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[Pokemon] Communication (PG-13) [Chapter Seventeen Now Posted]
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Sike Saner
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Earth
Posts: 112
Re: Communication (PG-13) [Chapter Fifteen Now Posted]
They put a fair amount of distance between themselves and where they had parted ways from the snorunt, stopping at Oth's signal at the point where the path first branched. There, they positioned themselves just within one of the tunnels leading out from the fork, simultaneously watching over the chamber that was the furthest point from Virc-Dho through which all people going there must pass and the tunnel behind them. They waited there for a time, giving the guild members within the border cavern a chance to deal with what had just run into their midst.
Solonn gazed out over the heads of those who were in front of him in the general direction from whence the party had come. He hoped as he stared into the presently empty chamber that the children had indeed gotten safely into the figurative hands of the Security Guild and were now being reunited with their families, or at least that they would be reunited with them soon.
Then it finally, truly hit him that some of them might not have families to return to any longer, and he turned away involuntarily as another wave of heartsickness rolled over him.
Eventually, <It should be all right to proceed now. Zilag, are you ready?> Oth asked, at which Zilag nodded from just inside the entrance to the cavern just in front of them. There was a flash of light in the claydol's eyes that signified its connection with Zdir being broken, followed almost immediately by another that signified a new link being forged with Zilag. <It is done,> Oth told Zilag. <We are now connected.>
Telling him this seemed somewhat unnecessary to Zilag; he was sure that he had sensed, in some way, something entering his perception but staying just out of reach. It struck him as being rather like a memory that he couldn't quite recall, with one difference: he could tell that it was most definitely not of his own mind.
Trying not to let that alienness distract him too much, he instead opted to test the connection. <Can you hear this?> he asked.
<Technically no, but I am receiving your message.>
Zilag couldn't help but nearly laugh, wondering if Oth had actually intended any joke there. <Guess it's time for me to head out, then, huh?> he asked.
<Yes,> Oth responded.
<Okay.> Zilag acknowledged, but didn't depart right away. He held the rest of the party in his gaze for a few moments more, seeing varying degrees of concern and unspoken well-wishes in the faces there, with the eyelight particularly unsteady and the brows drawn tightly together on the largest face that he beheld. <Tell them goodbye for me,> Zilag said. <And tell them not to worry too much about me; I'll take care of myself. You all just concentrate on taking care of yourselves, okay?>
Oth relayed the message, drawing acknowledging nods from the other party members. Satisfied as he could be that he was ready to part ways with them, Zilag then turned away and began making his way back toward the warren alone.
<There may well still be Security Guild members in the border cavern when you arrive there,> Oth told him as he traveled, <even if the ones whom we saw going in earlier have gone further on inside since the children joined them. Zdir believes that there may now be guards posted at the entrance and that it is to them whom the guild members we saw were speaking.>
Zilag absorbed this with very little surprise; he had been steeling himself as best as he could to have to deal with Security Guild members ever since Zdir had spoken to him of the interest that they might have in him. <So I should probably just expect that there will be, then. But I shouldn't
like I expected to find them there if there are.>
<Correct,> Oth responded.
<Okay, then… They're probably gonna want to know what I've been up to out here, right?>
<Most assuredly. You are advised to tell them that you had gone out hunting.>
<Yeah, that's what I'd planned to do,> Zilag said. He'd been rehearsing the lie in his head from time to time since the evening prior. He just hoped to all gods that if anyone had been questioning Hledas in his absence, she hadn't told them anything that would clash with his story. <I'm gonna tell them I couldn't find anything, though. I just don't trust my stomach to keep quiet enough for them to believe me otherwise. Gods, I can't wait to get some real food again…>
It wasn't long before Zilag found himself approaching the barrier at the entrance; <All right, I'm here,> he sent back to Oth. It appeared that there were indeed guards posted there; three glalie hung in midair before the barrier, and while none of them made a move to intercept him, their eyes followed him keenly as he drew nearer.
Hoping that he looked sufficiently surprised to see them there, "Uh… what's going on?" he asked of them as he came to a stop a couple of feet in front of them, wearing a perplexed frown.
None of the guards answered the question, at least not right away. "How long have you been out?" one of them asked, though not harshly. "And what have you been doing?"
Zilag had expected to be hit with questions upon his arrival, though the fact that he'd managed to get a question in first did surprise him somewhat. "Too long," he answered, half-sighing. "I was out hunting… or rather trying to. Went out late the night before last and found not a damned thing since. Had to sleep out there and everything."
There was a moment of silence and a very brief look exchanged amongst the guards. "You're lucky to have woken up," another of the guards said seriously. "The steel creature and the psychic escaped while you were gone."
Zilag's eyes widened dramatically. "What?! Oh gods, my family…" he said at once. "Are they all right? I need to get in there—"
He'd made a move toward the barrier as he'd spoken, trying to vaporize it as he did so, but the barrier remained fully intact, and the guards moved in unison to block him. "Your family is fine, I assure you," the second guard said. "There have been no further attacks since the prisoners escaped."
Zilag didn't have to fabricate the relief that showed through his features at this. "Oh, thank the gods…" he murmured.
"Now, I'm sorry you weren't successful in your hunt," the first guard spoke up then, "but we're going to have to ask that you not go out and try again on your own, at least not anytime soon, all right? It's not safe for just anyone to travel alone right now. You'll need to go with the next hunting party."
"Okay," Zilag said, nodding, "okay." He looked questioningly at the barrier, hoping that he would be let in soon. He wasn't altogether certain that the guards were buying his story, and every moment he spent with them made him ever so slightly less comfortable around them. He was somewhat grateful for his unease, though, and didn't make any real effort to hide it at this point, hoping that any nervousness that was showing could be interpreted as a reaction to having just learned about the escape.
The barrier vanished, but before he could enter the warren, "I'm going to be going home with you, all right?" the first guard said. "Like I said, it's not safe for just anyone to travel alone right now."
Zilag nodded in acceptance, unsurprised and figuring that he had no real choice in the matter anyway, especially given that the guard seemed to have decided on his destination for him. He only hoped that by "going home with you", the guard simply meant that he would be escorting Zilag back to his family's place of residence and not staying with them for any length of time.
Zilag entered Virc-Dho, his escort following, the barrier immediately reforming behind them once they were past it. <I'm being escorted home,> he told Oth. <Looks like Zdir was right about them not wanting to leave me entirely alone. They haven't acted blatantly suspicious of me yet, though—not that I imagine they would, of course. They're just claiming concern for me, what with the escape and everything.>
<There does remain a chance that they genuinely do not suspect you,> Oth responded. <Still, remain cautious. Continue to do as you have been advised and you may yet avoid trouble.>
Zilag heard the guard behind him draw a rather deep breath and felt something inside him tense as if anticipating a strike, but the guard only spoke. "I'm afraid I have something to tell you that you're not gonna want to hear," he said.
Zilag stopped, careful not to turn to face his escort too quickly, and fixed him with a troubled look. "Oh?"
The guard sighed. "You're friends with a Mr. Solonn Zgil-Al, right?"
There was no use in denying it; as Zilag had been told, the authorities certainly knew who associated with those whom they didn't trust, and the fact that the guard had asked such a question seemed to confirm it in Zilag's mind. He nodded.
"Have you seen him recently?" the guard asked.
"Well, I saw him at the service," Zilag said quietly, "but I haven't seen him since then, no. Why do you ask? What's going on?"
"Well, we think that he might have been the one who freed the steel creature and the psychic. Now, I know you might not want to believe that, but there's something you need to consider: if it was him, odds are he wasn't doing it of his own accord. We think he's under some kind of psychic control."
Zilag cast his gaze to the icy floor, his brow furrowed, trying to look deep in thought. "This… this wouldn't be the first time he's run into trouble with something psychic," he said quietly, slipping a hint of dawning epiphany into his tone.
"No, it wouldn't," the guard said. "We do have reason to believe that the same thing that took him way back when is responsible for what's going on now. It's even returned the children it stole, just like it brought him back."
Zilag's gaze shot back up to meet the guard's, the light in his eyes brightening. "Really?"
"Just earlier today," the guard confirmed.
"Oh, that's good to hear…" Zilag said with a sigh of relief. He then turned back around and resumed his drifting. "At least something's gone right lately…"
"Well, we don't intend to let anything else go wrong if we can help it." The guard's tone suggested that he was trying to be lighthearted in his response, but there was also something vaguely affronted-sounding in his voice, which sent a little wisp of worry through Zilag; had he said something that he shouldn't have? "Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that Solonn's whereabouts are currently unknown and that if you see him—be careful, all right? He's probably not himself, and he might attack you. If you see him, you should probably strike at him and call out for help right away. If it turns out he's not being controlled after all, I'm sure he'll forgive you if he really is any kind of friend."
"…Okay," Zilag said quietly.
Soon after, the two arrived at the Zir-Arda residence. "So this is it, huh?" the guard asked.
"Yeah," Zilag answered.
"Okay, then. Stay safe, all right?" With those words, the guard backed away a short distance, but he kept his eyes on Zilag.
Figuring that the guard wouldn't leave until he went on in—if indeed he did intend to leave—Zilag opened the entryway and passed through it, sealing it shut at once. Inside, he found Hledas holding a gaze that was both troubled and questioning upon him, while Ryneika chased a somewhat irritated-looking Kavir around the main room. The young child broke off her pursuit almost immediately, however, having noticed her father's arrival, and she ran up to him with a squeal of joy. Kavir sent Zilag a smile, grateful to have been rescued from her sister's pestering.
"We need to talk," Hledas said almost inaudibly.
Zilag shot a look back at the entrance. He saw no light beyond it to indicate a glalie lingering immediately outside, but figured that the guard would know better than to be so obvious anyway. Not knowing for certain if his escort was still within hearing range of anything said in the main chamber, as well as not exactly wanting his children to be privy to the conversation, either, he merely gave a quick nod of assent and made for the couple's sleeping chamber. Ryneika tried to follow him in; "No, no. Play with your sister," Zilag told her, earning a groan from Kavir.
