An Arcanine finished wrapping a bandage around an Azumarill's arm and gave it a kiss. "There you go."
"T-thank you, Captain Windie…" the Azumarill trembled, still gritting her teeth from the injury.
"You're a hero," a Breloom remarked while massaging his arms. "If you hadn't coordinated our retreat and protected us, who knows what would've happened to everyone?"
"Just doing what I do best," said Windie.
The Arcanine continued his trip through the army camp. Pokémon moped around in small groups, nibbling on their rations. The rows of tents were hardly uniform, the sloppiness a sign of the soldiers' fatigue. After helping a few other pokémon along the way, Windie came across the grandest tent, received a nod from the knights standing guard, and proceeded inside.
Inside the tent was a group of pokémon holding themselves high. "Windie, you are late," a Luxray in the middle scolded.
"Sorry, Your Highness," Windie apologized, bowing his head. "I was tending to my troops."
"Hmph. Let us get this meeting started. We lost our last battle solely because Duke Declan deserted us and made the foolish decision to take Leinwig's side. Once we win this civil war, he will be punished."
"Prince Ludwren, if I may add… our forces are also outnumbered and underfed. Perhaps that was a losing factor too?" one of the captains suggested.
"Nonsense. My forces are far superior to my nephew's," Prince Ludwren growled. "Now, I must promote someone as general to replace Declan the traitor. I know just the right pokémon, someone who was instrumental in our safe retreat."
Windie straightened up, his fluffy tail bouncing off the ground. He recalled how he coordinated the entire army's retreat, fought off several enemy pursuers, and cut off flankers with his Extreme Speed. Even after the traitorous duke revealed their army's attack plans to the enemy, Windie had employed his most excellent tactics and fiercest instincts to save the day. No way, my hard work is actually getting recognized? Maybe good things DO happen these days.
"Duke Godric, for your excellent job personally keeping me safe during the retreat, you will now be our new general," Prince Ludwren decreed.
Windie's ears flopped, and his tail thudded on the ground. His head sank to half his height. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see an (Alolan) Golem shuffle forward, his rocky mustache curled all the way up.
"It will be an honor, Your Highness!" Duke Godric boomed.
"Can we move onto more important talks of strategy?" an Ampharos urged. It was Windie's liege, Duke Antonio of Denryushire.
"What strategy is there? We do not have the resources to win against Prince Leinwig at his current level of support," someone else complained.
"I will prevail," Prince Ludwren growled, his dark blue fur bristling. "I must. It is too late to surrender."
"This war will turn all the way around and more under my leadership," Duke Godric promised. "We will take back Rentoshire and you will be crowned king of Luneland soon enough. We must launch another direct attack right away. Our enemies will not expect another attack from our weakened force so soon, therefore-"
Windie dragged his paws out of the tent, blowing the tent flap off his face. His ears couldn't take any more of his nobles' foolish plans. As he made his way through the army camp, pokémon praised him and thanked him for his efforts in the last battle. Hearing the common pokémon look up to him allowed him to hold his head up high once more, but the pain of having to inform them of another battle sooner or later still ate at his insides. The Arcanine departed the army camp for a rest from all the voices, lying down at the side of a slow stream and closing his eyes, his ears resting with the pleasant sounds of flowing water.
"Captain Windie!"
Windie lifted his head off his paws and craned his neck to look behind, spotting an Azumarill bounding over while trying not to flex her bandaged arm. "April?"
"Why the long face?" April asked, plopping down next to the Arcanine.
Windie shrugged his shoulders and dropped his head back on his paws. "What reason is there to be happy?" he mumbled. "We're in a war against our own kingdom."
"Well, that's true… but also old news. You look worse than I've ever seen."
Windie sighed. "You know how Duke Declan betrayed us and gave our attack plans to the enemy?"
"I expected nothing less from that fat, corrupt duke," April grumbled. "I swear, every single loaf of bread that Diggersby takes from his serfs goes straight into his belly."
"Prince Ludwren had to name a new general. He chose Duke Godric because Duke Godric protected him personally."
"Oh. But you saved the whole army from Duke Declan's betrayal. How could he possibly not name you general?"
"Probably because I'm so small for an Arcanine," Windie half-joked. He sat up, only a little more than a foot taller than the Azumarill.
"No, silly. It's because you're not a noble," April said. "You're the only captain who isn't a noble, you know." April stood up and started walking down the stream, beckoning Windie to follow with a flick of her hand and ear. "You know, everyone looks up to you, but we don't know much about you. How'd you become a captain? What's your story?"
"Oof!" the tiny Growlithe cried, squeezing his eyes shut to prevent dirt from getting in. He opened his eyelids a small crack, then whimpered as the two big Growlithes marched towards him.
"Not even gonna fight back?"
"What kind of name is 'Windie,' anyway? Is the wind gonna blow you away?" they sneered.
"No, it's because one day I'll be as fast as the wind…" Windie stammered, crawling backward.
"Ha, yeah right! Why don't you prove it?"
Windie's fur stood on end as the other Growlithes pounced towards him. He made a run for it, panting like mad, but got tackled again a few seconds later.
For as long as he could remember, Windie toiled on his family's farm by day and got bullied by night. A few times a day, Windie would spot a Rapidash running around the outskirts of his village, followed by a white streak of energy coming from each of his four fiery ankles. "Hey!" Windie would call out every time, but the Rapidash would never stop for him.
Eventually, the little Growlithe would learn the Rapidash's name: Sir Raymond. "Hey, Sir Raymond!" Windie would call every day.
"What the hell do you want, little kid?" Sir Raymond finally stopped to ask one day, stamping his hooves in front of the Growlithe.
The tiny Growlithe cowered beneath the towering Rapidash. "I-I just want to know how you can run so fast… please teach me."
Sir Raymond snorted and took off again.
"No, wait! I just want to run away from the meanies!"
Every day from there on out, Windie would chase after Sir Raymond every single time the Rapidash passed by. Instead of begging Sir Raymond to teach him, Windie studied the Rapidash's movement and tried to copy it while willing himself to keep up. The longer the Rapidash stayed in view, the longer he could study, so he poured his heart and soul into his dashes. Something strange happened, though; it seemed like Sir Raymond was getting slower with each passing day. In fact, Windie's paws felt lighter and lighter, too. And then he started seeing the white streak of energy sailing off of his very own paws. Panting heavily, Windie tried to run the same way without Sir Raymond in front of him as a guide or motivator. The Growlithe laughed his heart out as he ran circles around his farm at speeds he thought he could only dream of. Windie had learned Quick Attack.
