39 | ALLEGIANCE

The Dragon's Den was a haunted place. Located above the armory on the southside of the castle, it was home to the weapons of war the monarchs weren't afraid to use. It held a breaking chamber to train the powerful beasts; the Pokémon left obvious signs of rebellion in their wake. Torn scales littered the stone. Dried blood stained metal tools. Ivory canines the size of long blades were mounted to the wall. Even the air was wicked as it caused icy serpents to slither down the spines of those who entered.

Gracie shuddered as she perched on a high windowsill leading into the den. She was the only one of the Shaymin small enough to wiggle through the narrow, rectangular opening. She wished the others could squeeze through.

Early this morning, Lang had told all of the Shaymin that August's life was in danger. To save her, they followed the plan given to them by August's own sister, Shannon. They had to form giant distractions to divert the guards' attention away from the keep so Shannon could break August out of her cell.

The Shaymin's distraction was a dangerous one: they were supposed to work as a flock to free one of the vicious Pokémon from the Dragon's Den. However, that part of the plan was thwarted by the complications of the den's tiny, single, undetectable entrance. Now it was all up to Gracie to accomplish this mission.

Gracie ran in place to exude her nerves and try to calm down. There was no time to be scared stiff. I'll save you, August, she thought. She could do this. She had to.

Bracing herself, Gracie soared to the ground and pressed herself against the wall to hide in the shadows. Soot powdered her pelt for just this reason. Paw-step by paw-step, she crept silently to the holding cells. They reeked of copper and echoed deep growls. She shivered again.

Her mind raced as speedily as her heart. Shannon hadn't told her which dragon Pokémon to free. She'd been too busy lecturing Lang on which topics to speak about to prolong her conversation with the queen. Gracie hoped—

Human voices sounded. She flung herself behind a barrel. Peeking around it, she glimpsed a pair of men dressed in leather. Omar had worn similar gear when working in the boiler room because of fire. He never carried the weapons in their hands, though. Black whips hung loosely, casually at their sides.

"...they should've left him in the desert," one of them said, shaking his head. "He refuses to breed and fight. He's a waste of resources; he's useless. I say we put him down so we have one less mouth to feed."

The other man clicked his tongue. "Don't be that way. We'll break him yet..."

Their voices faded as they walked past Gracie and around the corner. She released a shaky breath of relief when they turned the corner then continued forth. Her ears strained for any hints. She lifted her chin and sniffed the foul air. The stench of injuries was strong. A dragon was close.

Following the scent, Gracie came upon a staircase leading to the center of the den. At the bottom of the wide, circular room were all different kinds of Dragon-type Pokémon locked in chains. One was green and insectoid, bent over a slab of meat as zie ate. Another wore a body of scaled armor that clinked and clanked with all zir movements. Triplet dragons with teal, serpentine bodies snapped at each other's tails with gnarled teeth. Every single one of the volatile Pokémon were ten times Gracie's size and ready to fight at any given warning.

Gracie glanced over her shoulder back at the window and then looked forward. She had to stay here and finish the job. There was no turning back now.

She hesitated atop the staircase. Walking straight into their lair within blasting distance of their attacks was a death wish. She needed to speak with them one-on-one. Her gaze roamed the area and found a passageway lying parallel to her. Giant bars with gaps wide enough for her to walk through blocked the dragon in there from the others. Perfect.

Gracie got a running start and launched herself off the staircase's platform. She darted through the air high above the dragons, managing not to catch any of their attention. As she flew, she noticed the ceiling of the den was made of leather with metal contraptions bound to them. The wires led to strange levers posted against the walls similar to the ones she'd glimpsed in the boiler room of White Lightning. Her paws then touched the ground. Mustering her courage, she entered the breaking chamber only to freeze solid in her tracks.

The Pokémon was colossal, dwarfing all of the other dragons chained outside. Horrible wounds lacerated the exposed muscles uncovered from the beast's red-and-blue scales. One of his wings were split with jagged cuts slicing through the flesh. Chains connected to the stone walls were locked around each of his four legs, his neck, and his body. Sear marks branded his flank. The design was of the Rubre seal Gracie had seen everywhere else in this palace.

