GRAND DUKE

    There was no way to hide the displeasure on Zeraora’s face. How hadn’t someone heard of him and his legend? By now, he was practically a household name in Cheojio–but, that was just one nation. His past selves grew lazy, compliant and obsessed with spreading their name throughout what they were comfortable with. Zeraora wasn’t a poet–he was not a writer, or an artist.

     He was a spirit, and most importantly, he was a warrior. He intended to prove to his past selves he was more Thunderlord than any of them.

     “ That’s fine. All of Cheojio knows who I am, and soon, all of this country is gonna know my name too, ora! And it’s gonna start right here, right now, when I bring you down in front of ALL your aides! ”

     “ YOU ASKED FOR IT! ”

     Like a bolt of lightning crashing across the sky, Zeraora darted forward with such a staggering speed he resembled a blur more than a Pokemon. The Raikiri is drawn from his back in an instant, and its thin, dangerous blade whistles through the air when it swings in a wide arc down at Logan. No hesitation is offered to the Grand Duke, no punches are pulled. He expects Logan to fight like he wants to win.

His eyes dilated in surprise as the lightning-type jettisoned towards him. He was unable to pick up who-- or what-- had just came at him, but it didn’t matter. In half a second not only did Zeraora close the gap between them, but the Thunderlord had already managed to wack their blade deep into the other’s flesh. They would have succeeded in hacking it off if not for the fact that Logan hailed from a species meant to take blows, but even still it was as deep as it could have been.

To say that it hurt would have been an understatement. Teeth bit so deeply into Logan’s lip and his vision had nearly been lost to him. It was only with force that he was able to bring himself back to his senses and shove the mythical creature away from him, but not without letting loose a vicious gasp of pain as his shoulder leaked blood.

His aides could not even begin to register what had happened. All they knew was that something just struck their lord and that was enough to frighten them. In a panic a Liligant tried to rush over to her Grand Duke and immediately begin soothing the wound with her magic, but Logan pushed her away as gently as he could before shaking his head.

No matter how brave or mighty he was, the wound was still there. Any sudden movements in his axe arm only made the gash tear open ever so slightly more with a deep burn. It would prove to be a challenge to swing Grendel around without precision, and it hurt only more knowing that his favored style was wild swings and mighty thrusts.

“I’m kinda a simple guy with food. If it’s got a lotta protein, sign me up. Can’t get these muscles without a good amount of meat to put the pow to your punches.”

   ANY brave and assertive demeanor Raiya had before now had been completely lost. It was rare the Delcatty was made to feel so small and insignificant, but this Chesnaught, this Duke, had done just that. Covered by his silhouette, Raiya felt about the size of her daughter if not smaller. Her thin legs felt weak suddenly and they began to tremble. They brought her closer to the floor and it was hard to look him in the eye. There was no wondering why he had the title that he did. For once in her life, Raiya believed she bit off more than she could chew. Finally, her head had hung low, unable to look at him any longer. She was certain, that she had failed in her plea, and it was her own fault for letting her big head get in the way. She should have known things would be different away from home. Reality was slapping her hard in the face and it was a difficult pill to swallow.    HOWEVER, there was a silver lining in it all, as he had decided to help, if only for the sake of Melody. Despite how heavy it felt, Raiya managed to lift her head once again to look at him. The hope and gratitude sparkled easily within her feline eyes, however she spoke not a word until he had finished. True, despite his kindness, there was no doubt he was not one to vex. Even if the tables turned in her favor, it felt like sheer dumb luck.    "I understand.“ It was difficult to not show the shake in her voice. Her head lowered again, but this time in a bow, hoping it would show that she meant to give respect after her rather outbursts and rudeness. "I do not expect you to forgive me for my behavior. I was completely out of line and have no excuses. If I am to set an example for my daughter, this is not the way to treat others whom I seek assistance from. Nevertheless, your kindness is greatly appreciated and more. Thank you for showing compassion for our situation.”    SHE awaited his response before saying or doing anything else. After all, this was HIS domain. She must respect it. 

    MELODY, while still not saying a word, had followed in her mother’s actions and gave a small bow as well, even if it meant holding back her own tongue as she wished to give this giant Pokemon a piece of her mind. This was one time she knew to just let the adults do the talking.

The tremble in her voice, the resignation in her head.... It saddened him. All his life he had strove to be a man for the people, to the people. If someone was suffering then he would take his heart and give it to them if it meant sustaining them. If someone was in dire need of aid then he, the knight in shining and gruff armor, would march to their side without steed if it meant they struggled no longer. This Chesnaught was a ruler that had a heart befitting of a knight and one that was molded by knights, but it could serve him no longer. Despite his attitude and despite his power, he was no longer a knight-- he was a Grand Duke.

