Roser
Bug Catcher
- Pronouns
- he/him
Chapter 21: Sending Off
July 24th, 928 EP
The final day before the expedition had arrived. All the wild tension that had plagued the townsfolk had died down now, outside of those few who wouldn’t have their affairs settled in time and were still struggling to be ready for tomorrow’s departure. The gentle call of the wind resounded with the relative silence, moving over and through the still-active town. Most let it pass, and many probably never realized it was there. But the shrine in the residential district’s plaza had just the right structure to make a rustling sound within its walls whenever a strong enough breeze came by.
Bennett’s curly-furred ear twitched from the sound as it broke his concentration. He eyed where the left wall met the roof; damage to the shrine’s structure had left it worn down, and let the wind create noise when it passed by. Once again, it had disturbed his calm state of mind, but he silenced the frustration shortly. The shrine had needed repairs it couldn’t afford for some time now, and the other worshipers around him were not as easily broken from their focus. He only had himself and his stress to blame for the lost meditation.
He glanced back at the Wave Incense burning across from him. The deep scent of ocean tides had overwhelmed him as a kid, but he breathed it in naturally now, and it put his body at peace. The wall that he sat facing bore a sigil of a water droplet, painted with fine enough details to mimic the shades and waves of the ocean. Between him and the incense, a bowl of fresh seawater sat perfectly still. The Bidoof had carried it from the shore and up the steps on his own, which always came with the peril of dropping it and starting the trek over, a peril that he knew too well. Still, he had brought it in one go today. He bowed his head.
His mind was labored with worry, and doubt. He feared his inability to perform his duties on the expedition, and more so he feared how it would drag down the experience for others. Moments came where he wondered if he was ever truly an explorer, or just a Bidoof pretending to be one. If there was something wrong, he wondered if he could ever change it. But it was only necessary to feel these things.
Bennett placed a paw into the seawater, and concentrated. Fear, doubt, self-loathing, anything that could plague his mind and weigh him down… he would empty these thoughts into the salty water, and cleanse his soul for the time being.
The ritual was a smidge pointless, he felt in the back of his mind. There were days where it didn’t feel like he could simply free himself of negativity, and days where spiritual practice couldn’t outweigh physical failure. But, perhaps, the act itself made him feel better. He could control his difficulties, be unburdened, and face them when he was ready.
“Uhh…”
The Bidoof’s concentration was broken once more, and the surprise was almost enough to make the bowl spill. He turned his head to see Tai close behind him. The Stunky was flustered and awkward, speaking in a hushed tone as was expected of him.
“Hey, Tai… what is it?” Bennett tried to respond in turn. Already, they had gained a few displeased stares from worshipers, who wanted to maintain the serenity and silence that the shrine offered them from the busy town outside. Tai gulped.
“I need to go pack things… I was gonna sort out some items to take with me, on the expedition…” The Stunky looked around. He caught sight of the judgmental eyes, and trembled slightly, taking a step back. “It’s fine, you’re busy… and good luck with the prayer and stuff…”
“I’m almost done, ya don’t gotta leave. Was there somethin’ ya needed to ask?”
Tai coughed and looked down, unable to keep the attention off himself. “I just figured, you’re more experienced than me… I don’t wanna screw it up, or something. If I look stupid on the expedition, it’ll be extra bad…”
Bennett gave a soft smile, taking his soaked paw out of the bowl. “I can help ya sort things through an’ figure out what’s good to take. If that’s what ya want.”
“Y… yeah, it’d help a lot.” Tai coughed again, as he always did when his anxiety got the best of him. Bennett was the only one he couldn’t keep his guard up around, but perhaps it was for the better. The older explorer reached forward, opening the top of the Wave Incense and fetching the sticks from within. The burning material was taken and dipped in the bowl of water, and then deposited in Bennett’s bag, which he fetched in the process. The Bidoof rose up, now standing on his hind legs to Tai’s surprise, as he grasped the bowl between his front paws.
“I’ll be glad to give some insight. But lemme settle my business first… gotta take this down to the shore and dump it out.”
“Oh, right, rituals and all…” Tai lowered his voice, after a wave of relief had caused him to raise it again. “Can I come with you? I don’t think I can help or whatever, but better than sitting and waiting for you.”
“Sure thing. An’ shoot me with your ideas for what ya wanna bring while we walk.” The Bidoof turned slowly, pacing toward the exit to keep the bowl from spilling onto the wooden floor. The shrine-goers around them sighed in peace, and let the two youngsters depart through the front entrance.
