STORM BIFORCE
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Through To the Eye Of the Storm
:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~:
A glimpse of tragedy?

{~}-{~}-{~}-{~}-{~}[PROLOGUE]{~}-{~}-{~}-{~}-{~}

::::::::{Notes on Ifaenn's '...gates to hell below...' and '...to the very heavens above...'.}::::::::

There is good reason why Rustler'sville and Rainfever Town are not directly on the coast, are in fact situated twenty-seven and twenty-one miles(respectively) from the waves of the sea.

Four months of the year, from late spring to late summer, that stretch of roughly four hundred miles of Ifaenn's western coastline is visited by many hurricanes.

They cut varying paths through the Hextianna Island Chain, most of them striking at Gibralta and two or three other islands, randomly.

A few swing through more than once, and these often linger at the outside edge of the Sapphio ~ almost invitingly ~ before passing through the Hextianna Chain and 'running their round'.

Because of the hurricanes, Gibralta is a weatherworn rock in the heart of the Sapphio Sea, and the other five victim islands of the chain are uninhabited or sparsely populated, Rainier having a very seasonally established village called Niarier.

Whether they rotate counter or clockwise varies among them, but each retains the same directional rotation from year to year. Each also retains a name.

Their names can stick because they each have a signature strength and overall size...and they each have their own 'resting place' out in the Westyn Ocean beyond the Sapphio Sea.

Each season there are double hurricanes that collide and join into one, on their way in to ravage the coast. These 'twin forces' always split on their 'back swing' and return to their own resting place.

However, one of the hurricanes is at almost constant 'twin force'; from the rise to power of its surface form, to the course it takes, and then back to its resting place ~ always at joining or near. It is known as 'Twinal' to those that have witnessed its awesome form from near or far, and Biforce to those who have not.

Out at their resting places in the Westyn Ocean, these hurricanes sink down into the depths and become whirlpools or 'gates to the underworld' as they are sometimes called by mariners.

As winter months approach, each wanes and during the few coldest weeks they are not in evidence to any eye trained on the bit of ocean beneath which they rest ~ their deadly power not to be studied, their location only certain by virtue of navigational charts upon which their 'beds' are clearly marked.

After the worst of the cold snap ~ caused by the numbing winds sweeping down over the Westyn Ocean from the barren North Continent ~ they awaken one by one and open their greedy yawning 'jaws' once more, growing, reaching out, as they build up to their full 'whirl rate'.

Some seasons(not very often) a whirlpool does not awake from its 'hibernation' and(more often) there are new, very weak ones, appearing every few seasons.

These hurricanes are seemingly caused by atmospheric conditions, but their course is usually extremely unpredictable.

I do not believe this general lack of ability to forecast a hurricane's course accurately can be laid on the incompetence of the continent's leading meteorologists, but rather on the small minds of the continent's inhabitants in general.

I have surfed the continental communications network diligently, on and off for the past three years, and never once has so much as a breath of my personal theory been presented to the world, to contemplate and seek to prove or disprove.

I have not suggested my theory, because I intend to prove it first.

Even if someone has had the same thought, the dreadful force of these 'risen visitors' is enough to scare the field experimental theorists away.

I am not afraid...there can be no other answer than the one I hold to be true. It should be obvious, telling to anyone.

They 'mate', 'hibernate', grow only stronger from season to season, 'die' and appear to be born ~ the answer is painfully obvious to me.

And I have noted an interesting fact; they have been growing in numbers since the invention and introduction of the PS systems, thirty-seven years ago.

I tell myself I seek the truth, not fame. I may never learn the truth, but attain to glory by default.

So I do not intend for anyone to know....

{",|,"}{"`^`"}{".~."} STORM BIFORCE {".~."}{"`^`"}{",|,"}

::::::::{Key Rental}::::::::

[Greetings!] came a cheerful, welcoming voice behind him.

Skaffin gave a start and Gammet grinned from ear scales to ear scales at the sight and grunted and rumbled amusedly, [He said 'hello' to me first, telepathically.]

