18th Winter Moon, 907—Afternoon
Charlie was ashamed of himself for running away the way he did, but he couldn't handle the stress anymore. He wanted to be alone, away from the pressure. He was always a follower compared to his bolder friends, willing to listen to their orders even if their actions made his heart quiver in shame. He never broke down in tears that badly. Even his infinite kindness and patience had a threshold to cross.
He didn't know how long he had been running around the village, but he eventually hunkered down outside of the local tavern to dry his eyes. He could feel some of his tear stains freezing in the cold air. He bundled himself up inside his cloak and wiped his face of the frozen tears.
Charlie took a deep breath, then buried his face inside his cloak. "I'm nothing but a big ol' coward," he sniffled.
Charlie hated conflict. Always had, and always will. He wanted to be the peacekeeper of his little group to quell the ire of the adults they wronged. His friends' dominant personalities always overwrote Charlie's intentions. He was neglected to try things his way, so he opted for a passive style of peace. He tried to apologies whenever given the chance, even if he was being chased by their robbed victim. It didn't stop the village from hating him, but it was all in need to survive, right?
Charlie didn't blame the adults for not taking him in. Most had to look out for themselves and their own families, just as his friends aimed to do. Everything they did was for their survival. Charlie forever appreciated the kindness they showed him, willing to taking him in so he wasn't forgotten on the streets like the rest of them. The only child among a band of miscreants to bear a name, a luxury his friends never knew.
Somedays, Charlie wondered if it was bad he had such a kind heart. Perhaps, if he was more cutthroat or mean, he could've helped his friends get more and more until they were set for life. They could've been the barons of crime in their little village, feasting on whatever they desired to their hearts' content. Who needed kindness when survival was the ultimate goal? Wasn't that itself a weakness?
Was kindness a weakness?
Charlie didn't want to believe that. He wished every day of his life that he could help one person turn themselves around through the kindness of his own heart. If he could help one person, no matter the odds, change for the better, then he would be doing a service to his mother's final request. A chance to change the world through one act of kindness.
It seemed like such an impossible goal, though. In his experience, kindness was viewed as a weakness. It made him tear up whenever he saw drunken wanderers exit the tavern, ranting about their sorry lives and boasting about the crooked things they've done to make it big in the world. Charlie didn't know much beyond the borders of his village, but he feared the outside world. The horror stories of corruption, misery, and evil spilled by the most cutthroat of desperados looking for payment in a dirty world.
Was there room for kindness in a broken world?
Charlie closed his eyes and whimpered. "Maybe everyone would be better off if I just ran away. No one cares about me."
In the midst of his pondering, Charlie felt parched. Running around the village in a tearful fit of hysteria left him partially thirsty.
Charlie rummaged inside his cloak, then whimpered as he produced one coin from the inner pockets. "Oh." He stood up and scuttled to the front entrance. "I hope this is enough for an apple juice."
He gently pushed the batwing doors open and shuffled to the bar counter, ignoring the stares he was getting from the drunken patrons. Charlie pulled himself onto the barstool and placed the coin down on the counter, gaining the attention of the Golduck barkeep.
"Ah, it's you again," Golduck said. He picked up the coin and examined it. "This all you have?"
Charlie nodded meekly. "I'm sorry. I'm really thirsty."
Golduck scratched behind his head, then sighed before handing the coin back to Charlie. "Keep it. What do you want?"
"A-Apple juice, please."
Golduck nodded. "Coming right up, little dude." Golduck picked up a glass and stepped away for a moment.
Charlie leaned forward on the counter and rested his head in his arms. "Maybe I should run away. I could ask Mr. Tibia if I could borrow some vegetables. I'm sure he won't mind if it means getting rid of me for good." Charlie sniffled and wiped his eyes. "How much do you have to pack when you're running away?"
"Man, Lady von Elmnou was a wreck earlier. I've never seen her that pissed off before."
"She did seem like one of those kinds of drunks, that's for sure."
Charlie blinked, then turned his head up toward the upper floor, spotting a Garchomp and a Hawlucha through the railing. They seemed to be standing guard by one of the doors, or at least that's how it looked to Charlie. The young Clobbopus straightened up and brought his full attention on the two guards, mostly to take his mind off his sadness.
"How long do you think she'll be out?" the Garchomp asked.
Hawlucha shrugged. "Who knows? She's probably passed out in her lunch right now."
