The Viterals

Chapter 11: A Birth

Lyres studied his friend and noticed the uncanny exchange as well. "You all right, kid?"

"Just . . ." Yumin began in frustration. "Let's . . . let him breath."

Zakana pulled his good arm from his side and wiped his mouth. He cleared the spittle from his hand in the grass and became calm. He sat up and studied the faces before him.

"That was weird."

Yumin, Isaque, and Lyres exchanged furtive glances.

"Are you okay, Zach?" Yumin repeated.

Putting his hand on the ground, away from his pile of vomit, Zakana tried to push himself up. Yumin pulled and hugged him into an embrace. His heartbeat was quick, staccato. Suddenly, Yumin felt bad for the way he had spoken to his cousin. Zakana was just a hurt and broken creature whose wings needed clipping. He could be changed.

Zakana nodded slowly and said, "we need to find Bambi."

And Yumin knew that he was ready again.

The four of them walked to the edge of the canyon as the last of the day's light slithered into the thicket beyond. Yumin withdrew one of his Pokeballs and faced Lyres.

"I can use my Braviary to get two of us across. Can your flyer hold the other two?"

Lyres nodded. "Go! Skarmory!"

The steel bird emerged from the ball and squawked loudly.

Yumin cringed. "We have to keep it down," he hissed. "We don't know what's in here—human or Pokemon."

Lyres stepped over his Skarmory's neck and sharp array of metal flaps for wings, mounting it. "Isaque, get on."

"Wait," Yumin said, noticing the necklace still in Lyres' hand. "I'll take Isaque with me. You take Zach." Whatever interaction Isaque and Zakana had already had, Yumin didn't want a repeat of it.

Lyres' eyes narrowed. After a moment of hesitation he gave Isaque a nod of approval.

Yumin wasn't about to lose Bambi's necklace to Lyres. He pondered the situation he was now in, knew that Lyres didn't have to help them. Because Yumin had no tracker with him, finding Bambi would have been near impossible without one. He patted Zakana on the back as his cousin took his seat behind Lyres.

Yumin mounted his Braviary and allowed Isaque to hang onto him from behind. If any of them got separated, Yumin had Isaque as collateral and Lyres had Zakana. Yumin was unsure about this separation but he had little choice.

Both bird Pokemon took flight, flapped hard as night ensued around them. It was not a great distance to the other side of the canyon, but only a Flyer could make the trip. Both birds landed and Yumin sighed with relief. He dismounted Braviary after Isaque did and returned Braviary to its Pokeball.

Zakana and Lyres did the same and Lyres switched out his Skarmory for his tracker, Ursaring. When it emerged, it growled and stood at its full ten-foot height. The giant bear exuded an unbreakable confidence down to its very putrid breath. Again, Lyres held out the necklace and allowed his Ursaring to reacquaint itself with Bambi's scent.

Yumin looked at his cousin and whispered, "are you okay?"

"Who are these guys?" Zakana asked.

"I'll explain later," Yumin said and after he saw Zakana's raised eyebrows added, "its not what you think."

"Ursaring has the scent again," Lyres announced.

In this darkness, their chances of finding Bambi were lesser. If Ursaring and Lyres found her, what would they do? Was this Lyres' plan all along?