Little Lizard's Library of Tales (Update 12/22 Now with more Christmas)

[FedoraChar]

KINGDOM 2 COME
PART II

My legs burned as I crashed through the undergrowth. Afraid of stopping, I kept racing even after I no longer heard the shouts of the soldiers. Beside me, Sniper easily kept pace; in fact, he probably had an easier time maneuvering his limbless body through the trees and shrubs then I did. The Grass-type was in his element—I wasn’t.

Eventually, we reached a dead end: sheer cliffs that caged us into the forest. I had to tilt my head back to see the rim of the impressive wall, but when I did so my knees gave out. I skidded on the dirt and fell on my back. With my skin freshly scraped, and my sides screaming at me, I stayed in place, panting until my breath caught up with me. Sniper watched me in concern at my side before gingerly laying his head on my stomach. He tried to comfort me by trilling in the back of his throat.

“What am I going to do?” I moaned, rubbing my face with one hand while resting the other on my Pokémon’s head. “We must be a thousand years in the past, but… How is that even possible?”

Sniper silently opened an eye.

“Or… or maybe this is just a dream. Yeah, a dream—a really horrible nightmare,” I concluded, figuring I was close to the truth. It made sense, too. None of this could be real. Maybe I did knock my head against that rock last night, and all of this was mere delusions. “I’ll just close my eyes, and wake up. Then everything will be as it should be.”

My Serperior lifted his head a few inches, cocking it in puzzlement. I ignored him and squeezed my eyes shut. Let this be a dream, just a dream, I repeated a self-invented mantra, crossing my fingers. None of this is real. It isn’t happening. I’m still back in the year 2011…

Placing all my hope in this silent plea, I sat up and re-opened my eyes.

And I came face to face with the dead end of an arrow.

Sensing my alarm, Sniper whirled his body around. He let out a sharp hiss as he tensed his muscles, preparing to strike once again.

“Move, and I shoot,” the arrow’s unshaken owner threatened, keeping the projectile aimed straight at me. He was close enough that I could neither dodge nor deflect—if I could do even that in my disheveled state.

I stared aghast at the archer, a young man looking only a year or two older than me. He appeared as rugged as the soldiers I met before, with a regal air that made him seem princely. His sharply angled face stared back fiercely at mine through sea-green eyes that would have made even a Watchog glance away in shame. I didn’t doubt for a second that he wouldn’t execute his intentions, if provoked.

“Down, Sniper,” I whispered to my Pokémon. The Serperior lit out another low hiss, but reluctantly recoiled.

“Who are you?” the young man demanded with a commander’s strict tone. I got the feeling that he was hardly ever disobeyed.

“Zayna… White.”

“Who are you working with?” he didn’t blink for a second.

I strained my brain to try to understand, “I… what? I’m not working with anyone.”

The archer pulled his bow farther back, unconvinced. “Who?”

“Look, guy, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” my hands flew up in the air. He was crazy!

“Tell the truth,” he narrowed his eyes. “Or take your last breath…”

I wanted to cry, but I tried to hold myself together. “Fine, then,” I took in a deep breath. “I’ll tell you the truth: I’m lost, okay? I woke up on the wrong side of the universe this morning, and not long after a group of men tried killing my dog and kidnapping me. I only just escaped, having run a million miles through the jungle, so can you back off some?”

Okay, maybe I got a little out of hand with that last part. The kid was intimidating, but it seemed easier to face one man instead of several well-armed soldiers. Kind of. Besides, I was getting tired of this life-endangerment business. After the second time someone points a weapon at your face, it gets old. Can I go home, now please?

“You expect me to believe that?” his voice was devoid of humor, only tipped with ice.

“Will you relax, brother?” a new voice entered the scene.

I turned my head to see another young man emerging from the woods. He favored a leg, I noticed, but waved cheerfully to the three of us. Up close, I saw the remarkable resemblance he shared with the archer—the same, sharp face, sea-green eyes, and regal air. Yet instead of having white-blonde hair, the newcomer had a darker tone of brown. His eyes sparkled with mischief, and I liked him immediately. So far, he was the only stranger I met who didn’t want to attack me. I couldn’t help but hope that he was here to save me from these crazies.

