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Hrothofkiin – The Seidr's Isle, Norstad
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On the Seidr's Isle, there is an order of men, rather than Pokémon, who make their home in the volcano-riddled hellscape and use the power of their Voices to keep the elements from annihilating their fortress. It is known, as Hrothofkiin.
Pokémon do inhabit this fiery island. Species like Magmar, Magcargo, even a smaller breed of Charizard, but they take little notice of the humans within their midst. Indeed, most have no idea what humans even look like. This balanced ecosystem of fire and ice is one of the last places on the planet free of human meddling.
In this high fortress among the volcanic peaks of flame and ash, the 'Graybeards' as the locals call them, watch over their homeland of Norstad, from one of the three highest locations in the region, the other two being Ymir's Wahlom, and Valaskjalf, the home of those who ride Articuno.
It is as their nearest and greatest of volcanic peaks erupts, with a fury they've not seen in generations, that the Graybeards consult with the two elder members of their order. Koraaviik, the only man known to be able to read the Dragon Scrolls, and Zuwuth, the leader of their order.
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The assembled men, all gray, bearded, and cloaked in similarly colored gray robes, bow to their leader. Zuwuth's Voice is rarely heard, for he rarely speaks. His power is truly fearsome, but today, he must speak. Luckily, all those assembled can withstand the power of his Voice. For a time.
"My brothers…" He says, speaking the tongue of Dragons in but a whisper that causes the innermost chamber of their fortress to shudder, and shake loose dust and rock, "The Fairy King has passed on his knowledge of the Voice…to an outsider…and it has awoken something… something perhaps better left...asleep."
A few of the younger and not-so-gray bearded men murmured softly to each other, but the elders continued to listen. "Hush." The command from their leader filled the room, and silenced all other tongues with his thunderous whisper.
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He spoke again, once more in soft and hoarse tones. "The Scrolls have been consulted…Koraaviik senses not malice from this outsider, but hope. For our people. For the future. Clad in the bones of dragons...he brings change wherever he goes. This is only part of what the Scrolls foretell. Koraaviik believes that now, where the Scrolls become vague...is our best chance to positively influence...this new Speaker. If we do not...the power of his Voice may unbalance everything. According to what we know...he hunts a foul presence, recently come to our lands. You have all felt the presence I speak of."
Indeed they had, for a brief moment. Pure, undiluted anger, rage, fury, all backed up by a power that, to their finely honed senses, had seemed utterly foul. "For this reason...this outsider must be brought here." Zuwuth continued to speak, and the soft, but powerful reverberations of his Voice continued to shake them all. "He must be taught our Way. His Voice must become stronger, for this outsider's presence has been noticed by more than just us. The World Eater stirs once more...and we must venture to the mainland to give what aid we can, preferably before He rises again."
The bearded men shared several looks, and then, as one, nodded, and waited for their leader to appoint someone to leave. They did not leave often, and did not do so lightly. The people of their land had a tendency to worship them as minor deities because of the power their Voices had, something none of them wanted, but admittedly enjoyed. While it lasted. Always, they returned to Hrothofkiin.
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"Koraaviik shall fetch him." The murmurs started up again, largely in protest, but Zuwuth cut through them once more with the power of his authority, and his Voice. "Koraaviik has yet to leave this place...but there is none more skilled in our Way. He will bring this outsider to us as quickly as he can...and then we shall test his Voice."
The murmuring stopped. There was a reason only twenty or so Graybeards existed. They rarely recruited, and often, those they did recruit would be torn apart in this very test. The applicants needed to survive the unbridled power of four Voices for as long as they could. The minimum was thirty seconds.
Only Zuwuth had lasted longer, though how long exactly, nobody knew. He was a private old man, and kept to himself. Often, applicants would barely last five seconds, and be torn apart by the sheer power of their better's Hyper Voice. That was simply how it was, and the people of Norstad knew this. Yet every year they came regardless, seeking power. It was their way.
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This stranger, whoever it was, would likely die if tested so quickly. The fact that Zuwuth knew this, and proceeded anyway, was odd. Their order valued all life, an unpopular opinion in Norstad, and thus they thoroughly disliked testing applicants. Often, the masters who did the testing needed months to recover from the sadness of losing a promising pupil.
This was a stranger, though. A foreigner. It was likely that only a few would feel sadness if he failed. The universal dislike of outsiders pervaded even here, in this fortress of tolerance and ancient knowledge.
Koraaviik departed then and with his Voice, tamed one of the Charizard in the nearby volcanic areas. Though they were small, due to a lack of berries, their forms were actually capable of diving into the freezing sea, for what they truly lived on. Fish. Like most Charizard, their tail flames could handle being under water, for a brief time. This offshoot's tail's burned even in the water, making longer dives possible. Their wings had also adapted to cut through not only air, but water, and would not freeze.
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They were strong fliers as well, for often they had to range many miles from the island just to find enough fish to satiate their hunger. Koraaviik's mount had been forced to aid him, but in appreciation of the strength of his Voice, agreed to bear him for as long as his journey lasted. The Charizard of the isle often did this when the Graybeards needed to leave, as they were the only local species with wings. They didn't mind, provided they were fed.
Koraaviik had seen the nature of this new force of change within the Dragon Scrolls. Once they'd been returned from Unova's Elite Four history specialist, who had deciphered new passages about future events, he had been eager to meet the hero described, face to face. Zuwuth had, at first, denied him. But his skill at Tinvaak was unmatched in their order, and finally, the aged elder had agreed to let him go. He hadn't been back to Norstad's mainland in decades. He was eager to see his home.
A sound like thunder boomed for miles as the seer and his mount approached the fierce winds surrounding the mountains between the island and the mainland. The wind stopped. The snow halted. His Charizard flew through, unfazed. The Pokémon had sometimes seen the powerful humans stop volcanoes with their voices. Wind, by comparison, was nothing.
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The Revak Feykro - Norstad Region
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After several nights of sleep while Alex and Jess crossed the incredibly vast, barren tracts of icy tundra, Alex finally felt better after his encounter with Percival. Indeed, at that very moment, as he rode atop Shruikan's head, he felt wonderful.
He could feel this new power, and whatever it had awakened, eager to push forth. To be used. But both he and Jess had agreed that until he knew what he was doing, he shouldn't try using the Hyper Voice.
