FH: WINTER
"Fort Haste: WINTER" is a recount of a tale set within the Pokémon world - one in which everything has gone wrong. Here we meet the final survivors as they struggle to endure through hell and beyond. An unknown virus has wiped-out most of humanity, leaving behind children which seem to be less affected by the disease. In an attempt to preserve what remains of humanity, Fort Haste was bodged in the months following the pandemic. Even now, the settlement remains at the very heart of the ongoing apocalypse. For everything that has happened and all the trials humanity has faced - Fort Haste stands as a vision of hope.
Please note, this and following chapters will contain both narrative and speech in various dialects and languages. Anything said in Pokémon will be underlined as shown. Normal speech will remain unaffected, although italics and bold may be used for effect following standard rules. For whistle calls *…something like this…* will be used, and any random flashbacks etc. are marked with {''}.
Fort Haste is a work of fiction written as a collaboration between ZenColour and Just-A-Reader0Love
AUTHOR NOTES
Zen: Chapter 2 is here! We've been working on improving the flow of this one, as well as deciding to add more detail in where we could. Overall, I'm planning on shortening Fort Haste and removing a lot of filler that it had before. I'm excited to get these chapters out, and we're doing our best to churn out words as quickly as possible!
R'Love: This chapter was rather nice to update as it helped with a multitude of things, adding life to characters and the location as well causing a bit of a mystery. What mystery? Your gonna have to read further to learn what happens next as that's all I'm saying for now. :)
HAYS SNH Version 4 (0068 PA)
Forward written by I. K. Wyee [EXTRACT]
9000406224464 - Sinnoh Outreach Programme for Historical Preservation
The origin of the disease has been hypothesized by many, although now it is only possible to understand the V-DPP from the impacts its had. Past researchers have claimed that the virus was bio-engineered as a way of triggering evolution in stronger pokemon - although why this would then affect humans is a mystery. Unless of course, it was designed to be that way?
CHAPTER 2
An excerpt from 'Hays' Journals' III
The cause was unknown, the reason for such a turnover of life unprecedented. But such trivial contemplation was abolished. Now we had the stark nature of reality to survive. Time was our enemy, the future our friend. The sins of our past no longer mattered.
ORION's POV
'We're late Fenn! Can't you speed things up a little?'
Fenn ignored my distress and pulled the bandage tighter. This had the twofold effect of squeezing air from my diaphragm and and causing a small yelp to escape from my throat. Tying the knot in a neat loop, I bit my tongue as she took a step back to admire her handywork. Clenching my fists would be a safer way to deal with the pain as the teenager finished off by adding a spray of ointment over the bandages for luck.
'That should do the trick.' She murmured to herself whilst screwing the lid back on the medicine bottle, 'No thanks to you! You need to stop getting your tail in a twist!'
Fenn knew I hated that phrase. The cheeky grin on her face proved the fact.
'Relax Orion. Nobody will care if we're a bit late.'
'It's more the fact that I'm hungry.' I pointed out wearly, buttoning my shirt back up. 'Did you really need to be that...uh...aggressive with the bandages? It does hurt you know.'
'By the looks of those scars, I see you've had worse.' She tutted, 'Knowing you, something will happen and we'll be doing this again next week. '
'Isn't that a little…' I fished around for the correct word, 'Ominous?'
'You know, you could smile now and then? I'm trying to make light of a situation here.'
Looking up, I was once again met by a harsh gaze. Fenn put away the medical supplies slowly, not breaking eye contact. Watching me inspect her handiwork by touch as I fidgeted with my shirt, her expression softened.
'How did you even get scars like those?' Fenn continued to press, picking my jacket off the floor and handing the overcoat over. With a slight frown on her face, it was clear that the teenager was subtly attempting to see if I had any more nasty scars in obvious places. The wispy fur coating my arms stood on end from the chill air.
'Well. I guess it was back when I was little. I think I fell? Or got into a fight on Mt Coronet maybe...' That wasn't a complete lie but I felt the need to bend the truth. Pulling my jacket back on, I tried to wipe the wrinkles out of the thick fabric. The clothing had begun to feel homely, and I felt myself relax under the comfortable garments.
'Wait? You've visited Sinnoh?'
I nodded, face reddening from Fenn's sudden interest. 'I'm from Sinnoh - well originally. It was a long time ago.'
'And then you moved to Kanto?' Fenn zipped up the medical supplies, ensuring everything was returned to its proper place. Brushing blonde hair out of her eyes, she set the bag down on the bedside table before straightening. Giving me a quick look up and down, I tried to stop myself from laughing as I spun half a pirouette.
'How do I look?'
'If you ever do that again, I will die from embarrassment.' Fenn cracked a grin, 'Seriously. Never again.'
Feigning a hurt look, I pulled at my sleeves before burying my hands in my pockets. Thankfully Fenn had let me sleep in my own room last night. The old farmhouse was probably a few degrees warmer than the sheds, and being back in my own bed was a gift from the Gods. Even if the backroom was just as sparsely furnished as the medical ward, it had a window that opened onto the kitchen rooftop and provided a clear view of the night sky. Now that light pollution was non-existent, the Milky Way could be seen in all it's glory soaring through the gloom.
'You done then?' I asked at last, already pulling open the door.
'That'll have to do.' Fenn paused, 'Is it normal for you to heal that quickly? It's only been a few days but those cuts are pretty much scabbed over now.'
I just grunted, 'Yeah. I guess so.'
She didn't push that conversation any further and I silently thanked her. I'd wasn't nearly quick-witted enough to outpace Fenn when she started to grill me with questions. Watching the teenager from the corner of my eyes, she pulled out her bobble hat and tugged it tightly over her ears.
'Let's go.'
As soon as we stepped out onto the landing, the front door slammed and somebody came bounding up the stairs. A mop of dark ginger hair peaked over the bainsters followed by Mike rapidly making his way upstairs. Upon seeing us the teenager stopped, almost tripping over his own feet. He sniffled before eyeing me critically. Seeing such a concerned expression on Mike's face was weird. Usually the slightly younger teenager wasn't the type to care much about others. With messy auburn hair and an oversized cream wax jacket, Mike didn't care much about his look either. Mud and grease covered his work trousers as a clear reminder of his job as Fort Haste's mechanic-come-electrician.
'Is everything ok? You guys were running a little late so I thought I'd check up on you…'
'On our way.' I answered quickly,
'Great. Jane said it might be worth checking up on you.' Mike flashed a weak grin before heading back downstairs. Fenn and I came only a few steps behind, the wooden steps creaking underfoot. The two-storey farmhouse was roughly symmetrical with four rooms top and bottom and a short landing between the two. Downstairs two log-burners in opposite rooms supplied most of the heat needed to keep the old Georgian house warm.
