We made it back to the city by the afternoon. None of us spoke of our little trip, and no one asked how it went. It was fine, as I'd rather forget that… nightmare. I can still hear its voice and feel it watching me. It's almost as if it's following me.
"You must tread very carefully, Guardian. You may have stumbled upon an old threat."
When we made it back, Charlotte recommended that I report to Basilisk about what I had seen, who immediately ushered me to Mystic upon hearing what I had to say.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"You found the "Scourge of Leopold," as they call it in folklore. I recommend you visit the National History Museum and ask for the record keeper, Warlock. He should be able to teach you about lost history."
I stood from my seated position.
"Should I be worried about this?"
"That remains to be seen, but I recommend you always be in the presence of someone else," Mystic smiled. Regardless of the topic, it was always off-putting how she managed to do that.
"Why?"
"It'll help with the constant paranoia you feel," She again smiled.
I shivered but thanked her anyway and left. Basilisk stayed behind and continued talking to Mystic. Mystic was right, though. It felt behind me whenever I was alone, breathing down my neck. That feeling kept with me until I ran into Violet.
"Hey, Nate!" She said with her beaming grin.
"Oh, thank God I ran into you," I said, letting out a sigh of relief.
Her brow furrowed in confusion, "Did something happen? What's wrong?"
"No, no, no, I just don't want to be alone after… last night," I explained, to which she nodded knowingly. "And I also wanted to ask if you wanted to go to a museum?"
"Pfft. Sure, that's what I wanted to do on my time off," she snickered.
"Would it help if I told you Mystic recommended I go?"
"She recommended YOU go."
"And I'm going to drag YOU with me," I said, giving her a wry smile.
She rolled her eyes, "Fine! You win!"
"Pretty sure you were sold when I asked you to go somewhere with me."
"Perhaps, let's not get too cocky. It's not a good look on you," she responded as we began to walk.
"I was just teasing you," I said, trying to defend myself.
"I know," she had a smug look on her face.
If one good thing came out of that trip we took, it would be the strange bond Violet, and I formed during that night in the motel. We talked all night, just exploring each other's lives. I have a lot of respect for her, and I'd hope she has the same for me, but I can't help but feel more.
Since I woke up here, Violet has been there for me. Maybe at first, it was because neither of us was entirely accepted by the rest of the group, but even when we were, we still stuck together. I suppose it was only natural that one of us would begin to develop feelings. I just never expected it to be me.
It's hard to believe that I was mourning the loss of Eden not too long ago. I never expected to be able to move on from that, but here I am, and I hope Eden is proud. I know Violet is for sure, and that's what's important now. That's where I want to stay. And now, to gamble.
As we walked, I held out my hand, and she immediately grabbed it. Her claws wove between my fingers, and their coldness sent a chill up my arm. Yet, the warmth of her hand and the softness of her fur created the perfect contrast between the two.
"How very bold of you," she smiled.
I simply returned the smile, opting to enjoy the moment. Even with the image of that thing still floating around in the back of my head, Violet still managed to help me find peace, and with everything that has happened, peace is all I could ask for.
The walk to the museum was largely uneventful, aside from the few odd stares and glances from passersby. I'd have to check in with Violet later as to why, but we made it to the museum. The building was designed to look classical, which reminded me of a museum I saw back home.
"There's a line?!" Violet whined, looking at a line of people and pokémon that was no longer than a twenty-minute wait.
"The line doesn't look that bad," I responded, leading us both to the back of the line.
"For a museum, though?"
"I still don't mind it."
"Your patience is admirable," she said, shaking her head.
"Do you not have patience?" I questioned, looking over at her.
"Well, yes, but not enough to do nothing for long periods of time. It just makes me feel… anxious, I suppose."
"Well then. Good thing I can keep you company," I smiled at her.
She returned the smile and squeezed my hand, "And for that, I am grateful."
The line dissipated much faster than I had expected, which brought us to a little security gate, where they were checking if guests were bringing anything illegal to the museum. Violet and I made it through without any problem, aside from yet another strange glance from one of the security guards. We then entered the main lobby of the museum.