The desire to do so anyway burned brightly despite this. He was like a spoiled child on Festivus Eve, staring at a large present that he had an inkling about the contents of, and wanted to enjoy. He wanted to shout to the heavens in this new, strange, tongue. Just to see what would happen. But he resisted, and patiently rode on. Bad things tended to happen to those who just blindly jumped into using new powers and Alex had read enough comics to know better. That didn't curb the temptation, though.
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After two days of hearing his thoughts, Jess was rather sick of reminding him not to start using this new power. They'd agreed to go and get Connor, before trying to find out where Xerneas was. It made sense to visit the Articuno riders first. They had implied they knew where Xerneas was after all. Pravus would likely seek them out as well. Probably in a disguise. It's what Alex would've done, in his situation, now that he was evidently stripped of Yveltal.
Finally, Shruikan brought his riders over the 'sacred woods' they'd stumbled onto previously. The downed airship was all but buried in snow. There was no sign of human life. Alex swore quietly, and continued on. If Pravus had beat them here, this could get a lot harder. Shruikan circled the downed ship thrice before skirting around the eastern edge of the woods.
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They flew slowly, obviously, unthreatening, or as unthreatening as a black Salamence could be. Alex had even tried taking the helmet off, only to discover that it wouldn't budge. None of their glamoured armor would, it seemed, unless they needed to relieve themselves. It seemed they'd be wearing it forcibly until they brought Xerneas to Percy. The lack of freedom to copulate would speed their journey considerably. The 'High King' had read them well.
Alex's neck hairs rose as they flew further alongside the edge of the forest. He could feel eyes on them and more than one Articuno could overpower Shruikan. He'd hit them as well though, with an electric attack, before they plummeted to an icy death. The clouds were always stormy in this region, and his electric bolts were quite strong. To attack the intrusive dragon was to ensure fainting of all parties, and a likely fatal drop for their riders.
"Jess…you should join me up here, and do the talking. I get the feeling they don't care for men, and right now, I look like a local." He sensed her amusement at his mental words, and Shruikan slowed again, as the woman floated up to hold onto the free head spike, limned with her deep scarlet pinkish aura. They could both fly true, but Tao had warned them ceaselessly, almost to the point of madness, that they were not to, under any circumstance, waste their power.
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Small tricks like glowing eyes were easy. Flying, especially for Alex and his larger form, wasted too much energy at the moment. Jess had a smaller build though, and thus could fly whenever she pleased. In terms of psychic power, she had gained an advantage. Her Delphox had favored her, and Arthur was bound by the Swamp Sage not to teach Alex any more until he was told to do so.
Not long after Jess joined him upon Shruikan's larger head spikes, a pair of Articuno gracefully arced down to them, and flew on either side of their dragon. He eyed the Articuno, as they eyed him, ready to attack if provoked. Though as they saw the ferocity of the dragon's gaze and the sparks around his intimidating fangs, the birds seemed to drift away, slightly.
They spoke the tongue of Norstad, and for the first time, Jess was glad Alex had pushed Percy into sharing it with both of them. It had seriously affected her lover, enough to make him too exhausted for copulation. Even though he'd recovered now, she still had suspicions about Percy, no matter how well he made a Sunrise.
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"Hail, strangers. Why are you flying in this region?" The blonde haired female rider on their right had spoken first. The left rider, a severe looking woman with raven hair, simply stared at Alex, and he gave a slight nod. The severe expression lessened slightly from outright disgust to cold ambivalence.
Jess answered, as they'd both mentally agreed she was the one being addressed. "Well met, rider. We fought alongside your clan at the airship by the edge of the forest. We've come to see my brother, Connor."
Alex and Jess shared a look as they saw the blonde woman blush. Her stony demeanor melted in an instant, and she looked almost shy. "Right…Connor…right…he's umm, this way." The Trainers shared another look as the two riders pulled ahead of their dragon, who sped up to match them. Shruikan knew if he lost sight of them, this mountainous area would make them hopelessly lost. He had no idea what Norstad looked like, he'd seen no maps, and his Trainer hadn't thought to ask for one.
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Thankfully, he kept pace easily. They banked up, suddenly, and Shruikan followed, every bit as graceful. At least to Alex's eyes. They could both sense Jess watching the birds, and felt how badly she wanted one. She didn't know what one had to do to acquire such a partner, but she was so very willing.
The two riders paused at the edge of a sheer cliff, and waved them over. The three looked down, and took in their first view of the rider's home. "Welcome…to Valaskjalf."
Thus far, Norstad had looked like a frozen wasteland, acted like a frozen wasteland, and felt like a frozen wasteland. It was cold. Barren. Cold. Icy. And cold. Alex sighed in relief as he felt the warmth coming from below, and spied the source of it. Hot springs. A village full of lovely Legendary Bird riders, and they, even now, were bathing in hot springs.
Jess punched him, hard, as she knew where his eyes were wandering, driven by instincts older than their race. While the women below were indeed as lovely as their icy mounts, he knew they couldn't compare to his love. Even if their 'endowments' put hers to shame, he was glad he didn't feel any temptation to try to seduce one. Partly because he guessed how that would go, but mostly because Jess was all he needed and he refused to even contemplate an action that might ruin things with her. He didn't care about size of 'assets', either as by this point he knew how to handle her body. After so many days of camping in icy caves he was tempted to find a secluded hot spring for them, but that wouldn't happen, so long as their damned armor didn't come off.
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He just smirked, looking up from the mostly steam-shrouded ladies below to meet Jess and her eyes. "Connor must not want to leave. I can't say I blame him."
Unlike the rest of Norstad, Valaskjalf was nestled in a lush clifftop valley of green grass, trees with leaves of gold and red, and below, in the depths of the fjord it occupied, was a massive black lake, dark and foreboding. Both he and Shruikan felt their gazes drawn there.
Their view was interrupted by the massive form of a white Articuno flying up in front of them. There was a screeching sound as the Articuno's rider brought her spear up to Alex's neck, covered mostly by the horned dragon bone helmet. His staff, which was now disguised as a Greatsword, had caught the spear, and the weapons shivered as they pushed against each other.
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"Lokra! Stop! We're allies!" The spear lowered at the sound of his voice, and the words of the dragon's tongue. The ice and electric attacks that had formed in their mount's maws faded. Neither had wanted to take the first shot. Lokra, however, never hesitated.
