Heading on the path winding down the mountain, the three eventually made it to the town's western gate, above the gate was a sign that said ‘Valley Town’. The cobbled streets were hustling with a wide variety of people - Children ran amok, laughing and playing tag, shopkeepers called out from their stalls and storefronts for potential buyers, delivery men went from house to house dropping off packages to awaiting recipients and freelance mercenaries perusing the notice boards set up around town. Daemon followed closely behind Addie as she led the group, staring in amazement at the commotion going on around him.
“This place is incredible. Look at all these people.” He said, tails swishing in excitement.
Addie couldn't help but find it a little bit contagious as she smiled. “Please, you should see some of the cities up in the northwestern part of the continent, they make our little old Valley Town here look like a tiny hamlet.” She chuckled, looking down at the contract once more and occasionally looking around.
Kazmine took notice and asked. “So, what's the mission briefing, Adalia? You usually go over it before we enter town.”
Addie shook her head and placed the paper into her satchel. “I know, but the client has specifically stated that they wish to discuss the job in person.” Her voice quickly quieted to a whisper. “Something about the details being ‘confidential’.”
“Stars above, I hate these hush-hush secretive types, but alright.” Kazmine reluctantly agreed. “Where are we meeting them?”
Addie pointed ahead “Right up the street here, then north of the town square.”
Heading through the center of town, the three stopped in front of a medium sized wooden building, above the doorway awning was a sign reading ‘Breeze-easy’.
“Here we are, the Breeze-easy pub.” Addie proclaimed as she made her way through the door, a bell ringing upon her entry.
The interior was rectangular in shape, several booths sat along the front of the building by the shuttered windows along the left and right sides. The pub was relatively empty, save for a few early drinkers and townies chatting and gossiping about who knows what. An individual emerged from behind the bar that encompassed half of the back wall. They were a bipedal reptile and about 3 '5 feet tall. Their stomach, covered by a white apron, had pale yellow scales running across it down to the lower part of their tail and dark red scales across the remainder of their body. Their long tapered tail glowed with a bright flame at the tip, they had a rounded single horn jutting from the back of their head, covered partly by a blue bandana - a Charmeleon.
“Ay, Addie, long time no see. How ya doing, girl?” They greeted Addie, peering into a shot glass, a dish rag draped across their shoulder.
Addie gave them a casual wave. “Doing alright, as alright as I can be that is.” She turned to introduce Daemon. “Daemon, this is Breeze, she is the owner and proprietor of this here pub. Breeze, I'd like you to meet Daemon, he’s working with us today.”
“Well hello there. Are you perhaps the guild's newest find?” Breeze asked Daemon, resting her elbows on the counter.
“Technically yes, but he is not an official member, not yet anyhow.” Addie replied
“I see.” Breeze said, puzzled. “What job has got you coming to my humble establishment of all places?”
“This.” Addie slid the folded contact over to Breeze. “Client asked to meet us here. Apart from that we don't have a single clue as to what they want from us.“
Breeze’s eyes narrowed, her gaze shifting back and forth between reading the contract and the chattering patrons to her left.
“Do you know about this, Breeze?” Kazmine inquired.
Breeze simply nodded, handing the contract back to Addie and raising the bar flap, gesturing for the three to follow.
“Follow me, we can discuss this back here, don't want any unwanted ears to prick up.” Breeze said as she hurried them through behind the bar into a small room. The three glanced at one another as Breeze scavenged the room.
“Come on, where is it, I know it's here.” Breeze muttered as she ripped open every cabinet, drawer and barrel in the room. “Ah-ha! Found it.” From the back of a dusty cupboard, Breeze pulled out a small wooden lockbox.
The seams of the box were glowing with a pale teal light, pulsing in a slow rhythm.
“This. This is why I called for the guild’s assistance.” Breeze said, placing the box on top of one of the many barrels littering the room, opening it to reveal a bright teal orb connected to a strange mechanical contraption, fastened by several wires inside a spherical indent.
“What is it?” Addie asked.
“I don't know, it was brought in by this tall individual, said I should keep it safe and contact the guild as soon as possible.”
“But why us? This doesn’t look like anything we’re knowledgeable in.” Kazmine asked, adjusting her glasses to get a clearer look at the strange machinery.
Breeze just shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine, Kazi.”
Kazmine pondered for a brief moment. “Hey, new guy, you got any idea?” She turned to Daemon and stepped back from the box.
Daemon approached, lifting the orb and giving it a tap with a claw. “The orb appears to be made of some type of glass. He thought. Judging by the copper wiring, likely electrically powered. He carefully removed the machinery to examine it closer. But what exactly is the power source on this thing?
