Chapter 7: Get Up and Fight

“Greetings, Hau Amel. I hope you had a pleasant flight.” An amiable staraptor bowed deeply as Amel entered his makeshift camp near the Skiddo Forest. 

“The tidal winds are restless this year, but the Lord’s blessing grants us sanctuary. Apteri is an excellent flyer. You trained him well, Sir Kazuk.” 

Amel flicked back his hood and curled into a more comfortable position. 

Aish, what a week. An unexpected bout of turbulence had delayed the furret’s landing by almost a week, forcing him to take refuge in the islands of Adaco. He was no stranger to tempestuous weather conditions, being a native to Soleil. However, the mood among the Skies was just as unstable. It was a critical point for Sithis and the organization as a whole, and Amel was thrown at the helm of the operation. “Anything to report, perchance?”

The staraptor nodded. “Our first order of business is the forest. We inspected the site of interest and discovered disappointingly little. However, we have located a couple of key witnesses.”

“And you’ve spoken to these witnesses, I presume?”

“We have tried establishing contact with one of them. However, they are part of the local Cressinger Guild, who are not as friendly toward outsiders as we had hoped.” Kazuk’s mark began glowing more intensely. 

The Eclipse Mark, a crescent branding borne by all members of the Skies to represent a deep-seated anger toward the cruelty of this world. Amel put a paw to his own mark. To him, it served as a reminder of their unified purpose. Jiǎo tà shí dì. Never be led astray. 

“Guild? I’m curious. Please, do elaborate.”

“Indeed. Such institutions did not exist when I had visited Renadi last. It seems that these guilds have become quite the fad since then.” The staraptor pointed at a few ragged and torn sheets of paper pinned against his wall. “From what I have read, guilds are coteries of pokemon that engage in a variety of exploration ventures, particularly into mystery dungeons. Small teams of pokemon take on missions posted by the local community which often entail rescue or apprehending criminals.”

“How small are these teams?”

“I was unable to find specification, but I have yet to see a team exceeding five members.”

“And who are these witnesses we’re looking for?”

“We found tracks of myriad pokemon at the site, but the most peculiar ones belong to a skitty, salandit, and wimpod, as they are not native to the forest. I conversed with a skitty at the guild and confirmed that she was present, but was unable to glean any information before being forcefully removed from the premises.”

“And does this skitty pose a threat?”

Kazuk shook his head. “Negative. In fact, I believe she is a new recruit. She seemed quite eager to entertain my questions. Were it not for her superiors, I would likely have more information for you.” 

“Hm.” Not exactly the news he wanted to hear, but it could have been worse. A lot worse. Amel breathed a sigh of relief and pulled a box of Huatu cards out from his cloak. “I’m sure we can work out a plan over a round of Matgo.”

“My pleasure. Draw for first?”

---

---

“You picked out a mission that isn’t in a mystery dungeon?”

 Team Caustic sat huddled around a wooden circular table, which, aside from the dreary air mattresses and closet, was the only piece of furniture in the room. On the table was a yellow scrap of paper detailing their first ever mission for the guild. Krem was awfully nervous. After all, he had only been approved to go on missions because his trainer had vouched for him. And now he sensed that his teammates were about to engage in yet another verbal scuffle over something benign… Well, it definitely wasn’t helping. 

“Maybe.” Sachi shrugged. “I just picked the one with the highest payout.” 

“I don’t care about money, I want prestige,” Dela snapped. 

“Well, I want money. And it’s too late to pick out another.” 

Krem peered at the crumpled sheet curiously. “So, what’s the mission?”

Help set my ancestors to rest. 

Class: Exploration

Rank: D

Location: Sundered Grove (D-Level NULL)

Client: Kogni Decidueye

Payout: 200 poké

Description: Every year at around this date, I go out to Sundered Grove and pay respects to Ciren and Vigil, a pair of epic heroes who saved the continent while paying the ultimate price. Their souls will never find eternal rest and will reanimate annually, sending them into ethereal purgatory. This year, I am out on a business trip in Millview and unable to complete this important passage. Find and defeat their restless rotom spirits in the Sepulcher of Legends to set them back into a tranquil slumber.

“What kind of mission is that, even? What’s the point of all that mystery dungeon training if we’re not going to use any of it?” Dela’s constant carping was a bit grating to listen to. 

“What’s Sundered Grove if it’s not a mystery d-dungeon?” It certainly sounded like a mystery dungeon to Krem.

“Some swampy place in the woods to the west. Probably all muddy and gross with all the rain we’ve been getting. Ugh, my poor pretty paws.” 

Sachi rolled his eyes. “Once our resident drama queen quits whining, let’s go get prepared.” 

Krem had noticed that the salandit’s abrasive character had mellowed down in the past week, but every now and again Dela managed to revert his progress. 

“Alright whatever, I’m over it. I’ll go buy supplies. You two do the bookwork.” The skitty turned tail and strutted out of the room. 

---

Sundered Grove was an interesting place according to all the articles that Sachi could scrounge up from the library. It was home to many unique forms of vegetation, from giant iridescent flowers to bright pink mushrooms, as well as a myriad of rare wilds. Sachi was getting all fired up from the prospect, and Krem was helpless in enduring the salandit’s ceaseless babbling.

“Oh wow, the mycelium concentration in this place is awesome. I missed foragin’ back in the Skiddo Forest. But other than the odd torchic of the woods, the fungi there are generally not super pleasant for even my bowels. I wonder, what’s the best way to prepare an inkay cap? Maybe I’ll try frying ‘em. And hey, while we’re there we might even stumble upon a rare variant of stunfisk. Have you ever seen a gray stunfisk before? Not many on this planet have! And they’re not just discolored either. The unique appearance is the result of a mutation of wilds that occurred sometime in the past millennium here in Cressinger. You won’t see them anywhere else, and they’re critically endangered due to the sprawling urbanization of the state. Dude, this is so sick.” 

“Y-yeah, that’s cool but-”

“Bitter cloyster fungus! These things are bioluminescent! If you eat them, I wonder if your shit w-”

“Sachi!” Krem screamed in desperation. “I th-think we should wrap it up now. We’ve got the information we need.” 

“Okay, okay, let’s get going.” Sachi hopped down from the shelf he was sitting on and landed gracefully on his feet. “I wonder if Dela bought any poffins. I’m starving.”

“Probably not for you.”

“Touche. I can bother her later about it when we’re half starved to death.”

“Weren’t you gonna eat mushrooms?”

“Hey, when’d you get so talkative?” Sachi shifted into his signature arms-crossed-feet-tapping pose. “It’s just funny to rattle her cage. ‘s all.”

“Funny? I think she’s s-scary.” 

