Story Notes:
Basically, I've been wanting to make a very long lasting series with lots of intrigue and such, and have finally come up with this. I like the story-line behind it, though for now I'm just going to post the first chapter to see just what everyone thinks of it. No sex until later chapters.
Chapter 8: Jag's Back
Syon was honestly speechless when he finished the story, feeling a deep rooted sympathy for Umbranos now that he knew what had happened. But also fear that such a hate-filled creature resided within some part of his conscious mind. It said that this young female, Eve, might have carried on the Umbranos line; perhaps he was part of this supposed line? If so, that might explain his connection to this ancient and powerful Umbreon.
"Father..." He began, then shook his head. "I...I don't know what to say..." The Eevee shook his head again and let the parchment roll back up, slowly putting the binding back on it again so it would stay that way. "So...justice was never met?" he asked, looking up at the Absol.
Sloan shook his head solemnly, and lay himself down beside his son. "No...I once thought this was just a tale to keep jealous lovers from doing something stupid, like what Lumies did." He said, letting out a slow sigh. "But recent events have definitely made me change my thoughts on this matter."
Syon snuggled deeply into the white fur, staring at the parchment as if it was the bogeyman. "Is it Umbranos that's doing this?" He asks, quietly.
"I don't really know Syon. He might be." He shrugs a little and slowly pulls the Eevee closer to him with a warm foreleg. "But, it appears like he's only trying to protect you, and only comes out when you get angry." The Absol replies, nuzzling the back of the brown furred head of his son. "So...I guess, as long as you don't get angry too much, he won't come out."
Syon nodded, thinking about this while sleepiness took him once again. "...but didn't you say that on my thirteenth year, that I'll like...bring ruin and destruction and stuff?" He asked, glancing up at his father with a blue eye.
Sloan nodded. "Yes...but apparently that has passed already." He said, letting out a soft sigh of relief.
Syon shook his head slowly, his head resting down on his forepaws. "No it hasn't...I'm twelve. I'm gonna be thirteen tomorrow." He says, before drifting off to sleep, leaving a very worried Absol curled up around his form.
Despite this being the fabled doom's day according to the tale, Sloan was determined to give his son as good a birthday party as he could. He'd made arrangements to take his son out to see the sights, go out to a good restaurant, and maybe even run around outside a little...all under careful guard, of course.
As was common for the occasion, he'd managed to get a baker to quickly whip up a cake while the Eevee slept, putting candles in it that would number up to thirteen in total. It wasn't a very big or special cake, just something the two of them could enjoy between each other. It had a sweet blue icing that said in white letters 'Happy Birthday'.
He even bought the young Pokemon a present. It was a simple little thing really, a set of white silk cuffs with gold clasps that went around the ankles to show class of sorts. The set came complete with a bow that would go around the base of the tail. He thought Syon would like it, and smiled as he began to wrap it up in a pleasant little package, bringing both into his room and quietly arranging himself to be comfortable while he waited for his son to awaken.
When Syon did awaken, he slowly opened one eye, then the other, though this couldn't really be seen due to his large, fluffy tail covering his muzzle to keep it warm. He slowly lifted his head, eyes closing while he yawned...mouth open to show the row of sharp little fox-teeth lining his short muzzle. A paw rubbed at his left eye while the other cracked open to look up at the Absol, who smiled.
"Happy birthday son..." He said, leaning down and giving the Eevee a little nuzzle and a lick to the cheek, making him murr gently and look up at his father in surprise.
"Huh..?" Syon was confused. "What's...what's a birthday?" he asked.
Sloan was incredulous. Had Jag never told him what a birthday was? "You...you don't know?" he asked, still shocked.
Suddenly the little Eevee felt a little stupid. "Well...no..." He admitted, blushing faintly.
The Absol had to hold back from chuckling. "Well, a birthday is when we celebrate the day we were born on...in other words, the day that you're a year older." He explained, licking the little button nose of the kit. "We give sweet things and presents to the one whose birthday it is, though we usually only celebrate it with those close to us." He shrugs. "You know...family, friends, and the few famous Pokemon in this kingdom."
Syon nodded. "Oh...well um...ok." He said. He didn't understand it, but...he wasn't complaining.
Sloan smiled. "Here..." He said, picking up a little box and setting it down before the Eevee. He opened it to reveal the small, circular cake that had thirteen little candles in it. They were all lit with a gentle breath of flame over the wicks.
Syon stared up at his father curiously. "Why'd you do that?" he asked.
The Absol did chuckle this time. "Heheh, this is a little tradition that we have with birthdays. Basically, you put candles on the cake, and the one who's birthday it is makes a wish...then blows them out with a breath. They say that if you blow them all out on the first go, and don't tell your wish to anyone else, that it'll come true."
Syon blinked. "...that's just silly." He said...but he looked at the candles as if they were the most weird looking things in the world.
"Yes...but eh, it's just for fun. Why not try it? Who knows...maybe it will come true?"
The Eevee closed his eyes and thought about it. What was it he wanted most in the world? ... 'I wish I was just a normal little Eevee, who didn't have Umbranos inside of me...' he thought in his head, and blew out the candles after taking a deep breath.
Sloan smiled. "Good work. Now...lets eat, hm?" He said, using one of his long claws to slice the small cake into four neat little quarters. He set one on a plate and offered it to Syon, then took one for himself. "You get to eat first, since it's your birthday, so...go on."
Syon had never had cake before...heck, the sweetest thing he'd ever tasted was the sickly-sweet flavor that came with blood gushing into his mouth. So the flavor that assaulted his taste buds nearly made him sick. But it was good...so he just ignored the small flips his stomach did and ate the very tasty cake as if it was his breakfast. And really...it was.
The Absol chuckled a bit and watched his son eat while he himself quickly wolfed down the cake, not having had one in...well, a year or so. "It's good, isn't it?"
Syon looked up at his father and nodded, most of his muzzle and lips covered in cake crumbs and blue icing. Sloan couldn't help it, he laughed this time. "Haha! Well aren't you just a mess..." He said, leaning closer and licking his son's face clean of the mess.