She eyed him for a moment, then smirked. "I know those eyes. You're the Trainer. An…interesting outfit you've chosen...and you know our words, too...so quickly..." The massive white bird flapped backwards, twice, and was over the village again. "Come! Your friend awaits!"
The large bird arced then, swooping back down into the village, where Alex finally got a sense of scale for it. Next to Iizlokraan, the buildings were quite large. She was too big for most of them, though, as he got a sense of her size against fellow Articuno as well. They seemed to be thriving here, and he was glad places like this still existed, even if there was a bit of a confusing bias towards men. In fact, looking around, he saw exactly zero males, but every woman he stared at too long seemed to glare back at him.
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They landed soon after Lokra did, and much of the villagers, entirely women and small children, who were also female, stared at the massive black Salamence in their midst. Some murmured whispers of Alduin, and Shruikan finally asked who this Alduin was, according to these humans. Alex gave him a mental explanation of what he knew of the character, but warned that there was likely more to it. Reality always had more to it. If a dragon type had earned that name even from humans who flew on Legendary Birds, it had to be formidable indeed.
A nugget of Percy wisdom floated up from his brain then, and he shared that with his dragon. The people of Norstad often used many names for their gods, demigods, and Pokémon of importance. Alduin's other names, ones not influenced by Percy's nerdiness, would give more clues as to the dragon's nature, though, Alduin the World Eater seemed to sum him up in the local's eyes.
Jess spoke for them, only half paying attention to his mental words. "So. Lokra. What has my brother been up to, exactly?"
The aged woman smirked, hopping down from the lofty perch her mount had taken. "See for yourself." She led the way into the largest building, one that had steam leaking from the roof of it, and with one look inside, Alex knew they'd found the center of this village.
"And that's how we recombined the three Legendary Dragons of Unova into One Dragon, and brought about a new golden age for our people." Connor's voice wafted out nearby, and Alex smirked. Someone might as well use that line. He didn't need it.
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There was Connor, his friend, half nude, and surrounded by a spring's worth of similarly un-clad women. Many didn't even have clothes on, and the steam did nothing to hide any of it. Looking up, Connor saw the fuming face of his suddenly-brunette sister, and the smirk of his rival, underneath what looked like a helmet straight from a video game that he too was quite familiar with. "Oh, Muk."
The girl's attention suddenly shifted towards them, and Alex crossed his arms, staying silent, and hopefully imposing. His instinct said to let Jess talk here. This was clearly a matriarchal society, and he didn't want to know what they did with the males of their tribe. Historically, such villages never had very humane methods used for regulating the gender not in power, and as pretty as the village was, this was still Norstad. Everything was earned here, including reputation, and often done so through violence.
"Making maps are we, brother?" Jess walked up to the edge of the spring, which was still the natural rock that it had formed in. The villagers had built around it, and carved it a bit in certain places. Being a main spring, this one had depictions of Articuno all over it.
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Connor laughed, scratched the back of his head, and shrugged. Alex had rarely seen him in such good spirits since their reunion. He'd been edgy, short tempered, and sharp tongued. Apparently steam and breasts had returned him to something resembling his younger self. "Yes, well, there was no need for a map. After I rescued Billy, there was nothing to really…do…until you two returned. So. What did I miss in the giant freezing wind vortex?"
Jess looked ready to chew him out some more, when her brother snapped his fingers. Gren appeared, suddenly, and judging by the gazes of the many women in the spring with him, they were impressed.
Gren offered an egg to Jess, not fooled by the illusion around her, and she stared at it as it began to shiver in her hands. A crack appeared on the shell, and she looked slightly panicked, thinking her touch had somehow ruined an egg, until she looked at the women sharing the spring with her brother for guidance. The girl's faces had gained smiles at the sight of the egg, their eyes wide with wonder. This was expected, then.
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Realizing what was likely about to hatch, Alex put a hand on her shoulder, and told her his suspicions, via their link. She grinned. No one on record had ever seen a baby Articuno. No one, on record, had even seen a Legendary Bird egg, let alone a hatching one. The sound of lovely chirping filled the immediate room, and the shell didn't last long as it glowed a bright white, before a small burst of icy breath split it apart, shattering it into tiny frozen chunks of ice.
Like her kin in this feminine paradise, the little female was a lighter blue than the Articuno seen in other parts of the world. Each talon stood unsteadily on Jess's hands as the baby bird met her Trainer's lovely eyes. She chirped happily, and lifted her damp wings towards Jess' face. Her Trainer didn't seem to care that the baby was covered in egg juice still, they nuzzled each other, and knew their bond was permanent. She named the baby Articuno in the tongue of her homeland. Folokraan, or Fo, for short. She pressed a blue and gold Luxury Ball to the little Pokémon, and it dinged shut almost immediately. The bond was cemented.
She let the baby out again immediately, and it chirped, happy to see her again, and now suddenly more dry and fluffy than damp and gooey. It was a lovely sound. Jess walked out of the hall then, completely forgetting her brother as intended, and onto the unoccupied wooden walkways that surrounded the main hall of the village, and allowed its inhabitants to traverse it by foot. Not that many of them walked.
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She pulled out her Froslass, and showed her the Articuno. Then, Jess asked Lassi to consider staying in this place, to train, and live. There were signs all over the village about missing daughters, but nobody seemed to be investigating them.
Lassi looked around at the entirely female paradise, and then at one of the posters. She nodded. Using her powers over the night, and over the cold, would likely overwhelm whoever was stealing little girls. This village was, also, beautiful. She could spend eternity looking at it. It truly was the ideal place for an icy, female ghost to spend an afterlife.
She looked at her Trainer, and then her Articuno. She would be safe with a Legendary Bird by her side. Her voice was light and airy in Jess' head as she floated away into the paradise. "This is where I shall spend my eternity. Thank you, Trainer, for bringing me. The Snorunt will always be your friends."
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Jess turned to find Alex behind her, watching the ghost float away. "It's quite an honor, you know, to be allowed to spend your afterlife in Sovallah. This place…this is the hall that guards the gate, according to Percy's lore."
