(ACE) The HEARTHOME Team

Piplup lay cradled up in the Nidoking's arms, sniveling and trembling, content to have finally found someone who would look after him. Just as he was starting to settle down, a loud screech sliced its way through the air. An undead Pidgeot was swooping down from the skies, its long talons outstretched as it sped straight at him.

Piplup screamed and rolled out of Arthur's arms. Stumbling to his feet, he quickly ran away and disappeared down a side street. The Pidgeot was too large to follow him, and gave the others a final squawk of resentment before taking off into the skies again.

“Anything I can do, love? There are a couple more of us over there,”

Ullr was thrilled. First she found not one, but two others and now there were more. It was almost like having a family again. Ullr stepped towards the nidoqueen as she spoke, her tone a bit calmer.
“there are more?! “ Ullr felt calmer than before, her hyperness seemed to be replaced with happiness. So many new people at once, and right after her time alone. It was almost too good to be true. “Do they like music? How about stories?” she questioned her new blue companion. Suddenly, she realized that she hadn’t introduced herself. Embarrassed, Ullr looked at the ground as she spoke. Her voice was a bit more quiet than before, but still seemed to be excited. “Wait, I’m so sorry. What’s your name?” Ullr looked up at the nidoqueen, even though she felt embarrassed she couldn’t help but smile. She was going over everything that the nidoqueen had said in her mind... Words that made her feel as if someone cared about her again. “Mines Ullr... and... i am a bit hungry"

"You. I need something to bind the wound with. I can't leave it exposed. Find something, or have your mate find something."

Arthur started a little, only realizing that Reeves had been addressing him after gathering he clearly wasn’t referring to his patient. Smiling weakly, he gave a curt nod of his head, unsure whether to risk retrieving the supplies left abandoned in the cathedral. The screams had stopped long ago, but the Nidoking’s unsteady memory couldn’t recall the beast, the murderer’s leaving either. But as the Deino continued to question Molly’s whereabouts, a frown surfaced across Arthur’s features.
“I don’-“ He didn’t get any further. A sudden screeching interrupted him, dangerously close for comfort as he reacted too late. An undead Pidgeot had dived towards him, more specifically the avian sat in his arms and acting on instinct, Arthur’s tail had begun to glow with an iron tail attack. He never used it.

The Piplup leapt terrified from his grasp, fleeing through one of the side streets as the infected avian took to pursuing it, failing to take off back into the skies. Giving a sigh of relief, but fearful for the condition of the child, Arthur watched the bird retreat uneasily before peering down the tiny space in which the penguin-creature had disappeared. He was gone too.
“I hope he’s okay,” The elder muttered to himself, unsure how he was going to present this news to Molly – no doubt she would accuse the dragon duo of the youngster’s fleeing. Frowning, he turned to the aforementioned pair, expression serious once more. “Get inside. There could be a flock,” Leaving them to go in search of Molly, fearing further arrival of the undead, the Nidoking moved quickly despite his heavy, bulky form.

---

“There are more?! “

Molly gave an airy laugh at the Banette’s response, nodding her head gently as the excitable ghost bombarded her with questions about her company. Honestly, she had no idea of the answers. Reeves and Elidr weren’t exactly the talkative type, they’d only just met the Piplup and well, Arthur, he liked pretty much everything. He hadn’t the heart to argue thus typically thought it wise to agree and express his passion for the sake of proving good company. Smiling to herself at the thought, Molly’s gentle eyes fell back to Ullr.
“My name’s Molly. My mate –“
“Get inside,” Arthur interrupted, the disguised panic in his voice instantly betraying his fear. Concerned, the female’s smile vanished as she regarded the approaching Nidoking, moving forward to grasp his paw in her own.
“What’s wrong?” She asked quietly, casting a nervous look to the recent arrivals.
“Birds,” His reply was blunt, hushed in a bid to keep the others at ease as he managed a weak smile at the ghost and fox that his mate had discovered. Straightening himself up, he looked to the skies, distraught to see a cloud of feathers approaching. That Pidgeot hadn’t been alone. Stifling a gulp, he turned hurriedly to Ullr and Amadeus. “Come on,” It was more of an order. “Follow the Dratini and…” He wasn’t sure what Reeves actually was, but shrugged, changing topic in the moment of panic. "Just go,"

Waiting until the newcomers had moved ahead, Arthur rushed Molly onwards, looking over his shoulder to find the bird’s dangerously close. Shocked at the alarming speed of creatures said to be dead, the Nidoking’s eyes widened in fear. A light had built before a Pidgeot heading the group, before a sudden surge of power in the form of a hyper beam slammed into the side of a building beside the duo.
“Move!” Molly shouted, pulling her mate back as rubble from the victimized building cascaded down to block their path. Effectively cut off from the rest of the group, the pair knew that trying to clamber across the blockage would be suicide. The birds were already far too close and they lacked the speed to scale the wreckage in time.
“This way!” His hold on his mate’s paw firm as ever, Arthur sped towards the trees. Although he felt some guilt for abandoning the group, he presumed that they’d remain safe within the building – he and Molly would be the ones to worry about. Running alongside one another, Molly and Arthur disappeared into the surrounding forest.

