Date: 1047 AP
*****
"My hero!"
"Only doing my jo-- whoa!" The Scrafty couldn't even finish his sentence before the Lilligant princess grabbed him in a half-hug, half tackle. The princess, Cassandra, held onto the rather dashing Scrafty pirate, Marshall. Suddenly, Marshall grabbed the princess and turned her around, letting her fall and lean back in his arms as he held her.
"Oh Marshall, how can I ever thank you? You've saved the kingdom!" Cassandra swooned, giggling as Marshall leaned his head closer to hers, flicking her a mischievous smirk.
"How about like this?" Marshall said, grinning at the princess seductively. Cassandra simply laughed at his antics; she couldn't help but fall for the handsome rogue. Marshall leaned in close, closing his eyes as Cassandra followed suit. Their faces only inches apart, as they were lost in the moment, closing in…
*KNOCK KNOCK*
"Mistress Cassandra, I have your chamomille tea!"
Cassandra was jolted out of her daydream by the interruption. She looked around, still in her room, sitting on the bed. An open book lay in her hands: "Marshall Leroy and the pirates of Carajol." She had gotten lost in her fantasy novels again. She let out a sigh, before lifting her head towards the closed door to her room.
"It's open, Varkas."
The door opened slowly as Varkas, a rather large and intimidating Pangoro, stepped in. Contrary to his appearance, he wore a friendly smile, carrying in a small tray with a steaming teapot and a small teacup.
"Your tea, Mistress Cassandra. It's piping hot, fresh off the fire!" Varkas, despite his species reputation, was quite the gentleman. His status as a house servant didn't seem to bother him in the least, in fact, he seemed to enjoy his job working for the Eldren family.
"Thanks, Varkas," Cassandra said, as the Pangoro servant placed the tray on her nightstand. With a gentle hand, he took the teapot and began to pour the boiling water into the glass, taking the tea-bag in his other hand and lightly dipping it into the cup. He flashed Cassandra a friendly smile, handing the small teacup to the Lilligant, the latter taking the cup and returning Varkas' smile. "And please, Varkas, you don't have to call me 'mistress.'"
"Ah, but your mother is out now, which makes you the lady of the house,
mistress," Varkas said teasingly, though a small amount of seriousness in his tone as well. Cassandra always insisted against it, but Varkas never abandoned the formalities of his position. Cassandra brought the tea to her face, taking a whiff on the contents and letting out a sigh of contentment.
"Thanks, Varkas…" Cassandra said. She kept her smile as she held her tea, but something was off about her demeanor. Her smile seemed… insincere. Varkas looked at her, studying her expressions, his smile fading as he noticed that something was wrong.
"Is something troubling you, mistress?" he asked, genuinely concerned for her. Varkas had noticed that Cassandra seemed a bit distant over the past few days. She must have had something on her mind, but he couldn't decipher what exactly it was.
"Oh, no… it's fine," Cassandra said. She was lying, and she knew it, but she had no intentions of dragging Varkas into her personal troubles. As kind and caring as he was, Cassandra couldn't bring herself to burden him with her issues. "I'm just… thinking. That's all."
Varkas could sense her deception, but decided against pressing her on the matter. Still, he wanted to cheer her up if he could. He noticed the book she had been reading previously now lying on the bed beside her. "You enjoy those fantasy novels, don't you?"
Cassandra looked over at the book as well. The cover depicted the titular Scrafty, Marshall, fighting off an army of soldiers, a confident grin on his face despite the overwhelming odds. She laughed slightly as Varkas brought the subject up. "I do. This one is special. I found it collecting dust an old library. It's silly, I know, but I love it. It's a guilty pleasure."
"Well, if would like, I could keep an eye out for some of them when I visit the market next. Just say the word." Varkas replied. He never saw the point in those types of cheesy romantic stories, but Cassandra enjoyed them, and if they made her happy, he would buy all the books in Exathor for her. Anything to bring her out of her slump that had been plaguing her.
"Oh no, you don't have to do that for me," Cassandra said. Even though Varkas was considered the servant of the house, she thought of him more as a friend. She could never ask him to do something like that for her, especially paying out of his own pocket. "I don't think Father likes me reading them anyways, when I could be devoting time to more important things."
Varkas frowned a bit. Her attempts to be modest were not working. He knew Cassadra's father had bought those books for her on occasion. Why would he have any problem with her reading them? Regardless, it was apparent that Cassandra wanted to be left alone for the time being. He took the tray he had brought in earlier, picking it up as he began to walk out of the room. As he reached the door, he turned back to face the Eldren's daughter.