The journey outside took them west, with Bennett leading the way toward the Crossroads. Tai kept close behind him, a bit bothered with Bennett’s reduced pace but not feeling the need to speak up about it. He couldn’t imagine carrying something and walking upright, especially when going down stairs like the long descent towards Aurora Beach.
“So…” Tai finally resumed their discussion after a few moments of walking down the many stone stairs, causing Bennett’s eyes to slide over to him. “What’s with all the frequent shrine trips? I don’t mind, but, like… it’s usually once a week, and you’re out once a day now.”
The Bidoof laughed softly, his steps and words more labored while he responded. “That’s not really about your item management…”
“Sorry, I just wanna know why first. Is something up?”
“Ehh, kinda…” Bennett gave a shrug. “Anxious about the expedition, like everyone. Figured some reflection could let me be more at ease.”
“What’ve you got to worry about? You’ve been on expeditions before. Just… do whatever you did last time.” Tai moved forward, trying to stay beside Bennett now. The stretch of stairs never seemed to shorten, no matter how much closer they grew to the ground below.
“Cromwell said they’re gonna use my performance this time to see if I’m up for graduation. So I gotta be on top of my game, y’know?”
“Never a moment to rest with him around…” Tai grumbled. He had been less hard on Cromwell since the praise he received, whether or not it was deserved. He knew there was at least some way to be seen in the Chatot’s favor now, so no point in being aggressively negative about the bird.
“It jus’ makes sense. He said I gotta be someone that trainees’ll look up to. But that ain’t the most clear set of instructions.” Bennett moved down the stairs. The seawater bowl sloshed weakly from a particularly strong step.
“You’ll do fine with it. You always do well on this kinda stuff.”
Bennett sighed. “No, I don’t. I get through the work an’ sometimes it’s good, an’ sometimes it ain’t. An’ this’ll be bigger than all those other missions, the expeditions ain’t a joke.”
“I didn’t say it was a joke, alright? I just…” Tai whined. “I dunno, you’re just capable with explorer stuff.”
“But I don’t—” The Bidoof gritted his teeth as he suddenly stumbled. He hadn’t expected to reach the plateau midway down the stairs, and he fell forward with a yelp. The young man flopped onto his belly, as seawater sloshed and splashed out from the bowl and onto the dry grass before them.
“Y-you alright, man?” Tai scurried around to Bennett’s front, trying to nudge the Bidoof up with his snout. He received a nod from the other explorer, who slowly rose back up, standing on all fours again. The bowl of seawater had been almost emptied, only a paltry portion of it left over at the bottom.
“Iunno… I mean, I’m fine, no worries, but… iunno.” Bennett leaned forward, picking the bowl up in his mouth and speaking from the side of his lips. He started back down the long staircase. “I don’t always perform good. An’ I can mess up when it’s just on me, an’ that’s fine, but when the guild’s got its eyes on me, I gotta be ready to go down a notch or two because of it.”
Tai remained quiet, unsure of how to motivate the person that he had always tried to motivate him. Did Bennett even need motivation? It felt so unclear to the Stunky, who could only walk beside the now downcast Bidoof.
The two soon came to the shoreline, its waves glistening faintly under the midday sun. Tai stayed back, letting his friend do his business. Bennett approached the intruding and receding waves, feeling them lap around his ankles. After a moment of hesitation, the bowl was lowered down and tipped forward, letting the remaining drops of salty water splish onto an incoming wave.
“There we go.” The Bidoof took up the bowl in his mouth again. He tried to progress towards the stairs again, but Tai blocked him before he could leave the shore.
“You’re being stupid, alright?” The boy grunted out his words, and then tried to correct them. “I just, I get that it’s nerve-wracking to do this stuff, and always be trying, and always dealing with this stuff, but… don’t be stupid.”
“Tai—”
“You’re OBVIOUSLY a good explorer. And I bet you’d be a good graduate too. So just TRY a lot, and you’ll do better than being sad about it. That’s what you always told me, right?” Without waiting for a response, the Stunky bit onto the bowl from the defeated Bidoof’s mouth, plucking it out in annoyance.
The frustration that Bennett was building inside him was slowly being dispersed. Tai stared him down with sorrowful anger, with justified anger. Bennett couldn’t let his friend down, and he couldn’t let himself slip into being this kind of person. A wealth of tension was released as the Bidoof spoke again.