(( Leaving post! It’s been loving RPing with you all! :3 Also, sorry about the whole skipping, post deleting fiasco. ^^; ))

...They left.

They just... fucking... left.

The squawks of the undead were near deafening in near seconds, a stray something swooping nearby. The cry of the child sounded again, a siren amidst the chaos. For all Reeves could tell with his overwhelmed senses, they were swarmed, and the chick disappeared into that swarm. Alarmed and blind to the probably heart-stopping numbers that surrounded them, it was all Reeves could do to turn for help from the mated pair, the couple that could surely help them. A blind dragon whelp, and a wounded dragon whelp were all they were at the end of the day, and the mated pair was all about helping whelps.

Well. Apparently not.

Some sort of selfish streak must have won out, for the male's footsteps quickly disappeared in the direction of the female. His hearing was too bombarded with screams and squawks to be able to make out anything that was said, but all Reeves knew was that they abandoned them. They could cart around a damned chick with their lives on the line, but two capable, able-bodied dragons? No! NO! Can't have them! They only live by logic and nature! CAN'T SAVE THEM!

Reeves' anger flourished in a malicious snarl, hateful toward the mated pair. Fuck them, then! Let the horde take them to the abyss of teeth and death and pain. They could drag their bleeding hearts with them! He knew joining them was a hideous mistake, that placing any amount of faith -no matter how miniscule- in them would only lead to the steps toward his downfall. Hypocrites, mutineers, abandoners! Curse them and all those unfortunate enough to share their species! Turning away from the sounds of their receding steps, facing his fellow dragon, he took a firm hold of the others' neck, then swung the other around, placing the dratini on his back. Elidr would have to mind his wound on his own.


"You be my eyes, I'll be your feet!" Reeves called, readying himself to dash.
"Now which way?!"

((:< Hope to see you again soon, Snitch! btw, Reeves is angry XD

Permission given to pick up Elidr

Oh goodness, I'm so sorry, Skyra! Go ahead and post D8))

(....you guys skipped me :/)

The babe ran, and Elidr hissed in anger at its loud squawking, though when he saw the reason for it he actually thought about taking back what he said before. Maybe he would have been a decent enough survivor. But when he saw the birds descending and the Nidoking fleeing to find his mate the serpent couldn't help but feel affronted. "He abandons the pack to find one straggler? What kind of survival instinct is that?"

He didn't get an answer because suddenly, without warning, his neck was roughly grabbed and the smalle Dratini was hoisted onto his fellow dragon's back. "You be my eyes, I'll be your feet! Now which way?!" At once he understood the sense of urgency Reeves was trying to push forth, so Elidr wrapped his long body around the other's middle keeping his head atop Reeves's. "Head left until I say turn! We are going into the trees so listen carefully!"

If there was one thing Elidr knew how to do, it was dodge. And these birds were on the hunt.

((OOC: Skyra, I was actually skipped in all this first, lol. You can still edit your post to be an actual one if you want but I am not willing to risk a warning so I am posting now.))

“Get inside,”

With those words Ullr’s grin faded, and as molly’s smile disappeared Ullr became worried. She wasn’t sure what was going on, but it couldn’t be good. Her suspicions were confirmed as she followed the large purple Pokémon’s gaze to the” cloud of death”. A lot of the flying types were horribly gnarled and disgusting, while a few were mostly preserved.

“Come on,”

The order was unneeded, all Ullr wanted to do was run and hide. She wanted to be somewhere safe and warm, away from the terrors of this new world.
She quickly turned and ran the way that the purple elder had come from, hoping it was the right way. Suddenly, a hyper beam ripped through the air, colliding with an adjacent building. Ullr narrowly escaped the falling rubble, but tripped over a large chunk of wall. She looked back, concerned for molly and the purple Pokémon, but didn’t see them anywere .all she could do was hope that they were safe. Quickly getting back onto her feet, Ullr ran after the ninetales. She wasn’t about to let him out of her sight for fear that she may be alone again.
[b]

So much happened at once, Amadeus couldn't keep track. The arrival of all these....newcomers was terrifying. They were all untrustworthy, infected, and Amadeus was not going to make the mistake of believing their words again. But the arrival of the real enemies-the zombie birds-didn't give him a choice. Survival instinct overran his creeping insanity; he was going to stick around with these....liars......until the danger had passed. Then he would get out of there as quickly as possible. Amadeus nearly fainted at the thought of one of them turning when his guard was down.

