Raihan stared up at the entrapped dragon and gasped in horror.
“This is the secret of Hammerlocke’s most secure vault” his mentor stated in a cold, distant voice “Eternatus, bringer of the darkest day”
Raihan could feel the rage emitting from the beast as it constantly faught against the bindings that restrained it. The strength of its will making the teen fall to his knees in dismay.
“How...how could you...” he rasped towards the elder dragon tamer, still unable to tear his eyes away from Eternatus’s gaze
“You may not understand yet, but it’s for the good of all of Galar”
“I can’t...” he whimpered feeling the pained rage of the dragon.
“For the sake of Galar you must!” he stated sternly looking down at the youth “we dragon tamers have stood as the guard of hammerlocke for eons for this reason, I am too old now though to contain its rage anymore” he paused looking down at his pupil “you have the blood of the draconoids running through your veins child, why else do you think you were chosen?”
“I won’t do it!” Raihan shouted, crying out in anguish.
“Then you would let loose it’s rage upon the rest of Galar? How foolish” his words cold and unforgiving “Hammerlockes defences would hold for a time, but suppose it’s gaze turned east towards Spikemuth, how long could they possibly stand to hold against this?” the dragons cry echoed throughout the vault rocking the walls.
Raihan stilled as an image of Piers and Marnie burning as Spikemuth lay in ruins flashed before him, Eternatus’s form loomed over the ruined town it’s shrill cry the only sound he could hear. The young dragon tamer fell onto all fours, head hanging low as he let out a choked sob, his fists clenched so tight that small wells of blood had formed on his palms “I...I could-“
“You do not have the power to stop it and you know it”
Raihan looked back up at the dragon feeling an ache in his chest that threatened to tear him in two as he realised what he had to do. Tears fell freely down his cheeks “...leave us” his voice sounding alien to him, eerily devoid of it’s usual emotion.
His mentor stared at him in silence before turning face, leaving only the sound of his retreating foot steps echoing throughout the cavernous vault.
Raihan struggled to pick himself up, his body felt like lead, each step agony as he drew closer toward the dragons holding cell. Every part of him screamed that this was wrong, that there had to be another way as he placed his hand up against the glass shell where the dragons head sat bound “...I’m sorry...I’m so sorry” Eternatus stared back at the crying youth, emitting a shriller cry in response “...I swear to you that we’ll set this right, there’s gotta be someone strong enough to help you” he tried to give the dragon a smile but all that came were more tears and choked sobs “I-I may not be strong enough to save you but, at least allow me to share some of your pain” the skeletal forms gaze regarding him intensely before bowing its head sombrely. Raihan mouthed another silent apologie before closing his eyes, recalling the incantation:
“Through sacred rite, in thy great sight, my life as well I offer...I ask of thee, oh dragon of might, bare your pain unto me, the keeper of this land, slumber well beneath my shield, rest and know reprieve for the end will soon draw near...” the chamber hummed to life radiating energy, as a rich amethyst hue enveloped the dragons form. The restrains that had loosen over time now pulled taunt, the cracked and torn capsule reformed, strength renewed by the new guardians vow.
How long he spent watching the mighty Pokémon’s now limp form he could not say but when he eventually left the chamber his mentor was outside waiting.
“You did the right thing young tamer”
“I have no right to be called a tamer any more than you do” he spat, coldly glaring up at the man who had all but betrayed him.
“Be that as it may, you’ve saved countless lives today” he watched on as Raihan angrily kicked the ground before summoning forth his flygon “...and exactly where do you think you can go?”
“Anywhere but here” he shouted out angrily, his Pokemon reacted by taking off into the storm. Raihan held on not caring where he was being led, just anywhere away from that vault.
