A Ballad for Icarus - A Historical Pokemon Quest

SeekerofDreams · Oct 25, 2024

[X] … the weavers.

[X] Duty

AmberGimlet · Oct 25, 2024

Oh new Ballad For Icarus, let's go! Patrol time as well. The longer chapter length has definitely put me in a state of fear.

Elpis said:
You nod, trying to pull away the blanket from one of the kids who decided to make you her bed for the rest of the journey. The girl is sleeping, and any attempt to wake her up is met with an even tighter grip on the blanket.

Absolutely Adorable. The villagers just kind of adopting her is very heartwarming. She deserves nice things, I think.

Elpis said:
Such is the way of the village people, you suppose. Where one has to get along with the unknown faster than most.

I do not think you are one to talk, Aria.

Elpis said:
Lisa, she is called. Though initially quite shy, she warmed up to you quite fast after distracting her long enough for her parents to get some shuteye.

Much like Lissy (I keep wanting to spell her name with zz's, but no it is wit ss's), she's a big fan of hero stories huh?

Elpis said:
"There has to be more than that, that's such a…"

What is it?

What word are you trying to use here that would truly grasp the vastness of your disappointment in it?

What tongue could you borrow, what poem could you quote, what song have you heard before that could come close to this feeling?

"That's sad." There's nothing else you can say about it. To live in abundance of gold and wares and then live with the austerity of an economy focusing on war, never knowing what tomorrow will bring.

The Empress did not bring peace at all.

'That's sad'. Oof. Love this little aside. Aria struggling for words, sifting through various high-vaulted bitter musings, before ultimately settling on just "That's sad". Because really, that is the bones of the matter. Nothing more needs to be said to sum it up. The Empress did not bring peace at all... It's honestly a good thing this story is coming out update by update because I think if this someone how dropped as a completely work I would lose a night of sleep trying to binge read it. Good stuff.

I also appreciate these little moments where even with Aria still getting the full picture on the world, she makes it very clear how she feels about the way of the world, and what people deserve (for good or ill). It's a really good balance of a character's experience with the world being guided by votes but their core ideals and motivations being ironclad, which fits the format.

I think it's neat!

Elpis said:
"Isn't it?" Old Bea asks, smiling. "But we are not those who choose to go to war, and we are not those who choose to make peace. We can only decide how we live, and that is a strength and a freedom nobles will never truly have."

You don't know what to say, so you raise your hand and pat Lisa's head. She rolls up even more into your blanket as she reacts to your touch.

'With strength and a freedom nobles will never truly have', she said to someone who is secretly a noble, and whose freedom to live her life is restricted by her nobility (both in blood and in temperament). Every conversation with Old Bea is absolutely fascinating, really well done selling the like... Someone expressing experienced and considered views on the political landscape while still sounding like they're from the background and time period they're from. In general that's something I'd compliment about this quest.

Elpis said:
Leif approaches you before you enter the city, once again riding that tall and colorful Rapidash.

"Pokemon are not allowed to be out and about in the city without a permit," he says, nodding at you. You look at Sneasel, who looks awfully happy at receiving all that attention, and then back at him. "No Pokeball, hm? Well—"

YAY LEIF! This is what I was hoping for! Anyways what the fuck do you mean no pokemon out and about without a permit?? That seems, uh, kinda fucked! Granted there are very legitimate practical concerns that very well could be the reason, Aria has emphasized several times just how jam-packed the place is so it makes sense on second though, but my definite knee-jerk reaction was being affronted. Actually very neat, curious if it will bear out as practical concerns, a means of control, or both.

Elpis said:
He fumbles with the bag on the side of his Rapidash, nearly falling over instead of just dismounting. Rapidash bites into his ponytail and pulls him back up, revealing a Pokeball in his hands, empty from the looks of it. He throws it toward you, so casually, as if it didn't cost enough to afford three days of food.

Three days of food, huh? Fits what we were told earlier about the nobility controlling the materials needed to make them. Also Leif is cute. Hehe. Already love this dork. The fact that he clearly knows 'Sofia' is definitely some kind of trained fighter and probably a knight given there's no way he wouldn't recognize the uniform but is just 'putting that aside, would you mind helping us out?' is just very, very... I love a character who will bend the letters in very small ways to serve the ends of achieving the actual goal of their role. Focused on actually keeping the peace and helping people. Like a true knight, haha.

Elpis said:
Sneasel pokes you in the side, knocking you out of the thoughts just like—just like her. You shake your head, this isn't the time. You hold the Pokeball up and she jumps against it, not even shaking in defiance before the light click and soft hum announce the capture.

Sneasel has been caught. Do you want to give Sneasel a nickname?

"Inana," you whisper at her.

"just like—just like her" is so good here. Also seeing the system message pop up like this is very, very sweet. Call and response. Even in the historic era!

Elpis said:
He laughs about his own joke; all rooftops were drowned in snow and ice at this time. You try not to laugh with him, but a small chuckle does escape your lips

LOVE THIS DORK

Elpis said:
"That boy's never going to grow up," Old Bea says. You turn toward her, putting Inana's Pokeball onto your belt.

"You know him?" you ask, frowning.

Oh Old Bea knows him, neat. Leif being from one of the other villages, one that maybe doesn't exist anymore, definitely puts a spin on both his happy go lucky demeanor and very practical implementation of laws and knighthood.

Elpis said:
"Sofia, Sofia!" one of the children calls out. You don't like it, to be called something you are not. To shed one name for another again. You'd correct them, and ask them to keep it a secret, but you're afraid children are not that good at keeping those.

AHAHAHA THERE IT ISSSSSS!!!! THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR! I could not tell you precisely why I was so excited for Aria to have to deal with this particular somewhat minor annoyance. I suppose it is somewhat a reflection of her resolve, now affirmed, is going to be constantly challenged and need defending in lots of little ways. Names as a motif, particularly hers, have been a big Thing thus far, so having to use a fake name due to the hasty but needed actions of her rescuer after being chased from her home again just makes happy sparks in the ole pattern recognition I suppose.

Elpis said:
"Regardless, once you're done with that come back here for dinner, will you?"

"Of course," you say, raising your own hand and putting it over hers. "Thank you, Beatrice."

I am really glad that even without voting for staying with the villagers, they're still Aria's new home and family. Beatrice and Lisa are great and I like seeing what they bring out in Aria.

Elpis said:
The Recruitment Center has bounty posters set up. None of them are for you.

You still don't understand what the Glastrier Order really wants with you, but something strange is afoot and you refuse to be captured until you have all the pieces of the puzzle.

Though you're a stranger to the people in the refugee camp, the children look up to you and the adults appreciate your willingness to help. The family that takes care of you when Old Bea is too busy leading the lot is…

Still not bounty posters, though that's not that surprising. While word has spread somewhat, we already saw that the call for Aria hadn't really gone out, which means it probably won't be going out. Ever, I'd say, actually. Framing someone for murdering their mentor, especially when there a lot of people who are Not Happy About That, feels like the kind of ploy with an expiration date that's fast approaching. Trying to pull a two months later 'oh yeah it was totally this person' when she's already managed to establish herself as someone the people around her know probably wouldn't do that? I don't see it going well. But then, why go through the effort to frame her in the first place? Did the storm escape just mess up the point of needing to frame someone at all? Or was the point not to frame Aria, but to keep her away, period? Anyways, as for the vote!

[X] … the farmers.
You find yourself with a family that took care of the land. Right now they're the people who have the least to do in the quarter, which means most of the time is spent helping others or talking to each other. There's a lot of things you don't know yet about the wilds and food, you imagine they can be good teachers.
Not for any particular reason other than that if Aria has to run from her home again she might be able to survive in the wilderness a bit better. The squadkrows can't be there all the time.

Elpis said:
The patrol is a simple affair. While it is mostly about keeping the peace and showing a presence, right now there is an actual task at hand. It is the next morning when a knight arrives at the camp and calls your fake name. You are out fast, and follow the man on foot until you reach the north-western gate to the city.

Elpis said:
Three knights are there with you, led by Leif. You're not the only one who's decided to join the patrol, however. Two other villagers with their own Pokemon, as well as five unknowns make a total of eight with you included. All of them are quite young, with the oldest maybe in his mid twenties.

'calls you by your fake name' love the continual friction of that, good stuff. Also also, we're starting! An actual task huh? Four knights including Leif, and two villagers with their own pokemon, and then five other people who may not be knights and may not have pokemon. Interesting assembly. Counting Aria, that makes five knights.

Elpis said:
The situation has been making you too nervous so you've stopped reacting, at this point you can't change anything. If the Glastrier Knights decide to report your alleged misdeeds, they'll do it. Until then, you can relax. Kind of. Maybe. Possibly

I love Aria so much. She's got anxiety but she's getting through it. Also the way her internal monologue phrases that is just cute.

Elpis said:
"He's not too much of a threat, but the last group that went out to look for him hasn't returned so we're assembling this group to find them. Four knights are missing."

This does raise your nervousness somewhat. The Spectrier Border Guard are not pushovers, and none of their knights should be threatened by some petty criminal. This either means something else is out there, or that petty criminal has more tricks up his sleeves.

Oh already the stakes are pretty high huh. Four knights down, and the aim is to recover them rather than give chase. So he's already considered dangerous enough that they're willing to cut their losses on this one.

Elpis said:
"This is important, so listen up," he says loudly. The others in the group turn to him, while you stand up straight, squaring your shoulders. He gives you an appreciative nod, and you wonder just how many faux passes you'll make before the day is over.

dfjhshjfgskjfs she is fresh out of bootcamp it is plain unfair to ask her to not react to a superior officer knight. Absolutely no chance. I do really wonder what Leif thinks Aria's deal is. He has enough information to make a guess at what order she's from, possibly what her rank in that order was, the fact that she got in a bloody fight with another human, and is trying to hide the fact that she was a knight... but also that she's extremely polite, diligent, kind, and really bad at hiding the fact that she's a knight. I wonder if that's enough to form a suspicion that she's running from foul play?

Elpis said:
"Wilhelm is a petty thief and possibly still out there, but he's not our priority. If you find him, do not engage unless you have no other choice. If you find any of the knights, you use these."

Okay so explicitly 'do not engage we are cutting our losses and focusing on recovery'. Jesus who the fuck is this guy. 'Petty thief' feels like a huge understatement at this point, or that he was some kind of royal assassin who hilarious ended up getting caught on petty thievery while on his mission to topple a country or something.

Elpis said:
"You point them at the sky and pull on that string," he says, pointing at the string at the top. "Once it's drawn all the way down it'll release a flare up into the sky, we'll be able to find you then. So do not move until we arrive, is that understood?"

The flares are neat. This is just how flares work as far as I know, but it is neat that they have them. The kind of thing that requires very little training to use, thus making it easy for them to coordinate with non-knights as well.

Elpis said:
"We have to cover a lot of ground," Leif speaks up again, holding up something that looks like a rough map of the area near the city. It's separated into squares. "Everyone takes one area, those two—" he points at the two other knights. "Will keep the perimeter secure and make sure nobody sneaks out. I'll join you in the search."

Everyone takes an area, including the people who at most have a pokemon, if that? How stretched thin are the Spectrier Knights--

Elpis said:
"Sir Leif," the citizen with a Poochyena says, drawing the knight's attention. "Forgive me if this is not appropriate to ask, but aren't four missing knights a bigger concern? Should we really be so few?"

"There's a lot of trouble this winter," Leif says without missing a beat, his usual smile is a bit forced, not reaching his eyes. "This is a priority, of course, but so is the breakout of Tauros that haven't been caught yet, as well as the Mankey stampede that took out some of our grain storage."

YEAH EXACTLY HOW STRETCHED THING ARE THE--

Elpis said:
"Would the Spectrier Knights be stretched so thin?" you ask, tilting your head. He raises an eyebrow. "Don't get me wrong, I know it's not nearly as large of a force as… other Orders. But it's not that small."

"You're right, yes," he says. "The largest part of our force is currently occupied elsewhere."

What does he mean elsewhere? The entire point of the Spectrier Border Guard is guarding the border. There's nowhere else than the Reichert territory they could be—fuck.

That last word might have crossed your lips. You slap your hand over your mouth when Leif starts laughing. You don't find it funny at all.

Dammit stop jumping me! How stretched thin are the spectrier knights that they can send four knights out to find four knights and still need to rely on their number and some change in contracted help? Honestly I love that literally all of the hireling had something to say about that.
Anyways, Leif feeling the strain and rattling off a bunch of problems points to just how few knights they have working here, especially since some of those problems sound more like, I don't know, militia business perhaps? Depends on traditions of peacekeeping forces I suppose.

Also Aria accidentally swearing, I'm sorry girliepop but it is funny. But also, hmm. What does that mean? Honestly this is an area where I suspect the narration has already all but explicitly stated it if not actually explicitly stated it and my memory is just absolutely failing to click in, but Aria clearly knows, so. Yeah. Anyways, it definitely gives the decision to help with patrols a lot more stakes---if Aria wanted to achieve the money and status to reach her target, well she will definitely stand out with how spread thin the Spectrier Knights are.

Elpis said:
"By the Sovereign…" the man with the Poochyena mutters. "Regardless, thank you for indulging me."

"All good, Peter," Leif says. "It's a valid question, we would not hide information from those who help us, after all."

You feel a pang of guilt, and snuff it out immediately. There's no need to pretend anything, Leif obviously knows that you were a knight of some sort. You're too direct, your mannerisms are too distinct, and you definitely saluted at him using the Glastrier salute at one point during his speech.

We have a name, Peter and his Poochyena. Also, Leif knowing this guy by name makes me think that Aria isn't the first person he's directly directed towards helping the knights. I'm guessing anyone with a pokemon and some hardiness to them is welcome to help, this may not even be Peter's first time helping out given how comfortable he feels asking a pointed question like that.

Ah, okay so Aria is very sure Leif knows she's a Glastrier Knight because she used the danged salute at him. dfshjshjgf god. This is what I was saying earlier, she is literally fresh out of bootcamp, she is going to be saluting before her brain even catches up, this is going to be so rough on her. But she knows Leif probably knows and is sticking around anywas... this makes me want to know even more what Leif thinks her deal is.

Ahhh all these characters are so cool and I want to get into all of their heads.

Elpis said:
"And you came here from the refugee quarter, did you not?" Peter asks you. "It's quite bothersome to move every winter, I imagine."

Something about his mannerism, his way of speaking, feels off to you. It's politer than you're used to, and much less direct than you like. Despite this, you don't feel like he deserves to become the target of your reflex to talk down on anything that bothers you and bite your tongue.

"A village is a village," you say, thinking about Old Bea and the other villagers. "But a home is its people. As long as they are safe, it doesn't matter where they grow roots."

shjhjgffjs Aria getting grumpy and wanting Peter to stop asking questions. "Your reflex to talk down on anything that bothers you" okay so the whole thing with the poacher is just Aria's natural stress response to the point that she's fully aware of it, neat. Charm point! Anyways something about Peter is giving her red flags. Him being politer than she's used to... honestly I wonder if he has also figured out she's a knight just from her body language, since she's apparently completely failing to hide it.

Elpis said:
"Well said," Peter says, smiling gently. "Though I admit I've seen few villagers who bother buying themselves a weapon, it's quite something to wield a sword at your age when you're not a knight."

Leif snorts. You breathe in through your nose and out of your mouth. It's nice Leif tries to let you keep some dignity, but his inability to control his own reactions just makes you feel more ridiculous.

"Even villages can't rely on the knights all the time," you say, pursing your lips and staring at Leif. He shrugs, giving you a smile in return.