The Ninetales darted to the side of the two dragons, shifting his weight onto his right leg, giving the Ninetales an odd, lopsided appearance. But he needed to run fast, and his injured left shoulder was a burden. Amadeus needed to run fast. He needed escape. No matter how risky going along with the living might be, it was better than being eaten by birds.

(OoC: lame short post :[)

"Head left until I say turn! We are going into the trees, so listen carefully!"

It was all Reeves needed. His anxious legs now had a direction to follow, and he lurched himself forward, small legs racing along the ground. The screeches and cries were all around him, and for once, he was somewhat grateful that someone else was there to guide him. Running had always been a problem, especially when stuck in a swarm this huge... then again, he had been smart enough to keep himself out of trouble, so ususally, this wasn't a problem... A growl escaped him, but it was to reprimand himself. Now wasn't the time. He could bitch later.

As he ran, the scent of death and blood was beginning to wane, even if the sounds were not. A faint scent of cool and foliage wafted by, and he knew they were approaching the treeline. Unaware he was being followed by anything other than Undead, Reeves ran as fast as his body would allow, wanting to put as much distance between himself and the city as possible. He let out sharp, high-pitched cries, making sure nothing would pop out and surprise himself or his rider. His ear listening for Elidr's instructions, he continued running his straight line.

He felt the body beneath him lurch forward with a tremendous force, breaking into a speed the serpent would never have been able to reach on his own. This was actually a rather nice pact they had going. With Reeves, Elidr could have legs, and with him Reeves could have eyes. It was almost symbiotic. They were coming up on the tree line and Elidr saw their first obstacle, a large tree dead in front of the pair of dragons.

"Slight right! Only one or two steps! Tree ahead with two on the side!" The birds were diving for them and Elidr was using the opportunity to launch Dragon Rage after Dragon Rage at them as Reeves ran. As long as he could keep them from crashing into anything they would be able to dodge the idiotic flyers with no problem. And he was gaining experience even as they fled. This was a win-win.

((OOC: Sil, we should work on a plan like we did with Caim and Deanna, so that we can work out posts that don't always rely on the other to continue with story. At least until we get more people, lol))

((skip me, Ullr is just following Amadeus.))

(I'm really sorry but skip me too. >_< Writer's block is killing me. Ama is just following after Reeves and Elider anyways.)

Noise. No, it was more than noise, just a bloody racket. The permanent frown on the dragon’s face only intensified as the unpleasant squawking and shouting met his sensitive hearing, steel glare averted to the skies. Blue, the sun peeking out from the clouds as a shadow of feathery fiends glided overhead – Thread had found the culprits.

Perched in one of the trees, the Aerodactyl had spent the last half hour resting within the foliage, relishing in the silence as he considered patrolling the abandoned, nearby city. Although the place was engulfed with an uneasy atmosphere, the dragon had taken the stillness as a good thing and saw no hurry to investigate the state of the settlement; he imagined it was like every other city they’d passed. In the adjacent tree sat Thread’s partner, or his ‘follower ‘, his ‘lesser’, as he often reminded him. The aging Skarmory was preening his metallic feathers, unfazed by the irritating screeching as he remained totally engrossed in his appearance. Of all the things…
”Cray,” Thread snapped, expression as venomous as his natural tone. His body shifted, restless. The avian turned to him, disinterested. ”How can you stand this noise?” He demanded, sincerely clueless to the bird’s indifference. ”They’re like fucking barbarians,”
”Well, they are undead. What were you expecting?" Thread’s nostrils flared, a growl rumbling from his throat on instinct.
”I expect a shred of order,” He hissed, tail lashing irritably behind him as he regarded his colleague with a look of complete contempt. ”I didn’t leave one hellhole to stroll into another,” He spoke of district twelve, a community of pokémon used for government purposes. The Aerodactyl had been in charge of keeping the inhabitants in order, ensuring the rules were obeyed with a cruel and unforgiving stringency. Unsurprisingly, the dragon had a particularly short patient with the antics of the idiot undead; their mindless, garbled cries were responsible for an ongoing headache. He caught the Skarmory’s judgmental stare, the avian likely to be thinking back to their work days as he remained motionless. “Fuck this. I’ll shut them up,”

Cray hadn’t the motivation to argue with the Aerodactyl, simply watching the creature rocket into the skies with an undying fire in his eyes. Through his years of work alongside the temperamental dragon, the avian had learnt well enough that there was no point in arguing with the control freak. Not only was it a useless feat, it was also dangerous. Thread was a sadistic bastard.