Gracie winced as she watched the Pokémon tear into a piece of meat half of August's height. The Shaymin would be but a snack for the dragon. She withheld a troubled whine at the gruesome thought.

Steadying her shaking legs, she approached the dragon and greeted, "H-hi."

The dragon's head snapped up at once, startling Gracie into flinching. She lost her words beneath the Pokémon's murderous, onyx glare.

"I'm Gracie," she said, doing her best not to quake. "What's your name?"

After a long, heavy pause, he answered in a drawl, "Joka." His hot, steamy breath hit Gracie's face as he exhaled his name.

"Joka? It's nice to meet you."

"I haven't had a visitor in months. Only those humans"—he spat it as a curse—"have come to me with their hooks and their blades to tatter my flank." Joka's eyes slitted as he puffed smoke out from his nostrils. "Have you come to mock me, little one?"

"I want to help you." Gracie stifled a cough from the smog stinging her throat. "I came here to help you become free."

The dragon's chest rumbled with a humorless laugh. "So you like jokes?" Joka's chains jingled as he shifted towards her, lowering his massive head to her height. "How're you going to save me? You're too weak and small to break these chains."

Gracie frowned. "No, I'm not. I can break them with the move I learned from my dad."

"Oh?" Annoyance flickered through the Shaymin at Joka's disbelieving tone. "I'd love to see you try."

"Then watch me!"

She floated skyward to where the chains met the wall, focusing on the one tethering Joka's front right leg. The thick chain was locked onto a round piece of metal embedded into the stone wall. Scorch marks blackened the tether; if the metal could withstand a dragon's fully-powered attack, it could definitely withstand one of her own.

"Not as easy as you thought, hm?" Joka said.

Gracie insisted, "I can do it. I just need to, um, figure it out."

He asked, "Why are you setting me free? Do you have an enemy you need to beat?"

"Kind of." She drifted down from the wall attachment then approached the shackles around Joka's legs. Tiny keyholes were placed on his inner legs near his underbelly; he must've been chained while fainted. "I'm trying to go and rescue my friend, but I can't do it right now because she's being watched by a whole bunch of humans. I was hoping you could please distract the humans, so I can go and save her." She widened her eyes innocently for effect. "Please."

Joka's deep growl caused Gracie to jump. His growl was like thunder with the way it echoed in the stone chamber. "They'll be easy to kill without their dragon-skin hides."

Gracie's heart skipped a beat. She didn't want death, she wanted a distraction. "Wh-what?"

"They wear the skins of fallen dragons. Our hide is fireproof," he explained. "It's what also covers the sky of the holding pit. If it wasn't for you, little one, my hide would join the others'. That's what we are to humans: tools."

Gracie resumed inspecting the shackles, replying, "But not all humans are bad. Some are good and nice and loving. You just haven't met them yet." She needed a key. "I'll be right back, I promise!"

Not waiting for a reply, she fled the breaking chamber and soared to the levers. There were no keys near them. She puffed her cheeks out then backflipped, following her footsteps back to the entrance. Staying close to the walls again, she traced the footsteps of the guards who'd passed her.

A mostly empty lounge room sat around the corner she'd avoided before, populated by a single dozing man who had a Klefki on his shoulder. Strung through the Klefki's ring was a key appearing to be made out of the same dark metal the chains were. She scanned the room once more and found a half-open closet. Gracie gulped.

For August, she reminded herself.

With adrenaline pumping through her veins, she crept into the closet and leaped atop the highest shelf. Squeaking she shoved a metal bucket off the wood. The bucket hit the stone with a jarring clang, abruptly cutting off the guard's snoring.

"Huh?" he groaned.

Gracie pushed another bottle off the shelf. Glass shattered, strewn across a puddle of a wretched-smelling chemical.

