"Well met Good Cousin Heldrouth, and to you again Iohmar." She sighed then though as she moved to stand closer to them.

"Ah, well at least I'm getting to meet you in person. Which is what I had wished. You impressed me with your good form in your fight today. Staying honorable in the face of such a navely opponent as you had.... If I may?" She'd reach her coal grey feathered hands out hoping he'd hold out his paw for her. She'd clasp it in her hands warmly and crouch down to pop a little kiss in his head. Putting a little of her powers in it. Just a little. Nothing that would be considered cheating for him in his next fight. But still.

"Good luck and fortunes in your future endeavors, and do give my compliments to your Brother, and your Lady Diancie of Stow-On-Side." Her mouth curved up in her little one sided smile.

She stood up then and moved to the table and Jack. She locked eyes with him and could read his feelings. She lightly lay a hand on his arm for a moment.

"You only have to ask my old friend. My offer of yesterday still stands. If you need any assistance I will see what I can do." And he knew her word was of high worth. Or at least knew of old that they were.

"Sadly no, but I am indeed providing the prizes, and I assure you that for each round, and at the end, they'll be well worth the effort." Heldrouth should know. His winnings just from his round were nothing to sneeze at.

Aria reached for the rug that was holding what she'd generously paid for. It slowly unrolled itself infront of her to reveal her old war axes reforged. She was pleased with how they looked and held one up, inspecting blade edge and then pinging the metal with her finger. It hummed in her hand as her power touched it and her visible eye sparkled. She put it back down and held up the short sword she'd commissioned for her young knight Marcos. Tested the balance, pinged the metal again nodded her head. Then finally she reached for her sword and backed up as she held it. The Meloetta insignia of the hilt, the dragon's breath opal at the pommel glowing faintly in recognition of it's Mistress. The metal Sang as she pinged it and she crouched and then whirled about in a swift maneuver to the side. Away from her Guests and Knights. Jack had seen her do this once before. But he hadn't seen her do what she did next. Visibly, for just a moment, show her power in calling up energy made replicas of the sword to join it in circling her in a Swords Dance. Then it was tossed into the air and caught easily to be returned to its scabbard.

Jack stood behind Heldrouth and fought to hold back a chuckle but could not stop the grin from crossing his face at the other's embarrassment. Luckily Aria's gaze snapped his attention away before he lost that battle... and suddenly he too found himself with a lack of words. His internal struggles faded and a numb 'quietness' cross his mind for a brief moment before Heldrouth and Aria began to exchange words again. He was just about to let his mind wander when the sudden flash of metal attracted his attention back. His fingers subconsciously twitched towards the dagger at his belt when Aria tested the weapons as if running off muscle memory but he held himself back.

Neither the Purrserker nor the Rover were expecting the Swords Dance though, and Jack felt an uncomfortable emotion cross him as he stepped back at the sight of the swinging metal. He fought the feeling back and hid it strongly behind an impressed though, and clapped, "Well now, looks like you have a few new tricks up your sleeve?"

Heldrouth however, burst out with a loud belly laugh, "The rumors around ye do not disappoint, Ma'am! That's for sure!"

He looked like he was about to say something else but before he could the sound of a large bell rang out across the field and immediately there arose a clatter from outside the tent as people began exiting their tents.

The Purrsurker looked back over his shoulder and then back at Aria and bowed again, "Well now, I must be takin' my leave as well to prepare fer my turn. It was an honour meeting you, Princess."

He stroked his beard for a moment and looked like he was about to say something else but before he could the bell rang out again and his fur bristled impatiently. He nodded his head at Jack and then turned to leave, "I be lookin' forward to see what the grand price is then, ma'am."

Amongst these but set a little apart from the others was one fine tent. White and Aqua and under the banner of the Royal House Ray of OKI Kingdom. Oval in shape and decorated with golden, but modest trim. On either side of the entrance was a pair of older teens. Brown hair that was almost black, dark eyes and tanned skin. In chainmail and bearing their Princess's personal heraldic symbols. They stood under the cloth awning put up for further shade from the sun as well as a table with glasses and a pitcher of water.

These two had been told that their lady was waiting for a delivery so when they would catch sight of Heldrouth and company heading towards the tent one would announce them to those waiting inside and the other would raise a hand in a friendly greeting and tell them they were welcome to go right in.

