Story Notes:
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.Retrace I - in remakeRetrace II - in remakeRetrace III - in remakeRetrace IV - in remakeRetrace V - in remake
Retrace IV - in remake
Memory I
Shattered Sand
Retrace IV
Death and Grim
Rai Saleer listened to the rhythmic resonance of her deep respiration, the faint swoosh of her arm as it hung from the seat, and the whispering between the Garchomp and the Croconaw as it echoed into the hollowed chamber. They were cautious, but insufficiently so.
She would try to contain her aura as it discharged from her body, to diminish the constant flow of her exterior energies so the intruders wouldn't sense it. She wanted to savior every delicious second of the moment she could.
Then the Croconaw had stopped completely, even breathing no longer; Rai had carelessly allowed her aura to assault the Croconaw's mental activities, paralyzing her physical movements. If she didn't break away soon from her aura, she would die of a psychological breakdown. Soon enough, the Garchomp's voice came slightly louder than a whisper.
Rai sighed and rose from her seat; being too strong had its disadvantages as well. It was time to act.
*****
"Bye, Shizue. Come visit me sometime when you're actually not on a mission."
Shiza stepped through the open door that Shizue was propping, and waved lazily back at her.
"If you stop slacking off maybe I'll actually get some free time."
"Make sure you get some action done tonight."
"Seriously, shut up!"
Shizue slammed the door square in Shiza's face, her laughing voice still audible behind the layer of wood as she leaned against the door and panted deeply to herself. She swore as she eyed Lin gazing curiously at her condition, then took her seat opposite the Sceptile and laid calmly her crossed arms onto the table. "There. We're alone now."
"She's a nice girl. Anyways, thanks for the curry."
"Shameless bastard."
"I'll take that as a compliment." The Sceptile chuckled and scratched his scalp. "Moving on -"
"Before I answer your questions, I want to know how much more you do know about me."
Lin appeared somewhat surprised by her request as he stared into her right and only eye, bright scarlet. He could almost see his own reflection burning in those cold flames of that eye.
"Alright, fine. Nothing you won't know about anyways. Now ... Umezaki Shizue, born on the twenty-third of July, 408 SE. Being the only child of your parents, you grew up with your Lucario mother and Typhlosion father in a cottage along Terra Del Fiore, Cielra. Past your seventh birthday and already an evolved Quilava, on the twelfth of January nearly nine years ago, 416 SE, an unknown broke into your house and murdered your mother. Your father on the other hand disappeared without a trace, and it is still uncertain whether he is alive or dead."
Shizue exhaled her repressed breath; Lin really wasn't here for her left eye, but felt at the same time a familiar anger rush. "So you're just some last-decade journalist trying to make me talk about my mysterious childhood? If that's so, you can beat it."
Lin pretended not to hear.
"Shortly after the funeral of your mother, you moved to Terrano and shared an apartment with your Sandslash childhood friend, Matsumori Shiza, whose Nidorina mother had divorced, and was living together with her Sandslash father. Then one year ago, on the second of December, 425 SE, shortly after you had fully evolved into a Typhlosion, both you and Shiza moved to your respective apartments. The same night that you had relocated to Hacren Second Street, you were issued an invitation into Cero, the order of assassins, without the usual acceptance trial one would need to go through to enter."
Shizue was unsettled completely; Lin had information only a few should know, and he had memorized it all like some welcome speech. "Wait, how did you find out about the assassins? It's supposed to be a secret!"
"Obviously this little hit man club is not as secret as you think." Lin smiled and continued. "You started off as a Noveno, the lowest rank of Cero, and within less than a year, had incredibly risen all the way up to become a Segundo, the third highest rank of Cero, and was bestowed a special codename, which acts as your secondary ID during official missions. So what do you say, Endless? It would be quite safe to say that your abilities are first-rate, to have done what some could only accomplish after years."
Shizue remained silent, her lips pursed as she stared back at Lin.
"And that more or less sums up what I do and do not know about you, plus or take a few minor details, like you have accepted missions directly from Roost higher-ups, specifically Colonel Umbra."
"And what do I know, that you want to know?"
"I want to know, how, to achieve immortality."
Shizue gaped at Lin, obviously surprised. "Excuse me? Immortality?"
"Yes, immortality." Lin seemed unfazed at Shizue's skepticism.
"What does being a professional assassin, have to do with a kid's fairytale?"
"I'm quite sure you're fully aware of Cero's history."
"Quite."
"Well, during the Salvation War, Terrano was built to function as one of the main sanctuaries, bases, etcetera for the Covenant, which was at that point of time codenamed Checkpoint NightSky. Did you know that?"
"Obviously. But what does -"
"Cero had been founded around the time Checkpoint NightSky had been constructed, as an individual resistance against Aizora's forces and also against terrorist activities in Checkpoint NightSky. At that time Cero was just known as the guild."
"Yeah, but what -"
"Gabbes Kurame, the Crystal Assassin."
"What?"
"Mearhakku Yumeshi, the Crimson Assassin. Riolacruz Kiryuu, the Amber Assassin. Do these names make any sense to you?"
"Yes, but why ..."
"Gabbes Kurame, the assassin of resurrection. Mearhakku Yumeshi, the assassin of regeneration. Riolacruz Kiryuu, the assassin of recovery."
"Assassin of what?"