“Hah, scared of a kitty that can’t find a duraludon in a ballpit? Just run in a straight line and you’ll lose her for sure.”

Krem wasn’t entirely lying. Dela’s antics freaked him out. His blatant inadequacy did not help his relationship with her. She constantly reminded him of his flaws and how he was merely a stepping stone in her expedition for greatness. Sachi would jump to Krem’s defense in the form of personal insults and sarcastic comebacks. 

Though Sachi was often more vulgar than he liked, Krem was grateful that the salandit had his back. He also had a sneaking suspicion that Sachi was hiding his own emotional baggage. The salandit was gradually opening up to him and was a lot less snappy than he was when they first met. Their relationship was mutually beneficial. A friendship, which is such an enormous blessing in an unfamiliar world. 

But amidst his confusing feelings, there was a biting desire for his team to just get along. These two pokemon were his first impression of Araegis. It was a beautiful world and his means for a new beginning. This team was all that he had, the only thing in his memory that he could tell was concrete, tangible. And their first mission together would be make or break for their ragtag group. Krem had to give it his all today. 

The two left the library and headed toward their designated meeting spot.

---

Despite Dela’s best efforts, the trio arrived at Sundered Grove without getting too lost. Krem looked on at the tangled masses of vegetation that grew ever thicker as they trekked closer to the trailhead. The sun shined through the cracks of vine that draped down from sturdy branches like nature’s blinds. 

“For fuck’s sake, why do you insist on walking in the front if ya can’t tell north from south on a compass?”  Sachi complained.

“I can’t exactly help it when you guys are slow as slugma in a sandbox,” Dela fired back.

The skitty’s intuition from earlier was correct. The dirt trail was indeed muddy and gross from the copious rain last week. Krem could see Dela wince as she deliberately tread on patches of grass in an unsuccessful attempt to keep her paws clean. He was having a bit of trouble himself keeping his tiny legs from sinking into the earth, but his featherweight body helped to release himself from the perilous grasp. It took some getting used to, but after a while he was becoming a natural… at walking. 

As the group delved deeper and deeper into the strange swampy forest, the canopy grew increasingly thick until nearly all natural light was blocked out. Krem’s eyes adjusted to the new conditions quickly, one of the few features he was grateful for in this chitinous body. 

“Whoa, watch out. There’s a nasty fall,” Sachi broke the silence, pointing to the left of the narrow trail, where there was a small hill that veered off into a deep fissure. “That’s some real fucked up topography. I’m gonna take a closer look.”

“Hey, where do you think you’re going?” Dela asked as Sachi scurried over to the cliff’s edge and peered over. She began taking cautious steps toward him. “I don’t want to have to recover your corpse from the abyss.”

“Oh damn. Look at those uhh… appendages? Like stretches of land that go across the chasm. Never seen anything like it!” 

Dela also peered over the edge curiously. “There’s no end in sight. It just goes straight down. Interesting.”

Krem followed suit, trembling as he extended his legs to get a better view. A series of colossal mossy spines shot out of one side of the fissure and penetrated the other, connecting the two sheer faces of the bottomless pit. It looked like the mouth of some eldritch abomination. 

“Well, let’s get a move on before we slip into oblivion.” Dela skipped away from the pit, almost tripping on a wet rock. 

“Before you slip into oblivion. We’ll be fine,” Sachi said, getting back on track as well. 

The landscape grew increasingly absurd as the atmosphere became darker and darker. The chirping of wild birds grew muffled until it was entirely replaced by eerie croaking and scuttling. Massive mushroom-like structures extended dozens of feet and formed unreachable platforms. Glowing moss and lichen adorned the towering plateaus of stone and mammoth trees, serving as an organic light source. Families of wild shroomish waddled across their path, and the occasional shiinotic stared at them with creepy intensity as they made their way into the heart of the grove. Sachi’s enthusiasm was tangible as he constantly zipped around from tree to tree, collecting assorted flora in a small sack he tied around his waist. 

“How far in is this thing? I’m getting real sick of this place.” Dela wiped her filthy forepaws on a mossy stump, only succeeding in turning them a lighter shade of green. 

“Dunno. This map is completely useless. I don’t even know if we’re on the right level.” 

The faint trail had dissipated a few minutes ago and the trio found themselves amidst a series of winding paths of varying elevations. Sachi fetched a compass out of his bag and held it level. 

“We’ll have the best chance heading northeast.”

“But, there are th-three paths in that direction.”

“Let’s take the lowest path,” Dela decided immediately, before taking a step forward.

“And all of a sudden I’m confident it’s not the lowest path.” Sachi began walking toward the middle path, which led toward an ominous cave. 

“What’s your fucking problem? How can we be on a team if you constantly disrespect me?” Dela’s tail grew stiff as she scrunched up her face. 

“One. You wanted this team, not us. Two. Respect is a mutual virtue. You get what you put in. Which is zero,” Sachi retorted without looking back. “Glad we can clear things up. Now, follow me.” 

“Oh, you vile little lizard,” Dela seethed. “Arceus, I can’t with this guy.” 

“Dela, um, let’s just follow him for now. W-we can always come back later.” Krem hated this shouting match dynamic his teammates had. It’s always so exhausting playing mediator, and he barely had the mental energy to wake up everyday. “Please?”

“Raahhgghh, fine. Fine. But this conversation is not over.”

Krem stepped into the dingy cave with his teammates. Finally, they had reached some solid ground. Water dripped onto the floor incessantly, which was smooth and appeared to be made of marble. 

“This is not natural.” Sachi stomped one foot on the floor. 

“No shit, Detective Pikachu,” Dela replied, still visibly fuming.

Sachi rolled his eyes, but otherwise ignored her snarky remark. “It’s also surprisingly clean. You think someone’s been here recently?” 

“Maybe the water just washed away all the dirt?” Krem speculated. “It’s like a shower in h-here.” 

Sachi bent down for a closer look. “Nah, no way. Look at this floor. No drip marks anywhere. No erosion wear either. It looks very well maintained.” 

“Your kind words are appreciated.” Krem’s body tensed from the unknown voice as his ability almost kicked in. Sachi and Dela turned their heads simultaneously. A strange cloaked breloom stood at the cave entrance, holding a bundle of grass in one claw. She had bioluminescent moss dangling from her cap and wore a wooden mask covering the top half of her face. Around her neck were several necklaces on what appeared to be teeth and glass beads. Around each arm and ankle, she wore a golden brace embedded with red and purple gemstones. Her cloak was translucent and tattered near the bottom. 

“Is this your home?” Sachi asked. “We apologize for intruding, but got a little lost.” 