The Eevee grumbled in response to the grooming, but let his father work, tail flickering around behind him. "It's really sweet..." He said once the Absol had pulled his head back again.
Sloan nodded. "Yeah, it is. But that's the idea. Don't worry, we're going out for lunch after this."
The fox like Pokemon blinked. "Out? But I thought I wasn't allowed out of your room?" He asked, ears pinning back.
A grin split the black features of the Absol. "I was able to coerce the fact that it was your birthday, so you deserved something like this. Besides, that way you wouldn't be so close to such important people." He added with a cunning smile.
Syon just giggled and shook his head. "Oh, I see."
Sloan shrugged. "But, there's a condition." He said.
Long, brown ears perked. "...condition?"
As if on que, once more, Illume walked in as if she was in a play. She smiled at the two males, and saluted to the Absol. "Hello you two." She said.
Syon growled suspiciously. "Why's she here?" he asked, glaring at the Espeon.
Sloan smiled weakly. "The Emperor ordered that I take her along with us. Else you'd be stuck in here." He said. "Sorry..."
Illume shut the door behind her with another gentle mental push, and stepped closer. "Look, Syon, I know you probably don't like me for leading you to the Emperor and Empress, but...I was just following orders." She said, sitting herself down before the two males. "I know you'd do the same if Jag or Ruby had given you orders to kill any one of us."
Syon looked down. Yes, he would have...she was right. Damnit. His growling died down. "...yeah..."
Sloan gently nuzzled his son. "I asked that she stay off to the side. It'll just be you and me, so don't worry." He reassured the Eevee, who calmed down enough to nod and return the nuzzle a little. "Now, c'mon...that cake won't last long with us, so lets go get some lunch." He then stood, and padded out, waiting at the door for Syon to follow.
Syon stood and quickly trotted out after the Absol, the Espeon following behind as silently as she could, meaning she was hovering a little off the ground while she walked so she didn't make a sound.
The three made their way through town, Syon being shown the sites. First, Sloan took him out to view the doors again and explained how they worked. "See, there's a gem for each evolution of Eevee out there, and those who guard this door are known as the Rainbow Seven. They are the most elite guard in the land, and only the Emperor himself has been able to defeat them all at once." He said, letting Syon pad over and look at the gems. The one that he was interested in the most was the big black stone that looked like Opal...except it was slightly transparent.
"What are those gems made of, Father?" He asked finally, after padding back to join the Absol.
Sloan shrugged. "No one knows...but we know that they work, and you can't open the doors without a Pokemon of all seven elements. So...it's very difficult to come through the front doors without knocking them down."
Syon nodded, keeping step with his father to walk beside him as they made their way through the courtyard of the palace, the gardens, and out onto the streets where the slightly raised area of the palace let him see the entire city from where he stood. In its current condition, the city was a sprawling, booming success, a diamond in the rough, one might say. Houses, buildings, some small factories of sorts that had the scent of leather or metal coming from them, and dozens of other sights, smells, and sounds, all made the place seem very much alive.
The Absol sat down beside his son and let out a soft sigh. "I really wish you could have grown up around here. I could train you personally how to fight, your mother could teach you how to read, write, and spell. So many Pokemon here would have loved to take care of you and teach you the things you need to know to live." He shook his head. "I know you may never be able to forgive me for leaving you there those years ago, but...I'm still sorry. You deserved so much better than what you got."
Syon had looked up at his father once he'd started speaking, and let out his own sigh. "I know father..." He said, looking out at the city again, his sharp eyes catching two Pokemon, a father and son ironically, having fun. He yearned to have that with his own father when he was growing up. But he wasn't really allowed to be a child while he was living under Jag.
"But...I grew up among the Bloodgrass Fields. That's my real home now, this is just..." He thinks about how to put it. "...a glimpse of what I could have had."
Sloan nods a little, looking down at his son. "I do hope I can make it up to you, no matter how late I am. I want to be your father again, and do all the things that I should have done with you." He leans down, and gives the little Eevee a kiss to the top of his head. "Your mother and I loved you very much. It tore us up to give you up like that. Now your back, and even if your mother isn't here anymore, I'm still going to raise you as best I can to be what you should be..."
Syon manages a weak little smile. "Thanks father, but...I am what I am." He says, nuzzling against the white furred shoulder. "All I want is a father who will love me and be proud of me. That's all I ever wanted..."
The Absol hugs his son with a foreleg. "Then that's what you'll get Syon..."
The Eevee sighs happily and smiles, sniffling a little and biting his lip to hold back tears. His stomach though did the work for him, by growling at the young Syon. "Er...ehehe, I'm hungry." He said, giggling at the sound of his father's stomach doing the same thing.
Sloan chuckled. "Me too. C'mon, lets go get ourselves some real food huh? I know of this great place to go to, you'll just love it!"
Syon smiled. "I'll bet." He said, tail wagging as he trotted off after the Absol, having completely forgotten by now that Illume was anywhere near them.
Father and son made their way down the hill to the bustling city, Sloan looking like he knew exactly where he was going, while the little Eevee felt a tad nervous wandering around with just so many Pokemon bustling around him. Sometimes he had to jump a little so that his paws wouldn't get stepped on or rolled upon by a cart of some sort. Pokemon of all shapes, sizes, and genders wandered around. Some where in armor, some in clothing, though most of them were just as cloth-less as Syon himself was.
For all the world, he looked like a country bumpkin looking up in awe and shock at the densely populated city, his mouth slightly open and blue eyes upturned a little, wide as can be comfortable. Sloan caught this look his son had and chuckled. "Close your mouth Syon, else you'll swallow a lot of dust." He said, to which the Eevee quickly closed his mouth with a soft click of his teeth.
Sloan led them, including Illume who followed silently behind like a dust mote, to what looked like an Inn, except that there was a distinct lack of drunks thrown onto the ditch. A rather prim and proper looking Xatu stood on the right side of the double-door, and he bowed slightly to the Absol. "Gut evenin'k suh." He said in a strange accent, his voice clicking with each hard syllable. "May I be assuming'k that you come with the boyee?" he asked, turning his almost creepy stare on the Eevee, who took a hesitant step closer to the Absol.
