A Dragon's Tail
Tail 2: Zetarus' Tail – Ambivalence
Tail 2-5: Plateau of the Wind
-Four Days Later…
"WHAT?!"
Zetarus and Diego cried out in shock as they found that, instead of arriving at the Dustorm City, the capital of Dustorm Empire, they had arrived at a vast, breezing plateau instead! This place was actually the Windsky Plateau, a breezing plateau homed to Flying type Pokemon.
"… I think that… we screwed it up." Zetarus mumbled.
"Fxxk you, Zetarus." Diego cursed out.
"Nah…" Zetarus seemed to be unburden of what he had done. "Since we are already here, why don't we go to Windsky Village? From the last town we went, I heard that everyone here hates Dustorm Empire very much, so…"
"You think that a wanted criminal from Fireview Kingdom like me want to walk around the village?!" Diego looked at Zetarus. "Don't you remember what happened in the town we passed three days ago?!"
"Yeah, I still remember the sound of death from that day…" Zetarus said. "But don't worry about it. I heard that Windsky Plateau is a rather isolated area on Symmetria, so I think that you will be alright."
"And fxxk you if it isn't." Diego mumbled.
After crossing the plateau of the wind, Zetarus and Diego arrived at Windsky Village, the only village around here. This village looked not much different than an ordinary rural village, but the thing that made it different from others were several windmills located everywhere around this village. This village was also the largest settlement of Flying type Pokemon.
As they enter the city area, Diego found that Zetarus was right. It seemed like no one in this village knew that he was actually a wanted criminal. In the other hand, they all were VERY friendly to him. But…
"This village is... strange…" Zetarus mumbled as he saw all villagers looked at him suspiciously and mumbled something as he walked passed them.
'W…What the hell is this village?!' Diego thought. As normally, when they passed through the town in Dustorm Empire, they will say nothing when they saw Zetarus (It seemed like no one knew that Zetarus was actually a prisoner who escaped from Desert Prison), but they, especially the mercenary, were ferocious toward Diego. But that wasn't a problem as, if anyone tried to arrest Diego, Diego and Zetarus will kill them right there.
"Lalala…Oops!"
Someone bumped into Zetarus. He turned his attention to the one who bumped into him and saw that she was a Flygon.
"I…I am so sorry!" The Flygon quickly apologized him.
"…" Zetarus said nothing and was about to walk away when the Flygon called him.
"W…Wait!" Flygon called the Garchomp and flew up to him. "T…Terrus?! Is that you?!"
"…" Zetarus still said nothing.
"Terrus? Why aren't you saying something?" Flygon said and approached Zetarus again, before she realized that she had mistaken a Garchomp in front of her for someone else!
"O…Oh!" Flygon quickly became timid. "I…I…am…sorry… I…m…mistook y….you for…s…someone else."
"…" Zetarus said nothing as he was sure that the one whom that Flygon mistook him for was Prince Terrus. It was not surprising as both Prince Terrus and he were a Garchomp, which was a rare Pokemon.
"U…Um… I…I am sorry about this!" Flygon spoke up before she quickly flew away from him.
"…Strange girl…" Zetarus mumbled.
"Whatever…" Diego said. "Geez… Let's find something to drink…"
As Zetarus and Diego stopped at the tavern of Windsky Village, they had learned about the history of Windsky Plateau from the conversation of the villagers…
Before the Fallen Crisis, Windsky Plateau was a floating island in the sky, but after the Fallen Crisis, the floating island had fallen down onto the earth and became a plateau instead. After that, Windsky Plateau was a part of Theocracy of Venturnome, until 21 years after the Fallen Crisis, which is 9 years ago…
It was Emperor Garland of Dustorm Empire. He started a war with Theocracy of Venturnome for an unknown reason. Because Theocracy of Venturnome and Dustorm Empire were the two most powerful nations on Symmetria, this war was listed as the second greatest war among five great wars of Symmetria, the War over the Windsky Plateau. It got this name because the Windsky Plateau was the main battlefield of this war…
The war was brutal… Several Pokemon had their lives taken… But it seemed like it will never end… Until finally, the Archsage of Venturnome decided to make a truce with Emperor Garland of Dustorm Empire, thus ended this cruel war… But the price of it was that Theocracy of Venturnome had to give the Windsky Plateau to Dustorm Empire…
After the Windsky Plateau became a part of Dustorm Empire, this land was ruled by Emperor Garland's iron fist, making everyone here hate the Dustorm Empire, as well as the Ground type Pokemon…
'…So, the reason while they all looked at me like that was because I am a ground type Pokemon… But they were friendly to Diego because he is a flying type Pokemon…' Zetarus thought.