"You might have warned me vocally or telepathically, in a calm manner," the young man muttered testily, as he spun around swiftly on his heel to see a tocus with smiling eyes standing on the top stair of the hut's front entrance.

"Well, come in and make yourself comfortable," the tamer told his poke`mon visitor tartly, "and feel free to make some noise so I know where you are!"

The tocus did step through the entrance and Skaffin retrieved his coiled whip from its quick-draw hook at his left hip.

He held it out to the psychic and demanded keenly, "Do you see this?"

The tocus looked a little put out at the question for a moment and then said with a fixed smile and a cheerful voice, [Yes, I see that whip in your hand, very well thank you. And I could not miss the indicative flinch of your shoulder, nor the shift in your psy-inclo aura, telling me of your first instinctive reaction at realizing there is a poke`mon behind you.]

The poke`mon's smile disappeared and he commented meaningfully, [Rash I should think, if you are faced with a rock or steel type...or a psychic.]

Skaffin smirked and re-hung his whip, saying smugly, "Oh, you would have been the loser from the start, my little friend."

[I trusted you would not strike me ~ one way or the other ~ whether you let fly with your whip or stayed your own hand.]

"Your trust was misplaced on the first count; if I had 'let fly' you would have been hopping."

Skaffin patted the whip with his smirk disappearing and a look of warning replaced it.

"This is a psy-affected whip ~ and diamond tipped, I might add; it would do more than just tickle a rock type's hide, I assure you. And you are not 'sir'-ing me, Shorty. What is your name and what do you want that I might be halfway inclined to give you?"

[Are you pulling my aura about that whip?] the tocus questioned uncertainly.

"I am by no means adverse to the idea of demonstrating, if you are foolish enough to volunteer as my target."

[I'll pass if you don't mind, sir,] the poke`mon requested, shrinking away slightly.

"That sounded sincere," the young man acknowledged.

[You have a psy-affected whip, sir.]

"Right," Skaffin agreed amiably and then reminded the tocus, "So who and what?"

[My given name is Etch and this is my home for five or six months on the year.]

"So, you belong to the famed artist Calipsoe, huh? He's not here, why are you?"

[I do have that honor ~ in the first place ~ and in the second, well...] Etch hesitated.

"I am listening," pressed the tamer impatiently.

[Yes, well, in all frankness, sir ~ and I am laying my cards on the table ~ my trainer and friend did not fully swallow your story.]

Skaffin looked approving. "Good for him! I wasn't quite straight with him, as a matter of fact," he openly allowed.

The tocus shifted his weight from one foot to the other. Having glanced through the window at the alpontius outside, he asked uneasily of the dragon tamer, [Then, what is your true purpose here?]

"You were frank with me," Skaffin acknowledged, "so I'll repay you the same honor: IT..IS..NOT..YOUR..BUSINESS!"

He turned to his dragon/psychic poke`mon framed partly in the window and ordered him softly, "Mental shields up, Gammet."

Turning back to the tocus he asked conversationally, "Can you cook?"

[No electricity,] the psychic pointed out dryly. [It's canned goods and the island's fresh fruit all the way, My Master's Guest, sir.]

"Well, in that case, you can make yourself useful in another way; listen to the radio."

[WICW?] the tocus inquired knowingly.

"What else?" Skaffin replied with a frown.

The poke`mon looked distastefully at the appliance nestled in an alcove, which was set in the wall halfway up the stairs to the second floor.

"Out of curiosity, will you stay here in the hut during the storms or do you have a way off of the Island?"

[This hut was built for clear skies, balmy breezes and pouring rains without high winds,] came the reply, [not lashing crosswinds and sheets of rain that make you think the sea is coming out of its bed for a rather insistful visit in your living room.]

"But it is built to stand through the hurricanes, isn't it?" Skaffin ventured.

Fighting the urge to roll his wide, expressive eyes, the tocus said plainly, [You must be kidding on the first count, sir. As far as the second, I cannot walk on water.]

Skaffin smiled grimly. "Even moltanti, the fire walker poke`mon, cannot, but the 'risen visitors' can...."

