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 Posted: Sat Aug 05, 2017 9:14 am
Keiran Keiran was taken aback by Riley’s point, registering that yes, you idiot, you also needed to breathe. He felt himself flush under his fur. He accepted Riley’s silver handkerchief with a sheepish expression, a sparkle of gratitude in his eyes despite the embarrassment. Now they’d both breathe safely, and they each had something of the other. They hadn’t been so sentimental as this in years. This mission was wreaking havoc on all of their hearts, it seemed.
He straightened properly as Riley turned to address Sephia. Something in Riley’s aura of frustration said that he wasn’t quite done with him, though his paws itched to be running. Sephia looked as though she wished to dismiss the concern, still a bundle of nerves since the death of her son, but a sharp look from the Riolu silenced her. They didn’t have time for an argument like that, and despite Riley’s manners one had to be cruel to be kind.
”Will accept it,” the Seviper answered, looking somewhat disgruntled about it. Riley wouldn’t have caught the exchange with Keiran, but Ivilon (shell-shocked as he was) would have. Keiran didn’t have the grace to look apologetic about it, either. Sephia tilted her head to give Riley better access to tie the kerchief, but gave only a hiss of frustration once it was on.
The Riolu shifted his gaze back to Riley as he caught the exacerbated lash of the Espeon’s tail. The forked tip was curled and twisting with the discomfort of the situation Riley had been forced into. ”I have to,” he replied blithely, ”-someone has to bring Clive home.”
There was a spark of hope in those muffled words. Keiran, at the very least, firmly believed that he could get Clive and himself out of harm’s way. The Vaporeon was in danger on his own, not because he was inept or foolish, but because Keiran knew him to have more heroism than concern for self. He was going back to help, and then to hopefully keep the handsome water-cat from doing something foolish for the greater good. Riley would be just as bad.
He tipped his head to his team, the silken handkerchief still tight on his muzzle. ”You as well,” he answered when Riley stooped to a desperate ‘please’ in place of frustration. When he did turn to run, he had disappeared into the shrubs within moments.
Sephia twisted, already starting to move as Keiran had departed. ”Will guide to pure stones.” Her accent somehow seemed clear through a tightly-tied handkerchief. ”Climb, will be faster carried than by foot,” she instructed firmly, showing the pair her sleek back. Her wounds were not deep enough to cause her much stress in this, but the little males would need their strength on arrival more than she. This way, at least, she could spare them the energy of tracking her through the undergrowth.
If they chose to follow, she would wait only a precious few moments for them to settle. Eyes glinting with the same impatience of before, she still couldn’t quite disguise her fondness for the little Beldum that Riley would have to carry astride her back. At their word, she would regardless speed off through the undergrowth.
Her scales would protect her from all manner of plants, though she was careful to avoid anything with thorns or broken branches. Her belly was still somewhat soft from the eggs she had borne. She would be much faster with Riley and Ivilon tucked close behind her head, but the pace would still be quick enough to bring them to the circle of standing stones that they had seen once before.
The artfully-carved stones, looking so curious with their bulbous tops and wind-smoothed sides, was now a writhing mass of acrid smoke. A circular pit sat in the very center of the rock formation, with sides carved to perfect smoothness and, though it could hardly be seen through the fumes, one got the sense that it was also perfectly circular. The mark of a very particular sort of person. The toxic plants and fungi within the pit were clearly visible, as if the fire itself could not be convinced to touch it all, but still it fed greedily off their drying leaves and branches. To breathe this in at close range would be fatal, no matter how ‘half-finished’ Aric’s original plan had been.
Sephia curled her lip back in disgust, baring her fangs even behind the handkerchief breathing mask as she recoiled further from the burning pit of poison. She could easily see where the smoke seemed to be siphoned around the stones, spreading wide across the river behind it. ”Smell is horrid,” she remarked, gagging.
- - - - -
Keiran’s lungs would be burning from the long-distance sprint. He was already halfway across the bridge, having managed a drastically better time than he expected. He could see the rooftops of the village buildings ahead, but the clearings between them and villagers about them were hidden from view. He found it relieving to see the air still clear, here. Would that hold true for long? Would the poison even be visible? He didn’t have an answer for that and it twisted the knot more tightly into his gut.
