Yet another one of my chapters written to explain something that would be important for understanding later. It's short, and rather rushed, but I hope it answers some questions.
It was a dark, and eerie night in the Scarred Lands. That's what the local pokemon in the forest beyond the city called it. The uncharted canyons that split through the very floor beneath the canopy snaked along like multiple scars, giving it its name. And to think that many had died here, pokemon and human alike, just by falling into its ravines gave me chills. The wind that gusted through under twilight cover whistled and howled as it winded through the stony crevices, as if the spirits of the dead were still screaming, falling into a fathomless darkness. Only a week ago, Dhenalix had warned me of such place, and now here I am, cowering.
At the moment, I was dreaming – at least I hope I was, for it was a horrifying experience.
~*~
The sky around was gray, and stormy, perhaps just as dark and dreary as that one day we were in the mountains the day after my birthday. I stood upon a hill overlooking the pine trees, wet and cold from the rain, stretching over gentle, rolling slopes. Asides the falling droplets of water, there was not a stirring – no life but the vegetation was present. But then, something caught my eye – three figures were dashing and winding through the trunks below my panoramic view.
I found my legs running to keep up with them, but with ease. Soon enough, I was alongside them, examining the threesome.
Two of them were lucarios, one of them was holding an egg. I stared at the royal blue shell, smooth as the surface of a lake, cradled by two, protective arms. I looked up to gaze into the eyes of the mother. Her eyes were scarlet, just like many other lucarios. Behind her was a male lucario, a relative of some sort, or even the father of the egg she was holding. But he didn't look very much like a standard lucario to me; he possessed perhaps the most illustrious blue fur I have ever seen, keeping a lovely sheen even in the dank atmosphere. A spike on his paw had half of his sloughed off, making it a jagged reminder of some tragic event. However, what stunned me the most were his eyes, an ever constant, rolling, magenta tide. It seemed that you could see an ocean through his fuchsia lenses, so deep and nostalgic. It reminded me of someone else...
Something lengthy, rope-like, and black whipped around near the floor. I followed the long cord to its source, a creature that definitely looked very different from a pokemon. It was rather short and stocky, covered with brown fur with large, circular ears atop its head. Well, only one was circular – the left ear had a chunk of it missing, the empty space outlined by darkened flesh. He had a knapsack filled with what looked like metal plates of armor in one hand, and a golden, sheathed sword in the other. What and who was this?
"Talons," I heard a rash voice call from behind – it was the male. Talons glanced over his shoulder, revealing two, emerald green eyes.
"What is it?" he asked, in a deep, calming tone that was irregular to the pace he was running. This oblivious sense reminded me of another person that I had a hard time remembering.
"Are we close?" the male lucario asked, panting. Talons faced forward again and nodded.
"Yes, we are," Talons confirmed. True to his word, it wasn't long before the three came upon what they were looking for. All of them stopped before a great, hexagonal, golden-framed portal. I could tell it was a portal, because of Mandite's descriptions of it, but there was one thing that was odd. Instead of a blue membrane that one world from another, it was red. Beyond it, I could see a clear, sunny day with gentle, rolling plains set with shady trees and a lake. It looked like paradise compared to the side they stood on. I tore my eye away from the sight, and looked upon the pair of lucarios. The mother held her egg lovingly, with the male wrapping an arm around her, smiling a characteristic half smile. Talons, standing aside, waited anxiously.
"Well," he said, gesturing to the portal, "the egg is going to hatch soon – in you go." The mother looked up from her egg, her eyes shining from tears. It occurred to me that these three had been traveling for a while together. Talons sighed, pressing the palm of his paw to his pointed face, covering one of his resplendent, green eyes.
"Aw, c'mon," he whined, "you know how much I hate emotional good byes..."
"What do you want to name our child?" she asked, much to Talons's surprise. He let his paw drop to his side.
"Well, I – uh," Talons scratched the back of his shredded ear, "this is your kid – are you sure you want me to name it?"