"Damn Rattata," the guard cursed.

She crouched down and hid in the shadows, quickly absorbing the energy surrounding her. The overwhelming stench of smog suffocated her as the toxins sunk into her pores. There, the particles condensed into a mass of throbbing power burning her neck, ready to be released.

As she'd hoped, the guard and his Klefki came into the closet. Quick as a flash, she flung overhead and slammed the door shut.

The guard cried, "Wha—"

Gracie shouted. Seed Flare exploded with a flash. Torrents of energy erupted within the small closet, sending everything around Gracie straight into the walls. Shelves, mops, buckets, bottles, and more avalanched onto her victims. As soon as the attack finished, she plummeted into the wreckage herself.

"Ow," she whimpered. Her body felt like it was on fire, vibrating from the intensity of the attack she'd used. There was a reason Privet said to use it sparingly.

Trembling, she forced herself to her feet and limped to the fainted Klefki. She had to keep moving. Her attack could've alerted someone else. She tugged the chains' key free from the Pokémon then hobbled to the breaking chamber. Joka perked up at the sight of the metallic device clenched between her teeth.

"Well done, little one," he praised, his grin wolfish.

"Thank you," she replied around the key. She struggled to insert it into the first lock, but she managed to fit it in and turn the tool. Click. The shackle fell to the earth. "I did it!"

Joka flexed his front right leg, grunting in approval. "You have five left."

She set off to unlock them immediately, working in a counter-clockwise motion. Neck, front left leg, torso, back left leg, back right leg. By the time she was working on her second-to-last lock, Joka's back left leg, human voices caught her ear.

"Hurry!" Joka hissed.

"I am!" she cried, beginning to shake as she struggled to fit the key into the hole. "Stop moving!"

"You're the one who's shaking, not me!"

She whined, knowing he was right. Gracie paused to take a deep breath. I can do this. Determination shone in her gaze. She slid the key into the lock and yanked to turn it. The shackle fell. Her teeth ached.

"There's one left!" he reminded her urgently.

Gracie scampered to his back right leg with her key just to squeak in horror. The humans were closing in on the breaking chamber with Pokémon at their sides. Water-types, Fairy-types, Fighting-types, and more. She hid from their line of sight.

"Watch out!" Joka called to her.

The air turned unbearably hot as the dragon's throat illuminated red. Bellowing, he launched a Flamethrower right into the oncoming guards. Gracie wailed as their shrieks filled the air.

"What are you doing?" he thundered. "Finish already!"

Panicked tears blurred Gracie's vision as she rushed to unlock his final leg. Screams of the injured rang in her ears. She whimpered. The key couldn't turn in the lock soon enough. Relief swept through her.

"Done!" she cried.

Joka flared his wings. "Get on!"

Not thinking twice, Gracie leaped onto his back. She squealed as Joka vaulted forward, protecting her with his wings as he sped through the fire. He shot skyward at the dragon-skin barrier. Blue energy sparked on his head and coated the front half of his body. Roaring, he used Zen Headbutt and tore through the casing.

As soon as they were suspended in the air, Gracie hurried off of Joka's back. Close to them in the courtyard was the group of soldiers Shannon had mentioned before. The tall tower, or 'the keep' as Lang had called it, was nearby.

"Please distract those ones!" she told Joka, spinning around. He wasn't there. Her eyes bulged. "Joka?"

The dragon's deafening roar directed her attention to the east. Flamethrowers burst from Joka's open maw, obliterating the Rubre flags flying high in the sky. Lashing his tail, he knocked over the pole and it narrowly missed the soldiers beside it.

"Gracie!" Privet took her by surprise as he joined her in the sky, the rest of the Shaymin in tow. "Are you okay?"

"I-I think so," she stammered, unable to tear her stare away from Joka as he began to set the palace ablaze. The sight of this destruction uneased her, filling her with a sense of dread she hadn't experienced since the night of the blood moon. Violence such as this ended with everyone hurt. She looked to the keep. After all of this, August better be safe.