The device was circular in shape, with nine spherical indents with ports at the deepest points surrounding the central indent the orb was wired to. Upon the upper right side of the machine was a lens emitting a dim pulse of light every other second, curious, as the machine as a whole appeared largely deprived of any power source. Glancing at the lens, it ceased it's pulse for a brief moment before emitting a bright strobing flash of teal. A rush of energy began flowing through Daemons’s body. Grasping at his head with a yelp, a searing pain began pounding against his temples as a voice reverberated through his ears.
“Daemon, please-... help us-... We are-… brink of total calamity-... Find-… before-...“
The voice echoed its indecipherable plea throughout his mind, the pain sending him scuttling into the corner and the device fell from his hands, his eyes clenched tight.
By the time the voice and pain had ceased, Daemon opened his eyes to the sight of Addie, Kazmine and Breeze all standing around him.
“My god, Daemon… are you okay” Addie began, placing a hand on his shoulder.
“I… think so… “ Daemon groaned as he held a paw to his forehead. “Did anyone else hear that… that voice?”
They all looked at him, puzzled. “A voice?” Addie inquired. “There… wasn't any voice, not that we heard.”
“Maybe you were just hearing things due to your prior injuries?” Kazmine attempted to rationalize the situation.
Addie leaned in and whispered to Kazmine, “Even so, we can’t deny the fact that this and Daemon’s arrival lines up a little too perfectly. For all we know, this could be his ticket home.”
“Or it could just be a product of happenstance. If he did somehow get here through some space rift, chances are good that many other miscellaneous objects have found their way here.” Kazmine rebutted.
“Kazmine, please, you study space and all that nonsense, don’t you people believe in those time travel sorta theories? This is too big to ignore.” Addie pleaded.
Kazmine sighed, adjusting her glasses. “I suppose we can’t rule out the possibility completely, not without more evidence at least.” She turned to Breeze. “Hey, Breeze, would you mind if we took this device back to the guild? We need the opportunity to research this thing in a controlled environment.”
Breeze picked up the box as Daemon placed the machine back inside. I guess, but, didn’t you say the guild wasn’t knowledgeable about this?”
Addie smirked and glanced over at Daemon. “Oh, I think we may have found someone.”
“Wait, me!?” Daemon exclaimed, beginning to stammer. “H-hold on, I'm-”
Before Daemon could finish, his objection was halted by the loud ring of a gunshot, followed by the distressed clamor of the patrons in the main room.
From within the pub, a raspy mechanical voice could be heard yelling our orders. “Energy readings lead to this location, he’s here, search everywhere, go!”
Peeking past the bar, Breeze could see several individuals clad in black armor tearing the room apart in a frantic search, one of them approaching the door. The soldier kicked the door open, their firearm pointed at the group. Addie’s claw began the glow as she charged up a slash and lunged towards them, knocking them back into the main room.
“We need to get out of here, let's go!” She yelled as she made a mad dash for the exit.
Pushing past the other two invaders, Addie, Kazmine, Daemon and Breeze made it out into the lively street, onlookers gazing towards the pub in a panic. Daemon could hear the assailants shouting as he followed Addie and Kazmine through the streets, the distance of their voices indicated that they were in quick pursuit. Grabbing Daemon by his prison collar, one of the soldiers hoisted the now choking hybrid to eye level, their gun planted firmly against his chin.
“The new guy!” Kazmine exclaimed as she screeched to a halt. “Let him go!”
Her eyes glowed a pale yellow as a sphere of darkness manifested in front of her, rocketing it towards Daemon's captive. The soldier raised Daemon towards the oncoming attack to defend himself, causing the sphere to graze the side of his neck, breaking the collar into pieces and sending him and the soldier flying in opposite directions. Gasping for air, Daemon put a paw up to his throat, shocked to find his collar in shards upon the ground. He turned to the soldiers that pursued him who were already opening fire upon them. His folded ear opened up, revealing a piercing crimson eye concealed beneath. The eye began to glow, a translucent wall of energy rising between them and stopping the oncoming bullets. Thrusting his arm forward, he sent out a powerful shockwave of psychic energy that kicked up a small dust storm in its wake, the force of which shattered every window in the vicinity and grinding the metallic body of the nearest two invaders into dust. By the time the dust had settled, the last soldier farthest from the attack collapsed upon the ground, the blunt force knocking him out cold.
“Adalia,” Kazmine called out. “Grab them and bring them back with us, I have a feeling they could provide us with some useful information.”