The male nodded. "Yes Gunter, I am. The normal seats if you will." Was all he said.
Gunter, the Xatu, nodded and unfurled his wing in a crisp snap, the doors opening with a responsive creak. Sloan smiled down at his son. "C'mon kiddo. Lets go feed our bellies." He said, tilting his head to the door before he padded inside, Syon quickly following after. Illume followed as well after a quick word with the totem-like bird.
Sloan and Syon took a seat that was backed up in a corner so that they could have privacy while they ate, a small lamp set in the center of the table with an oil lit flame giving the booth some light. The Eevee was at a loss for what to do. He'd never been to a restaurant, let alone heard of one. So, he just followed his father's example, laying himself down on the plush cushion with his forepaws on the finely polished wooden board that would serve as a table to keep the food off the ground.
The Absol smiled towards his son. "Isn't this place nice? I always come here when I need something good to eat...the cook here is the best, trust me." He says, the bladed tail that Absols have, wagging slowly behind him.
Syon could only nod mutely as he looked around to take in the details of this strange place. To him, it looked exactly like an Inn that Jag had sent him into to collect information on a supposed attempt on Arcanis' life a few years ago. Turned out it was nothing more than a surprise party. Go figure.
Thinking of the home he once knew took a toll on the Eevee's heart, a slight tugging seeming to pull him, urging him to come 'home'. He looked instinctively to the South, where Bloodgrass Fields were, and let out a longing sigh. He missed everyone...Jag, Ruby, Arcanis, even Thunderhead whom he only had a deep respect for as a fighter.
Sloan caught the look his son had on his muzzle and tilted his head. "What's wrong?" He asked, breaking the Eevee out of his thoughts.
Syon just shook his head. "It's nothing, I just...I just miss everyone so much." He says, ears folding back against his head. "I know you don't like them, but...I do. They're...they're the ones who raised me."
A sigh left the dark type. "I know Syon, but now if I came anywhere near them, they'd probably kill me for what my troops did, you know that."
The Eevee nodded slowly, the movement ending with the young kit's eyes turned down to look at his forepaws. "I know..." He said softly.
Sloan was about to say something else, when a rather burly looking Zangoose stepped up to the two and grinned. "Wot's this? Is this li'l Eyvey havin' a bad day, wot?" He asked in yet another strange accent.
Both pokemon looked up at the Zangoose, Sloan smiling. "Hey there Zant, how are ya?" he asked, to which the mongoose Pokemon grinned.
"Mey? O oive been alroight I guess, gov. So, wot's wrong with the lil'un?" He asked, pointing a dully gleaming claw at Syon.
Sloan quickly came up with an excuse. "This is my...son. I just adopted him today. He's only been in the orphanage a few weeks now, and still misses his parents." He said, exchanging a hinting look to the Eevee.
Syon picked it up easily. "Oh...yeah, I really miss my family. They were everything to me..." He said, keeping the truth just enough that it was enough to satisfy the normal-type's curiosity. "They um...died, in the recent attack on Bloodgrass Fields."
"Ah, roight then...me lips're sealed." He leaned closer to the Eevee, cupping a paw to his mouth as if to hide the words from the Absol. "Me bro'er doied in that foight 'e did. They sai' he took ten of 'em out on 'is own, cross me 'eart." The Zangoose was obviously proud, but the Eevee had to struggle to keep from wincing.
"O-oh? Wow...he...he must've been quite the fighter..." Was all Syon could say, managing to keep a respectable tone.
Zant grinned. "Quoite the foigt'er indeed 'e was. Bu' me...naahh, foight'n's fer tough blokes. Moiself, I use me claws ta cu'up food." He said, reaching into a rather cavernous pocket in the slightly messy apron he wore, and pulling out a large cylinder of meat.
"Foinest sahlami in de land et is!" He says, admiring the meat before tossing it up into the air. The Zangoose's eyes followed the meat as it sailed up...then slowly fell down. The moment it got within his reach, his claws were a flurry of motion, cleaving, chopping, and slicing the meat in the blink of an eye. Not five seconds had passed before two plates before the Eevee and Absol were piled high with meat.
Syon was awestruck. He'd never seen anyone move their claws that fast. It was...astounding. Now he was glad that it was his brother that had fought, and not this Zangoose. The Bloodgrass force might've lost.
Sloan clapping got the Eevee to do the same, his forepaws coming together to clap and applaud the very admirable skills of the restaurant's owner. "Amazing as always Zant, ya big show-off."
Zant flushed and looked like an embarrassed schoolgirl at the praise. "Awwr, I could'a done be'er I 'spect." He said, licking his claws clean in what seemed to be a habit when he was thinking. "Yeh...tha wa'nt me best work. Ah well, be'er luck next toim I serpose." With that, he shrugged and gestured. "Dig in yew two. On the 'ouse, as always."
Sloan chuckled. "Thank you yet again Zant." He said, secretly slipping a few gold coins into the Zangoose's apron pocket before he could leave. The Absol then smiled at the still awestruck kit, who was staring at the sliced meat. "You need to put the food in your mouth...it won't jump in there on its own." He said with a soft chuckle.
Syon grinned sheepishly. "Oh um...sorry. Just...that was amazing, really, it was!" He said excitedly, his tail slowly wagging behind him. "I've never seen anyone move their claws so fast..."
The Absol smiled. "Yes, Zant is a very fearsome fighter when he wants to be, but unfortunately...he's got an absolutely horrid fear of blood. The first battle he was in, he passed out, and everyone luckily thought he had died until he suddenly stood up, and walked home. He never wanted to hurt anyone again, so now he just uses his claws to cut things up, instead of to kill." Sloan shrugged. "Fate sucks sometimes...we both know that..." to which Syon nodded.
"Yeah...but um...I'mma eat. I'm hungry." He said, before quickly plunging into the meat, his tail wagging while he ate. The food was indeed delicious, though he had had it before when Jag brought him something from one of the trader raids. But this...this was just a thousand times better, if not more.
