PARAGON

  Hisui Incursion Arc [20]

  Chapter 72 : Pearly Gates

  Hisui Region - Diamond Settlement

  After they explained everything to Adaman, he invited Riley and Rei to a bathhouse to clean up. Though he seemed casual enough, not wanting to offend him, they took him up on the offer and were provided with a change of clothes: the navy blue furs of the Diamond Clan.

  Riley inhaled and exhaled slowly as he lounged in one of the many warmed pools within the bathhouse. The pools were made of cypress wood and though steam wafted throughout the room, the bathhouse was actually open to the outside. Thin cypress pillars between the pools held the roof aloft, but there were few walls to shield them from the cool wind that blew in from outside. It seemed the Mirelands were humid enough that even with this much ventilation, the bathhouse retained its steam.

  Unlike him, Rei had cleaned himself quickly and left without enjoying the bathhouse’s waters at all. Riley had spent enough time around him at this point to know he couldn’t relax with Akari, the Professor, and his Growlithe missing in action. Though he could be reckless, Riley was fairly confident he wouldn’t do anything foolish like venturing back out into the Mirelands by himself.

  Riley sighed and leaned back, closing his eyes. Water dripped from his hair into the still waters around him. This is quite the trial for the Origin Child…

  He spent a little longer in the bathhouse before drying off and heading back to their lodgings that the Diamond Clan had given them. Unlike Kamado’s violent welcome from when they’d first arrived at the Sanctuary, the Diamond Clan had provided an entire house for their use while they stayed here.

  Luckily, as he brushed inside, he saw Rei laying on his head, his brows furrowed. Sneasel snoozed on the ground at the foot of his bed though she opened an eye as Riley entered. The Guardian quickly dressed and sat down on his own bed, facing Rei. The younger boy glanced over.

  “How are you holding up?” Riley asked. He wasn’t that greatest with kids, he believed, though this at least sounded right.

  Rei shrugged.

  Okay…now what?

  “I know it’s our fault for coming along,” Rei said, saving Riley. “I know that.” He clenched his fist. “But because of Volo…” His frown wrinkled into a glare. “Because of Volo!”

  “We told Adaman about him,” Riley said. “I’m sure he’s already sent messengers off to the Sanctuary and Pearl Settlement both to inform them of his true nature.”

  “Did he even believe us?” Rei said, his voice hollow.

  “He’s…an interesting man, but I do believe he took our warning seriously.”

  After they’d told him, Adaman actually stopped smirking and his tone was serious as he asked several follow up questions. Ash’s injuries and a brief demonstration of Aura to prove Riley’s identity as a Guardian seemed to be enough to convince him that they were telling the truth. But Adaman’s eyes were hawkish, even behind his smirking facade, and Riley was sure he was judging their characters for himself.

  “So. When are we heading back out to look for them?”

  Riley was thankful for that question since it meant he didn’t have to worry about Rei running off by himself. “As soon as we can. I plan to speak with Arezu after I give Ash another bath of Aura. Perhaps her men have found something. And if not, I’d like to move out as soon as we can.”

  Rei nodded, but his frown didn’t fade.

  Riley stood. His body still ached from the residual effects of Drapion’s poison but he forced himself to stand tall. “Akari is fine, Rei. Her and the Professor and everyone else. All we have to do is find them.” He walked toward the entrance and turned. “Don’t let your frustration consume your patience.”

  As he lifted the flap of their abode, he walked right into someone. As he took a step back, his eyes widened.

  His face pale, his eyes reddened, his hair wild, Ash limped inside. Bright blood stained the bandages covering his body.

  “Ash!” Riley said, catching him before he could fall over. “What are you doing here? You should be resting!”

  Rei bolted up in his bed and Sneasel grinned upon seeing Ash.

  “Ash!” Rei exclaimed.

  “No time for rest…,” Ash mumbled. He looked up and scanned the room before fixing Riley with a steel gaze. “Where’s Pikachu?”