“Way ahead of you.” Addie relied, walking over to the unconscious machine and lifting them over her shoulders.
Daemon stood there amidst the crowd of astounded bystanders, his ears ringing and head pounding from his sudden burst of energy.
“I gotta say, Daemon, that was pretty impressive.” Addie complemented. “Don't think I've seen a psychic type release energy that immense.”
Daemon, still heaving, gave a weak, abashed smile. “Th… thanks…” he responded.
Back inside the guildhall, all of Wanderlust's members were called upon to discuss the events of the mission. the still unconscious soldier slumped against a nearby wall.
“So let me get this straight, the boy just touched this strange orb and began hearing voices? Then out of nowhere these… ‘robots’ attempted to kidnap him? ” Myron began, clearly not believing a word that was being said.
“I know it’s crazy, Myron, but this just lends credence to our theory - Daemon isn't of our world.” Addie responded.
“I knew it! I knew it! I had a hunch he was from another dimension!” Freya was hopping up and down in excitement. “Think of all the otherworldly things he might know, what we could learn from him!”
Myron promptly shut down the jumpy Glaceon. “Keep your head on, I have a few questions of my own to ask them. Where are they now?”
“Observatory, second floor.” Kazmine directed, her attention focused on analyzing the unconscious soldier.
As Myron began for the observatory, the soldier sprung awake, flailing as they clamored to their feet, making a break for the door.
“Whoa, hold it right there, buddy!” One of the guild members exclaimed before tackling and pinning the fleeing soldier against the wall.
They struggled to break free of the guildie’s grip as they looked over to Myron.
“Hm, it seems our guest is awake. Tell me, what were you and your merc compatriots' intentions with capturing the boy?” Myron sneered, turning his attention to them.
The mechanical being ceased their struggle as they began to speak with a raspy, synthesized voice. “The boy…? He is but a piece of a much larger puzzle, as are you and the rest of your guild, dear Myron Nox. You should know this better than anyone.”
Myron was taken aback by this statement, no one outside of Wanderlust knew his full name.
“How do you- …You don't know me!” Myron’s shocked expression quickly turned into a sneer. “Who are you? Who do you work for? What are you planning!?”
A hushed, wheezing cackle emitted from the mechanical humanoid’s voicebox. “The hounds of war shall be upon your doorstep soon enough. Then you will know the truth.”
The soldier broke an arm free from the guildie's grip as they pressed a button on their glove’s keypad. In a split second, their body was transformed into particles of light that zipped through the ceiling, fleeing the guildhall.
Myron cursed under his breath as he made his way for the exit. “I want all of you to find this man, I'm going to have an immediate word with our newest find…” he announced to the guild before he marched out of the guildhall and over to the observatory.
On the observatory’s second floor, Daemon sat, examining the device from Breeze's pub, tools scattered around as he attempted to dismantle it. Myron approached behind him, Daemon’s attention too transfixed on his current task to notice.
“You there… Daemon, is it? I have a few questions for you.” Myron called out to Daemon. “I want them answered honestly and forthrightly.”
Daemon placed the device down as he turned to meet Myron’s gaze. “Oh yeah? Questions about what?” He responded.
“First off, I want to know just who you are and how you got here to our world.” Myron began.
Daemon sighed, unsure if the guildmaster would even believe him. “...I am a genetically modified hybrid. I was created by this human military outfit who went by The Fulgar Militia for use in their pointless conflict with an opposing region.”
“As a soldier?” Myron asked, showing intrigue past his judging stare.
“Originally? Yeah. However, as you can imagine, I never wanted any part of their stupid conflict. So, not getting the results they wanted, they relegated me to building and maintaining their weapons and machines of war.”
“So you have experience tinkering with this kind of technology, that explains it…” Myron deducted, trailing off. “So these mercs that are after you, they're… part of this militia?”
Daemon shook his head. “No, never seen their kind before. They just appeared all of a sudden and attacked the camp I was being held in. I have no idea what they want from me.”
Myron nodded, pondering the situation they have found themselves in. “The one we captured, he escaped, but he said something about us being ‘part of a bigger puzzle’. So from the looks of it, you and I have found common ground in a mutual enemy.”
“Meaning… we need to stick together on this - that your guild needs me just as much as I need the guild, is that it?” Daemon asked, attempting to understand Myron’s cryptic response.
“Precisely.” Myron replied. “So as long as we are being threatened by this unknown force, we will require your knowledge in order to understand our enemy.” Daemon considered what Myron was saying, but he found it difficult to comprehend Myron’s sudden trust in him, not after his first encounter with him where he was judging and belittling him, so first impressions were definitely not good. However, he remembered what he told himself earlier in the day, that this guild may be his best chance at getting home.