“Such is apparent, young firebrand. I don’t normally get visitors.” The breloom stepped past them and into the darkness. “You three are welcome to follow me. I can lead you on the path you seek.” 

Krem watched as the breloom’s glowing crown disappeared into the cavern ahead. His legs were still trembling from the jumpscare. Sachi put a hand to the wimpod’s back, trying to stabilize him. 

“Relax. We can’t have you teleporting yourself into the mouth of a wild carnivine.”

“Th-thanks,” Krem murmured as he managed to calm himself down. 

“So. Let’s go after her,” Sachi suggested.

“Our plan doesn’t account for such disruptions. Besides, I think she was acting quite fishy.” Dela turned around and took a step back toward the entrance.

“The plan’s already foiled. It doesn’t take into account getting lost.”

“And who’s fault is that? Who was in charge of bookwork, again? It seems I expected too much of you two.”

“My bad, next time I’ll make sure to add ‘don’t get lost’ to the plan.”

“No, you imbecile. We wouldn’t get lost if you had just researched a full path to the tomb instead of just marking it on that crummy mapbook.” 

“Whatever. We gotta go after her now, fishy or not. Unless you wanna try random routes ‘til we get even more lost. It’s a gamble either way, and I think I’ll roll with asking the local.” 

Dela stood in silence for a minute, contemplating. 

“Hmph. Fine.” Surprisingly, without more protest, Dela turned back and began walking into the cave.

“She hates that I’m right,” Sachi whispered to Krem, before heading in as well. Krem sighed and followed them. 

The light at the end of the tunnel arrived sooner than Krem had expected. The door was ajar, and an earthy smell emanated from the room. 

“Come in, dear wanderers. Take a seat.” The breloom was sitting on a reclining wood chair, sipping a dark green liquid out of a chalice. The three took a seat on the antique couch across from her. “Care for a glass of mudgrass tea?”

“We’re good, thank you,” Dela declined. “My name is Dela, and these two are my teammates. I’m an explorer from the Guild.”

“An elementary fact, my dear petunia. I recognize that badge anywhere.” There was a hint of malice in her voice. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Shufa, shaman of the grove.”

“Uhh, hey. Do you know where we can find the tombs of Ciren and Vigil?” Sachi asked. 

“The Sepulcher of Legends is what you seek? For what purpose, if I may ask?”

“Some mission we got at the guild. Wants us to put the spirits to rest or somethin’ like that.” 

“Oh? It is around that time of the year again. I was wondering when Kogni would show up. Did something come up?”

“Something like that. He has business in Millview.” 

“Such business must be of utmost urgency. The fledgling has never missed the Awakening.” The breloom took a long sip from her glass. “Yes, I do know the location of the tomb in question. But first, I must test your abilities. What is your name, young firebrand?” 

“Me?” Sachi pointed to himself. “Sachi.”

“A name of Kreothean descent. Leaf. A beautiful name, albeit paradoxical.” Shufa turned to Krem. “And you, munchkin?” 

“I’m Krem.” 

“Crumb? Fitting, for a compact specimen like yourself. But you might want to think of a more appropriate name for your evolution, my dear.” Shufa chuckled. Krem was not interested in correcting the shaman. He was instead more worried about the aforementioned test.

“So, um. N-now what?” 

“Ah, right, back to business. A volunteer is required for this test-”

“I will volunteer,” Dela asserted immediately. “As I represent this team.”

“Not one to waste precious time, are you? Let’s begin, then.” Without any other warning, the shaman snapped a claw toward the skitty. Before she could react, Dela was lifted off the floor by a dark green energy around her legs. 

“Hey, what the FUCK? Put me down, you haggard freak! HEY!” Dela screamed as she rotated and bounced around the ceiling as if she was trapped in an invisible bubble. 

“Haggard? I’m not sure you know what that word means, my dear. I am full of youthful vigor,” Shufa said calmly while Sachi attempted to stifle a laugh. “You should really keep still. Energy is valuable, you know? Both yours and mine.”

Krem, unlike his salandit partner, was mortified. “Um, is th-that the t-test? Did she p-pass?” 

“Oho, no. Your test starts now, wanderers. The first task is to get your lovely partner down from her predicament.”

Dela remained suspended in the air by the swirling energy cloud, right below the mangy ceiling of the cave. She was tumbling about while launching profanities down at the breloom, most of which were foreign to Krem. 

“You will rue the day you crossed me. I will wring the blood out of your flesh with my bare paws, you picklebrained grimeguzzler! I bet you lick your claws clean after raking the gutters. Let me down, you hear me? Right now!” 

“Do we have to? I think I prefer her this way.” Sachi looked up with a toothy grin. 

“Unless you would rather leave here empty handed,” the breloom replied. “Young firebrand, I sense the unyielding indignation you harbor toward your ally. Now is your chance to relinquish such unproductive emotions.” 

“Oh fuck off. What do you know about us?” Sachi squinted his eyes, his amused expression fading. “You wouldn’t survive a day with that cat, dear hermit lady.” 

“Oh, but I don’t need to survive a day with her.” Shufa returned the salandit’s glare with a sheepish smile. “Don’t you want to know where the tombs are? Go ahead, help her down.”

Sachi sighed in defeat. “You are so damn weird. Fine. How do I get her down?” he asked, to Krem’s surprise. He was expecting the salandit to turn tail and leave. 

“That is for you to figure out.” 

“Do I look like a firefighter to you? I don’t know how to rescue a cat from a tree.” 

Krem glanced at his vexed teammate. Sachi is a smart pokemon, but he is every bit as stubborn. “Hey, Sachi. That green stuff, that’s some pokemon energy, right?” 

“Huh? Yeah, obviously. I mean… oh.” Sachi paused as if he had an epiphany. “Hah, you’re right, Krem. We just need to absorb the energy. Looks like grass energy, but it’s not pure.” 

The salandit inhaled deeply, then spat out a weak ember toward Dela. The dark green energy encapsulating her wavered for a moment, but was otherwise unaffected.

“Hey! Careful! Are you trying to kill me or what?” Dela yelled. 

“Not yet. I need to know how to get to the tomb first,” Sachi replied. He gurgled loudly, then blew a concentrated cloud of smog at the skitty. The mystery energy wavered more this time, but refused to evaporate. “Krem, I think you gotta try. Some aspect of the energy is resisting my attacks.” 

“Wh- but I-”

“Aw, c’mon. You got this. Struggle bug the shit outta that stuff.”

“Does struggle bug even r-reach that far?”

“You’ve seen Thyme in action. Of course it does.”

“I’m not Thyme!”

“Dude, just go for it. Stop thinking so much and the nerves will fade.”