  Hisui Region - Alabaster Icelands

  “Slow down, Akari!” Yura called, trudging through the snow as a blizzard buffeted her face.

  Akari stomped on ahead of them beside Growlithe, her silhouette dark between the barren pines around them. Her hair whipped behind her like fire, but she did not turn around.

  “Akari!” Yura yelled.

  This time, Akari stopped and turned.

  Yura wasn’t telling her to slow down for her own sake, of course. She’d never do that.

  She sank into the snow, grasping at Sabrina’s wiry body. Sabrina’s eyes were glazed over and she hardly seemed to register the blizzard around them, the wild winds, or the snow that came up to her knees. Yura hadn’t ever asked about it, but that ring around her wrist seemed to react to her emotions, or at least her energy state. And right now, it barely moved at all. Frost covered its surface and its lights barely peeked out from beneath.

  Akari caught back up to them and heaved Sabrina to her feet with a strength Yura didn’t know she had, then pressed her forehead against the older girl’s. When she peeled away, flecks of dried blood stuck to Akari from Sabrina’s wound. “Shit,” she muttered.

  Yura swallowed, a bolt of worry coursing through her.

  “Her fever’s back,” Akari said. She glanced around, then placed her hand on Sabrina’s neck. “Sabrina! Sabrina! Don’t fall asleep!”

  Yura instinctively grabbed Sabrina’s hand and laced her fingers through, squeezing tightly.

  “Sabrina! Damn it, if you fall asleep you won’t wake up again you know!”

  Horror clawed its way into Yura, easily penetrating her tenacity where even the freezing cold could not. She shook Sabrina’s arm violently. “Miss! Please wake up!”

  Sabrina’s eyelids fluttered and she staggered in place, trying to regain her footing. “I…am…awake,” she mumbled.

  “Growlithe, fire please!” Akari pleaded.

  Growlithe snorted and sniffed the trunk of a nearby tree, completely disinterested.

  “Please!” Yura wailed.

  “Argh!” Akari grumbled in frustration. “She needs warmth or she’ll freeze out here.”

  Yura squeezed Shieldon’s pokéball in her hand, but Shieldon didn’t know any fire moves, nor did he have any way of producing anything that could help Sabrina. Akari’s Cranidos wouldn’t be of any help, and Staravia’s feather blankets would blow away in an instant in this storm.

  They’d started moving again this morning since Yura’s fever had broken last night. Just a few hours ago, the many trees of the Heart’s Crag had shielded them from the silent dusting of snow that trickled down from the sky. But as they continued north, the trees had grown sparser and the snowfall grew ferocious.

  That cold had seemed to do well to seal up Sabrina’s injury, but things clearly weren’t that easy. She’d never been the most athletic of their group, but she’d been active enough this morning. However, her condition deteriorated almost exactly in line with the onset of the blizzard until now, as the snow raged around them, she seemed to have one foot back in the grave.

  “I’m…sorry…,” Sabrina muttered.

  Akari grimaced and repositioned herself so that her body was blocking the wind from blowing against Sabrina. “Let’s move over to that tree,” she said, flicking her head at a nearby pine.

  Sabrina obliged and hobbled through the snow, leaning against Akari. Once they were behind the tree, Akari gently laid her down against it, shielding her from the blizzard. “Get close, Yura,” she beckoned. “We need to keep her warm!”

  Yura did as she was told and pressed herself against Sabrina as tightly as she could. Snow covered their winter clothes and Yura didn’t feel any warmer as the winds snaked around their tree and battered them relentlessly, but she didn’t question Akari.

  Shamelessly, Growlithe pushed his way into their huddle to warm himself too and Akari scowled at him. However, despite his hard exterior of stone, heat wafted from his body all the same, and without asking for permission, Akari pressed her hands against his back to warm them. He didn’t protest.