“You’ll have to excuse my brother,” his mouth curled into a genuine smile, a goofy yet charming grin. “He’s always been the type to jump to hasty conclusions.”

“Zekarus,” the light-haired archer muttered in a warning tone, glancing distrustfully my way. “Stay your tongue. We know nothing about this girl.”

“Remish, just trust me on this one,” Zekarus stepped aside to argue, tossing me an apologetic look.

“But how do we know we can trust her?” the archer, apparently named Remish, growled back in agitation.

How could I trust them? I wondered at the same time. Grateful that Sniper backed me up, I continued to evaluate the boys.

“Faith, brother. Besides, just look at her. I do not think that she will harm anyone. She looks rather lost.”

Remish narrowed his eyes. “She looks like a witch to me. Look how that Beast obeys her whim.”

Zekarus’ expression turned grim as he replied, “Then are we any different from her?”

I watched as Remish suddenly backed down, averting his eyes almost shamefully. His brother rested a hand on his shoulder, adding so softly that I almost couldn’t hear him, “I think she can help us.”

Help them? I blinked in curiosity. What could I do to help them?

A smile sprouting on his face again, the dark-haired brother turned back to me. “My apologies,” he bowed like a prince. “He just needed some reassuring. My name is Zekarus, son of Rhoan, and my brother is Remish. I’m afraid I didn’t catch your name, however.”

“Um, it’s Zayna… Zayna White,” I repeated, exchanging an uncertain glance with Sniper. The Serperior had quietly observed them, but I couldn’t tell what he thought of these young men. I wasn’t even sure what I thought.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Zayna,” he gallantly took my hand, kissing it. A blush involuntarily found its way to my cheeks. He finished with a coy smile, “Though I wish it could have been under better… circumstances.”

“Uh, yeah… Nice to meet you too?” Gosh, I sounded like an idiot.

“We should not stay out in the open for too much longer,” Remish declared, slinging his bow across his shoulder. “The armies are not far from here.”

“You show much wisdom, brother,” the brown-haired teen agreed, and then asked me, “Will you come with us?”

Do I have much choice? I glanced over my shoulder, thinking of the men who had kidnapped me. I didn’t know if they were hunting for me, but I didn’t want to stick around to find out. Also, I still had no clue where I was. If these boys were offering some assistance, then maybe I should take advantage of that. If they weren’t a threat, that is.

Sniper softly hissed again, still glaring at Remish. Obviously, he felt some distrust as well. I’m not sure if we can trust them, I thought to myself, examining them closely. But sometimes, you need to take a leap of faith. They were just two boys—maybe my team could handle them if they did prove to be dangerous. And Zekarus seemed nice…

“Yes, if that would be okay,” I caved, offering a cautious smile.

“Of course,” Zekarus turned aside, offering his arm.

Yeah, I’m not doing the whole medieval courtesy game, I laughed inside myself. Instead of taking his arm, I patted it and followed behind Remish, leaving Zekarus with a baffled expression.

*****

We traveled south down along the cliff walls, skirting them until we came to a ravine with a gentle climb. Remish led us up them, casting furtive glances in all directions. He seemed more high-strung and cautious than his laid-back brother, as if expecting an attack at any second. The archer never said much, only giving vague grunts whenever Zekarus asked him a question. On the other hand, Zekarus was as talkative as a songbird. I filled him in on my adventures here—though I didn’t dare mention anything about time travel—and in turn he shared a few of his own. From the sound of it, Zekarus was very mischievous, having an affinity with trouble. Yet I liked his easy-going nature, and it put me at ease. Even Sniper, who followed dejectedly behind, seemed to relax a little after Zek released the third peal of laughter from me.

Feeling more comfortable with the boys, I braved more questions. “So… what exactly is going on in this, er, land?”

