~ CHAPTER 11 ~
<< The Return Home >>
[BEGIN]
Place: City of Arceliaze, Northern New District, North Gate
Region: Central Arceali Valley
Day: Pieyrshve
Date: Zshima 50th
Year: 5th Turn, 12
“FEAR NOT, GOOD POKE’MON~!”
Everyone’s heads lifted at the shouting voice. Siranae sat with me on a bench while the displaced citizens of S’Ran milled about the street at the request of the guard for the purposes of taking testimony.
The guard I had talked to had, after hearing my story and how I had attacked Mama, kindly chose to strike that part from my testimony and not arrest me, given the nature of Mama’s response.
Siranae was exhausted, physically and emotionally. Her life had been upended all in one night, her own mother turning on her…and now arrested by the guard.
She had been silent for a long time as it all slowly hit her.
But now, everyone looked ahead towards the north gate. There, dozens of guards in blue and white armor marched in an uneven and haphazard line, surrounding a large box carriage as it was pulled along.
And atop the box carriage was someone familiar. The figure shouted from the top in a deep, grand voice that awoke the street, the upper bedroom windows of buildings bursting open so the Poke’mon inside could see what the commotion was.
The Mienfoo atop the carriage posed.
“The GREAT BEAST of S’RAN has be GALLANTLY SUBDUED by the one and only….~!!!”
“ZERRO OF THE ARCEALI GUILD. All ye women and men who might fawn may do so at your leisure, but be quick! For your hero aways soon and will not linger when there’s JUSTICE to uphold!”
The roar of some new ignoramus made me flinch, although he achieved his goal of catching my attention. Whatever hope I had that this was some positive presence, was dashed efficiently upon hearing his name, and taking in his arrogant monologue.
Wherever there was distress and disarray in Arcea… a guild member would arrive, stupidity ringing off their every word, as they made their effort to not solve the problems before them. I could only imagine what this brat did to aid the arrest, when a dozen or two armored guards were rushing to the scene beforehand. Let alone in the face of what Mama could do…
I kept a stiff upper lip, my eyes wandering to Siranae- my hand had not left hers for minutes on end.
‘Does she still… idolize these figures, after what had occurred the night prior?’ I had to wonder.
And poor, poor, simple Siranae.
Even after all the grief that had befallen her…I saw the poor girl’s eyes sparkle with wonder, looking at the Mienfoo atop the carriage.
The Guild Member certainly was the first to have an ounce of the chivalrousness one would expect from a guild of heroes, as they seemed to fancy themselves.
Indeed, Zerro the Mienfoo swapped from pose to pose, blowing kisses towards the Poke’mon looking out the windows that cooed at and cheered for him.
Of course, my own simple observation told a very different story.
For I saw the guards that surrounded the carriage. Their armor was dented. Fur was singed. Some bleeding at the arms or face. Every single one of them looked miserable or otherwise angry, occasionally shooting the Mienfoo on the cart dirty looks when they thought sure they could get away with such looks.
And Zerro himself? His fur was clean and well groomed with nary a spot on it.
“HALT THE CARRIAGE!” The Mienfoo shouted, to which the guards obliged at once, a sigh rolling over them as they stopped to rest. I could hear muffled angry shouts from within and the carriage rocked from the caged beast inside thrashing.
With his stage now set, Zerro put his hands upon his hips, staring down at his congregation.
“Now then, fine Poke’mon, in the interest of transparency, I, the esteemed bringer of justice, shall answer your questions and curiosities to the extent I am PERMITTED by Arceali Guild regulation!”
Siranae didn’t say anything, only watched. One of the S’Ran Poke’mon in a nightgown raised her hand first.
“Yes~! We’ll take a question from the, dare I say, fine specimen here at the front~!” Zerro called, pointing to the woman with her hand raised.
“What happened?!” The villager asked. “What were all those explosions??”
“Hyperbeam, of course! And not even the strongest that I have seen!” Zerro laughed, throwing his head back. “It would seem some ne’er-do-well got ahold of a rather powerful TM.”
“Hyperbeam?!” Another voice shouted. “How’d someone get their hands on that?!”
