A Dragon's Tail
Tail 4: Claura's Tail - Stagnation
Tail 4-Interlude: A Cursed Realm
"Father! Mother! Honey! Rachael! Help me!"
A Cherubi cried in vain as I picked her up and shoved her into my throat, swallowing her in the instant.
"Disgusting…" I mumbled as the voice of that annoying Cherubi had become quiet. "Those who bathed in the sacred light are all so disgusting… Well, at least now she has joined up with her family in hell right now…"
After finishing the meal, I stood up and picked my Darkness Trident before leaving the dining room. This led me to the dark hallway of my lovely castle once again. Then I headed downstairs to the lowest floor of my castle, which consisted of only one room…
".." I said nothing as I entered this room. This room was named 'The Forbidden Chamber' as everyone other than me was forbidden from entering. Well… Actually, no one would even dare to get near this room because this is the room where I sealed the fallen soul of the Pokemon that I have killed, making this room haunted by the tormented spirit who could neither live in the world of mortal nor depart to the world of afterlife… Hm… Such a lovely place…
As I opened the door into the Forbidden Chamber, I could hear the cries of the haunted soul that were sealed here. The scream of their torment soothed my very cursed soul…
I slowly walked up to the center of the room, which lied an altar. Then I placed my Darkness Trident here before started enchanting it using the forbidden spell of the past.
"I am the demon from the past, the embodiment of the darkest mind, and the bringer of ancient twilight… The fallen souls bound by the cursed darkness! In the name of the ancient demon, I subject you to the eternal doom!"
I said as the sound of haunted souls became louder, and my Darkness Trident was enveloped by the dark mist formed from the haunted souls in this room. The dark mist soon was absorbed by my cursed trident, giving it a more sinister-looking appearance, and its tip became much sharper and much deadlier.
"Lovely…" I said as I picked my weapon from the altar. "A cursed trident empowered by the haunted souls I have killed, now trapped within this weapon for eternity… Moreover, I have placed a cursed spell that would caused anyone who was killed by me to get their soul sealed within this weapon forever, making it stronger for each kill I have… From now on, it's time for you and me to end the era of light and drag the world into the era of darkness, my lovely Dusk Trident."
I looked at my weapon, now named Dusk Trident, again before leaving the Forbidden Chamber, which was now calm and quiet because the haunted souls in this room was already sealed within my weapon.
As I got out of the Forbidden Chamber, one of my own soldiers of darkness approached me with a report. "Master, we have found the one you requested."
"Already?" I said before a sinister smile appeared on my face.
"Yes." The soldier of darkness said. "We already have brought him to the Experiment Chamber, as you commanded."
"Excellent." I said. "What about his injury?"
"His injury is harsh. It seems like he doesn't even able to hold onto his consciousness right now." The soldier of darkness continued his report. "We doubt he would live much longer."
"That doesn't matter." I said. "Keep him alive, but do not let him enjoy the pleasure of still being alive. I will be there soon."
"Yes, master." The soldier of darkness said before he left me.
"At last…" I said. "Soon, the world shall know the feeling of being cursed and damned… Just like how my underlings and I experienced with our own life…"
I continued walking from the Forbidden Chamber to an old library of this castle. Then I spent the next few hours gathering the documents I need for my plan.
"This should do…" I said after I finally got everything I need.
I used my magic to pick those documents up and left the library to a dark hall in front of the library. The only source of light for this dark hall was several torches on the wall and several glass windows…
"…" I walked slowly along the dark hall, passing each torch one by one… Passing each window one my one…
"…?"
I looked at one window on the wall. I thought that… I saw something there…
"?" I approached the window, and then I realized that my mind didn't play tricks on me, as I truly saw something in the windows…
It was…
"Arr… Arr…"
"Oh! You finally woke up!"
"Where… Where am I?"
"You are in the Solar Village Dojo. Eva brought you here several hours ago. She said that you are a priest of Symmetria on a pilgrimage, right?"
"Right… But…What…happened to me? Why am I here?"
"Eva told me that you fell unconscious during your prayer in front of goddess Symmetria's statue, so she and everyone at the church decided to bring you here…"
"Oh… I… I am so grateful for your help… Please… Accept my words of gratitude…"
"It's nothing! Everyone would do the same thing if they found an unconscious Pokemon, right?"
