PARAGON
Remnants of the Great War Arc [5]
Chapter 14 : Fairy Forest
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Flora’s cottage was built of the same wood that comprised the trees around it, and its roof was thatched with woven wheat grass that AZ recognized from the valley. The windows were crusted with dirt and age, yet vibrant flowers colored the forest floor around the house. A dark pond sat nestled behind a copse of reeds, and the whole scenery looked like something out of a storybook.
AZ followed the woman down the path, the tall grass tickling his naked body. Despite her blindness, she seemed to need no help finding her way, not even needing to feel at the splintered fence that lined the path to guide her around the bends. She found the doorknob immediately, and pushed the dry door open.
“I don’t have much, but let’s get that leg patched up,” she said.
AZ had already forgotten about the shallow self-inflicted injury, and looked down at the blood congealed on his leg, then back at his companion.
She was tiny, even compared to him, and he had to crouch to get through the door frame.
The interior was just as idyllic. A fire crackled in the cobblestone fireplace, an iron cauldron hanging from a spit above it. Potted plants adorned every window sill, and hung from the ceiling in baskets. The entire cottage was just one room, and a bed covered in a voluminous patchwork quilt sat in the corner.
Flora hurried over to a chest and started rummaging through it, and she returned with a cloth and a jar of salve. After fetching a basin of water, she set it down on the dining room table in the middle of the room.
“Have a seat, dear, and I’ll get to work on your leg. I promise I’ll have you feeling better in no time.”
“That won’t be necessary,” AZ said, but he did sit down cautiously after testing the chair’s strength. “I can clean myself up.”
“Are you sure? I really don’t mind.”
AZ said nothing and grabbed the cloth. He dunked it on the water basin and slathered it over his leg carelessly, not caring that he was dripping all over the floor. His leg didn’t hurt at all, and he didn’t care much to keep this performance up any longer.
What was he even doing here? What did he hope to gain from this? The world was hunting him at this very moment, and here he was wasting time with some woman for no reason. No, it was worse. He’d gotten her involved. Now she was in harm’s way just for housing him.
He stood up to leave.
“Oh, careful, dear. You shouldn’t be walking around on an injured leg.” She wrung her hands in worry. “Have a seat, and stay awhile. I’ll lend you my bed so you can rest and recover.”
“I need to go.”
“Please, at least eat something. You’re so weak.”
AZ’s head cocked in her direction. She wasn’t looking at him, but he felt her gaze nonetheless.
“What did you say?”
“Here.” She paced over to her cupboards and pulled out another jar, this one full of berries. “Have some cheris. I have bread and honey too.” Before AZ could protest, she was back in her kitchen sawing into a loaf of brown bread. She returned with a platter full of food, an empty cup, and a pitcher of water. She smiled at him.
AZ let himself lower back into his chair, and before he knew it, he was tearing into the bread with abandon and shoveling handfuls of berries into his mouth. Flavors exploded in his mouth like cannonfire, and he washed it all down with a river of water, straight from the pitcher.
“Do try spreading some honey on the bread, the sweetness goes perfectly with the oats.” Flora said, having joined him at the table, though she did not partake and simply watched him eat.
AZ spared a glance in her direction, and he shook some honey onto the heel of the loaf, before throwing the rest of the bread into his mouth in a single bite. She was right. The amalgam of flavors that assaulted him was heavenly, and for the first time, here at the end of the meal, he slowed his chewing and savored his meal.
When he finally swallowed, Flora smiled. “There, there. Look how quickly you gobbled that up. I knew you weren’t quite ready to leave. You need your energy back before you venture back out into the forest.”
AZ licked the crumbs off his teeth. That’d been his first meal since the end of the war. It was shoddy and meager, and he’d had grand feasts daily as king. But just like the feeling of the air outside and the smell of the trees and wind, it sated him in a way he couldn’t even describe. It was like he was slowly remembering what it felt like to be human.
Again, he stood. This time Flora didn’t say a word to stop him. As if she already knew he would, AZ crossed the room and lay down across Flora’s bed. His legs hung over the bedrest, and his arms dragged against the floor, but its iron frame held his weight. As if the sensation of the soft bed alone was enough to induce exhaustion, a sudden wave of tiredness passed through AZ’s body. He exhaled slowly and closed his eyes. Then, for the first time in three thousand years, he fell asleep.
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AZ’s eyes opened the next morning. He’d slept for nearly an entire day. Sunlight poured through the gaps in the curtains drawn across the windows, illuminating the dust in the air.
It was quiet in the cottage.
Still, eh?
He swung his legs over the side of the bed, and it creaked as he moved. Flora was sitting in the corner on a rocking chair, a furry blanket over her lap.
She opened her eyes immediately after his attention turned to her. Her glassy gaze remained fixed on the floor, but she smiled, and the loose skin on her face curled along their creases. “Good morning.”
AZ turned away. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to take your bed.”
“Oh, not at all. I offered it to you, after all. I thought you might sleep through the day. You looked so exhausted yesterday.” She grasped her blanket and held it up. “I didn’t mean to presume, but I assume you’ll want some clothes for your journey ahead. I hope these fit you.”