Jess and the adorable little bird stared at him. Alex had a feeling the hatchling understood them perfectly. Jess spoke then, "I don't know about you, but I don't see a hall…I mean the village is nice, but it's not exactly Thor's Hall." She knew the legends as well as he did. They both could trace at least half of their lineage to Germania, a land known for worship of the 'old gods'. They'd been stamped out, buried, lost to time, and then recovered, but the stories had never left. With the recovery of the Old Net, they had simply regained their old names, which was fine, for the 'gods' in this area of the planet had always possessed many monikers.
Alex found his gaze drawn back to the ominous lake of dark water below the village. "There's...something off about this place. You deal with Connor. I need to...look around." He'd been feeling a pull towards the lake below the village since they arrived. As if something in there demanded to see him. Shruikan felt it as well. Exactly as his Trainer did. It was a call to the dragon, and one who would call himself such. A challenge. He knew it then, as he watched Jess with her newest, and now fluffiest, party member. Percival's gift was calling to one of them more than the other. He'd altered or awakened something in Alex that simply hadn't happened with Jess.
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He stepped close to Jess then, and lifted his helmet, effortlessly. His eyes snared hers for once, and they kissed. The helmet came back down by itself once they'd parted, and he winked at her. "Train your new partner. I have a feeling this is going to take a while."
With that, he raised a fist toward the heavens. He spoke the tongue of the dragons. "Rise."
Shruikan's massive form shot past him, and he grabbed a head spike as it did. He climbed atop the dragon's thick neck, and the two flew out, slowly, over the basin below. Their senses tingled as they spied hundreds of icy, watchful eyes from the Articuno above.
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As they hovered over the lake, Alex sighed. He saw the telling shimmer of massive white feathers, and Lokra, upon her mighty mount, descended to their level. She spoke in the tongue of Norstad as well. "I thought I recognized your armor. It is not what you wore last time, Unova Champion."
Alex nodded. "I went to see your High King. He gave me this outfit, and the...title of Dragonborn." He turned so she could see his cape, and its symbol. "Apparently it's in my blood. This...Well is calling to me…I must face it."
Lokra regarded him for a long time. "The High King…pagh…fine. If Oberon thinks you are ready, by all means, awaken Nidhogg."
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Alex tilted his helmet-horned head at her. It seemed Percy also had other names, so he let that slide, and instead asked, "Sorry…Nidhogg?"
Lokra nodded. "The dragon we sometimes call Alduin. The World Eater. He Who Sleeps At The Foot Of Yggdrasil. Go on then, Dragonborn. Summon him with your Voice!"
Alex looked down at the well's churning, black waters, and nodded. Lokra ascended, and raised her hand. The riders, and their mounts, began to sing. He let the breath build within him as he prepared his Hyper Voice. His first Hyper Voice.
He didn't know what he would say, and as he hesitated, he noticed something. A small flame, coming fast over the mountains to the west. Only one flying species had a flame-tail like that, and Alex let the breath go. That Charizard was coming straight for him. He decided to wait.
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The song faded as the fiery tailed intruder soared down beside the bone-covered Trainer, and his black scaled partner. As the song started to pick up again at Lokra's command, the man upon the smaller Charizard's back opened his mouth.
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Thunder boomed. The air itself shook, and any trace of the song the riders had been singing faded under the force of his power.
"Not. Yet." The old man said, his voice echoing through the fjord. The very air shimmered between himself and Alex as they locked eyes.
Alex nodded, and looked to Lokra. She swooped down to them, saw the man, sighed, and then flew up once more. "Sisters! The Graybeards come to interrupt our challenger. They mean to train him before the test commences." She turned to the old man. "You have two weeks. That is how long Nidhogg can wait for his meal, now that he has their scent."
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With a grunt that was more of a snarl, the gray-robed man motioned for Shruikan to come along as he and the Charizard took off. Alex looked at Jess, finding her easily despite not having the hair of flame to catch his eye. He nodded, and she did the same.
They would stay connected, but it wouldn't be as…intimate as a connection was when in close proximity. That had been one of the first tricks Alex had asked Tao to teach him properly. Jess had asked as well, and he'd finally relented. Tao had also generally refrained from giving Alex too many advancements where his psychic power was concerned, as he was well aware the Sage was teaching him, but communicating across thousands of miles was useful, and, the dragon had surmised, necessary for Norstad.
Shruikan followed the smaller Charizard until they came over the stormy peaks of the western mountains, sometimes referred to as 'Alduin's Wings'. The sky darkened, and the man on the Charizard began to speak.
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An approximation of his face appeared in the clouds as they rode along, and Alex just stared, impressed.
"This is the only method by which I may speak without a whisper…"
His words boomed for miles, but luckily, this was Norstad. Nobody was around. These mountains were deadly, and inhospitable.
"I understand." Alex said in a more normal tone. Shruikan was next to the Charizard now, and the bearded man's ears would be able to hear him without having to shout. "Can you tell me how to use the Hyper Voice?"
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The old man looked at him for a moment, and then Shouted. A wave of Unrelenting Force pushed against Shruikan, and while it hurt, his flight was uninterrupted. Alex and his dragon shared a look.
"I guess he doesn't understand." Alex smirked, and looked back at the bearded man with sunken eyes as he reached for his own power, inhaled, and finally Shouted as he chose three random words, "Dovah! Nagah! Qo!" His thus far suppressed Voice harnessed the power he and Shruikan had at their disposal, dragon, psychic, and electric. The Sediidah, or Threefold Attack.
Shruikan channeled the summoned power as Rayquaza had against Groudon, and unleashed a Hyper Beam level move. The man and Charizard were blown away by the Taijitu move as the three energies combined into one intensely powerful attack. To Alex, it seemed that the long hours of endless training under Tao had finally started paying off where it mattered. In battle. It was also useful to know what shouting an element's name in this tongue caused. Shruikan had taken command of that summoned power with ease.
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Zuwuth hadn't appointed Koraaviik the Scroll Reader for nothing, though. His Charizard was damaged, but was revived by a whisper from the old man. His gray form bent slightly, and the Charizard was fully healed once more, almost instantly.
They faced off again against the dragon and his equally fearsome rider. The clouds spoke once more. "My apologies…Dragonborn. You are as the Scrolls have foretold. Forgive our… skepticism. The Fairy King Oberon is devious and sly."