With his newfound speed, Windie never had to worry about getting bullied again. But that wasn't the only thing he could do now; he could also keep up with Sir Raymond. Every time someone reported bandits around the village, Windie would use his Quick Attack and follow Sir Raymond to watch the knight fight the bandits off with magnificent fire. The power within Windie would not settle for running away any longer. He learned how to make devastating Flamethrowers from watching Sir Raymond and learned Bite from watching another knight.
The next time the bullies came for Windie, they were in for a surprise. "Ahhhh!" the big Growlithe howled as dark energy seeped through his foreleg from Windie's Bite.
"You monster!" the other big Growlithe cried, running away.
"Yeah, take that!" Windie shouted, shooting a Flamethrower at the ground before them as they ran from him.
The next evening, when Windie walked through the village, he saw one of the big Growlithes come around the corner of a hut. He growled and started his Bite, his fangs elongating and glowing white with darkness wisping off the tips of his canines.
The big Growlithe shrieked and turned tail. Windie gasped, his eyes widening and stance stiffening as he watched the other Growlithe leave his sight. As his fangs shrank back to normal and the darkness dripped off, Windie slumped his little shoulders and stared at his trembling paws. Was this all that he learned his moves for? To see his bullies whimper beneath him? There had to be a better use for his moves. From that evening forward, he started following his knights, whether they liked it or not.
Windie trailed behind a Girafarig knight and a Flaaffy, keeping his paw steps as light as possible. The knights had already told him to stay away, but he still had so much to learn. How could Sir Griffin move objects without touching them and launch invisible, devastating purple blasts of energy out of thin air? Windie had to learn the trick to it!
The little Growlithe stalked the Girafarig and Flaaffy through the woods. He heard the Flaaffy say, "My mother would love this flower, yes?"
"I am sure she would," Sir Griffin said. "Please make haste, My Lady. I already sense other pokémon around…"
The Flaaffy sat down in front of a patch of flowers. "Or maybe this other one…?"
"Lady Alice," the Girafarig said sternly, lowering his head to her level. "Now is not the time to- ARGH!" he winced, clenching his teeth as a horrible buzzing sound assaulted his ears.
"Waah!" Alice cried, stretching her wool over her ears.
The next moment, lime green shockwaves crashed into the Girafarig and Flaafy coming from the trees above. The Bug Buzz's sound disoriented Sir Griffin so much that he couldn't focus his mind enough to launch a Psychic. He pointed his head up and forced all his energy out in the form of a Psybeam, obliterating the canopy above.
A Beautifly and a Dustox fluttered out of the trees. The Beautifly scattered a Stun Spore below, paralyzing Sir Griffin but not affecting the electric-type Alice. The Dustox continued his Bug Buzz assault while flapping down to steal Sir Griffin's poké pouch. The Girafarig's tail twitched in every direction, biting the air, hoping to chomp down on whatever was causing the excruciating Bug Buzz.
"Gotcha! This will feed us for weeks!" the Dustox celebrated, snatching the knight's money and flapping away from the rabid tail.
"Stop!" Windie yelled, leaping up in the air and firing a Flamethrower.
"Ah!" the Dustox screeched, swerving out of the way. The Flamethrower nicked the side of the poké bag. The Dustox immediately released the burning bag, scattering melted and deformed coins across the ground. "No!" the Dustox wailed.
"You brat!" the Beautifly screeched, redirecting her Stun Spore towards the little Growlithe.
Windie sent power to his legs, escaping with Quick Attack and going underneath the bandits. He brought more flames to his muzzle and unleashed them, swiveling his head in a cone so that it couldn't miss the bug types above him.
With no more money to steal, the bug bandits flew away, wings scorched. Sir Griffin writhed on the ground, his ears ringing and head still feeling like mush from the Bug Buzz. "Lady Alice… forgive me…" he groaned.
Windie peeked towards the Flaaffy, who just started opening her scrunched eyes and letting go of her wool to free her ears. Windie recalled a piece of advice from his mother. If you ever meet a noble lady, be sure to do a paw kiss.
"Hi, Lady Alice. I'm Windie!" he greeted with a short bow and a wide smile, offering his right forepaw with the paw pad face down.
Alice stared at Windie's paw for several moments, then studied his joyous face. She frowned. "You are supposed to kiss my paw, not the other way around."
"O-oh… well, I can certainly do that!" he promised, flipping his paw over and lowering it an inch.
The Flaaffy narrowed her eyes. "Thank you for the rescue," Alice simply said.
Windie's ears and cheeks sagged as he brought his lonely paw back to the ground. Maybe he had some work to do.
"Duke Antonio gave me some poké as a reward for saving his daughter," the Arcanine recounted as he and April continued walking along the stream. "I bought my family a week's worth of bread. I asked him to make the knights let me follow them around to fight bandits from then on. I didn't want to spend all my time farming when there were still reports of pokémon getting their crops stolen by bandits."
"Wow, and all this while you were still a Growlithe?" April asked, eyes wide.
"A tiny Growlithe, let me remind you," Windie laughed. "Not for long, though. I evolved early with a Fire Stone… ooh! Here's how I got it. With my involvement with the knights, I crossed paths with Lady Alice quite often. I didn't give up on trying to impress her. And it seemed like it was working! I mean, she gave me a Fire Stone for my birthday. That's gotta count for something, right?"
"No kidding," said April. "Those things cost a fortune. So you got to evolve early?"
"Yup, with the help of the Fire Stone, I didn't have to wait as long as other Growlithes. I thought I'd be so happy to not be tiny anymore, but… well, as you can see, I'm still pretty small for an Arcanine. In hindsight, I don't know why I ever thought evolving would make any difference."
"Wishful thinking?"
Windie shrugged. "Eh, I guess."
"Well, you're still taller than me," the Azumarill laughed. "And plenty of other species, too."
"Yeah, I like to think I stopped caring about being small…"
"Well, that tiny Growlithe got a freaking Fire Stone as a gift from a noble," April said.
