An Aged Fantasy

[Eternal Daydreamer]

Well, I've dropped Not So Sensational for this story. I dropped it because I couldn't think of anything more for it. And I had this great idea after I watched The Brothers Grimm.

No, it's not a parody. Nor do I call it a crossover. However, I did take the village from the movie and most of the inhabitants to place in this story. I took the villagers themselves (Hans, Greta, Sasha, Elsie, the girl with the red cape, Sasha's pa, the one-legged man, the crone, and the other inhabitants not including Angelika and her family and the brothers and all those french people) and transported them into a village that I made. I took the characters and put them into the Pokemon world, yes, but I have it so they aren't really the characters. If that makes any sense, it'll become clearer I hope. You don't have to watch the movie to get this, that's the beauty of it I think.

I'll even do an "index" of characters for easy reference. Like the guy who wrote the Warriors series. Yes, I will describe the characters and all that but this is just for quick reference. As in, someone got confused as which character was which. I'll add on if I need to, but I don't think I will.

Controllers
Blizsan-A bulky hermit who was the grandson of Helekinsun, the elder. He only goes to the village to drink in the pub. His Familiar is Articuno.

Molly-The fair fourth Controller with sadistic tendencies. Her Familiar is Entei.

Villagers (Children)

Sasha-Young fair village girl.

Hans-The tall lanky brother of Greta.

Greta-Hans’s plump fearful sister.

Elsie-Young village girl who has a fondness for Rapidashs and Ponytas.

Rebecca-Young village girl who has a red riding cape.

Kevin-The younger brother of Rose.

Rose-Young village girl who is the older sister of Kevin.

Villagers (Adults)

Gregor-Sasha’s father and is on the council of elders.

Peter-An old one-legged man who is the leader of the village.

Sarai-The local crone who the village dislikes greatly.

Other Characters (Familiars and their human forms)
Articuno-The quirky Familiar of Blizsan.

Arnold-The human form of Articuno, who looks something like Hans.

Entei-The solid Familiar of Molly.

Hale-The human form of Entei and roughly looks like a blacksmith.

An Aged Fantasy

Table of Contents (So Far)

Prologue) Entering Town
1) Children and Strangers
2) Rose and the Briar

Prologue: Entering Town

The forest tore at their cloaks and the wind bit at their faces. Wind made the fiery manes of their mounts rise and fall steadily. Those were the only things the travelers noticed as they were in a hurry. Even their mounts seemed in a hurry, their muscles tense underneath their cream colored coats.

The breath of the travelers and their steeds froze in the cold air making a white mist that churned uneasily. The two travelers hunched to get a better grip on the reins since the path began to get rougher. Branches seemed to grow just to annoy them but the larger of the two travelers, possibly male, had an axe which he slashed at the branches in front of his mount.

The other which was smaller, most likely a woman, followed behind him since she disliked being hit by the branches. Her mount disliked the amount of baggage that she put on him, but he was also afraid of her so, of course, he obeyed the directions. The male traveler suddenly turned his mount around.

The steed reared since he was startled but the man was not thrown off. Instead, he took the motion with ease and turned to the woman. “This forest is cursed,” he grunted. “I can not get through. Something is interfering with your power, is it not?” The woman glanced around.

They’re eyes met briefly, however, one could not tell much from their facial expressions since they covered their faces were covered with hoods. Both of the hoods were of a rusty red color that turned the nearest trees red in the dying light. “Maybe and maybe not. I cannot be sure,” replied the woman. “Let’s continue. I have heard there is a village nearby.”

The man nodded and turned his mount around. Guiding with one hand and holding the axe with the other, he continued the journey with the woman behind him.

***

The one-legged old man leaned on the wall holding his crutches. His old tired eyes watching the children at play tiredly. As leader of the worn down village, it was his honor and his duty to watch over the younger ones. He held back a dry chuckle. After all, was it not a few years ago that the young ones that were at the meeting, children themselves?

Peter, for that was his name, knew each child by name. He knew their parents when they were the same age, also. The nature of each child, he also knew. Even the odd brother and sister pair of Hans and Greta. For Hans was adventurous but Greta was very careful. Those two were always arguing about what they should do and what they shouldn’t. Peter smiled crookedly at some thought of the siblings.