Alex simply nodded. It made sense that men like this would fear Percy. The gray cloaked and bearded man was dual typed, as normal and dragon. The inherent fear of fairy types was ingrained in all dragons. Not because of their cute, fluffy, adorable shapes, but because of their total immunity to dragon energy, which as a rule, could bind or enhance the other types as its wielders saw fit. When he'd asked the First Dragon why Arceus had decided to make his most powerful creations weak to such fluffy, but rather rare creatures, he'd simply rumbled something about humility, being brought down a few notches by Arceus, and had moved on with his lesson. In human form, Alex had first hand experience of how irritating such energy could be. He was after all, at that moment, encased by a glamour that would not come off. He'd lifted his helmet by pure instinct earlier, but hadn't actually expected it to move.
"Oberon shared his knowledge of your Speech with me, and the knowledge of Hyper Voice. Combining the elemental energy of combination Moves is something I've long since mastered." Alex let his eyes flare with his psychic power. "Go ahead. Test me. And when I pass…you share your knowledge of a particular ability…"
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A single agreeable boom of thunder answered him from the clouds, as the face disappeared. The Graybeard and the Trainer flew on, back to the fortress of Hrothofkiin. As they landed, the clouds darkened to signal the speech of the Graybeard, but Alex paused him with a tap on his shoulder.
He gave Shruikan a nod, and had him continue on behind the fortress. Alex guessed there was probably a training area back there. The fortress shook as the massive dragon landed, and as the inhabitants of the fortress rushed to the main chamber to investigate the shudders, they came upon a sight straight from legend. They had all heard the scroll-read prophecy of how the next dragon-blooded human would appear.
A figure clad in the bones of dragons, his brothers, who his Force had overpowered, would come to the summit of this fortress, and shake the island to its core with his training in the Voice.
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Zuwuth stepped forward from the crowd of men, and Alex faced him down, standing several inches over him, as he did with most humans. He opened his mouth, and requested a taste of his Voice. Traditionally, that would be his shouting of Force, which was essentially what a regular Hyper Voice attack was, but Alex had tapped into another word he knew quite well, thanks to Koraaviik.
Yol.
The small wave of flame that appeared from nowhere singed the bearded man, and Alex chuckled. The fortress chuckled with him, as Shruikan found the little human's reactions amusing. They thought themselves powerful because they had learned an old trick of the dragons.
His kind had legends of Nidhogg too, and the mocking tone of his downfall in these human's songs irritated Shruikan. Humans always knew just enough of the truth to be dangerous. They couldn't all be like his Trainer, it seemed.
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Zuwuth eyed the shaking fortress suspiciously. Then looked at Alex again. "You are the foreigner the Fairy King has shared our knowledge of Hyper Voice with…I admit your Voice is powerful…" He paused as Koraaviik whispered to him. "Yes. Right. Quite powerful. Oh?"
He looked at the foreigner again, his face as unreadable as a cliff side. "Let the Trials begin, then."
Four Graybeards, Zuwuth, Koraaviik, Arngeir, and Bjorn surrounded him, and as one, unleashed the power of their Hyper Voices. And with it, they awakened something that, until that moment, had been mostly asleep within Alex. Alex looked down at himself as the smoke and dust of the shivering fortress obscured him for a moment. The sheer power these men were producing with this attack appeared, visibly, as waves of air, and from four directions, they slammed into his form relentlessly. More than that though, their Voices were empowered with draconic energy, something his own Shouts hadn't had.
Yet.
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Despite their power, he was unhurt. He stood before the unbridled power of four trained Hyper Voices, and didn't flinch. Instead, his eyes flared, and the familiar deep blue glow of his aura deepened into something else entirely, becoming a potent mix of blue and purple. His irises retained the light blue of his psychic typing, but the power of dragons was surging within him, and radiating off his larger form. The overwhelming presence he was giving off as he mentally pushed the change further almost overpowered the men responsible for testing him. There were limits yet to break with this energy he thought, as he clenched a glowing fist with immense satisfaction, but for now, this would do. It was power enough to rival Pravus, which was what he was still after. Tao's training promised to keep him alive, but this awakening power might just be enough to cage the bastard.
He blinked, and as he looked down, he couldn't deny it anymore. It had been staring him in the face, really, throughout his journey. Dragon types always seemed to have a connection with him. He could even, technically, breathe fire now. Soon, that ember would become an inferno, in a form akin to a Flamethrower. Gone was the normal typing common to almost every member of his race that his psychic eyes had seen. To his eyes, he was part dragon, part psychic now. He'd never seen a human with anything other than normal typing, and wondered what that meant for him.
He eyed his skin, but no changes were visible. As far as he knew, he would appear normal amongst humans. He felt he could tap into this new power though. Push it to its limits. Who knew, perhaps he'd even gain a proper dragon form. His granduncle had investigated rumors of people who could change their shapes into those of dragons. It was a myth of Draconid tribes from foreign lands, but it had ended in disappointment, and with the assumption that such things simply weren't possible.
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As he looked around the chamber, Alex realized all sound had vanished. The fortress still shook, as the Graybeards focused their power on him, and he stood in the midst of it, unfazed. Shruikan's voice echoed in his skull. "Finally…I knew there was power akin to mine in you. I knew it from the moment we locked eyes…Dragon and Psychic…hmm. You will be strong, even among our kind…few are able to combine those types together."
He thanked his draconic brother, and as the old men ceased Shouting, for they'd done so for roughly a minute by now, their leader stepped forward. "You are, indeed, Dragonborn! The blood of the Clans flows within you!" He said, shaking the fortress with his proclamation in the tongue of the Dovah. "I dub thee Dragon of the West…it is an honor to be in your presence."
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As their leader bowed, so too did the other bearded men. "Alok." Rise. Alex said the word, and it rippled through the gathered men. None could deny that his Voice had serious power…but it still needed training and refinement.
"Come." Zuwuth said, turning and heading for the courtyard. "We begin your training immediately." Koraaviik had informed him of what the Dragonborn had started, and they had little time to waste. Every few hundred years Nidhogg would awaken to try to break his ancient prison. Each time, the Articuno riders of Valaskjalf were able to lull him back to sleep with their own Shouts. In years past, they had begun to summon the Graybeards to help them. His last attempt for freedom had taken the lives of Lokra and Zuwuth's predecessors.