"Still… You just saved my life… I… I am so grateful…"
"Hey, it's not a big deal! By the way, I am Ridley Couraura the Lucario. I am the son of Solar Village Dojo Master."
"Solar Village Dojo Master… So, you are the son of the Hero of Justice, right?"
"You know my father?!"
"Yes. Everyone knows the tale of your father's good deed. He was one of 14 Hero/ine of Legend who saved Symmetria from the Fallen Crisis, and now he still holds the title of the Hero of Fighting type, am I correct?"
"I guess I shouldn't have asked…"
"And… Where is he right now?"
"He was meditating in his room, like usual… Anyway, what made you fall unconscious?"
"…"
"I guess I shouldn't ask you for now… Anyway, I must be off for now… I need to find the missing villagers of our village."
"Missing villagers?"
"Yes, she disappeared several days ago, and no one could find her."
"…Is she… a Ribombee?"
"Hm?! How did you-?!"
"…I saw it… I saw her getting torn apart by someone… in the darkness…"
"WHAT?!"
"I saw it… While I was praying in front of the statue of goddess Yggdrasil."
"Are you really sure?!"
"Yes. As a priest who served Goddess Yggdrasil, I would never tell a lie."
"Well… I find this hard to believe… But I know that you didn't speak a lie… Damn… What should I do?"
"I am…so sorry for that Ribombee.."
"…Don't worry about it… It wasn't your fault… But… How could I tell everyone about this? Especially for Eva… She will be so sad when she learns what happened to her friend…"
"Eva? Do you mean the little Eevee priestess? Where is she right now? I must thank her for coming to my aid."
"Eva? It seems like her friend has come to visit her today, so—"
"Ridley!"
"Oh, Eva! What a surprise to see you coming here… And… Your friend too! Er… What is your name again?"
"WHAT?! How could you forget the name of someone with such a high standard like me?"
"Ah, that's right… You are Katarina, right? I am sorry for not able to remember your name…"
"Whatever!"
"Ah! Priest of Yggdrasil! You finally awake!"
"Dame Eva, I must thank you for helping me when I fell unconscious… No words of gratitude of mine shall ever repay you for the thing you have done for me…"
"T…T…There's no need… t…to thank me…"
"Oh, you are the priest of Yggdrasil? My name is Katarina Pixillia the Florges! I am the daughter of the noble of Theocracy of Venturnome! My father served as a magistrate of Venturnome under Pontifex Hawkins and Archsage Iris!"
"And I am the priest who served under Goddess Yggdrasil. I am now on a pilgrimage."
"Speaking of Pontifex Hawkins… Katarina, I haven't heard of him lately since when he left Venturnome to Dustorm Empire's Prince Terrus' Succession Ceremony. Do you know anything about this?"
"Well… It seems like the Pontifex is now… missing."
"WHAT?!" Pontifex Hawkins disappeared?!"
"Yes… After staying at Dustorm City of Dustorm Empire for some time, Pontifex Hawkins was meant to come back to Venturnome a week ago, but he didn't… According to my father, the last contact we got from the Pontifex's guard mentioned that they were crossing Dustorm Desert in order to come back to Venturnome… But after that… We didn't receive any more contact from them… And none of them ever came back to Venturnome…"
"The Pontifex is missing… I can't believe this…"
"And… It seems like Archsage Iris is on the investigation to find the Pontifex's whereabouts."
"I… hope that both Pontifex Hawkins and Archsage Iris are safe… I will pray harder for their safety..."
"…Speaking of which… Katarina, I hear that Pontifex Hawkins must be attending to Fireview Kingdom's Prince Apollo's Coronation Ceremony this month, right? But since both Pontifex Hawkins and Archsage Iris are now not able to go…"
"Oh, it seems like the prince will go in the place of his parents. Wait a minute… Ridley, how did you know about Prince Apollo's Coronation Ceremony and Prince Terrus' Succession Ceremony?"
"My brother told me. You know… While my father is the Hero of Justice of Solar Village, and I live with him, my mother is the Chancellor of Shadowlost Territory, and my elder brother is living with her. Because of this, my brother went to Prince Terrus' Succession Ceremony a few months ago in the place of my mother and the lord of Shadowlost. And then he came here to visit me and my father a few weeks ago, before he departed for Prince Apollo's Coronation Ceremony at Fireview Kingdom, which will be soon."