Oh, this is just funny. Can't tell what Peter thinks the situation is here, either he's politely oblivious or is just messing with Aria at this point, both options are pretty funny (and telling of Peter). I see that Leif and Aria are not even pretending not to know they know that they know. This has just become an unspoken in-joke between them because they're both ridiculous and cut from the same cloth in their approach to knighthood. Absolutely amazing, love this. Honestly the funniest way for this character dynamic to shake out, I'm so glad we voted for this option.

Elpis said:
"Sofia, you go down the valley, your area starts here and ends around the hill. Peter, follow me, we'll reach your area soon."

You give Leif a nod, Inana jumping on top of your shoulder as you make your way toward the glades with fewer and fewer trees. The valley leads way down, all the earth that has formed the mountains came from there and collapsed on itself.

Again 'Sofia', no mention of the friction this time but it is well established and doesn't really need reminding at this point. Peter going with Leif while Aria is sent off on her own, huh? Wondering if that's random or if Leif is banking on Aria being a self-sufficient knight while knowing Peter isn't. It'd make sense, honestly. He knows she's a competent knight, he can't call her on it, but there's no reason for him to not deploy her like one because it isn't like she can call him on it either.

Elpis said:
It's half an hour of walking later when you finally reach something that looks interesting. Fresh footprints in the snow, heavy either from a weightier person or from someone in heavy armor. Regardless, the fact that you can still see them means that they must've been through here after the last snowfall.

Probably one of our knights, hopefully still alive.

Elpis said:
A flare shoots up.

There's one.

Elpis said:
One of the knights must've been found. You are still in that valley, still scouting every corner, still uncertain if this is the most productive way to use your time and energy, but for now you can follow the prints. Inana is holding tight around your neck and letting you carry her everywhere after she noticed that there are no trees to climb for scouting.

Another flare shoots up.

There's two. Aria questioning if she's doing search party right while literally following a fresh set of armored footprints is... kinda funny. She is literally winning at Search Party, she is going to get an excellent grade in Search Party.

Elpis said:
"Look, I don't like doing busywork like this either, but it's important," you say. "And it's also good pay, we'll be able to buy some tasty treats later."

Inana murmurs again.

"Yes, we will share with the kids," you say, narrowing your eyes at her. Inana snarls. "You're half their size, how do you expect me to give you more than them? Sharing a meal is much better!"

'I am growing, they are runts,' Inana's stare seems to say. You frown, patting down on her head.

"You're the runt, I don't understand how you eat so much when you weigh so little, where does it go?" You poke her belly. She lashes out at you, shoving your arm away before pointing the claw at her matchstick arms, flexing at you. "You're the least muscular thing I've ever seen. I saw a Bunneary with more meat on her ribs than you."

Inana jumps at your face and holds on tightly. You pull on her, trying to get her to let go, but she refuses to budge. She snarls, shouting in your ear. 'I am great and without equal!'

HFHJHJDHJDFAJHFJH Aria please never stop having elaborate projected conversations with your pokemon, never ever. I cannot wait for Skiddle and Inana to meet.

Elpis said:
A loud crunch behind immediately ends the argument. You hear heavy steps, slowly turning your head as Inana growls a sound you've never heard before. Your own gaze follows hers until you find the target of that dangerous glare. You can smell it in the air. They are not here for a friendly meeting.

Tauros. Their winter coat is thick and heavy, reminding you of Bouffalants, but they're unmistakable.

Ah, okay, serious time now. There's still quite a bit of chapter left, so what's going to happen here?

Elpis said:
"RUN!"

A voice shouts from the left. Your eyes move up the hill, and the Tauros start charging. You heed the advice, dashing towards your partner and grabbing Inana by the back of the neck and pulling her with you as you rush up the side of the hill and away from the stampeding Tauros. Inana struggles against your grip, trying to break loose to fight against the Tauros, flailing about and clawing at the air as you climb with one free hand.

You find yourself falling over as you reach the tip of the hill, but a hand grabs your shoulder and keeps you from eating snow. "T-thank you."

"You're welcome," she says. A young woman, maybe a year older than you, wrapped in the heavy armor of the Spectrier Knights. You found one of the missing knights, it seems, the flare—it's not at your hip anymore. It fell out of your pocket when you dashed out of the way, now sitting between all the Tauros which are glaring up at you.

OKAY WELL THEN. People just grabbing Inana because she has the aproximate weight of an oversized purse dog continues to be funny. Also, wow our knight is here! And the flare is gone. fuck.

Elpis said:
You're fairly certain that they can come up if they want to. So what's stopping them?

Hmmm... what indeed? Oh hey is this the breakout of Tauros that haven't been caught yet?

Elpis said:
You square your shoulders, turning to the young woman, saluting her out of reflex. "Thank you again."

She looks… haggard. You remember the knights have gone missing just yesterday, but she looks like it's been longer than that, her hair is the color of that fresh snow all around you, her eyes a dark contrast. Her one arm is still on your shoulder, keeping you steady, the other is limp at her side.

Aria. Aria. Aria you are so bad at not being a knight. You have all but introduced yourself as a plainclothes Glastrier knight as the literal first impression you gave this woman-- wait no the actual first impression was arguing with Inana, the second impression you gave this woman.

Anyways the knight is fucked up. One arm is outright out of commission, she seems like she's barely slept, and she has hair like snow. That last one isn't relevant to her condition but is important to me.

Elpis said:
"I imagine you are looking for me," she says, letting go of you and saluting in return. "I am Sophia, Spectrier Knight. My unit has been following a thief before we were separated by the Tauros."

Sophia!! Very good name. So the tauros are what messed up the four knights hunting the thief, huh? But trying to catch the tauros are also spreading the spectrier knights thin... well, I'm sure there's nothing below board about that at all.

Elpis said:
"Why didn't you return to town?"

"We cannot let the thief get away." She points toward another hill at the end of the valley, on the other side of the Tauros. "He stole something important, and he's also trapped here until the weather warms up and melts the snow. Trying to escape the Marquisate right now would be suicide."

"But you're injured, you could've regrouped at the city and gotten backup."

"No," she says, looking down at her leg. It's… well, not bleeding anymore, but it's clear she has been wounded badly. She hasn't moved from the spot since she caught you from tripping, but she must be in terrible pain. "I couldn't."

Okay, it is interesting that Leif (who appears to be the one in charge of field deplyoments out of everyone available) is making the call to cut their losses and retrieve the knights, while the knights actually chasing the thief are all but refusing to give up. Did he know what their mission was, or is that just representative of his priorities taking, well, priority, because he's the highest on the chain at the time.

Also, oof, down an arm AND a leg.... Wait.

Down two limbs, in the snow, still bleeding, hiding from roving herds of Tauros, and one of the first things she says is "no I'm good, put me in, I'm gonna get this guy"?

Well, she's definitely a knight.

Elpis said:
"Ah," you say, nodding. You look at Inana, who's still glaring down at the Tauros. The Tauros glare back. "Well, the stick to call for backup is down there, so I guess we're both stuck."

"I don't think that's the case," she says. She points at the hill again, and you can see someone approach. A man, tall and slim, wearing a ridiculously large hat and a wide, disgustingly bright smile. "The other flares got him moving."

"Ah, Miss Knight! Terribly sorry about your leg," the thief, Wilhelm, shouts loudly. It's barely necessary, the wind carries his voice easily. "It has been a fun chase, but I think it's time we should wrap it up, right?"

Tall and slim with a huge hat... Cole??? Wait, smiling, nevermind it can't be. Also wow, he sure is Like That huh. Yeah okay there's no way this guy is just a 'petty thief', he talks like a whimsical and experienced assassin. I refuse to believe this is just A Guy. This is some kind of wicked lieutenant that got tripped over some extremely small crime and is getting caught for something utterly unrelated to what his actual goal was.

Elpis said:
"You have nowhere to run, thief," Sophia says, drawing her sword. The black blade is shaking at the tip, too long and heavy to be held with one hand. Inana shouts something as well, though the 'snees' and growling are harder to decipher than human tongue.

Again, 'I'm gonna fucking get that guy' while she can barely walk or swing her sword. She is so very much a knight.

Elpis said:
Wilhelm's smile widens, the skin around his lips cracking slightly after exposure to the cold and dry air. You narrow your eyes when he draws a… flute? The instrument causes Sophia to tense up, her sword lowering until the tip touches the snow.

He blows into the flute, playing a strange tune that echoes over the hills. Inana slams her hands over her ears, while the Tauros become unnerved and irritated. They try to escape the sound and the direction that's most convenient leads right through you.

Oh god a flute! Okay but this is actually, extremely clever. I'm guessing he let the tauros loose as part of his escape with intent to use them to divide and conquer his pursuit which is very complicated as a plan but seems to be working great for him.

Elpis said:
He jumps on top of the Tauros, having crossed the distance with two knives in hand and brings them down on you. You raise the sword up, holding one hand flat against the sheath and block the stabs by holding strong against his forearms.

It's a heavy attack, but you stand tall. So does he, of course, but you have ways around that.

"Inana!" you shout. "Flip!"

oh fucking hell, this guy is the real deal. Jumping across Tauros and dual wielding knives like some kind of ninja. Goodness gracious. Okay but yes, we're getting a fight scene, this rules. Also love Aria blocking with the sword still in the sheath, both as a call back to the blade being what would give her away and also just. I like it when fight choreography remembers that the sheath exists.

Elpis said:
She understands without much effort, her claws changing angles on the horns and her entire body twisting around before she manages to use the Tauros' momentum to twist it around and slam it down. Wilhelm yelps as he falls off, rolling away from you as you swing your sword at him. The man is nimble, much more than you, and you don't like just how confident he looks as he shakes off the snow from his clothes.

Wait wait I just realized, he was still on the tauros. He was attacking while standing on the Tauros. Insane. This random boss fight is so cool already. Also that fast recovery, yeah this guy is some kind of assassin, I am more confident than ever on that.

Elpis said:
"Looking for this?" he asks, holding up the rod, waving it around. "It's a neat little trinket, but I really can't have anyone spoil our fun."

He pockets it, then draws his knives again. They're thin, mostly for stabbing rather than cutting. You've heard that knives like these can be used to pick locks as well, which sounds reasonable considering his reputation as a thief.

AND HE GRABBED THE FLARE. Jesus. He is doing some D&D 3.5 Rogue shit to her, what the hell. Lockpicking knives, that's an incredibly cool detail though.

Elpis said:
You're not sure you can agree on petty thief, though. This man is a professional. Dangerous and unpleasant, if a bit weaker with the blades than you'd have expected.

No yeah, exactly Aria. This man is too stylish to be some random pick-pocket. This is like, a recurring franchise villain from a popular jrpg with an absurd amount of dialogue written for every single interactable NPC or something. Though. 'a bit weaker with the blades than you'd have expected'. Wh. What were you expecting?? Do you mean relative to him being stylish or relative to him being a petty thief, I assume the former, but. He attacked you while standing on a tauros!!! Give him a little more credit than that.

Elpis said:
You swing again, taking a step toward him, but he jumps back and raises his hands in… surrender?

Of course not. He tries to kick you in the stomach, but such a cheap attempt would never work on you.

A fake surrender would never work on a true knight, or rather, Aria specifically who will sink to almost any level if it is in a fight.

Elpis said:
You twist your body out of the way, stabbing the sword into his stomach. He doesn't fall over, instead landing on his hands and flipping through the air before landing on his feet again.

"Is this guy a performer or something?" you mutter.

[Agent Washington Voice] "what the fuck is with this guy??" I'm assuming she didn't actually land the stab into his stomach if he's doing back flips about it, but also what the fuck he's doing backflips about it??? Is he some kind of harlequin themed assassin who just doesn't have the outfit on? I need to know what this guy's deal is. How on earth did he get got for petty thievery.

Elpis said:
Wilhelm whistles with a finger in his cheek and the Tauros reacts with more anger. It kicks Inana out of the way and rushes at you instead.

That bastard grabs your legs after diving at you, fixing you in place. You can smash that sword into his head but that will not save you. So—

Huh, that doesn't seem like directing the Tauros with loud noises, that seems like signaling a trainer pokemon! I'm sure this doesn't mean anything. It punting Inana like a kickball is funny, as is Wilhelm just grabbing her legs to trip her. Amazed Aria even hesitated to smash the sword into his head whether it'd save her or not, honestly.

Elpis said:
"Spring!" Sophia shouts out. You hear a loud, high-pitched roar and find yourself in the air all of the sudden, that asshole still holding onto your legs. Vines are wrapped around your waist, keeping you away from the Tauros' angry charge. "Now shake!"

The vines start to shake you, and Wilhelm's grip loosens enough for you to kick him off. Unfortunately he's not in the way of the Tauros, but he is right under you when the vines let you go and you slam feet first into his chest.

TAG IN! YEAAAAAAAH! The improvised team attack dive kick!!! "that asshole still holding onto your legs" dsfghjfhjgfshjsf Aria is great in a fight and great when not in a fight but the contrast between the two with regards to her internal monologue is ascendant. Literally, in this case. But like, damn, Wilhelm is being framed narratively as equal to a protagonist trainee knight and an injured by still kicking Actual Spectrier Knight. Clearly a big fucking deal as a threat.

Elpis said:
He grunts in pain, then rights himself up so fast you're forced to step back and find yourself side by side with Sophia again.

Next to her is a rather large Bulbasaur, glaring at Wilhelm. He looks injured as well, though not nearly as much as Sophia. Spring, he is called. A warm and welcome name. Despite that, though, he looks rather appropriate for Gildera, much like Skiddle before the plant on his back has blue tips and his bright green eyes shine even more radiant.

Bulbasaur....!!!! Nice nice. If Spring has green eyes, then Sophie definitely does.
Also jesus, Wilhelm sprang back to his feet instantly.

Elpis said:
"Sophia," you say, putting your hand to your sword's sheath. "Stay behind me, I can handle him."

She looks up at you, doubt on her face, worry and exhaustion in the way her eyes move from you to Wilhelm. She does not believe you, but she has no other options, and that is fine. That is understandable.

Well, there's nothing else to be done now. You unwrap the cloth around the sheath.

Aria is so cool. She's so cool!!! The absolute charisma to stand in front of the fully-fledged knight and be the protector... also the cloth coming off the sheath, is it time--?!

Elpis said:
"You're just some stupid villager," Wilhelm says, grinning so wide you can see every single one of his teeth. "There's no need for you to go this far for a failure of a knight."

"No," you say, drawing your sword. The Skarmory Steel glows bright, reflecting sunlight everywhere. You swing it to the side, your face twisting in anger as you glare up at him. "There isn't."

Hell yes. This is so hype. Oh my god she's so cool. Elpis, this looks like it was so much fun to write. The skarmory steel coming out, the declaration, the presentation of this scene is just amazing.

Also, 'stupid villager' huh. Implying he isn't one. Another bit of evidence for the pile.

Elpis said:
"Well, in for one corpse, in for two," he says, the knives in his hands spinning for a moment as he changes his grip. "What name do you want on your gravestone, girl?"

"Aria," you say, pointing the sword at him. "Memorize it so you can share it with the rest of the scum in prison."

Well, that us certainly her actual name in front of an actual knight who will definitely be talking to Leif later. Of course, Leif already probably knew that Sofia wasn't her real name, and also Sophia (Wait. that's really funny actually.) will definitely have reason to be favorably inclined towards Aria. It would be funny if Leif pulls another leifmaneuver and just goes "so your name is Aria, good to know. I'm not going to ask any follow-up questions, thanks for helping us out".

Elpis said:
He aims at Sophia, forcing you to keep up the defense.

As expected of both parties involved, honestly.