“O-okay. Here goes.” Krem closed his eyes and focused. Hold. Then release. Hold…

A faint wave of light green energy was emitted from Krem’s antennae, then dissipated before the halfway point. 

“Oops, released too early. Um, one s-sec, I’ll try that again.”  Hoooold. Release!

Krem opened his eyes, feeling a bit better about that attempt. The wave of bug energy collided with the energy. The dark green aura loosened into mist as a screaming Dela fell from the ceiling and landed onto the sofa cushions. 

Before Krem could even celebrate his accomplishment, Dela pounced violently at Shufa. The shaman was prepared to protect, clicking her claws together to conjure a glowing white wall. 

“Bravo! You passed the test,” Shufa announced casually as the angry skitty slid off harmlessly. 

“So, what was the point of that?” Sachi asked the breloom as Dela stewed in her anger silently, struggling to conceal her broken pride. 

“Why, to help you overcome your insecurities.”

“What the fuck. Do you play therapist for everyone you meet?”

“If necessary.” 

“What are you… Guh, whatever. Just tell us where the tombs are.”

“Ah, the youthful and ignorant. Very well, I will uphold my end of the deal. Follow the glow.”

Sachi paused expectantly. “Sooo… where are the tombs?”

“Now if you will excuse me, it’s time for my beauty sleep.” 

Sachi frowned. “Huh? What beauty?”

His comment was met with snores. 

“Did she just fall asleep while standing?” Krem wondered out loud. 

“I… don’t even know. I’m as lost as you right now.” 

“Oh, you’re telling me this lunatic thinks she can just doze off after violating me and ruining my reputation!” Dela stomped up to the sleeping breloom, sharp claws extended. 

“Dela, I don’t think w-we should… or I mean we might get into trouble,” Krem warned. 

Dela paused for a moment, then backed away. Krem thought he heard her mutter something under her breath. 

“So, uhhh, any ideas? Hello?” Sachi asked. 

“She told us to ‘follow the glow’. So, um,  maybe we look around for s-something that glows?” Krem offered. 

“Well shit, she did say that, huh? Got mixed in with her senile blabbering. Let’s get out of this dingy place and see if we get any leads.” Sachi started toward the door.

Krem peered worriedly at Dela, who was still looking on at Shufa dangerously. “C’mon Dela, let’s leave.”

The skitty growled and glanced at Krem, before following them out. 

As they emerged from the cave and arrived again at the crossroads, they were met with a mass of glowing mushrooms scattered across the high path that definitely wasn’t there before. 

“Wouldya look at that,” Sachi said as he shook water off on his skin. “Anyone wanna be a test subject? An experiment in the name of science.” 

“Experiment?” 

“You know. The glowing shit theory.”

“Oh. I th-think I’m good.” 

The path of glowing fungi brought the group to a gargantuan hollow log. It stretched into the distant foliage with no end in sight. The gaping entrance was at least twenty five Krems wide, and just as tall. 

“That’s not a log, that’s a fuckin’ tunnel.” Sachi slapped the side of the log, which emitted a dull thump. 

“Can’t we just go around?” Dela eyed the bottom of the log in disgust. A grody soup of mud and organic slime covered in patches of purple algae soaked the rotten wood. 

“The shrooms are in the tree, though,” Sachi replied.

“Yeah, but there’s no way it goes that far. We can just walk along it.”

“I think I’m with Dela on this one.” Krem didn’t fancy his underbelly scraping the gunk at the bottom of the log. He glanced up at Sachi, who had a claw at the bottom of his snout, contemplating. 

“Sure. Let’s go around.” 

Squeezing through prickly vines and gnarly branches, Krem was once again appreciative of his miniature armored figure. Beyond the rustling of rugged foliage, all he could hear was the pained groans of his teammates. 

“You guys g-good back there?” 

“No no no, absolutely not. These scratchy burrs keep getting caught in my fur. Ugh, I think I’m bleeding.” 

“Mhmm, this is pretty fucked. I’m resisting the urge to burn through this thicket right now.”

“Um, do you guys want to head back?” 

“Wait. Krem, couldya go check to see if it’s like this all the way through? You seem to be the most- ow, shit! Uhh, you’re the most mobile of us.” 

“Oh, uhm. Sure, be back in a minute.” A small rush of excitement tingled at Krem’s back. He was helping! Coming into the week, he was fully prepared to be carried through every mission. But as long as there was no actual combat, he felt quite useful for once. 

Krem squeezed past thorny branches as he walked along the side of the massive log. Soon, the foliage seemed to thin out little by little. He quickly arrived at a clearing of dirt that stretched for a good portion of the log. Krem didn’t really have a frame of reference when it came to measurements, nor could he see the end of the log still. Nevertheless, he decided to let his team know. 

“I’m back. Uh, there’s a bit of a narrow clearing like five minutes from here, if you guys w-want to check it out.” Krem could see his two teammates still struggling. 

“Five minutes? Guh, can I even make it that far?” Dela remarked before biting down on the thick vine crossing her path and vigorously shaking her head. 

“Suddenly going through the log doesn’t sound like such a bad idea after all, eh?” 

“Shuth upff, numbshkuwll. Who couldhff knowhn ith would be thish lhong?” Dela released her jaw, and the vine snapped in two, falling by the wayside. “Can’t you do something about this? Use your fire.”

“I dunno how to start a controlled burn. Might end up burning down the whole place if I tried.”

“So? I’m sick of this place anyways.”

“Are you serious? I’m not burning down a whole forest for your convenience,” Sachi replied incredulously.

“Ugh, useless,” Dela groaned. “Well, it’s wasted effort to turn back now. We’re pushing on forward.” 

Krem led the team to the place he discovered. It took a bit longer than five minutes, but the group managed to pull through to the empty dirt field adjacent to the log. The area was thin and sunken, as if it were a moat dug around the log. The dirt was soft and loose like freshly tilled cropland, but not as moist as the surrounding area. 

“Free from those blasted plants, at last,” Dela celebrated. The skitty licked her leg out of grooming habit, then immediately scrunched up her face and spat on the floor. She puffed up her cheeks, as if holding back the urge to vomit. “Hyack, AWFUL.”

“Let’s press on. I don’t really like the vibe I’m gettin’ from here,” Sachi said as he inspected the floor. “How long is this bloody log anyway?”

As the three kept walking, Krem felt as if the earth beneath him began rumbling faintly.

“Um, hey? Does anyone else f-feel that?”

“Feel what?” Sachi looked down at Krem with a questioning gaze. The rumbling was fleeting, and had stopped before Sachi even finished speaking.

“Oh, it’s probably nothing. Sorry.” 

“If you say s-” The rumbling began again with increased intensity. “Well, I felt that one.” 