He staggered slightly as his paws made the transition to sand and clay, but managed to stay upright as he tried to keep running. It ended up being closer to a jog as he made his way through the gates. What few villagers still bustled about gave him looks of fear and alarm. His fur still stained with mud and blood, tangled up with leaves and splinters- he’d be quite a sight for the typically-civilized people here. They gave him a wide berth as he leaned onto his knees to catch his breath. ”Hah. …Can you… Can you tell me where…. Clive is?” he gasped to the nearest person. The Croconaw stared blankly back at him, wondering if the newcomer was entirely sane. Keiran’s strength slowly seeping back into weary muscles, he gave a huff of impatience. ”Clive. My… teammate- the Va-… Vaporeon! …Magician!” His tone had shifted to something more urgent, demanding, and the Croconaw quickly understood, pointing wordlessly in the direction he’d watched Clive and Evelyn disappear to earlier.
Keiran waved his thanks, ignoring the throbbing of his ribs and legs, and ran after the them. Some of the other villagers had recognized him by now, immediately gesturing in whatever direction he should go, and he was more than grateful. He didn’t want to waste time asking for directions, but he couldn’t sense his friend’s aura at such a distance.
”Clive!” he called hoarsely. By the stars, where was he?
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Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2017 9:18 pm
Riley & Ivilon Both Riley and Ivilon looked a bit stricken at Sephia's surprising request, but they followed her instruction without more than a moment's hesitation. Riley leaped onto her scaly back without issue, though finding a way to secure his hold proved more troublesome. In the end he took up a spot towards the back of her body, where his paws could wrap around her tail so he wouldn't have to use his claws to keep a hold of the Seviper. Ivilon solved the issue for himself by lodging his body against the back of Sephia's neck, using his magnetism to keep himself pressed against her. The Beldum was, suddenly, very aware of how warm his body was, from all the overworking of his circuits. "Are you certain this is acceptable to you?" He chimed uncertainly. "It is not too warm?" Of course he knew Seviper were cold-blooded creatures and it was likely fine, but he felt nervous about causing her any more discomfort all the same.
They traveled to the stones at a speed faster than either Guild member would have thought possible. It was shocking to see--no--feel the stamina and dexterity of the great snake they rode upon across the swamp. She never slowed, never put her passengers in any danger, and the journey was quick, if not particularly smooth given their pace.
It was surreal to see the place they'd first met Aric again. It had only been this morning but it felt like a lifetime ago. Now the Quagsire was a corpse and there would be many more to follow if they didn't act soon, and all because of the creature who'd brought them here in the first place--the creature who had once been the son of the lady who stopped short at the edge of the circle, giving her passengers the chance to dismount. Riley gladly let go, feeling a little ill from his less-than-ideal vantage point, and wobbling a bit as he turned to face their destination. Ivilon pulled away from his spot without a word, turning his eye on what lay ahead, certain that no good would await his vision. He was right.
The air above the half-circle was thick with smog, the sort that was dense enough to seem solid. Riley had seen nothing, facing the ground on the journey there, but Ivilon's eye had glimpsed this same deadly fog spreading across the sky, spreading like thunderclouds across the blue. Here, the trio were so close it was impossible to tell how far it had spread because it was so full-bodied it seemed more real than the horizon beyond. At the very least they could see it was getting wider and wider as it crossed the river beyond, but where did it end? It seemed that the smoke was taking its time to fall from the height it had reached, caught in a slipstream or some such thing created by the ventilating rock formation. The further away it got, however, the lower it sank--on the opposite bank, it looked like the smog was caught in the grasses, making it impossible to know how much further it continued or how fast it crept along. And the smell. The smell had started over five minutes ago--like a whiff of sulfur at first, then evolving into a horrible, burning stench that made every rise and fall of the chest feel like an inferno.
Riley was coughing from the moment he released Sephia, eyes tearing up from the chemicals in the air. "Legends," he hissed, pulling his hat low over his eyes, "we can't stay here long."
Ivilon stared at Riley with concern as the Espeon bounded forward, scanning the Psychic's exposed skin for signs of contamination. Riley had exposed wounds, and fragile lungs--Sephia as well. Neither of them should be here. Steeling himself, Ivilon hurried after Riley, determined to make this process go as quickly as possible.