::::::::{Awakened}::::::::

The next morning, Skaffin was down on the beach several hundred yards along from his rental hut, working on the tan he had lost while training with his poke`mon in the dark depths of Caves Island.

Lester was passed out beside him, snoring discreetly, if such a way to snore was possible; his trainer didn't like him to snore and disturb the peace and serenity.

Someone else was intent on not disturbing the two relaxing figures ~ younger tamer and his young poke`mon companion.

One thing about sand ~ it is even quieter than snow to walk in.

A shadow fell over the solidly muscled legs of the wakefully sunning human.

[Awaken is 'up and running', sir,] Etch announced, feigning excitement so he could speak loudly; he was jealous that Lester could sleep so peacefully while he was charged to listen to the radio without relief.

Skaffin's eyes immediately opened and he sat up to study the tocus keenly. "Predicted course?" he demanded quietly.

Lester eyeing him with sleepy interest as well, the psychic answered straight-faced, [Erratic, sir.]

"Don't get smart," growled the tamer threateningly.

After nearly forty hours, Etch finally broke down and asked a favor of his master's guest. [Can I please call you by your first or last name, sir? I haven't 'sir-ed' my own trainer so much in our long acquaintance, as I have you in the past thirty-eight hours.]

He cast his eyes down to the sand and confessed ashamedly, [I'm getting to feel very spiteful and disrespectful toward you.]

Skaffin's intense expression softened and he said slowly, "You can call me Skaffin if you get the tone right."

[Thank you, Skaffin,] the tocus responded with careful respect. [They think it will pass close to Rainier.]

His expression became earnest as he inquired, [May I go and get some rest now, please?]

"Certainly. You have been an indispensable help," Skaffin assured him.

However, despite his permission to go and catch up on his sleep, Etch moved back out of the tamer's sight and remained to listen for anything useful. Lester could see him, but he hoped the aimles would not give his continued presence away ~ at all or at least not before Skaffin should say something revealing.

Aware the tocus was not gone, Skaffin sat up fully and crossed his legs Indion style, then looked over to Lester and told him lightly, "No more sleep until after the hurricane hits. You don't want to get a rude 'Awaken'-ing, do you?"

From his poke`mon the tamer's gaze drifted to the sea and Lester looked unhappily at the tocus, before his trainer pronounced with decidedly cheerful force, "Excellent!"

This word was said with satisfied finality, and Etch recognized that a long silence was likely to ensue; Calipsoe used that same tone and inflection for his last words before he began a work in earnest.

Though disappointed, the tocus was thankful not to have to strain his ears any longer.

He turned and began the 'long' walk back to the hut.

/^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\

Five hours later, Skaffin stood near the entrance to one of the storm shelters on a raised part of the Island, watching the hurricane's progression on the horizon.

Gammet was stretched out beside him, studying the storm with wide eyes, fascinated at the evident power it possessed, but which could not be accurately judged, as yet.

The gusts were up to forty-five already.

"I judge it to be sheering away from the Island," Skaffin said disappointedly. "Do you want to go play?"

The alpontius tore his gaze from the storm and gave his friend a solemn look. Glancing back at the distant whirls of gray and black, he nodded and grunted his reply in the affirmative.

"Good. They upgraded Awaken to a Force Nine this season, so keep an eye on the others and get a feel for the wind patterns of the storm."

Gammet grunted affirmatively again and less than a minute later, he was winging his way towards the storm with three of his teammates.

Skaffin had been unsure if he should release Passiona, his female dowth, merely to watch the others depart without her and had decided not to.

He let out his male aimles, Lester, though, and the younger poke`mon danced excitedly upon his four, clawed, scaly feet, to see his older, more experienced teammates rushing to confront the manifestation of nature on the far horizon to the north-west.

[Are they going to battle that thing, Skaffin?] he demanded, trying to contain himself.

His trainer could not help a fond smile. "Now, I know you can act older than this."

Lester smiled sheepishly and inquired with a bit more self-control, [How far do you think they will get? And why didn't you let Passiona go with them as far as the 'fringe'?]

The young man selected the dowth's poke`ball quickly and released her, saying, "You are absolutely right Lester!"