Dela’s ears perked up. “Earthquake?”

“Don’t think so. It’s persisting.” Sachi paused, listening intently. “I think something’s digging. Wait, is this…”

Suddenly, Dela scrambled toward the woods and ducked behind a mound of rocks. “You idiots, that’s an excadrill den! Get out of there!”

Sachi didn’t need to be told twice. The ground beneath them began to sink as the earth trembled violently. A gust of dusty air wooshed by Krem’s back as he was scooped off his feet by the salandit. His eyes were glued open in fearful anticipation as Sachi took a running leap toward the woods. 

A deafening roar and crash tore the serenity of the dim forest asunder before they hit the ground. The area they were just standing on not even three seconds ago shattered and erupted into an upward torrent of earthen debris. Sachi quickly ducked behind a hollow trunk beside Dela’s hiding place, which mostly shielded them from the rocky shower. 

“Holy shit,” Sachi muttered, still clutching Krem to his chest. Krem shuffled uncomfortably in the crouched lizard’s grasp. Noticing his discomfort, Sachi released his grip. “Oh, my bad.”

“No, it’s alright. Thanks for um… that.” 

“Yeah, yeah. No time to talk sweet.” Sachi whispered as he pointed over their barricade. A bulky excadrill stomped clouds of dust into the air repeatedly, eyes bloodshot and snout flaring. Its gnarly drill hood was caked in layers of mud. “He’s pissed, and he knows we’re around.”

Krem glanced back over to where Dela was hiding. To his surprise, the skitty was gone from her post. 

“Where’s D-Dela?”

“Huh? Where did that cat wander off to this time?” 

Krem scoured the dim area with his vision, searching for the skitty. 

“HEYYY! Over here, you hunk of junk!” Dela’s voice came from… behind the excadrill? 

“What the- Does she have a death wish?” Sachi exclaimed, standing up and clenching his fists.  

The towering steel type tilted its head, before turning to face the source of commotion. Krem finally located Dela. She had climbed on top of the massive log and was waving her tail, taunting the wild beast. 

“Oooooo, you want me dead so bad, don’t you? You want to get me, huh? Think you can best the best?” Dela stook out her tongue and slanted her eyes. “Then shoot your shot, moron!”

The excadrill roared in blind rage at the provocation. Although the beast couldn’t understand a single word of Dela’s outburst, facial expression is universal. It dug a claw into the ground in frustration, flinging a massive clump of moss into the air. Then, it lunged forward toward the log. Sharp metal claws splintered the side of the log as Dela skipped away, barely avoiding being showered with splinters. 

“Dela! What are y-you doing?” Krem tried shouting over the commotion. 

“She definitely can’t hear you. Don’t distract her. We need to run,” Sachi said urgently. 

“Run?”

“Into the log. Whether she means to or not, she’s giving us an opening.” Sachi looked back at Krem. “Need me to carry you again?”

“Huh? N-”

“Too bad.” Sachi picked Krem up again like a burger and made a mad dash for the ruptured log. 

“Missed me that time! Feel free to try again, though!” Another deafening crash. 

“Crazy bitch,” Sachi muttered as he hopped into the log carefully, avoiding the splinters. The interior of the log smelled of petrichor fused with a pungent grassy aroma. Krem shivered as he was dropped into the icky pool of watery rot at the bottom of the tunnel, which was still lined with glowing mushrooms. 

The mushrooms were small, each about the size of a button. They definitely weren’t there before their meeting with the strange shaman. Were they an illusion? Krem reached out one leg and tapped one of them on the cap. A tiny cloud of blue spores fell into the water and drifted to the bottom. 

“Incoming cat!” Sachi, who was peeking out the opening, ducked back inside as Dela leaped into the log. Krem barely managed to dodge the inbound skitty missile. 

“Go go go!” Dela rolled onto her feet and wasted no time sprinting into the darkness ahead. Sachi and Krem tried to keep her pace as the excadrill unleashed another brutal attack on the log, the crash reverberating around the tunnel.  

Krem waded through the shallow water as fast as he could, his tiny legs floundering. The roaring and pounding became increasingly muted as they proceeded, until it ultimately stopped. 

The group took a moment to catch their breath in the almost pitch darkness. The holes in the tree were completely out of view, and the only source of light was the mushrooms. 

“Are you high on catnip? What the fuck was that?” Sachi suddenly exclaimed through heavy pants. 

“Was I cool or what? Haha, that brute was fuming!” 

“Stupid is what you are. You do realize reviver seeds only work in dungeons right? What are we gonna do if you get yourself killed?” 

“I will have you know I was never in any real danger.” Krem couldn’t see her face, but she definitely sounded irked by Sachi’s dismissal. “You should be grateful I bought you guys an escape. Hmph.”

“We probably coulda just snuck around. Excadrill are not exactly known for their keen hearing.”

“Grr. Arceus above, you’re vexatious. My heroics are never appreciated around these parts.” Dela’s voice was brimming with irritation. 

“Good work, Dela. I thought that was p-pretty amazing,” Krem cut in. 

A silence ensued. Krem shuffled nervously.

“Thank you. Let’s proceed,” Dela eventually said in an unusual monotone, leaving Krem muddled by her reaction. 

---

Dela was in a funny mood, but she was not amused. Her dignity had been trampled, shattered, dismantled. All the effort she put into maintaining her image had been torn down at the mercy of a power-tripping witch. And it took a spineless wimpod with crippling amnesia to save her.

At the same time, she was confused. She couldn’t validate her own feelings. She wanted to be angrier, she should be angrier. The confusion frustrated her. She felt a rage brewing within her, but it wasn’t the sweet kind that she relished in. It felt bitter, like burning rubber, and it gnawed away at her mind. 

Was her mother ever burdened by these emotions? No, of course she wasn’t. She would never bend a knee to such worthless feelings. But Dela was fueled by them, she thrived in them. 

I’m nothing like my mother. 

As Dela’s mind raced in circles, her paws mushed against soggy wood. She had been trying to ignore the unhygienic nature of this job, but the gross feeling just wouldn’t reside. It’s not like she could get any dirtier at this point, she told herself. Fighting the thoughts of a warm bath in an upscale springhouse, she trekked deeper into the log with her teammates following close behind. She had long lost track of how long it had been since their encounter with the excadrill. Her panting had stopped, and the adrenaline was all but gone from her system. 

At last, a dim light became visible from the end of the tunnel. Perhaps there was some action ahead to keep her mind off these things, Dela hoped. She picked up the pace.

“That’s the end of it. How did a log even get this long?” Dela heard Sachi say from a distance behind her. “Yo Dela, slow down a bit, will ya? We’re tryna catch up.”