Elpis said:
Tauros charges at Inana, who's already become fast friends with Spring and is now riding on top of its bulb to meet the Tauros head on. While Inana blocks the horns, Spring's vines hold back the legs, making the fight much more even.

Elpis said:
Spring and Inana find themselves with the upperhand in their fight, so you can focus entirely on yours.

Putting these together out of chronological order for the sake of topic, this is really neat! Inana and Spring seamlessly teaming up much like their trainers have. Lotta respect put on the Tauros, befitting RBY OU's patron saint of bullshit. Also this feels so incredibly Holy Grail War. I said as much before but like, two masters facing down, one protecting another injured one, while two servants fight an absolute monster of one. It all fits, and I love it. Not to say that it doesn't absolutely stand up on its own merits and as a pokemon fic to be clear, the vine shenanigans make me feel like I'm watching the cartoon again, especially with the tiny sneasel taking the bull by the horns, it is a delight. Reminds me of the opening of the celebi movie, oddly enough, with Ash having to run to make the boat after getting caught up in a pokemon battle. Could not tell you why that's the specific association though!

Elpis said:
You swing the sword, getting caught between the blades. They slide down the edge of yours, until you're face to face with that grinning maniac. You kick up, hitting the man's leg. He kicks back, sending you reeling backward. Sophia catches you again, crying out in pain before pushing you back into the fight. You spin around, grabbing the man's collar and dragging him with you and away.

Oh this is some cool stuff!! The dual knives catching the larger sword, trading kicks, and then an injured Sophie contributing by shoving Aria back into the fight. And the collar grab and drag.

Elpis said:
He stabs at your arm, and you pull it back before stabbing forward with your blade. It nicks his torso, drawing blood.

Blood to Aria!

Elpis said:
It's strange how much easier this seems compared to the poacher. Perhaps that is what Leif meant. He's a petty thief, he makes for good theater and little else, though his ambush against the knights using the flute and the Tauros does point to a slightly more intelligent criminal.

So when he whistles again, once more making the Tauros change directions all of the sudden, you do expect it. You stab the sword in the ground and slide down the hill, watching as the Tauros' charge goes right over you. You see—

Huh. Odd. This is easier than the poacher?? I mean Aria is definitely doing better but Wilhelm has definitely had way more pizzazz, though I suppose Aria has significantly improved in her own right as well since then. Though I actually do kind of see what she's getting at. His acrobatic displays and clever trickery are definitely letting him get some devastating hits in, but when it comes to a straight up slugging match, Aria is simply better in a way that is steadily gaining ground as he runs out of surprises. Neat back and forth. I still think he's some kind of noble's pet assassin though.

Elpis said:
Spring's vines on its horns, sending it flying down the hill with Tauros, and you see Inana on Spring's head, standing proudly with her arms crossed as they descend.

You ignore the audacity and turn to your adversary once more. He's stopped smiling.

"I really don't like you, girl."

"I don't care."

Aria is the best!!!! "I don't care". sdjkgfsjkf. Incredible. Incredible. Everytime she opens her mouth in a fight it is the best. Very funny how she is an adorably diligent knight but also the absolute picture of the dashingly handsome scoundrel duke, upon whom's strength and skill the king is forced to rely.

Elpis said:
You rush at him, using the sword that's still buried in the snow as a shovel to throw some at his face. He blocks the snow with his arm, giving you an opportunity to drive your shoulder into his stomach and tackle him. Before he can recover, you stab the sword into his leg.

He screams, then chokes back that cry to pucker his lips and whistle. You don't let him, slamming your gloved hand onto his mouth with a force that cuts his lips against his teeth. You keep pressing against him, forcing his head into the snow.

YES!!! KILL!!! Yeah alright I see what Aria was getting at. She is just stronger and more skilled than he is, and about as fast once she's adjusted to his acrobatic trickery. Very different from the poacher who could legitimately fight her on even footing.

Elpis said:
Instead, he lets go of his swords and snaps his finger. That bastard wasn't controlling the Tauros independently at all, you realize.

That Tauros that's still fighting was his all along.

AHAH. BUT WILHELM ISN'T OUT OF TRICKS YET.

Elpis said:
You move out of the way, but the Tauros keeps up with the movement.

"Damn it." You hear Sophia's words before you find yourself rolling down the hill again.

She shoves you out of the way. You cry out, trying to grab her on your way down and save her as well, but the Tauros is too fast. Your hand reaches out too slow.

Sophia's body is thrown up, sent across the entire battlefield with such a loud noise you wonder if she died on impact. You can see the armor has broken apart. You can see the horn of the Tauros as it flees the scene without its trainer, full of blood—

wh-

SOPHIA!

Well, like I've been saying, she is certainly a knight.

Also wow, the Tauros just bails on Wilhelm.

Elpis said:
You can see Sophia on the ground, bleeding, barely alive.

Aaaah this is not looking good though.

Elpis said:
You ball a fist and slam it into the man's chin. It breaks with a loud crunch. For good measure, you turn his hands and stomp on them, leaving his fingers to point into ten different directions.

Then you stab your sword into his leg, making sure he won't be able to escape before you take care of Sophia. The flare in his pockets is quickly pointed up, drawing on the string until it explodes and releases a light in the sky.

Love how thorough and level-headed and ruthless this is all at once. First ensure the threat is completely eliminated, second ensure the target will not escape, third call for back-up, fourth attend to the wounded. I appreciate so much that Aria just does not fuck around with things get serious. Someone who will always double-tap her kills to be sure.

Elpis said:
You rush to her, your feet dragging across the snow as you reach out. She's still breathing, if barely. The snow under her turns into a mire of blood, the wound so deep you can see her organs writhing underneath.

Spring mews, looking up at you, tears in his eyes. He does not make a noise, yet his expression tells you everything you need to know. The fear in his heart, the worry in his quivering lips. Inana joins you, standing next to Spring and putting one clawed arm on him.

oh that's really bad. Spring already mourning the loss...

Elpis said:
Sophia is whispering something. Something you can't quite place. You lean forward, your hand on her wound, trying to stem the bleeding. You try to listen. You must hear.

Elpis said:
A Knight's Prayer. The essence of those who have come before, summoned into the world like faith in a higher being. But today, you feel, is not the time for prayer.

Elpis said:
You have to think .You can save her. You know you can. There is, there is— your bag. You have something in there, you know there is something in there. Bandages, berries, potions. Wounds like these—

Elpis said:
If there is a higher power that guides your fate, you will do as Atlas does and defy it. Today you will not let someone bleed in your arms, you will not be pushed away, and you will not be forced to run.

... Oh???? Wait, is Sophie going to make it? But how is she going to...

Elpis said:
You grab your pouch, taking out the things that Ruby put in and unwrap that familiar thing.

You remember what it was for, you remember the most expensive gem that your mother always wore around her neck. The strange stone that is so rare and hard to find.

Elpis said:
You remember what it was for, you remember the most expensive gem that your mother always wore around her neck. The strange stone that is so rare and hard to find.

It's a golden clump with spikes shooting into every direction. Not a berry, but medicine. You crush it, barely any liquid coming out as you rub the spikes on Sophia's wound, hearing her cry out in pain.

It takes a solid minute of rubbing the clump into the wound before something happens. A light shines from your hands, making it hard to look straight at her. Flesh is mended, blood pulling itself back from the skin and leaving nothing but a scar.

Sophia's pale skin takes on some color again, her breathing slowing down. Despite the exhaustion she must be feeling, she is wide awake, the medicine forcing her consciousness awake. Her eyes are wide open, staring up at the sun behind you. You turn slightly, trying to shield her eyes from the light. She whispers another prayer, though you don't know what for.

A REVIVE. RUBY!!!!! A REVIVE??? IT WORKS ON PEOPLE? This is. So cool. This is so cool!!! Awesome worldbuilding, payoff for Ruby and also yay Sophie lives!!

Elpis said:
You breathe out in relief and exhaustion. Now you just have to wait for Leif and the others.

Phew. That was definitely a rough day. for Aria, when it rains, it pours.

Elpis said:
You have saved a life. You have conquered the unreasonable with the radiance of your soul.

In the end, more than anything else that defines you, your empathy and kindness for others are something that makes you [You]. Your love and trust in other people, even in the face of adversity and betrayal, is unmatched. Your willingness to give everything, from expensive medicine to your very blood makes you more of a knight than most.

You are Aria and you are Loving, even if you don't think you are. Even if there is that gnawing feeling at the back of your mind that you're a bad person who drags those around you down.

Even if you think you deserve less, you're a good child.

Sophia is not the kind of person to forget such a debt. You are not the kind of person who demands repayment for doing the right thing. Regardless, you'll have to visit her soon, Leif says she wishes to meet you. 'Sofia of Traviole' is now known to all the Spectrier Knights still stationed in Wallburg.

sjhhjfdhfjd oh she's still gonna be 'Sofia' huh? RIP. Welll that's probably for the best honestly, no need to announce to the Glastrier Knights where she is. Still really, really funny that after resolving to go by her real name and self, she is immediately forced to not do that for practical reasons. I'm serious, it's very fun.

Anyways, that narration is going to make me cry! "Even if you think you deserve less, you're a good child." Agony.

I must say, this is like, the best bet on someone Leif ever made though. Man who is probably really glad he trusted 'Sofia'.

Elpis said:

Oh she looks AMAZING!!!! I love this art.

Elpis said:
There's something to be learned here. With enough of an impact, you will be able to request an audience with the Marchioness. You simply have to pick your approach:

Ooohh this is a neat choice. These are all good options, but if I had to pick...

[X] Duty.
You are adept in the ways of the land, and this will surely be a boon. Bounty hunting, mercenary work, if your name is in everyone's mouth then surely it will reach the ears of the Marchioness.

After the showing we just had, it feels like a good way to follow through on everything that happened with Sophie, as well as Aria's general 'I will go all in on chivalry applied pragmatically even when it risks my personal goals'. Which is extremely endearing every single time.

Axel Fones · Oct 25, 2024

[X] … the farmers.

[X] Wit.

Andrensath · Oct 25, 2024

[X] Wit.
[X] … the weavers.

WaterWorld · Oct 25, 2024

[X] … the weavers.

[X] Duty

Reji8627 · Oct 25, 2024

[X] … the weavers.

[X] Duty

Wobblegonnabe · Oct 26, 2024

[X] … the farmers.

[X] Wit.

Lyosha · Oct 26, 2024

[X] … the farmers.

[X] Wit.

RiceRockRekt · Oct 26, 2024

Not sure I have time to get through this all, but I recalled the technique that let me survive Tempera's 34-fucking-k Roland Interlude (Just Break Up The Post Stupid) and I really wanna sink my teeth into this, so!

"The Patrol and the Knights in Black", what a delightfully straightforward chapter title.

Elpis said:
The weather is fine, so the trip doesn't take as long as it could have. Once the final carriage is full of people, the way continues and in the distance between the light fog and slowly thinning treeline you see the border city, sitting between the mountains that mark the boundary between all you ever knew and all you've learned of the outside world.

"It's quite a sight, isn't it?" Old Bea asks. You nod, trying to pull away the blanket from one of the kids who decided to make you her bed for the rest of the journey. The girl is sleeping, and any attempt to wake her up is met with an even tighter grip on the blanket. Lisa, she is called. Though initially quite shy, she warmed up to you quite fast after distracting her long enough for her parents to get some shuteye.

Such is the way of the village people, you suppose. Where one has to get along with the unknown faster than most.

TORMENTED BY THE CONSEQUENCES OF BEING GOOD WITH KIDS.

I like the poetry of the first sight of Wallburg, that it's genuinely a sense of revelation and a cavity opening up.

Elpis said:
"The numbers of people in a place like this," you begin, unable to fathom the idea, "there's some farmland nearby, but what do the others do? It can't just be a city of artisans, can it?"

"Craftsmanship is valued greatly, but the market is quite full of those who have made a name for themselves among nobility," Old Bea explains. "Back when I was young, in between wars, the city was simply a place for Solians and Gilderans to trade, and it's still used in a similar way. Gold is a language that every nation speaks."

"So traders, artisans, laborers? Is that enough for a city such as this to stay standing for hundreds of years? Then once a war breaks out, the rest of the country supports it and we keep repeating?" You get slightly loud without noticing, but Old Bea doesn't seem to mind. "There has to be more than that, that's such a…"

What is it?

What word are you trying to use here that would truly grasp the vastness of your disappointment in it?

What tongue could you borrow, what poem could you quote, what song have you heard before that could come close to this feeling?

"That's sad." There's nothing else you can say about it. To live in abundance of gold and wares and then live with the austerity of an economy focusing on war, never knowing what tomorrow will bring.

The Empress did not bring peace at all.

"Isn't it?" Old Bea asks, smiling. "But we are not those who choose to go to war, and we are not those who choose to make peace. We can only decide how we live, and that is a strength and a freedom nobles will never truly have."

You don't know what to say, so you raise your hand and pat Lisa's head. She rolls up even more into your blanket as she reacts to your touch.

Old Bea is such a fascinating conversational foil to Aria, she takes a really active engagement in broadening her mind for politics, but from a more commoner perspective than she's ever really integrated, and it makes me wonder, huh, what's her agenda?

Besides thinking Kesteren is a piece of shit. That agenda is clear enough.

The Empress did not bring peace at all.

~~I see that we've hit the "You didn't accomplish jack or shit Mom" stage of the teenage rebellion arc.~~

Elpis said:
The carriage begins to slow down. You've finally arrived.

You have never been in something like a city before. Buildings with multiple floors and ceilings, like castles and mansions, but rooms so small they could just be huts, it's an interesting way to stack people on top of each other and use as much space as possible efficiently.

Aria: Apartment Complex? I find it quite...Well, no, I do find it complicated. What's a security deposit.

Elpis said:
It is at the gates where your anxiety spikes once again and makes you wonder just how well Old Bea's plan is thought out. Leif approaches you before you enter the city, once again riding that tall and colorful Rapidash.

"Pokemon are not allowed to be out and about in the city without a permit," he says, nodding at you. You look at Sneasel, who looks awfully happy at receiving all that attention, and then back at him. "No Pokeball, hm? Well—"

He fumbles with the bag on the side of his Rapidash, nearly falling over instead of just dismounting. Rapidash bites into his ponytail and pulls him back up, revealing a Pokeball in his hands, empty from the looks of it. He throws it toward you, so casually, as if it didn't cost enough to afford three days of food.

Gwhejsngh.

THE BLACK KNIGHT WHO HAS TO DRAGGED BY THE PONYTAIL BY HIS SPARKLY UNICORN NOT TO TRIP AND EAT DIRT FUMBLING THE BAG.

LEIF. LEIF I LOVE YOU.

Inana you are just so fucking. Does she know what a pokeball is. Does she wanna be held.

Anyway we're being reminded that pokeballs are rich people items and that's like. Wow this is maybe the most shocking emblem of ABfI's stark class divide.

That pokemon, too, aren't allowed in this city without the privilege of documentation...Hm hm.

Elpis said:
It looks—well, much like the Glastrier Pokeball. This one is darker, with a black top and a purple bottom. The Spectrier seal is on it, though, an emblem that sits at the top of the city gates as well.

Not too long ago holding this in your hand was the cause of great joy, now it feels like the weight of the world sits in your hand.

Oooooooooof. Cool Knight Pokeball Trauma...

Anyway I love that Aria is picking up another of the set before she even finds a normal pokeball, she's gonna get a Calyrex Guard Ball before she ever gets a humble commoner pokeball, mark my words.

Elpis said:
Sneasel pokes you in the side, knocking you out of the thoughts just like—just like her. You shake your head, this isn't the time. You hold the Pokeball up and she jumps against it, not even shaking in defiance before the light click and soft hum announce the capture.