It wasn’t a blanket in her lap. It was a giant black coat made of wool. And now that she mentioned it, AZ noticed a burned out candle on the small table beside her, and a basket full of thread, yarn, wool, and other sewing materials. She must’ve worked on it all day, and continued into the night after it got dark.
AZ remained still as he processed her words, but he soon closed his eyes. “Where do you bathe?”
“In the pond outside. The buds of the blue flowers growing on the bank will create a lathering foam if you wet them and rub them together.”
AZ said nothing and exited the house. The morning sun filtered through the trees, and a soft wind blew at him as he circled around the cottage to the dark pond. He brushed aside the reeds and stepped into the murky waters. He bristled at the cold, but only for a moment, and he soon lowered his entire body beneath the surface.
This respite could not last forever. His enemies were coming for him. But for now, he would enjoy this peace while it lasted. He found the flowers Flora had mentioned and waded over to them. After stripping the blossoms from their stem in one motion, he crushed them in his dampened hand. Sure enough, a soapy residue was left behind.
As he cleaned himself, he started to think. Rage had pulled him from his ancient cell, but it would not be enough to stave off the forces that were coming for him. Now, he was back in the world. He was back in the war. And to proceed in war without a strategy was suicide.
Three thousand years had passed. Obviously, his armies and allies were all dead. He had no idea what had become of his pokémon. And there was no telling how powerful his enemies were now, even if he’d razed them nearly to extinction once before.
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Knowledge was his first priority. His power could only do so much, especially with how much he’d demanded from it all this time. It’d kept him alive, awake, and lucid, but would do little else after so much time. No doubt it’d been eager to unbury itself from that prison and return to reality, and had gladly aided his escape to that end. But now that he was free, he could feel it going dormant within him.
He was a relic and could serve its purpose no longer.
Unless he could prove himself once again.
At the very least, he knew this was Kalos. His land. A continent he’d cultivated and tamed himself. His enemies had surely painted over his legacy after they imprisoned him, but his legacy could not be erased so easily. There was one place that may have been left undisturbed, and could provide the knowledge he sought.
As he ran his fingers through his tangled hair, he sank back into the pond. The black abyss was a welcome comfort. Death had been elusive to AZ, but perhaps this is what it was like. Eventually he ran out of breath, but his power kept him alive. Anger simmered within him.
Flora came out some time later with a towel draped over her arms. “I’ve prepared breakfast. Please join me when you’re ready.”
AZ rose at her arrival and took the towel from her, though he realized it was a blanket after grabbing it. If the clothes weren’t enough of a hint, she clearly knew how large he was.
“I have your clothes inside.”
He grunted and walked past her. The garb waited for him folded up on the bed and he was fully dressed before she returned. It fit perfectly, the coat’s furry interior soft against his gnarled skin. Flora had even prepared a set of undergarments, and a pair of socks and boots. It shouldn’t have been possible to create all in a single night, but AZ suspected he knew what was going on.
The food was the exact same as the day before—bread, honey, berries—though this time, AZ ate with some class.
“How is your leg?” Flora asked.
He’d forgotten about it again. “All healed.” He tore off a hunk of bread and hollowed out the middle, before putting a few berries in it and eating it altogether after seeing Flora do it.
“This forest can be dangerous, but it’s mostly trainers coming through so normally the pokémon are docile.”
“Trainers?”
“Yes, though most of them are more interested in catching a Goomy in the swamp nearby. They love their dragons.” She chuckled.
“Ah, I see.” Humanity has come a long way. But what about the pokémon? “These Goomy, are they very dangerous? I’m not familiar.”
“Not terribly so,” she said, after taking a sip of water. “They appear in droves after it rains, but the Goodra who protect them aren’t keen on trainers capturing their young.”
Just how docile are these pokémon? My Goodra would have melted the skin off a man for breathing in my direction. And these are the wilds of today?
“These trainers… are they raised from birth to tame pokémon?”
Flora beamed. “You must live very far away. I’ve lived in this forest my entire life, yet even I know about trainers. They’re children who receive a pokémon on their tenth birthday and set off on a grand adventure, capturing pokémon as they go.”
Ten… adventure… receive… It took all AZ had not to sneer.
“Surely there must be pokémon where you come from… oh, I’m sorry, I just realized I never asked for your name.”
Flora actually did look worried for the first time since he’d met her.
“I don’t have a name,” he quickly said. “Tell me. What are pokémon to you?”
Flora took a second to absorb AZ’s response, but brushed ahead smoothly. She smiled as she said her answer. “Pokémon are my friends, of course. What about you?”
AZ put his bread down.
Friends. Fuel. Tools. Titans.
“I don’t know,” he finally said. She was getting too close to him, and that needed to change. “Were you born blind?”
Flora seemed taken aback by the question at first, but she nodded warmly, seemingly pleased he was showing interest in her. “Yes, I was. My friends help me see and keep me safe.”
That’s what I thought. He’d sensed their presence all around ever since arriving at the cottage, despite their attempts at remaining hidden behind invisible veils. They guided Flora and whispered in her ears about him, and while he’d slept, they’d come out to help her weave his clothing.