A couple of aerial photos depicted the farm a few decades earlier, with faded sepia tones outlining the old fence lines and poultry sheds. A few new buildings had been added since but not much had changed, apart from the machinery stood out in the field. The shadow of a grey Ferguson T20 could be seen in the yard - a machine which had since been converted into a petrol generator. It was one of the few bits of kit that even a kid could fire up and maintain. Now the ex-tractor ran power for the kitchens.
'Always makes me smile that does.' Mike commented on the picture.
He had already zipped up his wax jacket and was waiting impatiently at the door. The numerous pockets in the coast was stuffed with everything and anything you could imagine. More bizarrely, the teenager had the uncanny ability of knowing precisely where everything was within them - down to the last paperclip or drill bit. Having so much stuff puffed out the material however, to the point that it looked like he was wearing a tent.
Fenn threw on a heavy coat before we made our way outside. Freezing cold air hit your lungs as a sharp reminder that the fringes of winter was already here.
'I think everybody else should be out already.' Fenn added, kicking the door closed with a slam. It always had trouble closing. Following behind through the small front garden, we exited via the front gate and hotfooted it over towards the yard. The scent of woodsmoke hung in the air from numerous fires lit across camp. That stirred my memory.
'How are our wood stores looking Mike?' I asked the teenager. After zipping up his coat another notch to protect his neck from the chill, he visibly grimaced at the thought.
'Uh. We haven't got as much as I'd like. Enough to last another month maybe. Then we're on all that wet pine we cut down a few weeks ago. Better than nothing...but not the best.'
I grunted in agreement, trying to think out a possible solution to the problem. We couldn't just leave the wood to dry in the sun. Mostly thanks to a wet autumn, the ground still sodden underfoot from day after day of grey haze and drizzle. Now with winter on our heels, morning frosts were becoming the norm.
A light mizzle still clung to the afternoon air and although we didn't get very wet, it was a relief to be undercover again. Within a few minutes we'd crossed over to the yard. This was the heart of Fort Haste and already you could hear the babble of voices from the Foodhall. It was enough to twitch my ears painfully.
The Foodhall was the largest building in Fort Haste. It used to be an old cattle shed, with a open-sided steel structure composed of five twenty-foot bays. The red-painted struts were starting to fray from wear and tear over the years, as well as the splattering of cattle muck and dust. We'd barely managed to remove all that much of the grime. Concrete reached around seven foot high on all sides, with wooden cladding protecting the far end now housing the kitchens. Tables took up the remainder of the space, with a mismatched collection of chairs enough to seat around two hundred. Admittedly, it was a squeeze.
The interior had been swept clean and repurposed into Fort Haste's very own draughty events space. Most people simply knew it as the Foodhall.
Thankfully the three of us could sneak inside without making too much trouble. The tables had been arranged so that the youngest kids were closest to the kitchens. Not only did this mean that they were closer to the primary heat source in camp, but also further from the rain which had a habit of blowing through the large doorway. A thin smoke clung to the air from the stoves in the opposite end. From an earlier scavenging fenzy we'd managed to get our hands on three Rayburns which had been fitted in a row along the concrete wall. The old 50's appliances had the combined function of heating water which ran down and through the neighbouring barns-turned-accommodation blocks.
It was noisy under the corrugated asbestos roofing. It would fail the health inspection if anyone could be bothered in future generations. Scanning over the tables, it was clear that everybody was here already. Even the customary seats were left ready for sentries that came and went during the meal. It was a pain to be on duty during meal times. Quite often the kids drew straws when deciding their weekly timetables.
Fenn latched onto my arm, leading me to the table just as I realised I was zoning out. Loud, busy places often did that and following the apocalypse, Fort Haste at dinner time was as loud and as busy as it got.
'So you finally made it! We were starting to worry.' Jane spoke in probably the least worried tone humanly possible. She still managed to flash a smile to Fenn however. The two had been best of friends for as long as I'd known them. At times they even spoke and acted in a pretty similar way - albeit with Jane being the more reserved of the two.
I maneuvered myself into a seat carefully.
The occupants of Fort Haste, self proclaimed 'Hasties', were organised to be as efficient as possible. At times this often appeared to be a little too militaristic, but we often tried to pretend it was a fun summer camp. The latter meant that many of the kids could more easily accept that they would never see their parents again, and that food came out twice a day on little trollies. The kids were split into groups based on age which were then managed by around fourteen of the older Hasties. Above them were the 'Chain' which, unlike the Fleetwood Mac single, meant we were the top of the chain of command. Fenn had come up with the term because we were all linked and supporting each other.
Mike saw the chain as something which bound him to responsibilities.
There were a total of six of us in the chain - a bundle of quirky teenagers which held the fate of humanity in their hands. Not that there was any pressure or anything.
Mike worked as the grafter and all round odd-job. A kid of all trades but a master of none - with the added knack of being able to fix anything with either ductape or WD40. Seriously. He also had a thing for old weaponry and medieval history which came in handy now we'd been thrown back into the Dark Ages (for the second time). Sat next to him in her customary seat was Jane, the medical officer mostly involved with fixing anything that Mike couldn't. For the most part that involved people, as well as any weary pokemon who fell ill. But does that make her a doctor or a veterinarian?
Along from Jane was where Bass normally sat, a small girl and the youngest member of the Chain. She was currently helping set out the food trollies, and was the chief organiser of camp. Bass was in charge of timetabling and micromanaging every single thing that existed within the four walls of Fort Haste. With the help of Fenn, the two basically ran Fort Haste keeping everyone occupied and out of trouble. Bass had the uncanny ability of being everywhere at once. You'd have thought she could teleport.
Aside from me and Fenn, Insley was the final member on the chain and was also occupied within the kitchens. The tall girl was filled to the brim with sass, and had the mouth to match. Beyond a sharp mouth, she made an excellent cook - mostly because she had the spunk to get kids up and preparing food before sunrise each morning. If you don't want to get shouted down, avoid the kitchens or Insley in general. She had a habit of running a tight crew whilst managing the most important resource we had. Food.
It was at that very moment that Insley sat down with a plop into her chair. Taking a moment to pull it in a little closer to the table, she relaxed with her elbows on the edge. The teenager gave us all a cheeky look from under a button nose.
'Well, we're all pretty much here then? Just in time as well. Me and Bass were trying to work out what you guys actually do around here - apart from moaning.'
We all forced a weak grin, my own smile failing to reach my eyes. That comment was a running joke that Insley had - one she had worn out before it even started. Tugging my cravat off carefully to as to avoid grazing the fur off my ears, I took a moment to relax into my chair. It had been a while since Fenn had allowed me to enjoy a meal with everyone. I'd missed the banter over the past couple of days and let a smug expression seep through my calm exterior.
'I kind of liked Resource Manager.' I chipped in, 'And Fenn can be Supreme Leader or something.'
'It takes a supreme leader to keep you in line.' Insley returned with a smirk, 'It's good to see you back on your feet. Glad to see those vermin up at Berry Hill didn't want the trouble.'