Sighing, the Skarmory was intent on keeping his position perched safely within the trees, but the sound of battle up ahead persuaded him otherwise. He had seen the cloud of greasy feathers pass over and knew that despite his ego, his companion would struggle to bring the lot of them down alone. Groaning, annoyed that the dragon had to disturb his moment of peace for the sake of pursuing unrealistic ideals of order; Cray flexed his sharp, powerful wings, the metal screeching in protest. Although only the equivalent of his early forties, the steel-type’s laziness had quickened the deterioration of his body, rust discoloration flourishing about his wings and beak. Cray didn’t particularly care for the aesthetic effects, in fact thinking it made him look rather rugged, but found both his speed and agility had suffered. With a few strong beats, he was airborne, soon discovering Thread in his element.

Thread had collided with the flock head on, fearless as his talons were buried in the stomach of the group’s leader – a Pidgeot he’d expected to be a far meeker individual. Regardless, he’d crushed the avian into the side of a building, its followers momentarily lost as the creature shrieked in agony, the satisfying crack of bones soothing the dragon to no extent. Lunging for the throat whilst he had chance, saw-like fangs effortlessly slicing through the rotten flesh, Thread let the undead fall to a bloody heap as he launched himself back into the skies. Damn things had just begun to screech louder. Opting for the easiest method of setting the majority of the blighters alight with a fire blast, Thread proceeded to bat the remaining stragglers into the remaining buildings of the city with his powerful tail. Cray fell into his periphery, his steel form illuminated by the burning Pidgeys left wheeling about in agony. That was a surprise, the Skarmory usually lacked the energy to move, let alone fight.
”You’re too late,” He called, a smirk playing on his lips as his eyes fell across the damage he’d caused. The charred birds left writhing on the ground, the mutilated leader and the beings with enough intellect to escape whilst they could, left Thread with the ever-welcome feeling of complete power. But Cray didn’t respond, his attention elsewhere. Angry, the Aerodactyl glided forward, preparing to gut the idiot for dampening his good spirits when he too spotted them – survivors.

Cray was in mixed opinions at the sight of the stragglers, four beings all scampering away from the now-obliterated flock. It was remarkable to have found other living creatures and the Skarmory was practically salivating at the idea of meeting a young lady, the loss of female company proving particularly difficult for him in recent months. Instead of a beautiful woman, he was stuck with his hotheaded, power-hungry boss. Which brought him onto his hesitance to investigate; no-one deserved the burden of accompanying Thread. Unfortunately, they had failed to escape the Aerodactyl’s glare.
“You think we can eat them?” Cray never knew when he was joking, but the lopsided smile playing on the dragon’s maw gave him hope that he was.
“I was swayed towards meeting them actually,” He muttered in response, catching the dragon’s eye as he took to gliding in their general direction, towards the trees. Keen to gain leadership, Thread was soon at the head of the duo, his powerful form slicing through the air with an eerie grace Cray could only dream of.
“Keep up,”
“Yes, Boss,” The steel avian grumbled, mimicking his companion’s frown as they rapidly advanced on the dispersed group, now identifiable. Heading the pack was a Deino, a serpent-creature perched on his back whilst they were trailed by a ghost-type and a Ninetales. Cray took little interest in their species, though the distances between them gave him reason to believe all was not well amongst them, strangers even.

Thread was the first to hit the ground, landing silently and expertly a short distance before the Deino at the tree-line. Cray, falling into typical routine landed a little less elegantly behind the last of them, the flying-pair effectively trapping the four between them. Whilst neither being held a look of malice nor had any real intention of harming the creatures they surrounded, the powerful duo were unable to disguise a natural intimidation. If their spectacle in the sky, albeit mainly Thread’s, hadn’t been enough, their physiques alone betrayed the strength they boasted.
“What’re you running from?” The Aerodactyl questioned sarcastically, smug as he gestured to the empty skies. The fire had clearly gotten the best of the burning infected. Peace had been instilled once more. Smirking, Thread continued to reveal the streak of cruelty he was so famed for. “Don’t thank me; it wasn’t for your benefit,” Some might argue, at least he was honest. “Bloody things were giving me a headache,”

(( So glad to be back! :D ))

"Slight right! Only one or two steps! Tree ahead with two on the side!" Reeves nodded at the order, keeping to them as best as he could. He continued chirping, getting the broken sounds and ideas from the feedback. Thankfully, Elidr's eyes were better than his chirps. For a moment, he longed for his own pair, to see the world for himself. But that moment quickly ended, for seeing this broken, rotting world wasn't worth the price of becoming the monster his mother had. No, he was better off blind and weak with his head on his shoulders than a capable, strong, rabid beast.

A strange scent lingering on the air caused him to slow a little, one that he knew well. Flames? Smoke? The ashy taste was easy to identify, but where had it come from? Who owned flames? Surely none of the birds that chased them were hailing down fire... Was there someone new? He snarled and kept running forward, away from the now quieting horde. It wsa not his concern-- trivial things like that could be adressed at a later point. The only thing that mattered then was safety and getting to it.

