not particularly viscous mud, but no threat of slipping. Though, standing in it for any longer and he might lose his shoe.

He closed the door behind him and, with his hands settled into his pockets, walked along the muddy road with the sound of sloshing mud. He made sure to keep a heightened awareness of his surroundings, just to make sure he didn't get jumped. Even in this weather, you can never be too careful.

He will give Ava his word, and Cheri's, though they were oblivious to his true intentions. He didn't want Ava or anyone else going to that store.

Not long after Griffin and Tony relayed their message to Morgan and Ava, they decided to pull up Hal and Fernando's team at the same time. It was weird having a three-way conversation through a crystal ball, as only so much space could be taken up at once. Whoever was talking would normally take up most of the orb or it just be some split screen for both perspectives.

They gave a rundown of what happened in the library and what happened with Jonathan. Fernando and the bounty hunters hung their heads shamefully. "…It's our fault."

Tony crossed his arms. "Eh? Don't go feeling sorry for yourselves over nothing. You didn't know."

"We had suspicions that something was terribly wrong with Mr. Geno," Fernando explained. "There was something about his memory issue that didn't sit right, yet we let him go, regardless." He held his face and sighed. "…We only found out recently, too. The pieces…just seemed to fall into place."

Griffin glared. "What did you find, anyway?"

Mack shrugged. "Oh, you know: an empty tomb, cave drawings, a pair of magic gauntlets that were left behind, cryptic nonsense written into the ground. Take your pick, because it's as boring as it sounds."

Holly shook her head. "Mack, I swear…" She glared at the duo. "Look, all we can say for certain is that Alex Ghostwind was trying to fight back against the Shadow King before his personality was taken over. All he managed was to write some message out on the floor."

"What does it say?" Griffin asked.

"Don't know. It's written in Ancient Text." She held up her book and showed the symbols. "Think you can get the Espeon over here and read them?"

Tony shook his head. "Lilac's sleeping. She'll be out for a while."

"Of course…" She shoved the book inside her pocket. "At the very least, we now know who the Shadow King is. Bad news, it's all completely pointless."

"Maybe not. If he took the time to write a message in a dead language, he probably had something to say that the Shadow King shouldn't see."

"Wouldn't the Shadow King know what he was doing? He has access to his memories," Mack brought up.

Tony folded one arm behind his head, then scratched his stomach. "If he never erased the darn thing like he did with the tomb, he must've skimmed over it and considered it worthless. Or, here's the fun one, maybe Alex unconsciously wrote the message. Sure, he would still need to understand the language to a degree, but it doesn't leave much for the Shadow King to work with if he doesn't know what was written in the memories. Again, he sounded like he was more interested in escaping."

Fernando pressed his thumb into the corner of lip, humming in thought. "Both theories are plausible. Since the message still exists, the Shadow King merely deemed it as unimportant."

Through the discussion, Griffin noticed that one of the current callers wasn't contributing to the conversation. In fact, he was behaving oddly reticent to the topic. "Sir? Hal? Are you with us?"

The pawn shop owner didn't utter a peep. His head was buried into the crooks of his folded arms, slumped onto his counter. He wasn't asleep, though the quivering of his form pointed to the possible motive to his silence. The old man was as talkative as he remembered when they first called, but dropped from the conversation the second they brought up Jonathan Geno's demise.

The former pirate would be damned to show his glum face. He was tough, strong and without weakness, even if his old age is a distasteful detractor. Even in their short time as acquaintances, Hal was a man of comradery. He led a pirate crew full of the toughest scoundrels in the known skies, but treated them as the brothers and sister he never had. A shame he quitted on them and left them to find their own way around the world.

It pained him on many levels that the Scrafty professor was doomed to a life of hosting a parasite found from Hell, but those pains didn't compare to his regret. He saw the signs from the Scrafty's loopy behavior after a myriad of horrific nightmares, but failed to consider how they came about. How could he have foreseen such a relation—one that had baffled him from cause to reasoning—that, in turn, led to the professor's destruction as a person?

Worst of all, he could've stopped it. The professor, even for his hidden experience, had nothing on the former terror of the skies. An assortment of magical knickknacks didn't hurt either. One binding of enchanted rope, sleep-inducing berries, or a hammer to the noggin would've done the deed. He knew the professor was unfit to travel and likely almost got himself killed a couple times. Admittedly, he was impressed Jonathan made it so far, but his state of mind should've been Hal's top concern.