⚔️

August had accepted death long ago. It was an old friend of hers she'd greeted time and time again only to escape its hold at the last moment. That didn't stop her from introducing people to it, though, and allowing death to take them to their graves. It was finally her time to be laid in the ground with all those she'd met in years past. She didn't want to, of course, but she knew it was inevitable.

Earlier, Lang had come into the dungeon and announced that she, Cyryl, and Omar's Pokémon were free of charges since they were victims. The nurse had then hesitated, her words caught in her throat. It came to no surprise when she revealed August was to pay for her crimes with her life. Cyryl had croaked it wasn't fair and then sobbed violently. August's tears, unlike the teen's, were silent. She didn't want to pass. Not yet.

The pirate supposed it was better not being able to tell time during her final hours. It let her think freely without worrying about spending too much time considering one topic over the other. She spent a long while comforting Cyryl which she found bleakly amusing. Here she was the one dying, yet she had to comfort the living. She guessed it made sense since zie was the one who'd have to live with the after-effects.

August's biggest regret was not being able to see Gracie again. Unless the Shaymin were allowed to view her execution, the last time she would've seen her was when she'd promised Gracie they'd meet again. And here she was breaking another promise.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a roar of the fractured earth. The ceiling, walls, and flooring shook violently. Dirt poured down in dusty surges.

"What's happening?" Cyryl cried. "Are we under attack?"

"It's an earthquake. Rubrelum gets them all the time," August explained, not budging an inch from her spot on her bedroll. "Steady yourself. There's no reason to be scared. They don't last long."

"Perhaps this is normal to you, but Tranquelum never receives earthquakes!" Zie yelped as the strength of the tremors increased. "What do we do?"

She sat up, wincing as her joints ached in protest. "We can't do anything. We wait it out. Use your meditation stuff to calm down. This is all normal."

"What about that?"

Beyond the bars of their cells, a glowing, lavender rift tore through the passageway. The mass of swirling light particles whirred as it stretched outward into a gigantic orb. At it hit its greatest height, the sphere combusted. Shining flurries spritzed the dungeon in a shower of purple glimmers, revealing those who'd used the Teleport attack.

The Pokémon zirself was unlike any other August had ever seen. Zie was a living statue, a creature molded from the earth's clay itself. Intricate patterns of white and gold adorned zir charcoal body. Pink were zir various eyes, although they still glowed lavender as zir Psychic energy had yet to fade. August's hairs stood on end as the levitating Pokémon turned and faced her.

"What're you?" she questioned, searching for the soldier who ordered zir.

"Zir name is Orbit; zie's my Claydol," came the reply of an all-too-familiar voice. Shannon stepped around the Pokémon with a set of keys in her hands. "I've come to release you."

August loathed the queen for sending her sister to fetch her for execution. "Release me from living," she grumbled.

"That's not true," Shannon said as she unlocked August's cell. "I've come to rescue you."

Both August and Cyryl chorused, "What?"

The lieutenant swung the door open for August to leave the cell, wasting no time in moving to work on Cyryl's. As she worked, she explained, "I've spent the past week figuring out a way to sneak you out of the palace without drawing suspicion to myself or your friend, Lang. I managed to find a lesser-known ferryman who accepted pay for passage without meeting the said passengers. Incos are what's currently keeping his lips tied."

As soon as Cyryl's cell unlocked, zie blurted zir thanks to Shannon then rushed to August's side who was demanding, "Why would you do this? You never challenge people in power, 'specially the queen."

Shannon spared August a glance as she released Nuri and Marley, replying, "I've always lived by laws which I thought just because I believed in them. I can't bring myself to support Her Highness' decision to execute my sister when you led the company who made the deal which might just save all of Rubrelum and the rest of the world. And plus, I, well, nevermind." She shook her head. "We don't have the luxury of time to speak of that here. We have to move."

"Where are we going?" Cyryl asked.

