Hero
Part Five
The next day was a lot easier. The hatchlings were better behaved, the purrloin being especially wary not to anger Enigma. This left him to focus on Harlequin, although the sleep he’d had left the banette feeling sluggish and dozy. Harlequin got in more than one lucky strike, and by the end of the session Enigma’s ribs were feeling a little bruised.
He rubbed at his chest as the pair headed back to their rooms. They were both a little worse for wear. The zorua’s fur was matted with drying mud from a misfire Enigma had thankfully managed to avoid.
Harlequin lowered their head, but a smile adorned their muzzle. “Sorry. I think I hit you a bit hard.”
“Don’t apologise,” Enigma told them, flashing them a grin. “You’re getting good with that stick. You could really give a ‘mon a run for their money.”
“I hope so,” said Harlequin. “I don’t plan to use my usual attacks much at all.”
“Let’s just say I’ll be staying well out of your way when you’re allowed to use your nidoking horn.” Enigma chuckled, and Harlequin shook their head.
“I’ll catch up with you later,” they said once the pair had reached Enigma’s room. “I wanna wash up. That gible’s mud shot is really gumming up my fur.”
“Sure. I’ll set up the board.”
So used to Harlequin joining him, Enigma actually opened his door without thinking. He glanced back at the zorua’s retreating tail, then shut the door behind him. He’d barely released the handle when it shook, and he leapt away as the door brushed against his tail. He half-expected to see Harlequin changing their mind, but instead a pair of red eyes met his. Enigma’s heart flipped inside his chest as Kera closed the door quietly behind her.
“K-Kera?” Enigma stuttered. “What are you-?”
He cut off as the weavile’s eyes filled with tears. She leaned back against the door, glancing over her shoulder as if she was considering leaving again.
“I had to see ya.” Her voice cracked and she cleared her throat. “I thought… speakin’ to ya yesterday was a mistake. But…”
She closed her eyes and tears leaked over her cheeks. It took every ounce of willpower for Enigma not to snatch her into his arms.
“I miss ya.” Her voice was thick with tears and she hugged her arms around herself. “I thought it would get easier, but it’s not. I can’t do this anymore!” She wiped a paw across her eyes. “I just want things to go back to the way they were.”
Enigma took a deep, trembling breath as he mentally kicked himself at what he was about to say. “I don’t think they can.”
Kera looked up at him with bloodshot eyes. “Please.”
Enigma’s heart ached. He hated seeing her like this.
“Ya were a friend.” Her voice was thick with sobs again and her body shook. “A dear friend.”
“Kera…”
“I…” She covered her face with both paws and began to sink down against the door. “I miss ya so much.”
He couldn’t take it anymore. He reached out to catch her, and she stuck out a paw, placing it on his arm.
“Don’t.” Her voice was a whisper.
Enigma froze, confusion swirling through his mind. He stared down at the weavile quaking on his bedroom floor. Just as he was about to question what she actually wanted from him, she tightened her grip on his arm and pulled herself into him. She nuzzled into his scarf and let out a loud sob. Enigma fastened his arms around her and lowered his muzzle between her ears. Her familiar scent flooded over him, making tears prick his eyes.
“I’ve missed you too,” he murmured into her fur.
She wound her claws around his shoulders and her entire body shook with sobs. He brushed a paw over the back of her head and nuzzled her. Neither of them said anything else, yet he didn’t mind the silence. He just wanted to hold her like that forever. He didn’t want to let her go. He didn’t want to lose her again.
She swallowed audibly and pushed back from him. Much too soon. He reluctantly removed his arms to release her.
“Can I stay with ya for a while?” She finally met his eyes. “I just wanna talk. And play Chess. Like we used to.”
Enigma nodded and released her. “Of course.”
She stood back, but didn’t relax. Her eyes darted around his room, trying to look anywhere but at him. Enigma shifted with unease, and he glanced back at the door. Something dawned on him. Something that, oddly enough, made him feel a bit better with the situation. However, he wasn’t sure how Kera would take it.
He opened his mouth to tell her, but a soft scratching at the door made them both look up. Kera’s ear twitched and she flexed her claws at her sides.
The door nudged open and Harlequin dragged their small body through the gap. The zorua’s sapphire eyes widened when they saw Kera, and they ducked back slightly.
“Sorry,” Harlequin muttered as they turned to leave. “I can come back.”
“Wait.” Enigma’s voice froze the zorua in the door. “You don’t mind Harlequin joining us, do you?” he asked Kera. “I promised him a game of Chess.”
Much to Enigma’s surprise, Kera seemed to relax. “Not at all.”
Harlequin looked up at the weavile with an expression Enigma couldn’t read.
Kera shuffled her feet and hugged her arms around herself. “It might make things easier, actually.”
Enigma motioned for Harlequin to enter. The zorua slowly plodded into the room, keeping one eye trained on the weavile. Kera’s ear twitched again and she took a step back, still keeping her arms wrapped around her small body. The tension in the air was so thick Enigma was convinced he could feel it pressing down on him, choking him. He briefly considered pulling the blind aside on his window just to let in some air.
He ducked to drag out the Chess board then looked back at his friends. Harlequin and Kera were sat watching him. Harlequin shuffled a paw on the floor and glanced back to the door, while Kera diverted her gaze and cleared her throat. Enigma expected her to say something, but she didn’t. After a long, painful moment of silence Enigma started setting up the board. Then it struck him. How was he meant to play a two-player game with both of them?
Kera seemed to pick up on this. She took a wobbly breath and moved backwards to the door. “I’m gonna grab us some snacks.”
Enigma forced a grin which may have formed more of a grimace. “Don’t get caught.”
“Don’t worry, there’s hardly anyone here.” The weavile moved swiftly through the door, leaving it ajar.
Enigma’s heart twisted at the idea she might not come back. Harlequin peered over their shoulder at the door, ears erect. They fixed blue eyes back on Enigma and nodded to the door.
“So you made up then?” they asked.
Enigma shrugged. “I don’t know what’s going on, Harle.”
“I was gonna say,” said Harlequin. “I could cut the tension in here with my claws.”
Enigma was about to tell the zorua they could leave, but the words died on his tongue. The truth was he really didn’t want them to. The thought of being stuck with Kera alone, with emotions flying in all directions, was terrifying. He desperately wanted Harlequin to stay. So much so he feared he’d be clinging to the zorua’s tail pleading with them if they tried to leave.
Kera stepped through the door again, drawing their attention. The weavile clutched a small pouch in one paw and she dropped it beside the Chess board. Harlequin gave it a cautious sniff, and Kera shuffled aside to squat down near the board.
If the ground opened up and swallowed Enigma there and then, he would consider it a form of mercy.
Enigma scratched his arm as he looked between the two. The words that came out of his mouth surprised even him.
“Why don’t you two play first?” he suggested. “I’ll play the winner.”
...
That night was so painful Enigma wished he were elsewhere. He had been pleasantly surprised that Kera and Harlequin had actually taken his offer to play against each other. What hadn’t surprised him was the toxicity. Kera had become more and more agitated as their game went on. The pair of them were good at Chess, and it had almost become a contest not to play against Enigma but to try and best the other. On the plus side, Kera had begun to show her true colours. The fiery weavile returned in full force, spitting venom at Harlequin who bit back just as harshly.
It was a close win. Harlequin managed to assassinate Kera’s Nidoking after amassing an army of Kera’s former pieces. The weavile’s red eyes had bored into Harlequin’s sapphire ones. Then, the tense thread snapped. Kera flipped the board across the room and rose to her paws. She marched from the room without a word.
Enigma had tried to call her back, receiving a reply in the form of a slammed door.
Harlequin’s ears drooped. “I’m really sorry.”
“It’s not your fault.” Enigma sighed and leaned back against the stone leg of his bed. “She’s… I don’t know.”
“Lost it?” Harlequin offered.
Enigma nodded stiffly.
Harlequin left not long after. Enigma didn’t sleep. He sat staring at the wall, trying to make sense of what on earth was going on. How had that become a contest? What were they trying to prove?
He was still running those questions around in his head during that night’s training. A blow to his head jerked him back to reality, and he met a concerned look off Harlequin. They held their baton firmly in their jaws, and as Enigma rubbed the bruise forming on his brow the zorua shook their head.
Enigma looked past them at a grinning gabite. Kera stood by Tannen’s side, her eyes wide with alarm.
“Sorry,” Tannen scoffed. “That rock kinda got away from me.”