Inside there was a good table and wooden chairs, a place to rest, a bowl of fruit and yet another pitcher and cups set upon the table. A gold gilded trunk that was open but the open side facing away from them. The Princess Aria, with her long perfect aqua hair plaited in a tight braid was finishing putting on her bracers on that side of the trunk. Gorbash, her faithful Charizard Knight was on the left of her, Amalthea looking fierce and elegant in her own armor at the table pouring herself a drink, and Evvaine standing on the right of her Princess. Holding out Aria's furred cape, gold sunflower locket, and plain circlet for when she fought for her to take them when she was ready. The sight of the Princess in chainmail and armor was something only Jack had ever seen some 10 years ago when they had sparred a few times. Back before Ulric had conquered the North.

"Well well-" Aria began with a twinkle in her visible eye. Turning to give them her full attention.

"Welcome to my tent, you've come just in time good Sir's!" She chimed. The words sounding almost cheerful compared to her usual sober tone. She looked at Heldrouth first, then Jack, and finally to the boys behind them.

Jack jumped down behind him. Despite the heat, the Rover had the hood of his deep, forest green travelling cloak pulled up far over his head to hide his features. He paused to look around cautiously but not a single person minded them. The sight of a Purrserker pulling up in a rickety old wagon before a tournament was nothing new and drew absolutely no attention - but one could not be too careful here. And despite knowing that the two guards in front of Lady Aria's Tent were safe - he still subconsciously pulled the cowl up higher over his face.

Heldrouth had started rounding the wagon to pull out their cargo, but Jack easily reached it first with his longer limbs and easily hoisted out a large bundle that was heavily wrapped in a leather rug. Instead of thanking him, the Purrserker grunted in displeasure and turned to walk straight into the tent. Jack grinned despite himself and followed after the Pokemon without a word.

Both of them paused for a moment as they entered the tent to adjust to the light and then for another moment to take in their surroundings. It brought a lot of memories back to Jack that he would rather not remember - memories he had tried to bury under years of alcohol abuse with no luck.

Heldrouth recovered quicker and stepped forward towards Aria. He bowed so deeply that his rust-coloured beard swept along the ground, "Aye, we be appreciatin' the offer, Ma'am, but we dare not intrude." He straightened up, but kept his eyes turned down, "I be here on behalf o' me brother t' drop off a package an' then we be out of yer way."

It took a second for Jack to remember to bow his head as well, but he didn't bow it nearly as far as Heldrouth - and unlike the Purrserker, he did not avoid eye contact with Aria. Instead, he walked up to put the bundle on the table behind the trunk. His heart was pounding in his chest and he felt a strange mixture of emotions between fight or flight. He pride wanted to blurt out his thoughts and continue their interrupted conversation from yesterday but his body wanted to flee. Even worse was the feeling welling up inside his mind to ask to accompany Aria to the Tournament - to see the bastard that was currently occupying his lands that he knew had to be there with his own eyes. And yet, he knew he was far too much of a coward to follow through with that. He knew he could never see that man and live to tell the tale.

Heldrouth's voice snapped him out of his thoughts and he sheepishly took a step back.

"She be not very popular wi' th' people ye see." Heldrouth finished as the old wagon stopped on an old lift that led from the 'lower quarters' to the 'upper quarters'. The lift had been there for who knows how long and was regularly maintained by Perrserkers Experts from Stow-On-Side. The 'Lift', if it could be called that, was a large platform that was big enough to fit multiple wagons and was attached to a 'gear' that was pulled up and around from the Lower Quarter to Upper Quarter and worked as a fantastic defense. It was mostly heavily guarded at both the bottom and top layers - but this was the one time of the year that it was open to anyone to ride.

"So cool!" Olli cheered from beside him - and Ares had to agree. No matter how many times he saw this it always astonished him... the technology from the past must have been vast to create something like this...

After reaching the top and leaving the lift, the two boys fell into an excited conversation about the Tournament. They got so engrossed into their conversation that Ares almost didn't notice the small detour until he sensed - more than saw - Jack tense up.

"Right on time as always, Heldrouth." He taunted, "Slight change of plans, I'm afraid."

Heldrouth sat in the driver seat with the reins gripped tightly in his paws. The wagon was rather plain and more than a little 'shabby' It wasn't the largest wagon on the street, but despite its condition it was still mechanically-sound and well made. There was a large canvas cover tied over the bed of the wagon that was heavily patched in some areas and threadbare in others. It was being pulled by a large Mudbray who snorted and stomped her feet impatiently as Heldrouth drew her to a stop.