-The Next Day…
After spending one night in Windsky Village, Zetarus and Diego prepared to leave Windsky Village and go to Dustorm City. However, just when they reached the entrance of the village, they found two Pokemon there. One was a Braviary while the other was a Flygon.
"Are you sure that you will go alone, Princess Freya?" Braviary asked the Flygon.
"Don't worry about it, elder." Flygon answered. "The Pokemon of Windsky Village has already done so many things for me… I don't want to be a burden to you…"
"N…No!" Braviary said. "You are not a burden to us at all! Oh!"
Braviary exclaimed softly as he saw Zetarus. "P…Prince T…Terrus?! W…What are you doing here?!"
"Sigh…" Zetarus sighed. "Old man, drill it in your brain that, just because I am a Garchomp doesn't mean I am that prince!"
"W…What?!" Braviary looked at Zetarus again. "Y…You are not Prince Terrus?! I…I am so sorry about this!"
"Whew…" Zetarus sighed again and turned his attention to Diego. "Let's go. We still have a long way to go to Dustorm City…"
"Pardon me?" Braviary spoke up. "Did you say that you will go to Dustorm City?"
"…" Zetarus didn't answer Braviary's question.
"Then, would you mind taking her with you too?" Braviary asked, much to Zetarus, Diego and Flygon's shock.
"B…But…" Flygon spoke up. "I…I would be a burden to them if I go with them!"
"Right." Diego spoke up. "We are not a group of happy-go-lucky merchants!"
"Please…" Braviary said. "If you want money, we have it for you…"
"Elder!" Flygon said. "Y…You don't have to do that!"
"But if you are hurt, we wouldn't know what to do…" Braviary said.
"…Understood." Zetarus spoke up. "Alright, Flygon, you can come with us." His answer surprised both Braviary and Flygon, and shocked Diego.
"A…Are you mad?!" Diego looked at Zetarus with a shocked face. "D…Don't you remember what we are—"
"Don't worry about it. It will be fine." Zetarus spoke.
"B…But…" Flygon spoke up.
"Don't worry about it, Flygon." Zetarus said. "You can come with us for free."
"Oh, really?!" Braviary said. "T…Thank you, sir!"
"B…But…" Diego tried to say something, but Zetarus spoke up first.
"Besides, we don't know the way to Dustorm City. If we go right now, we may get lost again. But if she comes with us, at least she would be able to guide us."
"Hm!" Diego crossed his arms.
"T…Thank you, sir…" Flygon spoke timidly.
"Don't worry about it." Zetarus said.
"And…" Braviary spoke up. "It seemed like we haven't introduced ourselves yet. I am the elder of Windsky Village. What about you two?"
"I am Zetarus the Garchomp." Zetarus said.
"And I am Diego the Charizard." Diego said.
"I…I…" Flygon said timidly. "I am Princess Freya Mirasert the Flygon…"
'Princess?' Zetarus thought in his mind. During his journey, he had heard the name of Prince Terrus, Princess Natasha and Prince Largo already, but he hadn't heard the name of Princess Freya before…
"Let's go, Zetarus." Diego spoke. "We still have a long way to go."
"Bye, elder." Freya the Flygon spoke up. "And thanks for everything."
"Give my regard to Soryl for me, Princess Freya." Braviary said.
With a new companion, Princess Freya, Zetarus and Diego continued their journey across the vast Dustorm Desert once again. This time, with Freya's guidance, they didn't get lost again.
For Diego, he still didn't understand why Zetarus let Freya come with them. It was true that they didn't get lost again, but letting the princess of Dustorm Empire coming with them, who were the criminals who tried to kill the emperor, wasn't a good idea in certain. Every time Diego asked Zetarus about this, Zetarus only answered…
"I don't know. I just think that she should come with us."
'Sigh…' Diego thought. 'But again, he doesn't know why he wants to kill the emperor in the first place…'
Other than guiding them, Freya also proved to be a useful companion. Despite she wasn't good at fighting, she was capable of healing Zetarus and Diego by using an arcane power she drew from the earth.