Once both Zilag and Hledas were in the sleeping chamber, the latter moved to hover directly at the former's side. "Did you succeed?" she asked right into his ear, still using the faintest whisper she could manage while remaining audible.
"Yes," Zilag said, keeping his voice equally low. While it was true that Jen was still brainwashed in Convergence, Zilag was still confident enough that the snorunt's mind would be restored to normalcy and that the rest of the party would ultimately be able to go back and retrieve him to consider the rescue mission a success.
"Thank the gods," Hledas said as she moved to face Zilag once more, "both for that and for your return, as well." She sat down. "The authorities came in while you were away," Hledas then said. "They asked questions, Zilag. They asked where you were and if I'd seen Solonn lately."
Zilag swallowed, turning to look her in the eye. "Well… what did you tell them?"
"That you were just out hunting and that the last we saw of Solonn was at the service."
The light in Zilag's eyes brightened, and he had to bite back a miniature peal of laughter that threatened to break forth at the relief he felt. Grinning, he moved forward to press his forehead against Hledas's. "Oh, thank the gods you said that…" he breathed happily.
"Well, what did you think I would have said?" Hledas responded as Zilag drifted back once more. "I already could have lost you as it was. Do you really think I'd have done anything that could have even remotely run the risk of getting you thrown in a cell if you did make it back?" she asked, looking somewhat hurt.
Zilag's smile faded a bit. "No… no, of course I don't." He drew close to her again, his eyes closing, letting his forehead rest against hers once more. "Thanks for taking care of things. I appreciate it," he said sincerely.
To Oth, he then said, <I'm back home. That guard who was following me may or may not be hanging around outside, but at least he's not in here with us. I think he might actually trust me—don't worry, though; I don't intend to get careless. And Hledas did get questioned, but her story matches up with mine—and… well, I'm not gonna get careless with her, either. I've decided not to tell her about our little connection here.> It had occurred to him prior to being linked with Oth that Hledas might become mistrustful of him or inclined to go to the authorities with his well-being in mind if he was known by her to have come home with a psychic link that he hadn't had before.
<That seems like a prudent course of action,> Oth said. <From what I heard of the conversation that you two held with Solonn, she seemed… somewhat more inclined toward believing that I was at all responsible for the recent tragedies.>
<Yeah…> Zilag said, with a touch of vicarious guilt in his mindvoice and a further shrinking of his smile, though he also found himself possessed of something of an urge to defend Hledas in that moment. <But again, it seems she's already saved my hide once, so…>
<She most assuredly has,> Oth concurred. <It seems as though you really can take care of yourselves, all of you.>
A sense of pride washed over Zilag, and his smile widened once more. <It does, doesn't it?> he said. Now that there seemed to be at least a bit more hope than before that he and his family would be able to carry on without any harassment to speak of from the authorities, he felt a fair bit more confident in such claims.
* * *
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Re: Communication (PG-13) [Chapter Fifteen Now Posted]
<The Security Guild appears to have shifted its focus from maintaining the silence of the witnesses to keeping an eye out for potential threats,> Oth said to the small crowd of glalie gathered before it within the deep chambers that were Groshs home. After taking some time to hunt and feed, the party had decided upon this location as the place where they would take refuge, at least for the time being, and they had been there for roughly half a day by this point. <Zilag and Hledas, as well as friends of the latter, have seen known witnesses to the attack going unescorted and have seen known guild members patrolling the warren, and I am told that guards are indeed now posted at the entrance at all times.>
Id figured as much, Zdir said in the hushed tones that had become the norm for the group, nodding. At least as far as the shifted focus is concerned, anyway. Now that his prisoners have escaped and Hagens been forced to let the people find out as muchto let them recognize that they need to be on the look out for trouble from other glalie, even if they are being led to believe that said glalie are merely illusions concealing something elsehes undoubtedly well beyond the point of feeling that he needs to keep people believing that theyre in no danger.
But Zilag and his family still dont know for certain whether or not
being watched, do they? Solonn asked.
<I am afraid not,> Oth answered. <Zilag wishes to assure you that both he and Hledas continue to do their best to keep the possibility of the guild monitoring them in mind at all times, however.>
Hm was Solonns only reply to that, sounding somewhat less than fully assured. He hadnt really expected for either of them to be careless in dealing with the guild, or at least not for Zilag to be, but the notion of them possibly being watched like that still kept a degree of gnawing worry and a vicarious sense of indignation attending him.
<He also has mentioned that there are rumors of the Security Guild intending to increase its numbers,> Oth then said. <There has been no official word from the guild on the subject, however. It may only be wishful thinking on the part of the public.>
Hopefully that rumor will prove to be true. Ill admit right now that I dont exactly have the utmost faith in the guilds current ability to defend the warren. At the very least, a small pack of guards at the entrance isnt going to keep the Sinaji out if they show up in even only a third of the numbers I suspect them to have, Zdir said grimly.
Sounds like theyd do best to just do away with the Security Guild, Narzen mused aloud, which earned him a couple of sanity-questioning looks. What I mean is, they should probably just train
to fight like they do, he clarified. Just make
one of them, basically. From the way youre talking, he said with a glance at Zdir, it sounds like theyre gonna need damned near the entire warren to stand a chance against the Sinaji.
I dont imagine that thats literally the case, Zdir said, but I do agree that making sure that as many people as possible are capable of defending themselves is something that should happen, yes. And that, incidentally, includes all of us, especially since we still have more than just the Sinaji to be concerned about as long as we remain here.
Which is unfortunate, Ronal said. I for one would like to have the guild on our side, especially with their numbers bolstered. I would prefer to take the fight to the Sinaji rather than let them make another move against the warren.
Under those circumstances, that might indeed have become an option, Zdir said. As it is, though, we are still fugitives and accomplices thereof in the guilds eyes. We may be able to seek out allies once we can be teleported from this placethen, perhaps, we can deal with the Sinaji. For now, however, I dont imagine that most of us are truly ready to face more than a stray exile or a guild member or two. You all need to be made ready. You need to be trained to fight for your lives. We need to make damned certain that were all truly prepared to face whatever lies ahead of us.
Next time: Youll see. :3 See you then!
-Sike Saner
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Location: I...I don't know! WHERE DO I LIVE?!
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Re: Communication (PG-13) [Chapter Sixteen Now Posted]
Wow. Takes guts to go into the lion's den, eh?
Yeah, I agree. I'm trying to make my chapters longer, at least two or three posts. It's hard sometimes. I love reading your story, even if there are long breaks in between - such an interesting plot! You really out due yourself.
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Sike Saner
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Re: Communication (PG-13) [Chapter Sixteen Now Posted]
Originally Posted by
I'm trying to make my chapters longer, at least two or three posts. It's hard sometimes.
Oh, no doubt. I've definitely found myself that if a chapter doesn't "want" to be *insert length*, it's almost like it goes out of its way to avoid being extended or chopped to that length. That's another reason why I tend to do longer chapters: they tend not to "want" to come out shorter anyway. X3
And aw shucks, thanks. I'm glad you're enjoying reading this so much. ^^ Thanks for reading and for replying, too!
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Sike Saner
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Re: Communication (PG-13) [Chapter Sixteen Now Posted]
Chapter 17 Safe
Pale eyes turned his way, and Solonn thought he detected a hint of weariness about them as though their owner were dealing with a tiresome child.
Zdir what if they hadnt been Sinaji?
No response, or at least none spoken. Her expression became harder to read.
What then? Solonns voice lowered of its own accord. What would we have done?
A pause. Then, They could have joined with us if Oth had found them to be inclined and able to do so. If not
The lines of Solonns face sharpened, his eyes narrowing. Something turned to lead inside of him.
If not, she resumed, but then sighed. I think you already know the answer, whatever you feel about itand for what its worth,
, Solonn, I dont like it, either. I would hope that any Virc who might find their way to us in future would prove to be no liability to us, but if not
She let it hang. Maybe it was that she couldnt seem to bring herself to speak of it that stopped him from going off on her any further; maybe it made it easier for him to believe that she really did hate it as much as he did, or at least close enough to suit him.
He turned away, closing his eyes against the orange glow of the beams that were working to vaporize the lifeless intruders in the adjacent chamber, wishing that he could block out the accompanying sound and taste on the air likewise.
* * *
The days were starting to shorten again. The forest behind was beginning to change its colors, and the river far below was hosting a different set of creatures than before.
All of these changes to his surroundings served as reminders to the large, silver figure loosely coiled on the cliff of one constant that had persisted the entire time that he had been here in southern Mordial: throughout every day since, he had waited for the burst of golden light that would bring news of what had become of his family. That light still hadnt come.
Grosh had feared for Solonn and Jen from the start, but had tried to maintain some measure of faith, some hope that the rescue effort had a chance in hell despite Zdirs projection that their enemies outnumbered the search party several to one. He had known that they would largely be operating blind, scouring a network of tunnels that Grosh knew from personal experience to be vast and sometimes confusing, and that as such it could take quite a while for the party to return even if things worked out all right in the end.
But even given that, Grosh hadnt expected for quite this much time to pass without seeing any of them again. And he had by no means forgotten what he had seen back in the Virc temple. Things could all too easily have gone horribly wrong, and he had no way of knowing for sure if they had.
He hated not knowing. He hated being kept across the sea while God only knew what was happening to the last surviving people in the world who meant anything to him. Grosh had never stopped wishing that there had been no reason why he couldnt have gone with them. But he had, with no small degree of effort and despite recurring internal questions as to whether or not he was really making the best choice, nonetheless stayed more or less in the same area where theyd left him, not wanting to give them a scare with his absence should they return.