Visibly twitching at the trigger word, I avoided Fenn's worried look rather poorly. Thankfully nobody else seemed to mind and had quickly turned to their own conversations. The rainstorm outside was starting to intensify. Water splattering onto the rooftop smoothed out the sharper edges to the flurry of sound. Listening to the sound of camp ticking off, the sudden yell had me jumping out of my chair.
'FIRST CART'
Jeff had taken the honours to yell the words that got the mealtime started. The boy was a little too young to be a member of the chain, which was a good thing when it came to Fort Haste's defences. Jeff had a voice like a foghorn. Anybody and everybody listened to him when he got going - not that they could block out his hundred-decibel siren-like commands. Jeff had taken on the position as Squadron leader quite happily, acting as a General when it came to Fort Haste's private army. He had nearly ninety armed children under his command.
Now Jeff was using his position of power to nab the first food cart and take it whizzing over to his own bench.
I quickly realised that I was getting strange looks from every seat around the table.
'Uh...Is everything ok?' I paused, pulling a knife and fork over to my placemat.
'You...' Fenn started to explain quietly but was cut through by the loud chortle on Insley opposite.
'You just yelped! Not to mention nearly jumping a foot out of your chair! Jeff must be hell'a loud to your fuzzy ears...'
I grinned sheepishly, trying to hide the flush of colour to my cheeks. Thankfully, Bass was there to save the day as the last member of the Chain arrived with a food trolly in tow. Passing out steaming dishes to each of us in turn, she flopped into her seat with a weary sigh. A moment later and we were all tucking into our food.
There was a slightly buzz in the air of the Foodhall as the noise descended into a muffled silence of eating, as well as the scraping of utensils on plates. I could still hear a few people snickering though, probably sharing some injoke or the latest story.
Majestic wasn't a word I'd use to describe the Foodhall, nor how we had outfitted it. A lot of effort had been made to make it serviscale. Still, there remained some strange grandiose to the way that old steel frames and rough breezeblocks hid absolutely nothing. The Foodhall stood proud in the way it simply was what is was. Warts and all - as well as a few strands of bunting we'd strung between the eaves. Up in the far rafters a pair of Zigzagoons had decided to build a nest. How they got up there still remained a mystery and inhabitants were rather shy.
Fort Haste was like that. It all worked, if only just.
For a single moment there was a blessed moment of calm. The tables were filled and those unlucky few stumbling in from a wet shift on sentry-duty had a steaming plate of food waiting. Even as I ate, it was difficult to tell what the brown mush actually consisted of. Now and then a pea, or a chip of potato was clearly visible - but otherwise the thick stew was an amorphous mash of unknown origin. I could have asked Insley what was in it, but the teenager got offended easily when people criticized her meals. Clearing my plate quickly nonetheless, with a contented sigh I lent back and let my ears pick out the comforting sounds of Fort Haste.
For a brief moment it was like a storm had passed and a serene silence had developed in the aftermath. Everything was as it should have been.
But for one thing.
A lone whistle called out across the fort.
In an instant my Umbreon ears jumped to attention. My tail perking up as, with a jarring flex of my neck, I picked out the high-pitched signal. It was an animalistic reaction I know, yet for a moment I felt like the whole world hung in the balance. Although the first whistle was too quiet for everyone else to make out, the repeated call was loud enough to burst the silence in the FoodHall.
Long. Then two quick short blast. Pause. Short short Long. Repeat.
*…WARNING…Feral…Approaching…6"…A….*
My stomach dropped.
'Just as we were getting started.' Mike sighed, ignoring the fact that everyone else had frozen in an effort to more clearly decipher the message. I was up in an instant, too quickly in fact as my recently eaten meal slopped around in my stomach. Ignoring the taste of acid on my tongue, I grabbed my cravat and pulled it down over my head swiftly.
All eyes were on me as I tried to raise my voice above the climbing chatter in the shed.
'Alright. ALRIGHT!' Everyone stay calm. We'll have a look to see what's going on.' I motioned to Jeff with a short wave, flashing a weak grin to try and calm the couple hundred kids in the food hall who were starting to show signs of panic.
'Finish up your meals while we check this out. Tough luck if you're on runner duty or under Jeff's command for this afternoon, you're coming with us. Can't be too careful.' I added for good measure.
The response was automatic and I strode towards the open end of the Foodhall.
Only silence remained within the valley of my footsteps.
Digging into a pocket and I pulled my own whistle up to my mouth and blew out a set of instructions. After a few short calls, mostly to ensure that the remaining sentries kept an eager eye out for the appearance of more Ferals, I reminded Fort Haste that this wasn't a drill; even if we had made a habit of completing such drills over lunch.
The rain started to hammer down outside. I grimaced. Why now?
Turning round, already there were kids running out and into the downpour. Some seemed excited at the prospect of what was happening, a few had steely eyes that somehow looked too old for their childish faces. Those not within the squadron remained at their tables, necks strained to catch a glimpse of what was going on. However, they seemed more than happy to stay inside where it was warm and dry.
'X-leader on duty Sir!'
I spun around to find Jeff stood to attention. He almost looked ready to give a salute. To be honest, such formalities were beyond most Hasties. Not the mention we were trying to avoid kids wondering why they were effectively in a military training school.
I gave up peering into the rain and focused my attention on the boy.
'I need the Squadron out and focused on the palisade at approximately 6"A, but have another five stretched out towards 3" or something. By the sounds of it we have a Feral around fifty metres out, but most likely it won't get close enough to make weapons worthwhile. I want two with guns at the back and the rest on bows. Nothing is to be fired until I say so. Got it?'
Jeff nodded, pulling a scarf out of his jacket pocket. He'd managed to scavenge one of those overtly rainbow-coloured knitted scarfs which a grandmother would make. Jeff wrapped this around his neck tightly. Pulling on some gloves, he gave me a quick nod whilst apparently unaware of my impatience.
The weather looked like it was only going to get worse.
'And keep those bows dry.' I iterated, already striding off towards the previous whistle call. I had learned the hard way that leaving wooden bows out in mucky weather usually resulted in snapped bowstrings.
I missed Jeff's nod as he fell into step behind. The remainder of the kids were a little wild-eyed at the sudden list of commands, but Jeff yelled loud enough to get the ball rolling. Two ran off to one of the five safe boxes which housed loaded guns, and a few more disappeared to the armoury to pick out readily assembled archery packs. In a matter of minutes we had a dozen kids with strung bows ready to fire, two teenagers with rifles, and a thin line of defence on top of the palisade.
In the distance I could hear Insley yelling something or other. I shuddered, not knowing what was worse for morale - a missed meal or an attack by Ferals. Insley got more than a little grumpy when she was hungry. Hanger, so called 'hungry anger' might have been a better word. Like I'm going to rip you to shreds if I don't stay calm kinda hanger.
