Prologue

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"Lords of the Realm, Masters of the Sky and All of the High Heavens:

Of Fire
Of Ice
Of Day
Of Night
Of Thunder
Of the Winds of Might
Of the Golden Flame
Of Wisdom and Foresight
Of Moon and Sun
Of the Kings, Highest of all the Lords, Great Guardian of Light

Here are assembled the elements of desolation;
may all look upon the face of wrath and despair."

CLARK HAMMERS stood before the massive edifice of white cloud, a veritable fortress of curling cumulous pillars that caught the sun's golden light. The Hall of the Lord's of the Sky was forbidding to look upon, an island in a sea of transperant sapphire. But on this day, ominous thunderheads ringed the floating stronghold's vast perimeter, dark forerunners of an approaching storm. Such was the nature of this place. For centuries, the Sky Lords had fought for dominion over the vast territories of the world, but were prevented from accomplishing such a feat (usually by each other). In the last thirty years, these campaigns became more organized, focused, and alliances even forged between the warring lords. Clark had learned their names: Alazar, high Lord of the Moltres, lords of Fire; Galatial, high Lord of the Articuno, lords of Ice; Celestiore, high Lord of the Shimiron, lords of Day; Ebovor, high Lord of the Fellsong, lords of Night; Agravar, high Lord of the Zapdos, lords of Thunder; Ilribris, high Lord of the Hurriclone, lords of the Mighty Winds; Hellipsar, high Lord of the Ho-Oh, lords of the Golden Flame; Sophior, high Lord of the Eauphoenix, lords of Wisdom and Foresight; Christonafilar, high Lord of the Lunsol, lords of Moon and Sun; and Elahnon, high Lord of the Lugia, "of the Kings, Highest of all Lords, Great Guardian of Light."

     "If only they were truly so great now."

     Hammers recalled the words of the High Rhuid Lord, spoken before sending Clark on this errand.

     "I hear they where, once. . ." Hammers had mused aloud.

     The Lord of Rhuids paused then, lost in thought,

     "That is true. In the beginning, all the guardians where uncorrupt. "

     "What happened?"

     "They became proud, marveling at their own power and exquisite beauty, and shunned all others as inferior to themselves. They ruled the sky realms, but were soon at war with one another, save for the Lugia and Eauphoenix; these did not fall to the others' way of thinking and so escaped a fate of despair."

     A sheet of lightning brought Clark's mental focus back to the present. The Great Council of the Sky Lords was being held now. Turning, Clark spoke into the emptiness.

     "Roobo."

     Immediately, the atmosphere in front of him condensed. An instant later, Clark Hammer's Roobo stood before him.

     The Roobo were the adult male Rhuids. Clark's in particular was still a novelty to humanity, but a great puzzle to Pokemon, since no Rhuid had ever once been assigned a human companion.

     "Master?"

     Roobo levitated above the frozen fortress's threshold, muscled arms folded across his great chest. Indigo eyes glowed with the formidable power housed just behind his otherwise placid complexion. Clark had received Roobo while the Pokemon was still a very young Roo. Now, fully evolved and expertly trained, Roobo's power and combat skills were honed to perfection. It was not without reason the High Lord of the Rhuids had sought Clark--his Pokemon was the most powerful being that would ever live.

    "Is it time?" Roobo's epidermis was smooth and black as polished obsidian; he had his battle gear on.

     Hammers zipped his blue wind breaker all the way up.

     "It is. Let's go."

     Man and Rhuid glided to the hall's entrance.

     The portal was sealed with 8 bolts of energy: One of fire, ice, shadow, light, voltage, wind, golden flame, and the last was forged of yellow sunbeams shrouded in pale light of moon. Eight locks.  There where ten birds of legend; the hall lacked the blessing of the Eauphoenix and Lugia.

     In one quick, fluid motion, the duo leapt into the air, arms extended, palms open and facing out. Twin spheres of dense, volatile energy hummed into existence before their outstretched hands, shards of pale-blue static pulsating across their spinning surfaces. Growing in size and power, they where abruptly released.

     An explosion ripped through the stillness like a jet through the sound barrier. The mighty portal's great locks where torn to nothing and the entrance to the hall blasted wide, particles of cloud evaporating in a strong upward drift. Shockwaves rent the air with cold furry; if the mighty lords had not been aware of any visitors before, they definitely where now.

     Descending, Clark and Roobo alighted before the ominous but now passable portal to the Hall of the Lords of the Sky. A fair isle of gleaming ice stretched down the length of an enormous chamber. The walls, also of crystallized water, glowed with an embedded light, its pale luminescence casting strange patterns upon the ice walkway and the vaulted ceiling. The Council held session at the main chamber's end, in an adjacent sub-chamber.

     Loose cloud particles scattered as the two lifted into the air. Expressions grim, Clark and his Rhuid glided cautiously in.

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Leon Placid/Sylph Knight