Oh boy, I had a great time writing this chapter. I think I've caught the writing bug once again, which is a good thing, since it means I'm being fairly productive.
I would like to thank everyone who has supported this story thus far. I'd love if you guys reviewed to let me know what you think. I've only gotten three thus far, and reviews help me improve my writing. So if you haven't yet, feel free!
Anyway, here's the third chapter. Enjoy!
For an indeterminate amount of time, Rose led me through the Forest of Eternal Night, pausing occasionally whenever we hit a fork in the road. She'd never stop for long, though; she would only briefly scan between the different options, then point in the direction she wanted to go.
I chose to defer to her, because the paths all looked the same to me. It didn't seem logical to select one over another, but we weren't hitting many dead ends.
Not for the first time, I wondered if the Ninetales knew something I didn't. But that would require her lying to me, and I wasn't prepared to accept that she'd do that. And I didn't think I'd ever be prepared, not after she'd earned my trust with flying colors.
We didn't encounter the voices again after that; there were a few feral Pokémon that Rose had to dispatch, but they weren't the ones my companion was so afraid of. They couldn't be, because the Ninetales stared them down with a grim determination every time rather than fear. It wasn't that way with Team Nightlock.
Although there were no more signs of Jade, Stu, or Requiem, Rose didn't relax. Her ears were constantly perked up, as though they were on high alert for any sign of trouble. For this I didn't blame her, but I still had no idea why those three scared her so much.
Time passed; how much time, I didn't know. The forest was dark enough that it didn't feel like day regardless, but based on what Rose had told me, evening couldn't be far off. If we didn't leave the dungeon by dusk, the exit would seal shut, and the dungeon would rearrange itself like a slide puzzle.
My legs ached more and more with every step. Having walked for most of the day without any breaks, this was only to be expected. I wanted to bed down somewhere, and if it was inside the forest maze, then so be it.
It was after some more trial and error that the unexpected happened.
We came across a decently-sized clearing in the forest. The darkening sky shone through the tree canopy, and I knew that we had, at a maximum, a few more minutes to find our way out of the Mystery Dungeon. Of course, that assumed our window hadn't closed already.
"What do you think our odds of getting out are?" I asked Rose as I looked up at the sky. (Yes, I know my eye contact wasn't the best there.)
"Slim to none, and slim just left town" the Ninetails responded sharply. "There's still another floor to this dungeon, and the sun's already set. We're not going to get out in time."
I shivered at the thought of bedding down in the Forest of Mean. Even if I'd seen it as a more viable option than continuing, it was still far from ideal. That being said, I fully believed Rose would keep us safe if it came to that.
"Should we sleep here?" I queried.
"I don't know. There's already someone there." The Ninetales pointed towards the corner of the clearing.
When I squinted, I was able to make out the yellow rings on a quadrupedal, black body. I could scarcely believe that I hadn't noticed the creature before, but he'd really blended in.
It was an Umbreon. I could tell that he was a male, because…I just could. All Pokémon had that sixth sense, even if that sixth sense is hard to explain to anyone who isn't a Pokémon.
The Umbreon was curled up on the ground, evidently either sleeping or attempting to do so. Rose made her way up towards him.
"Hey, Rose? I don't think that's such a good idea. What if he's feral?"
The Ninetales gave me a quick glare, but didn't respond in any other way. Instead, she leaned over the Umbreon and gently nuzzled him for a few seconds.
After that, the creature stirred until he was awake. Then, he blinked and cast his eyes around the clearing until he was facing Rose and myself.
"Good morning," the Umbreon said groggily.
The Ninetales laughed. "It's not morning anymore, silly. In fact, it's almost night."
The Umbreon frowned, but also chuckled dryly. "It's hard to keep track of minutes and hours inside a Mystery Dungeon. Things often aren't as they appear here. But I'm used to it."
"If you say so" I replied, hoping the Umbreon hadn't been awake to hear me entertain the chance that he was feral. "But personally, this place gives me the creeps, and I'd love to get out."
The Umbreon shook his head. "I'm afraid that's not an option. If it's almost night, you'll have to spend it here."
"I already knew that," I said. "I've only known Rose for a day, but she's teaching me quite a lot, I have to admit it."