“Oh, good fellow, surely you know all TMs come from the castle to resellers. But it seems some resellers have been conducting business of a most DUBIOUS NATURE!” Zerro, struck another pose, head tilted down and hand to his chin in an exaggerated expression of thought. “It is no surprise, I suppose. To sell TMs of a useful nature is noble, but sellers of weapon TMs tend to be of a crass, lesser breed, pursuing coin over the simple safety of citizenry.”
There were murmurs among all the gathered Poke’mon at that.
“Who’d be dumb enough to sell some woman Hyperbeam of all things???”
“My HOUSE has been blown to bits because of this!”
“Surely this can’t stand. Surely the Conduit MUST appear for THIS at the LEAST!!”
Zerro lifted his hands to shush the crowd and quiet their talk.
“Now, now, fine Poke’mon, we all know these are times of constant change and strange things about. My dear father, Conveytion Ergonus, while always instilling in me a sense of business, always also imparted the understanding of the need to keep a TIGHT LEASH upon those that would sell to the disruption of our FINE CITIZENRY.”
There was a murmur of agreement, the Mienfoo smiling once more.
“Now then, who else had questions on this sordid affair?”
Something irked me, even now.
Even when he had an answer- that the resellers of these ‘Tea-Em’s’ were to blame- what good was it?
S’Ran had been set ablaze by a single woman, in a single night… even with the damage culled, the smoke and burns remained. Had Zerro and his father known about this potential catastrophe and done nothing, or were they caught blind by the possibility of the weapons under their command?
I rose from my seat, raising a paw as if to be called upon.
“I have a question for you, Zerro of the House of Coor’Ardon. It is a simple one.”
A step forward. Siranae perked her head as I began to speak, silently watching. I did not wait for the Mienfoo’s response.
“What now?” I said, staring into the blowhard above me. “One town has already faced this monstrous danger- brought to its knees by one Poke’mon. What changes now?”
The Mienfoo looked down upon me, his eyebrow cocked as I posited my questions, his hands on his hips. I held my hands to the left and right.
“Are these TMs to be recalled en masse, and the resellers persecuted?” I demanded. “What of the buyers? How are we to know that our neighbors and countrymen will not level our homes at the drop of a hat?”
One of my tails whipped at the cold stone beneath me. I did not wish to make a scene, and yet… I had been treated as dirt by one guild member today. I did not wish to bear it from another.
“We cannot rest if such travesty lies in wait, around every corner of Arceliaze.” I concluded, my voice slowly rising even as I did not mean it to. “You are a hero, by your own claim- what does a hero do here, now, on this wretched night?”
Slowly, as I spoke more and more, Zerro’s face fell. The Mienfoo’s smile that had been dripping of smugness now melted into one of disbelief, of wonderment.
“By Arceus…” He muttered as I finished.
Zerro leapt from the carriage, a soft paff as he landed upon the stone. He spun in his approach, leaning in. Hands upon his chest, eyebrows raised.
His head cocked towards me like a ragdoll.
“Thoughtful…insightful…by the light of Paradise, and what, may I ask, is the name of the most beautiful jewel of Arcealize that gives me these questions…~?”
Oh dear.
It was, at the least, not being treated as dirt.
But perhaps not much better.
I scowled, in a mix of shock and simple confusion. Was this courting, or mere deflection? Or was his mind too small to perceive naught but what single thought was most present at the moment?
It was preferable to Caylii’s terror- but it was no dignified treatment.
“Goodness…” I huffed. “Were you not taught that it’s poor manners to answer a question with a question? Or that a lady’s name is earned, not given?”
A grin spread over Zerro’s face, a most vulgur sort of smirk.
“I fancy myself less of one to earn. I am the conqueror, the treasure hunter. And what treasure I’ve earned, by right of the Guild~.”
I held one arm up across my chest, as if covering myself with a veil. Or perhaps it was to better suppress the scowl that wished to cross my face. Such countenance would do me no good.
“My name is Adelaide.” I relented. “Adelaide Imperator de Milan.”
The Mienfoo held his paws to his chest, leaning back as his gaze turned up toward the sky.