"That's true. And you know, things were going well for that little newly-evolved Arcanine of the past," said Windie. "I was stomping bandits, I was getting closer to Alice, and Duke Antonio liked me. So I tried asking Alice for a date… and she refused."
Even though April knew where this was going, it didn't stop her long ears from flopping. She slumped, looking down.
"She rejected me every time and never said why. I could only assume it was because I was still small as an Arcanine."
April snapped up at the Arcanine with wide eyes. "Seriously…? You think that's why?"
"Mhmm. I moped around for quite a while, but I eventually got over it. It was definitely for the better, too, since Duke Antonio married Alice off to some duke in Haxony. Duke Antonio got me into a bandit-fighting force to take down dangerous groups across all of Luneland, so I came across many more nobles. There were plenty of other noblewomen out there to try and impress!"
"Pfft! Really? You went around trying to date noblewomen?"
"Yeah! After I got over Alice, it became more of a game of seeing which noblewomen would be willing to spend a day with me or maybe even give me a gift!" Windie turned to see April's reaction but then stopped in his tracks. "Oh crap. I hope I didn't offend you…"
"No, not at all. I'm as far from a noblewoman as you could possibly imagine," April laughed. "But you sure treat me and my fellow soldiers sweetly. Are you saying it's a façade?"
"Oh no! When it comes to soldiers, I care about all of you from the bottom of my heart. As captain, it's my duty to keep everyone safe. Especially since most of you aren't here because you wanted to, like me…"
"Yeah, the peasants either fight or lose their wheat fields," April said through gritted teeth, her round hands curling into fists. "So how did a fellow peasant become a captain?"
"My efforts against bandits across Luneland gave me some recognition. And maybe my endless pursuit to impress, too," Windie chuckled. "When King Leinster died, the civil war started, and the nobles started calling in peasants, I knew I had to lead and protect. Luckily, Duke Antonio knew my skills and let me lead Denryushire's part of the army. And here I am! Now, if only I was made general so I could make the battle plans… I, for one, would never make our tired and demoralized army charge straight back into battle like what Duke Godric is suggesting, no matter how much the enemies don't expect it…"
"We're going to what?" April shrieked, her ears shooting up.
"You heard me. Our new general's plan is to immediately strike back full force after a devastating loss to try and surprise the enemy." Windie stuck his tongue out and cringed. "Ugh, I should be back in the war tent trying to dissuade them instead of moping around out here." He started making his way back to the army camp with brisk steps.
"They won't listen to you because you're not a noble yourself," said April.
"I can't do nothing," Windie said back over his shoulder.
"I bet Alice and all the other noblewomen have always rejected you because you're not a noble yourself. You're a commoner."
Windie slowed his trek, his ears and tail flopping. "You don't have to rub it in…"
"What are we fighting for?" April asked. "How does it help us commoners if Prince Ludwren takes over instead of Prince Leinwig?" She curled her arms into fists and stared at them. "All the nobles just do the same damn thing."
"I'm still here because, without my leadership, so many more pokémon will get hurt," said Windie.
"That's all well and good, but have you thought about why everyone else is here?" April asked.
"Because you would lose your farm and source of food if you didn't come, right?" Windie offered.
"Exactly! The nobles have total control over our farmlands and food. They dictate who eats and who starves," April growled. "I wish we could have a better future for everyone, free from noble robberies and noble civil wars. Serfdom has to come to an end."
"I don't think things will get any better," Windie sighed. "If there were no knights in charge, so many pokémon would become bandits. It's so much easier to steal food than it is to grow it."
"...You really think most pokémon would rather be bandits instead of neighbors?" April asked, her ears drooping as she studied the ground.
Windie thought back to those other Growlithes who used to bully him every evening. "Unfortunately yes… As long as there is not enough food to let everyone be as fat as Duke Declan, there will be bandits. And you know that Diggersby is fat."
"I refuse to believe a land without nobles would be worse for us than what we have now," April frowned, curling her arms and ears. "The amount of food the nobles snatch from their serfs in the name of 'protection' is already worse than any bandit robbery I've ever seen. Imagine a village where everyone enjoyed their full harvest and had leftovers to share. Think about it!"
Windie and April arrived at the outskirts of the army camp. Windie wanted to brush April's comments off but couldn't dismiss the determination in April's eyes. "Okay, I'll think about it," Windie sighed, trudging towards the war tent.
The two knights outside the war tent reluctantly let Windie in. Windie eased his way past the tent's entrance flap. He listened intently and discovered the nobles were discussing their next attack plan.
"How can you possibly even consider another attack so soon?" Windie interjected, his voice almost trembling. "The soldiers are exhausted, demoralized, and in no condition for another battle!"
"They will be fine by morning," Duke Godric stated.
"They will not," Windie spat. "When was the last time you examined your soldiers' state upfront, General Godric?"
Duke Godric glowered at Windie, the yellow parts of his back cannon pulsing.
"Windie, yield," Duke Antonio commanded.
"I have a job for you, Windie," Prince Ludwren said.
Windie took a deep breath, trying to soften his features. "Yes, Your Highness?"
"I require you to escort my wife to Kyukonais, the capital of Solardie. It is to the south of Luneland."
Windie tilted his head. "What? Why?"
"The nobles of Solardie are refusing to give my son support for us, even though he is their king. You must escort my wife to Kyukonais so she can plead our case to them personally."
"No, I meant, why me?" Windie asked, shaking his head. "I need to command Denryushire's soldiers."
"Windie, do not worry. I will take command," said Duke Antonio.
Windie tried his hardest not to cringe visibly. For as much as Duke Antonio got his foot in the door, Windie could not help but recall the time Duke Antonio got his knights lost in the forest surrounded by bandits. "My lord, surely someone else could escort Princess Nina. Denryushire's troops will suffer under-" Windie bit his tongue when he saw the start of a glare forming on the Ampharos. "I-I mean, our soldiers are very fond of my leadership-"
"Windie, I only ask you to be my wife's steward because you are the finest pokémon for the task. I know she will reach Kyukonais safely with your protection. I will not permit any other pokémon to take this responsibility," said Prince Ludwren, frowning.
Windie flinched back, lowering his ears. "Your Highness…"
"It is your highest honor to perform this important task without fail," said Duke Antonio. "With support from Solardie, we will turn the war in our favor."