"Yes, well, I'm sort of an expert on dungeons. I've lived here for quite a while. The name's Axel."
"Axel, huh? That's a nice name" Rose replied in a soothing tone. "And since you're a Dark type, this dungeon's probably not that horrible of a place to stay. Do you mind if we use this clearing?"
"Not at all!" Axel exclaimed. "This place isn't that bad, but I could use some company. And I've got some food for you two if you need it."
We didn't have any sticks nearby for firewood, and we were afraid to step off the beaten path. According to Axel, he often ventured into the trees in order to retrieve food or something else he needed, but then, he was clearly more comfortable in this dungeon than we were.
In the end, we settled for berries that the Umbreon had foraged. How he'd managed to find them in the Forest of Eternal Night, I had no idea, and I was afraid to ask. Sometimes truth was stranger than fiction.
While we ate, we asked Axel a few questions, such as how he'd found this dungeon, why he'd entered it, and why he'd decided to keep living here for however long it had been. He didn't answer most of them, or else he'd simply give a vague, evasive response such as, "It's fine here."
It was a little unnerving to hear Axel refuse to solidly answer our questions, but I didn't care too much about that. The most important thing was that he was giving us company, at least for the night. And if not for the Umbreon, we'd have to eat cold canned food, and that's no fun at all.
In return, we both told Axel our names. Since the Umbreon wouldn't tell me very much, I decided I'd return the favor by being rather secretive myself. There were some things I wouldn't share even with Rose. As for the Ninetales, her name and how she found me were the only pieces of information she provided Axel with.
Eventually, we'd eaten as much as we could of Axel's berries. There had been some guilt at first for taking food from a stranger, even if the Umbreon insisted we eat to keep our strength up. He could find more berries later, he assured us. He was good at that. But it was still hard to accept his gift.
We then laid down on our backs, bellies facing the evening sky. By now it was completely dark, but despite our remote location, we couldn't see any stars. Perhaps that was due to being in a Mystery Dungeon.
"So", Rose said once we had all eaten our fill, "would you like to join us?"
Axel frowned. "Join you?", he asked, as though the word join was in a foreign language.
"Yes," the Ninetales replied. "As in, team up with us to explore the world?"
"A bit of a rash decision, isn't it?" the Umbreon responded, answering that question with a question of his own. "We only just met; normally expedition teams know each other a lot better than that."
I found myself taking Axel's side here. "Rose, if he doesn't want to join our group, we shouldn't make him."
"I'm not forcing him to," the Ninetales replied. "I'm just giving him the option. Personally, when it comes to navigating a dungeon, I know that three pairs of eyes are better than two. They're certainly better than one. So you have plenty to gain from joining us, Axel."
"Can we talk about this in the morning?" Axel replied, yawning. "It's getting rather late. But I'll make a deal with you two."
"What's that?" I asked him.
"I'll go with you guys until we're out of the dungeon. We did break bread together, so I feel like I owe you that. But after we leave the forest, what happens next is up to me. Maybe I'll stay with you two, or maybe I won't."
Considering that it had just been me and Rose all day, this sounded like a pretty sweet deal. "Let's do it," I said. "Rose, are you okay with that?"
The Ninetales nodded. "I suppose it's your choice, Axel. We'll definitely owe you one tomorrow."
According to Axel, the Umbreon didn't need a tent to sleep in. "I'll see you guys in the morning," he said, yawning. I can't speak for Rose, but I was amazed when I saw him lie down in the dirt and close his eyes. A minute or two later, he was snoring.
"That's pretty incredible" I whispered. "How can he do that?"
"You've got to remember that he's a Dark type" the Ninetales responded. "You'd be surprised what they're capable of. Now, will you help me set up our tents?"
After much trial and error (during which, I'll admit, I was more of a hindrance than a help), we had pitched both tents. I waved good night to Rose and stepped into my own tent; fortunately, it was a lot drier than it had been, and somehow, my backpack hadn't been leaking either.
That's rather odd. Oh well, I'm not going to complain so long as I can sleep comfortably tonight.
That was the end of my second day on the road. It was my first time sleeping in a Mystery Dungeon. And it was the first time since running away that I felt optimistic about the future.