"Absolutely," the male lucario said, nodding. The female also nodded, agreeing. Talons, rather pleased and overwhelmed by such a responsibility, chuckled.
"All righty then," Talons said, "if it is a boy, we all know you're gonna name him after me," The parents laughed a bit, but seemed to take this fact seriously. Talons, meaning it as a joke, suddenly frowned.
"I didn't mean for you guys to take it seriously," he said quickly, "it was only a joke." The male lucario shook his head, his eyes glimmering.
"We would be honored to name our child after you," he said, bowing, "Sir Talons." Talons modestly looked at his sheathed blade, flipping it over in his paws.
"Nah, it was nothing, really..."
"What would be a good name for a daughter?" the mother continued with her question, in which Talons replied,
"Aurora – I always wanted to see the Northern Lights." The mother and father glanced at each other, and nodded. Aurora... These two were her parents! No wonder the father seemed so familiar. I stood, looking, wondering why Aurora had never laid eyes on them.
"That's a wonderful name," the father said, smiling, "We'll keep both in mind." With that said, he started to help his mate cross worlds by holding her paw as she stepped through the red membrane. The female, taking a final glance at the brown-furred creature, she called,
"Good bye, Talons! We'll miss you!" and then went completely through, now in safe haven. The male took a step inside, following the mother. He paused, thinking, his eyes churning with various shades of red violet currents. The father looked up, finally, at Talons, who was standing in silent vigil, propping himself with his sheath.
"Thank you, Talons," the father said, giving him a last, sad smile, "thank you for everything." Talons, nodded, staying remarkably calm during this touching scene. I could tell from a glance the two were good friends, and yet Talons did not even seem at all affected by their leaving. This unnatural calmness reminded me of another, soldierly being. Raising a paw for a short, sharp salute, Talons bade them good bye, and the male passed through the membrane. Funny, this whole situation seems to be the reverse of our journey – Talons drop off two pokemon, we drop off Mandite. I smiled sympathetically, knowing they couldn't see me; if we ever succeeded getting Mandite home, this is what the final good bye probably looked like.
But, amid my soft feelings, I heard a loud snap of something heavy breaking a branch. I turned around to suddenly be blown away by fear. Running towards me was a massive creature, eyes bloodshot and wild, the gray fur mangy and dirty, galloping with a crouching position. The panting was a horrid, murderous breath and the rusting armor was like the bells of death. Weapons were attached on a belt that was wrapped around his waist. As it ran past me, of course not knowing I was there, it unsheathed three, sickly long metallic claws from its very paws, charging towards Talons, who was still staring at the portal.
"Talons, watch out!" I cried out to him, but my voice was washed away by the rain, unheard. I knew he couldn't hear me, but I still yelled. I want him to hear – he had to know that this beast was coming.
Just in the nick of time, I saw Talons's good ear flick, and he turned his head, seeing the enemy. Talons drew out his blade from its sheath, revealing the golden, jewel-studded glory. There was a clang, and slicing of metallic objects through the air, as the two engaged in deadly combat within a second. Despite his stature, Talons was lightning-quick with his moves, slashing and jabbing at the attacking predator while keeping on his toes, jumping around. It occurred to me that Talons fought and parried a lot like Mandite – or Mandite was a lot like him. Could he be...?
"I'm surprised you're still alive, Bruno!" I heard Talons snarl, as he used his elongated tail to whip the brute, sending him crashing into a tree. Splinters and wood chips sprayed everywhere, as he broke right through, the rest of the pine falling over. A growl emitted from the massive ton of muscle, and Bruno lunged, claws outstretched. In an instant, Talons flicked his right paw, the one that wasn't holding a blade, and out came three scythes of titanium alloy. With incredible strength, Talons jumped, grabbing fast to Bruno's wrist, before using his grip to throw the beast to the ground. Bruno's face dug deep into the dirt, making a deep trench in forest floor. Talons landed, his two feet and right paw firmly planted on the ground, his sword held across his face. I looked into those emerald eyes, the stare just as hard as the gem, and as cold as the rain that fell around us. At that moment, I couldn't help but feel a great respect for this warrior – or knight. Hopefully, this was a painful reminder not to mess with Sir Talons ever again, if that's what Bruno was after. Speaking of Bruno, I turned to see how he was doing. The arm that was out of sight of Talons reached for a odd shaped object, one that had a deadly sheen. It comprised of a hollow rod connected to a barrel like part, a handle, and a trigger. The tangy smell churned the contents in my stomach with a sickening feeling.