“Rock?” Enigma muttered, then raised his voice. “’Rock throw’ isn’t one of your skills and you know it!”
“Oh?” Tannen moved away from Kera and spread his arms. “Are you dissing me now?”
A scowl spread across Enigma’s face and he marched past Harlequin. The zorua scurried back in front of him and cut him off.
“Enigma, leave it,” they said quietly.
Enigma brushed Harlequin aside, causing the zorua’s fur to bristle under his claws. His crimson eyes were fixed on the gabite. Tannen spread his arms again, inviting the banette’s challenge.
Enigma’s muzzle twisted in a scowl and he lowered his paw from his throbbing forehead. “What’s your problem?”
“Really?” Tannen moved closer to him and lowered his muzzle to Enigma’s nose. “You’re tryin’ ta steal my partner, that’s what.”
Enigma shook his head in confusion. “What?”
“Kera told me she wanted me to step down so she could resume trainin’ with you lowlife.”
Enigma’s heart skipped a beat. He glanced past Tannen’s shoulder but Kera was no longer stood behind him. A sharp blade pressed into his throat and he jerked his attention back to Tannen. The dragon bared his canines and a low hiss leaked between his teeth.
“How’s she meant to even train fightin’ you?” he growled. “Always at an advantage? Don’t make me laugh, that ain’t how war works! I bet you can’t even fight. She just goes easy on ya.”
That was it. Enigma furrowed his brow and raised a paw, shoving Tannen’s blade away from him. “You think I can’t fight?”
“Is that a challenge?” Tannen purred.
Enigma vanished into the floor, and the dragon let out a gasp of surprise. It formed into a yell as the banette leapt up behind him and rammed his claws into his spine.
Tannen staggered forwards then spun, bringing his blade around in a crescent. Sand whipped up around Enigma, buffeting him with sharp rocks. He tried to vanish into the floor and his heart galloped as he realised he couldn’t phase through the storm. His eyes widened and swivelled in all directions, desperate to find a way out.
The gabite’s shadow loomed through the sand and Tannen struck Enigma with a full-body blow. The pair rolled out of the storm in a tangle of claws, fur and scales. Tannen’s sharp blades tore through Enigma’s fur and he hissed with pain. But he saw his chance. He slipped from the dragon’s grip back into the floor again.
Tannen twisted to look behind him and stuck out a paw. Enigma reappeared, ready to strike, just as Tannen lunged forwards. The dragon’s claw struck Enigma in the chest, winding him.
Harlequin let out a yell, followed by a gasp from Kera.
Enigma slumped to the floor, nausea flooding through him in waves. He trailed a paw over the wound and looked down. His claws came away sticky, not with blood, but with some strange purple substance.
Poison jab?
“Tannen, what are you doing?!” Kera shrieked, but Tannen ignored her.
Engima looked back up at his opponent. The dragon fixed him with a grin and leaned over him.
“Just as I thought,” he crooned.
Enigma sucked in sharp breaths and tried to stand. Tannen slumped towards him in an unfocused blur, his tall form distorting and warping. His voice came out almost mechanical, echoing around Enigma’s throbbing head.
“Your moves are so predictable a hatchling could dodge them.” The gabite shook purple droplets off his claw. He lowered his head to aim a stretched, distorted smirk right into Enigma’s face. “You’re pathetic.”
...
Faint light broke through the blackness as Enigma opened his eyes. Dull pain pulsed through his chest and he sucked in a hissing breath. As faint as the light was, it bore into his head like a pikipek’s drumming bill. He narrowed his eyes against it and touched a paw gingerly to his chest. It came away sticky and he frowned at an orange, grainy substance clinging to his claws.
“It’s turmeric.”
He jerked his head around at the voice. Harlequin stood beside his bed with their forepaws on the hay, frowning at him worriedly.
“How are you feeling?” the zorua asked.
“Like I just got bowled over by a donphan,” Enigma croaked. He pushed himself up, wincing with the effort. Ignoring Harlequin’s pleas, Enigma set himself against the cold stone wall. “What is that stuff? It stinks.”
Harlequin nosed at the orange paste coating Enigma’s fur and shrugged. “It smells fine. It’s a natural antidote. It should draw the poison out.” The zorua sighed and shook their head. “Ideally I’d have used milkwort root, as that’s best for reptile venom, but I can’t get into the Border Woods without drawing suspicion.”
Enigma sniffed the orange stuff on his paw and, with a grimace, wiped it into the hay. “I thought that was what pecha berries are for?”
“A common misconception,” said Harlequin. “Pecha berries are fine, yes, to help you cope with the effects. They don’t combat most poisons alone. As pokemon grow stronger their poisons become more potent. You want something that will actually neutralise it.”
“Well, you’re certainly a guy who knows his stuff.”
Harlequin stared at him blankly, their mouth open slightly. The zorua made a noise as though they were about to say something, but all that left their throat was a dry cough. They glanced to the side, their ears drooping a little. “Well… I had a good teacher.”
“Clearly. I’d have never had known you could have used this in such a way.” Enigma frowned at the sticky paste as he rolled it in his claws. He sighed and restrained himself from wiping it all off his fur. “I never liked the colour orange.”
Harlequin chuckled and dropped from his nest. “Is there anything I can do?”
Enigma turned to look at the zorua then. The motion made his head spin and nausea flooded up from his stomach. He sighed and gently rubbed his temple. “How’s Kera?”
“Sleeping, as far as I know,” Harlequin explained. “She stayed up until sun high, keeping an eye on you. I told her to get some sleep.”
“And she listened?”
“I had to promise to wake her if anything changed.” Harlequin shrugged. “She’s stubborn. But I know more about medicine than she does, and she could barely keep her eyes open.”
“Sounds about right.” Enigma sucked in a breath as he pushed himself back from the wall. “I should let her know I’m okay.”
A loud yip made his eyes snap wide open and he froze, staring into Harlequin’s sapphire glare.
“You stay there,” the zorua told him. “I’ll wake her and let her know. I have to get some more poppy seeds anyway.”
As the zorua turned to leave, Enigma asked, “Poppy seeds?”
“For the pain,” Harlequin answered without looking back.
Barely any time passed between Harlequin leaving and Kera scurrying into Enigma’s room. Before Enigma could even greet her the weavile was at his side checking over his body.
“I can’t believe that Tannen,” she scoffed. “We’re meant to be workin’ together and he does this?”
“You don’t want to get any of that on your claws.” Enigma sighed and pushed her paws away from his chest. “Good morning, by the way.”
Kera retracted her paws and perched on the edge of Enigma’s nest. “Sorry. I… I was just worried sick.” She hugged her arms around herself and looked away from him. “All I did was ask him if he minded me goin’ back to my original partner and he over-reacted.”
“He’s always had it in for me,” said Enigma. “That’s why I avoid him.”
Kera let out a single laugh. “Well this time I think he actually intended to kill ya.”
Enigma’s eyes widened slightly and he lowered his paw from his head. “I’d call that an over-reaction, yeah.”
Kera relaxed, letting her paws fall into her lap. She turned to look at Enigma and a small smile spread over her face. “I’m glad ya okay.”
Enigma returned her smile. Suddenly the pain didn’t seem as bad. “Thanks.”
“Harlequin really knows her stuff, huh?” Kera sat back on her paws and kicked her legs. “I’m impressed. Never seen anythin’ like that before.”
Enigma blinked at the weavile then let out a sigh as he adjusted himself against the wall. “You really think Harlequin is a girl?”
“I don’t think, Enigma, I know,” said Kera bluntly. “It’s so obvious.”
“Well he didn’t correct me earlier.”
Kera’s ruby eyes widened, meeting his, and she shook her head slowly. Whatever she was going to say was interrupted as Harlequin plodded back into the room clutching a brittle stem between their teeth. They paused to look at Enigma and Kera in turn, then trotted over to the nest.
“Here.” The zorua dropped the dried-up seed head on the hay and stood back. “Don’t take too many or you’ll be seeing stars for the next hour.”
Enigma nodded and tipped some of the tiny seeds into his open paw. Satisfied, Harlequin gave a curt nod and stood back.
“I’m gonna get some sleep,” the zorua explained. “If you need me you know where I am.”
Enigma watched them leave, then turned back to Kera. The weavile seemed uneasy again, shuffling in his hay. After a moment she slid to the floor and smoothed out her tail feathers.
“I should go too.” She looked back at him, avoiding his eyes. “Ya’ll be okay, right?”