"Brother…you might want to see this…" Alex heard Shruikan's voice again as he headed up the steps within the fortress, to the doors leading to the back. Even the design of this temple was uncannily similar. His suspicions rose as he sensed his dragon bow his head to…whatever awaited them outside. That was strange. Shruikan had only ever bowed to Tao.
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As Alex joined the Graybeards outside, they looked up, startled by both the huge, black scaled Salamence, and the figure it was bowing towards. Arcing through the ash-filled sky was the green form of the First Rayquaza.
"So." His own Voice thundered in the sky, clearing it of smoke and ash. "I see you have found my home away from Unova." His mouth moved as he spoke the language of Norstad better than Alex did, as if he'd been born to it.
The Graybeards had all bowed as well, but the Dragonborn walked towards the large dragon, smirking. "It's been a while. How is Brad's-"
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"There will be time for that laterrr." The Rayquaza snarled. "You have set into motion events you cannot understand. Because of this, I must train you far sooner than we had intended."
"Y-you intend to train him, master? Personally?" Zuwuth asked, daring to look upon the jade colored dragon.
The Rayquaza nodded. "The training of his Voice will be left to me, and me alone. You are strong, for mortals, but you are not worthy of the name dragon. Not yet. Shruikan, join us." A giant green paw enveloped Alex as he stepped into it.
The great dragon then arced into the sky, and headed for his home on this island, the biggest volcano, recently erupted. It was also close to the fortress. Within the volcano, in the lava below, which glowed blue for some reason, not red, was the resting form of the red Rayquaza that Brad had tamed. It was still injured, as the battle with Groudon had been somewhat recent.
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Once they landed, the Rayquaza looked them over, and nodded. "I see. The Original Dragon trained you. That makes some sense. In any case, you were not supposed to learn of this for several years yet…you've only just acquired Psychic abilities. But now the power in your blood has woken up…and in turn it has been noticed by Nidhogg. Know that the World Eater enjoys the taste of Dragonblooded Humans. In the past, he traveled far and consumed many of them. The Draconids never completely recovered from that, as a people."
The massive green dragon brought his eye to their level then. It was as tall as Shruikan. "You have shown remarkable restraint, control, and prowess already…Dragonborn…" The large dragon chuckled. "I hardly even recognize you. You've changed much in the space of a few weeks."
Alex had to agree. He'd been expecting to relax with this time away from the Swamp. Not that he minded getting stronger. His team was full of powerhouses, and he knew that he was the weakest link in it. Oranguru had said as much, but had refused to make him stronger. Now, in some ways, he'd made up for his weakness.
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Alex met the dragon's eye, nodding. He could see the similarity to Tao's. Not in color, for none had the golden eyes burning with inner light like Tao possessed, but in the very shape. This Rayquaza, more than any other, was as close to a copy of the First Dragon as one could get. Others had been formed from their surroundings, like Brad's, and had taken on different subtle attributes based upon which mineral essences they formed from. This one had evidently been a piece of Tao himself, and like the dragon, did not require a female to procreate.
"Train us." Alex said in the tongue of their kin, "Teach us to use this power."
The dragon eyed the two young ones, and smirked. "Very well. Let us transform your Hyper Voice into what it was meant to be. The Strunzul. The Storm Voice."
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Valaskjalf, Upper Cliffs - Norstad Region
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The armored form of Shor, the God of Thunder, looked down upon the village below, and grinned. These women were notoriously…eager…when powerful male strangers visited. Or so his sources had said. He would blend in quietly, and work his way to their leader.
As he walked into the first inn he found, the eyes of every female rider there stared at him. He walked up to the counter, smirked, and said, "By Woden's saggy left testicle, give me some Nord Mead."
That brought on a familiar drinking song, and he proved he could 'chugga'mugga'mead' like no mortal could ever hope to. In short, he blended perfectly, despite his choice of character. The intel about Shor sometimes visiting the taverns of Norstad had proven accurate. Several weeks passed and the season slowly shifted to the heat of spring in the small village, while the rest of Norstad was still entirely frozen. Jess didn't mind it though, her 'Lil' Fo' kept her quite comfy when it came to temperature.
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There had been some hesitation when Connor suggested the villagers give his sister an Articuno as thanks for him giving them many daughters. The village's seeress had eventually agreed to his skillful persuasion. She was the only one he'd been denied carnal access to, to keep her 'pure' or something. Apparently, like most ancient cultures, these riders valued the preservation of 'innocence' that they attributed to certain aspects of the female genitalia.
With her golden locks, she was easily one of the loveliest women around. She was a strong fighter, too, and often she and Connor would spar for roughly eight hours at a time with his team facing her Articuno, and the other members she'd added since meeting him. He would be lying if he'd claimed that he hadn't been interested in the seeress. He'd had more than a few partners in the days Alex and Jess had been away, and like any breathing male, he'd enjoyed himself. The whole situation had gotten stale quickly though, as he realized that, while the riders enjoyed themselves, reproduction was regarded as necessary, and emotions were kept out of it. It was hard not to feel like a dispensary after the twentieth such visit, gorgeous as his partners were, they did have a tendency to openly tell him, to his face, what his role was, and how they viewed him for filling it. It was just as he'd been tiring of being a reusable seed bag that he'd met her.
The seeress was different, for out of all of the women he'd had the pleasure of speaking with, she'd actually regarded him with more than lust, and had proven to be as skilled at battling as he was. Jess had explained, poorly, the thrill she got from sparring with Alex, but Connor hadn't quite understood what she'd been referring to until he battled the seeress. Judging by the looks she'd given him in return, the attraction was mutual, but custom kept him from pushing their dynamic further.
Then, 'Shor' had appeared, and his golden-haired beauty had been stolen away with little more than a glance and a pointed finger. Connor was furious, but none of the elders seemed to care. One did not deny a 'god' his desires, and it was well known that Shor needed a wife. From a legal standpoint, Connor was an outsider, and worse, a male. He was for reproduction and genetic diversity in the clan, nothing more. He had no voice.
After his threat to simply stop procreating entirely, they'd given him an egg, and said that if it hatched for his sister, she could keep it, provided she raised it for two weeks around the village, to learn how to properly handle a Legendary Bird's care.