That's why Bass was in charge of caring for the majority of kids, and we kept Insley busy in the kitchens.
Clearing my voice removed some of the tension I'd built up across my shoulders. Having weaved our way to the north-side of camp, Jeff and I joined the sentry who was stood expectantly on top of the palisade embankment. Skidding to a stop, I turned to find Jeff only a few seconds behind but much more out of breath. The teenager wheezed for a moment and I ignored his drama for the sentry. She was presently tugging her hood across her face in an attempt to keep the rain out of her eyes. From what I could remember, I think her name was Megan.
'Sir! I thought it was…they…I…'
She looked close to tears and I placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. The small girl couldn't have been much older than twelve and bounced on the balls of her feet. Either she was cold or the uncomfortable anxiety of the situation was getting too much. Megan just pointed over the wooden wall and across the Lee slopes. There wasn't much cover to the north of Fort Haste, but it wouldn't have made much difference.
A handful of Ferals towered over the hedges. They strode through the rain with surprising speed.
'You did the right thing.' I comforted her, before pulling Jeff a step closer by his arm.
'See it.' I nodded in the direction of the beast.
About forty metres out and slowly approaching were what appeared to be three giant spiders. The rain only acted to outline the shadowy creatures which looked like something out a nightmare. Since the epidemic, the virus had acted to deform and mutate pokemon in gruesome ways. For this Ariados, that meant that they were now misshapen giants.
Easily standing ten feet tall, their legs were irrationally big for their bodies. Tiny heads were stuck to their streamlined legs but instead of a mere eight eyes, a mass of bubble-like headlamps seemed to froth out of the creature like foam. Between them were a pair of humongous fangs whose size alone made the beast front heavy. This only acted to propel them forward at a faster rate.
The Ferals were so tall that the mutant Ariados simply strode over the initial defences. The Lee slopes became denser the closer your got to the palisade, but the spiders simply walked overtop of our meticulously prepared deterrent. From behind, two smaller forms appeared from nowhere, although one had already got their foot stuck in a pitfall trap. The ground beneath the unlucky spider disappeared and the sudden tension threw the Ariados sideways.
'That's one down.' Jeff commentated. He already had his gun off his shoulder and was clicking the safety off the long rifle. Loading the weapon, he lowered the muzzle and eyed the creatures as they approached.
The lone Feral that had already fallen was in a frenzy - driving itself forward with only three legs working as it slowly ripped the others off. Green blood oozed out the wounds, with squirts of liquid fountaining into the rainstorm.
Now that they were pushing through razor wire and barbed stakes, the other spiders had dropped pace. In an attempt to weave through the defences they were wobbling precariously, too top heavy for their elongated legs. Water splattered off hardened shells, creating a looming danger sign out of garishly black and red markings.
'Shite.' Jeff swore, seeing how easy the spiders were tiptoeing ever closer. Only a minute had passed and already the Ferals were too close for comfort.
Gently motioning for the sentry to leave her post, I wave the archers up onto the palisade. With around ten armed kids up within sighting distance of the mutant creature, I felt a little more at ease. Jeff however, was gripping onto his weapon tightly, staring at the approaching beasts.
'OK.' I pulled him away from his thoughts, 'I want five arrows per kid. Any more than that and you get the gunners up and firing? Ignore the one at the back.'
'Right.' Jeff nodded, taking a breath and pulling on his game face.
He paused,
'You going to get out of my way then? I've got work to do.' He growled suddenly, making me freeze in confusion. That only lasted a second after seeing the small peep of a grin on his face.
'Yes sir.' Pulling a mock salute, I slid down off the palisade let Jeff take control.
The teenager didn't need to be asked twice.
Ariados's as big as tanks were making their way towards Fort Haste - and there didn't seem like much we could do about it.
'SQUADRON! FIVE ARROWS EACH! AIM FOR THE EYES.'
Covering my ears, I felt the need to duck from the shear volume of his voice.
'IF ANY OF YOU FIRE TOO EARLY I'LL SWITCH YOU OUT FOR SOMEBODY MORE CAPABLE. YOU WAIT UNTIL I COMMAND. WE NEED THEM CLOSER TO MAKE A MARK.'
Unlike only a moment earlier, Jeff now oozed confidence. Wrapping his rainbow scarf behind his back, the boy folded his arms and surveyed down the line of archers. His gun hung precariously from his shoulder. All ten of the kids had their bows strung, and a single arrow nocked ready to fire. Two of them had longbows, while the rest more stumpy recurves that had made it through the apocalypse. Unlike competition shooting, none of them had sights nor counterweights. The children instead shot freestyle with a deadly accuracy that daily practice granted.
'You know what you're doing. If they attempt to cross the ten-metre mark then take them out!'
Jeff had lowered his voice a notch but still shouted. The teenager flashed me a wicked grin before pulling the hood of his coat up and over his cap. Casting a careful eye down the embankment, I watched the Squadron prepare themselves, the kids of various ages squaring their shoulders and setting their feet shoulder-width apart. Their weapons were a bit cumbersome and a pain to master (arrow burns and all) but weren't limited by the meagre volume of ammunitions we'd looted. Guns were precious and it was going to be a very long time until they were in mass production again. Then again, being able to punch a hole in a feral was no laughing matter.
'Steady! STEADY! COME ON! RELAX A LITTLE GUYS. DON'T LOSE FOCUS!'
The latter was said half in jest as the mutant Ariados moved in closer. It was clear that all of the children were a little flighty. Who wouldn't be when you had those towering monstrosities steadily powering towards you? The spiders appeared to walk without any need for haste (get it) though for some reason they seemed intent upon pushing through the l minefield. For some reason the palisade, embankment, and a shitload of arrows waiting to pummel what was left failed to act as deterrent. Did they really want us dead that badly?
A second giant spider stumbled suddenly into another pitfall trap. With a shattering crack, a pair of legs ruptured as it sprawled lopsided. The insect continue to fight its way forward even as it toppled forward onto a row of sharpened stakes. As if in slow motion, the wooden spikes punctured through the spiders sternum and gruesome head. The beast bellowed even as it's life fluid drained in green streams from the wounds. Hollowed sounds echo through the torrents of rain as the Feral struggled to pull itself free.
'Damn .' I grumbled. Things were starting to get messy and you had to think of the children.
Thankfully, my whisper didn't carry through the storm. With a quick look, I saw jeff with a much different expression - a mix of anger and muted exhilaration. Even if he was clearly in charge of the situation, it was all I could do not to jump in myself. The boy had a nasty past with Ferals, and a more involved one than most. Still, he managed to channel a darkened anger into a harsh exterior which kept the Squadron in line. It wasn't my place to get in the way. Jeff was in charge and I had to trust him to do his job. Just because we'd never had Ferals get this close didn't mean he was up to the task.