Yes, there were still a lot of problems in my life, and I wasn't going to deny that. However, at that moment, I felt satisfied. With a good night's rest, I would be able to find a good outcome somewhere along the road; I was sure of it.
When I woke up the following morning, there was hardly any light coming into the tent; the Forest of Eternal Night was living up to its name. I wouldn't have known it was morning except for the fact that my body felt rested, but I didn't seem to have overslept.
I sat up with a contented sigh. Unlike last night, no nightmares had infiltrated my mind, and that was a major relief. I'd found some peace and quiet, as though the dungeon itself had given me more clarity.
That did not, however, seem to be the case with Rose. When I climbed out of my tent, she was already sitting on a log next to Axel. Both of them were blinking sleep out of their eyes, but especially the Ninetales.
"Took you long enough!" Rose exclaimed once she noticed me. "You slept for quite a while there."
"How…how long have you been up?" I asked. "It just felt like a normal night's sleep."
"Time is difficult here," Axel told me. "Don't you remember that part?"
"I suppose. But…".
"We'll wake you up next time this happens, but you really slept in quite a bit" Rose replied. "We've both already had breakfast, and it feels like it's been a while since then."
In response to the word breakfast, my stomach audibly growled. Even if berries were all we had for the morning meal, they would still provide plenty of sustenance to last until midday; indeed, it might already be midday.
"We don't have time for you to eat, Eliot," Axel replied, frowning. "If you want to get breakfast next time, you should wake up earlier. That's just the way it goes."
I sighed. I wasn't going to fight him on it, not least because I was confident he could take me easily. More importantly, we were allies, at least for now.
"Fine," I told him. "Let's get out of the dungeon, and then we can come to a decision on if you're staying."
Axel glared at me. "It's my decision, Eliot. Neither you nor Rose are going to be a factor. But yes, we should get going shortly, we're wasting daylight."
I couldn't help but appreciate the irony of using the word "daylight" in the midst of a dark forest maze, but I decided not to bring that up to the Umbreon.
After we'd packed up my tent, we left the clearing, turning down several paths until we were seemingly lost in the maze. Axel moved with a certain speed and grace that was hard to match, which left me short of breath within minutes.
On the bright side, no pun intended, Axel did seem to know where he was going. Perhaps this shouldn't have been surprising, since he'd been living off the land here for some time. Still, it felt great not to run into any dead ends.
I chose not to mention the trio we'd heard to the Umbreon. In my mind, it was Rose's decision on whether to share it, not mine. Besides, now that we'd seen no sign of them all night, it didn't feel very relevant. Maybe they were still in the dungeon, maybe not.
Although I was behind her, I saw Rose's face several times when we turned a corner in the maze. Not once did I see her smile; rather, her mouth was curled into a look of grim determination. We were going to get through this.
At a few points, we did come across Beedrill hives, and this was more than a little nerve-wracking. Rose couldn't torch them, because she'd risk setting the entire forest on fire. Any physical attacks on the bees risked getting stung by them, and that would only make this trip more treacherous.
Thanks to Axel, we were out of the forest well before the sun went down. The moment I saw the gate leading back into the outside world, I jumped for joy towards it. My heart felt lighter than the air.
"Here we are," the Umbreon said unnecessarily. "We made it through."
Rose leaped towards Axel and rubbed her nose against him, smiling. The Umbreon looked mildly uncomfortable at that, but he didn't protest. It seemed that he was happy simply to have helped us.
"Thank you so much!" the Ninetales exclaimed. "You saved our lives; I don't know how we would have gotten through the dungeon without your help! It means so much to me, it really does!"
"I did what I needed to do," Axel replied curtly. "What else is supposed to happen when someone needs my help?"
He's so selfless. Perhaps that's his fatal flaw; I think I've read enough novels to know that it's possible.
On the other side of the forest maze, we found ourselves beneath a weak autumn sun, fighting to stay uncovered by the clouds. Some of the clouds were quite dark - storm clouds. At least, that's what I thought they were from my previous experience.
Despite this, I wasn't scared.