Enigma nodded, his head already feeling lighter. “Yeah, I’ll be fine.”
“Then I’ll see ya later, before trainin’.” She paused by the door and her ears stiffened. “Oh yeah. Jex said to take it easy. Only come to trainin’ if ya feel up to it. He don’t really need ya with the numbers so low n’all that.”
Really? Somehow Enigma felt Jex was trying to tempt Enigma to take the day off. He’d known the scrafty long enough to know he hid his soft core under a ruthless mask. The banette shrugged and settled back down into his nest. The door clicked shut, leaving him to get lost in his thoughts. They didn’t last long, soon replaced by a deep, unusually dreamless sleep.
The sun had set when Enigma woke again. He had no idea what time it was. The sky was thick with clouds, with only a couple of stars peeking through. The yells from the training room told him that night’s session was still ongoing. The heavy spice of turmeric stung his nose as he pushed himself from his hay. Harlequin must have applied another poultice while he was asleep. Enigma must have slept like a log. His head spun slightly as he stood, and he rubbed by his ear. The dizziness was only brief, and didn’t bring with it any nausea. He licked his dry lips. Good grief was he thirsty. The need for a wash and a good drink screamed at him and he staggered from his room.
Cold night air washed over him as he stepped through the back door to head for the lake. It chased away some of the groggy cobwebs that clung stubbornly to his consciousness. He crouched on the stony bank of the lake beneath the shelter of the weeping willow and scooped up water in his paws to have a deep drink. The cold water was refreshing, and after a short while he was feeling a lot better. Once finished, he sat back and examined the sticky orange stuff clinging to his fur. He cautiously flicked it off, revealing the small puncture wound made by Tannen’s nasty claw. It looked clean enough. Would Harlequin scold him for washing the turmeric off?
Shrugging at the zorua’s disapproving look in his head, Enigma began gingerly washing the sticky poultice from his fur. After a few moments, a voice called out to him and he looked back over his shoulder.
Kera trotted towards him, casting a glance back at the barracks. She was alone, but Enigma could hear the faint voices coming from it. The clamour of claws and chattering voices that he’d grown familiar with as training drew to a close. However, it was a lot quieter than usual. Of course. Enigma shook the water from his claws and smoothed out his damp fur. Most of the assassins were away, dealing with a rebel group in the borders.
Kera reached his side and crouched down, dipping her muzzle into the water for a quick drink. Once she was satisfied, she sat back and beamed at him, flicking water from her muzzle with her long claws.
“How ya feelin’?” she asked.
“Better.” Enigma’s voice came out as more of a mumble and he sat back on his paws. His next attempt was voiced a lot clearer. “Whatever Harlequin did seems to have done the trick.”
“I dunno what we woulda done without her.” Kera scratched behind her feathery ear and stared out at the lake. “I know I ain’t exactly been nice to Harlequin. But last night, she impressed me. I mean… she saved ya life.”
“Really?” Enigma’s eyes widened and his head spun with the previous night’s events. Tannen’s grinning face, those mocking words. Had the dragon actually intended to kill him? “Well… I suppose we are training to be assassins.”
“Yeah, but we’re not meant to kill each other!” Kera gasped. “I dunno… Jex is really unhappy with Tannen. But I don’t think runnin’ laps is gonna be punishment enough for this.”
Enigma shrugged and idly toyed with the marred fur on his chest. He could still smell the turmeric. “I guess I owe Harlequin some thanks.”
“Me too.”
Enigma looked up at Kera. She was still gazing out at the lake while winding her claws in the dry grass.
“I was really worried.” She bit her lip and lowered her head. “I’m sorry I went weird on ya.”
Enigma gazed at her for a moment. The memories of the past season twisted his insides, but seeing her looking so sullen and guilt-ridden was more painful.
“It’s fine,” he said.
“No it ain’t.” She looked up at him, meeting his eyes. “I shouldn’t have done that to ya.”
“You needed space. I get it.”
“But it weren’t fair, was it?” She took in a long breath as she looked away, and tugged at the grass. “It weren’t fair to either of us.”
Enigma stroked his claws over a smooth pebble that had found its way into his paw. He couldn’t look at Kera anymore. It was too much. Seeing her looking so sorry for herself was almost unbearable. He just wanted to pull her into him and tell her to stop being so foolish, but the last thing he wanted was for her to go cold on him again.
He skimmed the pebble out over the lake and the pair of them watched it bounce away over the dark, murky surface until it vanished into a pool of duckweed.
“I dunno,” Kera went on. “After last night, all this has just made me realise somethin’.”
Enigma lifted his head to look at her, but she was still gazing out at the lake.
“I was terrified,” she explained. “The thought I might lose ya… I don’t think I’m cut out to be an assassin after all.”
Enigma’s heart skipped a beat, and all words failed him as he watched the weavile. She hugged her arms around herself and leaned forwards on her knees.
“I dunno what to do,” she went on. “We’re not meant to have feelings like this. They get in the way. It makes me wonder… what would have happened if Niana hadn’t sent me to check on ya that night.”
Enigma couldn’t speak. All he could see in his mind was the face of an excited sneasel peering under the bed to coax out a terrified hatchling.
“I dunno what I were expectin’,” said Kera. “I just remember seein’ this adorable shuppet, and suddenly I just wanted to protect him.” Her words trembled and she sucked in a wavering breath. “It seemed so innocent at the time. When did things get so complicated?”
Enigma gazed up at the empty branches of the willow tree as the wind stirred their branches over the lake. “We don’t have to stay here you know.” His voice was barely a whisper, but Kera heard it.
She jerked her head towards him, her ruby eyes wide. “Whaddya mean?”
He moved closer to her, keeping his voice low. “We could leave. Get out of here and live in the Border Woods, or go further south.” He cut her off before she could retaliate. “We could be together. There’d be no rules, and most of all neither of us would have to hurt anyone.”
“That’s ridiculous,” she whispered. “How would we even get out?”
“I don’t know,” said Enigma. “But I’ve never wanted to stay here, working for that dragon. I’ve thought about leaving many times. I almost managed it once, but I couldn’t do it.” He tried to meet her eyes but all he could manage was a glance. “The only thing keeping me here is you.”
Kera stared at him, dumbfounded. Her mouth opened a few times as she let out a confused ‘Wha’?’ Finally, she managed, “You almost left? How?”
“Ripwing offered to take me with him when he fled,” Enigma explained, managing to meet her baffled gaze. “But I turned him down.”
Kera’s eyes widened as much as her mouth. Her ears drooped as the realisation sank in at exactly why he’d refused the salamence’s offer. She didn’t say anything. Instead she scooted closer to him and pulled him into an embrace. A pained grunt escaped as the motion jarred the wound in his chest, but it was stifled as Kera pressed her lips against his.
Enigma shifted slightly so he could return her embrace, pulling her small, warm body into his. Enigma didn’t know how long they remained like that as he returned her kiss, brushing his paws over her soft fur. When Kera had to break away, he brushed his nose against hers and she wound her claws into his mane.
“Run away with me,” he whispered.
She opened her eyes to meet his, then gave him another brief kiss. He didn’t need words. He knew it was a yes. His heart soared with both joy and fear as he held the weavile against his chest. He had no idea how he was going to get them both out of the Shadow Lands. But he’d do it, even if he had to die trying.
...
The sun had long since risen by the time Enigma had returned to his nest. Neither he or Kera wanted to go back, and despite the heat of the sun Kera had been happy to stay with him as they strolled around the lake. It was a cool, sheltered spot within running distance of the barracks. The Shadow Lands were quiet with very few murkrow remaining, since most of Yurlik’s flock were assisting Niana and the assassins. Yet Enigma couldn’t help feeling on edge. Everywhere he looked he expected to see spying eyes, and once he and Kera returned to their nests he was just waiting for Jex to point an accusing claw. The pair of them returned to their sleeping quarters with an air of nonchalance, and Enigma lay on his nest waiting for nightfall.
How would they get out? He bit his lip as he rolled over various scenarios none of which seemed remotely viable. His thoughts were broken by the clamour of caws and flapping wings. The murkrow flock had returned. That meant the assassins wouldn’t be far behind. Any respite he hoped to have with Kera was shattered at that moment. The Shadow Lands would be teeming with Yurlik’s watchful soldiers, and the ground around the barracks buzzing with trainees. Even during the day, spending time together would be a risky endeavour. They needed an escape plan and fast.