"Should we check on her?"
Hawluchua shook his head. "Best to leave her be. Besides—" Hawlucha knocked on the door behind them. "We need to keep an eye on these two until her friend returns."
Charlie tilted his head. Huh?
"Right. Lady von Elmnou said she and her bodyguard will be leaving today." Garchomp sighed in disappointment. "What a shame. A lovely lady like Lady von Elmnou deserves to be with someone as refined as me."
"You're just as bad with alcohol as she is."
"Yes. We'll be happily drunk together for the rest of our lives."
Hawlucha rolled his eyes. "What a lovely courtship you two will share."
Charlie squinted as he saw the Hawlucha turn to the door, then pressed his ear against it. Charlie tried to lean closer, but he couldn't hear anything with him one floor below them. If there was one thing Charlie learned from his time as a street thief, it was detecting a probable con, and something about this tickled his curious brain.
"What is it?" the Garchomp asked.
"They're making a ruckus inside. Not sure about what, though."
"Should we go in and take care of them?"
Hawlucha shook his head. "No. It's probably just some last ditch effort to get out of their restraints. I made sure they're nice and secure, so there's no way they're wrestling out of them."
Charlie's eyes widened. They're holding people prisoner? Charlie squeaked when he saw the Garchomp turning his head to scan the bottom floor. The fidgety Clobbopus spun around in his stool and faced the bar, keeping his head down and covered.
"And you're positive there's no…you-know-whats running around?" Garchomp asked. "Last thing I want to deal with is those crazy spirits."
"I recognize all the chumps who frequent this bar," Hawlucha explained. "There's not a single Forester in the tavern, but less the village."
"Shh!" Garchomp hushed. "Don't say their name. That's a bad omen waiting to happen!"
"Arceus, you're such a coward for a dragon."
Charlie narrowed his eyes. Foresters? The forest spirit people? He looked back up to the second floor and peered at the guarded door. Did they do something wrong? Why are they being held prisoner? That's not very nice.
"Here's your drink, kid." Charlie turned as the Golduck bartender placed a tankard of apple juice down. "Something on your mind, kid? You seem deep in thought."
Charlie blinked at the bartender, then looked down into his drink in quiet contemplation. Charlie didn't know much about the Foresters other than they had a shifty reputation among the poorer communities of the Verde Kingdom. Enough to where they're thieves who enrich the lives of the less fortunate through their scheming, though their methods have been called out as dubious by the adults.
It seemed like the nobler practice of what Charlie and his friends have been doing, stealing for the betterment of others. Charlie didn't like the idea of stealing from anyone, but that didn't make the Foresters bad people, right? Charlie's friends weren't bad people. They stole to survive. Why would kind people be held captive?
Charlie wanted to leave it alone, but it wouldn't feel right to not check. He knew criminals were dangerous, but the Foresters have always been viewed as something neutral. They never brought physical harm to those undeserving of such treatment. Plus, what if these Foresters were being kept captive from their friends against their wills?
Charlie hated the idea of getting into conflict. He wasn't brave. He only wanted to resolve things with kindness so everyone could be happy. But he also didn't like the idea of friends being separated from friends. He'd be heartbroken if his friends were kidnapped. Those Foresters might be missing their friends dearly, and they'll never seen them again if they're taken away for good.
In that moment, Charlie decided to take his first step taking charge. He won't let his cowardice hold him back. He'll prove kindness is not a weakness.
Charlie glared into his tankard, then picked it up. "I'm a man on a mission." He tilted the tankard back and downed his entire apple juice in one go. He pulled the tankard away with a content sigh, slammed it down, then jumped out of his seat. "Kindness shall prevail! WAAAAAH!" Charlie charged out of the tavern with an adorable scuttle and flailing arms.
Golduck stared dumbfounded at the swinging batwing doors, then looked inside of Charlie's discarded tankard. "Oh Arceus, please tell me I didn't give that kid alcohol by mistake."
With Charlie's knowledge of the ins and outs of the city, he knew exactly which window led to the room being guarded. A single window on the left side of the tavern, hanging above the pathway adjacent to the craft's store next door. Beyond that window were captured souls in dire need of rescue, and the heroic and infinitely kind-hearted Charlie will do his part to save the weak.
Only problem: he was a Clobbopus faced with a window several times his height in the air.