When she was fully phased in, he told her urgently, "Hot wing it, Passiona! I'm sorry, but they must be halfway there by now."

She took in the situation immediately and smiled gratefully, forgivingly at him, then flew off after her distant teammates.

[Penetration,] Lester reminded Skaffin, as the dowth's spinal flames grew smaller in the distance with astonishing speed.

"Yes, well, at force nine, if they can navigate the crosswinds and the up and down drafts without too much difficulty, I would think they can get the job done on Biforce, rated at 'filling eleven' last season."

[What do you think?] Lester pressed his human friend patiently.

"What I think is that they will be too direct and get walls of water and wind thrown at them. I also expect Gammet's A(ura) S(ensory) P(erception) will be blacked out during their penetration attempt."

[Gammet's probes won't be hard to sense,] Lester agreed. [Will Litiana attract strikes?]

"If she wants to, but without drawing them with her polarity aura shifting, I really don't--"

He did not finish the thought, as he and Lester both clearly saw a massive concentration of lightning strikes at a point on the horizon, very near or in the fringes of the hurricane.

Skaffin felt his heart quicken, but he refused to show his disquiet outwardly to Lester.

[That was inward to a point, not out!] Lester cried fretfully, [Someone must have been struck!] He let out a long moan and ventured mournfully, [What if it was Hydrix?]

"He's buddying with Litiana if he is following my orders...and Gammet would have called immediately."

[Would if he can! You suggested the possibility of aura blackout! Try to call to Gammet and see!]

Skaffin saw no reason not to do as Lester begged and did try, but the lines of mental communication were down...or completely dead.

"No contact," Skaffin reported calmly to his agitated aimles.

Lester moaned again and then fell silent for some seconds...until he noticed something.

[Umm, Master?] he said agitatedly.

"I see it," Skaffin assured him coolly. "Head for the shelter and wait the storm out there...inside."

[Yes, Master,] Lester responded fearfully. [How long do you think...?]

"As long as an hour, certainly, but it could be less than ten minutes. Now march, please."

Lester departed, both eager and hesitant at the same time.

Skaffin stood where he was, immobile, staring dispassionately at the raging horizon and thought insipidly, 'Oh Sheowti...they're on their own....'

The hurricane was shifting ~ Rainier was going to get 'Awakened'.

/^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\

The following morning, when the rain at the rear fringe of Awaken was lightening, Skaffin called to Lester, who he did not doubt was awaiting some word from him with straining ear scales.

Sure enough, Lester was beside his dripping trainer's person in about five seconds.

[Why couldn't I have stayed with you?] he asked quietly ~ Skaffin had stood out in the lashing rain and knelt in the face of the stronger winds, all night.

"Because I felt like being alone."

[I can understand, Skaffin, but I was really feeling like company all night.]

He studied his trainer silently for a while then began cautiously, [Are you going to-?]

"Of course I'm going to change into some dry clothes," the young man cut in impatiently, but fondly. "I am quite aware of the temperature drop and rather moist atmosphere, having been out in it all night."

[I had wondered if maybe you had gone to the shelter Etch is in, to try a linked call or just leave me to my own company, as punishment perhaps.]

"Never leave you alone if I am not alone," his trainer assured him quietly, "that punishment is too cruel for you, not to be shared by myself, as well."

[Yes, I know you decided that a long time ago. I was just running over the possibilities in my mind, whenever I was wakeful last night.

"You mean you slept at all?" the tamer demanded mildly.

[Yes,] Lester answered regretfully. [I'm sorry, Skaffin.]

"No, don't be sorry. Good for you! I was wondering at one point last night if you would or not."

[What about the others?] Lester asked fearfully. [Passiona?]

Skaffin smile a tired smile, peering down at Lester with tired eyes, feeling as tired as he looked and opened his hand to show the aimles what he held in it ~ the dowth's poke`ball, its 'occupied' indicator light flashing cheeringly.

[When?] Lester demanded with a relieved smile.

"She came in on the fringe gusts as the hurricane approached the island," Skaffin explained, "before the rain hit."