In only a few weeks, winter’s cold breath would be upon them and the children would have to stay indoors. At that time, Peter knew, the children would flock to the inn at night to ask for stories. Elsie would ask for stories of Pokemon. Hans would ask for stories of the second Controller’s exploits. Greta and Rebecca would ask for folk tales.

Those days would be long and cold but to Peter, they would be as warm as the sun. For the children would only bother him when the sun was out, since their parents told them that the old man was always busy. That was not always true and the children knew this, however their faith to their parents was strong and they didn’t disobey easily.

The picture of an old man watching children at play on a muddy street in a broken down village was soon destroyed when the travelers came. One male, one female both on galloping Rapidashes. Their rusty cloaks billowing in the wind but the hoods not moving an inch. The children stopped playing and some of the older villagers appeared to watch the new arrivals.

They were new to this place and it scared Peter slightly. After all, only the old hermit that lived on the mountain came down to the village. It was small and uninteresting so it raised the question in Peter’s mind of just why did they come? They couldn’t be raiders even if the male had an axe.
____
Short I know, but the chapters will get longer. And this was longer than a page on WordPerferct 10, the proccessing program I use. Read and review, please.

 

[CHeSHiRe-CaT]

Their rusty cloaks bellowing in the wind but the hoods not moving an inch.

Methinks you meant, "billowing." And I just LOVED the way you used "rusty cloaks" in that sentence <3

THAT IS SO WEIRD D: I just rented The Brothers Grimm not too long ago. I need a little inspiration for Alice, so I believe this ought to do it. As for your part on this fic, I can't say much as I want to, as this is just the Prologue. Still, characters are interesting, and the setting was ideal (though description needs to be improved upon a bit, though I could still imagine the story perfectly without much description; some of us have good imaginations, others bad, so enlighten us). That's the only thing I can think of, and other than that, this is a lovely chapter. Prologues tend to be short anyway, so I don't think there's a need to make it as long as a chapter would be.

The only beginning mystery remains: who are the two red-cloaked riders, and why have they come into the town? I guess I have to go watch The Brothers Grimm now, and maybe I'll get an even better idea of what you're writing here Keep up the good work, dear.

~Kitty

 

[Eternal Daydreamer]

Well, thanks for the review! I'll change that part tomorrow. I cannot say who the riders are or what they came for. As I said, The Brothers Grimm did inspire this but I only took the villagers from it. And a tiny bit of the plot. You will see.

I will add more description. Or try to, it's not my strong suit. I took the cloak bit from an early scene in the movie with "Red Riding Hood". Which that character is the basis for Rebecca. Elsie, Hans, Greta, Sasha, Gregor, Peter, and Sarai were also in the movie. Although Sarai and Peter were nameless. You will see like the rest of them.

 

[CHeSHiRe-CaT]

Is this the fic (as you mentioned in the Author's Cafe) with the Unown? After all, you did mention Molly in your index. I would look forward to such a thing XD

 

[Eternal Daydreamer]

Is this the fic (as you mentioned in the Author's Cafe) with the Unown? After all, you did mention Molly in your index. I would look forward to such a thing XD

They will be in this, not directly for a while, however. In about chapter seven they will show up.

 

[Sike Saner]

The image of cloaked riders is one that just comes across so boldly - especially when their horses are burning. =D You've gotten the setting for the story across in writing quite nicely, too. I recall that there were some characters in The Brothers Grimm about whom I would have liked to learn a little more, and it looks like you're going to delve into them a bit, which'll be neat. ^^ Putting the characters in a Pokémon setting is a very cool idea; lots of opportunities to make cool things happen there. Like I mentioned earlier, the fact that the horses on which the cloaked riders were riding possess flaming manes and pyrotechnic powers just makes it all the cooler. ^^

 

[Eternal Daydreamer]

Well, yes. The side characters of the village children were interesting in the movie but they weren't explored. Exe: Sasha was my favorite character, Greta had a great line, and Elsie was so cute that you wanted to eat her up! Even in fanfiction(dot)net in the Grimm section, those characters are ignored. They're character could be explored and that's what I plan to do.

Transporting them to the Pokemon world was interesting because these people could live in a village in that world, you just have to look. The figures riding on Rapidashes was there because I only had four options on transport: they walk, they ride on Ponytas, they ride on Rapidashes, or they ride on Tauroses. Walking would be impractical and if they rode on a Ponyta or a Tauros it would look less impressive. Even though this takes place in the future (!) it uses old techonology. The techonology sort of reversed itself. That's not important to the storyline but I thought you guys might want to know that.