Enigma was deep in his thoughts, picturing Kera and himself fleeing through the Border Woods. Despite the danger, they were enjoying each other’s company, and safety was on the horizon. He’d already decided they’d head for the mountains, perhaps find a cave to spend the rest of their lives in. But a loud shout jerked him back to reality. He sat bolt upright, straining his ears to pinpoint the noise.
Jex?
Enigma peered through his window blind but he couldn’t see anything. Just a small number of murkrow perched in a scraggly tree, preening their bruised and mangled feathers.
The banette pushed himself from his bed and dropped his density so he was completely invisible. He moved like smoke through his door and sought out Jex. Enigma was following his angry shouts through the corridor when he spotted the scrafty storming towards him. Curious eyes peered through the doors as Jex roared at them to get up.
“Meeting in the training room, pronto!” he shouted through a closed door. “C’mon, ya lazy lot! Get ya tails in gear!”
“But it’s broad daylight,” rasped a nuzleaf in return.
“Ya think I don’t know that?!” Jex dragged the small pokemon from his room and shoved him aside. “Get a move on.”
The scrafty continued his march, barking orders. Enigma’s heart pounded. He’d never seen Jex so riled up.
Assassins moved past Enigma in a tidal wave and he had to strafe to the side to avoid being walked through. He spotted Kera in the crowd and caught her voice as she asked an axew if he knew what was going on. Enigma touched her arm, bringing her to a stop, and he made himself visible.
Kera didn’t seem surprised. She followed Enigma’s gaze back towards Jex and urged him on beside her.
“D’ya know what’s goin’ on?” she asked.
“Not a clue,” he said. “But I think it’s got something to do with that mission.”
Kera paled and craned her neck to spot Jex, but the scrafty had vanished around the bend. “Have they returned?”
“I believe so,” said Enigma. “I heard the murkrow come back earlier this morning.”
“Then maybe that’s what it is,” said Kera. “I reckon the assassins didn’t pull their weight and now we’re sufferin’ for it by being forced into extra trainin’.”
Enigma chuckled as Kera yawned widely. When they entered the training room the numbers surprised Enigma. He’d expected it to be full with trainees, but the majority were rookies. Only a small number of the advanced and graduates who’d accompanied Niana were present. Most of them were wounded in some way. Enigma guessed those with worse injuries were recovering in their nests.
“What on earth happened on that mission?” Kera gasped quietly.
Enigma wished he had the answer. A sense of dread washed over him as he began to wonder how bad things really were. He spotted Harlequin a few feet away and caught the zorua’s eye. They quickly joined his side and looked from him and Kera.
“What’s this about?” Harlequin asked.
Kera shrugged, but the worry was plain on her face.
The doors were swung open as Jex barged in, tailed by a timid-looking zigzagoon and the purrloin Enigma had scolded earlier that week. Jex’s expression was unreadable. Enigma searched his face as the scrafty marched into the centre of the waiting crowd. Where was Niana? He looked back at the door, expecting her to follow him through while softly scolding a stubborn rookie. But the closed doors and the drone of worried voices made Enigma’s heart sink slowly like a lead lump in a peat bog.
“Silence!” Jex roared.
The assassins’ voices petered out as all eyes turned onto the scrafty.
“As ya might be aware,” he growled, “the patrol Niana took out has returned.” He cast a glance at the wounded assassins. “The numbers have dropped yet again. Needless to say, we lost that battle. And why? Because ya’ll can’t pull ya soddin’ weight!”
Voices rose into a clamour of protest and Jex’s mohawk stiffened as he roared, “Quiet!”
Once silence had washed over them yet again he narrowed his eyes at his trainees.
“We lost a lot of good assassins,” he said bluntly. “And we lost Niana.”
“No!” Kera squealed, echoed by Harlequin.
Loud gasps came from the assassins, particularly the younger ones. The purrloin let out a wail and her fur fluffed out.
“Not Niana,” Kera muttered beneath the chaos.
Enigma fought back the urge to take her paw, his claws instead itching at his side. At his other side, Harlequin’s ears had drooped and they sat with their head bowed.
“Exactly!” Jex barked. “And why? ‘Cos ya’ll are a bunch o’ weaklings! Now we need to train extra hard, ya hear me? While I try to find replacements to send out again ‘cos Lord Hydreigon is brayin’ for the blood o’ those scuzzy outlaws.” His eyes flashed with fury and he bared a canine. “Now get trainin’! I don’t want any of ya to stop until sunrise.” A few trainees opened their mouths to protest but Jex added loudly, “An’ if I hear one complaint it’ll be forty laps around the barracks!”
The trainees silently nodded and turned to find their training partners.
Niana… Enigma’s heart twisted painfully in his chest and he clenched his teeth. She was a strong fighter. What had happened for her to lose like that?
Enigma watched Jex leave and reached for Kera. He wanted to console her, but the weavile darted from him to intersect Jex at the door.
Kera’s eyes were wet with un-shed tears, which seemed to take Jex back a little as he bit back a scolding reprimand.
“What happened?” Kera pleaded. “How did Niana lose like that?”
“Get to trainin’ Kera.” Jex shoved her aside, but Kera grabbed his arm.
Why won’t ya tell us?” she asked. “Please.”
“Why do I need to tell ya?” he growled. “Ya just a trainee.”
“Because it might help us?” Kera offered. “And… well, I wanna help ya drive out those outlaws.”
“I ain’t gonna drive them out, Kera,” Jex growled. “I’m gonna kill ‘em.” He turned towards her and folded his arms. “As for what killed Niana, it were some ruddy mercenary the rebels had hired. A braviary.”
“A braviary?” Kera straightened and jabbed a thumb-claw into her chest. “I can take on a braviary! Easy! Those things drop when you coat ‘em in ice!”
“Really?” Jex’s eyes sparkled and he nodded back towards the trainees. “Ya wanna count how many weavile came back from that battle, Kera?”
Kera looked over his shoulder and her ears drooped. Enigma followed her gaze and a cold dread filled him. Not a single weavile stood among those who had returned. He shook himself and joined Kera’s side, drawing a glare from Jex.
“Train,” Jex told them bluntly. “Ya need it.”
Kera clenched her fists at her sides as she glared at the back of the scrafty’s head. It broke Enigma’s heart to see her so upset. Almost everyone in the barracks had a soft-spot for Niana, himself included. Knowing they’d been robbed of her warm smile and carefree attitude made the whole place feel darker somehow.
“She were like a mother to us hatchlings,” Kera muttered as her eyes welled up again. She wiped a paw across her face and let out a shuddering breath. “Yeah, I know I’m not a hatchling anymore, so don’t ya say nothin’.”
Enigma hadn’t planned to say a word. He inched closer to the weavile, fighting back the urge to pull her into his chest.
Harlequin plodded to his side and looked up at the pair. “I guess we should train, huh?” The zorua paused as Kera cast them a sideways glare. “For Niana?”
Kera relaxed her paws, but her fur still bristled down her spine. She opened her mouth to say something but was cut off as a blue blade looped around her waist and pulled her aside.
“C’mon,” Tannen crooned. He smirked at Enigma as he lead the weavile away. “We better get trainin’ before Jex skins us alive, eh?”
Enigma’s claws dug into his paw pads. Did that gabite have no tact?
“Enigma?”
Harlequin’s soft voice tickled his ear fur and he looked down, meeting the zorua’s sapphire gaze. With a sigh, Enigma nodded, and the duo moved away from the door to begin their training.
The day was long, rolling into night. Exhausted, the assassins kept on pushing themselves until the moon was high above them. Enigma’s wound complained, but it wasn’t enough to make him stop. Not that he dared. Jex barked orders, rallying those who flagged and picking up any who stumbled. His words were harsh, his eyes flashing in the darkness. Several trainees collapsed from exhaustion, unable to get up and press on. Reluctantly, Jex saw them to their nests with the threat of laps the following day to build their stamina.
Enigma was silently thankful he wasn’t among them. Harlequin was panting heavily by the time the sun painted the horizon a dusty orange, and Kera’s fur was slick with sweat. Enigma’s mane tangled along his back and he tugged the knots free as he followed his friends to the lake. Many trainees had made the same decision, lapping noisily at the water and bathing the dust and sweat from their fur and scales.
One by one they retired to their nests, leaving Enigma sitting by the lake with Kera and Harlequin. The weavile had long since finished her wash and gazed out across the glassy surface towards the rising sun.
Harlequin licked a drop of water from their nose as they caught Enigma’s eye. “We should head to bed. We all need our rest if tonight is gonna be anything like that.”