"Teleport," Shannon directed her Claydol. As zie began to summon a lavender portal, Shannon said, "Orbit's transporting you all to a coastal village east of here. There, you'll board the ferry and travel to Tranquelum. I hope you don't mind the isle of choice, but Tranquelum was the only isle offered."

August pointed out, "The guards'll know we're gone soon."

Shannon winced. "No, they won't."

Cyryl exchanged a confused look with August and pressed, "What do you mean by that?"

"As we speak, there's a freed Salamence lighting the palace ablaze. Every able-bodied soldier is currently in the courtyard trying to stop him. The chaos of it all is spooking the stables which are full of Mudsdale who know the move Magnitude, hence these tremors." Shannon hesitated. "Once we leave this dungeon, Orbit will use Earthquake here zirself to collapse the keep."

"You two truly are related," Cyryl said with an unnerved smile. "Truth be told, it makes me wonder how much destruction your parents brought about for you two to be alright with these casualties." Zie flinched as twin golden glares fell upon zir. "My apologies."

Orbit released a deep and haunting, "Clay."

"Teleport's ready," Shannon translated. She handed August a small bag and told the group, "The tickets are in here. Show them to a red-haired gentleman with gray eyes to be let aboard the ferry. Teleporting will feel strange, but it has no lasting side effects which will prevent you from completing these tasks."

August looked to her apprentice and Omar's Pokémon. "Understand?" They nodded. "Aye. Nuri, Marley, you first. Cyryl, you go after them. I'll bring up the rear."

The company proceeded as instructed. Nervousness plagued August's being as she watched them be absorbed into the portal one by one. Each time they entered it, the swirling mass would pulsate and drone. Orbit soon began to tremble as the strenuous move took its toll on zir.

Finally, it was August's turn to step near the portal. Before she entered it, she paused. "Shannon," she said.

Her sister met her troubled stare. "Yes? Is something the matter?"

"Thanks. I know this isn't easy fo' you, so it, so it means a lot." August chewed on her inner cheek then added, "Maybe in another life, we could've been better sisters or something like that."

Shannon smiled sadly. "Maybe so. Do me a favor, though, August."

"What's that?"

Shannon dug into her coat and held something small within her fist. She crossed over to August and placed it in her hand, saying, "Continue doing the right thing like how you had in the Scarlet Court. Counter the bad karma you'd gathered from those crimes; dedicate yourself to seeking good by keeping out of trouble and helping others. Can you promise that?"

August looked at the item in her palm: it was the Luvdisc charm. It'd been taken away with the rest of her belongings when she was arrested. She swallowed. "Aye, I can."

They shared one last, long look before the pirate turned to the portal. August thought to herself, Aye, I can do that. Heart lifted, she walked into the Psychic energy and saw all white.

⚔️

Boarding the ferryboat had been much easier than August had anticipated. The ticket master hadn't blinked an eye when she'd presented her slew of passes; instead, he'd treated them like every other passenger who was busy boarding as he listed off the ship's rules then directed them to their designated cabin. It made August wonder just how much Shannon had paid off the crew.

The vessel itself was tiny for a passenger ship, fitting only half a dozen cabins if August included their own. Their room barely managed to fit in two cots and a shared chest for storage, but the party didn't mind at all. Any stay was better than being locked in an underground dungeon cell for days on end. Unlike the dungeon, they could now wear comfortable clothes Shannon had packed them and gaze out at the open sky to enjoy the sunlight. Best of all, they could plan accordingly for what was to come, for now, their futures were in their hands.

Two weeks of slow sailing had passed before the ferryboat finally docked in Tranquelum. In a single-file line, the remnants of August's group trickled out behind the rest of the passengers and entered the northern town of Yellowton. The freeing sensation of exiting the confines of the ship and walking freely onto land stopped August in her tracks.

A damp breeze tousled through her hair, carrying the scent of wet earth and rain from the night before. Leaves of gold, amber, and crimson twirled through the air and littered the cobblestone streets. Rickety carts full of merchant goods grumbled along the path, pulled by Gogoat and Bibarel heading towards deporting vessels. People dressed in warm clothes directed the Pokémon in loud chatter that mixed with the rest of the crowd.