“Ahhh…Adelaide Imperator de Milan, every syllable is like the finest gold that would be the envy of all Tulaan.”
I let out a small huff.
“I have done you a courtesy in relinquishing it.” I said, keeping my voice as even as my heart could allow. “And I expect respect in turn, little Zerro.“
“If we are to indulge in pet names then I will oblige, and be the Little Zerro to the Grand Adelaide~” Zerro returned.
He spun on his heel, looking at me from over his shoulder, that smirk never once leaving his face.
“And thusly shall I answer your question relatively free of charge.”
He reached into his satchel, taking from it a silken sash, running his fingers through it as he spoke.
“For what changes, I might imagine much, considering the damage incurred was to S’Ran, a village own by Conveytion Hajus of the Ironworking Guild. I should think him most displeased by his property coming under fire by his own worker…”
He tossed he silk sash behind him, letting it flutter down into my arms.
The shock on my face had morphed to disgust, which I made only some effort to stifle. The sash seemed to be more of an insult than a gift, when paired with his words.
“As for the TMs themselves,” The Mienfoo continued. “There is hardly reason to be so rash as to recall Hyperbeam, as it’s a powerful military tool…when in the hands of reputable sellers, to say nothing of those in illegal extra-military possession of such weapons.”
He shrugged, that insufferable smirk still on his face.
“The wheels of commerce stop for no disaster nor Poke’mon. Besides, the realm of TM resllers falls more to the Machine Guild, so the question falls to them, as it always does, why the products they invest in continue to fall into the wrong hands…”
With a final spin, Zerro turned, hand to his chest as he bowed, looking up at me.
“Would that satisfy you, My Light of Paradise, Adelaide Imperator De Milan?”
Siranae blinked, simply watching politely behind me, staring up at me curiously.
I turned myself away from the bothersome boy, paws digging into the fabric in my paws.
“So… your answer is that nothing changes tonight,” I said, quietly but firmly. “The burden is passed from one guild to another, and the question remains unanswered until it is raised by another tragedy. Hajus to his town, the Machine Guild to its TMs… and the Arceali Guild to another scene of chaos, where it will inform the citizenry of yet more solutions to come some distant other day.”
I took a breath, and spewed a handful of water onto the sash in my grasp. I pressed it to my temple and sides, dabbing at the remnants of blood that threatened to dry into my fur-
– before tossing the gaudy garment to the dirt and frost beneath my feet.
“I thank you only for your time, Little Zerro-” I said, voice laced with venom I could not control, nor cared to anymore. “But Arceliaze has been made no safer tonight. If you wish to be a hero, I hope you will find someone you will truly defend.”
As I turned, there was a laugh, almost jeering in its tone, erupting behind me from the Mienfoo.
“Well, well! As we all know: the sweetest fruits be the hardest to pluck from the tallest trees!” Zerro called behind me, seemingly talking to the onlookers.
The now-displaced residents of S’Ran, homeless and with little coin to their name, were less than amused. But the well-to-do Poke’mon of the New District shouted praises and adoration from their Window.
Zerro responded to these praising calls in kind, a clamoring cheer and noise erupting on the street.
I stepped away from my less-than-conversational partner, placing my paw onto Siranae’s hand. Zerro’s air-headed demeanor was all but apparent- I only hoped she recognized it.
“We… should be going.” I said softly to the Audino, ignoring the Mienfoo’s words and the coos of the crowd. “The night is never kind to us, and I apologize for delaying us from rest.”
Siranae meanwhile, looked up at me…and nodded softly, lifting herself to her feet, taking my paw in hand with a sad smile.
“I apologize, Adelaide…” Siranae sighed as the Mienfoo continued to gloat to the crowd, rather than transport the dangerous criminal whilst leaving the villagers to the cold. “…I should have, perhaps, told you of Zu’Conveytion Zerro’s demeanor…”
She followed behind me while the residents of S’Ran began loudly demanding the guard where they were supposed to sleep in the middle of a winter’s night. The guard, meanwhile, tried their best to calm them and assure they would convey them to a safe bedding center.
The cries of those displaced, disgraced S’Ran occupants were almost too much to bear. Too familiar, from the turbulent streets of Milan in years past.