"O-okay, my lord. I will do it…"
"Thank you, Windie. Please tend to our troops and prepare for your journey now," Duke Antonio instructed.
"My lord, I was hoping to provide insight into our army's upcoming plans," Windie said with a bow.
"That will not be necessary, for you will not be in attendance of the upcoming battle. You have your responsibilities. Attend to them," Prince Ludwren urged.
Windie sighed. "Yes, Your Highness." He shuffled his way out of the tent.
Prince Ludwren waited a minute after Windie left before growling. "How dare that little Arcanine try to speak against our plans? He dares to think he is in a position to do so? It is a good thing we are removing him from army leadership for the time being."
"I fear we have made a grave mistake," Duke Antonio admitted. "Windie did save a large portion of our army from capture this morning."
"You must be wary of him, Antonio," Duke Godric said. "If you keep encouraging Windie, he may try to take your province away from you. Keep a close eye on your enemies and an even closer eye on your friends."
"Do not let him get too popular," Prince Ludwren warned. "His ego has grown bolder than his body; it must have time to simmer down."
"You speak of Windie like this, and yet you entrust him with your wife?" Duke Antonio asked, eyes wide.
"I do trust that Windie will keep Nina safe," Prince Ludwren said. "If he can keep a whole army safe, he can surely keep my wife safe. Besides, once we receive support from my son, this war will be over."
"Speaking of those future times, may I request a renegotiation of our terms once you ascend to the throne, Your Highness?" Duke Godric asked Prince Ludwren. "Accounting for my pivotal performance in your bid for the throne, I believe my future taxes should be further reduced. I also believe I should be exempt for the first three years."
"You are asking for quite a bit too much," Prince Ludwren stated, glaring at his subject.
"I see. 'Twas merely a thought."
That evening, the captains of Prince Ludwren's army informed their peasants that another attack would commence in two days' time. If that wasn't bad enough, Windie then had to tell his troops that Duke Antonio would be taking command. He spent the whole night treating wounds and lifting spirits as much as he could before he had to leave the following morning. Windie sat at a campfire outside his tent late into the night, preparing rations for his journey to Kyukonais.
"Windie," someone hissed, accompanied by the sound of lightly clanking metal.
Windie looked up, spotting a Skarmory in the campfire's light. He went back to his business. "What do you want, Scully?" Windie grunted.
"I want to know why you're abandoning your soldiers. You're leaving them out to dry under your sorry little lord, and you know it."
"I have to go. It's the prince's and my duke's orders," Windie growled.
"Why don't you fight back?" Scully seethed. "Resist!"
"You think I didn't do all I could?" Windie shot back. He stood up eye-to-eye with Scully and pointed his paw at the metal bird's beak. "Now's your chance to prove you can command the troops better than me. Don't let them down. Isn't this what you wanted?"
"Oh, so you're offloading your responsibility to me, now?" Scully accused, swatting Windie's paw with his wing.
Windie rolled his eyes. "I know Duke Antonio can't lead my troops. If you want to show the pokémon of Luneland your strength and brilliance, now's the time to step up."
"I sure will command them. I'll make sure to remind them of their little sellout while I'm at it," Scully sneered. He flapped off, the rush of air disrupting Windie's campfire. Windie shook his head and resumed organizing his rations.
"I didn't know you and Scully had a history."
Windie turned around towards the voice and smiled. "Oh, hey April. Nice to see a friendlier face."
"What's the deal between you and Scully?" April asked.
"Eh, it's nothing," Windie brushed off. "We used to fight together while hunting bandits for King Leinster. Since I was appointed by Duke Antonio and I was always appealing to nobles, whereas he was a hired mercenary, I guess I always got more recognition and bonuses. Scully's the jealous type, but it's his own fault for not building up his relationships. I do trust his battle abilities, though."
"I see."
"What are you doing, still up this late?" Windie asked.
"Just wanted to wish you a safe trip. Come back quickly. The troops are going to miss your leadership," said April.
"I'll run like the wind," Windie promised. "Until then, you can trust Scully on the battlefield. He is sorely lacking my charisma off the field, though," Windie chuckled.
"Also," April whispered, leaning in towards Windie's ear. He lowered it towards her. "Keep thinking hard about that future village where everyone can enjoy their full harvest with more to share. We can find a way to make it a reality."
"Okay, I will," Windie promised.
April waved goodbye and made her way to her tent. It was a single piece of rough cloth propped up by a stick, just tall enough for a pokémon her size. Inside was a ragged cotton blanket and some food rations. The knights hadn't given her much when she joined the army, but it was more than what she was used to. She sighed, plopped down on one side of the blanket, and pulled the other half over herself.
Her ear twitched off the ground when she heard movement at her tent flap. She squinted towards the dim starlight, noticing a silver beak. "April, can I come in?" Scully whispered.
"Yeah, what is it?" April asked, sitting up.
The Skarmory tucked his rigid wings and struggled past the small tent flap with a frown. After closing it behind him, he leaned his beak down. "Did you tell Windie about the plans?" he hissed, keeping his voice below a whisper.
"No, I only told him to picture a world free of nobles," April whispered back. "I didn't say there were any plans."
"Good. That little Arcanine is too obedient and chummy with the nobles. He can't be trusted. He will never join a rebellion against them."
"He didn't say anything to me that stood out as being opposed to an uprising. He just seemed a bit cynical."
"Cynical?" Scully scoffed. "You haven't seen how much that little Arcanine hounds after noblewomen for gifts and dates. As soon as one pushes him away, he's off to the next one. All because he got an Arceus-damned Fire Stone for his birthday once. He's head-over-heels for nobles."
"I won't write him off as a potential ally," April said. "He's the best captain around, and a lot of pokémon look up to him. He just needs some convincing."
"Tch, fine. Do not disclose any more than you have to, though. I trust you know what you're doing, April. Good night."
Scully shuffled off to his own tent, leaving April alone. The Azumarill curled up and closed her eyes, trying to get comfortable with her injured arm in the way. Do I know what I'm doing here? she wondered.
The following morning, Windie hit the road with Prince Ludwren's wife, Princess Nina. It was slow-going since the royal Ninetales was accustomed to having a carriage for travel, and they would have to take an indirect route across the countryside to avoid any armies. Windie cursed his small size, for if he were normal-Arcanine-sized, he could have carried the princess and ran across the land with Extreme Speed. That wasn't why he was chosen for this job, though. Prince Ludwren had chosen Windie for his knowledge of Luneland's countryside and his ability to evade enemies, just like during his brilliant tactical retreats. At least, that was what Windie hoped.