Naturally, Charlie's first instinct was to jump and reach for the window. Though cute, it was expectedly ineffective as all he could accomplish was bouncing in the snow.
Next, Charlie tried climbing the wall using the suction cups in his tentacles. He put one tentacle in front of the other and gradually scaled up the walls of the tavern. Unfortunately, this required Charlie exposing his tentacles outside the protective warmth of his cloak. He managed one whole meter off the ground before his succumbed to the cold and fell into the snow.
He tried jumping again after that. Still as ineffective, but no less adorable to passing villagers.
Charlie's next brilliant plan involved asking a stranger to lob him toward the window. No one agreed either because they didn't want to be caught throwing a kid like a ball or because they were aware of Charlie's connections with the local miscreants who have been robbing them blind.
More jumping after that. He got one inch higher off the ground that time.
Charlie eventually fell back into the snow and flailed his arms in a tantrum. "Why is this so difficult? My friends could've easily gotten up there by now! No fair, no fair, no fair!"
Charlie rolled around in a fit, punching and pounding the ground in a rare sign of irritation from the timid octopus. Though, just as it came unexpected, it expelled in a matter of seconds. Charlie breathed a defeat sigh and pressed his face into the snow.
"Maybe I should take the stairs and try sneaking around them," Charlie grumbled. He lifted his head from the snow and pouted, but then tilted his head to the right when something caught his eye. "Hmm?"
Unsurprisingly, the tavern had old barrels sitting outside, mostly so they didn't take up space in the limited storage space inside. Charlie was amazed that no one thought to steal them. Perhaps they were so pointless to steal that no one bothered. Charlie's friends certainly didn't care to take them since they weren't food. Not much use for useless, stackable storage units.
Useless, stackable storage units.
Stackable barrels.
Charlie stared at them for a moment longer before his eyes brightened with inspiration. "Ooooh~!"
Thales and Saga lost track of time, not that they had a stable sense of it upon their capture. Only the sky through the window provided them with the necessary method of timekeeping, though neither of them could extrapolate minute details outside of the obvious day and night settings. Their focus was solely on attracting the attention of their rescue party, who sadly passed by the second the captured duo noticed.
Thales gave up halfway through and collapsed onto the floor, teary-eyed and exhausted. Saga remained determined and kept banging her head against the glass, praying she could tap it enough times to shatter an exit open for the both of them. At the rate she was going, though, the window will remain standing for another ten years before a crack showed up.
They didn't know much about Marie and Lambert, what with the captured duo being new recruits, but they assured themselves their superiors will eventually swing by and discover their particular situation. The problem was whether or not they would arrive to their destination by the time their captors decide to skip town. Saga stayed positive through the endeavor, but Thales rapidly lost hope with each passing minute.
Saga banged her head against the window a couple more times before retreating to the floor, succumbing to her growing headache. She lay down next to Thales and nestled into his wooly mane, causing the timid Whimsicott's face to turn scarlet red.
"I tried my best, Thales, but it looks like we need to wait and hope they find us," Saga mumbled through her gag. "Maybe they'll use my messages I left on the wall as potential clues. It pays to stay organized, right?"
Thales didn't quite understand Saga, but understood what she meant through her scanning eyes. The once bare room sported the efforts of Saga's compulsive scripture, lining the walls within reach of them with her tiny handwriting—or whatever the correct term for using a spiky protrusion on the body was for writing. Saga detailed everything from the bad guys' plans, contacts, and their possible employer: the spinetingling The Ghost.
Thales shivered just thinking about the elusive bounty hunter. The idea of meeting him was an invitation to ride the riverman's boat into the Underworld. Why would a mysterious bounty hunter of old folktales want with two hapless idiots like him and Saga? Maybe not them specifically, but why target the Foresters to begin with? It couldn't just be for the bounty reward everyone's talking about, right?
Thales had a bad habit of overthinking the worst, but what else to do but imagine the horrors waiting to come? One does not simply look to a future against a mad bounty hunter without some degree of cowardice to keep the ego grounded. Then again, poor Thales was never a brave fellow, preferring the comforts of folktale with the borders of fiction keeping him safe.
Thales turned to his fellow captive, who stared idly at the ceiling with her lantern body nestled in his wool mane. Thales averted his eyes as he felt another heat wave climb through his face. Though he'd never say it out loud, he was appreciative of Saga's compulsive writing and stubborn head. She kept the silence from being mind-numbing and taxing.