"Talons!" All eyes looked to the red portal, in which the male lucario, Aurora's father, had climbed through, seeing Talons was being attacked. The knight's eyes widened with fear.
"No, Aftrahn! Get back! Get back!" Talons called out to him desperately, "Aftrahn!" Bruno glanced between the two friends, and then an evil grin curled on his face, revealing yellowing incisors.
"I came to help you, Talons!" Aftrahn yelled back. Talons gave his friend a last glance, before he started running towards Bruno, sword held high. Bruno broke out into a wide smile, holding up the strange weapon, the hole in the cylinder at the front of it pointing at Aftrahn.
"It's your funeral," he said, in a deep, hissing croak, and pulled the trigger. A loud bang echoed in the forest, causing some flying creatures to take to the sky. At the portal, Aftrahn fell to the ground, limp and lifeless. This was not just fainting – the motionless lucario lay on the ground, eyes open, drained of the ocean that now gave way to an empty desert of pale pink. A dark, crimson fluid slowly leaked from his mouth, the final signature that signs his death contract. I felt the muscles in my legs become weak, and my head faint. He was dead.
Bruno now had the weapon pointed at Talons, who was standing still, breathing deeply, his eyes unforgiving and uneasy. I knew what he was thinking; what is the mother, Aftrahn's mate going to do now? Did she see? Talons's eyes flicked to the side, glancing at the portal. Bruno followed his eyes, and spotted a shocked, female lucario staring at her mate on the other side of it. Talons, seeing that Bruno had seen her, realized his mistake, and the price he must pay.
"Bruno," he said in a strong, unwavering voice, "if you're going to shoot anybody else, shoot me. Don't shoot anyone else – please." Talons sheathed his sword, throwing it aside, and knelt down, making himself vulnerable. Bruno, giving a glance at the devastated mother, grinned and pointed his weapon at the knight.
"All right," There was another, deafening bang, and Talons crumpled to the ground, clutching his arm and grimacing. An evil chuckle spewed from Bruno like boiling lava, and pointed his weapon again at Talons.
"You aim like your mom!" Talons claimed, his tone seemingly unaffected by the injury. Bruno seemed to roar and used his brute claws to grab the back of Talons's neck. Talons did not flinch one bit as he was dangled from the air uncomfortably.
"I don't want to kill you like him!" Bruno snarled, pointing at Aftrahn's remote body, "I want you to suffer." And he used the weapon to immobilize Talons's other arm, in which Talons only gritted his teeth. I stood, watching the scene, helpless. Oh how I wished I could take that sword that Talons tossed aside and use it to stab that monster in the back, and save Talons. But I couldn't move anymore, do anything anymore – only watch as the immense tragedy unfold.
"Let's not forget your little legs, shall we?" And with two blasts of the weapon, Talons's feet hung limply from his body.
"And that tail," and the base of Talons's tail vertebrae was shot. Bruno by now, was laughing, the booming, maniacal cackles filled me with such loathing as he carried Talons by the scruff of his neck to the portal. The female lucario watched, just as stone still as I, holding her egg tightly. But now I could walk, and I followed Bruno unwillingly. All I wanted to do is wake up and forget about this whole affair, but the nightmare kept pulling me forward greedily. I stopped beside Talons and Bruno, where the brute had dropped him to the floor, next to his motionless friend. The emerald eyes of the knight stared at Aftrahn, and then averted them, sighing. It was the only pain that was affecting him; not his wounded arms, not his injured legs, but his dead friend, the one that thanked him for everything.