However, Reeves soon felt something go awry, someone else nearby. In almost the instant his other senses red-flagged, something plopped in front of him, causing him to skid to a stop. A quick sniff told him that the wall in front of him was an aerodactyl-- a fossil reborn; male, middle aged, powerful and covered in bits of the undead, probably the now quiet flock. His own trainer had loved the ancient beasts, but had never found the appropriate fossil to get one himself. There was also another one, male, older and smelled of feathers and steel. Feathers and steel...? He didn't know that pokemon, but it didn't matter. The new avian duo had already earned the small dragon's distrust. Instinctively, Reeves bared his teeth and hissed, walking back a couple of steps as the avian before him, the aerodactyl spoke.

"What’re you running from?" he queried, his voice ratiating confidence. "Don’t thank me; it wasn’t for your benefit. Bloody things were giving me a headache."

Reeves' lip continued to curl. "...Then I won't." His voice was flat, though his irritation was obvious. Taking a few quick chirps to make sure he wouldn't just walk into the fossil, Reeves began to step around the two, his actions cautious. He was well aware that they could probably take down Elidr and himself, and wanted to avoid that route. However, just from his voice, Reeves guessed that, since he made the effort to land in front of them, he wasn't here to just gloat of his deeds. Should a fight break out, Reeves doubted that he and his fellow dragon would be able to make it out alive... Maybe it was best to just humor the guy for now. "...But since you don't want thanks, why'd you bother landing?"

Before Elidr could call for the stop, Reeves skidded and nearly sent the serpentine dragon flying. He clung tightly to his comrade and hissed a warning to the ones who dared charge them. Aerial acrobatics aside, the duo was slightly intimidating, and Elidr knew he and Reeves wouldn't be able to take them. They burned off the infected and he was able to see that they had actually been followed by some kind of ghost and Ninetales. "Another fucking Ninetales? Didn't I just leave one of those emotional idiots? I swear they crop up everywhere." Elidr's mutterings cost him the beginning of the conversation between his fellow dragon and the newcomers but he caught the end of it.

"...But since you don't want thanks, why'd you bother landing?" Elidr slowly uncoiled himself from his companion and eyed the two carefully. "Other than to be show-offs, of course. Why nature has to persist with such flamboyance is beyond me." He didn't actually want to challenge the dino and his bird, but neither did he want them thinking the small dragon was a pushover. He would never be a delta when he could be a beta or stronger.

Fire? Ullr heard the crackling behind her, only looking over her shoulder when she heard the sounds of fighting. She quickly glimpsed an odd avian demolishing the cloud of undead, and turned away from the scene, worried that if she didn’t pay attention she would lose sight of the ninetales. Ullr cursed her stubby legs as she noticed how hard it was to keep up with the injured fire type, and put on a burst of speed. Just as she had was starting to slow, an eerie shadow passed overhead. Ullr looked up to see an odd pokemon fly overhead, casting a large shadow over the ground before landing ahead of them. She then saw another avian out of the corner of her eye and, distracted, ran into the fire type ahead of her as he stopped. Ullr lost her footing and fell backwards, looking up to see the menacing form of a skarmory looming overhead.
“Um.. Uh.. h-hello?” was all that she could choke out. her voice was high pitched with fear, and she felt like she was going to start screaming again.

Amadeus' heart began to pound with fear as he shrunk away from the newcomers; no doubt they would turn against him too, just like everyone else. He hardly noticed when the ghost-type from before ran into him. All the Ninetales wanted to do was run, run as fast as he could away from these people, but his fear had turned his legs to lead.

"Stay away, just stay away from me," he muttered, backing up a short distance behind the Banette and away from the Aerodactyl and Skarmory. They were a danger, not something to be trusted, he couldn't stay near them. But this Ghost-type? It didn't seem as hostile as the others......maybe this one was okay? Amadeus didn't know, but what other choice did he have here?

"Don't speak to them," Amadeus tried to warn the Banette, his gaze never moving away from the other Pokemon, but his voice was barely above a whisper. "Don't go near them, don't trust them!" The Ninetales was gaining volume though he was only speaking to the Banette. "They'll kill us both! They'll kill us all! Just you watch! They'll go zombie, and devour us-"

At that moment his voice broke, and silent tears ran down Amadeus' face as he laid down and covered his head with his torn, matted paws.

"...Then I won't."