If anything bad were to happen to them, he hoped at least she would escape the clutches of evil when given the chance.
"Saga, I…I really like you."
Saga tilted her head a bit at him. "What?" she mumbled.
Thales clenched his eyes and tried to turn away from her. "Why did I say that out loud? Why am I saying this out loud?! AAAHHH!"
Saga sat up and stared at the flustered Whimsicott. "You're really weird, Thales, you know that?" She giggled a bit. "But I like that about you."
Thales fidgeted nervously and tried to retreat deep into his wooly mane out of shame. He'd die of embarrassment if he ever found out Saga understood what he said.
Click! Click! Click!
Thales and Saga shot up from the floor, eyes wide in alarm. They looked at each other, silently asking if either or heard the same sound, and if they were the source of it. Through their eyes, they concluded neither was the culprit.
Click! Click!
Confused, the duo turned their heads to the window. If they had the strength to, they would've nearly broken their restraints off from their shock as a young Clobbopus stood outside their window.
"What the?!" Thales and Saga gasped.
The Clobbopus, Charlie, saw the tied duo on the floor, then waved at them. "Hello!" he greeted through the window. "Are you being held against your will?"
Thales and Saga blinked twice at him. "What?" they both mumbled.
"I heard a scary lady has been holding you prisoner, so I came to rescue you." Charlie pressed his face against the glass. "You're not bad people, right? I don't want to help you if you're bad people."
Thales and Saga glanced at each other. "Is…he serious?" Thales mumbled.
Saga shook her head. "He can't come in here. If the guards hear, he's toast. Tell him to scram or something!"
Thales and Saga shook themselves, trying to convey to the child that they wanted him to leave. The last thing a pair of rookies wanted to deal with was bring a child into a dangerous situation. Neither understood what possessed the child to even think of climbing up to a second story window to help a pair of (potentially) dangerous criminals, but they weren't going to let that scenario play out.
Unfortunately, with their mouths gagged and limbs bound, communication was effectively one-sided. Charlie stared at the squirming duo, squinting as he tried to interpret their shaking movements. "Is that a yes or a no?"
Thales and Saga shook their heads.
"No? So, you're not bad people?"
Their eyes widened, then they shook their heads again.
"You are bad?"
They nodded vigorously.
"Are you sure?"
They nodded again.
"Positive?"
They nodded again.
"Absolutely positive?"
They nodded again, and much more furiously.
"Do you want to be bad?"
The duo froze in exasperation. What was it going to take to get rid of the curious child beyond scaring him off whatever perch he was on? However, they accidentally expressed this thought by shaking their heads.
"You don't want to be bad? Then I'm here to help!"
The duo gasped and shook their heads frantically as Charlie reared his fists back. They clenched their eyes as Charlie slammed both fits against the window with all his might.
A second or two passed until the pair realized nothing shattered. They looked up and saw Charlie punching the window with a confused face. Thales and Saga shared a look, then sighed in relief.
"Aww, my arms are too weak. I'm really sorry," Charlie whimpered.
Thales and Saga went along with it and expressed looks of assurance, telling him he did his best, and pleading for him to leave. He tried his best, and that's all that mattered in the end.
"I hope that nice bartender doesn't get mad at me for this." Thales and Saga's eyes widened as Charlie picked up a brick and raised it over his head. "Good thing I brought this up with me, too."
Thales and Saga shook their heads frantically. No, no, no, no, no—
SMASH!
Thales and Saga recoiled in horror as Charlie smashed the brick through the window, raining glass shards all over the floor. Charlie hopped through the broken window and hurriedly scuttled over to the captured duo with a look of fierce determination.
"Rescue mission complete!" Charlie paused, then looked over their restraints. He looked at his fingerless hands, then the tight knots in their bindings. "Oh. This might take a while." He reached over and pulled their gags down. "But don't worry, I'll—"
"Are you out of your mind?!" Thales and Saga growled in hushed, worried tones.
Charlie recoiled in fright. "W-What?"
"Kid, get out of here, you're going to get yourself in serious trouble," Saga said, her inner flame burning hot. "What were you thinking? Why would you break into a room to help two prisoners who might be seriously dangerous?"
Charlie tapped his hands together timidly. "I…well, why would two dangerous criminals be held captive in a tavern in the first place?"