 

[Klaus]

Ah, I love it. Brilliant. You are great at these kind of fics
and I love it.

As Sike said, that scene was bold and you really see it and you are diving into characters backgrounds....spanken. Lol. keep it up.


As always, be kind to the mime.

 

[Eternal Daydreamer]

Thanks Klaus and here is chapter one!
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Chapter 1 Children and Strangers

Before the strangers came that fateful day, some of the children of the village decided to play together one last time before winter cast it’s withering gaze upon the village. Now, these children had always been separated in two groups. Not because of prejudice or any of the adult things in life but the simple reason that they thought if they all played at once the game would become too crowded.

The first group consisted of seven children, all them knew each other and were on friendly terms. The second group consisted of seven other children and they were on friendly terms, also. One must realize that in such a small village there aren’t many major disputes. The first group had went behind the inn to look at the innkeeper’s Pokemon stock. The second group did not do this since one of the children in it was the innkeeper’s daughter.

The first group left the second alone by themselves. The children in this group were almost always together. Sasha -a girl with fawn colored hair that almost always dressed like a boy- was most of the time the leader. The tally lanky boy, Hans, was always opposing her solidness but so far he had done nothing major against her. Hans’s twin sister, the plump Greta, was of course opposed to her brother’s fighting spirit.

The game which this group was playing was a game of ball. The ball was an ordinary leather ball made heavy by a small amount of sand. The game itself was simple to learn, all you had to do was pass the ball by throwing it to another person. It wasn’t as complicated as some of the games that children of the past used to play but it was probably just as fun.

Most of the group was enjoying the game, even wee Elsie the innkeeper’s daughter who was the youngest there. In fact only one was not enjoying the game and that was Greta. The plump girl glared at the players as she stood just outside of the mud holding Rebecca’s red riding cape. Rebecca, one must realize is that this village girl is the daughter of a local weaver and the cape took months to make.

“Ye will put mud on your clothes! Come on, let’s do somethin’ else, come on!” Greta was whining once again. Rebecca -the blonde village girl who owned the cape- glared at Greta. She was fed up with the very careful girl.

“If ye want to do somethin’ else, why don’t ye go home, Greta?” It was old Peter, the one-legged leader of the village. Greta mumbled something about how her parents wouldn’t let her come home and stayed where she stood. Rebecca raised a blonde eyebrow and snickered.

Greta was used to this treatment as she was always the pessimist and every child in the village knew this. Sasha noticed this exchange and rolled her eyes. The two girls fighting had become tiresome. For one must realize that Rebecca and Greta had been fighting for a few days since Greta accidently spattered mud on Rebecca’s cape.

That was when the two cloaked riders came, their steeds’s fiery manes blowing in the wind. The children were amazed by the two cloaked riders. Even talkative Greta’s mouth was open in amazement. Peter clunked his way towards the strangers, his crutches splashing mud onto the nearest children. Those children did not complain as they were anxious for Peter to take care of the strangers.

By this time, most of the village had come out to take a look. One of the villagers was the snaggletooth old crone, Sarai. Her one good eye fixed on the two strangers, mainly the female. The children nearest to her could hear the crone mumbling one word over and over to herself. The withered hands of Sarai was searching for something deep in her cloak pocket.

The female stranger adjusted her hood fitfully and although they could not see her eyes, the villagers knew she was looking at Peter. “I have heard,” the stranger began. “That this is a warm village and I can rest here. For I am just a traveler with my brother. Saying that, may I rest for the night here?”

Peter shook his weary gray head. “Nay, I can’t let ye do that, ma’am. I know it ain’t courteous to turn away a traveler but ye must understand that I can’t abide trouble in this village. Ye look to be kind enough but thy brother worries me. That axe of his has my hackles raised.”

The female’s Rapidash reared suddenly but she managed to calm her steed within a few seconds. This was odd for the villagers since most Rapidashes would not calm down for hours. Perhaps this woman was a Rapidash whisperer or maybe she was a witch. More than one child shuddered at this thought.

“I understand. Forgive our unsettling appearance. My brother is a woodsman and that is why he carries an axe.” This reply did not settle the uneasy stomach of Peter. Even a woodsman wouldn’t carry an axe in such a carefree manner on a Rapidash.