Riley pushed through the clouds of haze that cloaked the rocks with no small effort, his lungs aching in his chest. The moment he broke that barrier it was like he was in a different world. Suddenly, the purple gloom was dense enough that, combined with the way his eyes teared up from the chemicals that assaulted them, he could hardly make out where anything was at all. This was far worse than he'd thought. The Espeon stumbled forward, half-blind, wheezing through his mouth to try and combat the acrid smell, when a voice rang sharp in his mind. Stop!" It was loud enough to make him cringe, which brought on a coughing fit. You're right on top of the fire--another step and you'd be stepping in melting toxins. Can't you see? Ivilon's voice was both sharp and panicked in his mind, and Riley stared blearily about for the shape of his teammate but found nothing.
No, I can't. He telegraphed the message back, clear as he could through the overwhelming painful stimuli. The smoke's too thick, I can hardly take it. I can't see a thing and I can hardly think! He snapped back from the telepathic connection as his ears began to ring. This was bad. Ivilon had said he was right by the fire, right? That meant he could extinguish it from here. He reached out with his paws, trying to find the edge of the circular pit he'd seen from farther back.
Stop! Ivilon's voice clanged again, and Riley lost his footing as he tried to cover his ears, falling to the ground with a painful snap of the jaws. Arceus, Riley, you're not alright at all.
No kidding, genius. The magician couldn't even register remorse for the snippy retort Ivilon would surely be able to access, connected to Riley's thoughts as he was.
I cannot extinguish the flames as I am, but you have a means that I lack in your cloak. I will tell you where to put it if you can just focus that long.
Riley rose up, clenching his teeth and clawing at his throat to unclasp his prized garment. He almost wanted to extend his claws and let them cut into his throat alongside it--that, at least, might distract from the pain of the thinly-veiled smoke he was breathing. After a few clumsy moments, he pulled the cloak off. "Well?!" he shouted, immediately regretting the act as he fell into coughs that wouldn't stop. Ivilon?!
Step to your left. Yes, good. Take one step forward... Two... Here! Unfurl your cloak straight ahead. Riley did as he was told, eyes shut since the tears were distracting him. He used his Psychic to push the fabric out to its fullest extent, then force it into the ground. You've covered it!
"Thank the Legends..." It was more a wheeze than words, and Riley felt his stomach churn and burn inside him as he turned around to run the other way. Anything to get out of this smoke, anything. He ran blindly forward, eyes fixed on any place where it looked like the smog was clearing.
It wasn't until too late that he heard Ivilon's shriek. "Not that way!" His legs buckled from the force of the mental scream and he stumbled, tumbling forward head over tail until he felt something cold touch his skin--something so cold it burned. His mouth opened in shock as he realized what he'd fallen into, and he realized too late that his head was about to be submerged and then--!
A burst of light.
- - - - -
Where was he? Clive didn't even know that for himself. The Vaporeon stood in a far corner of the town, lungs burning with an unpleasant tingling sensation unlike the shortness of breath that had been so commonplace today. That wasn't a good sign.
He and Evelyn had hurried to Sephia's shop, where they found her eggs hidden away in a safe nest. Blissfully, all of them were intact--Aric had not managed to return for the children in the mother's absence. Clive's thoughts turned to Keiran and Ivilon, wondering if they found the Quagsire, if they managed to contain him yet or if something else had happened. Would anyone be hurt? Would they be able to talk him down? ...Would Riley be with them yet?
"You still with me, son?" A pair of Marill paws clapped in front of his face and Clive jumped. "We have to move these eggs out. I'm better equipped for it than you of course, but you can go fetch a cart or something to put 'em in. Should be one nearby--Sephia occasionally sells things down at the market, brings her wares in that. It must be nearby."
"Cart, around here, got it." Clive dipped his head and scampered out the door, a bit embarrassed. He had to keep his head on his shoulders or there wouldn't be any point worrying about someone else. "You're better alive than dead, eh handsome?" he muttered to himself as he circled the general store, eyes catching on a wooden cart propped against the window. "Corpse is not a good look for you." Grabbing the harness attached to the cart in his teeth, Clive pulled with all he had, finding the contraption surprisingly heavy. "Jeez, lady, how much do you take with you on road trips." He growled the words through clenched teeth, straining to bring the cart in front of the door.
Evelyn was waiting for him there with a bemused expression on her face. "Having some trouble, there?"
"I'm not built like a Seviper!" he moaned, dropping the harness from his mouth with distaste. "But more importantly, I don't think I can pull that on my own, especially with eggs inside it."