Sneasel has been caught. Do you want to give Sneasel a nickname?

"Inana," you whisper at her. You think of ancient heroes, of Lissy, and of promises to return. Inana dances in the ball, full of joy and vigor at having received a name. If you can capture just a fraction of that brilliance, of that smile on her face, maybe you can find the strength to keep going.

This is cute. CUTE.

I love how you fit in this gameplay gag Elpis, and ahhhh, thinking about Lissy, her friend who is just as annoying as this knife weasel...

The way Aria has Skiddle PTSD tho.

I really do wonder how Inana and Skiddle are gonna interact when they meet, Aria has set up such a stark dichotomy in her mind (about their Cuteness Rating) that it could actually be a thing or just as easily the pair getting along flawlessly while she awkwardly shuffles around over the beginning of their relationship being Going Hard Tsun At A Fucking Pokemon.

Elpis said:
"It's a beautiful name," Leif says. You turn to him, and you can see the eyes of the other villagers move toward you. "Keep my offer in mind, Sofia of Traviole. If you wish to help and earn some coin, come to the recruitment center near the gates, it's the one with the snow-covered roof."

He laughs about his own joke; all rooftops were drowned in snow and ice at this time. You try not to laugh with him, but a small chuckle does escape your lips. He bids farewell before entering the city proper, all the knights leaving together now that the task has been completed.

You think you're funny, don't you Leif.

Aria agrees!

I like how much in the way that "Sofia of Traviole" obviously isn't one of the villagers, Inana is blatantly like. Only recently Aria's pokemon. Though that isn't really damning or anything.

Honestly, Leif's kinda slick for smoothly passing Aria an emblem of the Spectrier Patrol without even broadcasting that, very "Hey uh don't worry about how weird this girl seems, she's with us" to all concerned.

Elpis said:
"That boy's never going to grow up," Old Bea says. You turn toward her, putting Inana's Pokeball onto your belt.

"You know him?" you ask, frowning.

"In a way," she says, shrugging. She does not look too bothered by the temperatures. "His family used to live in a village near ours, so if there ever was trouble we would send our children to each other until it was over."

"Trouble?" you ask, your frown deepening. "Like bandits? Wild Pokemon?"

"All kinds," she says. She grabs a large bag from the carriage, handing it to you. You sling it over your back, tying it together before grabbing a box filled with bedding. "Knights cannot be everywhere, and the villages were so close."

Were, not are. Even in peaceful times, tragedy can strike. Even when the nobles try to be good and kind, they're not omnipotent.

I like how "Oh yeah Leif is a regular we all know him" is emphasized literally a chapter after Old Bea makes up a fake name to drag Aria past him, literally almost no point in doing that besides getting her foot in the door. Village. Carriage.

...You know, arguably Leif and Bea are doing the same protective claim, if I'm reading the subtext from a bit ago right.

Anyway yeah don't even worry about that past tense regarding the home of a young man who has his neck chopped through.

Elpis said:
Nobody checks on your identity as you walk into the city, falling into step with the other villagers. Some of the children are surrounding you, trying to help you keep the box steady while accomplishing the opposite.

The presence of knights is thin. There's two at the gates, two near the refugee quarter. For a city this size, which dwarves even the Caer Rivenhold by a magnitude of ten, there has to be more to it, right?

The question of how many knights is enough knights sure won't ever be a relevant question, huh.

Elpis said:
"It is not a time to argue politics, I suppose," Old Bea says, nodding. Someone hands her something, pieces of firestones. She crushes them, pouring the pieces into a cup and filling it with a liquid from a pouch. It quickly begins to steam before she hands it to you. Tea, you notice. The small pieces of firestone look like stars at the bottom of the cup. "But if you wish to ponder on something before you fall asleep, keep this in mind. Why did you wear a uniform, and all the knights in the east and west wear armor?"

You don't know.

Or rather, you do. You can extrapolate. You can guess. You can make educated assumptions. You have a billion different ways to take what you know and create an answer that makes sense. The tea warms you, tires you out, and makes you think—a Skarmory's shedded steel can make for a single armor, or five swords. A Corviknight is bigger, though the amount of steel is much the same.

One chose weapons, the other defense.

You try to stay awake, but the exhaustion catches up to you.

There is so much more you must think about…

"Well, regardless, you and your Sneasel can help us once we get to the city," Leif says.

"She's not my—" you begin, but somehow you can't continue. You shake your head. "Sorry, help you?"

"There's some problems that usually crop up around the city during winter," he explains. "It's nothing major, but you'll be compensated. While there's obviously enough food for everyone, that's rationed and mostly bland. Money's the best way to get some proper food on the table."

"Ah," you say, nodding. Of course, no single territory can just live on the labor of knights alone. "Thanks for the information. I'll keep that in mind."

Definitely.

Elpis said:
"Sofia, Sofia!" one of the children calls out. You don't like it, to be called something you are not. To shed one name for another again. You'd correct them, and ask them to keep it a secret, but you're afraid children are not that good at keeping those.

At least the other villagers are nice enough not to use the wrong name in private.

"Yes, yes," you say, adjusting the weight of the box. "What's up?"

"Can we hear another story?" a girl asks.

"Can we hear the one about Kael?" a boy asks.

"No, no! I want to hear the one about Inana!" another boy demands.

"If there's time this evening, sure," you say. You don't have anything to do, really. You'll join the patrols, you've already decided, but you don't know when those patrols will be. You have to go to the recruitment center before nightfall, at least, so once everyone's settled in it'll be fine to leave for an hour or two.

The children cheer, scattering around to find their parents again as you approach your goal.

TORMENTED. BY THE CONSEQUENCES. OF BEING GOOD WITH KIDS.

"[Visibly vibrating with repressed trauma] I have a normal relationship with being given names."

I think Lissy would gloat about Aria spreading her hyperfixation far and wide.

Elpis said:
The quarter of the city that is set up for the evacuated villagers is not too shabby, but comparatively sparse. It's at the edge of the city, near the gates, which gives it protection by the constant stream of knights that come in and out. It's also not quite as warm as the more central quarters, though that is remedied by the delivery of firewood and some higher-grade fire stones that have already been set aside for the buildings.

The sleeping places are set up more like camps, the buildings have a lot of area and inside there are no walls, forcing the villagers to make their own using blankets and other cloth. It doesn't take long, though, just as with the camp before they're so practiced that the quarter becomes a home within just a solid hour of setup.

I do like the continuous emphasis of "Whatever other problems Wallburg might have it does take its evacuation responsibilities seriously" and "Country folk make do like unironically they got it covered", really gives the sense of well oiled gears.

Elpis said:
"Will you join us?" Old Bea asks. "There are some people going out into the city tomorrow, to trade goods, it's a good chance for us to gather things our village needs before spring."

"I'd love to," you say, glancing at the crowd that's gathering outside again. The people are sorting out what they should do to avoid staying idle. "But I've decided to join the patrol, so I'll be on my way to the recruitment center."

"Ah, that's a shame," she says, nodding. Her hand reaches for your shoulder again. "Regardless, once you're done with that come back here for dinner, will you?"

"Of course," you say, raising your own hand and putting it over hers. "Thank you, Beatrice."

She doesn't say anything, but her smile is brilliant.

Dawwwww. Calling her by full name.

Aria is SO polite I love her.

I like that even though we've chosen the "Fight Club" path Aria's still gonna be a constant presence with the people of Traviole, this is very good, though it does make me interested in what the main difference between the paths we picked last chapter is.

Elpis said:
You grab your things, making sure everything is fastened. Just to be sure that no accidents happen, though, you wrap a cloth around the sword's sheath, taking care to tie it so it can't be drawn.

Inana wiggles in the Pokeball, already bored.

Aria: I will be the hidden blade, the sealed sword, waiting for when wrongs demand the darkness be split by light.
Inana: [Chitters what would translate as "Can we do that already? I wanna stab something."]

Elpis said:
The Recruitment Center has bounty posters set up. None of them are for you.

You still don't understand what the Glastrier Order really wants with you, but something strange is afoot and you refuse to be captured until you have all the pieces of the puzzle.

Stilllll trying to find out what even the game is with the Glastrier Order. Ominous in a very fun way.

Though you're a stranger to the people in the refugee camp, the children look up to you and the adults appreciate your willingness to help. The family that takes care of you when Old Bea is too busy leading the lot is…

[ ] … the farmers.
You find yourself with a family that took care of the land. Right now they're the people who have the least to do in the quarter, which means most of the time is spent helping others or talking to each other. There's a lot of things you don't know yet about the wilds and food, you imagine they can be good teachers.

[ ] … the smiths.
You find yourself with a family that took care of tools. They still have some metals, perhaps they can make you something useful or teach you how to make it yourself for a price. There's a lot of things you don't know about minerals in the world, you imagine they can be good teachers.

[ ] … the weavers.
You find yourself with a family that took care of clothes. They still have some fabrics left, you imagine there's a chance you can simply ask them for some better threads if you have the money. There's a lot of things you don't know about pokemon materials, you imagine they can be good teachers.

Interesting! A chance to strengthen Aria's skills and awareness of certain adjacent subjects. There's a chance for fascinating lore here, and a certain dark comedy to Aria getting more comprehension on the mineral studies her adoptive family specialized in from commoners half a lifetime later than the noble and acclaimed House Flamberg, but otherwise I don't weigh any of these higher than the others.

Alright, a little less than a third of the chapter done, but a good stopping point all the same, looking forward to continuing when I got more time on hand.

AmberGimlet · Oct 26, 2024

RiceRockRekt said:
Anyway we're being reminded that pokeballs are rich people items and that's like. Wow this is maybe the most shocking emblem of ABfI's stark class divide.

That pokemon, too, aren't allowed in this city without the privilege of documentation...Hm hm.

Still so torn on this, it feels like such an obvious red flag that I'm second-guessing myself. Like, I can see a practical concern for it, especially with tight-packed flammable infrastructure during an intense cold when supplies and manpower are stretched thin. But also, this is the setting of pokemon and having a pokemon is something so significant, it still feels uncomfortable. It's real interesting, I'm going to be chewing on it until it comes up again.

RiceRockRekt said:
I like how much in the way that "Sofia of Traviole" obviously isn't one of the villagers, Inana is blatantly like. Only recently Aria's pokemon. Though that isn't really damning or anything.

Honestly, Leif's kinda slick for smoothly passing Aria an emblem of the Spectrier Patrol without even broadcasting that, very "Hey uh don't worry about how weird this girl seems, she's with us" to all concerned.

RiceRockRekt said:
...You know, arguably Leif and Bea are doing the same protective claim, if I'm reading the subtext from a bit ago right.

Oooh it didn't occur to me that giving her a Spectrier pokeball would be a sign of implicit trust. I hope that comes up now if that's the case! It does make sense now that you've pointed it out, same with Bea. They both had the same instinct of "this seems like someone who has gone through a lot, I want to make sure she has a chance to stabilize herself, all else being equal" to different degrees admittedly.

Walker · Oct 27, 2024

[X] … the farmers.
[X] Duty

RiceRockRekt · Oct 27, 2024

Alrighty, time to take another swing at the chapter, things were just about to go.

Elpis said:
The air is cold and your vision is filled with white.

The patrol is a simple affair. While it is mostly about keeping the peace and showing a presence, right now there is an actual task at hand. It is the next morning when a knight arrives at the camp and calls your fake name. You are out fast, and follow the man on foot until you reach the north-western gate to the city.

Three knights are there with you, led by Leif. You're not the only one who's decided to join the patrol, however. Two other villagers with their own Pokemon, as well as five unknowns make a total of eight with you included. All of them are quite young, with the oldest maybe in his mid twenties.

The tone's been set in a stark way, the miserable whiteout, the unspoken discomfort within "calls your fake name", and the fact the volunteer pool doesn't get much older or more competent looking than Aria herself.

Elpis said:
"A criminal has been sighted near the city," he says. You purse your lips. The situation has been making you too nervous so you've stopped reacting, at this point you can't change anything. If the Glastrier Knights decide to report your alleged misdeeds, they'll do it. Until then, you can relax. Kind of. Maybe. Possibly. "He's not too much of a threat, but the last group that went out to look for him hasn't returned so we're assembling this group to find them. Four knights are missing."

This does raise your nervousness somewhat. The Spectrier Border Guard are not pushovers, and none of their knights should be threatened by some petty criminal. This either means something else is out there, or that petty criminal has more tricks up his sleeves.

"This is important, so listen up," he says loudly. The others in the group turn to him, while you stand up straight, squaring your shoulders. He gives you an appreciative nod, and you wonder just how many faux passes you'll make before the day is over. "Wilhelm is a petty thief and possibly still out there, but he's not our priority. If you find him, do not engage unless you have no other choice. If you find any of the knights, you use these."

He hands everyone strange sticks. They brim with energy, warm to the touch and strangely enticing to look at.

"You point them at the sky and pull on that string," he says, pointing at the string at the top. "Once it's drawn all the way down it'll release a flare up into the sky, we'll be able to find you then. So do not move until we arrive, is that understood?"

"Yes, sir," you murmur, pocketing the rod. Inana looks excited, jumping back and forth. The snow is no longer a death trap, which makes the expedition possible, but it's still too cold and too windy to really enjoy the stroll through the woods.

Medieval Flare Guns.

Man what even the fuck (Complimentary).

Love how Aria's "Well I'm either fucked or I'm not so I should just stop being paranoid", that's the correct reaction, but is she good at it? No.

The fact the Spectrier Guard is bleeding knights hard right now is very, hm. Literally this is a rescue mission now because they don't even know if the guy they were originally hunting down has anything to do with this.

Inana continually ruining Aria's life because she's an Ice-Type who gets to be perky when it's so cold she wants to throw up.

Elpis said:
Near the border, the geography is not quite the same, at least. The trees are more sparse, but here there are the mammoths out of which shields and the like are made: Mamoswine Trees they call them, for their size and durability. It pierces through the sky, its tip sometimes disappearing among clouds and fog until you can see nothing of them.

And in between those giant trees there are clearings and rocks. Landslides from ages ago formed the ground of the Reichert territory, dirt and sand in between everything so it's still somewhat possible to move on it. Mudsdale carriages can make any terrain, but on foot this is a deathtrap for anyone who tries to move further into the country.

MAMOSWINE TREES. Love that description.

Seriously Gildera is such a fucking. This place was not made to be inhabitable by human beings and yet these bastards keep sticking around.

Elpis said:
"We have to cover a lot of ground," Leif speaks up again, holding up something that looks like a rough map of the area near the city. It's separated into squares. "Everyone takes one area, those two—" he points at the two other knights. "Will keep the perimeter secure and make sure nobody sneaks out. I'll join you in the search."

It does not take long after for the search to actually start. It's a simple affair, mostly involving walking forward while Inana is climbing the trees and taking a look from up there. Of course, he wouldn't leave you alone, meaning the search starts in groups of three.

[Leif Joins Your Party!]

I like Leif.

Inana is wielding the power of being a scamperer to our advantage.

Elpis said:
"Sir Leif," the citizen with a Poochyena says, drawing the knight's attention. "Forgive me if this is not appropriate to ask, but aren't four missing knights a bigger concern? Should we really be so few?"

"There's a lot of trouble this winter," Leif says without missing a beat, his usual smile is a bit forced, not reaching his eyes. "This is a priority, of course, but so is the breakout of Tauros that haven't been caught yet, as well as the Mankey stampede that took out some of our grain storage."

"Would the Spectrier Knights be stretched so thin?" you ask, tilting your head. He raises an eyebrow. "Don't get me wrong, I know it's not nearly as large of a force as… other Orders. But it's not that small."