Once again, those workers and humble townsfolk were stifled, even when their voices rang out to their supposed savior… nothing but an oppressor under a different title.
I winced, knocking myself out of those thoughts.
These Pokemon were… not the same as the Milanese and the guild hardly the Austrians. Their plights would be addressed in time- I could see to it myself, if my work allowed- but they were not the masses under foreign cruelty.
Arceans mistreating Arceans, at the most…
I focused myself again, meeting Siranae’s soft eyes. My digit swirled on the back of her hand, and I let my anguished expression fade.
“You do not need to apologize… he is harmless.” I sighed. “There is far worse for a guild member to be than a blowhard.“
She would have to see it, soon. Sweet Caylii, a menace to those beneath her. Perhaps crueler than Purina and her lackey. To have yet more of her heroes show their true colors…
Not tonight. Poor Siranae needed to be able to rest.
Amidst the cries of the disheveled Poke’mon, I started to pull Siranae away- toward the center of the still roaring city. The clamorous music of the Illaminian District would be a relief, in comparison to the screech of glowing beams of destruction.
Siranae responded with a sigh as she followed.
“I still feel I must apologize. I saw you were upset…and he said a few bads I could tell you would not like.” The Audino said, softly squeezing my hand in her roughshod grasp. “And I know, too, both of us seek to get into the guild…it does not seem to have been kind to you thus far, between Purina and Zerro…”
Siranae smiled softly, looking back over her shoulder as the both of us retreated towards the Illaminian District.
“I confess, friend Adelaide, that my life feels very alien to me these past few days since I met you.” Siranae said, almost meekly, like she did not want to offend. “It makes one wonder how it was I even lived with the banality naught but a scant few days ago…”
She perked up as the both of us slowly approached the north gate of the Illaminian district, the glow of its intense lights seeming to have not dimmed even a bit in the time I’d been away.
“Oh, but…I apologize for my rudeness . I’d simply forgotten to ask how your day had gone.”
It was funny. To be asked such a perfectly normal, routine question, after narrowly escaping being blown to pieces by her own mother…
…it felt so much like Siranae.
I gave a weak smile- perhaps just amusement at her steadfast kindness, even in the face of her own anguish. Still… it was a comfort, to see her shine through the muck around us.
“Well… I am alive, am I not?” I said, laughing gently. “After the turmoil we endured… I should think that alone makes this day a fine one.”
The roar of the Illaminian District drew near, rattling above my rasping voice, and forcing me to raise my volume.
“My first day of work… was tiring.” I spoke firmly, almost reluctant to admit the sheer depravity that was ‘Mistress Julnii’. “I confess, I am unaccustomed to the strain of labor… and the hours spent within it… but, I remain alive. More alive than ever.”
I hurried my steps, hoping to keep the poor girl away from the auditory barrage that the passersby and echoing musicians created here.
Indeed… not work, nor rampage, nor the impurity of the Arceali Guild had stopped us. We would survive it all.
“I hope you will not apologize, or blame yourself in any degree… you are a brightness compared to what dampens my spirit.” I told her at once. “And… as odd as these days have been for me, as well, your presence has helped me through it all. You should take pride in it, my dear.”
Siranae nodded softly, lifting her hands to slowly pull down on her ears as the noise increased. Though she did not look distressed in the least as she did this. Thankfully, the music and noise of the night was slowly vanishing from the district as the night waned.
As we both came into the comforting light of the Illaminian district, now surrounded by the bright buildings…here with Siranae…
‘…this will do for a temporary home.’ thought I.
“I can’t claim to take pride, Friend Adelaide.” Siranae said, smiling. “This is simply what friends should do, I should think…at least, I do hope it’s what I should do as a friend, for it feels the right thing.”
A sympathetic look crossed her face.
“But…I am quite sorry to hear work was so tiring…was ‘Mistress Julnii’ your boss? I had a ‘Mistress’ for a boss, once, before it transferred to Foreman Yulvae…though I find them to be demanding in equal measure…” The Audino sighed, her shoulders slouching. “I’d wish no strain on you, Adelaide, and I’d hoped you could find work you are more suited towards if not a labor job…”
That sympathetic look turned to one of warm joy.