“Golly. I guess I did sound a tad silly, huh?” He laughed, forcing the bad feelings out of his body. He pushed off of his front legs, getting back into an upright position to reaffirm his control. “I’m sorry, really. I shouldn’t be actin’ all sour, ‘specially when I should be bein’ a good role model for the rest of y’all.”
“That’s exactly right. And if you’re sour on the trip, I’m gonna bite your ears when you doze off.” The childish words came out partially muffled from the bowl that he was keeping away from his friend.
“Ehh… thanks?” The Bidoof scratched the back of his head, and then extended a paw to his friend. “I’ll take the bowl, if you don’t mind… gotta be respectful.”
“Sure, whatever. But don’t get sad about spilling it again, if you can. I don’t really get how it works.” The bowl was transferred between the duo, as Bennett nodded.
“It’s an important thing… but bein’ a good explorer is more important. So I’ll try.” Bennett started to walk, then returned his sight to the shoreline beside them. He scooted over and knelt down, taking more of the liquid into the bowl, causing Tai to groan.
“Is the ritual thing still going…?”
“Nah. All good for the day.” Bennett moved away from the ocean, walking on his back legs toward the stairs. “But gotta try an’ improve with this. Real Bibarel know how to walk on two paws.”
“Hell yeah!” Tai stamped his paws as Bennett progressed on the path into town.
“Language.”
“Bleh… never mind, being mature and mindful is bad.” The Stunky faked a gag, following his reinvigorated friend upwards into town.
The calm, cool afternoon air that flowed down from Treasure Town set a near-perfect state of conditions for Fera’s training. Outside of the occasional howling breeze, nothing would interfere with her slow and arduous physical preparation, as mandated by Gekkuya. The Croagunk watched on from the shade of a tree, as Fera stood on one leg atop a pointed stone. The Riolu’s leg jostled.
“Easy there, Blue Belt.” Gekkuya spoke out lazily. “You’re almost at thirty. Don’t overcorrect.”
The Riolu gave no response, not even a nod that could risk throwing herself off-balance. Her eyes closed, while her body regained its former composure. Her tail would twitch, shifting from time to time to try and keep the pose her body had assumed. Her breathing slowed.
A strong gale picked up, blowing down across the empty training ground. The Riolu’s hips tilted forward, and her center of balance swung forward, before she tumbled off of the rock. The girl landed on all fours, unharmed but suddenly infuriated. She struck a fist down against the dusty earth.
“Come on! So close…!” Fera clenched her teeth, her ears drooping in an unmistakable display of surprising sorrow. The sporadic display caused Gekkuya to lean forward from his lax position.
“Hey, hey. No freaking out, you’re wasting brainpower. You made it… twenty-eight minutes, you did fine.” The Croagunk slowly sauntered in Fera’s direction. At his words, Fera’s ears shot back up to their neutral state, and the girl began to rise onto her feet.
“Sorry, sir… I didn’t mean to lose it. We can start over.” The Riolu spoke more calmly. She started to stretch unprompted, apparently preparing herself for another round atop the rock. Gekkuya put up his hands in a braking gesture to tell the girl to halt herself.
“No reason to. You made it far enough, I would say.” He folded his arms, roused out of his typical lazy expression to show a drop of seriousness. Fera slowed down, but didn’t pause, her preparatory stretching.
“You sure? You’re not really one for cutting the practice short…” The fuzzy girl stood upright, raising her paws to the sky and extending her limbs. “What’s wrong?”
“Why are you asking me that?” The Croagunk’s cheeks pulsated as they often did. “You’re the one giving off the atrocious vibes here. Can we get the emotional spiel out of the way and get down to training without the hangups?”
Fera’s movements finally came to an end. The girl’s arms came to her sides, and her puffed-out fur settled down, as she looked down slightly at the Croagunk.
“I’m just a bit nervous for the expedition, is all… it sounded like a big deal. I don’t wanna be off my game and turning into a problem for the others.” Fera shrugged, growing more mellow. The Croagunk simply shook his head.
“Alright, well, that’s a lie…”
“What? I’m telling the truth.” Fera frowned at her instructor, feigning insult.
The Croagunk stared back, his face unchanging in the face of her denial, waiting. Her feelers flicked upward, and Gekkuya shot his hand forward to point at her.