"You're right, yes," he says. "The largest part of our force is currently occupied elsewhere."

What does he mean elsewhere? The entire point of the Spectrier Border Guard is guarding the border. There's nowhere else than the Reichert territory they could be—fuck.

That last word might have crossed your lips. You slap your hand over your mouth when Leif starts laughing. You don't find it funny at all.

Oh my god. They're both so stupid.

Aria: Wait what could the Border Guard be doing besides guarding the oh my fucking god.
Leif: [Actually literally cracking up because he really needed that levity]

Love how bad this is! Nothing good is here!

Aria is definitely definitely giving away her history here and she's lucky Leif thinks she's too much of a riot to give a hard time.

Mankey Stampede tho. Bad.

Elpis said:
"By the Sovereign…" the man with the Poochyena mutters. "Regardless, thank you for indulging me."

"All good, Peter," Leif says. "It's a valid question, we would not hide information from those who help us, after all."

You feel a pang of guilt, and snuff it out immediately. There's no need to pretend anything, Leif obviously knows that you were a knight of some sort. You're too direct, your mannerisms are too distinct, and you definitely saluted at him using the Glastrier salute at one point during his speech.

OH MY GOD. LITERALLY.

You know there was a time Aria knew how to lie* to people (*Highly Suspect). Where did the days go by.

I like how. Straight up a boy scout Leif is. Diligent in answering the concern of his volunteers and perfectly remembers all the names of the guys Aria has droned out during the daily brooding session.

Elpis said:
"And you came here from the refugee quarter, did you not?" Peter asks you. "It's quite bothersome to move every winter, I imagine."

Something about his mannerism, his way of speaking, feels off to you. It's politer than you're used to, and much less direct than you like. Despite this, you don't feel like he deserves to become the target of your reflex to talk down on anything that bothers you and bite your tongue.

"A village is a village," you say, thinking about Old Bea and the other villagers. "But a home is its people. As long as they are safe, it doesn't matter where they grow roots."

"Well said," Peter says, smiling gently. "Though I admit I've seen few villagers who bother buying themselves a weapon, it's quite something to wield a sword at your age when you're not a knight."

Leif snorts. You breathe in through your nose and out of your mouth. It's nice Leif tries to let you keep some dignity, but his inability to control his own reactions just makes you feel more ridiculous.

"Even villages can't rely on the knights all the time," you say, pursing your lips and staring at Leif. He shrugs, giving you a smile in return. "And even then, defense is never wrong. One can't rely on the goodwill of others, as brigands are wont to do what they want. Laws only matter where people can be brought to justice."

"A bit cynical, don't you think?" Leif asks. You smile at him, returning his earlier shrug.

"I suppose it's hard for trust to be built in the Marquisate if the knights are busy at the border," Peter concedes. "Though please don't misunderstand, it is not criticism that you must carry a sword, young lady, it is the wonder that this duty falls to someone so young and not those in the village who should be taking care of you."

"I am not that young," you say. "And not that helpless."

"Far be it from me to criticize a warrior," he says, conceding without much of an argument. "I am glad to call you comrade today."

"Must...Resist..The urge...To L+Ratio..."

Man what is going on with Peter. Has literally everyone clocked that Aria is a former Glastrier Knight. Honestly I really hadn't anticipated how much in ABfI would be devoted to "You're a child soldier" "Wait but this is medieval times, I thought we just all did stuff way younger???"

"Well said," Peter says, smiling gently. "Though I admit I've seen few villagers who bother buying themselves a weapon, it's quite something to wield a sword at your age when you're not a knight."

Leif snorts. You breathe in through your nose and out of your mouth. It's nice Leif tries to let you keep some dignity, but his inability to control his own reactions just makes you feel more ridiculous.

Aria: I hate Leif.
Inana: [Chitters what would translate as "You high fived him this morning."]
Aria: That's another matter entirely. You don't leave a man's Aces High hanging.

Elpis said:
"We're almost there," Leif says. He stands still, looking around after checking his map again. The snow has made navigation hard, but not impossible. You're not too far from the city, perhaps two hours of walking away, shorter if Leif uses his Rapidash in case he has to call for backup. "Don't forget my words. This is not the time to be a hero, there's no need to risk your life over a thief's escape."

He points in one direction, toward two massive hills that leave just a single path between them.

"Sofia, you go down the valley, your area starts here and ends around the hill. Peter, follow me, we'll reach your area soon."

You give Leif a nod, Inana jumping on top of your shoulder as you make your way toward the glades with fewer and fewer trees. The valley leads way down, all the earth that has formed the mountains came from there and collapsed on itself.

"This is not the time to be a hero" I'm sorry Leif, but you're soon to discover Aria is chronically addicted to finding a hill and dying on it.

Shoulder Buddy Inanaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.

Elpis said:
It's half an hour of walking later when you finally reach something that looks interesting. Fresh footprints in the snow, heavy either from a weightier person or from someone in heavy armor. Regardless, the fact that you can still see them means that they must've been through here after the last snowfall.

A flare shoots up.

One of the knights must've been found. You are still in that valley, still scouting every corner, still uncertain if this is the most productive way to use your time and energy, but for now you can follow the prints. Inana is holding tight around your neck and letting you carry her everywhere after she noticed that there are no trees to climb for scouting.

Another flare shoots up.

You know it's surprising to see the job "halfway done" already, there's clearly more to the situation going on, but apparently the search party doesn't have to wait for the protagonist to accomplish anything, would've thought.

Inana wants to be tall. Koala.

Elpis said:
Inana murmurs something under her breath. You stop, grabbing her and holding her up in front of you.

"Look, I don't like doing busywork like this either, but it's important," you say. "And it's also good pay, we'll be able to buy some tasty treats later."

Inana murmurs again.

"Yes, we will share with the kids," you say, narrowing your eyes at her. Inana snarls. "You're half their size, how do you expect me to give you more than them? Sharing a meal is much better!"

'I am growing, they are runts,' Inana's stare seems to say. You frown, patting down on her head.

"You're the runt, I don't understand how you eat so much when you weigh so little, where does it go?" You poke her belly. She lashes out at you, shoving your arm away before pointing the claw at her matchstick arms, flexing at you. "You're the least muscular thing I've ever seen. I saw a Bunneary with more meat on her ribs than you."

Inana jumps at your face and holds on tightly. You pull on her, trying to get her to let go, but she refuses to budge. She snarls, shouting in your ear. 'I am great and without equal!'

You finally manage to pry her off, throwing her two meters far and into the snow. She digs her way out and makes a gesture that probably would have been very rude if she had fingers instead of claws.

Gwhheghajk.

They're so STUPID.

Honestly really fun that Aria and Inana are tussling and roughhousing, Aria needs to get that violent energy out in other places besides taking it out on perfectly innocent poachers.

The teddy bear grab, the belly poke, the bicep flex, the face clamp, fucking throwing Inana's ass out and flipping Aria the bird, just. Spectacular.

.

Actually I just realized what attacking her like a fucking facehugger reminded me of!

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-x-x_h-Mtrk

A much less loving gesture, and yet the love is still there.

Elpis said:
A loud crunch behind immediately ends the argument. You hear heavy steps, slowly turning your head as Inana growls a sound you've never heard before. Your own gaze follows hers until you find the target of that dangerous glare. You can smell it in the air. They are not here for a friendly meeting.

Tauros. Their winter coat is thick and heavy, reminding you of Bouffalants, but they're unmistakable.

The Tauros that Leif mentioned earlier, from the looks of it.

I love how things immediately get serious and it's like "Wow I know that was just a playfight but Aria literally does not know Inana has way more malice in the tank when it's not a playfight."

I'm guessing this has more than a little to do with the current manhunt, huh!

Elpis said:
A single Tauros isn't that bad, but a group of them could crash a castle gate. You're not equipped to handle them right now, your hand moving towards the flare—

"RUN!"

A voice shouts from the left. Your eyes move up the hill, and the Tauros start charging. You heed the advice, dashing towards your partner and grabbing Inana by the back of the neck and pulling her with you as you rush up the side of the hill and away from the stampeding Tauros. Inana struggles against your grip, trying to break loose to fight against the Tauros, flailing about and clawing at the air as you climb with one free hand.

You find yourself falling over as you reach the tip of the hill, but a hand grabs your shoulder and keeps you from eating snow. "T-thank you."

"You're welcome," she says. A young woman, maybe a year older than you, wrapped in the heavy armor of the Spectrier Knights. You found one of the missing knights, it seems, the flare—it's not at your hip anymore. It fell out of your pocket when you dashed out of the way, now sitting between all the Tauros which are glaring up at you.

You're fairly certain that they can come up if they want to. So what's stopping them?

And here we find a lost Spectrier Knight!

She has helpfully stopped Aria from getting Mufasa'd!

Aria has gone to the trouble of helping Inana not get Mufasa'd, which Inana probably appreciates Much Less, for she Could Have Handled It.

Love that we're getting the experience of Tauros being a fucking problem and a half, good scale.

Elpis said:
You square your shoulders, turning to the young woman, saluting her out of reflex. "Thank you again."

She looks… haggard. You remember the knights have gone missing just yesterday, but she looks like it's been longer than that, her hair is the color of that fresh snow all around you, her eyes a dark contrast. Her one arm is still on your shoulder, keeping you steady, the other is limp at her side.

"I imagine you are looking for me," she says, letting go of you and saluting in return. "I am Sophia, Spectrier Knight. My unit has been following a thief before we were separated by the Tauros."

You see, knights like Aria because she is also a compulsive knight.

Hey Sophia! Sophia is doing Bad.

Elpis said:
"Why didn't you return to town?"

"We cannot let the thief get away." She points toward another hill at the end of the valley, on the other side of the Tauros. "He stole something important, and he's also trapped here until the weather warms up and melts the snow. Trying to escape the Marquisate right now would be suicide."

"But you're injured, you could've regrouped at the city and gotten backup."

"No," she says, looking down at her leg. It's… well, not bleeding anymore, but it's clear she has been wounded badly. She hasn't moved from the spot since she caught you from tripping, but she must be in terrible pain. "I couldn't."
"Ah," you say, nodding. You look at Inana, who's still glaring down at the Tauros. The Tauros glare back. "Well, the stick to call for backup is down there, so I guess we're both stuck."

Inana: [Chitters what would translate as "I could take 'em."]
Aria: You would Literally Actually Die.

Love how Sophia is "I cannot falter in my duty" before she's willing to silently gesture to "Also I have one working arm and leg between me."

Man what did Wilhelm even steal?

Elpis said:
"I don't think that's the case," she says. She points at the hill again, and you can see someone approach. A man, tall and slim, wearing a ridiculously large hat and a wide, disgustingly bright smile. "The other flares got him moving."

"Ah, Miss Knight! Terribly sorry about your leg," the thief, Wilhelm, shouts loudly. It's barely necessary, the wind carries his voice easily. "It has been a fun chase, but I think it's time we should wrap it up, right?"

"You have nowhere to run, thief," Sophia says, drawing her sword. The black blade is shaking at the tip, too long and heavy to be held with one hand. Inana shouts something as well, though the 'snees' and growling are harder to decipher than human tongue.

Wilhelm's smile widens, the skin around his lips cracking slightly after exposure to the cold and dry air. You narrow your eyes when he draws a… flute? The instrument causes Sophia to tense up, her sword lowering until the tip touches the snow.

He blows into the flute, playing a strange tune that echoes over the hills. Inana slams her hands over her ears, while the Tauros become unnerved and irritated. They try to escape the sound and the direction that's most convenient leads right through you.

A Poke Flute! An evil fucked up Poke Flute!

I love how we randomly have a cattle rustler pied piper here.

Elpis said:
Inana does not hesitate in the slightest. She raises her claws, meeting the one charging Tauros that was coming directly at you and blocking its approach. Horns and claws clash with a loud noise, the aftershock of that impact shaking snow loose from the hills. The other Tauros are not actively attacking you, instead running past you and crossing the hill. As fortunate as that is, you find yourself on the backfoot, putting your body between Inana and Sophia and raising your still bound sword with the sheath.

By the time the stampede ends, Inana and the Tauros are still in a stalemate. She looks at you, grinning and saying something that must sound like 'see, I'm strong!'.

Holy shit Inana is strong.

I feel like Aria doesn't entirely have the scale of how powerful tiny pokemon can be with the experience size she has, her main experience is Actual Babies—

Elpis said:
You can't help but laugh, looking behind the Tauros to find Wilhelm—right there in front of you.

He jumps on top of the Tauros, having crossed the distance with two knives in hand and brings them down on you. You raise the sword up, holding one hand flat against the sheath and block the stabs by holding strong against his forearms.

—Okay damn Wilhelm you got schmovement!

Love the level of fuck around and find out in action, if you wanna make it in Gildera you have to have access to literal Tekken combos.

Elpis said:
It's a heavy attack, but you stand tall. So does he, of course, but you have ways around that.

"Inana!" you shout. "Flip!"

She understands without much effort, her claws changing angles on the horns and her entire body twisting around before she manages to use the Tauros' momentum to twist it around and slam it down. Wilhelm yelps as he falls off, rolling away from you as you swing your sword at him. The man is nimble, much more than you, and you don't like just how confident he looks as he shakes off the snow from his clothes.

LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS COMBO MOVE, fantastic that we're finally getting Human/Pokemon Double Battles.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byjDd-QJnzM&t=57

^ Every "Grab the bull by the horns and fucking spin it" sequence reminds me of her.

Elpis said:
You look back into the valley, but the flare is gone.

"Looking for this?" he asks, holding up the rod, waving it around. "It's a neat little trinket, but I really can't have anyone spoil our fun."

He pockets it, then draws his knives again. They're thin, mostly for stabbing rather than cutting. You've heard that knives like these can be used to pick locks as well, which sounds reasonable considering his reputation as a thief.

You're not sure you can agree on petty thief, though. This man is a professional. Dangerous and unpleasant, if a bit weaker with the blades than you'd have expected. You swing again, taking a step toward him, but he jumps back and raises his hands in… surrender?

Of course not. He tries to kick you in the stomach, but such a cheap attempt would never work on you. You twist your body out of the way, stabbing the sword into his stomach. He doesn't fall over, instead landing on his hands and flipping through the air before landing on his feet again.

"Is this guy a performer or something?" you mutter.

"Why the fuck are you randomly Level 20???" <-- Completely unknown girl who can fold a grown man in a direct contest of strength.

Love how normalass(?) criminals in Gildera keep having fight choreography like this. Can't make it in this life if you don't have style.

Elpis said:
Inana cries out, and you see that the Tauros recovered from its earlier dive to threaten her again. Wilhelm whistles with a finger in his cheek and the Tauros reacts with more anger. It kicks Inana out of the way and rushes at you instead.

That bastard grabs your legs after diving at you, fixing you in place. You can smash that sword into his head but that will not save you. So—

"Spring!" Sophia shouts out. You hear a loud, high-pitched roar and find yourself in the air all of the sudden, that asshole still holding onto your legs. Vines are wrapped around your waist, keeping you away from the Tauros' angry charge. "Now shake!"

The vines start to shake you, and Wilhelm's grip loosens enough for you to kick him off. Unfortunately he's not in the way of the Tauros, but he is right under you when the vines let you go and you slam feet first into his chest.

He grunts in pain, then rights himself up so fast you're forced to step back and find yourself side by side with Sophia again.

Yooooooo, team up team up team up!

Incredible to me how Wilhelm can tactically use "Animals are so pissed off having to deal with me" "YOU PISS ME OFF TOO" "Humans are animals too aren't they?" like it impresses me how much of a sauceless goon this man is.

Aria wants him TRAMPLED and she will do it herself if she has to.