Sloan chuckled a little at his son's eagerness and began eating too, albeit a bit slower. He couldn't blame the Eevee for having bad table manners...he probably had never even seen a table except as something to spread a battle-map out upon.
"Mmh...'sreallygood." He said after he had finished a mouthful off and swallowed it. The Eevee had already finished half of the meal, and had finally begun to slow down enough that he could fully enjoy the meal that had been set before him.
"Yep, that it is." Sloan said, now getting to the halfway point, but he still had a lot of room in his larger belly. "So tell me Syon, what has my brother taught you about combat?" He asked, bringing a forepaw up to rest his head upon it, the leg resting on its 'elbow'.
Syon started at this question, his head was hidden by the small pile of meat, but one could still see his ears perk like antennae, then slowly fold back as the Eevee lifted his head, and swallowed. "Well...Jag taught me a lot. He taught me everything I know."
He shrugs. "He taught me how to read an opponent's moves in the middle of a battle, how to control the power and accuracy of my attacks for various effects. How best to kill a Pokemon of every shape and size, weak-points, pressure-points, and various areas that are sensitive and can make a Pokemon defenseless."
Sloan had been slowly nodding, the first two being the basics that any warrior would have to learn. But the rest...those surprised him. Had Jag taught this boy to be an assassin? ...perhaps he had, in fact. He held up a paw to stop his son. "That's enough Syon, I understand now." He said.
Syon looked up in confusion at his father. "Understand what?"
"That you were being trained to be an efficient killer, a weapon of sorts..."
The Eevee shrugged. "Yeah, I know."
Sloan blinked in surprise. "You do? And...you were ok with it?"
Syon just nodded. "If it made Jag proud of me, I'd kill anyone he asked me to..."
"I...see." The Absol replied, letting out a slow sigh. 'He trained my son to be a zealot assassin. Fiercely loyal, and deadly in any form of combat.' He looked back down at his food and resumed eating. 'I just hope a psychic type hasn't installed a failsafe that will trigger that...demon that resides within him. Though it's unlikely, I wouldn't put it past Jag to do that.'
The two males had finished their lunch and were now headed out when a soldier burst through the door, nearly smacking straight into Sloan. The Absol growled and pinned the unfortunate Electrike beneath a large, clawed paw. "Calm down soldier and report! What's got you so scared?" He asked, the barked words an order, not a request.
The Electrike took a moment or two to catch his breath before replying. "Co...commander Sloan, sir, you're not going to believe this! It's...it's Jag. He's standing at the front gates, alone, and demanding that you come outside to talk to him!"
Sloan's eyes widened with shock, and he turned his gaze to look for Syon...but the boy wasn't there. "Oh shit...Syon!" He shouted, rushing out after the Eevee and getting outside just in time to see a blur of brown fur hurtling over rooftops. "...by the gods, that boy is fast."
The Absol told the Electrike to rush off ahead of him to tell the guards not to attack unless attacked first. The electric Pokemon saluted, and rushed off in a blaze of sparks. Sloan wasn't exactly known for his speed, so he just ran as fast as he could without passing out, heading for the front gates to hopefully get there before things became violent.
"Sloan! I know you're in there! Get out here NOW! I want Syon BACK!" Jag shouted, growling at the two formidable guards, but not attacking. He was on their turf...and he wasn't stupid. He could hear the full regiment standing on the other side of the gates, waiting for him to attack first so they could swarm out and subdue him.
A cry rang out from the other side of the gates. "JAAAAAG!" It was Syon!
"Syon!? Is that you?" He asked, stepping as close to the gates as the guards would allow. "I've come back to get you!" He shouted, hoping the Eevee would hear.
The gates suddenly started to creak open, revealing Sloan and Syon, both Pokemon backed by a good hundred or so of the Empire's finest troops, all with their eyes trained on Jag, who smirked. "Oh, am I really this popular?" He said with a dark chuckle. "You must really like me to give this kind of a reception."
The friendly look was wiped off of his face though in no time flat. "I've come for my son, Sloan. Give him back to me, now." He said.
Sloan just snorted. "He's not your son, he's mine. I won't give him back to you, and you're in no position to make demands, little brother." He said, using the familial tense with contempt in his voice.
Jag growled. "Maybe not, but I won't have Syon being raised by some goody-goody like you. Oh wait...that's right." He smirked. "You're the one who left him out in the Bloodgrass Fields to die, didn't you?" The assembled soldiers behind Sloan and Syon shifted uneasily. Jag had to be lieing...right?
"...yes, but we had no other choice." Sloan said, looking down at his son. "I realize that mistake now, and I'm going to fix it. I'm going to raise him as my son...as he should've been raised." He glared at his younger sibling. "Not by you!" The Absol was speaking through grit teeth as they were bared.
"Mh...but it appears like you won't be getting any help from your little guard dogs." Came the reply, a paw gesturing to the soldiers who were staring at their commander with shock. Sloan had left a defenseless egg out in the middle of enemy territory to die? Absurd...but he'd admitted it.
Jag grinned then. "Tell ya what Sloan...we'll fight for him." He said, cracking his neck from side to side. "Winner takes Syon home, loser dies." The grin turned into a self-assured smirk. "Whaddya say...you in, or are you out?"
Sloan looked from his brother, back to the troops behind him...then down at his son, who stared back into his father's green eyes for a moment, then folded his ears back and sat down. "I just want my Daddy..." he said quietly.
Growling, Sloan realized he had no choice. "Fine. Winner takes all." He said. "Everyone! I want a perimeter made around this area. No funny stuff, no cheating. If anyone that doesn't look like they're a trader or from the city. Kill them." The two Absols stalked off into the large clearing that was before the city gates, the 100 strong soldiers filing out after them to form a very large oval, giving the two powerful male's plenty of room.
Syon followed after, sitting himself down near the center of the combat ring, where the guard closest to him, a Ninetales, gently curled his tails around the obviously torn boy. "Don' worry kid...Sloan'll knock the tail blade off of Jag, you'll see..." Was all he said, not once taking his eyes off the two dark types that squared off, circling around each other, waiting for one to make the first move while trying to spot a weakness or something to give the other an advantage.