Despite his fur having a more 'reddish' tint than his brother - he had the same thick accent. The two Perrserkers shared no other traits - Heldrouth was shorter than his brother, but was more 'stout'. His beard was more kempt and he had a single braid styled into his beard from the fur under his lip down to his knees. He wore a full-body protective leather outfit and had a large, double-sided broad-axe strapped to his back. As a Perrserker, he didn't really need it to fight - but he had spent enough time in Motostoke to know that the Humans here would only look down on his Pokemon-esque traits and while he was here he always made a point to diminish it - even to the point that he was wearing thick leather gloves over his paws.

"Oh yes." Jack laughed, "And we better get moving or we'll miss the opening 'acts'." "Wait," Ares excitedly quizzed, "Are we gettin' a ride there?!"

Jack laughed and then pulled himself up into the bench beside Heldrouth before gesturing behind him, "Kids ride in the back."

Ares and Olli exchanged eager looks before they both turned and ran around the wagon. Ares didn't hesitate to push the canvas flaps aside and pull himself up into the wagon without a second thought. It took his eyes a second to adjust to the light inside the wagon, but when they did he saw himself standing among a few barrels and a couple of crates. There was a rolled up carpet at the front of the wagon that was strapped down and tucked away carefully and the air smelt heavily of must and dirt.

The wagon started moving before he fully got his bearings though and he nearly fell backwards with a start. He was forced to drop to his knees to avoid falling over and scrambled to the front of the wagon where he pulled the canvas flaps aside to look out at the driver seat.

"So what'cha mean by change of plans?" He questioned as he rested his elbows on the lip of the wagon bed. Jack looked over his shoulder and sneered, "None of your business!" "That's no fair!" Olli retorted as he scrambled up beside Ares, "What was the plan? Can we come?" "Maybe the plan was to sell some nosy kids to this Perrserker here for being mouthy, and I'm starting to think about following through with it." Jack shot back, "Yeah right!" Olli chuffed, "C'mon! You can tell us!"

Ares was about to join in on the conversation as well - but then something caught his attention. He caught sight of the Castle out of the corner of his eye and turned his head towards it. Motostoke Castle rested in the center of the city and was so large that it could be used as a beacon anywhere within a hundred miles of the city. He suddenly felt his heart pounding in his chest and sat back on his knees. The Festival Grounds were right outside the Castle - supposedly they were built right on top of some ancient coliseum of sorts where People and Pokemon fought against each other or something.

"Hey-" Ares questioned, "Do ya think the Princess will be there?" Olli startled at that, but then seemed to recover quickly and puffed out his chest, "Of course she will be! Mom said that the King will be there, so she has to be too, right!" He paused for a moment and looked up at Jack and Heldrouth, "Right?"

The sounds of instruments, laughter, and voices filled the air. The streets of Motostoke were overflowing with sights, sounds, smells, and people. Almost every door was thrown open and banners stretched from lamppost to lamppost. It almost felt like it was raining confetti in many areas of the city. It was one of the final days of the Victory Festival and people had come flooding into the City from all over to join in on the festivities. It was one of the few rare times a year where the City's Gates were held wide open for anyone to enter and there were few who dared risk that opportunity.

"Did'ja hear?" Olli exclaimed, "Mom wants me to go down to the Tournament Grounds to watch the next round of the Tournament!" He slowed to a stop beside Ares and despite the fact that he was lightly panting he was wearing a smug smile across his face. He puffed out his chest and put his hands on his hips, "Mom says my Dad is going to be there and if we go then I'll get the chance to see him!"

Oh. Suddenly the fact that Olli was dressed up so nicely made sense. He tilted his head in thought as he looked Olli over and a sudden thought crossed his mind - if the King was going to be there... then what about the Princess? The image of her mounted on the back of her Rapidash in her white Riding Cloak and the memory of the sun rising up behind her and illuminating her like some sort of Guardian Angel as she rode up with her Knights to save them from the Postwick Guards immediately came back to mind. An odd feeling settled in his chest at the thought - he wanted to see her again. No, 'want' was the wrong word... it felt more like he 'had' to see her again.

"I'm going with you!" Ares stated matter-of-factually. Olli seemed overjoyed by this - but Ares could see a sudden wave of relief in his eyes, "Awesome! I was hoping you'd say that!" He reached up to rub the back of his head, "Not gunna lie... I'm glad yer gunna come...." The nervousness in his tone quickly vanished behind a mask of bravado and he puffed up his chest again, "Ya know, I'd hate for you to not be there and miss out on the opportunity to ride my coattails or anything." Ares rolled his eyes and pushed Olli playfully, "Gee, thanks!" Olli grinned and rubbed his arm where Ares had pushed him and turned to run away, "Great! I'll go tell Mom that yer comin'!"