Dela looked back. She could hardly see the two silhouettes trailing her.  

“No. I’d like to finish this mission before nightfall. Have a sense of urgency.” She quickened her pace toward the gloomy outside. 

Leaping out of the log, she noticed it was significantly darker than before, which was strange. She couldn’t see clearly more than ten feet in front of her. They couldn’t have been inside the log for more than half an hour. Heck, Dela’s stomach hadn’t even begun rumbling in desperate yearning for lunch yet. That’s odd.

Dela shifted her gaze away from the void before her and peered toward the sky. An impossibly thick canopy of weaving branches blocked almost all natural light. Water dripped from the dangling moss and seeped into the damp earth. The minimal light came entirely from some glowing bulbs growing out of the crevices. 

Scouring the area, she discovered several interesting growths to each side of the log. Drapes of glowing stringy fungi adorned a series of twisted wooden spires clustered adjacent to the log. Curious, she began trotting toward the structures.

She stopped dead in her tracks, one paw off the ground. A half eaten carcass of a deerling covered in layers of pin mold lay in front of her, partially sunken into the dirt. Its hind legs were cleanly torn off and its face badly scarred by a series of what looked like electrical burns. Its head was twisted to an angle perpendicular to the torso, and where its eye should be was a wad of crimson mush. One step further and Dela would have sunk her paw straight into the rotting corpse. 

Shuddering, she backed away from the gruesome display.

“I told you to wait for us, yeesh,” Sachi’s voice came from behind. Her teammates had finally emerged from the log. “Dude, I can barely see anything. Why is it so dark? Are we underground or something?”

“Don’t ask silly questions. Look up,” Dela responded with exasperation. How the lizard could have such a smartass complex when he had no skills or wits to back it up was beyond her. A sharp mouth and a dull mind. 

“A dome of branches? That’s not ominous at all,” Sachi muttered. “Wait hey, where’d the mushrooms go?”

Dela spun around. There were plenty of mushrooms poking out of the dirt, but the glowing ones had vanished. That tipped her over the edge. An intense vexation coursed through her veins. They had been duped. Now, she had to be angry.

“I knew that hag was a two faced scammer. Wouldn’t be surprised if she led us here so she could kill us herself.” She turned around to face the void with the true extent of her rage. “Show yourself, coward! I knew I should have done away with you in your musty old hut. Fight me, fair and square this time!”

“Dela, what the hell? Stop that!”

Dela turned to face Sachi. The salandit stared back with a stern expression. “What? I’m going to get back at her.” 

“Are you trying to attract every predator in a mile radius?” 

“No, just one of them. I told you she was not to be trusted. Just look at what you got us into.”

“What makes you so sure she set us up? Maybe the mushroom trail just expired or something.”

“Why else would she lead us to this dreadful place? It’s the perfect trap. There’s low visibility, and the only way out is through that blasted tunnel. You can hardly walk three steps without walking into a bloated corpse.”

“You’re stupid. If we run into another excadrill because of your incessant screaming, I’m bailing,” the salandit responded as he walked up toward her. Dela didn’t care if her teammates fled like the cowards they were. This was her fight. And besides, they couldn’t be of much help even if they wanted to. “And wait, what was that about corpses?”

Dela watched on as Sachi sauntered directly toward the mangled body of the deerling. 

“Wait! Sachi, watch where you-” Krem squeaked from behind, but it was too late. Dela cringed as Sachi’s foot smashed right into its ribcage.

“AWWW FUCK!” The salandit fell onto his back, frantically shaking rotten flesh off his leg. He quickly scrambled back up and began wiping his foot on the floor while gagging incessantly. “Ew, ew, ew, ew, ew. What the hell?” 

Yep. Useless. She turned away from the mess and returned her attention to the abyss.

“If you’re not going to come to me, I’ll just have to come to you!” Dela dropped her bag by her side and pulled out a luminous orb with her mouth. With a determined scowl, she crouched, preparing to make a mad dash into the woods. 

Crunch! A warm light permeated the forest as Dela bit down on the orb. 

Dela froze. 

In front of them, amidst the endless grove of trees, was a small castle no taller than fifteen feet. Weathered gray bricks made up the walls and turrets. A wood plank drawbridge leading to an ornate set of stone double doors was made obsolete by all the dirt that accumulated what was formerly a moat. Atop the roof was a gilded spire flanked on both sides by a marvelous pair of bronze pokemon statues. 

To the left, a zebstrika posed valiantly with one of its front hooves in the air. Streaks of white adorned its body, and its mane and tail were made of translucent crystal which sparkled brilliantly in the light. Its metallic face wore a solemn, determined glare. Two citrine gemstones were embedded in place of its pupils. It stared down at Dela, emanating an aura of confidence and superiority, as if it was challenging her. 

To the right, a decidueye stood completely upright with its wings closed to its sides. Its wings were outlined in a brilliant emerald trim. Despite its proper posture, its tired eyes were slanted away in a casual, sheepish smile. Its pupils were made of a dull, light green stone, probably jade. A quiver of energy bolts and an intricate wooden bow were strapped to its back. Its presence was imposing, yet modest. 

“Holy shit. That’s gotta be them.” Sachi had finished squirming on the ground and was limping on all fours toward Dela. Krem followed in tow. “The heroes of old, Ciren and Vigil.” 

“I believe those are statues.” Dela couldn’t help clapping back her teammate, even if it was a low blow. Ugh, his dimwitted sarcasm was rubbing off on her. 

Sachi just rolled his eyes. “Wanna check it out inside, or are you still hellbent on beating up imaginary old ladies?”

Dela eased up from her tensed crouch and chewed at her cheek. So this was the Sepulcher of Legends. 

Had she been overreacting? No. They might have been off the hook this time, but she would not feel shame for remaining vigilant. Danger could strike at any moment whether her teammates were prepared or not. Sachi wasn’t pressing the issue as hard as she expected him to, but she knew that the smug lizard was producing self-righteous thoughts in that tiny skull of his. That actually made her even more angry. She growled softly and rolled her ankles in frustration. 

“Grr. Fine. Let’s go.”

Dela walked over the drawbridge and inspected the large stone doors. Corresponding with the statues, a zebstrika and a decidueye were carved on the left and right doors respectively. The art style was quite abstract, consisting of primarily straight lines of varying thickness. Beneath each drawing was a short verse carved in neat, angular runes. 

–

Should the sky turn idle

Should sparks fizzle out

Will you bring me solace?

Will you die with me?

–

Should spirits grow restless

Should peace be sundered

Will you bring me ardor?

Will you die with me?

–

A swirling pattern was carved into the frame and along the door edges. Where the door met the frame, there was a hardly visible white glow. 