“You’re right.” Enigma stood and stretched until his back popped. “You go on ahead. I’ll catch up.”
“Go with Harlequin.” Kera’s voice was icy cold, freezing Enigma mid-stretch. “I need to be alone for a while.”
Harlequin and Enigma both stared at the weavile. She continued to gaze blankly across at the sunset, sitting back on her paws. Her fur was still damp from the water, but Enigma could make out the salty trails over her cheeks.
“Are you kidding?” he muttered quietly. “I’m not going to leave you alone like this.”
Kera took in a trembling breath. “Fine.”
Enigma sat back down beside her and his claws itched as he considered taking her paw from her lap. He couldn’t even find the words to say. In the end, he decided to just sit quietly. After a moment he heard Harlequin’s soft paws as the zorua carried themselves back to their nest.
Enigma watched the sun rise over the distant canopy of the Border Woods, painting the sky a dusty orange smeared with grey clouds. Yurlik’s murkrow flock cawed in the distance as the night watch gathered in the branches by the far wall that rimmed the edge of the Shadow Lands. The day watch roused from their slumber, groggily swarming into the sky to spread out across the Shadow Lands and out over the borders.
Their raucous cawing set Enigma on edge and he cast a sideways glance at his companion. Kera didn’t budge, her eyes still glossy with tears. A lump welled in Enigma’s throat and he sucked in a deep breath past it.
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly.
Kera leaned into him until her head was resting on his shoulder. Suddenly Enigma didn’t care about the murkrow, or any other lurking threats in the Shadow Lands. He secured his arm around Kera and held her, gazing out across the lake. The pair continued to sit in silence. After a while Enigma couldn’t help but notice Kera’s relaxed posture and deep, steady breathing. Enigma gazed down at her sleeping face and his heart flipped in his chest. He didn’t want to disturb her, but he knew they both needed to get back to their nests if Harlequin’s fears for that night’s training turned out to be true.
Enigma rubbed Kera’s shoulder and shifted beneath her. “Come on.”
A surprised grunt came from the weavile and she looked around blearily. “Wha’?”
“We need to get back,” Enigma explained. “It won’t be long before sun high.”
Kera shoved herself to her feet and slumped after Enigma towards the barracks. Everything was silent, save for the deep snores that resonated behind closed doors. Enigma paused outside his nest and looked back at Kera as she opened her door. His heart ached, and words rose in his throat only to fade away on his tongue. He wanted to invite her into his room, to keep her company rather than let her suffer in pain alone.
She glanced back at him and forced a smile. It looked very out of place amid her unreadable expression. “Thanks.”
“Any time.” He sucked in a sharp breath and turned to face her. “Will you be okay?”
“I’ll be fine,” she said. “I just… probably need a good sleep. That’s all.”
Enigma nodded, watching as she slid into her room. After a short beat of time he slipped through the crack in his own door, not solidifying until he was lying on his back on his own nest.
Sleep refused to come. The banette watched the rays of light traverse the dirty surface of his wall and ceiling as the sun made its journey over the assassins’ barracks. His mind remained fixed on Kera, playing out various scenarios to help raise her spirits. But he couldn’t help thinking about Niana. Her plight only highlighted the dangers the assassins were to put themselves in day after day. After a while he found himself thinking up ways to get himself and Kera out of the Shadow Lands. Was there any way at all? Would it be possible before they had to graduate? Surely graduating wouldn’t be easy. Few ever spoke about it, but what deadly task would Jex throw each of them into in order to test their skills?
A soft sound jolted Enigma out of his daydream and he pushed himself up as his ears trained on his door. He knew that sound all too well. Kera had left her room. He cast a glance at his window. The sun was still high in the sky. She shouldn’t be up at this hour.
Enigma slid from his nest and scratched his chest. The wound had healed over and was now nothing more than a dull ache. He slipped from his room just in time to see the weavile’s pink tail feathers as she headed towards the main door. What was she doing? He opened his mouth to call after her, then thought twice about it. The last thing he wanted was to wake the entire barracks.
He trotted after her, but had barely made it five steps before another door opened behind him. He stifled a curse and lowered his density as he cast a glance over his shoulder. Harlequin’s blue eyes burned right through where he was standing. The zorua’s nose twitched at the air and their ears rotated towards him.
“Enigma?” Harlequin whispered.
Enigma made himself visible to the zorua and let out a breath he’d been holding.
“I thought it was you.” Harlequin yawned, flashing two rows of sharp teeth. “I heard your bell. Can’t you sleep?”
“When can I ever?” Enigma kept his voice low and glanced back at the door.
“Is something wrong?” Harlequin asked.
“I heard Kera get up. I wanted to make sure she was okay.” Enigma nodded towards Harlequin’s door. “Go back to sleep.”
Harlequin huffed through their nose. “I can’t. I think your insomnia is catching.”
Enigma rolled his eyes and turned to chase after Kera. He paused to glance into the training room, half-expecting her to be getting in some extra training, but the room was empty. The courtyard was just as bare. Enigma’s heart sank and he raised his head to look out over the Shadow Lands. His heart leapt into his throat when he spotted the weavile racing off in the direction of the Border Woods.
“Kera!” He silently scolded himself for raising his voice.
She’d heard him. She turned her head to look back but didn’t stop running.
In one swift motion, Enigma leapt through the air and vanished, reappearing before the surprised weavile. He reached out his arms to steady her as she tried to break to a halt. He almost buckled beneath her as she stumbled into him.
“Whatcha doin’?” she hissed.
“What are you doing?” he scolded.
Kera snatched back her paw and narrowed her eyes at him. “What’s it look like? I’m goin’ to avenge Niana.”
Enigma’s jaw dropped and he stared at her, at a loss for words. He shook his head sharply and returned her glare.
“Are you serious?” he scoffed. “You’re still in training! And you’ve not even been assigned this task!”
“So what! I’m close to graduatin’!” said Kera. “Jex said it were a braviary, right? Those things are weak to ice!” She jabbed a claw into her chest. “That’s my forte!”
“Jex also told you none of the weavile made it back!” Enigma snapped. “What makes you think you can take that thing on alone?”
Kera glanced to the side, suddenly seeming uncertain.
“Kera, come back to the barracks.” Enigma placed a paw on her shoulder. “Maybe after a nap you’ll be thinking more clearly?”
Kera jerked away from him and flashed her canines. “I am thinkin’ clearly!” She closed her eyes and her ears drooped. “I have to do this, Enigma. Niana weren’t just some… trainer to me. I never knew my parents, not like you did. She practically raised me! And now… to know that braviary killed her? I have to go and fight it. I have to win!”
Enigma’s arms hung limp at his sides. The memory of his parents demise was still fresh in his mind, but he’d been too young to think about revenge at the time. If he’d been older, would he have wanted to get back at his parents’ murderer like Kera did?
“Okay.” His voice surprised even himself, reflected in Kera’s wide ruby eyes. “But you won’t be alone. I’m coming too.”
“Wha’?” Kera’s ears pricked up. “Ya’ll help me?”
“So will I.”
The pair looked back at Harlequin. Enigma hadn’t even heard the zorua creep up on them.
“Three is better than two, right?” Harlequin raised their head. “We’d stand a better chance.”
Kera wiped a paw across her eyes and laughed. “All right then. But ya both better pull ya weight, ‘cos I ain’t carryin’ ya.”
A smirk spread across Enigma’s muzzle and he shook his head at the weavile. He nodded towards the borders, and his two friends followed his eyes to the distant trees.
“One problem,” he said. “How do we get out without being mobbed by murkrow?”
“Easy,” said Kera. “We tell ‘em we’ve been sent out to deal with the mercenary.”
“And they’ll believe us?”
“They should do. I mean, he’s proved a big problem.”
“Failing that,” said Harlequin, “I could talk to them. Zorua can be very deceiving.”
The grin Harequin flashed them reeked of overconfidence, but it was enough to encourage Enigma and Kera. The trio made for the far wall, whispering their plan amongst themselves. Enigma had originally decided to turn invisible and sneak out that way, but that wouldn’t have helped his two companions. Instead, as they drew closer to the stone wall, they slipped into the cover of an overgrown bramble. No one had paid them much attention so far. Most of the murkrow were asleep, or tending their wounds from their failed battle. Those that were awake had gone out on patrol or were guarding the barrier between the Shadow Lands and the Border Woods.
“Okay,” Harlequin whispered. “I’ll use my illusion now. Try to look nonchalant.”