"I must tend to the garden now. You should come out sometime, get some fresh air. The Gracidea flowers are almost in bloom; they're absolutely beautiful this time of year."
"Thank you, Varkas," Cassandra replied, giving the Pangoro a weak smile. With that, Varkas had left, closing the door behind him.
Once she was alone again, Cassandra dropped the smile, letting out a long exhale. She took a sip from her tea, placing the cup on the nightstand near her bed. She took a look around her room. Her room was very extravagant, great care and precision going into every last detail and decoration. It exuded an air of regality, the mahogany dressers adorned with various gold-plated decorations, brightening the room with their lustrous guise.
Here she was, wasting away in her room yet again, unable to find the motivation to go out and do something. She hadn't spoken to her friends in so long; it almost felt as if she had none at all. A year earlier, she'd be outside, playing with her companions: Vincent, Alexis, Eliza…. They'd be off exploring the city of Skyhaven, going to places they shouldn't have, pulling pranks, all in the name of the Guild…
"The Guild…"
Cassandra cringed at the thought. Originally, when she was younger, the Guild was just her and her friends. It was a silly club they had made, an exclusive group of sorts, but they had fun with it. Well, had being the key word.
It started off innocent enough. Just simple exploring and harmless pranks. Simple pranks, though, no longer became sufficient for them. They delved into the less-savory acts. A misplaced key here, and stolen coin-purse there. It only got worse from there. Over time. the Guild continued it's unwitting pursuance of depravity. All at the behest of their leader, Atris.
"Atris…!" Cassandra slammed her fist down onto the bed. How she abhorred the mere thought that Braixen. That cruel, manipulative, loathsome…. And yet, as much as she resented it now, Cassandra would be lying if she hadn't enjoyed her time in the Guild.
Cassandra pouted, still sitting on her bed. She enjoyed her time with them, to an extent. She didn't approve of their later actions, but they were harmless enough not to raise any serious concerns. It was not until the incident a year ago that she began to question the Guild's actions. What had been planned as a simple holdup had quickly escalated out of control. Cassandra made a split-second decision, one she regretted ever since. After that day, her and the Guild had a falling out. She questioned their leader, Atris, and their actions as a whole. Atris simply dismissed her, successfully turning Cassandra's friends - her former friends - against her.
Cassandra clenched her teeth, her hands forming into fists, fuming with anger. It was all Atris fault! That woman had ruined everything, turned her friends against her. Now she spent her days isolated in her room; self-imposed exile.
*THUMP*
"Ow!" Cassandra's train of thought was abruptly interrupted as a stray pebble struck the side of her head. She rubbed her temple, looking down at the projectile that had landed on her bed. She picked it up, examining it; it looked like one of the rocks from the garden. Cassandra quickly got up off the bed, walking over to the door of her room. It was still closed, curiously enough. She opened it slightly, looking through to the other side. Just outside the door was the main hall of the house, where a small Pawniard child sat cross-legged on the floor - her adopted brother, Tavhir. The Pawniard was silent, a few scattered papers and writing utensils on the floor around him as he drew pictures to entertain himself. The house was eerily quiet, as most of the maids and butlers were off attending matters outside.
"Well, couldn't have come from out here…" Cassandra thought to herself, clutching the pebble in her hand. She left the door cracked open, turning to face the inside of her room again. She looked around in confusion, until she noticed she had left the window open, the navy curtains swaying slightly in the breeze. Suddenly, another pebble flew in the window, landing on the floor with a small tapping sound. She walked over to the open window, looking out at the ground below. Her room was several stories high, and for a moment, she couldn't make out anything from such a height. "Who's throwing rocks up--"
She stopped, looking down and noticing the perpetrator. It was an Ivysaur, flinging small rocks at the window with her vines. Cassandra instantly recognized her: it was Alexis, her old friend. She hadn't seen her in over a year. It had been so long, Cassandra was about to jump with glee.
Then she remembered
why she hadn't seen her in such a long time.
Cassandra, in a fit of rage, threw the pebble she held in her hand down at Alexis, smacking the Ivysaur square on her forehead.
"Ow! Cassandra, what was that for!?" The Ivysaur said with irritation.
"You have a lot of nerve coming here, you know!" Cassandra accused, staring daggers at her former friend. "Go away! Now, before I call the guards!"