But his last drops of belief that they still could were starting to dry up. His waking thoughts were now very nearly as certain that something terrible had befallen them as his dreams had been ever since he had been brought to Mordial. His restlessness had grown as his faith had waned, and so had his hatred of the ones who had murdered Azvida and stolen one of her sons.
That they could have taken the life of the otherand by this time, Grosh couldnt help but suspect to the point of near-assumption, they surely hadsickened him to his core. The notion that Azvidas dying wish for her children to stay safe could have been shot down tormented him, and there came a point at which he just couldnt wait around with that torment any longer. He had to
. Maybe it was too late to bring Solonn and Jen back to safety, but perhaps, somehow, he could make the ones responsible for that answer for what they had done.
He knew, though, despite the fact that his agitation was rising by the minute and threatening to fill his mind with haze, that he couldnt do it alone. He couldnt even reach Virc-Dho without aid, let alone attempt any sort of assault against what might very well amount to a miniature nation of glalie and snorunt.
Rising, he turned his back on the river and entered the forest, silently and occasionally not-so-silently cursing the noise he made as he twisted and crawled among the trees. He could hear the sounds of native pokémon fleeing as he made his highly conspicuous way through their territory, no more keen on interacting with the massive metal serpent than they had been when hed simply been hanging around the outskirts of the forest. Just stopping someone long enough to hear him out about his need for transportation and support in mounting an offense against his enemies was going to be a challenge.
After some time, and with no real luck on his part in flagging down anyone who might be able to help him thus far, the forest thinned before him. Not far ahead, a dilapidated highway stretched across his path. He drew closer to it, sweeping a glance from left to right over its cracked, faded surface and the weeds sprouting up through its fissures. Where the road led, Grosh couldnt exactly tell; it extended all the way to the horizon in both directions with no clear destinations in sight.
Before he had any real chance to decide whether or not he wanted to try following the road, a piqued instinct took hold of his attention. An elemental telltale was setting off a familiar warning that fanned out across his nerves in an instant, and it was accompanied by a light rumbling in the ground whose source was several yards off in front of him and approaching rather quickly.
Someone was coming, someone who might be of some use to his cause or who might already be aware of his presence, unhappy about it, and intending to try and drive him off the hard way. Grosh moved a short distance backward from the disturbance, his eyes trained on it and following it as it moved despite being unable to actually see it at the moment, the end of his tail held up off the ground and shining even brighter than usual as he held an iron tail attack at the ready.
Once it was just a couple of feet away from him, whatever was approaching from underground decided to make a proper entrance. There was an upward eruption of soil, following which three fuzzy, brown heads popped out into the open air, blinking and twitching their noses under the sunlight. Almost immediately afterward, a section of the street behind the newly surfaced creature burst apart, scattering chunks of asphalt as a pokémon identical to the one whod just appeared emerged.
Oh, so
what that was! said the second of the dugtrio.
Certainly wasnt what I was expecting, said the first.
Or, well, not the silveriness, at least. That I wasnt expecting. But I knew hed be big.
Oh, same here, same here.
But hes not big; hes huge!
Ill say.
Could probably snap one of us up in two bites, Ill bet.
bite, even!
Grosh had no such intentionshe had even decided against bringing the iron tail hed readied to bear against them, letting the steel-type energy dissipatebut as the two rattled on, he did find himself tempted to speak a bit less kindly to them than he might have otherwise, his segments twisting in impatience and a touch of lingering anxiety at the presence of the two ground-types.
He held down the outburst trying to shove its way out of his mouth, however, not wanting to scare away the only creatures hed encountered in the area thus far who seemed at all willing to share his company. Instead, he merely cleared his throat to try and get the two dugtrios attention, though that still resulted in a deep, grating rumble that could easily be misinterpreted as a growl.
Thankfully, the noise didnt appear to register as anything threatening to the dugtrio; all twelve of their eyes locked onto his in unison, and neither of the dugtrio looked terribly worried despite having been discussing the possibility of being eaten by the steelix mere moments ago.
Hm? the first of them said, cocking one of her heads. Something youre wanting from us?
Grosh opened his mouth, but then: Now come on, surely he can tell we dont have anything on us, the other dugtrio countered, his rightmost head turning to face the first dugtrio as he spoke, his other two faces still turned up toward Grosh. Have you ever tried digging and carrying things at the same time? Its not easy! Ill bet Silvery here understands what Im talking about; just look at him. Looks like a burrower himself, doesnt he? Like a great big worm, dont y
My family and I need help, Grosh cut in, his voice easily overpowering those of the dugtrio, who quickly fell silent at his interruption. Im wondering if you know of anyone who can get me to where our enemies are and help me fight them. He didnt imagine that they would be of much help themselveshowever swift they were, he had his doubts that they could last long against a horde of well-trained ice-types and was prepared to dissuade them if they expressed interest in joining the fight themselves.
Oh. Youll want Valdrey, then, the second dugtrio said.
Oh yes, shed be absolutely elated to help you out. Poor dears probably not seen a
good fight in years, said the first dugtrio. And shes got friends all over; perhaps some of themd be willing to pitch in, too.
Groshs eyes widened and his head rose a bit further, but he made an effort to stop himself from getting too optimistic too soon. The dugtrios response seemed fairly promising, but there was no way of knowing just yet whether nor not this Valdrey person would really be as enthusiastic about joining his cause as the dugtrio had claimed she would be. There also wasnt any way to know if she would have enough interested friendsif indeed the dugtrio were right about whoever they were referring to even being Valdreys friendsto stand any sort of chance against the exiles. His search for aid wasnt guaranteed to end with this lead.
Where is she? he asked of them before they could get into another conversation amongst one another.
Both of the dugtrio jerked one or more of their heads back and to their right, toward the old highway. That way, they said in near unison.
Just follow that path to Wisteria, said the first dugtrio. Youll know it when you see it; humans used to live there.
Oh, now dont assume Silvery knows what humans were, said the second. Doesnt seem to be from around here; who knows what he has and hasnt seen.
No, Im perfectly well aware of what humans were, Grosh assured them. Thank you both kindly for your help, he added, then made his way around and past the two dugtrio and set off down the road.
Dont mention it! the first of them called out to the departing steelix.
Stone walls began cropping up to either side as Grosh made his way toward Wisteria. They soon rose high, higher than his line of sight; along with the way the road was now curving, this prevented him from being able to see where the path he had chosen was actually taking him.
Grosh hoped that the dugtrio hadnt in fact sent him off in some useless directionor worse, had pointed him toward trouble. It was only now, with the faint glimmer of hope that the dugtrio had put in front of him taking just enough of the edge off to clear some of the haze from his mind, that it occurred to him that the two ground-types might have been feigning their lack of mistrust for him in order to guide him into a trap.
He started to berate himself silently for trusting them so readily when no one else in Mordial had seemed friendly toward him prior to that point, but caught himself short.
Come on now, dont beat yourself up over it too much,
he tried to placate himself.
This might still work out. And you had to give it a try. You
you did.
The steelix carried on in the direction hed been shown, trying to focus on the name of the person to whom he was being sent in case he needed to ask someone else for an audience with her. Eventually the stone walls shrunk back into the ground, and a cluster of buildings soon came into view.
It was then that Grosh realized that hed left the dugtrios company before giving either of them a chance to perhaps tell him just where in Wisteria Valdrey was to be found.
Grumbling in annoyance at himself, Grosh slithered along the downward slope that the road took toward the city below. Now he had more asking around to dohe could only hope that it would go better than it had back in the forest.
Inauspiciously, the first few pokémon that caught his eye darted away as soon as they were sure his attention had fallen upon them, while others, remaining unseen altogether, could be heard scuttling away from him, evading him among largely empty and decrepit shops and houses and down slowly darkening alleyways whenever he tried to follow those sounds.
At some point, he faintly heard what sounded like a whole crowd of people gathered and chatting somewhere neither too near nor too far. Before very much longer, he pinpointed the source of the noise: there was a large, circular building up ahead, and as he got closer to it he could see a faded sign with a symbol on it that he recognized from his time as a trainers pokémon as a symbol of the IPL. He was looking at an old gym, he reckoned.
Grosh figured that if there really were as many people hanging around in there as it sounded like there were, then at least someone among them might hear what he had to say before they could get a chance to flee the building.
Granted, they were sure to know that he was headed their way before he got there, but he still hoped that being all cooped up in a large building as they were would impede their escape long enough for him to get a chance to make someone among them hear him out.
As he continued to approach the gym, trying not to move too fast in an effort to at least minimize the noise he made as he dragged himself along, he saw a sawsbuck emerge from it, using his red-leaf-covered antlers to push his way out through the large double doors warding the buildings arched entrance. The moment that the sawsbuck raised his head once more, his eyes met Groshs across the remaining distance between them, and he immediately turned tail and went right back in through those doors.
Damn it! Grosh spat, not quite under his breath. He was sure that now theyd have even more of a warning and more motivation to get the hell out of there, what with their apparent lookout letting them know exactly what was coming for them.
Nonetheless, he decided not to give up on asking about Valdrey at the gym.
It could still work
, he willed himself to believe as he kept on moving toward it.
Hell, maybe this Valdreys in there herself. She doesnt sound like the type wholl runnot if those two were right about her, anyway
Just as Grosh was about to reach the doors, they opened again. This time, three pokémon stepped out into the parking lot. There was the sawsbuck from earlier, accompanied by a rapidash and a golden-armored centaur pokémon that Grosh didnt recognize: an aurrade.
Both the rapidash and the aurrade awoke little threads of elemental unease in Grosh, and the look on the formers face suggested that the feeling was mutual between him and the steelix. The aurrades expression was a little harder to read; there were hinged plates of her armor covering most of her face, leaving only her eyes visible.
Hi, she spoke up crisply then, her voice resonating a bit oddly from within her armor. She clasped her hands in front of her waist. Care to share what brings you to these parts?