“But nevertheless…I’m happy you are alive. That is, indeed, the day’s saving grace.”
I gave a giggle at her brightened expression, taking hold of her hand and kneading over the rough palm with a digit. As we drew near to the darker block of homes, I fished into my bag for the key Kalae had given me.
“Yes… it was one Mistress Julnii,” I said, my smile cracking into a more maddened stare. “She is… demonic, in her practices, in her vile and venomous words. I cannot speak to the behavior of your Foreman Yulvae, but I should hope she does not demean your very soul for the hours you spend in servitude.”
“Gracious, no, even Foreman Yulvae is not so horrid. The worst she may do is yell and cry at the workers on days she has been drinking in her office.” Siranae sighed sadly, squeezing my hand comfortingly, her other hand resting atop it. “Labor is hard enough, but labor with a manager such as that…”
She paused, her hand lifting to her chest.
“…I feel that you deserve better, Adelaide.”
I gave her a smile and pulled the key from my bag, staring at it with fascination.
“Perhaps…but, it shall be fine. We have taken our first steps towards a better future- I hold the proof of it here.”
By now, my gracious guidance had diminished into lumbering steps, swaying side to side from the exhaustion that had amassed in my bones.
And there, like a light at the end of a dark tunnel or the peak of a mountain so tantalizingly close: the darkened street deep in the Illaminian District…and the comfort that lie at the end by the general store.
The visage of the house- my house, right where I had left it- was the only thing compelling me forward… that, and Siranae at my side.
I could give out when both were secured for the night.
The Audino’s cerulean eyes glanced towards the house we now approached, ears flicking curiously. This little pocket was quiet and she no longer had to hold her ears down.
“This house…is it yours? Truly?”
I looked to the girl, my confidence still radiating even with the tiredness that had seeped into my every pore.
“Yes, truly. My little hideaway… and, now, yours. For as long as we need it-“
I rose the key to the door, having to focus myself to even unlock the obstacle, before welcoming the Audino inside with me, for our first time.
“-until we both reach what we deserve, Siranae.” I whispered to her. “For I cannot accept you being separated from the adventures and the glory you are destined for. And… I certainly shall not bear Mistress Julnii for an hour more than I must, aha…”
The door slowly creaked open. The inside was pitch black.
Siranae squinted her eyes, peering into the home, and after a moment she stepped inside, crossing the black void up to a square lantern. She unlatched the glass side, clicking a switch on the underside which brought the light to life, revealing the inside of the home.
It was a very simple 4 room house. One large front room, one long kitchen/eatery connected by two doors, and bedrooms on the left and right. No other doors were present in the house, with everything being open doorways.
The walls were made of solid clay or adobe, with a floor and ceiling of pressed sawdust, likely to hide support beams just beyond. One of the bedrooms was on uneven ground and thus had a step up to get to its floor.
On the floor were nuggets of dirt and grime and dust, with a small leak on the far wall that had discolored the adobe. It had clearly not been touched in at least a month.
Still, even from here I could see a bed in each side room. They were simple wood beds with thin blankets, no pillow and a rough-looking mattress. In the kitchen, two empty, splinter-covered wood crates were left forgotten.
And yet…
Siranae looked at the inside in awe.
For while it was bare…it was larger than her old home. Her old home in S’Ran had been two stories by necessity, with every room much more cramped. By comparison, this was much more spacious.
I looked across the… utterly shabby interior, devoid of decor, looking more abandoned than unoccupied. Was there even a broom for a girl to sweep up the debris in every corner, or was she meant to clamber about on her knees? To say nothing of the storage boxes…
In a word, it was unsightly. And yet, it was magical.
Siranae had busied herself with staring up to the ceiling, drinking in every detail of her new home. This beautiful place with which she was so enraptured.
Open space. Cool air, neither sweltering nor frigid. It was well-lit, and there were already beds waiting for us. The home was bursting with potential, waiting for a diligent owner to release it in full.