[And the others?] Lester pressed, eyeing the rest of the poke`balls sunk into the handle of Skaffin's whip...none of them blinking.

"I think I caught a glimpse of Litiana at around midnight, but I haven’t seen anything of the rest."

[Then, are you not worried?] the aimles ventured, puzzled.

Skaffin let out a long, tired sigh and replied with feeling, "Not anymore."

[Then you heard from Gammet!] Lester guessed gleefully. [When did the blackout lift? Could you tell for sure?]

"I tried calling every ten minutes all through the night," Skaffin answered indignantly, "of course I know when. I made contact with Gammet forty-five minutes ago."

[Good news? Are they all together?] Lester inquired with a hopeful look around at what of the island he could see.

"They're all fine and sacked out on the other side of the island, fatigued and feeling their dorsal muscles for the first time in months."

[Do they want a pickup?]

"Begging for one. You can come with me or go and find them right now."

[Can I really go to them now?] the aimles inquired eagerly.

"I said it," his master responded, sounding put upon.

Lester caught the tone and meekly turned to depart, saying, [Then I will, please.] He paused experimentally.

Sure enough, Skaffin said disbelievingly, "Then go ahead already!"

As Lester began to move away, he amended forcefully, "And don't bug Litiana!"

The aimles glanced back over his shoulder scales at him and then nodded as he directed his attention forward again.

The young man watched Lester amble off out of immediate sight and then started for the beach house.

/^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\

Litiana had been struck...in the tail.

She moaned and shuddered with pain as Skaffin lifted her limp tail up and inspected the wound ~ hole really; the striking bolt had passed through the scales, flesh and softer spinal bones of the ouwes's tail, cauterizing the rend.

Either through nervous shock in reaction to or as the direct result of the jolt to her system from the strike's searing levels of voltage, she was paralyzed the whole length of her tail from its base, yet could feel the agonizing pain in the flesh and the bone of its core near the tip of it, all too clearly ~ he was going to rub in some paralyze heal after she was out cold.

He felt moved with pity for the poke`mon's suffering and wished he had thought to inject the painkiller closer to the site.

But he had been begged fervently by Litiana to inject her closer to her brain so it would deaden her whole nervous system at the source; she had confessed to a great deal of shock ~ just about worn off now ~ and spasms in her upper spine that were none too enjoyable.

He was not pleased to see Lester eyeing him through Litiana's tail.

"If you are grinning in the slightest, Lester, so help me I'll take the whip to your tender suckling's hide. You are not the least bit amusing."

Lester disappeared from his sight immediately.

"Confession?" the young man called meaningfully.

[None!] the aimles responded pleadingly. [I swear I wasn't grinning! Catching a bolt through the tail is not funny.]

"Then I appreciate your sense of humor, Lester, and I am sorry I was suspicious."

[That's okay, Skaffin,] the aimles assured his trainer, relieved. [Thanks for believing the truth.]

Skaffin set Litiana's tail down gently, wincing as she groaned, and then stood to address her front half directly, instead of around her hind parts.

"Before you drop off Litiana, could I have your vote on Awaken's gender, please?"

The ouwes nodded woozily. [Strike was out of spite...would have struck to emasculate one of the guys...vote girl...Ooohhh!]

Litiana's eyes closed, but her lips stayed parted for some moments, before she relaxed enough in her sedation to have them drift unconsciously closed.

"Female at counter," Skaffin said thoughtfully. "So that casts Biforce Superior as the 'possessive wife'." He stared down at the wound in Litiana's tail grimly. " 'Spite'," he repeated. "Not good."

He turned to the others all standing supportively about and told them seriously, "If and when the time comes, you had all better be willing to beg for mercy, just as sincerely and ingratiatingly as you know how."

They all looked uneasy, but especially the males; the spoken word 'emasculate' had not failed to catch their ear scales.

::::::::{Come Hither, Go Thither}::::::::

Two days later, the storm watch was back in effect; WICW was reading Biforce's 'vital signs' ~ Twinal was rising to the surface for a 'jaunt about the park'.