  Akari rummaged around in her pockets and pulled out a few frozen berries she’d been saving for later. “Have these,” she said, offering them to Sabrina.

  Under other circumstances, she might have refused, but after all their fussing over her, or maybe due to her sickness, she simply downed the berries without any drama.

  “What’re we gonna do?” Yura asked. She still hadn’t let go of Sabrina’s hand and she wasn’t planning on letting go any time soon.

  Akari scowled beneath her furred hood. “I don’t know. But we can’t move on while she’s this sick.” She looked away. “I’m sorry. I pushed us too hard.”

  Yura looked up at the girl sympathetically. Of course they all wanted to find their friends and get to the safety of the Pearl Settlement. But Akari was almost frenzied in her search for Professor Laventon and Rei. She’d yelled their names till her voice turned hoarse and she’d rushed ahead as far as she could, yet there’d still been no signs of them.

  “Hmmm. You three don’t appear to be what I’m looking for.”

  A sudden voice through the howling storm seized the girls’ attention.

  A man with a mullet of cool blue hair stood beside them, hands on his hips as he stared at them with a look of stalwart befuddlement. However, Yura was far more befuddled than him. For this man, despite the raging snowstorm around them and the frozen temperatures of the Icelands as is, was shirtless. The snow blew across his barren, tattooed chest, yet he didn’t even flinch.

  “Well, safe travels, ladies. I’ll be on my way.” The man started trudging past them.

  “Wait!” Akari cried. “Our friend is sick! Please! If you’re from the Pearl Clan, please guide us back there!” She raised Sabrina toward him to show him her state.

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  The man turned back and glanced down at Sabrina. He smirked and withdrew a pokéball. “Only joking. Of course I’ll help you since you asked so nicely.”

  Thumbing the release, his pokéball opened and spilled out a wintery white pokémon in a muted flash.

  “Froslass, bring the others, please.”

  The pokémon floated away through the curtain of snow.

  Akari watched as Sabrina blinked groggily, trying to focus on the man and she kept a firm grip on the older girl until the man’s friends arrived.

  “I trust you put ice on that?” the man said, pointing at the gash on Sabrina’s forehead. “There’s plenty to go around here.”

  “Yes,” Akari said, taken slightly aback at the sudden question. “The swelling already went down but I have nothing to stitch it up with…”

  The man nodded but didn’t offer anything else. He glanced between the girls, a judging look on his face, but seemed to decide against asking how they’d gotten into this predicament. Or maybe he just didn’t care.

  Several minutes later, a squad of men pushed through the snow alongside their pokémon.

  “Gaeric!” one exclaimed. “Your clothes!”

  The man called Gaeric looked down at his bare chest and shrugged.

  “Please, sir! The storm’s getting worse! You’ll catch a cold!”

  Gaeric rolled his eyes and raised his arms out to his sides. One of his men approached and slipped a white woolen coat dyed a soft lavender onto him. He didn’t bother buttoning the front, leaving his torso still slightly exposed to the elements, but he breathed an annoyed sigh all the same, his breath wafting in front of him.

  “Well, help the young ladies. Or are we all just going to stand here like statues?”

  Akari and Yura rode on the back of one of the men’s Stantler and Yura kept her arms wrapped tightly around Akari’s waist during the whole trip. A strange iron pokémon called a Bronzong levitated Sabrina with its psychic abilities and the others hiked on foot.

  Akari may have drifted off to sleep a few times because she kept catching herself having to straighten herself on Stantler’s back before she fell off, but the Pearl Settlement came into view after what she perceived to be about a half an hour of travel. Here, the snow fell softly unlike the harsh blizzard she’d gotten used to. The furry white huts of the village blended right into the alpine background and Akari could barely see the wisps of smoke rising from each. As they approached, the snow beneath them got shallower and shallower until Stantler’s hooves rang out against solid stone.