There was a faint sense of relief at the fact that these three seemed sufficiently uninterested in running from him, but Grosh maintained a degree of wariness; they also seemed like they might be well-trained, much moreso than the dugtrio had, and he wasnt so sure that he could take them all on if they decided that they didnt like what he had to say for whatever reason.
Im looking for someone named Valdrey, he responded.
Well, mission accomplished, the aurrade said; Grosh saw the dark gray skin around her eyes crinkle in a way that made him wonder if she were smiling behind those faceplates. Any particular reason you were looking for me?
I need help, Grosh said. Me and my son, and his brother, and their whole nation. Theyve got enemies, horrible ones. They He suddenly felt like a stone was lodged in his throat. They took the love of my life from me, he said, his gaze lowered. Theyve taken many lives. And I dont doubt for a second that theyll take more.
Valdrey cocked her head slightly. She cast a quick glance to each of the creatures at her sides; both of them looked somewhat less apprehensive toward the situation than they had before, but neithers expression had quite softened completely.
Sounds like they need to be taught a lesson, she then said as she looked up at Grosh once more and folded her arms across her chest. Her tone was notably softer, more sober than before.
Yes, Grosh said, nodding. But I cant do it alone. I cant even get back to where they are on my owntheres an ocean and God knows how much distance in the way. Please if theres anything that you or anyone you know can do to help
Valdrey stepped forward, then made her way around the sawsbuck to the doors and pushed one of them open. Come on in, she said. Lets see what we can come up with for you.
* * *
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Re: Communication (PG-13) [Chapter Sixteen Now Posted]
A solid body was smashed against a stone wall. One of its horns snapped clean off, falling to the floor and rolling a short distance away. Ice cracked audibly, bits of it flying everywhere.
With the impact still ringing faintly in Solonns bones, he withdrew his horn from the side of his attackers head. He pulled back, panting, staring down at the broken form before him.
In the next moment, his victim dissipated into thin air.
Well done, Zdir said from nearby. And that goes for you, too, as always.
The other one to whom she was speaking was Oth. It had been puppeteering the glalie against whom, or rather which, Solonn had been training, just as it had been doing for him and the other fugitives in the months since it had volunteered the idea.
The ice dummies were conceived to reduce the amount of injury and thus need for recovery experienced by the fugitives during their training, though they did still continue to include some sparring against one another for the purposes of increasing their elemental power.
Though the glalie could manipulate the dummies themselves, Oths telekinesis was significantly stronger and ultimately proved better suited to making the artificial glalie move with the same speed and force that the real things used.
Oth was unquestionably grateful to be able to provide this service for them. Solonn was glad for it, as well, and not only because of its usefulness in training. Throughout all this time, the claydol still hadnt regained the ability to teleport; being able to do another sort of good for the fugitives in the meantime seemed to be helping Oth to finally stop casting blame upon itself for this fact.
I think thatll do for now, Zdir then said. Back to the chasm, everyone.
While Grosh had abandoned the place where hed been waiting, the Virc fugitives and the claydol among them had stayed put for the most part, only venturing out of Groshs home to hunt.
They descended into the chasm a couple at a time as usual. Shortly after they had all made it down, <I am receiving a report from Zilag,> Oth announced, at which everyone gathered around it, awaiting whatever news it had to relay this time.
Thus far, the news had been largely good. Zilags reports from Virc-Dho told that the Sinaji had stayed out of Virc territory since the initial attack on the temple and the snowgrounds. The Security Guild had indeed swelled their ranks as rumors had suggested that they might, adding to the likelihood that the Virc might be sufficiently defended in the event of another strike. And while neither Zilag nor Hledas were quite ready to assume that the guild no longer kept eyes upon them, the authorities had avoided being overbearing toward them all this while.
After a few minutes, <A hunting party apparently had an encounter with two exiles yesterday,> Oth told the others. <All of the Virc survived. Beyond that, there has been no trouble among the Virc.>
Thats good to hear, Zdir said.
Yeah, Narzen said. Sounds like two fewer problems for us to deal with.
The fugitives had had to deal with some of the Sinaji themselves during their time up in Shoal Cave. They had had a couple of run-ins with them during hunting excursions, which had left a couple among their number with some new scars and had partially depleted their stores of the revival herbs that theyd dried and frozen.
On top of that, the hole in the ground that had become the fugitives erstwhile home had proven that indeed it wasnt impervious to being found by outsiders. A pair of Sinaji hunters, having gotten separated from the rest of their party and lost following a skirmish with a gang of walrein, had stumbled upon the hole in the ground and opted to descend into it. They had been struck down almost as soon as they had appeared, and once they had been identified as Sinaji, their fate had been sealed.
Following the report from Zilag, the evening proceeded as most evenings since taking refuge in Grosh's home did, with the five glalie conjuring ice for themselves and conversing in lowered voices among themselves and with the claydol. At some point, All right, lets resume, Zdir said, at which everyone who wasnt already hovering rose and gathered behind her to begin filing back up into the cavern above for some more training.
She had barely begun to generate the ice platform for them to ride on when she immediately dissipated it. No one questioned her actions. They all heard the faint voices coming from outside just as she did.
The tension in the chamber where the fugitives now warily and watchfully huddled together seemed to harden the air, making it difficult to breathe. Solonn stared into the adjacent room, keeping himself as still as he could manage, his heart pounding. Its pace only quickened at the sound of ice slithering audibly down the walls of the chasm leading toward them.
As every other glalie alongside him did likewise, he tapped into his sheer cold ability and put it on standby, hoping to the gods that if it came down to his shot saving their lives, it would succeed. The rigorous training that Zdir had put everyone through in the past several months was intended, among other purposes, to put the advantages of the knockout attack firmly into their figurative hands, but both the Sinaji and the Security Guild were well-trained, too, and so there was always the lingering doubt that it had been enough.
The fugitives waited for their uninvited guests to descend sufficiently, and Solonn was less than fond of the suspense. He accepted it, though, understanding well why they waited. Zdir had explained how it was better to get a clear line of sight before attempting to strike, how it was preferable not to knock out whomever was generating the ice platform from below and risk the bodies riding on it crashing down before their innocence and what should be done with them could be assessed, how the intruders should be allowed to come down far enough to make getting back out and bringing knowledge of the fugitives location with them more difficult.
A silver of deep blue light framing the lower halves of gray-and-white bodies lowered into view. The eyes watching it maintained their color, the turret-hands pointed toward the approaching intruders holding their fire. No sense in striking at shielded targets.
And then there the intruders were. Just a few feet away, three glalie in a triangular formation and a fourth actually sitting atop their heads were staring with wide eyes behind protect auras that were due to fade at any moment.
Wait, dont strike! the foremost of them cried out. We surrender! We dont want to hurt you!
Oth, Zdir prompted, not missing a beat.
<We must subject you to a psychic scan to verify your claims,> it said.
What? another of the intruders said in response, sounding more than a little alarmed at that prospect.
But, Fine, fine! the one who was being carried said, nodding rather frantically, raising an unpleasant noise as the armor covering her belly scraped against that which covered the heads of the ones underneath her. Then, as a few seconds passed with apparently nothing happening, Is it done yet?
No, Zdir said.
Well, what are you waiting for? the intruder who had spoken first said, then winced slightly as if fearing that she might be pushing it. A second later, her protect shield fell, as did those which surrounded the others among her party.
That, Zdir responded, at which Oth drifted forward. The rest of the fugitives maintained their stare at the intruders, ready to strike again at any moment.
Oth rose and stopped in front of the glalie who was still perched atop her party members heads, and said glalie made a valiant but not entirely successful attempt at concealing some degree of unease at its presence. Solonn narrowed his eyes at her, hoping that her discomfort wouldnt lead her to try and attack the claydol.
Meanwhile a faint and familiar discomfort of his own reared its head, but it was fleeting. The scan was voluntary this time, after all, and the awareness that he still might have to strike in order to save his friend at any moment was taking up too much of his mind to allow for much else to linger there.
Eventually, <Our visitors are Moriel La-Virj> Oth pointed toward the glalie whom it had just scanned. <Evane and Viraya La-Zyar, and Alij Van-Zaria.> It swept a hand from left to right over the other three as it named them off. <Moriel intends no harm to any of us, and from her knowledge of the others, it appears unlikely that any of them do, either. They are all deserters. They have all fled from Sinaji territory, and all of them have expressed strong disinterest in re-affiliating with them.>
Moriel watched Oth as it moved backward away from her, then turned her gaze toward Zdir. Can I please come down from here? she asked tentatively. This is really rather awkward.
The set of Zdirs brows suggested that she was at least somewhat deep in thought, but nonetheless she spared a nod for Moriel. Acknowledging this, Moriel extended a sheet of ice downward between Evane and Virayas heads, descending the ramp shed just made toward the stone floor and then making it vanish in a cloud of vapor.
You can come forward as well, Zdir told the others, who did so a bit hesitantly.
Will we need to have a scan, too? Alij asked.
Possibly, Zdir said, but probably not. For now, Id like for you to tell me what finally convinced you to leave the Sinaji.
Theres something wrong with their leader, Moriel said. Her response was met with a derisive noise from Narzen, which she ignored. He hasnt been acting like himself. Not since they were invaded. Some enemies of theirs got in and out without anyone even noticing, and ever since then I swear, the leaders gone crazy. Hes been babbling something about repayment for the blood of the
, whatever that means.
And something about the honor of the Vanished Ones. Maybe theyre the same thing, Evane supposed out loud.
Maybe, Moriel concurred. All I know is that he didnt even sound like himself anymore, and neither did the ones closest to him. And there near the end, before we got away, they were threatening us, threatening our lives. And they made good on it with some of us.
Were not the first to try and get away from them, Viraya said morosely. Just the first to survive trying.