Princess Nina ignored Windie for the first hour of their travels. Anyone else would feel awkward, but the silence didn't phase Windie after his experience and failures with noblewomen. Nina spoke up after an hour, though. "Ahem," she cleared her throat to catch Windie's attention. "You are quite well known among Luneland's elites," she stated.
"I suppose I am, Your Highness," Windie answered.
"You are well known for your pursuits among the young ladies," Nina elaborated. "Some might say you are getting notorious." She narrowed her eyes. "What are you after, Windie? No noble family will marry their daughter to a pokémon with no land to his name."
"I am well aware of that, Your Highness," Windie chuckled. "I just want to get to know you all."
"You seem to pine for more."
"Maybe a gift or two," Windie grinned sheepishly. "But really, I'm not looking for money, I promise."
"Then what do you seek?"
Windie stopped walking for a moment, pausing to gaze at a random village out in the distance. He huffed at the sight of the village's ruined wheat fields, left unattended due to knights dragging the peasants off to war. What do I seek? Someone who would devote their power towards the common good. I haven't met any noble like that yet. He slumped his shoulders, directing his gaze down at his paws.
"You do not wish to answer?" Nina asked.
Windie snapped back up. "I just want to meet nice pokémon, that is all."
It took two-and-a-half days until Windie spotted Kyukonais on the horizon. He had just climbed up a hill and was able to see the city. "Whoa, Kyukonais is massive," he said aloud, his eyes slowly scanning the landscape from left to right. He could sort of make out the city's walls buried in a sea of structures. Wood and brick estates surrounded the city walls endlessly, without a single straw hut in sight. How many nobles did Kyukonais have? A river flowed through the city with huge mills lining both its banks. Beyond the buildings, fields upon fields of farmland filled the landscape. However, they didn't look like wheat fields. They didn't even look all the same.
Something else was off about Kyukonais. Windie turned back to make sure Nina was still following, then saw the woods behind them. Swiveling his head back towards the city, Windie realized that woods were non-existent in Kyukonais's direction; it was all endless buildings and strange-looking farmlands instead! They're lucky to have so much farmland, Windie thought.
Windie and Nina hurried down the path to Kyukonais. The sun was already setting, and Nina was determined to reach Rokon Palace before dark. As the route took them through the fields, Windie looked everywhere. Instead of all the fields being yellow-orange wheat like he was used to, many different colored crops grew all around him. Surprisingly, he recognized an orange, cone-shaped, and spiky crop. He tried to remember where he had seen it before. It's Petaya, he realized. A spice. He involuntarily flicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth a couple of times. Where did I have it before? Where did I taste it? He looked ahead, realizing he was falling behind the royal Ninetales he was supposed to escort, then realized, I had Petaya at a noble banquet I squeezed my way into!
Windie took his eyes off the Petaya field and looked around. He didn't recognize the other crops, but they were probably expensive spices too. So Kyukonais is where the nobles get their exquisite food, huh? Windie kept moving at a breakneck pace, but he continued to survey the spice fields. He looked all around, turning in circles as he trotted down the path. He frowned and started jumping up to look further into the fields. How come I don't see any pokémon in the fields? Where are the pokémon who grow these spices?
They passed by street after street of sturdy, warm-looking houses until they finally reached the city walls. There was no one standing in the way of the grand stone archway into the city, nor was there a metal gate like there was in Rentoshire. Windie looked for any guards before cautiously stepping foot past the city walls.
The streets were bustling with pokémon chatting and laughing, kids playing, and wonderful aromas that excited Windie's sensitive nose. Windie had a hard time moving forward now. Even the gorgeous sight of Rokon Palace up ahead could not take Windie's eyes away from the simpler streets around him, the lively atmosphere, and so many pokémon enjoying themselves. The laughs, cheers, and even simple conversations were music to his ears compared to the sighs and cries of an army camp, the stomps of a long march, or the silence of a dreary, exhausted countryside.
Windie followed Nina up the ramparts of Rokon Palace. A Marowak stood guard at the palace gates. When he spotted the Ninetales, he blinked several times. "Princess Nina!" he exclaimed.
"Marco," Nina greeted with a smile. "Finally, we are here. I came to see my son. I also must meet with his dukes. I could use a good meal and rest first, though."
"Please come right in," said Marco.
"Come along, Windie," Nina said. "Thank you for escorting me. Marco, please ensure Windie can get a good night's stay."
"That's okay, I should run back to the army camp to take care of my troops…" Windie said, shaking his head and looking down.
"You must accept our hospitality," Marco insisted. "For escorting the princess, I will make sure we prepare the finest meal and lodgings." He urged Windie into the palace.
Windie followed Nina and Marco into the palace and was asked to wait in the foyer. He didn't feel like sitting around at all. He felt the urge to sprint back to his army camp in Luneland as fast as possible, and yet he also needed to know more about this paradise of a city. Instead of sitting still, Windie went up to a Leafeon who was sitting on a velvet couch looking bored. "Hello, my good lady," Windie said with a bow. "To whom do I owe the pleasure?" he asked with a wide smile.
"Hi, I'm Lily!" Lily greeted. "Who are you?"
"I am Windie. Lady Lily, could you show me around? I am new to the city."
"I'm just 'Lily,'" Lily giggled. "I'd love to give you a tour of the city, but… I was about to go on… a date," she whispered, her cheeks turning rosy. She held a small smile, rubbing the back of her neck with her leaf-like tail.
"Aw, you're too cute when embarrassed about our date."
"Terry!" Lily squeaked.
"That's me!" Terry said with a wink. "Windie, was it?" he asked the Arcanine, to which he received a nod. "We can give you a tour of the city!"
"Oh, I don't want to impose on your date," Windie said.
"It's fine!" Lily chirped.
"Yeah, we can go on a date any night, but you're only here once!" Terry added.
Windie stared at the Torracat. "How did you know that?" he asked.
"Hmm? Know what?"
"That I can only be here one night?"
"Oh, really? I was just trying to make that sentence sound cool," Terry admitted with a sheepish grin.