  Hooded figures of varying age and gender watched curiously as they passed beneath the opaline arch of the Settlement’s entrance. Several waved to Gaeric and offered a respectful greeting, but he kept his gaze trained forward, ignoring them. Seemingly as soon as he was able, he slipped out of his wool coat and tossed it aside and continued onward without missing a step.

  A short woman with dirty blonde hair ran up to them. She was similarly underdressed to Gaeric, sporting a silk robe of scarlet that she’d shrugged out of that fluttered behind her as she ran, leaving her slender arms and legs exposed to the winter cold. She stopped just before Gaeric and glared up at him, her hands on her hips.

  “Leader,” Gaeric said, lowering his head ever so slightly. “We were on our way to pay our respects to you. You needn’t have—“

  “Are you daft?!” the woman said in a shrill tone. “That girl is injured and the other two look like they’re about to turn into icicles! Get them to the clinic now!”

  Gaeric blushed and pursed his lips. “Well, pardon me then. Last we spoke, you seemed quite cross I didn’t show enough respect—“

  “Get! Them!” the woman growled, ignoring Gaeric and glaring at his men behind them.

  Before she’d even finished, they’d snapped salutes and scrambled to change course, steering their pokémon to a different part of the village.

  “Wait!” Akari said, clambering off of Stantler’s back. “I’m fine!” She looked back up at Yura and clasped her hands. “Go with them, okay? I’ll meet back up with you guys later.”

  Yura stared at her, worried, but she nodded. She clung tightly to Stantler as they trotted away down a street of stone.

  “Ah, t-thank you!” Akari began, bowing in Gaeric’s direction. “You saved us.”

  “That I did, and your excellent manners are the proof of my unwavering judgment of your stellar character,” Gaeric declared with a stiff smile.

  “Leave Gaeric,” the woman said.

  Akari nearly shuddered. The woman’s entire small frame appeared to be smoking with fury.

  Gaeric bowed respectfully, seemingly oblivious to his master’s rage. “As you wish.” He spun on his heel and paced back toward the entrance, perhaps to go collect his coat.

  The woman sighed and shook her head. “I’m sorry about him. He’s a very capable man but I’ve long since given up on trying to figure out if his antics are just jokes or if he really is that socially inept.”

  Now that they were on the same footing, Akari could see that she was still a bit taller than the woman, and though she was definitely older, Akari couldn’t tell by how much. “I-I see.”

  The woman looked up and smiled. “I’m Irida. And you are?”

  “Akari. From the Sanctuary in the south.”

  Irida’s eyes narrowed and she glanced away. “Akari… You're in their Survey Corps, aren’t you?”

  “Yes!” Akari said, her face flushing.

  Irida smiled. “That explains a bit of your situation.”

  “Ah…Miss Irida,” Akari said, cutting her off. “I’m sorry to ask this of you so suddenly, but I heard him call you ‘Leader.’ Our friends are still out there, including my Sneasel, so please keep looking for them! They have to be out there somewhere! We got separated, but I’m sure they’re fine! I’ll even come too—“

  Irida raised her hand. “Please calm down, Akari. Rest assured, Gaeric’s team wasn’t the only one we sent out. We saw multiple flashes of green light across the tundra. If your friends are out there, our scouts will find them, I promise. In the meantime, I’d like to hear all about what happened. You are a special case, from what I hear, but I didn’t think the Survey Corps had stooped to enlisting children as young as your friend there on their surveys.”

  Akari swallowed and nodded.

  “I will listen to your story. But only after you’ve eaten, bathed, and rested. And now that you’re in the Pearl Settlement, my word is law.” She gave a cheeky wink. “Come. We have residences for guests.”

  Although she was sure she had, Akari didn’t remember eating, bathing, or resting. Adrenaline and anxiety were all that had animated her yesterday afternoon, and that fact was made clear enough by the utter lapse in her memory of everything that’d happened before she woke up in her bed this morning beneath a mountain of furry blankets. Despite her bedhead, she felt clean and nourished. She wore a simple lavender shirt and pants, thick for the winter.