He barely got a step away before Ares gasped and quickly reached out to grab Olli's arm, "Wait!" Olli turned back to him with a confused expression and Ares was quick to release his arm. He looked away rather sheepishly, "Chevali would never let me come. Why don't we just go together?" Olli looked thoughtful for a moment, "Like, sneak out?"

Ares opened his mouth to respond, but a loud voice cut him off, "Sneak out? You do remember what happened last time you both 'sneaked out' anywhere?"

Both Ares and Olli flinched and turned around to see Jack walking towards them. Ares was also also surprised to see that Jack wasn't dressed up or anything. In fact, Jack was dressed as inconspicuously as possible. He didn't even have his familiar wide-brimmed hat on and instead was wearing a plain dark green riding cloak over a regular leather vest and pants. The older Rover had a leather bag slung over one shoulder and was frowning as he looked down at the boys.

"What? No!" Olli quickly rebuked, "Ares was the one who wanted to sneak out! Mom's going to take me to see the Tournament!" Ares shot him an annoyed glance, "Hey!"

"Alright, alright." Jack quickly stepped in to break up the approaching fight, "It doesn't matter 'who's idea it was'. No one is sneaking out anywhere." His eyes fell on Olli and he frowned, "Chevali said she's taking you where? I just heard her volunteer to 'fortune teller' duty at a tavern down the street..." He sighed and looked off into the distance, "What is she scheming at this time?" Olli suddenly guilty like he had just been caught doing something wrong and shrunk down slightly, "What? No way! she told me we'd go!" Jack sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, "Well then... come down to the Festival Grounds with me? I'm going there anyway so if you two were going to sneak out anyway - I'd rather you just come with me. We can meet Chevali down there."

The two boys look at each other with matching wide, mischievous grins. Ares then turned away and started marching off down the street. He folded his hands behind his head, "Let's get goin' then!" Oli hesitated and looked past Jack and back at the remaining Rovers that were still gathered around Durril by the wagons. Durril was giving the last of the orders and he didn't see his Mother anywhere amongst the remaining Rovers. He felt slightly disappointed, but before he could really react he felt a hand drop on his head and ruffle his hair. He looked up to see Jack giving him an encouraging grin.

"C'mon Olli!" Ares called impatiently from further ahead, "Last one to the Festival Grounds is a rotting Oddish!" Olli flinched back at the challenge and quickly whirled around, "Hey! No fair! You got a head start!"

Ares only replied with a laugh before breaking out into a run. Olli growled to himself and took off running after the other boy. Jack watched them go and sighed. He pulled the cowl of his hood further over his face and started after them.

Bringing the kids with him would throw a small wrench into his plans. He shrugged his shoulders and started after them. Oh well... guess Zamazenta did not ordain for his pain to end today after all...

He lit a cigarette and puffed on it thoughtfully as he entered the dark and rather 'dingy' alley that led from their little 'gathering spot' to the main road. He had to mind his footing over the uneven ground and walked in the middle of the road to avoid the puddles of water that had gathered in the deep grooves that had been pressed into the cobblestone by the heavy carts. He had to pause at the end of the alley as he walked into the sun. The moment he exited the alley he heard the familiar sound of hooves against the cobblestone and the grinding of wheels. He took a deep drag on his cigarette before he looked up as a wagon came to a sudden stop beside him. He smirked despite his best efforts not too before looking up at the driver of the wagon.

do you really have to go?

the king's knights will be here soon.

tell me again why you became a knight.

i'm coming with you!

let's get down to business.

the king has decided.

i will not serve a false king.

one day that sword will be in my hand.

that's a job for the knights, not for a young girl.

but i want to be a knight.

where's the glory in that?

how am i ever going to do great things if i'm stuck here?

how about a little kiss?

impertinent pig!

i demand you leave immediately!

i would sooner die!

you're our only hope.

have i told you today how magnificently and totally worthless you are?

that was incredible.

you're not even listening to me.

well, anyone can make a mistake.

this is where the king sends his unfunny jesters, right?

have you got a cold?

do you hear something?

good show, ________.

please don't hurt us.

are you sure we're safe down here?

you're as good as any knight.

but where's the sword?

someone must have taken it.

the slightest noise and we're finished.

you were right.

can i hold it?

why don't you shut up?

it's so beautiful!

i don't belong in that world.

how could you be so cold-blooded?

you've been quite annoying.

you were brave.

what a touching reunion.

don't lose hope.

something awful has happened.

i'll tear him limb from limb.

it's a trap!

i must help the king.

i'm going to have fun getting rid of you.

i may not survive.

well, i've got to start somewhere.