Zekarus’ energy dimmed a bit, but offered a sad smile. “War, Zayna. I’m afraid you picked the wrong time to visit.”

“War?” I blinked, unable to comprehend the word.

“Yes,” Zekarus’ eyes took on a far-away look. “The Southern Kingdom is rising against the Northern Kingdom, and all the places in between are in utter chaos.” He grew silent for some time, reflective, but then turned thoughtful. “Zayna? How much do you know about the kingdoms in this land?”

Remish suddenly stopped, turning to fix his severe gaze on his brother. Both engaged in an intense staring contest, neither side giving in to the other. I stood by in bafflement, wondering if I had missed something. Finally, Zekarus spoke in a soft undertone.

“I know what I am doing.”

Remish narrowed his eyes, replying coldly, “I hope you do.”

With that he turned his back on us again, leaving a chill in the air. Only after he put a little distance between us did I dare ask Zekarus, “What was that about?”

Zekarus sighed, “Nothing. Don’t worry about it. So, want a history lesson?”

I glanced up at Remish tentatively. “Sure?”

The young man grinned, not even hesitating for a second as he started his story:

“A long time ago, our ancestors settled Unova, establishing tiny, scattered villages across the face of the land. For ages, the villages lived separate lives from one another, unconcerned with the matters outside their secluded worlds, until an adventurous governor set out to establish trade. In time, the villages united, forming one thriving kingdom that spread from the oceans down south, to the mountains in the north. However, the day came when the sole monarch died of an ill disease, and a usurper rose to the throne. The usurper introduced new ideas, and ruled with an iron fist. Some parts of the land grew to like his ideas, but the northern regions objected his tyranny.

“They broke away from the south, forming their own kingdom with the one true heir to the crown. The usurper, enraged by their rebellion, brought forth armies to bring the new kingdom back under his dominion. However, the resistance they met overwhelmed their forces, and they retreated back to their kingdom in the southern desert. Though bitter about their defeat, they left the new Northern Kingdom alone for a time, until another ambitious man rose to command. Decades had passed, and both kingdoms had attained an era of peace and wealth. Yet the new commander of the Southern Kingdom wanted to regain the lands that his Kingdom had lost. He was hungry for power and control. He didn’t want a kingdom; he wanted an empire.

“Another war began, though one this time that would last for a hundred years. In time, the Kingdoms began to decay from the inside, out. The wealth and splendor of the old ages were burned to the ground as our land was ravished. Both Kingdoms tried pulling everything they could to gain ground against the enemy, but never did they realize that they were destroying themselves.”

Zekarus’ expression grew weary as he finished his tale, “In the past year, corruption was sown in the Northern Kingdom. The true King was assassinated upon his own throne, and his heirs, two twin brothers barely of age, were forced to flee from their home. Now a pretender sits upon the throne, mercilessly playing the war game until we have lost all we gained.”

The young man fell silent, the brightness of his character leaving his face. He suddenly looked older to me, like a man who had seen too much sorrow in his young life. I slowly absorbed his story, still sorting through all the details. I had never taken a history class, and regrettably I didn’t know as much as I should about Unova’s roots. But I felt like I had heard a story like this before. I just couldn’t put my thumb on when and where. When I glanced up from my thoughts, I met Zekarus’ solemn eyes. Then I knew.

“You’re… you’re the brothers from the story,” I uttered, looking between the two. “You’re princes…”

“We were,” Remish stopped.

He had brought us to the opening of a cave, where the remains of a fire rested before its maw. Little evidences of a camp were scattered across the rocky ground: a pile of neatly stacked wood by the fireside, a line of rope leading from one cliff wall to the other that held dead animals (ew) or clothes. A pair of logs rested near the blackened fire pit, looking like they had been used as seats.

“Welcome to our camp, Miss White,” Zekarus welcomed, livening up once again. “It’s not much, but it’s been our home for the past little while.”