“There. What’s that about?” His hand wiggled up slightly, gesturing at her head. “You’re pulling some aura-reading nonsense on me. Trying to figure me out so you can tell me what I’m supposed to hear. What the hell’s your deal today?”
The Riolu flinched from the accusation, her feelers kept down by command to prevent further observation of them, and her eyes wandered away. She tilted her tail up and her body back, letting her rear land on the ground to sit and rest. Remaining yet silent.
Gekkuya moved to stand in front of where she sat. The tense air was reaching even him, although he didn’t yet understand what was causing it.
“I don’t know… just feeling off, I guess. It’s been a rough couple of days…” Fera exhaled slowly, letting her eyelids droop.
“Any reason for that?” Gekkuya let his sternness fade. It wouldn’t serve him in this case.
“Maybe.” Fera tried to look her superior in the eye, but failed. Her arms wrapped around her knees, and the girl looked aside at nothing. He still wasn’t receiving the whole truth, it seemed, but persisted all the same.
“It’s a pretty yes-or-no question, you know. Like, there can’t be a reason and then also not a reason.”
Fera’s gaze did not return to him to acknowledge the snide comment. The Croagunk grunted, out of some kind of desperation, and knelt down to Fera’s level.
“Is it about that panic thing a while back?”
Her eyes darted briefly in his direction. When she lost the will to keep that contact, the eyes moved away again. “I think so.”
“Are you worried about it happening again?”
“I… think so. But it…” She sighed. “I don’t know. Everything just feels kinda wrong.”
“You’re gonna have to give me a bit more to work with here.” Gekkuya pushed once more on his stern side, but his expression had softened all the same. What rudeness he offered was in his earnest attempt to assist the confusing girl.
“I’m just stuck feeling weird. I’m frustrated, and I’m worried. I don’t know what else to say…”
Even this was a lie. The Croagunk could see it from a mile away, and Fera seemed to know that he could tell. Whatever else had been stirred in the girl’s mind, she wouldn’t divulge. Despite seeing and knowing this, Gekkuya could push no further. There was nothing for him to find if Fera would keep it hidden from him.
“Anything I can do to make this better?” The Croagunk shrugged slightly.
“It’s… fine, I think. I can deal with this.” Her words carried little confidence. She wanted to believe herself, but nothing she felt could make her believe it. Gekkuya closed his eyes.
“Sure. But I can’t let you go on the expedition if you’re still in a compromised state. Sorry.” The instructor looked at her morosely. Fera’s head shot up as she worriedly returned his stare.
“You can’t just—!” Fera’s words were cut off as Gekkuya bluntly extended the palm of his hand, signaling her to stop.
“I’m not trying to threaten you.” His hand lowered as he spoke. “It’s just what’s important. It’s for your sake and for the sake of everyone else’s efforts. You’re only going to make things worse if you can’t be ready for what the guild’s asking of you. You know that, but I’m reminding you.”
Fera looked down at her feet as her body trembled. “I’m still supposed to be able to handle this… I still want to help.” She whimpered. Once he had been assured that she would listen, he continued.
“It’s okay if you’re not ready. Even disregarding… whatever it is that you’re feeling inside, you’re not obligated to go on a trip that you might not be trained enough to handle. It’s better to face the inability head on and take some embarrassment, rather than throw yourself into things stupidly and make it a failure. And if you’re not able, that’s fine.”
The girl nodded weakly. Her eyes started to water, but she wouldn’t cry.
“I’m asking you. Are you able to be ready for this expedition? I want the honest answer, no games. If that answer is ‘no’, I’ll understand. And I’ll be the one to talk to the administrator, if that’s what you’re worried about.” Gekkuya stared her down. His facade of cold cruelty would not hold, and he didn’t care to keep it up anyways. Seconds passed, and the girl started to wipe the sorrow from her eyes.
“I-I’m…” Fera sniffled and clenched her fists. “I’m going to be ready. I’m not ready yet, but… I can be ready tonight. I want to keep training…” She shut her eyes, suffering under the weakness she had demonstrated to Gekkuya. The amphibian reached over, placing his cold hand on her shoulder.
“Are you sure? No lying just to do the expedition.”
“I’m sure… I am sure.” She started drying her eyes, gaining a fierce stare. “I don’t want to turn helpless the second I feel off… I’m sure.” She repeated herself once more.