  Yura slumbered in a bed adjacent to hers, but the third bed was conspicuously absent and looked like it hadn’t even been used yet. Growlithe snoozed between her and Yura’s beds and he cracked one eye open upon hearing her bed creak as she moved, but he soon closed it and went back to sleep.

  The building they were in had sloping walls that met in a point above them. A thick rug covered the ground and a proper wooden door adorned the entrance, entirely insulating them from the cold outside.

  Their room sported a modest amount of furniture and upon seeing a change of clothes folded for each of them on a short dresser, Akari remembered Irida saying something yesterday about preparing that for them.

  Not wanting to wake Yura, she dressed quietly and departed. Ordinarily, she was the type to make her bed but she left it unmade so Yura would see it and know she’d been here. She’d be waking up in an unknown place too, but by herself. And as much as Akari would have liked to keep her company, there were matters that demanded her attention.

  It was a frosty morning in the Pearl Settlement but everyone seemed to already be up and working, as the village was just as bustling as it’d been when they first arrived. As Akari continued to wake up, her memories of yesterday returned and she found herself able to navigate back to the clinic where she’d left Sabrina and Yura behind.

  However, before she could enter, Irida seemed to swoop out of nowhere and intercept her.

  “G’morning, Akari!” the Pearl Clan’s leader beamed. “Follow me, yeah? Sabrina and breakfast are waiting for us in the main hall!”

  Irida led her to a different building, this one larger and flanked by a number of campfires, though it was even more crusted over with snow than the others. It sported several conical roofs and Irida pushed open the front door before briskly walking over to a large table which already had one occupant.

  “Sabrina!” Akari exclaimed, quickening her pace upon seeing the older girl.

  Sabrina smiled weakly as Akari crushed her in a tight embrace. Surprisingly, she also smelled clean, like roses, so she must have bathed too. Only when Sabrina groaned did Akari release her, remembering that she was also hurt. The gash on her head was covered by a square of gauze; they’d likely restitched it at the clinic.

  “Sorry,” Akari mumbled, sitting down next to her.

  “Yura…?” Sabrina began to ask.

  “Still asleep.”

  Sabrina nodded and picked a berry off of a napkin in front of her and chewed it slowly.

  Several of Irida’s attendents walked in with plates of fluffy pancakes and bowls of cold fruit for each of them, which Akari eagerly dug into. Irida attacked her plate with a similar gusto, but Sabrina ate more gingerly.

  “I’m glad you're feeling better, Sabrina,” Irida said, swallowing a bite of pancake. “The nurses told me you were lucky this happened up here in the Icelands. There was minimal swelling because of the temperature. As long as you take it easy for a while, you should make a full recovery soon enough.”

  “I can’t,” Sabrina urged, locking eyes with her. “I have to look for—“

  Irida raised a hand. “You’re not going anywhere, miss. Rest assured my men are hunting for your friends as we speak.” She grimaced. “The search continued all through the night but I’m afraid we still have nothing.”

  Sabrina slumped in her chair.

  Akari could tell she was taking it personally since she was the one who’d teleported everyone away. But the alternative was far more horrifying. “Miss Irida, we need to tell you something very important. It’s unbelievable, but it’s true.”

  “I’m all ears,” Irida said, leaning forward. “The mystery of your circumstances kept me up all night.” Her eyes sparkled eagerly.

  “It’s Volo,” Akari said. “He’s the one who attacked us.”

  Irida’s brows wrinkled immediately. She opened her mouth but seemed to decide against protesting. “Continue,” she said.

  “He… He was waiting for us in the Icelands, knowing we were on our way to the summit of Mount Coronet. He attacked our friend Ash because of a legendary artifact called a Plate that he has.” Akari glanced at Sabrina and the psychic nodded. “He even implied he’s responsible for all of the Alpha Pokémon appearing around Hisui. He was able to command a giant Alpha Avalugg!”