Thread’s aura of confidence, smugness, took a blow at the Deino’s snappy response. Hard eyes immediately falling onto the ungrateful bastard, the Aerodactyl’s nostrils flared, angry at being sassed by one who was blind. Pathetic… Still, his temper had been evoked – a deep growl rumbling from his chest as he bared an impressive set of fangs. Fortunately, the creature went on to question his and Cray’s intentions. Expression softening into a hateful grimace, the Aerodactyl’s eyes flicked over to his aging partner who held a look of silent amusement. Cray was clearly enjoying the fact someone had the balls to stand up to his superior – Thread needed to be taken down from his beloved pedestal.
“We-“ He was cut off by the Dratini’s verbal assault, snapping with as much venom as the dragon-type he sat atop. Taken back at such rebellion, Thread’s demeanour faltered a moment as the Skarmory gave a rumbling laugh. Humiliated by Cray’s immediate disloyalty, the Aerodactyl’s narrowed eyes fell back to the dragon pair before him. “Well, we were planning on eating you, actually,” He growled, dangerous. “But,” The dragon paused for effect, far too familiar with delivering threatening speeches. “Ol’ Cray thought it best we talk to you, instead. I’m starting to doubt its use…”

Cray, content to relish in the reactions of his boss to the snappy retorts from the Deino and Dratini, was having a whale of a time. This was brilliant! Flexing his wings restlessly to give out the ever-familiar whine of protest that came with age, the avian nodded his head in greetings at the mention of his name. However, movement directly in front of him soon distracted him altogether. The Banette had tripped backwards, staring fearfully up at him to offer a feeble ‘hello’. A smirk hit the steel-type’s rusting face, a wing held out kindly as a means of helping the ghost back to her feet. Hell, she was a lady – and Cray was always a gentleman.
“Hello, dear,” Although it wasn’t quite charming, a certain glint in the bird’s eyes suggesting ulterior motives, Cray was gentler company than his colleague. But women had always been his Achilles heel. Whilst he wasn’t overly taken by the ghostly species, it had been months since a female had graced his presence.


"Don't speak to them. Don't go near them, don't trust them! They'll kill us both! They'll kill us all! Just you watch! They'll go zombie, and devour us-"

Cray and Thread shared the same expression of amused disbelief, an eyebrow quirked. That’s more like it… Thread was significantly more pleased at the fox’s reaction, content that at least someone recognised the power they were dealing with. In fact, the prehistoric creature had begun to miss the respect from his previous position. Smiling to himself, he exchanged a look with the mouthy Dratini.
“Oh yes, because we’re clearly mindless zombies…” The Aerodactyl muttered sarcastically, watching the Ninetales’ feeble attempt at hiding his face. Cray had taken a step back, admittedly a little alarmed that the fire-type would attack in such an erratic state – he was thankful he’d chosen the more peaceful option of quiet sobbing. “Now, Cray, what do we want?” The question caught the bird off guard, catching the malice in his companion’s tone as the two exchanged a bitter glare. With a sigh, the Skarmory shrugged.
“I don’t know,” Unlike his boss, the Skarmory’s voice wasn’t laced with sarcasm or spite, genuine in its emergence. “I suppose, I was hoping for some normality,” Flashing a smug grin at Thread who looked as if he were ready to burst, Cray continued to ride the wave of his newfound confidence. “Can’t say it’s fun being stuck with my old boss,”
“Can’t say it’s fun stuck with a lazy, haggard piece of scrap metal. You work for me for a reason. Got it?”

With Reeves' inquiry, Elidr made his own point of view known with as much tenacity and venom his small form wuold allow. While the deino couldn't condemn his fellow dragon's actions -as he had nearly done the exact same thing- he couldn't help but feel a twinge of irritation from anxiety. Should this avian pair turn hostile, there was very little chance they would survive, especially with the little snarks the duo provided. With the situation focused on the pair before him, it took Elidr's angry mutterings for Reeves to realize there were more pokemon somewhere behind them, a ghost type and ninetales. More? Because they needed more. Maybe they could use them as meatsheilds and run...

"Well, we were planning on eating you, actually," the aerodactyl snarled, his tone dangerous, though the threat didn't come as a big surprise to Reeves. "But," he paused, probably to give some effect to further intimidate the dragon duo -which Reeves thought rather obnoxious, since they'd already given the avian pair their opinions on their intimidation- "Ol’ Cray thought it best we talk to you, instead. I’m starting to doubt its use…" Cray? Must be the steel and feathers scent.

A snarl flashed on Reeves' face as one of the pokemon from behind began ranting about the threat the avain pair proved, proclaiming they'd be their deaths. Did everyone have to take so fucking much? Sure, he'd already gone on his rant, but he firmly believed in the thought that you should only say enough to get your point across. Other words were meaningless, superfluous decorations on an otherwise useful means of communication. "Shut up, coward," Reeves hissed. "If you're so damn scared, go and hide. Quit caterwauling in all of our ears."