No one said anything for a few moments after that. Then, Understandable that youd want to get away from such a climate, Ronal said. But I do find it troubling that knowing that these people had been involved in murders and kidnappings wasnt enough to convince you that you should want nothing more to do with them.
All of the apparent defectors turned to him with what looked like genuine shock. What When the hell was
going on? Moriel demanded.
Right before that invasion you mentioned. Are you telling us that you honestly werent privy to these doings? Zdir asked.
We had no idea, Alij said hollowly.
None whatsoever, Moriel said. You can have the psychic look in our heads again if you dont believe us.
Sanaika and his gang have had a bad reputation in Virc-Dho for a long time, Narzen said. Surely you knew what sort of people you were involved with from the start.
Whatever reputation they had down there is news to us, Evane said. We havent lived in Virc-Dho since we were children. Not since the humans took us.
So thats what became of you, Zdir mused aloud.
You knew theyd gone missing? Solonn asked, only for it to dawn on him as soon as the words left his mouth that of course shed had the means to know such things. The Security Guild, and by extension the Council, had found out when hed been taken. The same was likely true of all abductions, he figured.
Mm-hmm. And I know the names of Virc-Dhos exiles. None of theirs are among them. So, she then said to the deserters, I suppose when you finally got back here, you encountered Sanaikas people first?
Yes, Evane said. A clefable brought us hereteleported us to just outside these caverns, under the sun. The Sinaji told us that Virc-Dho had become corrupt. That their leaders had been overthrown and anyone who acted against them was being attacked and driven out. There was a lot of fighting going on up in these caverns when we arrived, and the Sinaji told us that we were only safe at all with them. Since no one else seemed to win when they took the Sinaji on, we believed them.
They trained us, Moriel said. Trained us in case the Virc showed up and we had to defend our new nation against them. We made them regret it. She smiled, but there was something rueful in it. We had to use every last trick they taught us, plus spring a few surprises we picked up on the outside. It was just barely enough well, mostly enough. The light in her eyes dimmed considerably. Wasnt enough for Kanjara, but
Well, Zdir said at length. We are willing to provide sanctuary to you if youre willing to accept it.
Yes, yes of course, Moriel said; the other three nodded in concurrence. Thank you.
Now, considering the training the four of you have undergone, we would also appreciate it if you were to aid us in any confrontation with the Sinaji that we have in future, Zdir told them.
Of course, Moriel repeated. She lowered her head slightly, averting her gaze. Its the least we could do. She shook her head and sighed. I regret ever having had anything to do with them.
We all do, Viraya said. I would definitely have liked to have given them more of a
parting gift
, but well there were only five of us against nearly three dozen of them.
Three dozen of them and some unseen mind-controller, Narzen said.
I suspected as much, Evane said, and she sounded distinctly uneasy. Her eyes shifted toward Oth. It would explain why some of them have been acting so strangely.
The fact that we know next to nothing about this psychic, or whatever it is, that they have in their midst is still a strike against us, Zdir said. But the numbers of the Sinaji being as they are is welcome news. I had allowed for the possibility that there could be thrice the number youve reported.
Its a good thing there werent. We wouldnt have had a chance if
Alijs voice faltered, a look of vaguely troubled confusion on his face as, from above, a strange, continuous grinding sound from above came rumbling downward through the stone overhead. Solonn, Oth, and Zdir, meanwhile, looked notably less perplexed.
Eyes wide, Solonn shot a look at Zdir, feeling a thrill of hope surge through him. Gods, that sounds like He found that he couldnt quite dare to finish the sentence. Is it could it be possible?
<Conceivably. Perhaps he found a way to return somewhere in Mordial,> Oth said.
Whats going on? Evane asked, sounding a bit concerned.
Solonn stared up toward the wonderful, presently invisible possibility that had just reared its head, hearing the sound slowly grow fainter as its source kept moving onward.
Hes not coming down here,
he reckoned, suddenly unable to help further entertaining the notion that yes, he was indeed hearing what he hoped to be hearing. He didnt doubt that they would still be able to track the source of the sound by its sheer loudness and catch up with it easily, but he wanted to know if he was right about what it was, and he didnt want to wait. Weve got to go check it out, he said.
Agreed. Come on, Zdir said with a dip of her head toward Solonn, then led him into the chasm leading upwards. Solonn promptly set about forming the ice platform that would lift them out of there, his eyes blazing and his heart racing as he willed it to ascend as fast as it could.
Please let it be him, please let it be him, please
The two of them reached the top, and the sight that greeted them halted Solonns thought processes at once.
There was Grosh and there was a small, multispecies army alongside him.
Sike Saner
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Re: Communication (PG-13) [Chapter Sixteen Now Posted]
For a moment, Solonn could do nothing but gawk at the sight. Then, Father! he greeted him.
The steelix turned his head immediately, as did most of those who accompanied him. His face lit up like the sun. Oh my God, youre all right!
The pokémon accompanying him parted as he turned and began making his way toward his son as fast as his coils could carry him. Solonn had begun rushing toward him in nearly the same instant and soon reached him. He buried his face against the steelixs chest, shaking with joy and relief, and as Grosh gently brought his coils around him in an embrace, he felt tears fall upon his head from above.
Father how did you get here? Solonn asked.
Thats how, Grosh answered, nodding toward a lanky, red-furred biped with a long, skull-like face and a black mane. Quiul here was kind enough to help round up these people for us and bring us here.
Solonn met the gaze of the mercirance to whom Grosh had referred. I cant thank you enough, he said sincerely, the light in his eyes wavering. Hed had legitimate reason to wonder if he would ever see Grosh again, and now here the steelix was. And Solonn recognized that now he could perhaps also be reunited with some other loved ones from whom hed been separated
Oh, it was nothing, Quiul responded with as much of a warm smile as her face could manage.
I do hope one of you will consent to a scan, Zdir spoke up. Solonn looked up in initial disbelief but then he followed her line of sight. There was a pack of unfamiliar glalie there. None of them looked particularly hostile, but that didnt mean anything.
I what? one of them responded.
Weve been under threat of attack from not only our own kind but collaborators of an unknown kind for months now, Zdir said.
Those guys are from Sinnoh, the aurrade who stood next to Quiul said. Theyre here for the same reason we are: to make your enemies wish they were never born.
Valdreys telling the truth, Grosh said. She and Quiul spent most of the past couple of days getting these people together. I was with them the entire time.
I dont personally suspect them, Zdir said, or you. But it would be irresponsible of me to not seek confirmation.
Thats fine, said another of the newly-arrived glalie, drifting forward a bit. Ill volunteer.
Very well, Zdir said. She turned an expectant look toward Solonn, who followed her back to the hole in the floor and descended with her.
So whats the situation? Narzen asked them once they reached the bottom.
We may have just received reinforcements, Zdir answered him, as well as access to teleportation and a safer place to stay.
Ha, excellent! Narzen responded. Several of the others mirrored his enthusiasm in some way, particularly among the defectors.
So its really happening, then? Moriel asked. Were really gonna take them on?
So it would appear, Zdir said. But we do need to have one of them scanned first, just to be certain of what were dealing with.
Wordlessly, Oth moved forward, accompanying Zdir and Solonn as they returned to the cavern above. Zdir indicated the glalie who had offered himself up for scanning, and the claydol went to work at once. <This is Roskharha Nharitas,> it eventually reported. <He is not of this region, nor has he ever been here before, and the same is true of the rest of the glalie who are with him. They are soldiers of the Hirashka people.
<These are allies,> it said, and there was distinct hope and wonder in the tone of its mindvoice. <All of these people> It indicated the entire crowd of various pokémon gathered there. <are here to try and deal with the Sinaji.>
Zdir looked back toward Valdrey and Quiul. Well aid you in your endeavor, she told her. We and our new associates. They were formerly involved with the enemy and have already yielded useful information about them. They may have more to offer us all.
Valdrey tilted her head back, making a faint, intrigued-sounding noise. Sounds like your people and mine could do with a good chat.
Yes, we could, Grosh agreed. Id like to know how you all have been holding up these past few months. He cast a look down toward Solonn as he said this, one that told that he hoped for the best.
And not only for himself and for Zdir and Oth, Solonn was sure, but for Jen, as well. He tried to put on a face that suggested good news on that frontthey had, after all, indeed successfully delivered him from the Sinaji, and he was, as far as anyone was aware, still someplace very safe. But he didnt imagine that Grosh would be altogether happy about Jen having been left behind, and he suspected that the steelix was hoping to be able to see him tonight.
Its all right, Father. We might still have him back very soon.
With a teleporter available, they could indeed possibly retrieve Jen that very night.
Valdrey swept a glance over the room. This doesnt seem like the best place for that though. Mind coming back to my place? Its safe and spacious.
That sounds fine, Zdir said.
<I will go inform the others,> Oth said, at which Zdir nodded in assent. It drifted down into the chasm, and soon after, glalie began filing up to join the pokémon gathered above them a few at a time.
Once they were all up, All right now, gather together, everyone, Valdrey instructed them. When it looked as though everyone had, Are we all ready to go? Valdrey asked, at which everyone gave some form of confirmation that they were. All right then, let's go! And with those words and a burst of light, the small crowd vanished from Shoal Cave.
* * *
The fugitives and their new allies all reappeared under a night sky, but there was a degree of somewhat harsh, artificial light shining upon them from nearby, at which Solonn initially winced. Once he had adjusted sufficiently, he took in his new surroundings as best as he could given the fact that he was partially surrounded by other pokémon, some of whom were taller than he was.
But he didnt have to see much before he realized that he recognized this place as the Wisteria gym in Mordial. He had been here before, back when he was traveling the world to spread word of the Convergence project. The gym had been lit by sunlight back then rather than by the few among its lights that still functioned, and there had been humans dotting the bleachers, watching as the gym leaders pokémon raced each other for fun on the track that ran around the actual battle platform.