Old Sarai was still mumbling the one word to herself. The other villagers were ignoring the crone as this was normal behavior for her. With a small snicker, the crone pulled out a small mummified lizard creature. It was so withered that even Sarai could not tell what it was when it was alive. Holding the dead thing at arm’s length, Sarai pointed it at the woman.

“Thou hast a silver tongue, O Mighty Controller. Why do thee look so surprised that I know thy secret name? I am after all, a crone.” These words chilled Peter’s spine. Sarai might have been slightly crazy but even the crone wouldn’t say something like that if it wasn’t true. For everyone knew that it was considered an insult to call someone who was not a Controller, one.

The woman threw up her hood to show wavy blonde hair and crystal blue eyes. Her eyes were twinkling with some demon light. “You are correct, crone. Although your fellows will wish otherwise. I won’t be welcome here so I shall have to take my leave. So for now, beware!”

With those words, the Controller put her hood back on. The male snorted for some unseen reason as the woman turned her steed around. Her companion followed her example and turned his mount around. This would be an odd moment indeed, but the Controller turned her head back before they left. “This is not the last you have seen of me, for there is no way to get rid of a Controller!”

Those words were the last heard for a short while. Suddenly breaking the silence that the Controller unknowingly created, a woman in a floury apron shrieked. “My daughter, Rose!” she cried out. “Rose went out into the forest! That’s where the Controller was headed!”

Peter thumped his way over there when he heard a thump followed by a splash. Before he turned around, the voice of wee Elsie came to his ears. “Mistah Petah! Greta fainted!”
___

 

[Sike Saner]

Already, the portrayal of the Controllers is cool, as I figured it would be. Anyone who inspires that kind of fear and dread in the public automatically wins me over. ^^

Someone else I really liked in that chpter was Sarai. Definitely a resonating image, there, that of the creepy crone. I like the way she speaks, and you know the dead, shriveled lizard was cool. Beats the frell out all I ever find in my pockets, which is lint and a couple of the tarnished pennies I find everywhere.

So for now, beware!

That's gonna be my parting line at family gatherings from now on. ^^

 

[Eternal Daydreamer]

Well, thanks! Sarai was based on the crone in The Brothers Grimm but she took a life of her own, however. I was going to have her go wild with her naming of the Controller but it would seem creepier if she did it calmly. The lizard thing was some sort of charm, I think. I was going to have it be a mummified Treeko but that would be cruel and I'd get flamed for it, probably.

That's gonna be my parting line at family gatherings from now on. ^^

Aw, thanks. I wanted to have Molly, (Yes that is Molly. Check the index, there was only one female Controller there.) have a creepy parting line but not too cliche. I decided "So for now, beware!" was pretty good and so I used it.

Thanks for liking the Controllers so far. There are four but only two will be in the main part in this story.

Thanks for the review, Sike! ^^

 

[Eternal Daydreamer]

Sorry for double posting again.

I'm putting my current stories on temporary haitus as I'm working on a one-shot.

I'm deeply sorry for doing this.

 

[Eternal Daydreamer]

I have completed the second chapter. Enjoy.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chapter 2: Rose and the Briar

Blizsan motioned his Familiar to re-fill his pewter tankard with a single hand gesture. The great man was leaning over the worn oak table that was the only table in the hut. His long tangled black beard was covered in frost that glinted in the light of the gas-lamp

Arnold took the cup, his pale blue eyes meeting the frosted glare of the hermit. Arnold looked like no regular youth. From his pale blue tinted skin to the great beak of a nose, he didn’t look like any youth that lived in the nearby village. If one didn’t know his history, Arnold would have been stared at, perhaps thrown out in the snow. Blizsan knew, he always knew it seemed, why Arnold looked so odd.


Arnold was not in his regular form, it must be said, for he was normally a large blue bird who flew in blizzards. This mighty bird Pokemon was called Articuno, a feared name. A Familiar normally had two forms, one human and one that was the form they were created in. Arnold was the Familiar’s human form.

Arnold sighed and his skinny shoulders went up and back down with the motion. Blizsan grunted. “Och, what’s ailin’ ye, lad? Ah can tell ye are pinin’ for somethin’, it’s as clear as the table in front of meh.” Arnold smiled slightly. A mere lifting of his odd blue tinged lips. He was used to the accent of the Controller; it somehow fit so much that he couldn’t imagine Blizsan without it.. Blizsan had retained that one thing when was revived; the rich accent of a Johto Highlander. More than seven hundred years would not change that.