“Alright then, Myron, let's work together.” Daemon hesitantly agreed, shaking Myron's paw.
“Good to see you're on board.” Myron smirked. “I expect great things from you, boy.
Later in the evening, Daemon and the rest of the guild were gathered in the guild's dining room, with those around him talking about their missions.
“I made sure that highwayman knew his place after we retrieved the stolen cart. I imagine he's gonna be feeling that shock for the next few weeks.” Lyra proclaimed, a smug expression on her face.
Cedric rolled his eyes with a grin. “Lyra, we all appreciate your skill in combat, but I don't think it would hurt anyone if you toned down the voltage. I mean, you nearly fried me in the crossfire.” He half-heartedly joked, brushing the lightly singed fur on his shoulder.
Lyra turned to Cedric, unamused by his jab at her. “Hey, you're still alive, aren't you?”
“Right… Now, let's hear what you three squared away.” Cedric gestured to Addie and Kazmine.
“We uh… haven't really learned anything new, apart from what the one who escaped told us.” Kazmine admitted, rubbing the back of her head.
“And what about the little dude? Heard he was tinkerin’ around with that crazy alien thing ya found.” Rayne asked.
“I am trying to take it apart so I can study it in depth, yeah, but it's proving to be stubborn, doesn’t want to budge.” Daemon replied. “But I had an idea, or rather a wild theory if I'm being honest, the device appears to be electrically powered, so maybe if I can get a current running through, I might be able to contact that voice I heard.”
After some pondering, Daemon got up and started making his way for the observatory. “Lyra, I need you to come with me.” He called for the electric sheep.
Lyra turned her nose up at Daemon's request. “Pah, as if, why should I?” She spoke in a snarky manner.
“Oh, you're no help at all, Lyra, dear.” Spoke a voice from across the table as they approached Daemon. “Don't worry, sweetie, I’ll help.”
She was an equine with a black coat, a zigzagging mane and tail, soft, pale yellow eyes and white lightning patterns across her fur - a Zebstrika.
“Oh, uh… thank you… And you are?” Daemon asked, caught off guard by the electric equine’s upfront and forward approach.
“You can call me Berceuse, dear.” She introduced herself with a slight bow.
“Alright, Berceuse, let's go then.” Daemon stated before heading for the exit.
Light flashed from the observatory as Berceuse electrified the device.
“Anything yet?” Berceuse asked.
Daemon checked the lens. “Damn, still nothing.” He groaned as the device lay on the table, lifeless.
“We’ve been at this for, what, hours?” Daemon checked the clock on the wall. “And yet not a single spark.”
“Maybe we need Lyra here after all.” Berceuse wondered.
Daemon just groaned and shrugged. “I don't know, maybe a higher voltage will help, maybe it won't.” He began to unfasten his necklace. “Either way, it's getting late and I have no more patience for this. We'll figure something out tomorrow.”
Placing the necklace on the device, the spherical pendant rolled into one of the device’s many sockets. The machine suddenly began whirring to life as the pendant shimmered with a white glow.
“What the…“ Daemon muttered, taking note of this phenomenon.
Strange, a machine that runs off of mega stones? He thought, slowly walking up to the humming device.
Before he could analyze anything further, the pendant and orb attached to the device started to glow brightly, sending out a strong pulse of energy.
Daemon and Berceuse covered their eyes from this blinding spectacle, the wave of energy blowing past them, crashing into the walls and shaking the foundation of the observatory.
“Dear Arceus, what was that?” Berceuse blurted out, completely shocked and awestruck.
Daemon cracked a smile and softly chuckled. “That… was progress, I'd say.”
Within the guildhall, after the guild had left the dining room, Myron returned to his office with Rayne alongside him.
“So, what do ya think? He might be a good addition to the guild after all.” Rayne spoke, talking to Myron about Daemon.
“Yes, we spoke earlier, we have mutual goals and we may need his knowledge to understand this new threat.” Myron replied, writing an entry in the guild registry.
The wave of energy from the observatory broke Myron's concentration as it flowed through the office, now reduced to a light, nearly undetectable rumble. He looked up from the registry in confusion as he began to hear whispering voices, some pleading, others beckoning.
“Did… Did you say anything, Rayne?” Myron asked hesitantly.
“Nah, didn't say a thing, boss. Must be hearin’ things. ” Rayne said, lost in his own paperwork.
Myron looked towards the door to his office with concern. The voices, growing louder and more coherent, spoke in a deep mechanized tone scratching at his mind and calling out to him.