Welcome to Wisteria, Valdrey said as the rather tightly packed crowd began dispersing a bit, the eyes of some of its constituents sweeping the alien environment in curiosity or wonder or mild wariness. She stepped out in front of Zdir. This is my home, and for as long as you have need of it, it can be your home, too.
Thank you for your hospitality, Zdir said. She settled herself at the edge of the racetrack, and the rest of the Virc fugitives, along with Oth and Grosh, joined her there. Many of the other pokémon clustered off into little groups, as well. Of course, I do have to wonder what inspired you to come to our former nations aid.
Valdrey shrugged, spreading her arms wide. Its just the kind of thing we do. Me and most of these guys here used to do this kind of work all the time back in the days after the Extinction. I guess we just never tired of being able to lend a hand. Or, well. A figurative hand, in some cases.
What the aurrade was describing sounded awfully familiar You wouldnt happen to know an alakazam by the name of Sei Salma, would you? Solonn asked her.
Hmm no, I cant say I do. What about you? she asked Quiul.
Im afraid not, the mercirance replied. Sorry.
Thats fine, Solonn said, supposing that he shouldnt be too surprised. It wasnt as though Sei and her group of psychics were the only ones capable of deciding to come together and aid people in the wake of humanitys end.
So I take it you Zdir nodded up toward Grosh. found her, or the other way around, and she took it from there, she surmised aloud.
Some locals directed me toward her, Grosh said. But yes. He drew in a breath and let it out on something of a sigh. I do regret not seeking help sooner than I did. I was just worried about not being there if you came back to where you left me.
Its all right, she assured him. No real harm came to us or to the Virc as a result of your timing. Theyve been lucky these past few months.
No sooner were the words out of her mouth than her eyes darted almost imperceptibly toward where the defectors were gathered together, and there was a hint of guilt in her expression. Solonn remembered Moriel mentioning one of their own apparently not making it away from the Sinaji. He could only wonder if indeed that person could have fared better had help arrived sooner.
<I would nonetheless have liked to have been able to have come back for you sooner,> Oth said. <Unfortunately, I lost my ability to teleport shortly after we rescued the abducted snorunt. We have yet to determine what caused this, and I have yet to regain the technique.>
Hmm Quiul approached the claydol. What youre describing sounds rather like a case of spontaneous move deletion.
Solonns eyes widened. That was a phrase he hadnt heard for many years, not since the days of his involvement with the IPL. Hed heard of humans inducing the loss of techniques via artificial means for various reasons, and he supposed then that he must have been taught of it happening on its own at some point but had merely forgotten it.
Can it be cured? Zereth asked.
I cant say for certain, Quiul said. All I know is that its not within my capability to heal.
It might be within the capability of the people at the Haven, Solonn pointed out. And we might be able to get Jen back while were at it.
Grosh frowned. You didnt get them back?
We did, Zdir said, but Oths teleportation misfired and then failed altogether before the mind-tampering that Jen was dealt could be undone. He was left behind at the Haven.
Well then weve got to get him back! Grosh said, throwing a glance at Quiul.
Solonn sighed. It might not be that simple, he said. Considering how long its been since he was left there, they might have come to figure that we abandoned him. Even if they havent, theyre not necessarily keeping him there. And even if we knew where they were keeping him, it might not be a simple matter to get him returned to our custody.
Grosh stared down at Solonn all the while as the latter spoke, and Solonn knew that whatever was going on behind those red eyes, it probably wasnt acceptance. Solonn wasnt fond of the way things were, either, nor was he especially fond of the way Zdir had told him to approach these complications back when hed first recognized and spoken of them. But ultimately, he had come to understand with and agree to them.
If it is, it is, Zdir said, addressing them both and holding the two of them in her gaze as best she could. Well bring Jen here. Hell be safe. If not he is, as Solonn has said, safe there, too. Safer than the Virc are in their own homes. We should tend to doing what we can for them first. We mustnt delay them that help for too much longer, and we mustnt squander the time and generosity of our new allies.
Im ready anytime, Quiul said. Just say the word.
Would it be all right if we could bring Zilags family here as well? Solonn asked. It would in all likelihood be a single trip.
Sure, Quiul answered.
See if theyre ready to go first, Zdir instructed Oth.
Oth nodded in its fashion. A couple of minutes passed, during which a couple of the groups of gathered pokémon began conversing among themselves; then, <They are.>
Very well, Zdir said, and nodded toward Quiul.
The mercirance made beckoning gestures toward all those who had spoken on the matter of retrieving Zilags family and Jen. Only Solonn and Oth moved toward her, however.
I think I ought to stay here, Grosh said, though he sounded somewhat regretful about it. Jens obviously been through a lot since he was taken, and even though he knows about me, it might be a good idea for you to let him know well in advance that Im gonna be here before he sees me. And I dont need to be in Virc-Dho again. Not even briefly.
Solonn almost tried to reassure him on the first point, at least, but decided against it just as quickly. It made sense, he realized, especially if, gods forbid, Jens memories still hadnt been restored and he had to learn about the massive steel-type all over again. As for the second point, he didnt even think of arguing against it. Grosh would probably never be safe in Virc-Dho after what had happened, nor would he likely ever be comfortable there again.
Im going to stay behind, as well, Zdir said. There are a few things I wish to discuss with Valdrey; I might as well get to them.
I guess everyones ready, then, Quiul said. I assume at least one of you has been to the places we need to go?
<Yes,> Oth answered. <I will transfer the memories to you at once if you wish.>
Please do, Quiul said.
As soon as the memories were transferred, Well see you all later, then, Quiul said, and then teleported away, taking Solonn and Oth with her.
* * *
Last edited by Sike Saner; 10-08-2012 at
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Sike Saner
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Earth
Posts: 112
Re: Communication (PG-13) [Chapter Sixteen Now Posted]
Solonn, Oth, and Quiul appeared in front of the Haven after making a stop in Virc-Dho to retrieve Zilag and his family, as well as a stop back in Mordial to drop them off there.
Though the family had agreed well in advance to leave Virc-Dho one day, it was clear when the time had finally come for them to do so that they werent doing it wholly without regret. Oth had long ago raised the possibility that they could still live among their own kind, in some other nation, in the hopes that letting them retain some familiar element in their lives would make the transition easier on them, and the Hirashka had proven perfectly willing to give them a home in Sinnoh upon meeting them. But while they and especially Hledas had latched on to the idea, the fact remained that they were still leaving their home and their lives as theyd known them behind. As they had sat there, all at once in this alien environment and surrounded almost totally by strangers, their faces told that only now was the change that theyd chosen truly sinking in.
Solonn felt for them, and as he entered the Haven with the mercirance and claydol at his sides, he hoped that his newly displaced friends would be fully at peace in their new situation soon. At the same time, however, a good portion of his thoughts were trained toward Jen and Oth and the hopes, however cautious, that he would be leaving Convergence tonight with the former at his side and the latter in full possession of all its techniques once more.
The three crossed the lobby to the front desk, where a chansey sat watching them approach. Can I help you? she asked when they stopped before her.
<Yes,> Oth said. <We came here several months ago with eight snorunt who had suffered mental tampering. One of them was left behind when I involuntarily teleported before his treatment was finished. I subsequently lost the ability to do so, voluntarily or otherwise. We have returned to retrieve him, as well as to perhaps have my lost technique restored.>
The latter was even more of a longshot than the former, Solonn knew. He had recalled there having been humans who could restore techniques just as there had been some who could erase them, but he didnt know if anything of that art had survived the Extinction. And similarly to the situation with Jen, if it was determined that it would take too long to restore its teleportation ability, that restoration would be postponed.
One moment, please, the chansey said, and turned her sights downward toward something on her desk and out of sight. Teresa? she said to what was apparently some sort of paging device there. Could you come to the front desk, please?
Soon after, another chansey arrived on the scene. You came back, she said simply.
Solonn nodded. We never meant to leave, he said.
They claim that something went awry with the claydols teleportation, the chansey behind the desk said. Something that caused it to teleport away with the others involuntarily and prevented it from coming back.
Have you been trying to teleport without any success all this time? Teresa asked.
<Yes,> Oth said. <Its as though I never even knew the technique.>
Hmm Teresas mouth drew into a thin line. We might be dealing with a move deletion here, she said. We can run a couple of tests to confirm it, but in the event that your teleport technique has deleted itself, Im afraid theres nothing we can do.
<We had anticipated as much,> Oth said, though it still sounded a bit disappointed all the same.
Hopefully well be able to work this out. If youll follow me, we can find out. Teresa began leading the way out of the lobby, and Oth and those who accompanied it followed.
When they reached their destination, Solonn somehow expected to find the same gardevoir there as he and the rest of his party had dealt with before. Instead, it was a hypno who stood behind that door, casting an inquiring look at them. Teresa explained the situation to her, then motioned Oth into the room with the hypno, closed the door behind it, and began ushering the others toward a waiting room.
What about Jen? Solonn asked as he and Quiul followed her lead. The snorunt who was left here, he clarified. My half-brother. Were his memories ever successfully restored? Is he here?
Im afraid the answer to both of those questions is no, Teresa replied.
Solonns heart sank. He had dearly wanted what was done to Jen to be undone, and the thought that he would be greeted with confusion or disbelief or even fear whenever he finally reunited with Jen was hard to bear. Especially since it was now really starting to look like that reunion would lie further in the future than hed hoped.
Is He tried to remember the gardevoirs name but failed. Is the gardevoir here? Can I speak with him?
If youre referring to Adn, then Im afraid thats another no. Hes not here right now and wont be back before the weekend is over.
Solonn sighed, vaguely wondering to himself what, exactly, hed hoped to accomplish anyway in talking with Adn. Could you tell me where Jen currently is, at least? he asked as the three of them entered the waiting room, turning to face Teresa directly as he spoke.
Teresa gave no response at first. Then she took a deep breath. He was declared abandoned, she told him. He was placed in anothers custody, and Im sorry, but were not at liberty to mention whose.