"You didn't know? They were the Salvation War heroes and -"
"Look, just because they happen to be from the same guild, doesn't mean I have to know their secrets. Besides, that was more than three centuries ago, there's no way any one of them can still be alive."
"You're missing the point here. What I want is for you to gather intelligence from Cero and Roost."
Shizue gripped the smooth surface of the table and roared, Lin flinching in surprise. "The order I can understand! But Roost? Are you so freaking naive you actually think any one of them will just sell me their secrets because I ask them to?"
Lin eyed Shizue through half-closed eyes, smiling to himself.
I know someone who would.
*****
"DESIREA!"
Rai gazed back amusingly down as the Croconaw plunged into the chamber floor; in her left claw gripped tightly a Japanese Kunai, the same Kunai that she had survived with when she had parried Rai's last attack. But she wouldn't survive the fall.
She flicked lazily upwards her claw, catching deftly in between her digits the projectile that had been thrown at her. The projectile was a bladed disc approximately the size of her palm, roughly triangular in shape with a hole in the center of the metal and three smaller holes in each of its vertices, also known as a Screw Blade.
The Garchomp growled softly at his failed effort and drew two Kunais from his knife pouches, hooking his individual claws through their rings. His eyes were furious, demented, and Rai loved them.
"Oh ho, I like those eyes. Who are you?" The Garchomp remained silent. "Judging by your attire and your choice of weapons, I'd say you're an assassin, but what's your name?"
"I have no need to answer your questions, I have only one true identity."
Rai licked her parched lips and stepped briskly forwards, feeling the cool wind rush against her back.
"And that is your enemy."
The Garchomp propelled both arms forward, launching straight the blades towards Rai's either sides; she swerved sharply right, then left, both blades missing her weak spots as she took the offensive, charging in her right claw a Stone Edge. The Garchomp pitched himself backwards and away from Rai's incoming strike, smiling as he gestured with a horizontal slash across his neck.
"Watch your neck."
"What?"
Suddenly as Rai neared the Garchomp, she halted with her claw reaching inches from his chest, feeling a delicate force slicing into her throat, like a miniscule blade that cut slowly into her rock-tough skin. Her eyes widened in realization and she vaulted rapidly backwards and back into the chamber behind her, landing 60 feet into the deep snow down below.
Snow?
"I see."
Rai rose carefully, the mashed snow pouring from her dark coat, and glared savagely at the Croconaw behind her. The Croconaw was panting and in some degree of pain, the scarlet fins along her spine crushed askew, in both her claws gripped each a Kunai.
"You used Blizzard to create snow to cushion the impact of your fall, then froze your open wounds at the same time to temporarily aid in your healing. Due to the sudden contrast in air pressure created by a drop in the surrounding temperature, the Garchomp noticed the flow of the cool wind and understood that you had survived. Then he attacked me with the Kunais to disguise the fact that he had attached steel fibers to them, and when you caught them, all you had to do was to pull on them to drag me down along. Am I right?"
"Who gives a damn if you're that smart? Just die and help me will you?"
Rai sighed and scratched her neck, feeling the faint incision in her skin.
"I wasn't about to go serious on you guys, but it looks like I'll really die now if I don't."
When she had looked up once more, her eyes seemed to sparkle an amber gold.
"Try not to die too fast, okay?"
*****
Akierra slipped her claws into her coat pockets, watching fascinated as the condensed vapor from her breath drifted away into the air and dissolved before the enormous cave, well enough for an entire Wailord to fit snugly inside. Situated in the snowbound Nymphcabar Mountains furthest east of Araelis, the Hebrot Prison was known to be the most secure place in the whole of Araelis. Most didn't know even its existence in fact.
The gate guards in their thick white winter uniform seemed surprised, frightened even, that the head of Roost herself had decided to pay a visit to the most deserted place in Araelis, as they saluted with a swipe of their palms to their foreheads. Akierra waved them down and smiled to herself; some people had a misconception the head of Roost was a Nidoking.
The 50 feet gates were pure white, constructed from a part of the Nymphcabar Mountains itself, at least 20 tons and can be opened only from the inside. It was perfectly camouflaged from the outside world. Akierra thought to herself as a monitor from the interior confirmed her identity and opened the usual entrance; an 8 feet door concealed beside the gates. One of the gate guards, a Weavile, offered to guide her, which she declined. She was well familiar with the layout and personally acquainted with every single prisoner detained in the Hebrot Prison; there was only one.
She descended at the stairways furthest end of the exaggeratingly long hall till the seventh floor underground, a prison guard saluting as she passed every 30 feet or so. She noticed the stone doors sealing every section; behind each was really accommodations comparable to the most expensive homes in Araelis. No doubt people would give anything to live in this certain prison.
The seventh floor was an exception in a way; the walls were carved from meteorite rock, including the door that concealed the only prisoner behind, and had no guards. Akierra sighed, pacing down the passageway.
"Long time no see, Sherrie." She worried that its occupant would not hear through the layers of thick stone and metal, but there was surely enough an answer.
"Long time, Akierra." The voice was female.
"We'll need you back soon. It won't be long before the dragon awakens."
"Rai's gone?"
Akierra smiled; Sherrie seemed always to know everything. "So? Will you take up the name of the Black Flame again?"
There was silence for a moment, then she gave her reply.
"Are you going to release me, or do I have to burn this place to the ground?"Chapter End Notes:Yay, first of December people~~~!!