If he had just stopped Jonathan from leaving, maybe they could've kept the Shadow King sealed away until they found a way to exorcise him from the Scrafty.

On the other hand, the reverse wasn't as safe. Those heralds sounded dreadfully strong. What kept them from tracking Jonathan down to the village? No one in the village would stack up to their enormous power, much less the Shadow King. Their village would've been wiped out in mere seconds. From children to innocent bystanders to the Ravenfield Brothers' mother.

Hal snorted through his nostrils, grunting in a drawn-out sigh. "I'm an idiot…"

Tony glared softly. "…You're worried about Mr. Geno, aren't you?"

"…Heh…read me like a wrinkled newspaper, lad." Hal lifted his head so he could meet eyes with the crystal ball. "…I could've stopped him, ye know. Wouldn't have been that hard."

"Why didn't you?" Fernando asked.

"Because I saw something in those eyes of his. He was serious about stopping the shadows." Hal narrowed his only visible eye. "…Still…I'm one shitty captain for not looking after one of me own." He rested his hand over his covered eye. "I knew something was very wrong with him leaving, but no amount of beating and shouting was going to change his mind. No point in an attempt."

Holly took the orb from Fernando. "Do you feel responsible for Mr. Geno's possession?"

"Lass, I ain't the responsible type and I certainly didn't want to babysit his ass on me time." Hal hung his head over the counter and hummed a sad groan. "However…I should've tried harder. If he were one of me men, I would've dangled him over the side of the ship until he listened to his captain!" He struck down on the countertop. "And I'd be damned if I don't give that history spouting reptile thing a good thrashing for scaring the shit out of me!"

A harsh statement, but there was obvious care behind it. Tony raised the orb and stared firmly at the old croc. "…Hal, we'll get him back. Next time we see Jonathan, we'll be bashing the devil out of him."

"Ye kids are crazy, thinking ye can pick a fight with the Shadow King." Hal closed his eye, teeth bared into a wry smirk, whilst tapping his claw down on the counter. "…Can't be helped. I just don't want me pal, Wes, dying on me." He pointed at the orb. "Still…if there's a chance…"

"We can't make any promises," Griffin enforced. "First chance I get, I'm killing the Shadow King, with or without his host body."

Hal sighed. "…Here's to words coming to life." He settled his eye on Fernando. "As for ye…"

Fernando nodded. "I documented everything I could from the tomb. I have Alex Ghostwind's gauntlets, a message he left behind, and some pictures of the wall drawings. I think they will prove useful to you, sir."

The old croc uttered a muffled grunt. "I expect ye to bring all that back to me. I wish to look at it with me own eye." Said eye closed as he drew a deep breath. "That said…ye did yer job as required." Hal straightened his back, then lifted the orb to eye level. "Fernando Mangas…" Fernando puffed out his chest. "…I hereby lift ye of yer contract."

The fire monkey made no sudden reaction for half a minute, as the bounty hunters looked on in a bit of confusion, having no prior experience to the nature of contracts. Though, their untold questions got their answers soon, as Fernando bowed his head and lifted the arm with the tattoo seared onto it.

His arm was set ablaze by the ghostly flames of life and death, as they spewed from the insides of his suit sleeve. The contract seared into his skin crumbled into a dusty wind, traveling through the sleeve with sparks of ghostly green burning to life. They, in turn, became the flames that surrounded his arm.

The last of the tattoo vanished into the flames, as well as the flames burning out of sight, with the arm completely unharmed. Fernando took off half his jacket for a second and observed the bare spot on his arm with remaining ash residue. A satisfied relief washed over him, no longer burdened by the power to bring and defy death.

"Thank you, Hal." He slipped his suit back on, fixing it up neat and proper. "It's nice to be unchained by the spirits of the dead. Sure, I had a year of my life shaved off, but as expected from the job."

"Aye, ye did fine work, lad. Just bring those knickknacks and picture thingies back to me place and I'll give ye yer final pay."

Fernando saluted. "I'll meet with you soon enough, sir."