"Hm." Evelyn frowned as she placed the first egg in the chart, considering her options. "Then follow this road down as far as it goes and take a left. You should end up near where I sent Kelby. Fast as that boy is, I'm sure there'll still be some of them left, and they can point you to Aufric. He'll be able to manage it."
The events that followed blurred together in a haze of oncoming smog and unfamiliar faces. Aufric turned out to be a Poliwrath, but Clive didn't find him without speaking to three other guards to learn what sector of the town he'd headed to. Then he'd managed to chase down the man, explain the situation and send him in the right direction. Only to be assigned Aufric's own task of being sure the rest of that area was evacuated. He'd searched home after home, knocking on doors, peering in windows, shouting through the streets until his voice was hoarse, and he was almost certain there was no one left. And now there was smog creeping in and he felt it sticking in his chest, a sure sign that they needed to be gone already. The Vaporeon took a shaking breath through his Aqua Ring veil and began to race back toward the heart of town, planning where to scour next.
He made it about halfway to the center of the village before he heard a voice. It was faint but very familiar, and he stopped in his tracks, straining to hear. That was his name--that voice. "K!" He scrambled in the direction of the sound, eyes wide with shock. "Keiran, where are you?" He knew his friend would have an easier time finding him than the other way around, so he did his best to stick to the same street, staring wildly back and forth for any sign of his friend's dark figure.
When they found each other he would offer a quick nuzzle to his friend's side, but his eyes would be dark. "K, what happened? To Riley and Ivilon and that lady and that"--he shuddered--"psychopath." Immediately after he'd raise a paw. "Wait, tell me while we move. I need to keep making sure no one's left behind. There's smog moving in and it's getting nasty. It's already making me a little heady." Or maybe that was just all the running and anxiety--not a good combination. "The rest of the Guard were working the other parts of the village, but it won't be bad to be certain." Clive was already running again. "Come on, no time to waste. Today would be an awful day to die, don't you think? Much too humid."
Clive
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2017 8:02 am
Keiran Sephia had certainly not been bothered by the warmth of Ivilon, held to the base of her neck like a heating pad. She was more distressed to have the heat leave, if she was entirely truthful. But she was old enough not to fuss about the loss of comfort when Ivilon and Riley stumbled their way from astride her back, the latter stricken by hacking coughs that seemed torn from the base of his lungs. She winced in sympathy, simply trying not to breathe deeply through her own mask. It made her a little light-headed, but she preferred it to the painful coughing that the Espeon seemed caught in.
Alarm shot through her as that same Espeon threw himself into the noxious cloud, her long body jerking as if to snatch Riley back. The air burned, even through the mask. She hissed painfully, choosing not to place herself too close to the burning pit of… she didn’t want to know what Aric had been burning. It smelled horrid, and if the opaqueness of the cloud was a judge of toxicity, she could only presume that it was as deadly as it appeared.
She waited on shallow, bated breaths as the Espeon did not reappear. Ivilon had floated in after him, determined to follow his captain, and despite his kind’s immunity to many poisons she felt herself fear for the shining Steel-type.
She waited for several minutes. Neither one reappeared. She could catch the strained sound of Riley’s voice once or twice, but it was barely audible over the snapping crackle of the flames and the choking buffer of the smog. She narrowed her eyes. No, they had spent too long within that cloud.
The Seviper shot forward unbidden, closing her large eyes against the poison and feeling her way along the ground by touch and memory alone. She knew what this place was meant to look like, what it should feel like. The heat of fire against her scales told her that she was too close to the pit, but it seemed lesser somehow. Had they smothered it? The air burned against her wounds, sending shudders of agony through her spine, but the mask held firm to her face and her own natural resistance would serve her well for a moment longer. She couldn’t scent anything past the smoke, just hoping to bump into one or the other.
She didn’t, but she found the Espeon by the sound of his fall. The scrabbling against the dirt and the crash of a body hitting water had her moving more quickly than she’d been in a number of years. Instinctively balking at the bank, she threw her head forward to grasp whatever she could of the panicked captain. She felt the tip of a fang touch water as the handkerchief mask was ripped from her face, but didn’t hesitate. She plunged her face into the water and snapped her lower jaw around his torso.
Something bright burst, the light shining through her eyelids. She could feel the air clearing somewhat, and the water rippled as something else made contact.