However, I couldn't help myself bounding up onto the palisade to get involved with the action.
'GET YOUR BOWS READY!'
The downpour intensified to the point that it cratered the ground, rapidly turning it to mud. Fort Haste sang like some crude musical instrument from the storm of raindrops hitting the sheet-metal rooves. Droplets splashed across my waterproof and trickled down my ears, before cascading down my neck. Not to mention my tail was now a sodden mass you could wring out if you tried. Moisture clung to my fur like glue. Welp, at least it was a free shower.
Jeff must have noticed my discomfort as he broke character long enough to mutter.
'Orion, you'll smell like wet dog for weeks.'
Chuckling at the comment, I didn't have time as Jeff jumped back into action.
'NOCK! DRAW ON COMMAND!'
The kids, who were doing their best to keep the bowstrings dry, shuffled and pulled the plastic sheeting off the tops of their weapons with a smooth motion. They had been drilling the same routine in this weather for weeks now. Thankfully, muscle memory acted to smooth out any slip ups or snapping of bowstrings in the rain. Their mismatched equipment was at once out in the elements. White fingers tugged out straight-shafted, Swanna feather arrows and nocked them on lightly . A few kids gave their bows a gentle tug to test the draw-weight.
Swanna make a habitual migration from Unova and kanto, and thankfully there's no longer a queen to maintain sovereignty over them. So the swans were ours for the taking - aside from death threats and other foul language only I could understand. Anyone else would only hear hissing. So much for being royal birds.
A cold chill started in my golden-ringed tail and ran up my spine.
Squadron was not the type of name that should've been given to armed infantry, or even archers. To be honest, it was a name that we stole out of some pre-pandemic sci-fi story. Such a name had been a compromise on my part. We'd originally split the group into an X and Y squadron, before realizing we didn't have enough kids to make it feasible. So now it was an all or nothing defence of Fort Haste.
The Ariados were easily at twenty metres distance now - closer than we'd ever had any feral previously. You could just about make out their individual eyes amongst the foam, frantically searching for an easy route to tread through a forest of barbed wire.
Jeff was a little jumpy. Somehow I knew that was simply a farce for thrill bubbling below surface. He was the kind of kid that enjoyed stuff like this - to the point that I made a point of reining him in.
'See if you can dent them.' I told the teenager firmly, 'If not, we call in the gunners.'
'Got it.' He gave me a little glance which wasn't overly reassuring.
A quick pat on the shoulder and I headed down off the embankment, almost slipping on and in the freezing mud.
Two kids with the guns sat at the bottom off the small rise. Rain bounced off the hoods of their coasts as they kept the two loaded rifles in their box. The lid was firmly shut, although both of the locks had been left open in preparation. Hopefully they'd remembered to leave the safeties on unlike last time. Jane had got some practice on bullet extraction the last time that happened.
'Keep those things dry.' I reiterated. We didn't want any of the guns getting rusty or misfiring. The last time we had, Mike had broken a weapon upon attempting to clean it.
'Yes Sir.' The two kids called out in unison, worry plastered across their faces. Eyes flickered up to the palisade unceasingly just Jeff readied the remainder Squadron.
Putting my whistle to my lips, I called out a short message to the rest of camp
*…WARNING…FIRING…6….*
Tugging at his scarf, Jeff lent on his rifle as he cleared his throat.
'ALRIGHT THEN. NOCK!'
'Orion?'
Fenn's voice made me jump and I cursed, almost slipping in the mud. I ran a hand through my hair, trying to flick the water off my Umbreon ears. I probably looked like nervous wreak. She had her coat wrapped around her and peered out from under a warm hat and a red rain hood.
'What are you doing here?' I demanded. Or at least I attempted to.
'How's it looking?' She avoided my question neatly, 'They're close enough to hit now?'
'Fenn it's not safe.' there was a hint of desperation in my voice. It seemed to slide past her. Fenn just wrinkled her nose.
'And yet we have a dozen armed kids fighting off giant mutant spiders with bows and arrows? Don't be a dimwit Orion.'
'FIRE!' Jeff yelled and this time both of us jumped. Though I am pretty sure Fenn can't yelp.
The sound of ten bows snapping in sync was somewhat satisfying. What followed was a moment of utter silence before a cacophony of sharp puncturing sounds. A loud whizz reverberated through the air followed nigh instantly - with what could be equated to nails on a chalkboard. There was no hint of victory in the Squadron however, with Jeff already preparing another volley of fire. Rain bounced off his coat.
'OK NEXT ROUND GUYS. AIM HIGH. JUST HIT THE EYES AND WE'RE ALL SORTED.'
Fenn grabbed my hand suddenly and I froze. Turning to look at my companion, I was expected some form of apprehension or fear on her face. Instead all I got was an angry glare as she mouthed,
'You've getting in their way Orion.'
It was then that I realised that the two gunners were started to unpack their rifles.
'Right.' I apologized, blood flushing to my cheeks, 'Sorry.'
'FIRE!' Jeff yelled again.
The tops of the Ferals were just visible over the top of the palisade. They were getting that close now. Another volley shuddered into their forms and with a cry of triumph from the Squadron, one of the beasts fell. The legs of the mutated bug Pokemon snapped as it tumbled out of view. Rain muted it's anguish which were abruptly silenced as it implaced itself on the Lee slopes.
The rainstorm intensified into a downpour.
Just as the defensive was stepping up in intensity, a lone whistle call sounded across Fort Haste. Without warning it suddenly grew very cold. Somebody struggled to blow the correct call and started again after a stifled attempt.
*Danger…*
'Shite.' Fenn swore loudly as we decoded the signal.
*Danger…1"B…Feral…Distal*
I sprinted off towards the noise before the sentry had even finished. My tail stood out behind me, waving furiously to maintain my balance as me feet skidded in my boots. The post 1"B was at the very end of the palisade where the palisade made a transition into the K'field - a zone of almost no exterior defences. Slipping in the mix of puddles and muck - I nearly fell but managed to stay upright just in time to slide to a stop.
The boy who was unlucky enough to be on sentry duty was just repeating their call for the fourth time before they spotted me. Waving them down, he chewed up the last call signal before lowing the item.
*…Proximal…*
The sentry blanched before jumping into an apology.
'It's alright. What's going on? Where is it?'
'There?'
The boy didn't seem so sure himself, screwing up his eyes in an attempt to see further. Crouching down a little to meet their eye height, I matched their gaze and scanned across the surrounding territory.
Across the K'field was a lone Ariados. The mutant creature was approaching with some pace towards the Fort, moving as fast as it's oversized legs could carry it. The Feral's current path was on an intersection point for the narrow gap between the Keep and the embankment. Although a small wall had been built for that very reason, it was never enough to stop the towering bulk of the Ariados.
I plucked my whistle out of a pocket and up to mouth. Taking a breath and I blew out a list of trills to convey the short message.