It was massive. There were several ways for us to go leading to several different exhibits. In the center of the room, there was a pedestal from which the skeleton of a gyarados was displayed. It then dawned on me that I had no idea where to find Warlock, so Violet and I returned to the security checkpoint to ask.
"Excuse me?" I called out, catching the attention of one of the guards. "Would any of you know where we could find a Warlock?"
"Uh yeah. Give me one second, though," he responded, pulling out his radio. "Murray. Come over here. I got one person and a zoroark asking for Warlock. Can you take them to them?"
"I'll be right there, but after that, I'm on my break," Murray said, sounding exceedingly displeased.
The guard turned his attention back toward us, "he'll be right there."
In not even a minute, Murray popped around from a corner and gestured for us to follow him. He led us down a flight of stairs to what looked to be an employee area. It looked far less astonishing than the guest area, dropping the classical marble look for a rustic wooden one. I guess that's to be expected because they aren't trying to wow anyone.
He then brought to a room lined with filing cabinets and bookshelves. At the far side of the room was a set of two doors and a plaque next to them that read: Warlock.
"Wait here for a moment. Let me check if he's alright to meet you guys," Murray disappeared into the office and came back out a few seconds later. "He said give him a few moments. He's finishing a meeting with someone and will be out when he's ready to see you." Murray then left us.
"I already like this Warlock guy if this is his work area," Violet muttered sarcastically.
"This is what I expected, to be fair. Mystic did recommend him to me to teach me a little more about history."
Just then, the doors opened, and out walked a man wearing what can only be described as business attire, which wasn't that out of the ordinary. What caught my attention, though, was that one side of his face carried some serious-looking scars.
As I was studying him, he appeared to be doing the same to me. As soon as we made eye contact, his eyes had almost a twinge of recognition, followed by some form of remorse.
"Apologies for making you two wait. Warlock will be out in but a moment," he spoke in a proper accent. "And if you don't mind me asking, where are you both from?"
I looked uneasily at Violet, "Um, do we know you?"
He chuckled to himself, "No. I suppose you don't. I was just wondering because you both seem like an odd pairing, not that there's anything wrong with it."
"But don't you think it's odd to comment on other people, especially when you don't know them?" Violet spoke up, seeming genuinely annoyed.
"Sorry, I couldn't help myself. You reminded me of myself when I was younger, but I…" he paused for a second, and I swear I saw him tear up a little for a moment. "I'll get out of your hair."
He left, leaving us more confused than anything, but before either of us could dwell on anything, the doors opened again. Out came a bipedal fox that I immediately recognized as a delphox. He looked us both over and seemed very satisfied with what he saw. So much so that a wry grin spread across his face.
"I certainly wasn't expecting to entertain the Guardian and her majesty this afternoon," he mused. "How may I help you both?"
"How…"
"It's quite simple, really. Anyone remotely versed in Arcane History knows that a purple-eyed zoroark marks the return of the Eternal Empire and the Guardian, heir to that throne," he explained as he ushered us into his office. He sat at his desk, which conveniently had two chairs adjacent to his desk. Violet and I both took our seats across from him and waited.
"Although, I suppose if you were really from another world, you wouldn't have the slightest clue what was talking about."
I nodded, "Yeah, that's why a friend recommended I come here."
"Oh? A friend?" his ears perked up. "Was it Mystic?"
"Yeah, it was," I said, taken by surprise.
He leaned back in his chair, "How is she doing?"
"She's doing well."
"Excellent, but let's move on to business. She was right in recommending me. I can cut out the fluff and give you what is relevant to you and your friend here."
"Mystic recommended that we talk about Leopold's Scourge first."
He narrowed his eyes at me, "Interesting. May I inquire as to why?"
"Yeah, I think I had an encounter with it."
"Tell me what you saw."
"I… saw the abandoned village that I was at, but… everything around wasn't there. It was this black void. Purple flashes of lightning would illuminate the surrounding areas, and the entire village was in flames. The only thing that wasn't was a manor. From everywhere around me, there was this disembodied voice… taunting me," I explained, drifting back to that place again.