"Oh! I have never known that you are the son of the chancellor of Shadowlost Territory! This also made you a noble, just like me! Teehee! We have so many things in common!"
"S…Stop that, Katarina! You're embarrassing me!"
"…I think I should get going by now…"
"What? But you have just recovered…"
"I am fine now, thanks to everyone's help… Hm? Where's my Light Scepter?"
"O…Oh! H…Here you are… M…Mother and I took it to the temple while you were unconscious to bless it with everyone's prayers."
"I couldn't thank you enough for this. Ah… This upgraded scepter is lighter and… makes me feel so heartwarming… As if it radiates a soothing aura and could calm even the maddest soul…"
"M…My mother t…told me that this newly-upgraded scepter gains a new ability to heal anyone from their pain. And its ability of healing will grow stronger each time you heal others…"
"As a priest, this would be the most useful thing for me when I need to help poor souls during my pilgrimage… Alright, now, I shall call my weapon the 'Dawn Scepter'."
"I…I am glad t…that y… you like it…"
I can't thank you and your mother enough for this, dame Eva… No word of gratitude would ever speak my mind."
"I…It's just…nothing… Y…You don't… h…have to thank me…"
"Priestess Eva!"
"Oh, you are a priest from our church! What brings you here?"
"It's nothing serious. It's just that Archbishop Zira wants you to go back to our church as soon as possible."
"What's wrong with my mother? She never summons me so suddenly like this…"
"I have no idea… What I know is that, just before she told me to find you, she received a letter from the Postman Pelipper. It seems like it was a letter sent from Queendom of Riverbrine…"
"A letter… from Riverbrine?"
"Yes. Now I must be off… I hope that you would come back as soon as you can."
"I understand. Thank you for relaying this message to me…"
"Well.. What would you do, Eva?"
"Ridley, I think I must be going now…"
"I will go with you, Eva."
"Thank you, Katarina."
"Then, I will—"
"I…I think… y…you should rest a bit more here…"
"But—"
"Eva is right. I think you should rest here some more… Don't worry about us. I will tell my friends and everyone in this dojo not to disturb your rest…"
"I…I… I see… Thank you so much for your hospitality…"
"Then, s….see you…"
"Yes. Good bye!"
"I will come back soon! Meanwhile, please take a good rest!"
"Thank you… Everyone…"
"…What?!"
I opened my eyes and found that I am in a dark hall in my own castle. It seemed like I just…
"This thing again…" I mumbled. "I stumbled onto this thing again… What is it? And why would I have to see it?!"
I mumbled before I realized something… It was the conversation I heard during that thing…
"…So, they know…" I said and revealed a sinister smile. "That's wonderful… They know what happened… They know what I have done… And they seem to drown in despair and nightmare… Good… This is just so good… But soon… You shall suffer more…"
I continued walking along the dark hall until I reached my destination, my own laboratory. I wasted no time and opened the door.
"Welcome, master." The soldier of darkness, who was stationed in this room, greeted me as I walked into the room. "What is your order, master?"
"Relax…" I said as I placed the documents I got from the library on the desk. "I come here for my usual hobby… Anyway, where's 'him'?"
"Right this way, master." The soldier of darkness said and led me to one of the experiment tables in this room. There was a Pokemon lying there. He was now unconscious.
"Marvelous." I said. "Such a lovely specimen… Perfect for my experiment…"
"What's your next order, master?"
"Nothing. You can go now. And don't forget to treat everyone who was damned and exiled by those who are bathed in the sacred light. Now you're dismissed."
"Yes, master." The soldier of darkness said before he left the room.
I walked up to the desk that I placed the documents from the library earlier, and then I started my own work.
"How should I do it? Hm… Maybe an instant one? Or a painful one? Or anything else…? This is so exciting… Soon… This world would be damned and cursed, and the light shall be vanquished from the realm for eternity! RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!"
To Be Continued…
Dragon of Vale: This chapter… Well… I can sense an impending crisis from this chapter…
And here's the end of the fourth tail. Finally… And the next chapter will be the start of the fifth tail! However, I warn you that the fifth tail will have a story as dark as the second tail… Maybe even darker…
A special thanks to Ridin Valon, as well as everybody else, for helping me with the error correction.