During the first few days of their journey, Freya was too timid to talk with both of them, but as the time passed, Freya became a bit more comfortable to speak with them, especially to Zetarus. Freya often spoke about her life when she was at Dustorm City. She also liked to talk about her elder siblings, Prince Terrus, Princess Natasha and Prince Largo. With this, Zetarus learned that, while Prince Terrus always stayed in Dustorm Empire, Princess Natasha and Prince Largo were sent to study abroad at other nations. Princess Natasha was sent to Shadowlost Territory while Prince Largo was sent to Fireview Kingdom before he moved to Shadowlost Territory to join his sister.
'…This explained the time I met them at the oasis…' Zetarus thought.
This night, they already camped. Usually, Diego and Zetarus would take turn for watching and let Freya rest. Now, Diego was already sleeping while Zetarus was on the watch, and Freya was still awake too.
"…Freya." Zetarus spoke up, turning the attention of a Flygon to him.
"Do you need something, Sir Zetarus?" Freya asked. She always called Zetarus and Diego 'sir', which both of them didn't mind.
"…You said that you are the princess of Dustorm Empire, right?" Zetarus asked. "Then, why did you want to go back to Dustorm City alone? Don't you have any guard to protect you?"
"W…Well…" Freya became a bit sad. "A…Actually, I am not that much of a princess…"
"…What?" Zetarus looked at Freya.
"…It is true that my father is Emperor Garland…" Freya spoke up. "But… my mother is actually a maid who served him… Unlike Terrus, Natasha and Largo that their mothers were the empresses…"
"…" Zetarus said nothing and let Freya continued her story.
"Well… Emperor Garland has two wives, Right Empress Lylalia the Marowak, who is Terrus and Largo's mother, and Left Empress Sharon Venomist the Dragalge, who is Natasha's mother…" Freya said.
"…And you?" Zetarus asked.
Freya lowered her head before continued speaking. "W…Well… My sibling told me that, it started when Empress Lylalia died after giving birth to Largo and Emperor Garland fell into grief… A…And one day…W…When mother went into his bedroom for her usual cleaning… E…Emperor… H…He…"
"I see…" Zetarus understood what happened. "And then?"
"Then my mother gave birth to the egg that contained me. W…When emperor knew this, he ordered my mother to kill me…B…But… M…Mother refused…S…So…" Freya said with a shaking voice. Zetarus noticed clear water flowing out of her eyes.
"…I am sorry…" Zetarus mumbled.
"…It's alright…" Freya mumbled. "It was because of Empress Sharon that I am still alive… Natasha told me that she tried to stop Emperor Garland from…f…from… But she failed… A…And if she didn't protect my egg, I…I…"
"…" Zetarus was silenced after hearing Freya's sad tale.
"After that, I grew up under the care of Empress Sharon, along with Terrus, Natasha and Largo… Because I am not the daughter of the empress, many nobles doesn't count me as the princess of Dustorm Empire… But when Empress Sharon died ten years ago…" Freya continued her story.
"…" Zetarus understood everything right now. When Empress Lylalia died, it caused Emperor Garland to do a terrible thing to Freya's mother… And when Empress Sharon died ten years ago, War over the Wind Sky Plateau started one year later with an unknown reason of Emperor Garland…
'…Grief.' Zetarus thought.
"Ah!" Freya raised her head and looked at Zetarus. "I… I am sorry for making you hear my story! I am so sorry!"
"…The one that must say sorry is me, Princess Freya." Zetarus spoke up. "Is it a good thing to let a…commoner like me hear something like that?"
"I…I don't know…" Freya spoke up. "But I always feel good when I speak to you… Same as when I speak to Terrus, Natasha and Largo…"
"…Anyway." Zetarus changed the topic. "What were you doing in Windsky Village?"
"I was an exchange child." Freya answered. "After War over the Windsky Plateau ended and Windsky Plateau became a part of Dustorm Empire, Emperor Garland said that, in order to tighten the relationship between Dustorm and Windsky, both places will send a son of their ruler to each other's place for studying the culture of each other. It was me whom Emperor Garland sent to Wind Sky Village, and it was the elder's son, Soryl the Aerodactyl, that was sent to Dustorm Empire…"
"…" Zetarus also understood this one too. The true intention of this exchanging thing wasn't to tighten the relationship between both places, but was for Dustorm Empire to have a 'hostage' to prevent Windsky Village from uprising. And it was not a problem for Emperor Garland to send Freya to Windsky Village as Freya was his bastard daughter.