Still, this turn of fear seemed to please the sadistic aerodactyl, as his tone of voice lightened with amusement. Shit. "Now, Cray, what do we want?" That lofty tone of a higher power looking down at his subjects was a tone Reeves knew all too well, and had tried hard to forget. His cruel father's taunting voice had been the soundtrack of Reeves' life, making his childhood a living hell. His snarl grew at the question, black fuzz on end. He knew it was pointless to try and intimidate the fossil, but his anger was too great to try and conceal it. He hated pokemon like that. He was not a toy for anyone else's amusement... and he'd show them that one day. When he wasn't outmatched and outleveled.

Strangely enough, the "Cray" creature's response was flat, devoid of the malice his companion's voice held. "I suppose, I was hoping for some normality." Normality? Nostalgia was a better word, for normality was extinct in this hellhole. Still, Cray's reply created some dissension between the two, giving Reeves an opportunity. Should they keep fighting, Reeves and Elidr could slip away and they would be free of the tyrant and the braying ninetales. The deino had no problem with the other two -yet- but the threats outwieghed anything else. He took a couple of slow steps, cautious in his movements as he listened to the bickering. If he could just get to the trees...

Elidr hissed as the duo spoke of actually trying to eat them, daring them to even try. But he was soon usurped by the pathetic screaming of the Ninetales behind himself and Reeves. Reeves was effective in his making the stupidity of the other well known so he felt no need to intrude further, simply tightening his hold around his fellow dragon's middle. If they had any opening at all he was going to alert Reeves as quickly as possible so they could make a break for it. This place was getting way too crowded with stupidity to keep them alive.

He felt his companion shifting back a few steps, seemingly waiting for said opportunity, so while the large rock bird was gloating and making an ass of himself Elidr saw it. There was a large gap to the left of the rock type and if Reeves was quick enough they could get by before he could react. Lowering his head down he gently turned Reeves head to face their escape, hoping that he would get the idea to turn. "That way," he whispered. "Don't hold back, just run!" He didn't give a damn about the others, all he wanted was to get he and Reeves out of this insanity that just decided to follow them everywhere.

((OOC: Permission to manipulate Reeves given by Sil! ^_^))

The metal bird held out a wing to help her up and Ullr prayed that she could trust him. But as she accepted the help, she saw a glint in the avians eye that said otherwise. The birds responce didn't help, but as she was responding herself a sudden outburst erupted from behind her.
"Don't speak to them,"

Ullr turned to the ninetales as he continued. Her concern showing in her eyes.
"Don't go near them, don't trust them!"

"D-do you know them?" Ullr could't help asking, but was ignored as the ninetales continued, his voice now getting louder and louder.
"They'll kill us both! They'll kill us all! Just you watch! They'll go zombie, and devour us-"

His voice broke and he started crying... He started crying. Ullr felt as if a needle had gone into her heart. Crying and her own stupidity. The Two things that she blames for the loss of her trainer, first, and second familys. She had to stop it.
Ullr quickly, ignoring the avian next to her, ran to the ninetales.
"Don't worry, you'll be-" As she tried to comfort him, She was rudely cut off.

"Shut up, coward,"

Ullr was shocked. Who, or what could be so heartless?

"If you're so damn scared, go and hide. Quit caterwauling in all of our ears."

Ullr fought back the anger now rising in her chest. If she wasn't so concerned on stopping the ninetales sobbing, she would have yelled at the dragon type. She wouldn't stand for its attitude and silently decided that if she got the chance, she was going to give it a talking to. But first she needed to calm the ninetales. She opened her pouch and pulled out her large, clay ocarina. Her focus was now completely on the ninetales, and If her playing didn't calm him down, Ullr didn't know what would.
Quietly, so that only this small group could hear, she began to play a lulluby.

Amadeus flinched at the harsh words at the others, as if they had physically harmed him. He lifted his head slightly, his soulless gray eyes fixated upon the blind dragon. What right did it have to say such things? None at all. That thing was so arrogant, acting as if it had no fear at all. Amadeus knew what it was, what it would become. No zombie would catch him off guard.
"Don't call me a coward." Amadeus muttered bitterly, but his voice was so quiet, it was almost impossible to hear. What was the point? If he said something louder, they'd just attack him, and probably kill him.....or the Banette.

The Banette. Wasn't she the only one that didn't set off any alarm bells? The others, they could go and kill themselves slowly for all Amadeus cared. It was the Banette and the lullaby that mattered; Amadeus didn't want either to die. The Ninetales could tell this song was meant for him; why a random stranger would do this, he had not the faintest idea.....
I've found another uninfected, Amadeus realized. This Banette couldn't be a zombie. The others, he couldn't trust them at all. He'd have to get the Ghost-type away from them soon, before they turned.....