“Toch, ye be worryin’ to much, ye are. Who is supposed to be advisin’ ye, Ah must ask? Meh of course,” Arnold remarked, his own accent showing just as broadly as Blizsan’s. “But ye have the right idea, ye do. Ah’m pinin’ for the village, that be the just of it. Ah want to see the wee ones and look at the fair young lassies, if ye be askin’ meh.”

“That be the way of it, eh? We be runnin’ out of beer, at any cost. Och, let’s heal that pinin’ heart of yer’s and feel our tankards, eh? Ha, the lassies will be after yer hide, they will or shave meh beard!”

Arnold felt a chuckle bubbling out his throat. Blizsan was not as cold as he seemed, that is if you could survive below zero temperatures.

***

Rose shivered as the cold wind blew down the path. She pulled her plain cloak closer to her body, as she continued her way. The trip to get herbs was longer than she had expected and there was a possibility that she wouldn’t get home before dark.

It did not matter much other than the fact it was slightly cold, Rose was an adventurous girl at heart. She wasn’t as easily scared at stories like Greta was; the girl doubted that even a Houndoom could scare her. It was the courage of a young girl, rallied from some unseen depths inside her, that made her continue fearlessly down the way.

The dying sunlight filtered down from the canopy of the forest like rain; falling gloriously upon flowers, crowning them with gold. Rose stepped gently off the beaten dirt path littered rocks and took to picking a reddish colored flower instead. She knelt down to get a closer look at them.

The girl plucked one and brought it up to her nose. A scent wafted from it to her nose; the pleasure was simply wonderful. Rose liked flowers of all kinds, that was well known among the village. Roses, poppies, sunflowers, you name it and she would like it.

“Riita. Chik.” Rose turned her head from the flowers. There nary four feet away was a Pokemon. It’s green color and leaf upon it’s head made it so Rose could identify it. She recognized it instantly, the species had been in many of Old Peter’s tales. A Chikorita.

They were supposed to be rare, she had heard. Rose’s longing to have one was very, very strong. If she could somehow trap it... The Chikorita was standing still, staring right at her as if challenging her. Rose gently set down her basket, rising slowly to her feet; the Chikorita stood still.

When Rose was at her full height, the grass Pokemon darted through a small opening between two trees. It was barely big enough for Rose but that didn’t matter, she darted through following her quarry. Her basket lay forgotten by the side of the road.

The Pokemon went through several more of these openings, Rose followed. She didn’t care if thorns scratched her knees or if branches tore at her clothes. The girl had a purpose, to get that Chikorita. When she did, everyone in the village would be envious of the girl. Even Sasha.

Soon enough, when the Pokemon was slowing down, Rose pounced. She didn’t think of what she would do to secure the Pokemon but she didn’t need to. A rough Mareep wool cloak engulfed her before Rose landed. It was so surprising that she forgot to scream.

Strong arms picked the bundle up, cloak and girl, making it tight. Rose could hear a muffled female voice. “Good, Hale. Good. Our plan is working...” Hale, presumably, grunted in reply and Rose felt herself rise up into the air.

Then she panicked. The girl’s legs started flailing and Rose managed a muffled shriek. “Knock her out?” Hale asked, sounding a little confused. “Yes. We need to make this quick.”

A blackness, more silent than the cloak, came over her. Rose was currently dead to the world.

***

Hale put the bundle upon his steed. “Molly, this doesn’t feel right.. We should do something else, I know I’m your advisor and I’m advising you. It will end in disaster.”

Molly, the Controller, snorted. She didn’t really care for her Familiar’s speeches. “I *want* to do this. That’s all you should be happy with. And anyways,” Molly began. “Those lazy oafs need some stirring up.”

Hale grunted a reply and swung up onto his steed. His broad bare shoulders glinting in the twilight. His axe hanging from his belt, swinging gently. “Fine. Let’s go.”

With that, the Controller and her Familiar left the small clearing in which they captured their first victim.
~*~*~*~*~*
Well, that's the second chapter. Hope you guys like it.