*…Squadron...reserve…1"B…Urgent…*
After a moment's consideration, I decided to yell my full command across the remaining sentries manning the palisade.
'STAY ON YOUR POST…DOUBLY ALERT FOR MORE!'
What would happen next was anybody's guess. For whatever reason a load of maddened Pokémon had decided that the risk of attacking was worth dying for. As of yet, there was no understanding of what endgoal they had planned in their thick heads. The risk vs reward was not worth it at all. But still they came.
This Feral didn't seem to pause as it struggled along on its alternating yellow-striped legs. To me, it looked like something out of a nightmare. For the Hasties, it was as if the past that had returned to haunt them. I took a breath and prayed that the reserves would come quickly enough.
To my shock it was Fenn who appeared by my side first, panting heavily.
'It should be physically impossible to…' she dragged in a deep breath. '...to run as fast as that. Just as you were leaving Jeff tied up the remainder of the Squadron. The spiders don't want to die very easily.'
'Well we've got one paying a visit in a couple of minutes.' I cut through her chatter,
Fenn noticed the Feral pushing through a hedge across the opposite end of the field.
'Oh hell no.' The disgust in her voice was obvious.
'Yeah. you can say that again.' I grumbled, waving the sentry out of position. 'Swap out with someone and dry off in the Foodhall. We'll handle this.'
And by that, I meant that Fenn could fumble for her whistle before blowing out the final warning.
*...Lockdown...Urgent...Lockdown…*
My tail twitched. This was not good in anyone's book.
The sentry offered a quick apology before running off back in the direction of the main yard. I smiled slightly at the comical nature of the salute that she provided, before returning to the situation at hand.
Thankfully, Fenn was already on it.
*...Requesting…Backup...Urgent…1"B...Backup…*
I could feel the golden rings on my body starting to pulsate with frustration.
Black skies overhead made the day feel like night as the rainstorm storm swallowed Fort Haste whole.
The lone Ariados was striding across the K'field with pace. The extended hedgeline meant that it was nearly a hundred acres big, but the Feral churning across the distance with malice. Rain shadowed the creature, making it look unnatural in its eight-legged form.
'Sir!'
For some reason the sentry had returned with a bow in his hand.
'The hell? I told you to get back to safety.'
'I know Sir. But it seemed like a good idea.'
What didn't help was Fenn nodding in the background, already waving over another handful of runners that had bows in their hands.
Throwing my hands in the air, I gave up and ignored the niggling voice inside which agreed with my comrade. The sentry had got his hands on one of the better bows, an old relic of a recurve that had two limbs soundly bolted to a central riser. The bow had mostly likely been used for sport back in the day. Now the sentry and five others were nocking to draw blood.
Without a second thought, I scanned the horizon for more spiders.
'Right.' I rose my voice above the cacophony of the rain. 'I want a neat volley. Got it? Line up and aim for the eyes. We'll do two shots in quick succession to stun it.'
'And that'll work?' One piped up, an adolescent who was pulling on her leather finger guard with a hint of aggression. The sodden material was refusing to slip over his fingers.
'You bet.' I agreed, 'Stay sharp.'
Behind the row of six kids Fenn was motioning that a gunner was coming and I nodded, not bothering to sign anything in return. Even if I asked Fenn to get a safe distance away I doubt she'd listen. Having gave up any attempt at remaining dry, I flicked a water droplet off my nose. The sentries were already in the process of stripping the protective tarp wrappings from their weapons. Raindrops bounced off the plastic.
On instinct, my rings started to glow brighter as if to make up for the drop in light levels as the heavens polarized the sun. A gash in the weather turned the rain to hail. All at once an autumn thunderstorm blew in with ferocity from the west.
*...issues…weapons…negative…*
My Umbreon ears picked out the whistle call in the distance just as the guns started firing. There were a couple of loud pops, sending echoes bouncing back and forth between the farm buildings. Swearing, I motioned the sentries forward and got my own defensive plans firing into action.
And without warning the heavens opened. The hailstones were massive, easily a few mm across and they tore the ground to damp shreds. The children flitched as they hurried forwards, forming a short line behind a low gabion wall. Each had a quiver dangling from their waists. White-fletched arrows were already getting damp in the storm. Whatever affect the weather had on us wasn't worth comment compared to the oncoming Feral. The constant bombardment of icy ammunition onto the mutant Ariados's hard exoskeleton was kicking the creature into a frenzy.
However, all this did was push the creature into double speed. The Feral practically loped towards Fort Haste.
I could hardly hear myself think over the downpour.
'Get the bows ready…do the best you can. AIM FOR THE EYES remember!'
The small group of sentries and runners didn't respond, though each of them lifted an arrow up and onto their bowstrings. With shaking hands, the children knocked. I wiped the moisture from my eyes. Adrenaline was starting to kick in now and with it a warm energy pushing up through my stomach.
My rings glowed brighter still, but it was almost as if I felt detached from reality. All that mattered now was the mutant spider tearing towards Fort Haste. Protect your own.
'Orion!' Fenn shouted just as I got the archers to lift their bows, 'I've got a gunner.'
Too focused to turnaround, I acknowledged the teenager swiftly.
The Ariados stalked closer and with a sudden realization at how close it was I shouted to the sentry.
'FIRE!'
They didn't shoot in unison, but within a few second each had fired their shafts arcing through the downpour. Disappearing through the rain, I'd wondered if they'd all missed before my thoughts were erupted by a squeal. The archers already had another arrow nocked and after a moment's pause, I got them to fire again.
'AIM HIGH!' I called, squinting through the heavy downpour. It was a common error to forget just how quickly arrows dropped, especially in weather and winds like this.
'READY! FIRE!'
Their bows snapped in unison this time. The mutant Feral was approaching fast, skipping forwards metres at time. The first volley was a little early, but now that the beast was only thirty metres out of so, arrows thumped into their target with ease. Well, kinda. Three bounced off with a pinging sound from the spiders natural armour. Such arrow fire drew the mutated beasts attention to us. It was then that the Aridos seemed to see us for the first time. The humongous spider twitched, seeming to slow a little. One leg was dragging behind the others.
'NOCK!'
At this they all fired again, having taken it upon themselves to loose off as many arrows as they could. Just as I was preparing to shout them down, one lucky shaft imbedded itself into the foam-like eyes of the beast. I wasn't sure if the Ariados was injured, or just angry. The Feral bellowed, opening its gaping insect mouth to show us fangs the size of steak knives. Brown gunk flew from this aperture.
My body was yelling at me to back down, instinct commanding that I disengage before it was too late. A shiver of fear ran down my spine, right to the tip of my tail.
{'Protect your own'}
A single arrow rose, nearly severed in two from the creatures face.
'Get the gun, NOW.' I called back, hoping the kid already had the thing loaded.