Elpis said:
Next to her is a rather large Bulbasaur, glaring at Wilhelm. He looks injured as well, though not nearly as much as Sophia. Spring, he is called. A warm and welcome name. Despite that, though, he looks rather appropriate for Gildera, much like Skiddle before the plant on his back has blue tips and his bright green eyes shine even more radiant.

A Bulbasaur! A large lad!

Sophia literally having the first Grass-Type Starter surely doesn't imply strong foiling with Aria, never mind the fact she thought "Oh, frosted tips just like Skiddle..."

Elpis said:
Inana glares at the Tauros. Spring looks irritated. Sophia… Sophia is on her knees. She's breathing heavily, and you can see some fresh blood from the leg wound seeping into the snow as she tries to stay standing.

"Sophia," you say, putting your hand to your sword's sheath. "Stay behind me, I can handle him."

She looks up at you, doubt on her face, worry and exhaustion in the way her eyes move from you to Wilhelm. She does not believe you, but she has no other options, and that is fine. That is understandable.

Well, there's nothing else to be done now. You unwrap the cloth around the sheath.

"You're just some stupid villager," Wilhelm says, grinning so wide you can see every single one of his teeth. "There's no need for you to go this far for a failure of a knight."

"No," you say, drawing your sword. The Skarmory Steel glows bright, reflecting sunlight everywhere. You swing it to the side, your face twisting in anger as you glare up at him. "There isn't."

BARED STEEL.

"There isn't a reason to do this." "Yes there is. STABBING YOU."

Elpis said:
"Well, in for one corpse, in for two," he says, the knives in his hands spinning for a moment as he changes his grip. "What name do you want on your gravestone, girl?"

"Aria," you say, pointing the sword at him. "Memorize it so you can share it with the rest of the scum in prison."

I love how she just has no chill. Said literally actually fuck this cover name.

She isn't even gonna kill this guy she wants literally everyone to know who beat his ass ragged.

Elpis said:
He aims at Sophia, forcing you to keep up the defense. Tauros charges at Inana, who's already become fast friends with Spring and is now riding on top of its bulb to meet the Tauros head on. While Inana blocks the horns, Spring's vines hold back the legs, making the fight much more even.

You swing the sword, getting caught between the blades. They slide down the edge of yours, until you're face to face with that grinning maniac. You kick up, hitting the man's leg. He kicks back, sending you reeling backward. Sophia catches you again, crying out in pain before pushing you back into the fight. You spin around, grabbing the man's collar and dragging him with you and away.

Spring and Inana find themselves with the upperhand in their fight, so you can focus entirely on yours. He stabs at your arm, and you pull it back before stabbing forward with your blade. It nicks his torso, drawing blood.

What the fuck literally stacked amigo strats???

I LOVE. POKEMON RIDING COMBAT. THINGS ARE GONNA GET CRAZY WHEN SKIDDLE AND INANA START HANGING.

This is really fun choreography, because everyone's involved! Literally everyone! Wilhelm can target Sophia to control Aria's response, but Sophia can support Aria on the rebound, which makes for fun interplay.

Elpis said:
It's strange how much easier this seems compared to the poacher. Perhaps that is what Leif meant. He's a petty thief, he makes for good theater and little else, though his ambush against the knights using the flute and the Tauros does point to a slightly more intelligent criminal.

I literally cannot understate how wild it is Aria's like "You know what...This guy IS bitchmade" like she's literally living her Battle Action Shounen Training Arc all over this circus clown's ass.

Elpis said:
So when he whistles again, once more making the Tauros change directions all of the sudden, you do expect it. You stab the sword in the ground and slide down the hill, watching as the Tauros' charge goes right over you. You see—

Spring's vines on its horns, sending it flying down the hill with Tauros, and you see Inana on Spring's head, standing proudly with her arms crossed as they descend.

You ignore the audacity and turn to your adversary once more. He's stopped smiling.

"I really don't like you, girl."

"I don't care."

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Everyone's like that when Aria starts throwing hands!

She just sucks to deal with!

I love. The still frame of Inana and Spring riding this cow to hell.

Elpis said:
You rush at him, using the sword that's still buried in the snow as a shovel to throw some at his face. He blocks the snow with his arm, giving you an opportunity to drive your shoulder into his stomach and tackle him. Before he can recover, you stab the sword into his leg.

He screams, then chokes back that cry to pucker his lips and whistle. You don't let him, slamming your gloved hand onto his mouth with a force that cuts his lips against his teeth. You keep pressing against him, forcing his head into the snow.

Instead, he lets go of his swords and snaps his finger. That bastard wasn't controlling the Tauros independently at all, you realize.

That Tauros that's still fighting was his all along.

Yeah yeah yeah, this came across really naturally, because "Wait why the hell is this one Tauros still hanging around aimed dead straight at Aria" had the obvious answer of "Well this is Pokemon", which is why it's clever that Wilhelm was using herd instincts to insert his own inside man and distract from the naked truth with the smokescreen of the running of the bulls, this is basically assassin strats with a fucking Tauros, crazy to see.

Aria will just maim a man. No hesitation.

Elpis said:
It reacts to the snap, shoving Inana out of the way and slamming its head against Spring, continuing its ascent back up the hill. You move out of the way, but the Tauros keeps up with the movement.

"Damn it." You hear Sophia's words before you find yourself rolling down the hill again.

She shoves you out of the way. You cry out, trying to grab her on your way down and save her as well, but the Tauros is too fast. Your hand reaches out too slow.

Sophia's body is thrown up, sent across the entire battlefield with such a loud noise you wonder if she died on impact. You can see the armor has broken apart. You can see the horn of the Tauros as it flees the scene without its trainer, full of blood—

You can see Sophia on the ground, bleeding, barely alive.

You ball a fist and slam it into the man's chin. It breaks with a loud crunch. For good measure, you turn his hands and stomp on them, leaving his fingers to point into ten different directions.

Then you stab your sword into his leg, making sure he won't be able to escape before you take care of Sophia. The flare in his pockets is quickly pointed up, drawing on the string until it explodes and releases a light in the sky.

Well damn!

Wilhelm I think you made a bad gamble here.

Sophia has a hole in her torso and Wilhelm has fractured every bone in his body and Aria has stabbed her Very Telling Skarmory Steel Sword in the leg of a man that she wants to stay there all the way up until people come to find them by way of the flare.

It's all kinda gone to shit!

RIP to a real one Tauros, you're moving on to green pastures.

Elpis said:
You rush to her, your feet dragging across the snow as you reach out. She's still breathing, if barely. The snow under her turns into a mire of blood, the wound so deep you can see her organs writhing underneath.

Spring mews, looking up at you, tears in his eyes. He does not make a noise, yet his expression tells you everything you need to know. The fear in his heart, the worry in his quivering lips. Inana joins you, standing next to Spring and putting one clawed arm on him.

Oh boy that is a GOOD big hole.

Spring...Inana is good people. Good weasel people.

Elpis said:
Sophia is whispering something. Something you can't quite place. You lean forward, your hand on her wound, trying to stem the bleeding. You try to listen. You must hear.

"A true knight," Sophia whispers a prayer. She breathes in deep, then continues. "will rush onto the battlefield."

A Knight's Prayer. The essence of those who have come before, summoned into the world like faith in a higher being. But today, you feel, is not the time for prayer.

"Their souls ablaze," she continues. You have to think .You can save her. You know you can. There is, there is— your bag. You have something in there, you know there is something in there. Bandages, berries, potions. Wounds like these— "with the flames of valor."

If there is a higher power that guides your fate, you will do as Atlas does and defy it. Today you will not let someone bleed in your arms, you will not be pushed away, and you will not be forced to run.

"No fear of death—" she coughs. You let go of the wound, reaching down to your waist. "Is to be seen in their eyes."

You grab your pouch, taking out the things that Ruby put in and unwrap that familiar thing.

You remember what it was for, you remember the most expensive gem that your mother always wore around her neck. The strange stone that is so rare and hard to find.

It's a golden clump with spikes shooting into every direction. Not a berry, but medicine. You crush it, barely any liquid coming out as you rub the spikes on Sophia's wound, hearing her cry out in pain.

. A MAX REVIVE???

Ruby. Holy shit.

Also what the fuck Flamberg was such a piece of shit she had to wear a Cure Death rock everywhere like a fucking necklace???

I feel like Ruby was accurately reading Aria's tendencies when they passed her this actual treasure in secret, which makes it almost funny that she used it on the knight with just as much of a chivalry boner as her.

Elpis said:
It takes a solid minute of rubbing the clump into the wound before something happens. A light shines from your hands, making it hard to look straight at her. Flesh is mended, blood pulling itself back from the skin and leaving nothing but a scar.

Sophia's pale skin takes on some color again, her breathing slowing down. Despite the exhaustion she must be feeling, she is wide awake, the medicine forcing her consciousness awake. Her eyes are wide open, staring up at the sun behind you. You turn slightly, trying to shield her eyes from the light. She whispers another prayer, though you don't know what for.

You breathe out in relief and exhaustion. Now you just have to wait for Leif and the others.

I love how since this is Literally A Damn Max Revive Sophia has to be awake through this. Doesn't even get to mercifully pass out. This is the shit you save to muscle through the Elite Four sawing through your entire team one at a time.

Elpis said:
You have saved a life. You have conquered the unreasonable with the radiance of your soul.

In the end, more than anything else that defines you, your empathy and kindness for others are something that makes you [You]. Your love and trust in other people, even in the face of adversity and betrayal, is unmatched. Your willingness to give everything, from expensive medicine to your very blood makes you more of a knight than most.

You are Aria and you are Loving, even if you don't think you are. Even if there is that gnawing feeling at the back of your mind that you're a bad person who drags those around you down.

Even if you think you deserve less, you're a good child.

Sophia is not the kind of person to forget such a debt. You are not the kind of person who demands repayment for doing the right thing. Regardless, you'll have to visit her soon, Leif says she wishes to meet you. 'Sofia of Traviole' is now known to all the Spectrier Knights still stationed in Wallburg.

Dawww. Made a friend!

This is like, a really good follow up to the literally Everything Arc 1 ended on, good return to form, darkness to light.

Love how literally all the Spectrier Knights know Aria is Faking, Very Badly, but she's like their people now. Sorry Duke van Kesteren, no take backs.

Sophia is a very dapper young lady, spiky white hair and green pronouns.

The fact you held back posting the art was a good way to maintain the illusion that she was a NPC slated to die Elpis!

There's something to be learned here. With enough of an impact, you will be able to request an audience with the Marchioness. You simply have to pick your approach:

[ ] Prowess.
You are a knight, and a knight's word is only as good as their skill with the sword. If you prove yourself with your martial ability, the Spectrier Knights will surely put in a good word for you.

[ ] Wit.
You are kind and helpful, and this will make you popular even if you don't want to be. If you prove yourself among the people of the city, the nobles will not deny your presence.

[ ] Duty.
You are adept in the ways of the land, and this will surely be a boon. Bounty hunting, mercenary work, if your name is in everyone's mouth then surely it will reach the ears of the Marchioness.

Okay, so this is the vote!

It's fascinating to think that the paths going forward are "What tools do you use to make your sell", funny how for all this fic started two months on the dot before it came out, it really is a lot like Metaphor: ReFantazio, in a really good way!

I'm more curious to find out what everyone voted for than to really take a pick myself, but this has been fun, lemme cap off with some busywork:

Elpis said:
Aria, the Aspirant Knight

Aria, the Runaway Knight

Art by Me

Your Pokemon and your Skills share the same slot. As one grows in power, the other will too. Aspects are combinations of Skills, representing the content of your character and choices, not necessarily the things you can bring to the table.

They're graded loosely adapted from We Stand In Awe's and But Not Forgotten's skill levels. Everything runs purely on a narrative basis, with your capability in a skill deciding the paths that become available to you rather than rolls which decide their outcomes.

Aspects and Skills

Aspect: Imp‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ l (Wisdom + Authority)

This is an Aspect of your Character. Something that you ARE, not something that you CAN DO. Wisdom and Authority make for a better noble that most. If you hone this aspect, perhaps you can forge it into a blade that can carve borders. It is missing a few letters, though. You should go find those.

Skill: Wisdom [Competent]

There are many ways of persuasion. Knowing when to apply the right kind of force, knowing when to ease up, such is the way of a Knight. During lessons, the stories of those generals who set enemies up to fail with strategy and wit were always much more interesting to you. You are Aware. You notice things that you might not usually, you make connections that make no sense sometimes because of details you picked up but might not quite have the context for yet.

Skill: Authority [Competent]

Your voice commands respect. Your deeds will make people think twice before starting a fight with you. It is easier to convince others to follow you. These are all aspects of Authority, something you have inside of you whether you want it or not.

Aria's Pokemon

~~The Flamberg Growlithe~~

?: ??? the Growlithe: Love. You are someone capable of great empathy and affection.

~~Skiddle, the Runaway Knight's Regret~~

1: Skiddle the Skiddo: Wisdom [Competent]:
Skiddle is your first partner as a Glastrier Knight. She's kind and happy, always ready to cheer you up and keep you company when you're down. She will keep you upright if you can barely walk, and she will warm you up at night if you're cold. That's the kind of Pokemon she is.

Or was.

Inana the Sneasel

A proud Sneasel of Northern Gildera. She knows she's adorable and will let everyone know. Her biggest goal seems to be proving herself as strong and dependable.

Important Characters and Friends

Sophia, Spectrier Knight

A knight of the Spectrier Order. You saved her life. She has become very friendly since then.

Capella, your precious friend.

Capella is a year younger than you. She has spent a lot of time with Drake before he returned to the Caer after picking you up. She is your best friend. The only one who truly understands you.

Drake, your adoptive father.

The man who took you in. A bald Commander whose name makes many tremble in fear. To you, he's your savior and mentor. His trusty Partner is a Dragonite named Typhon as scarred as him.

Lissy, the Future Legend

A girl who wants to become a hero. She knows all the tales and stories of those who now dwell in the Elysian fields. Her ability to fight in close combat is enough to make even some older knights cower. Her Scraggy is named Perseus.

Ruby, the Mountain Child

A member of the last natives in Western Gildera. They hail from Regis' Pass, a village where the last survivors do not know what their future looks like. Ruby wishes to become a noble to protect their people. Their Bunneary is called Opal.

Leif, Spectrier Knight

A man who knows more than he lets on. Leif is a Spectrier Knight who used to be a villager in the Reichert Marquisate. He is easy to get along with and quite perceptive. He gifted you a Pokeball.

Minor Characters and Acquaintances

Silvia, the Lightning Blade

Silvia is a Captain of the Glastrier Order. Despite using a long sword, she is said to be the fastest swordswoman on the continent. Her partner, Bolt, is a Raichu with a darker fur than usual.

Redwood, the Scholar

A man who towers over everyone in the Caer. Redwood is a teacher at heart, though his own skill with the blade is not to be taken lightly. His partner is an Ursaluna named Princess. She wears a crown.

The Murkrow Squad of the Northern Woods

Led by Thalia the Murkrow, these four Murkow were your first battle, and rivals for berries. They're not that bad, though. They did save your life. Maybe one day you can come back for them.

First, several new changes from the character sheet, firstly is that Inana got art!

Look at her. She's so smug. And deservedly so.

The net scars on her arm, the almost tear drop esque cut below her eye, the blue, the purple, and that wicked, WICKED smile, they all come together great!

She wants to be seen as strong and dependable, and she very very much is.

A knight of the Spectrier Order. You saved her life. She has become very friendly since then.

Sophia has taken the top spot on the friends list from Capella! Capella is probably going to maul her!