“Energy seal,” Dela said matter-of-factly. “Looks like it’s trying to keep us out.”

“That, or it’s keeping something in.” Sachi walked up to the door and touched the handle. His finger wiped away a thin layer of dirt. He bent over to inspect the bottom of the door. “The door opens outwards, and the seal is concentrated on the outside.”  

“Well, either way it’ll probably take a bit to crack.” Dela walked back to the start of the drawbridge. “I’m going for a tackle, for starters.” 

“Uhh, be careful. Dunno what’s, or who’s, on the other end.”

“You think I don’t know that?” Dela snapped. She wouldn’t have this moron telling her to “be careful”, of all things. 

“Yeesh, calm down.” Sachi put his hands up in mock surrender and walked out of the way. “You do you.” 

Arceus, he was insufferable. Dela shook her head to release some tension, then pounced forward. Aligning her paws with the doors, she felt the energy course through her body. 

Bang! As Dela’s glowing paws collided with the doors, she pushed herself off and gracefully rolled back onto her feet. The forceful impact shook the doors, but they didn’t budge. The glow of the energy seal appeared to waver for a moment. 

“I believe I weakened it,” Dela heaved through gritted teeth while catching her breath. 

“Want me to try? Or am I gonna be sorry for asking?” Sachi walked back up to the doors. 

“Ugh, just go ahead.” Even if he was being annoying about it, the salandit was finally making himself useful. 

Sachi dropped to all fours and faced the doors, a strained scowl on his face. He released an ember at the edges of the doors. The flames crackled before they quickly fizzled away. 

“Can’t really see the seal anymore. Looks like it wasn’t too strong if it faded to two basic attacks,” the salandit observed. Dela walked back over and put her face to the doorframe. The glow had indeed disappeared completely. “Well without further ado, let’s g-”

All the wind was knocked out of Dela’s lungs as the doors suddenly swung outward at full force, smacking the two in the face and sending them airborne. They crash landed a good distance away from the castle, sprawled on the dirt.

“Ow, what the fuck?” came Sachi’s voice from her right.

Dela scrambled onto her feet and watched in awe as purple wisps of smoke emerged from the now ajar doors. She shook off the painful shock and got into her battle stance. The purple mist began to crackle, as if it was conducting electricity. The essence swirled and crackled for a few more seconds as it morphed into a pair of identical rotom. The ghost types’ eyes blinked hollowly, as if devoid of emotion. Yet, it provoked a pang of sorrow in Dela’s heart. She couldn’t pinpoint why. Maybe seeing the heroes of the past turning into husks of their former selves gave her a glimpse of her own future. But now was not the time to be ruminating about the nihilistic nature of life. It didn’t matter who they were in a previous existence. The rotom were enemies that needed to be bested. 

Sachi had also gotten on his feet and was prepared for battle. Dela’s mind raced to find a strategy. 

“Krem, perch up on top of that stump to your left. Just keep trying for struggle bugs at a range to maybe provide some marginal chip damage,” Dela commanded. The meek bug complied and waddled to the stump without a word, his eyes stricken with fear. At least he wasn’t wimping out just yet. Dela shook off her bag. She retrieved her only focus sash and forced it awkwardly around her leg before turning to face Sachi. “You, hold onto my items and try for a flank. I’m going in.”

“Going in?” Sachi began, before stopping himself from further questioning. “Alright, roger that.”

The salandit shook all of Dela’s items into his own bag and dipped into the underbrush to the side. Dela turned back to the rotom pair, which were floating slowly, yet menacingly toward her. She smiled confidently. This was going to be a tough fight given the typing, but Dela had prepared a few tricks for precisely this situation. However, her strategy hinged on giving up the first move. 

She leapt forward and stood defiantly before her enemies. Bolstering her conviction, she braced for an attack.

“Hit me with your best shot!” 

The left rotom suddenly stopped moving. A concentrated beam of white lightning rushed toward Dela at an impossible speed. She couldn’t have reacted if she wanted to. An acute, searing pain tore through her entire body as she was knocked backwards once again by the force of the thunderbolt. 

“Dela!” She could faintly hear Krem’s voice. She tried to get up, but her vision was blurry. She was seeing stars. The night sky. White specks swirled in the darkness, forming a vortex of cosmic glitter. Then, pitch black. 

---

“Get up. Fight. Or don’t. Saves me the pain of having to train a hopeless runt.”

…Mother? 

“A disappointment, really. I thought I finally found an avenue to carry on my legacy. But I’m not one to cry over spilled milk.” 

Please. Mother. Give me one more chance. I’ll get up. I’m strong. Just like you.

“I have a world to save. I don’t have the luxury to coddle an unteachable hack. With each passing day, my regret grows. I should have never taken you in.”

Stop.

“Go back to your father. You are nothing like me.”

I’m… nothing like…

---

“Y-you… you gotta get up now, c’mon! D-DELA!” Dela sputtered awake, coughing violently. Krem had gotten down from his perch and was nudging her repeatedly. 

With renewed vigor, Dela hopped up on her feet. She couldn’t have been out for more than ten seconds. The ghosts had taken their sweet time, but were now almost looming above them. 

“Oh, okay. Thank goodness you’re a-awake,” Krem muttered in relief. “You sca-”

Before the wimpod could finish his sentence, Dela pounced directly toward the left rotom. She bit down on her lip as she channeled as much dark energy as she could into her upper body. She was straining hard. Dark energy didn’t come naturally for her. A dreadful feeling crept up her spine and into the pit of her stomach, but she knew that was a good sign. 

Combining the energy she had absorbed from the thunderbolt with all the dark energy she could muster, she slammed her head into the rotom in a vicious payback attack. Upon impact, she exhaled sharply and released her reservoir of stored energy, creating a small dark explosion. The rotom let out a low pitched hum, before its form dissipated back into a pool of swirling purple mist. 

Dela lost all her strength immediately after connecting her attack. She tried to regain control of her body, but her energy was completely sapped. She rolled on the ground, completely spent. 

Upon the defeat of its partner, the other rotom emitted a loud, electronic rumble. The mist surrounding it began to shift from its original dark purple hue to a forest green. Then, its entire shape began to contort as it transformed. 

The new rotom turned to face her. Two rows of sharp, ornery teeth. A set of dark treaded wheels. Barreling straight toward her. 

“Mow rotom…” Dela groaned. She tried gathering her strength once more, but it was futile. She couldn’t get up. Her mother was right. She lay there on the dirt, stewing in her self-loathing and watching the grass type rotom get closer and closer. 