Both were tough, evenly matched, and nearly equally aged, if Sloan only a year more-so than Jag. Would that be enough for Jag to come out on top? Perhaps...
"Father..." He began, then shook his head. "I...I don't know what to say..." The Eevee shook his head again and let the parchment roll back up, slowly putting the binding back on it again so it would stay that way. "So...justice was never met?" he asked, looking up at the Absol.
Sloan shook his head solemnly, and lay himself down beside his son. "No...I once thought this was just a tale to keep jealous lovers from doing something stupid, like what Lumies did." He said, letting out a slow sigh. "But recent events have definitely made me change my thoughts on this matter."
Syon snuggled deeply into the white fur, staring at the parchment as if it was the bogeyman. "Is it Umbranos that's doing this?" He asks, quietly.
"I don't really know Syon. He might be." He shrugs a little and slowly pulls the Eevee closer to him with a warm foreleg. "But, it appears like he's only trying to protect you, and only comes out when you get angry." The Absol replies, nuzzling the back of the brown furred head of his son. "So...I guess, as long as you don't get angry too much, he won't come out."
Syon nodded, thinking about this while sleepiness took him once again. "...but didn't you say that on my thirteenth year, that I'll like...bring ruin and destruction and stuff?" He asked, glancing up at his father with a blue eye.
Sloan nodded. "Yes...but apparently that has passed already." He said, letting out a soft sigh of relief.
Syon shook his head slowly, his head resting down on his forepaws. "No it hasn't...I'm twelve. I'm gonna be thirteen tomorrow." He says, before drifting off to sleep, leaving a very worried Absol curled up around his form.
Despite this being the fabled doom's day according to the tale, Sloan was determined to give his son as good a birthday party as he could. He'd made arrangements to take his son out to see the sights, go out to a good restaurant, and maybe even run around outside a little...all under careful guard, of course.
As was common for the occasion, he'd managed to get a baker to quickly whip up a cake while the Eevee slept, putting candles in it that would number up to thirteen in total. It wasn't a very big or special cake, just something the two of them could enjoy between each other. It had a sweet blue icing that said in white letters 'Happy Birthday'.
He even bought the young Pokemon a present. It was a simple little thing really, a set of white silk cuffs with gold clasps that went around the ankles to show class of sorts. The set came complete with a bow that would go around the base of the tail. He thought Syon would like it, and smiled as he began to wrap it up in a pleasant little package, bringing both into his room and quietly arranging himself to be comfortable while he waited for his son to awaken.
When Syon did awaken, he slowly opened one eye, then the other, though this couldn't really be seen due to his large, fluffy tail covering his muzzle to keep it warm. He slowly lifted his head, eyes closing while he yawned...mouth open to show the row of sharp little fox-teeth lining his short muzzle. A paw rubbed at his left eye while the other cracked open to look up at the Absol, who smiled.
"Happy birthday son..." He said, leaning down and giving the Eevee a little nuzzle and a lick to the cheek, making him murr gently and look up at his father in surprise.
"Huh..?" Syon was confused. "What's...what's a birthday?" he asked.
Sloan was incredulous. Had Jag never told him what a birthday was? "You...you don't know?" he asked, still shocked.
Suddenly the little Eevee felt a little stupid. "Well...no..." He admitted, blushing faintly.
The Absol had to hold back from chuckling. "Well, a birthday is when we celebrate the day we were born on...in other words, the day that you're a year older." He explained, licking the little button nose of the kit. "We give sweet things and presents to the one whose birthday it is, though we usually only celebrate it with those close to us." He shrugs. "You know...family, friends, and the few famous Pokemon in this kingdom."
Syon nodded. "Oh...well um...ok." He said. He didn't understand it, but...he wasn't complaining.
Sloan smiled. "Here..." He said, picking up a little box and setting it down before the Eevee. He opened it to reveal the small, circular cake that had thirteen little candles in it. They were all lit with a gentle breath of flame over the wicks.
Syon stared up at his father curiously. "Why'd you do that?" he asked.
The Absol did chuckle this time. "Heheh, this is a little tradition that we have with birthdays. Basically, you put candles on the cake, and the one who's birthday it is makes a wish...then blows them out with a breath. They say that if you blow them all out on the first go, and don't tell your wish to anyone else, that it'll come true."
Syon blinked. "...that's just silly." He said...but he looked at the candles as if they were the most weird looking things in the world.
"Yes...but eh, it's just for fun. Why not try it? Who knows...maybe it will come true?"
The Eevee closed his eyes and thought about it. What was it he wanted most in the world? ... 'I wish I was just a normal little Eevee, who didn't have Umbranos inside of me...' he thought in his head, and blew out the candles after taking a deep breath.
Sloan smiled. "Good work. Now...lets eat, hm?" He said, using one of his long claws to slice the small cake into four neat little quarters. He set one on a plate and offered it to Syon, then took one for himself. "You get to eat first, since it's your birthday, so...go on."
Syon had never had cake before...heck, the sweetest thing he'd ever tasted was the sickly-sweet flavor that came with blood gushing into his mouth. So the flavor that assaulted his taste buds nearly made him sick. But it was good...so he just ignored the small flips his stomach did and ate the very tasty cake as if it was his breakfast. And really...it was.
The Absol chuckled a bit and watched his son eat while he himself quickly wolfed down the cake, not having had one in...well, a year or so. "It's good, isn't it?"
Syon looked up at his father and nodded, most of his muzzle and lips covered in cake crumbs and blue icing. Sloan couldn't help it, he laughed this time. "Haha! Well aren't you just a mess..." He said, leaning closer and licking his son's face clean of the mess.
The Eevee grumbled in response to the grooming, but let his father work, tail flickering around behind him. "It's really sweet..." He said once the Absol had pulled his head back again.
Sloan nodded. "Yeah, it is. But that's the idea. Don't worry, we're going out for lunch after this."