A man who knows more than he lets on. Leif is a Spectrier Knight who used to be a villager in the Reichert Marquisate. He is easy to get along with and quite perceptive. He gifted you a Pokeball.

Leeeeeeeeif, our friend Leif.

I love how he's such a finely crafted mix of "This guy is a dumb goober" and "I mean he definitely has Aria's number. He has enough of her number that he knows she's a good person that wants to help but he does just have her number."

Tempera said:
The description reads as Eternatus to me. A metaphorical tale of Eternatus' eventual return.

Honestly my brain parsed Eternatus as too dark purple adjacent to parse it as like. Blue blue to go with the "red and blue" descriptor, though I won't deny I also had that thought, I was just also "But wait, what if Eternatus was the Dread King like I thought?"

This is one of those situations where there's the funny possibility that one Legendary has been fucking around in multiple myths, but there might be more natural conclusions when more information becomes apparent.

Elpis, I've gotta say, you did good in making the absence of "You Know The True Names Of Gods" in Aria's skill traits felt.

Dubious Wisdom said:
Both Sofia & Sophia eh?

. HUH. Wait what.

...You know I had this thought before but do you think Old Bea was maybe giving away some backstory talking about her granddaughter So"f"ia?

AmberGimlet said:
Still not bounty posters, though that's not that surprising. While word has spread somewhat, we already saw that the call for Aria hadn't really gone out, which means it probably won't be going out. Ever, I'd say, actually. Framing someone for murdering their mentor, especially when there a lot of people who are Not Happy About That, feels like the kind of ploy with an expiration date that's fast approaching. Trying to pull a two months later 'oh yeah it was totally this person' when she's already managed to establish herself as someone the people around her know probably wouldn't do that? I don't see it going well. But then, why go through the effort to frame her in the first place? Did the storm escape just mess up the point of needing to frame someone at all? Or was the point not to frame Aria, but to keep her away, period?

Yeah yeah, it's like. Aria has a much easier time believing that the frameup Would Work than she really should because she's blind to how well known she is and how little she's like. Considered unimportant, like:

Elpis said:
"Hey, favorite child," Lissy calls out. You blink, tilting your head. "Yeah, I mean you. Why'd you pick me?"

"I'll answer that if you answer my question first," you say, keeping your voice even.. "Favorite child?"

"You're one of Commander Drake's, right?" Lissy asks. You can tell she means nothing by it. To her, it's not an insult, or some sort of spiteful remark. It's a matter of fact, and you cannot really deny it. "One of the two, the favorite child."

Elpis said:
"Ruby speaks highly of you, Aria," Redwood says, shoving what looks like an entire roast into the oven. You start at the sudden attention, your eyes moving from the three Pokemon to the captain's face. "Though it seems you have some issues with your performance."
You frown. You know Ruby wouldn't share your worries with him so easily. "Did Drake tell you?"

"The commander entrusted me with keeping an eye on you while he was gone," he says, laughing. "Though I admit you surprised me in the classes, your attitude always seems very blasé but you're quite an earnest student."

Literally the first thing a dumbass without care for overall social clout like Lissy says "Oh hey you're Drake's favorite", and Redwood tells Aria that Drake wants him to look out for her, there's basically no way anyone at Caer Rivenhold would take this as an open and shut case, which, you know, is why the conspiracy is literally trying to kill Aria instead of relying on a trial to work in their favor.

AmberGimlet said:
Dammit stop jumping me! How stretched thin are the spectrier knights that they can send four knights out to find four knights and still need to rely on their number and some change in contracted help? Honestly I love that literally all of the hireling had something to say about that.
Anyways, Leif feeling the strain and rattling off a bunch of problems points to just how few knights they have working here, especially since some of those problems sound more like, I don't know, militia business perhaps? Depends on traditions of peacekeeping forces I suppose.

Also Aria accidentally swearing, I'm sorry girliepop but it is funny. But also, hmm. What does that mean? Honestly this is an area where I suspect the narration has already all but explicitly stated it if not actually explicitly stated it and my memory is just absolutely failing to click in, but Aria clearly knows, so. Yeah.

The reason the Spectrier Border Guard is stretched thin is because most of them are invested in watching the border!

Of the Empire of Sol!

Which Gildera is almost definitely about to have a war with!

So that's a thing.

Alright, done now, loved the chapter Elpis, waiting to rock out with the next!

Elpis · Oct 28, 2024

Adhoc vote count started by Elpis on Oct 28, 2024 at 4:06 AM, finished with 16 posts and 12 votes.

7 people have voted
[X] Wit.
- barty
- Dubious Wisdom
- Andrensath
- Who?
- Axel Fones
- Wobblegonnabe
- Lyosha
6 people have voted
[X] … the weavers.
6 people have voted
[X] … the farmers.
- Who?
- Axel Fones
- Wobblegonnabe
- Lyosha
- AmberGimlet
- Walker
5 people have voted
[X] Duty

Illunima · Oct 28, 2024

[X] Wit
[X] ... the farmers.

Elpis · Oct 31, 2024

Winning Vote:

[X] Wit.

[X] The farmers.

###

The medical wing of the Wallburg Knight's Quarter is not too dissimilar to the Glastrier one. Though the setup is much the same, rather than a Chansey running around and making sure that all the injured and sick are taken care of, there's a pair of Blissey with electric blue eyes.

Currently they're busy holding down a man who keeps shouting about an attack. His body seems fine, but there's a bandage wrapped around one eye and his forehead. That's too fresh to be from the group of knights that went missing, he arrived later.

You turn to the woman in charge, dressed in a long white coat and glaring at a piece of parchment through glasses, eyebags that tell you of many restless nights sitting framed in between dark red hair.

Everyone you have overheard just calls her the Nurse. Capital N.

"Your injuries are healin'," she says, chewing on something while giving you the diagnosis. You remember some older knights had something similar on them, wasn't it burning at the tip? It looks similar, at least. "Still, quite some scars for a village girl, swingin' a sword and allofthat."

You have to strain your ears to really hear what she's saying. "Does that mean I can go?"

"Sure, but you mighta wanna swing around the private rooms," she says, pointing at a door toward the end of the big room. "Someone wants to see you."

You blink, tilting your head. Who would ask for you, really? Leif isn't injured whatsoever, though from the look on his face when he found you with all of Sophia's blood on your hands and in the snow, he did look sick.

"It's the lass, girly," the Nurse says. "The lass you saved."

"Oh, right, Leif said something about that," you say, blinking again. Though Sophia's injuries were severe, the Revival Stone, as you were informed, had sent her expected recovery time from 'possibly months' to 'a good week of bedrest.'.

Apparently those were not just rare and expensive, they were practically impossible to get without connections to the Mountain Tribes that Ruby descends from. You know they'd never criticize a use like this, yet it pains you that one of those gifts you received is no longer in your hands.

You clench a fist at your side and nod to the Nurse, moving toward the door. Inside you can hear some laughter, the other injured knights are also inside from the sound of it. You open the door to find those four knights. Sophia is in the bed at the window, laughing so hard that her shoulders are shaking. She truly puts the motion into emotion, slamming her fist into the bed as the knight across the room continues his story. You don't know what the story is about, but 'and his mother was a Drifloon' sounds like a punchline you need a lot of context for.

The laughter starts to get more quiet as they notice you, and you have time to take in the rest of the group. Two men and another woman, no longer dressed in armor but in simple clothes that do nothing to hide the sheer amount of bandages underneath. Sophia is the last to notice you, her eyes widening when she spots you. She must be running a fever after those injuries, her face is all red.

"Aria," she says in greeting. You flinch, of course, you did shout your name at Wilhelm before you beat the shit out of him. "Come in, please."

You do, walking into the room and closing the door behind you. The other knights are following you with their eyes as you approach Sophia's bed. She pats her hair down as you sit down in the chair that's placed next to the bed.

"Hello, Sophia," you say. The discomfort at your fake name is already gone, and you suppose it'd be less confusing to just be Aria now, even if that name could draw attention of the Glastrier Order again. Right now you're in Wallburg, and you've done a great deed, which means even if they decide to accuse you of Drake's murder you know at least Leif will give you the benefit of the doubt. "Are you well?"

"Better than well," she says, her fist against her chest. "You saved my life."
You open your mouth to say you did no such thing, that she saved yours by protecting you from that Tauros, that all you did was return the favor.

But she does not let you. There's tears in the corners of her eyes as she bows her head. "Thank you, Aria."

You bite your tongue and put a hand on her shoulder, pushing her back onto the bed to lie down. "Thank you, too. For protecting me."

The smile she offers is worth it. It's so easy to dismiss people's gratitude, to say that it was nothing, or that it was simply the circumstances in which you find yourself in. You saved each other, and that is worth mutual appreciation.

The other knights are clearly listening, remaining quiet to not disturb your conversation. At one point you swear you could see the men grin at each other.

"Leif says you came here with the villagers from Traviolle," she says when she finds her voice again. "Though you're from further away, right? That sword of yours couldn't have been forged in the Marquisate."

"No," you say, avoiding her gaze. "It's from… from the Duchy. I—"

"You don't need to explain yourself," Sophia says quickly. You blink. "You've got your reasons, so just talk about it when you feel like it. I owe you that much. If Leif lets you enter the city, you belong here either way. No way he'd have given you one of the Spectrier Pokeballs if that wasn't the case."

What a simple way to make decisions. No doubts that even Leif could make the wrong choice, or that you're a deserter of some sort.

You think back to Old Bea's words about van Kesteren and the Marquess Reichert. About the different kinds of governing, and reasons for knighthood. Are these people really that much more trusting? Or are they so much better at telling when someone is lying?

If nothing else, the suspicion inside of you that you're not being hunted by the knights makes you think of different questions, some you really wish you never find the answer for.

Would the captains have protected you? Should you have reached out to Capella after all?

No.

No you realize more than ever, your future has never been in the confines of some Duke's army. That you do not seek the glory of men like Achilles, who smile when they are faced with impossible odds.

Your fists clench at your sides, still unable to look at her face. Sophia is the one who reaches out this time, putting a hand on your shoulder as she no doubt notices the whirlwind of emotions inside of you.

Why are you trying to convince others that you're a bad person? That you have reason for shame?

"My time in the Duchy ended abruptly," you say, feeling another kind of relief at being able to be at least somewhat honest. "It's not something I like to talk about, please don't misunderstand."

"It's fine," she says. "I want you to feel comfortable here."

"No," you say, shaking your head. "It's fine, Leif has already made it clear he knows more about me than I dared admit. I am Aria, I used to be an Aspirant for the Glastrier Knights."
You salute again, the way you've learned it, with your fingers at your shoulder and bowing slightly. Your fingers brush against hers.

"Once again, I am Sophia. Those three people who cannot pretend to be deaf are Maurits, Lena, and Garry."

The three knights greet you with their own salutes, sitting in the beds and glancing at each other.

"I wanted to speak with you in private," Sophia says, glancing at the others. "But that won't be possible here, could we meet after the Nurse lets me out?"

"Of course," you say. There's little else you can do besides stay in Wallburg, of course, and you did promise the children another story from Lissy's book at bedtime so there's no way you're going to run away. That'd be rude. "Still, I'm glad you're doing well, though. It was quite a grim sight."

Sophia tries to laugh it off, but you can see the strain on her face, the weight of her experience. It feels so familiar to you, like looking into a mirror at that young girl who shed her blood and name to keep moving. Who gave up hope and faith until Drake dragged her back.

"Sorry," you find yourself saying. "It's not good bedside manners."

"You don't need to apologize," she says. "When I became a knight, I always knew a day like this could come. But knowing and experiencing it are too different. It's one of the reasons… Nevermind that, ignore me."

"Nothing prepares you for the possibility of death," you say, nodding. She nods back, and a comfortable silence blankets you. Her hand is still on your shoulder, you notice, even as she is lying in that bed and staring at the ceiling. Her fingers grip into your shirt, so softly you barely notice the touch, but still straining against the idea of letting go.

"I've gotten paid for the arrest," you say, pointing at the bag of coins at your hips. Gold is the universal language, it's true, and even after telling Leif to give some to the villager quarter you should be able to actually stock up on some necessities without having to worry. "So how about we meet up at a restaurant after you're released. I've heard there's some good ones in Wallburg."

She lights up like the Atlas star, her face once again turning slightly red as she lets go of you. "That'd be great!"

Her voice is loud enough to make you flinch back, and the other knights start laughing at the scene for some reason. You don't know what else there is to say, so you say goodbye.

Nobody can deny you.

To choose your own name is not a simple matter, it is a declaration to the world. It is a declaration to yourself. You will not hide away from those who would do you and yours harm by changing who you are. They are not worth half the blood that has been spilled to shape [Aria].

You are Aria, Revolutionary. Your name is the song that blows those cold winds of Gildera onto the rest of the continent. One of your skills improves from Competent to Adept. You have to choose which.

[ ] Authority.
Something about you draws people in. You find the words on your tongue as useful as the sword in your hand. While some fights are unavoidable, those you can't avoid are won not alone but with the help of others.

[ ] Wisdom.
You know how little you truly know. Surface knowledge in a hundred different categories makes you seem intelligent to the average person, but wisdom is not intelligence. Using what you know makes you a force to be reckoned with.

###

The villagers gather together in peaceful unity in the middle of the quarter, creating what Old Bea describes as 'a winter festival'. They build stalls, create beautiful lights using fire and thunder stones, as well as fabrics made from the wool of many different Pokemon.

"It's cultural exchange," Old Bea explains. "Though we are all of Gildera, and all of the Marquisate, all villages are quite different. This is the only time in the year where you can find most of us in one place."

"Still, a festival," you say, unsure about your place in all of this. "It feels so jovial compared to the usual mood in winter."

"One cannot let circumstance ruin the joy of living. Though days can be hard, and sometimes one's heart is not in it, we cannot let ourselves be crushed by dark emotions."

Old Bea reminds you of your grandmother in more ways than just her age, though their circumstances could not be more different. Is that the wisdom that comes with age? Or are their experiences more similar than you can imagine?

You wonder if one day you will be able to ease someone's heart with words alone. You smile at her, looking around toward the crowd and spotting the people who have been keeping you company whenever Old Bea is too busy.

The farmer family consists of Penelope and her six children. Her husband passed away years ago, and though you know that kind of tragedy can break many, this woman's strength fills you with awe.

Not just the mental one, of course, you've seen her carry five of her children, aged four to ten, all to drag them to a bathtub. The oldest son, Fabian, is fourteen and somewhat rebellious, though he still clearly loves his family and does not stray too far.

You approach after bidding goodbye to Old Bea, preparing to help Penelope with her own stand. Her table is full of… roots? Various roots, some dirty and brown, some look like they were polished and reflect the sunlight back into your eyes. Besides those there are a lot of vegetables, those you know can persevere even multiple months simply by being cold.

"Penelope," you say. She turns to you, grinning widely. "Can I help you?"

"No, we're almost done," she says, pointing at Fabian. The boy is slamming a hammer down on a wooden stake that will become the roof of the farmer's stand. "But this reminds me, you were asking me about edible things in the wild, right? Didn't they teach you that?"

"Survivalism was never really the focus there, no," you say, shaking your head. "We were always grouped up, there were well-prepared rations, and some expectation to help each other."

It's a different way of life, of course. While the villagers live exactly that kind of way as well, they also know how to take care of themselves. While knights have a certain degree of independence and knowledge of how to keep going even in the most dire of circumstances, there was a certain dependence beaten into them.

Look to your comrade, and if you cannot find him, look for your Duke.

You are never alone. In blue and white, all of them are your brothers and sisters.

Until they are not. Well at least now the Meowth is out of the bag and everyone knows, though some of the kids are still stuck with Sofia.