Yes, there could be a lot of rain coming, but I'd lasted for hours on my own in the wilderness beneath a downpour. It hadn't been easy, and the mental anguish had been anything but mild, but I'd done it. Now that I was with two allies, I firmly believed that hardship would be a lot more bearable. If I could survive alone, I could survive in a group, end of story.
"Look at that landscape!" I exclaimed. I knew that both of my companions had probably seen it before, but I couldn't not be amazed at my surroundings. Then again, that could just be because I'd gotten used to the dark forest.
The sun was shining faintly over the grassland. The mud had mostly dried up into dirt, and the wind was blowing tall grasses from side to side. In the distance, perhaps several miles away, there was the ocean, cold and gray, probably churning violently.
It could always be worse. I could be alone on a fishing vessel right now or something.
Axel called for a quick break now that we were out of the dungeon. He argued that since we were no longer constrained by the dungeon's "hours of operation", it would be a good time to refuel our bodies. We could build a fire and actually cook something up.
So that's exactly what we did. After spending more time than expected gathering sticks and stones from the fields (since none of us wanted to re-enter the forest), we met at a spot between two waves of grass that were taller than Axel or I.
"We'll definitely want to take showers when we get there," Rose said, managing to keep her mouth shut as she chewed. "It'll get the ticks off of us, and with Eliot's and my thick fur, we'll need to scrub carefully."
"Rose, we won't have a chance to shower for a while. Can't we cross that bridge when we come to it?" I asked her.
"I like planning ahead, okay?" the Ninetales all but snapped, and I felt bad again for talking back to her. After that, there was virtually no more conversation during our meal.
When we were finished eating, we placed the empty cans in Rose's backpack. The Ninetales insisted that she could carry them. Although this was a selfless gesture, in the back of my mind I wondered if this was partly because she wanted to show off, to flaunt the fact that she was stronger than me.
I didn't dwell on this any further as we began moving along the plains. It was slow going; there were any number of grass sprigs along the path that essentially amounted to trip wires. There were also plenty of rocks, which meant that landing would be painful if we fell.
The sun moved across the afternoon sky a little bit with every minute. Although we weren't in a dungeon anymore, it still felt like time was flying by faster than usual, as though Dialga had decided to play with us.
At some point later on in the afternoon, the heavens opened up. Big, fat droplets of water came falling from the sky, hitting so hard they almost hurt. Before long, we were all shivering from the rain that had soaked into our fur, which really ruined the mood.
It wasn't too much longer after that when Axel called it a day.
"But we're not too far from Angelcaida City '' I protested. "We could get there tonight if we keep moving. We could sleep in warm beds."
I hadn't expected myself to be taking the side of walking further through a downpour, but these were strange times for all of us. Rose, however, shook her head.
"It's pretty much a universal law, Eliot: Distances look a lot shorter on maps than they are in real life. We'd have to walk well into the night to reach Angelcaida City, and unless you want hypothermia, to get lost, or both, that's a terrible idea."
I was outvoted, and I knew it. To be honest, I was a bit relieved that I'd get to rest; I had been trying to hide it, but I was exhausted by this point.
Axel facepawed. Evidently, he'd realized something, which was…
"I don't have a tent" he told Rose and I. "Can I sleep in one of yours?"
The Ninetales frowned. "Axel, that's something you should have thought of before you went into the dungeon. It doesn't rain there, does it?"
"No," the Umbreon replied sheepishly. "But we all need shelter from the rain. Would one of you mind sharing a tent with me?"
Knowing that it would be a bit odd to let him and Rose share a tent, I decided to take one for the team. "You can share mine," I told Axel. "I shouldn't have much trouble sleeping."
Axel's red eyes brightened. "That means so much to me," he replied. "Thank you!"
It feels good to help. Ask me again in the morning, and we'll see how well I sleep tonight.
After setting up the tents, which was difficult in the rain, I allowed Axel to get in first. We only had two sleeping bags, but the Umbreon insisted he didn't need one, so that problem was solved fairly easily.
I slept fitfully that night, tossing and turning and shaking myself awake more than once. At one point, my rolling into the Umbreon woke him up, and he glared at me.
"Quit moving around, will you?" Axel asked me, somewhat angrily; his face was flushed to prove it. "I'm trying to get my beauty sleep, and that won't happen unless you're still. Got it?"