"I see. What you saw there was the origin point of "Leopold's Scourge. He made sure to bury the village's name during his time in power, but the place you were at wasn't exactly that village. It was a memory. His memory was reconstructed after defeat," he stood from his chair. "Follow me. Both of you."
He brought us to another room that, at first glance, seemed empty, but after pulling out the stick he had stashed in his tail fur, he muttered a few words, and the room came to life. It shifted to one of the most scenic grassy plains surrounded by mountains and a lake. A lone man dressed in plate mail sat by the water's edge.
"This is what the afterlife used to be. A place constructed from someone's best memories. It was the perfect ending to anyone's story," Warlock began before waving the stick again.
"And then Leopold came. He was killed but imprisoned in this dimension. He couldn't truly return to our world to exact his bloody revenge, but he could affect it differently. You see, after Lucia's death, he became enamored with the fact that Arceus wasn't special. He was convinced that he could match Arceus, take its power, and leave our world godless and, in his eyes, truly free."
The beautiful scenery before me changed as a dark cloud came in from over the mountains. It brought with it the lightning that I knew oh so well. The grass died, the flowers rotted, and even the lone knight began to change. Instead of enjoying what was once his most precious memory, he shambled around the area, holding his head and muttering to himself.
"So Leopold created what is commonly referred to as Leopold's Scourge. Arcane Scholars, such as myself, prefer to call the Abyss. With the Abyss, he still managed to have a hand in the world. He could nudge things to go in the direction he wanted, causing chaos throughout history. At each turn, he was thwarted by knights from the Order of the Golden Crest."
Warlock changed the scene again, this time to a castle that was in ruin. Stone towers had crumbled, and anything that wasn't stone was burning. Standing in front of the smoke and embers was a figure I recognized as clear as day. Pain flared up in my wrist and nose to remind me what he did.
"The Knight…" I muttered to myself, feeling anger bubble in my stomach.
"Indeed. Their own prodigy ended up being their downfall, all in the name of lost love… my sister."
"Wait? What?" Violet and I both said in unison.
"Did Mystic not tell you?" Warlock responded in surprise.
"No? She just told me to seek you out."
"I suppose another history lesson is in order then," Warlock began, pacing back and forth. "Long before Micheal fell from grace, he was a brilliant young man, having been trained from birth under the Order of the Golden Crest. He was completing scholarly work and needed assistance, so naturally, he turned to my people."
With a wave of the stick, the scene changed to a still of a group of people and pokémon all posing for a photo. I recognized Mystic, and I think Warlock, but I couldn't tell as there was a delphox and a braixen. Others I didn't recognize, such as a charizard and a couple of people scattered around the edges of the frame. In the center was who I assumed to be Micheal, who had short-cut black hair and pale skin, and who was smiling from ear to ear. Not quite what I imagined him to look like.
"My people were natural record keepers, hence why I now work at a museum. That is where he met my sister, Igni, and they eventually fell for each other. That's when I was introduced to Micheal and, by extension, Mystic."
"So, Igni was…"
"Yes, Igni was the reason for his great fall. She was killed in the waning hours of the Great War, and Micheal never forgave Arceus and himself for letting it happen. The weight of that guilt caused him to snap, and in his fury, he burned everything connected to Arceus. That day, Micheal died, and the Knight was born."
Part of me could feel for him. However vague he was about it, I could tell that Micheal was someone he had a lot of respect for. That may be why he separates Micheal into two different characters. While I could understand it, I can't see him as a good person. Not after Lucas, and quickly it took him to be cold and callous.
"I know it may be hard to distinguish between the two, especially if you've crossed paths, but Micheal is still there," he looked at me with a mix of resignation and hope. "He's still in there. Maybe Igni would've wanted this, but I think he can be redeemed."
"I disagree," I replied, clenching my right fist. "He murdered a friend in cold blood, and my injuries are a result of him."
"I see," he said, looking away from me. "At any rate, I must rest as showing you moments in history is quite tiring, but do feel free to come back if you have any more questions about history. I would also recommend looking into history outside of our time. It can be helpful."
"Thanks. Any recommendations?"
"Any book or documentary will do. I'll make sure to correct anything incorrect when you return."