Saga opened her mouth to retort, then paused as she gave it some thought. "Huh. Actually, that would also be pretty stupid, you got me there."
Charlie wiggled in place nervously. "P-Plus, those bodyguards said you were Foresters, and I've heard they would never do anything to hurt good people on purpose. It's like how my friends are, even if they don't show it."
Thales gritted his teeth. "Kid, we have no idea what you're taking about, but you chose the wrong time to be a hero. You need to get out of here now."
"B-But those mean guys are going to take you away somewhere, right?"
Thales paused as thoughts of The Ghost reentered his mind, and any thought of rational thinking immediately hopped out the broken window. "Oh…Oh no." He gulped and waved the kid over. Thales whispered, "Listen, you need to leave now. If you want to help us, find a Mawile and Grumpig roaming the village right now. They're looking for us."
"Are they your friends?" Charlie asked.
"Yes, yes they are!" Thales nudged the Clobbopus toward the window. "Just get out of here and find them for us. This is way too dangerous for a little guy like you."
Before Charlie could turn toward the window, the bedroom door flew open, scaring the trio to the floor. Eyes widened in terror as the Hawlucha and Garchomp bodyguards stomped into the room, scanning the room in disbelief.
Hawlucha locked eyes on a quivering Charlie and scrunched his face in confusion. "What the heck is going on in here?!"
18th Winter Moon, 907—Morning
"Oh no, no, no, no!" Wyatt ran circles around a tree, clutching his head in a frenzied panic. "Avel's missing, Avel's missing! What do I do?!"
While the Lombre went through his freak out, Ursula, Altair, Emile, and Margot were trying to get themselves situated. After being ambushed, Emile and Margot had their uniforms ripped, exposing them to the cold, their natural enemy. They could barely move without needle-like pain shooting through their limbs.
Ursula burned off slabs of the nearly impenetrable trees to fashion a splint around her broken leg. She used some of Margot's Leech Seed vines to tie the splint together while biting down on the collar of her uniform. She braced the splint, then screamed through her uniform as the pain shot through her body.
Altair tried to remain stationary to not aggravate the wound inflicted onto his back. He turned his uniform backwards so the chest would cover his back from the cold air and debris that might irritate it.
Altair sighed out loud. "I dropped my guard for a second and let him get the drop on me. I'm terribly sorry."
Ursula wiped some tears from her eyes, then smiled weakly. "We all have our off days. At least I got a few lucky shots off that bastard." She winced at her leg. "Man, I hope I don't develop a limp like Marie. Bastard got me good."
"W-W-W-What d-do we d-d-do?" Margot asked, vigorously rubbing her arms.
Altair glared. "With our collective injuries, none of us are in great condition to hunt the bounty hunter down. And because of his actions during our last attack, his next target may end up being Avel. Only thing we can do is alert the other Weald Rangers and have them take on our elusive target."
"W-Will they be enough?" Emile asked.
"This guy has trickery and stealth down to an artform, but he'll be severely weakened from Ursula's attacks. I say we have the numbers advantage for the time being, but he'll use this time to lick his wounds. We can't waste much time talking about it." Altair flapped his wings, wincing a bit, and flew up onto Emile's shoulder. "Sorry to put this on you, big guy, but you'll have to get the rest of us back to the fort."
The Druddigon nodded before gently picking Ursula up. "I c-c-can tough out the cold a little longer, sir."
Altair nodded, then looked back at Wyatt. "Wyatt, we're returning to base. We'll send a search party to—"
"No!" The rangers' eyes widened as Wyatt pulled his pole out, glaring into the forest. "I'm going after Avel myself."
Ursula glared. "Wyatt, think logically for a moment. This guy has experience over you, weakened or not. You and Avel may have defeated Terrick the Skipper on your own, but that doesn't make you qualified to—"
"I don't care!" Wyatt snapped, the rage in his voice stunning them. "My brother is somewhere out in the forest, alone, with a bounty hunter targeting him like he's prey. I will not let him toy with my brother like that. No one messes with Avel and gets away with it. I won't let anyone push him around while I'm around!"
