Chapter 2: They Trek

It felt as if there were fire flowing within her very veins. This passion, it was everything she had ever craved. And this was just the road leading away from town, no telling how she would feel once the real adventure began. She would miss Walter and her school-friends, but he and they had all seemed overjoyed that she and Seviper were finally bringing themselves around to starting this journey, and Walter had even given her free Pokeballs, stating only that he would miss her cleanliness. The old man never was one for long goodbyes, or emotional ones either, come to think of it.

Seviper's obsidian Pokeball was secured within the matching halter and the teen kept herself on high alert, her mind racing to think of possible threats to this journey. Her father would definatley not follow her, probally would not even know she was gone for the first week. Not until he ran out of booze and sobered up. She wondered briefly what he would do, how he would feel. Then shrugged it off, it was a long time in the future before she would see that man again.

For just an instant she felt as though she had done something horrible; he was her father, afterall, even if it was only biologically. And all she felt for him was a dull numbness where hope and love used to dwell...she remembered a time when they used to love one another, a time when her life was more than slinking from one place to another behind her fathers back. But that had been a long, long time ago. Almost too long ago for Jasmine recall.

And what place did such positive emotions such as hope and love have to stay in regards to that man? They had nobody to nurture them; the flowerbed of their relationship had lost its gardener, and so all the color had begun to die; only to be replaced with horrible weeds that held any and all healthy growth in check.

The death of Jasmine's mother was what had turned both their lives on their ears. Before, they had been a happy family just the three of them, Father had never touched a drop of liquor or raised a hand to anyone, But after that day he had turned inward, ignoring her presance almost completely unless to punish her for some imaginary crime. Deep down she knew he was still hurting just as much as she was, and having to see her an almost exact replica of her mother...Jasmine also understood that on some level he blamed himself for Mother's passing, And that the guilt was what had driven him to the maniac depressive state he now inhibited at every waking moment. That was what had caused him to drink nothing but alchohol. That was why he made everyone around him miserable.

It was not entirley his fault, he was still undergoing the mourning process, even after all these years. Jasmine had moved on, she had been young enough so that she could heal and infact barely remembered her mother at all. But still the subliminal scars remained impressed upon her in the form of a terrible cynicysm that faded in and out of her heart. A heart that refused to love another human so wholeheartedly as she had loved both her parents ever again.

The youth heaved a sigh, she understood that her Father had not been in the right state of mind since that rueful day had snapped him out of his happy eutopia and thrust him into this solitude with the responsiblity of a young child. But it had been his choice to dwell on what could not be fixed which turned him into such a lonely monster. After a certain age you had nobody to blame but yourself. Just as Jasmine was the only one to blame for sometimes being so dark and cynical. This path was her choice, and if someday she were to correct such a choice, than so be it.

If she were to correct it, however, it would not be on this day.

Seviper lounged placidly within his Pokeball, his mind lucid as his red eyes watched the world outside the walls of his new home. The slight rocking Jasmine's movements forced upon the ball were calming, and allowed him to totter contentedly upon the razor-edge of waking and sleeping. Finally his mind's eye turned inward and he slipped into a state of light but blissful slumber.

It was pleasant in here, that much the serpent had admitted to himself. He never would have guessed all those years ago when he was still predator number one in the wild, that captivity could be so...comfortable. The snake almost shivered at the prospect, but he knew that there was no denying the calm order and comfortable atmosphere he had been allowed into. His partner alotted him food, whenever he desired it, companionship when he was lonely but above all, his partner had given him strength above anything he had ever dreamed before, even before they were one unit and still mere tentitive friends.

The serpent was grateful to this human. He felt that within his reptillian, supposedly cold blooded, heart an affection had developed for her. One that outweighed almost every other love in his once unfeeling heart. He had long ago come to terms with his slow realization that he would die for this human, for his human. Contented with his thoughts, Seviper slipped more deeply into his pool of dreams.

The sun finally began to sink slowly behind the sillhouetted trees, shadows streatched to encompass Jasmine in their snarled embrace, the youth shivered as the cool fingers of the shades caressed her skin. She needed to find a place to camp for the night. The young trainer's muscles tensed as the last of the suns rays slunk out of sight, leaving her only with the light of the stars. Just a bit further, then she would lay out camp.

the hair on the back of her neck stood up as she heard the far off howls of a pack of nocturnal dogs and she began to wrack her mind for which species dwelt here that would make that eerie sound.

Jasmine's quickened steps faultered for an instant as a cacophony of otherworldly snarls surrounded her. They were everywhere. Behind, ahead, beside, and yet all she could see were glowing yellow eyes leering out at her from the concealing brush. The youg woman had moved her body to the side and crouched slightly instinctually and now she fingered Sevipers pokeball nervously, there was no way he could take all these creatures, and no way in hell was she going to send him to his death. A growl, deeper and infinatley more terrifying than the others, spun the youth around and set her heart from skipping to racing. How could she even hear the horrifying gnashing of these creatures teeth over the pounding of blood in her head?

The beast behind her was a beautiful demon, to say the least. Even bathed in the pale moonlight as it was, its fur was still blacker than the night air around it with a pristine skull staring accusingly at her from where it was perched regally atop it's hound-like head. Despite the utter panic she felt, Jasmine could still admire the lovliness of this specimen. Suddenly the facts about these creature's came barreling into her mind.

They were called Houndour.

Houndour traveled in packs.

Packs like wolves.

Wolves had leaders.

This was the Houndour's leader.

If she could just manage to spook him somehow, she was sure that he would sound the retreat. If the entire group were to attack, she and Seviper were done for.

Her deilemma was, what on God's green earth could spook the hounds of hell themselves? Surely simply throwing sticks and stones would not do the trick, likely such a fool-hearty act would merely serve to piss these creatures off.

Suddenly one darted in from the right and she yelped in surprised pain as a cut opened up on her leg and a small trickle of blood flowed down. It stung like hell but she knew it was not serious and so kept her feet and steeled herself.

She glared into the eyes of the leader who glared right back with a rumble in its throat. The bones atop its head and sides gave it an ethereal quality that had her covered in goose-bumps as she imagined the beasts real eyes to be the socketless skull boring into her soul.