“I’m going to trust that.” Pushing down on her with his hand, the Croagunk slowly rose to his mostly upright posture. The girl looked up to him after a moment passed. The softness on his face had been steeled once more into the distant apathy that he commonly demonstrated. “Do you wanna start up again now, or should we take a breather?”
“We can start now… I already had a break, I guess.” Fera gradually lifted herself up, returning to towering over the man. “I’m sorry for all of that.”
“It’s done for now. Just keep me in the loop on how you’re feeling, or we’re not gonna get anywhere with this. And…”
Gekkuya looked at the sky. The soft orange tones of sundown would soon turn dark blue, but there was still time left. He would be able to push her body far enough in the rest of their training. Physically, he knew she could handle this.
“Let’s get ten laps around the grove, to get you going again. Then we’ll spar and call it a day.”
Fera nodded weakly, letting her body relax. She’d have to be ready to exert herself if she wanted her training to mean anything. The tension and apprehension didn’t fade fully, but she seemed to have quelled whatever pain was within her. The girl crouched to prepare herself. Before she could take off, she looked to her trainer once more.
“Thank you, really…”
“Chatting’s not running, y’know.” Gekkuya stayed fixated on the sky, as if he had more pressing matters with it than with his pupil.
Fera nodded, and turned to begin her exercise. A small, relieved smile crossed her lips. It wasn’t the boisterous grin or the cheerful beaming that she had shown him before, but it was something. With her mind steadied, Fera began to dash off, thrusting her body into action and chasing after the shadow that she cast.
As the girl left earshot, Gekkuya’s eyes slid over to watch her go.
“…you’re welcome, Blue Belt.”
July 25th, 928 EP
At the crack of dawn, Team Charm stood patiently, their gaze upon the town of their roots. From huddled huts to bustling business, it had grown so much and changed so little. They couldn't enjoy it as they had before, as earnest members of its community, but they could watch on from afar. It would do.
Garrison reclined on the ground against a wide and flat stone. His visible injuries had healed, although he had remained silent and unreadable since returning from the forest. Lulu broke away from admiring Treasure Town just long enough to address him.
“I hope you understand, you don't have to accompany us. Your body needs time to recover.”
“I've dealt with worse,” he said, “and I'll take even worse than that. This is a mission of utmost importance.”
“…you don't need to make up for what happened, Garrison. You're an explorer, but you're still mortal. Celebi would understand.”
Garrison looked away, only the weakest smile on his face. The cool breeze of the early morning blew across his piercing arms, as they rested on his folded lap.
“I would very much like to believe you. But the issue goes beyond that.” His eyes closed. “The Obirians are sure to make another move. Whatever plot they have, it won't end at a single Time Gear. I can't imagine what they could do to disperse the mystery of Fogbound Lake, but then again, I wouldn't have imagined them to be able to traverse the depths of Treeshroud Forest. There is no time or opportunity to be complacent.”
“We'll put some faith in you, then. Don't go dying on us.” Lulu watched him, displeased but accepting.
“I'm not a fighter, so you might have to hold up that end of the deal for me.” He laughed, and settled down. “But… I'll do my best.”
Their discussion closed off, seeing the swarms of explorers coming from the guild in the west. Their steps came as quietly as they could to let the townsfolk sleep, but the buzz of excitement among them could not be silenced. Wendell led the charge, coming to the gates to speak with the trio before the other explorers joined in.
“Thank you once again for your service thus far. We're indubitably indebted for having you come with us on the next step of the journey.” He offered his nubby appendage to her, resolution beaming off of him. Lulu returned the bright attitude and shook his hand. She was always so easily swayed by his mood.
“We wouldn't have it any other way. Are all of the preparations in order?”
“Of course. You shouldn't doubt the guild's ability to mobilize.” Cromwell chirped to offer his thoughts.
“Hmph…” Victoria frowned in his direction. “It's only about the severity of the situation. You have your way of doing things, after all…”
“I assure you that my way is fine, Victoria.” He scoffed lightly, and Maya waved a hand to the others nearing them, hoping to kill off the awkward talk that had begun.
“Welcome, explorers. I am Maya Vitzés, of Team Charm. We hope to be good company for your expedition.” The woman's words were brief and stoic, but still carrying a faint tone of delight. Murmurs spewed forth from the crowd that was slowly forming around the famous team.
Near the front of the group, Fera stood with a smile, Vivian clutched in her arms. The Eevee was flailing at full power, which meant she was still otherwise perfectly restrained by her friend's grasp.