Ursula frowned. "Wyatt, I know you're worried, but blindly chasing a bounty hunter won't get Avel out of danger any sooner. We need to alert the other Weald Rangers and drive this guy out permanently. You're putting yourself in unnecessary danger—"
"Avel would do the same for me," Wyatt growled, tightly clenched his pole. "I know we're weaker as individuals, but that doesn't mean our teamwork is a weakness. We complement each other perfectly, and we're always there to make up in the areas we're less experienced in. We've always been better together. Besides…"
Altair narrowed his eyes, noting the tension in how Wyatt held his posture. The anger in his face. The hurt in his tone.
"We rely on each other because, sometimes, that's all you have when people meant to protect you fail to do their jobs. I'm sorry, Ursula, but I can't sit by and risk anything happening to Avel. We come as a pair. We live together, and we'll die together." With that, Wyatt took off running into the forest.
"Wyatt, stop!" Ursula called out. She squirmed in Emile's arms, then stopped as her injury flared up. "Dammit! I'm going after him!"
"B-But your leg—" Emile gasped.
"To hell with my leg if it means keeping that idiot from killing himself! Now let me—"
"Wait." Ursula froze, then looked up at the blank-faced Altair as he watched Wyatt flee into the forest. "Let him go."
Ursula's eyes widened. "What? Are you daft?!"
"There's no point in stopping him. If we follow, we'll run the risk of worsening our injuries. We won't have the benefit of rest like our opponent does." Altair sighed. "Besides, something tells me those two had quite the history before they came to the Foresters. I say we let them demonstrate their teamwork. They still need to work on their independence, but…that doesn't mean their teamwork is a negative."
Ursula grimaced. "Well, maybe, but—"
"Nothing we say is going to stop Wyatt from finding his brother. All we can do is retreat back to base and inform Jason and the other Weald Rangers of our situation." Altair nestled down on Emile's shoulder and closed his eyes. "We can only hope Wyatt and Avel have enough sense to fend for themselves against a dangerous enemy."
Ursula frowned dejectedly, but gave in to Altair's reasoning. "Fine. Emile, get us back to base as fast as you can. We can't put those boys in any further danger."
Emile nodded. "I'll run as fast as I can, Captain." With a readying flap of his stiff wings, Emile took off running back to base with dampened stomps in the snow.
Ursula looked back for the slim chance that Wyatt came running back. She glared worriedly. "Altair, you're absolutely sure about this?"
Altair cracked one eye open and looked back as well. "For their sake, I hope so."
Unlike his brother, who was no doubt fretting over his disappearance, Avel remained calm in the face of danger. He was always the levelheaded half of their dynamic duo, and he must retain that image even in his solo journey back to base. Though he learned the tips and tricks to navigating the expansive, maze-like forest, his lack of limbs in the winter environment made the trek ten times more difficult.
Avel would ready himself in between hops, springing forward as far as possible while expending the least amount of energy as possible, and land in deep piles of snow, blinding his vision in white. If not for the fortunately cloudy day, the reflective white of the snow from morning sunlight would absolutely tarnish Avel's eyes. Being a Water-Type, he also had cold resistance that should keep him safe until someone found him. His chances of returning home on his own were near to zero, unless a freak flood passed through to whisk him off toward base. He was faster in the water than on land.
Though his safety was jeopardized, Avel's concerns focused on the state of his big brother. There were only a couple of times the two have been separated for long periods of time. Farthest they've ever been apart without the dramatics was when they lived in the same household. Worst known case was getting separated during one of their odd jobs at the marketplace. At least then, all Avel needed to do was fire off an Ice Beam to signal Wyatt to his location. There were too many trees for that plan to work a second time. All the snow would dampen Avel's cries into the aether.
Avel knew where this game would go. It was a hunt for his location. The trained bounty hunter and Avel's panic-stricken brother. A race against the clock, as it were, with Avel's life on the line.
By now, Wyatt would've broken away from the group and marched out on his own to search for Avel. The injuries inflicted on his superiors would lessen their chances of a successful rescue, thus prompting an immediate retreat back to base for backup. A logical decision given time was not in their current favor. The enemy could flee and recover. He came prepared for survival. The Foresters came prepared to flush out a bounty hunter.
Avel had to hope for a speedy rescue from his superiors. Worse comes to worst, they'll send Jason to finish the bounty hunter. The Foresters' ace-in-the-hole for ending threats. The sheer presence of Jason alone would probably scare the bounty hunter off if he had the sense to avoid direct conflict for so long.
Though, Avel did recall rumors of a plan involving one Forester currently on field assignments with a group. Someone who could match wits with an elusive bounty hunter like the Accelgor. If Avel remembered right, he was summoned to return early as a countermeasure.