"Cassandra, please, we need to talk," the Ivysaur pleaded.
"No!" Cassandra spat, grabbing the other pebble from the floor and throwing it as well, once again hitting her target. "I have nothing to say to you!
Now, go away!"
Alexis winced in pain from the second rock. She knew Cassandra would be mad, and to be fair, Alexis felt the anger was justified. Still, she was here to make amends, and she was going to do so, whether Cassandra wanted to or not.
"Cassandra, this is important! I know you're angry at me, and I deserve it, but we have to talk!" Alexis shouted from the ground below. Cassandra let out a sigh of exasperation; she had half a mind to slam the window and shut Alexis out completely. However, it had been so long since she had last seen the Ivysaur; maybe she had changed? As much as she didn't want to, she decided to give Alexis the benefit of the doubt. Cassandra reached into one of her dressers, pushing aside the fabrics and accessories and grabbing a long, sturdy rope that she had kept hidden. She tied one end of the rope securely to her bedpost, walking over to the window once again and dropping the remaining length of rope out the window. The Ivysaur smiled, grabbing the rope with her vines and pulling herself up towards the window.
Alexis made it to the windowsill, pulling herself through the opening and rolling clumsily onto the floor. She picked herself up, looking over at Cassandra who stood at the other end of the room. The Lilligant was fuming, her arms crossed and her face bearing an expression of rage and irritation.
"Well, what is it?" Cassandra demanded. No
'hello, how have you been,' no
'good to see you;' they had past the point of such pleasantries long ago. "I told you already I'm not going back. You and your little…
friends can go and fall off the edge of Exathor for all I care!"
"I'm not here to bring you back," Alexis responded, unable to look her friend in the face out of shame. She never realized just how hurt and angry she had made Cassandra. Alexis filled with sorrow and grief, knowing that she was the sole cause for Cassandra's rage.
"Then why are you even here?!" Cassandra said, nearly shouting at her once-good friend. "Come to mock me some more? What was I again?
Weak? Spineless?"
Alexis recoiled in guilt and shame, those last words cutting her like daggers, those unpleasant memories rushing back to familiarity. The day Cassandra left, the resulting argument, their falling out. Alexis felt lower than dirt, and she couldn't help but feel that she deserved it.
"I bet the Guild put you up to this… those... those…
bastards!"
"Cassandra, please!" Alexis said. As much as she probably deserved the verbal abuse, she needed to talk to Cassandra, something which was becoming increasingly difficult with her constantly raising her voice. "I'm not with the Guild anymore! I left them!"
"You-- wait… what?" Cassandra calmed down considerably, trying to process what had just been said.
"You were right," Alexis started, looking down at the floor. "You were right and I was wrong."
"Wha… what do you mean?" Cassandra asked, puzzled, her anger beginning to subside.
"You were right about the Guild…" Alexis answered, the Ivysaur bringing her head up to meet Cassandra's gaze. "You were right about them, about Atris, about… everything." Alexis continued, beginning to tear up slightly. As quickly as she met Cassandra's gaze, she turned away, shutting her eyes. "Look, I know I was an awful friend, and I said some terrible things. You have every right to be mad at me, and if you never want to see me again, then I--"
Alexis was interrupted by Cassandra leaping at her, wrapping her arms around Alexis' neck in a hug. Alexis was shocked; how could she be forgiven so easily?
"Alexis, I'm so sorry! Please don't say things like that!" Cassandra said, trying to hold back tears of her own. Alexis simply stood in surprise.
She was sorry? Alexis was confused; what did Cassandra have to be sorry about? Alexis was the one who should have been apologizing.
"I-I don't understand…" Alexis managed to stammer out. "What do you have to be sorry for?"
Cassandra withdrew from the embrace, looking into Alexis eyes, tears streaming down her face.
"I missed you so much," Cassandra said, her tone changed completely. There was no more anger now, a mixture of joy and sorrow taking it's place. "And now you're back after so long… and I treat you like dirt…"
"I deserve it…" Alexis said, once again finding herself unable to look Cassandra in the eye. "The things I said when you left a year ago-"
"-are in the past," Cassandra interrupted, leaning in to hug Alexis once more. "I'm just happy to see you again…"
The two of them stayed silent as they embraced, quietly crying. Not tears of sadness, but of joy, having made their amends. No words were spoken for minutes; there was no need.