You sigh. "Well, can you teach me something now? Or are you too busy?"

"I've got something really nice for you," she says, moving around the table. "Look, what can you tell me about these two here?"

She points at two completely different roots that look like they've been grabbed out of the ground, some specks of dirt still on them. "I have no idea, that's just two different roots, isn't it?"

She laughs, putting her hands on her hips.

"These are the same root," Penelope says, clearly too proud that you fell for the most obvious trick question. You squint, trying to find any similarities. Not skin or color make it look anywhere close to each other. "The difference is the environment. Whereas this one was harvested in the woods of Gildera—" She points at the one that looks like it has a hard outer shell, largely devoid of color. "This one came from Sol."

The other one looks thin and brittle, the skin amber and glossy.

"Despite these differences, they're both 'dragon's root'. They're both edible, though the Gilderan one is obviously harder to prepare due to its thick skin. If you manage to get through the skin however…"

She takes a giant cleaver from somewhere and slams it over the root, startling you. As if nothing had happened, she puts the cleaver aside and takes the Solian root before snapping it with her bare hands. Nobody even watches the scene with you as this woman is clearly proving a point.

On the inside, both of them look identical. Slightly orange, very fibrous, and despite the fact that they came from such dry looking roots there is some juices flowing out.

"If you know where to find them, they're the easiest way to feed yourself while on the road."

You can't help but give some applause at the demonstration. You saw some of those in the kitchens and occasionally they were served, but you imagine the amount of mouths to feed made it hard to focus entirely on wild roots. Still, something that can be useful regardless of which continent you're on would've been nice to know. Perhaps if you ever do deign the thought of returning to the Caer you can ask for these things to be added to the lesson plan.

This is critical knowledge!

"They're quite readily available if you know what the plant looks like, it grows everywhere and in every season, though in winter you might not be able to tell without the leaves."

She grabs something from her pocket, a small book, then goes through it until she gets to a page in the middle, holding it up for you to see. "Here."

A drawing of a plant, with a person next to it for scale. It would reach about your hip and has thick, heavy leaves that shrivel at the tip, some up and some down. If you squint, it does look like the maw of a serpent, or a dragon, whenever two leaves curl towards each other.

"In Sol, the leaves are bright, in Gildera they're usually darker or have blue highlights, even in summer."

You nod, making a note to get a book like that soon.

She shoves the book into your hands.

Okay, well, no note then.

"Is it fine to just give this to me?" you ask. Books are a commodity, something expensive and useful. Though some are mass produced, often religious texts or fables, the truly useful books are those with knowledge of the world. "It must've been expensive."

"I've memorized it up and down, I could write my own," Penelope says, her smile still in place. "You look like you'll need it more than me, little one."

You want to say you're not that little, but that woman towers over you in a way that only Redwood could imitate. Even her son, two years your junior, is equal to your size.

The villagers are the best kind of people. And in their winter joy, they made you a gift: a shield, so the other half of your weapon is finally back where it belongs. Made from the Mamoswine Trees, it is something that will stand the test of time for sure.

As long as you don't lose it again.

The shield is engraved…

[ ] … with the seal of the Gilderan people. It depicts a tree with golden lines running up the crown.

[ ] … with a depiction of Kael, wielding his blade. It's symmetrical and stylized, quite beautiful.

[ ] … with Inana, glaring at you. She looks menacing on the wood, much more than in reality.

###

The meeting with Sophia does not take long to organize. Though she's still out of breath after only a few minutes of walking, the Nurse released her back into the city with a stern 'do not attempt anything dangerous', which means you're free to enjoy a good meal with her. She came personally to the villager's quarter to tell you where to meet in the evening. A few hours later, after reading to the children one more time, you make your way there.

In the inner city, where the ring-road formed around the first watchtower that ever stood here, the biggest and most popular shops have made their mark. They surround that tower with beautiful lights and smells that make your stomach growl. The snow is not high here, trampled down by the hundreds of people who walk up and down the street the entire day. It's slippery here and there, but you manage to regain your balance after only two near-death experiences.

Sophia is dressed casually, a purple scarf around her neck and a long brown coat that makes her look very mysterious. She stands at the watchtower gate, looking around until she sees you approach. The snow under your foot makes a crunch as you step up to her.

"Good evening," you greet. She takes a moment before responding.

"Good evening, Aria," she says. Somehow your actual name coming out grants you relief in a way you cannot put into words. A sort of pleasure that comes from being acknowledged as you are. You dare not ask for more. "Have you picked a place yet?"

"No," you say, shaking your head. "I don't really know the city, so I'd like it if you could pick one "

"There's a pastry restaurant," she says. A sweet-tooth, then. Sophia is quite easy to get along with, you think. She does not actually hide her emotions, at least, not in the way you're used to by others. She reaches out, grabbing your hand and pulling you along. "Come."

You can only see her back now. She's slightly taller than you, her grip tight but not painfully so, and though she is already running out of breath just walking those few meters to the shop she picked, you can tell that she's dependable and strong.

It's chance and circumstance that made you, well, acquaintances? It's hard to say friends, but who would you share a slice of cake with if not a friend?

The candles on the table make for a fun mood, enough to ignore the rather rude stares by some of the richer customers toward you.

"What's the matter?" she asks when she sees you look around like a child in a new place. "Never been in a restaurant before?"

"No," you say, unable to lie. "It really is something! The people, the view out of the window. It's so much more comfortable than a dining hall." Or a dining room in a mansion. It reminds you more of teatime outside in the summer, all warm and cozy.

It feels like sitting with the villagers, though somewhat less personal.

Sophia is just looking at you, leaning back into her chair. A man approaches, and you tense for just a moment before Sophia turns to him in greeting. "Hello, my friend here hasn't eaten anything like this before, could you recommend something?"

He does not hesitate for a moment before listing off a ton of things of which you had no idea how to parse. You do know some of the terms, you know of course what a cake is, you've had quite a lot with your grandmother back in the day.

But some of the terms sound, well, foreign. Solian, in some ways. They mention the sun and the moon, and somehow you find yourself interested. "That one," you say. "The sun and moon cake."

The man raises a finger, then squints before looking between the two of you. He leaves after nodding, forgetting to take Sophia's order.

"That was abrupt," you say, tilting your head toward him. "Do they not have time to take everyone's orders?"

"No, it's just," she starts, her ears slightly red. "The sun and moon cake is, well, it's-"

You get the answer quite fast. It's not one cake, but two. Not slices, but whole ones, though obviously small enough for a single person to eat it. The waiter puts it on the table and lets you enjoy the sight of it before taking a large knife and cutting both cakes in half, giving each plate half of each—

Ah.

Ah.

You slam your fist into the palm of your hand. It makes sense, of course! It's a way for someone to enjoy two kinds of cakes! How ingenious!

Sophia is a much slower eater than you, it seems. Or perhaps her injury is still giving her some pain, as her hand keeps shaking and her face stays red when she lifts some of the cake to her mouth. You try to help her, but it seems that the color of her skin becomes even worse when you hold the spoon up. In the end, the cake is an experience you definitely want to repeat.

You don't know what that dark cream is, but it's very nice.

In the end you have some tea to finish the evening of. You talk, and talk, and talk. Some secrets spill from loose lips, but you feel much more free. If the Glastrier Knights want you back, they can come and try, but right now you will enjoy life as Old Bea told you to.

You don't notice how you feel until you notice that stinging in your eyes.

"It's been a while since I shared sweets," you admit. Almost eleven years now since your grandmother has passed away. "I'm just reminded of how much has happened since then."

"Well, if there's a time to be sad, it'd be this week," she says. You blink the tears out of your eyes, raising your head to meet her eyes. "Solians are mourning the Empress' death, she died today, all those years back."

Her words reach your ears but your mind is occupied. Something in it makes you wonder, makes you feel, think, respond differently. You see her, but your eyes are unfocused. Was there something in the tea? Sophia doesn't seem to notice, and you try, try not to let her. You want to enjoy this evening.

"How old are you anyway?" she asks. You smile like a puppet, ready to answer, but the number on the tip of your tongue sounds wrong. It leaves your entire mouth numb, and you flinch as you bite on your lip so hard it draws blood. "Aria?"

"I… I think I'm seventeen?" you say, your voice wavering. Why seventeen? What did you miss? You think, you count the days since you left the Caer Rivenhold, you count the time when you would have been back to celebrate with Drake and Capella, with Lissy and Ruby.

Remember, Aria. You celebrate before they mourn, never on the day after.

"I'm seventeen," you say, quieter and more certain than before. "My birthday was yesterday."

"Ah," Sophia says. And though you want her to see nothing of that sadness you know is reflected on your face, she does not need to read your face like Capella to understand how you're feeling. "I suppose a late celebration is better than none, is it?"

You missed your own birthday.

"I've spent so long trying to live my life according to other people's ideals," you say, finding your voice again. "I don't even know what I am doing anymore."

Is this really where you find your barriers falling? With a spoonful of sugar and a warm fruit tea? When you finally realize just how much of your childhood has been stolen from you by Marchioness Flamberg, by the heavy weight on your soul?

In front of a stranger?

You're stronger than that.

But what if you don't want to be strong today?

"The man who adopted me was killed," you say, your fingers clenching over the fork that you forgot you were holding. "I ran. Because people thought I did it."

"I'm sorry," Sophia says. You just nod. You're sorry too. "I can't imagine what that is like, that's not something you should have to bear by yourself."

"I kept running. And I forgot my birthday. And today I was enjoying myself so much, I almost forgot the people who are still waiting for me to come back. And for a moment—"

You swallow the words, but they have to come out, because you cannot imagine how painful they will be if you try to keep them down.

"—for a moment I wondered if I even want to go back to them. If they're not better off without me there."

Sophia does not know what to say, so she says nothing. Instead, she moves around the table and puts a hand on your shoulder. It's a gesture both of you seem to be fond of.

"I do not know your friends," she says, "but I know that no one who'd call you one would ever think their life better without you in it. Doubts like these should not be what stops you from thinking that those you love want you back."

"I know," you say, your voice breaking slightly.

"It's inappropriate to bring it up now, so please forgive me," Sophia says. "My time with the Spectrier Guard has ended just as abruptly. There is something I must do that is more important to me, and though I know that I will miss my comrades and they will miss me, please listen to what I'm saying."

Her words have the desired effect, your emotions muting themselves to hear what a woman, who had just days ago revealed herself to be the very model of a knight, has to say about her own abandonment of that path.

"I pledged my sword to protect my people," she says, her grip on your shoulder loosening. "But the more I stayed, the more that armor dug itself into my skin, the more I yearned for something else."

You clench your teeth. You understand it, of course. That desire for the sky, for the part of the horizon where the sun touches the mountaintop.

"I can see that freedom in you, Aria. My doubts were simply waiting for another push, and you gave it to me. Though it pains me to give up this path, I know whatever the future holds, I will never regret these days."

You nod, unable to say a word. The crowd around you has become quieter, somehow you feel like everyone's staring at you. It becomes uncomfortable, the sight and warmth suddenly too much, sweat gathering on the top of your brow. Her hand comes down from your shoulder and grabs your hand instead.

"And I know that no matter what, whenever I return to them, they will greet me with the same warm smiles, and embrace me with those same warm arms. I know they will do the same for you."

She's on her knees, her sword at her side. Her one hand cups yours, and though you wish to pull away you cannot deny a knight, someone who like you has fought and bled for their rank. Sophia kisses your hand, and you try to ignore the heat that crawls up your neck.

"I owe you a debt I cannot repay in one lifetime," she says, her forehead pressed against the back of your hand. "Let me stay at your side."

"You barely know me."

"And I barely know the Marquis. Is my heart wrong to tell me that now I must go a different path?"

"You are a knight of the Marquisate," you say, frowning at her words. "There are others worthy of such loyalty. I'm… I'm not a noble either.."

The problem with facts and arguments, no matter how logical and reasonable they are, they cannot win against the most powerful emotion. The way her face brightens when she looks into your eyes already tells you everything you need to know. That her words earlier were not something she said just to cheer you up.

"I have already resigned," she says, her hand tightening around your fingers. "If you reject me now, I'll have nowhere else to go."

You do not know what to say.

So you say nothing.

You've acquired a follower. Someone who will go with you through hell or high water, whose trust in you is so unshakeable, it makes you uncomfortable with how much power you have over them.

You cannot deny her purpose, and you cannot deny that you seek companionship. The coldness of the world is weathered much easier with a hand on your back. All you can do now is to become someone worthy of that loyalty.

She is Sophia, once Spectrier Knight. Though she resigned during a difficult time for the Order, nobody seemed to mind. Though she had to give up her armor, she was allowed to keep her sword. Leif is the one who came to collect these things, not dismissing her as a weakling, but smiling at her, and saying goodbye to an old friend.

Sophia's smile is radiant as she joins you in the villager's quarter. Her words grant you wings, and the sky suddenly no longer looks like a cage after all.

Inana looks like a bundle of joy. It seems she's become good friends with Spring.

You find a letter, somewhere in the snow. It melts the world around it and warms your heart. [A]. Imp al.

You still have money left over. After buying a Pokeball, you decide to buy a gift for Sophia. Now that she's part of whatever you have going on—

[ ] —a string for her sword.
For some reason you can only find purple ones.

[ ] —some armor.
You've never had any and don't feel comfortable in it, but she looks wrong without one.

[ ] —a necklace.
It reminds you of Sophia's eyes. Of Capella's hair. You should buy two, and save the other for your return.

NemoMarx · Oct 31, 2024

so the sun and moon cake was definitely a romantic specialty thing right

barty · Oct 31, 2024

[X] —some armor.
[X] … with a depiction of Kael, wielding his blade. It's symmetrical and stylized, quite beautiful.
[X] Wisdom.

NemoMarx · Oct 31, 2024

the necklace would have insane vibes imagine telling capella we got a romantic gift for her and also another girl

Pawn Lelouch · Oct 31, 2024

[X] Authority.
[X] … with the seal of the Gilderan people. It depicts a tree with golden lines running up the crown.
[X] —a necklace.

NemoMarx · Oct 31, 2024

[X] Wisdom.
[X] … with the seal of the Gilderan people. It depicts a tree with golden lines running up the crown.
[X] —a necklace

rest of vote to edit in later

sheep-dodger · Oct 31, 2024

Elpis said:
Sophia is a much slower eater than you, it seems. Or perhaps her injury is still giving her some pain, as her hand keeps shaking and her face stays red when she lifts some of the cake to her mouth. You try to help her, but it seems that the color of her skin becomes even worse when you hold the spoon up. In the end, the cake is an experience you definitely want to repeat.

Aria is such a rizzler, lmao.

[X] … with the seal of the Gilderan people. It depicts a tree with golden lines running up the crown.
[X] Wisdom.
[X] —a necklace.

Anyone know what the connotation of the purple string is? I assume it's a reference of some sort, but idk to what.

Elpis · Oct 31, 2024

sheep-dodger said:
Anyone know what the connotation of the purple string is? I assume it's a reference of some sort, but idk to what.

Aria is purple.

sheep-dodger · Oct 31, 2024

Elpis said:
Aria is purple.

Ah duh. My first association with a string was a red string of fate kind of deal, so my mind immediately went in the direction of like folklore.

Euclaid Galieane · Oct 31, 2024

[X] Wisdom.
[X] … with Inana, glaring at you. She looks menacing on the wood, much more than in reality.
[X] —a necklace.

Teocraso · Oct 31, 2024

[x] … with a depiction of Kael, wielding his blade. It's symmetrical and stylized, quite beautiful.
[x] —some armor.
You've never had any and don't feel comfortable in it, but she looks wrong without one.

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