'Step into Rainier's flower bed,' Skaffin invited the forming hurricane grimly.

In less than ten hours Biforce would be up to its full strength ~ at rating Force Eleven Maximum ~ and would begin its march toward the Hextianna Island Chain.

'No, their march,' the young man corrected himself silently.

Out loud, he demanded, "Whose doorsteps will you wipe your feet on, dearies?"

This questionable outburst earned him an odd look from Etch who was sitting meditatively in the little alcove set into the wall halfway up the stairs to the single room of the second floor.

"The 'frolicking lovers' can ring our doorbell anytime, can't they Lester?" the dragon tamer asked his aimles lazily.

[Certainly,] Lester responded with cautious enthusiasm, adding dryly, [And we'll open the door and amble right out to do battle with them.]

"Oh, don't be such a downer, Lester! Aren't you sick of waiting?" Skaffin ventured with a fond smile.

[I would gladly suffer the waiting,] the aimles replied uncomfortably, [if it was to be for a much longer period of time; I would get used to it after a while.]

Looking earnest, Lester glanced hintingly over at the tocus in their hearing and Skaffin frowned.

The young man studied the psychic poke`mon for several moments, then announced, "Lester and I are going for a hike. If you know what is proper for you, you will stay here or on the beach. Unless you want that taste of my whip I suggested I would give you freely?"

The tocus opened his eyes again and spat bravely, disgustedly, [I could do with a bit of quiet for a while. Make it a good long hike and see if I care. I find your manner more offensive than not...Sir!]

"Artists are quiet, tamers are loud," Skaffin pointed out with a shrug, as he stood from his chair at the table and motioned to Lester.

Surprised at this insight, Etch eyed his master's paying guest curiously, as the tamer departed with the aimles keenly leading the way.

'Grass types and psychics tend to be quiet and dragon types are rather noted for their 'volume',' the tocus thought comparatively. 'Now, I wonder what your story is, my good Skaffin?'

/^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\

[Why Biforce? Why so soon and not a later, less powerful storm?] Lester asked forcefully, as he led his trainer in their trek inland, away from the little village of beach houses and huts at Sandy Palms.

"Are you questioning my judgment?" Skaffin rejoined, gazing intently at the back of the aimles's scaly head.

Lester felt the gaze unmistakably and looked warily over his shoulder...and was quick to turn himself 'round completely and sit his hind parts down on the leaf-ridden sand, curling his tail behind himself; his master's hand was on the hilt of his whip.

[Please! Oh, no! I was just asking...] the dragon type begged, without actual fear, but more with regretful dismay.

"Questioning!" Skaffin corrected snappishly.

[Yes, I was questioning you,] Lester responded dully. [But not your judgment; your decision. I'm afraid for us all...]

Skaffin stepped in close to his aimles, who shied away, thinking perhaps his confession had reduced his punishment to only a slap.

But the young man tenderly cupped his poke`mon's chin and raised it to hold his gaze squarely.

"And well you should be; I never said what I intend to do is not going to be extremely dangerous," he told the aimles gently.

Lester held his tongue to see if Skaffin wanted to say anything more.

"What do you think the difference between judgment and decision is, Lester?" the young man inquired additionally, looking thoughtful and very much interested to hear his poke`mon's reply.

Lester sighed in an oppressed fashion and closed his eyes resignedly. [I don't really know,] he confessed. [I was probably just using my smart mouth to get out of a smarting tail.]

"Well," Skaffin responded mildly, with a smile, "why don't you use your smart brain and form a thought, an opinion, on just how they might be different?"

[W-well, um,] Lester began his answer nervously, wondering if he was intended to trap himself somehow in the reply. [I think judgments are final and decisions tend to be a lot more changeable. That's my opinion.]

He looked away from Skaffin's intense stare, his nerves faltering: Had any dragon type ever been able to stare this human down?

"Judgments and decisions are both so often unalterable, just because they are made quickly, in the heat of the moment. But changeableness is good, as long as it in not carried to extremes ~ it is more often and more favorably referred to as 'reasonableness'.

Skaffin embraced Lester tenderly, so much so a sufficiently rare gesture, that the aimles felt his heart warm mightily.