Windie burst out laughing. "And here I thought you were secretly some psychic type," he mused.
"Are you in a hurry?" Lily asked.
"I am. I had a job to escort Princess Nina from Luneland to Kyukonais, and now I have to hurry back to… my army camp," Windie sighed. "But… this city is so awesome! I just have to take a look around first!"
"Well, you ran into the perfect two pokémon," Terry chuckled.
"We give tours to new pokémon all the time! Let's go!" Lily exclaimed.
"Sweet!" Windie cheered.
Terry and Lily headed out of the palace with Windie following along. "Hey Terry, how'd you finish the tax paperwork so fast?" Lily asked.
"I left a Substitute there while my father wasn't looking!"
"Oh, you did, huh?" Lily sprouted her vines and tried to smack Terry on the back with Vine Whip.
"Hey!" Terry cried, hopping out of the way. "Ack!" he yelped, getting hit on his side by her other vine.
"Just making sure you're not the Substitute!" Lily laughed. "Whoa!" she exclaimed, hopping over a small Ember.
Windie chuckled and stamped his paw over some flames that Terry accidentally started. "Is it safe to say you two aren't nobles?"
"Terry is, but not me," said Lily.
Windie's eyes widened. "You can do that here? A noble dating a commoner?"
"Well… no," Lily blushed. "We're not supposed to…"
"Makes it a little more interesting, don't you think?" Terry said cheekily.
"Yes it does," Windie laughed. "I once liked the daughter of a duke. She rejected me though."
"Aw," Lily voiced, her ears lowering as she looked at the Arcanine.
"It's no big deal," Windie reassured. "So! I come from Luneland, so I've never seen a city like Kyukonais before. I don't have much time before I have to run back. Where to first?"
"The market!" Terry and Lily declared in unison.
Windie followed the eager duo and wasted no time with questions. "How come there weren't any pokémon working on the farms on the way here?" he asked first.
Terry pointed up at the crimson sky. "It's evening," he said.
"So?" Windie asked, tilting his head up.
"We don't have to farm all day and night~" Lily sang. "I used to have to, back at my village, but not here in Kyukonais! Everyone can get off the fields way before dark and have fun all night long!"
"No way…" Windie breathed.
"We also get two days completely free from the farm every five days we work! Isn't it great?"
"You're messing with me," Windie said, shaking his head. "How do you have enough food to eat?"
"This is how," said Terry, extending one paw out in front of him to present the Kyukonais food market.
"What the…" Windie gasped, his eyes laying upon stall after stall, row after row of food for sale. There were yellow-brown wheat grains like he recognized, but also freshly baked bread readily available with a heavenly smell. There were tons of white-colored grains too, far more than the wheat. Then there were vegetables, berries, and spices as far as the eye could see down the street, forming a hearty rainbow of nutritious colors. Windie darted his eyes around the countless pokémon buying food at the market, struggling to take all the sights in.
"We don't grow wheat here anymore. It's hot here, so the wheat always sucks," Terry explained. "Instead, we now grow all sorts of spices, sugary berries, and almighty Chesto, which all need tons of sun. Our farmers sell these awesome crops to pokémon around the world. Other pokémon bring wheat and rice for us to buy, coming from places where it's wetter and the soil is better for grains!"
"We don't even have to work all day every day to grow enough spices to sell for food!" Lily cheered.
"All these pokémon are normal pokémon, not nobles?" Windie asked, darting his head around to look from pokémon to pokémon.
"Yup!"
"No way… But then how far away do they have to live? On the way here, I couldn't find any simple huts as far as I could see, only noble houses!"
"We live in those houses, silly!" Lily laughed.
"No. No way. You two are playing with me!" Windie growled. "Only nobles live in nice houses while peasants live in huts…"
Terry shrugged, trying not to crack up. "Go ask anyone here," he suggested.
Windie did just that, going up to random pokémon, asking if they were nobles, and asking what kind of house they lived in. Lily sat down to watch the fun and gently wrapped her tail around Terry's back, coaxing him to join her. "You know, from the way we joke around, I bet it sounds exactly like we're playing with him," she giggled.
Terry rested his head on Lily's shoulder. "I hope things are okay at Windie's home," he sighed. "Didn't he say he had to go to an army camp? Now I feel kind of bad about shoving everything we have here in his face…"
"My parents had the same reaction," said Lily. "It's a good thing!" She picked up Terry's paw with her own. "Maybe Windie can move here. We can help him!"
Ten minutes later, Windie made his way back to Terry and Lily. "You were right," he deadpanned.
"Wanna move here?" Lily asked with a bright smile.
"I can't. I have to go back to Luneland to protect my fellow pokémon. Even after the civil war is over, there will still be bandits to deal with."
"Oh…"
"So how come everyone in Kyukonais gets a nice, warm house?" Windie asked. "How is it possible?"
"Hmm," Terry mumbled, thinking back. "Well, when our friend Helena first became duchess, we got a bunch of pokémon together to cut down the woods. We used all that wood to build houses for everyone, and used all the new land to start our spice and sugar farms."
"That explains how you all have so much farmland, too," Windie remarked. "It wasn't luck. It was hard work."
"Ha, you got that right. Helena is the hardest worker you'll ever meet. She works so hard, I don't even know where she is or what she's working on right now," Terry snickered.
"Who?" Windie asked.
"Our friend, Helena," said Terry. "Princess Helena Kyukon, Duchess of Kyukonais. She's a hard worker. And a Ninetales. Did I mention 'hard worker?'"
"Is she related to Princess Nina?"
"Yup, that's Helena's aunt!" Terry said.
"So Helena owns Kyukonais?"
"Yeah, and everything you see here wouldn't be possible without Helena!" said Lily.
"I… I have to meet her," Windie resolved, standing up tall.
"Sadly, I have no clue where she is right now," said Terry. "Like I said, she's super busy. The last time I saw her, she was looking for Chadwyck. That's all I remember."
"I haven't seen Chadwyck anywhere either," Lily added.
"They've both been gone for a long time." Terry gasped. "Maybe they went on a secret date!"
"PFFT!" Lily sputtered. "No freaking way!"
"So you're saying there's no way I can meet her tonight?" Windie sulked.
"I don't- ha, t-think s-so," Lily laughed. "S-sorry!"
