The Aura is With Us

Chapter 33: Next Steps

"How is he?" Sir Aaron asked.

His nephew laid stretched out on the RV's bed, eyes closed and unaware of the surrounding world. The wounds that marked the younger man skin weren't severe, but they were extensive. Bruises that ranged from fresh violet to molding green. Exhaustion colored the flesh underneath his eyes. Small slices of red cut into soft pale tissue in a random pattern. The knight wasn't surprised that Riley blacked out the moment they were out of danger.

"Could be better," Amanda murmured from where she sat patching the worst of the cuts with a form of sticky modern wrappings.

Sir Aaron reached out his hand and griped his nephew's bruised knuckles. The Knight's eyes narrowed at the cuffs still on Riley's wrist. The metal was old, but clearly still in working condition. The younger man's soul flickered where it should have flared, shackles cutting his aura off from the rest. Weakening it. Those shackles were forged to keep people safe, however now they only appeared to be torture devices. He gently gripped the edges of the cuff around his nephew's left wrist with his fingertips. Tongue tip peeking through his lips, the knight set a strong but thin string of aura between his fingers. A harsh shriek echoed from the cuff before the metal warped and snapped, widening the ring enough to slip it off Riley's hand.

"Okay that's cool," Amanda said, as Sir Aaron repeated the action with the second cuff.

"He'll heal with these off of him," Sir Aaron said, already noticing some of the stress lines on Riley's face loosening.

"What were they even doing to him?" Amanda said, examining the runes carved into the broken metal.

"Draining him, cutting his soul off from the rest of the world."

"So bad things?"

"He'll recover."

"Good. Cause it's my head if he dies," She closed up her healer kit and stalked out of the bedroom.

Sir Aaron followed her shutting off the light as he went. Running a hand through his recently washed hair, he looked at Amanda checking over Riley's Lucario. The aura Pokémon curled up on the sofa with Umbreon. His wounds were also wrapped. A blue tail started to thump against the cushions with excitement, and a smile in the black snout.

"How are you doing buddy?" Amanda said, sitting on the couch's edge with a look of genuine joy.

Riley's Lucario yipped, leaping towards Amanda with lazily outstretched arms. He latched onto her middle, nuzzling her with his head. Amanda huffed, reaching out to scratch the fur between the aura Pokémon's long ears and dreadlocks.

"I missed you too," Amanda said.

Sir Aaron smiled at the scene before exiting the RV to meet with the lads. Goh was tapping on his phone, while Ash laid on the ground, splayed out like a staryu, seemingly half asleep. Pikachu, Pichu and Riolu were all running around entertaining themselves. Lucario standing as a watchman a little bit away from the group.

"Is Riley, okay?" Ash asked, not picking up more than his head.

"He'll recover," Sir Aaron said.

"So, he's going better than us," Goh grumbled.

"Goh?" Ash asked picking up on his friend's unpleased tone.

"Professor Cerise said there was a break in at the lab last night. Someone tried to get into the files, and security footage," Goh said, pressing a palm into his face.