Amadeus wiped away his tears with his paw and lifted himself up to a sitting position. He was still just as cautious as before, his eyes darting from each of the other Pokemon, watching for movement, but nothing happened. Now much less panicked than before, Amadeus' heartrate finally returned to normal. Now wasn't the time to lash out like he had done before.

With his few words of rebellion, Cray had effectively plunged Thread into a far nastier mood than before – an intensity shocking to most creatures, yet only the tip of the iceberg for the Aerodactyl’s ability to hate. The dragon, face contorted into a look of pure disgust, eventually snatched his attention away from the steel bird in fear of losing his control altogether. Where they back in the districts, Thread would have killed an entire family by now – but in these dark times, he couldn’t afford to ally himself with the undead. However, they seemed to be the ones of the road to victory. Banishing such thoughts from his mind, Thread’s tail lashed dangerously behind him as music distracted him.

The Banette’s strange musical box spouting a relaxing lullaby brought a small smile to Cray’s face. Whilst he wasn’t one to indulge in his sensitive side, he had no aversion to the melodic sound and found the music particularly peaceful. It had shut the screeching Ninetales up for a start, the other hostile pair also falling into a silence – albeit one the bird was a sight more concerned about. Unsurprisingly, Thread wasn’t as pleased with this latest ‘racket’.
“Shut that up!” He snapped, demanding his beloved silence as he trudged across to the canine and ghost duo. Cray, not wanting to be within striking distance, subtly strolled to the side to stand a short distance from the dragon pair.
“It’s not hurting,” The Skarmory muttered in a feeble defence, not entirely bothered on what course of action the Aerodactyl deemed necessary. As long as he didn’t decide it was worth killing the only female company he’d had in months, then Cray wasn’t about to get involved. Snorting, his gaze lingered on the scene as a hushed voice fell to his sensitive hearing.

"Don't hold back, just run!"

Whilst he made no effort to turn to the duo and risk triggering their sudden departure, Cray, out of the goodness of his rusting heart, thought it wise to offer some advice. Flexing his wings with their signature creak of protest, he spoke in a husky voice only loud enough for the Dratini and Deino to hear.
“He will kill ya, y’know?” Blunt but not hostile, the bird saw no reason for Thread’s adoration for meaningless bloodshed. He didn’t mind whether the pair ran – in fact, he wished them every success – but having known the Aerodactyl as long as he had, the Skarmory had become quite anticipatory of his actions. Thread’s ego wouldn’t’ allow them to escape. His sadism would ensure they suffered for their arrogance at trying to ‘outsmart’ him. Casting a glance to them, he managed a half-hearted smile which dropped as abruptly as it had appeared. Cray simply hadn’t the energy to be jolly.

Reeves was glad for Elidr, as they seemed to always have the same mindset. He'd never had such an ally before, if one at all. He felt his fellow dragon push his head and allowed it, knowing it was for some purpose he couldn't see. "That way," Elidr whispered, Reeves understanding fully. "Don't hold back, just run!" His feet were nearly about to launch when another voice stayed them.

"He will kill ya, y’know?" The creaking of metal announced the metal bird's presence was far closer than it was before, making Reeves step back a bit. He could tell it wasn't a direct threat, but a warning; should they run, the aerodactyl was likely to pursue and kill them. While that outcome had been kept in mind, having the fossil's compatriot solidify it made the deino think twice. The steel bird didn't sound like he'd give chase as well, but then again, if the fossil was as tenacious as Reeves gave him credit, his partner didn't really need to give chase. Frowning and letting out a slight hiss of frustration, Reeves soon found he and Elidr were stuck.

"What else are we supposed to do?" he growled, only for Elidr's and the steel bird's ears to hear. "Just wait until he's ready for a snack?"

“He will kill ya, y’know?” The fact that those words alone stilled his companion caused Elidr to hiss unconsciously. He had seen the way the flying rock moved and knew he couldn't catch them as they darted past, but if he gave chase there was a small chance they wouldn't get away. But would he really pursue them until they were caught? Just for getting past him? The look on the steel bird said yes and it gave Elidr another reason to hate the rock monster. "Why does everyone around here forgo natural instinct? If prey gets away you don't go after it when there are two perfectly good options right behind it. It's a waste of stamina." His words were low, not really for everyone to hear, mostly just the steel avian and Reeves.

"What else are we supposed to do? Just wait until he's ready for a snack?"And once again his companion was in the same train of thought as the serpentine dragon himself. He very much would like to know the answer to that one, seeing as how the two avians were effectively trapping them. He certainly didn't want to be stuck here with the blubbering fool behind them or the tiny ghost who seemed scared of her own non-existence. "Yes oh great blade of the skies...do tell us your grand plan." Oh if there was one thing he learned from the Arbok, it was most definitely sarcasm. And it suited him just fine.

((OOC: Sil gave me a run down on the plan Snitch, and I give full permission. Go for it~!))