Eyes still closed, Sephia tenderly scooped the Espeon’s head and shoulders from the water. Having such tiny lower fangs in comparison to those of her upper jaw, Sephia was able to grasp him without much trouble. The fabric of her mask was still caught around her upper jaw and dangled uselessly above her open mouth, but it had cushioned Riley well against the solid form of each tooth. There was a muffled, worried hum as she carefully drew herself up. The pull of powerful muscles lifted Riley neatly from the river, the sound of dribbling water letting her know that she’d been successful. She didn’t notice that it was easier to breathe, or question why she didn’t feel the burn of river water against her scales.
- - - - -
Keiran caught the sound of the Vaporeon’s voice and broke into a sprint again, hurrying to meet the Water-type where he’d stood in the center of the road. ”Clive!” he called back, answering his teammate’s voice. ”Stay there!”
Within a few moments, he caught sight of the shimmering blue skin and found himself wrapping a grateful arm over the safe, blessedly safe Vaporeon’s shoulder. Clive had nuzzled into his side in a greeting more warm than he’d expected, but he treasured the moment. It felt relieving to know that he was safe, and evidently Clive felt the same about him.
He would have told him everything, updated him at the drop of Riley’s proverbial hat, but Clive held a paw aloft to motion for his silence. And then he made a suggestion that almost made Keiran regret not waiting to fully compose himself after sprinting here. More running. He nodded anyway, following the Vaporeon’s sprint with a choked breath as he pretended his legs and lungs would forgive him for the extended sprint. ”He- Aric’s dealt with.” That hurt to say. He wasn’t looking forward to dealing with the consequences of that, even as the guilt gnawed a hole in his stomach. How long had it been since he’d actually killed someone? How long after that had he sworn to Era and Ethfael that he wouldn’t want to go back to it? The excuse that he hadn’t meant for Aric’s death rang rather hollow when he remembered the reactions it had drawn. He wasn’t going to talk about it now. Let them be angry with him later.
”I’ll explain later. But the smog, it’s smoke from a bonfire set up down river. He was trying to suffocate us-" A stop as he corrected himself. "-them.” He gestured to some villagers as best he could without stopping. ”Riley and Ivilon went with the Seviper. We think if we can douse the fire, we can clear the smog out, but we’ll need to take the villagers as far as we can. This mess could carry for miles.”
Said ‘mess’ burned against his skin. Riley had healed him to some degree, but he was still as injured as the rest of them. It even felt offensive against the tender bruising of his throat. He hoped that the others weren’t suffering as much.
The pair of them began checking every house and garden along their path. At first, Keiran only searched for the feel of auras as he passed, skimming the area for any signs of life. But as Clive’s own voice grew hoarse calling out to the stragglers of their evacuation effort, Keiran found the strength to call with him between breaths in his explanation.
They reached the edge of town and Keiran jogged up to Kiya’s house without hesitation. ”Kiya!” he called urgently, unceremoniously opening the door to peer inside. He didn’t feel her aura around the place, though he could catch her scent underlying the acrid tang of smog. If she’d been here, she’d very recently left. ”Empty,” he confirmed aloud, rejoining Clive as he directed a lone villager back toward the others.
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Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2017 6:50 pm
Riley & Ivilon High above the scene, Ivilon shook inside his metal shell as he watched the Drought Orb hit the water. Riley--by all the gods--Riley had turned and run straight for the river. The watchful Beldum, who'd been keeping an eye from mere feet above his captain's head, hadn't realized where the Espeon was headed until it was too late, only that he wasn't leaving the same way that he'd arrived. It registered a few, halting moments after, that there was only one other way to go than leaving by land. He'd shouted after Riley but the Espeon hadn't heard his words, so it was with all the strength in his body that Ivilon forced himself forward, his mind racing through the options at his disposal and arriving at a brilliant solution when he caught a glimpse of Sephia's scales on the edge of the smog. Of course.
With one final, mental cry, the Beldum hoped the pain would be enough to stop Riley in his tracks, feeling a twinge of remorse at the knowledge of how painful the message would be. In the meantime, the Psychic shot himself upward, Psychic glowing around something round and blue inside the open bag still draped across his body. This was his last hope--he knew it as he saw Riley stumble and fall. With everything he had, Ivilon hurled the Orb down and sent up a silent prayer that it would hit its target soon enough. The area was enveloped by a brilliant burst of light, and the aftermath held a miracle.