The sentries fired again and another two arrows found their target.
'Great shot!' I cheered. The kids were too involved with flinging off arrows to notice.
The mutant, however, seemed less impressed. It stumbled a little as if drunk. It's trailing leg, a mere eight foot long, dangled from behind acting to throw the creature off balance. flailing its pedipalps around in anger, it still pushed onwards. The spider took a gigantic step, and then another. Without warning it stumbled, and then fired off a spear-like pin needle towards the archers. With the sound like a gunshot it sizzled through the thunderstorm.
On any other pokemon, the poison stinger wouldn't have been overly significant. On the spider as big as a house, it was a hurtling projectile that flew towards us at terrific speed. Merely touching the poison-drenched fang would most likely put you on death's doorstop. Just the impact from the projectile would put a hole through concrete.
Thankfully the spine flew well wide, giving me enough time and venom to swear passionately,
'Fookin Bollocks.'
The Spider seemed much bigger now it was this much closer. Its eyes could be clearly made out, as well as the spotted markings that covered most of its body. The legs seemed mechanical and clunky. It was hard to make much more detail out as a bubbling nausea was starting to build in my stomach. A black haze was starting to shrink my vision down, tunneling it,and I shook my head in an attempt to fight the sickeningly familiar feeling.
'Not now.' I told myself sternly, 'Not now.'
The mutantated Feral tensed slightly before shooting off another poisoned barb. This time I saw it shoot through the air in slow motion, my mind working overtime as instinct prioritised over rational thought. Instantly I had calculated where the fang was heading, even as the sentries were too focused on knocking yet more arrows to kill the beast. Except they'd already lost their final chance.
That was until a gust of wind spiraled the poisoned spear over the heads of the archers. Even as the sigh of relief was building in my lungs, I realised I'd forgotten one very important thing.
Fenn.
The poison sting was headed straight for her.
{'Protect your own'}
In one fluid, unthinking motion I steadied. There was no time for thinking as I launched myself off the ground in a single solid leap. Golden light shone fiercely from the my golden rings as I flung myself backwards. My eyes unfocused, seeing the world in double vision even as the monstrous poison stinger flew ever closer. Water shuddered off bowstrings as the archers knocked, hail flecking at their wide-eyed faces as the children realised what was happening - watching as the infernal spear sailed ever closer.
What was I thinking!? That barb would cut right through me!
{'You must protect her Orion. That is your purpose!'}
Even as the vision flashed past it dawned on me what I was doing. That fang would obliterate me on impact.
But she couldn't die!
{'Now ORION'}
The contact with Fenn was painful as I shoulder-barged her out of the way. My body lurched painfully, the pain in my stomach churning through my lungs to the point I couldn't fight it anymore. I had kept that accursed, seething pit of energy bottled up for long enough, struggling even as the force spilled out to fill my veins with a cold fire.
Fenn was knocked over with a jarring jolt, even as I landed painfully onto all fours. My hands sunk into the mud as I felt the impact dissipate painful though my hands and knees. That only lasted a moment as the momentum carried me flailing onto my side.
I closed my eyes and prepared for the worse.
{'ORION!'}
I couldn't hold it back any longer.
The world shone brightly. My whole body seemed to fall out of focus as I was instantaneously charged with a cold black ember. A searing flame which grew to a malstrom of a fire, flowing like napalm through my body. A static hissed in the air like I was stood in the middle of a lightning storm. Fur on end, no sense of time nor place. No sense of reason.
For a single moment I felt utter bliss.
With a thud, something made contact and the world shattered.
And with what sounded like a million cascading glass shards, I was thrown backwards.
Everything faded to black and back again as the world flickered back into my awareness. My eyes blinked once, then twice to clear moisture form my vision. At this point my ears were ringing like church bells. Somehow I forced myself up and onto four paws, although any resemblance of balance was a fool's thought. All the blood drained from my head and I fainted.
Like hitting the light-switch, all colour faded from my previously glowing rings. This time, darkness was not my friend.
I hit the ground with a large crack.
Ugh.
Loud gunshots overrode what remained.
'Orion!'
The squeal of something in the distance could be heard faintly.
It was like trying to drag myself from up and out of water. My ears didn't seem to hear anything but a piecing ringing that made my head throb. Fighting to surface from the darkness, it seemed stupid to resist the inner calm devoid of all thought and feeling. But I knew better.
'Orion!'
Somehow slapped me across the face.
The growl grew deep down in my diaphragm, building upwards before it exploded across my throat. My face stung and everything flooded into its proper place as feeling returned to my body in a solid lurch. Gunshots vibrated through my eardrums like the bullets themselves, explosions that echoed through my head with startling lucidity. I bared my teeth on instinct, not wanting to show that I was prey.
Was Bass kneeling in front of me. Insely? Jane? Heck it might even be Jeff.
Fenn?
My senses returned more slowly than I thought they would. I lowered my hackles sluggishly, no longer showing my fangs. The growl turned to a whine as I fought off the urge to puke.
That's when I saw who was standing over me.
'Jane…?' I questioned the fuzzy outline
'It's Insley you doorknob! What the hell did you just…Orion look at me!'
Groggy.
'Insley…? What...urgh…'
She grabbed my shoulders and shook me then.
'Damn it…where's Jane when you need her!?'
The latter was said under her breath, which I was struggling to filter out. Insley was shaking my shoulders like a ragdoll didn't help much. My ribs stung like nothing else as I fought myself into a seated position. Startlingly, the teenager managed to force me back down. She twisting me over into the recovery position (on my left side to be exact) somewhat aggressively.
'Orion…you need to remain calm and breath slowly…' She spoke as if she was approaching a wild animal, even as a hand remain firmly on my shoulder. 'Just breathe alright? This is enough of a clusterfook without you dying or some shite.'
I twitched, too afraid that I'd speak like a Pokémon again. My heart, although still pumping blood about my body, felt stiff with that black energy I'd fought to bottle away. The power shimmered just with reach and I refrained from groping for it. Oh how I just wanted to feel the energy infuse though my muscles once more.
Hail stung my cheeks.
'Is...?' My tongue felt rubbery and I tried again, 'Is...Fenn?'
Insley studied me for a moment, unable to hide the worry in her eyes.
'Just shut up and pretend everything is alright. The Feral's gone down so you can relax now. Jane will be here any minute.'
The last part seemed more of a self reassurance than a phrase meant for my ears alone.
I heard some shouting, though I failed to translate what it meant.
Reality wasn't the right colour and I struggled to think. Was the sky always red?
Did it happen again? No. Not now.
Slowly I felt blood return to my brain, though it was with discomfort that I realised how wet and cold I was. A damp sleet was still cascading out of the sky. I shivered uncontrollably as the wet ground sucked the warmth out from under me.
'Insley? I think bre can get um now…'
'Seriously Orion? You ok buddy?' The tone of voice had risen so it sounded more like she was talking to a pet than a person.