Eventually, they ended their embrace, both sitting on the floor as they wiped the tears from their eyes. Cassandra gave Alexis a warm smile, showing that she was indeed forgiven, and Alexis returned the gesture.
"So…" Cassandra said, wiping the remaining moisture from her eyes as she broke the silence. "Why did you quit the Guild?"
"I told you," Alexis said, finally able to look at her friend again without guilt. "You were right. The Guild has changed, and not for the better. Atris has gone nuts. I feel so stupid having taken this long to realize that."
"Don't feel that way," Cassandra said, attempting to comfort her friend. "Better to realize it now than never."
"I suppose…" Alexis said. She was glad Cassandra had accepted her again, but she still felt bad for having taken so long to recognize the truth in her words so long ago. "Atris… she's just gotten worse and worse since you left. Kept babbling on about her 'mission,' and how we were 'serving the greater good.' She's convinced that what she's doing is right and just."
"What do you mean?" Cassandra asked, confused. "What is she doing?"
"She started taking on bounties," Alexis responded. "Killing people for profit… I was appalled, but for the longest time I was too scared to say anything, afraid she'd do something terrible."
Cassandra held her hand over her mouth, a gasp escaping her mouth. Robbing people was one thing, but taking on bounties? It was almost unthinkable, even for Atris.
"I kept thinking about what you had said before you left," Alexis continued. "I found the courage to stand up to her. I told her she was in the wrong, and that I was going to tell the city guard if she didn't stop. Atris just laughed at me, almost as if she was daring me to do so."
"So what did you do?"
"I left. I told her I couldn't take part in the Guild anymore, that she had gone too far." Alexis said, growing slightly angry at the thought of Atris. "She just laughed again, and told me I wasn't 'good enough for the Guild.' I told the guard. I told them everything. But by the time they came to investigate, Atris was long gone… she had packed up and left without a trace."
"I see…" Cassandra said, a bit disheartened that Atris was still on the loose. "What about the others?"
"They left with her," Alexis stated plainly. "Unlike you and I, they were practically under her spell."
"That's awful…" Cassandra said, sadness in her voice. All of her old friends were now gone, off doing Arceus-knows-what with that mad-woman, Atris. As much as she missed them, she was more than grateful that Alexis had come back.
They shared a solemn silence, the past haunting their memories. The Guild, their former colleagues and compatriots, off continuing their heinous acts. It was unthinkable how they had fallen so far - how they had gone from tame fun to such extremes. How could the others not see the moral implications of their actions? Vincent with his fun-loving and care-free attitude; Gabriel's calm and collected self; Eliza, the indomitable spirit… all of them, for all intents and purposes, brainwashed by Atris and her vision of 'justice.'
Alexis looked towards the door, noticing the Pawniard from earlier, drawing pictures by himself. Before Cassandra had left the Guild, she had told about the boy's situation.
"How's Tavhir holding up?" she asked, desiring a change in subject, something less sullen. Cassandra sighed, her gaze following Alexis' and looking over at the orphaned boy in the main hall.
"He's doing better. He's still very distant, though. Very… reserved." Cassandra said. Ever since Tavhir had come into their home, he hardly ever spoke a word. Of course, that much was to be expected. To lose your family, in front of your own eyes even, was certain to leave it's scars. Even a year after being found and adopted by the Eldrens, Tavhir was just as quiet and distant as ever.
"He'll open up in time, I'm sure of it," Alexis said reassuringly. "It's a good thing you're doing for him, Cassandra."
Cassandra gave a weak smile. She appreciated her friend's kind words, even if she herself was unsure of their truth. She had felt guilty over her actions in the Guild; helping to raise this misplaced child was her own sort of redemption.
"Vennson is home! Malorie, strike up the stove and prepare supper!"
The voice rang throughout the house, one of the maids announcing the arrival of Vennson, Cassandra's father. He had been on a tour of duty for the past few months, stationed in Fargal Keep. Now he was finally home, to stay for a few weeks time.
"I should go," Alexis said, turning towards Cassandra. She gave the Lilligant a reassuring and heartfelt smile. Their time together was cut short, but they had made their amends. The time for catching up would come later. "We'll have to get together again soon."
"I'd like that," Cassandra said warmly. Alexis got up, walking back toward the window. With a secure grip on the rope that she had used to climb up, she descended down to the ground below. Once she had left, Cassandra reeled the rope back in through the window, rolling it up quickly and stashing it back in it's drawer. As soon as she was finished, she heard the front door in the main hall open, a familiar voice calling out.