Riley's eyes were wide and his heart pounding as the world tilted sideways, sidelong, upside-down. His mouth filled with water as he hit the water, feeling its burning toxins against his skin, and he hissed the liquid back out, painfully trying not to swallow as his lungs revolted from the smoke and water that fought each other to replace what little air he managed to hold onto in his lungs. Then something blindingly bright forced his eyes shut and he heaved a rasping gasp in surprise, only to find it met without resistance. There wasn't time to process it, even if his mind was in a place to do so, because he suddenly felt something tighten around his stomach and his ribs--something foreign enough that he wriggled against it weakly, but his body couldn't follow through with the action, beaten down as it was. His body was snatched, pulled through the air up onto the riverbank and he lay low to the ground, hacking beneath the smoke. Beneath it? He trembled where he lay, feeling no dampness in his fur but only a biting burn that clung to all the exposed lines on his skin. The only thing he could think about besides the burn was the painfulness of breath. As he lay there, he began to cough again, weak but persistent, hardly able to take air in between. It was like his lungs were trying to burn through his body. The only thing that helped was a soothing wave of something that washed over his mind, helping soothe away excess thoughts and clear the haze of the pain. He vaguely registered a familiar voice telling him to focus on breathing, but all he could do was cough.
Ivilon hovered close, head resting against Riley's as he sent waves of Calm Mind to the Espeon. "Please, just keep breathing..." he murmured, worry churning in his vacant stomach. He raised his head after a final pulse, looking to Sephia with two parts gratitude and concern. "Thank you for all you've done," he said softly, "but I'm afraid I still must ask more of you." The Beldum's eye scanned the sky, where the smoke was still churning, then turned to the river, which was still impossibly gone.
When he'd dropped the Orb and the flash faded he'd seen an impossibly empty riverbed, dry from bank to bank. There was still water flowing in the distance, the sound of it rushing to fill the gap painfully clear, but fortunately Sephia had been able to pull Riley out of the water at some point, though the flash made it unclear just when it happened. He'd dipped down and plucked a fallen hat from the riverbed before hurrying over to where Sephia and Riley were waiting, the Seviper staring down in concern at tiny-looking Espeon beneath her, coughing in the band still tight around his muzzle. Now Ivilon was with them both and asking even more of the brave lady snake by his side, and he heard the water rushing fast behind them, covering up the hole the Drought Orb had left in the river.
"Take him." Ivilon nodded to his captain, looking up at Sephia. "You and he must go to the others. He must see the healer and you should as well, and you must tend to your children." His voice was steady and clear, not at all affected by the smoke that swirled around them. "I will see to it the fire dies and its remnants are disposed of. Then I will come. It will not take me long, as I can cross the river without a bridge. But you must go before me--for your safety and for his--because I cannot get you both to safety." Although he wished he could. He wished he could take care of them all, but at least he could see to it that this part of the mission was completed.
He wouldn't take a no from Sephia and he would wait to watch her vanish from view before he turned back to the smog nearby. It was high time that fire was smothered for good--besides, he had to retrieve the cloak that was doing the smothering.
- - - - -
Having Keiran with him made the process infinitely faster, which Clive was terribly grateful for. The Riolu had his aura to confirm what a Vaporeon could not--there were no living beings left in the places they traveled. Their journey wasn't a very talkative one--heavy breathing and urgency precluded that possibility--but it was better to be traveling beside someone than traveling alone.
He hadn't said anything in response to Keiran's explanation, just a simple nod of affirmation that the village evacuation was the priority now. Instead, Clive focused on his breathing, unnerving as it was to notice how it was getting more difficult. They covered the entire south side of the town and had reached a quaint little house that must've been the healer's given the way Keiran called out a name so familiarly. He hung back to watch the Tympole they'd directed to the right path, waiting for the boy to turn the corner before he looked back to the Riolu jogging up to him. "You know this one then?" he said, nodding to the house. "Glad they got the memo."
He clicked his tongue. "I think we've done just about all we can." He tilted his head to the side, considering. "If we catch up with the end of the group we can check in with the rest of the guards to confirm the north is clear... They'll need some direction on where to go though, so we probably need to send someone to the front, too." He sighed. "I should probably do that, and you should check the north. You have the aura stuff, so you can do one last round. Be sure you come find me when you get back though, alright?" He bit his lip. "And if... anyone shows up they'll be able to find us by following the tracks. So don't wait around, okay?" He and Keiran were both stubborn, but neither of them were dumb. Hopefully that would be enough to ensure he listened.
