CHAPTER THREE: TEMPEST AWAKENING

OF A MOST STORMY LIFE- WAS DRAWN; FROM EVERY DEPTH OF GOOD AND ILL; THE MYSTERY WHICH BINDS ME STILL: FROM THE TORRENT, OR THE FOUNTAIN; FROM THE RED CLIFF OF THE MOUNTAIN; FROM THE SUN THAT ROUND ME ROLLED; IN ITS AUTUMN TINT OF GOLD; FROM THE LIGHTNING IN THE SKY; AS IT PASSED ME FLYING BY; FROM THE THUNDER AND THE STORM; AND THE CLOUD THAT TOOK THE FORM; WHEN THE REST OF HEAVEN WAS BLUE; OF A DEMON IN MY VIEW.
EDGER ALLEN POE


"This is harder than I thought it would be" a similar statement answered Masika's complaint from Cephissus, as they trudged onward toward Viridian City, their first destination. The day had gone by slowly and it was barely evening now and the sun was beating down on their backs.

Masika stumbled on the trail as she nearly tripped over a tree root then turned and looked the Eevee puffing along beside her.

"Wanna get in the ball?" she asked holding out the ornate pokéball.

"Euii!!" Cephissus' replied with such vehemence that Masika nearly burst out laughing but nodded instead.

"Very well" she said pocketing the ball "we'll both walk."

"Vee" the short reply was panted and sounded exhausted, but the little pokémon scampered on without a thought.

Sighing Masika straightened her shoulders and trudged on wondering how many blisters she had.


?

Shadows flowed and collected, breaking and contracting as they swirled together forming a solid body to hold them within. They massed larger now, pulsing like veins as they spread thought out the flame-darkened ground. As the bulging mass of darkness descended to the ground, twisting and growing the ground around it began to break as things crawled free of the earthen prison. Withering bodies appeared in waves breaking from the ground with horrible cries.

From a safe point behind another dark shape watched, eyes burning like fiery coals in its head. Beside it sat another, smaller form. Overhead thunder rolled and lightning flashed but no rain fell. The larger shape watched the horrid bodies with amusement flickering in his burning eyes. Soon, all the wrongs would be made right. Soon he would live and breath again. The shape smiled, glistening fangs shining against rotting gums. Soon….


?

It was well past evening before Masika and Cephissus began seeing signs of Viridian City. They were still a long way off however and it looked as if rain was about to pour down. Wiping her hand across her forehead Masika stopped, leaning against a thick tree.

"Hey Ceph, c'mere" she called, as the Eevee continued to bounce on. Hearing her he scrambled back, his ears flattening as he drooped at her feet panting. Bending she lifted him up and held him to her. As she stroked his ears thunder boomed and lightening struck somewhere in the forest, shivering Masika held Cephissus closer.

"C'mon I'll carry you but we have to go quickly" closing her eyes for a moment Masika took a deep breath before she took off at a jog toward the city.

Above the sky had darkened until appeared to be the darkest of nights. The earth trembled as thunder, louder than any Masika had ever heard, echoed though the air and rain pelted down in sheets of silvery liquid. The sky was illuminated every few seconds by lightening flashes that sliced through the sky slamming into some unseen corner of the earth.

Quickening her step Masika cuddled the whimpering Cephissus to her tightly, trying to shield him from the worst of the rain. A tugging at her leg jerked her foot out from under her as her shoe caught in a tree root, tumbling her into the mud and sending Cephissus rolling. Quickly crawling to her knees and ignoring the burning scrapes on her arms Masika began to crawl toward the crying Eevee.

Above the thunder cracked louder than ever and a single lightening bolt, brighter than a star flashed out snapping with electrical energy as it rushed toward the Earth. Masika barely had enough time to look up and scream as the lightening slammed into her kneeling body, knocking it to the ground were it trembled and twitched.

Cephissus cried out loudly, bounding toward his fallen trainer. Above the sky darkened still further and thunder continued to roll. Somewhere, far beyond where they stood, laughter rang out carried on the wind.