"…Then, the reason for you to go to Dustorm City is to join Prince Terrus' Succession Ceremony, right?" Zetarus asked.
"Right." Freya answered. "Terrus is now 25 years old, so he will attain to the Succession Ceremony in order to be crowned as the heir to the throne of Dustorm Empire and to inherit the title of Hero of Legend."
"Hero of Legend?" Zetarus repeated Freya's word. "What is that?"
"According to legend, Hero of Legend are Pokemon who received the power of each type from the god to use it to protect the world from evils. Should the evil rises, it is their job to defeat them. The last time this happened was 30 years ago, during the Fallen Crisis. 14 Hero/ine of Legend had defeated the demon and brought the peace back to Symmetria once again. Emperor Garland is actually one of 14 those Hero/ine of Legend. He holds the power of Ground type. And Terrus is the one who will receive the power from Emperor Garland and become the next Hero of Legend who holds the power of Ground type." Freya explained.
"?!" Zetarus was confused as there were many words in Freya's tale that he didn't understand, but he at least known that Emperor Garland was now the Hero of Legend who holds the power of Ground type, and Prince Terrus will be the next.
"I really can't wait to see them again." Freya spoke. "Right now, Terrus is 25, Natasha is 23, Largo is 19 and I am 16."
"?" Zetarus looked at Freya, who seemed to be sleepy.
"I should get some rest right now…" Freya spoke. "Good night, Sir Zetarus."
"Good night, Princess Freya." Zetarus said. But in his mind, he was still thinking of something…
"25, 23, 19, 16?"
-Several Days Later…
"Oh! Here we are!" Freya said as the trio arrived in a large city. This city was the largest settlement Zetarus had ever seen. It was an arabic city with many merchants selling their goods in the bazaar. Most of Pokemon here were Ground type Pokemon. As Zetarus and Freya entered the city area, Zetarus also noticed that this city was already decorated for the Succession Ceremony next week.
"Thank you, Zetarus!" Freya thanked before she noticed that Diego didn't come with them when they entered the city. "Oh! Where is Diego?"
"Don't worry about him." Zetarus spoke as Diego didn't come into the city with them because he was a wanted criminal. "And Princess Freya, what will you do next?"
"I must go to Desert Palace first to meet everyone." Freya answered. "And Zetarus, why don't you come with me? I will introduce my siblings to you!"
"…No, thanks." Zetarus answered. "I have things to do."
"That's too bad…" Freya said.
"And…" Zetarus looked at Freya. "Princess Freya, I want you to speak nothing of Diego and me, okay?"
"W…Why?!" Freya asked.
"Is it a good thing if anyone knows that you come here with two strangers, right?" Zetarus answered.
"B…But…" Freya mumbled.
"Now I must go…" Zetarus spoke. "And please… forget everything about Diego and me too."
"W…Wait!" Freya tried to say something, but Zetarus already left her.
"…Sir Zetarus…" Freya mumbled before she decided to head to Desert Palace.
"…Is she gone?" Diego asked when he saw Zetarus walked out of Dustorm City.
"Yes." Zetarus answered, but he seemed to be troubled by something.
"What's wrong, Zetarus?" Diego asked.
"…I'm starting to regret letting Freya come with us." Zetarus answered. "I think she is too innocent to travel with 'sinners' like us."
"That's what I tried to tell you, fxxxxr." Diego said.
"…Never mind that." Zetarus spoke. "We have a thing to do. Prince Terrus' Succession Ceremony will be held one week later. Meanwhile, we have a lot to do."
"What should we do first?" Diego asked.
"We must come up with a plan for this." Zetarus answered.
To Be Continued…
Dragon of Vale: We meet Princess Freya, the youngest princess of Dustorm Royal Children. She is such a tragic character for me…
Also, we see the side of Zetarus we have never seen before. While he is an escaped prisoner, Zetarus actually is very kind to Freya! I wonder why…
And Zetarus and Diego finally arrive at Dustorm City… The next chapter will be the day of Succession Ceremony…
A special thanks to Ridin Valon for helping me with the error correction.