Solonn stared at her. That theyd decided Jen had been abandoned didnt exactly come as a surprise to him, but he hadnt expected to be barred from him quite so completely. Is anyone? he asked.
Teresa shook her head, insofar as she could. Im sorry.
For a moment, Solonn couldnt respond. The light in his eyes dimmed, and his throat threatened to close up on him. Then, But hes safe, right? Hes being cared for? He almost couldnt continue. Hes happy?
I can assure you that he is, Teresa said consolingly.
Good Solonn managed, very quietly. Thats good
Beyond giving the two of them a quick rundown on where certain facilities were, she said nothing more to them before departing. Solonn watched her leave, then sank to the floor.
He heard Quiul sit down beside him. This doesnt mean youll never see him again, you know, she told him gently.
I know, he said, though in a way it still sort of felt as though he definitely wouldnt despite his knowledge that that wasnt a certainty. I just wish I could see him with my own eyes. I wish I could really confirm that hes all right insofar as he is. And I wish I werent being treated like I cant be trusted around him, for the gods sakes.
Quiul laid a hand upon his back. Someday this will all be sorted out.
Solonn drew in a breath that shuddered slightly, hoping that she was indeed right.
Eventually, Teresa returned with Oth beside her. Solonn and Quiul both rose to greet her.
Im afraid it was move deletion, the chansey reported once she and Oth had entered the room.
<It is all right,> Oth assured everyone present. <I do not need to be able to teleport.>
Solonn supposed that it was right, especially what with Quiul on their side now. Still, he would have liked for at least some part of their endeavors in Convergence that night to have been successful. Thank you regardless, he said. and give the hypno my thanks, as well. At least now we know for sure. Teresa nodded in acknowledgment.
I suppose that concludes our business here, Quiul said then. Thank you for your time. Oth joined her and Solonn where they stood, and then the three of them departed.
In the wake of their vanishing, Teresa stood for a moment blinking the lingering flash out of her eyes, then turned and left for elsewhere in the Haven. As she walked, she felt a strange sense of something being off, and not for the first time in the past few months.
She frowned at it, wondering if she should see Adn about it. But that would have to wait. For now, she simply carried on about her business, as did everyone around her.
Fakemon info:
Blade Pokémon
Type: Fighting/Steel
Ability: Battle armor, light metal (hidden)
Average height: 6'2"
Average weight: 505.2 lbs
Evolution: Aurcent -> Aurrade (Lv. 20 if attack and speed are equal)
Appearance: A centaur covered in gold-colored armor. What skin can be seen between the plates is gray. Its "helmet" has two bladelike protrusions at the sides that stick out in a V-shape, and there are hinged plates covering its mouth most of the time. Its eyes are green. Its tail is like a horse's and covered in long, golden hair. Shiny aurrade are closer to yellow-green and have purple eyes.
Additional info: Aurrade are able to generate and wield blades made of steel-type energy. They are one of three different evolutionary forms of aurcent, the others being aurrail and aurrow.
Wandering Pokémon
Type: Normal/Ghost
Ability: Healer, scrappy (hidden)
Average height: 5'0"
Average weight: 99 lbs.
Evolution: none
Appearance: A lanky, red-furred biped with a hairless opossumlike tail and a stringy black mane growing from its long, low-slung neck. Its face is also hairless and resembles a long-snouted skull. It has spindly fingers and rodentlike feet, and its eyes are bright yellow. Shiny mercirance are blue with a bit more of a greenish tint to their eyes.
Additional info: Mercirance travels about in search of sick or injured pokémon and humans to heal using its abilities. It is able to tell when a patient is beyond hope of salvation and their spirit is longing to be set free; the mercirance will usually help it do so in that case.
Next time: The Sinaji are paid a little visit. See you then!
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text:
That's a shot of 59-year-old Florida man Charles Chulada, who tried out for the Saskatchewan Roughriders Sunday … wearing a T-shirt and jeans. Some background from the Daytona Beach News Journal, via Andrew Bucholtz of The 55-Yard Line:
When the Saskatchewan Roughriders football team scheduled an open tryout Sunday at Municipal Stadium, the coaches really meant it was open to anyone.
Charles Chulada, 59, was living proof.
While the other 20-something and a few 30-something players had their Under Armour, Nike and Adidas gear on, Chulada worked out in blue jeans, a 16-year-old T-shirt and some cleats he had from playing for a semipro team several years ago.
"I knew I could do it," Chulada said after running a couple of 40-yard dashes. "I want to put on a helmet and run through a brick wall to show them I can do it."
Consider the age and throw in the denim and what do you have? Brett Favre in less than two decades…
Either that or "Blue" from Old School…

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Are dogs better than Prozac?
I've often said (and I quote myself), "if more people had puppies, they wouldn't need Prozac". I am no doctor (but I have dreamed about playing one on TV) nor am I a shrink or certified therapist. I am just a recovered (ok, ing) depressed chick here to share my thoughts about how my dog helped me beat the blues.
I am NOT telling ya'll to flush your meds in the toilet! But…my dog was a better elixir to what ailed me than any pill I ever took, especially Prozac.
Over a 15 year span I ingested a slew of anti-depressants, visited shrinks and therapists but it was my boxer dog, Rosie, who played a significant role in my transformation from a raging Sicilian beast with depression into a smiling Zen beauty. Of course, I can't neglect to mention the shock therapy of Jim Thompson's suicide was the wake-up call I needed not to take my own life.
What to the 'experts' say about pets…
Doctors and scientists will tell ya that interacting with a pet has shown to increase serotonin levels and decrease blood pressure. Simply petting your pooch will give your good hormones a boost! Dig that?!?
Rosie is the sweetest, cutest and most loving dog in the universe. I know that's a REALLY big claim but it is the dog-gone truth (had to throw that in).
6 Ways My Dog Helped Me
Let me break it down the reasons for you, Janet Jackson style.
Simply, Rosie got me off butt, into a routine and kept me moving.
Unless you've got an enormous fenced in yard, a dog walker and kennel help (I have none of those) you've got to get off your bum and walk your dog. The depressed people I have met (including the old me) have the tendency to be sedentary, almost frozen or crippled in their thoughts. We park ourselves in our homes and generally speaking, avoid exercise and interaction with other humans.
I adore strolling, skipping and running about with Rosie. We enjoy the great outdoors, get fresh air and meet and interact with all kinds of people.
She loves me – really loves me!
On days you don't love yourself or on days you feel like "nobody loves me, I'm gonna eat a worm", your dog will be there for you, unconditionally. Rosie's no-strings-attached love for me warms my heart.
No matter how long I'm away, if it is 5 minutes, 5 hours or 5 days, Rosie loves me just the same. If I am sick, sad, walking around with mascara down my face, toilet paper on my shoe or my hair disheveled, dirty and in icky-knots, she still loves me. She is so cool like that!
Rosie was there for me after the proverbial poo hit the fan in October 2005. I was grief stricken and felt terribly alone and separated from other people.
The loneliness I felt was largely self-imposed but with Rosie by my side, at least I knew my canine companion was there for me 24/7. She is a great listener, a world class snuggle bunny (also, an enormous bed hog) and the best 4 legged buddy I could ever ask for. She is the peanut butter to my jelly and the frosted to my flakes.
When you have a dog you cannot sleep in all day long, mope and dope about and kick turds. Your pet depends upon you for e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g. Their potty break or meal time won't wait! For depressed people, getting into a routine is extremely important. Feeling needed is also critical, even if it is simply from your pet.
Here's the scenario: your internet connection goes dead, the computer freezes and to add insult to injury, your hard drive dies.
Your blood pressure shoots through the drywall ceiling at the speed of light and you start to freak and scream 4 letter words like a seasoned trucker. You stop yourself short of a full blown hissy fit because your sweet pup comes over to you, cocks her head as if to say "What's Wrong Mom?" and proceeds to offer her support in the only way she knows how: a big old face lick and the chance to scratch her butt. It works. Your blood pressure cools, you start to smile and realize the death of your PC is not the end of the world.
Boxer dogs are known comedians in the dog world and Rosie is no exception. She is my personal furry mood stabilizer (with no side effects) and a floppy eared comedian (with no cover charge, unless you count dog food, vet bills and flea-n-tick medication).
How can you avoid smiling at a puppy? Answer: You can't, unless of course you are not human or the Grinch Who Stole Christmas, pre-CLH (Cindy Loo Hoo).
Final thoughts
Even though owning a dog involves responsibility, commitment and at times, work, my pawed sweetheart helps reduce stress in my life, gives me a purpose to get out of bed in the morning generally, my little Rose petal brings a lot of love, laughter and joy into my life.
I wouldn't trade my puppy for anything in the world. She is my family and my bright shining star.
Ri Ruv Roo Ro (translation: I love you Rosie), Mom


text:
Haiti Paralyzed Without a Prime Minister, Who is to Blame?
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Written by
Wednesday, 22 June 2011 11:52
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - Nearly 40 days into the mandate of Michel Martelly's presidency the state remains paralyzed without a prime minister in place.
The previous administration ratified its choice for Prime Minister, Jacques-Edouard Alexis, on the 25th day of former President, Rene Preval's second term. Now, it seems, at the very least the Haitian people will have to add another week, or most likely more, in wait for a complete government.
Who is to blame for this situation?
The three parties involved in this scenario, the President, the Prime Minister-designate and Parliament, each are getting their fair share of product from the rumor mill.
The Parliament of Haiti?
Parliament, having the vote to ratify or not ratify is taking the heap of the blame, on the day after.
Released Wednesday, the early morning after by Pro-Martelly press, an article that claims the decision to not ratify the President's pick, Daniel-Gérard Rouzier, for Prime Minister, to be completely political.