The zorua’s form changed before Enigma’s eyes, and Kera stifled a gasp of surprise. If he hadn’t seen it for himself, Enigma would have thought Jex had just strolled into the bramble without notice. Harlequin even had his trademark scowl down to a fine art.
“Convincing enough?” Hearing the illusion speak with Jex’s voice was just as unnerving.
Harlequin chuckled at the alarmed expressions on their companions’ faces and shook their head.
“I guess neither of you have seen illusion in action before?” It was Harlequin’s voice that left the scrafty’s mouth this time. “I’ve not seen many of my kind in the Shadow Lands myself.”
“There aren’t many left,” said Kera. “The Thieves Guild is their usual haunt. They don’t usually go for the assassin trade.”
The scrafty illusion grinned and peered back out of the brambles. “This is our chance. If we fail… well.”
Enigma snorted. He didn’t even want to consider that outcome. His heart was racing at a mile a minute. This was it. They were actually going to try and leave the Shadow Lands. Perhaps… perhaps he wouldn’t come back. He could just leave after this mission, and Kera would go with him. His mind was spinning as they approached the stone wall that served as the Shadow Lands’ main defence. It wasn’t too tall, but tall enough to slow down opposing forces. A large hole gaped near its base, and loose stones were piled at either side of it which forced the larger pokemon who came and left into single file. Murkrow stood vigilant along the top of the wall, and filled the branches of the surrounding trees, their wicked beady eyes staring out across the steep slope that lead down into the Border Woods.
One of them spotted the trio and let out a sharp caw. Enigma almost froze, his head snapping round towards the small bird. More caws sounded in reply from behind it, and several black beaked heads turned towards the trainee assassins.
A large honchkrow appeared among them and he hopped from the branches to land in an ungainly feathered heap on the stone wall. Enigma hadn’t seen Yurlik in quite some time, and despite his memories of the massive bird the honchkrow still seemed larger than Enigma remembered.
Yurlik’s attention fixed on Harlequin and he eyed the scrafty illusion with distaste. “What are you doing wandering across the Shadow Lands at this hour?”
“What does it look like?” Harlequin’s Jex impersonation was spot on. They even folded their arms and scowled up at the honchkrow without even the slightest hint of fear. “I’m takin’ these two out into the borders to deal with that mercenary, ain’t I?”
“On who’s orders?” Yurlik asked.
“Lord Hydreigon’s,” said Harlequin. “He asked us to deal with the merc an’ my last troop failed. So I’m pickin’ up where they left off.”
Yurlik raised his head and stared down his beak at Enigma and Kera. “With only two? And trainees no less?”
“These two are advanced,” said Harlequin. “If they can deal with this merc then I might graduate ‘em early! Besides… who’ll see a banette comin’? Might spell the end o’ that rebel group.”
Yurlik’s eyes glittered and a rattling laugh left his throat. “Indeed. Well… I guess I’ll find out what the outcome is in due time. Whether or not you come back.” He stood back and looked up at his flock, nudging his head towards the Border Woods.
Three murkrow rose into the air and drifted out across the canopy. Enigma watched them go, his heart sinking. Was Yurlik seriously sending his flying spies out to watch over them? He clenched his fist as he followed his friends out through the wall. The make-shift stone corridor forced them close together but before long they were out in the open, standing amid a tangle of ancient roots. Large, gnarled trees pressed up against each other, their branches waving overhead like claws.
Enigma and his friends crept carefully down the steep slope, clambering over roots and fallen branches, and forcing their way through bramble barriers. Enigma had never seen this side of the wall before. It had been a well chosen spot to build the barrier wall, and each obstacle seemed to have been deliberately placed. He dreaded to think what the climb back up would be like. Although he never planned to find out.
Harlequin’s Jex illusion kept glancing up at the branches as the murkrow Yurlik had sent hopped through the leaves. Did Yurlik suspect something? Was that why he’d sent his spies? Harlequin clearly wanted to drop their illusion, and Enigma feared it would break before they reached the rebels’ base.
Suddenly, one of the murkrow dropped to perch on a protruding root. He stretched out a wing, cutting Kera off. “You’re going the wrong way.”
Harlequin made a grunt and turned to address the murkrow. “Really? Have they moved?”
The murkrow nodded and tucked in his wing. “Didn’t Lord Hydreigon tell you?”
Was this a trick question? Enigma frowned and flexed his claws at his sides. The other murkrow moved along the branches above their flock-mate, keeping a watchful eye on the trio of assassins.
“No,” said Harlequin, maintaining Jex’s cool attitude. “Or maybe I wasn’t listenin’? I weren’t expectin’ us to lose that badly.”
The murkrow fluffed out his feathers at this and an amused glint lit up his eyes. “Well, they’ve moved closer to the old swamp. So your group did a number on ‘em if they don’t feel safe in their little camp. Want us to guide you?”
The Jex illusion nodded and motioned for the murkrow to take the lead.
The murkrow left his perch and cawed at his flock-mates. They took off over the canopy, keeping low so the assassins could see them. Harlequin trotted after them, and Enigma and Kera kept their sights on the illusion’s yellow tail. The murkrow left their sights more than once as the canopy grew in so thick it blocked out the sky. But Harlequin didn’t falter. They vaulted over protruding roots and slipped through nettle patches, only looking back to check their companions were following. It was as if the zorua was familiar with this part of the Border Woods.
Suddenly, Harlequin stopped, and told Kera and Enigma to hush. The group peered out through a thick bed of bullrushes. A large swamp greeted them, and in its centre stood the remains of an ancient hollowed oak. Its branches were bare unlike the rest of the woods, and the heavier ones trailed their spindly twigs in the slimy stagnant water. Even in the encroaching sunset the water was black, the crimson light of the sky failing to reflect on its murky surface.
The murkrow perched in the trees on the opposite side of the swamp and the one Enigma guessed was the superior jerked his head towards the trees behind him. Enigma could make out voices and his heart galloped. He desperately wanted to run. He didn’t want to get into a fight with innocent pokemon.
Kera bounced on her feet beside him and an icy wind radiated off her fur. Her ears were trained on the voices and she took in a deep breath. In a flash she was gone, racing across the swamp and leaving a solid path of ice in her wake. Harlequin was next. The zorua motioned for Enigma to follow and trotted across the ice. Enigma warped his way across, landing just ahead of the Jex illusion. Harlequin gasped and slipped past him, landing in a wad of thick ferns. Their black bushy tail was the last thing Enigma saw as the zorua bit back a curse. Enigma wanted to apologise for startling Harlequin, but he didn’t want to draw the murkrow’s attention to their deception. Instead he sought out Kera through the maze of tree trunks.
The weavile crept close to the ground, her senses trained on something Enigma couldn’t see. As he joined her side, he noticed a gap in the trees that lead out into a large clearing. A handful of pokemon occupied it, all dark- and dragon-types. A drapion stood over two bundles of fur Enigma couldn’t make out. They were so covered in sharp-smelling herbs it masked both their scent and appearance. What really caught Enigma’s eye was a sableye skittering around the clearing, gathering up medicinal herbs and berries for the drapion. The small ghost-type didn’t look very old, and he seemed out of place among his companions. A vibrava accompanied him, its voice a buzzing drone.
Enigma cast another glance over the group. Was this what was left of the rebels the assassins were meant to deal with? These pokemon outcast from society, just trying to survive?
A loud voice resonated from the branches above them. “Darkness spotted! Get out of here, now!”
Enigma and his friends looked up at the canopy as a large braviary swooped down towards them. The trio scattered as his talons raked the spot where Enigma had been standing. The murkrow bolted into the air in a flurry of feathers, their caws fading out as they sought shelter elsewhere. Enigma didn’t care. Without them it would be easier to flee.
The banette leapt and rolled into the bracken, grunting as his chest twanged. He twisted and fired off a shadow ball, skimming the braviary’s wing. The large bird was unfazed, turning towards him for another strike. Enigma cursed his foolishness and rolled aside as the large eagle’s talons dug into the soil beside him.
The outlaws’ screams filled the clearing as they fled. The wounded pokemon had been hurried onto the drapion’s back and its barbed tail vanished through the trees. Enigma let out a sigh of relief. At least they wouldn’t be getting hurt in this ridiculous battle.
Kera leapt up behind the braviary, spinning in the air in a tornado of ice. Sharp shards cut across the braviary’s feathers and he shrieked, beating back with his wings. He shot like a dart into the sky, turning to lash out at the weavile.