When they parted, Skaffin informed him softly, "I am sorry that I have misled you, but I have made neither judgment nor decision in this case; the full jury has not yet returned a verdict."

Comprehension dawned on Lester's face and he asked happily, [You mean you held court with the others already and you saved my opinion for last?]

"Yes," Skaffin confirmed solemnly, "because your vote has the most weight."

[It does?] the aimles questioned disbelievingly, wide-eyed.

"Certainly. And I will explain why, because I want you to think of yourself...."

/^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\./^\

Five hours later, Skaffin stood on the highest point of the island ~ a worn mount set in the northeast quadrant, thrusting steeply upwards on all sides. He was watching the creeping, darkening gray on the distant horizon to the slightly northern west.

Lester and Gammet were on either side of him, their eyes roving along the same portion of the horizon.

Skaffin blinked dazedly, after staring for twenty minutes or so, and set his gaze upon Lester.

Biforce was coming on now and after their little conference of the early afternoon, it was now the fully team-approved target for the 'maximum probe test'.

He could not detect any sense of fear in Lester, either through visual inspection, or a mood probe with Gammet's telepathically enlisted help.

That failing was very satisfying; his team was ready to give him their best efforts. Lester's agreeableness with the course he was setting for them all, was more in the way of moral support, but completeness counted in Skaffin's book ~ especially where his poke`mon's hearts were concerned.

He thanked Gammet for his help and traded a few upbeat comments telepathically, then returned his full concentration to the swiftly running storm.

His hand went to his whip's handle and his finger's caressed each filled poke`ball unconsciously.

Not more than an hour now....

Thinking of time, something occurred to him suddenly.

'Good Goddesses they're early to rise this run!' Skaffin thought amazedly. 'I wonder if they know I'm waiting for them?'

Maybe Awaken had told them....

{~}-{~}-{~}-{~}-{~}[EPILOGUE]{~}-{~}-{~}-{~}-{~}

::::::::{Departed Guest}::::::::

Calipsoe Morjin was glad to be home ~ such as it was.

Number Seventeen Sandy Palms Beach, Niarier Village was still there, though a little worse for the wear; he knew that four hurricanes had passed quite close to Rainier, blasting the northern edge of the island with up to one hundred and ten mile an hour winds.

Standing, gazing happily at his modest island dwelling, it occurred to him that the front steps looked as if bitten on. He frowned. He had heard of 'sand blasting' by the more powerful hurricanes, but he thought the wind speeds had to attain to over one-seventy, before this effect could occur along the sandy beaches of the coast.

He was also surprised he had not been greeted yet.

"Etch!" he called loudly, his mouth ~ and therefore his voice ~ smiling.

The sand at the foot of the stairs shifted, rising into a one foot by two foot rectangular plateau and words formed trenches into its surface: 'Welcome Home! (wipe your feet)'.

Chuckling heartily, the evident damage to the stairs forgotten for the moment, Calipsoe flew up them and beheld his closest poke`mon friend immediately.

The tocus was sitting in one of the hand carved chairs at the small round dining table in the open kitchen, his hands folded in his lap and a pleased expression on his face.

[I know you enjoy fixing up when you come back, Cali,] the psychic began, speaking aloud even thought he could communicate with his artist friend telepathically. He bowed his head and closed his eyes. "But I took the liberty of checking the structural soundness and replacing some of the older beams,] he finished, with his slight abashment clear to his trainer.

Unperturbed at this confessional news, Calipsoe did blink with private shock. "W-well that is certainly a big help to me, thanks," he told the tocus dazedly.

Now that he knew, he glanced around for the new beam stock and spotted three without any difficulty. Peering else about the 'living room' he noted everything was as he had left it months earlier...nothing out of place...nothing that did not belong to him.

"When did our guest depart?" Calipsoe asked Etch quietly.

[As Twinal approached Gibralta, the nearest I can figure.]

Calipsoe looked disappointed for some seconds and then said, smiling with satisfaction, "I didn't think he would hang around for very many."