The writer of the piece claims a $379 million contract with construction firms from the Dominican Republic to be at the heart of the decision. It was a deal set up by current Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive and the INITE Party. The article speaks of corruption, under the table dealings and even invokes the assassination of the former BNC Chair, Guiteau Toussaint in the mix.
As juicy as these claims may be, even if it is the morning after, they do not address the serious offenses of tax evasion, or Rouzier's office in defending Jamaican interests as the nation's honorary consul to Haiti, or documents missing from the designated's dossier that puts doubt as to his residency.
With all these things in the latter taken to account, it is difficult to put blame on Parliament; at least not Parliament alone.
Daniel-Gérard Rouzier?
If the aforementioned inconsistencies in Rouzier's dossier aren't enough to pass blame there were some mishappenings during his stint as the probable PM. Happenings which could have attributed to the vote not to ratify; minding that the vote not to ratify is still a vote of judgment, not technicalities.
The former designated prime minister made enemies far too early, before even submitting his pieces for review.
In an Associated Press interview Rouzier claimed he wanted to scrap the IHRC, co-chaired by former U.S. President Bill Clinton. Although it was a statement that went over well within the Haitian community, it was dicey and a bit arrogant due to the fact that there could be politics at play. Clinton has cronies in parliament.
Matters were worsened when Rouzier announced a draft plan to remove the Ministry of Women and the Ministry of Haitians Living Abroad. Men in positions of power are wise to not offend women and the diaspora community, although politically powerless, is the back bone of the nation and Rouzier's statements injured this much needed element of Haitian society.
And even furthermore, Rouzier's reversal of the decision to scrap the IHRC and the Women's Ministry probably labeled him a waffler. Then when the list of possible heads of the cabinet were released, the Women's Ministry, which was off, than on, ended up off again. And the Diaspora Ministry, which was assumed off as it caused much upheaval from leaders outside of Haiti, was on.
The inconsistencies in the designated's dossier along with these changes of stances, amount to one who is easily swayed. With residency, and Jamaica an issue, this did not help.
This is not to say Rouzier would have been a bad Prime Minister. It just didn't help him get ratified.
President Michel Martelly
The easiest blame that could be put on the president is on the issue of vetting. The most important decision any president must make is his selection for number 2 and in this regard, it seems the president had not done work due.
Rumors still persist that Rouzier and Martelly were childhood friends but in video and in a few conversations the President said that was not the case.
It has been seen that the President also is not in good harmony with Parliament. Back room negotiations, concessions and the matter of annulling the constitution could be included in the faults of Martelly.
Regardless of the intricacies in trying to place his man of choice at the Prime Minister position, the President, the captain of the ship, takes the bulk of the blame.
It is, after all, his political capital that suffers and program of change that will hurt.
In the end, these are hopefully the last comments regarding Daniel-Gérard Rouzier as Prime Minister. In this vacuum of executive power, the nation must move forward to place a new designate on the table.
Haitians all over the world await the official start of the Martelly administration.
Related 21.06.2011: Parliament Rejects Daniel-Gérard Rouzier for Prime Minister
Related 20.06.2011: National Assembly, Divided over Rouzier PM Ratification
Related 20.06.2011: Tentative List of Ministers for the Martelly-Rouzier Administration
Related 17.06.2011: Parliament: Rouzier Made $1,250,000 in 2010 and Paid Only $600 in Taxes
Related 16.06.2011: Food for the Poor, 25 Years in Haiti, Former Chairman Rouzier Ratification Stalled
Related 10.06.2011: Daniel Rouzier Clarifies Circumstances Regarding Owned Properties and Taxes
Related 06.06.2011: In Sudden Shift, Rouzier Promises to Keep Ministry for Women
Related 01.06.2011: Prime Minister Daniel-Gérard Rouzier, Thanks to Preval?
Related 26.05.2011: Rouzier Presents Plan for Removing Diaspora and Women Ministries
Related 25.05.2011: Rouzier Says He Will Throw Out Clinton-Chaired Reconstruction Commission


text:
Non-operative Hip and Knee Arthritis Clinic
UW Health Orthopedics and Rehabilitation offers a non-operative hip and knee arthritis clinic.
Who is the Hip and Knee Arthritis Clinic for?
The clinic is designed to meet the needs of patients with obesity and joint problems who are looking to decrease their weight to meet surgical criteria for joint replacement surgery. The clinic is for people with a diagnosis of osteoarthritis or other joint diseases of the knee or hip, who have a body mass index greater than 40.
Obesity and Joint Replacement
For some people, joint problems such as osteoarthritis, may be caused or compounded by being overweight. Because of the additional potential for complications and prolonged recovery, significant weight issues must be addressed before joint replacement surgery is recommended.
Our Approach
Based on each patient's needs, our Hip and Knee Arthritis Clinic staff may discuss:
- Lifestyle changes, including exercise suggestions, that reduce stress on joints
- Nutrition counseling for weight reduction
- Strategies to address joint pain
- Referral to physical and occupational therapy to improve mobility and function
- Injections to temporarily relieve pain and reduce any swelling
- Viscosupplementation: A knee injection that replaces damaged joint fluid with a substance similar to healthy joint fluid in order to reduce pain and improve function
Once patients have been successful in weight loss and meet surgical criteria to be considered for joint replacement, they will be referred to one of the UW Health joint replacement surgeons.
More about Referral Guidelines


text:
In This Issue: - Cybersecurity Breaches Have Costly Impact on Health Care Industry - Many Patients Being Asked to Pre-Pay for Procedures - Health Care Providers Given Active Shooter Emergency Guidance -...more
In This Issue: - SCOTUS Says Firms Don't Have to Pay for Security Screening Time - EEOC Saw Decline in Discrimination Settlements, Number of Cases - HHS Closes Loophole Allowing Employers to Cut Hospital...more
12/17/2014 - Discrimination Ebola EEOC Employer Group Health Plans Employer Liability Issues ESOP Health Insurance Integrity Staffing v Busk NLRB SCOTUS Security Checks Small Business Workplace Safety
In This Issue: - Hospital CEO Turnover Rate Reached Record 20 Percent in 2013 - States Take on Authority of Doctors vs. Advanced Practice Nurses - HHS Urges Hospitals to be More Prepared for Emergencies -...more
3/27/2014 - Affordable Care Act CMS Cyber Attacks Cybersecurity Healthcare HHS Hospitals Physicians Telemedicine
In This Issue: - 13 States Set to Raise Minimum Wage, 11 More Consider Increases - EEOC Reports $372.1M in Monetary Relief for Workplace Bias Claims - N.Y.U. Graduate Assistants Vote to Affiliate with UAW -...more
1/17/2014 - Amazon Bias Birth Control Pill Contraceptive Coverage Mandate Contraceptives Discrimination EEOC Facebook Hazardous Substances Immigration Reform Minimum Wage NLRB OSHA Passwords Silica Social Media Social Media Policy Unions
A study released by the Center for Disease Control in August 2012 estimates that 32 percent of adults in Alabama are obese. Alabama regularly appears in the Top Five of the list of "heaviest states," currently weighing in at...more
1/8/2014 - ADA ADAAA Disability Disability Discrimination Healthcare Costs Hiring & Firing Obesity Weight Discrimination
In This Issue: - 2014 Expected to Bring Big Changes for Health Care Industry - GlaxoSmithKline to Stop Linking Drug Reps' Pay to Prescriptions - Lawmakers Consider Mental Health Crisis Act of 2013 - Congress...more
In This Issue: - NLRB Rulings in Limbo as High Court Reviews Recess Appointments - New Labor Board Members Likely to Help Employers with Disputes - NLRB Says Social Media Restrictions Could Violate Labor Law -...more
8/16/2013 - American Medical Association Attorney Generals Criminal Background Checks Employee Benefits Employee Rights Employer Liability Issues Executive Compensation Immigrants NLRB Obesity Path To Citizenship Recess Appointments SCOTUS Social Media Policy
Alabama enacted the Alabama Trade Secrets Act (the "ATSA") in 1987. However, since that time, there have been relatively few reported court decisions analyzing the impact of the ATSA on common law claims. A federal district...more
4/10/2013 - Data Theft Preemption Sensitive Business Information Trade Secrets Uniform Trade Secrets Acts
In the summer of 2009, in an office at Goldman Sachs, in the waning hours of his last day of employment, a computer programmer named Sergey Aleynikov encrypted more than 500,000 lines of source code from Goldman's proprietary...more
1/30/2013 - Confidentiality Agreements Economic Espionage Act Goldman Sachs Penalty Enhancements Theft of Trade Secrets Clarification Act Trade Secrets
Employer Liability Issues
Social Media Policy
Trade Secrets
Affordable Care Act
American Medical Association
Attorney Generals
Birth Control Pill
Confidentiality Agreements
Contraceptive Coverage Mandate


text:
Who do you think looks best today? (5 photos)
The best street style from London Fashion Week: http://ow.ly/p48HS via @StyleCaster
"We based Serena on a Kate Moss type," says costume designer Eric Daman. "She just throws things together and looks amazing." In a scene at the Palace Hotel, she awaits her date for a night on the town.
Blake Lively wears a sequined Tory Burch minidress over Wolford tights.
Read MoreLess


text:
Sponsored by: Missoula Federal Credit Union
Feb 20, 2014 2:19 PM by Dennis Bragg - KPAX News
LOLO - The next phase in efforts to resolve Lolo Schools' space and safety problems continues, with ballots for a revised bond issue proposal hitting the mail.
Voters narrowly rejected the first bond proposal to construct a new K-4 elementary school last fall, so school administrators sharpened their pencils and came up with a revised package to meet some of the local concerns.
The revised package now totals $10.5 million, enough to pay for the full elementary school on land the district purchased years ago on Farm Lane.
Plans are still geared to improving the efficiency, security and safety on the present campus, while shifting the younger students to the new school.
All of the voting is being done through the mail, and registered voters should receive their ballots in the next couple of days.
1 day ago