“It’s…,” I started, but trailed off as unexpected noise met my ears. I could have sworn it sounded like barking. Dog-like barking. As I turned my head towards the source of the sound, a familiar face emerged from the cave with her stumpy tail wagging. “Lilly!”

I ran to her, words not even describing my joy. As soon as we met, I wrapped my arms around her wooly neck and held her tight. She squirmed in my hold until she could lick the tears off my cheeks, whimpering happily all the while. I didn’t notice until I finally pulled back that a bandage had been wrapped around her thigh, clean and white.

“Ah, so she’s yours, then?” Zekarus’ eyes glinted as he laughed.

“Zekarus, what is this?” Remish sighed, shaking his head.

“I found her out in the woods, trying to follow some North Kingdom troops,” Zekarus sheepishly answered, ducking his head. “The poor thing was bleeding, and… well, I couldn’t help it. I had to help her out. I was on my way to tell you, but I think we both got a little sidetracked…”

Wiping the tears from my face, I finally released my Stoutland—then turned and hugged Zekarus. His body stiffened in surprise, cutting his chuckle off short, but gently he lowered his arms around me.

“Thank you so much, Zek,” I whispered, ever grateful.

“You’re very welcome,” Zekarus chuckled, holding me tighter before quickly pulling away. Clearing his throat, he added, “Er, but you should be a little more careful—the people of this land aren’t very… kind to Beasts.”

I wiped at my dampened cheek, tittering, “I think I figured that out long ago.”

Remish had quietly watched us for some time before suddenly speaking up, “Are you a witch?”

“No, of course not,” I rolled my eyes, exasperated. “Why does everyone keep accusing me of that?”

Remish and Zekarus exchanged glances.

“That is what they call those who bond with the Beasts,” Remish offered an explanation.

I frowned, turning to Sniper and Lilly. I had figured that they called Pokémon Beasts in this time period, but was the relationship between the two races really that different here? “Is that such a bad thing?” I asked them honestly. “Where I am from, people and Pok—people and Beasts live together in harmony.”

“Is that true?” Remish’s eyebrows lifted in doubt. “Can that be so?”

Zekarus smiled. “How ideal would that be?”

I stared. My head buzzed, trying to tell me that I was missing something immensely important. No way. There was no way…

“Perhaps… you can help us, then,” Remish’s stony masked softened some, and I could sense that he was lowering his guard some. Maybe he still didn’t trust me, but at least he was giving me a chance to prove myself.

“Help with what?” I blinked. I overheard them before, mentioning this, but what did they mean? How could I be of any service to them? They’ve already helped me more than I could repay them, I suppose.

“We, er, actually wondered if you might be able to help our friend,” Zekarus again turned sheepish, glancing cagily towards the cave. When I furrowed my brows, he took my hand. “Come with me.”

I didn’t object, though I continued to wonder why these two acted so elusively. Zekarus pulled me through their humble camp, towards the gateway into the cliff face. I felt apprehensive approaching the cave, given my adventures earlier that day. That didn’t slow Zekarus down, but he did squeeze my hand reassuringly with an added wink.

“Um, I should warn you. Our ‘friend’ might be a little… surprising,” Zekarus clued me in as we stepped inside, sounding uncharacteristically nervous.

“Surprising?”

“You’ll see.”

My question answered itself when a gust of wind suddenly blew my hair back. Rustling filled the darkness as something massive shifted against the rock. Rumbling rattled my bones before the shadows in front of me moved. I tensed, automatically expecting an attack. Soon, I was staring into the golden eyes of a dragon.

“Zayna, this is our friend, Shachor,” Zekarus introduced us, enjoying my astonishment.

As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I saw more of his “friend.” The dragon was massive, taking up the whole back part of the cave. Wary, slitted eyes watched me from a horse-shaped head, striped with shades of black and white. The long neck that held it sported a main of silvery feathers, as fine as down. It lay on its side, over long limbs that ended in sharp talons. Only when I got over its majesty did I notice its misery. Every breath came out in slow, wheezing gusts—its broad chest rising and falling in a sickly rhythm.