  Irida’s frown deepened. “These are substantive accusations. Assuming someone like Volo was even capable of the sort of things you’re describing, why would he do such a thing?”

  “He’s collecting those Plates,” Sabrina said. “Each one grants its users a terrifying amount of power.”

  Irida stared at them, unconvinced. “My question still stands. What exactly does he gain just by possessing these Plates? What end is so important that it’d justify murder?”

  “We don’t know, he just attacked us out of nowhere!” Akari said. “For all we know, he’s still out there in the Icelands somewhere! He could be coming here next!”

  Irida pursed her lips and sighed. “I was expecting a crazy story. But I’ll be frank. This doesn’t sound like the Volo I know at all. Are you sure you have the right—?”

  “Platinum blonde hair, gray eyes, tall, friendly with everyone,” Sabrina said.

  Irida puffed up her cheeks, unamused. “Hmmm.”

  “Please ma’am, I promise we’re telling the truth,” Akari pleaded. “We need to find our friends before he does!”

  “He’s hurt,” Sabrina said. “Ash was able to use his Plate to injure Volo. If you can find where in Avalugg’s Legacy he attacked us, you’ll find the corpse of the giant Avalugg and lots and lots of blood.”

  “Probably covered up by the snow by now,” Irida muttered.

  “It was a lot of blood,” Sabrina insisted, her voice like iron.

  Irida sighed and leaned back. She poked at her pancakes absentmindedly, deep in thought. “Who’s Yura?”

  The sudden question took the two girls by surprise and they glanced at each other.

  “A survey up to the summit of Mount Coronet, I can understand. In fact, I’m grateful that the Survey Corps is willing to investigate that rift for us. But what is that child doing with you?”

  “She’s…” Sabrina began.

  “She’s looking for her home,” Akari said firmly. “We’re also out here to help her find it.”

  Irida raised her brows as if that was the most surprising part of their explanation. “Assuming everything you’ve said just now is true, now I have to wonder if I’m putting my men in danger sending them after your friends,” she eventually said. “Or if I’m putting the entire Pearl Clan in danger by housing you here.” She glanced at both of them.

  Akro frowned and turned away guiltily. She’d been thinking the same thing, but at this point, she just wanted to find the others at any cost, consequences be damned.

  “Where’s Professor Laventon?” Irida suddenly asked. “He’s usually on these sorts of surveys, isn’t he?”

  His face was cold and the ground stank of salt beneath him. Each breath filled his nostrils with the stench so he slowly rolled over onto his back, pushing the ground.

  Laventon frowned.

  Sand.

  The cold “ground” depressed beneath his hand. At first he’d thought it was snow but it wasn’t cold enough for that. And he could feel the sand clinging to his face where he’d been laying down.

  He sat up. His vision was blurry but he could feel the wind whip across his face. Before him, a great expanse of deep blue roiled and roared, whitecaps blistering across its surface.

  Laventon’s stomach dropped and he rubbed his eyes furiously. He still had on his winter coat…but it didn’t seem like he’d need it now. He pulled off his hood and stood, taking one uneasy step forward.

  Waves crashed in front of him and slipped up the beach in a foamy froth, coming to a stop just in front of his feet.

  Laventon turned, and turned again. There wasn’t a flake of snow in sight. Instead, he saw flat wet sand and lumpy dry sand, bright green grass and rotten logs, and tall cliffs of slate gray stained in white pokémon guano.

  He’d been here before, but not in some time, especially after the appearance of the Alpha Pokémon. Yet he recognized it all the same. Even if it made absolutely no sense why he was waking up here.

  These were the Cobalt Coastlands.

  Horror lanced through Laventon like fire. “Rei!” He stumbled forward. “Akari!” He swept his gaze across the barren beach. “Yura!”

  Next — Chapter 73 : Beacon