The fox like Pokemon blinked. "Out? But I thought I wasn't allowed out of your room?" He asked, ears pinning back.
A grin split the black features of the Absol. "I was able to coerce the fact that it was your birthday, so you deserved something like this. Besides, that way you wouldn't be so close to such important people." He added with a cunning smile.
Syon just giggled and shook his head. "Oh, I see."
Sloan shrugged. "But, there's a condition." He said.
Long, brown ears perked. "...condition?"
As if on que, once more, Illume walked in as if she was in a play. She smiled at the two males, and saluted to the Absol. "Hello you two." She said.
Syon growled suspiciously. "Why's she here?" he asked, glaring at the Espeon.
Sloan smiled weakly. "The Emperor ordered that I take her along with us. Else you'd be stuck in here." He said. "Sorry..."
Illume shut the door behind her with another gentle mental push, and stepped closer. "Look, Syon, I know you probably don't like me for leading you to the Emperor and Empress, but...I was just following orders." She said, sitting herself down before the two males. "I know you'd do the same if Jag or Ruby had given you orders to kill any one of us."
Syon looked down. Yes, he would have...she was right. Damnit. His growling died down. "...yeah..."
Sloan gently nuzzled his son. "I asked that she stay off to the side. It'll just be you and me, so don't worry." He reassured the Eevee, who calmed down enough to nod and return the nuzzle a little. "Now, c'mon...that cake won't last long with us, so lets go get some lunch." He then stood, and padded out, waiting at the door for Syon to follow.
Syon stood and quickly trotted out after the Absol, the Espeon following behind as silently as she could, meaning she was hovering a little off the ground while she walked so she didn't make a sound.
The three made their way through town, Syon being shown the sites. First, Sloan took him out to view the doors again and explained how they worked. "See, there's a gem for each evolution of Eevee out there, and those who guard this door are known as the Rainbow Seven. They are the most elite guard in the land, and only the Emperor himself has been able to defeat them all at once." He said, letting Syon pad over and look at the gems. The one that he was interested in the most was the big black stone that looked like Opal...except it was slightly transparent.
"What are those gems made of, Father?" He asked finally, after padding back to join the Absol.
Sloan shrugged. "No one knows...but we know that they work, and you can't open the doors without a Pokemon of all seven elements. So...it's very difficult to come through the front doors without knocking them down."
Syon nodded, keeping step with his father to walk beside him as they made their way through the courtyard of the palace, the gardens, and out onto the streets where the slightly raised area of the palace let him see the entire city from where he stood. In its current condition, the city was a sprawling, booming success, a diamond in the rough, one might say. Houses, buildings, some small factories of sorts that had the scent of leather or metal coming from them, and dozens of other sights, smells, and sounds, all made the place seem very much alive.
The Absol sat down beside his son and let out a soft sigh. "I really wish you could have grown up around here. I could train you personally how to fight, your mother could teach you how to read, write, and spell. So many Pokemon here would have loved to take care of you and teach you the things you need to know to live." He shook his head. "I know you may never be able to forgive me for leaving you there those years ago, but...I'm still sorry. You deserved so much better than what you got."
Syon had looked up at his father once he'd started speaking, and let out his own sigh. "I know father..." He said, looking out at the city again, his sharp eyes catching two Pokemon, a father and son ironically, having fun. He yearned to have that with his own father when he was growing up. But he wasn't really allowed to be a child while he was living under Jag.
"But...I grew up among the Bloodgrass Fields. That's my real home now, this is just..." He thinks about how to put it. "...a glimpse of what I could have had."
Sloan nods a little, looking down at his son. "I do hope I can make it up to you, no matter how late I am. I want to be your father again, and do all the things that I should have done with you." He leans down, and gives the little Eevee a kiss to the top of his head. "Your mother and I loved you very much. It tore us up to give you up like that. Now your back, and even if your mother isn't here anymore, I'm still going to raise you as best I can to be what you should be..."
Syon manages a weak little smile. "Thanks father, but...I am what I am." He says, nuzzling against the white furred shoulder. "All I want is a father who will love me and be proud of me. That's all I ever wanted..."
The Absol hugs his son with a foreleg. "Then that's what you'll get Syon..."
The Eevee sighs happily and smiles, sniffling a little and biting his lip to hold back tears. His stomach though did the work for him, by growling at the young Syon. "Er...ehehe, I'm hungry." He said, giggling at the sound of his father's stomach doing the same thing.
Sloan chuckled. "Me too. C'mon, lets go get ourselves some real food huh? I know of this great place to go to, you'll just love it!"
Syon smiled. "I'll bet." He said, tail wagging as he trotted off after the Absol, having completely forgotten by now that Illume was anywhere near them.
Father and son made their way down the hill to the bustling city, Sloan looking like he knew exactly where he was going, while the little Eevee felt a tad nervous wandering around with just so many Pokemon bustling around him. Sometimes he had to jump a little so that his paws wouldn't get stepped on or rolled upon by a cart of some sort. Pokemon of all shapes, sizes, and genders wandered around. Some where in armor, some in clothing, though most of them were just as cloth-less as Syon himself was.
For all the world, he looked like a country bumpkin looking up in awe and shock at the densely populated city, his mouth slightly open and blue eyes upturned a little, wide as can be comfortable. Sloan caught this look his son had and chuckled. "Close your mouth Syon, else you'll swallow a lot of dust." He said, to which the Eevee quickly closed his mouth with a soft click of his teeth.
Sloan led them, including Illume who followed silently behind like a dust mote, to what looked like an Inn, except that there was a distinct lack of drunks thrown onto the ditch. A rather prim and proper looking Xatu stood on the right side of the double-door, and he bowed slightly to the Absol. "Gut evenin'k suh." He said in a strange accent, his voice clicking with each hard syllable. "May I be assuming'k that you come with the boyee?" he asked, turning his almost creepy stare on the Eevee, who took a hesitant step closer to the Absol.
The male nodded. "Yes Gunter, I am. The normal seats if you will." Was all he said.