I nodded, and both Violet and I left. On the way back to HQ, we spoke about Warlock.
"He's… interesting," Violet began. "I never thought I'd hear someone try to vouch for the Knight."
"Neither did I, but I could understand it."
"Even after everything that he's done?
I shrugged, "I mean, yeah. If I ever went evil and Arceus had to hire someone to fight me, I'd hope you'd try to vouch for me."
"Nate, so long as I'm breathing, there is no chance you'd turn evil," Violet chuckled.
I squeezed her hand, "Thanks."
When we got back, Violet and I went our separate ways, with me returning back to my room. I decided it was time to try to learn some history. Looking up books and films about history, I settled upon a movie titled The Twin Princes. It was clearly a Hollywood-like movie, but it had gotten good reviews regarding its somewhat accurate content, plus a great review from Violet, who claimed she loved the action scenes. Settling down, I turned on the movie and began to watch.
About halfway through, Tommy burst in with a giddy look.
"You guys came back early and didn't tell any of us?" he began.
"Uh, yeah?" I responded, confused.
"Oh, I'm hurt," he said, placing a hand over his heart.
"I'm sure you are," I cracked a slight grin.
"Anyway, we plan to go to the local club to kick back and relax. You want to come?" He asked.
"I don't know how much fun that would be. I don't drink."
"Oh, you'll be fine! It's just to spend time with the team."
"Who else is going?" I asked.
"Just about everyone, aside from you, Violet, and Aurora, but I'm almost positive that if you go, they'll tag along."
"Alright. I'll try this out," I said.
"Perfect. Oh, and by the way, Prince Woodrow dies at the end of the film," he said quickly before ducking out of our room.
"Dude!" I exclaimed.
He was right. Prince Woodrow is killed by his brother at the end of the Imperial Civil War, hosted hundreds of years ago. Aside from the spoiler, it was an exciting film. Apparently, a political body called the Eternal Empire existed and served as a force of unity and advancement, like some of the Classical Empires back on Earth. It eventually collapsed because of succession disputes, giving rise to two different kingdoms. Warlock will probably have more input about that.
Impatiently, I tapped my finger against my table. Dishes were set across a long table for a lavish dinner with only a single empty chair at the other end. The fact that it was empty annoyed me. I called him for a meeting an hour ago, and he has yet to show up.
I took a deep breath to try and calm myself but was reminded by the pain in my ribs about the purpose of this entire meeting. If that idiot doesn't show up soon, I'll-
The door to the room swung open, and in walked a man with light brown messy hair. His skin was tan, and he had the shadow of a beard across his face. He looked to be the perfect picture of health until you looked at his eyes, which were sunken deep within his skull.
"You're late," I declared as he took his seat.
"Sorry. I had some arrangements that needed to be met first," he muttered.
"Still trying to recapture that lost feeling?" I said, to which he glared at me.
"Isn't this whole operation you've got going here essentially trying to recapture your lost feelings?" He shot back. It took everything not to lose it like I did earlier. It did nothing but harm my odds.
"Do not insult me, Jack. I called you to give you an opportunity."
"I'm listening," he responded, picking up a fork and beginning to eat.
"I need you to go to Varenfield and hunt down the Guardian. Do whatever you deem necessary to accomplish this, but DO NOT kill him. I want him alive. You will be provided with a team, and I will be more than happy to pay your usual fees," I explained.
"What about Violet?" he asked, giving me his full attention.
I cracked a small smile behind my helmet, "Capture her, kill her, do whatever. It matters not. Just get the job down."
He grinned and stood from his seat, "Don't worry. I'm going make sure this one gets down."
"Excellent."
I hated going through a mercenary to do my dirty work, but zero hour was rapidly approaching. The Guardian serves to complicate things, and my plan cannot fail. I just hope I can convince him…
"Report to the old Ravenwood High School right outside the industrial district. There is a gang using it for drugs. They are already aware that you are coming. They are expendable. Do what you wish with them, but make sure to draw the Guardian out," I ordered to which he nodded and quickly left.
Yes, indeed, the time was nearly upon us, and I was very much so looking forward to avenging Igni.