All this thinking was mostly to keep Avel's mind off the worst. What worried him was that Wyatt was likely roaming the forest in search of him, so he was just as susceptible to an attack as Avel. Although, to the bounty hunter, Avel was an easier target to plan for. Avel wasn't equipped for solo fighting. He'll have to improve his line-up of moves in the future if to better handle himself in this kind of situation again.
Avel stopped hopping and took a deep breath. "Altair wants us to improve on our individuality. Well…" He glared up at the trees, noting the gentle swaying of thin branches and flakes of snow raining off. "I'm doomed out here either way. Perhaps it's time I start my homework."
Jason waited by the fort elevator, leaning against the platform fence, with Blitz and Lillia standing by. Jason's ears twitched occasionally, trying to pick up on the subtlest noise in the sound-dampened environment. Jason hadn't moved from his spot since he woke up, ever since the Weald Rangers went out on patrol early in the morning.
"It's quiet," Jason finally said.
Lillia tilted her head. "Sir?"
"Something's wrong."
Lillia scrunched her face. "How can you tell? I can't hear anything."
Blitz shook his head. "Jason's always been the paranoid sort when it comes to these things. Not that I blame him, what with the circumstances we're under. But what makes you think something's wrong?"
"I could've sworn I heard commotion in the distance, though it was too far away to tell. Might have been the rustling of nature, or perhaps audio camouflage that broke apart toward the real crime." Jason gritted his teeth, then straightened up. "I'm going out there."
Blitz held his hand up. "Hang on. If we let you handle every little emergency for the Foresters, what does that say about the rest of us? We know you can end this in a second, but this guy has been training in stealth his whole life. It's not something you've mastered and refined over years."
Jason sighed. "I know. I just…can't help but worry sometimes."
Blitz nodded. "You've been out here for too long. Maybe you should take a break and rest up."
"I guess, but—" Jason's ears perked up to the sound of a knock coming from below. "Someone's back."
Lillia peered down the elevator, then gasped. "Oh no! Altair, Ursula, and Ursula's team. They looked really banged up!"
Jason growled, then pointed at the Nidorinoa and Snover at the elevator mechanism. "Drop the elevator and bring them up, now!"
The two saluted him and turned the wheel mechanism. The elevator dropped down for the waiting group, then rose back up to the fort once they were on. Jason, Blitz, and Lillia stepped back as the group came into view, and stood shocked at the injuries they've sustained.
"Goodness!" Lillia gasped.
Jason glared at the elevator operators. "One of you, get Shade over here, now!" The Nidorino nodded and darted off. Jason walked over to Ursula as Emile gently set her down. Jason got her arm around his shoulder, then asked, "Ursula, what happened?"
Ursula grunted. "The target ambushed my group. Got me pretty good." She winced as she moved her leg. "Not feeling too well, to be frank."
Altair carefully glided to the floor and ruffled his feathers. "He didn't seem keen on taking on multiple opponents, so he escaped before any of us could capture him. Left quite the parting gift in his exit, too." Altair massaged his covered back. "I won't be able to continue my duties in this state."
"Tch." Jason moved Ursula off the elevator and helped her along. "This guy's good. Too good. We may need to change strategies. He may have a countermeasure for our defense."
"That…may be the least of our worries, actually," Ursula said.
Jason raised his brow. "What do you mean?"
Before Ursula could respond, Lillia looked around the party of four and asked, "Wait, wasn't Wyatt and Avel with Altair? You three were out training this morning, right?"
Jason's eyes widened. "Wyatt and Avel?" He shot a glare at Altair. "Where are they?"
Altair frowned. "During the target's escape, he released a poisonous smoke into the air, and I had to funnel it out with my Hurricane. Avel was caught in the winds and forcibly thrown out. I tried to catch him, but the bounty hunter capitalized on the distraction to deal a critical wound to me. Avel's lost somewhere in the forest, and Wyatt ran off to find him."
Ursula sighed. "We would've gone after him, but we're in no condition to follow, otherwise I would've dragged him back here myself."
Jason growled. "Of all the—" Jason pulled Ursula's arm off and helped her over to Blitz. "Help her to the medic hut once Shade gets here." Jason marched over to the edge of the platform.