"Why do you want to meet her so bad?" Terry asked.
"I want to know how and why she was able to build such a prosperous city while no other noble has."
"Well… Helena didn't have the best history with her counts," said Terry. "They all wanted her father to marry her off to Haxony so that they could get closer with the rich Haxon nobles. So when Helena came to power, she kind of… exercised some powers, if you know what I mean."
"What he means is Helena took all their money. We helped her threaten any count who refused," Lily said, grinning and flexing her tail. "Then we used the money to buy food for everyone so they could get started cutting down woods, building houses, and growing berry farms."
"So it all started from… a grudge?"
"I'm sure that's not the only thing," said Terry.
"What motivates you two to help her build this city?" Windie asked.
"Every day's a new adventure!" Lily exclaimed. "Instead of farming wheat fields all day."
"Heh, yeah. It's always fun doing new things. But I don't want to say it's all just for fun and games," Terry said slowly. "You know, my sister thinks I should suck up to my father's archaic ways and just be grateful for not growing up poor. After seeing Lily and her family start off poor but now have an awesome house, plenty of food, and lots of time for fun, I'm gonna ignore my father and sister and keep doing what I'm doing!"
How come no one in Luneland thinks like that? Windie wondered, scrunching his eyes. How many noblemen had he cleared bandits for? How many noblewomen had he socialized with? Did any of them care about their pokémon?
"Hey, are you alright, Windie?" Lily asked.
"You must be hungry. The stand over there makes the best curry!" Terry smiled, dragging Windie along.
"Uh, yeah. That sounds good," Windie muttered.
Windie savored the bowl of curry like it was his last supper. So not only do the pokémon here have limitless food supplies and don't have to break their backs all day, every day, but they ALSO get to enjoy their own luxury spices and sugars? Not even DUKES in Luneland could afford food this good every night! Windie dragged his paws after Terry and Lily with a mix of wonder and bitterness as they took him through the streets. They showed him restaurants, banks, paper mills, schools, and stores. Expensive items that Windie thought only nobles had access to were all readily for sale, like perfectly crafted furniture and extra warm blankets. Tons of pokémon were buying those luxuries. Then there were the bookstores, which Lily and especially Terry raved on and on about.
"I better get going," Windie interrupted. "I have to get back to my army camp."
"You're not even going to rest for one night?" Lily asked.
Windie shook his head, looking down at his paws. "My soldiers need me. If I could run all night and day to get back to them, I'd do it."
"Then we'll get you some coffee," Terry offered.
"What's that?"
"A drink made with roasted Chesto beans and mixed with sugar, best served hot. It'll keep you awake and energetic for as long as you need," Terry explained.
"Seriously?"
"Not forever. Bad things will happen if you don't sleep," Lily warned.
"But one night should be okay!" Terry promised.
"I'm sold. Where do I get this coffee?" Windie asked.
"Quest for Chesto!" both Terry and Lily declared.
Windie followed as Terry and Lily navigated the busy streets. The sky was turning dark, so pokémon were going around lighting up large street lamps so that the city could keep bustling into the night. As they approached the coffee house, Windie picked up a wonderful aroma, giving him a small burst of energy. Terry ordered some coffee for the three of them.
"Terry, Lily!" an Excadrill called, walking up to them with a smile.
"Hey, Eric!" Terry grinned. "This is Windie," he introduced. "He's new to Kyukonais."
"Eric owns the first and best berry farm," Lily said.
"Say, Windie wants to know how Kyukonais came to be. You're the perfect pokémon to tell him your story," Terry said to Eric.
"Yes, they've told me someone named Helena is responsible?" Windie mentioned.
"She sure is," Eric confirmed. "We all used to farm wheat for our counts and knights all day and night. Bandits would steal from us, and the nobles wouldn't do anything about it."
"Whoa, seriously? In Luneland, where I'm from, the knights always have their lands under control," said Windie. "I can't imagine bandits roaming completely free."
"It sucked, that's for sure," said Eric. "Then Princess Helena came along and taught us how to fight back. She led us to victory, driving the bandits away from Kyukonais for good. Then, Helena brought us food and led us to cut down the woods. She brought pokémon to teach us how to grow new berries. She built apartments for us to live in and schools for us to learn. And when I was ready, she let me take over her first berry farm."
Windie's jaw dropped. "You… you went from being a serf to owning land?"
"Yup," Eric nodded. "It's a huge responsibility. I still ask Helena lots of questions when I see her to make sure I'm doing things right for the good of my workers and the good of Kyukonais." Eric went into more detail about running the farm and handling the money, with Windie listening intently.
"Hello, Lily. Are you and Terry on a date?"
Lily turned around and then gasped. "Mom?!" she shrieked, her cheeks burning pink. "Um, well, kind of… w-what are you doing here?"
"It's an after-work party," Lily's mom chuckled, pointing out her dad and the other farmers having a good time. Erica was playing with some other kids too.
"Oh, that's great," Lily smiled.
Terry got their coffee, handing a small cup to Lily and an extra-large one for Windie. "Right, I better get going," Windie sighed. "It was super interesting to talk to you, Eric. I wish my home were like here."
"Anytime, Windie," Eric said, waving goodbye.
Windie was already feeling energized just listening to Eric's story, but his coffee sealed the deal. Terry and Lily brought Windie out of the city walls. Windie again marveled at the streets upon streets of houses, now knowing that he stood in the common pokémon's realm. He could live in a house like these, one day…
Terry and Lily continued to accompany Windie down the path out of the city. They came across Eric's farm. "Ooh, here's some Chesto plants!" Terry exclaimed. He sent some energy into the flame sac at his collar, the light revealing hard, indigo-colored berries. "These are the primary ingredient in coffee."
"I can show you the other berries we grow in Kyukonais," said Lily, dashing into the fields. "This farm has everything!"
"Wait, we can just walk in?" Windie hesitated.
"Don't worry, Eric won't mind!" said Terry.
Windie looked all around him at the fields of lucrative spice and sugar plants, scratching his head. "How do you keep bandits away?" he asked.
"We don't have bandits anymore," Terry shrugged.
Windie froze in place and snapped his head towards the Torracat. "What? No way. Stop fooling around with me!" he growled.
"Remember what Eric said? We drove out all the bandits long ago," Terry said.