“Let me gooooooo, I need to go say hi to themmmmmm!”
“You can say hi to them later. That's what your dad said.” Fera's feelers flicked about, still showing excitement at the presence of the women from Vivian's painting. The Eevee mewled and wiggled, her fierce Struggle not stopping Fera's Bind.
“This is oppression of my rights as an explorer! Feraaaaa!” The Eevee continued to squirm in the Riolu’s arms as Wendell began to address the group.
“If you have any last preparations, any issues to settle, deal with them now! Otherwise, you can handle them when we return next month. But I trust that you’ve all prepared yourself!” A chorus of agreeing mumbling came in response, causing the Wigglytuff to nod with confidence. “Once the carriages are pulled around, we’ll depart. It’s a long trek, but I know you can endure it!”
The crowd of adventurers started to grow calmer, they needed to conserve their energy for the journey itself. From a winding path, several carriages drew closer, being pulled along by Solrock and Lunatone that were bound by rope. Each cart had a driver, but once the vehicles had halted, they hopped off, yielding the transports to the guildmaster.
“Whoa. They just go like that?” Fera marveled at the contraptions— she had seen carriages, of course, but they were always pulled by a powerful Pokemon like a Rapidash. These little things, the Solrock and Lunatone, didn’t even seem to exert force, instead just twirling and pulling forward mindlessly.
“They’re elementals… they have tons of pure energy to use. Like the Slugma I told you about.” Vivian tilted her head up, her cheeks slightly scrunched up by her held position. “But they can’t think on their own. We have to drive them with special reins.”
“Elementals… it sounds kinda familiar, I think. Maybe we had those wherever I was from.” The Riolu mused aloud, staring at one of the Lunatone, who returned her gaze with no acknowledgement of her existence.
“Maybe. But they’re super useful for the guilds, they suck in psychic energy and then repel it with each other to move. And I can tell you more about them if you just… let go of me, for a minute…!” The Eevee in Fera’s arms began to wriggle anew, desperate in her efforts to go see the famous explorers.
“For the expedition proper, we’ve sorted you all carefully, with a captain for each grouping. For the time being, however, you’re to be sorted by space efficiency; we’ll regroup and reorganize in one week, when we disembark at the village of Irion. Ahem…” Cromwell clutched at a neat piece of paper, listing the first carriage group to be assigned. “Vivian, Elise, Rikar, Ludan, and Fera. Proceed to the carriage marked with a yellow X.”
“N… not Victoria? Or any of the others…?” Vivian slumped forward in Fera’s grasp. She had figured she’d at least be slotted with someone, perhaps the surprise inclusion of Garrison, but instead she’d be rooming with familiar coworkers. At least Fera would be there.
“We’ll hang with them when we get to that town, right? Just gotta hold out for a couple days.” Fera spoke softly, seeming perhaps bothered by the length of the trip, but it was unclear. As they chatted, a familiar Rhydon from the guild came from behind and lightly patted the Riolu on her back.
“Let’s get moving, I wanna get there before everyone else does~” Elise cooed out, causing Fera to smile and trot forward, holding the defeated Vivian close to her. The Vulpix and Dottler in their group approached as well, and the group of five boarded a carriage with a banner of a yellow X.
The carriage interior was as spacious as one could hope, given the Rhydon belonging to their group. Elise took up several seats in the back, somewhat bashfully, as Fera took the space to her right and Vivian came beside her. All five settled in, and the carriage’s driver, a vibrant Whimsicott, floated up to take the reins again. In due time, all of the carriages had been packed with the explorers, with the special guests of the expedition taking up a carriage to themselves at the end. From the driver’s seat that he was intruding on, Wendell called out.
“Onward, to Fogbound Lake!”
At his word, the drivers yanked on their metallic reins. The Solrock and Lunatone’s eyes glowed with eerie light, their bodies starting to spiral in releasing their psychic forces. The carriages were pulled and turned, leading themselves along the well-worn path south of Treasure Town. Their wheels clacked and bumped along spots of uneven terrain, but soon rose into speedy and orderly whirring as the carriages bustled onward.
Through the small windows, Fera could watch her hometown’s walls and trees begin to fade into the distance. Others around her would start to chat, and she would chat with them in turn. But her eyes carried on, staring at the distant fields and hills that they would travel through, the boundless existence outside of her little town. Now, she had been released into the rest of the world.