"What should I do with you know?" Bruno pondered aloud in a drawling manner, tapping the tip of the weapon on the palm of his paw. Suddenly, there was a bang and Bruno howled. Talons smirked – Bruno had accidentally shot through his paw. Infuriated, Bruno rounded on Talons, eyes burning.
"You'll learn not to laugh at me!" he growled, grinding his nasty teeth, "You don't even learn how to use a gun at your damn castle!" He knelt down in front of him holding the weapon as both Aurora's mother and I watched silently. Bruno reached out, using the "gun" point to trace the gash in Talons ear with a sickening smile.
"I already got your hearing screwed," he muttered to himself, "should I take away your sight? Nah – I want you to see everything." The way he said "everything" gave me a terrible feeling in my stomach. What did he mean?
"But," he continued, "I'll teach you to never laugh at me – again." With that said, Bruno vigorously grabbed Talons by the back of his neck and pointed the gun at the point where his jaw connected with his skull. In the moment before Bruno pulled the trigger, Talons seemed to look directly at me, knowing that I was there. And, looking into his eyes, I knew he was not afraid. He closed them as the gun shot, the blast breaking the hinge of his jaw. As the left side of his mouth went slack and drooped, Bruno gave another, aggravating cackle, but this time, Talons could not speak audibly if he wanted to. The beast stood up, admiring his torture methods with malevolent pleasure. I glanced at him with utmost disgust and disdain, before gazing at Aurora's mother, who still was watching like a statue in a fountain, the water streaming from her eyes.
Most unfortunately, Bruno managed to catch her eye. The mother's eyes widened and she ran off, stumbling as she went, clutching her egg. He looked back at Talons, who was watching with a pleading look. Don't kill her, don't kill anybody. But, with a sly smile, Bruno took one foot and stepped into the portal.
"Ooh-aw!" Talons cried out the best he could, and the brute turned around, looking at him with mock surprise.
"Oh, that's right!" he said, dropping his gun on the ground, "No shooting!" Talons glared at him, wishing he could choke him then and there. So did I.
"But who said I couldn't use this!" Bruno unsheathed his claws once more, and this time it flared with zapping, indigo-hued electricity, casting a ghostly light on the marred, cruel grin.
"Bye now," he taunted, waving at Talons before slipping into the portal. Talons immobile arm suddenly tightened his arm as he clenched his paw into a tight fist, his knuckles cracking. Just beyond the portal, I saw the brute take the female lucario by the scruff of her neck as she desperately tried to protect her egg, which she had hidden from view. Knowing what probably happened next, I wanted to turn away, and wake up. But, my body was frozen, and stood staring as the silhouette of the monster sunk his claws into her stomach. Her scream was the last thing I heard before the scene before me shattered like breaking glass.
~*~
I bolted up straight, panting with my eyes wide, my paws wet from cold sweat. My body shook violently as scenes came flooding to my mind's eye, repeating each horrible part over and over again.
Now I know what happened to Aurora's parents. If Aurora had seen what I had seen, I could only imagine the grief and unbearable fear she would undertake. But, as I looked down on her beside me, her face content and peaceful, I knew that she was safe tonight. Oh Aurora... Even though you have no clue what really had happened to your mother and father, I am so sorry. It was a miracle she had managed to sleep through my fitful nightmare while she was so close, our sleeping area beneath an age-old conifer, its branches twisted in such odd angles. I breathed the cold, night air, chilled by the autumn wind. Now that I had such horrific scenes implanted in my head, how am I going to get rid of them and live sanely?
As I wondered about such topic, a movement beyond the trees in the distance caught my attention. I fixed my attention at the shadow – it was rather bulky, and large, moving silently along. And it was coming this way. Fear seized me – what if Bruno was the dangerous creature Dhenalix had warned me about? And what if that shadow was him? It was urgent to wake up Mandite, immediately; he would know what to do. Heart pounding, I scrambled to the other side of the tree, where Mandite is sleeping.
Or was - Mandite was gone.