Clive would go with his teammate as far as Keiran stayed with him, then he'd continue on after the villagers. He would meet up with the familiar faces in the rear and then head to the front, where Evelyn and some of the others were waiting for him. He would lead them all as long as it took, until the sun went down and then a little longer. By the time they reached their destination though, he would be rejoined by all his teammates. Keiran, with good news of an empty village; then an injured Riley brought by Sephia, both of whom were immediately set upon by Kiya, who looked quite white at the sight of them; then Ivilon, a full bag and a set of woefully poison-drenched garments in tow, news of a smothered fire and discarded toxins. There would be many tearful reunions, and concerned exchanges between the teammates as they found each other again. They would discuss what they could do to get clean air circulating after, when everyone settled down to rest, when they were sure they were safely beyond the expanse of the toxic smog. The members of Team Synchronicity would keep watch, except for Riley who wasn't well enough to do so, and would be reprimanded by his teammates and Kiya for trying to insist upon it. Ivilon's watch was quiet and pensive, the Beldum staring at all the living, breathing creatures they'd protected; he felt a sense of resolution, and a sense of pride--somehow, they'd managed to succeed. This was what being a proper Guild member felt like, what it was like to save lives. For all the terrible things that had happened, this, at least, seemed to be worthwhile. Clive's watch was anxious, just as his sleep was fitful. He was out of his mind with worry that he'd expected to fade with the return of his friends, but only increased the more he looked them over. And look them over he did. He watched the sky, to be sure, but he also watched the sleeping faces of his teammates. He tried to memorize what they looked like here, swallowing the lingering fear about how vulnerable they all were. He watched Riley most of all, constantly checking to assure himself the Espeon was still breathing--sometimes the rise and fall of his chest was so slight as he breathed past the clouds inside his lungs. When his watch was done Clive lay quietly with his head on his hands, listening to that raspy breathing, and the other breathy sounds nearby. He wouldn't sleep--he couldn't risk the thought that it could cease the moment he closed his eyes.
Beyond personal revelations, their night would pass without much incident and they left in the morning, leaving the villagers to set out back for the Guild with help: Riley was barely well enough to travel, but he refused to be left behind for this venture. They wouldn't make it home until the moon was well up in the sky, since their pace was slow due to Riley, but they would have the chance to share their tales with each other from the past events. They all felt exhaustion and sadness dogging their steps, and the journey was terribly long, but they would make it with encouragement from each of the members in his own, familiar way. Clive told stories, Riley whispered assurances, Ivilon offered silent Psychic comfort, and Keiran's very presence made them feel safe. Everything was just as usual, but it was on the other side of something monumental, and they would need the time to process it to move forward. But none of them would take that time until they saw the village safe.
Clive
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2017 7:56 pm
Keiran Sephia coiled loosely around Riley, shielding him from the worst of the smog on the breeze by angling it away with her body. For some of it to sink down around his face was inevitable, but she had to try. She could hear Ivilon cooing to Riley, soothing his pain and encouraging him to breathe. She couldn’t help but agree, her heart fluttering at how very small the Psychic was where he lay crumpled in the deadened grass.
With a careful n** of her fangs, she pried the poison-drenched fabric away from his face to let him breathe. It would do no good to him now, not saturated as it was with the stench of poison. She herself had been forced to twist and trash to free herself of the handkerchief across the bridge of her snout, appearing far less graceful than she did now.
She could hear the water rushing back, and knew from experience that the Beldum had made use of their Drought Orb to save his friend. Such clever boys they were, but much too young to have experienced such stress and heartache. Her mind flashed back to the thought of Aric and she closed her eyes as if to shut out the memories.
She nodded weakly to Ivilon. ”I will carry him safely to Kiya, our healer,” she assured Ivilon with a softening gaze. ”The kindness you have shown us is more than worthy of it.” She stretched to bump her snout tenderly against the little Steel-type’s body, and dipped her head once more to nudge Riley into curling up against her side. From there, she managed to delicately scoop him again by his ribs and shoulders. This time would be more gentle, with Sephia able to take her time in arranging him, and she helped him to sprawl weakly across the center of her back. Her departure would be slower than their arrival. She was weaker now than she had been and she’d take extra care to ensure that the frail Espeon did not slip from her scales.