Here in this bustling port, nobody could recognize August nor her companions. There were zero soldiers dressed in scarlet to turn her in for execution. The weight of the world disappeared from August's shoulders at the revelation. She was safe. For now.

It took them but a week by wagon rides to reach Waywyn. Upon arriving, August realized the magician settlement had barely changed in their absence. The main difference was that the rolling greenery had dulled to jade and pumpkins and squashes replaced where flowerpots had sat once before. Bright harvest decorations lined the dirt pathway of the main road, acting as obstacles for the magician children chasing each other in a game of tag. Their parents watched over them and chatted with ease to one another. It was as if the very air of Waywyn was comprised of nothing more than peace.

"Must be nice being stable," she muttered more to herself than to anybody else. She almost envied how blissfully ignorant the Waywyn populace was. Her gaze lingered on the playing children; she missed Gracie. Shoving the thought away, she asked her apprentice, "Are you ready?"

Cyryl fidgeted with zir eyepatch. Zir complexion was growing pale as zie replied, "I'll never be truly prepared for the dialogue we're about to confront. I've thought about what I would say to my parents for so many days, no, weeks, and I still don't know how to handle everything."

"Be honest an' tell your parents what happened. It's easier that way," August said. She repeated the wisdom Omar had gifted her when she had to speak with Shannon: "I know it'll cause problems, but those don't have to be solved tonight. Or tomorrow. Or the day after. Those take a lot o' time to solve, but hey, kid, we've got plenty o' it."

"I feel ill," zie whispered, stepping close to August and bending down to rest zir head on her good shoulder. She hadn't realized zie'd bested her in height until now.

She patted the blonde's back. "You'll be fine, kid. If anything goes wrong, me an' the Pokémon are here to help. We're stuck together," she comforted. Cyryl pulled back to look at her, and she said gently, "Let's go."

The sun dipped low into the sky and colored it orange as the party of five continued their trek. They passed the bazaar and the bookshop August had visited in what seemed a lifetime ago. For a split second, she swore she saw Omar walking by them with a basket of apples in his arms. But then the hulking stranger lowered the hood of his tan cloak and revealed a fair-skinned man with a mop of curly, copper hair. The hopeful glint in August's eye vanished.

Finally, Cyryl slowed to a stop in front of a house lying at the edge of the village. It nestled into a cozy bend facing the sun with the stone and wood becoming one as it blended into the hillside. Warm, yellow lights illuminated the windows, and a cloud of smoke puffed out of the chimney. It exuded the feeling of welcomeness, but the group struggled to come near the gate.

"Do you want me an' the Pokémon to stay out here?" August asked.

Cyryl winced. "N-no, definitely not. Well, you should at least come in the garden." Zir hands shook as zie opened the gate and stepped aside for the others to pass. "You can wait here while I speak to them. Except you, Pidge. Please come with me."

The Pidgeotto hopped to zir side, hooting, "To."

August herded Marley and Nuri to the edge of the garden, keeping a careful eye on the flame spouting from the Magmar's tail. She'd unofficially taken ownership of Omar's Pokémon since the time they'd left Scarlet. It was all she could do to keep them safe.

Unlike Omar. Her heart ached.

She shifted her focus to Cyryl as the magician rapped zir knuckles on the front door. The high-pitched yapping of a dog Pokémon erupted. A ghost of a smile, panicked yet excited, graced zir face.

"Be quiet, Bard!" a masculine voice chided with a laugh. "You'll frighten the whole village with your howl, you little rascal." The front door then opened, revealing a man equal to Cyryl's height. His blond hair was tied in a braid, drawing attention to his olive face twisted in confusion. He said, "Oh, hello there. How may I help you?"

Cyryl's trembling escalated into quivering. "F-father..." Zir words cracked and crumbled, disintegrating into a sob. Zie flung zirself into zir father's arms and cried into his neck.

