Warrior Eevees #1: The Storm of Fire

16- Up the Mountain

The battle below in the Sand Tribe's village had ended by the time that Emmy and Rogue flew down to it. Wildfire had insisted on walking by himself. The sand was dark with blood and clotted on Rogue's talons when he trotted across it. The Sand Tribe had been forced back toward the bottom of the cliff, their red and orange fur fluffed out and trembling. The other four Tribes were gathered around, bristling and growling.

"Emmy," Hollyhock said when Emmy leapt from Rogue's back to join the Tribes on the ground. "Have you seen Wildfire?"

"Yes- And... Hollyhock, I think we misunderstood," Emmy explained. "I just spoke to him, and he told me that his mate, Daylight, had a vision of the Storm of Fire, and that it will come from up the mountains."

"What?" Hollyhock snarled. "How is that possible?"

"Well, what he described sounded like a volcanic eruption to me," Emmy continued, divulging everything she remembered about volcanos from her past. "It happens when too much magma builds up underground, and it explodes out of the surface."

Hollyhock was looking at her like she was insane.

"What?" she asked. "What are you talking about?"

"The Storm of Fire Daylight foretold," Wildfire now slumped into view, snapping at the frill of a Vaporeon. "The sky will explode in a blaze of fire, destroying everything under the shadow of the mountains. Did you really think the Sand Tribe was capable of that?"

"We didn't know," Starset said. She was bleeding badly, several new nicks had been cut into her ears. "You didn't tell us."

"Tell them, you mean, I don't see how this is Sky Tribe business-"

"This is every Tribe's business!"

Emmy left the leaders to argue, nosing her way through the crowd to try to find Sycamore. He was near the back of the group, his pelt fluffed up and his eyes wild, wounds cut into his muzzle and burnt fur on his forelegs, but otherwise unharmed. He was one of the lucky ones, Emmy realized. Behind them, on the ground, were the badly injured Pokémon she didn't know from other Tribes, along with Spark of the Plains Tribe, and- her heart dropped- of Willow of the Forest Tribe, whose pelt was nearly burned off of her as she moaned in pain. Her brother, Thyme, was bent over her, his pelt shivering with grief as Aloe whispered into his ear.

And all for nothing, Emmy thought, although the idea seemed too depressing to be expressed out loud. She sat heavily next to Sycamore, keeping her eyes on her paws so that she would not have to look at the mess.

All for nothing.

The leaders were speaking up now, projecting their voices over the audience. Gasps of shock rang out, Emmy was vaguely aware they were discussing the sky exploding, that the Storm of Fire would rain down from above.

They were wild Pokémon, Pokémon who frustratingly had no concept of underground magma pockets and volcanic eruptions. It must seem so supernatural and strange to them.

It seemed strange to her, though, too. Humans could predict volcanic explosions, she knew that. So why would she and Rogue be sent to the forest with no knowledge of what was to come? Why hadn't they fled the area, or taken some kind of precaution? Maybe the eruption wouldn't be large... But then again, the Espeon foresaw a "Storm of Fire," not a "light dusting of flames." The Fiore Region must be in danger, too, then, she thought, if it sat just over the other side of the mountains.

"We have to leave, right away," one Jolteon leapt to his paws, bloody wounds cut into his quills, one ear bearing a nasty bite, and limping on a foreleg. "A bit of territory isn't worth giving up our lives!"