Hal nodded, then directed back to the active Team Ravenfield members. "As for ye two…make sure the others get back into their good spirits."

Tony shrugged. "We'll do the best we can."

"Ye said ye are heading for Ironworks Kingdom, right?"

"Correct."

"Ah, that takes me back. I remember invading the space and raining havoc on the people." Hal bitterly spat on the counter. "A lovely ten minutes of fun before their queen had me crew and me evicted on the spot. They train some tough warriors out there. Be on yer guard. Ye might need the extra help."

"So we've heard." Griffin held his hand over the crystal ball. "Best to leave you to your own. We might be heading out soon."

"Take care."

Holly and Mack waved into their side of the orb. "See ya later, Griffin!"

Griffin waved back, then slid his hand over the orb, ending the call.

Hal placed his crystal ball down, then inhaled deeply. Regardless of the number of things he could've done to prevent the Shadow King from coming back, whether intentional at the time or not, it wasn't his fault, even if the guilt stirred like a cold, viscous broth. Maybe it just felt easier to blame himself.

Thinking back to the mention of his crew, he hasn't seen the old bastards in quite some time. Their last meeting left things off some conflicting terms, some out of pleasantry and others taking an ugly turn. How could he forget those lovely goodbyes the more disagreeable of his crew left him?

Ah, there was Breok, a Haxorus who expressed his emotions through a lot of hitting. If he punched you in the face, he liked you! Hal didn't particularly appreciate that uncalled for kick to the gut, or stepping on his tail, or wrecking his ship even more than it already was after that last crash. In retrospect, pirates were pretty freakin' violent.

Ah, and how could he forget his favorite cook, Zola? That Salazzle was a real beauty, not to mention one hell of a cook. The smell of a freshly cooked meal pulled the whole crew into their dining room. Hal was just glad she didn't give him the same treatment as Breok, but she didn't have to give him food poisoning from a seemingly harmless cake. That woman had no shame…probably why he took her aboard the crew.

Of course, the biggest insult was losing his ship, since it was taken by his shipwright, Pelham. That weapon-toting Conkeldurr wasn't happy with the ship getting ruined, so he just took the darn thing away from him. Hal loved that darn piece of wood. He would've made it into his house.

…Hal missed his crew, even though he is happy with his new life. It's likely why he is so torn up about losing Geno. He was like the crewmate he never wanted, but got stuck with and ended up liking. Perhaps if he did put his foot down, he could've at least done something to keep Geno safe. Sadly, life doesn't always grant you the easy way out.

Hal pulled himself away from the counter and stumbled into the back of his shop, stepping over some junk along the way. He glared at the ground, then rubbed his fake wrist.

"…Well…I may not be much…but I'm sure as hell not quitting on ye, Geno. If me crew were ever in danger, I'd trek to the ends of the earth for them. I'll find a way to free ye…this, I swear."

Morgan's trudge through the downpour and mud took roughly a half hour of walking. The rain didn't bother or slow him down all that much. Though, his mind was on other things that didn't warrant petty complaint about the weather.

The short journey, thankfully, paid off. Up ahead was a small shack, with a dimly lit convenient store sign hanging over the door. Even if the wood used to make the store was waterproof, it wasn't removed from the restrictions of age. It must've been a store for most to pass by that has been running for at least two decades.

He stomped through the mud until he was directly before the store, though he didn't pass through immediately. He eyed the store with a sharpness. Nothing about its outwardly appearance alerted him to danger, though that didn't mean he had no reason of threat.

He trusted Ava to take care of herself and even defeat any number of dangers this far out, but Morgan had a particular purpose for coming alone. It was something he needed to see for himself.

Without anymore time to waste, Morgan pushed the doors open. The rainwater dropped onto the mat, where he proceeded to stomp out the mud clinging to his soles. He got a good look of the store. It was small, with about four aisle shelves, followed by a wall of shelves. The short aisles contained snack foods and such while the walls held souvenirs, jackets, and the like. The far left corner of the store held a beverage station for coffee, slushies, etc., as well as a small heating rack full of freshly cooked snack items.

"Why, hello there." Morgan's eyes swung to the front desk, where a Jynx was running the cash register. She was a black shirt with an apron over it. "Anything I can help you with, sir?"