He could not face people like he could whe nhe was younger. Not anymore.

“Yeah, yeah,” spat Logan, is baritone harsh as if he was flogging himself for frightening her. Sitting back upon his lofty throne and fidgeting uncomfortably in its grandeur, the Grand Duke established eye contact and shook his head. “Don’t worry ‘bout it. I just ain’t in the mood lately. I’ve got lots of people on my doorstep daily. I’ve got brigands tryin’ to pillage my lands. I’ve got corruption in my court ‘n I’ve got a war for peace waitin’ at my borders. So long as you understand I’m just one guy, you’re fine with me.”

Still, there were more pressing matters at hands. As he looked ovwr at Melody and continued to see his own daughter in their place, Logan knew what had to be done. There was no home for her here outside of the mother at her side and he could tell that just by looking at them. That poor girl had nary a bag on her and Logan, heart clenched and eyes heavy, could tell that food was becoming scarcer for two lost Pokemon that did not the land which they were striding upon.

It hurt. It hurt to know that this could happen-- was happening-- right at his feet.

“Listen,” goaded Logan, himself now leaning in at the pair as he spoke. “I’ll help ya out in any what way I can. I’m not gonna let you guys just be stranded about with nowhere to go. Right now, sea travel has been hard. Pirates are out there right now lookin’ for this lost treasure that all these damn treasure hunters are lookin’ for. Gettin’ you outta the country by yourselves would be impossible. But I’m not lettin’ you go by yourselves.”

“I’LL get you home. No matter what happens ‘n no matter who thinks they own these waters. NOTHIN’ is gettin’ between that girl of yours ‘n her home, you hear me?”

Soft tremors from his nearby vassals and their chatter began to surround the throne room briefly, stopping only when Logan balled his fists up.Many knew that their Grand Duke was a bloke with a heart as big as the sun, but this was unfathomable to them. Even with himself stressed and his country in need of him and him alone, he could not-- and would not-- turn down the aid of a mother and her child. Some of his vassals saw this as a trait worthy of praise, but others were not so kind. Many, with their faces snaring and their teeth bore, loathed the Delcatty for not just her insolence but also for taking their leader’s eye off his main objective. They wished nothing more than to send her on her way and to rid Logan of her problems, but they remained quiet.

They knew that this was certain. They knew that Logan was willing to risk himself and his reputation to save them. And they knew that, above all else, they could do nothing more than prepare the immense amount of damage control in the worst case scenario of Logan, Grand Duke of Gronvall, falling in battle to mere pirates protecting some foreigner.

"You’re only gettin’ those papers when you learn to behave. You may be my partner right now, but DON’T think that this place is your playground.”

“--You slipped back in AGAIN!? Whoa now-- you’ve gotta stop doin’ that! You’re gonna make me think you’re an assassin or somethin’ if you keep this up!”

“Heh, it’s kinda hard to rein in my excitement, big guy. I don’t get to see stuff like this every day and it’s really cool~”

He grinned brightly, his wings flapping once. “I’m lookin’ forward to seeing Grendel, too. I always thought it was really cool when folks named their weapons…”

“My ma knew best! She led this country’s elite knights into battles in her prime, and she taught me since I was a kid that you should ALWAYS name your weapon. A weapon ain’t just a weapon, ya know! It’s an extension of who you are ‘n it’s your partner even when nobody else is!”

“You bastard...”

The sizzling sear of fire bit itself into the Chesnaught’s arm and caused him to bite his lip so hard that blood spewed forth, trickling at his feet below. The knights around him could only watch in horror as Logan nearly dropped to his knee in the wounds he had received prior to the Will-O-Wisp. Many of these knights attempted to corral around their leader and preserve his life, but with fury he shouldered past their protection and charged at his attacker.

“I’LL CLEAVE YOU IN TWO.”

His axe had been raised. His eye held no mercy. His spirits were burning like his flesh and the knights around him protected him from stray attacks as he closed the distance between him and his assailant. In seconds that the mighty Grendel then came down, crashed through the figure’s head, and then seamlessly crashed through their entire skeleton until nothing remained except two halves of what was once whole.

“OH! That guy! That little shrimp DID kinda barge in here, didn’t he!? Kinda like that CAT I had a fight with, too!”

         “…Youse sure youse alrigh’? Tha’ was…kinda a big hit ya jus’ took fer me, Pally. I migh’ be smalla than ya, bu’ I can take a hit.” {/Sure enough it was from a Ground type, and he managed to beat it fairly easy after it took a chunk of his stamina from him. But it left the Braixen worrying for him. She knew type match ups and everything like that, but she didn’t like the idea of some stranger taking a hit for her. Now she feels as if she owes him.}

         “…Youse wan’ my Sitrus berry?”