 

[Sike Saner]

The dying sunlight filtered down from the canopy of the forest like rain; falling gloriously upon flowers, crowning them with gold.

That is a very lovely choice of words.

A blackness, more silent than the cloak, came over her.

And so is that. ^^

And also...I think I'm finding myself maybe liking Arnold more than I might have been meant to; appearance-wise, at least. o_o It wouldn't be the first time that someone with "pale blue tinted skin" and a "great beak of a nose" had won me over, after all... *glances down at own sig*

 

[Praxiteles]

Nice work. The Brothers Grimm was a rather bizarre idea for a fic, but fortunately good writing and the enchantment of Pokemon has done it again. I like the mystic feeling you bring, and especially the characters; this could pass for a highly described and lengthy version of one of those sacred myths of lore. Sarai is one of my all-time favourites, Bliszen being the second, and I was delighted when you said they were riding Rapidash. Seriously, Fire is my third favourite type, next to Ground and Dragon.

All I can critisize is the grammar. There are times when you use 'you're' instead of 'your', 'it's' intead of 'its', and you often neglect to put commas. And an 's after plurals is evil and only likes to make your fic sound bad. All you need is an apostrophe. But you know what they say, grammar is one of the least important parts of a fic; it's just that annoying little fly that likes to buzz around you all the time.

Keep it up, and remember what I said.

 

[Eternal Daydreamer]

The Brothers Grimm was a rather bizarre idea for a fic, but fortunately good writing and the enchantment of Pokemon has done it again

Thank you. The Brothers Grimm is sort of sacred ground, something that one would normally avoid. I however, like to travel on bizarre roads.

I like the mystic feeling you bring, and especially the characters; this could pass for a highly described and lengthy version of one of those sacred myths of lore.

Ah shucks. :redface: You do not know how pleased I am to hear that. It's a great honor to be likened to such famous storytellers. I, of course, am basing it on their stories but I never dreamed that it word be worthy of their greatness.

Sarai is one of my all-time favourites, Bliszen being the second

Sarai is getting to be popular.. Oh and it's Blizsan. Think of Blizzard combined with the word san.

I'll work on my grammar. Minor mistakes, though. Wish I had grammar checker on WordPerfect. Oh well.

And also...I think I'm finding myself maybe liking Arnold more than I might have been meant to; appearance-wise, at least. o_o It wouldn't be the first time that someone with "pale blue tinted skin" and a "great beak of a nose" had won me over, after all... *glances down at own sig*

Arnold is supposed to be a likable fellow. His appearance is based on the idea that he needs to look somewhat like Articuno but still be human. His blue skin is more like someone who has been in the cold too long. All pale and sickly looking.

Blizsan himself is like an old Scottish uncle who you don't see much but brings you presents. That sort of thing. I am proud of how he turned out.

Imagine, once I was critized on my description now it's one of my best traits! Heh.

 

[Eternal Daydreamer]

Chapter Three: The Vision of the Hag


The firelight cast elongated shadows across the stony courtyard. Dancers garbed in barbaric dress danced in a strange pattern. Sarai herself saw this through heavy lidded eyes. She felt this was a vision, for she knew that the blood of seers ran through her own veins. Other times, visions came to the hag but this one was strange..

The bonfire light cast shadows across the human dancers turning their faces into masks of demons. There was a circle of twelve thrones around the bonfire. Each one had an occupant but each seemed to be familiar to the hag, though the occupants were not grown adults. No, the twelve occupants of the twelve thrones were girls of young age! Yes, the occupants were girls! Mere little girls that seemed very scared and tiny in the grand thrones which they sat.

This scene seemed similar, this was not the normal feeling for a vision. Sarai knew this must be some sort of odd rare vision. In fact, this vision seemed to be some vision of the past, not the future. Truly odd.

“Halt.” The voice was feminine, all right. Sarai may have been old but her ears were as keen as ever. The speaker was indeed female this was shown because she walked into the firelight. It seemed to be some sort of priestess. The garb was indeed seemed to fit some religious person from the days of old.

Her robe was a multitude of strange colors that shone and shivered in the light of the bonfire. A single band of a strange metallic fabric was settled upon her brow. The Priestess, as Sarai named the woman in her head, walked to center of the courtyard. Her long robe shimmered strangely with every step.