He stopped to consider for a moment and a puzzled expression clouded his face. "How close did Awaken pass by?" he ventured interestedly.

[Not very. It lingered offshore and down poured for an eternity ~ nearly eighteen hours ~ sweeping the island with seventies and some eighties. He used the 'inland heights' shelter.]

"Not Secondary Coastal?" Calipsoe questioned rhetorically, really wondering now. "He told me he wanted to weather one of the stronger storms closely. Guess he wasn't as brave as he thought and I credited him...unless he was just a fast-talking magikarp. Was Skaffin his real name?"

[If it isn't, he was careful about using it in front of me. His poke`mon never hesitated to call him Skaffin.]

Calipsoe went to the head of the stairs down to the beach and leaned against the left standing timber of the entrance to his island abode.

"Awaken kissed Rainier 'good day' and Biforce was passing a good long ways to the north," he said thoughtfully. "Now why did he leave when it was obvious that Biforce was not threatening the island?"

[I think he left precisely because he realized that. I believe he wanted to catch it.]

"Catch it?" Calipsoe repeated absently, questioningly. "Catch what?"

He looked down on impulse at the top weatherworn step of his three-room hut...and froze.

"Oh Goddess, Etch ~ to catch...what?" he managed to ask quietly, through his shocked dismay.

[The Biforce storm, to weather it,] Etch answered dully. [I could not have stopped him if I had tried; he was a dragon tamer and possessor of an alpontius as friend.]

"You should have tried Etch," Calipsoe cried angrily, "then you would be completely free of guilt!"

He closed on the tocus, pointing back at the entrance and demanded forcefully, "Did you etch that stair?! Did you write that epitaph?!"

Etch closed his eyes in regretful sorrow. [No, Cali; it was there after Klosen passed through.]

"Do you think one of his poke`mon returned and scratched it in just before Klosen hit? You say he's a dragon trainer."

Etch hesitated before allowing, [Perhaps.]

"Then you think it was...Klosen?" Calipsoe ventured in a near whisper.

This time Etch did not hesitate: [Perhaps.]

The middle-aged man returned to the entrance and read the epitaph out loud, slowly:

'To the memory of Skaffin Rayker of Cold Cliffs ~ He is 'lost' now, but shall not be forgotten.

Remember his passion, his faith, his one thought of the Storms ~ Follow in his wake...those that wish to know his same fate.'

"A warning, an invitation or both?" Calipsoe exclaimed breathlessly. "By the Goddesses above, can it be true?"

[Please Cali, let us not find out,] Etch said fearfully. [It was his dream ~ let it stay his, to his memory.]

"What exactly was his dream?" his friend queried firmly.

[I don't want to tell you, but I won't have to; you can guess, I'm sure.]

"Yes, I can guess," Calipsoe responded distantly, leaning once more against the entrance post.

[I called out to Twinal, for it to spare him,] Etch confessed, sounding supremely pained to admit the lapse in his usually good judgment and firm sanity.

However, he got no other reaction than the calmly spoken words, "And Klosen gave answer...."

"He had an idea he felt strongly about and it looks like he held on until it was the death of him," the human pronounced.

Etch refused to be surprised at the tone of understanding and brotherly sympathy in his friend's voice; Cali was, after all, an artist.

"Now I really wish I could have met him," Calipsoe said sadly.

He cast his distant gaze to the so oft' storm-ridden sea and whispered with feeling, " 'Passion', indeed!"

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{~}-{~}-{~}-{~}-{~}[REVIEW NOTE]{~}-{~}-{~}-{~}-{~}

::::::::{Over Simplification}::::::::

This is the style of my Various Interludes, which are a sort of a break for me.

They are less polished, and have quite a bit of dialogue without descriptive detailing. The plotlines are also less drawn out and have major time lapses; this series is where I just get some of my simpler storylines down on 'paper' and out in the water.

If anyone is interested in more description with the 'bare bones' dialogue, just drop me a review.

SVVC ~ Akaniod The Phantasm

P.S. I will never submit a finished work for publishing without that nagging feeling. You know the one...'Am I forgetting something?' So, am I?