( @braveshields )

He could still feel his bones reeling from the blow. They weren’t just quick in the way they tunneled through the ground, but they were also powerful. Just one uppercut from the Garchomp left Logan’s brain almost in shambles that it was a miracle that he, the mighty axe Grendel still in his hand, had been able to use that axe’s steel to put them down into the ground permanently. It was odd that such a Draconian powerhouse was this close to Gronvallian borders, but that oddity was what frightened him.

However, he hadn’t the time to consider it. Looking over at Nicole after making sure his jaw was still in tact, the Grand Duke spat blood to the side and held out a hand in refusal.

“Keep it, kid. You’ll need it WAY more than I ever will. Still tryin’ to figure out why you’re out here all alone. Don’t you know where you’re at?”

Wukong will surely have her ass later, probably a bunch later. But she isn’t about that life right now, solely focused on this rather welcoming duke. “Aw, you sure about that? I’m not easy to bring down! But, if you really insist, then maybe I’ll try to avoid gettin’ hurt.” It’s not a complete promise, but it’s something from her.

Now on to that little direction of some silly little scoundrel’s.

“I like your spunk, woman! Not gonna lie, I think we’ll get along real well once we bust these skulls wide open, you know what I mean?”

Siegfried felt much the same way, with this guy it was like talking with one of his old war buddies…not that he had any of those anymore. And yet this guy was a ruler? Some sort of nobility? It was rare to encounter ones that preferred battle over board meetings. And from the sounds of it, one that liked to fight head-on, despite his species’ nature.

“I wouldn’t want a life like that either. Even after all I’ve been through, all I’ve seen…I still enjoy the thrill of a real fight. Nothing quite beats kicking a bloke in the head, or greeting him with the edge of your blade. And in a tournament where lines are drawn and the injured are nothing more than that…there’s no need to worry about going all out, right?”

At this point, it would be an absolute impossibility to pull him away from the very idea of this Gauntlet of Kings. He wanted in, and if the doors were closed, perhaps a Grand Duke could help him attain access. Especially if he wanted a fight from the canine, one he wanted just as much.

“How much I wish I could use my proper sword…” The Lucario chuckled a bit to himself, looking at Logan and how things were reversed in a sense. It was strange to him, at times. “But my boss has yet to give me permission to use it again after last time. Have to settle for a steel bone. But I’m at least allowed to use my armor…not one for shields myself.”

The Gauntlet of Kings... it was odd how a single concept had already spurred the seeds necessary for the two to interact. One was a ruler of a far away land that had thousands of lives depending on them daily. The other was a warrior with an enigmatic past and the mindset of a mercenary strapped to them without nary a sign of it letting go. Life itself dictated that the two should never have met, but here they were-- eye to eye, warrior to warrior.

Feeling himself grow impatient and the taste of battle desperately needing to touch his tongue, Logan held his desire in no longer. “How about you say we go ‘n actually find where this gauntlet is? I’m all for talkin’ ‘n whatnot, but we’ve both got somewhere to be-- and that place is none other than the battlefield!”

Aluvya looked up at the other pokemon in silent awe for a moment before blinking and slowly processing their words. He hadn’t met a regular pokemon with such a presence before. It was a little overwhelming in all honesty. The Gardevoir averted their gaze anxiously messing with the strap of their blade’s scabbard. Gronvall? Grand Duke? How far off had his teleport even been? If only he still had his map… well, there was nothing he could do about it now.

“T-That won’t really be necessary. I believe I am just lost. This place is completely foreign to me. I’ve been traveling in search of those in need, new friendships, and other pokemon willing to teach someone like myself. I am only still a squire and have much to learn before I become a knight one day.”

After all he had yet to even learn to use the sword at his back yet. For now his fighting was dependent on his moves, which unfortunatly weren’t very useful in close combat. He hoped that learning to use a blade would make up for that. Amber orange eyes fell back upon the Chestnaught in front of him a soft smile forming on his comparatively gentle features.

“You’re definitely in quite a spot, then, I’ll tell ya that. I ain’t meet much squires in my time. If I wasn’t trainin’ or out with my ol’ man’s knights when I was younger, then I was doin’ what I do best-- practicin’ my sword ‘n axe arm.”

He couldn’t help but take an odd form of pity on the squire standing before them. Logan did not see them as weak and he assumed that they were capable enough to survive, but they were not lost in the pure literal meaning of the word. Already the Chesnaught could see that they were desperately trying to earn their wings-- the very right they needed to make a mark on this world. The gentle features of theirs suggested patience and understanding, but the Chesnaught could not help but wonder if there was something more-- something darker-- underneath those amber eyes and ginger physique.