Although Sarai had no fear of being seen, it seemed like she was invisible to these characters, the sight of the Priestess’s hand chilled her spine. Twelve slashes were across the hand of that ancient seeming religious figure of old. Not the slashes of a battle, no! Those slashes were not normal war wounds! Sarai could feel this in the very marrow of her bones! If the wounds were normal, why was the palm not covered? Why did the blood seemed to have two different colors to it?

These questions Sarai had no answer for. She did not know why it chilled her so, but there was something not normal. Something not right, something that should have not been even conceived! The Priestess started to speak again. Her voice was commanding as one of her rank should have been.

“Do not scare them further! I did not have my followers take them from the Barbarians for you to scare them into submission! Did I not promise to bring you the Twelve who would raise the Twelve Kingdoms from their ruin? Here on the Twelve Thrones of the Ancient Gods, are the twelve maidens who will be the rulers of the Twelve Kingdoms!”

This speech was nonsense to the hag, but the words seemed to have power. Strange meaning, but a meaning nonetheless. Somehow, those words seemed familiar. Why? Again, Sarai had no answer. The Priestess started talking again.

“For the forest kingdom, I have brought Roil to rule! For the twin island kingdoms, Keli and Heli are the rulers! The kingdom of the shifting sands belong to Samit! For the kingdom of the coast side towns, Vili. The mountain kingdom above the clouds belong to Oli!”

Perhaps there would be more, but Sarai felt herself shifting to the present. In all honestly, Sarai wanted it to happen....

***

“Do something! Rose cannot be alone in those woods for much longer!”
“Calm yourself woman!”

Sarai’s good eye watched Peter try and calm down the hysterical mother of the missing girl. It was a failing endeavor but it was proving to be slightly amusing. It seemed that the elder Gregor, was watching her out of the corner of his eye. He was a slightly handsome fellow in his prime, several years gone. The grey flecked brown hair and chiseled face had no humor in it.

The hag chuckled, a dry sound. Gregor moved his gaze slightly. Sarai didn’t hate nor liked the man. Gregor loved his daughter, Sasha, a little too much. It did make sense after the disease that not only robbed him of his wife but also of his infant son. Gregor acted like every moment he was with Sasha may be the last moment they would be together. Sarai found that whole business to be foolish.

Peter was trying his very best to calm the woman down. Rose’s younger brother Kevin was not helping at all. The young lad would jump and yell to ask about his sister. “Enough! Enough. I’ll send Gregor and a few other men to search for Rose.”

That quieted Rose’s mother slightly. Kevin needed something more. “Mistah Petah? W’en will Rose bein’ bak? Me be ancious.” Peter smiled slightly at the quaint speech of the young one.

“I don’t know, young one, but mebbe you should talk to Elsie? It maybe her father might have a young Pokemon that you can play with...”

That’s all Kevin needed. The young boy dashed out the door of the inn to the stable where he knew Elsie was. His mother glared at Peter and the old one-legged man shrugged. With that, Rose’s mother picked up her skirts and ran out to get her son.

Sarai felt she didn’t need to say anything. The villagers wouldn’t listen to anything she said anyways...

***

“She knows...”

Hale scoffed. “Of course she does! Not all of it, but enough to cause trouble. Take the girl back, that’s my advise.”

Molly shifted her weight on her stone chair. Her tight clothing was not made for sitting on stone thrones all day. Hale had been carping on her to take back the girl, but as always, the good advise fell on deaf ears. Molly would not take the girl back. Why should she?

Wincing, the Controller brought her hand to her face. The dull candlelight from the corners shone on the slash going diagonal across her palm. Even if she wanted to, the plan was too far gone already to turn back. After all, Molly DID swap blood with that girl.

Now, it was time for a little more fun....

“Karrarr. Me, Runpis, is ‘ere. Karaaaack.”
“And me, Skilli. Karraaaack! Be tellin’ us wot to do! KAARAACK!”

The two minions who would help her with the next girls were here already. “Perfect, come here.”

 

[Sike Saner]

Her robe was a multitude of strange colors that shone and shivered in the light of the bonfire.

Very lovely. The entire opening sequence really was, for that matter. I'm quite intrigued by what was going on there. The closing scene was intriguing, too; I'll be interested to see some more of Runpis and Skilli...

 

[Eternal Daydreamer]

Yes, we will see more of Runpis and Skilli. The vision will be explained later, though not in Sarai's words. Moohahahaha.