I nodded, gulping. "Yes, I will," I insisted. "I'll be more careful now."
Despite this, I woke up at least twice more, each time thanks to rolling over involuntarily. The dreams I was having didn't help.
When I woke up for good, I didn't recall any of the nightmares; I only knew that I'd been having them. I shivered as I sat up, praying silently to Arceus above that the tent's floor hadn't gotten flooded overnight. I was certain I'd never forget how miserable I was after that happened.
Yawning, I looked around and saw that Arceus must have been listening. The tent's floor was certainly damp, but the water hadn't exactly pooled around the floor. I was still about as dry as could reasonably be expected.
Axel was already up, much like he had been yesterday. After stretching my limbs a bit, I got out of the tent just like I had yesterday.
Although the field we were sitting on was quite soaked, and the wind didn't help matters either, the sun had finally come out. Despite the chilly air, the sun felt great against my fur.
"Morning, sleepyhead," Rose told me. She was sitting around a small, weak flame, on which a pot of something was bubbling. It smelled pretty good, like homemade beef stew with potatoes.
"Morning" I yawned. I was tempted to tell the others about my nightmares, but if I couldn't even remember, let alone explain, what I had seen, what was the point? They just needed to know that I hadn't slept well, and Axel had been a primary witness to that.
Turning to the Umbreon, I said, "I'm sorry that I woke you up in the middle of the night. I know how much we all needed sleep. I hope you don't hate me for that."
"I don't" Axel replied without hesitation. "And I'm not going to leave your team over that either. Just try to be more careful in the future."
As odd as this may seem, my heart leaped. Axel had just said he wouldn't leave our team over something. Did that mean…
"And in case you're wondering, I'm still undecided about whether or not I'll stay with you guys. I do appreciate your courtesy, though, Eliot."
I sighed quietly, just underneath the surface. I shouldn't have been so quick to jump to a conclusion; Axel would join us if he wanted to, and if he was dead set on going it alone, we wouldn't be able to stop him, nor should we try.
Breakfast was delicious. Beef stew with potatoes can never be terrible, especially in weather like this. Of course, the meal was somewhat blemished by my own mind.
I couldn't help but wonder exactly what had happened in my dreams. Somehow, it felt important, but if it truly was important, why would my mind decide they weren't worth remembering?
Every once in a while, a piece or two of canned fruit would be passed to me on a plate, and I would scarf it down quickly. We didn't have time to waste, not if we wanted to reach the city today.
"So what are your plans once we reach the city?" Axel asked Rose. "Are you guys going to just find a hotel or something to hole up in?"
The Ninetales shook her head. "I wish, but it's too damn expensive. I barely have any P in my backpack; that's one thing I should have brought more of."
The Umbreon frowned at Rose. "I'd think you would have thought this through more, Rose. Housing in Angelcaida City's not cheap, and it certainly won't pay for itself. It seems like your only option then is…".
"Joining the Explorer's Guild" Rose replied. "Yeah, I know. That's what I think Eliot and I will do."
My stomach fluttered. "Join the Explorer's Guild, you say?"
Rose nodded. "Yes. For someone your age, it's the best way to get assimilated into the community. Besides, as far as I remember, they'll offer you a subsidy in order to buy an apartment in Angelcaida City. That's exactly what we need right now."
"But we'll have to do missions in order to make money to stay afloat" I replied. I probably sounded rather whiny, but I didn't care; I was pretty anxious at the prospect.
"Indeed we will" the Ninetales responded. "But look on the bright side, Eliot. It might give you some more practice being brave. We'll make money and become well-known throughout the Mist Continent. And the thing about making money is…".
"It's like a snowball," Axel interrupted. "The more you make, the easier it is to make more, and so on. Is that what you were going to say?"
Rose nodded, gritting her teeth. "As I was saying, there are plenty of upsides to being in the Explorer's Guild. Also, though, we have no other choice. We'll do whatever it takes to make ends meet, because we're a team now."
Axel shook his head. "You two aren't officially a team until you register with the Expedition Society. Besides, it takes three to become a team."