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As time passed, Connor grew to have doubts about this Shor character. Like his sister, and Alex, he had learned the old stories as well. They were the myths of their ancestors, carried on by songs. Those mythical beings had many names. Shor also went by Thor. Woden was sometimes Odin.
This Shor acted nothing like the character portrayed in the legends. He was dark, brooding, and clearly hiding something. Connor was not alone in his suspicion. Lokra suspected this figure as well. He was far too interested in her daughter, the aforementioned seeress, who she'd skillfully paired with the strong Trainer for a reason. She knew men well, as she knew her offspring, and the taboo denial would only, eventually, result in a vigorous, and likely fruitful furthering of their bloodline. Someone would have to replace her eventually, after all. Iizlokraan would need a new rider, and someone else would become the Konaar Boiik. Despite the expected pairing with Norstad's favored god, the seeress avoided Shor whenever she could, and Lokra kept him from their sacred spaces, declaring they were very much for women only.
It was hard to deny him without offending his divine authority but the more they interacted, the more Lokra was sure that this man had taken Shor's visage through some kind of magic. Unlike her fellows in this region, she knew what technology was, to a point, and knew what modern technology could, theoretically, be capable of. If this was the case, then it was heresy, and even more of a reason to not embrace technology.
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Lokra was one of the few to have actually seen Shor before. While this pale imitation made a good visual recreation, it lacked the thunderous power the true being emanated. She did not have the words to describe a holographic projector, but she could smell Bouffalant stool a mile away.
Finally, when she had kept him from her daughter for as long as she could manage over the course of several weeks, Lokra challenged him. "Mighty Shor. If you have truly returned to us to rule in Woden's stead, open the Gates to your Hall, and the Life Pokémon." That, had got his attention, and he asked to be reminded of the exact procedure required to open the gate. He didn't want to mess up. Pravus also acted quite drunk at the time, but that wasn't unusual for Shor.
Shor had stood once he heard the relatively simple steps involved, and nodded, then walked outside. He had sensed the growing power of the presence in this place over the weeks he'd stayed here. He had a feeling subduing it would lead to what he truly sought. The Shadow whispered to him, telling him that what he needed was right here, in the village. He was too obsessed with his prize however, to fully heed what it was telling him.
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What looked like storm clouds surrounded him then, and he floated out over the deep lake. The riders watched, but Lokra stayed perched, shaking her head as her proclamation rang through the fjord. "Nidhogg does not want this one. He wants the Dragonborn that was promised."
Pravus looked at the elderly chief, and noticed a small Pachirisu chattering to her, on her shoulder. It then ran away, disappearing into a crack in the ice her mount perched on.
She grinned, continuing. "He says this one has an aura that would taste foul. Nidhogg desires a Human with Dragonblood."
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Shor looked at the Well, fuming. He couldn't just whip out Pokéballs as the God of Thunder. He only had one option. He drew his hammer, and pitifully small sparks of electricity played over it. They had impressed in the taverns, but right now, he needed more. More his belt simply could not provide.
A familiar Voice cracked the air over the fjord. "If the World Eater wants a Dragonborn…he shall get one!" Thunder boomed, and then, riding a bolt of electricity down to the disguised Pravus, Shruikan appeared, carrying the large dragonbone armored form of his Trainer.
They pulled to a stop in front of him, but held off on attacking. He was still Shor, God of Thunder…for the moment. Shor gestured to the Well, but Alex shook his head. His Voice reached every rider, who like before, had gathered on the cliffs. "I would dishonor myself and our hosts by taking a God's sport from him. By all means, summon the World Eater, mighty Thor." At his words, Lokra had the riders begin singing again. Their song quickly filled the fjord.
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Pravus stared in disbelief. He knew that smirk. He'd faced this human before…but something was different. Just different enough for him not to realize who was playing the part of hero. For the moment. It was as the look of recognition came over his now-helmetless red-bearded face, that Alex Shouted, "Al! Du! In!" Destroyer. Devour. Master. Thunder boomed as the fury of the three words echoed into the water, and unbound the World Eater.
A dark chuckle echoed through the fjord. "Heh…heh…heh…ahst laat…" A pair of truly enormous wings lifted out of the well, and as they rose, they expanded, darkening the sky as the leathery appendages unfolded. Rayquaza had warned them of the World Eater's size, but he'd left out just how gargantuan he really was. Massive serrated black scales made up his crest, which like Tao's went from his curled horns pointing upwards all the way to his tail, which seemed more like a mace. The waters of his prison glowed an icy white blue with the rider's song, but the World Eater ignored it. He was not going back to sleep, this time. This time, he was free. A Dragonborn had undone his binding.
The rider's song faded as they realized not even the magic of old could cage this dragon now. He would either be defeated here, or once more rule over their land with a scaled fist. His power had, after millennia, finally built up enough for this. The Dragonborn whelp would help him regain what he had lost over the eons, or bring his doom.
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Every aspect of him was black. Wings, scales, everything but his eyes, which burned yellow, and seemed to spark with electricity. He was a Black Salamence, though his similarity to Shruikan ended there. Massive plates of hardened, jagged scale covered his gargantuan body, from snout to tail tip. Even the wings were edged with razor sharp spines, though the leather parts of the appendages remained free of such scales, indicating that the World Eater could likely fly. Air filled the massive classic draconian wings as they pulled his titanic girth from the bowels of Norstad. Alex surmised they'd probably changed to accommodate their host's incredible size.
The fjord shook as the beast's head rose, and then, after four thunderous booms from each clawed foot, the dragon was standing in the well's water, finally free of his icy prison. The fjord was barely big enough for him anymore. "Go ahead, mighty Shor!" Alex let his voice carry. "Show us all the power of Woden's own son! Mjolnir can handle the serpent!" His words reached everyone watching, and as Shor remained motionless, murmurs began to rise. The true God of Thunder would never hesitate to battle his nemesis. Or battle in general, really.
Shor was instead staring down Alex as he hovered in the air, fists locked in what was undoubtedly white-knuckled fury. Alex smirked at him. After several weeks of training, he could do many things with his Voice now, and not all of them had to split the sky with thunderous power. Those kinds of Shouts were, admittedly, his favorite though. He could also sense the mad mind of Pravus, or rather, the dark absence it left in reality. He was not the only dark typed human, but each human who acquired that typing gave off their own personal 'wavelength' of darkness and Alex recognized his. It was hard to forget after their encounter on top of the PNN building.