Gunter, the Xatu, nodded and unfurled his wing in a crisp snap, the doors opening with a responsive creak. Sloan smiled down at his son. "C'mon kiddo. Lets go feed our bellies." He said, tilting his head to the door before he padded inside, Syon quickly following after. Illume followed as well after a quick word with the totem-like bird.
Sloan and Syon took a seat that was backed up in a corner so that they could have privacy while they ate, a small lamp set in the center of the table with an oil lit flame giving the booth some light. The Eevee was at a loss for what to do. He'd never been to a restaurant, let alone heard of one. So, he just followed his father's example, laying himself down on the plush cushion with his forepaws on the finely polished wooden board that would serve as a table to keep the food off the ground.
The Absol smiled towards his son. "Isn't this place nice? I always come here when I need something good to eat...the cook here is the best, trust me." He says, the bladed tail that Absols have, wagging slowly behind him.
Syon could only nod mutely as he looked around to take in the details of this strange place. To him, it looked exactly like an Inn that Jag had sent him into to collect information on a supposed attempt on Arcanis' life a few years ago. Turned out it was nothing more than a surprise party. Go figure.
Thinking of the home he once knew took a toll on the Eevee's heart, a slight tugging seeming to pull him, urging him to come 'home'. He looked instinctively to the South, where Bloodgrass Fields were, and let out a longing sigh. He missed everyone...Jag, Ruby, Arcanis, even Thunderhead whom he only had a deep respect for as a fighter.
Sloan caught the look his son had on his muzzle and tilted his head. "What's wrong?" He asked, breaking the Eevee out of his thoughts.
Syon just shook his head. "It's nothing, I just...I just miss everyone so much." He says, ears folding back against his head. "I know you don't like them, but...I do. They're...they're the ones who raised me."
A sigh left the dark type. "I know Syon, but now if I came anywhere near them, they'd probably kill me for what my troops did, you know that."
The Eevee nodded slowly, the movement ending with the young kit's eyes turned down to look at his forepaws. "I know..." He said softly.
Sloan was about to say something else, when a rather burly looking Zangoose stepped up to the two and grinned. "Wot's this? Is this li'l Eyvey havin' a bad day, wot?" He asked in yet another strange accent.
Both pokemon looked up at the Zangoose, Sloan smiling. "Hey there Zant, how are ya?" he asked, to which the mongoose Pokemon grinned.
"Mey? O oive been alroight I guess, gov. So, wot's wrong with the lil'un?" He asked, pointing a dully gleaming claw at Syon.
Sloan quickly came up with an excuse. "This is my...son. I just adopted him today. He's only been in the orphanage a few weeks now, and still misses his parents." He said, exchanging a hinting look to the Eevee.
Syon picked it up easily. "Oh...yeah, I really miss my family. They were everything to me..." He said, keeping the truth just enough that it was enough to satisfy the normal-type's curiosity. "They um...died, in the recent attack on Bloodgrass Fields."
"Ah, roight then...me lips're sealed." He leaned closer to the Eevee, cupping a paw to his mouth as if to hide the words from the Absol. "Me bro'er doied in that foight 'e did. They sai' he took ten of 'em out on 'is own, cross me 'eart." The Zangoose was obviously proud, but the Eevee had to struggle to keep from wincing.
"O-oh? Wow...he...he must've been quite the fighter..." Was all Syon could say, managing to keep a respectable tone.
Zant grinned. "Quoite the foigt'er indeed 'e was. Bu' me...naahh, foight'n's fer tough blokes. Moiself, I use me claws ta cu'up food." He said, reaching into a rather cavernous pocket in the slightly messy apron he wore, and pulling out a large cylinder of meat.
"Foinest sahlami in de land et is!" He says, admiring the meat before tossing it up into the air. The Zangoose's eyes followed the meat as it sailed up...then slowly fell down. The moment it got within his reach, his claws were a flurry of motion, cleaving, chopping, and slicing the meat in the blink of an eye. Not five seconds had passed before two plates before the Eevee and Absol were piled high with meat.
Syon was awestruck. He'd never seen anyone move their claws that fast. It was...astounding. Now he was glad that it was his brother that had fought, and not this Zangoose. The Bloodgrass force might've lost.
Sloan clapping got the Eevee to do the same, his forepaws coming together to clap and applaud the very admirable skills of the restaurant's owner. "Amazing as always Zant, ya big show-off."
Zant flushed and looked like an embarrassed schoolgirl at the praise. "Awwr, I could'a done be'er I 'spect." He said, licking his claws clean in what seemed to be a habit when he was thinking. "Yeh...tha wa'nt me best work. Ah well, be'er luck next toim I serpose." With that, he shrugged and gestured. "Dig in yew two. On the 'ouse, as always."
Sloan chuckled. "Thank you yet again Zant." He said, secretly slipping a few gold coins into the Zangoose's apron pocket before he could leave. The Absol then smiled at the still awestruck kit, who was staring at the sliced meat. "You need to put the food in your mouth...it won't jump in there on its own." He said with a soft chuckle.
Syon grinned sheepishly. "Oh um...sorry. Just...that was amazing, really, it was!" He said excitedly, his tail slowly wagging behind him. "I've never seen anyone move their claws so fast..."
The Absol smiled. "Yes, Zant is a very fearsome fighter when he wants to be, but unfortunately...he's got an absolutely horrid fear of blood. The first battle he was in, he passed out, and everyone luckily thought he had died until he suddenly stood up, and walked home. He never wanted to hurt anyone again, so now he just uses his claws to cut things up, instead of to kill." Sloan shrugged. "Fate sucks sometimes...we both know that..." to which Syon nodded.
"Yeah...but um...I'mma eat. I'm hungry." He said, before quickly plunging into the meat, his tail wagging while he ate. The food was indeed delicious, though he had had it before when Jag brought him something from one of the trader raids. But this...this was just a thousand times better, if not more.
Sloan chuckled a little at his son's eagerness and began eating too, albeit a bit slower. He couldn't blame the Eevee for having bad table manners...he probably had never even seen a table except as something to spread a battle-map out upon.
