The Town Hall was filled with chatter as everyone tried to garner the Augur's attention. Jaern was everything one might think an Augur would be like. He wore a white and gold outfit with jade green shoes to top it all off. His hair was blonde and he had bright, turquoise eyes that shimmered as brilliantly as the gems themselves. The man exuded a confident, powerful presence. And it was that very presence an artist was showing Jaern in his portrait of the man.

"You've done such fine work here. Your skill is impeccable I must say," Jaern said, flashing the artist a winning smile.

"Th-thank you Jaern! your praise is most appreciated!" the artist said excitedly.

"I shall hang this in my quarters as a testament to your skill," Jaern declared, further exciting the man.

While Jaern conversed with the rest of the Town Hall gathering, the doors burst open, revealing Zander and Damian, who was panting heavily after having sprinted from the Telnor Cave all the way here. Upon seeing Zander, Jaern's eyes went wide.

It can't be... I thought Persephone had him killed! so why is he here!? Jaern thought, masking his rage with a neutral expression as Damian swiftly made his way toward him, hints of urgency showing in his face as he drew closer.

"Is everything alright? you look rather troubled," Jaern asked in a concerned tone.

Damian caught his breath and looked into the eyes of the most powerful man in Torren. Never had he dreamed that he would be standing in the presence of the Augur. The uncontested man of legend. It was really Jaern! For but a moment, Damian had forgotten why he was there. Zander, however, wasn't picking up the same awe inspiring vibe from Jaern as Damian. There was no doubt that he was a powerful man. Still, something didn't sit well with him.

"You're late Damian. Not that I'd expect otherwise..." his mother, Denise, said flatly.

"Now now, it's alright. I'm not offended by his tardiness. I'm certain he has his reasons," Jaern interrupted.

"Y-yeah that's right. My friend Zander and I were getting you a gift from Telnor Cave when—ah! that's right! Jaern err... Augur sir... we've come to warn you. You're in grave danger! There are some assassins here and they're going to—"

"Damian! listen to what you're saying. Do you not realize how absurd that is? look around you. Do you see any assassins? everyone has been more than accomodating to the Augur and if you think—"

"Sludge Bomb!" came a shout from the back of the Town Hall.

In a flash of white light, a large, sea dragon-like creature burst forth from its sphere and released a purple orb of poisonous sludge towards Jaern and Damian, the former of which was already reaching down to his belt and grabbing a ball of his own.

"King's Shield!" Jaern bellowed, unleashing his sentient sword from its spherical home to defend him.

Aegislash got between the oncoming assault and constructed a protective barrier that shielded both Damian and Jaern from harm. Turning around, Jaern locked eyes with his would be assailants and fixed them with a stern expression.

"Huh... an aquatic Pokémon. You must be from Abyssal Embrace," Jaern declared.

The owner of the Dragalge snickered and cast off his disguise to reveal the uniform of the Abyssal Cult which consisted of a red, white and blue coloration.

"And judging from your getup," Jaern continued, looking pointedly at the cultist's shady companion, "you're a cultist too right?"

"So I've been found out," the other disguised individual sighed, removing his disguise to reveal the crimson robes he was clothed with. "It was getting stuffy under there anyway..."

"I commend you two for boldly stepping forward like this. Had this been a confrontation anywhere else I'd engage you in a fair match without question. However... since you decided to put the lives of these citizens whom I've sworn to protect in jeopardy, I'm afraid I can't afford to give you a sporting chance," Jaern replied with iron in his words.

"Oh really? in case you haven't noticed, we've got this entire Town Hall as our hostage. So unless you want to see all of these people die, you'll come quietly to your execution," said the Abyssal cultist darkly.

"You still don't get it do you? very well then. Underlings are naturally prone to having tunnel vision and cannot see anything outside of that scope. I however, don't see a very bright future for you two," Jaern stated, extending his hand toward the cultists and focusing. "Vinculorum Mortae!"

There was a brief flash of white light which had everyone in the room shielding their eyes from being blinded. After a few moments, the light was gone, revealing that both cultists and their companions were gone. Jaern slowly lowered his hand and breathed a deep sigh. Meanwhile, the rest of the Town Hall stood in stunned silence after witnessing the power of the Augur first hand. Seeing the expressions on the faces of the townsfolk, he softened his own expression before explaining the situation.

"No need to be so tense. I merely teleported them all to Helios City where they will await trial. I assure you that no blood was spilled today," Jaern stated with a smile, diffusing the situation with ease. "And as for the two of you, you have my gratitude for warning me. Cultists tend to be ruthless and cunning at times, so who knows what would have occurred had you not come barging in like you did."

"Th-Thank you Jaern!" Damian said with a bright smile.

"You're quite welcome. Now, if you will all excuse me, I have a trial to attend. Perhaps you two ought to come visit me if you ever find yourselves in Helios City," Jaern added as he headed toward the door. "You all have a very lovely town, and you've all been so accommodating. It's been a pleasure being here!"

As Jaern reached the double doors, he glanced back at Zander, still in disbelief at what he was seeing. Shaking his head, he stepped through the doors and left everyone in silence as the man left. Damian's mother, albeit rather shaken up by the turn of events, was also feeling a little bit of pride for her step son. The Augur had approved of him right in front of her, meaning that perhaps the boy had truly grown more than she thought. This still didn't relieve the fact that she nearly lost him just moments earlier. In a flash she was pulling him in for a tight and tearful hug.