And I… was not that, at this moment- for the mixture of unease and relief caused the last shreds of energy in my legs to give out, as I slumped forward onto the dirtied floor. I hadn’t faded fully into unconsciousness, but I would sooner faint than force myself to stand again.
“Siranae, dear… do you think…” I mumbled, snout turning slightly to glance at her. “…you could assist me to one of the beds? I apologize for the indignity, but I’m… not capable of much else at the moment, ahah…”
The moment my voice came her attention was solely on me. She looked to my shambling steps and, in little time, she quickly jogged over.
“Of course, Adelaide…I must fear for a noble girl who has had so much tribulation in one day…” The Audino said sympathetically. She crouched down and-
All at once I fell backwards…and was lifted in Siranae’s arms.
“A-ah-“
Even with my exhaustion, I could feel the undeniable shift of my gravity. I had expected a pull on the arm and a shoulder to lean upon, not… not this.
The Audino’s powerful hold let her keep me aloft and cradled with not even a hint of strain on her face, only that warm smile.
“Which bedroom would you like, Adelaide? The more shaded room or the one closer to the main street?” She asked, as though she hadn’t just picked me up off my feet.
I looked at Siranae with a dazed expression, mind bubbling with words to chide her for so suddenly demeaning me, but-
I saw her kindness and simplicity glistening in those eyes… I had asked for her help, and she had given it in the fullest extent. Even if such aid was… improper, I had little reason to detest her good nature. I dreaded the thought of standing on my legs again…
…and… Siranae held me quite comfortably. Despite her hard labor, her hold was nothing short of ‘soft’. My face felt red from the absurdity of it.
“I… should prefer the one nearer the main road- I’d like you to sleep comfortably at night, without the noise polluting your rest.” I gulped, trying to keep my lidded and refined stare while I chirped the words out.
“Of course, Adelaide. I’ll take you there at once.” The Audino said quietly, letting her voice be little more than a whisper in the quiet home.
Her heavy footsteps creaked on the wooden floor, crunching upon the grime that she did not let me walk on, a content smile on her face as she brought me to the leftmost room.
It was as bare as the rest of the house, but the bed on the far end of the room looked as welcoming as any Queen’s bed in a castle bedchamber. Siranae approached it, softly letting me down onto the cold mattress.
And, before I could even move, the bed sheets were pulled over me by the girl. She only did what she felt was the correct thing, after all.
“There, I hope it will suffice, Friend Adelaide.” Siranae said. “Of course…if this is to be my home, I will endeavor to grant us even better accommodations.”
I placed a paw on Siranae’s hand, as if to keep her from departing. Of course she wouldn’t simply leave, we were still speaking with each other… and yet- it was odd, to be out of her grasp so soon.
“If we are lucky… we will be in finer accommodations in a month’s time.” I promised weakly. “We have a banquet to prepare ourselves for… and we shall pretty this den up in the meantime. However you wish- whatever tickles your fancy, dear Siranae. May I request something?”
“Anything, Friend Adelaide.”
I gave a warm smile, a little bubble of excitement in my chest that quickly tapered off in the face of the exhaustion wracking my body.
“Please do wake me up early tomorrow, before the sun rises. I have something…special for us both.”
Siranae smiled, giving an earnest nod to the request. How I yearned to tell her there and then what I had planned, but I had neither the mental strength nor will to explain properly or field her questions, which she was sure to have.
A promise for tomorrow would do. Something nice to look forward to.
My paw started to slide off of her, the weight of today too much to bear. Even as I met her smile, my eyes were already slipping closed, from the simple comfort of a bed beneath my weary body.
“And… thank you, Siranae. For the chance of a future… and for your support. You are…”
I nuzzled against the rough mattress, feeling more comfortable than I had on any pillow before.
“A true treasure of a companion…”
As I closed my eyes, I could only hear a soft sigh, content and happy.
“You’re my most precious treasure as well, Adelaide.”
And that was the last I heard that night. The day’s tribulations had worn me to the last…and it was finally time to rest.
Slowly…slowly…the darkness overtook me. The sounds outside died off as though they were not there.
And there…
…was nothing.
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[ PING ]
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[R.TIME……………………………………….27754.113 T-WR]
~ CHAPTER 11 ~
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