"Cyryl?" he asked, breathless. He registered the information slowly, his expression giving away his thoughts as it morphed from bewilderment to shock to absolute emotional overload. Tears glistening in his eyes, he hugged zir fast and tight as if he'd never let go again.

"Alan? Who's there?" called a woman. She came to the threshold, revealing herself to be brunette whose wide, silver eyes were identical with that of the teen's. "Is that...? Cyryl!"

August stood mutely the reunited cried and hugged each other, barely able to speak words through their babbling. She went unnoticed for quite some time, cloaked in the shadows of the setting sun alongside the Pokémon. By the time the Noseks had regathered their abilities to speak and drill Cyryl with questions, the stars were beginning to twinkle in the sky. That was when the teen gestured to August and Cyryl's parents drew zir closer to them.

"Ahoy," she greeted, trying to sound as friendly. "I'm August."

"Let's continue this inside," Cyryl's mother said, her cautious glare refusing to stray from the pirate. If looks could kill, August would've been sent seven feet under a dozen times over. "You and your friend can begin your explanations over supper."

They all entered the house and came to a dining room no larger than the one aboard White Lightning. An old, oak table sat four people while bowls for the Pokémon laid on the ground. Joining Nuri, Marley, and Pidge was the three-legged Lillipup called Bard whose tail wagged at a rapid-fire pace as he sniffed all the newcomers. He was the only one unbothered by the atmosphere.

Tension hung over the table like an anvil tied to a thin string, ready to snap and descend into madness at any given moment. Cyryl's parents attempted to hide their uneasiness as they served the food, but their stiff movements and flickering glances betrayed their steady tones. Cyryl was no better off as zie fidgeted nonstop and looked to August for help. Her tight throat kept her from speaking; if she misspoke at all tonight, she'd be cast to the streets. She'd let the teen prevent the string from splintering undone.

After all the food had been placed and Cyryl's parents took their seats, Cyryl's father said, "Let's enjoy our supper first. We can't speak logically with hungry stomachs that put food on our minds, now can we?"

Cyryl giggled more out of nervousness than amusement. "Of course."

August picked up her spoon and stared at the steam rising off of the creamy stew. She waited for the others to begin eating before daring to touch it herself, hyper-aware of how Cyryl's mother watched her every move. It tainted the taste of her meal, disallowing her to enjoy the savoriness of the broth or sweetness of the sliced fruit.

"How is it?" Cyryl's mother questioned.

"It's delicious," Cyryl answered, zir worry momentarily forgotten as zie beamed from behind a roll of bread. "We haven't had true home cooking in weeks, truth be told." Zie faced August, saying, "I believe the last good meal we had was a row of berry kebabs, wasn't it? The ones Lang had prepared on White Lightning."

The pirate nodded, her mouth full of food. "Aye," she confirmed at last. She added, "The food's good."

"Thank you." Cyryl's mother lowered her silverware onto her empty dishes. She straightened her shoulders and sat tall, speaking clearly as she asked, "Who are you?"

August wiped her mouth with a cloth napkin, prolonging her silence as she mulled over the words she'd speak. "My name's August Gold. I'm 21, 22 years o' age. I'm no magician; my family comes from Rubrelum. I was kidnapped by pirates when I was young. Now I'm a"—she faltered; who was she?—"now I'm an adventurer."

"You worked with pirates?" Cyryl's father repeated, his eyebrows nearing his hairline.

She frowned. "I used to, but I don't anymore. I left my ship to make my life better. I met Cyryl soon after." Before they could cut her off, she rushed to add, "No, I didn't kidnap zir. There was a woman robbing Cyryl with a dagger at zir throat. I knocked her out an' saved the kid. What happened after was all Cyryl's doing."