Blitz glared. "Jason—"
"I should've done this sooner. I'm going to search the entire damn forest and smash that rotten creep's head into the trees the second I find him." Pikachu clenched his fingers, crackling the fur with sparks. "I haven't met anyone who could predict my speed and live without a concussion."
Blitz shook his head. "Jason, even if you combed the entire forest at top speed, you wouldn't be able to see him. You're fast, but you can't even process everything at those speeds. You'd just as easily miss him without realizing."
"Well, I'm wasting too much time talking about it, and I have two Woodlands on the loose. At the very least, I need to know which direction Avel flew off to. Find Avel, find the bounty hunter. Simple as that." Jason faced Altair. "Which direction did Avel fly off to?"
Altair scratched his chin. "Southeast, I'm almost certain. With his weight and the power of my Hurricane, he could've been thrown within half the radius of the forest. By now, he's probably on the move trying to get back here, so he'll be moving toward our location. Plus, with all the snow, he won't be getting very far on his own."
"Tell me where the fight started. I'll take care of the rest," Jason said.
"No need for that, sir. I shall handle this fiend personally."
All eyes flew up into the trees, spotting a Frogadier crouched high in the branches. He wore the standard uniform, but with the added additions of a dark blue zukin around the face, as well as a dark blue scarf fluttering around the neck. He sprang off the branches and, with great speed, appeared in front of the group, landing in the kneeling position.
Jason narrowed his eyes. "Shingo. You got back faster than I expected."
Shingo nodded. "The second I received your letter from Petra, I sprinted back to base. I traveled for many days and nights with minimal rest, all for the sake of fulfilling your dire request."
Lillia's eyes widened. So, this is Mochizuki Shingo, the Greenwood Leader and master escape artist. He seriously ran all the way from the Wick Kingdom to here on foot? Geez, and I thought Petra was fast.
"Is the target still active?" Shingo asked Jason.
Jason nodded. "Two of our Woodlands, Wyatt and Avel, are in the forest on their own. Avel's missing, and Wyatt went to find him. The bounty hunter is still on the move."
"He is injured, though," Ursula interjected. "I broke some of his ribs during my encounter with him."
Shingo glared at the broken leg, and the injured state of his fellow comrades. "I see." Shingo stood up and bowed to Jason. "I shall ensure the safety of the two Woodlands, and make sure this bounty hunter never returns. His tricks will be no match for my own."
"Then get to it," Jason ordered.
"[Yes, sir!]" Shingo dashed off the platform and glided into the trees, vanishing from sight.
Lillia stared into the bare void in front of her, then whistled. "You…sure sending one guy is the best option?"
"We train every Forester how to use stealth and deception, but no one comes close to Shingo's mastery." Jason glared. "Our bounty hunter won't be able to use tricks against Shingo, and hopefully his weakened state will turn the tides in Shingo's favor."
"I'm here, I'm here!" Jason turned and faced Shade as he came running over. "S-Sorry, I was…asleep again." He shook his head and turned to the injured party. "Zounds! That doesn't look good."
"Get them patched up," Jason ordered. "I'd prioritize Ursula first, if that's okay with the rest of you."
Emile nodded. "Perfectly fine with me."
Margot waved it off. "I'll live."
Altair narrowed his eyes for a moment, then raised his wing. "Actually Shade, would you mind patching me up first?"
Shade's gem eyes twinkled with confusion. "Uh, sure?"
Jason glanced at the normally absentminded Cramorant. "I suppose there's a lot of blood on the back…err, front of your uniform. Feeling lightheaded?"
Altair shook his head. "No, mine's not as bad. I just…" He stared out into the forest with a curious gaze. "I wish to follow Shingo."
Jason tilted his head. "For…"
"He's going to be looking for Wyatt and Avel, and those two may end up finding the bounty hunter first. Just a hunch, of course, but I'm curious." Altair faced Jason, then offered a shrug. "Is it wrong for a mentor to want to view his students' progress? A parent certainly wouldn't want to miss on their child's accomplishments. Why not a mentor?"
Jason's eyes widened in surprise. "Huh. Training's been going well between you three?"
Altair closed his eyes and smiled. "I believe so."
Jason blinked, then shared a look with Ursula. She smiled and gave a nod of approval. Jason sighed, then smiled at Altair. "I never thought I'd see the day you would have proud students to praise. Very well. Shade, take Altair in first, and be quick. He's got somewhere to be soon."