'Insley.' I growled, before realising that probably wasn't helping the situation.
'I don't get the blame when you turn up amnesic'
I couldn't argue with that comment. Clenching my teeth, I pushed myself up into a seated position ever so slowly. Whatever that energy had been coursing through me moment before was gone. All that was left was a hollow feeling of emptiness and fatigue - and a thumping headache. The dizziness swelled as I found my feet. It never used to be this bad!
What was wrong with me?
Insley caught me as I stumbled and held me upright.
'Sir! Is everything ok?'
That was...Jeff? What was he doing here? Wasn't he supposed to be manning the embankment?
Now I remembered. Gunshots…hail…Ferals...Fenn…?
'We need to take you over to Jane.' The boy wiped as his nose, 'She'll have a proper look at you.'
'What did you think I was doing?' Insley snapped.
All I could was let myself be walked along slowly, the girl golding my arm as she guided me not-so-gently. It was a struggle to remain focused, my body no longer feeling my own as I stumbled and slid back across the yard. Being too tired and confused to accept reality was most likely a blessing. My feet shuffled through what felt like yet another lifetime.
{'ORION! It's not like you can keep getting second chances! Failure is not a option!'}
Memories were spiralling past even as I blotted them out. Second chances were not as easy as they'd been made out to be.
The rain stopped suddenly.
I must be inside.
'Here. sit down'
Near falling into the chair, it was hard enough to keep my eyes open. Blackness was spreading toward the corners of my vision like I was sinking into treacle. The more I tried to free myself the worse it became.
'Orion! Buddy!'
My head jerked up at that.
'God.' It was a struggle to make out Jane's soft words, 'God what happened…uh…Could you Insley?'
'I'm…'
My voice failed to recuperate. Why was I so weak?
'Can do…' The girl's voice shook a little 'You're lucky Fenn sent me here ahead to get things prepared. He's as white as white. You'd have thought he'd seen a ghost. '
Jane muttered the last part even as Insley filled in the gaps,
'Yeah. And the spider got the bad end of the stick. Orion somehow manages to reflect a poison sting the size of a javelin, gets knocked out, and then Fenn asks me to help. Where the hell even is she?'
'One of the younger sentries ...' her voice began to muffle as if falling away from the world.
I think I blacked out for a bit then. The lure of sleep and heavy eyes dragged me under and I swam in the icy embrace. Submerged in shadows, it was a battle to keep my past from floating back to surface.
{'We were so close with you Orion. You just needed something more. No matter how much we try. You are not strong enough!'}
What could have barely been half an hour fluttered by in an instant.
Reality hit me like a train as I vomited.
I groaned, picking out Insley's voice again even as bile seared my throat. Puking again, I found a stench clinging to my nose as I sneezed. The jerks sent crescendos of pain searing between my ears.
'Aren't those herbs, you know…for Pokemon?'
'Well…you know how it is…'
A bitter taste clung to clammy tongue. The residue of something remained stuck in my teeth and I raised my hands in an attempt to claw away the sickly herbs. I retched again upon realising that the same mush had been forced down my throat.
It was then that I decided to throw up.
'ugh…sorry…'
I apologized, only then noting that I was on the floor. Perching on my hands and knees, it was all I could to hold myself up off the floor.
Someone patted my back gently and I retched again. Definitely not a good day.
'Drink this up Orion. It'll help.'
Falling onto my backside, I let Jane pour the liquid into my mouth even as my eyes managed to focus back on her reality. The girls small spectacled face matched my frown with concern, eyeing me carefully as she took a slow step back.
'What...what was that?'
I pawed at my tongue, trying to scrape the evilly bitter taste from my memory.
Jane didn't answer, though I managed to make out Insley sniggering in the background. We must have been inside the medical wing - but only barely. The door was still open to the storm outside and by a quick inspection, it was clear we'd only made it a few feet inside the building.
Once it was clear that I was no longer discarding my stomach on the floor, they moved me to a more comfortable room. Insley and Jane needed to hold me up as they half-dragged me into a cold room. The blankets that came a few moments later did little to fight off the chill.
'How are you feeling? Less dizzy?'
Jane pulled a chair round for herself and slumped into it with a sigh. Adjusting her glasses on her nose, she took one long look at me through the lenses. Her eyes looked bigger with the added magnification.
'Um...better…Is…breon?' I slurred the words. Was I so tired that my mind was reverting back to square one?
'Fine Yes.' Jane answered, though there was uncertainty in manner. She had a notepad resting on her knee. It wasn't clear what for.
'Sorry about the revival herbs by the way. It was all I could do at short notice.'
Grumbling at the reminder of the ordeal, I took another sip of water to drown the burning sensation in my lungs.
We sat in silence for a short while.
Jane scratched at her nose a little nervously. Looking around the meagre room and the dusty window, it was clear she was fumbling for what to say. I wasn't sure if the rain outside was turning into a clearing shower, or if the numbness in my ears meant I could no longer hear. Hopefully the first.
'There's something I need to tell you Orion.' Jane spoke softly.
I paused, scrunching up my eyes.
'Breon?'
Great, I couldn't even speak anymore!
She sighed, though I wasn't sure whether it was because I just spoke Pokemon again or it had something to do with whatever she was toying over. Reddening at my own slip up, I instead attempted to relax and remove the feeling of vertigo still twisting up my senses. Those herbs gave one hell of a hit. It was like I had adrenaline for blood.
Leaning over to wrap the blanket around me a little tighter, it was a while before the girl spoke.
'Nobody was harmed in the attack apart from one girl. Megan. She was the one on duty who first spotted the Ferals. When trying to help she got a splinter through the thigh. Fenn's looking after her now.'
Jane paused, looking over her shoulder and out the door as if to check for eavesdroppers.
'I don't think you're in the right mood or frame of mind to hear this right now - but I'm on Fenn's orders. When I checked Megan over just before you came in...well...'
Jane played with her fingers awkwardly, what was making it hard for her to say what she needed to say? It can't be that bad right? The again, she had the most serious expression I'd even seen. That took me back a little.
The teenager took a deep breath before continuing
'She's like you Orion. Not an Umbreon I mean but she's...She's got Pokemon fur on her. But it's kinda weird…'
Jane trailed off, leaving only silence.
My mind span.
I felt like being sick yet again.
'You've...you've got to be kidding me.'
XXX
[3:26] The Rolling Stones - Street Fighting Man (1968)
Hey think the time is right
For a palace revolution
But where I live the game
To play is compromise solution
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. This story is a work of fiction, and any resemblance to any events, location, and/or persons, living or dead, is coincidental. The views expressed by the characters and/or the narratives do not necessarily reflect the author's views. This fiction is rated T and may be unsuitable for young audiences. 'Fort Haste' is a fictional concept that is owned and regulated by ZenColour.