Enigma raised his claws, creating a fiery wisp which he sent up like a flare. It struck the braviary across the wings as he swooped at them. The corners of his beak tensed and the lashes from his wings did little more than bowl both Enigma and Kera over.
Kera lashed out with her claws, raking deep welts across the braviary’s chest. He leapt back with a screech and swiped back with his claws. He cleaved through Kera’s feathered ear, severing it clean away. Kera yowled and clasped her paw to her head. She pushed herself to her feet and lobbed an ice shard at the braviary. It struck the bird across the face while he was rising back into the air.
His wings left fiery trails as Enigma’s will-o-wisp kept hold, and the pain was clear to see on the massive bird’s face. The eagle’s eyes were calculating as he took in his prey. Across the clearing, Enigma spotted Harlequin plodding through the undergrowth with a jagged branch clasped in their jaws. What was the zorua doing? Were they seriously not going to fight?
Enigma’s questions were short-lived as the braviary swooped again. His talons glowed black as he aimed a night slash at the banette. Enigma vanished into thin air, appearing again several feet away. The braviary struck the ground in a cloud of dust, only to be pelted by ice from Kera. Harlequin shot from the foliage like a hairy bullet and plunged the sharp stick into the braviary’s flank. The eagle threw its head back with a screech and beat the zorua across the head with his massive wing. Harlequin was sent rolling tail over head back into the bracken.
The braviary rose into the air once more, tailed by a series of ice shards from Kera. The weavile’s eyes were blazing as she watched the mercenary rise high above them. He swooped around the clearing once, then again, each time building up speed. Enigma faltered as he watched him, trying to hone an attack but what could he do? His attacks did nothing to this bird, and all of Kera’s were falling short as the braviary built up speed.
Kera shot out into the middle of the clearing, her claws glinting in the sun. Her eyes remained fixed on the braviary, who locked his onto hers. His wings begun to glow, radiating a sinister red energy across the twilight sky. Enigma’s heart flipped into his chest. No, it wasn’t some unknown energy. It was fire!
With a deadly screech the braviary turned, bolting down towards Kera. Heat radiated off his body, expanding out across the clearing and shrivelling the dry grass.
“Kera!” Enigma roared.
He kicked off from the ground to warp beside her, snatching her in his arms. He flipped back to the side of the clearing, reappearing above the bracken and rolling to safety as the braviary landed with a crash. Flames exploded from his body torching the surrounding bracken and blazing across the canopy. The heat seared through Enigma’s fur and he grit his teeth in a hiss.
As he sat back he unfolded his arms and stared down at his empty paws. His stomach churned as he looked back out at the clearing. The braviary had rose into the air once more, and amid the crackling flames Enigma could make out the black motionless shape of a weavile.
“Kera!” He leapt through the flames and landed beside her, trailing his eyes over her small body. Her black fur had been torched away, revealing raw red skin and blackened dirt. “No…”
He nudged her, trying to rouse her. She felt so hot. He scooped her into his arms, and the roar that left his throat didn’t feel like his own. It echoed through the canopy, filling the empty air over the crackle of flames.
Wind beat at his body, growing stronger in violent surges.
“Enigma!”
Harlequin’s voice shattered through the silence, but Enigma didn’t budge. He clutched Kera to his chest, staring into the flames as they flickered back and forth, taunting him. Mocking him. Why had he done that? Why didn’t he think? She wasn’t a ghost-type. He couldn’t carry her like one.
Black fur streaked past his vision and the wind whipped away from him. The braviary struck the ground with a strangled screech that was cut short. Silence spread through the clearing, broken by the crackle of burning grass and bracken.
Harlequin’s soft paws plodded towards him and the zorua cautiously nosed at Kera’s scalded form. “Is she…?”
Enigma finally looked at the zorua. Harlequin’s eyes widened and they took a step back, their mouth forming silent words. Enigma turned his head towards the braviary. Shadows and firelight danced erratically over his prone body. He lay on his back at an awkward angle with one of his wings crumpled beneath his own weight. The mangled feathers on his head indicated the impact he’d taken with whatever attack Harlequin had finally unleashed upon him. His eyes were closed and his chest rose and fell slowly. Stunned.
Enigma looked back down at Kera and tears stung his eyes. All that, and they hadn’t even killed the mercenary. Kera’s revenge had gone unanswered, and she’d died for it. All those weavile killed by a braviary. She’d had her warning and ignored it. And as for Enigma… he was useless. He couldn’t even touch that braviary. He couldn’t even save her. His foolish attempt had resulted in her demise.
He looked back up at the braviaray lying prone. A moan escaped his beak and his eyes fluttered open for a moment before closing again. The pain radiating through Enigma’s chest was unbearable. Anger flared inside him and he screwed his eyes shut, letting out a strangled groan. He wanted to make that braviary pay. He wanted to make him feel the same pain he felt.
He lowered Kera to the floor and pushed himself up, turning towards the fallen eagle.
“Enigma?” Harlequin’s voice seemed distant, detached from reality.
Enigma strolled over to the braviary and cast his eyes over his chest, looking for anything. Some weakness he could exploit. But he could do nothing. Nothing…
‘Ghosts don’t phase through other pokemon. There's a reason it's forbidden!’
Enigma stared down at his own claws, then he looked back at the bravairy. No. Perhaps his attacks couldn’t do anything to him. But he could certainly do something. He watched his paw slowly turn translucent, then lowered them to the fallen bird’s chest. His ghostly claws vanished beyond the braviary’s creamy white feathers and locked around his heart. The braviary’s eyes flew open and a loud screech exploded from his beak. His pupils turned to pinpricks and his voice became a wet gurgle. His one good wing flailed, buffeting Enigma. But he didn’t let go. Enigma clenched his teeth, his crimson eyes blazing with fury. Finally, the bird’s screaming cut off and his wing fell still.
Enigma withdrew his claws and shook them once, splattering red blood over the bird’s pale feathers. The sight of it snapped him back to reality. His breath caught in his throat and a muffled ‘no’ slipped out from between his lips. His eyes widened as he glanced over the dead braviary, and he plunged his paw into his white feathers in pursuit of a heartbeat. Blood streaked over the once proud feathers and Enigma retracted his paw to examine his claws. They felt dirty. Sticky. Matted with rapidly drying blood in the blazing heat of the clearing. What had he done? Enigma sank to his knees. All he could see was blood. It was as if he was looking at the paws of a completely different pokemon. The clearing blurred around him as his mind filled with the screaming, agonised face of the flying mercenary.
“Enigma?”
The banette snapped his head around at Harlequin’s small voice. The zorua crept slowly and silently towards him, their sapphire eyes flashing between Enigma’s blood-soaked claws and the defeated braviary. Was that fear? Enigma’s heart couldn’t shatter any further, but a pained groan escaped his throat and he beat his paw onto his knee in anguish. He raised his head to look back over his shoulder at Kera’s body, lying where he’d laid it. The flames were creeping in closer, then fizzling out as they encountered the torched earth.
“We should get her out of this clearing,” said Harlequin. “Bury her, and report back.”
Report back…
Enigma bit his lip so hard he tasted blood. The metallic tang was unwelcome. He spat it into the dirt and pushed himself to his feet, staggering as his head spun. What had he done?
He scooped up Kera’s small body. It felt vulnerable and weak in his arms. Smaller than he’d ever noticed. He carried her away from the clearing with Harlequin in tow. Harsh caws spread across the canopy, failing to register in Enigma’s mind. He didn’t know how long he walked for. The soft gurgle of a river broke him from his thoughts and he looked up at a lush clearing filled with wildflowers. Red poppies and yellow rattle waved in the breeze, interspersed with willow herb and trefoil. The moonlight glimmered on the frothing surface of the river as it cascaded away from the Shadow Lands over algae-slicked stepping stones. Enigma followed the river’s path, his eyes barely seeing it. His mind was so wrapped in that battle. What had gone wrong… how he could have solved it… it was all a fantasy. Nothing he could have done would have changed that outcome. He could never have got both himself and Kera out of the way of that blazing attack. Perhaps if he’d stayed there he’d be with her now?
Enigma lowered Kera into the wildflowers. They almost hid her completely. Enigma didn’t see the damage to her fur. He didn’t want to see it. He wanted to remember her as she was. He trailed a paw over her ear, tracing where the feathers used to be. Then he screwed his eyes shut and his body shook with strangled sobs.