"But they're bound to come back, right? I mean, just look at how much expensive stuff you can steal!" Windie exclaimed, waving his tail across the field.
"Why steal when there's plenty to go around!" Lily chirped. "Anyone can find a job at one berry farm or another. Then they can buy their own food and a house!"
"Pokémon from across the world will always keep buying our spices and sugars that we sell in Miloa," said Terry. "Our hot weather is perfect for these plants. We just need all the help we can get to keep growing more!"
"But surely you've run into some pokémon trying to steal your crops, right?" Windie asked. "Stealing has always been easier than growing…"
"Of course, there are some thieves from time to time," Terry agreed. "Helena has always taken arrested bandits, given them a little education on how to live peacefully here, and put them to work on a farm. If we can help them fit in, it works for everyone!"
Windie's jaw dropped. "It's… it's that simple?"
"Yup!" Lily nodded.
"But remember, how we got here wasn't so simple," Terry stipulated. "It was a lot of hard work led by Helena; none of what you saw today would be possible without her. She found and organized the pokémon who taught our pokémon how to grow our berries. Also, the counts wouldn't let us plant anything on their farmland, so Helena had to clear the woods and burn them down herself to make new land for our farms. We also needed food to start us out, which Helena paid for by taking money from her counts. It was all her grand vision to make Kyukonais great, and we all followed her to get where we are now."
"I wish I could meet her…" Windie sighed.
"Yeah, I'm sorry we don't know where she is," said Terry.
"Hopefully she's on a nice vacation right now," Lily said. "She deserves it!"
"She certainly does," Windie remarked, taking one last scan of the berry farms across the landscape, the paper mills lining the river, the magnificent city, and the comfy houses with candlelight and chimneys to stand out beneath the night sky. The Arcanine took another delicious sip of coffee before securing it in his bag of rations. "Alright, it's time I go back," Windie sighed. "Thank you so much, Lily, Terry."
"Where are you from? Maybe we can go on an adventure there one day!" Lily offered.
"I'm from Denryushire in Luneland," Windie answered.
"Stay safe," Terry urged. "Let's hope to meet again some time."
"I look forward to it," Windie smiled. With one last nod, he sent power to his legs, taking off with Extreme Speed and leaving a white streak of energy in his wake.
Lily curled up next to Terry, resting her head beside his. "Think we'll see him again soon?" she asked.
"I think so," Terry responded, holding Lily's paw. "And hopefully with Helena next time. He really wanted to meet her." He stared off into the dark horizon as the streak of white disappeared. "He's not even taking a night's rest before going back to his army camp." Terry let out a chuckle. "I think he could rival Helena's level of hard work and determination!"
A/N 5/9/22: These chapters are getting longer and longer. XD Windie's name is simply the Japanese name for Arcanine, which is inspired by the English word "wind." When I decided I wanted an Arcanine in the story, I glanced at the Arcanine/Windie character tag and was dead set on Windie's name! I decided on this name before I started using names that match first letters with a character's species. The chapter title "Run Like the Wind" isn't an EU4 reference, just a fun title for Windie's introduction chapter. I hope you enjoyed Windie's introduction!
Here are some timeline tidbits. I posted Chapter 1 of KU on 1/16/22, but I actually started writing rough drafts on 7/28/21 after finishing The Ember and the Spark. I had a very rough plan for the story (which began on 6/14/20), but I wasn't sure how it would turn out or if I would like it enough to keep writing. This story is the most ambitious story I've ever attempted so far, so I didn't want to post Chapter 1 only to not be able to flesh out the setting and characters in a suitable way later. So, I decided that if I could reach the point of Windie's introduction and I liked what I wrote, I would have the confidence to start posting. And so, I began work on the rough drafts of chapters 1 to 11.
One thing I needed to know was: how much and how closely could I reference EU4? (As a reminder, EU4 stands for Europa Universalis IV, a historical simulator game set in the renaissance era.) The answer was: not very much. Most of the game quotes were too awkward to use in the story, and I was deviating from the original EU4-inspired plans quite a bit. The EU4 inspiration lives on in some of the titles and plot points, though. The next thing I needed to know was: could I follow through with my desired plot well, craft a believable setting, and make a wide range of characters from scratch? The answer was: yes, but it took a lot of time and revising. I'm glad I didn't post Chapter 1 right away because a lot has changed. For example, the rough drafts originally used spices, coffee, and sugar (EU4 trade goods) as the things Helena wanted to grow in Kyukonais, but I changed them to pokémon berries instead. The rough drafts didn't have names for the other Solardian dukes besides Dukes Percival and Ulysses, and I was able to fill them in across both Chapters 6 and 10 later. I got a more solid idea of each character's personality later on, which I was able to apply to the early chapters before posting.
When I finished this chapter's rough draft, I finalized Chapter 1 and posted it! Most of the rough drafts were decently complete, requiring only minor additions and revisions. Chapters 8 and 9 needed serious overhauling, though. They were basically just long paragraph after long paragraph telling the readers what Helena did to Kyukonais. After I filled in the details, they went from ~2000 words to ~8000 words! Those took a month to revise. Chapters 10 and 11 were super fleshed out in the drafts, so these only took a week each to finalize. Unfortunately, the sad conclusion of this tale is that the era of weekly updates is definitely over. XD The 5 months of uploaded chapters were riding on the backs of 5 months of rough drafts. I don't have any rough drafts left, only notes and plans, so new chapters will probably take 1-2 months from now on. On the other hand, we've made it this far! We're only maybe a third of the way through the tale I plan to tell, and I've never been more satisfied with what I've written so far. New chapters are definitely on the way.
In the meantime, I wouldn't mind some reviews! ;) The reviews and outside insights, besides being fun to read, really do help me write better. Tell me who you like, who you don't like, your predictions, moments that stood out to you, things that seem similar to other fics, anything! If you've ever crossed by one of my reviews, you can see I really lay on these kinds of thoughts. Receiving someone else's thoughts on my story is like a dream come true! XD
Thank you Ri2 for always leaving a nice little quip after each chapter and thank you VGS2 and Sunhat Leafeon for your lengthy thoughts and analyses. Your reviews mean a lot to me. :D Everyone else, go check out their profiles and published stories because they all have some really great stuff!
The next chapter will be (tentatively) titled: "Unspoken Betrayal."