"That's true," Cyryl supported quickly. "August saved me from a traveler bearing from Veylei, I believe. She had that sort of accent, but that's beside the point. The main point is that August isn't at fault for what happened. There's no need to bear ill-grudge against her. All those days ago when I asked to be her apprentice, she even tried to dissuade me from my choice saying it was dangerous, but I didn't listen." Zie emphasized, "My actions are entirely my own."

Zir mother searched Cyryl's face for any hints of lying just to slowly shake her head as she found none. "Why would you do this? Why would you leave the safety of Waywyn and leave the isle with a complete stranger?"

All at once, Cyryl's bottled feelings surged out in a rant. "Because I wanted to see the world. You've confined me to this village for as long as I've lived, not even allowing me to walk to the nearest village without an adult chaperone. It's maddening to read great tales of adventure and watch others depart on their own journeys only to be tethered here to the house. I understand, yes, I do understand that you've kept me here for my own personal safety, but you've stricken my liberties in the process of doing that." Sorrow strained zir voice. "I just had to see what life was like beyond these grassy plains. I had to."

Zir parents said nothing in reply, their startled stares locked on the shivering teen. Cyryl's father appeared heartbroken while zir mother was devastated. Neither interfered zir speech, needing to hear more.

Volume quiet and words breathy, Cyryl finished, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I let my selfish desires take control of me and lead me down the wildest route which lied in my path. I shouldn't have lied, and I definitely shouldn't have stolen. I wish I hadn't, but I did, and there's nothing I can do to go back into the past and amend that. I just, I couldn't see any other way I could achieve my dreams. Punish me however you'd like, I'll accept it. Please... please understand me."

A suffocating silence drowned the dining room; not even the crackling hearth could warm the frozen space. All the Pokémon filed out, save for Pidge who dared not to let Cyryl out of his vision. August bore the same protective aura as the Pidgeotto, willing the teen to take her strength not to break down and cry.

"...we should've known this would happen," Cyryl's father said at last, his gaze sad and resigned. "You've always carried that same spark of adventure and curiosity your brothers had. It was only a matter of time before you tried to leave the nest with Pidge by your side."

August's jaw tightened. She'd heard the tale of Cyryl's late elder brothers; they'd been slain by magician hunters while on a walk in the Far Plains. She wanted to tell zir parents not to let the actions of zir brothers affect how they treated Cyryl when comparing siblings against one another never turned out well. She knew that best of all.

He sighed and continued on, "While we can understand your state of mind, we can't let this go unpunished. We were terrified, Cyryl. When we'd learned that the mercenary we'd paid to find you had been murdered, we'd thought you were... surely..." His words trailed off, unable to finish his sentence.

"I'm sorry," Cyryl whispered again.

"We know you are," zir mother said, reaching across the table to hold zir clammy hands. "Don't give us that dejected face, Cyryl. We love you; don't forget that. Words can't describe how relieved we are to have you back, safe and sound."

Her declaration shattered Cyryl's cracked façade. Tears trickled down zir reddened cheeks. Zir father joined their embrace, and their words fell quiet just for one another to hear.

August secretly rose from her seat and followed the Pokémon. Her own throat was knotted from the genuine sentiment displayed. Still, a ghost of a grin tugged at her lips. She'd never had that sort of support from her own bloodline. It soothed her to know Cyryl didn't have to face the troubles she did concerning familial affairs.

She crossed to a chair placed by a window and eyed the pale crescent moon. Gracidea petals, when plucked, formed the same shape. She hoped Gracie was living well with her family. Lang, too, wherever she was. And Shannon. Of course, Shannon. Everyone August knew deserved a life full of peace and rest after the trials and tribulations she'd dragged them through.

August doubted she could ever make up for the losses she'd inflicted on the world, but it didn't mean she couldn't try. It was what Shannon had told her. And Lang, Cyryl, and Gracie, too, if she thought about it. Even Wes had mentioned it to her, but no one urged her more than the gentle soul of Omar who was at peace with the sky. She promised to him, herself, and everyone else, I'll be good.

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⚔️ ART ⚔️

This breathtaking piece of Cyryl was created by LiYuuArtCommission