He moved from her side and began to claw at the earth. The crust was dry and tough but his claws tore through it, discarding the soil beside him. Harlequin crouched in front of him digging with their forepaws. Between them the grave didn’t take long. Enigma gently placed Kera inside it and stood back, gazing at her for a moment longer. Then he pushed the loose earth on top of her. When Harlequin made to help he nudged the zorua aside, and Harlequin sat a short distance away, watching quietly. Once Enigma was done, he stared at the small mound of soil lying exposed amid the wildflowers. He reached for a clump that had been disturbed and set them in place. A pair of red poppies.
“I think you chose a good spot.” Harlequin joined his side and let out a shuddering sigh. “Before long, the flowers will move in and no one will even know she’s here.”
Enigma nodded stiffly.
“But you will.” Harlequin looked up at him. “That’s what’s important. If I knew where Harbinger was, then I…” Harlequin trailed off.
A strange jolt went through Enigma at that name. An absol… a pair of crimson eyes burned into his mind almost as if they’d been accusing him. They faded away into two glowing stars and Enigma found himself gazing at the night sky. He took in a trembling breath as he tried to get past the fear that had welled up inside him. An absol’s curse… had she actually cursed him? Was all this her fault?
No. He shook it off, trying to bring himself back to the present. He wasn’t going to place blame. This was no one’s fault but his own. Something moved in the canopy across the river and he thought he could make out the murkrow trio perched amid the branches, but their oily feathers blended with the dark swaying leaves. As he followed the curve of the river with his eyes he thought again about leaving. Leaving and never coming back. But somehow that dream felt bitter without Kera at his side. And with the prying eyes of Yurlik’s flock it would be impossible. He crouched beside the river and scrubbed the blood and dirt off his claws, if only to mask his wandering glances towards a freedom he no longer felt he deserved.
The braviary’s blood marred the clear water for a fleeting moment before it was washed downstream, and Enigma stood back to dry his paws in the grass.
The murkrow fluttered onto a low branch above him and their leader looked over Enigma and Harlequin.
“Where’s Jex?” he asked.
Enigma looked away, and Harlequin opened their mouth to respond then closed it just as quickly.
The murkrow nodded his understanding and his beak tensed. “You two should get back. Pride yourself in the fact you won this battle. And if I were you, I’d be hoping desperately that Jex, or even Lord Hydreigon, won’t hold your lies against you.”
Enigma let out a small puff of air. What did it matter anyway? As he followed Harlequin and the murkrow back towards the Shadow Lands he stared at his claws. There was no sign of the mercenary’s blood, but they still felt dirty. And whenever he closed his eyes, all he could see was the braviary’s face, and Kera’s mangled body.
...
Jex was fuming.
The scrafty paced back and forth as Harlequin relayed their mission. All of the trainees had been woken as Jex called them to an important meeting, and each one was transfixed by Harlequin’s words. Enigma couldn’t speak. He stared blankly ahead across the courtyard, listening to the zorua’s rendition of the events. Things were glossed over, but Harlequin didn’t fail to mention it was Enigma who’d dealt the killing blow. This in particular drew the scrafty’s interest. But the loss of yet another promising assassin scoured a deep wound on the Shadow Lands.
After Harlequin had finished Jex was quiet for a painfully long moment. Enigma shifted, desperate to return to his nest. Finally, the scrafty turned towards them and tucked his paws behind his back.
The anger had ebbed, but it was still apparent in his glaring eyes. “You three went against my orders. I told ya’ll ya wouldn’t be able to handle that braviary and look what happened!” He flashed his canines with each following word. “Ya lied! Ya pretended to be me and went off on a mission no one sent ya’ll on!” He then stood back and straightened his spine. “However, ya proved me wrong. Ya actually managed it, and a ghost-type too. The pair of ya have shown surprising skills. Illusion. Being able to inflict wounds on a target ya’d normally struggle against.” Jex looked at both Harlequin and Enigma in turn. “I have no choice but to graduate the both of ya. Well done. Ya now full fledged assassins.”
Harlequin’s eyes glittered as the courtyard broke into applause, but Enigma couldn’t look at any of them. He stared past the scrafty’s shoulder, his words washing over Enigma like wind. Graduated. What did it even matter?
“Now!” Jex turned to the surrounding assassins, bringing them back into silence. “The next part of this meeting ain’t gonna be a nice one for many of ya. After discussin’ with Lord Hydreigon after Niana’s loss, we decided to make some changes. Losin’ Kera only adds to the severity of this decision. Too many pokemon here were close wi’ my sis, me included. Her loss caused some pain, and even rash decisions. I got angry. I shouldn’t have taken it out on ya.” He took a step back and brushed a paw over his mohawk. It was clear whatever decision he was going to make caused him a great deal of distress. “So it’s been decided that, much like the soldiers and the murkrow flock, all assassins from here on out are to be males only. So any females here will be immediately retired.”
“What?!” Vixen stood up quickly and flicked her bushy tail over the dusty floor. “Are you serious?!”
“You’re forcing us to leave?!” the purrloin rookie asked.
“It ain’t just my decision!” Jex countered. “This has been decreed by Lord Hydreigon himself! Ya’ll know where to go.”
“Yeah,” Vixen sneered. “The breeding pens.”
A few smirks spread across the faces of the older dragon-types, and Tannen flashed a toothy grin at a seething linoone. She returned it with a glare and reared up to her full height, flexing her claws.
A look of horror washed over Harlequin’s face as their head swivelled between the bickering females.
“But the numbers are so low already!” the linoone wailed. “Seriously, think this over!”
“We have,” said Jex. “Cutting out a risk matters more.”
Vixen raised her head. “But-”
“Enough!” Jex barked. “This decision is final! I want every female out by sunrise. Meetin’ over.”
He marched from the circle of assassins, his expression unreadable. Enigma watched him go, then let out a small sigh. He broke away from the circle and returned to his nest in silence.
The banette flopped onto his back and let his paw fall over his eyes, blocking out the moonlight. Where had things gone so horribly wrong? One moment, he was wanting to be a hero. Xerneas’ defeat of Yveltal had resonated a deep hope in his chest that one day Hydreigon would be defeated. Enigma had longed to be on the winning side of that battle. But now his paws were bloodstained. Forever dirtied by an action driven by hate and revenge.
Revenge.
He clenched his teeth and tears leaked from his eyes to streak over his cheeks. Kera was gone. Her longing for revenge had lead them into that battle, and Enigma had been nothing short of useless. She was gone. He could have stopped her. He could have done much more to encourage her to leave it, to come with him, to escape. But instead he’d followed her into battle and let her go to her death. He couldn’t save her. His ghost-type abilities had been useless. He couldn’t carry her with him to safety. All he’d been able to do was save his own hide. So instead he’d used them to claim the life of a mercenary fighting against the forces of the Darkness. Through a veil of anger he’d broken the laws of every ghost-type in Estellis.
No. Enigma was far from a hero. He was nothing short of a monster.
A monster.
His body shook with sobs and he clasped his paws over his face. A long pained and muffled roar resounded behind them. He didn’t care who heard. Nothing would bring Kera back. Nothing would bring the braviary back. Nothing could undo what he’d done. Even from the moment he’d entered the Shadow Lands pokemon had died because of him. His parents gave their lives to save him, and for what?
His breathing turned frantic and he sucked in deep breaths to try and still them. His head spun with the faces of those he’d loved. One after the other they’d gone. Now he was alone.
Another moan left his throat and he let one of his paws flop onto the hay. The other remained across his face, a useless barrier against the flood of tears.
A soft paw nudged his shoulder and he cracked one eye open. He hadn’t even heard his door open. He met a soft sapphire gaze, but it was fleeting. Harlequin hopped onto his nest and stood astride him, then their light shaggy body flopped on top of him like a blanket. The musty smell from their fur washed over him, but the warmth from their body somehow calmed his frantic sobs.
Why? He’d seen that look of uncertainty in the zorua’s eyes. After all they’d seen, Harlequin still wanted to comfort him?
“I’m so sorry.” Harlequin’s voice was a whisper in his ear.
Enigma looped his arms around the zorua’s neck and buried his face in their warm fur. He felt Harlequin tense for a moment and their breath froze. But then they relaxed, resting their head on his shoulder. Suddenly Enigma didn’t feel so alone anymore. He wound his claws into their fur, unable to find the words to thank them. Enigma’s tears still flowed until the darkness of sleep washed over him.
He might not be as alone as he’d feared. But he was certainly no hero.