- - - - -
Keiran nodded sharply. ”Village healer,” he answered Clive shortly. He was never unkind with Clive, not for fear of his own life, but there wasn’t much time for chatter here. ”She’s the one who cleared Riley and I.” He too, was glad to find her absent from the home. The villagers would be needing their healer with them, and Keiran had a feeling that it would be wiser for them to avoid her expert eyes until they were actually able to rest. He looked like a horror novel come to life, and Riley would not appear much different when he arrived. Little did he know how true that sentiment was.
He would agree with Clive, following instructions without question and holding pace at his side until they parted to divide tasks between them. The remaining streets would be checked alone, only to greet the guards that had remained behind to help with evacuation. Dutiful as ever, Keiran would turn them in the right direction, and they would set out after the mud-slick footprints of the fleeing civilians one-by-one.
It was he who crossed paths with Sephia and Riley and in that moment his heart had stopped. Barely hanging onto consciousness, the Espeon had borne a striking resemblance to a corpse and he had been unable to process that horror. He had to hold him, touch him, just to be sure that the weakened aura of his closest friend still burned steadily beneath the worn exterior. He would carry Riley for the rest of the way, tears of mixed guilt and relief stinging at his eyes and Sephia slowly slithering behind him as her energy seemed to run dry.
When they arrived to join the other evacuees, the reactions of Clive and Kiya were just as extreme. He had no excuses or explanations to give. Over an hour later, Ivilon would join them. He held his peace, obeying Kiya’s instructions in silence and feigning sleep to evade the questions he knew would eventually come. He knew from Clive’s breathing that the Vaporeon had yet to sleep either. Likely for stress and anxiety than any sort of self-imposed punishment.
The night was thankfully quiet, leaving the Riolu undisturbed but for his time on watch and the occasional check by Kiya to ensure his continued health. He didn’t know how well he’d have reacted if he’d been forced to fight again so soon after the day’s events. With this many vulnerable lives around him, he’d have likely been forced to kill whatever came their way. That, too, was stressful. Sleep would come eventually, but not now. Not yet. And he would still be wide awake when the sun rose the next dawn, already up and moving before his teammates could rear their weary heads. He saw to it that their few acquaintances were settled, and collected what little of their supplies Kiya had been able to clean. His ribbon, along with Riley’s hat, cloak, and handkerchief, were carefully folded and tucked into a bag for their journey. There would be little point now in putting them on, given that the guild’s medical staff would certainly be dragging each of them into quarantine the moment they stepped through the gate. They and their belongings would all be thoroughly cleaned and checked over once again, and the thought alone was exhausting.
They left a few hours after dawn had truly broken. He listened in pensive silence to Clive’s tales and Riley’s whispered words, though withdrawn enough from any of the three companions to disguise the turmoil in his aura. He followed, always a step behind them as he caught their slipping paws and carried their rations. Ivilon’s overworked circuitry could no longer bear the weight, and Riley leaned almost exclusively onto Clive when he faltered. From behind, at least, Keiran could see that they all still breathed. That was enough for now.
- - - - -
They were bombarded with medical staff within twenty minutes of their arrival at the guild, and a mere hour and a half before a larger unit was dispatched to secure the displaced villagers they’d left behind. All manners of soldiers, medical staff and scientists had followed in their tracks to offer help and supplies. Had anyone at the guild known just what state the swamp village was in, Keiran imagined that they would not have left it alone for so long.
As the third physician poked and prodded at his ribcage, he earnestly wished that he would also be likewise forgotten. Another thick, powerfully sweet syrup was served to him in a cup shortly afterward. Drinking extract of Pecha, he decided, was something akin to swallowing molten sugar. If only he’d been burned instead, for he’d handle much easier the bitterness of Rawst. He wondered idly how the others had found such attention bearable.
Riley and Clive were curled up on a stretcher to the far side of the room, given peace and privacy by a thick curtain to block the light. Ivilon had long since settled onto a bed nearby, looking as peaceful in slumber as he typically did by day.
Keiran was forced again to attempt sleep as he waited for their clearance to meet with a Guildmaster. He couldn’t say that he particularly succeeded, enveloped in a private storm of shame and anxiety, but he would manage to compose himself long before their employer came to call.
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