“I grew up with my parents in this house, and they’ve kept me company my entire life. I’d do anything for them.” She paused. “I’m sorry. I’m sure you don’t want to hear an old woman rambling on.”
“You’re not so old.”
Flora shook her head and smiled. “Everyone is young to me.”
Not everyone.
They finished breakfast and AZ helped her around the house for the rest of the day. For a woman living on her own, she had quite a number of chores to do. AZ helped wash the bedding he’d slept on, and in the afternoon, Flora’s friends appeared to him. He didn’t recognize most of them, but they yipped and purred around him like pets.
This is madness. I don’t sense even an ounce of aggression from them.
Madness it may have been, but he was not so wishful that he would assume his enemies’ pokémon were the same.
Flabébé clung to the groves of flowers that surrounded the cottage, Morelull peeked out from the mossy shadows of the underbrush, and Cottonee floated through the air on streams of wind, giggling softly as they bounced off the various surfaces, spreading wispy spores everywhere.
Flora had set AZ to work chopping firewood, and a giant pile of logs nearly as tall as the house sat outside next to a stump. His new coat was thrown over a rock, and he split each log with a one-handed swing of the cragged ax she’d gotten for him. It was twisted and dark, like the remnants of a failed smithing, but it was good at what it did. A small pink creature with a pale mauve ponytail watched AZ as he worked, its stubby arms crossed as it slouched against the house. It seemed to be judging him, perhaps because he’d taken its job.
The sun warmed and cooled the little clearing as the hours passed by. Surprisingly, AZ didn’t find the monotony of such a menial task boring in the slightest. He’d never once done manual labor like this in his life, and despite its simplicity, it was a nice change of pace. He cut each log slowly and deliberately, taking his time with the work as he enjoyed the outdoors.
Around an hour before dinner, a faint presence made itself known at the edge of AZ’s periphery and he straightened instantly. It was miles away, but he sensed its intentions. It was coming for him.
There were only a few logs left in the pile, and it took him ten more minutes to chop the rest of them. Then, he struck his hatchet into the stump and put his coat back on.
Flora came out in an apron, the open door spilling warm light into the dark evening beneath the trees. “Dinner is ready. I figured you wouldn’t want the same thing again, so I made a stew for tonight. My friends take care of the wild vegetables in the valley, so these are a special treat!”
“I have to go,” he said bluntly.
Flora frowned, and her friends looked between the two curiously. “But…what about dinner?”
“I have to go,” he said again, and turned away from the cottage.
“But…it’s so dark. And you haven’t any pokémon.”
“No matter.” He started to walk away.
“Please, wait!” She hurried back inside and came back out a minute later. “The forest gets cold at night. At least take these with you.” She held out her hands. Within them was a green scarf and a red knit cap.
AZ glanced down at her, but of course, she was just staring aimlessly at his stomach. He grabbed them and put them on hastily, throwing the scarf around his neck, and pulling the knit cap low over his head.
“Goodbye,” he said.
He did not think he’d remember this day for very long.
Nevertheless, he could feel Flora’s blind gaze boring into his back as he walked away, and long after he’d left the cottage in the far distance. Once again, his inner power guided him, and when he came upon a sheer cliff face, he climbed it. When he reached the top of the cliff, he walked some more. From here, he could see the moon as it began its ascent into the indigo sky. After several hours, the forest petered out, and he was left on a barren plateau, illuminated by silver moonlight. There, he sat down right in its center. And there, he waited.
The presence got ever closer.
An hour later, he could hear a faint humming, like a giant bug approaching him from the horizon. As it got closer, it got louder. Before long, it passed in front of him. It was another one of those metal monstrosities that could fly through the sky. It kept its distance for a time, then started to approach him. He didn’t move even as it passed over his head, whipping the dirt and gravel on the mountaintop up in a frenzy. It landed behind him, and finally, the roar of the spinning twinblade stopped.
Finally, AZ stood and turned to greet the new arrivals.
A man with smooth black hair walked out of the flying machine. Within, AZ could see others, but they made no move to get out and simply peered at him from afar. The man wore an elegantly tailored gray uniform, but AZ could not place where it was from. Modern fashion, perhaps.
When he was ten feet away, the man stopped, and knelt. “Your Grace. It is an honor to meet you on this day.”
AZ’s brows furrowed ever so slightly. “Who are you?”
The man looked up, and wore an expression of pure loyalty. “I am Lord Brian Vandrick, and I have been waiting for you for three thousand years.”
The moon hung above them like a ripened fruit.
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Flora rinsed her bowl and set it on a towel beside the sink. Having finished the dishes, she dried her hands and walked back over to the dining room table. Her fingers found the other bowl on the table, still heavy with stew, but after a moment, she withdrew her hand.
Perhaps one day he would return. Of course, she wouldn’t serve him old stew. But she wouldn’t clear his bowl tonight. Not yet.
A flowery scent filled her nostrils, and something brushed against her cheek. She smiled and cupped her hands, and her friend landed in them gently.
“There you are, Floette. Where have you been? You just missed our guest.”
When Flora woke up the next morning, the bowl was empty.
Next — Chapter 15 : Rota, Land of the Guardians
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