What a pathetic life. Nothing accomplished. No doubters proved wrong. Not even a single mission completed. She stared down at the tattered focus sash at her paws. The silk was frayed into a frazzled mess. Mud-soaked threads were tangling over themselves. What was once a valuable, beautiful item was now a filthy spent artifact, utterly useless. 

Suddenly, a tiny wave of light green energy collided into the charging rotom’s side. The plasma pokemon flinched, before stopping and whipping around to find the source of the attack. Dela snapped out of her stupor and turned to see Krem perched up on his stump. 

“Hey! Get away from her! You h-hear me?” the wimpod yelled, to Dela’s surprise. He wore a determined look, an expression Dela didn’t even know he was capable of making.  

That’s two times the bug had saved her, now. But, oddly enough, she didn’t feel particularly upset about it this time. 

The mow rotom seemed to comply with Krem’s orders, because it changed course and began rolling in his direction instead. The wimpod’s expression instantly shifted to one of abject horror. He began shivering and muttering to himself as the mow rotom accelerated toward his stump. 

It didn’t manage to get very far, though. Dela had just been wondering where that blasted salandit had run off to while she and Krem were fighting for their lives, when Sachi dropped out of a tree with his arms wide open and landed directly on top of the rotom. He pinned the unsuspecting adversary down to the floor and released a smoldering ember directly into its face. The electric beast made a high pitched buzz, which Dela could only imagine was synonymous to a scream of agony. It managed to fling Sachi off its face after a couple of seconds of floundering, only to immediately get hit by yet another crude struggle bug. 

Sachi landed next to Dela and skidded to a halt. 

“Damn, I think that scraped me up pretty bad,” the salandit seethed as he hopped back into his feet. “Might need a bandage.”

“Grr, toss me an oran, would you? I’m… all worn out,” Dela managed between grit teeth. She had managed to crawl back up on her feet, but she didn’t feel like she could walk two steps before collapsing again.

“Think fast!”

Dela jerked her head toward the flying berry and caught it between her teeth. She chomped on it greedily and swallowed. The effects were almost instant. A jittery sensation took over as energy rushed back into her system. Her will to fight returned.

Dela dashed toward the disoriented rotom. It had been critically wounded by Sachi’s surprise attack. Its left eye was pitch black and leaking green mist, and its handle was bent backwards. It had lost its ghost typing when it transformed, so Dela was back in her comfort zone. She extended her claws and unleashed a flurry of fury swipes into the rotom’s back. 

Hzzzzzzaaaaaaaah! The rotom’s guttural, ethereal cry echoed across the entire hidden grove. Its body began shuddering. A sudden explosion of dirt caught Dela off guard, which she barely evaded by jumping over to the side. 

“Dela, the blade! Get out of there!” Sachi shouted from over yonder. 

Dela turned back to the rotom. It was glowing brighter than before. The grass energy blade underneath its mouth had extended and pierced the earth beside it, shredding the ground into chunks of dirt and rubble. “Run over to me!”

There was no time to think. Dela sprinted at full speed away from the rotom and toward Sachi. She could hear the rotom whirring in hot pursuit, but she didn’t dare look back. 

As she approached Sachi, the salandit unleashed a smog attack. The cloud of purple energy whizzed by Dela as she bolted behind a large rock at the edge of the dark grove before finally peeking behind her.

The mow rotom was caught in a massive cloud of poison, immobilized. It had stopped floating and was instead vibrating on the floor, as if trying to catch its breath. Its droning buzz grew fainter and fainter as its strength withered away. Another one of Krem’s struggle bugs connected, knocking the rotom to its side. 

Enough cowering. Dela ran back to the scene, pulling her scarf up to her face. Braving her teammate’s nasty smog cloud, she slammed her tail against the downed rotom to further lower its defenses. Like clockwork, Sachi followed up with a simple yet effective scratch, clawing at the rotom’s remaining eye. 

The rotom emitted a familiar low pitched hum. The sound of defeat. It made one last ditch effort to turn itself upright, before collapsing onto the floor. Its shape began to waver before fading away into a green mist. 

The ordeal was over. She had won. No, they had won. 

Before Dela could deliberate what to do next, the misty remains of the two rotom began to rise. Prepared for the worst, Dela prepared a protect. 

But the attack never came. The mist hung in the air for a moment, before floating back toward the castle. 

“It’s going back in?”

“The mission did only tell us to defeat the spirits. Maybe our job here is done.”

The group cautiously followed the ghastly mist back to the castle. The doors were still ajar, but even with the luminous orb right in front of the door, all Dela could see in the building was a pitch black void. Suddenly, a long gust of wind began blowing toward the castle. The spirit mist started being sucked into the darkness, forming a brilliant vortex of green and purple. 

We thank you.

“What the,” Sachi exclaimed. He rubbed his temple. “Did anyone else hear that?”

“Y-yeah,” Krem whispered. 

“Man, ghost types and their telekinetic shenanigans. Gives me a headache.”

The wind stopped blowing, and the castle doors finally shut as every last bit of essence disappeared from the air. Then, the doorframe began to glow. The glow became increasingly intense until the entire door radiated with energy.

“Whew, it automatically regenerated a seal,” Sachi remarked.

 Dela exhaled deeply, not even realizing how tense she was. Relief rapidly rushed over her to replace the tension. 

“And that is a job well done,” she celebrated, beaming. She hadn’t felt this exhilarated in forever. The elation of overcoming a challenge is truly unmatched. 

“Great work, you guys. And th-thanks,” Krem said, a bit bashfully. 

“Thanks for what? You did a phenomenal job, dude.” Sachi rubbed his knuckle on the bug’s head teasingly. 

“Just, thanks for working together so w-well. That was pretty awesome.”

“In a life or death scenario, there’s hardly any time for infighting,” Sachi replied with his arms crossed. “It’s a different kind of drama.”

“Yeah. Good work, team” Dela said with conflicting feelings. 

As much as she wanted to strangle the salandit on the regular, he had more than proved his worth in combat. Krem surprised her, too. The wimp managed to provide quite a bit of damage given how inexperienced he was. Not to mention, he also saved her from being ripped to shreds. 

Overall, despite the near death experience, she was feeling substantially more confident in her grand plan to become the greatest explorer of all time. These two knuckleheads were suitable avenues to create her legacy. Sometimes, even the best have to settle. And when she becomes the greatest of all time…

“Job’s not done quite yet. We still need to make it back to the guild in one piece,” Sachi reminded. As if on cue, a few ominous growls came from deeper in the forest. “I think every single predator in the forest just heard our battle just now. Don’t wanna end up like that poor deerling fella, so I say we dip outta here.”

Dela just nodded as his words brought her back to the present. The three of them rushed toward the log and made their way back into society.