Morgan faced her in full and offered a kind smile. "Just here to pick up some things. You wouldn't happen to have winter gear for about…five Taurus, right?"

"Ah. Well, I'm not entirely sure. You're welcome to check."

Morgan nodded. He grabbed a shopping basket and walked to the walls. He snatched a box of sodas for the girls, as promised, though he made sure it didn't have caffeine. No jittery Pikachu to deal with, that's for sure.

The Hypno looked through the selection of snowshoes for four-legged creatures, trying to guess the appropriate size for the transportation bulls. His train of thought wandered off track at the sound of thunder outside. He chuckled to himself, then bent down to examine the first pair he saw.

"Not much business out during a storm."

The Jynx laughed. "Yes, that's the fun of the Storm Zone, I suppose. We really only appeal to travelers, so it's not like we're flocked with customers all the time."

"Oh, I understand. At least the shop is nice enough to attract customers." He picked up one of the sets and expected it. "Though, like you said, mostly travelers. I'd hate to be a regular citizen all the way out here."

"Oh, really?"

"Yep. You never know what kind of crazy people are out there. Bandits, muggers, killers, the whole gallery of creeps." He set the snowshoes back. "I've dealt with them all…though, perhaps I have experience from their side of the coin."

The Jynx bared her teeth into a high, crooked smile. "Oh…is that so?"

"Like I said, there's a lot of crazy's out on the open road." Morgan pulled out another set of snowshoes and looked it over. "It's why I don't want those who put their trust in me getting themselves into danger. I've seen the worst of what this world has to offer. Can't be helped in the end."

"Hmph…" The Jynx leaned forward on the counter and smirked. "You have a lot on your mind, stranger. You must've come real far out in the rain. Not many would just do that without a reason. Is there a reason you're out so late, during a rainstorm?"

Morgan placed the shoes in his basket, then reached for the rest. "Call it my intuition. I just wanted to make sure things were alright." He placed the other four sets into his basket, then stood up.

All was quiet, save for the thundering outside and the splattered of rain against the windows. Neither of the only two occupants of the store made a move, while Morgan kept his eyes solely on the wall shelves. Lightning flashed, illuminating the store in a telling light, of the hidden tension found between them. One would soon have to break the ice to start the introduction.

The Hypno took a deep breath, almost sounding aggravated, then placed a hand on his hip. "…You can stop with the pleasantries. I literally sensed your aura from a mile away."

The Jynx's smirk curled. "As expected from your…reputation."

"Where's the real shop keeper?"

"Oh, he's out of the job, but you can find him in the back. Mind the pile of ashes, of course."

Morgan narrowed his eyes. "The Tribe of Shadows sent you after me, didn't they?"

"Count Aeternus can't have any other distraction lying in wait. You're in league with those treasure hunters, after all. That alone is a problem." She bared her teeth into a villainous grin. "But you, in particular, are a loose end that needs to be dealt with."

Morgan glared. 'I was right to come alone, then.' "The Tribe of Shadows wants me dead?" He rolled his eyes. "Can't imagine why…"

"You seem calm for a man of such…dark deeds. Not going to run away?"

"You won't give me the choice."

Her hair rose, defying gravity, as a dark aura wrapped around her. "I have to wonder…if you really are as strong as your reputation says. Can you truly keep up with the might of darkness?" Her hair changed from yellow to bleached white. Her irises turned crimson red with a haunting glow reflecting off. The edges of her skirt fluttered as she rose into the air.

Morgan glared. "…You're here to kill me."

"That's the idea. You sure you don't want to run away?"

"I'm starting to see this 'Count Aeternus' for his true colors." Morgan closed his eyes. "I won't let the Tribe of Shadows have their victory. Your king will fall."

Jynx glared daggers into the Hypno's back. A faint outline of blue aura surrounded her, vibrating with an intensity. It made a sound like thousands of chirping birds. It rattled all the glass inside the store. "Welcome to your Hell."

She rocketed straight at Morgan. Her burst of speed shattered everything around her. The counter exploded into splinters. The windows broke up, letting the wind and rain fly through. The back-corner's machines were punched by the shockwave. Jynx wrapped her hand it darkness and morphed them into claws. She pulled them back and swung down.

The first blood was drawn.