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In a desperate attempt to stay in character, Shor twirled his sparkling hammer, and shot towards Nidhogg. It was like trying to take a brick wall down with a small coin. His 'hammer' bounced off the dragon's snout harmlessly, and it didn't take long for the dragon's massive black paw to swat him into a nearby building.
Alex saw Jess and her Articuno, who was almost half her height now, head for the ruined building. She knew Alex had a plan, as right before arriving they'd psychically shared information, amongst the feelings of joy now that they were close again. Now she played her part: keeping the disguised entity that was probably Pravus, or some other Arcean, from slipping away.
With the nuisance gone, Alex turned to his own part of the plan. Subduing Alduin so that the way into Uppsalir would be open once more. Permanently.
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Before he could act, the dragon turned his gaze up, and snarled in the tongue of dragons. "For your words, you will Die!" His roar shook the entire mountain chain. In this instance, his fury was well justified. There were two last lines of defense for Valaskjalf, a Braviary, and a Talonflame, a pair of birds charged with guarding the gate and the lake by Woden himself.
Over the years, they had, naturally, become bored, and had convinced a Pachirisu to ferry messages to the trapped Nidhogg for them. Or be eaten. The electric squirrel had done as it was told, but the contents of what it had said to the caged dragon, via electric shock, was always antagonizing, infuriating, and mocking in nature.
In that moment, the Pachirisu in question had fled when it realized Nidhogg was going to probably be free soon. The pair of birds had only seconds to cry their rage at the betrayal before a blast of lightning obliterated them. They had been told Nidhogg was actually doing fine, trapped beneath the water, and was grateful the birds bothered to speak to him at all in his solitude. They had been wrong in their assumptions, and now the Pachirisu in question was nowhere to be seen.
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His millennia long irritant disposed of, the dragon turned his focus back to Alex, and the other Black Salamence that dared to challenge him. Another amused chuckle filled the fjord, and the dragon pulled in his wings. They still blocked out most of the sky, for Alex, but keeping them extended constantly was unnecessary.
His words shook the entire fjord as two gargantuan yellow eyes stared them down. "You are the Dragonblood? Ha! I thought you'd be bigger…"
Alex looked up at the massive dragon, arms crossed. "I could honestly say the same thing. The songs say your wings 'darken the sky', but from what I can tell, you could maybe block the sun for a few miles. If that."
The dragon snarled. "Ignorant worm…I am the Night!" He puffed his chest up, and roared again. Everyone and everything held their ear orifices as the dragon's furious Hyper Voice raged through the area.
Alex waited until he was done, unfazed. "You are the night, hmm? Impressive, considering this is the land of the midnight sun. You are aware it doesn't set at this time of year, right?" His Voice echoed in every ear gathered, especially the dragon's, the hate filled eyes focused on him, and his smirk, as he stood arms crossed atop a smaller version of his own kind.
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There were chuckles from the surrounding village on the walls, and the dragon glared at the human females. The World Eater's Voice needed no enhancement to be heard, but somehow, this gnat's words were just as loud. The dragon snarled again. He'd had enough Tinvaak.
Alex and Shruikan had been waiting for the very moment his eyes narrowed and began to spark again. They zipped up, high, and Alex Shouted down at the still land-bound dragon. "Come, wyrm! Your destiny is upon you!"
Alduin's massive wings flapped downwards, and the concussive blast tore apart several of the houses near the water. He flapped again as he gained air, and every thatched roof in the village blew away like dandelion seeds. His head turned towards his prison, and his Shout was heard for miles. "Viidost! Praakem! Fonaar!"
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The well of water bubbled, and then, slowly, the heads of thousands of Pokémon began to break the surface. Arbok and Ekans, though they were dual poison and ice types. They dwelt in the lowest parts of Norstad, preferring to hunt in the dark, but over the long centuries, Nidhogg had become a source of warmth and life for them and his Shadow was only too eager to corrupt them, as well.
Then he had left, only to call them to the surface. The day had finally come. The gate would open, and the snake's rage would ravage the land as much as their draconic master's.
"Blaze Kick!"
As the first slithering intruder crept forth from the Well, it found itself facing down a flaming foot, which fainted it easily. In large numbers, the snakes were unbeatable, but there was only so much room on this shoreline.
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Ardor flipped back into the line of defense on the fjord's beach as his opponent fell, and pounded his chest as he stood side-by-side with Gar, and Sophos, the Alakazam. Being the Champion of Kalos, Connor was more than capable of handling a swarming mass of poisonous, icy snakes.
As the eternal light of the midnight sun shone down on them, more than a few slithered back to the water, rather than faint. They lived underground, and the light was irritating. As was the heat from the fire ape. Their master did not notice however, for the massive dragon had followed his dinner into the clouds.
Only then did he realize his mistake. Norstad's airspace was always full of dark, snowy clouds that never completely stopped dumping snow on the region, and today was no exception. Even over Valaskjalf, they were present. Though the steam from the village was one of the few places that melted the snow before it ever came close to its inhabitants.
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Given his massive size, Nidhogg had long since lost the rapid speed and maneuverability most Salamence had, but there was another advantage Shruikan and his Trainer had that the large dragon did not. Mega Evolution.
The dragon's eyes widened as he saw the smaller dragon change, and grow considerably stronger, and faster. "What!? No! How has a mortal gained such power!?"
The clouds lit with his fury as he fired a Charge Beam, but it might as well have been moving in slow motion against the smaller, faster dragon, who barrel rolled out of the way, and responded with his own mocking roar, goading the beast further as he followed them.
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As the apocalyptic battle raged above, giving only brief glimpses of the massive dragon's form hidden within the clouds as it discharged another Charge Beam, the snakes of the Hvergelom began to slowly overwhelm Connor, and his three defenders. The cleverer ones had slithered up the rocks, and the less clever ones had followed. The cries of Articuno filled the air as they joined the battle, and pelted the snakes with their Ancient Power.
Jess stood beside Folokraan, glancing at the two battles. Alex could use ice against a dragon, but Connor needed all the aid he could get. He was already burning through elixirs. Jess looked down at her newest partner, and then nodded. There was really only one choice they could make in a situation like this.