Chapter Four: Stalk

Ugly. That was the first word that entered my frenzied mind, but it seemed inadequate to describe the grotesque sight before me.

What did Mother have to do with them? Was she a part of our enemy's cult? No, that couldn't happen; I hadn't seen a Volcarona amongst the enemy's forces ever since we had came in, and Mother was someone who was too gentle and kind to be associated with them.

So...did they kill her? They killed Mother?

Alder's panicked shouts were barely audible over the ringing in my ears; the alarm bells that had writhed their way into my head. "Volcarona? Can you hear me?" There was silence for a short while before he spoke up again. "Cover us for a while," he yelled, and pulled me back where the corpse was now out of sight.

"I don't know what's going on, Volcarona." He shifted his gaze away from me—and in any normal situation, I would have felt immense guilt at making my trainer shoot me such a troubled look. "What's wrong?"

This wasn't enough to ever qualify as regular, however. My last connection to the past had been destroyed by these maniacs in front of me, and all hopes against them being anything more than wicked were smashed in an instant.

Ignoring my friend's orders, I lunged forward. Not at him; he had done nothing wrong, but at the leader of the cult that had reduced my once radiant mother into the withered flower that lay on the ground in a puddle of her own blood.

I was angry. It wasn't the cold, quiet rampage one might expect; no, it was the type where I threw attack after attack at the wretched man, fury overwhelming each vein and sinus in my body and the steady trickle of blood staining my once pristine wings.

Not even my own incomprehensible screams of rage could be heard—I couldn't hear others' words either or the scuffle I was causing. Just one more Flamethrower, I thought, just one more Bug Buzz until he repents for what he did to Mother!

Get off me, I wanted to shout as a force drags me backwards, but I realised it was Alder that was shoving me back and facing me with wide, grey eyes.

"That's enough!" he shouted. His voice was scared, not angry, and he wrapped his small hands around me to lock me in place. "You've already killed him!"

❦유❦

I knew that my ally was disappointed in my behaviour. He wasn't cross like I'd expected, but rather just sad that the both of us were suspended for the next few missions.

"Take this time to reflect on your actions," the leader had snapped at the both of us—but it wasn't fair. I was the one who had attacked the cult's head, not Alder. "What were you thinking, Volcarona? Don't you know that we need at least their leader alive for questioning?"

I was only able to hang my head in regret and mutter apologies that no human could ever hear, and the both of us were sent back with shame flooding our faces, strides heavy as if there was some invisible stone weighing down on every metre we travelled.

The days where I had nothing to do grew, and I was only able to strengthen myself further by training.

Maybe if I train, I'll learn to control myself, my childish mind would taunt, and I would then register that I had never quite grown up in the first place.

Was this what I had asked for? A freedom from being isolated from the world, but at the cost of all this terror and hell that I'd been warned of all my life? Would it really have been better to have resigned to loneliness and spend my days cooped up, only being able to imagine the outside as a wild fantasy?

Though it was hard, I did just what the Company's leader had told me to do. I reflected harder than one would think—I contemplated themes of kindness and mercy; fairness and death, and it lead to one question: Is this the real world?

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It was disconcerting.

A dream was supposed to be surreal, wasn't it? Was it not supposed to have details and scents that tricked one's mind into thinking that it was an experience happening in real life?

I could tell straight away that I was asleep, however—the colours around me were too abstract and saturated to make up a proper background, and they constantly shifted so that my surroundings were a never-ending kaleidoscope.

"Where am I?" I wanted to ask, but I couldn't find the strength to vocalise these thoughts. Instead, I walked forward, thinking that there would only be a never-ending field of these vivid hues—but I was wrong, and a particular object stood out against the messy, colourful background.

I glanced down at the small stalk at the base of my wings. Most humans wouldn't give it a second thought, but I was drawn in my the allure of the flower's tangerine petals and the glow of resolve in the face of the chaos of adversity it had been thrown into.

Even the tiny black dots on its surface were beautiful, and I couldn't help but move even closer, studying the flower which had such a close resemblance to the flamelike wings of a Volcarona. Every centimetre of it fascinated me; every small detail added on to the masterpiece of its fragile yet heroic shape, and I couldn't resist the urge to touch it—

—and I felt a jolt of electricity course through my veins. It wasn't the type that had an intention to hurt, but it was like a potion that was trying to make me realise something. It was like gasoline being poured through my body; yes, it stung, but it was oddly rejuvenating.

It was then that I could see the real importance that this little flower was hinting at.

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I awoke not to the sound of my loud, rattling breaths, but the sound of knocking on the rattan frame of my door. The noises came like raindrops, and I had no choice in the matter as the figure entered.

"You're awake too, Volcarona?" I froze at Alder's voice; was he pretending to be fine with the situation earlier? Was he going to be mad at me? "I'm sorry if I woke you up. I just couldn't sleep, so...can I stay with you for a while?"

Not having the heart to say no to his exhausted face, I let the boy enter, watching as he sat down on the hard floor next to me. We remained in silence for a while, being happy to just soak in each other's untold feelings.

The soldier was the first one to speak. "I don't blame you for what happened in that mission, Volcarona. Please don't beat yourself up over it."

I was silent—even if I could speak words that Alder would understand, I didn't have anything to say—and acknowledging that fact, the boy continued, his soft voice low and somehow managing to fill up all the space hanging between us. I merely listened, content to let his words form a soothing melody to my ears.

"I understand you better than the leaders do," he shrugged. "I've been with you for three years, and I know you wouldn't have gone so far if you didn't have a good reason to."

"I had nothing to do until I found you in the forest, you know." A smile twitched at the corner of his lips, and I faintly registered that I had never heard about the boy's past before, and I leant forward in curiosity to listen. "I was pretty lonely, and you must have been the same way."

He laughed. "We were both scared and awed at the world at the same time—yet, our hearts were never hardened. I guess that's why I was drawn to you...we're the same. So thank you, Volcarona. Let's keep fighting together and doing our best, OK?"

I nodded, letting out a sound to let him know that I agreed, but I received no reply—and looking down, I saw the teenager sound asleep, eyes closed as he curled into my side.

Making no move to remove him, I stayed put, staring into the fuzzy darkness and letting his prescence calm me.

Perhaps this was why I still had hope for this world. Perhaps, it was because of people like him that I was able to see a better future.

But if I was to bloom just like that flower from my dream, a pressing question would remain: would the two of us have to say goodbye?

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//shrugs I don't really have anything to say?? There's 1 chapter and a sort of epilogue left??

which reminds me. i should probably make a cover once i stop procrastinating oOPS

Thank you all so much for 128 reads and 29 votes! I love you all ahaha <3 Votes, comments and critiques are certainly welcome!