"Mmh...'sreallygood." He said after he had finished a mouthful off and swallowed it. The Eevee had already finished half of the meal, and had finally begun to slow down enough that he could fully enjoy the meal that had been set before him.
"Yep, that it is." Sloan said, now getting to the halfway point, but he still had a lot of room in his larger belly. "So tell me Syon, what has my brother taught you about combat?" He asked, bringing a forepaw up to rest his head upon it, the leg resting on its 'elbow'.
Syon started at this question, his head was hidden by the small pile of meat, but one could still see his ears perk like antennae, then slowly fold back as the Eevee lifted his head, and swallowed. "Well...Jag taught me a lot. He taught me everything I know."
He shrugs. "He taught me how to read an opponent's moves in the middle of a battle, how to control the power and accuracy of my attacks for various effects. How best to kill a Pokemon of every shape and size, weak-points, pressure-points, and various areas that are sensitive and can make a Pokemon defenseless."
Sloan had been slowly nodding, the first two being the basics that any warrior would have to learn. But the rest...those surprised him. Had Jag taught this boy to be an assassin? ...perhaps he had, in fact. He held up a paw to stop his son. "That's enough Syon, I understand now." He said.
Syon looked up in confusion at his father. "Understand what?"
"That you were being trained to be an efficient killer, a weapon of sorts..."
The Eevee shrugged. "Yeah, I know."
Sloan blinked in surprise. "You do? And...you were ok with it?"
Syon just nodded. "If it made Jag proud of me, I'd kill anyone he asked me to..."
"I...see." The Absol replied, letting out a slow sigh. 'He trained my son to be a zealot assassin. Fiercely loyal, and deadly in any form of combat.' He looked back down at his food and resumed eating. 'I just hope a psychic type hasn't installed a failsafe that will trigger that...demon that resides within him. Though it's unlikely, I wouldn't put it past Jag to do that.'
The two males had finished their lunch and were now headed out when a soldier burst through the door, nearly smacking straight into Sloan. The Absol growled and pinned the unfortunate Electrike beneath a large, clawed paw. "Calm down soldier and report! What's got you so scared?" He asked, the barked words an order, not a request.
The Electrike took a moment or two to catch his breath before replying. "Co...commander Sloan, sir, you're not going to believe this! It's...it's Jag. He's standing at the front gates, alone, and demanding that you come outside to talk to him!"
Sloan's eyes widened with shock, and he turned his gaze to look for Syon...but the boy wasn't there. "Oh shit...Syon!" He shouted, rushing out after the Eevee and getting outside just in time to see a blur of brown fur hurtling over rooftops. "...by the gods, that boy is fast."
The Absol told the Electrike to rush off ahead of him to tell the guards not to attack unless attacked first. The electric Pokemon saluted, and rushed off in a blaze of sparks. Sloan wasn't exactly known for his speed, so he just ran as fast as he could without passing out, heading for the front gates to hopefully get there before things became violent.
"Sloan! I know you're in there! Get out here NOW! I want Syon BACK!" Jag shouted, growling at the two formidable guards, but not attacking. He was on their turf...and he wasn't stupid. He could hear the full regiment standing on the other side of the gates, waiting for him to attack first so they could swarm out and subdue him.
A cry rang out from the other side of the gates. "JAAAAAG!" It was Syon!
"Syon!? Is that you?" He asked, stepping as close to the gates as the guards would allow. "I've come back to get you!" He shouted, hoping the Eevee would hear.
The gates suddenly started to creak open, revealing Sloan and Syon, both Pokemon backed by a good hundred or so of the Empire's finest troops, all with their eyes trained on Jag, who smirked. "Oh, am I really this popular?" He said with a dark chuckle. "You must really like me to give this kind of a reception."
The friendly look was wiped off of his face though in no time flat. "I've come for my son, Sloan. Give him back to me, now." He said.
Sloan just snorted. "He's not your son, he's mine. I won't give him back to you, and you're in no position to make demands, little brother." He said, using the familial tense with contempt in his voice.
Jag growled. "Maybe not, but I won't have Syon being raised by some goody-goody like you. Oh wait...that's right." He smirked. "You're the one who left him out in the Bloodgrass Fields to die, didn't you?" The assembled soldiers behind Sloan and Syon shifted uneasily. Jag had to be lieing...right?
"...yes, but we had no other choice." Sloan said, looking down at his son. "I realize that mistake now, and I'm going to fix it. I'm going to raise him as my son...as he should've been raised." He glared at his younger sibling. "Not by you!" The Absol was speaking through grit teeth as they were bared.
"Mh...but it appears like you won't be getting any help from your little guard dogs." Came the reply, a paw gesturing to the soldiers who were staring at their commander with shock. Sloan had left a defenseless egg out in the middle of enemy territory to die? Absurd...but he'd admitted it.
Jag grinned then. "Tell ya what Sloan...we'll fight for him." He said, cracking his neck from side to side. "Winner takes Syon home, loser dies." The grin turned into a self-assured smirk. "Whaddya say...you in, or are you out?"
Sloan looked from his brother, back to the troops behind him...then down at his son, who stared back into his father's green eyes for a moment, then folded his ears back and sat down. "I just want my Daddy..." he said quietly.
Growling, Sloan realized he had no choice. "Fine. Winner takes all." He said. "Everyone! I want a perimeter made around this area. No funny stuff, no cheating. If anyone that doesn't look like they're a trader or from the city. Kill them." The two Absols stalked off into the large clearing that was before the city gates, the 100 strong soldiers filing out after them to form a very large oval, giving the two powerful male's plenty of room.
Syon followed after, sitting himself down near the center of the combat ring, where the guard closest to him, a Ninetales, gently curled his tails around the obviously torn boy. "Don' worry kid...Sloan'll knock the tail blade off of Jag, you'll see..." Was all he said, not once taking his eyes off the two dark types that squared off, circling around each other, waiting for one to make the first move while trying to spot a weakness or something to give the other an advantage.
Both were tough, evenly matched, and nearly equally aged, if Sloan only a year more-so than Jag. Would that be enough for Jag to come out on top? Perhaps...