"Oh Damian, are you alright!?" she asked worriedly, the mother in her not paying any mind to the fact that her son was unharmed without a scratch on him.

"M-Mom... you're choking me!" Damian breathed, getting his mother to let up a little.

"I'm sorry... it's just that... well, you almost got killed! and it was all because you went and got a Pokémon ! I knew it was a bad idea to—"

"Come on Denise, you know damn well that's not true," her husband said sternly. "This would have happened regardless of if they did that or not..."

"But—"

"No buts! we've been over this, and we've agreed to let it go. It's time to let Damian be the man he's always wanted to be. A trainer like his old man!"

"Sweetie, you and I both know he aspires to be like Jaern," Denise replied with a nervous chuckle.

"I know that! But who put the dream in his heart since he was a child? me, that's who!" Damian's father said with a proud grin. "So he's going to have himself a little adventure and finally start living. No more being sheltered and smothered."

"But the cultists—"

"Won't touch him with Jaern on the job. We all saw what happened here. They were sent packing to Helios City with but a few words from the Augur. As long as he's protecting the region, Damian is safe!"

Damian's father continued to wax on about how Damian needed to finally spread his wings and live his dream. Meanwhile, Zander stood awkwardly by while listening. His eyes shifted toward the place where the two cultists were sent away. He wasn't sure if it was his eyes playing tricks on him, but he saw scorch marks where the two were standing. It wasn't too farfetched that a spell of that power would leave evidence of usage behind. However, for it to leave burn marks of that level of heat seemed a bit over-the-top.

"All right... if you think that's best. He can go. But Damian, you are to call me every night to let me know you are alive. I don't care if it's midnight or five in the morning," Denise said sternly.

"No worries mom, I'll call. You can count on it," Damian replied with a smile. "And besides, Zander will be around so he'll have my back, right?"

Zander glanced back at Damian, his lips twitching into a half smile as he gave him a thumbs up.

"See? I'll be fine. Besides, I've got friends in Midna Town getting ready for their own adventure! they're all at the Trainer School, which means I'll be able to get some pointers once I get there. Come on Zander, why don't you come with?"

Zander considered the offer for a moment. While he wanted to find out more about the cult he was kidnapped by and their reason for doing so, he had a feeling that going out on his own wasn't the smartest thing to do. The cultist that Jaern had taken care of possessed a Dragalge, which looked as though it had seen years of battling experience. The other cultist probably had something of equal strength in his care as well. Had it come down to it, Zander and Damian would likely have been dead before they could even put up a fight.

"Zander? ya there bud?" Damian asked, growing slightly impatient.

Zander snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Damian. He wasn't entirely sure what compelled him to make this decision. Perhaps it was the fact that death was too close for comfort for the second time, as far as he knew. Maybe it was a desire to find out why he was almost a sacrifice for Darkrai. Beyond that, he knew very little as his memory was still foggy, and all he had to go on was a twisted, merciless woman, a mysterious benefactor who sent him Mew, and now this. At least he hadn't forgotten his name. That was the one thing he took solace in. Putting aside whatever reserves he had about taking on this venture, he stepped forward and extended his hand toward Damian who shook it.

"Thanks Zander, I knew I could count on you!" Damian said with a grin.

"Just be careful out there alright? remember what your mother told you. I know you'll be fine, but for her sake and mine, please call us okay?"

"Sure thing Dad," Damian replied, turning to Zander with a confident smile. "Let's head out then. Midna Town isn't too far. Although we will need to head back through that cave we were in earlier. But that shouldn't be too bad now that we have Pokémon of our own to help us."

"Good point. Maybe we'll be able to find another teammate while we're at it," Zander added.

"Oh I plan on finding one. Hey, maybe we can battle once we get to Midna Town! It'll be fun to see how strong our Pokemon are won't it? come on, let's go!" Damian exclaimed, turning to dart towards the door.

"Good luck son, and remember, be careful!" Denise shouted after him.

Damian paused at the doors and turned to look at Denise. While she wasn't his real mother, she did take him in as her own. While he still had no idea who his real mother was, he was willing to accept her, even if she did irritate him. With a smile and a wave, he reassured her that he would be fine before bolting out the door.

"Is he always in a hurry?" Zander inquired, earning a chuckle from Damian's father.

"He's always wanted to go on a journey ever since he was a child. So yes, he's always like this. Safe travels Zander, and whatever your reason for this journey, we wish you the best," Damian's father said with a smile.

"Thank you. That means a lot... I think..." Zander replied, turning to head toward the double doors.

Just outside the Town Hall was the start of a new way of living for Zander. What awaited him outside was anyone's guess. One thing was for sure... he was going to get some answers one way or another. Who was he? why had Darkrai's Children attacked him? who was his mysterious benefactor? and more importantly, what was really going on with this Augur? with a deep sigh, he stepped out into the light of the day and began to walk toward the edge of town. Damian had already darted off and was probably at the cave by now. As he meandered away from the Town Hall, Mew materialized by the doors and watched him leave town. Looking back at the Town Hall, he pondered the events that had occurred within for but a moment before scurrying off after Zander, cloaking himself as soon as he caught up so as not to be seen.