"Cassandra! Tavhir!"
Cassandra smiled, running out of her room and into the main hall. She looked towards the main entrance, seeing the form of a Tropius standing in the doorway: her father, Vennson.
"Father!" she exclaimed in joy, rushing over to greet him.
"Cassandra!" Vennson replied, lowering his head to her level as she approached. She grappled his neck in a joyful hug, wrapping her arms around him and showing the biggest smile she had in weeks. Withdrawing from her embrace, Vennson looked over his daughter and smiled. "You grow more and more beautiful every time I come home."
Cassandra beamed at the compliment. Vennson raised his head up, looking over towards the Pawniard, Tavhir, still sitting at his spot on the floor. Tavhir simply looked at the Tropius, though it wasn't clear as to what he was thinking.
"How are you doing, Tavhir?" Vennson asked the boy, concerned, bringing his head down low to meet the boy's gaze. Tavhir looked at him for a moment, pondering over the question.
"I'm okay, Mr. Eldren…" He responded, his quiet voice sounding almost monotone. Vensson's smile faded at being called "Mr. Eldren." Even after a year, it seemed the boy still hadn't opened up.
"If there's anything you need, you need only to ask," Vennson said before straightening his neck and raising his head. "I'll be in my study. I'll see you all for supper."
As Vennson left the room, Cassandra stood in the main hall with Tavhir, the latter resuming his drawing. She looked over the Pawniard's shoulder, seeing the illustrations that he was making. For a child of only seven years age, he drew with remarkable detail and precision, using techniques like shading and perspective. While it wasn't the best, it was clear he had experience. Cassandra was intrigued. She took a seat on the floor next to him, hoping to get him to open up with some small talk.
"These are some really nice drawings," she said calmly, looking over the scattered drawings around the Pawniard. Images of caves, tunnels, cities, places, and Pokemon. She picked up one of the papers, depicting several Pokemon mining in a tunnel, expressions of determination of their face.
"Thank you…" Tavhir responded quietly, his gaze remaining on the picture in front of him as he continued to draw. Cassandra looked at the drawing he was working on; it bore the image of an Aggron, who looked to be a warrior of sorts. His steel scales and armoring were adorned with various jewels and gold trimmings, and the look on his face showed bravery and courage.
"Who's that?" Cassandra asked. Tavhir stopped drawing for a moment, seemingly lost in thought as he formulated an answer.
"That's Ascan," he replied, pausing to look over the image as a whole. "He was the first chieftain of the Eshir. They say that Ascan fell into a large pit where the city of Ascanfell now stands, which is how the city got it's name."
Cassandra was shocked at his answer. She normally had a hard time getting more than two words at a time out of the boy, let alone a complete sentence. Perhaps it was simply a matter of finding things he wanted to talk about?
"He looks like a brave warrior," Cassandra replied, thinking of ways to continue the subject, hoping to get Tavhir out of his reclusive shell. She noticed several other pictures, all bearing the images of different Stygian historical figures she recognized from her studies. She saw Serena Nightsong and Shatrath, of the Otori and Tocan tribes respectively; she recognized Chantalai, the first Lord of the Vanir, and Fiaje, the Eshirian who fought against the Dark Cult. Even still, there were some figures she couldn't quite place.
There was one picture in particular that caught her eye. Looking it over, it contained a host of lord and chieftains from the Stygian tribe, all standing side-by-side, battle ready as they looked towards the horizon. Some of them she recognized, and others she didn't know at all. "Are these all Stygian heroes?"
Tavhir nodded in response to Cassandra's question. "Papa used to tell stories about all the Chieftains. Mama really liked Serena..."
Tavhir suddenly paused as he thought of his family. His expression was blank as he stared at the pictures in front of him, thinking of his parents and his home.
"I miss them…"
Cassandra looked at the boy with worry, yet Tavhir's expression was blank. No sadness… just pensive thought. She put her arm around his shoulder, assuring him without words that everything was okay. They sat like this for several minutes, silently, comforting one another. Eventually, Cassandra spoke up and broke the silence.
"Do you want to come out and walk in the garden with me?" Cassandra said in an effort to cheer up the boy. "Varkas tells me the Gracidea flowers are in bloom."
Tavhir nodded his acceptance of the offer, putting his drawing utensils down and rising to his feet, Cassandra following suit, Together, they both walked outside to the gardens, enjoying each others company.
*****