Zekarus moved by its side, placing a hand on one of its ivory horns. The dragon didn’t strike; instead, it closed its eyes and rumbled again. Very timidly, I walked up to the creature as well, marveling at its size. The only Pokémon that I could compare it to… was N’s Legendary. Was this a Legendary Pokémon as well? I worried that it might not be so friendly to me, but Shachor only eyed me through a narrowed lid, showing no ire.

“He’s… magnificent,” I breathed. “But… what’s wrong with him?”

“He is ill,” came Zekarus’ soft reply. “And we are not sure how to…”

I met his eyes, knowing what he meant. Braving the last few feet that distanced me from Shachor, I knelt and placed my hand on its cheek. The scaly hide felt warm beneath my hand.

“Can you help him?” Zekarus asked hopefully.

Shachor’s golden eyes opened again, and up close I could see into its depths. Staring into them felt like standing and peering over the edge of a bottomless canyon. Ancient, timeless… familiar. But sadness; so much sadness in those eyes.

“Zayna?”

I started, shaking from the spell.

“Um, yeah,” I finally replied, feeling a little dizzy. “I think I might have some medicine in my—”

I stopped as I became painfully aware of the absence one of my belongings: my bag. “Crap,” I cursed.

“Something wrong?”

“My bag,” I winced. “It was confiscated by those soldiers. They still have it.”

“What?”

I pinched the bridge of my nose, letting out a moan. “I can’t believe that I lost it. It has everything—all of my stuff. And… medicine, and… Ugh, this is bad.”

“That is not the only ‘bad’ development,” Remish’s voice suddenly called from the entrance. Zekarus and I turned to see him outlined against the light outside. “Soldiers are traveling up the ravine.”

“How many?” his twin brother whirled around, sounding alarmed.

“Thirty, and all armed to the teeth.”

“We can’t let them find us!”

Remish nodded grimly. “If they find Shachor…”

I glanced between the two twins, sensing the fear that stiffened them both. I realized something then: they had bonded with Shachor. Two brothers, two twins—one dragon…

“We have to fight,” I stood, clenching my fists in determination.

They looked at me in surprise.

“What?” I shrugged, but they kept staring. Shaking my head, I continued, “Look, we can’t let them get to this cave, right?”

“But there’s only two of us,” Remish lowered his head, growing ancient.

I raised an eyebrow. “’cuse me?”

“Okay… then three of us,” Zekarus tried to repair his brother’s damage.

I smiled, “Still not close. I can add six others to our team.”

The brothers exchanged confused glances.

Remish, still doubtful, ventured to ask, “What do you mean?”

Right on cue, Sniper and Lilly poked their heads into the cave. I whistled to them, and the two joined us in the cave, ogling at the giant within.

“Lilly can’t fight, but Sniper can,” I started to explain, reaching for the Poke Balls at my belt. “And I got five others right here.”

Ripping them from their placing, I threw the capsules one at a time. The cave lit up with each consecutive flash, momentarily illuminating the expressions of total shock on the faces of the twins. First came Kiki, my ever quirky Simipour with her glowing smile. She was followed by my Darmanitan, Rascal, and Terra the Scrafty. Last of all, Rouge the Krookodile and Archie the Archeops.

“What sorcery is this?” Remish recoiled, fear mixing with his amazement.

Rouge narrowed his eyes at the prince, crossing his arms with immediate dislike. Still grinning, I rested my elbow on the crocodile’s shoulder. “It’s not sorcery, guys. It’s science—technology.”

“Science?” Zekarus scrunched his nose. “This is the strangest piece of science I have ever seen.”

“Don’t worry too much about it,” I laughed. “It’s beside the point. Now, I got six fighters here—what’s the plan?”

Remish released a sigh, shaking his head. “We’re still outnumbered. I don’t see how we can stand a chance.”

“Wait…” Zekarus mused, examining my team. “I think… I might have an idea.”

“Throw it at me,” I grinned, hoping he would say that.

END PART II
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