"Who says we don't have three?" the Ninetales said sweetly, swaying her nose gently from side to side. "You're still more than welcome to come with us, Axel."
The Umbreon sighed gently. "You know what? I guess I will. I suppose it's important to see the good in others, even when it's hard to believe that anyone's a good person. Perhaps especially then."
I figured there was a story behind that comment, but I decided not to ask. Rose and I were salespeople here, and the most important rule of being a salesperson is to shut up once the person has agreed to buy what you're selling. In this case, Axel had agreed to join us, and the conversation should end here, lest he change his mind.
As Rose cheered silently, jumping up and down in joy, I did my best to pack up the tents as neatly as possible. I realized something else, too, while I was stuffing things into my bag.
That Absol…he killed my brother. He should prepare to die.
Fire burned within my body as that first day came into my mind again. Although so much had happened since I'd escaped Ilion City, the memory of what had happened that day was still burned into my retinas, as though those events had occurred only minutes before.
If we joined the Expedition Society and became a team, that would give me a chance to seek retribution. To settle the score with those who had wronged me so severely.
It was too late to save my brother now. It was much too late to save my parents. But I could still avenge their losses. It wouldn't make what had happened "worth it" by any stretch of the imagination, but perhaps the tragedy wouldn't sting so acutely once I'd gotten my revenge.
We traveled for most of the rest of the day. Whenever I felt too tired to go on, whenever my limbs seemed to run out of energy, I reminded myself that I wasn't far from having a nice, comfortable bed to sleep in. At that point, it seemed as though my legs were moving of their own volition, rather than because I told them to.
We didn't even stop for lunch. When my stomach began to growl, and I wanted nothing more than to lie down and fill my belly, Rose insisted that we couldn't. That there was still a lot more ground to cover, and if we wanted to get to the city before sunset, we had to keep moving.
At least we didn't run into any wild Pokémon. During much of the trek, I was constantly bracing for impact with a Rattata or Nidoran, as well as the fact that I might have to fight one. But this didn't happen, which, if anything, was even more unsettling. Were they waiting on something?
I didn't know, and part of me didn't want to know. It was much better to be blissfully ignorant, because if the truth wasn't to my liking, I'd probably end up unable to continue thanks to my fear.
The three of us walked in a single-file line. Rose led the way, Axel brought up the rear, and I stayed in the middle of the pack. I'm not proud to admit it, but the main reason for this is simply thanks to my own cowardice.
As the sun drifted through the sky, I felt my fur get hotter and hotter despite the chill of the day. I was getting my steps in today, that's for sure!
My tongue hung out, and I panted more and more, barely getting enough air to continue. Despite this, we were getting close to our goal; I could feel it.
In the middle of the afternoon (I wasn't great at telling the exact time in terms of numbers), we crested a tall bluff, below which we could see what felt like forever. I could hardly believe the view; I got down on my knees and sent a thank-you prayer to Arceus.
Far below, down a winding path of numerous switchbacks, there stood a medium-sized city. By Mist Continent standards, the buildings looked fairly well-maintained, despite being mostly made of stone or brick. The streets, too, were built out of cobblestones, and there were several fountains here and there.
I could hardly believe my eyes. This was our goal; it had been for the last two days. Seeing the city in the distance, past the series of switchbacks, represented so much to me.
It represented not only life and hope, but the promise that tonight, we'd have a warm place to stay. Tonight, I would not live in fear. Tonight, I'd have a chance to think things over and find my place in this new world.
"That's Angelcaida City, is it not?" Axel blurted out, stretching out his neck so that he could see as far as possible (although, from this height, this gesture barely made any difference.)
"Yes, it is," Rose replied. "I'm pleased to announce that we've made it here at last. We finally have a chance to head into the city and find refuge."
The word "refuge" implied that we were refugees, which, even if it was technically correct, didn't sit right with me. The "R word" felt derogatory, since that was the way I'd usually heard it being said.
Still, at that moment, I found it hard not to be optimistic.
This chapter came out a day earlier than I expected it. The next one may not be quite as fast to arrive; I anticipate it being at least slightly longer than this one (which clocks in at 5.7K words.)
You guys know the drill. Reviews, favorites, and follows are greatly appreciated. I'll see you all next time.